Alaska is a destination where the wilderness feels endless and adventure never stops. cruising the ‘inside passage’ on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship offers front-row seats to the untamed beauty of America’s 49th state. From blue-hued glaciers and once-in-a-lifetime wildlife spotting to gold-rush history, each port brings a new encounter with ‘the last frontier’.
By Iga Motylska
Alaska is a land of vast, open spaces, where the wilderness seems endless, and adventure has no bounds. It’s called ‘The Last Frontier,’ and standing on the deck of a Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) ship, breathing in the crisp spring air and gazing at Hubbard Glacier, I understand why. Nothing could prepare me for the sheer size and scale of seeing North America’s largest tidewater glacier.
The ship turns in a 360-degree revolution, giving every passenger a view of the great wall of ice before us. The smart ones sit inside their heated balcony cabins or with their faces pressed against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Atrium Lounge. I layer up against the cold and brave the elements to stare at this awe-inspiring glacier head-on as it stretches 10 kilometres wide. I am taken aback by its vivid blue hue. Over the ship’s intercom, the captain narrates that its colour is due to the way the light bends and breaks inside this ginormous sheet of ice, reflecting shorter-wavelength colours like violet and blue.
Beyond the glacier, this is a destination where the horizon stretches forever and yet you feel that anything might be around the next corner. If you want to see Alaska, or at least a decent portion of this vast 49th state, the best way to do so is by sea, especially since some of its islands and islets – such as Juneau, Alaska’s capital – can only be reached by water or air. The “Inside Passage” consists of protected waterways sheltered from the Pacific Ocean by numerous islands along the coast, making it an ideal cruise for first-timers, such as myself.
For the duration of your cruise, the ship becomes your compass, guiding you through the inland sea to awaken to a new port that unfolds adventure before you each day. Onboard, the ship is more than merely your mode of transport. It’s a small floating city, well, almost – with a selection of fine-dining restaurants, world-class wines, and award-winning entertainment, ranging from theatre shows and musical performances to dance clubs and casinos.
I made my way to the poolside bars and climbed into an open-air jacuzzi, where I sat with a drink in hand, watching the white-capped peaks drift by and melting snow stream into the water. I spotted otters in the water below, seals bobbing about on brightly coloured buoys, and a humpback whale with her calf bubble-net feeding. I watched as she blew air through her blowhole to create a bubble curtain that disorients fish. This allowed the whale and her calf to scoop the fish into their mouths. Until now, this was only something I had seen on the Discovery Channel. There is no feeling like it in the world, especially when at 8pm, during the summer solstice, the sun still hangs high in the sky, while Bald Eagles soar overhead.
After a few days, I learned that I couldn’t put anything past Alaska. In Icy Strait Point, brown bears outnumber people. I didn’t see any bears as I walked through Hoonah Mountain, but perhaps that was for the best. I did see one later, though, on the shoreline, freshly awake from hibernation in search of some post-nap sustenance.
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In Juneau, I laced up my waterproof hiking boots to walk 5.5 km through the Tongass Forest to see the Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls, where I caught my first glimpse of a mountain goat and watched kayakers glide by on Mendenhall Lake. Other cruisers chose to take a more adventurous on-shore excursion offered by NCL – flying over the glacier in a helicopter, before touching down on the 19.3 km² ‘ice block’ and walking across it in crampons.
At Skagway, I meandered among gold-rush-era buildings that are preserved as part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and embarked along The White Pass and Yukon Route to the border of Canada.
Valdez was the gateway to Prince William Sound, an ecologically important conservation area, where our day-trip boat passed fjordlands and icebergs of all sizes. Columbia Glacier loomed ahead, a giant retreating into itself, pulling back from the world faster than nature’s cycles intended, but Alaska is like that. It is ever-changing, always evolving, with each passing season. It doesn’t wait for you, for me, or for anyone, but it welcomes all and offers the chance to witness nature’s unending cycle of change and renewal.
Alaska’s summer solstice:
WHEN TO GO
Between May and September, Alaska transforms into the “Land of Midnight Sun” ahead of its summertime cruise season. During this time, the sun shines for up to 18 hours. This creates the perfect conditions for exploring Alaska’s dramatic landscapes, though it also means that you’re more likely to be spending more time outdoors, exposed
to the elements, which is why it’s important to pack and dress appropriately. In May, temperatures range from 7 °C to 15°C, with a chance of a chill factor. As the weather may be unpredictable, especially at higher elevations, I packed my 75-litre Thule Subterra Wheeled Duffel for every weather condition, with clothes for layering in the one compartment and my water-proof and wind-resistant gear, along with my waterproof hiking boots in the other. Don’t forget your swimsuit and sunglasses.
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