A rainy day in Juneau
June 5, Day 5 of our trip and Day 4 aboard the cruise ship Nieuw Amsterdam, included a 12-hour stop at Juneau, Alaska. As at Ketchikan, none of my family members had any plans for the day, and Cathy and I only went into town for a walk and a look through a couple of art shops.
The first photo was the first one I shot this day. When I posted it on Facebook at 07:07, I commented “Gastineau Channel right now. Just passed the mouth of Tracy Arm, will dock at Juneau in 3 hours. The forecast is for rain and a high of 9C.” We were scheduled to be docked at Juneau from 10:00 am until 10:00 pm. Most of the photos I posted to Facebook were shot specifically for that purpose with my phone, a Pixel 7, then I also shot the same photo with my Canon to get the quality.
The next two photos were shot shortly after the one above.
This is the therapy pool where Cathy and I spend time every morning. It’s a major component of the “Thermal Suite” spa pass we purchase for all of our Holland America cruises – the cost for this cruise was $149 US each.
The Coast Guard’s Sentinel-class cutter WPC-1149, the Douglas Denman, is based at Ketchikan but sailed from Juneau a few minutes after we docked. Built by Bollinger Shipyards, the 154-foot ship was commissioned on September 28, 2022. Also called a Fast Response Cutter, she was designed to be on patrol 2,500 hours per year and is capable of over 28 knots (32 mph).
The Brilliance of the Seas arrived at 1:00 pm.
This is the Lido Pool on Deck 9, quiet because many people had gone ashore. On nice days, the roof can be opened.
On one side of the Lido Pool are about 5 these little curtained-off dining and lounging spaces that can be reserved.
Douglas Island is one of Juneau’s top residential areas, and many properties offer spectacular views of downtown Juneau and its towering background peak, Mount Juneau.
The rain quit in the afternoon, and Cathy and I went ashore for a walk just before 3:00. The Mount Roberts Tramway, one of my favourite activities on a nice day due to superb hiking up top, was closed due to wind.
When I started cruising 19 years ago, Tracy’s Crab Shack was literally a shack. Look at it now!
Elizabeth Peratrovich Plaza honours a Tlingit woman who worked for equality on behalf of Alaska Natives. She and her husband Roy drafted an anti-discrimination Bill that was ecated in 1945, the first of its kind in the United States. On February 16, 2024, February 16 was declared by Governor Mike Dunleavy to be Elizabeth Peratrovich Day – that was the date of her historic speech that garnered the support needed to pass the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945.
Part of our walk was along South Franklin Street through the historic downtown. The Alaskan Hotel, which opened in 1913, is one of the notable buildings.
For the return to the ship, we chose the much quieter dock route. There is a notable collection of totem poles along it now.
In 1931 an elegant 87-foot motor yacht was designed by Callis and built as the ‘Holiday’ for Mr William Morris Jr. of the William Morris Talent Agency in San Pedro, California. Sh was renamed ‘Discovery’ in 1980. In 1998, she was purchased by Captain Ben Swanson, his father and another partner. She was completely restored and brought to Alaska, where she’s now available for charter – a week-long tour for 10 people costs $65,000.
At 10 pm we pulled away from the dock and headed back down the channel. The next photo shows the Douglas Harbor marina and Juneau Island with its Coast Guard administration building.
The Brilliance of the Seas had sailed before us.
At Sandy Beach is the historic Treadwell Mine Seawater Pump House, built in 1914. Almost nothing remains of one of the most productive gold mines in the United States or the community that supported it – the Treadwell Mine Historic Trail Walking Tour pages provide a great deal of information about it.
During the night, we would sail to Skagway for another long stop, 13 hours.
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