Ovation - One Year Ago Today

[Oceansaway17]

and May 18th ended with a good concert in the main theater.

A salute to Celine Dion.

 

[Hoopster95]

Incredibly, already one year ago today, May 18, 2019....

 

Ovation sails to Hubbard Glacier for possibly the one and only time Q Class gets to go there.

I have plenty of dialogue, photos and video from within NorthStar on the main review ... and Twangster summed it up so nicely in his previous post. The weather could not have been better, I'm not just saying that... turned out to be one of the best days ever. The pictures and video do not do this site justice.

 

 

I believe Twangster had mentioned hearing the bangs on the hull of the mini-icebergs as we slowly made our way into the bay.... there were definitely a few sections where the ice was rather heavy

 

 

Depth perception tells the story.... even at this angle, note that height of the average cruiser on deck to one of the many ice flows. Also note the shadow of the ice under the water line

 

 

An incredible view from the Solarium

 

 

And pretty soon I'll be going up here! Some rare photos here with Twangster and I... Twangster's time lapse video is super rare... with NorthStar going side to side very low at 30 degree angles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 18, 2020 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

My turn up on Northstar!

 

 

 

For more views and great video of Hubbard from atop NorthStar, go here and scroll down

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2661933-ovation-may-13-24-live-in-alaska-wlots-of-photos/page/30/

 

 

 

A little cold and hungry, I went down to grab some lunch and headed for my cabin for a quick change and chill on my balcony.

 

 

It was about time that Ovation was turning and heading away from Hubbard, so I wished to head aft to catch the views as we sailed away. First off Two70.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 18, 2020 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

I hung out in Two70 for quite a bit, talking to friends and warming up. I then headed up to the open aft area of the WJ... what a superb spot for incredible views! Quite a few staff were there quickly taking selfies and so forth for this once-in-a-lifetime view they may be having!

 

 

 

I'm pretty sure the next photo is a repeat, but one of the coolest I took on this trip. The view from inside the WJ looking out is just as awesome

 

 

One deck up where the FloRider is located, the view is just as majestic and unobstructed.

 

 

This day was all about my memories of seeing Hubbard Glacier for the first time.... and as awesome as this day was, it may not even be the high-light of this vacation.........

Edited May 18, 2020 by Hoopster95

[twangster]

Sailing down the coast on the evening of May 18 after leaving the Hubbard Glacier we had nice views to the East.  This is a panoramic stitch of a number of high resolution photographs.

 

 

I guess a lot of people were tired from the day outside at Hubbard because I had NorthStar Bar to myself for happy hour.  The sporadic light rain helped with that effect.

 

 

Lots of glaciers to be seen.

 

 

 

 

 

Getting late here was the sunset on May 18 one year ago.

 

 

To give you an idea where we were, those glaciers are on the Pacific side of Glacier Bay National Park.  I had flown from ISP over the icefields that feed these glaciers just a few days prior which, having seen the source and now seeing multiple glaciers coming from those icefields it starts to make a lot of sense. 

 

 

While not my first cruise to Alaska with each new visit I learn a little more.  Revisiting these pictures reminds how special an Alaska cruise is and how different it is compared to a Caribbean cruise.  That's why I tend to hangout at the NorthStar Bar a lot of evenings.  Royal entertainment is great but I came here for Alaska.  

 

Edited May 18, 2020 by twangster

[Jimbo]

2 hours ago, vivian02 said:

Jimbo,

    So sorry that you could not make the cruise on this 11 day trip. I remember you put so much time in to planning the trip and had to cancel. I hope you did get a cruise in before all of the chaos hit. We managed to do a last minute 15 day cruise to Hawaii in mid November which was so nice. Given time this virus thing will pass. 

Yeah, sometimes work gets in the way...........we were in Alaska before back in 2017, and we do have another Alaska cruise booked for 2021 if everything goes well on Princess. So our time will come again.

[vivian02]

Jimbo,

    If you keep this up you might be retired and won't have to worry about work. In my working days I always told the boss where I would be. That was when I sailed to places like Turkey, Egypt, and Cypress. The boss could never get a hold of me and those two week cruises over seas were nice. Tim

[bobmacliberty]

14 hours ago, twangster said:

 

That would make one hell of a framed print.

[twangster]

May 19, 2019 - One year ago today.

 

 

There's nothing like waking up back in the Alaskan inside passage on our way to Juneau.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick time lapse:

 

 

 

[Hoopster95]

Right now, Today.... I'm supposed to be boarding Ovation as we speak in Vancouver for her 3 day Van to Seattle repo 😢😷

[twangster]

8 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

Right now, Today.... I'm supposed to be boarding Ovation as we speak in Vancouver for her 3 day Van to Seattle repo 😢😷

 

I was going to do that one as well.  It was a great rate.  

[twangster]

Juneau one year ago today.

 

 

One of my excursion today involved this:

 

 

The flight path of The Five Glacier Float Plane Flight:

 

 

Walking distance from the ship.

 

 

 

Looking down the Gastineau channel towards Juneau and Ovation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Safely back in Juneau.

 

 

 

 

Video summary of my morning one year ago.

 

 

 

[Hoopster95]

#WOW

[Hoopster95]

One year ago today, May 19 2019 Juneau....

Turned out to be one of my very best days ever on a cruise. 

 

 

Adding these next two photos just to show the views from the Solarium... superlative to anything Radiance Class has to offer.

 

 

 

This was a long port stop from 8am until I believe 9pm... and I made the most of it on this day.

