Cruising Alaska, day seven: Juneau, Alaska on Star Princess

Heather and I booked different shore excursions in Juneau today, but both discovered the epic, bucket list Alaska we’d been waiting for. The Alaska we explored today is the Alaska you can’t believe is actually real. Nothing can be that huge, that remote, that green, that wild. But it is…and even after today it still feels unreal, dreamlike. Don’t get me wrong, to even casually sail up the coast is to experience nature of near ridiculous proportions. If you never step foot off the Star Princess, you’ll still go home changed by this landscape. Heather and I chose to not only step foot off the ship, but to also step into a whale watching boat, into a tiny seaplane, and out to a giant glacier.

Before we get into the details of our shore excursions, there are a few things you should know about Juneau, Alaska’s capital city. The population of Juneau is 32,290 and 50% of residents work for the government in one way or another. The town spans 3,081 miles and is the only capital city in the United States accessible only by air or water. Take that in for a moment: Juneau, the capital of our 49th state, is not accessible by a road. Living in Salt Lake City, I’m accustomed to the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains (peaks as high as 11,000 feet) butting up against the city. I easily travel from my downtown front door to a ski resort in 20 minutes tops. Even I was shocked as I stood out on my Star Princess balcony this morning to see what is essentially water, then five city blocks, then a steep, spruce-covered, uninhabited mountain face (complete with a waterfall, of course). Now when they tell me there are no roads into or out of Juneau, I believe them. We are still in the coastal rain forrest and it dumps 86 inches of rain per year on this small town. This specific area is known for a high concentration of wildlife. There are entire islands full of brown bears (Admiralty Island), 300 species of birds, all five species of salmon, 60 humpback whales, a handful of orcas, and 10,000 bald eagles who call Alaska’s capital home.

Juneau, Alaska's capital city, as seen from our Star Princess balcony this morning.

Something unique to know about the Princess berth in Juneau, you’re not on a dock and you cannot walk ashore. To reach the downtown waterfront you need to hitch a ride in an orange tender boat. The ride is short and comfortable, so is the boarding process. As with every potentially chaotic moment, Princess has it completely under control. The Princess Patter newsletter let passengers know the night before to make their way to the Capri Dining Room, Deck 5 Midship, to pick up a tender ticket anytime after 8:00am. With that ticket your complimentary tender is secure. You can stay on shore until the last tender leaves at 8:00pm. If you’re booked on a shore excursion, your tender is handled separately from your meeting point in the Princess Theatre. You also have priority boarding on specifically designated tender boats. It could not be easier and we were about 30 minutes early for our excursion. Fun Tip: Sit on the top of the tender boat, outside in the fresh air, and snag unique photos of the Star Princess surrounded by Juneau’s mountains.

Tender boats shuttle passengers to and from Juneau.

Quick and efficient, you're in Juneau or back on the ship in no time at all.

Logistics out of the way, let’s get back to the wanderlust fantasy of remote landscapes. I chose to access my wild Alaska in a seaplane. I came to Alaska with the goal to experience our planet as she exists untouched by human hands. In my wanderlust fantasies as of late, I’ve been captivated by empty spaces; the idea of sheer isolation and of the earth being allowed to take care of herself without us mucking it all up. I came close to this years ago when I took helicopter tours over volcanoes, rain forests, and pristine Pacific beaches in Hawai’i and Kauai’i, but today’s adventure was something else entirely. Over 89% of Alaska cannot be developed. The landscape I saw today can only be seen from the air. I now respect that statistic on a whole new level. As poet Mike Burwell writes about this land, “Mountains only half-known to the eye / drag across the sky’s rough palm / their slopes distinct / with green jewels. Man is masterless / swallowing his own sound.” Those mountains that are only half-known to the eye were fully exposed to my eyes today. The photos will not begin to do Alaska justice, but nonetheless…

The spruce blanketing the Tongass National Forrest is an image that will stay with me for years to come.

Princess contracts with Wings Airways and their 5-Glacier Seaplane Exploration itinerary. I’m the furthest thing away from a gear head you could ask for, but a veteran in line with me was thrilled we were flying in classic DeHavilland Otter Floatplanes. He served as a pilot in a former life and the goal of his excursion was part Alaskan wilderness and part nostalgia for our mode of transport. Wings Airways has a fleet of five DeHavilland Otters. The planes were manufactured between 1951-1967. Then, between 2004-2008 the Wings Airways fleet underwent conversions from the original Pratt & Whitney R-1340 piston engine to the Garret TPE331-10 turboprop engine (900 horsepower). The US Army is the largest operator of Otters, with a fleet of 190. All of that totally came from their brochure…I have no idea what I’m typing right now. Mechanics aside, it was the opportunity for quality photography that was important to me. I was thrilled to learn that every passenger has a window seat, the flight path is in and out the same way so every person saw the view from each side of the plane, and portions of the 40-minute flight are narrated.

