Cruising the Inside Passage
May 2024…just realized I wrote this and never posted it…we went to Alaska a year ago but seeing that our in laws are taking a similar cruise this year…why not post it now?
May 2023:
We just got back to the Vancouver Port after a week long cruise to Alaska. It was so much fun. It was an actual vacation not just a new location. No random cancellations or hiccups, it was almost perfect (we didn’t see a whale) but everything else was awesome.
Alaska is beautiful. Glaciers are amazing. Hearing a Ranger talk about how his job and park is both educational and heartwarming.
Booking a super cheap room with no windows near the bottom of the boat was smart because we barely felt any movement. This was my husband’s first cruise and we didn’t know if he’d be seasick.
There is WiFi and it’s decent, (sometimes fast) at least on Holland America ships. However, you can not use a VPN. Important to some but not everyone so just a fact to keep in mind.
If you have diet restrictions, it’s gonna be a little extra work to find what you can eat. Our first night they had this awesome GF bread with dinner but the third day. They were out. No big deal I’m used to no bread but kind of a bummer. The flexible dining times are great though too…you don’t have to stick to that strict early and late dining schedule. They did Pavlovas one day…my favorite dessert 💙
Buy the drink package unless you are good with tea/coffee/soda and tap water. If we were on a budget that would have been fine but we were on vacation and like to try new drinks so that’s what we did. I think you get 15 drinks a day (including bottled/canned water.) We never reached the daily limit.
And Champagne, a few glasses…
White Russian (first one for my husband)
What the cruise lines suggest for packing is layers. Totally agree!! If you take a bike ride excursion, wear the waterproof jackets AND pants!
We saw some of the most beautiful views on this ride but yeah that’s some mud splashage.
Also, the shows! They were cool. They weren’t performances that we would normally have attended but really amazing to see how much talent people have. As far as the other “events” go some were fun but pretty much at any given time, someone has something extra you can buy so that part isn’t as much fun.
I didn’t finish writing this last year because sadly when we arrived back in Vancouver we found out someone who was very important to our family wasn’t going to be on this earth much longer. So we focused on spending as much time as possible with him and fortunately we got to spend the last few days of his life with him.
Life can be beautiful, biking near a glacier, enjoying a drink or holding space for a friend as they finish up their life. \
It is my pleasure to share these little things…thank you for reading. I hope your day is beautiful.
