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Alaskans cruise Alaska

Why should Outsiders have all the fun? Hop aboard and see your state from a new angle

By Irene Darbyshire / Special to the Daily News

Because of global uncertainties these days, many travelers are sticking closer to home on their vacations. And with prices down for cruising, the cost can be comparable to traveling by state ferry. On a cruise, you don't have the expense of bringing your vehicle aboard, nor do you pay for your meals separately.

The cruise base price includes the cruise, your stateroom, entertainment, all meals and some beverages. Additional expenses may include taxes and port charges; optional insurance; travel to and from the ship at the beginning and end of the cruise; tours; the cost of alcohol, cola or fancy coffee beverages (plus a 15 percent tip); and a $10-per-day charge for tips.

We opted for a seven-day Princess Cruises voyage from Vancouver to Seward along the Inside Passage. (This year, excursions will dock in Whittier.) We flew from Anchorage to Vancouver the day before the sailing date and had time to tour that beautiful city.

We'd recommend arriving the day before cruise departure; some travelers who encountered airline problems did not make the sailing and had to fly to Ketchikan to meet the cruise.

Day 1: From our Vancouver hotel, we walked to the magnificent cruise terminal on Burrard Inlet, turned our luggage over to baggage handlers, and quickly checked in for the cruise with passports and the cruise documents provided by Princess. Next we passed through U.S. immigration from Canada.

As part of the boarding procedure, our identification pictures were taken, and we were furnished with cards to be used each time we exited and boarded the ship. These cards also served as our stateroom keys and charge cards for any items purchased on board. After security, we were shown to our stateroom on the Sun Princess, an elegant ship which carries about 2,000 passengers.

Before departure, we took a guided tour of the ship. Later, passengers met in public rooms (muster stations) with life preservers from their cabins to listen to safety instructions and learn how to don their life vests. (Safety instructions became mandatory for ship passengers after the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.) The muster station, with its hundreds of passengers enrobed in bright orange life vests, provided a great photo opportunity!

Most passengers chose to be on outside decks as our ship left the dock in Vancouver at 5:30 p.m. To the tune of "North to Alaska," we sailed out of Vancouver harbor and under the Lion's Gate Bridge, which connects the city to North Vancouver. The ship's naturalist gave a compelling commentary on the sights of Vancouver as we passed them. A special "sail-away" rum punch was concocted for the occasion, and excitement and anticipation were in the air!

We had chosen traditional seating for the second dinner seating at 8 p.m. and met our fellow dinner companions: an English doctor, an English widow, a Chicago homicide detective, a financial adviser, and a government manager and nurse from the Midwest. Our dining companions proved to be most congenial, and we looked forward to seeing them after our days ashore or onboard.

Princess also offers the alternative of personal choice dining. Passengers can dine in the 24-hour buffet or several other dining venues, or elect to dine between 5:30 and 10 p.m. in the Marquis Dining Room, twin to our Regency Dining Room, which is used for traditional seating at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

After dinner, we listened to the vocal impressions of Tony Cherry, an entertainer who convincingly imitated the legendary greats: Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Tom Jones, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong and Paul Anka, to name a few.