Homer’s two epic poems, The Odyssey and The Iliad, like much of Greek mythology, blur the lines between myth and reality. Stories such as Heracles or the Minotaur, often set fantastical, frequently impossible things within the places of the real world. If you too have been taken with Odyssey fever and discovered a fascination with Greek Mythology, let me tell you how to see the ancient Greek world in person.

Athens

In today’s world, the city of Athens has come to be the most visited spot for those fascinated by Greek history. That’s not surprising, given that it is the capital of Greece today and has a large port that cruise ships frequent. There’s also a decent international airport, making it an ideal location to vacation. Important for the topic of visiting ancient Greek sites is that Athens has continuously been a city for thousands of years. You can scarcely throw a rock without hitting a structure older than 500 years. Although genuine ruins of the ancient Greek world lie all around the city, and under it more often than not, the highlights to see here are among the most visited sites in the world.

The Parthenon at the Acropolis in Athens is a must when you visit Greece.

Most visible and famous is the Parthenon. Sitting above the rest of the Athens, on the Athenian Acropolis (a word which translates to mean the highest point of the city), the Parthenon is arguably the most recognizable feature of Greece culture and history. In its day, it was a temple to Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare, where the city takes its name from. The site also has one of my favorite museums anywhere in the world, the aptly named Acropolis Museum. The museum sits above one of the archeological sites at the acropolis and visitors can simply look down and see real excavations going on beneath their feet.

Another ancient place is the Agora, which is a marketplace. The sprawling Agora of Athens contains its own museum that documents the Athenian democracy, housed inside a reconstructed stoa (covered walkway) that dates to 150 BC, temples to the gods Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, and Apollo, an odeon, a library, and the seat of the ancient Athenian government.

Perhaps obviously, there are many more sites in Athens beyond just these two that are connected with ancient Greece, much less other historic periods over the last 3000 years, but there are entire books dedicated to doing little more than listing things to see in Athens and we don’t have the space to do so here. However, I’ll mention a few of the more noteworthy.

Temple of Hephaestus in the Athens Agora

There’s the first modern Olympic stadium, the Panathenaic stadium, which houses the Olympic flame. Lycabettus Hill, which gives you amazing views of the city, has a bar to grab a drink at, and a conveniently placed church to apologize about the drinking at. Of course, you cannot visit Athens without visiting Plaka, a neighborhood just beneath the Acropolis filled with shops and restaurants for you to stop in as you wander the picturesque streets.

What’s the best way to get to Athens then? Since this is a modern metropolis, there’s all sorts of transportation that can get you here. Arriving by plane is very easy and their airport is smaller and simpler to navigate than many other cities. Hotels and vacation rentals are plentiful, so staying overnight isn’t a problem. Cruises, which often start in Athens and also frequently visit there, are another very easy way to visit the city. How long you want to stay in Athens specifically is the determining factor in what we would recommend.

Lycabettus Hill in Athens, Greece

If all you want to see is the Acropolis and maybe one or two other sites, you can do so in a day. It’ll be a busy day, but you can do it. This might fit best if you want to see as many places in Greece as possible, since vacations only last so long. If that’s what you’re looking to do, then a cruise that starts in Athens, which you should arrive at least 1 day before, might be the trick.

However, for longer stays focused on Athens and the surrounding areas, it may be better to connect with a tour group or arrange for a private tour for several days. Since Athens is so popular for travelers, there’s a booming industry of private drivers and tour guides that will work with you on planning a multi-day trip where they take you around to see the area’s sites. As I mentioned, there’s also pre-planned tours that go in a group and travel by bus through the city and to surrounding areas. These tours can be just a single day or even several days, stopping at multiple places in this part of Greece.

Thessaloniki & Mt Olympus

Greece’s second largest city is Thessaloniki. Although this city does not have as storied a history in ancient Greece as Athens does, it was founded in 315 BC, squarely in the Hellenistic period, and is directly connected with Alexander the Great. Most of the historic sites in the city itself relate to a much later period, that of the Byzantine Empire.

