Six months ago, my family, including mom and husband, sister and husband, brother and I, went on an Alaskan Cruise. We boarded the Royal Princess ship departing from Seattle, Washington. Our stops included Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan and Victoria, Canada. This family adventure happened as I wanted to go on an Alaskan cruise for my big birthday which will be this summer. But we decided to go a year early. I’m so glad we went. As it was a great trip as you will learn and highly recommended.
Typically, I’m a beach girl, preferring the warm, tropical islands in the turquoise blue waters. However, this Alaskan cruise was stunning, full of wonder and awe. The Royal Princess ship is an older one, and not a favorite. However, the majestic sites and experience made up for what the ship lacked. On our first day, we cruised. Fortunately for us, we had balcony rooms next to each other and enjoyed one large balcony. My sister embellished shirts or jackets. On the back of our jackets she found a whale jumping out of the water and added 2025 and Alaska cruise. Also, we dressed up for Formal Dinner that night. We sat at the same table every night and enjoyed our fabulous wait staff!
Juneau
On our second day, we stopped in Juneau. Our excursion was whale watching. We saw several bald eagles on our way to the boat. We did get to see around 5 whales. After our whale watching excursion, we enjoyed Alaskan Golden King Crab Legs and then did some shopping in Juneau. It was a fun place!
Skagway
Next, we stopped at Skagway. We rode a bus and watched a show and then headed up the summit for our excursion. Our excursion was the Klondike Summit & Liarsville Experience with Gold Panning Tour. It was an experience for sure! Lots of fun and why not pan for a little gold. We traveled up the Klondike Highway into Canada (passports required). We stopped at the summit for a few photos. On the way back we stopped at the “Welcome to Alaska” sign. Then onto an immersive, themed Gold Rush camp at the base of White Pass. Key highlights include panning for gold, a dessert, and a comedy show with poetry. It was quite hysterical.
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
On Wednesday, we went to the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. We did not get off the ship. Fortunately for everyone, the ship sailed slowly and turned for both sides to see the glaciers. The National Park Service Rangers boarded our ship and offered classes and commentary. They were also available for questions as we got closer to the glaciers. On the way up, we saw the Lamplugh Glacier. We sailed into the John Hopkins Inlet a bit to view the John Hopkins Glacier. And then we passed by the Margerie Glacier, it was spectacular. Next, was the Ferris Glacier and Grand Pacific Glacier. They were majestic and stunning.
Even though it was cold and heavy coats were worn, it was the best day ever. The beauty and awe of it all was a reminder of our awesome God. It was absolutely breathtaking. We also saw sea otters and sea lions. From the ship on the 9th floor, they looked little, but according to the park rangers they were normal size. This experience was definitely worth the extra for this Alaskan Cruise. Many of the other Alaskan cruises will go by some of the smaller glaciers, but this one included the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. So, look for it in the itinerary when you are choosing an Alaskan cruise. You won’t be disappointed!
Ketchikan
On Thursday, we were at Ketchikan. Our short excursion included The Great American Lumberjack Show. Afterwards, we walked around town. It was a cute town.
Last day and Victoria, Canada
On our last day, Friday, we went to a class with the ships naturalist about photo taking. He had some good tips. We also saw whales from our balcony and in the afternoon up on deck 17. It was nice and sunny. We took several videos of the whales which unfortunately they didn’t convert to photos.
That evening for dinner we celebrated mom’s birthday. The wait staff helped us out and it was lots of fun. About 8pm we stopped at Victoria, Canada. It was already dark with about 3 hours before needing to get back to the shop. We walked around the area and stopped at some stores. Then caught a taxi to take us back. It was a pretty area at night. It would have been good to have more time!
On Saturday morning, we got off the ship, was taken back to vehicle and family drove us to the airport to head home. It was definitely an adventure. Alaska is absolutely beautiful. It was a good way to see it and also the glaciers.
I hope you enjoyed going along with us! Until the next adventure . . .