What to my wondering eyes should appear?

Off there in the distance. 18 miles across the straits, docked in Victoria, the season's very first cruise ship! My very favorite season of the year has begun. CRUISE SEASON!

It is a bit easier to make it out in the this cropped version of this photo. It is the Holland America MS Amsterdam. Until a bit later in May the cruise ships will be making Pacific Coastal voyages of a few days each before starting the Alaskan cruises. In fact Port Angeles will be visited in the first week of May by one of the Holland America ships. For more info click here http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetails.action?noOfFlexibleMonths=1&flexibleMonths=false&pageNumber=1&voyageCode=S929&destCode=L

I enjoy watching the ships go by every week during the summer and I do camp out on the deck with my camera each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening when the weather is perfect. Here are a few of my favorite shots that I've taken the last three summers.

The Norwegian Star and Mt. Baker. I enjoy watching this ship go by as I've been aboard her twice to Alaska and the Mexican Riviera.

The timing was perfect on this shot. The sunset and the ship both! I haven't been that lucky since.

This my second favorite shot. Again timing on this one. A cruise ship and a submarine in the Straits at the same time. Lucky!