It's Been a Full Day!

 

It was a very long day here in NYC booking great vacations for people! Hot topics of the day included Alaska, Bermuda, Sandals resorts, and European River cruises. I'm excited with the results thus far and looking forward to another great day tomorrow. After the show, it was great to eat in one of my favorite places here in the city - Junior's Restaurant, where I enjoyed an enormous roast beef sandwich. After such a big meal, the cool night air feels great as I walk back to my hotel for a little rest before the show starts again tomorrow. Good night from Times Square!

I'm Ready to Get Back to Alaska!

I rarely have my picture taken on board ship, much less purchase whatever photos are taken, but this is one that I wanted. Such a wonderful destination. Can't wait to be able to experience it again someday.

I LOVE Fresh Alaskan Salmon!!

Fresh Alaskan salmon bake onboard was a fantastic final lunch for this voyage! Yummmmm-my! Served buffet style with a nice assortment of salads, sides, and a delicious apple pie.

Catching Salmon in Ketchikan - Such a Thrill!

Today was a great day in Ketchikan and the waters nearby. I caught 4 salmon (3 Coho and 1 Pink), though I had a total of 5, one got away just as I was lifting him in the captain's net. Oh, man! But 4 is awesome and will be some good meals in our house as it's all being shipped home.

The excursion was small and intimate with only 6 of us, plus the captain. We were all from the same ship. One couple from Florida who's been to Alaska multiple times. One couple and their grandson from Southern California, and me. We had a great time chatting and getting to know each other during the numerous long periods of nothing.

We were trolling, which is very common in southeast Alaska, and went out about 10 miles from Ketchikan where the waters were about 500 feet deep, per the captain. All together we caught 14 fish, but one fellow had him in the boat while another guy and I were also bringing ours in, and it slipped out through a drainage vent. We were all sad for him at the time as he hadn't caught a thing yet, but we're laughing about it by the end as he ended up catching two more later on.

It was a 4 1/2 hour excursion and was a fantastic time, and I was definitely thinking of my grandpa today!

I am so thrilled to have been invited to this Seminar at Sea. Getting out to the destinations and experiencing things personally definitely lends a lot more credibility to recommendations I make to my clients and is so very important as continuing education. You won't get THAT from a dotcom site or a club warehouse!

Alaska has been fabulous, and I cannot wait to be able to experience more of this beautiful state in the future. Tonight we set sail back southward with no more port days. We'll be in the classroom again tomorrow morning, and enjoying more of this lovely ship during the rest of this voyage. 

Ketchikan - The Salmon Capital of the World

Good morning from Ketchikan, the salmon capital of the world! As we pull into port, I enjoyed breakfast in bed with a fantastic view of the channel and watched a great video on the fishing industry here, which correlates to my adventure today. Today in honor of my grandfather, dad, great-grandfather, and assorted uncles, I'm off for some salmon fishing. Hopefully, I catch something! It's 61 and overcast, but the air is so crisp and clean. Looking forward to a great day!

Glacier Bay National Park

Today we arrived in Glacier Bay National Park at about 6:15am, and picked up one of the Park Rangers, and a Tlingit cultural representative who stayed on board with us until about 3:30pm, answering questions, providing insight, and more. It was awesome!

As we worked our way up into the park and the bay, we saw a lot! We got to see Reid Glacier, Lamplugh Glacier, Johns Hopkins Glacier, part of Grand Pacific Glacier, and the biggest and best of them all, Margerie Glacier. The captain parked us very close to, and in front of Margerie Glacier, which is up in the Tarr Inlet for an hour. Starting with the port side, and then rotating the ship to the starboard side, everyone was amazed at the sheer size and majesty of that glacier. We reveled as we got to see several small calvings and one really big one! (I took about 400 pictures of the glaciers alone, but am only sharing these select few now...more will be shared later after getting home to wifi that isn't so expensive).