The classic DeHavilland Otter Floatplane.

Alaska's wilderness is the very definition of epic.

Our bush pilot flew the Otter through 75 miles of the Tongass National forrest before we swooped out over five glaciers: The Norris, Taku, Hole-In-The-Wall, West Twin, and East Twin. The Taku glacier is the largest in Juneau, and the deepest and thickest in the world. It’s the only glacier in the Juneau Icefield that is advancing, while all others are retreating. In total the Juneau Icefield has 40 large glaciers and 100 small glaciers. The five glaciers I saw create one outer edge of the 1,500 square mile field. Interesting aside: I’ve quickly learned that Alaskans measure rain in feet and they measure distance in Rhode Islands. Poor little Rhode Island, but I swear to you I’ve heard no less than five times each day how big something is based on how many Rhode Islands can fit inside of it. It’s one of those quirky cultural ticks you pick up only by traveling to a place and interacting with locals. In this case, the pilot told me the Juneau Icefield is bigger than Rhode Island. Of course it is.

The Juneau Icefield covers 1,500 square miles.

There is simply no way to capture the depth and size of the canyons on the glaciers.

Heather decided to access her wild Alaska on a whale watching tour and a hike near the famous Mendenhall Glacier, which is also part of the larger Juneau Icefield. She chose it because the variety of the tour appealed to her. She would’ve been less inclined to select it if it was just the whale watching or just the glacier. Gastineu Guiding Company took 14 passengers by bus to Auke Bay to begin the adventure. The boat is small and the passenger area enclosed, but large glass windows open fully to allow for clear photos of the whales. These humpback whales travel 3,000 miles from Hawai’i to reach Auke Bay with their baby calves in tow. They make this trek in April and teach the babies how to feed in the bountiful Alaskan waters until they return to Hawai’i in November. Throughout the journey the mother is nursing the calf with 100 gallons of milk per day and she is not eating any meals herself. She loses 1/3 of her body weight by the time the calves are weaned, a process that actually takes 2-3 roundtrips over 2-3 years. The whale watching was a success, as was a sea lion spotting. It was noted that the native tribes call these animals sea bears (which makes perfect sense when you consider the fact they’d never seen lions). These creatures, unlike the California variety that bark, growl like the bears found throughout the Juneau hills. Adult makes can reach 1,500 lbs.

On the lookout for humpback whales.

Alaskan Natives refer to these animals as "sea bears."

Whale sightings are so common that most tour companies offer a 50% return on your money if you do not see a whale.

After spending time in Auke Bay, the group drove a quick 15 miles to the other side of town to visit the Mendenhall Glacier. The Mendenhall is 12 miles long, half a mile wide, 300-1,800 feet deep at various points, and stretches back to Mendenhall Lake. It formed during the “Little Ice Age” approximately 3,000 years ago. It’s iconic face is 100 feet thick and a striking electric blue. The Mendenhall is called the “drive up glacier” because it’s only 14 miles from Juneau’s city center. Naturalist John Muir wrote that it is “one of the most beautiful of all the coastal glaciers.” After a short, but brisk hike involving multiple grades and series of stairs (in case that’s a concern for some), Heather viewed the glacier’s face through her binoculars. She was astounded at the details of the texture. With the naked eye, and even through a camera lens, the glacier face looks deceptively white. With her binoculars, the crevasses revealed a variety of bright, beautiful colors.

The Mendenhall Glacier from afar.

The Mendenhall Glacier is melting at a rate of five inches per day; but it’s also sliding from an elevation of 4,500 feet down to the ocean by a few feet each day. Along the trail that Heather hiked to the glacier’s face there were signs marking the retreat since it began in 1765. The tour coach parking lot now sits where the glacier did in 1900, for example. Even the postcard she purchased in town shows a larger glacier than the one she saw today. There is at least one local company profiting directly from the glacier’s migration. Glacier Smoothie makes soap out of the glacier silt left behind in the Mendenhall’s retreat. Clay-based soap is good for purifying pores and now, remembering an amazing day spent in Alaska’s capital. As Heather and I enjoyed a casual room service meal and reflected on the day’s adventures, she said she felt humbled. She felt humbled by her proximity to wild animals. She felt humbled by the sheer mass of the glacier. She felt herself catching her breath all day long and exclaiming to fellow travelers that she was having an unbelievable experience. That, in a nutshell, is epic Alaska.

A camera will never be able to capture the full intensity of that classic glacial turquoise color.

