This summer we set out to combine a graduation present with a family reunion and arranged a Cruise to Alaska! We always try to take advantage of things that are local to where we are currently living, and Seattle is a harbor for Alaska cruises, so why not?! :)
We extended the invite to both sides of the family and whoever was up for the adventure planned right along with us!
Here's the whole crew that was with us on the cruise!
We spent the evening before the cruise in Seattle where my Mom and Brother met up with us. We got some dinner and played some games.
Next day it was time to board the ship! The embarkation was smooth and quick and we started finding family all over the place!
One of our favorite things about cruising is doing the formal dining each evening. Here's the boys with their signature 'escargot'. On our last cruise they ordered this every night!
Sea days = game days! We commandeered this small room on the ship and let the games and candy begin!
Our room!
Our first stop was Sitka. We decided to do an excursion with just the 4 of us for this stop and we had a private tour guide and his truck to take us wherever we wanted, or with his suggestions of course. We did some hiking, sightseeing, got to see the bears at the bear sanctuary, and then walked through the totems back to the ship. It was VERY rainy and cold so the views were somewhat obscured but we tried to make the best of it.
Gotta do a ship shot!
Second stop was Skagway. Here we planned an excursion with my Dad and brother Kevin. Unfortunately my dad's health prevented him from joining us on the excursion. I think he would've really enjoyed doing the dog sled and finding out all about Skagway. Skagway was my favorite spot for shopping, I think they had a lot of unique items where a lot of the other stops just felt uber commericalized.
This was the monster vehicle that took us up steep, muddy inclines
And this is the 'dogsled' that our team of dogs pulled us in!
Puppy snoots!
Here's a few videos! First is showing how excited the dogs were to get started. And second is us gliding across the mud. It was very wet and rainy and cold for us, but almost too hot for the dogs!
After that part of the excursion we got to meet and hold future dog sledding puppies! Can't go wrong with puppies!
A lot of people did the train ride in Skagway but the weather was not great for it. I'd do it if I was ever there again!
Our next stop was Juneau! We split up our parties for this spot. Kevin stayed on the ship with my Dad. Dan and the boys and some cousins borrowed our nephew's car (who lives in Juneau) and went to the Mendenhall Glacier. They also got to catch up with his college roommate and their family who had just moved to Juneau a few months prior. My mom and I took a ride up the mountain on a tram. The views up top were spectacular even with the clouds. I did a little hike up top that was lovely.
Juneau is known for its king crab!!
And then of course there are on the ship shenanigans.
Formal night!
It's a small world sometimes! We ran into some good friends of ours from our time in San Antonio! We actually hung out a fair amount and got to catch up and have a good time!
Piano in the elevator! Fun but inconvenient- elevator space is at a premium!
Dan chilling on the balcony
More games!
There was one more stop in Canada, but I had started not feeling well so Dan did his own little self-guided tour.
And it turned out I had Covid! Yay cruises! A good amount of our party ended up with Covid as well, including Dan. Took a good 3-4 weeks after the cruise to feel normal again! :/
Here's some formal pics from the cruise
As a family we decided this may be our last cruise for awhile. Not sure if it's the post-covid world, the inflation costs or what, but the quality of the cruise just seemed to be lacking what we had felt in previous cruises. The food was good, but not great. The entertainment was good, but not great. The service of the ship was good, but not great. And then the weather was definitely not great- which is to be expected in Alaska- but it still contributed to the overall enjoyment of the trip. We had a good time! Wish it had been great!
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