Our time in Hawaii was very relaxing, but eventually it was time to move on. What better way to transition out of “resort mode” than to take an Alaskan Cruise?
After a short, 5 hour flight from Hawaii we landed on the western shores of Canada in Vancouver. We had a very quick turn around – just staying a day – and then made our way to the cruise terminal to begin our Alaskan adventure.
The Back Story
Ok, cruising Alaska doesn’t sound like a budget-friendly way to travel, although getting the benefits of transport, accommodations and food while seeing a different part of the world really is a good way to go. We had taken our first ever cruise in the Mediterranean back in December and so took our experiences there and applied them to our Alaskan cruise.
Why Alaska? Well, we had purchased a cruise certificate a few years ago through our RCI timeshare membership, and thought it would be a good way to build in some “comfortable” transportation within our trip. Our intention was to get onto a cruise from Vancouver to San Francisco – a 3 day cruise where you could relax and have your hotel and meals taken care of while actually moving to another destination. When we called into make the reservation we discovered that there were no cruises running along the West coast during June – all of the ships were being re-positioned. The cruise agent suggested that we could do an Alaskan cruise during the time we were interested…one thing led to another and before we knew it we were scheduled to visit Alaska!
Off we went for our second cruise, this time aboard the Celebrity Infinity. Our route would take us along the inside passage to 3 ports of call – Icy Strait Point, Juneau, and Ketchikan – as well as visiting the majestic Hubbard Glacier.
We had been told of the beautiful views and opportunities to see wildlife in Alaska and so were looking forward to the experience.
Our ship was, well, quite comfortable.
There were lots of things on board for everyone to enjoy. Our girls really loved attending the ship’s “X-Club” – the club for kids. The club gave the girls some independence and the opportunity to meet and interact with other kids their age. The girls gave their X-Club experience a score of 10/10! At the end of the cruise the girls participated in the talent show, wowing the crowd with their skills (proud papa talking!)
While there were a lot of similarities with our cruise in December of last year, there were also some differences. One of the differences that we really enjoyed were daily talks in the ship’s main theatre on different topics related to Alaska – whether it was about sea mammals we might see along the way, to tips and tricks on taking photos. These talks were always very informative and entertaining.
One of the talks we attended was about the Hubbard Glacier, which really was the featured destination on this cruise. It was amazing to see this beautiful glacier, which continues to recede every year. Who knows how long there will continue to be ice on the planet?
The Hubbard Glacier
As we approached the glacier we saw pieces of ice and small icebergs floating in the water. The blue colour tells you that the ice has only recently broken off. After a few days it will fade to white.
Then we saw the glacier beginning to take shape in the distance.
Finally we got to within a few hundred meters of the ice face and it was spectacular.
And the wildlife was fantastic…like this Bald Eagle…
Seeing the natural beauty was awe inspiring.
If you can believe it, this wasn’t even the best part of our Alaskan trip! Wait until you see some of the coming blog posts from the rest of the team! 🙂
Ahoy!
Comments
4 responses to “Alaska Ahoy!”
Summer, fall, winter, spring…. All in a matter of a few weeks for you guys! The cruise looks most interesting and a fun ‘close to finish’ for your trip. Love the girls hula dancing and skirts!
It is sad about the glaciers.
If we ever do get a chance, I would love your overall take on things like the environmental future of our world and how we as a people everywhere are impacting on and /or caring for Mother Earth…..
Hi Herta, The cruise was both fun and informative…the girls had a blast every day with tons for them to do on board…and they loved performing for the assembled parents and others in one of the lounges. As for the environment, we have seen the receding glaciers not only in Alaska but in Canada too on the ice fields parkway. We see the effects of climate changes – almost drought-like conditions on the west coast (BC) and quite warm conditions while in Ontario it seems to keep on raining and barely breaks 20C. Something is changing, whether the politicians choose to accept it or not…
Hi Everyone,
Doreen and I did this same trip in 2004. We really enjoyed it too! Hard to believe that it’s almost one year since you left. Looking forward to seeing you when you return although I know that you will be very busy.
Take care,
Sandra
Hi Oliver,
Very informative Blog. How large is the glacier? The ship and all its accessories looks very inviting. Loved seeing the girls dance! Love Mom P.