I hope you’re enjoying your virtual vacation. You can follow along on each day of the adventure through my Live Voyage Report landing page. If you're interested in following other Live Voyage Reports, visit The Avid Cruiser website to see where the team is exploring now!

Bon voyage…and love,
me


This article was originally published on the Avid Cruiser Live Voyage Report website. 

Cruising Alaska, day six: Ketchikan, Alaska on Star Princess

What we were told about Ketchikan prior to arriving: Ketchikan is the rain capital of Alaska. It rains 240 days a year. Locals measure rain in feet, not inches (13 feet annually). The town is nestled in a coastal rainforest. Locals are fond of saying, “If you can’t see Deer Mountain, it’s raining. If you can, it’s going to rain.” You get the idea.

What we experienced as the Star Princess floated into town this morning: Clear blue skies and a sunny 63 degrees. Go figure.

Ketchikan is a small fishing town (pop. 8,142) clinging to the western edge of Revillagigedo Island. It’s known as Alaska’s “first city” because it’s the southernmost port of call for for ferries, cruise ships, and explorers heading up the Gastineau Channel. Ketchikan is located in the Tongass National Forest, which is the largest national forest in the United States at 17 million acres. It’s also the Earth’s largest remaining temperate rainforest. As we made our way northward, the sun rising behind a seemingly endless blanket of Sitka Spruces created a breathtaking memory. These giant trees are everywhere you look. It feels like you’re experiencing a hundred different shades of green. They cover every island in the Tongass Narrows, every inch of every mountain that dominates the skyline behind Ketchikan.

Sunrise over the Tongass National Forest in Ketchikan, Alaska.

When I posted a couple days ago about preparing for this trip by reading poetry instead of guidebooks, I mentioned Cartography of Water by Mike Burwell. When I read his piece “Dream Island” in the airport in Salt Lake City, it was lovely. When I re-read it on our Star Princess balcony at 5:30 a.m., the sun peeking through thousands of Alaskan spruce trees, it resonate to my core.

Dream Island 

At the head of the bay
sits the island,
unreachable and rich as woman.
Knife edge peaks
are fallen slices of the moon
stuck in a hem of spruce.
The island floats
like a fabulous, green galleon
at the edge of the ocean’s dream.
Like the mountain and the spruce,
I join the dreaming.
I taste the salt in the magic,
water nerve. I smell the green.
I touch the cool waist
of the planet.

The exceptional weather greeting us was good news for our shore excursion and for our plan to walk into town and explore Creek Street. Heather and I signed up for the same excursion today, a visit to Saxman Native Village. Before I tell you about our time with the Tlingits in their Beaver Clan tribal house, a quick word about navigating shore excursions in general. I’ve already mentioned that I like to chill out at sea, but love to be active in ports of call. In my opinion, it’s always worth it to book a shore excursion or to research the port and create your own adventure. Heather and I chose to pre-book all our excursions online two month ago. You can wait until you’re on board to sign up, but you run the risk of the excursion you want selling out. The Princess Patter (daily onboard newsletter) that arrived last night featured a message from Shorex Manager Ian Harvey. He maintains an office on Deck 7, near the Crown Grill, where you can book excursions or simply receive advice about planning your own day on shore. There were a number of people on our excursion today who booked as late as last night, by the way. Since we pre-booked, our room steward delivered a package to us our first day onboard with our excursion tickets. The tickets list all the information we need: Excursion title, meeting location and time, and what to pack, wear, or prepare for physically (if anything particular). This is another potentially chaotic process that Princess has nailed down perfectly. It’s completely clear, seamless, and stress-free.

Princess makes shore excursions efficient and stress-free.

The Tlingits are one of the indigenous tribes that first settled Southeast Alaska, originally as a summer fishing camp. Saxman Village is located three miles south of Ketchikan and is home to more than 800 Tlingit people. A few residents are members of the Haida tribe. In the whole of Southeastern Alaska, Ketchikan and the surrounding area has the highest percentage of Native residents. I heard 14 percent yesterday and 19 percent today; regardless, the point remains the same. Also, Saxman is not a reservation but a fully independent village, an important distinction. When we first arrived we learned a few Tlingit phrases before watching a 15-minute documentary on the history of the people and the area. They welcomed us into the Beaver Clan tribal house and performed a few of their traditional dances. My favorite was the dance that sends fishermen off in their canoes, wishing them safe passage and a successful catch. Men, women, and children participate in the dances. Today, so did members of the audience at the invitation of the chief.

The Tlingit Beaver Clan tribal house in Saxman Village.

A Tlingit elder welcomes us in his native dialect and introduced the dancers.

Tlingit dancers share their culture and storytelling traditions.

