The expression, “What’s old is new again” popped into my head as I boarded Holland America’s Maasdam for an extended Alaska cruise. Maasdam underwent a huge refurbishment in 2016 and I was excited and curious to see the changes and upgrades. Read more…
It’s sort of complicated. The answer is yes, you need a passport to take a cruise from the U.S…and no you don’t. Or should you? I’ve received emails from readers who ask, “I’m a United States citizen taking a cruise from the U.S. to the Caribbean. Do I need a U.S. passport”? After I received […] Read more…
This time for whale watching in Juneau, I was prepared. The words, “Don’t forget to grab a large plastic bag” popped into my head just before I closed the door to my stateroom. This was my second whale-watching shore excursion from Juneau, but the first time I brought along a real camera. On my first […] Read more…
If you’re expecting tiny Sitka to be another Alaska cruise port lined with the same glaring jewelry and watch stores that you find in the Caribbean, you’ll be wonderfully surprised. You’ll soon understand why this town was once nicknamed the “Paris of the Pacific.” Welcome to Sitka, Alaska! This small community of barely 9,000 people […] Read more…
You may not have heard of the Alaska Marine Highway System, but everyone in Alaska is well aware. So are most residents of the Pacific Northwest. I only learned about this nautical necessity a couple of years ago when I was researching how to get to Alaska without flying. Cruise Alaska’s Inside Passage like an […] Read more…
Alaskans pitch in to get the train up and running The Alaska Railroad has restored all regularly scheduled freight and passenger services as of last Tuesday, Dec. 4, after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that fanned out across Southcentral Alaska on Friday, Nov. 30. As a result, the Alaska Railroad had to suspend regularly scheduled services to […] Read more…
In a recent announcement, Norwegian Cruise Line announced that Norwegian Joy Alaska cruises will begin after the ship undergoes a major refurbishment. Launched in 2017, and build specifically for the Chinese market, Norwegian Joy will be refitted for a primarily North American market. The goal of the $50 million refurbishment is to make Norwegian Joy as […] Read more…
Day 1: Starting out – I almost missed my train. Getting to Alaska from Florida without flying is not an easy trip to plan. That’s why this all-too-familiar scenario plays like a broken record. As do most of my long-haul trips, getting to Alaska from Florida also began with Amtrak. All I had to do […] Read more…
I had to get to Alaska…without flying! 4,254.81 miles. That’s the distance from Orlando, Florida to Juneau, Alaska for my first Alaska cruise. More miles than crossing the Atlantic aboard Queen Mary 2. That’s probably why I hadn’t been to the Last Frontier. To get to Alaska, I took six Amtrak trains, stayed at […] Read more…
Pat Woods is a widely-published travel and cruise writer based in Arizona. She’s also terrific storyteller as you’ll find out when you read her tales from the tundra. Well, maybe not that far north. Pat’s cruise to Alaska began in Seattle…. Read more…
May 18 will mark a special day on the calendars of InnerSea Discoveries and American Safari Cruises as their two ships emerge from major renovations and have a dual christening ceremony in Seattle. Complete with new hull colors, redesigned interiors, new furnishing and upscale amenities, both the 86-guest Safari Endeavour and the 76-guest Wilderness Explorer […] Read more…
Guests booking one of six theme cruises aboard American Safari Cruises’ Safari Endeavour this summer in Alaska will receive a $518 travel credit per couple. The travel credit celebrates the vessel’s inauguration into the upscale fleet during a May 18, 2012 christening ceremony in Seattle. Read more…