Alaska cruise Vancouver to Sitka
May 27 - June 7 2022
American Queen Voyages - Ocean Victory

Pre Cruise
American Queen Voyages includes a pre-cruise hotel night at the starting city with all of their cruises.  I think this is wonderful since I always recommend getting in at least a day prior to the cruise.  Besides relieving some  travel stress having the day before gives you time to explore the city where your trip starts.  Our cruise started in Vancouver however when looking at flights I found much better options for flying into Seattle.  I had always wanted to take the train from Seattle to Vancouver so I thought this was perfect.   However I was disappointed when arriving at the train station to find that due to staffing shortages the train wasn't running so they were taking us by bus.   Let me just say it was a not pleasant surprise.  The bus took twice as long and requires everyone to get off the bus and get their bags to go over the border.   I do not recommend the bus.  
We made our way to the pre cruise hotel which was the Hyatt Regency Vancouver.   It was a great hotel conveniently located not too far from the port with plenty of things in walking distance.  Transfers to the ship were included but they were in the afternoon so we had the morning to explore.   I realized the nice part about the later transfer was the port was pretty empty even though there were quite a few big ships also leaving the same day.   We boarded our ship and explored a bit before it was time for the safety drill and and sail away.
   
Day 1 and 2 - Inside Passage and scenic cruising
Our first 2 days were sea days where we learned what was to come on our cruise. We got to see the mud room and request boots and raingear if needed.  We also learned about the zodiacs and what wildlife we might see along the way.   There was a leader from the Tlingit tribe onboard that gave a few talks about life in Alaska.   

Day 3 - Ketchikan, AK
 We made our fist stop which was Ketchikan.   I have been there a couple times on bigger ships and was a little disappointed that our small ship that can go places the big ones can't was stopping here.   We were also docked at the port that is a bit of a ways out of town so we had to rely on shuttles to get into town and back to the ship.  There were a few big ships docked right in town so it was a bit crowded, but not as crowded as I have seen in before covid.   The cruise did include an excursion which was a city highlights tour but since I have been there before I chose to skip that.   There were also some premium excursions available for book for a fee but none of those appealed to me.  It was just nice to wander around town, grab some lunch, and do some shopping.


Day 4  - Misty Fjords
This is what I have been waiting for - an expedition day!   We started out with a zodiac ride and got really lucky to have an Orca go past us rather close to our boat.   After lunch it was time to kayak!   They were keeping us travel agents together so our kayaking group was a big larger than the other groups so it took quite a bit of time to get everyone out on the water but it was a nice paddle. Misty Fjords is almost 2.2 million acres of National Monument Wilderness so it is a wonderful protected area for spotting wildlife.   I had been to Misty Fjords on my first Alaska cruise but it was via floatplane from Ketchikan so it was nice to go back and spend time on the water.

Day 5 - Wrangell Island, AK
We are on land again but this time in a cute small town that the big ships cannot stop at.  It is the 3rd oldest town in Alaska.  There was an included heritage tour along with some premium excursions for purchase.   We opted to explore town on our own.  We found a little pizza shop for lunch that has the most delicious crust I think I have had.  Everyone in town was super friendly and genuinely seemed happy to have us.  One local even said that the residents of Wrangell are the friendliest of all Alaska.  There was a Petroglyph Beach that was an easy walking distance so we headed there to check out some of the carved rocks. 


Day 6 - Bay of Pillars 
Another expedition day.   We started with kayak in the morning and this time they split our group up so the more experienced paddlers got to do a bit more.   We came across a bunch of otters and I loved watching them watching us.   After lunch we did a zodiac ride but didn't really see much of anything new.   It was still fun just to be out on the water.  Alaska's cruise season is rather short from May - September but there are big differences in what you will see based on when you visit.   In May and early June you will see a lot of snow topped mountains and floating ice but you also have a lot of melting snow creating lots of amazing waterfalls.   We got to see a lot of them on this cruise some of which looked like they started miles above of us as we looked up from the zodiacs.  Mid June - July is salmon running season so that the time go if you want to see them and the bears grabbing them out of the water.  June and July also tend to be the rainiest and most crowded though.  August tends to offer nice weather and usually clearer skies so if you are looking for those photos filled with flowers and mountain tops instead of clouds August can be better.  You can spot wildlife anytime you visit though.


