Wildlife Along The Way On A Cruise in Alaska

Birds and marine animals are the wildlife du jour for a cruise in Alaska.

I have to admit I'm the sort who won't even go to the zoo, so wildlife is not the biggest draw for me in Alaska. I don't have many pictures of wildlife from our cruise.

Thankfully, a recent cruiser does. Many thanks to my friend (and client), Pat, for her great pictures. These shots were take on a southbound Voyage of the Glaciers cruise in September 2009.

Princess has a naturalist on board all Alaska cruises to discuss the marine life and animals native to the Alaska coast. The narrative can be heard over the ship's closed circuit TV system so you can listen in your stateroom as you read or relax on your balcony watching Alaska go by.

Then you hear the call . . . whales (or eagles or some other creatures) have been spotted about a mile ahead on the starboard and you're off with your binoculars and camera.

These seals and sea lions enjoy a sand bar as the tide comes in.

Photography can be challenging as objects are sometimes moving and underwater. This Dall Porpoise is along side the ship in Vancouver harbor. The Dall Porpoise has coloration similar to an Orca and can be found in the northern Pacific Ocean. Along the North American coast Dalls can be found from southern California to the Bering Sea.

There's something for everyone on a Princess cruise. And to make it easier for you to get there, Princess just announced promotions offering balcony staterooms at oceanview prices! Princess is also offering Denali On Sale with savings of up to 50% on select Alaska Cruisetours.

Now is the time to book your Alaska dream vacation.

We Never Stop Learning

Last week I finished my Alaska Expert training with Princess Cruises just in time for our two back-to-back Cruise Week Sales. Cruise Week is definitely the time to book a fantastic balcony stateroom on a Princess cruise. Deposits are reduced to $100 per person and each stateroom receives a Shipwide Savings Coupon Booklet worth up to $325 in savings on shipboard products and services.

So why do people cruise in Alaska?

The number one reason is to see glaciers. Coming in a close second and third are to see mountains and wildlife. Princess cruise itineraries are designed for you to see all of these.

These pictures are from the Star Princess on an Inside Passage cruise in May 2008. The highlight of the trip for us was cruising in Tracy Arm. Our ship cruised to this point in the channel and proceeded to turn around affording us a great view of the glacier. Of course, I was busy watching to see if we were going to hit the rock walls on either side!

In addition to glacier cruising, Princess Inside Passage cruises port at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Victoria, BC.

The mountainous terrain along the Inside Passage makes this part of Alaska accessible only by water or air. The picture of our ship at the dock in Skagway helps you see the size of these mountains. The Star Princess is 951 feel long and carries 2600-passengers. We seemed inconspicuous compared to the land and water around us.

Alaska is one of those places that helps you understand the meaning of the word awesome.

I haven't even gotten into the third reason for going to Alaska--wildlife. Over the next few days I'll share more Alaska cruise and cruisetour pictures and information. Please stay tuned.

7-Day Inside Passage cruises sail round-trip out of Seattle. The very popular 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruises depart out of Vancouver for northbound cruises or Whittier (outside Anchorage) for southbound cruises.

Now is the time to book an Alaska cruise! Email me today. tripstravels@busceme.com

Sunny Weather Gets Me Thinking About Epcot Flower & Garden Festival

The sun is finally out in San Antonio and the temperatures are in the 70s. This kind of weather gets me thinking about the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World (Florida). Disney horticulturists and imagineers transform the park with flowers, character topiaries, and lots of color.

Now is the time to plan your get-away to the 2010 Flower & Garden Festival while Disney is offering a GIFT CARD valued up to $750 with each Magic Your Way booking. Rooms on this special are limited and the amount of your gift card depends on the resort booked. Contact me now for more info!

Here We Go

Well, I'm finally stepping out there and creating a blog. My kids have been telling me for years our "On The Road" saga on www.tripstravels.com is really a picture blog. Being older and stuck in my ways, I've resisted change. It's a new year, a new decade, and time for a new way!

John and I were literally "on the road" for 5 years exploring the US. BOB (big ole bus) was our home as we visited places we'd only read about or seen on TV. The US is a big, beautiful country populated by many amazing people. We've made wonderful friends along the way.

This is BOB ---------------------->

One thing you can count on in life is things are always changing. We've sold BOB and built a house. (In RV speak we're back on a fixed foundation.) Allen Stanford and Stanford Financial Group walked away with a BIG chunk of our retirement so we're back to work. Unfortunately, the house is in San Antonio and the work is in Baton Rouge. Hopefully we'll get back to being retired some day soon.

If you feel the need for some armchair traveling, please visit the website.

www.tripstravels.com -- Click the "On The Road" icon

And if you're ready for travel in real time let me know. I'd be happy to help you discover new people and places along the way . . .