My Solo Trip to ALASKA | Cruising From Vancouver to Anchorage

Summary

Allison Anderson takes us on an 11-day solo cruise adventure from Vancouver to Anchorage, Alaska, capturing its breathtaking beauty and wildlife. Hosted by Seabourn Cruise Line, her journey includes wilderness excursions, fishing in Ketchikan, and exploring Sitka, where she visits the Alaska Raptor Center. She sails through the stunning Endicott Arm surrounded by floating ice and seals, and enjoys close encounters with sea lions and bald eagles. The cruise also offers luxurious amenities, including exquisite dining and relaxing spas. On this transformative trip, she fulfills her fantasy of being a National Geographic photographer. Even while traveling solo, Allison finds the experience wonderfully social. Her adventure concludes with the magical late sunsets of Anchorage, leaving her eager to explore more of Alaska's wonders, including Denali and Fairbanks.

Highlights

• Remarkable 11-day cruise journey from Vancouver to Anchorage hosted by Seabourn. 🛳️
• Fishing and wilderness camping in Ketchikan, capturing the real Alaskan experience. 🎣
• Exploring Sitka's pristine beauty and visiting the Alaska Raptor Center. 🦅
• Witnessing icebergs and seals up close in Endicott Arm. ❄️
• Incredible nature show with sea lions, fish, and bald eagles near Indian Islands. 🌊
• Luxurious cruise ship amenities, including elegant dining and a relaxing spa. 🧖‍♀️
• Magical late sunsets in Anchorage, creating memorable end-of-day experiences. 🌅

Key Takeaways

• Alaska's breathtaking landscapes and wildlife make it a must-visit destination. 🏔️
• Traveling solo on a cruise can be an unexpectedly social experience. 🚢
• Witnessing sea lions and bald eagles in their natural habitat is like stepping into a live nature documentary. 🦅
• Cruise amenities, from luxurious dining to relaxing spas, enhance the travel experience. 🍽️
• Alaska's long summer days mean extended daylight for exploration and enjoyment. 🌞

Overview

Allison's 11-day cruise adventure from Vancouver to Anchorage, Alaska, hosted by Seabourn Cruise Line, showcases Alaska's untouched beauty and abundant wildlife. From fishing trips in Ketchikan to exploring the remarkable sights of Sitka, each stop provides unique and unforgettable experiences. Allison's first-time cruise journey is complete with breathtaking scenic views from a luxurious ship equipped with pools, hot tubs, and delectable dining options.

As her travel continues through the Endicott Arm and Indian Islands, Allison captures incredible natural spectacles like surfing sea lions and diving bald eagles, fulfilling her dream of being in a nature documentary. Her zodiac boat rides put her right in the heart of it all, offering her unmatched photo opportunities as she embraces one of her 'fantasy selves' as a National Geographic photographer.