Just outside the clan house is a totem park. Ketchikan as a whole is heralded as the best location in Alaska to see totem poles. I wasn’t prepared for just how many are scattered casually around town beside streetlights, stop signs, and other nonchalant accessories of daily life. Eighty varieties of totems are found in the three block area of downtown Ketchikan. Totem poles are an art form specific to tribes in the United States’ Pacific Northwest. They are used to preserve historical records, portray cultural stories, and identify clans. Totem carvers are trained in local mythology, in an intense way similar to a shaman’s training in healing rituals. Carvers are required to pass extensive oral exams before they’re allowed to start carving. Totems are often misunderstood as religious symbols, which they are not. The geometric patterns, animals, and people do have both literal and metaphorical meanings; so think of them as visual aids to thousands of years of rich oral history.

Totem poles in Saxman Village keep a watchful eye on the Tongass Narrows.

Detail of a totem pole in Saxman Village.

Interesting fact: I learned today that inanimate objects are never carved into totem poles, something I hadn’t noticed or realized until now. This restriction is meant to honor life in its full, animate, dynamic circle — including respect for the giant Red Cedar trees that are felled to create the totems. Once a totem pole is carved and raised — and it can take up to two years to complete — it is never removed. Many can stand as long as 60-80 years. It will eventually rot, fall down, and decay completely below where it once stood, but that is allowed to happen in its natural course. The same is true of homes and other structures built from natural materials. We drove past a chief’s former home and the wooden structure was rotting away peacefully. We were told: “We built it from Mother Earth and so it’s returning to her.” Beautiful.

A fallen totem pole is left alone to decay and return to Mother Earth. The Tlingit see this as a gift and as respect for the cycle of all life.

Totem poles share the history and clan lineage of Native cultures in the Pacific Northwest.

We had the chance to meet Tlingit master carver Nathan Jackson. In his workshop he showed us totem poles in progress and explained his traditional carving tools. I loved this moment because with my ignorant eyes I saw three piles of wood and assumed everything was Red Cedar. We then spent five minutes learning about the different types of wood that were actually in the workshop and the functional differences among them. It reminded me of something I learned years ago: The Inuits have many distinct words for snow. It was a reflective moment to realize how far we (city folk in general terms) are removed from nature and intimate experiences with it. I will say though, one intimate nature experience I do not wish to have is the traditional creation of paint for the totem poles. Women were once responsible for chewing salmon eggs and spitting out the oil to use as the base of the mixture for red paint. They would spit through their front teeth, using them as a strainer. Nathan the master carver joked with us that in 2014 they just drive down to Ace Hardware and call it a day. He also said this was a decision made by the women.

Tlingit master carver Nathan Jackson. Apprentice carvers can earn up to $1,000 per foot for their work. Experienced carvers earn up to $5,000 per foot. Master Carvers "can basically charge whatever they want and people will pay," as we were told.

Inside the totem pole workshop in Saxman Village.

With limited time in town, my primary goal was Creek Street. Said to be the most photographed street in Alaska, Creek Street enjoyed its heyday as Ketchikan’s Red Light District in the late-1800s and into the 20th Century. More than 30 brothels crammed into an area that took Heather and I less than 15 minutes to walk completely start to finish. Ketchikan is self-described as The Salmon Capital of the World. It’s often said that pioneers actually came to Ketchikan for the wealth of salmon, not gold; but as a sign on the infamous Dolly’s House quips: “Where both men and salmon come upstream to spawn.” Ignoring the men and speaking of the salmon, the charm of Creek Street is that its colorful wooden shops and homes are built entirely on stilts over Ketchikan Creek. I can only imagine the chaos of thousands of salmon fighting the current below those rickety wooden planks. Today Creek Street is mostly touristy souvenir shops, a couple restaurants, and Dolly’s House is a museum with a $10 entrance fee.

The infamous Creek Street, built on stilts over Ketchikan Creek, where salmon make their annual run. 

Extending not too far past the boundaries of this photo, Creek Street was once home to 30 houses of ill repute.

Ketchikan Creek, site of the famous salmon run.

The Star Princess sailed away from Ketchikan through the Tongass Narrows, bound for Juneau. Those of you familiar with the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State will feel at home among these rolling island hills that dot deep blue water with spikes of spruce and hemlock. The difference that lets me know I’m in Alaska, and not half way to Friday Harbor, is the sharp snow-capped Alpine peaks jetting into view every so often. In Snow Pass we watched from our balcony as humpback whales breached and splashed and played in one of their favorite feeding grounds. I would use the word majestic, but even that feels trite and insufficient in this setting. Tomorrow we wake up in Juneau and I board a seaplane, flying over glacial ice fields. Heather heads out on a whale watching trip after she hikes the infamous Mendenhall Glacier. Adventure abounds!

