When we cross off a bucket list item, we never know whether to be happy or sad because of the very nature of bucket lists. No matter how bittersweet our reaction, though, we can’t help but be grateful to have the chance to be given so many once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences.
We guess that’s why so many people have furniture full of embroidered “Blessed” pillows and walls covered in distressed wood “YOLO” signs.
As you’ve probably guessed from this foreshadowing-filled intro, last summer we were able to take our husband on an Alaskan adventure courtesy of Princess Cruise Lines. And because it was on a Love Boat, we treated it like the honeymoon we never officially had.
From several options given to us for itineraries, we chose a 7-day Inside Passage roundtrip from Seattle to save on airfare (flying in/out of Alaska airports tends to be quite a bit more expensive).
For our particular voyage, we were lucky enough to be aboard the Discovery Princess, the most recently degbuted Princess Medallion Class ship built from the ground up. It still had that new cruise ship smell we love so much!
Even though we were excited to take this trip, our biggest concern was taking a “mixed crowd” cruise after more than two decades of embarking on gay-only charters where the buffets were merely background decor and children could only be seen if we happened to turn on the TV in the stateroom.
So during the first night onboard, we made it a point to attend the LGBTQ meetup in one of the small theaters. A couple of dozen people gathered over cocktails (a no-risk proposition for those of us with an all-inclusive drink package).
We met several fun gay guys that we hung out with throughout the cruise, so it was totally worth attending.
As for the ship’s many features and amenities themselves, the staterooms were very well laid out, maximizing the small square footage.
We always, always, always recommend getting a balcony room, even if it’s a budgetary splurge. It truly makes for a more enjoyable time and a less claustrophobic experience. We booked an inside cabin once and will never do it again. Besides, with Princess Cruises’ current holiday promotion, you can get a balcony room from $998 a person and a mini-suite (pictured above), from $1198 per person.
Forget the nightly turndown service and food on-demand to our room. It was the dedicated channel showing back-to-back episodes of The Love Boat that became a fun nightly ritual?or an ideal show to have on while getting ready for our next gay happy hour.
The food aboard the Discovery Princess ranks among the best we’ve ever had at sea?and we’re wildly particular about what qualifies as high-end dining. Some food items here and there still don’t live up to what you might find in a regular on-land restaurant, but for the most part, we found things to be spectacular. From late-night pizza slices to champagne and sushi while listening to live music, we never once heard our stomachs growl.
One main restaurant outlier rises above all others, however. The 360: An Extraordinary Dining Experience ranks among the top culinary events of our long and storied travel writing career. The truly immersive, multi-course meal with wine and cocktail pairings amazes from start to finish. It’s totally worth the surcharge splurge. (We dream of the lemon pasta to this day.)
You’ll be talking about this meal long after you’ve licked the last bit of sauce from the dessert plate.
Of course, as many cruises as we’ve taken, the main bucket list portion of this journey was Alaska itself. And we can’t imagine a better way to experience the 49th state in the Union than aboard a Princess Cruises ship. Sampling multiple destinations in a single trip is a major factor in booking a cruise.
Our main Alaska takeaway is that the state brings together the diversely beautiful terrains of both Hawaii and Colorado into one glorious and unique destination. Snow-capped mountains towering above crystal-clear aquamarine seas may be our new favorite sight.
The excursions offered by Princess Cruises brought every bit of Alaskan magic to life with expertly curated experiences that kept permanent smiles on our faces from start to finish.
“We can’t believe we’re here” and “We can’t believe we’re doing this” escaped our lips more than once.
Rather than more professional images provided by the cruise line, we thought we’d share our personal vacation photos to showcase first-hand the legitimacy of Alaska’s WOW factor. Be assured, that’s WOW!!! in all caps, underlined and italicized with three exclamation points.
(Hopefully, this isn’t too much like being forced to watch a distant relative’s vacation photo slide show, but here we go.)
(But not too cold)
Of the excursions we took, we can highly recommend each of the following. We can’t link directly to each excursion specifically, but you should be able to search by the tour name or simply scroll until you find the one we encourage you to try.
Ketchikan
Back Country Jeep & Canoe Safari
Cost: From $235 per person
Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier
Endicott Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer Scenic Cruising
Cost: From $290 per person
Juneau
Local Connections: Dog Sledding & Glacier Adventure By Helicopter Created By Iditarod Musher
Cost: From $750 per person
Skagway
Glacier Point Wilderness Safari
Cost: From $300 per person
Of all the incredible excursions, taking a helicopter to the top of a glacier to dogsled has risen to our Top 3 Travel Experiences of all time. And that’s saying a lot.
All we know now is that we want to update our bucket list.
After all, it’s not cheating to add ?Second Princess Cruise to Alaska,? is it?
Princess Cruise Lines
7-Day Inside Passage (Roundtrip Seattle)
From $548 per person (interior stateroom)
From $998 per person (balcony stateroom)
princess.com
