Hindsight In 2020 #19: Cruising To Alaska
I’ve always been kind of a homebody. I love being at and close to home. The urge to travel hasn’t ever really come alive within me. That is, until I traveled the farthest away from home I’d ever been.
During the summer of 2016, I got the chance to visit Alaska. My mother-in-law, being the amazing woman that she is, paid for my wife (her daughter) and her son and his wife to all take a seven-day cruise to the forty-ninth state. It was one of the best vacations I have ever experienced.
My wife and I love to cruise. We’ve been on several cruises together during our seven years of marriage and had one planned for this year before COVID-19 reared its ugly head. It is my personal opinion that, for the money, a cruise is the best bang for your buck. For one price you get shelter, food, and fun all in one spot. I’ve told my wife several times when discussing destinations for cruises, I really don’t care where we end up going. I would be perfectly content with cruising out into the middle of the ocean, going in circles for a few days, and then returning home. While on the boat, there’s so much to do.
This was the case on the Ruby Princess.
After a long flight to and an overnight stay in Seattle, everyone in our family boarded the ship. The Ruby Princess was huge. We placed our luggage in the rooms and set out to explore the boat. If you’ve ever been on a cruise ship, you know the feeling.
Wow, I get to stay here for how many days? I don’t have to clean? I can eat whatever I want? Oh yeah.
Not only was the outside of the ship beautiful, but the inside of the cabins, the dining rooms, and even the pool areas were elegant and delightful. Speaking of the pools, not many people were swimming. See, although it was June, it was chilly. Being from South Carolina, June means hot, sweaty, humid weather. But on the northwest side of America, the weather was nice. And we were going to Alaska! It’s cold there.
My wife was three months pregnant with our first child at the time of this adventure. We, well really she, took a lot of naps and took advantage of the all-day, anytime pizza place, Prego’s Pizza. How ironic is that? A pregnant lady eating at Prego’s Pizza.
One night, after a long stint in British Columbia riding in crazy bicycle carriages, my wife, her brother, his wife, and I ran all the way back to the boat in order to make the twelve o’clock closing time for Prego’s Pizza. We were happy to make it before the place shut down for the night; however, we found out that the place stayed open until two AM. But hey, the pregnant lady got her pizza.
The scenery that I saw while on the Alaskan cruise was unlike anything I’d ever seen. While traveling to Alaska, the boat stopped at glaciers and passed amazing mountain ranges, and beautiful blue waters.
Words can’t begin to describe the wonders I saw.
One of the many excursions that we embarked on was a charted king salmon fishing trip. Long story short, the trip was pretty uneventful. The weather and the water were rough, to say the least, and there was only one fish caught during the trip. My wife hooked up with that fish within the first few minutes of the trip. The captain said it was a ‘small one’ and that we’d get a picture with a bigger one.
That was the only fish caught on that trip.
Huge props to my pregnant wife for being a trooper on that boat. As I said, the water was rough and I know she had to be feeling terrible on the water. She didn’t complain once.
My wife and I also took advantage of a raptor excursion. Most people hear the word ‘raptor’ and think of meat-eating dinosaur from Jurassic Park. In reality, a raptor is a bird of prey. During that excursion, my wife and I were able to see eagles, hawks, and owls up close and in person! Here’s one thing most people don’t know, those birds are HUGE! My wife was able to get up close and personal with one of the raptors.
The food was exceptional. I enjoy trying new foods and experiencing different types of cuisine. Each night had a different theme or style of food. They also had a children’s menu if you want something a little more simple. My wife ordered the spaghetti one night and loved it. Not only was the main course most often very tasty, but the desserts were out of this world. Dessert could be found at the dining rooms; and, there were desserts at the buffets, at random places around the ship and all the ice-cream one could engulf. If you went hungry on the boat, it was your own fault!
That cruise was a special vacation. See, that was the last vacation that my wife’s family and I were able to enjoy before being blessed with babies. Please don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. I love my children and wouldn’t trade them for anything in this world. However, a vacation like that won’t happen again for years.
During that Alaskan vacation, we were able to have minimal responsibilities, a considerable amount of free time, and the ability to do anything at the spur of the moment. Individually, we all had the time of our lives. Together, we made memories that we’ll never forget.
I want to give a huge shout out to my mother-in-law. Not only did she fund the entire trip, but she also planned and arranged all the travel details. I hope one day that my wife and I can return the favor by carrying her on another cruise adventure. Thank you Mimi!
After that trip to Alaska, I want to see more of the world. I don’t need to travel to the ends of the earth; however, I want to see some of it. Traveling isn’t just about the destination; it’s about the journey to get there.
Get out and see the world. Enjoy the journey!