This is a trip that's been 20 years in the making. Ever since we did a family cruise to the Bahamas two decades ago, my dad has talked about doing an Alaska cruise, always calling it a bucket list dream. And somewhere along the way, Melissa and I realized that if we didn't make it happen soon, it may not happen at all. So we sat down, we got serious, and planned the kind of Alaska cruise he's always talked about. And in today's episode, we're sharing how we chose the right cruise line, why Glacier Bay and Denali were must, and what it means to finally make a lifelong travel dream come true for him and for all of us.
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This trip has been a really long time coming. I think we just got to the point where we were like, he's just going to keep saying it's a bucket list thing, but he's never going to do anything about it.
Yeah, that's right. And one of the things that we had actually toyed around with is I said, oh, would y 'all like to all go? Let's all do like a river cruise to the Christmas market. And I think that's when it came back up. Oh, but I really want to do this Alaska cruise. And we started talking about that again. So and I do remember like at that point, I did remember that when when we finished that Bahamas cruise way back when is that he started talking about, oh, I'd love to do this again, but go to Alaska. Oh, yeah. I think we just were like, you know, we need to make this happen. And I think that's one thing that you and I. are just like, if we have that opportunity, you know, and sometimes it's not about the opportunity. Sometimes it's more about, you know, you just have to figure out how to make it work. You know, another example is like our Asian, you know, Australia thing. A lot of people would say, OK, that's like so far fetched, but you guys will make it happen. And so I think that's just what it was with this is we're like, OK, this is this is what we're going to do. And, you know, now now pick the time. And we wanted them to pick a lot of the details. And so that's what we. That's what we did.
Yeah. I mean, over the last two decades, we would just always be like, you know, every time he'd bring it up, we'd be like, you should do that. Right. We were always trying to encourage him to do it. But it really got to this year and he had a few health issues earlier in the year. And we just kind of realized, like, it's at a point in time where we just need to do it now. And if we don't plan it, book it and get it on the calendar, it's not going to happen. So we decided that this was the year that we were going to do it and we were going to make it happen.
And so that's what this episode is about. Because there is some research going into it and what the different things that you're looking for, for your family or your group that you're going with that might be different from us. But we want to point out some of the things that we... thought about talked about but i think part of it too is maybe that push for you is turning that let's do this we ought to do this one day we'll do this into okay you know we've we've booked it like we're we're getting this on the calendar and we're we're ready to to go and make these memories together well
In today's episode, we're going to talk a little bit about how we chose the cruise line, why we started in Vancouver, because there's a very specific reason for that, and then how we're wrapping it all up with a visit to Denali.
Yes. And plus, we have got a wedding anniversary celebration happening during the cruise. And maybe, just maybe, Scott, you and I will get to see the peak of Denali. which for you and I, it was hiding the last time that we were there.
All right. So if you've ever thought about doing an Alaska cruise and going on one of these cruises, especially with family, this episode is for you. And let's get started.
Are you looking to plan your next unforgettable adventure? At Sunshine Travelers Experiences, we specialize in helping you create tailor -made travel journeys that turn your vacation dreams into reality. Whether you're craving a relaxing beach escape, an awe -inspiring cultural journey, or a thrilling outdoor adventure, we can help. Why choose Sunshine Traveler's experiences? Personalized itineraries designed just for you, expert travel advice and insider tips, seamless booking from start to finish, exclusive access to top destinations and hidden gems. We also book cruises, all -inclusives, groups, tours, and so much more. If you're unsure where to even start planning that bucket list trip, start by asking us. Then let Sunshine Travelers Experiences handle the planning so you can focus on making the memories. Explore now, sunxtravel .com. If you have any questions, email us, info at sunshinetravelers .com. So, why... this cruise that we're taking and why right now yeah so i think for like this year because we do have a lot of travel right we have like a lot of big things but i i don't know i was just like we we've got to stop saying sometime right and let's just say let's look at let's look at this year and alaska is almost a little bit easier to do that because when you say okay let's do it this year
so i think for like this year because we do have a lot of travel right we have like a lot of big things but i i don't know i was just like we we've got to stop saying sometime right and let's just say let's look at let's look at this year and alaska is almost a little bit easier to do that because when you say okay let's do it this year OK, you're saying we're going to do this, what, June, July, August, September, maybe. But really, we wanted to do it before, probably before September. So ended up being August. And I will be honest with you. So it is July. The cruises for 2026 are already booking and some people are already booking Alaska 2027 cruises. So when we book this around Christmas time, it was about Christmas time, right? January -ish. time of this year for this summer, a lot of the cruises were already booked up. We can't do this week. We can't do this week. So thankfully with Alaska, one luxury that you do have is you're going to find multiple sailings every week, right? With some different itineraries because that is their peak season. And a lot of people want to go to Alaska. So that's the one plus, whereas you might, the one that we're doing in Asia, like that's the one. Like there's not another like that. That's it. So there are a lot of options. But so be thinking about that. Right. If that is I want to do this, make sure. And especially if you have kids that are going along and it needs to be the school window. Right. And it can't interfere with the sports coming back and stuff like that. You need to really seriously be looking at booking for next year right now.