As we woke this morning it was raining, and everyone was a bit disappointed at the prospect of not being able to see a lot, but as we got closer in, the sky stopped and the misty fog lifted. Southeast Alaska is a rainforest, so having rain on any given adventure is to be expected. The glaciers were surreal. The beautiful colors and the sounds of the cracking were amazing.

After the captain set sail once more and as we pulled far enough away from being able to see Margerie Glacier it was lunchtime. Followed by a great presentation in the main theatre by the Park Ranger. She shared some great stories and wonderful information about GBNP and the assorted critters that call it home. And then after her presentation, the Tlingit lady - Alice is her English name, but sorry, I couldn't even begin to know how her Tlingit name is spelled - gave a presentation on the Tlingit peoples that have called this area home for centuries.

What an amazing day filled with such beauty, and just a teeny tiny bit of this great state.

Yukon Ho!

Skagway is such a wonderfully easy port to maneuver. A very short walk from the ship puts you right at the station for the White Pass-Yukon Rail station, but it's also just a quick walk into town and is of course looking very much as it did back in the 1890s the heart of gold rush days.

My excursion package was a White Pass train combo, which actually was the reverse of many of the ones that are readily available. Instead of taking the train first, for my group, it was a bus first, followed by the return trip on the train. We drove about 72 miles north of Skagway into the Yukon (my mind kept thinking of Calvin & Hobbes and "Yukon Ho!"). Shortly after starting up the mountain we encountered a good bit of fog - actually about 20 minutes of our drive was very hard to see anything outside the bus, but thankfully after we'd crested the White Pass summit, we also left the fog behind us as the sun shone brightly.

We passed many beautiful lakes, streams, and some historic mining sites as we reached nearly 3,000 feet - but kept going. Along the way, we heard fascinating tales of how the gold rush came about, and how prospectors had some extreme conditions to face as they moved up from Skagway into the Klondike and the Yukon.

We enjoyed lunch near Carcross, Yukon, and there I got to meet Kenai and Fuzzy, along with other beautiful mushers. The dogs train in the off-season for the Iditarod at this facility in the Yukon. Since there's no snow in the summer, they use special sleds with wheels instead of runners and give rides to visitors. They LOVE to run, and of the nearly 90 dogs there, they all were seeming to bark out "pick me" as their handlers were selecting the dogs that would pull our sleigh. It was great fun, and I'm thrilled to have been able to experience it, as I doubt I'll ever experience the Iditarod for real.

After that, it was time to start trekking down the trails again, and we drove down from Carcross to Fraser, BC, where we picked up the White Pass train south to Skagway. Riding inside the car was nice, but honestly, I loved riding on the platform between cars for most of the way. It was awesome!

The scenery was spectacular as we passed through the Alpine Tundra, and then over the sub-continental divide, which separates the water flow to the Pacific down by Skagway, or way out west at the Bering Sea and down through the rainforest that is around Skagway. It was such fun, I'd love to do it again! It is absolutely a must-do recommendation for all my clients.

Best kept secrets/finds of the day? The arctic desert in the Yukon, and beautiful beach Lake Bennett. Whoo-hoo, some new sand for my "sands of the world" jar.

Glaciers & Whale Watching

Today we arrived in Juneau. Whales were spotted off the sides of the ship this morning long before we arrived, and it was spectacular to watch one fully breach. Breaching is a typical part of the mating ritual, per the naturalist on board, and not commonly seen in Alaska (usually in Hawaii where the humpbacks migrate to each October). It may have been a calf learning what he needs to do once he starts his own mating rituals soon. Calves are born about 12 feet long weighing in at about 2,000 lbs and zero body fat, but then start to add upwards of 100lbs per day throughout their first year.

Upon arrival in port, I went out on a fun excursion that included both a visit to Mendenhall Glacier and whale watching. There I learned that every single humpback has a unique diagram within their skin on the bottom side of their tail...it's their "fingerprint" if you will. Researchers at NOAA here in Juneau photograph the whales and are able to track them that way, vs. tagging them or other methods. And while it isn't exactly known how long they all live, the average life expectancy is about 50 years. Females have one calf at a time, and usually have another calf every two to three years, and will continue to give birth for almost their entire life. Calves learn everything they need to survive within their first year of life, and are then essentially " on their own" from that point on, even though they tend to travel in pods.