Thessaloniki Waterfront. Photo by Berthold Werner https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71127147

The Byzantines are not a subject frequently taught in US schools, so don’t worry if you’re from there and not familiar. I can’t say what schools in other countries are like on the subject, but here’s a short primer. The Byzantines were the eastern half of the Roman Empire that stuck around for centuries after the collapse of Rome. While their capital was in Byzantium, also known as Constantinople, now know as Istanbul. You see, Istanbul was Constantinople, but now it’s Istanbul, not Constantinople. It’s been a long time gone, Constantinople and why they changed it I can’t say. Perhaps people just liked it better that way…

Now that I’ve cleared up the history of the capital, Thessaloniki was the “second city” of the empire, in comedy circles this would be like Chicago or Toronto. Ruins from both the Roman and Byzantine era are all over the city, notably the Arch and Rotunda of Galerius, the Palace of Galerius, and a massive Roman Forum. All of which you can visit and are right in the center of the town.

“But I’m here for Zeus, Athena, and Apollo!” You say! What do you care about some boring old Roman emperors? While Thessaloniki might not be as loaded up with the sort of Greek mythos you’re thinking of, it is a great place from which to visit the major site of Greek myths, Mount Olympus.

Yes, the Seat of the Gods, the place where Zeus and Dionysus threw some of the biggest intergalactic keggers the universe ever knew is just a short distance away from Thessaloniki. It was the first national park in Greece and part of the World Biosphere reserve. Mount Olympus has been the site of pilgrimage since at least 400 BC, and you can make that pilgrimage as well! There are tons of opportunities to go hike the ancient, divine stones of this mountain with guides who will tell you stories and myths that grew out of this amazing location.

Mt Olympus Photo By Cristo Vlahos – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30394901

In addition, you can visit the ruins of Dion, which sits at the foot of Mount Olympus and was the site where Alexander the Great’s Kingdom of Macedonia had their largest shire to Zeus. It was the center of religious power for the Macedonians, and hosted large complexes of baths, shrines, walls, mosaics, and more. They even have a “hydraulis” housed in the museum, which is an ancient bronze pipe organ. The site is a center of power for a lot of Macedonian history, and Alexander himself made enormous sacrifices to Zeus before his ill-fated campaign to Asia.

The best way to get to Thessaloniki is typically to fly in. There are some cruises that stop in the city, but it isn’t a main stop. That means that getting a hotel, for a few nights is the best way to stay. There’s some options for vacation rentals, but they aren’t as plentiful as in Athens. Fortunately, tour groups, drivers, and guides are in no short supply here and they can get you to any of the places you’d like to visit without any hassle.

Thermopylae, Delphi, and Lamia

There is hardly a single Greek myth that doesn’t include a guest appearance of the Fates or Oracles. While Greece was littered with Oracles, Delphi was the biggest of them all. This was where, Apollo had his Pythia deliver their visions of the future, and steer the course of history. To ignore these readings would bring destruction.

When you visit Greece, you can go to Delphi where the Oracle was. This is the Athens Treasury at the site.

The Oracle of Delphi certainly gave the site, nestled into the mountains, a great deal of importance to the Ancient Greeks. However, Delphi’s location was considered to be the center of the world – literally. Its position was marked by an omphalos, a type or religious artifact made of stone. The omphalos is still there today, now moved to the protected space of the site’s beautiful museum to preserve it, although we don’t know if it’s original or not. The point is, that when you visit Delphi, you are visiting the center of the Grecian world.

The facilities the Greeks built around Delphi are substantial. The Oracle was a priestess of Apollo, chosen by the other priestesses of the temple and they all worked together to attend and maintain the temple and deliver the Oracle’s visions. To receive a vision from the Oracle, you had to make an offering to the temple of Apollo. This offering, a reasonable fee if you will, was levied to support the Oracle and the temple’s operations. It takes a lot to make some prophecies after all. The various city states kept treasuries at Delphi to make the payment for these visions easier and these vaults would house their tithes to the oracle in thanks for the victories she led them to. A sort of pay to win system I suppose.

Other than the Oracle, there are many more features in Delphi. A massive ancient theater affords visitors sweeping views of the valley below. There was a gymnasium, which is exactly what is sounds like, and a stadium for sporting events. The stadium is at the highest point of the Delphic ruins, which is a bit of a climb, and it is the most well preserved ancient stadium in Greece.

