I have read a couple articles that say that the travel writing trope about your first cruise should be banned. Before the ban is in effect, I need to offer my submission.
Right before the end of the season, we took the Caribbean Princess seven day Alaskan cruise. Not only was it an excellent way to see Alaska, it eased our hesitation about signing up for future cruises.
All the cruise trepidation that had been built up over the years from other folks was really unwarranted. Once we overcame the realization that we were aboard a floating hotel with shopping mall and resort casino we settled into the vibe of cruising.
What consistently amazed me about the ship was its design and engineering marvel. Some folks wonder how planes fly, I understand most of that physics. But I still wonder how ships of this size float. Its tonnage is 112,894. A crew of 1200 served 3140 guests, across 19 decks.
A few lucky folks get a Captain’s tour of the bridge.
The number of restaurants, bars, lounges, theatres and deck chairs was initially stunning. But that said, the scope of the ship was not overwhelming, unless I was looking up at it from the dock. We settled into our groove and found our favored areas in which to relax during our days at sea.
The variety of food on offer was impressive, and the quality uniformly superb. There were definitely some folks who figured they could amortize the cost of the cruise across as much food as possible. With a bit of scrutiny, one can avoid the overindulgence of food and liquor that was otherwise tempting.
I have no recollection of feeling the menu was redundant. Our favorite restaurant onboard was a toss-up between Sabatini’s and the Reserve Collection. The service from the staff was attentive, whether at the restaurants or the numerous bars. Our stateroom attendant was friendly and extremely helpful getting us settled when we boarded. Throughout our cruise he was attentive to our requests.
The Caribbean Princess is one of the few ships to be licensed for access to Glacier Bay, and our captain navigated us impressively close to that sadly shrinking natural wonder.
The Caribbean dwarfs the Skagway Train, an impressive juxtaposition.
We were able to partake of a few ground excursions, the best of which was the Skagway Train. The small gauge railway took us on a 2.5 hour excursion up the mountains in vintage passenger coaches. We retraced the route of the gold rushers into White Pass Summit, passing Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch. We saw a breathtaking panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels, trestles and historic sites. The conductor pointed out the original Klondike Trail of ‘98 worn into the rocks, a permanent tribute to the thousands of souls who passed this way in search of fortune. Imagining those folks pushing through that terrain was mind boggling.
The inexorable rush of technology undoubtedly has changed cruising very much. Onboard your personal medallion unlocked your stateroom, and it can be used to pay for drinks, dinners and all sorts of upgrades. Taking currency out of the equation no doubt accelerates spending, but perhaps more importantly, allows the cruise operator to see exactly who is spending what and where. Of course, much of that technology around improved Internet access means that if you want to be disconnected on a cruise you truly have to summon the strength to leave your phone in airplane mode.
We will be back.
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