CRUSIN’ IN ALASKA – FALL 2023

Under the category “We’re not getting any younger“, Deborah and I have decided to go on an Alaskan cruise with Celebrity cruise lines this coming fall.

Although we have talked about this for some time, the decision, and reservation, happened quite suddenly after two of our friends returned from a recent Celebrity cruise down the Mexican Pacific coast.  Their rather glowing recommendations certainly helped with our motivation to act.

The sense of increased mortality we both feel after the events of last year’s Hawaiian “vacation” also played a not insignificant part in this decision.

Those of you who know me well can imagine that I have already begun developing a comprehensive travel Powerpoint in earnest.  

Creating a Travel PowerPoint

This will be a 7 night cruise on the Celebrity ship Millennium.  We will set off south from Seward Alaska (just south of Anchorage) and end the cruise in Vancouver British Columbia.

As bookends to the cruise, we plan to first spend a few days in Anchorage. Activities there will no doubt include lots of wildlife viewing, a possible day trip to Denali National Park and attempts to check off a major bucket list item for us both – seeing the Aurora Borealis aka the Northern Lights.

At the end of the cruise, before returning home, we would like to spend a few days in Vancouver visiting a high school classmate of mine and his wife who have lived for many years in a Vancouver suburb – Burnaby.

Thanks to our mutual enjoyment of travel, Deborah and I have been fortunate to have been able to take a number of trips outside the continental U.S. during our going on 18 years of marriage.  

These have included trips to Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, numerous Carribbean islands, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, France, England, and just prior to the start of Covid, on a wonderful trip around the Scottish Highlands.  Can anyone say “Outlander”?

Other than a brief business trip to Juneau Alaska before I retired, this will be our first trip together to our 49th state.

If anyone reading this may have some Celebrity, or Alaskan cruise experiences to share, or vacationing advice to give us, please comment at the end of this post.  Or you can also send me an email at … Rkoehler1952@gmail.com

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P.S.  Another possible visit while in Anchorage might be a short drive to Wasilla AK.  I’d like to see if you really can see Russia from a certain female former mayor’s old house!

Uhhh. Yeah, she really DID say that.