Heading into the Tongass Narrows north of Ketchikan.

I hope you’re enjoying your virtual vacation. You can follow along on each day of the adventure through my Live Voyage Report landing page. If you're interested in following other Live Voyage Reports, visit The Avid Cruiser website to see where the team is exploring now!

Bon voyage…and love,
me


This article was originally published on the Avid Cruiser Live Voyage Report website. 

Cruising Alaska, day five: Last Day at Sea on Star Princess Before Ketchikan

In anticipation of rainy Ketchikan tomorrow, the sun politely showed up in full force today to wish us farewell. With moderate temps in the high 50s, the Star Princess was buzzing with activity. The top decks (Lido and Sun) were as full as I’ve seen them since we left San Francisco. It’s easy on a gorgeous day like today to stay active, but what about rainy days or your third full day at sea when you’re craving variety? Heather and I scoped out the fitness options on Star Princess, both traditional and creative. This is what we discovered:

The Star Princess Fitness Center offers spin classes, in addition to many other group exercise options.

If you prefer the gym and formal workouts, it’s open 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. It’s a bit awkward to locate the Fitness Center at first, but know that it’s adjacent the Lotus Spa (Sun Deck) and as far forward on the ship as you can go. This does allow for a unique ocean view as you pump out your cardio on machines lining a floor-to-ceiling glass wall. There are free weights and all of the standard resistance machines. As for cardio, there are six ellipticals, four bikes (two upright and two recumbent), and 12 treadmills. You also have access to floor mats, balance balls, and other assorted gear. There are personal trainers on hand (for a fee) and yoga and pilates classes (also for a fee). Heather utilized the Fitness Center twice so far in our four days on board. Her observation is that everyone is welcome and everyone seemed comfortable; all ages, all levels of fitness, all types of workouts. She also noted that on both visits it was packed with passengers.

Star Princess passengers are staying fit on their third full day at sea.

The view from the Star Princess Fitness Center. I don't know about you, but the blue sky and ocean as far as the eye can see sure beats the view from my city gym at home.

If a crowded gym is not your speed, there are other ways to stay active on the Star Princess. Our favorite is walking or jogging around the Sun Deck, at the very top of the ship. You can’t beat the views, but you should know there are a considerable number of stairs involved as you circumnavigate the perimeter. If stairs are prohibitive, or if the weather is inclement, The Promenade (deck 7) may be ideal for you. Flat, covered, and oceanside, this deck is a popular location for scenic strolls. Two important notes to keep in mind about The Promenade: 1) Many people jog in this location and not everyone shouts a courteous, “On your left” as they barrel past; and 2) Strong winds often rip through this narrow deck and stability could be an issue for some. The Star Princess has four swimming pools, one of which is for guests of the Lotus Spa. While none are formal lap pools, the most popular for lap swimming are the two largest on the Lido Deck (one outside and one inside).

The picturesque Star Princess Promenade, deck 7.

For even less-traditional fitness options, consider shuffle board, ping pong, bocci ball, life-size chess/checkers on the Sun Deck, a golf simulator and ballroom dancing lessons. Princess staff host dance classes in different lounges around the ship each day. You can learn the jive on Wednesday and master the waltz on Friday. Fun tip: The evening social events are musically themed to the day’s dancing lesson, in case you’re so inclined to show off your new moves. Princess also offers a television channel in all staterooms called Fitness at Sea. As for the least traditional options, we suggest you jog  up and down the steep mid-ship stairways (seriously, everyone else is in the elevator anyway) or join the flash mob dancers for their daily practice.

One final word about viable fitness options on board: Yoga. As longtime students of yoga, Heather and I are familiar with a variety of styles. Our preference is a holistic practice integrating movement, breath, meditation and spiritual elements. This approach to yoga is most often found in private studios, spas or retreats. There is a noticeable difference between this integrated practice and classes typically offered in a gym setting. The yoga classes offered in the Star Princess Fitness Center are more gym than spa. They focus primarily on physical movement and the efficiency of stretching tired, traveling muscles. After four nights in unfamiliar beds, Heather was grateful for any relief and realignment. She also noted that the poses selected by the instructor were grounded poses and thoughtful choices for a class held a rocking boat. There were three generations of passengers in the class, about 50/50 men and women, and two people who had never tried yoga before this cruise. Heather purchased a multi-class pass at a discounted rate from the fee she would have paid for individual classes. It should be noted, however, that individual classes are only $12, which is comparable to the rate paid in studios across our hometown of Salt Lake City.

OM. Yoga helps passengers stretch and realign tight, tired muscles.

