This first edition of my blog is all about Pat & Bill's cruise around Alaska (with a stop in Vancouver, Canada).

Check out the PowerPoint slide shows by clicking on the pictures below, I have split the pictures into four groups so that the downloads are not too long. They were produced using PowerPoint 2013. If you are using an earlier version or if you use the free PowerPoint viewer it should work OK all you will miss is some of the advanced effects between slides, plus the music may not end in sync with the last slide. If you need the free viewer you can download it here: Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer. Let me know if you have any problems accessing the slide show. The 14 night cruise was on the Norwegian Sun and it sailed from Whittier (Alaska) to Vancouver (Canada) and back again with stops at Icy Straight Point, Juneau (twice), Skagway (twice) and Ketchikan (twice). It also visited the Glacier Bay National Park, Tracy Arm Fjord (with the Twin Sawyer Glaciers) plus the Hubbard Glacier (twice). We picked this cruise because of the double visits to some places as we figured if the weather was bad on the first visit it might be OK on the next. As it turned out the weather was excellent for the whole trip. On the first visits to the various cities we strolled around and planned for the second visit. For example, on the first visit to Juneau we were able to check on the best deals for taking a helicopter up onto a glacier. We ended up saving a considerable amount booking it there rather than on the ship. The helicopter trip was incredible, especially with being able to walk on the glacier. It was amazing just how blue the ice in the crevices was, you can see that on the second PowerPoint slide show.

Part 1: Anchorage, Off to Whittier to join the ship, then the Hubbard Glacier. This is then followed by the township of Hoonah (Icy Straight Point), then Juneau and the Mendenhall Glacier.

Part 2: This was our helicopter ride to the spectacular Taku Glacier where we walked carefully around the crevasses. This is followed by the ship visiting the Tracy Arm Fjord and the Twin Sawyer Glaciers.

Part 3: This is the sights from the Alaskan cities of Skagway and Ketchikan plus Vancouver Canada.

Part 4: This is the amazing Glacier Bay National Park.

For those of you who have followed Pat and Bill’s cruising adventures you would know that something usually happens to Pat. We have seen her in a wheel chair. Then in Noumea she raced after a departing car passenger when she thought the passenger was the driver and the car was going off without her (they drive on the other side of the road from us). The list is long but it looked as though there would be no Pat’ism on this trip until we where flying out of Anchorage to Hawaii on our way home. US airport security does all the things that Australia does but you also have to remove shoes, belts, etc and have a body scan. It is close to chaos as people clammier to retrieve belongings. I was busy replacing my laptop in its bag when Pat went racing away calling out as she went “I'll go over to those tables way over there to get organised, and I have your laptop”.  Yes, she had raced away with another person's laptop. I would not have minded so much but the owner was much bigger than me and his laptop was much older than mine.

The trip was great and I thank Pat for talking me into it.