Alaska
is the kind of place that is entirely impossible
to imagine until you’ve actually been
there.
The magnificence, the magnitude, the grandeur and the serenity cannot adequately
be experienced in a book, a movie, a travel guide, or a story.
 |
Visiting
Alaska
on a
Carnival Cruise
|
 |
|
| |
|
|
Some might imagine it with its ruggedness and wilderness as a place not suitable
for family travel yet this could not be further from the truth. Last summer
we traveled there with our two youngest children and the memories are forever
etched in all our minds.
Starting on Alaska Airlines, one of the nicest
airlines I have ever experienced, we left
Sacramento early in the morning and arrived
in Anchorage later that
day. From Anchorage we began a fascinating journey aboard the narrated train
ride to Seward, several hours away where we would board our Fun Ship.
The train ride was perfect for kids because,
unlike the other choice of taking a long
bus ride to Seward, the train offered a much
more scenic rail view of
the majestic wilderness, glaciers, and wildlife along the way. The kids enjoyed
a chance to walk throughout the train stretching their legs, a welcome change
from the travel since early morning and through several time changes. Comfortable
dining tables on the train allowed for relaxed snacks and treats. Continuous
narration of history and fact kept the whole family interested and entertained
as we watched mind boggling and striking beauty go by.
Arriving in Seward, Alaska we boarded Carnival
Cruise Line’s spectacular
Spirit. This vessel has more balcony cabins and better views than any other,
making it the only choice for a trip as beautiful as Alaska.
After getting settled in our cabin we enjoyed
our first night aboard with a delicious dinner.
What we would experience the next morning
was beyond anything
we could have ever envisioned.
In the morning I awoke first to be beckoned
by an incredible stillness and peace that
is quite indescribable. I ushered the kids
to the window to behold
one of the most spectacular sights of our lives as the ship maneuvered slowly
through the bay of glaciers and past the most enormous beautiful blue and white
sculptures of ice that nature could carve. Occasionally a huge piece of ice
would “calve” dropping into the ocean near us and the echoing reverberation
was amazing. As we stood in our pajamas on our balcony and took it in we were
truly speechless. This was one of the most memorable mornings of my life, as
we sipped hot tea and ate our breakfast in our beds watching magnificent glaciers
and icebergs go by.
Carnival Cruise Line is undoubtedly the best
way for families to enjoy Alaska.
My husband and I were able to enjoy all the
ports of call by ourselves if we wished or
take the children with us if we chose.
Throughout the entire cruise our children were
lavished upon and pampered by the Camp Carnival
staff. An unbeatable program, Camp Carnival
offers structured
activities beginning in the early morning hours and continuing almost around
the clock for children two and up. Things like pizza parties, coke-tail parties,
scavenger hunts, craft time, games, tournaments, contests, and movie nights
occur throughout the entire cruise, all free of charge just like all the other
amenities of the world’s most popular cruise line.
“At Carnival, we take ‘fun’ very seriously and the “Fun
Ships” numerous kid-friendly amenities, enthusiastic youth counselors,
and spacious state-of-the-art facilities provide the ultimate family vacation,” says
Bob Dickinson, Carnival President.
Carnival carries more families with kids than
any other cruise line. They offer the industry’s top-rated children’s program which includes special
features like arts and crafts centers, spin and sand art machines, activity
walls, indoor climbing mazes, and computer labs. Outdoor play areas, jungle
gyms, and game rooms are also found on the ships along with children’s
wading pools and water slides.
The food is included on Carnival Cruises and
our whole family relished the delicious food
at every meal. Chateau Briande, Filet Mignon,
Salmon, Halibut,
and Lamb were favorites. But the kids especially enjoyed breakfast in bed
and room service along with the ice cream and cookie bar all day and night.
Another
hit with kids are Carnival’s poolside restaurants and kids’ fountain
cards, which allow children unlimited soda refills from any beverage bar on
the ship for the duration of the trip.
The entertainment on our ship was top notch
as always with singers and performers from
Broadway and around the world. The comedy
shows were absolutely outstanding.
A nice extra for families, Carnival offers family-friendly comedy early in
the evening and an adults-only version later each night.
All the kids always enjoy dancing with the
waiters in the formal dining room too. At
least one night during each cruise the waitstaff
puts on a performance
and includes the kids.
