Awesome Alaska

I really don't like the over-used word "awesome". However, when it comes to Alaska, there's no better word. When you hear other people describe Alaska, adjectives tend to flow more than other destination descriptions, magnificent, glorious, spectacular.......

My family enjoys cruising, it's a great way for our us to travel. There is enough space and activities where we can let our children ages 9 and 11 go their own way. So when the opportunity for us to try out an Alaskan cruise presented itself, we pulled our schedules together in about 10 days prior to departure.

We flew into Anchorage, where we were met by Holland America ground representatives. After collecting our bags we had to wait around for about an hour due to some disorganization on their part. After traveling from GSP through Atlanta through Salt Lake City and 5.5 hours from there to Anchorage, an hour delay seemed like ten. Most of the cruise ships depart from the small town of Seward, which is a 2.5 hours trip from Anchorage. There are several options to get from the Anchorage airport to Seward, the most popular being a train or bus, either of which you can purchase through the cruise lines. They both take the same route, which is more like a tour than a transfer. The route basically has you hugging the coast line most of the way. You cut through forest, mountain ranges with the opportunity to see lot's of unique vistas and possibly wildlife that you may not see elsewhere.

We cruised on Holland America's Statendam for a seven day inside passage cruise heading south. This cruise is great for those who are looking to learn more about this diverse eco-system. Holland actually has a naturalist on board most of their sailings, who provides lectures, as well as wild-life spotting alerts as you sail. It's not unusually that an announcement comes over the P/A system while you are having dinner; "if you will look out the port side of the ship @ 10 o'clock you will see a pod of Orcas meandering". The cruise itself is as much about the views while sailing as it is the ports of call. The ports of call for this sailing are Haines, Juneau, and Ketchikan. There isn't much to do in Haines other than the excursions offered by the cruise lines. We choose to not do an excursion there and spent the day walking around the small downtown and actually heading back to the ship early. Juneau on the other hand has a bustling downtown area, which is right where the ship docks. In Juneau we took two shore excursions, one was a "gold-panning" trip and the other was a mountain biking trip. The gold-panning was authentic in the fact you actually go to a mining site and you do get to pan for gold. However, on the way back they tell you it's not economically feasible to make any money even if you automate the process, as all you get is a few specks per full pan. This was a so-so experience. In the afternoon we took a mountain bike tour to a glacier. I would highly recommend this excursion, it gives you a nice experience in the wild. The tour caps off with a visit to the Alaskan brewery. Ketchikan is where we had the best excursion experience. The ship arranged for us to board a 22-foot open air skiff with a captain, for a few hours of fishing in the bay. First you take a short walk to the docks, where you are fitted with rain-weather gear, regardless of the weather, then you are led out to your vessel. After a 20 minute exhilarating ride, we dropped anchor and began to fish. In a matter of 2.5 hours we caught over 100 pounds of fish. We caught halibut, flounder, shark, from "bottom-fishing". Then trolled and snagged a 5lb King Salmon, and a 15lb Coho Salmon. After catching the fish, we went to a really neat campground and had the fish prepared in a boulibase. A description of the camp and the food wouldn't do justice. It has to be one of the more scenic places I've ever been. This excursion isn't cheap, but it was certainly the best I've been on.

A lot of the beauty recognized in Alaska is of her glaciers. And I doubt there is a better way to see these other than on a cruise. The ships actually go inside of passages that are national and state parks, to get you really up close to nature and these massive glaciers, some of which are six miles wide. Our cruise came to an end in Vancouver, where we stayed a couple of extra days before heading home. In closing, Alaska is well worth the effort getting there, and I if you are only going once, cruising is a great way to see her.
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Carnival Victory Cruise from Charleston by Ann

I had the opportunity to sail on Carnival's Victory, from Charleston to Nassau. Check in was a breeze, I checked in at 4 p.m. after my drive from Anderson to Charleston. My luggage arrived at my cabin as soon as I walked in. I had an inside cabin -- it was comfortable, but small. I usually prefer an outside cabin with a window, because I like to know what the weather is like -- and have daylight too.

The Victory is a new ship that had one sailing from Charleston before she was taken to Miami, where she started October 15 with her 7 day rotating Eastern and Western Caribbean sailing. The Victory is a beautiful ship and is huge! It has 101,509 gross tonnage. She has a 9 story main atrium with glass elevators and a spectacular sky dome made of illuminated Tiffany Glass. The Seventh Sea Bar is located in the middle of the atrium. This is a great place to meet, have a drink, and listen to music throughout the day and evening.

You can begin your day at 6:30 am with Continental Breakfast in the Mediterranean Restaurant. At 8:00 am, you can also have a regular breakfast in your assigned dining room, the Mediterranean Restaurant, or on the Lido deck by the pool. One thing is for sure; you can never get hungry on a cruise! The Pizzeria is open 24 hours a day, or you can have room service. Not forgetting the main dining room for gorgeous, formal meals.

There are scheduled activities all day, which you can participate in if you wish. The other option is to just soak up the sun by the pool, the 214 foot spiral waterslide, or the multiple whirlpools.

One of my favorite places was the South of Chins Sea Club Casino. I had a lot of fun ... even though I didn't win anything. You can dance all night long in the Adriatic Lounge.

My other favorite place was the tre-level state of the art theatre, The Caribbean Lounge. This is where the Broadway type shows and games are held, throughout the day and evening.

There is also an Internet Cafe' where you can send an receive email, or surf the net 24 hours a day. There are multiple places to go for entertainment on the ship: The Nautica Spa and Gym; gift shops; photo gallery; and video arcade. There is always something for every age group on a Carnival Cruise.