Maybe I’m biased but there’s just so much to love about Seabourn :-). Then go and plonk Seabourn in Alaska and you’ve got yourself a winning combination.

⁃ There were some things about our Alaska cruise that didn’t live up to ‘expectations’. Like the weather. So Day 1 and there in your cabin is a brand new jacket. A proper hardcore windproof, waterproof, fleece lined jacket. Fit for Alaska and proudly bearing the Seabourn logo. And unlike the fluffy bathrobe, which makes it clear it is there for your use during the cruise, the jacket is yours to keep. Shame then, that the weather didn’t play ball, as I became as attached to that jacket as I am to my woolly hat. But oh no, instead of the icy wind and the battering rain that me and my jacket were ready for in Alaska, we had glorious sunshine and blue skies. What is all that about?

One of the few opportunities we got to wear the Seabourn jacket, right when we first got onboard

⁃ The weather also shattered my illusions of sipping hot bouillon on deck, or snuggling up with a hot chocolate after returning from a chilly kayak trip. Instead it was more fitting to have a baileys with ice, a chilled shot of vodka or a cold beer. We coped.

⁃ Speaking of beer, Darren soon made his love of craft beer known onboard. Not that we are spoilt but by day 2, the minibar in our suite was topped up with all five of the Alaska Brewing beers available onboard. A few days later there was a tap at our suite door, accompanied by a “special delivery for Mr Hamilton”. This time a six pack of Icy Bay IPA. Happy husband, happy life (or something like that).

We even had beer with the caviar

⁃ Meanwhile, I was trying to avoid drowning in champagne. There’s something about champagne that it seems only right to drink it in the hot tub. Or maybe there’s something about the hot tub that makes it the done thing to drink champagne. Either way, champagne + hot tub on deck, relaxing in the bubbles with the bubbles, as you cruise through the Inside Passage: priceless.

We liked to think of this area at the front of the ship as our own personal hot tub 🙂

⁃ Whilst I tend to over-index on the alcohol, I cannot say enough good things about the food on Seabourn. One of our favorite dining experiences was the outdoor patio grill that they turned into Earth & Ocean in the evening. They did a great take on fresh vs slow-cooked. Like freshly caught local rockfish, simply prepared and seasoned with lemon, garlic and herbs vs 72 hour braised bone-in short rib. Can’t possibly choose? Best to go all in and share. Followed by baked Camembert, oozing with deliciousness. Hang on a minute, dining outdoors gives me that long awaited opportunity to wear my Seabourn jacket 🙂

Of course, I somehow managed to not get any good pics of Earth & Ocean, but this was a special galley market lunch in the dining room onboard

Beautiful table settings

The outdoor seating at The Colonnade. Orange blankets available if you haven’t got your Seabourn jacket handy

⁃ In between all the hiking, biking and kayaking, believe it or not there was actually some downtime. One of our favorite places to hang out was on our own balcony. Cue kindle, iPad or guide book and depending on the time of day, cheeky pastries, champagne & caviar, or beers while planning the next day’s activities.

Our ‘go to’ breakfast, smoked salmon

⁃ The Seabourn Sojourn Dog. What is his story, I have no idea. A silver daschund (btw not a real dog) that hangs out on the ship. Like a mischievous pixie, he moves only when no one is watching, and then the next day he turns up somewhere else. I did a double take when I spotted one of my favorite pastries in his dog bowl (especially as they had run out of these in the passenger area). Bad dog!

⁃ Our trip coincided with the 4th of July, better known to our friends in the US as Independence Day. This is traditionally celebrated very much in line with Bonfire Night in the UK, i.e. with fireworks. There were some forlorn faces earlier in the day, as the passengers gradually realized that fireworks on a cruise ship were not a thing. Umm, bit of a fire hazard come to think of it! But there was a buzz of anticipation building during the afternoon as the rumor mill started that there would be fireworks after all. The Captain’s announcement over the tannoy finally put the rumors to bed as he announced he was diverting the ship to pass by Ketchikan in order to gatecrash their fireworks display. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. His timing was perfect as we cruised slowly along the shoreline, the firework explosions illuminating the skyline, the reflections lighting up the water. When the final burst was done, after a moment of respectful silence, we tooted our thanks with a deep sounding of the ship’s whistle, and continued gliding our way through the dark night.

⁃ On the last evening, all the passengers were encouraged to gather for the big event: an epicurean evening to showcase some amazing food and drink, recognize the ship’s crew, and watch a video. Not just any old video but a video of our cruise, including footage of only the most cool excursions (not surprisingly, our bear trip punched above its weight). When we returned to our stateroom, there on the bed was a USB stick in a Seabourn presentation box, containing the video. Nice touch!

⁃ There’s something about the whole being better than the sum of the parts. I can only give you small touches, things that stood out to us and things that we’ll remember. But if you ever get a chance to do Alaska on Seabourn – I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Cheers!