I was off right away to get to my meeting point ashore for my morning excursion at 8:30am, I came back at 12pm for a quick WJ lunch and to get changed, and I didn't get back on the ship until about 7:30pm.

 

Like Twangster's post above, very little narrative required... the photos and video say it all.

 

Morning - Mendenhall Glacier kayak

 

 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

Mid-afternoon - quick ride up Mt. Robert's Tramway

 

 

 

 

Mid afternoon to early evening - Coastal Helicopter Dog Sled & Glacier Hike combo 

 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by Hoopster95

[twangster]

Too funny @Hoopster95, we might have passed each other on the early afternoon tramway ride.

 

 

 

 

Lady Baltimore, the resident Bald Eagle wasn't in her summer residence yet so I did a small hike around the top of the tramway.

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back down...

 

 

 

Back on the ship I noticed spontaneous bursts of pollen in the trees.

 

 

It was quite interesting.  Out of the blue one tree would let loose and it would appear like it was out of thin air.

 

 

After dinner it was sunset while still in port.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by twangster

[vivian02]

The pictures shown here have been great. I believe there were four other cruise ships in Juneau a year ago. I have the picture to prove it. 

[Hoopster95]

3 hours ago, vivian02 said:

The pictures shown here have been great. I believe there were four other cruise ships in Juneau a year ago. I have the picture to prove it. 

 

5 ships at one point! A smaller HAL ships came in later in the morning and tendered. That ship also left before Ovation (see Twangster's photo post #70). Probably only stayed in port 5 hours tops. What a loss for those cruisers, total waste.

 

 

Edited May 20, 2020 by Hoopster95

[twangster]

May 20, 2019

 

 

One year ago today right around this time I was up early seeking an Alaskan sunrise.

 

 

Instead I found a rainbow, inside passage style.

 

 

 

Plus a hanging glacier of sorts.

 

 

 

For anyone who has been you'll know these pictures just don't do it justice.  The scale of it all is amazing.

 

 

Passing the town of Haines I knew we were getting close to Skagway.

 

 

Looking back down the channel in the direction we came from.

 

 

Finally at the end of the inlet we have arrived in Skagway.

 

 

We join the Celebrity Millenium who we shared Juneau with the day before.  

 

 

Edited May 20, 2020 by twangster

[MaryEBS]

22 hours ago, twangster said:

Video summary of my morning one year ago.

 

Twangster thanks so much for posting your pictures and video, the only description that comes to mind is breath taking.

[Hoopster95]

5 hours ago, twangster said:

 

 

 

Outstanding site lines on this photo Twangster... gives everyone a good look at how great it is to be out on the back deck of the Windjammer.

[twangster]

2 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

Outstanding site lines on this photo Twangster... gives everyone a good look at how great it is to be out on the back deck of the Windjammer.

 

Ironically the crew was pressure washing the deck above hence the water streaming down otherwise I might have stood at the railing and just captured Skagway.

 

My activity one year ago involved glass blowing.

 

 

Sam, our glass blowing guide one year ago.

 

 

Samples to help us choose our colors and other options.

 

 
The color choices for my creation.

 

 

My turn to spin molten glass 

 

 

Sam helping me add my colors into my creation.

 

 

Truth be told Sam did most of the work.

 

 

However my hot air was blown into the tube to inflate my glass ball, one that I am looking at right now as I write this.  The true colors become evident once it cools down over several days and they shipped it directly to my home.

 

 

Beautiful grounds to wander and enjoy a beer.

 

 

 

 

[Hoopster95]

One year ago today, May 20, 2019 ....

We arrive at our final port stop of this cruise, Skagway.

 

Again, Twangster said it perfectly above in his post... any photos/video just do not do any justice to the scale of the beauty you see as you travel through the inside passage to your various ports of call. Here's an unedited photo from my balcony as Ovation positioned to back into it's berth (you can just barley see the X Millenium on the right for frame of reference)

 

 

Off super early again today with a long port stop

 

 

I've been to Skagway twice before, having done the Haines/Davison Glacier Kayak as well as the Frontier Bus Lines excursion up to Carcross. I had never done the WhitePass Train ride yet... this was the year! I booked a combo trip which was a bus ride up to the Yukon Suspension Bridge for a visit, and then the train back down into Skagway 

 

There were a couple of very short stops on the mini-bus for photos, but seriously some of the scenery even from within the bus was jaw dropping. Here's a photo from within the bus through the window ... unreal

 

 

The bus ride was about 45-50min but went by extremely quickly. The Yukon Suspension turned out to be an interesting stop after all, great scenery and a few exhibits.

 

 

 

 

[Hoopster95]

The bus took us only a couple of kilometers down the highway to get to the train station, the train was waiting for us. I sat for the first 5 minutes, but opted to pretty much stand for the entire trip down outside on the open air platform at the end of the car. Just gorgeous on a sunny day. I truly hope those of you booking Alaska in the future are blessed with great weather as we were on this sailing.

 

 

 

 

 

Once I got back into town, I was going to follow Twangster's advice from a previous review he did on Radiance... a scenic hike/walk around Dewey Lake. As it turned out, I headed into town to shop for souvenirs. There's plenty of photos everywhere regarding Skagway so I won't bore you with any more here.

 

Heading back to the ship, I found the painted rocks on the side of the mountain to be interesting, with previous ships/Capts displayed. I thought this one was cool ... note "Royal Odyssey 1992"!

Did anyone sail on this ship back then?