Nichole above the Odeon at Delphi.

In the same region as Delphi, sits Thermopylae. If you’ve seen the movie 300, you’ve heard of Thermopylae, or the “hot gates”. This is where the 300 Spartans, led by King Leonidas, fought to the last against the invading army of Xerxes, king of the Persians and his overwhelming hordes of deadly immortals. While this is lauded by ancient Greek fans, the reality is that the Spartans had many, many more soldiers than the 300, plus a whole fleet backing them up. Additionally, Xerxes led a multicultural empire that was widely regarded as one of the best places to live in the ancient world.

Although reality paints a very different picture than Mr. Snyder or Mr. Miller, the importance of Thermopylae is undeniable. While there aren’t a lot of ruins, this site is where battles have been fought for thousands of years due to its strategic location. It was a central pivot point in ancient history, not just for Greece, but the entire world, and you can still visit it today. Its hot springs are still active, and modern baths let you enjoy its mineral waters. You don’t even have to get kicked down a well to enjoy them!

Thermopylae Ho Springs By Fkerasar – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1961603

While you can visit both these places from Athens and Thessaloniki, consider staying in nearby Lamia. It’s a truly ancient city, rivaling Athens in age, that sits in a highly strategic location above Thermopylae. It was possibly named after the daughter of Poseidon, though there is some debate around that. While it doesn’t boast the ruins and structures of Athens, it is a beautiful city with many museums and its own unique history.

The only way to get to Lamia, though, is by driving in from one of the larger cities I mentioned above. There are many places to stay, if you value independent travel, and there are many tours that you can sign up for if you like a group experience. Just like almost everywhere in Greece, there’s also private drivers and guides a plenty if you want to go a more personalized or small group route.

Greek Islands

You might be wondering, at this point, where are the islands? Greece is full of islands, and I definitely saw Odysseus riding around in a boat! Well, don’t worry, I have a few islands loaded with ruins, myths, and more for you!

If you’ve ever been called a cretin, don’t take it as an insult, Crete was the center of one of the largest, most important city states in the ancient world… I’m being told that those two words are not in any way related.

Ariel View Of Chania By dronepicr – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=101700513

Anyway, Crete was the center of the Minoan civilization, one of the most technologically advanced places for its time, and Chania was one of its centers. The ancient Minoan palace of Knossos is very near Chania, and that site, specifically, is where we get the tale of the Minotaur from. Talk about being bull-headed, am I right!

In addition to Knossos, Chania was also the seat of the Kydonians, who earn a mention in the Odyssey itself. Because of its distance from mainland Greece, Chania is a wonderful place to visit for several days, or via cruise.

Cape Drastis, Corfu, By Hagai Agmon-Snir https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=121317537

Another great island of Greek history and myth is Corfu on the western side of Greece. Famed for its blue waters, there have been countless battles and naval conquests held here throughout history. Sites to visit include Kardaki temple from 500 BC, the temples of Artemis and Hera, as well as the tomb of Menecrates. The tomb is one of only two sites, the other in Rhodes, of this type that we have found. He seemed to have been an ancient ambassador who was lost at sea and includes a stunning ancient lion sculpture.

If you visit Greece, Rhodes is worth your time. This is a view of the Medieval city part of Rhodes. By Bernard Gagnon – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25041428

Speaking of Rhodes, it was the center of trade in the whole region. If it wasn’t an island, we may have said that all roads lead to Rhodes, and that wealth and influence is how they were able to build the Colossus of Rhodes. If you were hoping to see this wonder of the ancient world, however, you’re just a couple of years too late, as it was destroyed in 226 BC in an earthquake and, abiding by the Oracle of Delphi, it was never reconstructed. That doesn’t mean you can’t get your ancient god fix in Rhodes, for the Temple of Pythian Apollo, ancient theaters and stadiums, and the Acropolis of Rhodes are all scattered around the island. Additionally, impressive medieval castles, such as the Palace of the Grand Master where the Knights Hospitaller were headquartered, and where the Colossus was said to have stood.