Day 7 - Petersburg, AK         
On land again, and our first really rainy day (we got really lucky with the weather since SE Alaska is part of a temperate rainforest you usually have rain every day).  This is another town the big ships cannot get to so it was nice to enjoy the small town vibe again.   This town was founded back in 1910 by a Norwegian and it turned out a lot of people from Norway ended up joining him here so you almost felt like you were in Norway when walking around.   I have always thought Alaska and Norway were very similar.   There was the usual included excursion and a couple premium options.   One of the premium was a sport fishing experience.   I did not try it but it did sound like a fun an adventure.  The Sons of Norway Hall is where you can experience a bit of the culture from Alaska's Little Norway.   Here we were treated to a private dance from the local kids and tried a few local pastries.  It was a cute experience.   
Shortly after leaving Petersburg our expedition leader, Jess, announced that there were some Orca off the front of the ship.   What I love about expedition cruises is the Captain can decide to stop or change course if we spot some wildlife.   While keeping a safe distance away our ship pretty much sopped and allowed us to watch these playful Orcas for over an hour!   It really was the highlight of the trip for me.   We later found out it was 3 pods of resident Orcas that were pretty much just playing around and showing off for us.   They were rolling around, tail flapping and spy-hopping (term for when they pop their head out of the water like the photo below).  Then just as the ship decided to turn around and get back on our way one Orca decide to breach!   I of course had walked right to the back of the ship as soon as we started sailing away so I could watch these guys as long as possible so I had a perfect view of it.   One thing I have learned from 4 visits to Alaska is that trying to capture the perfect photo means you really do miss out on just enjoying yourself so I did not have a camera out at all and totally loved just watching!   

Day 8 - Tracy Arm
This was our last expedition day (if you ask me they need to add more expedition time if they really want to call this cruise an expedition)   Today we were going to be getting close to a glacier.   Unfortunately not by kayak though.   Today was zodiac only.   Our group got really lucky and we saw a lot of calving with some humongous pieces falling off the glacier while watched.  Our guide said the one piece was probably as big as a 2 story building.  It sounds like thunder when it happens and then you will feel the waves is creates as it crashes into the water.  You cannot get too close to the glacier due to this but our zodiac drivers were always within safe distance.  We also saw some momma and baby seals but not as many as I saw last year in this area.


Day 9 - Kake, AK
   Well this was supposed to be our last stop but unfortunately we were not able to go on shore.   They did bring some locals onboard to talk and perform for us though.   Kake is a tribal village and 70% of the residents are of Tlingit heritage.   This is the location of the tallest totem ever carved from a single tree.   We could see if from the ship but it was a bummer not to get to stand in front of it.   

Day 10 - Sitka
Sitka is where our cruise ended.   You could choose from a couple premium excursions here all of which pretty much got you to the airport.  There are a couple of hotels in town so if you wanted to enjoy Sitka a little more you could stay over.   The airport is very small so not a lot of flight options so that could be another reason to stay over a night.   I however opted for a long day of traveling to get home.   We flew out of Sitka to Seattle and then had a few hours before our red-eye flight back home which connected in Philly before getting us back to FL.  It was pretty much 24 hours of traveling.   This is why it can be easier to get to Europe from the East Coast instead of Alaska.  It was a wonderful cruise though so well worth the time to get there.   
 
Overall Cruise rating
Ship - 5 Stars.   Beautiful small luxury ship with all the extras needed for expedition.
Food - 3 Stars. This was a tough one for me because for a luxury cruise I just do not feel like the food was up to that standard and if you know me you know I am not a foodie person.   The only reason I even give it 3 stars was because there was an option to order steak and lobster for dinner every night.   I am hoping part of the food issues were from supply chain problems.   I really hope they will start including local foods and more variety.
Excursions - 2 Stars.   I think this is an area they really need to work on if they want to be an expedition cruise.   There just was not enough expedition time.   They need to add some hikes, bushwhacking, and beachcombing.   The culture excursions are nice for an expedition there has to be as much adventure as culture.
Ports - 4 Stars.  I loved the 2 small towns we stopped in.  I also understand that things happen so while is was a bummer to miss one port that can happen on any cruise.   I would avoid the big port like Ketchikan and instead build in some time to get to on land on uninhabited islands. 
Crew - 4 Stars.   I would love to give them 5 stars however there was still a bit of learning to do.  Plus I also know there are shortages thanks to covid so that definitely played a part in the service.   The dining staff were always eager to please but without enough of them things were a little slow.   The guides onboard were friendly and knowledgeable.   

