Our cruise ship: Ovation of the sea
Royal Caribbean
Maiden voyage 17 April 2016
Tonnage 168,666
Length 1138 feet
Wide 136 feet
Decks 18
Speed 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Capacity
4,180 passengers (double occupancy)
4,905 passengers (maximum occupancy)
1,500 crew
Staterooms 2091 (1,572 with balcony)
Elevators 16
Credit for the next video and 4 photos: Royal Caribbean Group
Location of our two cabins
Vancouver, British Columbia
We flew to Vancouver to board the cruise ship. Before boarding we spent two days sightseeing around town.
Here are few drone pictures taken on our way to Stanley Park.
A plane passing in front of the Lion Gate Bridge
Science World
Harbour Convention Centre
Waterfront and BC Place
BC Place and Rogers Centre
Canada Place Cruise Ship Terminal
Stanley Park - Deadman's Island
Royal Vancouver Yacht Club
Stanley Park - Hallelujah Point
Stanley Park - Lions Gate Bridge
Cruise Ship Terminal
Our Cruise Ship
Our ship parked at the Cruise Ship Terminal.
A view of the elevators. Look for the three panes of glass, that's the see through floor. You can walk on the glass.
A Hollywood movie type of shot.
Waiting for our elevator to go for dinner.
Sitka, Alaska
Endicott arm & Dawes Glacier
Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier is located approximately 50 miles southeast of Juneau. Breathtaking Endicott Arm extends over 30 miles long, with nearly one-fifth of its area covered in ice. What is most spectacular is the chunks of brash ice floating all along the entire fjord (a long, deep, and narrow body of water between tall cliffs created by the erosion of the retreating glacier) as the ship sails towards the Dawes Glacier, with the most concentration of them nearing the glacier. It was amazing to see how blue these ice formations were. Blue ice occurs when snow falls on a glacier, is compressed, and becomes part of the glacier. Air bubbles are squeezed out and ice crystals enlarge, making the ice appear blue. You can listen closely and hear the pops and snaps of air escaping the ice as it melted while gliding over the ripples of water created by our ship. At times this trip may be cancelled if the number of brash ice floating in the fjord are deemed too dangerous. Afterall what we see floating on water is less than half of what lurks below. In our case, our cruise ship stopped short of reaching the Dawes Glacier as ice formation in the area was too thick for our ship to travel through. However the journey itself was already breathtaking. I have separated my pictures into two sections: 1) Icy mountain, 2) Floating brash ice. Click on each picture to see the full view.
Icy Mountain
Floating Ice
Endicott arm & Dawes
Royal Caribbean
Juneau, Alaska
Juneau, is the state capital of Alaska.
Unique for its remote and rugged surroundings, Juneau is one of only two state capitals in the United States that is not connected to the rest of the state by any roads! Located on the shore of Gastineau Channel in the southeastern portion of Alaska’s panhandle, this city is the second largest city in the United States by land area, but is only accessible by ferry, boat or plane due to the rugged landscape.
Bound on one side by the channel, the rest of the city is dwarfed by glaciers and mountains reaching well over 3,500 feet above sea level!
Seattle, Washington
On the bucket-list:
Amazon Headquater - 2111 7th Avenue, Seattle, Washington, U.S. The Amazon Spheres are three spherical conservatories located along Lenora Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, under Day 1 in Amazon's Seattle headquarters campus.
Westlake Centre - 4th Ave, Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101, United States.
The first Starbucks at Pike Place Market - The first Starbucks store, founded in 1971, was originally located at 2000 Western Avenue. In 1977 it moved one block away to 1912 Pike Place where it has been in continuous operation ever since. Pike Place Market is a public market in Seattle, Washington, United States. It opened on August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers' markets in the United States.
Space Needle -
The Seattle Great Wheel - Take a stroll down to Pier 57 and hop on The Seattle Great Wheel for sublime waterfront views of the city. The Seattle Great Wheel holds the title of being the tallest Ferris wheel on the West Coast — standing at an impressive 175 feet tall. It is also in the top 10 tallest Ferris wheels in the entire USA, making it a notable Seattle attraction.
Jeff Bezos’ house where he started Amazon - 10704 NE 28th Street in Bellevue, Washington
The Crab Pot Restaurant Bellevue, seafood served on a paper covered table - 2 Lake Bellevue Dr, Bellevue, WA 98005, United States. 12 to 9pm. https://www.thecrabpotbellevue.com
Looking for Chai Taiwanese Kitchen - 12121 Northup Way #205, Bellevue, WA 98005, United States.
Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls - Multnomah Falls
May 16, 2022
https://www.google.com/maps/search/Columbia+River+Gorge+Waterfalls/@45.5853406,-122.1387875,11.54z
Portland Skyline
Portland Japanese Garden
Considered the most authentic Japanese Garden outside of Japan, the Portland Japanese Garden is a haven of tranquil beauty in all four seasons.
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in the state of Washington in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It lies 52 miles (83 km) northeast of Portland, Oregon and 98 miles (158 km) south of Seattle. The last major eruption was on May 18, 1980 and it remains the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in U.S. history. Fifty-seven people were killed; 200 homes, 47 bridges, 15 miles (24 km) of railways, and 185 miles (298 km) of highway were destroyed.
