Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
Nov 23 ~ Day #197
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$19700
$15.00
$17041.71
$86.51
Miles by Road
Miles by Sea
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Miles
16084.6
12056.7
7662
196
35999.3
We Did It!
When we began this adventure we set ourselves a challenge. To complete this trip on an average of $100/day or less.
As you can see from the recap of our final totals, we not only met that challenge, we exceeded it.
We traveled for a total of 197 days on an average of $86.51/day. Not bad!
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
First we’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to all the friends and family we stayed with along the way. We could not have achieved our goal without your generous hospitality.
We have mentioned all of you in each appropriate blog post but we would like to thank you all once again. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Putting Things in Perspective
When we mention the mileage, the number of days, places visited, etc. sometimes things just become a blur and the true magnitude is not particularly clear. So, here we’re going to recap things and try to bring some perspective.
Mileage
The total miles traveled, including road, train, sea and air, was 35,999.3. Too bad we couldn’t have added just 0.7 of a mile more. That would have pushed us to an even 36,000 miles.
But, to put this mileage in perspective, the circumference of the earth, at the equator, is 24,901.55 miles.
That means we could have traveled around the globe almost one and a half times. Wow!
Days Traveled
I don’t think we actually calculated the number of days we were going to be traveling when we started this adventure.
Oh sure, we knew the day we were going to start. We also knew the day we were going to fly back home. Both were booked before we set out. But we didn’t actually take the time to calculate just how long the time in between those dates was.
Total number of days traveled = 197.
If you apply an average of 30 days to a month, then we traveled for a total of 6.6 months, more than half a year. Again – wow!
Cruises and More Included in the Trip
It seems amazing even to us what we were able to pack into this trip. Here’s a quick recap.
Cruises
Our trip included three cruises:
a two week Alaska cruise
a six day Greek Islands cruise
a two week TransAtlantic cruise
That’s a total of 34 days – more than a month – spent on cruise ships.
Narrowboats in the UK
We were able to spend an entire week on a narrowboat on the Trent/Mersey canal system in the UK.
Orlando and Disney
We spent two weeks in Orlando at two different timeshare resorts and spent time at more than one Disney theme park.
Landmarks Visited
Along the way we were fortunate to visit many landmarks both in North America and Europe.
Here’s a few:
United States
Carlsbad Caverns
Monument Valley
Grand Canyon
Canada
Victoria, British Columbia (a must-see)
Hell’s Gate, British Columbia
Columbia Ice Fields, Alberta
Banff and Jasper, Alberta
Lake Louise, Alberta
Terry Fox Monument, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Reversing Falls, New Brunswick
St. Andrews-By-The-Sea, New Brunswick
Confederation Bridge, between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island
Birthplace of Canadian Confederation, Charlottetown, PEI
Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia
England
Buckingham Palace
Tower Bridge
Tower of London
British Parliament Buildings
Big Ben
British Museum
Stratford-Upon-Avon, birthplace of Shakespeare
Spain
La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
Dénia Castle, Dénia
Portugal
Madeira, the home of Madeira wine
Greece
Santorini
Croatia
the old walled city of Dubrovnik
Italy
St. Mark’s Square, Venice
the ruins of Pompeii
the ruins of Paestum
the Amalfi Coast
And, I’m sure there are things we are forgetting. It’s time for us to go back and re-read all the posts we have made along the way and to review all the photos and videos we have as well.
This was the trip of a lifetime for us. We will continue to travel, of course, but it is unlikely that we will ever again take such an extensive trip. It was a great adventure but a very long time to be away from home.
We will continue to have, we hope, many, many more adventures. But, perhaps shorter ones this time.
Thank you to everyone who has followed along with us and to those who have made comments as well. It was a pleasure to share this adventure with you.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 18 ~Day #39
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$3900
$48.70
$4955.39
$127.06
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917 + 64
3826 + 30
000
69
9484.40
Location: Chilliwack, BC
Mileage: 128 (Chilliwack to Vancouver and return)
Nautical Miles: 30 (Departure Bay (Nanaimo) to Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver)
Today’s Total Expenses: $48.70
Transportation: $27.70 (Ferry from Nanaimo to Vancouver)
Entertainment: $21.00 (Parking for Stanley Park, ferry to Granville Island)
BC Ferries
British Columbia has an amazing ferry system to service many of their communities.
