Discover Alaska

               Explore the Unspoiled Nature of the Last Frontier

From action-packed wilderness adventures to extraordinary

sightseeing, a journey to Alaska is an unforgettable experience.

There are three vacation options for experiencing the natural splendor of Alaska: Inside Passage, Northbound or Southbound cruise, and Guided Tours which
can be added to a cruise or completed on their own.

With the completion of our Inside Passage cruise from Seattle on Discovery Princess (May 8-15, 2022) we have now experienced all three options. We'd love to share our experiences with you.

We will start our exploration with our most recent voyage.

Where is Chris - Blue Ice

From spring flowers in bloom to glacier ice, the world is full of beauty which can be explored by cruise ship.  We know that cruising has been suspended for now, but we are confident that the ships will be back.  We hope that our daily posts will give you some inspiration on where you might want to explore once things are back to normal.

If you are looking for new ways to keep your children engaged during self quarantine, we have plenty of materials in our past blog articles.   As a reminder, revisit the previous day's post to reveal the answer to the puzzle.   #KeepTheKidsEngaged

Where is Chris?

Where is Chris (Scroll Over for Answer)    Learn More (Click)

Here is today's post: See if you can guess where I am. 

As promised, we've updated yesterday's post, Where is Chris - Everything in Bloom, with the answer to the puzzle.  Revisit that post and just scroll over the image to reveal the answer.  You can also click on the link below the picture to read more.   We'll update this post tomorrow.

Make sure to follow us on our social media, so you don't miss any destinations. 


If you can't wait for tomorrow for the answer, you can take my quiz in my Instagram story.

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Cruising Amalia Glacier

click images to enlarge

Amalia Glacier

Despite Day 5 being a sea day, we set an alarm for 7 AM.  We were scheduled to arrive at Amalia Glacier around 8 AM depending on conditions.  Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperating - we arrived on time, but it was overcast and raining.  That didn't stop guests from lining the open upper decks to get a glimpse of the glacier and ice flows.  Guests adorned rain gear, warm clothes, umbrellas and captured memories on cameras and other devices.

If you've cruised to Alaska, the experience is very similar.  The ship anchors and does a 360 degree

rotation to allow all passengers the opportunity to see the glacier. We spent about an hour there before continuing our journey toward our next port of call, Punta Arenas. They also had a lifeboat in the water.  We didn't see for sure, but suspect they brought an ice flow back onboard to show guests.  Since it was raining, most of the day, we never went outside to see if they did or not.


Day 5 at Sea

The Horizon Cafe was packed with guests after the glacier viewing.  Nevertheless, I decided this would be a good day to have a made to order omelette.  You tell the chef what you want and he writes up a slip that you give to your waiter once you find a seat.  It was an excellent omelette. 


Scenic Cruising


The Southern Patagonian Ice Field covered the entirety of southern Chile just 10,000 years ago. Today, this region gives way to the awe-inspiring channels and islands that comprise the fjords of southern Chile's Pacific Coast, which extend as far south as Tierra del Fuego and the Strait of Magellan.

While cruising through the sparkling waters of Chile's legendary inlets, you'll be graced by the presence of snow-capped mountain peaks, majestic forests and spectacular blue-tinged glaciers that will take your breath away. The unspoiled scenery is filled with dramatic rock formations and abundant wildlife known for making their homes here, including sea lions, Peale's dolphins and a variety of seabirds that soar amid the splendor.

After breakfast, we headed to the cabin to get a few things (book, laptop, etc.) and headed up to deck 18 aft to SkyWalkers Lounge.  There's plenty of seating with floor to ceiling windows just perfect for viewing the passing scenery without having to contend with the elements which as we mentioned wasn't cooperating. It also was a great place to work on our blog while enjoying the view.

The winds were howling and the seas were covered in white caps as we made our way slowly towards Punta Arenas.  The captain made an announcement that we might not actually be able to get into port tomorrow as the winds were forecast to be 50 knots and the safe operating limit for the port is 35 knots.  This port is the first scheduled destination for seeing penguins, so all we could do was to wait and see what the weather would bring tomorrow.

The scenery we could see reminded us of Norway.  We've cruise thru the fjords there in both summer and winter time.  When we sailed there in winter time, we'd had similar overcast / rainy days.  It is a shame since this would be gorgeous with clear skies.






Related Albums:

Amalia Glacier


Note:  we will be adding to these albums as we continue our journey.

Click on the image to the right for more Blog posts about this trip.

Additional photos can be found on our South America Shutterfly page

View Our Other Shutterfly Share Pages

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  

Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin 
and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

Where have you explored? 

Gather your travel and food pics and join us Wednesday night for the latest installment of #FoodTravelChat 

Happy Canada Day 2015

Canada Day, frequently referred to as "Canada's birthday", commemorates the joining of the British North American colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on July 1, 1867.

Canada Day is very similar to the  July 4th holiday in the United States.  Most communities across the country will host organized celebrations for Canada Day, usually outdoor public events, such as parades, carnivals, festivals, barbecues, air and maritime shows, fireworks, and free musical concerts.