now. So, Melissa, we chose to go on Holland America. And there's a lot of cruise lines. I mean, I would venture to say that most of the cruise lines have a cruise that goes to Alaska. And so why choose Holland America?
Yes. So did you know that Holland America is actually the first cruise line that sailed in Alaska?
Yeah, we found that out when we were researching this trip.
We've talked about them before. So we have sailed them before. We like that this ship is a little bit smaller ship. And then a little bit older demographic. There are cruise lines where kids are not allowed. Kids are allowed. But it tends to sway on the little bit older demographics. The biggest thing for us was the fact that we wanted a cruise that would go into that glacier bay and have that sea day where it goes into the bay. And so there are several of those. So if that's important to you, it has to be a smaller ship. And they have to be allowed to do that. And they don't just allow anybody to do that. So be aware of that. So that was really our biggest reason, I think, for choosing Holland America. Again, we have sold them before, but it had more to do with that access. The other thing I wanted to mention while I'm thinking about it is that the. Veranda stateroom category and above and anything with a balcony is going to be very popular for the Alaska cruises. Not that if you do an inside stateroom or just an ocean view, you can't go out to a common area or, you know, out on the balcony. But just having access to that from your stateroom is very important to people. And so that was one of the biggest things. It wasn't in July. It wasn't the other cruises that we were looking at were completely sold out. But the veranda state rooms weren't sold out. And the other thing that I would say is there's also incentives like for booking early. So it might be you book an ocean view and you get upgraded to a veranda. So you might get a little bit better of a price point as well.
So we chose this itinerary because it started in Vancouver. And my brother and his wife had done an Alaska cruise a few years ago. And they went to Victoria, British Columbia. how beautiful Bouchard Gardens was. And so they have talked about it so much is that when we started planning this trip, that became part of the itinerary is that we needed to go to Victoria first and go see that Bouchard Gardens there in Victoria. And I do want to add that there are some cruise ships that will leave from Seattle with a stop in Victoria,
I do want to add that there are some cruise ships that will leave from Seattle with a stop in Victoria, with a day stop. But I was actually just talking to somebody yesterday who's doing one of these and they only have a four hour window in Victoria in the evening. So he was telling me that they're not going to have time to go to Bouchard Gardens. You can get off the ship. I think he said it was literally from like eight to midnight. You would have time maybe to go into the inner harbor or stuff like that. So as you're booking this and look at this itinerary, like look very closely at the port times as well. Just FYI. The other thing I want to point about these itineraries. So typically they leave from Seattle. or Vancouver. And you can also go one way. So we are actually going one way, which gives you a chance to see more ports. So we'll leave from Vancouver. We'll do Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, the Glacier Bay, and then we will get off. And then we're doing an extension for a couple of days that goes up to Denali. But then there are cruises that go up part of the way. And then turn around and come back. So if you just want to fly in and out of Seattle, you can do that. Right. So it is a little bit like you'd have to like. So we're going to fly into Canada, I guess I should say. We're flying back from Alaska. So I mean, there's a lot of things to consider. And that's just that's just some of them.
