We took the southbound voyage from Whittier to Vancouver. Flying into Anchorage is a treat as you fly over snow capped mountains as far as the eye can see. The journey from Anchorage airport to the port town of Whittier is unique. Your coach is given a "tunnel time", an exact time in which to enter the 2 1/2 mile tunnel that was blasted through the mountain near Whittier. It felt like this was an excursion unto itself.

Warm and friendly staff on board the Island Princess and a comfortable number of fellow guests, coupled with breathtaking scenery and warm temps, made this a truly memorable Alaskan adventure for us. We cruised to the Hubbard Glacier along with the Margerie in Glacier Bay followed by the three traditional Alaskan ports, and then one more sea day, in this relaxing itinerary. We sat outside on the comfortable deck chairs as much as we could. After dinner we enjoyed three of Princess' current shows "Encore", "On the Bayou" and the newest "The Secret Silk". They were all Broadway calibre shows. Our comedian was Steve Moris of the Beach Boys and he was hilarious. Love the Voice of the Ocean finale also.

Skaway is a self-contained, pioneer town that is ideal for exploring.We went gold panning at the Back Alley Rock Shop, an experience I would highly recommend especially if you have kids. In Juneau we went to a Husky summer camp and hung out with 160 huskies. We learnt about the Ididarod and went on a thrilling dog sled ride summer style, and held a couple of the pups. This was by far the highlight of our port stops. Then in Ketchikan we saw the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show which is always a blast. Shopping for souvenirs and clothing is very good in Ketchikan. Read more