Our Ideal Alaska Cruisetour
A Personal Look-In To Our Vacation
Raye & Marty Trencher
Editors and Publishers
Our Ideal Alaska Cruisetour - A Personal Look-In To Our Vacation PickThere's no better way to experience Alaska that with a Princess cruisetour. A cruisetour combines a 7-night Gulf of Alaska cruise with 3 to 8 nights on land for the ultimate Alaska vacation. You'll experience glaciers, wildlife, national parks, wilderness, the finest lodges and, of course, a world-class cruise.
Here is our excerpted day by day Journal of The Ideal Alaska Vacation
Day 1
Sail from Vancouver
Embarkation was a breeze, and we were excited when we found our shore excursion tickets waiting for us in our cabin. Now we can relax without standing on line. We made sure we had plenty of film in the camera as we set sail for Alaska under the Lion's Gate Bridge. We took advantage of Anytime Dining with a late dinner at the Bayou Cafe' Coral Princess' exclusive New Orleans restaurant.
Day 2
Sail The Inside Passage
We slept in this morning and enjoyed room service and the spectacular view from the comfort of our own private balcony. Spent the afternoon listening to the naturalists talk about Alaska marine life and whale watching as we cruised the Inside Passage. I discovered a cozy spot in the library to read my book and commented to my wife that the ship has an intimate feel, despite its grand size.
Day 3
Ketchikan
We experienced the breathtaking beauty of Misty Fjords National Monument with a flightseeing trip that left us awestruck. We learned about Tongass National Forest from the U.S. Forest Service Ranger onboard. Then, scheduled a Sweedish massage in the Lotus' Spa before dinner.
Day 4
Juneau
We woke up in Alaska's capital with a full day of sightseeing ahead. Enjoyed a buffet breakfast in the Horizon Court before getting started. Spent the afternoon on an exciting Mendenhall Glacier float trip. Then, dropped in to hear a presentation from Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the Iditarod.
Day 5
Skagway
We thoroughly enjoyed our White Pass and Yukon Route rail adventure, an excursion we signed up for long before the cruise. We then saw a performance by famous storyteller Buckwheat Donohoe who made a special appearance on board the ship.
Day 6
Glacier Bay National Park
We enjoyed a champagne breakfast on our balcony this morning in front of Margerie Glacier. Listened to a narration by the National Park Ranger then enjoyed the Taste of Alaska buffet on deck for dinner.
Day 7
College Fjord
We entered College Fjord and the Captain took us all the way to Harvard Glacier at the end of the fjord. We passed right next to Bryn Mawr and Smith Glaciers and saw ice floes all around us. Took plenty of pictures of the porpoises, sea otters and killer whales swimming through Prince William Sound. It was absolutely amazing.
Day 8
Whittier to Cooper River
Our cruise has come to an end, but our adventure is just beginning. Now it's time to see the "real" Alaska. We enjoyed breakfast onboard, then disembarked for a scenic catamaran trip across Prince William Sound to Valdez - Alaska's "Little Switzerland". We saw the terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and drove right up to Worthington Glacier and Bridal Veil Falls on the way to Cooper River. We arrived at the Cooper River Princess Wilderness Lodge.
Day 9
Cooper River
We had a day at leisure at the gateway to Wrangell-St.Elias National park, the largest national park in the U.S. ( as big as six Yellowstones).
Princess' Alaskan Outfitters set up the perfect day for us. I fished the famous Cooper River while my wife visited the old town of McCarthy and once thriving turn-of-the-century Kennicott Mines. Even walked right up to Kennicott Glacier.
We enjoyed the signature Alaskan Cuisine at the lodge and warmed up by the fireplace as we watched the alpenglow on the mountains.
Day 10
Cooper River to Fairbanks
We walked the nature trail surrounding the lodge this morning. Then took a motorcoach trip along the scenic Richardson Highway across the Alaskan Range en route to Fairbanks. We spent the night at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge.
Day 11
Fairbanks to Denali
We boarded the Midnight Sun Express rail for our journey to Denali National Park. Breakfast on board with a breathtaking view as a backdrop. After checking into the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge we decided on a flighseeing adventure. Landing on a glacier at Mt. McKinley's base camp.
Day 12
Denali to Mt. McKinley
We woke up and felt refreshed knowing the great outdoors was just beyond the lodge. We caught a glimpse of Mt. McKinley as we approached Talkeetna by motorcoach.
Day 13
Mt. McKinley to Anchorage
We enjoyed a morning at our own pace on a guided horseback ride through the wilderness. Then we were off to Talkeetna, where we board the train. The huge doomed windows and friendly car managers really made the trip enjoyable. We spend our last night in Anchorage, saying good by to the friends we met.
Day 14
Return Home
Out tour ended this morning in Anchorage. We're getting ready to head home, but already we're making plans for our next Princess cruise vacation.