One of the other things, the add on trip that we put on to this itinerary. Originally, Melissa and I weren't going to do the second part. with them. We were going to let them go ahead and go on. And so they booked that as a part of their cruise, as part of their package. Since we didn't book it, and then we changed our mind later and said, you know what, we're going to go with them. We're not going to get to do everything with them. So like they're going to do a train ride when they get to Anchorage that takes them up to the park. Instead, we're renting a car and we're going to drive from Anchorage to Denali. And that's fine. It'll be a few hours that they're on this train that we won't be together. But then once we get to Denali, we can pretty much spend the rest of the time together. We were able to book the same hotel that they're staying at and those type of things. If you want to do that additional, what are they called? It was a land and sea package. It is a, yeah,
is a, yeah, tour, land tours or something like that. Yeah, land and sea package. And it actually is like a whole different, like when you're researching these, like it's not really, it's not an add -on. It is like as part of the package. So be very aware of that. Like if that's something that you're thinking about. like click onto that. And I will say that booking that as part of the package is actually a really good deal. So if that's something that you think you might want to do, the price per person like included in that package was like less than what the train would cost. But the deal is, is that you can't just book a ticket on that train because they're chartering that train. And so, yeah, so I would say, like you mentioned, Scott, if you want to book that, like book it from the get go, because it's not it's it's not an ad honorable thing. So we had to book the extra hotels on our own. And except when ad honorable thing, we'd already paid for the cruise in full. And so they said, oh, well, you'll have to cancel it and rebook it. Well, at that point, you can't really do that because you've already paid for it. So then there's penalty. So it just didn't make sense. Right. So we worked it out. But just know that and also be very aware. of that you can add like there's lots of different ones to where the amount of days varies so there this is just extending it by two nights so it's like one night in denali and then a night in fairbanks and then you fly home from fairbanks but they have longer ones as well so just be very aware of the different packages as you are researching just to see how you know how much time that you want to do. So it's just a couple of things that we learned that we didn't know. So there is a train that goes back from Whittier to Anchorage that you can book. But just FYI, it does not leave Whittier until the evening after you get off. OK, so the cruise line charters a train. that leaves that morning and takes the passengers that are included in that package to Denali. But if you want to go to Anchorage, it doesn't leave till that evening. So you would need to book yourself an excursion in Whittier that day. Take the train. If I'm just saying, if this is something that you want to do, take the train to Anchorage, but don't book a flight out of Anchorage that night because the train won't get you there in time. You know, a lot of those, when you fly home from Alaska, in case you don't know, it's a lot of, it's red eyes, right? flying back to the continental U .S., but you wouldn't be able to make that connection. So just plan to spend another night in Anchorage before you fly home. And this would be like a DIY add -on, but you could book a full -day excursion, you know, with the cruise or through Viator or something like that, and then book that train on your own. But that's just a little tip extra.
So we mentioned that there would be a celebration while we were on this cruise as well. And I talked about my brother and his wife are joining us. Well, the last time that they did this cruise, I think it was for their 25th wedding anniversary. And so now they're going to be celebrating their 34th, I believe, that we figured out. So they're going to be on the cruise again on their anniversary. And so we're just kind of excited to be able to celebrate that with them. while they're there and on the ship. And so part of it is, yes, we wanted to do this for my dad to cross that off his bucket list. It's been on our bucket list as well. If we go back to that original chalkboard drawing in our kitchen where we wrote our bucket list on the wall, and one of the things you see there from the very original bucket list is Alaska Cruise. So yes, we're getting to cross that off. But we're getting the opportunity to celebrate it with my brother and his wife. And so we've tried to do what we've talked about is as we're planning this trip, we want to take everybody's, the things that they want to do, the things that they want to see into consideration as we do this trip.