This morning we were up early to catch the 8:30am ferry from Departure Bay in Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay in Vancouver where my sister would be waiting to pick us up. We had a full day planned visiting Stanley Park, Granville Island and finishing up with a BBQ with my brother-in-law’s family.
The ferry crossing was pleasant and relaxing. I was hoping to see some wildlife along the way – whales in particular – but I would have settled for seals or dolphins, but it was not to be.
We felt the charge for the ferry was pretty reasonable. We only spent $27.70 for both of us and the trip was over 1-1/2 hours long and covered 30 nautical miles.
Stanley Park
My sister was waiting for us as we got off the ferry. She had brought our car, which we had left at their house while we were on the Alaska cruise.
We threw our stuff in the car and headed for Stanley Park. This is a huge park on a peninsula in downtown Vancouver. It boasts an aquarium, totem poles, many lookout points and more. I’m really not doing it justice with my description, so you should consider a visit here.
We drove through the park to get an idea of where we’d like to stop. We then found a parking spot and the parking pass was good for anywhere in the park which meant we could feel free to stop and explore wherever we wanted.
Our first parking spot was actually just outside the park but our pass covered that, too.
It was lunchtime so we stopped for lunch at a small Arabian restaurant for a Shwarma (I hope I’m spelling that right) plate. It was a plate of spiced chicken, rice, humus, tabouli and a pita bread. We couldn’t finish it all.
Granville Island
After walking the seawall in downtown Vancouver to work off some of our lunch it was off the Granville Island.
Granville Island is a mix of farmers market, boutique stores, entertainment, restaurants and more and is a “must see” when visiting Vancouver.
We were able to leave the car where we had parked it and take a cute little ferry to Granville Island.
While we were there we were able to meet up with our niece (who is expecting within a couple of weeks and simply cute as a button), her husband and their six Afghan hounds – that’s right, I said six and they are all amazingly beautiful.
Back to Stanley Park
After taking the little ferry back to where we had our car parked, we headed back into Stanley Park and made several stops throughout the park including one at the totem poles.
Wildlife Encounter
Finally! An up close and personal wildlife encounter.
Okay, it was only a raccoon with attitude, but it was exciting anyway.
Family BBQ
From there we headed, with the help of Madge (our GPS), to the family BBQ. It was lovely to meet many family members that we have not met before and to see a few that we hadn’t seen in more years than I care to mention.
The conversations were interesting, the food was great and there was most certainly lots of it. Many thanks to my brother-in-law’s family for including us in their get-together.
Today was a glorious day and we took full advantage of that.
Although the hotel we were staying at in Victoria – the Red Lion Inn – was a bit outside of the downtown area, we decided to walk into downtown anyway.
We had first thought we would get a day pass on the local bus system. The standard fare was $2.50 each and a day pass was $7.00. If we planned to “hop on and hop off” the local transit system then the day pass seemed like a good idea.
However, after speaking to a very helpful lady at the information kiosk in Mayfair Mall, we determined that it would likely be a very pleasant walk into Victoria. She told us she walked back and forth to work everyday and she lived in the downtown area.
Chinatown
I had really wanted to see Chinatown and it was right along the route as we walked into downtown.
I believe that this may be the oldest Chinatown in Canada. I seem to remember someone telling me that but I’m not 100% sure of that fact. If any of our readers know for sure, we’d love to hear from you.
Inner Harbour
The Inner Harbour, right in downtown Victoria, is a colourful and “happening” place.
All around the harbour are small cafés and pubs along with vendors selling their wares. There is also a large native component selling carvings, jewelry and other items that you simply must see.
In this vivacious downtown area you’ll also find a museum and Imax theatre, the Empress Hotel, the Provincial Parliament buildings, parks, a sea walk and so much more.
If you like to watch float planes, and we do, you can see them taking off and landing all day.
Fisherman’s Wharf
We had planned to stop at a pub and treat ourselves to lunch today but after looking at some of the menus it didn’t look like they had what Geoff would consider “authentic” pub fare, at least not at the ones we stopped at.