Nice to wake up to a different view every morning

What a lovely surprise and warm welcome

Sailaway from Vancouver

A stormier day in Alert Bay, BC

Beautiful sunsets, fond memories…

Until next time…

We’ve had some good bear sightings over the years. One in particular that stands out (maybe just a little too close for comfort!) was in the Grand Tetons just last year Grand Tetons: In Search of Bears. But for me, wildlife watching is a passion, and you can’t get too much of a good thing.

We’d pre-booked a bear viewing trip from the ship which specifically mentioned the salmon run. I was starting to get worried this would be a huge let down as the salmon run notoriously doesn’t start until August. And our trip was early July. So when I got the opportunity for an extra bear trip to the Olympic Park in Whistler, I jumped at the chance.

In an off-road Jeep, we toured the back roads through the park and after sufficient time of not seeing any signs of wildlife to build up the anticipation, we were rewarded with a bear. Not that I’m being fussy but this bear was not in a picturesque spot. We were in a huge parkland area with gorgeous scenery, interspersed with Olympic memorabilia. And this bear hung out by some very unattractive buildings, sooo intent on eating it would barely lift its head for a photo. Cue some challenging photo attempts.

A few other sightings followed but the photos didn’t get much better.

Almost a Heather and the bear selfie

Why did the bear cross the road…? I think to hide from us!

OK now, time to go home!

Kind of ironic that Darren had some better sightings (maybe even photos!) while he was mountain biking.

Our bear trip from the ship was something else however. Like an episode of Planet Earth. In fact, I think the BBC may have filmed the salmon run here (and if they didn’t, they missed a trick). Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Our trip started with a jet boat ride from Wrangell, Alaska (kind of in the middle of nowhere) to Anan Lagoon in the heart of the Tongass National forest (even more in the middle of nowhere). Far from being just a means to an end, the jet boat ride was an experience in itself. In between bouts of bouncing, jolting and jerking across the water, we stopped to take in some interesting sights along the way. An eagle’s nest high up in a Sitka Spruce tree, harbour seals gracefully swimming and diving yet reluctant to haul themselves out onto the rocks (too hot, methinks – yes, yet another unseasonably hot day in Alaska).

And then there was the dead whale. A grey whale washed up on a beach, about 3 weeks into its decay cycle, a very proud and protective bald eagle perched atop what used to be the whale’s head, looking like he didn’t want to share.

Mine all mine

As we continued our bumpy jaunt in the jet boat, our driver saw some tell-tale porpoise splashes in the distance, and with lightning reaction – like a dog that’s seen a squirrel, she veered hard left and floored it towards them. Turns out Dall’s porpoise are attracted to fast moving boats, and between them and us, we maneuvered into position. With a “woohoo, I love me some Dall bow-riding” from our driver, we were soon enjoying an acrobatic display from a dozen or so porpoise flanking the boat, as they danced and leapt out of the water alongside us.

After all that excitement, it seemed very peaceful as we arrived at Anan Lagoon. We were escorted by a guide with a big bad ass gun. He advised us sagely “it shouldn’t come to that”. (In other words, pay attention, listen to my instructions and don’t wander off.) And so we stayed in a close group, talking loudly as we tramped over the half mile boardwalk through the dense forest of cedar, spruce and hemlock.

As we arrived at the observation area, built by the US Forest Service to allow bear viewing in relative safety, we realized the fenced area was but a symbol to the bears. A token gesture to indicate a barrier over which the bears should not cross (and vice versa).

In addition to the observation platform, there was a photo blind – a camouflaged covered area right by the creek where you could practically come face to snout with a bear. This was where we spotted our first black bear.

He appeared from nowhere out of thick brush on the steep riverbank, eyes only for the river. A juvenile male with quite honestly not too much of a clue about fishing. He waded into the creek with a swagger, surveying the bounty of salmon before him. “Look at me!” And then he splashed around ineffectually. He leapt and he pounced – persistent yet futile. While there was no eye contact with the bear, I’ve gotta think he knew he was being watched. “Aw man, need to step up my game, this is getting kinda embarrassing”. And with a last forlorn glance in our direction, he pounced again – only this time he struck gold. Or technically pink. Salmon anyway. The fish was doing a bit of wriggling but the bear held fast, his sharp teeth clamped (“Don’t mess it up now!”). And with that, off he scampered to a nearby cave at the side of the waterfall.

No shortage of salmon

Check me out, I’m gonna catch me some fish

Give me a minute, it’s not as easy as it looks

Gotcha!

Easy does it

Show’s over, move along

He was just the first of many black bears we saw that day. We spent the best part of three hours at the creek and the time just flew by. Another highlight was a mother trying to show her cub how to catch salmon. He was paying about as much attention as that other guy probably did when he was younger.

And there were times we didn’t know which way to look – bear exits stage left, eagle swoops in low, bear appears stage right. Repeat.

Bear being photobombed by an eagle

Eagles rule

And remember that tiny wooden fence between us and the bears that wouldn’t even stop a teddy bear, never mind a real live bear. Well we kept our end of the bargain, and luckily the bears kept theirs. Just.

I’d like to say this is how Seabourn Does Bears. But let’s face it, the bears do their own thing. You pay your money and you take your chance. But when the salmon are there for the taking, seems like every day is the Teddy Bear’s picnic day. If you go down to the woods today…