Day 7: Victoria, B.C.

Victoria, B.C. was our last stop! When we got off the ship, we fell in love with this bush sculpture of a mama and baby killer whale. How cool is that?

We didn't get to explore Victoria too much (guess I'll have to come back!), but to culminate our British experience, we HAD to ride the infamous double decker bus. It was just like the Night Bus in Harry Potter - wild ride and all! We rode on the top level and hoped that our driver wouldn't crash into anything.

Our last towel animal of the cruise was this little monkey who we found hanging from a clothes hanger. Isn't he cute?

So, that was our cruise. I know, I know, it wasn't the most exciting one, thanks to the weather, but that couldn't be helped. I still had a LOT of fun spending time with new and old friends alike, and it was a treat for me just to go on the cruise itself. I've never experienced anything like that before.

Marsali's mama surprised us all - me, Marsali, Novya, and Taryn - with our very own souvenir cruise shirts. Here we all are in our new shirts, which read, "I sailed Holland America, Alaska 2011."

Well, I am currently on my way home as we speak. It has been about a week since I left Oregon, so I should be home really soon. I hope so! I SO need to stretch my legs!

Talk to you later,

Sophie

Day 1: Boarding the ship!

Finally - Day 1 of the Alaskan cruise had arrived! After we'd gone through customs, Marsali, Taryn, Novya, and I found ourselves waiting impatiently in the docking area. Novya got her camera out and took a photo of Marsali, Taryn, and me waiting, as you can see on the left.

Then, Marsali and I looked through her mama's Alaska coupon book. Taryn rolled her eyes; she is not a shopping kind of girl! We proceeded to ignore her, drooling over all of the things we could buy (at discounted prices!).

Yeah - here we are on the ship! After we set down our luggage, we rushed to the window, looking at the other cruise ship in port. We decided to get a photo in front of it:

We soon found ourselves going through the obligatory safety routines - the lifeboat drill, checking to make sure the life vests fit, etc. You know, everything the Titanic didn't do! Marsali, Taryn, and Novya helped me into a life vest, but it wasn't a great fit...

Once I'd gotten that heavy thing off, we headed up to the Observation deck to explore our new surroundings. We found out that our ship was called the Westerdam, and Marsali was telling us that we were in for a treat. She's sailed on the Westerdam three times now, and it is by far her favorite!

Alas, the sky was darkening, and it soon began to rain. We headed inside to our room. But look what Marsali and I found on our bed! Marsali's mama had bought us matching bags to store our cruise souvenirs in. I smiled when I saw that they were adorned with Le Tour Eiffel and the Arc du Triomphe. Ah, to be reminded of home!

Taryn got a present, too - her very own Rebecca Rubin doll! So, we spent the rest of the evening playing with American Girl dolls. Marsali was nice enough to lend me one of hers, so I could join in.

Once the adults had everything unpacked, we got into our PJs and snuggled down into our sleeping bags. It wasn't very long until we were snoring away, dreaming of what our first full day at sea would be like...

See our full album here: Boarding the Westerdam!

~Sophie

Packing for Alaska!

With 6 days left, Marsali and I decided to get a head start on packing for our Alaskan cruise. Deciding what to bring was the easiest part. Certainly, we'd need outfits for every occasion imaginable and, oh, wouldn't lounge chairs be nice to bring, too?

By the time we'd finished deciding what to bring, the pile of stuff had really accumulated. "How will we ever pack all of this?" I worried. Marsali, ever the seasoned pro when it comes to cruises, reassured me that we'd find a way. So, we thought for a bit, and finally, I suggested that we needed to come up with a way to organize our belongings.

Marsali agreed and proposed the perfect solution - suitcases! She had suitcases galore, from smallest to largest. So, we set to work, arranging our clothes in the order that we'd be wearing them. We made sure we had everything, including shoes and hair accessories!

By the time we'd finished packing all of the clothes into the suitcases, we were pooped. Taking a little break, we had some soda. I also took the opportunity to thank Marsali, once again, for inviting me along on the cruise. It was such a nice gesture on her part; I know I will remember this trip forever!

After our break, we loaded the smaller suitcases into the big piece of luggage and ended up with a little room to spare ... which turned out to be a good thing. In our haste, we'd forgotten that Novya hadn't brought her things over to us yet. We both felt bad when we saw Novya trotting up, lugging her suitcases.

We laughed it off and turned to help Novya repack her things. With a little rearranging, we were soon able to pack her things with ease. Whew!

Album: Packing for 2011 Alaska Cruise!

~Sophie