The journey ends in Anchorage, where the surreal experience of nearly midnight sunsets caps off the trip of a lifetime. Despite the solitude of solo travel, Allison finds joy in meeting fellow travelers and sharing meals aboard the ship, proving that adventure is best when shared. Her Alaskan adventure leaves her longing to return and explore even more of its majestic landscapes and cultures.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Arrival in Alaska The chapter titled 'Introduction and Arrival in Alaska' opens with the author arriving in the breathtaking landscapes of Alaska. Accompanied by music, the narrator greets the audience and sets the scene for the adventure that is about to unfold. This opening establishes the tone and atmosphere, highlighting the serene and majestic beauty of Alaska.
• 00:30 - 02:00: Bucket List Destination and Cruise Introduction This chapter introduces Alaska as a bucket list destination for the narrator. The narrator is thrilled to finally visit this exciting place and mentions that they will be cruising up the coast of Alaska for 11 days. The opening includes a musical intro, setting an enthusiastic tone for the journey ahead.
• 02:00 - 03:00: Exploration in Ketchikan The narrator recounts their first port day with seabourn in the quaint coastal town of Ketchikan, characterized by its colorful buildings. During their stay, they embarked on a wilderness excursion where they learned to fish. The excursion included a few hours of fishing followed by a visit to a wilderness camp where they enjoyed a bonfire. The narrator emphasizes the authentic Alaskan experience, highlighting the necessity of wearing multiple layers of clothing due to the cold weather conditions. The chapter ends with the narrator retiring for the night.
• 03:00 - 04:00: Misty Fjords and Life on the Cruise The author wakes up to a picturesque view from their window, finding themselves in Rudyard Bay, home to the Misty Fjords National Monument, a place John Muir famously referred to as the Yosemite of Alaska.
• 04:00 - 05:30: Visit to Sitka and Alaska Raptor Center The narrator describes their astonishment and excitement upon boarding a grand cruise ship, emphasizing the ship's size with multiple floors accessed by elevators. They express awe at the ship's beauty, particularly enjoying the top deck which features a pool and hot tubs surrounded by stunning mountainous scenery and fog.
• 05:30 - 08:30: Cruising Endicott Arm and Zodiac Adventures The chapter explores the scenic beauty of Sitka, Alaska, describing the excitement and anticipation of visiting a place long desired. It focuses on the author's eagerness to explore and capture the surroundings through photography, emphasizing the picturesque nature of the location.
• 08:30 - 10:30: Haines Wildlife Experience In Sitka, there is the Alaska Raptor Center where injured birds are rehabilitated and up to 200 birds are released each year.
• 10:30 - 12:00: Wildlife Adventure in Indian Islands The chapter titled 'Wildlife Adventure in Indian Islands' details an exciting venture into the icy regions where seals are spotted lounging on chunks of ice. The protagonist anticipates embarking on an afternoon adventure aboard a zodiac boat with the ventures team, hoping for an up-close encounter with these marine animals. The narrative is interspersed with music, reflecting the lingering thoughts of the adventurous journey.
• 12:00 - 15:00: Relaxing Sea Day on the Cruise After returning from an exhilarating zodiac boat ride, the narrator describes the magical experience filled with sightings of seal pups, a rainbow, and dynamic glaciers. The day was characterized as 'photography Christmas,' suggesting numerous picturesque moments. The day was depicted as a highlight, filled with excitement and memorable encounters, enhancing the cruise experience.
• 15:00 - 16:00: Farewell to Alaska and Reflections The chapter titled 'Farewell to Alaska and Reflections' delves into the concept of 'fantasy selves,' which are alternate versions of oneself. The narrator shares their personal fantasy of being a National Geographic photographer, experiencing a sense of fulfillment and excitement during a day spent photographing seals on a rugged boat. This adventure allowed them to briefly inhabit one of their fantasy selves, capturing the essence of exploration and imagination.