In addition to researching fitness options, Heather and I attended the second presentation in the Port Information Lecture Series. Tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. we dock in Ketchikan, the southernmost city in Alaska’s Inside Passage. To assuage passengers who were anxious about seeing and doing everything they can in the eight hours we’re in port, Cruise Ship Director Paul joked that “when we dock, we’re bigger than the town.” It rains in Ketchikan 240 days a year, typically 162 inches. Our rain gear is packed and we’re up for the adventure. Heather and I are both visiting Saxman, a Tlingit village. In fact, Ketchikan is home to the largest percentage (14 percent) of indigenous peoples in Southeast Alaska. We’re most looking forward to learning about the cultural significance of totem poles and to purchasing items crafted by native artisans.

I hope you’re enjoying your virtual vacation. You can follow along on each day of the adventure through my Live Voyage Report landing page. If you're interested in following other Live Voyage Reports, visit The Avid Cruiser website to see where the team is exploring now!

Bon voyage…and love,
me


This article was originally published on the Avid Cruiser Live Voyage Report website.

Cruising Alaska, day four: Still Sailing Toward Alaska on Star Princess

Sailing, sailing, sailing, with nothing but ocean and the Star Princess from dawn to dusk. Today was our second full day at sea. My friend and I intentionally opted out of every planned activity offered. We decided to not only set our own schedule but also to reset our circadian rhythms. We’re just far enough into the trip that relaxation has kicked in. We woke up when our bodies told us to, we had breakfast delivered to eat in bed (because … we can), we planned to read all day long in different locations around the ship, and our biggest decision was when to eat and then when to eat again. I’m active and adventurous in ports of call, but I like my time on the water to be low-key. Throw in a lecture event and I’m set. I wrote yesterday about the myriad activities offered on the Star Princess. If your cruising speed is set to a higher gear than mine and three full days at sea makes you anxious, you will not lack for attractions and distractions.

However, today I won’t be writing about what to do while on your trip. Instead I’m offering suggestions for trip preparation. I’m not going to share an Alaskan packing list (rain gear and layers) or tips about sea sickness (less-drowsy formula Dramamine and wrist bands). I’m interested in more creative preparations. How do you get to know a destination? You selected it for some reason or another, but how do you really dive in and understand a land, a people, a culture, and the unfamiliar experiences so unique to travel?

Hint: Put the guidebook down, says a former guidebook addict. Listen, I get it. I have shelves full of guidebooks at home and endless notebooks in Evernote dedicated to locations I’ve either been or am lusting after. I color code itineraries and research minutia ad nauseum. I’m a total nerd and revel in trivia. These facts thrill me to no end: 470 Rhode Islands can fit inside Alaska; Alaska is twice as big as Texas; and 89 percent of Alaska cannot be developed for human habitation.

I’ll be spouting them at cocktail parties for years to come. Classic guidebook. But what does that tell me about the people who live in that wild land? What about the people who lived there first? What does life look like? What does a Saturday afternoon in July in Skagway sound like? What do the 200-foot spruces in Ketchikan smell like after the rain? Factoids and I-Stood-In-The-Famous-Spot stock photos are inevitable. I have a lifetime of them under my belt. I’ll come home from Alaska with more. Yet the older I get and the more I travel, the predictable travel checklist means less to me. I now want to experience a place with all five senses. Hopefully once I’m wrapped up and seduced by the adventure of it all, I’ll leave with even a fraction of authentic understanding.

To the original question at hand: How can we prepare for a trip in a way that wakes up our senses and sparks our creativity? To give credit where credit is due, some of the tips I’ll share come from a creative mentor of mine. Laura Valenti Jelen is a photographer and gallery curator based in Portland, Oregon. She designed and now teaches a series of online photography courses. I’ve completed two out of three and am anxiously awaiting a break in my schedule to enjoy the third.

In a course called Traveling Light, Laura suggests we immerse ourselves in the poetry, music, visual art, literature, etc. of a place. Listen to Italian opera for two weeks before your trip to Rome. Read heaping doses of Kerouac if you’re planning an epic American road trip, or old mariner’s diaries if you’re water bound. Enjoy a Woody Allen movie marathon before you jet off to Manhattan, or Ewan McGregor’s documentary about circumnavigating the globe on a motorcycle … just for the delicious wanderlust of it all. Research regional authors and poets who not only call your destination home, but who write about the people, the land, the food. Dive in. Why not? I promise you will experience your final destination in a way you never thought possible.

I highly recommend Miranda Weiss' poetic, adventurous memoir about moving to Alaska.

