Creature Feature: When the Animals Steal the Show

What could possibly rival people-watching on a cruise? Checking out our other fellow creatures—the animals. And there are creatures from north to south, just waiting to perform for our cameras.

The Alaska ports have their kayaking, glacier-viewing and craft crawling. Down in the Caribbean, there’s parasailing, snorkeling and jewelry shopping. But sometimes, it’s the wildlife that steals the show. 

Here, for your amusement, are some featured creatures from our past cruises:

How much is that doggie in the window? (Old San Juan)

You’re not getting my catch! (George Town, Grand Cayman)

Hey, where’s my dressing? (Wilhelmina Park, Oranjestad, Aruba)

The sea was too salty for these gulls (Princess Cays)

 

Getting the eagle eye (Ketchikan, Alaska)



Blue Ice vs. Blue Water—is an Alaskan Cruise for You?

Say after a slew of cruises to the Caribbean, you’ve done and seen it all. When you pull into port, you hardly ever leave the ship any more. Little by little, the prospect of Alaska is creeping up on you. But you can’t quite get yourself to book one.

We know. We were there.

Then we took the plunge. It was a singular experience. Do it. You won’t regret it.

There were a number of surprises, however, that you might want to know about, so if you do take the plunge, you’ll know what to expect:

Same but different. Is there anything the same about a Caribbean cruise and an Alaskan one? Well, for starters, of course, they’re both cruises. And often the same ships, since the cruise lines scramble their vessels. While both vacations revolve around the water, though, one of them you won’t be swimming in.

The show is outdoors. Alaska is all about the scenery, and what scenery it is! Glaciers in blue hue, floating ice, wildlife, snow-topped mountains, misty fjords, along with a spooky, unworldly silence. You’ll fill your suitcases with binoculars and cameras, instead of sunscreen and sun hats. In fact, with all there is to see outdoors, you’ll find yourself using a lot less of the ship.

Blue spires of ice in Glacier Bay



The remote and ghostly Inside Passage


The short story. Unless you go in the summer and luck out with a warm spell, you can forget about shorts and flip-flops. We went over Memorial Day and the temps in the towns peaked in the 60s. Glacier Bay was a toasty 48. And what they tell you about the weather? Be wary and be ready for anything. Particularly rain.

Dressing down. The dress overall on an Alaskan cruise is more informal. After seeing jeans in the Main Dining Room at dinner, I did it too.

Learning instead of lounging. Caribbean cruises are big on party vibe, calypso around the pool and soaking in the sun. Alaskan cruises are about learning—the environment, wildlife and culture—so expect talks and presentations. Our Princess trip featured a fabulous naturalist, who narrated our journey through Glacier Bay, and a female winner of the famously grueling Iditarod dog-sled race.

Wild thing. While the iguanas on the rocks in St. Thomas’ Crown Bay or Aruba’s Wilhelmina Park will entertain you in the Caribbean, in Alaska, your eyes will be glued to the sea and sky, scanning for breaching whales and eagles in flight. Be forewarned—you might see them—and then you might not. We saw several whales, but from very far away and then only a glimpse of tail.

The cruise ships come to town; downtown Skagway in May



Frontier facades dwarfed by Juneau's backdrop

Part frontier, part Russia, always gorgeous. You’ll want to get off the ship in these stops—Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. These frontier-style towns with their Russian influence, surrounded by snowy mountains, are a scene right out of Disney. Each has its own interesting history and personality. Take Ketchikan—the city that always rains. There are totem poles everywhere, salmon is sold in nearly every shop—from smoked and sliced, to frozen and jerked—and souvenirs are cheap and fun.

Fishing for salmon in Ketchikan

Crafts not by way of China. Unlike the Caribbean, Alaska is where you’ll find real crafts, but the cost can be dear. Stores are filled with all types of Eskimo and local art, from small scrimshaw items to take-home totems that can cost up to the thousands. But if you just want some trinkets to remind you of your trip, you can load up on them for almost nothing in Ketchikan’s Tongass Trading Co. Think dolls in Eskimo clothing, moose magnets and totem ornaments for your Christmas tree.

