I don’t worry about many belongings when traveling, since there are stores available onboard and at ports with almost anything you could need or want. The most common item that clients say they needed and didn’t have was an extra suitcase for all the stuff they purchased. See a winter vacation packing list for Alaska to compare.
Electronically speaking, I would be really disappointed to forget my gadgets. Be sure you have:
Camera, charger, memory cards
Cell phone and charger (most carriers include Alaska in their US plans, but check)
Headphones for your personal music as well as any bus tours you might take Read More
Whether traveling solo or with a group, you may want to meet new people while onboard your cruise ship. No matter what your interests, age group or heritage, there are endless opportunities to meet people on board a cruise ship.
Solos on a group canoe trip
If you feel shy, just take the first step and attend a seminar or training session. Almost everyone else in the room will have something in common with you, the session topic. Chat with your neighbor about their interest or experience in that field.
For those with a little more nerve, go to one of the meet ups on board during the first few days. Within the first twenty four hours on board, there were meetups for LGBT, swing dancers, bridge players, gamblers, young adults aged 18-25, singles and solo travelers and Friends of Bill. Get to one of the meetups and just commit to stay for 20 minutes. Again, you will have a common goal with other guests, if they joined it, it means they also want to meet people.
Choose a ship where all guests are assigned a table for dinner each night. Solo travelers will have the most opportunity to meet people if they choose the larger table option, say 8 or 10 people. Dinner conversations often lead to finding common interests and networking opportunities. You already have one major dinner topic in common – travel.
Shore excursions are also a great way to meet people from your ship as well as from other ships. Read More
It seems unfair that so many people who ask legitimate questions on websites about avoiding weight gain on cruises are told to “just enjoy the vacation” and “only count sugar”. I surfed to more than a dozen sites looking for sound advice on this subject before deciding to just be sensible during my cruise. Now that it’s over, I can give some advice of my own.
For those of us who sit at a desk most of the week, it’s easy to burn calories on board by just using the stairs. This could also be a fun reason to splurge for a higher deck cabin.
Exercise options are endless while at sea. If you work out at home, it’s very easy to keep your routine in place while cruising. While there are plenty of people using the treadmills and other equipment, I didn’t see anyone who needed to wait for their machine. Big groups of people walk on deck in the morning and after dinner, some do the three laps that equal a mile and others make it a stroll. Holland America even has a structured walk each day right after the morning stretch.
Try to keep you meal routine in place. If you generally eat breakfast at home, enjoy it onboard. If you normally have coffee only, try that for a few days and see what you think. Remember, you can always get food, so don’t worry about missing out.
While there are a frightening number of calories in the dinners and desserts, there are also huge amounts in beverages of all kinds. Try to alternate a glass of water with each beer, wine or cocktail drink. Drinking plenty of water will also help keep you healthy and germ free on the cruise.
Glacier Bay is one of the greatest of the United States National Parks. Unlike most parks, nearly all of the 500 thousand visitors each year arrive onboard cruise ships. While that sounds like a huge number of people, there is actually very limited access and only a small percentage of Alaska cruisers have the opportunity to actually enter and cruise inside Glacier Bay.
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Orca in Glacier BayGlacier Bay Whales
The National Park Service permits only two cruise ships per day entry into the park and the cruise ship company pays a large sum for their permit as well as approximately $50 per person entry fee. Prior to entering the park, one or more park rangers are delivered to the ship by skiff to escort and narrate to the guests.
Visitors may also enter Glacier Bay on foot or by kayak Read More
As much as I love to travel, I had to find a way to beat motion sickness. For people like me that can feel sick at the thought of riding an elevator, certain preparations can make a big difference in allowing us to enjoy the wonders of the world.
While we are all different and the types of motion that effect us are different, there are commonalities in prevention.
The most important factor for your body will be hydration. So, first and foremost, drink a lot of water. This needs to begin 3 days prior to sailing and continue through your return home. Really! While you don’t want to feel bloated, you do want to be using the restroom often.
As I board a ship, whether it’s the 28 person river boat from my Amazon Cruise Adventure, or the cruise ship sailing to Alaska, I take a ½ Dramamine (yes, as I board the ship). This gives me time to adjust to the slight rocking that won’t even be noticeable after a few days at sea. Read More
We’ve heard this since kindergarten; the best way to avoid the spread of germs is with frequent hand washing. What else can we do to avoid becoming a statistic?
Wash Hands Thoroughly: Go for the soap and hot water. Use the personal hand towels provided in the public restaurants and then drop them in the provided bin.
Avoid illness on your cruise by following simple steps.
Use Hand Sanitizer: Take advantage of the hand sanitizer stations all around the ship. While I prefer not to dry my hands out by using the sanitizers, it is a much easier problem to resolve than illness.
Drink Water: Drink plenty of water, free drinking water is readily available in the stateroom, at the bars, from staff at the pool, during all meals, etc. Make it a habit to drink water before you feel dehydrated, it really does cleanse the body.
Include Vitamin C: Have something each day that contains Vitamin C. That might be a glass or orange juice for breakfast, a fruit drink at the pool, or a fruit salad at dinner. Vitamin C does not store in your body, so it’s important to reload each day.
Routines and Habits: Stick with your eating routines, if you don’t generally eat three or more large meals at home, don’t overstress your body by pushing to the extremes on board. If you know cheese bothers you at home, it’s likely it will bother you onboard.