And I will say like the Bouchard Gardens was really for me. So like you mentioned, our sister -in -law have done that. We basically were like, we've been to Alaska before. And I think we should add that you might be listening to this and saying. you know, this is great. I've done Alaska cruise or I don't have any interest in doing Alaska cruise or I don't cruise or I can't cruise. We have done an Alaska road trip and we will link that episode for you in the show notes. That is a great way to see Alaska in a different way if the cruising is not for you. But the Bushart Gardens was really for me. And so everything else, I was basically like, you know, whatever excursions you guys want to do, right? Because this is for them. And this is for him. I wanted them to pick those things and the things that would be of interest to them. So the Boo Shark Gardens was really for me. So we will also come back and give you guys a recap of Victoria because we'll have a couple of nights there. We'll be able to see the harbor. We'll be able to go to the gardens and probably a couple of other little things. We've actually booked a float plane. from Victoria into Vancouver to get to the cruise ships. So we will give you a whole recap of like a weekend and, you know, in Victoria, which would be a great side trip from Vancouver if you have time to do that. And so mentioning, so Scott, you're saying having everybody like things that were of interest to you. This was really like... OK, that's that's my bucket list. And you mentioned about they had gone and talked about it, but I had actually heard I think my mom talk about it like from years ago. And I just remember like they had like a postcard or something. And, you know, they were big into gardens and botanical gardens. And you and I love that. Right. We've talked about the botanical gardens at, you know, in Cape Town. The interesting thing about Booth Shark Gardens is they still use the same logo. So like if you go to their website. It's a very vintage logo that I remember seeing on that picture or postcard or whatever. You know, when I was like a small child.
Well, let's give a few tips for our listeners who are maybe planning their own Alaska cruise. You mentioned that for 2025 may be difficult now to get an Alaska cruise. But don't give up because often there's a lot of last minute deals. And we were talking to somebody. just this past weekend, and they said the time when final payments for trips comes due is when a lot of availability will often open up because people, for whatever reason, decide that they're not going or they don't make that final payment. So then the cruise lines go and fill that availability. You know, don't give up if you want to go on a 2025 Alaska cruise. Check that out. See what you can find. We would be happy to help you with that and see what we can find for you. But then the other thing I would say is if you are wanting to do this, let's go ahead and get you on a path looking at 2026 cruises and get you confirmed on one of those 2026 sailings. We talked about a little bit about this earlier is we have a number of different cruise lines that we can look at for you. For us, we liked Holland America. It's the... cruise line that we sailed on in the Mediterranean. We did the 12 -day cruise there. We recently did one last year down in the Caribbean. And funny enough, we're going to be on the same ship that we were on in the Caribbean last year. So that ship has now been refurbished because right after we got off of it in the Caribbean, they took it out of service. They went through and... for like a month or so. It was dry docked and they just tore it down from the inside out and remodeled everything. Now that ship is up in Alaska. And so we're going to get to see what it looks like with the new refurbishments. But Melissa said, maybe having those activities for the kids are really important. And so we can help you figure out what the right cruise is. to meet your needs. But for us, it was Holland America, and we're looking forward to that. And it could be sailing with a brand where there's no kids,
it could be sailing with a brand where there's no kids, right? Or even a smaller ship. And price point is always a consideration. So it could be that you want to do something a little bit more luxury and that could be a different ship, but that could also be the classes within the ship as well. And the, you know, the cabins and the different things that you book. So definitely for Alaska, there are a lot of options. And I did want to add one little thing to what you said about the last minute. Let's say that you're not super particular about, you know, it has to be this certain date or I care whether it goes out of Seattle or Vancouver or wherever, you know. long as you have a passport, right? That would be the thing about, you know, going out to Canada. If you're a little bit more flexible and you wanted to do it this year, it would be like you said, okay, you could be as picky about the itinerary, but lots and lots of options. Alaska is actually one of the most popular, if not the most popular, probably the most popular cruise destination in the world.
So Melissa, when I, you know, just think about this trip, it's really exciting for me because we're going to check off one of our longest running bucket list items. So that's always very exciting. We're going to help Dad check off one of his bucket list items. We're going to get to celebrate the wedding anniversary with Robert and Kim. And so, like, this is a really exciting trip to look forward to. And it's been fun because, like, over the last few days... We've been getting the countdown via the group text message for when we're leaving. Matter of fact, we're all meeting together in Atlanta and we're going to be on the same flights from Atlanta going to Vancouver and Victoria. And so... We're really just looking forward to this.