On top of that, they seemed pretty expensive as well and we have the budget to consider.
So, we just continued along the sea walk until we came to Fisherman’s Wharf. This is an eclectic collection of floating houses, restaurants and boats.
We had heard that there was a small restaurant called Barb’s Fish and Chips and we are always in search of the perfect fish and chips, so we headed there.
There was a huge line up to order so we figured it must be good if so many other people were willing to wait so long to place their orders.
We took our place in the line and while Geoff waited I wander over to the end of one of the docks to see a seal up close and personal. He stayed in the water but this was the closest I had been to any such wildlife. This was the kind of thing I was hoping to see on our Alaska cruise.
After placing our order at Barb’s, Geoff was given a small pager to hold on to and was told that when it went off that our order would be ready. So we chose a seat in the tented outdoor sitting area and waited hungrily for the beeper to go off.
Fish and Chips for Lunch
When Geoff went to pick up our waiting order he returned with two baskets piled high with fish, chips, tartar sauce and cole slaw.
We tucked in immediately and thoroughly enjoyed the best fish and chips that we’ve had in a very long time, and all in an amazingly interesting and pleasant setting. Neither of us could finish the entire meal. Well – okay – we only left a FEW chips each.
Wind Surfers
We continued our walk along the sea and just across from Beacon Hill Park we had the opportunity to watch some wind surfers on the ocean – all in wetsuits, of course.
We also sat on sun-warmed benches to rest and enjoy the day.
Beacon Hill Park
The day was starting to wane and it was time to think about getting back to our hotel and cooking dinner. We had selected an efficiency suite when booking our room.
To finish off our tour of Victoria we decided to walk through Beacon Hill Park before catching a local bus back to our hotel.
In this park there are many peacocks that actually roam free. We were able to get some awesome shots of these majestic birds.
We also passed a petting zoo where both the kids (baby goats) and kids (children) were having a great time playing with each other.
We then sauntered slowly towards Douglas Street (we were getting pretty slow at this point) to catch the local bus. Our total transportation cost for the whole day – $5.00!
We found Victoria to be a beautiful, well-kept city and would love to return here.
Today we were at sea the entire day making our run from Juneau to Victoria, British Columbia.
It appears that we are now in open ocean and not in the Inside Passage. We had taken the Inside Passage at the beginning of our cruise.
Beginning very early in the morning we hit some very rough seas. According to the Captain’s Log, which we could see on the TV in our cabin, the waves averaged anywhere from 7.5 ft to 12 ft. At times the ship felt like it was rolling pretty good and often from side to side.
Fortunately, neither Geoff nor I have much difficulty with seasickness, but that certainly wasn’t the same for everyone. We noticed a lot fewer people at breakfast and lunch.
More Laundry
I took advantage of the lull in onboard activity to get in a couple more loads of laundry. Because we are trying to travel as light as possible (although sometimes it seems like we’ve got an awful lot of luggage) I find I need to laundry fairly often.
Special Chef’s Dinner
The dinner planned for this evening was a special Chef’s dinner and I was really looking forward to it. The staff was going to sing, dance make it a very special evening for all. The entire evening would culminate with the serving of Baked Alaska for dessert.
Well, we didn’t make it for the dinner and it wasn’t because either of us was seasick.
Migraine
Unfortunately I am prone to migraine headaches and, for some reason, one decided to strike this afternoon. It was most likely caused by someone wearing WAY TOO MUCH perfume. Why is it that some women seem to BATHE in the stuff? Even if it’s a nice scent, please, please limit the amount that you wear. There are lots of people like me – a strong scent is one of the things that can trigger a serious headache for many of us migraine sufferers.
I ended up in bed for several hours while taking lots of painkillers in the hopes of getting rid of it.
Being in bed in high seas actually worked pretty well as it felt like I was being rocked to sleep.
The headache finally subsided at about 9pm, but our dinner seating was at 8pm. We decided to head for the dining room anyway.
Great Staff
When we arrived at the Main Dining Room the staff was parading around waving light sticks, singing and carrying the Baked Alaska before delivering it to each table. It looked wonderful.
We joined our usual dinner companions and made our apologies for our late arrival.
