The Wonder of Alaska

Summer is over, and fall is upon us, yet my mind constantly wanders back to the incredible week I spent cruising the Inside Passage of Alaska.

Before the pictures and videos on my phone are uploaded to “the cloud” and become distant memories only to be posted on #ThrowbackThursday, my next few blog entries will share some of the beauty I encountered at each port of call on our Disney Cruise.

Day One – Vancouver

The Disney Wonder begins its journey to Alaska at the Port of Vancouver. Unlike Port Canaveral or the Port of Galveston, the Port of Vancouver is surrounded by snow capped mountains dotted with lighthouses and green trees. When we sail the Caribbean itinerary, there’s not much to see except open water when the ship leaves the port. We usually head to our stateroom and start to unpack. On this cruise, however, I stayed outside because I didn’t want to miss the beautiful scenery as we sailed away from the port.

Day Two – At Sea

Our first full day on the Disney Wonder was spent sailing down the West Coast of British Columbia.

Day Three – Endicott Arm

The next day, the first “port” was actually a slow journey through beautiful Endicott Arm. Our original itinerary listed Tracy Arm as the first port, but if the captain and the powers that be determine that it is too icy to sail through, the ship takes this alternate route. Even with this change, we were still awed by the beauty that surrounded us.

The color of the water began to turn from the usual ocean blue to a stunning turquoise, and we knew that we were getting closer to Dawes Glacier.

The closer the ship got to Dawes Glacier, the colder it became. I started the day with a sweater, jeans and a sleeveless thermal vest. As the pieces of ice in the water became larger, I donned a hat, scarf, gloves and a coat for extra warmth. If you happen to be unprepared for the colder temperatures that sneak up on you, Disney Cruise Line Cast Members stroll the deck of the ship handing out blankets to guests.

DCL thinks of everything!

Dawes Glacier was stunning. From my place on the deck of the Disney Wonder, I had the opportunity to witness a piece of the glacier sliding off of into the fjord.

At the end of each day, our conversations revolved around the wonder of it all.

(Pun kinda intended.)

Each Eastern/Western Caribbean cruise I experienced with DCL was special in its own way, and there were unique memories associated with each one. This cruise was different. The difference was the display of nature in its untouched state. It was marvelous to see, and even more astounding to have the privilege of seeing it with my loved ones.

It was my intention to fit the whole week of my journey into one post, but it doesn’t do justice to my experience or the way I want you, the reader, to see the beauty of the 49th state. It also struck me how much we did in the first three days of our cruise, and that’s without including the activities we enjoyed inside the ship.

NEXT: Visit Skagway with me in The Wonder of Alaska: Part 2.