WELCOME
When you cruise the inside passage of Alaska the scale of things is overwhelming and you can travel for hours taking scenic pictures of nature without seeing any sign of human life. Then you'll see one small isolated cabin, a lone fishing boat, or a solitary freighter. During that time you'll see nature untouched by civilization. I have to admit that it was my wife who wanted to see Alaska. I was happy with cruising the Caribbean and thought that Alaska would not be exciting, was I mistaken. The binoculars and camera were going non-stop for all of these cruise travel pictures. It was one of the best cruises we've ever had. These pictures were taken in the month of May and the weather was fine. If you're considering a cruise to any destination, take some time to compare the travel offers because they vary greatly based upon time of year, destination, travel agency or cruise line.
The top of mountains blend into and above the clouds so majestically that it's often difficult to separate them. This picture was taken near Juneau Alaska from about 600 feet up at a place called Mendenhall Gardens. It was part of a cruise ship excursion trip and also included a visit to the Mendenhall glacier which covered this valley a long time ago.
ALASKA
With very few roads, airplanes and ships are the primary modes of travel. Ketchikan's harbor had more seaplane activity than boats. The planes were landing and taking off every few minutes. The variety of colorful seaplanes powered by turbines, piston, and radial piston engines are fun to watch.
A waterfall along the Tracy Arm outside of Juneau. This country is so immense that binoculars are a "must" to get close views. They will help you spot wildlife such as mountain goats, eagles, bears, and whales, so you can get those great cruise travel pictures for your album.
Pretty up here. This view had an almost mystical feeling. The trees in this picture had a permanent bend to them from the strong winds swirling around the mountain, even though there was no wind when this picture was taken.
The inside passage is generally smooth sailing. The sun rises early and stays out late, so you have a lot of chances to catch that perfect picture. This picture was taken shortly after leaving Skagway.
On the way to the glacier some of the passages are narrow but deep. The ship was able to travel all the way to the end of the Tracy Arm, south of Juneau for a close view of a glacier. As you cruise between the granite mountains, there's a humbling and profound feeling of timelessness, awe, and majesty of nature.
When large pieces of blue ice start appearing, you know you're getting close to the glacier. The intense weight of the glacier causes the oxygen to be forced out of the ice and snow which only allows certain colors of the visible light spectrum to show. The result is a glowing vibrant blue color.
During the time the ship was navigating the narrow passages to the glacier, the ship's naturalist was providing a history of the glacier over the ship's loudspeakers.
Other Destinations:
The blue ice of glaciers is very different. It radiates an intense blue glow that seems alive. It really is an experience you'll never forget.
Spectacular! The sight of this glacier brought crew and passengers on the decks with excitement. Pictures do not begin to give you the feeling of nature's power and immense size as actually seeing it in person. It explained why the Alaskan cruise is different than any other destination.
The airport in Juneau. Although Juneau is the capitol of Alaska, you can only get there by air or sea. This picture was also taken from Mendenhall Gardens which is in the Tongass National Forest. It's the largest contiguous temperate rain forest in the world, nearly 17 million acres in size.
More Alaska pictures
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(click on image to enlarge)
TheCruiseLife.com © 2008
Cruising to Alaska, the Caribbean islands, or Mexico is exciting. Cruise ship pictures, all-inclusive resort photos, exotic Mayan temple ruins, with connections to booking sources and tips for gear are here for you. Enjoy the scenes and make plans for your fun getaway! New Eastern Caribbean photos are here. Europe and Mediterranean views are coming. Bookmark us because you'll like the upcoming pictures.