Santorini, By Skigo Wedding Stories – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=159090912

Finally, there is Santorini where, because of its volcanic nature, there isn’t a lot to go off. However, we do know the islands were home to the great Minoan city of Akrotiri, and some of its ruins and murals remain. There are three-story buildings, walls, streets, and some of the oldest examples of plumbing we have, all from 3000 to 2000 BC. Unfortunately, especially for the Akrotirians, most of the city was destroyed in an eruption which lasted for weeks and was so large it caused a tsunami. The catastrophic valcano is what gave Santorini the shape it has today, when at least 25 cubic kilometers of stone, ash, and magma, were thrown into the atmosphere. It’s easy to see why Akrotiri, and thus Santorini, is often held up as one of the most likely locations of the mythological city of Atlantis that Plato described over a thousand years after the eruption.

Beyond the Myth

So, you might have noticed at this point that I’ve listed a lot of amazing, interesting locations with ancient ruins, mythologies, and stunning nature. But you might also be thinking, “Odysseus didn’t go there”.  And yes, we started this talking about the Odyssey, but the thing is, Troy is in Turkey, and most of the places that are mentioned on his journey are thought to be in Sicily, and beyond that, they’re mostly made up.

Yes, Scylla is a real place in Sicily, and Ithaca is a place in Greece, but the island of the lotus eaters, Polyphemus, or giant cannibals, these don’t seem to have any real place attached to them. Just like all myths, they are there to transmit ideas, morals, and stories. While all the myths of ancient Greece are enjoyable, being in the real places where they were created, shared, and believed helps understand them on a whole different level. So if you loved the Odyssey, consider a visit to Greece because nothing compares seeing to the genuine thing with your own eyes. Maybe that’s why the Greeks are so mad at the British museum?

The post How to Visit Greece – The World of The Odyssey appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Because Virgin has no traditional main dining room, like you get on most other cruise ships, you can eat in a different spot every night with no specialty dining fees, which is also unique among large cruise ships. However, this means a reservation system, which can cause frustration or even panic for some guests. I’ll pull back the curtain on Virgin Voyages’ dining reservations and what you need to know about it. 

Booking Before You Board

Virgin Voyages has several sailing fare categories. They are, Lock-It-In, Base, Essential, Premium, RockStar and Mega RockStar. No matter what fare you’ve booked, though, you will have an opportunity to grab some dinner and brunch reservations before you sail. You’ll be able to make these dining reservations through the Virgin app, or on virginvoyages.com under your booking page. 

The trick here is that which cabin and fare type you book, determines how far before your departure date you can make those reservations. In other words, some fare types and cabins get to make their reservations earlier than others.

If you book a Lock-it-In or Base Fare, then the first chance you’re going to have to book any  brunch or dining reservations is 15 days before your sailing. If you’re booked under the Essential Fare, that window for dining reservations will open 45 days before the start of the cruise. With the Premium Fare, you will get 60 days. And for those in the Rockstar and MegaRockstar cabins, you’ll get to plan your dining a whole 120 days before you set sail.

Virgin Voyages dining reservation system depends a great deal on what fare you book with.

With all that said, Virgin only opens a portion of their total reservation slots before the sailing. More on that in a moment.

You also need to know that how often you are allowed to book each restaurant will also vary based on the length of your sailing. For sailings of five nights or less, you can have one reservation per restaurant. Meanwhile, those on six-to-eight-night cruises can book twice per restaurant. And anyone on cruises of nine or more nights can reserve each restaurant three times. 

Also consider if you’re a diehard fan of one of Virgin’s places, doing a walk-up to the restaurant does not count towards this limitation, it’s just for reservations! You can even do a walk-up and eat at a reservation on the same night, if you’re really, really hungry. 

Didn’t Get the Times/Days You Want?

Let’s say you need to eat at 6:30 PM every night, or you really want to snag the Wake for your birthday dinner, but for some reason you can’t get the timeslot you’re looking for. What can be done? Well, don’t worry, there are a few tips a tricks for getting the perfect dining schedule on Virgin. 

First, you can come back and check on availability. People change their schedules, cancel cruises, or any number of things. Just because a restaurant or timeslot isn’t available now doesn’t mean it won’t be later. Pop in and check from time to time to see if that slot opened.

