Cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage
The coastal route which weaves through the islands of the Pacific Northwest is known as the Inside Passage. Stretching from Washington, through the British Columbia coast and into the Gulf of Alaska, the Inside Passage has more than 1,000 islands, endless shore lines and idyllic coves and bays, which we are about to discover. We departed from Vancouver and arrived a Whittier.
For 7 glorious days, our group cruised aboard Princess Cruise Lines, Coral Princess. This was our first Alaskan Cruise and we were not disappointed. The staterooms were well appointed and very comfortable. Nice and roomier than I anticipated, the staff warm and friendly and service was fabulous (how will I live without my turn down service). The food is fresh and delicious. US Food & Wine Magazine voted Princess Cruises ‘Best Cruise for Food Lovers’! Aboard Coral Princess, there are several places to eat though I recommend making the effort to eat in the dining room for dinner! We did dress up for the formal night, but not extreme, for ladies a nice dress or black pants and dressy top seemed fine, for men a suit jacket with dress pants, tie was optional. But don’t be surprised to see guests wearing everything from tuxes and ball gowns to a little black dress and pantsuits. Speaking of clothes, one of the great benefits of cruising is that it’s such an easy way to travel. You can do as much or as little as you want and you only need to pack and unpack once. Onboard our floating home away from home, we had the chance to catch up with our laundry, though we didn’t want to spend too much time doing that, with all the other things on the ‘must do list’.
We did a couple of tours in Ketchikan, the salmon capital of the world and Juneau, the port named after Joe Juneau who set off the gold rush in 1810. Interesting places, where Alaska’s’ heritage and history come to life. The Mendenhall Glacier was spectacular and had we known we would have fitted more in, but nonetheless we did enjoy lots of hiking. In Skagway we hiked to Smugglers Cove which was stunning and well worth the effort.
There are many options to choose from and it was interesting to get everyone’s opinions on what they did. You’ll want to wake up early and get outside at College Fjord, you'll be glad you did! You can take short tours and walks around each of the ports and of course there’s always shopping, to find that unique little souvenir, though some places seem a little touristy, many with the same items for sale.
We all felt this was a truly beautiful experience. We had days with all sorts of weather, some cold and a little wet, as you would expect when surrounded by walls of ice and snow caped mountains. The wildlife is abundant, eagles, whales, seals, porpoise... just keep an eye out and you will see them all. Waterfalls everywhere, magical glaciers and incredible blue ice that is beyond description. Something you must see to believe. From the comfort, on-board Coral Princess, we spent a lot of our shipboard time watching the passing scenery which is just breathtaking. It is hard to know where to point the camera next! .
A few tips:
- Pack light, think layers and you’ll need less than you think, and use the laundry facilities onboard
- Stick to one suitcase (not oversized) and pack a light back pack for hikes.
- Bring binoculars, and if photography is your thing, an extra SD card for your camera
- Most ports have some wifi available and cell phone service
- Be nice to the staff. they've been here before and can be helpful with insider tips about the ports
As fabulous as the cruise was, the real star of this trip is Alaska itself... enjoy!