When traveling, I love to explore and wander around with freedom and curiosity. I’ve never been much of a cruise person. However, my mother-in-law turned 80 earlier this year and decided to take the entire family on a cruise to Alaska. We were a party of almost 30 people, spending an entire week together. It was an amazing experience. Going on a cruise with a large group of people can be fun and interesting!
My husband and I started the trip by spending the weekend in Seattle. We were so lucky to get sunny weather on one of the days—what a spectacular town. There is so much to do and a lot to see. Two days were not enough.
On Monday, we boarded Quantum of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean ship with the capacity for 4,900 people. The ship was cruising in Asia, and it was its first route in the Americas. We made four stops during that week. After spending Tuesday at sea, our first stop was on Wednesday morning, where we anchored at Icy Strait Point, Alaska. There we experienced the longest zipline in the world (5,495 feet) with a drop of 1,320 feet. It took us 90 seconds to go from the peak to the bottom traveling at a speed of 65mph. It was a once-in-a-lifetime exhilarating adventure!
On Thursday, we stopped at Skagway, a charming old mining town. Our entire group took the Skagway train on the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway. The trip is about 40 miles round trip and takes approximately three hours, going all the way to the Canadian border. The scenery is stunning.
In Juneau, the capital of Alaska, we decided to go on a hike through Mendenhall Glacier. In the last 100 years, so many square miles of ice receded, giving space to a beautiful, lush rainforest with waterfalls, birds, bears, and several species of plants.
After spending the sixth day at sea, we stopped in Victoria, British Columbia. We took a bicycle tour there and visited China Town and the government building before having lunch at a café by the harbor. Victoria is a lively place with its unique architecture and colors.
This cruise was perfect for getting a taste of Amazing Alaska… we will go back on our own and explore more of one of our country’s most beautiful states, and we encourage you to as well.