Lucky Lotus by Razzle Dazzle is where you’ll head to at the start of a sailing if you need to make adjustments with the Virgin Voyages dining reservation system and you don’t want to use the app.

Second, once you’re on the ship, there are a few ways you can snag those extra times that open up. First, as soon as you are on the ship’s WiFi, you can log in and make or edit bookings. If you don’t have a great phone or are just a little clumsy with your thumbs, you can also make your way to the dining reservation desk, usually at Razzle Dazzle, where Virgin will have crew helping make and alter reservations. 

Finally, it can be worth keeping an eye on reservations as the cruise goes on. People will cancel their plans mid-cruise, causing times to open. You never know if the perfect spot will free up the day of. 

Virgin’s New Shared Dining – What Is It?

Virgin Voyages recently updated their dining system to allow for “shared tables.” A shared table is one where you will be sat next to other people who are not in your dining party. Many restaurants have called this family style seating. Before you ask, this new system is completely opt-in so don’t worry about being forced to sit with people if you don’t want to. 

The pilot program for this is running on a few sailings in October and November of 2026, and if it’s a hit, it will likely be implemented going forward. Now you might be asking yourself the question, why are they doing this? 

Well, there are two reasons. First, some people like the idea of dining with random folks they don’t know. They are called extroverts and if you are not one of them this probably never occurred to you. At this point I would say hello to my fellow introverts, but that’s not how we do things, so I’ll simply give you a head nod and then go in opposite directions.

Gunbae style dining is exactly what the line is trying out with the “Shared Tables” option in the Virgin Voyages Dining Reservation system, but now it’s at the other restaurants.

The second part of the answer is to simply give Sailors a little more flexibility when it comes to dining. Virgin has always grappled with the reality that they offer the equivalent of specialty dining on other cruise lines as part of the price. This leads to everyone wanting reservations, and with limited space in each restaurant, that leads to people becoming upset if they can’t get the times they want. 

With this program there will be more flexibility. If a 6-person table at Rojo on the Brilliant Lady is being unused for dinner, why not put three pairs of sailors together in a time that might be unavailable for three 2-person tables? And don’t worry about breaking the ice, Virgin plans to have the crew help make those awkward introductions go by in a more direct way. 

It’s not like Virgin are… virgins… at doing ice breakers either. Gunbae, their Korean BBQ restaurant on the ship is exclusively this style of dining. I think the line should have this handled fairly well.

If you’re onboard for one of these pilot voyages and feel like trying it out, make sure to give Virgin feedback! 

But if you don’t want to do it, don’t. Know that people who choose to participate may have made more space for your table.  

No Reservations? No Problem!

If you can’t or don’t want to get reservations, I promise you will not starve. You will do whatever the opposite of starving is. Full-ing, perhaps.

If you don’t have a reservation, consider walking up the evening of. You might have some issues with a big group of people, but if there’s just two or three of you, it shouldn’t be too bad. I recommend going up as soon as the restaurant opens and seeing if you can get in later that evening to give the crew some wiggle room on time to get you in. If you do this, you will get messaged in the app when your table is ready. 

However, even if you don’t get into one of the restaurants offered on Virgin, there are a variety of other options. The Galley will have dinner service at the Diner and Dash, as well as burgers, salads, sushi, and baked goods. Some popular dinner options include beef wellington and butter chicken. Unfortunately, the ramen, tacos, and paninis aren’t open in the evening, as the crew that work those are doing dinner service in the restaurants. 

It’s not exactly conventional, but you can always just eat all the ice cream you want! You don’t need to use the Virgin Voyages dining reservation system to fill up on that!

In addition to the Galley, you can always grab a fresh-made pizza at the Pizza Place. Virgin offers my favorite cruise pizza of any line I’ve tried. There are also quick options at the Social Club and the Dockhouse. The Social club serves wings, pretzels, and hot dogs, while the Dock offers delicious Greek bites. The shrimp there are a consistent favorite for people. 

If you want to eat in your room, you can bring any food back with you and the to-go pizzas, from the Pizza Place, and the grab-and-go boxes in the Galley and by the Dock are all convenient ways to get food back to the cabin .  