I would definitely recommend this cruise.   As a brand new ship and new destination for American Queen Voyages I do think they have some things to work on but it was a true luxury small ship experience in Alaska which is hard to find.   I also believe they will improve on the things that were lacking.  ​

Ocean Victory
Ocean Victory is a new and very unique looking ship that was built for sailing in cold waters.   Ocean Victory started her first year down in Antarctica sailing for Albatros Expeditions.  Then American Queen Voyages took over when she headed north to Alaska.   American Queen Voyages is known for its iconic looking paddlewheel boats that sail the rivers of the US but they are branching out into more adventurous waters with Alaska on Ocean Victory.   For the half the year that American Queen Voyages is running the ship they are offering one way sailings from Vancouver to Sitka and reverse.  I will talk more about the cruise portion in my trip report.  Today let's just talk about the ship.

Ocean Victory is a brand new build and really is one of the most modern small ship vessels in the market.  I am going to break this report into 3 sections - Technical Details, Staterooms, and Public Spaces.  

Technical Details

• Started sailing November 2021  
• 342 Feet long
• 6 Guests decks
• 93 staterooms
• 186 guests plus 100 crew
• Registered in Nassau, Bahamas (yes that surprised me).

With the highest Polar code 6 and Ice class 1A, Ocean Victory is the ideal vessel for small-ship cruising due to her sturdy construction and X-Bow®-Infinity class, which provides high stability in rough weather and allows for the smoothest movements on high waves, and a Solas 2012 classification which facilitates a safe return to port.
The vessel is part of a brand new generation of low-energy vessels, with 4 diesel engines and 2 electro engines, all controlled electronically to optimize speed and fuel consumption.

Staterooms

•  93 staterooms (90% with balcony, 100% with a view) 
• 22 sets of connecting rooms
• 49 rooms that can accommodate 3 guests
• 2 accessible rooms however there are parts of the ship where a wheelchair couldn't access so that is something to keep in mind.

  I was in a Category C - Deluxe Stateroom with Private Balcony (213-265 sq ft.)   This is the category that has the most rooms onboard.  It is very spacious with lots of storage areas which is great.   It says private balcony however at first you might not think that when you board as there are partition walls that will need to be locked in place.  Technically if the partition walls were not locked you could easily walk around the whole outside deck.  

The stateroom was definitely the most luxurious room I have had on an expedition ship.  Of course being a brand new build helps with that since the other expedition ships I have been on have been older ships.   The bathroom was a nice size with walk in shower but the best feature was the heated floor!   The ship has no single-use plastics onboard so do not expect to find any take home toiletries.  They do have the shampoo and body wash caddies in the shower that most cruise ships and hotels are using now.  I am used to expedition ships not offering fancy toiletries so I knew to bring my own stuff but some guests did not.  
The room could be set up as 2 twins or the bed put together just like most ships.   I found the bed to be comfy but I will say 2 of the 4 pillows were the hardest pillows I have ever felt.   There is a large TV that even offered a nice selection of movies and tv shows to watch.  Most expedition ships do not have TVs in the room or if they do the TVs only play things like video from the underwater camera on the ship.  Honestly on my other expeditions there just wasn't really time for tv watching but this one was a bit different (more on that in my trip report to come next).
There is also a couch and desk area with plenty of space and then the door out to the balcony.   My room was one of the ones that could sleep 3 so the couch could turn into a bed (more child size I would think).   Rooms also include things like binoculars, hair dryer, and a mini fridge.   The sockets might seem like they won't work for your plugs but pretty much most things were fine without a converter.  The things we heard that were not compatible with the room sockets were hair styling things. 
I did get to tour a few other stateroom categories and to be honest they are all very similar.   The suites of course are larger but that was about the only difference.  

