An Alaskan Adventure
I was recently fortunate enough to go on a cruising adventure through Alaska, something that I had heard lots about but always thought it was for others. I never considered that I would be lucky enough to be able to undertake such a thing. Yet, back in May, with passport in hand I hopped on a plane and didn’t look back.
The cruise departed from Vancouver, Canada. Just getting onto the ship was an adventure in itself. Little did we know, it was “cruise day”, the day when three large ocean liners were in port. Ten thousand people passed through the docking station that day. And I’m sure we were number nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine. The customs line was so large that we were given seats and each line was called on a rotating basis. They even served refreshments!
Three hours later, we were welcomed aboard our ship, the MS Zeiderdam. Walking through the long corridors to our cabin was one of those weird moments when you think you are actually in a movie. They seemed to go on forever, door after door, the anticipation grew. Finally we found our number. Our room was well equipped; bed, television, arm chairs, wardrobe, it even had a bath. However the best surprise was our own private balcony – we’d been upgraded!
We couldn’t stay in our room and enjoy the view, we had a whole ship to explore. Naturally, we sought out the food. If there is one thing a cruise ship does well, it’s feed people. There were several dining choices on the ship, the formal seated areas where you received full three course meals, a cafe located in the library (of course), and a dining hall buffet with every kind of food imaginable. I have never seen so much food in my entire life, nor do I think I have ever eaten so much food in my life. Pizza, fish, roast beef, chicken, curry, salads, sandwiches, cake, ice cream, tarts, parfaits – the list goes on and on.
After a few days of eating, participating in the on board activities, losing in the trivia challenge, eating some more, attending the spectacular shows, and running around the Alaskan ports (Ketchikan, Juneau, and Scagway), we arrived in possibly the most awesome place ever – Glacier Bay.
Glacier Bay is exactly how it sounds, full of glaciers. Everywhere you looked, you saw only ocean or glaciers. The ship came to a complete stop as it nestled right into the bay. A mountain of ice was all around and it was a spectacular blue colour. Large and small icebergs littered the still waters like frosting on a cake. The freezing cold temperature, nor the light drizzling rain could stop me from standing on the deck of the ship and staring at the amazing display of nature. It was truly one of the moments that you can’t believe you are alive and seeing such awe-inspiring things. A moment I wouldn’t trade for anything.
So for anyone considering a holiday, don’t go lying on a beach. Rug up, grab your beanie, and go cruising to Alaska. You won’t be sorry.
