The usual Alaska cruise itineraries depart and return to Vancouver or Seattle, but once a year Celebrity sends a cruiseship from LA to tour the Inside Passage and return to LA. It's a boon to the LA population and avoids that extra plane trip. 
On May 5th we departed San Pedro Harbor for the 13 day roundtrip for our first visit ever to the "largest state" in the union. (We Texans still resent that claim, and are confident that, if we were to drag the entire state south to Texas, most of it would melt and WE would have our rightful title back!)
This was the first cruise of the season and, in May, it's fairly cool during the days on board. Sweaters and light jackets worked fine. The cruise included about 4 days at sea each direction, allowing time for rest, reading, some games and sudoku.
After four days we docked in Juneau, the capital of Alaska. We took an excursion on a whale spotting tourboat, and saw our first humpback whales. 
Also sea lions and eagles
We hiked around Juneau (no, we didn't see Sarah!), one of the country's smallest capital cities, and visited the Mendenhall Glacier, a national historic site. The Visitor Center there is quite informative.
Also sea lions and eagles
We hiked around Juneau (no, we didn't see Sarah!), one of the country's smallest capital cities, and visited the Mendenhall Glacier, a national historic site. The Visitor Center there is quite informative.
The Russian influence from the days before "Seward's Folly" is still present, as evidenced by this Russian Orthodox church and the souvenir shops selling Russian gifts, including the matroyshka dolls like these Dallas cowboys.
We travelled next to Skagway, the farthest point north on our cruise. Spent the day there, wandering the byways and shops. 
We took the 
White Pass Railroad up to the Canadian border and back, a beautiful three-hour scenic excursion. Saw some mountain goats on the way. 
We walked several miles to the Pioneer Cemetery, 
exploring and geocaching Skagway as we went. Here's an ingenious way to use old skis: 
These graffitti drawings near the docks tell of visits by previous cruise ships
On our return to LA, we passed this whale. We saw only his fin; imagined he was waving "goodbye."
We took the 
White Pass Railroad up to the Canadian border and back, a beautiful three-hour scenic excursion. Saw some mountain goats on the way. 
We walked several miles to the Pioneer Cemetery, 
exploring and geocaching Skagway as we went. Here's an ingenious way to use old skis: 
These graffitti drawings near the docks tell of visits by previous cruise ships
The next day it was south to Ketchikan, 
where we visited 
the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. Chopping, climbing, log-rolling, sawing! Mock battles between Canadian and Alaskan teams (the outcomes of which I suspect are rigged...er..predetermined.) Lots of fun! And, as Ketchikan has the wettest climate of almost any American city and it was pouring when we docked, an indoor seat away from the rain was perfect! Later in the afternoon it cleared up beautifully and we wandered all over. 
Totems abound throughout Alaska. It's a state with a rich history. 
This interesting "street", aptly named Creek Street, has a particular spot in that history. Lined with shops today, this boardwalk was lined with entertainment of a different sort in former times. This sign spells it out! 
where we visited 
the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. Chopping, climbing, log-rolling, sawing! Mock battles between Canadian and Alaskan teams (the outcomes of which I suspect are rigged...er..predetermined.) Lots of fun! And, as Ketchikan has the wettest climate of almost any American city and it was pouring when we docked, an indoor seat away from the rain was perfect! Later in the afternoon it cleared up beautifully and we wandered all over. 
Totems abound throughout Alaska. It's a state with a rich history. 
This interesting "street", aptly named Creek Street, has a particular spot in that history. Lined with shops today, this boardwalk was lined with entertainment of a different sort in former times. This sign spells it out! 
We cruised through Tracy Arm Fjord 
the next day and then spent another day at sea before docking for the day at Victoria, British Columbia. 
The weather there was gorgeous, the people charming and the geocaching fun! Our searches took us all over the downtown and tourist areas of this beautiful city.
The Parliament Building and lunch at a nearby dockside cafe. 
the next day and then spent another day at sea before docking for the day at Victoria, British Columbia. 
The weather there was gorgeous, the people charming and the geocaching fun! Our searches took us all over the downtown and tourist areas of this beautiful city.
The Parliament Building and lunch at a nearby dockside cafe. 
We spent four more days at sea on the return voyage to Los Angeles, giving us a long and relaxed opportunity to read, eat, and enjoy more of the great on-board entertainment. 
We heard fantastic 
music, a ventriloquist, a magician and several wonderful music and dance revues. 
We were very pleased with
the entire Celebrity Cruise experience and the Mercury and its crew. 
The smile with which this young lady from Peru, 
so appropriately named "Joy," greeted us at each meal tells it all! 
We heard fantastic 
music, a ventriloquist, a magician and several wonderful music and dance revues. 
We were very pleased with
the entire Celebrity Cruise experience and the Mercury and its crew. 
The smile with which this young lady from Peru, 
so appropriately named "Joy," greeted us at each meal tells it all! 
On our return to LA, we passed this whale. We saw only his fin; imagined he was waving "goodbye."We arrived back at LA on Monday May 17th at 7AM. We opted to use local public transportation for this trip. So, we caught the bus, transfered to the train, and took a free shuttle to the airport. Entire trip: $1.80 each! Hard to beat and no difficulty whatsoever. Of course, we packed with that in mind, pulling one rolling bag apiece. We flew back to San Antonio on Southwest, arriving around 6PM, rather tired but very content with a wonderful cruise and many thousands of trouble-free miles behind us. We remain two very grateful travelers, thankful for His continual care. Wish you could have been with us! Maybe next time?
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