We book online directly with Princess by calling them or using the website at www.princess.com. I like being in charge of my booking and reservations but I know lots of people who use travel agents or AAA for their bookings. Do whatever makes you happy - or write me and I'll help you out.
But go!!! Alaska is absolutely gorgeous and not to be missed. Our ports of call were Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. The lovely thing about a cruise is that you can do as little or as much as you'd like.
In Juneau we took a stroll through downtown and sampled salmon at TAKU while the guys took an excursion to Alaskan Brewing Company. Love their pumpkin porter! Juneau is an easy walk-about and the van to the brewery leaves their shop right on the main drag. Easy-breezy. There are some really lovely shops downtown and some cruise-owned jewelry businesses as well. We tend to shop local while in port and really love a classy little bookstore at the edge of town. I saw that it's for sale and it would be a shame if another wonderful owner didn't scoop it up. My friend introduced me to some Polish Pottery in one of the little shops and now I'm searching it out everywhere I go. You might want to as well - it's lovely. Here's a little pic of downtown Juneau.
There are some great ship's excursions in Juneau - whale watching, jeep tours, bike trips, even a jaunt up the hill on the Mt. Roberts Tramway. You can choose whatever makes your heart sing. We did.
Our next stop was Skagway where we opted to do the narrow gauge train. We've never done that before and it's something I've really wanted to do. The ride was absolutely beautiful (under cloudy skies) and we enjoyed the barbecue served at Carcross Station. This all-day excursion was well worth it for us and I highly recommend the trip.
You see the cutest things along the way...
Our stop in Ketchikan took us on a great jaunt aboard Zodiac inflatables. Oh-My-Gosh. Ripping cold water, 18 foot tidal changes, and a zippy engine - all I can say is wow!! We raced and bounced and hung on for dear life in our three-man craft with Jeff doing the navigating. Suited up in fisherman gear, we must have been a sight - no pics though sorry. This was probably the most fun ever on a cruise excursion. Of course we stopped into Ketchikandies too for a some of their dark chocolate covered Oreos. Can't pass them up.
The best sea day is the course through Glacier Bay. Two of the loveliest glaciers were on view for us and the crackling and calving we saw highlighted our entire experience.
Island Princess was a terrific vehicle to navigate the roughest waters we have ever encountered in Alaska. Our captain informed us that we'd have 24 hours of high winds and boy did we feel it. The ship shuddered and shook but we never let that kind of thing get in the way of our fun. The food was delectable, the service was gracious, and the entertainment was ... well... average. No worries because the martinis were ice cold and intoxicating. I wouldn't hesitate to travel onboard a Princess ship again and I wouldn't hesitate to travel to Alaska again. A gorgeous way to celebrate my 20th cruise!
... Life is Good - Spread Good Vibes ...
:) Deb
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