My Solo Trip to ALASKA | Cruising From Vancouver to Anchorage Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 hello from alaska [Music] [Music]
• 00:30 - 01:00 [Music] welcome to alaska i'm so excited to be here because alaska has been a bucket list destination for me for a long time and i'm going to be cruising up the coast of alaska for 11
• 01:00 - 01:30 days with seabourn who are very kindly hosting me on this trip and i'm so excited yesterday was our first port day and we were in ketchikan it's just this cute little coastal town with the colorful buildings and i got to go out on a wilderness excursion today i learned how to fish we went out fishing for a few hours and now we are at a wilderness camp and we have a bonfire going i think i'm wearing four layers of clothing getting the real alaskan experience and then i went to sleep and
• 01:30 - 02:00 today i woke up and i looked out my window and this is what i saw we are in rudyard bay where the misty fjords national monument is and this is what john muir called the yosemite of alaska [Music] so this is my first time ever on a
• 02:00 - 02:30 cruise ship and i had no idea how grand this ship was going to be when i got on board i was like oh my gosh they have elevators of course they have elevators there's like eight floors or nine floors or ten floors or something here so as you can imagine everything else has just been like mind-blowing for me the whole ship is so beautiful but my favorite part is up here on this deck where they have a pool and two hot tubs surrounded by all of this scenery these mountains and this fog it's just incredible
• 02:30 - 03:00 this morning we are somewhere that i have wanted to visit for years we are in sitka alaska it looks absolutely gorgeous so i'm really excited to walk around explore take some photos take
• 03:00 - 03:30 some video and then also in sitka they have the alaska raptor center which is a place where they rehabilitate injured birds from the wild and they release i believe up to 200 birds a year that they have helped heal [Music] today in alaska we are cruising up the endicott arm i woke up this morning to see chunks of ice floating past my
• 03:30 - 04:00 balcony and there are seals on these chunks of ice this afternoon i'll be getting on one of the zodiac boats with the ventures team getting a closer look at the ice and hopefully a closer look at some seals as well [Music] can't get it out of my mind [Music]
• 04:00 - 04:30 we're back from the zodiac boat ride and it was amazing there were seal pups there was a rainbow the glacier was having like it was so so so cool and the pictures it was photography christmas it was the best thing ever also today i felt like i got to step into one of my
• 04:30 - 05:00 fantasy selves if you've seen my video on that where we all have fantasy selves like alternate realities and alternate versions of ourselves one of my fantasy selves has always been being like a national geographic photographer and so being out on like the rugged boat and shooting the seals and like all of that it just it felt like i got to step into one of my fantasy selves for a day it was really cool [Music]
• 05:00 - 05:30 today we're in haines alaska and this morning i am out at the crosshall center for orphaned animals it has been amazing they all have a story like there's this little baby two-week-old moose laura and her mom was killed by a grizzly bear and fish and game called this place to bring her here i'm not the size of a mama moose it makes it very awkward for
• 05:30 - 06:00 bottle feeding imagine in a couple months when she's up to here oh my gosh this is aquila [Music]
• 06:00 - 06:30 [Music] this morning i went out on the zodiac boat again in the indian islands which are a hot spot for wildlife and we saw otters puffins seals sea lions and we witnessed one of the most amazing things i've ever seen in nature so we were out on the boats we were looking at the sea lions on the rocks and then all of a
• 06:30 - 07:00 sudden a giant sea lion popped up right next to our boat and tossed up a fish and before we knew it they were everywhere we were surrounded by them all out catching fish and then we looked up and there were bald eagles circling and they started diving to try and catch the scraps of the fish from the sea lions and it was incredible they were right over our heads and it was like something out of a nature program [Music]
• 07:00 - 07:30 [Music]
• 07:30 - 08:00 today is a sea day so we're not stopping at any ports and i'm very relaxed this afternoon i'm sitting in my room so because it's a sea day i get to spend more time on the ship there's a lot on here there's a beautiful spa and fitness center there are four restaurants ranging from very elegant luxury dining to more casual poolside bites i've
• 08:00 - 08:30 gotten a lot of comments and messages from you guys on instagram during this trip asking what it's like to be on a cruise solo it's actually been surprisingly great i really wasn't sure what to expect every single night that i've been here i've had an invitation to a dinner with a whole bunch of different guests and i've gotten to meet a lot of people and this is the last full day of sailing it's blowing my mind all of the things that i have done on this cruise like even just one of those things would have been a highlight
• 08:30 - 09:00 of my year [Music] well guys it's my last night in alaska i'm in anchorage i came up here after the cruise ended in seward and decided to spend a couple days up here and i'm currently out at beluga point enjoying a
• 09:00 - 09:30 sunset because these beautiful mountains and view of the water it's also nearly 10 pm right now and it is still so bright outside it's crazy sunset here isn't until i think it's 11 40 tonight so it's very very light very late i've had the most amazing time here in alaska i had high expectations for alaska and they were blown away i had no idea how incredible this state was i need to come back and do the interior like denali and fairbanks and everything
• 09:30 - 10:00 north of here i hope you guys enjoyed coming along with me for this trip thank you so much seabourn for hosting me on this cruise i had literally the experience of a lifetime it was amazing i'll also have a blog post for this trip as well as tons of photos and stories on my instagram which i will link down below as well and i'll see you guys in the next one bye [Music]
• 10:00 - 10:30 you