We just returned from our first ever cruise and our first ever trip to Alaska. As someone who gets queasy looking at a boat in the harbor, a cruise was not my first choice but we were celebrating a mini family reunion which was reason enough to go. In the end, with the help from a tiny scopolamine patch, it was a great trip and a wonderful time spent with family.

With this trip fresh in my mind, here are some of the things we loved, and didn’t love, about our vacation

Things we loved

Scenic cruising

One of my favorite memories was waking up early one morning in the calm waters near the Endicott Arms glacier and taking in the beauty around us. Everyone on their balconies seemed to tacitly agree to maintain the silence, with only the occasional exclamation from an excited child that was quickly shushed.

When researching Alaska cruises, we repeatedly read that it is worth splurging for a balcony room, and we couldn’t agree more. When traveling through the inside passage, there were mountains and waterfalls and inlets everywhere we looked.

Landside exploration

On land there were equally beautiful places to visit. Even the busy tourist area of Ketchikan had lovely views, if you looked for them – from the colorful wooden buildings lining the sunlit creek to the wild raspberry and salmonberry bushes bursting with juicy berries.

In Juneau, we took a tour to the Mendenhall Glacier. What immediately struck me was just how much of the glacier has melted away – from pictures of what the glacier looked like to the reality in front of me, there was no doubt that climate change was having an immediate and devastating effect on the glacier.

Also in the Mendenhall recreational area is Nugget Falls. Just a short one-mile walk from the visitor center, the pathway is accessible for wheelchairs and other mobility devices but may require assistance in some steeper areas. Meltwater from the Nugget Glacier tumbles 377-feet into Mendenhall Lake. Standing on the flats you hear and feel the power of the falls.

The wildlife

The one animal I wanted to see on this trip was an otter but alas, it wasn’t to be. On the other hand we saw jellyfish, pods of orcas, a young grizzly bear (very far away), and an amazing number of bald eagles (amazing to me because I had never seen them in person before). We also saw, from a distance, a bald eagle nest and learned they are huge and can weigh upward of 800 pounds or more.

The food

We had many memorable meals while onboard. There was more than enough variety in the included venues like the casual places serving ramen noodles, hamburgers, and ice cream as well as the buffet and main dining rooms (there were three).

And since we were celebrating a mini family reunion, we treated ourselves to dinner in two of the specialty dining rooms (for an extra cost), our favorite being the Crown Grill steak house. The steaks, as you would imagine, were amazing. But I could have made a meal of the house cheese-stuffed garlic bread and the Black and Blue Onion Soup. I even found a recipe for the soup purportedly from the cruise line. I will test it out at some point and report back.

The crew

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the wonderful crew. Yes, their job is to make our voyage pleasant and memorable but we met many lovely people on our trip who went above and beyond. In particular, we connected with Frederick and James, our servers in the main dining room. Both are from the Philippines and are career crew – having sailed with many companies and many different ships. I think they felt a connection with us because we are from Hawaii. And, in fact, one of them has family in Hawaii that work not far from my office.

They shared with us some special dishes including pork belly lechon, pork and chicken adobo, fried rice with grilled shrimp, and salmon paksiw. Being from Hawaii and familiar with dishes from many Asian countries, we truly and enthusiastically enjoyed these special treats. And, one night, I ignored the main dish I selected from the menu and ate adobo and rice instead.

I know we aren’t the only ones who got this special treatment. But it was nice just the same and we had many enjoyable conversations each evening.

Things that could have been better

Longer times in port

During our seven day cruise, three of those days were primarily at sea. This meant only a few hours at each of the main ports – Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. Other than a bit of shopping or a short excursion, we didn’t have much time to fully explore each port. In Victoria, the mandatory international stop needed to comply with the Jones Act, there was barely 4 hours allotted for anyone interested in visiting the city (and this included time needed to go through immigration/border control).

Less crowded ports

Like Hawaii, I am going to guess that Alaskans have a love/hate relationship with tourists. And given the limited season (roughly May through September), the impact is more noticeable. I would imagine the greater population doesn’t love the influx of cruise day-trippers, but they know their economy can’t survive without them.

When we were in Ketchikan, I kept thinking that it was the Alaska version of Waikiki – a little kitschy, lots of touristy shops, not too much that’s authentically Alaskan. And like Hawaii residents, I would imagine that Alaska residents avoid these “Waikiki-like” areas unless they work there.

In Hawaii we are less dependent on cruise passengers but in Alaska, at any given port there were at least three or four cruise ships docked. These ships dwarf the landside buildings and disgorge thousands of passengers into the waiting ports. Our ship alone carried over 3,500 passengers which means the daily influx could be at least 10,000 people.

Just like Hawaii, Alaska is struggling with how to become less economically reliant on tourism. For my part, I need to figure out how to become a more responsible visitor.

Environmental impact

Along the lines of being a more responsible visitor, I have to wonder about the impact these large cruise ships have on the environment. How is the beauty that I enjoyed from the quiet of my deck maintained by these large vessels? Even if waste is disposed in international waters, several miles away from land, it still has an impact, doesn’t it?

Final thoughts

I am surprised by how much I enjoyed being on a cruise. This is only thanks to the scopolamine patch prescribed by my doctor. Without it, I would have had a miserable seven days.

While we were on one of the larger cruise ships, it didn’t feel as crowded as I expected and we had many enjoyable times with the family.

All in all it was a wonderful vacation and a great time spent with family. We may even consider another cruise in the future …