Immediately both our Steward and the Maitre D’ inquired if we were okay and what they could do for us. As the kitchen was now closed for dinner they managed to get us each a lovely club sandwich for dinner and we really appreciated it.
We were so sorry to miss the festivities of the evening.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 11 ~Day #32
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$3200
$222.76
$4395.18
$137.34
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917
At Sea
000
000
8380.80
Current Location: Juneau, Alaska
Today’s Total Expenses: 222.76 + $28.00
Entertainment: $28.00
It Would Be Beautiful If The Sun Was Shining
Yes the rain is back. If you are planning a trip to Alaska be sure to pack rain gear and umbrellas – you will need them. I guess we have been quite lucky with weather; the only bad days have been in Ketchikan and here in Juneau. Of course the locals don’t notice the rain until it’s falling horizontally but I think that’s because they’re covered in moss.
Juneau, Alaska’s Capital
Juneau is unique as the only state capitol that you cannot drive to. The only way in or out is by sea or air – there are no connecting roads.
Mendenhall Glacier
If you take the highway out of town just past the Costco, Walmart and McDonald’s you will find the Mendenhall Glacier. It really is that close. The tour is advertised for $7 – that’s $7 each way per person for a total of $28 which takes you to the face of the glacier in Tongass National Forest.
We would have liked to have stayed there longer and taken some of the hiking trails but the rain was pretty miserable and we are not equipped for it.
More Jewelry Stores
I hope I don’t get Vicky in trouble with other woman but she is fairly practical when it comes to jewelry. She has a few nice pieces but she doesn’t pester me all the time for new trinkets.
Over the course of the cruise we have been following a kind of a treasure hunt using the coupons in the book we got when we boarded. If you visit each of the stores you get different coins and charms free at each store. It’s just junk but I’m sure the grand kids will like them.
Anyway the collection is now complete so we could get back on the ship, out of the rain and grab a late lunch.
Another Formal Night
Formal nights on a cruise ship are one of the few remaining chances the average person has to dress up. I would probably feel a whole lot better about it if I had a tailored Tux.
I grew out of my last tux many years ago and never bothered to buy a new one. What I really need is a big cumber bun to hide my big tummy.
My current dinner jacket does not fit well and I frankly find ties about the most uncomfortable thing there is to wear. We have clothes for six months traveling packed into one duffel bag – there is not a lot of room for fancy duds.
Dinner and a Show
Except in our case – since we have late sitting – it’s show and dinner.
This was the best show of the cruise. We have never heard of Jeff Trachta but apparently he was on the soap opera The Bold and The Beautiful for several years and appeared on Broadway in Grease. We thought he would just be some pretty boy singer but wow were we wrong.
He has a high tech show that uses pre-recorded video of him playing multiple parts that make up his chorus. He has a great voice plus he is possibly the best impressionist I’ve ever heard. All in all an excellent hour.
This was followed by a surf and turf dinner ~ almost worth getting dressed up for.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 10 ~Day #31
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$3100
$222.76
$4172.42
$134.59
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917
2709 + 303 = 3012
000
000
8380.80
Location: Hubbard Glacier
Today’s Total Expenses: $222.76
Daily Cruse Expense: $222.76
More Time at Sea
We left Kodiak early yesterday – just after 1:00pm – in order to get to the Hubbard Glacier by about noon today.
Hubbard Glacier
Right around noon we entered Yakutat Bay and headed directly for Disenchantment Bay and the Hubbard Glacier. You could already feel the air getting colder and we started seeing some small ice flows going past the ship.
As we got our first glimpse of the Hubbard Glacier the temperature was definitely frosty and the wind was also quite strong.
Although we did go out on deck, we didn’t stand out in the wind for very long and looked for places to stand that were sheltered from the wind,
We were hoping to see more calving at this glacier but because it is pupping season for the harbor seals and because there was quite a bit of ice, we couldn’t go very close to the face of the glacier.
Still we could actually hear when calving took place. It’s actually quite loud and sounds a lot like thunder. Apparently this calving noise is referred to as “White Thunder”, which seems totally appropriate.
However, by the time you hear the White Thunder you may have already missed the chunks of glacier that have fallen into the sea.