It'd be fun. We do so many trips where it is just us. So it'd be fun to do another family trip. We have booked. And I would say that's the other consideration if you're doing a group like this. Like we've booked the rooms close together, if not right beside each other as well. And so we'll be close right there on the ship. And so that's another reason to book early. So the other night we actually got all on the phone together and like. just going through some last minute things and looking at a couple of things, doing the check -in process and having questions. It reminded me of doing some of the planning with your aunts, going on the safari and just that anticipation, right? So it's fun to, you know, like just be on the phone and talking about, okay, print your luggage tags and just different, you know, fun things leading up to it, which, you know, so many people say that so much of travel is the anticipation. of that, right? And the looking forward to that. And I know they've been watching a lot of YouTube videos of what these different cruises are like. And so we'll come back and give you our full recap and maybe some tips and tricks as well.
Yeah. And I'm sure we're going to get lots of video while we're on the trip. And maybe we can even get some excerpts for the podcast that we can include in a wrap up after we return from it.
Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. We will do that.
Well, Melissa, you know, this is a trip that we need to think about carefully because we're taking float planes, we're going to Bouchard Gardens first, and then we're going to be on the boat in times of probably really cold weather and really nice weather. So we've got to plan for a lot of things on this trip.
And you also have to think about, like, especially if you're doing nights, pre -night stays, which is we always recommend, right? Don't try to fly in and get the ship the same day. And then we'll have the cruise, right? So unpack once and all that. And then we'll have two other hotels. So you've got the packing and, you know, if they've got the train. And so, yeah, just thinking through that. And I would say, too, we're going to look at the weather again in, I don't know, a couple of weeks, I think, too, to look at. I know they're...
don't know,
you know, looking, you know, and just kind of see, you know, how much layers we need and shoes. We're not planning on taking anything, you know, fancy or anything like that for, you know, for dinner either. But you're right. Wanted to go back to what you said about the float plane is we are, we are limited on luggage, just like we were the last time we went, you know, flew into Denali. And they said, oh, well, if, you know, if it allows, they can have more. But I mean, you don't want to have that risk, right? Because you're about to get on a, you're about to get on the ship. So we just want to be mindful and just not have a lot of that stuff. So we are actually going to pack a Venestis heated jacket. It's the kind that has like the coils and the external battery packs, if it's cold enough. I think it's going to be cold enough, at least for part of the time. So you have a jacket and I have a vest and we're going to try that out. They have gifted those to us and wanted to see what we think. So we will let you know about that. And then other than that, I think just, you know, layers. I actually re -bought the boots that I had bought for our walking trip. They were on sale for prom day. And so I'll be, I'm going to be taking those and our warm. We found some merino wool. Things that we took on that, some for layer short sleeve and from some companies like Aka, Holo, we actually love their socks. So some of those things that we're going to pack. And again, layers, I don't want to take anything fancy, but just things that we can just layer and swap around.
Yeah, we typically don't do the night where you dress up on the cruise. A lot of people do that and they have lots of fun with it. For us, it's just we're always focused on trying to keep the amount of stuff that we're taking to a minimum because usually we have some type of limitation, like this time we're getting on a float plane, right? So I would rather take that weight and apply it to our camera gear and those type of things that we're taking so that we can get some really good content for you as well. So we're just going to take jeans and layers and boots so that if the weather's nice, we can do just a vest and some short sleeves. If it's colder, then we'll have those layers and longer sleeves to go with it. And of course, the boots to keep your feet warm.
Yeah. And the other thing that we had learned about Holland America is that you can wash, right? And it's pretty affordable. So if we need to, we'll get a load up and wash halfway.
We're so excited for this trip, not just because Alaska is stunning, but because we finally get to share this experience with my dad who's been dreaming about it for two decades. It's a powerful reminder that sometimes you just have to stop waiting for the perfect moment and start planning the trip that really matters. Whether it's with parents, siblings, or even close friends, these shared journeys become some of the most meaningful chapters in our lives. If you've been thinking about an Alaska cruise or a family trip of your own. We hope this episode gave you a few ideas to get started. We hope this episode gave you a few ideas to get started. Until next time, remember the world is full of sunshine and surprises. Make 2025 the year that you explore beyond the familiar. That's a wrap on this episode. We hope it gave you some inspiration for your next adventure.
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