My husband and I went with a group of friends on a 7 day cruise to Alaska in July aboard the Carnival Legend.  We flew to Seattle the night before our cruise was scheduled to leave port.  We walked around the city until all of our party had arrived.  Then some of us went to Pike Place Market.  The Market had vendors set up, selling flowers, crafted jewelry, fruits, vegetables, and fish.  It was fun to watch the fish vendors throw the fish!  We also saw the gum wall.

One of our friends insisted we all chew bubble gum and leave our own addition to the “art”.  After that, we walked down to the water and ate dinner at The Crab Pot.  When we finished our delicious dinner, some of us walked back to our hotel, while the rest of our party went to a Seattle Mariners vs. Chicago White Sox ballgame.  Since we live near Chicago, it was fun to see the Sox play in another ball park.

The next morning, some of us walked to the Space Needle and went up to the top.  It was a clear day and was very scenic.  We could see our ship while she was waiting for us to board!

Once we boarded our ship, we took time to eat lunch, unpack and familiarize ourselves with the ship.  Then it was time for muster.  It was very hot and took a long time but is a requirement before the ship leaves port.  Muster is when the ship’s crew instructs the passengers where to go and what to do in case of an emergency evacuation of the ship.  Good to know.

At dinner time, we were all seated at three tables close together (there were 18 of us).  We ate at the same place every night and had the same servers.  We got to know each other very well by the time our cruise was finished.  In addition to the excellent service and delicious food, the servers would entertain us with a floor show.  They would sing along with a different song every night and dance a choreographed dance.  Lots of fun.  After dinner, we usually went to the theatre for a live show then went to the comedy club.  Finishing off the night would be a visit to the casino and/or bars or shopping in the onboard shops.

The first day was a day at sea.  There are many activities when you are aboard a ship, so we all did whatever we chose.  I enjoy getting a massage on sea day whenever we cruise, so I got a hot stone massage.

The second day we sailed the Tracy Arm Fjord.  The best adjective I can use about the Fjord is: magnificent!  It is a rain forest, so it was overcast and a little cool but no one stayed inside on that day.  The beauty was breath taking.  We saw whales, seals, eagles, icebergs, and a glacier.  It was all so amazing and beautiful.

The third day, we docked at Skagway.  Some of us had booked the White Pass Railroad Summit Excursion.  We boarded a vintage passenger coach, which retraced the original route to the White Pass summit.  We passed Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch.  We saw beautiful mountains, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels, and trestles.  We saw the original Klondike Trail worn into the rocks.  After the excursion, we walked, shopped, and ate in Skagway.

On the fourth day, we docked at Juneau.  It rained most of the day.  We figured we would never have the opportunity to visit Juneau again so why not make the most of it?  After lunch at the Red Dog Saloon, the weather cleared up a bit and we were able to see the beautiful area surrounding the city.

The fifth day was our stop at Ketchikan.  We explored the city and saw many interesting totem poles.  We walked over a plank bridge and saw salmon in the stream below.  We were told that we were lucky we were there when we were because, a short time after we left the bridge, it was closed because a bear had decided to find his lunch in the stream!

Our final day of the cruise was mainly on ship.  We made port around 7:30 p.m. at Victoria, British Columbia.  Some of us went to see beautiful Butchart Gardens.  Our only regret was that it turned dark shortly after our arrival.  Our excursion by bus also included a narrated tour of the city.

What do we have planned for our next adventure?  We are going to Epcot Food & Wine Festival!  We are looking forward to that, as we have talked about going for the past several years.  We also got tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!  I am very excited about it.  I hope to have lots of stories & photos for my next blog.

Claudia Eggenberger

Co-owner/Agent

Adventure Is Out There Travel, LLC