We did see some calving but got much better pictures of this kind of event while we were in Glacier Bay.
Rangers and Native Cultural Interpreters
Two Rangers and two Native Cultural Interpreters from Yakutat boarded the ship earlier in the day along with a pilot.
While at the glacier we were given a running commentary by one of the Rangers and one of the Natives. Both were very interesting.
Later in the day, in the Queen’s Lounge, the Native Interpreters gave us a glimpse of their life and cultural with a talk and slide show.
Watching the Native Interpreters, Rangers and Pilot Leave the Ship
Just after 4:00pm the local guests and pilot left the ship and we were lucky enough to be in the Crow’s Nest at the time to see the transfer happen. It was really quite fascinating.
The shuttle boat pulled along side the hull of our ship and matched its speed, then nudged its bow against the hull. It didn’t look like they used any lines to secure the smaller boat to the ship.
Then, one by one, the guests and pilot boarded the smaller boat. It looked like a pretty dangerous maneuver to me, but it all went off without a hitch and then the launch drifted away from our ship and sped off towards land.
It was fascinating to watch.
Food Poisoning?
Geoff felt well enough today to get back into the swing of things and so we had dinner in the main dining room tonight.
We learned that one of our dinner companions also had tummy problems at the same time Geoff did.
We also learned from our other dinner companions that the main dining room seemed pretty empty the two nights we had not been there.
It seems pretty obvious that Geoff was not the only person onboard experiencing illness.
This leads us to believe that there must have been something that Geoff ate that was a bit off. Particularly because he’s absolutely fine now, so that probably rules out the possibility of a bug or flu.
Full Entertainment Evening
It seemed we had a full evening of entertainment this evening and we enjoyed all of it immensely.
Stand Up Comedian
First up was John Knight, a stand up comedian who got us all laughing and set the pace for the balance of evening.
We caught his act at the early show and then headed off to dinner still chuckling.
The Marriage Game
Next up the was an audience participation game show run by the Cruise Director, Party Planner and DJ.
The chose three couples from the audience that spanned quite a range. One couple had been married just 3 years, one couple 22 years and the last couple had been married 57 years!
If you are at all familiar with the old TV program, The Newlywed Game, this was run using that program as an example.
The replies to some of the questions put to these couples had us rolling in the aisles!
The winners of the game was the couple that had been married 57 years. Yes, they really did seem to know each other and, believe it or not, they both accurately remembered their first kiss!
Indonesian Crew Show
But the night was not yet over and we remained in our seats for the Indonesian Crew Show.
The service staff on this ship work so hard that it seems incredible that they could find the time to put together something like this but it was well done and both entertaining and funny.
We were unable to attend the Philipinno Crew Show earlier in the cruise, but we’re sure it would have been just as enjoyable.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 09 ~Day #30
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$3000
$222.76
$3949.66
$131.65
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917
2288 + 421 = 2709
000
000
8032.35
Today’s Total Expenses: $222.76
Krappy in Kodiak
If you’re on an Alaska cruise and Kodiak is not on your itinerary don’t worry about it you’re not missing anything. Kodiak is a fish processing port. Even the cruise director said it’s a fifteen minute walk into town, fifteen minutes to look around, fifteen minutes back and you’re done.
Just as well really cause I was still feeling pretty crappy. Just went back to the cabin and slept while Vicky worked on the computer.
By the time evening rolled around I was feeling much better but not ready to face a formal night. After years of living on a small island in the Bahamas I figure I’m dressed up if I’m wearing shoes.
Anyway we went to the Lido deck where jeans are OK and I managed to eat a little but really didn’t have much in the way of appetite.
Vicky was really looking forward to the Chocolate Buffet to be held at midnight. I’m sure she will have more to say about it tomorrow but it was not what we were expecting.
All the chef’s and culinary staff worked very hard to present an incredible desert extravaganza but it was mostly the same things we had seen for deserts other nights, just dressed up a little.
Tables had been placed all around the pool loaded with cakes, pastries, ice sculptures and chocolate fountains. Apparently it took 50 hours work to put it together and would take less than an hour to consume.