Here are few pictures from each part of that fun-filled and informative afternoon.

Greetings from the Inside Passage

Greetings from the Inside Passage. Just a few quick images before I go to the first class of this trip. We set sail yesterday from Vancouver and are working our way north. Tomorrow is Tracy Arm and Juneau. Today is cloudy (at least this morning), but the forecast is calling for great weather for most of the rest of this trip. The stars last night were fantastic, and we're supposed to have fantastic visibility of the meteor showers this week. More to come later.

Happy Sunday all!

Setting Out for the Last Frontier. Thinking of my Grandfather.

On this date many years ago - August 5th, 1979 - we got word that my grandpa died. He and my grandma were living in Alaska at the time so it had been quite a while since we had last seen them in person. They were teachers throughout their careers, and in retirement spent a couple of tours of duty as teachers in a missionary school in remote Unalakleet (west coast, south of Nome). That year I turned 9 but was only 8 still when he died. Of course, being so young I didn’t know him for the man he’d been most of his life, but I have some fantastic memories of the man that I knew him to be… kind, fun-loving, gentle, a great outdoorsman, avid fisherman, and a great teacher – he was my Papa Les. Some fun memories include going to their house in the woods of Oak Glen, riding on his motorcycle with him, sledding in the snow in winter down the hills, taking walks with him, and the teacher in him coming out as he shared what the different flora and fauna that we passed were.

I’m thrilled to be departing today for an Alaskan Seminar at Sea and no doubt will be thinking of him as we sail past some amazing flora and fauna. I fly to Vancouver this afternoon, and then board the ship tomorrow morning. My adventures during the week ahead will take me nowhere near where they lived all those years ago (opposite side of the state), but it’s a fun little connection back to a man I loved so much, and miss still all these years later.

While so much of the rest of Facebook is increasingly filled with negative political junk, my little corner of the neighborhood will be filled with a few pictures and maybe some video from a few beautiful places from God's creation over the next week. Come along with me virtually! I’m happy to share my adventures with you…

An Alaskan Cruise. Is Alaska on Your Bucket List?

 

When it comes to cruises, an Alaskan cruise is in a league of its own and provides an experience of a lifetime. The voyage itself is certainly different from a typical cruise headed to the warm and sunny beach destinations of the Caribbean.  An Alaskan cruise brings forth another type of awe-inspiring beauty altogether. and provides passengers the opportunity to see pristine landscapes and wildlife in a way that they might never have experienced before. A Bucket List destination for many, Alaska is a top cruise destination.

Here are just a few reasons why an Alaskan Cruise should be at the top of your travel list.

Cruise Lines Cater to All Ages

Once upon a time, it seemed that the vast majority of passengers on Alaskan cruises were elderly. However that has changed, and most major cruise lines, which cater to all ages, now travel to Alaska.  Disney Cruise Line, known for being family-oriented, cruises to this destination on the Disney Wonder, which has been specially retrofitted to enhance the Alaskan experience for her guests. Oceangoing cruise lines that serve the Alaska market include Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Silversea, and Crystal Cruises. Additionally, smaller river cruise ships that serve the Alaska market include American Cruise Lines, Tauck, and UnCruise Adventures. 

Port Adventures

Regardless of age, there's something for everyone at the assorted port destinations. Examples include: children can pan for gold and watch dog sledding, adults can sample local brews and visit spectacular fjords and glaciers, and people of all ages can enjoy whale watching. For the more adventurous types, white water rafting, ziplining, or exploring glacier tops via helicopter ride can be great fun. Other more passive adventures include rides on the Alaskan railroad, shopping, and mild nature walks.  