I dove into three books for this trip to Alaska (but one is a now-hypocritical National Geographic coffee table book of stock photos and factoids, so ignore that one). While on the road I’m reading a book of poetry, Cartography of Water, penned by Mark Burwell. His lush descriptions of Alaskan wilderness, coastal rain forests, and isolated frontier life have prepared me to at least try and soak in the grandeur of it all. I’ll share some of his pieces as we visit different ports. I’m also reading the memoir of a woman named Miranda Weiss. Miranda and I are more or less the same age. I’m only a quarter of the way into her book, but already our suburban childhoods that turned into insatiable desires for adventure connect us beyond the words on the page.

She was 23 when she moved to Alaska with her college boyfriend. She reflects beautifully on her culture shock over the land and people. She opens Tide, Feather, Snow: “Moving to coastal Alaska meant moving to the water life, although I hadn’t known it until I arrived. Nothing is separate from the sea — not the sky, not the land, not a single day, nor my mood. I wasn’t used to this. I wasn’t ready for it.” She continues in the opening passage of chapter two: “Sitting at the edge of the continent, I was completely, terribly, and excitingly alone. I would be retracing the voyage of countless others who had traveled to Alaska before me: gold rushers, early pioneers, thrill-seekers, miners, surveyors, fur hunters, fishermen, law makers, sightseers, and naturalists.” Not only is it more entertaining to read these books for hours and hours at sea, but they also create an atmosphere of anticipation that guidebooks simply cannot.

When the deck became too windy to read comfortably, we migrated indoors.

I reviewed the materials in the Star Princess Library, located inside the Internet Cafe on Deck 5, just off the Piazza. The library doesn’t have many books in stock of the sort I’ve referred to (unless they’re checked out and in use somewhere on the ship), but there were a number of books about Tlingit culture and Native American art that would certainly get your creative juices flowing.

Two additional resources that I highly recommend are AFAR magazine and its online wanderlists, and Nowhere literary travel magazine. Both approach travel as a narrative, an experience, and something to bring you closer to the authenticity of it all.

Tomorrow is our third full day at sea and the final day before we reach Ketchikan. There are yoga classes and more lectures on the docket. Stay tuned for a review of the fitness facilities and whatever other adventures we round up for you.

I hope you’re enjoying your virtual vacation. You can follow along on each day of the adventure through my Live Voyage Report landing page. If you're interested in following other Live Voyage Reports, visit The Avid Cruiser website to see where the team is exploring now!

Bon voyage…and love,
me


This article was originally published on the Avid Cruiser Live Voyage Report website. 

Cruising Alaska, day three: Sailing to America's Last Frontier on Star Princess

The view from our balcony this morning: Star Princess cutting a wake through the deep blue Pacific Ocean.

Today was our first full day at sea on Star Princess. We awoke to a crisp 57-degrees, clear blue skies and bright sunlight streaming into our starboard stateroom. For those who have not cruised before, it’s difficult to explain the vastness of the ocean. Even flying over it doesn’t do it justice. The sensation of being perched on open water as far as the eye can see is a unique experience. For me it’s one of the most exhilarating feelings in the world. Alaska’s state motto came to mind as I stepped onto our windy balcony this morning: “North to the Future!” It’s an alarmingly earnest statement and captures the adventurous frontier spirit perfectly. The ocean, like my anticipation of Alaska, feels akin to total freedom and limitless possibility.

One of my favorite spots on cruise ships is the Promenade Deck, at the very back of the ship. We've seen dolphins playing in the wake.

What is not limitless at sea is reliable online communication. Regarding last night’s technical snafu when I was forced to post a day late, I conducted research today to benefit both me and future Princess passengers. Here are a few things you should know about the internet at sea:

• You can pre-purchase internet packages online, or you can wait until you’re on the ship. You may also pay a’la carte for the minutes you use. I secured an internet package before I boarded, knowing that online access would be critical to my being able to report daily while at sea.
• Prices as posted on-site at the cafe: Pay-as-you-go $0.79 per minute, 100 minutes for $69, 200 minutes for $99, 400 minutes for $159, or 600 minutes for $199. A one-time activation fee of $3.95 is charged to your stateroom no matter which option you choose.
• Whether you purchase a plan ahead of time or at sea, you need to check in at the Internet Cafe. On the Star Princess, the Internet Cafe is located on Deck 5 (Plaza Deck), just off the Piazza. The manager on duty will authorize your purchase and create your account while you wait. This process was quick and easy for me. The manger was knowledgeable about Apple computers, which I appreciated. In my experience, most hotel tech support lines only have troubleshooting scripts related to Windows operating systems.

Friendly staff at the Star Princess Internet Cafe, my new home away from home.

