ALASKA I: MY BIG TRIP ON A CRUISE SHIP
- coupkovasvatava
- Jun 15, 2018
- 3 min read
I was not on a cruise ship yet so it was just the right time to give it a go. Mum said we wanted to make it to Alaska anyway so why not to spare some boring driving and let others take care of things for a change, right?
When we were boarding our boat in Vancouver a week ago the sky was grey, clouds hanging low and it was pouring rain. Once I got on it I realized that it was not a boat, rather a huge floating hotel, even a city! Not too bad so far. My cabin was not big but compared to our car it was super spacious: there was a big proper bed and I even got to get my own bathroom. Oh no, a shower every day!
I started exploring immediately and soon figured out that it was going to be a lot of fun. Not only could I run along long hallways, press all the buttons in the elevators and call the reception from my room phone, but there also were swimming pools and a big area for kids with mountains of toys and books. Plus I didn´t have to eat what mummy cooked because she was not cooking at all! There was a buffet where we were going for breakfast and a restaurant where we were going for dinner. I loved the bread sticks that were coming before the appetizer and the ice cubes in my water. Every evening I had not one, not two, but three (!) courses.
The first and the last day we spent on the sea, the rest of the days we stopped in different places and went exploring. In Ketchikan I climbed Deer Mountain (822 m) and got beautiful views of the bay surrounded by snowy mountains. In Icy Strait Point I was grumpy when we went for a walk to Hoonah village, where native Tlinkit people live, because I didn´t feel well. I ate my halibut and chips but couldn´t eat my dinner and I was so hot at night that mum had to take me to a ship nurse, who was awesome and cured me.
In Juneau – Alaskan capital where no roads from and to the city are – I hiked up all the way to the alpine meadows of Mount Roberts, kept my eyes open for mountain goats, didn´t see any and took a cable car down. I also saw a huge keporkak statue („fiiiish, fiiiish!“) and in the historic downtown got to taste the best ice cream in Alaska.
In Skagway I boarded a historic train and followed the path of the late 19th, early 20th gold prospectors all the way to the White Pass just past the Canadian border. And last but not least I spent a good freezing hour admiring one of the best sceneries Alaska can possibly offer: massive Hubbard Glacier, the largest tidal glacier in the North America, and icebergs, noisily falling from its face.
I also went to the theatre for the first time in my life and I liked it so much that we ended up going every single day. I was singing along with the singers and jumping high in my seat along with the dancers. I enjoyed listening to live music as well but most of all I liked socializing with different people. And there were heaps of them on the ship. Babies, little boys and girls my age, adult mum´s age (mum says I should call them “young adults”) and old people as well.
This morning we left the ship and there was my “kaa kaas” waiting for us in front of the terminal. I am glad I have them back but does it also mean I am not going back on the ship? Now, when everybody got to know me by name?!
Your Annie
Some facts When: 8. – 15. 6. 2018 Where: Vancouver (Canada) – Inside Passage – Ketchikan – Icy Strait Point – Juneau – Skagway – Hubbard Glacier – Seward (Alaska) How: on a cruise ship
How long: 7 days How far: 3 032 km
