Dispatch from Donna: Alaska's Majestic Ketchikan, Tracy Arm, Juneau & Skagway

Greetings from Regent Seven Seas Mariner. As Andrea has previously told you, I’m Donna Hull, travel writer and publisher of My Itchy Travel Feet, The Baby Boomer’s Guide to Travel. My husband, Alan, and I are on a 53-day cruise (counting crossing the International Date Line) that will take us from Vancouver to Singapore, with stops in Alaska, Russia, Japan, S. Korea, Hong Kong, China, Viet Nam, Thailand, and Singapore. Along the way, I’ll be gathering port information, as well as impressions about shipboard life, to share with you.

First up? Marvelous, majestic, massive, mind boggling Alaska. Even though I’m well traveled and have seen my share of beautiful sights, I wasn’t prepared for this state’s scenic beauty. On our first morning, Alan and I enjoyed breakfast on the back deck at La Veranda while forested views of the Inside Passage passed before us. Since then, it’s been hard to peel our eyes away from the natural beauty that is constantly parading by, just off the cabin balcony.

Alaska's Gorgeous Inside Passage

In our first port, Ketchikan, the misty, gray morning taught us our first Alaskan lesson—be prepared for changeable weather. And, don’t expect an excursion to be canceled because of rain, which isn’t surprising, considering the 162 inches of precipitation that Ketchikan receives annually.

Since ships dock right in town, shopaholics have no problem walking to the colorful clapboard buildings housing galleries and jewelry stores. Cruise excursions range from bear-watching safaris to zip line adventure to a touristy lumberjack show. Our choice? A floatplane tour of Misty Fjords National Monument. The plane detoured around low-lying clouds, then up one of the monument’s many fjords before briefly landing so that we could experience the quiet solitude of Alaskan wilderness.

As the ship progressed towards Juneau, we were treated to an early morning sail up Tracy Arm, one of Alaska’s ruggedly beautiful fjords. The Observation Lounge was filled to capacity as lecturer, Terry Breen, provided commentary. Good weather allowed the Captain to take Mariner 18 miles up the narrow fjord for spectacular views.

By the time we reached an afternoon docking in the former gold rush town of Juneau, the weather turned foul. Alaska taught us a second lesson—flexibility. Waiting under a covered awning in the port, we were advised that the Helicopter Glacier Walkabout had been cancelled. But, the helicopter flight to Mendenhall Glacier was still available. After boarding a bus, we reached the heliport, donned glacier boots and life vests before learning that it was unsafe to fly.

But, we were rewarded the next day in Skagway. As many passengers stepped aboard the White Pass Railway for the mountain ride to White Pass and back, Alan and I boarded a speedcat. The one-hour covered boat ride to Glacier Point provided views of mountains with hanging glaciers and waterfalls plunging into the water while sea gulls fished for breakfast.

After a school bus ride through the temperate rainforest, the group arrived at a staging area, where we were equipped with rubber boots, waterproof overalls, and jackets. From there, it was a short walk through the forest to the river where we boarded canoes for a journey to the foot of Davidson Glacier. After the group paddled for a while, our guide turned on the motor to the canoe as we passed back and forth through the choppy water in front of the glacier, the wind whipping around us. The wild, exhilarating experience provided one of the most outstanding cruise excursions that Alan and I have ever taken.

That afternoon, Terry Breen offered commentary as Mariner sailed through Taiya Inlet, a deep-water fjord where the mountains plunge straight down into the sea. With a comfortable seat in the Observation Lounge, champagne glass in hand, we watched as majestic mountains slipped by giving us another scenic sail-away.

Stay tuned for next week’s installment when I’ll tell you about our remaining Alaskan ports: Sitka, Hubbard Glacier, Seward, Kodiak, and Dutch Harbor.

—Donna Hull for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

All photos © Alan Hull and Donna Hull.

Follow Donna on Twitter, visit her blog, and return here next week for the next "Dispatch from Donna" as she travels for 53 days aboard Regent's Seven Seas Mariner from Vancouver to Singapore.