Learn more:  Official Website for Canada Day

We have had the pleasure of visiting several Canadian cities during our cruise vacations.  These included ports of call on multiple Alaskan cruises,  Canada and New England cruises, and even Transatlantic cruises.  One of the highlights was when we extended our Alaskan cruise with a pre-cruise exploration of the Canadian Rockies.

Have you ever ridden on a glacier?  You can while visiting the Columbia Icefield Glacier in the Canadian Rockies. Specially designed vehicles, Massive Brewster Ice Explorers, take passengers on a remarkable excursion onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier.

Have you smelled flowers or gotten up close to thousands of unique flowers in bloom?  You can at one of Canada's botanical gardens such as the fifty acre Butchart Gardens located near Victoria, British Columbia. You'll see stunning floral show gardens and a National Historic Site of Canada.

British Columbia is known for floral gardens.  Minter Gardens, which has since closed, thrilled us with thousands of flowers and gardens.

Would you like to visit a fishing village, have some fresh lobster, or visit a lighthouse?  Nova Scotia has much to offer including the Bay of Fundy and many beaches where you can build sandcastles, fly kites, take a surf lesson, or just walk barefoot in the sand.

For the maritime lover, visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, where you can visit the Titanic ~ The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax, Nova Scotia exhibit and learn about the role the people of Halifax played that fateful day.

Would you like to walk where birds fly and squirrels hang out?  You can in Vancouver, Canada, at Capilano Suspension Bridge and Treetops Adventure.  I'm afraid of bridges, but I had a great time crossing a series of elevated suspension bridges, some reaching as high as 100 feet (30m) above the forest floor.

Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of Vancouver, British Columbia's most popular tourist attractions.  Odds are that unless you extended your cruise vacation in Vancouver, you probably didn't visit this attraction during your cruise vacation.

There is so much to see and do in Canada, I hope that you'll plan a visit in the near future and get to know more about this North American country.   We have only scratched the surface in this article.   There are other Canadian destinations featured in past blog posts and also on our Facebook Fan Page.

To all our Canadian friends .... Happy Canada Day 2015.

Think COLD this Friday

#FriFotos Theme = COLD

It's the middle of winter in North America, so it shouldn't be hard to come up with images depicting "COLD" for the weekly Twitter photo forum #FriFotos.

With all the cold temperatures sweeping the country and heavy snowfall, you may have had your fill of "cold" images.   Nevertheless, we have gone through our archives and have some inspiration for you. This image was made on a day earlier this year (brrrrrr).

(For those that don't know:  #FriFotos is a weekly photo forum by @EpsteinTravels @TravelDesigned @CharlesYap. Theme is revealed every Tuesday 12pm ET.)    Recently, @spencerspellman joined the team as a permanent co-host.  We even had the chance to co-host one week last year.)

Hubbard Glacier

One of our favorite sites during our Alaska cruises was the time spent cruising Hubbard Glacier.  If you've never been to Alaska we'll try to explain the experience.  The ship slowly enters the bay and immediately you start to see chunks of floating ice passing you by.  In the distance you hear the calving of the glacier (if you are fortunate) and see the blue glacial ice.  It is quite the site to see, especially if there is another ship in the bay along with you.

The best vantage point is from your balcony or one of the open decks if you haven't booked a balcony cabin.   We highly recommend a balcony for an Alaska cruise.   You can go inside your cabin and warm up between photos if you want to.

It doesn't matter what side of the ship you are on because the captain will make a 360 degree journey so that everyone has the opportunity to see the glaciers.  Here are a few of our favorite images.  We'll post a few more for the forum as well.
Cruising Hubbard Glacier (click to view photo album on our FB fan page)
(click on the photos for larger view)

Join Us this Friday on #FriFotos

We invite you to go through your photo archives and find some examples of "COLD" to share on #FriFotos this Friday.  If it makes you shiver, and you need to get away to somewhere "WARM", let us know and we can help you with that as well.

If you like Travel & Photography join us each Friday!

Follow #FriFotos on Twitter and Facebook

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc

Stay Warm Everyone .... 

 

Happy Canada Day

Canada Day, frequently referred to as "Canada's birthday", commemorates the joining of the British North American colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on July 1, 1867.

Canada Day is very similar to the  July 4th holiday in the United States.  Most communities across the country will host organized celebrations for Canada Day, usually outdoor public events, such as parades, carnivals, festivals, barbecues, air and maritime shows, fireworks, and free musical concerts.

Learn more:  Official Website for Canada Day

We have had the pleasure of visiting several Canadian cities during our cruise vacations.  These included ports of call on multiple Alaskan cruises,  Canada and New England cruises, and even Transatlantic cruises.  One of the highlights was when we extended our Alaskan cruise with a pre-cruise exploration of the Canadian Rockies.

Have you ever ridden on a glacier?  You can while visiting the Columbia Icefield Glacier in the Canadian Rockies. Specially designed vehicles, Massive Brewster Ice Explorers, take passengers on a remarkable excursion onto the surface of the Athabasca Glacier.

Have you smelled flowers or gotten up close to thousands of unique flowers in bloom?  You can at one of Canada's botanical gardens such as the fifty acre Butchart Gardens located near Victoria, British Columbia. You'll see stunning floral show gardens and a National Historic Site of Canada.

