The Alaskan Cruise

We departed from the Smith Grove Cruise Terminal at pier 91. Please note that there is a reasonably long walk from the rideshare pickup/drop-off point. There's always a chance, as was in our case, that multiple cruises will be boarding at once. The result is a little chaos. Note also that cell service is not great within the terminal, where you'll need to show your boarding pass. It's a good idea to pull it up in the app and take screenshots before you enter just in case.

One perk of being a suite guest is priority boarding, which greatly enhances the boarding experience. We were in our suite on Anthem of the Seas within just a few minutes of arrival and attending our safety briefing. We were underway in only a couple of hours.

We took the 'Sea Otters, Raptors and Bears, Oh My' shore excursion while in Sitka. We boarded a boat at the port of Sitka and explored the waterways around that side of the island for about three hours. We spotted a gray whale and calf, sea lions, sea otters and several bald eagles flying at close range. The seating on the boat was enclosed, so we were quite comfortable.

We got off the boat near downtown Sitka and loaded a bus for the next stop - the Fortress of the Bear, an organization that rescues and provides homes for orphaned bear cubs. There, we were able to see the resident brown and black bears up close. The caretakers there answered our questions, provided us with a wealth of information, and gave the bears a treat to bring them even closer.

Back to the bus for the last stop -  Alaska Raptor Center – Rehabilitation. Education. Research. The tour showed us how they bring in injured birds, rehabilitate the ones they can, and provide permanent homes for those they cannot.  There's a nice walking trail that goes behind the outdoor exhibits, which shows the rich rainforest environment on a reasonably easy path.

While on the bus, the driver pointed out many of the local sites, including St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral. Overall, we enjoyed this excursion. We had hoped to see more whales, but, of course, that can't be guaranteed.

Be aware that the cruise port of Sitka is some distance from the town. A free Shuttle Bus is available for cruise passengers, but you'll want to secure tickets in advance of your port date if you're not taking a shore excursion or it does not meet at the port.

After the excursion, it was back to the port and onboard Anthem of the Seas: the next port, Skagway.

After a rather long, bumpy ride in a van, we made it to the Chilkoot trailhead. The hike is stunning, but the path is steep and rocky. After about two miles on the trail, we walked out to the river and boarded the raft. Things to know about this part of the voyage:

• We were given rubber boots in exchange for our hiking shoes, so don't stress over having waterproof shoes.
• It can be warm on the trail and very cold on the river, so be sure to dress in layers to stay comfortable. In fact, do that everywhere in Alaska.
• Our guide did all the rowing, so there's no need to be an experienced kayaker or rafter to take this excursion.

The rafting part of the journey was beautiful, but it was a very windy day, making it very cold on the water. Thankfully, the excursion crew had warm cider and tea waiting as we got out of the raft.

Back to the van and on to Skagway! We encountered a black bear eating dandelions on the way.  We had intended to explore the town, but it was just too windy and cold. The downtown area is quaint and has a lot to offer, so many travelers opted for that rather than a shore excursion.

The port is within comfortable walking distance from the town, so we hoofed it back to Anthem of the Seas.

We reached Juneau early the same afternoon. I watched in wonder as the crew parallel-parked Anthem of the Seas between the seaplane terminal and another cruise ship in port. It was time for our next adventure - a rafting adventure in the lake formed by the melt of Mendenhall glacier.

After leaving Juneau late that evening, there was a full day and a half to reach Victoria, the final port. There were many events on the ship and numerous opportunities for entertainment. We also had 'lobster night' that evening at dinner.

The evening before departure, the crew left luggage tags in each cabin. These tags are placed on the luggage, and the tagged luggage is placed in the hallway for the crew to prepare for departure. We chose to carry our own bags off the ship, as we had a tight connection to the airport. We met the suites concierge for express departure at around 8 AM. Early departure is another perk of being a suites guest, which we highly recommend. It's much more convenient to carry off bags and disembark before the ship gets too crowded.

Note that the rideshare pickup/dropoff area is quite a walk from the ship, so wear your comfortable shoes if that's where you're headed. After an Uber to SEATAC, we were on our way home with some great new memories.