The Alaska Experience

Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2011

Get in touch with the real Alaska with a variety of entertaining and educational experiences on board and ashore. These are just some of the many options geared specifically to Alaskan culture, cuisine and nature to enjoy during your cruise.

Culinary

• Culinary demonstrations featuring typical Alaskan dishes are featured on most ships. Many have dedicated culinary centres where you can cook side by side with the chefs while big screens display the process close up so the audience doesn't miss a thing.
• Alaskan dishes are on the menus designed by the cruise line's celebrity chef.
• Culinary and wine experts give classes and demonstrations on board Seven Seas Navigator's Food and Wine theme cruise: 14 nights, May 26, 2010, San Francisco to Vancouver via Alaska.
• The Wild Alaska Culinary Extravaganza at Icy Strait Point is an example of the culinary excursions found in many ports. Learn how to prepare and cook local seafood, including salmon, halibut and Dungeness crab then enjoy a feast.

For the Kids

• Park rangers bring Glacier Bay and the Alaska wilderness to life for kids and teens in Princess Cruises' Junior Ranger and Teen Explorer programs.
• Kids and teens explore Alaska in a meaningful and enriching way with the Club Mariner Youth Program aboard Seven Seas Navigator.

Lectures and Commentary

• In Glacier Bay and at Hubbard Glacier, park rangers will come on board to give an informative narration during your visit to the tide water glaciers.
• Attend lectures and slide shows given by the on board naturalist or historian throughout your cruise.
• The on board naturalist may also give a commentary at important parts of your voyage. Two popular places are when passing a sea lion colony or traversing the Grenville Channel, the narrowest part of the Inside Passage.

Local Entertainment

• Check the daily program to see if local entertainers are coming on board. Libby Riddles, the 1985 Iditarod sled dog race champion and first woman ever to win the famous Anchorage to Nome trek, has been visiting the ships of Princess Cruises for the past nine years.
• Russian dancers from Sitka and gold rush entertainers from Skagway may also entertain you.

Shore Excursions

• Well informed guides teach you about Alaska on shore excursions from your ship. There's a wide range of excursions which immerse you in the culture and history of Alaska. Check these out at your cruise line web site where you'll find descriptions and details and you can book ahead of sailing.
• With Holland America Line's Cruise With Purpose you'll have a chance to be a research biologist in the wilds of Alaska. This exclusive wildlife and research tour from Juneau is offered in conjunction with Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program and the Marine Conservation Alliance.

Alaskan Cuisine

Posted on Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Alaskan Cuisine

Alaska's delectable cuisine depends on local produce, meat and fish.

• Try Valdez Moose Stew, Roast Caribou, Dungeness Crab and Shrimp Cakes and a wide range of recipes using oysters, salmon and halibut.
• One good Alaskan feast is Wild Salmon grilled on an open fire served with salads and rice which you'll find offered at Salmon Bakes around the state.
• Berries are very popular for jams, jellies and cooking with meat and fish. Wild Salmonberries, Lingonberries, Blackberries, Rhubarb, High Bush Cranberries and Black and Red Currants are just some of the 50 species of wild fruit that grow here.
• Be sure to try some Alaskan sourdough bread, made famous during the Gold Rush.

Alaska certainly offers a wide range of exciting things to see and do. It's unique in the world, an amazing and wild place which should be experienced at least once in a lifetime.

Hiking in Alaska

Posted on Thursday, December 16, 2010

Hiking is an excellent way to experience Alaska. Well marked trails are found near towns and guided hikes by park rangers or private companies are easily found. Excursions from cruise ships escort you from your ship to the hiking area and back.

• Juneau provides some of the most easily accessible hiking trails.
  • In town, go to the top of Mt. Roberts by tramway to find the nature centre and several well marked trails with spectacular views.
  • Hop the shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier. There are numerous walks in the area and park rangers offer guided hikes daily at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the summer.
  • Guiding companies and cruise ship excursions can take you to Douglas Island for a walk through the forest to the beach. (The bird watching is excellent here.)
• Denali Park has a series of trails near the park entrance. Ranger led Discovery Hikes provide an excellent introduction to Denali. (Sign up at the Visitor Center.) On these 3 to 4 hour hikes in the backcountry wilderness, expect uneven terrain and small stream crossings.
• An area very popular with serious hikers, is The Wrangell St. Elias National Park, the largest National Park in the U.S. which includes 9 of the 16 highest peaks in the United States. Rugged and natural, this park offers backpackers a challenging experience in the backcountry. Contact the Park Service for a list of licensed guides.

Wildlife Viewing in Alaska

Posted on Friday, December 03, 2010

There are many ways to view wildlife in Alaska, but don't expect bears and moose at every turn. It is a matter of timing whether or not you'll be in the right place at the right time.

• Black bears are frequently seen around Juneau. You might be lucky enough to spot one near Mendenhall glacier where there is a salmon stream or in town on of Mt. Roberts as you go up the tramway. (With the addition of bear proof garbage cans in town, sightings on the downtown streets have been reduced.)
• Excursions to view bears generally take you to salmon streams where you observe them feeding.
• Bear and Mountain Goats are often seen on flightseeing tours as they feed and roam in the mountains.
• When cruising the fjords, you may see brown bear on the meadows around streams.
• Eagle sightings are frequent even in town where they are attracted to fish canneries. At Sitka there is a Raptor Rehabilitation Centre where you can see eagles, owls, hawks and other birds close up as they recover from injury for their return to the wild.
• Keep an eye out for Mountain Goats which precariously manoeuvre the steep mountain sides and moose which may suddenly appear at the road side.
• The area between Juneau and Hoonah (Icy Strait Point) is the best for observing whales, Steller sea lions, Dall porpoise and harbor seals on excursions by catamaran.
• You may see whales from your cruise ship so be alert as you look out to sea. The onboard naturalist should make an announcement of any sightings.
• The Kenai Peninsula is one of the best places to see Caribou in the wild.
• Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary near Ketchikan is a safe way to learn about the forest and its wildlife. See reindeer (domestic Caribou), a salmon hatchery and eagles, bears, seals and shorebirds during spawning season.

10 Exciting Places to Visit in Alaska

Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2010

1.  Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum in Anchorage

2.  Alaska Zoo in Anchorage

3.  Anchorage Museum of History & Art in Anchorage

4.  Elmendorf State Hatchery in Anchorage

5.  H20asis Indoor Waterpark in Anchorage

6.  The Imaginarium in Anchorage

7.  Juneau Trolley Car Company in Juneau

8.  Mount Robert Tramway in Juneau

9.  Pioneer Park in Fairbanks

10.  St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church in Juneau