Moose and more...

...and take-home totems from the Ketchikan shops

If after all this, you’re still missing the Caribbean, believe it or not, you don’t have to look far for a Diamonds International. Try Juneau. Or Skagway. Or Ketchikan.

Still on the fence? Here’s a thought: if you’ve been shunning the blue water during hurricane season, hurricane season is actually the in-season for seeing the blue ice. Go. Enjoy. 

For more postings on Alaska, see Cruising Alaska 101 and Quaint and Quirky: Alaska’s Cruise Ports.

Musing’s Top Tip: For obvious reasons, the cruising season is short in Alaska—late spring to early fall. What part of this timeframe you choose has its upsides and downsides, so do plenty of research to make sure you get the trip you’ve always wanted.



Quaint and Quirky: Alaska’s Cruise Ports

The natural beauty, of course, is the real star of Alaska. Snowy mountains everywhere you look. Glaciers that are really that blue. Waterways littered with ice in late May. Soaring eagles, breaching whales. Desolate, pristine, untouched loveliness.

But the ports are a hoot, too.

They’re quaint and quirky, as only they can be in a state that refers to the rest of us as the “Lower 48.”

And you’re never far from that overwhelming beauty—as you will see from the towns’ settings. We enjoyed them immensely and know you will too. Here, as briefly as possible, are my highlights of the ports of Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan—all easily walkable from the piers:

Juneau—If you’ve been to San Francisco, you’ll understand when I say a few minutes walking

Juneau, Alaska's capital

through the streets of the Juneau will reacquaint you with your calf muscles. On one of those hills is the unassuming St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church that, with its small onion dome, looks strangely out of place. You can find other reminders of Alaska’s Russian past in the shops, with their array of nesting dolls. For those of us not planning a trip to Russia anytime soon, they make fun and different souvenirs.

 
The state capital is small and we saw it all before lunch. We then grabbed an inexpensive bus (the vendors lined up along the pier) to

The icy waters of Mendenhall Glacier

Mendenhall Glacier, only 12 miles away. You get great views of the glacier in the park, which provides several vantage points.

Skagway—This is a literally a town made for tourists. There are only 950 or so full-time residents, one school, one AM and one FM radio station, and a post office that closes for lunch. But when the cruise ships are in town, the population swells to more than triple its usual size.

Skagway: Ft. Lauderdale of the North?

With its frontier-style buildings, some dating back to the Gold Rush days, Skagway was the most charming of the three ports. At the turn-of-the-century Red Onion saloon, it’s not hard to picture down-on-their-luck miners dulling the pain with camaraderie, drink and women more than happy to take their last dime.
 
Here’s a funky piece of Skagway trivia from the Golden Princess’ Princess Patter: because Skagway is in one of the driest (as in less rain) parts of Alaska, it attracts college students on spring break and has become known as the “Ft. Lauderdale of the North.” Not sure about that comparison, when late springtime temps in Skagway barely make it out of the 50s!

Ketchikan—Just shopping alone can keep you busy the whole time you’re here. Whether you’re after pricey Eskimo art or cheap trip mementos, you’ll have plenty of choice. And if you like salmon, you’ll be in seventh heaven in Ketchikan, the self-described “Salmon Capital of the World.”

Scenes, spots and shops of colorful Ketchikan

Beginning in June, fish traveling up the Salmon Ladder for spawning becomes a tourist attraction. We were there too early for this show, but got our fill of the fish, tasting our way through the shops selling it canned, smoked, spiced or petrified.
 
One of the many areas where you’ll find the salmon shops is Creek Street, the town’s old red light district. Today it’s a cluster of cutesy shops built on wood pilings over a clear, rustic rushing brook.
 
Then there are the totem poles—on the streets, in the parks, in front of shops and inside them.

You can bring one home to sit on your desk or to fill an entire corner of your living room. They’re colorful, intriguing and expensive.

Alas, you’re likely to see all this fun stuff from beneath the rim of an umbrella. Ketchikan gets an average of 153 inches of rain a year. Which explains, said the Golden Princess’ Juneau-born cruise director, why “in Alaska, we don’t tan, we rust.”