• Regarding the manager in the Internet Cafe: I mistakenly thought that when the manager was off duty, the Internet Cafe was closed. This seems like a silly assumption in hindsight, but nonetheless, I made that mistake. When the WiFi wouldn’t connect in our stateroom and I couldn’t reach the manager by phone last night, I packed it in. Now I know you can wander down to a fully functioning Internet Cafe at 2:38 a.m. if you felt so inclined. This may actually be a prime strategy of mine to win the bandwidth battle. I’ll be the only person online and you, dear reader, can see the photos you’ve been promised, as I’ll be able to upload them when there is fewer people competing for bandwidth.
• Regarding the bandwidth: When it’s being used heavily, it’s slow. Slower than dial-up (for those readers who remember cranking on The Internet and downloading email messages from Juno, hoping your roommate didn’t pick up the phone downstairs and interrupt the process). You cannot stream Netflix, YouTube or anything of the like. You also cannot upload photos (in any decent amount of time) to a travel website like this one, per se that’s your responsibility on your cruise.
• Multiple devices cannot share a single log-in, as you can on your home internet and even in most hotels. If you attempt to log in from a second device, you’ll receive a prompt that asks if you want to switch the connection from the original device.
• Remember to log out! If you’re using a desktop in the Internet Cafe, it will prompt you to log out with a giant red button on the final screen. However, if you’re using your own device, you must type “logout.com” into the address bar and hit return. If you do not log out, your minutes will continue to accrue and be applied against your package total.

You can bring your own laptop or tablet into the Internet Cafe to pick up the ship's strongest WiFi signal.

• Finally — unless you have an ongoing family emergency back home, or you’re under some sort of professional obligation to post your adventures online — take a break. You’re floating in the middle of an ocean for goodness sake. Step outside and have a face-to-face conversation with someone. Facebook isn’t going anywhere, Twitter marches on, and Instagram will be there when you reach your next port city. Either that or choose to spend your time battling it out.

Other than doing my best to sort out tech strategies, I enjoyed a long walk around the ship. I took my photographic memory for a stroll and oriented myself to the overwhelming list of amenities aboard. The highlight of my day was a lecture presented by Star Princess Cruise Director Paul. He told curious passengers in the Princess Theatre about our upcoming ports of Ketchikan and Juneau. I tend to geek out on stuff like this, but even objectively it was informative and interesting. I highly recommend attending lecture events. It may just save you the price of a heavy guidebook. I’ll share the facts I learned about these ports as we visit them, but for now I’ll attempt to explain the range of activities on a cruise ship of this size.

Port Information Presentations are an efficient way to feel prepared for your days on shore.

Lectures and Scholarship@Sea presentations happen multiple times a day. You can also participate in a table tennis tournament, American Idol / Eurovision style competition, trivia games or speed Sudoku, Zumba and line dancing, meet ups for chess players or singles or knitters or LGBTQ passengers, karaoke, Bible study, flash mob practice (not a typo) and Princess Pop Choir auditions (still not a typo), poolside dance parties with the house band, and that’s not even 1/4 of the offerings you can choose from — before 1:30 p.m. Every night outside your door you’ll find the Princess Patter newsletter that lays out each day in detail.

Rather competitive table tennis opportunities found on Deck 15.

If you're not in the mood for planned activities, you can always soak in the energy of The Piazza.

A few quick notes about food: A perk I love and that we promptly took advantage of this first morning on board was ordering a room service breakfast. Simply check the boxes and quantity of the items you want, indicate the time you want the goods delivered, and hang the tag outside your door before you go to bed. Done. Who doesn’t want to wake up to breakfast in bed every day? All included in the price of your cruise.

One other note about food in general is that Princess does fairly well with vegetarian fare. I was a vegetarian for many years and the friend traveling with me is currently a vegetarian. We’re always conscious of non-meat protein options. Princess clearly indicates vegetarian options on its formal dining menus, and even the casual poolside grill has veggie burgers and margherita pizza. My friend was concerned before the trip, but she has had no difficulty finding plenty of healthy, meatless options. For dinner tonight, as an example, we both ate grilled lentil cakes with fried eggs, melted monterey jack cheese and sweet potato fries. The portion was more than enough on its own … and it was our fourth vegetarian course.

Tomorrow is another full day at sea and I’m looking forward to diving into the books I brought. I will share those resources with you and discuss creative, non-traditional ways to gear up for your big trip. Hint: Put the guidebook down, says a former guidebook addict.

I hope you’re enjoying your virtual vacation. You can follow along on each day of the adventure through my Live Voyage Report landing page. If you're interested in following other Live Voyage Reports, visit The Avid Cruiser website to see where the team is exploring now!

Bon voyage…and love,
me


This article was originally published on the Avid Cruiser Live Voyage Report website.