Alaskan Cruise Inside Passage Part 1: Sitka & Glacier Bay, Travel Agent Near Me-Lia Vincent

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Alaskan Cruise Inside Passage Part 1: Sitka & Glacier Bay

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Alaskan Cruise Inside Passage Part 1: Sitka & Glacier Bay

First, I would like to dedicate this post to my cousin, Doug Lund who recently passed away to cancer. He was a news anchor in South Dakota, and he had the travel bug as much as I did. Doug even went as far as writing a post about me and my journey to Everest, so I can’t help but repay him through words and how much he inspired me. I suppose you can say that our words are our way of showing our love for one another and to hopefully bring in a touch of humor to the world. I can still remember hearing his voice over the television saying, “Join my wife Linda and I on an Alaskan cruise.” I tried messaging him a few times to see if he ever wanted to travel as he always enjoyed keeping up with my adventures. He always told me to never stop exploring (no, I’m not choking up as I write this). I can’t help but think that Doug was standing in Sitka and taking a cruise in Glacier Bay – the same spots I recently visited. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend his visitation and his funeral as I was flying to Seattle to get on my Alaskan cruise. I can’t help but think that he would have wanted me to be here in Alaska rather than mourning him.

[caption id='attachment_15639' align='alignnone' width='300']

Glacier Bay Alaska[/caption]

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Glacier Bay Alaska[/caption]

It’s been a few months since I last cruised, and I forgot to remind myself that the first day is usually a day where one requires a bit of patience as everyone is finding their way around the ship, trying to find their luggage, trying to get their internet working, trying to get their last-minute excursions – you get the picture.

I’m currently on board the Norwegian Sun with one of my clients/friends as we are turning around in Glacier Bay National Park as I write. The view is incredible with towering mountains, glaciers, and ice bergs (a.k.a. “bergy bits” or “growlers” for floating ice less than 5 meters above the sea surface which I’ll get back to in a moment. First, let’s talk about the check-in process aboard Norwegian Cruise Line.

CHECK-IN

PROS:• Check-in was quick and not too crowded (maybe 15 minutes max)• Well-placed signs to check in• Received a card for our room, and my friend was offered wheel chair assistance to our cabin• Our room was almost set up the way we needed it to make it work (we rented a recliner for our room which took up some much-needed space). The cabin attendant was kind enough to take time to listen to our request of removing one of the twin beds and move the other twin bed against the wall which left a wide open room for my friend’s walker.

CONS;• I wish they would use bracelets as card keys are so easy to lose (or maybe just mine is easy to lose). Perhaps I need to invest in a lanyard.• The person leading us to our cabin was asking us which way we wanted to go despite us not knowing where we were supposed to go. We eventually got to our cabin, but with a tour of the ship.• So. Much. Paper! With this day in digital age, and eco-friendly practices, I wish I would have known to bring a folder for our excursion tickets, invitations, and daily itineraries or at least be able to opt out.

SITKAAfter a much-needed day of rest at sea, my friend and I made our way to Stika on Day 3. The ports in Alaska are small, and small for a reason. Due to many preservation requirements, only two ships are allowed to port per day per port – at least in Sitka. Also, the ships must meet a certain standard in terms of emissions. Cruise ships require visible emissions from vessels smoke stack that are no greater than 20% opacity and have limited time while maneuvering and while in port. I’m not too familiar with what reduces ship emissions, but I’m glad Alaska is taking action to help preserve their beautiful land and their wildlife – including the bear I saw in Glacier Bay National Park. Also, the islands are small in general, so fitting a cruise ship is a little difficult.

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Sitka Alaska[/caption]

With the ports being small, there were only a few small ma and pa shops in the area, as well as a large gift shop. You could also purchase crab meat for $99/pound if you went into town. The great thing about the port of Sitka, is that you can hop on a free bus to get into town – takes 5-10 minutes to get there. Sitka is a small island with about 8,000 residents, so don’t expect to see a whole lot, but do expect to see the volcano Mt. Edgecombe.Mt. Edgecombe was a beautiful volcano to see, and I discovered that it’s active with scientists currently monitoring it. There were beautiful mountains that were surrounding downtown Sitka, but you had to take the bus into town to see them. Due to Sitka being a small island, I discovered from a local that a loaf of bread costs $10-15. I’m assuming that the way of life here in Sitka is a lot of home cooking and fishing.

Sitka is also well-known for hiking – just make sure you bring bear spray or a friend you can outrun. One popular hike is walking along Crescent Harbor to the Raptor Center (about 2.6 miles from City Hall). If hiking isn’t your thing, and you didn’t pick an excursion prior to your trip or at the dock, no worries as downtown Sitka offers other excursions in front of City Hall. Sitka is also rich in Russian history which makes this town interesting to learn about and how the U.S. purchased it from Russia for only $7.2 million dollars. Take a peek at St. Michael’s Cathedral to get a good idea of some of the past Russian history here in this small island town. A word of advice – make sure you arrive back on the ship on time as the captain won’t be waiting for you to return to your cabin, and you will be trying to find a way home at your own expense.For other Sitka, Alaska ideas, check out this site.

GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARKWhile I’m relieved to have another sea day, as this fresh air is certainly wearing me out, there has been a lot of walking around the ship to find the best views for whales, glaciers, seals, mountains, and bears with a pit stop to get lunch. So far, I’ve spotted six seals, one bear, too many to count seagulls, and several growlers.

For me, it’s incredible to see the towering mountains with growlers floating along the mountains that meet the sea. According to the captain, the glaciers will eventually flow into the ocean. I’ve seen several mountain ranges in my life, but never have I seen a mountain meeting an ocean. I’m about to head over to the portside of the ship so I can see some seal pups and otters.

Glacier Bay Alaska

If you are a cruiser who enjoys wildlife and the mountains, an Alaskan cruise is a great way to go. Just make sure you layer up as it can get quite cold out here – especially when being outside for a long period of time watching for wildlife or while on an excursion.

P.S. One thing I do on each cruise, or at each resort I stay at, is that I get to know the staff. I personally introduce myself and will ask how they like their job and if they are being treated well by their employers as I do not want to promote places that do not appreciate their staff. I feel like that's a big part of my job that's not in the training manual as I want satisfied staff members treating my clients well. Unhappy staff do not go above and beyond.

Feel free to contact me to see which Alaskan cruise would be most beneficial for you as not all ships are created equal. Some are bigger, some are smaller. Some have children, some don't. I can help you narrow it down.

In memory of Doug Lund - may you be on every journey I take. I never take one journey for granted as it teaches me humility, gratitude, and acceptance. You will always be my inspiration as you always put your mind to what you wanted to accomplish.

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