Alaska Cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam ~ What I packed and arriving in Vancouver

Relaxing on a Sea Day in comfortable surroundings.

The views are spectacular, the weather is warm and the seas are calm.

I packed carefully for the trip.

My wardrobe is basically black with white and grey accents.

What I packed:

Eileen Fisher :

black pants

tank top

linen jacket

black vest

black bamboo dress and long knit jacket

black textured skirt

St. John black knit top with silver sparkles

Gilmour white dress with black polka dots

Jeans

2 white linen tops

Saint James white and black striped V neck top

white scarf /shawl 

David Cline grey print shirt 

 I wore it under my vest and again open as a layering piece with a tank and pants

Nanette Lepore white linen knit sweater

bathing suit and cover up

( I never used them as the pools were full of kids splashing and having fun!)

Hat gloves umbrella

Lands' End down jacket

Saint James raincoat

Columbia light rain jacket

underwear and bras

nightie

A souvenir purchase

I'll wear this on our boat!

We brought the grandchildren some colour changing Tee shirts

with Alaska animals on the front.

Views to the North Shore of Vancouver.

The Port of Vancouver

A beautiful day to walk around the seafront in Vancouver.

Salvador Dali sculpture 

We met up with Brian's sister and her granddaughter and walked about before going out for lunch and dinner.

They had an early flight Sunday...

we slept in 

on our way to the ferries 

I popped into the South Granville Eileen Fisher 

I purchased a black sleeveless top and some new jeans.

It's back to reality now...

We have many wonderful memories of this cruise and I would recommend this particular trip to anyone interested in experiencing 

the natural beauty of BC and Alaska.

Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam was a particularly luxurious ship.

I hope that you have enjoyed this series of posts on the trip.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Alaska Cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam ~ Ketchikan and the towel creatures!

Colourful houses dot the shoreline in Ketchikan Alaska.

The sign welcoming us to town claims that Ketchikan 

is the "Salmon Capital of the World."

We arrived in port greeted by a misty rain.

We wandered the streets and stopped for a delicious bowl of crab bisque.

There are many historic buildings.

 Murals refer to rich history of Japanese and Filipino cultures.

The red light district of heritage houses built on stilts in a creek 

are now occupied by shops.

The town was very busy as there were 5 large cruise ships in port.

I had heard about the towels creatures that the stewards would be making for us.

Crab

Octopus

Elephant 

Dog

Monkey

There was a towel folding class on one of the sea days!

We did not attend.

So many options to consider when on board 

especially on Sea Days.

Mah Jong, Bridge, Bingo, Casino, Live theatre, Music venue, Computer classes, 

Pools, Spa, America's Test Kitchen, Movies, Lectures, and more.

The last cruise post is on the blog now...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Alaska Cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam...Vancouver to Juneau.

We loved our week long cruise to Alaska aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam.

The weather was amazing, the seas calm, and we were able to gaze at the gorgeous natural scenery from our balcony.

Canada Place at the Vancouver Cruise Ship Terminal.

Large arrangements of fresh flowers were strategically placed in the public areas of the ship.

One of the many dining rooms...

we dined here for most of our meals during the cruise.

Cozy chairs and lounges which invited relaxation during the voyage.

The Atrium

We opted for room service the first morning...

we really enjoyed sitting on our balcony.

There was so much to see and do on the ship.

One could be busy and engaged all day long.

We were travelling with my husband's family 

so we wanted to interact with them as much as possible. 

We did not attend many of the entertainment options.

We walked many laps around the deck.

With so much delicious food on offer we needed to be mindful!!

Cocktails

Gala dinner

Let's start with some escargots.

a tossed green salad

Succulent lamb chops

Chocolate souffle

You can eat like this every evening if you desire.

There are casual venues where they make burgers, hot dogs, and pizza.

The Lido Market was buffet style

offering 

various salads, pastas, sandwiches, soups, and a variety of daily specials.

There are also some higher end dining options where you pay extra to dine.

We dined at the Italian themed Canaletto and Tamarind which served Asian Fusion cuisine.

The Tamarind was my favourite meal of the trip.

Juneau Alaska

We were travelling with other cruise ships.

About 4 or 5 ships were in each port 

the small towns were inundated with tourists.

The Holland America Line was recommended to us

in particular the refurbished ship Nieuw Amsterdam

 we were suitably impressed.

A popular spot to sample Alaska King and Dungeness Crab.

Mr HB loves crab!

Heritage buildings in Juneau

I was surprised by how many jewelry shops dotted the streets.

Apparently many people buy jewelry as a souvenir when they go on a cruise.

I'll be back with more on the cruise soon so please stay tuned!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Cruise ship shopping...

The cruise to Alaska is approaching so fast and I have not even written out my packing list! I must get busy and do something about that or I will forget something important.

I did find some time for a quick trip to the shops to find a knit top that would look nice over my dresses and would be an extra layer over my Eileen Fisher tank tops and black pants.

When I spied this Nanette Lapore knit I knew immediately that it filled the required style idea that I had in my head.

I also found a simple linen Tahari Tee top which I will pair with my linen capris.

It will go well with jeans, my black knit skirt, and all my pants.

I plan to wear my pearls on the cruise ship as they go with everything...
"keep it simple"
 is my motto for a minimal travel wardrobe.

This is our first time on a cruise ship...
Do any of you have any advice on what I should pack?

                    Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Labour Day Long Weekend...

We have been out on our boat for the past few days enjoying a relaxing time with friends and family.

Port Browning on Pender Island

Many boats drop the hook and anchor in the bay.

We tie up at the marina as we do not have a generator on board.

There is a lovely beach just over this rocky outcropping.

Beach combing while walking along the shoreline is an activity that I quite enjoy.

I heard that Ellie passed away...

so sad 

she fought long and hard battling ALS.

I hope that she is at rest and that her family will be supported and surrounded with friends and family to help them cope with their grief.

I read her blog and bought her book and hope that she will now be at peace.

I thought about writing a tribute to her here on the blog but after reading 

The Vintage Contessa 

Stephen Andrew Jones 

 Heather from Lost in Arles 

 I felt that they said it best.

I thought of Ellie on my beach walk.

Clam shells were scattered along the stretch of beach...

A driftwood shelter

Rock with a heart on it...

Heart shaped rocks...

might be a strange thing to collect but I do!

Mr. HB found the last two heart rocks.

Queen Anne's Lace and Chicory line the paths...

such a pretty combination Mother Nature has painted for us to enjoy.

I have been savouring every word of Louise Penny's newest mystery novel.

She is a brilliant writer and I absolutely LOVE her books.

I have several chapters left to finish and so I will close for now...

Hope that you have had a lovely weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~