Discovery Princess 2025

This was our second time aboard the Discovery princess, doing this same itinerary. Our last trip in 2022 was disappointing because we could not go into the fjord due to fog. Our main reason for going on an Alaska Cruise was for the glacier viewing so we called this our do-over cruise and at each port planned excursions that we missed out on in prior cruises

We flew out of Santa Rosa to Seattle and had a clear view of Shasta out the window

We enjoyed the Summer Views cruise from Argossy and the Alaska Airlines parade after some delicious crab cakes at the Crab Pot

Shasta from our flight
Argossy Summer Views Cruise
Views from the Harbor Cruise
Space Needle
Mt Rainier
Misty Fjord National Monument

The first port was Ketchikan. Our excursion boat took 2 hours to arrive at Misty Fjord National Monument which is normally covered in Mist. We enjoyed perfect conditions and saw a pod of Orcas on the return (not quick enough for photos)

Misty Fjords
Eagles everywhere
Dawes Glacier

We were lucky to be among the 200 or so guests who booked the Glacier Explorer excursion early on.

The small boat pulls up next to the cruise ship while in the Fjord and brings you up close to the glacier for an hour of up close viewing- the captain keeps spinning the boat for views and the crew collects glacier ice for drinks

We enjoyed many great views on the trip back to meet the ship in Juneau

Endicott Arm
Dawes Glacier

In Skagway we enjoyed the Ocean Raft excursion – where you dress in orange suits and spin donuts while spotting eagles, seals and waterfalls- more great weather!

Skagway
Ocean Raft Explorer
Timelapse Skagway Sailaway

In Victoria I was looking forward to an evening experience at the Empress hotel but the excursion was cancelled by the cruise line because not enough people signed up. I went to the teahouse at Abkhazi Garden for a traditional high tea

Victoria
Back in Seattle

Back in Seattle we had a late flight out so enjoyed lots of Starbucks and braved the crowds at Pikes Place Public market

NCL Breakaway – Fall 2024

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I am not an NCL fan but chose this cruise for the itinerary. I prefer a port-intensive cruise and this one had only a single sea day. I was happy to do something different and was anxious to see the Fall Colors and the east coast. It was a bonus to be cruising out of New York, which afforded the opportunity for a pre-cruise mini-vacation.

The sail away was misty and our first port was Newport Rhode Island.

Port #2 was Portland, Maine

My Favorite Port was Bar Harbor Maine and Acadia National Park. Wishing I would have taken the hop on/hop off bus as our NCL excursion did not allow any time for exploring the park – which was the highlight of the trip for me.

We made it to St. John – Bay of Fundy in Canada where one of the top attractions is the reversing falls – water flows from the bay up river and then turns around later to flow into the bay.

Our Final Port was Halifax, NS – and the very popular Peggy’s cove with lunch in Lunenberg