See Glaciers

While glaciers are the most sought-after tourist attraction in Alaska, they are also endangered and are decreasing at an alarming rate. See them from the cruise ship, get closer to them via kayak, take a hiking tour, or see them from a flightseeing tour. You don't want to miss seeing this magnificent sight!

The Wildlife

Alaska is known for magnificent wildlife, which you may first glimpse from the deck of your ship. Just imagine seeing humpback whales, orca whales, beluga whales, and dolphins, as you enjoy a meal or relax. You will also have the opportunity to take port excursions, enabling you to get close to native wildlife, which may include bears, elk, bald eagles, moose, and much more. It is a bird-lovers paradise, with hundreds of different varieties just waiting to be spotted. Be sure to bring along binoculars! 

Cruise Season

The Alaskan cruise season is much shorter than in other areas of the world. The cruise ships first arrive in mid to late April, and all depart by mid-September.  
 

Itinerary Options

There are numerous itinerary options and ways to experience Alaska, which allows you to find the best fit for you. There are four basic ways to cruise Alaska:

1. Round-trip, sailing from either Vancouver, Seattle, and sometimes San Francisco, which will head north, typically through the Inside Passage, stopping in a handful of ports, and then return back to the originating port. 
2. Northbound one-way, which sails from Vancouver or Seattle heading north, again typically through the Inside Passage with multiple stops along the way, and then ending in the Anchorage area to either Whittier or Seward.  Guests then disembark the ship and board the Alaskan railroad for the 2+ hour train trip to Anchorage, where they would then fly home. 
3. Southbound one-way, which is the opposite of the northbound, as guests would fly into Anchorage, and then ride the Alaskan railroad south to Seward or Whittier to board their ship. The ship would then sail through the assorted ports of call, down through the Inside Passage, and then on to Vancouver or Seattle, where guests would disembark and fly home.
4. CruiseTour, which is a combination of a pre or post-cruise land experience coupled with the cruise itself.  Guests can choose between 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or even 7-day land experiences that include visits to Denali National Park and other exciting destinations throughout southern and central Alaska or Vancouver.  Typically a pre-cruise tour will find guests flying into Fairbanks and beginning their land experiences and ending in Anchorage for the journey south on the Alaskan railroad to board their ship for a southbound cruise; though there are land experiences that begin in the Vancouver area with guests touring Whistler and the surrounding areas of Canada. Post-cruise tours are similar, just taking place after the cruise.   

On Sale soon
The 2017 Alaskan itineraries are going to be released by the cruise lines very soon. Typically they release their coming year's schedule in late February or very early March, though Celebrity's 2017 sailings are already on sale. For more information and to learn more about Alaskan cruises, call Christopher today at 855.776.1733, or complete this link!

Destination Today: Places to See Before You Leave This Life: Denali National Park

Getting in to this travel world on a professional level has been interesting and fun.  Being a die-hard Disney traveler, I know an awful lot about the various domestic Disney theme parks, resorts and destinations; and a good amount about the international locations as well.  But this whole business venture has challenged me about so many other destinations.


Prior to the creation of Neverland Adventures Travel, I used to pride myself on having been to 44 states within the U.S.; to Canada & Mexico; and having traveled a lot for both of the companies that I worked for over the past 19 years.  But I always lamented over not having yet taken trips to Europe, South America, Asia or Africa. I've dreamed of those places many times, but always figured I'd get to them... someday.  Fast forward to today, and here I am selling those destinations and so many others.  Time to take a crash course in destinations, as well start sampling them for myself - thus I've entered the world of FAM (familiarization) travel available to the professionals within the Travel Industry.  But FAM trips take time and effort on the individual professional's part to accomplish, time that isn't always a resource in plentiful supply when clients want to know about a possible destination they're interested in visiting themselves.