There’s also Ship Eats, the delivery room service available 24 hours a day. There’s a $10 delivery charge for non-Rockstar guests, but if you order $10 in drinks with your Bar Tab, that fee is waived. 

There are also dinner shows as a paid extra held in the Manor. You generally get 5 different cocktails, one for each course, included in the price. And finally, it’s not the traditional dinner, but you can get all the Ice Cream you’d like right next to the Pizza Place.

The post Everything You Need to Know About the Virgin Voyages Dining Reservation System  appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

When you sign up for the Carnival Rewards program, you will retain your VIFP club status (as of August 31, 2026) through December 31, 2028. Guests who have Diamond Status as of August 31, 2026 will permanently retain their Diamond status. This is an update from Carnival’s original information which stated Diamond guests would retain their status through May of 2032.

If you think that you will book a Carnival Cruise, you will definitely want to sign up for the new Carnival Rewards program so that you do not lose your status for the next 1-1/2 years.

If you’ve received the email from Carnival, please use the link in the email to sign up for the Carnival Rewards program. Your current VIFP number will transfer over to this new program.

If you have not received this email, you can use the following link to sign up for the new program. You will need your current VIFP number if you use this link.

Carnival Rewards Opt-In Enrollment form

So…. How will this new Program Work?

Except for those who have Diamond Status as of August 31, 2026, your status will no longer be a lifetime status. Your status will change every two years based upon the qualification requirements for a specific status. Here is a confusing explanation.

After December 31, 2028, unless you are a lifetime Diamond status guest, your status will change based upon the number of Qualifying Stars you have earned from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2028. Carnival is calling this your “Earnings or Qualifying Period.”

Your new status as of January 1,2029  will be your status for 2 years (January 1, 2029 through December 31, 2030). Carnival is calling this your “Enjoyment Period.”

During this period of January 1, 2029 through December 31, 2030, you will be earning Qualifying Stars toward your status for the two-year period of  January 1, 2030 through December 31, 2032.

This two-year qualifying and “Enjoyment” period will continue indefinitely unless Carnival makes changes to the plan in the future.

Unless you have Diamond Status on August 31, 2026 AND enroll in the new Carnival Rewards program, your status will change every two years based upon the number of Qualifying Stars you earn during the prior two years. This can be quite confusing. Trust me, I was confused.

Carnival Rewards is changing a lot about how the way guests earn perks for their loyalty.

To lessen the blow of losing Platinum status every two years, a guest who has Platinum Status as of August 31, 2026 will receive 10,000 stars at the start of every “Earnings or Qualifying Period”. This will give you Gold Status for the upcoming “Enjoyment Period”.

Again, this is confusing. So, let’s use dates.

If you have Platinum Status as of August 31, 2026, you will continue to enjoy Platinum Status benefits through December 31, 2028.

During the Earning/Qualifying period of January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2028, you will earn stars for your status beginning January 1, 2029. Carnival will credit your Carnival Rewards account with 10,000 stars at the beginning of this Earning/Qualifying period. Any additional stars you earn during this 2-year period will go towards your qualifying Status for the period starting January 1, 2030.

You will, at the very least, have Gold Status as of January 1, 2030 (Your Enjoyment Period). You will have Platinum Status as of January 1, 2030  if you earn an additional 30,000 stars during the Earning/Qualifying period ending December 31, 2029.

How many stars do you need to earn every two years for a specific status?

Red – 1 to 9,999 stars

Gold – 10,000 to 49,999 stars

Platinum – 50,000 to 99,999 stars

Diamond – 100,000 or more stars

How do you earn Qualifying Stars?

Beginning September 1, 2026, you earn three stars for every $1.00 spent on Carnival purchases. This includes cruise fares, any purchases made pre-board or while sailing as well as purchases with the Carnival credit card. You will also earn 1 Qualifying Star for every casino point earned. The following DO NOT earn points:

• Required Cruise Fees & Expenses
• Government Taxes and Fees
• Fly2Fun air travel booked through Carnival.
• Any purchases in which you used Carnival Rewards Points and Onboard Credits
• Any Carnival-funded Future Cruise Credits (FCCs) that were not purchased by you or purchased prior to September 1, 2026.

