North to Alaska! On a Celebrity Infinity Cruise

North to Alaska! The sagas of the gold rush, grizzly bears and Diamond Lil have always captured the heart of Americans, and increasingly, Europeans are flying to Vancouver to pick up a ship to cruise to the last frontier.

It is a great trip, as popular a destination as the Caribbean or Mediterranean, and up there in Alaska you’ll meet people who are, well, different.

For example, Juneau, the state capital, has a bar called the Red Dog. This joint, with sawdust on the floor and the handgun that Wyatt Earp left behind because he got a little forgetful after a late night and had to catch a steamer before the bar reopened, is mobbed every time a ship comes in.

When five ships are in, it’s insane.

So, I was there when a young couple from Brussels ordered two glasses of chardonnay. A moment later the husband fought his way back to the bar, saying, “This wine is disgusting.”

Barman, “Yes sir, it is cheap shit.”

The moral of the story, is, and this applies anywhere in the world, if your experience on shore is not totally uplifting, then there’s always the ship, and it never fails to please.

In our case we were on the Infinity of Celebrity Cruises, which was so perfect as a floating resort that our chambermaid almost had to throw us out of the cabin. “Please,” she pleaded, “I have to do some cleaning here. Go see the bears or something.”

The thing was, we were jetlagged with the nine-hour time difference from Europe, and a cruise is a very nice way to slowly regain your equilibrium. And no, a ship the size of Infinity does not make you seasick. At 91,000 tons it is twice the size of the Titanic, and has a better safety record into the bargain.

The cabins would not disappoint honeymooners, and on the Infinity most have private balconies. But then again savvy travellers know that Celebrity is a cut above the average cruise ship, with the restaurants being where you’ll also see a difference.

We ate well, and if the menu did not inspire, the galley could produce a favourite dish on request. Only once did I buck the system, and that was to ask for Cherries Jubilee. “Coming up, sir!” was the response. The next night my waiter had Cherries Jubilee on the back burner, as it were, in case I had a dessert whim.

If it’s a steak you want, the ship goes through 10,000 kilos of beef a week. There’s also 1,000 kilos of lobster and 3,400 bottles of wine. Add to that 7,000 kilos of fish and crab on board, but this being Alaska, we dined out. Yes, there was more to our outing in Juneau than the Red Dog.

We had planned to take a floatplane excursion to Taku Glacier Lodge, but the low cloud kept the planes from flying. However I had done that before and can relate it is a great trip – flying over glaciers and landing beside a traditional lodge for a salmon barbeque. A bear used to come by later and clean off the grill, and then romp with the lodge dog, a black Labrador, but by now the bear has probably eaten the dog.

Some passengers did whale watching, gold panning, bike riding, took a nature walk, went dog-sledding and tried their hand at fishing. We went for lunch, finding a cozy place all of 100 metres from the ship that served Alaska king crab so fresh it must have jumped straight out of the sea.

Other ports of call were Ketchikan, where we went to a magnificent museum of totem poles, a rare collection of mighty cedar trees beautifully carved by coastal Indians of long ago. Others saw a lumberjack show, went kayaking, took a back country jet boat adventure, went snorkelling, visited a wildlife sanctuary and tried the fishing. Never a dull moment.

At Sitka the ship had another full programme of shore excursions but we chartered a boat from a local we met on the dock. His name was Dan and he said he worked to support his boat problem.

With Dan we saw whales and dolphins so close you could almost reach out and touch them, while the highlight was meeting a little fellow swimming on his back – a sea otter, who smiled (I swear he did) as we made a few passes just off the Sitka waterfront.

Finally, to the serene Hubbard Glacier, a wall of ice and a stunning spectacle.  

The Alaskan scenery is dramatic, particularly along the coast with forests reaching to the sea, where whales are plentiful and you might spot a bear. You can do “add-on” excursions inland but be warned it’s mostly about wilderness, which can be repetitive.

The ship makes a wonderful viewing platform, and having a private balcony means you are less likely to miss anything.

A week, Vancouver roundtrip, is perfect, and when you get back to Vancouver your jetlag will have gone. So, stick around!

Beware, some Alaska cruises now depart from Seattle. Insist on a Vancouver sailing.

 * Now read "Vancouver, and beyond, is just as much fun."

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