Cruising the Gulf

Our Alaskan cruise is almost over. We have just under 220 nautical miles to run across the Gulf of Alaska before our arrival in Seward tomorrow morning. With an afternoon of cruising ahead the ship has been putting on a variety of entertainment including an impressive ice-sculpting display by one of the chefs onboard. In less than 15 minutes he transformed a block of ice into a recognisable image of an American bald eagle. However, for me today’s entertainment highlight remains the scenery. For a brief time after lunch the skies cleared offering up spectacular views of the snow-clad coastal mountains that run the length of the gulf.


Unfortunately, the weather soon closed in again and the ship was wrapped in fog. We’ve been told that there’s a high probability we'lll see the Northern Lights if the sky is clear tonight. Apparently, astronomers witnessed an unusually powerful solar storm a couple of days ago. The peak energy flows are scheduled to hit the Earth this evening. Mother Nature seems determined to top any entertainment our ship can offer.

With the cruise coming to an end, so will our satellite-based Internet access. My posts will probably become less frequent in the days ahead as we venture into Alaska'a interior. The remote reaches of Denali National Park aren't renown for their comprehensive array of modern conveniences. We'll be roughing it now in comparison to the unending luxury offered by our cruise.