Alcohol: Drink as much as you like, if you are a drinker at home. Either way, try to have a glass of water to offset each beverage to keep the body hydrated.
Stay Active: In most cases, the natural act of moving about on this small floating city, especially if you make a point of taking the stairs, will burn more calories than the average person will get at home. Add three laps around the outside deck for an additional mile. If you’d like a structured setting, join in on some of the endless fitness programs onboard and on land.
In Port: Be smart about the street foods you purchase. Notice the cleanliness of the food areas and also of the server. Use common sense.
If you do get sick: First and foremost stay hydrated. Take medicine as needed; if you didn’t bring any, get some from the ship’s infirmary. Most ships don’t charge a fee for any services related to airborne illnesses.
Remember, it’s a very small percentage of guests that become ill. News media reports often say the number of people who got sick, but what they don’t say is that in almost all cases, the total number is less that half of one percent of guests. They also don’t mention the many ships that don’t have any illnesses.
I visited Alaska in February and needed to know what to pack for my winter vacation. I kept a list of the things I brought and actually used, as well as the items that I wished I brought along. The weather will undoubtedly be cold and there will probably be precipitation during any winter visit to Alaska. Obviously, a lot of time will be spent outdoors to make the trip worthwhile.
My list is below:
Bathing Suit (there’s nothing more relaxing than a Jacuzzi soak after spending a cold day outdoors.
Warm winter boots and woolen socks. (I can’t say enough about the qualities of woolen socks, especially if you plan to stand on ice or snow for an extended period.) My boots happen to be Bogs brand and they are great for water as well as for cold to -40 degrees.
Warm outerwear including a hat, scarf, winter coat, snow pants or skirt. (Most of the ladies in Alaska have snow skirts. They look just like snow pants, but are shaped like a skirt instead. They come in all different lengths, but if you are going to wear a sleeping bag around your body to stay warm, why not get it long enough to cover your legs completely.) Read More
Each March, on the first Saturday, the Iditarod dog sled race ceremonial start is held in Anchorage, Alaska. This is a major event for Alaskans, who consider dog sled racing their state sport. They don’t have a football or basketball team to cheer for, but they know the mushers and even the dogs by name, discussing and analyzing their stats and strategies at dinner and at bars. There are local favorites, of course, and even some family traditions. The Seavey family has four different sleds/mushers entered in this year’s race.
The ceremonial starts is much like a parade in that each musher, in their actual race order claimed at the musher’s banquet, will cross the starting line on 4th Street in Anchorage with their sled and up to 12 members of the dog team. Each team will have the musher, wearing his or her numbered pinny, as well as an honored guest riding along. Read More
Another great thing about visiting Alaska in the winter time is the lure of Alyeska Ski Resort just a few hours south of Anchorage. This ski area has nine lifts with a capacity to more 12, 196 riders per hour. The summit is 3990 feet with the base at just 250 feet above sea level. With the capacity and terrain to accommodate all levels of skiers, this family friendly resort will keep everyone happy on and off the slopes.
In addition to down hill skiing, there is Nordic skiing and snowshoeing, dog sledding, ice skating on the pond, glacier flights and a spa. The hotel has restaurants, an indoor pool and a gym. Entertainment, including free movies during the week and live music on the weekends will surely please guest who’d like to stay on site. Many will choose to venture into nearby Girdwood for shopping, restaurants and entertainment while visiting the area.
While I’m an experienced skier, I don’t consider myself a good skier. I found the expert slopes exciting to watch from the lifts and the beginner slopes easiest enough even for a first time skier. The bulk of my time was spent on the moderate trails, with enough variety that I managed to ski for most of the day without repeating any runs. This allowed me to view the magnificent scenery, the main reason I was on the slopes in the first place. The photo opportunities were just endless with mountains in almost every direction and the water below. Several non-skier guests of the resort even opted to ride the tram just to see the views. Alyeska is a beautiful location to experience the scenery that Alaska is famous for, while pampering yourself with true Alaskan hospitality.
Less than two hours outside of Anchorage, one of America’s most scenic roads, Turnagain Arm, is a must see area during winter or summer. On this crisp February day, the temperatures were hovering at about 20 farenheit, the wind was calm and the blue sky was the perfect backdrop. It makes me look forward to reaching Alyeska’s winter playground.
The mountains, grew taller and closer as we left the city, soon towering over the road in all their glory. Pristine white snow seemed to cling to the peaks, ready for an avalanche at the least change in conditions. With mountains on both sides, above lakes and meadows, the scenery was endless and flawless.
The gullies below showing the route the previous snow slide had taken, proved the need for a knowledgeable guide for those who wanted to back country ski, snowboard or snow shoe on the east side or snow machine on the right. The snow machine like to play dare with the mountain by racing straight up as fast as they can go; as soon as the stop, they make a 180 and ride down before the snow follows.
On the other side of the road, the skiers and snowboarders are enjoying the deep snow experience too. Many have their dogs along, sometimes pulling them up the hills and sometimes just playing together along the trails or off the trails. Each skier will carry a shovel and wear a GPS locator, as the risks are high in this adventurous sport. With twelve hours of daylight, even in February, they can get in a full day of skiing one day and a full day of ice climbing another day.
