Below is a preliminary map of our 22 night June 2025 Alaska cruise. This was the longest and went the furthest north of any of our Alaska cruises.
A preliminary review of the pictures was done using an AI to score images and remove duplicates. Click the picture below to see the ablum with the highest scoring pictures.
We'd just finished traveling through the heaviest concentration of glaciers in Alaska, so it was time to get back to more settled parts of Alaska. Not that they don't have glaciers, but they're not as close together and not as big.
Except for the picture below, click on a picture to see more pictures from that day.
Just a relaxing day at sea.
We've been to Icy Strait a few times. The first time we were there we didn't see much but we learned that it is one of the best spots for whale watching. In many cases you can see the whales from the shore. We did a boat cruise, which is usually the best way to see whales, but our best whale shots were on the cruise ship... while it was docked!
We had just finished lunch and were back in our rooms when we saw the whales from our balcony. We don't always get a cabin with a balcony, choosing instead to save some money and get a cabin with just a window. But when we go to Alaska, especially on a glacier cruise, we always get a balcony. This time it was really worth it!
Aftter lunch, and our unexpected whale drive by, we took the Sky Peak Gondola for panoramic views of the area.
Most of our time in Skagway was spent on a tour to see Davidson Glacier. We boarded a small boat in Skagway and cruised down Chilkote Inlet, past Haines where we'd been a week before, to Glacier Point Wilderness. Once there we had a short hike to another landing where we boarded a 31 foot canoe for a short ride across a lake to a point near the glacier.
After the glacier tour we took the boat back up Chilkote Inlet where we had a view of some of the wildlife and waterfalls. Click on the pic above to see the photo album with some of those pictures. We had a little time to explore the town before we had to get back on the ship, enough to make our traditional stop at Klondike Brewing Company for a flight of some great local beer.
One of our favorite things in Juneau is the whale watching tour. We didn't see as many whales as we did in Icy Strait, or as many as we had on our last trip to Juneau, but we did a couple of distant shots.
The van that takes you to the harbor for the whale watching tour stops on the way back to port for a nice view of Mendenhall Glacier.
Click one of the pictures above to see more pictures for that day.
Glaciers, glaciers, and more glaciers! Leaving Sitka we headed into parts of Alaska with some glaciers we'd seen before, but some we'd never even heard of. This was definitely the part of Alaska to see tidewater glaciers!
Click any of the pictures below to see more images from that day.
First up was the classic Glacier Bay. If you only have time to see one glacier in Alaska, this is the one to see. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and for good reason. The glaciers are stunning.
Our next stop was the Hubbard Glacier, which is the largest tidewater glacier in North America. I actually didn't know that until the AI type ahead in VS Code told me! But I double checked and it's true!
A lot of people have heard of Valdez because of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Not as many remember it as the town that was completely wiped out by a tsunami from the 1964 Alaska earthquake, which was a magnitude 9.2, the largest recorded equake in North American history and the second largest earthquake ever recorded. After that event the town was rebuilt in a different location.
Our tour took us to the Worthington Glacier near Valdez. After what we'd seen the previous two days it was a bit of a let down. But not to worry, Growler Bay Brewing Company, walking distance from the port, had a decent flight of beers. Click the picture below to see more.
Next up was Seward. Although it is one of two ports within driving distance of Anchorage, it's a 2.5 hour drive and we didn't have time to do that. So we just stayed in Seward and took a boat tour to see the nearby Aialik Glacier, one of the most active glaciers in Alaska. I think it was actually one of our best glacier tours so if you're in Seward we highly recommend it.
Click the picture below to see more from that tour.
College Fjord is a beautiful fjord with more tidewater glaciers than any other location in Alaska. It actually puts Glacier Bay to shame. It's named College Fjord because the glaciers are named after colleges
Click one of the pictures above to see more pictures for that day.
The first leg of our Alaska cruise was from San Francisco to Ketchikan, Wrangell, Haines and then Sitka. We'd never been to Sitka before but Ketchikan is one of our favorite ports with the George Inlet Lodge all you can eat crab feast!
Click a picture below to see more pictures from that stop.
There are usually beautiful views leaving San Francisco and today was no exception.
We've been to Ketchikan several times and one of our favorite things to do is to eat at the George Inlet Lodge. They have an all you can eat crab feast that is delicious and a great value. We also enjoy the local beer, which is brewed right there in Ketchikan at the Bawden Street Brewing Company, one of the most enjoyable ways to support a Vet!
Wrangell is a beautiful island with lots of wildlife. We were lucky enough to see some eagles.
Another very small port with some beautiful scenery. We visited the American Bald Eagle Foundation and got to see some of the eagles and other birds up close. We also went to The Three Northmen Tasting Room and Haines Brewing Company, which was a great way to support local businesses and enjoy some delicious beer. All are walking distance from the port.
Beautiful sail into port followed by a visit to the Alaska Raptor Center, which is a great place to see some of the local wildlife up close and learn about the conservation efforts to protect these amazing birds.
Click one of the pictures above to see more pictures in the various photo albums
This was a short seven night cruise down the California coast from San Francisco to Ensenada, Mexico and back. We visited several ports of call including Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and San Diego.
Below is a map showing where I took pictures during the cruise. Click on the map to see a full size interactive Google map.
Boarding the ship in San Francisco we were greeted with an Easter display.
Our cruise started with a day at sea so we could just relax and unwind. Storm clouds may look gloomy but they make for some gorgeous views if you wait long enough.
In Santa Barbara we had to take a tender boat ashore, which is less convenient than a docking port where you can just walk ashore. Luckily there were a number of attractions within walking distance of the port, including multiple brewpubs which served beer flights.
Our next stop was Los Angeles, where we had a food tasting tour in the Venice Beach area. The biggest problem with the Los Angeles port is that it's not near anything. So expect to spend some money to get anywhere and, of course, given L.A. traffic allow plenty of time. Click the picture below to see pictures of some of the local surfers and Venice Beach canals.
The highlight of the trip was probably our visit to the San Diego Zoo. Click the picture below to see more pictures from the San Diego Zoo including a panda! The Karl Strauss Brewing Company is an easy walk from the cruise port so we stopped there as well as another nearby brewery for beer flights on our way back to the ship.
The final stop on our trip was Ensenada, Mexico. We had a tour of some of the local breweries for a few more beers. I hadn't realized how big a part of the local culture beer is in Ensenada. There's even a yearly beer festival. Click the picture below to see some of the local beers we tasted.
Did a long three month trip starting in Korea and Japan. Next boarded a cruise from Tokyo to Hong Kong with stops in various places along the way. Then flew from Hong Kong to Manila and spent most of the month of December traveling in the Philippines. And finally, flew to Singapore, staying there a few days before boarding another cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong with a lot of stops along the way, including a snorkeling trip at Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Below is a preliminary map showing where I took pictures during the three month tours and cruises. Pictures aren't yet online.