Public Spaces
For a small ship Ocean Victory actually has a lot of public spaces.  There are 6 decks of guest area and there is an elevator to get to most floors.  I am going to start from the top down.

• Observation lounge - Up on Deck 8 all the way forward on the ship you will find this cozy lounge with 180 degree views.   There is a bar for refreshments and a good amount of comfy seating.   This area also had some nice spotting scopes and microscopes.   The guides and naturalists will do the hands on science stuff  and other talks in this location.
• Bistro - Also on deck 8 this is a smaller dining location which on our cruise was only open for breakfast and lunch.   There were not many tables in there and we were told on our cruise it was serving the same food as the main dining room so we didn't bother trying to get a seat in there.   There is also a BBQ area with outside seating in this area.   If the weather cooperates there is usually a BBQ lunch served during the cruise (didn't work out on our cruise though).
• Fitness center - Deck 7 also offered the fitness center which for a small ship was a really good size and quite a few people used it during the cruise (not me in case you don't know me).
• Spa - Deck 7 is also home to a small spa room which is something you usually won't get on expedition ship.   It offered a nice variety of services.


• Pool deck - yes even though this ship is doing Alaska and Antarctica it actually has a good size infinity pool at the back of the ship on Deck 7.  There are also 2 hot tubs.  I didn't try either on my cruise but a lot of guests did.  There are also some lounge chairs and other comfy seating options for soaking up any sun that might appear on your cruise.  
• Observation Deck - Deck 5 is basically all public spaces starting at the front with the observation deck.   This is where the special folding platforms are that can open up so you can do some wildlife spotting from a nice location.  It is a pretty unique feature of the ship.
• Expedition Lecture room - this is sort of like the theater onboard and it is where you go to learn all about each day's adventures the night before.  There were also other informative talks in here such as when some locals came onboard.
• Explorer Bar and Lounge - This is where you could grab a drink pretty much anytime during the cruise.   Also this area usually hosted an afternoon tea time with snacks and some nice piano music.  
• Voyager Library - this is a small room right off the lecture room.  It was a nice quiet location with things like books, puzzles, and other games.
• The Reception Desk - right in the middle of Deck 5 so very easy to find anytime you need something. 
• Ocean Boutique -  Yep there was even a ship store with some local items along with branded things.   There was also a small selection of sundry type items that you might have forgotten to pack.
• Main Dining Room - this took up the back of Deck 5 and had lots of nice windows.   There are mostly large tables but since our cruise wasn't full it was easy to get a table for yourself if you wanted.   The dining room served breakfast and lunch buffet style.  Dinner was sit down and open seating so you can arrive anytime during the open hours and grab a seat.   There is also a small section of the dining room that was separated that we were told will be a specialty restaurant but it wasn't operating as such during our cruise.  
• Expedition Desk - this is the only publc area on Deck 4.   It is conveniently located where you will many times get off and back on the ship on days when the ship is docked.  Expedition information was posted here and at certain times a guide would be available for questions.   
• Medical Clinic is down on Deck 3
• Mud Room - Also on Deck 3 and this was probably my favorite addition to an expedition ship.   This area is sort of like a locker room where you are able to store all of your expedition gear that you don't want to have to lug back to your room each time.  If you do not bring gear with you the ship even has some you can borrow such as mud boots and rain gear.  Your life jackets for going out on the zodiacs are also kept in your locker.  Directly from the mudroom you could board the zodiacs and kayaks easily.   The ship is even able to tilt a bit to one side to help with getting on and off the zodiacs.  One important note about the mud room is that you can only get to that via stairs so anyone that cannot walk down a flight of stairs will not be able to get to this area of the ship.   Since the zodiacs are not only used for exploring but also used for getting into some of the ports we stopped at it could mean some people might miss out on a bunch of stuff.

Ocean Victory really offers a premium experience for an expedition cruise.  If you want to get out into nature on your vacation but don't want to rough it this is the ship for you.   I would call it the glamping of the seas.  If you are ready to explore Alaska or Antarctica on this beautiful ship just let me know.