Over the past few months I have gone through various training courses with the various cruise lines that I market and sell, as well the land providers and other destinations, and I've learned a lot about the geography of the world that I never learned in school.  Not physical geography of the land - but rather PORTS OF CALL, and the numerous attractions to be found in and around those port cities.  Which has led to me do additional research on various "must see" attractions, in cities and destinations around the world.  While researching some of those attractions at my local Barnes & Noble store, I found this interesting little book standing on the shelf.   "1,000 Places to See Before You Die - A Traveler's Life List", by Patricia Schultz.  I was intrigued, and so I picked it up.  After thumbing through for just a few moments, I realized I must have this book.  And over the course of the past few hours, realized that I would incorporate a new feature into stopher's stuff, using this book as a guide - inspiration, if you will, for me, but also for you.  Places that Cruise Planners~Neverland Adventures Travel can help you get to, either by land, air or sea.  But even if you just plan it yourself, destinations of some historic, geographic, or visual significance that will enrich your life for having visited.


So welcome to the first installment of DESTINATION TODAY: PLACES TO SEE BEFORE YOU LEAVE THIS LIFE.  I'll be sharing destination information in the vein of the aforementioned book, without using or abusing the source material, all the while going in no particular order.  The book breaks down the world in the following chapters:

• Europe
• Africa
• The Middle East
• Asia
• Australia, New Zealand & The Pacific Islands
• The United States of America & Canada
• Latin America
• The Caribbean, The Bahamas & Bermuda

Today we'll take a look at Denali National Park in Alaska.

Mount McKinley, 20,230' is the tallest peak in North America, is the primary attraction in Denali National Park.  The mountain is named after the 25th US President, but is also referred to locally by indigenous Athabascans of central Alaska as Denali.


The park is located about 125 miles south of Fairbanks is accessible by car during the months of May-September.  The Alaska Railroad operates from June - early September.  The best times to visit are June for the wildflowers, or August & September for the fall foliage.


This 6 million acre park is filled with grizzlies, moose and golden eagles, and contains vast tundras of subarctic splendor.  The glaciers, massive peaks of the Alaska Mountain Range, as well as McKinley itself keep visitors returning year after year.  Throughout the summer you can enjoy 16-20 hours of daylight each day to take in the dazzling scenery as you cam or enjoy North Face Lodge.  Numerous plane and helicopter sightseeing excursions are available to get up in to the back country, not accessible by car or rail.  You might also enjoy the 365 mile rail journey aboard the Denali Star, which takes you from Anchorage to Fairbanks, traveling through frontier towns of Wasilla & Takleetna, along with numerous "middle-of-nowhere" stops along the way.


This is a national park not to be missed, and can be added as a land or cruise tour to many Alaskan cruise itineraries.

Tips on Thursday - Riding the Wave

Welcome to wave season - the best time to book your next cruise vacation. It happens every year. Between January through the end of March, all the cruise lines offer their very best deals of the year on cruises to just about every corner of the globe. There are some outstanding early booking incentives and extras that can vary from cruise line to cruise line. Some of the most common of the incentives include:

• Special Pricing
• Extra Value Offers
• On-Board Credits
• Cabin Upgrades (usually within the same category)
• Reduced Deposits
• On-Board Coupon Booklets

Family summer vacation to the Caribbean on Royal Caribbean, sure why not? River cruise through Paris and Normandy, no problem. Cruise through the Mediterranean on the coolest ship ever, Norwegian Epic we’ve got it! Anniversary trip to a long dreamed about trek down under to Australia or New Zealand on Princess Cruises? OK! Taking a trek to the great northern wonderland of Alaska with Disney? No problem. 

If you haven't already received the January issue of the Cruise Planner Magazine, visit my website today to be sure and sign up for the next issue coming out in July. It's packed full of Wave Season specials that will get you thinking about your next vacation. And until then, why not sign-up for my weekly ePostcard, using the special "Travel Deals" green box here, which will provide 4-6 exclusive offers and discounts directly to your email's inbox each week. You never know when inspiration will strike and the sea calls you. Why not be ready to answer the call and this question:

Where would you like to go?