Thank you for the clarification.
Gilroy Gal

What am I missing here?

I thought the biggest advantage of RAW is that it has “more skin” in the game, so to speak, than JPG;-- or rather, it has more pixels available. Thus, when printing very LARGE prints, RAW has the advantage. Comparing JPG and RAW 4x6 or 8x10 prints would probably show no difference, especially if they were shot in JPG-Fine.

The other advantage of RAW is that, with good software, more and different corrections can be made to the image. Some of the same corrections can also be made in JPG. But if there are not enough pixels available in JPG, the results will NOT be the same.

Thus, a “shoot-out” between the two is meaningless, in my opinion.

From personal experience, I took the smallest cruise ships available in Alaska. Great food, great service. They stay close to shore where the real beauty is readily visible. When the captain spotted a bear on shore, he announced "bear portside" and turned the ship around so we could get a closer look. Your big cruise ships do not, and cannot, do this.
I also considered the Alaskan ferry system but gave up for the following reasons. The ferries, and also the big cruise ships, cannot dock during low tide. Many places in Alaska have 30+ foot difference between low and high tide. Also, the ferries' schedule will change with the tides. For example, I found out that in Petersburg the ferry arrived at 2:30 am at high tide. From the dock, which is NOT at town center, you would have to take a taxi and find lodging. Good Luck with that!
Also, I saw many big cruise ships "parked" miles away from towns because there were no dock space available. Then the passengers have to board smaller boats and be shuttled into town, given some 3 hours before they have to be shuttled back into the big ship. That leaves you only time to stand in line at some shop to buy Alaskan T-shirts, and then back to the boat. This is NOT the way to see Alaska.

I recommend subscribing to the Alaska magazine before you go; you will gain a lot of information as to where to stay, what tour and cruise lines are available. Cruise America West (if still running) goes all over the Southwest Passage, including Misty Fiords (John Muir said: endless Yosemite in water), Tracy Arm Fiords, and other glaciers. For glacier viewing from any ship, dress warmly since the cold wind blows across the ice.

If you want to view Alaska from a glass window with a cocktail in your hand, take a big cruise ship!

Thank you, Bozsik
I think that ocean Kayaks are quite stable. Attached is an orca taken in the Vancouver Sound with probably a Yashika or Panasonic Weather Resistant camera. I do NOT use my Nikons in a kayak! Camera is NOT a zoom lens. I've also kayaked in Alaska among humpback whales as well as orcas. Not a problem. No tripods, please!

Yashika WR, 50mm Film

No longer, but still close by! Just didn't bother to change my "handle".

This is great! However, the following is NO joke and happened to me in the late 1960's when I was young and......

I was applying for a Librarian position at Food Machinery in Silicon Valley, California and had to undergo a medical examination to make sure that I was not a druggie and/or had needle marks on my arms. Thus, I am sitting on the exam table while the doctor listens to my lungs, etc. Then, when he was done, he says: "Now stand up and drop your pants."
Since I was young and quick, I was up as he said "stand..." but then my mouth fell open.

He looked up at me, got red in the face, and apologized, he was examining all guys the whole morning and I was the only female late in the day. The "joke" was on him.

Don't buy a Dell in the store; order it online directly from Dell. You can then custom fit it to your specific requirements. They then run a final test to make sure that everything works, and ship it out to FED-EX. I've bought 2 Dell desktops and 3 Dell laptops (gifts), and never a problem. Also buy their support. User reviews show they shipped a new laptop somewhere in East Asia when problems did occur.
Support is excellent and very friendly and professional. And because I am such a "good" customer, last time they gave me a 5% discount (or was it 10% ??).
Try the online order; as you add more features, the total rises higher. Thus, there is NO under-the-table smoke and mirrors as from other snake-oil salesmen.

Thank you for this excellent video of old flying fighter planes. This brings back some old memories:

About in the middle of the video you will see some fighter planes with ferocious shark's teeth painted on the front fuselage. I remember those towards the end of WWII when they would swoop down and, probably, mow down any German troops on roadways, etc. We (age 8-10?) would wave to them, since we could see the pilot in the cockpit. Sometimes they would wave back. At that time we lived in the country where open fields allowed these planes to swoop down really low. I believe they were looking for German stragglers retreating from the front. None were found, at least not in front of our eyes.

Ooops! I replied to my own comment! Here is the closest looking Tamrac model to my own, which is quite old. This new model is Tamrac 517. Forget what mine is.

Attached file:
(Download)

Ooops! I replied to my own comment! Here is the closest looking Tamrac model to my own, which is quite old. This new model is Tamrac 517. Forget what mine is.

Attached file:
(Download)

Looks like this, but my model is much older.
Attached file:
(Download)

Yes, it is thickly padded. Don't know if current Tamrac models are still the same. This holster has very wide belt loops through which I fitted a thick web belt to secure around my waist. Thus, to "unharness" myself, I need to remove my neck straps, lay the holster on some support, and unclip the belt. The holster also has a hand grip so that you can carry it in your hand. The battleship grey fabric is tough and after all these years there are no nicks and the zippers are still sound. I am thinking of checking out the OP/Tech sling. However, they leave your cameras unprotected, whereas with the Tamrac, I've been out in the rain with no problems.

I have a custom solution. I am short, have wide hips, and love to hike and prefer to keep my hands free. On a longer hike I will typically have my other lenses in a small backpack, along with my lunch, etc. However, my main camera support is a holster pack around my waist, with additional "suspender" supports around my neck. The camera, with a medium size lens fits inside the holster in front, and has a top zip for quick access which allows the camera strap to be also around my neck. Thus, my hips take the most weight and the OP/Tech rubberized strap takes care of the rest. The holster pack is Tamrac, which I've had for more than 20 years and carried my Nikons in Alaska, Siberia, Machu Picchu, Nepal, etc. And yes, I don't give a darn how I look. I am comfortable.

In the freezer, along with the shot glasses!

His name is Vanya. I could not hear what he was saying but the voice of the bulldozer operator or of the guy who was shooting the video had this to say:
"He left the road....tried to do a short-cut"
When Vanya tried to grab the fork: "He's going to loose his boots!"
Someone shouting to Vanya: "We'll try to pick you up!"
Yes, the bulldozer operator has guts and a gentle hand.

My understanding is that the German Panzer divisions did not appreciate the Russian spring and fall mud during WWII.