If I had been feeling more like myself I may have appreciated it more but all I could see in my mind were pigs at a trough. It is amazing just how much food some people can pile onto a small desert plate. I can’t help wondering how much gets wasted.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 08 ~Day #29
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$2900
$226.76
$3726.90
$128.51
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917
2155 + 133 = 2288
000
000
7548.2
Location: Homer, Alaska
Today’s Total Expenses: $222.76
Daily Cruse Expense: $222.76
Homer and Homer Spit
From the dock in Homer we had the opportunity to visit downtown Homer via a school bus shuttle that made three stops. Or, we could board a different school bus shuttle and visit Homer Spit. We did both.
The weather was clear and sunny and in the mid-50s. A bit cool for us but, hey, we’re in Alaska, so most people used to living here were welcoming the warm weather. We certainly enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine.
Yurts for Sale and for Rent
On our trip into downtown Homer we passed a Yurt Village under construction and decided to stop in.
The Yurt Village will be home to local artisans, however, you can also purchase a yurt – in several different sizes and configurations – as well as rent them, already constructed and in some lovely locations, for your vacation.
We spoke with the owners of Nomad Shelter – http://www.nomadshelter.com – and got a brochure and price list as well.
We also stopped in on one of the artisans in this village who do some lovely art, furnishings and more. You can check them out at http://www.handpainteddesign.com
Homer Spit has a lot of shops and restaurants. The most famous restaurant is most likely the Salty Dawg Saloon which also has a working lighthouse.
We popped our heads in for a bit and it looks like the kind of dive that everyone should visit if they find themselves in Homer, Alaska.
Lots of RVs
Homer seems to be a destination of choice for a lot of RVers. There were certainly a lot of them around in various RV parks. We did hear, however, that some of the RV parks charge as much as $100/night – OUCH!
There were also several very hardy campers, too. Apparently the camping areas are run by the government and the rates are much more reasonable – around $8/ night. Now that’s more like our budget, but I’m not sure you could talk me into camping in Alaska. I was quite cold enough, thank you, when we camped at the Grand Canyon.
The Deadliest Catch’s Time Bandit
Being the home port for the Time Bandit of the reality series The Deadliest Catch is also Homer’s claim to fame.
Although I can’t claim to follow the series, I have seen a few of the trailers and it looks quite exciting.
We were fortunate enough to see the Time Bandit in port while we were in Homer.
New Performers
The cruise line changed performers for the rest of the cruise while we were in Anchorage.
Tonight was illusionist Jonathan Neal.
The show would have been much more enjoyable, but Geoff wasn’t feeling very well and so he wasn’t able to enjoy the performance.
A Bug? Overindulgence? Food Poisoning?
Immediately after the show, just when we were about to head to the dining room for dinner, Geoff said he wasn’t feeling very well and he was looking pretty green around the gills so we headed back to our stateroom.
Almost immediately after tucking him in bed he got violently ill. We spent the rest of the evening in our cabin. Geoff didn’t want anything at all except a glass a milk. We ordered that and a chicken caesar salad for me and had it delivered to our cabin.
We watched some TV for a while but Geoff was really tired and a bit shaky, so we thought it best to have an early night.
We have both been overindulging since being on the cruise, but Geoff and I frequently have the same thing and, fortunately, I’m fine.
Who knows, it could have been that or a bug he’s picked up or it could have been a touch of food poisoning. It’s hard to say.
That’s not a comment on the quality of the food on this cruise. Everything has been wonderful. But, it’s difficult, I’m sure, when you’re catering to so many people and things have to be done well in advance and kept warm, too.
I sure hope he feels better tomorrow. The worst seems to be over but he’s feeling pretty shaky.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 07 ~Day #28
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$2800
$222.76
$3500.14
$125.00
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917
2024 + 131 = 2155
000
000
7395.25
Current Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Today’s Total Expenses: $222.76
Of the 600,000 people that call Alaska home almost half of them live in Anchorage. This is a bright, modern city with few buildings dating much before the 1950’s. An earthquake and subsequent tsunami destroyed most everything in 1964.
The shuttle bus from the ship dropped us off in front of the convention centre so the first thing we did was spend an hour or so getting caught up on our posting.
