Alaska always had that mystical appeal in my eyes. I had often dreamed of its awe-inspiring landscapes and formidable fauna. After spending most of my adult life sitting on school benches with my nose in my books, I finally got to plan my first “adult” vacation and my heart was dead set on visiting the Final Frontier. I was only recently introduced to the wonderful cruising world, yet, exploring the 49th state by sea seemed like the obvious choice... read more

Cruising Norwegian Encore in Alaska is as much about the places you visit as the things your see passing by your verandah. Sipping hot coffee and watching wildlife pass by one day and exploring old mining towns or taking mountain hikes the next - there is so much to see. On our seven night cruise, we start by departing Seattle and sailing through Alaska's Inside Passage toward Juneau and then Skagway... read more

Packing tips are a hot topic among cruisers, but how you unpack once you're in your in cabin isn’t often discussed.  What is discussed a fair amount is what happens if you get back to the port late and miss your cruise ship.  Those two things, however, can be quite related... read more

I book a lot of cruises, but there is a method to what I pick.  Whether I am cruising for a quick getaway, a special trip to see new places with my spouse, a fun time away with friends, or any other reason, there are a few things, beyond the more obvious criteria, that I check on and consider almost every time, and you might want to as well. read more