British Columbia is known for floral gardens.  Minter Gardens ever evolving landscape will thrill you in spring, summer or fall with thousands of flowers and gardens.

Would you like to visit a fishing village, have some fresh lobster, or visit a lighthouse?  Nova Scotia has much to offer including the Bay of Fundy and many beaches where you can build sandcastles, fly kites, take a surf lesson, or just walk barefoot in the sand.

For the maritime lover, visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, where you can visit the Titanic ~ The Unsinkable Ship and Halifax, Nova Scotia exhibit and learn about the role the people of Halifax played that fateful day.

Would you like to walk where birds fly and squirrels hang out?  You can in Vancouver, Canada, at Capilano Suspension Bridge and Treetops Adventure.  I'm afraid of bridges, but I had a great time crossing a series of elevated suspension bridges, some reaching as high as 100 feet (30m) above the forest floor.

Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of Vancouver, British Columbia's most popular tourist attractions.  Odds are that unless you extended your cruise vacation in Vancouver, you probably didn't visit this attraction during your cruise vacation.

There is so much to see and do in Canada, I hope that you'll plan a visit in the near future and get to know more about this North American country.   We have only scratched the surface in this article.   There are other Canadian destinations featured in past blog posts and also on our Facebook Fan Page.

To all our Canadian friends .... Happy Canada Day 2011.

Princess Ships Spotlight Alaska Culture for 50th Anniversary

Princess Ships Spotlight Alaska Culture This Summer for State’s 50th Anniversary Year

Passengers Will Experience Local Flavor Right Onboard with Alaska Cuisine, Guest Experts,
Cultural Presentations and Special Children’s Programs

Princess Cruises begins their Alaska Season this weekend offering passengers more local tastes and culture onboard than ever before, giving them a rich “Great Land” experience not only on land, but also while at sea.

Princess’ 2009 Alaska season begins May 9 and runs through September 14, featuring a total of 130 sailings aboard Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Coral Princess, and Island Princess traveling on the line’s signature Gulf of Alaska sailings; Golden Princess, Star Princess and Sea Princess sailing the Inside Passage routes from Seattle and San Francisco and Pacific Princess offering the line’s small ship experience on 14-day Connoisseur voyages to some of the state’s less-visited ports.

“Alaska’s 50th anniversary year is the perfect time to celebrate the wonders of this magnificent state,” said Jan Swartz, Princess executive vice president. “And this summer, especially, our passengers will enjoy a multi-faceted shipboard program to immerse them in the flavors, culture, history and natural wonders of Alaska throughout their cruise.”

The Princess Onboard Alaska Program:

Sanctuary Glacier Viewing Experience - Aboard Golden Princess, Star Princess and Island Princess, The Sanctuary will become a prime location for glacier viewing of the unforgettable Glacier Bay or Tracy Arm. It will offer passengers a variety of ammenities to make their viewing comfortable. It will be educational as Park Rangers and Naturalists will be on hand to provide commentary to Sancturary guests. A variety of special food and beverage offerings will also be avaialable.

Tastes of Alaska – Passengers can experience the flavors of Alaska with a number of special opportunities. Food dishes that reflect the state’s culinary delights, featuring fresh local fish, savory meats, and an assortment of seafood specialties will be served throughout the Alaska fleet. Some of the highlights include:

• Glacier Bay Champagne Breakfast
• Glacier Bay Gala Buffet
• Alaskan Dinner
• On Deck Fish Barbecue
• Reindeer Chili & Rockfish Chowder Cook-off
• Warm up on Deck
• Alaskan Beers/Hot Toddy
• Chef's Table
• Culinary Demonstrations

Local Experts – Passengers can learn about many aspects of life in Alaska and the state’s natural wonders from a variety of special guests onboard:

• Iditarod Champion Libby Riddles: Sled Dogs and Adventure
• Alaska Naturalists
• Park Ranger Programs in Glacier Bay
• USDA Forest Service Partnership – Ketchikan/Misty Fjords

Award-winning video presentations – Passengers can learn more about the wonders of Alaska from the comfort of their own stateroom, with these specially produced videos, including a series of Telly Award-winning port videos.

• “The Heart of Alaska”
• Glacier Bay Videos
• Alaska Port Presentations

Alaska Youth Program – Special programs especially for younger cruisers will give them an appreciation for the wonders of the state’s wildlife, people and natural beauty

• Glacier Bay Junior Ranger/Teen Explorer
• Ketchikan/Tongass National Forest

Alaska Mementos – Princess ships offer a number of opportunities for souvenirs and unique Alaska gifts

• Alaska’s 50th Anniversary Statehood Commemorative Souvenirs
• Art Auctions to Feature Alaskan Wildlife
• Exclusive Cruise Companion Book/Map and Video
• Gold Rush Marketplace

There are a limited supply of cabins still avaialable for the remainder of the Alaska Season. If you are interested in celebrating Alaska's 50th Anniversay of Statehood, I suggest you contact me very soon. This will be one of your most memorable cruise vacations ever, so don't let it pass you by.