I wouldn’t call Anchorage a tourist city, there does not seem to be much to do on a short visit. The convention centre is a beautiful modern building and certainly worth considering if you are planning a convention.
One of the city’s claim to fame is as the official start of the Iditarod. The Iditarod is a 1000 mile dog sled race across Alaska that ends in Nome. We did not get to see the race but we did get to pet a couple of the future participants. The dogs in the video are just four weeks old and have recently found their voice.
We took a free shuttle to the ULU factory but it turned out to be just another gift shop a couple of blocks away. An Ulu is a native knife that all the tourist shops here sell as souvenirs.
On the way back to the city centre we passed a vendor offering city tours on Segway people movers. I was very tempted because I’ve wanted to ride one those things for years but at $65 each for a couple of hours I just couldn’t justify it.
So we settled for a free walking tour put on by the park ranger service. Ranger Ryan did a great job explaining all about Captain Cook’s relationship with Alaska.
Our transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment cost so far
June 06 ~Day #27
Budget to date
Spent today
Total to date
Daily average
Total
$2700
$222.76
$3277.38
$121.38
Miles by Road
Nautical Miles
Miles by Air
Miles by Train
Total Statute Miles
4917
1307 + 717 = 2024
000
000
7244.6
Location: At Sea
Daily Cruse Expense: $222.76
Heading for Anchorage
Today was another “at sea” day meaning that we are simply putting miles behind us in order to get to Anchorage tomorrow.
On this cruise we will have a total of three “at sea” days. The first, of course, was the Inside Passage, our first full day on the Amsterdam. The second is today as we head towards Anchorage and the third will be after we leave Juneau and head for Victoria, British Columbia where we will actually be disembarking. We want to spend more time in Victoria and then take the train up to Nanaimo to visit with my brother and sister-in-law before heading back to my sister’s in Chilliwack to pickup our car and start the eastward bound part of our North America trip.
Motion of the Ocean
For most of our voyage the seas have been fairly calm but have been a couple of days where we’ve had some significant waves. Certainly not what we would consider rough seas but enough to sometimes get the ship rocking a bit from side to side.
Neither Geoff nor I are particularly susceptible to seasickness but other people, including one of our dinner companions, were feeling the effects from time to time.
As you exit the main dining room each evening you are presented with a choice of mints, hard candies and crystallized ginger. Both of us have been indulging in the crystallized ginger and recommending to anyone who is a bit queazy because of the motion of the ship.
Ginger is wonderful for settling the tummy.
Entertainment Onboard
Each evening there is entertainment in the Queen’s Lounge, a large, two-storey theatre at the bow of the ship. There are two performances so they can accommodate all of the passengers onboard.
They have a talented group of singers and dancers that stay with the ship in addition to guest performers.
Classical Music at Sea
Our absolute favorite so far was a pianist – Elliot Finkel. He not only played for us one evening but today, at 3:00pm, he gave us a classical music performance that ended in a standing ovation.
Weight Loss Challenge
Perhaps the title for this part of my post should be – “What was I thinking?”
I guess it kind of goes right along with the obvious senior moment I had when I decided I didn’t really need to pack a warm jacket for our Alaska cruise. Thanks again to my sister for the warm fuzzy jacket that I have used extensively on this trip.
No, I haven’t yet weighed myself since the first time I weighed in, so I have nothing to report.
I did promise myself that I wouldn’t have dessert with lunch, though, and I kept that promise for a full 24 hours!
Whether you’ve cruised or not, everyone knows that it’s pretty much non-stop food on a cruise. Most of it is really quite good, too.
Last night we decided to eat in the Italian restaurant onboard rather than in the Main Dining Room. You need to make reservations for this restaurant, but it is included in your cruise fare.
I had veal and Geoff had cod and it was obviously cooked to order and delicious. We had a lovely table to two right in front of a large window.
I was hoping to sight some whales but no such luck. Maybe tomorrow.
The Land of the Midnight Sun
We’ve all heard this expression and tonight we actually experienced it.
After watching a movie in the small theatre we went to the Lido Deck for a midnight snack and cup of tea. It was midnight and the sun still hadn’t completely set.
We witnessed a section of bright blue sky with rose-colored clouds and the sun attempted to set just past midnight – incredible!
