7-Night Alaska Cruise

Being a city girl, I never seriously considered a cruise to Alaska. However, my family was interested in going so I thought I’d give it a try and booked our first cruise to the Great Land aboard Holland America’s ms Zuiderdam cruise ship.

I was amazed.

Alaska is a destination you must see at least once in your lifetime.  Below is a brief description of each port we visited, what we did and pictures I took.

Vancouver

We sailed away from Vancouver’s city skyline under blue skies and white clouds. As the ship passed under the Lions Gate Bridge, we could see all of Stanley Park. Walking and bicycling on the Park’s seawall offers breathtaking views of Vancouver’s north shore. Seeing the seawall from the perspective on the ship took my breath away, once again.

Inside Passage (Cruising only)

As we started our journey through the Inside Passage, I saw lush forests and snow capped mountains everywhere. We went through and around all sorts of “little” uninhabited islands. As we sailed closer they got bigger and bigger and suddenly, these “little” islands were massive. We were actually having dinner in the Canaletto Dining room (delicious Italian cuisine) at this time and it felt like I could reach out and touch the trees. We also got to see the sun setting and rising every day and I got a lot of beautiful pictures. 

Tracy Arm (Cruising only)

We cruised past Tracy Arm very early in the morning. Not much time was spent in this area, where Sawyer Glacier is located. We couldn’t really see the glacier as the ship didn’t get very close. I’m sure it looks amazing up close but from afar, all I saw was a narrow icy passage leading to the glacier up top.

However, I did get lucky here! I had just woken up when I looked outside from my veranda and saw a whale! It was only for a split second but that was enough to wake me up completely! Too bad I wasn’t able to capture it on my camera.

Juneau

The highlight for us was definitely Mendenhall Glacier. This is the only glacier you can see by foot in Alaska and it was breathtaking! We could hear the glacier rumbling and caving from afar. There are also a few hiking trails that lead to Nugget Falls (a waterfall formed by the receding face of Mendenhall Glacier) and to the glowing blue icebergs in front of Mendenhall Glacier.

Skagway

Skagway used to be a gold mining town so it’s no surprise that the most popular excursion is a train ride on the White Pass & Yukon Rail that was used by gold miners. The track curves all the way up the mountain and into the Yukon Territory. It was very scenic and lots of fun. We were allowed to stand outside on the platform and take pictures while the train was moving. I was surprised at how far the train could take you and how high up the mountain it went.

Glacier Bay National Park (Cruising only)

Cruising towards Glacier Bay National Park was the best feeling ever! The first word that came to my mind was “WOW!” I was immediately overcome with calmness and tranquility by the pure beauty of Mother Nature. It is so quiet, which made me feel like I was the only one there… especially since I was on my private veranda! 

Seeing the snow capped mountains and enormous glaciers get even bigger by the minute is an experience I will never forget. We passed by a couple small glaciers at the mouth of Glacier Bay National Park and then we spent a good deal of time at John Hopkins Glacier and Marjorie Glacier. The captain would rotate the ship around so that people on both sides of the ship could see the glaciers.

My veranda suite was on the starboard (right) side of the ship so when the ship’s port (left) side was facing the glaciers, I was out on the observation deck with everyone else. It was quite crowded and I couldn’t get any good pictures of the glaciers. Then when he rotated the ship to the starboard side, I went to my veranda suite and of course, got the best view ever! Nobody there to block my way….it was just me and the glaciers!

Ketchikan

Ketchikan is known as “The Salmon Capital of the World” so that’s exactly what we went to see - salmon! Normally, it’s raining and that’s when you’d want to join an excursion so that you could take in the city sights from the comfort of your seat on the bus. However, we were lucky that it only drizzled and only for half the time so we explored the town by foot.

Our first stop was at Creek Street which is where you can see the salmon jump upstream. We also saw a couple harbor seals swimming around in the creek, ducking in and out of the water. They were so cute!

Then we followed the creek past the man made salmon ladder and up the street to the Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery, Eagle Center and Totem Heritage Center. The tour guide at the Deer Mountain Tribal Hatchery and Eagle Center gave us an informational tour and spent a lot of time answering all our questions. Lastly, the Totem Heritage Center was just on our own as it was a museum that exhibited totem poles and other native culture.

Alas, our wonderful Alaska cruise vacation had to come to an end eventually and we had to say goodbye to beautiful Alaska. I am sure I’ll be back again… soon! Now, it’s time for you to go experience Alaska for yourself – take in all the lovely scenery and like me, be amazed.