Alaska's Princess Of The Seas Creates Pleasurable Choices
By Judy Koutsky

It was a hard decision to make while aboard the Island Princess Alaska cruise: view the Misty Fjords in Ketchikan by seaplane or go dog sledding in a musher's camp in the Klondike Gold Rush National Park. I ultimately choose the seaplane ride in Misty Fjords and was treated to amazing views of mountains, lakes and miles upon miles of beautiful green wilderness. In Alaska, there is no shortage of activities to keep one busy—the hard part is narrowing down the choices.

Princess has added 13 new tour options to their Alaska itinerary, bringing the total number of cruise excursions to 137.  The high number of activities can prove quite a challenge for those travelers like me who like to do it all.   Whether flying between trees on a zip line, exploring the waterfront on a Harley Davidson motorcycle, or capturing the perfect photo as a whale surfaces, Princess's Adventures Ashore program offers passengers a large variety of ways to experience the 49th state.  And what a state it is.

Alaska is a land of “mosts.” It is the state with the most land mass in the U.S.; it’s more than twice the size of Texas and takes up 20% of the land in our country. It boasts the tallest mountain in the 50 states --Mt. McKinley--and has 16 of the 20 highest mountains overall in the U.S. It boasts the most glaciers and has the most coastline in the country, with 3 million lakes and thousands of miles of rivers. All of this adds up to a great cruising destination.
 
For me, animal and scenery viewing were of utmost importance, so I chose excursions that would maximize wildlife encounters. In Skagway, I chose the dog sledding and glacier flight seeing, which combined the amazing scenery of the glaciers with the thrill of being pulled by professional Iditarod dogs. I have a slight fear—okay an outright phobia--of dogs, so I figured what better what to combat the fear than being dropped off on a mountain top with 260 barking huskies. The dogs turned out to be extremely friendly and the guides took great pains to get me to interact with them while still making sure I felt comfortable. In Ketchikan I opted for the Misty Fjords wilderness cruise and was pleasantly surprised to see breaching orca whales, a plethora of eagles, a school of dolphins and a great many sea lions lazing around. In Juneau, the Mendenhall Glacier helicopter tour allowed me to step foot on one of the most beautiful of all coastal glaciers. In the helicopter ride to the glacier we spotted bear and Dahl sheep.

Of course cruising is synonymous with food and the Island Princess offers dining options to please just about every palate. There’s the main dining room, which offers a variety of fish, steak and poultry dishes; Trattoria Sabatini, an Italian restaurant guaranteed to make guests forget their diet; the Bayou Café and Steakhouse, a New Orleans-style eatery that serves up gumbo, jambalaya and ribs; and a variety of other pizza, ice cream and buffet options.

In addition to the food and excursions, the onboard activities are well worth exploring. Daily lectures on wildlife, biology and the history of glaciers were conducted by a naturalist and were interesting as well as informative. Additionally, the naturalist was often on the PA system pointing out Orcas, humpbacks, sea otters and seals—all viewable from the ship. The ship also boasts a great spa and gym for those interested in wellness. For those looking for a little intellectual stimulation, there are daily classes on everything from computers to pottery making to wine tastings.

Plus, the fun does not end with the cruise. Princess offers a variety of land tours in Alaska and the Canadian Rockies for those travelers who want to explore the wilderness on firm ground. I choose the “Direct to the Wilderness” rail service and stayed at Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge. The train and lodges afforded amazing views of the surrounding countryside. The excursions at the lodge—including heli-hike where we saw caribou grazing on a mountain top—offered close-up encounters with the state’s pristine wilderness.

While the decision of what to do once in Alaska may prove challenging—I know from experience that there are no shortage of options—the decision to travel to the 49th state is a no-brainer.