Arcadia in Alaska - Ketchikan, Juneau and Yakutat Bay.

Skagway - 18 May 2011


Hello again, Cruise Director Nigel back with you.

The name Alaska is derived from the Aleut word Alakshak meaning the ‘Great Land’.

I will write three blogs covering the ports and scenic cruising Arcadia is doing here in Alaska between 12 May and 20 May.

Today I am going to cover our first two ports of call, Ketchikan and Juneau and also the cruising we did in Yakutat Bay.

On 12 May we arrived at Ketchikan, it is known as ‘The Salmon Capital of the World’ and features a salmon ladder where salmon have to swim up to return to their spawning ground! Ketchikan also has the world’s largest collection of standing totem poles, and has twelve and a half feet of rain a year!!! Alaska is a very good place to take out a brolly! In 1949 they had seventeen feet of rain!!!

Just over 7000 people live in Ketchikan, with 19% of them being Native Americans. Ketchikan like many cities and towns in Alaska has no roads in and out of it, you either get here by ship or plane, or have a very long hike!

Sixteen shore excursions were offered in Ketchikan and the choice was very diverse. Three flights were available and to see Alaska from the air is awesome, so these tours were my recommendations to our passengers.

The city’s name is derived from the Tlingit Indian name kitschk-him meaning ‘creek of the thundering wings of an eagle’.

On 13 May we called in to Juneau, it has been the Capital of Alaska since 1906, and as Ketchikan, it has no roads in or out. The city has a population of nearly 31,000, and sits below steep mountains about 4,000 feet tall, above them is the Juneau Ice field from which about 30 glaciers flow.

We are early in the cruise ship season, (May to September), for Alaska, but during the five months Juneau gets 1,000,000 cruise ship passengers!!! The main employer is the government, followed by tourism. Juneau is a centre of culture. It has the only professional theatre company in Alaska, a Symphony Orchestra, and its own Folk, Jazz and Classical Music festivals. There are also two Opera companies, maybe my son Bradley will come to sing here one day!

Fifteen shore excursions were available in Juneau; you could do a ‘Dogsled Adventure by Helicopter’, or even pan for your own gold in the ‘Going for Gold’ tour.

On 14 May we cruised in Yakutat Bay, it is 18 miles wide and its main feature is the Hubbard Glacier. Hubbard Glacier is one of 110,000 in Alaska. You can see it from 30 miles away, it is a staggering 76 miles long, 6.5 miles wide and 12,000 feet deep, its face is over 400 feet high.

I hope you enjoy the photo gallery today, I have been snapping away diligently with the blog camera!


Ketchikan 12 May

Welcome to Ketchikan!

Arcadia at her berth in Ketchikan.

Your blogger alongside the ‘Ketchikan Duck Tour’ amphibious vehicle.

Two shots taken from the deck of Arcadia during our call at Ketchikan

Your blogger with ‘Dolly’s House’ in the background. In 1919 Dolly Arthur bought number 24 Creek Street, Dolly plied her trade for more than 30 years until the Red Light area was closed in 1953. This former brothel is now a major attraction in Ketchikan. Dolly lived in the house until her death in 1975, her former home is now the best known museum in Ketchikan.




Creek Street Ketchikan.

Myself with two of the Totem Poles in Ketchikan.

Myself outside of the cafe in Ketchikan I had a snack in.

Left to right. Myself, Bill and Rosa Tidy, and Captain Kevin Opray on the bridge prior to departure Ketchikan. It was Bill and Rosa Tidy's 51st wedding anniversary when we were in Ketchikan and Captain Opray kindly invited then to the bridge for our departure.

Juneau 13 May


Whenever any of our ships have not been to a port before local officials will come onboard and present the Captain with numerous momentos of the port and usually a plaque. This happened in Juneau and Captain Opray was presented with a number of books, a plaque and a painting. Captain Opray in return presented the port officials with an Arcadia plaque. The Executive Purser and I attended this ceremony as well as Captain Opray.

Mount Juneau towering over Arcadia and Juneau.

I managed a couple of hours off in the late afternoon in Juneau and went up the Mount Roberts Tramway. It has been in operation since 1996 and in a six minute ascent raises you 1800 feet above the cruise ship docks. It attracts 200,000 visitors each summer and as you can see from the below photos the views are spectacular from the viewing platforms at the top.

The Alaska State Capital in downtown Juneau was built in 1931.

The Red Dog Saloon is THE drinking establishment in Juneau. It has been recognised by the Alaska Legislature as the oldest man-made tourist attraction in the city!

Yakutat Bay 14 May


Myself and the Hubbard Glacier.

Myself and the two ‘Tlinglit People’ Native Guides who came on to Arcadia during our cruising in Yakutat Bay, on my left is Bertrand Adams Sr and on my right is Ted Valle Sr. The two gentlemen did commentary for two hours for our passengers during the scenic cruising and then a presentation for the passengers in the Palladium Theatre.

Shots of the Hubbard Glacier.

Ice flow in Yakutat Bay.

Myself, Production Manager Toby ‘Big T’ Elliot, Deputy Production Manager Chris Keith and Hubbard Glacier!

Arcadia in Yakutata Bay, awesome!!!

P&O Cruises Managing Director, Carol Marlow will be writing the blog from this weekend for the next week as we are about to launch Adonia, our newest addition to the P&O Cruises fleet.  Carol will bring you her stories from the naming ceremony and maiden cruise, and I'll be back with you soon afterward for more from Alaska.
All the best.

Nigel