Our kids and even my friends, who have traveled
on Carnival ships with their children, are
always amazed at how the staff on Carnival
ships caters to
the kids. Waitpersons, child care providers and staff go to enormous lengths
to
memorize children’s preferences and wishes. It’s the norm to go
to dinner as a family and by the second night the waiter’s already have
your children’s favorite drinks and treats waiting for them before you
arrive. Camp Carnival kids get complimentary Carnival t-shirts and backpacks
on each cruise which only adds to the fun.
And if like us, you have a hard time finding time for family portraits back
home, a family cruise on a Carnival ship is the prefect solution. Every night
on the way to dinner professional portrait sights are set up through out
the ship so you and you clan can stop in and have a free portrait setting
while
dressed up together.
Parents with infants or very small children
appreciate the conveniences of snack bars
open 24 hours a day and room service, where
a cup of milk or juice
is available 24/7.
As for family fun in Alaska, the ports of
Skagway, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Juneau were
each unique and unforgettable in their
own right.
In Juneau we enjoyed the Mt. Roberts tram
where we climbed the face of a magnificent
mountain to view Juneau below. On the ride
up the mountain
we
enjoyed bald
eagles nesting and a narrated explanation of the flora and fauna of
the area.
 |
| Mendenhall
Glacier |
Outside of Juneau we were mesmerized by Juneau’s prize, The Mendenhall
Glacier.
In Skagway we were so glad that we chose not
to take the stuffy, touristy railroad tour
in town but rather a guided van tour by an
authentic Alaska native who
captivated us throughout the tour of downtown Skagway, the Yukon and a fascinating
pioneer cemetery. When you arrive in Skagway, simply go to the center of town
near the sculptures and look across the meadow to the fishing shack. There
the kind town locals at Fishful Think N’ can set up a guided tour of
the Yukon, fishing and fun, a day to remember for all ages.
We enjoyed incredible hospitality and fun with
our guide and Master Captain Monte Mitchell
and his partner on a fishing boat. As we
fished for halibut
massive whales swam under our fishing boat and fluked next to us as curious
about us as we were of them. The kids loved spotting bald eagles which became
as commonplace as spying wrens or scrub jays back home.
In Sitka we hiked through parks and forests
enjoying wild berries and totem poles where
the salmon swam through creeks and inlets,
so plentiful that the
fish could be petted. We watched bald eagles swoop down to catch salmon in
the parks while bears occasionally frolicked in the denser areas of the parks.
Ketchikan with its charming downtown district
and shops is a shopping and browsing mecca
for anyone needing souvenirs. This is where
we had our thrill of a lifetime
taking a float plane through the misty fjords grazing hundreds of lakes, rivers,
and mountain tops speckled with wild mountain goats clinging to steep ledges.
One on One Air Charters and Tours gave us top-notch treatment.
Every day on the ship was magical as not a
moment went by that a magnificent view from
a dining room, casino, or lounge did not
provide views of jumping
orcas, dolphins, whales, soaring eagles, or remote lighthouses or villages
on tiny islands we passed.
This was the first trip of my life where I
was thoroughly convinced we did the right
thing in bringing the camcorder, although
it would never do justice
back home on television.
Our kids made friends on the ship and excursions,
and enjoyed swimming each day in the heated
covered pool with their comrades between
adventures.
Every night our kids were spoiled with special
treats like homemade chocolate chip cookies,
candies, or sculptured towel animals when
their sheets were turned
down on their bunk beds.
Family dance parties, tournaments, and talent contests only added to non-stop
fun, but sometimes we’d just grab a soda or tea with the kids and just
sit in a sunny spot on a deck and watch the magic of Alaska go by.
First time
cruisers are often concerned about motion sickness.
With the complex and modern stabilizers, most
passengers hardly ever notice any movement
of the ship. We noticed late at night very
minor movement when
we were far out at sea, and it was never bothersome to any of us.
The state of Alaska provides amazing sensory
overload. With only 600,000 people living
in a wilderness twice the size of France
or California and 6,000,000
lakes and rivers, it’s so exotic and mind boggling and feels like an
entirely different world. It’s hard to imagine that it’s even part
of our country. There is so much to behold and process. Carnival offers such
freedom of choice to vacation as you like. There are so many fun activities
to choose from at any given moment, that there truly could not be a better
way to relax as a family. You can unpack just once and concentrate on having
fun together with no deadlines, appointments, driving, traffic, or anything
to do but just be a family. Relax together on a ship maneuvering through some
of the planets’ most spectacular paradise.
If you like
to travel, relax and really enjoy your kids,
you may become hooked just like
me. There’s nothing better than cruising
and nowhere more spectacular than the last
frontier, Alaska!
