Sunrise: 5:17 a.m. / Sunset: 9:02 p.m. (Pacific Time)
Our Ship, the Sea Princess!!! She's nearly 300 yards long and stands 14 stories above the water, with almost any item you can think of on board, including 35,000 eggs to feed all the guests! You can have literally anything you want...ask and you shall receive! There are so many onboard activities and shore excursions that you can't possibly get bored!

And the food? Out of this world! Gourmet dining is offered every night with menu items such as venison, lobster, and pheasant, along with more standard fare such as steak, shrimp and pasta. Everything was delicious!


Sea Princess, photo courtesy of Princess Cruises.

We made it!!! (Wanda, Nancy & Mary) Photo by Sea Princess staff.

 All Aboard!! We pulled up outside the Port Authority in Vancouver at Ballantyne Pier around 1:00 p.m. Boarding had started at noon so we spent quite awhile in line to check in and go through US Customs. (Travel tip: Get there early!!) Fortunately, the folks at Princess Cruises and the Port Authority are old hands at this and we were in our stateroom around 2:30 p.m. Our stateroom, B307 on the starboard side of the ship, was a wonderfully appointed mini-suite with a double balcony! Our stateroom steward, Cesary from Poland, arrived in short order to welcome us aboard and gave us an overview of everything we needed to know.

North Vancouver from the Aft Deck of the ship.

 The Sea Princess was scheduled to sail at 5:30 p.m. which left us plenty of time to prowl around the ship and get a basic idea of her layout. The first stop was the Horizon Court, the 24 hour buffet-style food court on the Lido Deck. We were starved! Later, we took a walk outside on the upper decks and toured the spa which offers many different "relaxation therapies"...seaweed wraps, aromatherapy, hot stone massages! We didn't have time during the cruise to try any, but most sounded soothing and refreshing.

Departure time arrived and the ship's horns sounded as we weighed anchor. And yes! They do play the "Love Boat" theme as the ship pulls away from the pier!

A little history....

Founded in 1867, Vancouver was originally named Gastown after the first settler and saloon owner, Captain "Gassy Jack" Deighton. The settlement was later renamed Vancouver for Captain George Vancouver, an English surveyor who, in 1791, undertook the charting of the coast of North America from California to Alaska in an attempt to find the Northwest Passage. His journey took 4 years to complete and the Northwest Passage was proven not to exist.
Downtown Vancouver

One happy Hummy!!
 		And so we started our Alaska vacation! We spent quite awhile out on deck as the Sea Princess made her way through Vancouver Harbor, determined not to miss a thing.

Our itinerary would include sailing the coast of British Columbia, stopping off at Juneau, Skagway and Sitka, as well as a day sailing through icy Glacier Bay.


Another shot of beautiful downtown Vancouver.
In the distance behind us, the Star Princess left port with a slightly different itinerary including College Fjord and Ketchikan.
The Star Princess left port shortly after we did.

A Canadian Coast Guard cutter escorted us for a short while.

We passed under Lion's Gate Bridge & left Vancouver behind.
After passing beneath Lion's Gate Bridge around 6:30 p.m., the ship started to pick up speed and we passed Stanley Park, a large, beautiful park on the outskirts of Vancouver.
Another shot of Lion's Gate Bridge.

The lighthouse at Stanley Park, Vancouver.


 That night we took another walk out on deck under a bright full moon. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me but the light cast a beautiful reflection on the water.

During the night, the Sea Princess sailed up the Strait of Georgia between the mainland and Vancouver Island, making her way through Queen Charlotte Strait and out into the Pacific Ocean.