Day 6 (Hubbard Glacier) – Friday, 15th July

Decent night’s sleep, although there was definitely a greater swell running than we’d been used to hitherto.

I hadn’t mentioned Jean’s struggles with conveying what it was she actually wanted to eat. Strawberries and cream proved mystifying, and as for a soft-boiled egg, well…… However, breakfast this morning went without a hitch.

A nice quiet start to the day, during which I was able to catch up with the blog and I found where the gym was…. Must try it sometime!

The plan was that the ship would draw as close to the Hubbard Glacier as was possible, dictated by a pilot from Yakutat and how much ice had broken off the glacier. In the end, he got pretty close, and Michael Scott, the resident naturalist, provided a running commentary on the Quietvox headsets which are such a great feature of Viking cruises.

The ship spun round at least twice so that everybody had a chance to take pictures of this superb natural spectacle. Here are a selection of mine:

We are 5 miles away at this point
Seward Glacier, just to the west of Hubbard
Amazing sight

Apparently, the front of this thing is around 400 feet high! It doesn’t look it from here, I have to say.

Apparently also, if Hubbard were to melt, sea levels would rise significantly around the world. It’s around 120 km long and 6 miles wide where it hits the sea. That’s a lot of ice!

A cruise ship waiting its turn

Truly awesome, but it was cold – the glacier cools the air around it quite dramatically. So what else could we do but repair inside to the Explorer’s Lounge for a warming glass :

Hubbard Glacier in the background

Jean had a pre-booked spa thingy, so off she went.

I attended the presentation in the theatre about our next destination – Icy Strait Point. Pretty desolate, but a chance to experience some native American culture. Being a cynic about these things, I imagine there will be plenty of, er, retail opportunities for the bloody tourists…. We’ll see tomorrow.

Should be a chance to take a cable car up the mountain for some decent views, anyway.

We both then heard a talk about the local indigenous people. Not uninteresting.

Thence to a very decent dinner once again – the lamb curry was delicious. Got talking to a couple at the next table, who have retired to Florida, but he was originally from Torquay!

To finish off the evening, we went to the theatre yet again to witness our Cruise Director, Damien Sollesse, deliver his own show as a singer. I wasn’t a massive fan of the material, but he was a genuinely good singer and it was an excellent show overall.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

11 responses to “Day 6 (Hubbard Glacier) – Friday, 15th July”

  1. Another breakfast incident lost in translation was when I asked for a green leaf teabag. Puzzled look from waiter. “We don’t have those ma’am but I can get you two black tea bags instead”. I said thanks. Thought it wasn’t worth the struggle 😕

  2. Angela Bucknall avatar
    Angela Bucknall

    Beautiful glaciers. I can feel the old icy air. Wish we had it here.

    1. Yes, it sounds very hot there, particularly early next week. Good luck with yoga in the garden. It’s 14 degrees and cloudy here!

  3. johnperrett88 avatar
    johnperrett88

    Loved the glacier pictures – we are approaching a couple of 40’c days🥵

    1. So we gather, Wendy. Couldn’t be more different here! Must be record temperatures – hotter than 1976!

  4. amazing pictures i wish i was there oh to feel cold! we were in switzerland once and as we were walking up in the mountains there was an avalanche on the opposite mountain the noise was incredible and watching the ice crash down was amazing so seeing your pics it must have been mind blowing if i was there i would be in the spa with Jean having a good old natter off to james now for barbeque

    1. It’s 12 degrees, cold and rainy here in Juneau, Adele! We really could do with some decent weather.

  5. Sounds like you are getting in to the swing of things now…….becoming quite the tourist!
    Glacier looks amazing…..shame they are melting
    Look forward to next updates…..How was Jean’s SPA!

    1. Hi, Liz – yep, beginning to know the ropes. Jean’s spa was brilliant, apparently. I’m due a full body massage later this week. Could you encourage others at the DVCC to post? Would be great to hear from others.

  6. Stunning pictures, Chris. Just been reading about the Hubbard Glacier. It’s 76 miles long! As you say … that’s a lot of ice.

    1. Truly impressive. Sorry for delay – Internet is a nightmare here!

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