Carnival Rewards

What are Qualifying Points?

You will earn three points for every dollar spent (1 point for each casino point). These points are added to your Carnival Rewards account after your cruise is complete. . They are not used for your Qualifying Status. These points are like Carnival bucks that can be used to purchase items before or during a Carnival cruise. This even includes eligible cruise fares if you have enough points.

Unlike the Qualifying Stars, these points do not expire as long as you have either earned or spent points within a 3-year period. If there is no activity in your “points account” for 3 years, the points will expire.

The post Carnival is launching a new Carnival Rewards program to replace its VIFP Club. appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

We’ve sailed Virgin a number of times now, but none of us ever tried out the Splash of Romance package. Which is kinda strange, to be honest. Virgin Voyages’ Splash of Romance is one of the most popular add-ons they offer and we get asked about it all the time by clients. So, on our last voyage with them, I decided to remedy that oversight and try it out.

What is the Splash of Romance Package?

Have you ever wanted literal Cupid, the classical mythological figure, to grace your romantic getaway with a few heart-tipped arrows and some cold-pressed juice? Well, if the answer is yes, I’m sorry to say that there’s no Cupid, but Virgin does have you covered with the cold-pressed juice.

Here’s what’s included in the Splash of Romance package:

• Priority Boarding
• Curated daily cold-pressed juices
• Two 3-Hour Thermal Spa Passes
• A Shake for Champagne
• Exclusive Sail Away Hour
• Sultry bites

The package costs $250 (up from $200 in years past) and only 90 people can purchase it on any voyage. That means that availability is limited and you might not be able to get it if you wait to purchase it later on.

One important thing to note on the price is that if you decide to add Splash of Romance to your trip, the price covers two people, but only one sailor should be selected during the purchasing process. If you select two, it will attempt to charge you for the package twice. Yes, that’s a bit of an odd way to do the checkout, but it’s how it’s properly done in Virgin’s system.

Now that we’ve got the basics established, let’s dive in deeper.

Virgin Voyages Splash of Romance – What you get

Priority Boarding – This allows you to board before most others. RockStars (the people who booked a suite) still get to board before you, but you get to board before all the other standard boarding times. Typically, you’ll board this ship just after guests with Deep Blue Extras board. Deep Blue Extras being the top tier of sailing status with Virgin Voyages loyalty program.

When you have DBE or Splash of Romance, there isn’t a special booking time available to you on the app. Instead, it will show that you have Priority Boarding and list an arrival time of 1:45-2:00.

Curated daily cold-pressed juices – This is pretty self explanatory, but here’s what you do to get it. Each day of your voyage, head up to deck 15 and go to the pool. The bar there is called Gym and Tonic and they serve cold-pressed juices until 11AM each day. You will scan your wrist band and get your juice. Pretty simple.

If you like juices, it’s really tasty!

Two 3-hour Thermal Spa Passes – Down on deck 5, there is a thermal spa. If you buy the Splash of Romance package, you’ll get two passes for three hours at the spa together. I’ll talk more about what the spa is like in a minute.

Shake for Champagne – This is a fun feature! Anytime during the trip, when on the ship, you can open up the Virgin app and literally shake your phone. It will trigger a prompt to appear on screen and you then select “Yes” to receive the champagne. It’s a bottle of Moet and Chandon, which is the partnered champagne brand with Virgin.

This is a significant part of the value proposition to the package because that same bottle would otherwise cost around $105 to purchase on the ship.

Sail Away Hour – On the first day, as you leave your port, Virgin schedules an hour at one of the ship’s bars where you can go and get some complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres. There are usually two options for drinks, usually a bubbly and a sangria.

Virgin Voyages Splash of Romance – These are one of the Sultry Bites. Ooohhh, so sultry! (I guess? I don’t know what makes a macaroon sultry. It was tasty though!)

Sultry Bites – When I purchased Splash of Romance, several times during the voyage, someone on the crew came by our cabin with some sweet treats, leaving them for us on the table if we were out. These treats were only available for Splash of Romance guests, so you can’t pick them up anywhere else on the ship. They offered a variety of chocolates and pastries for these bites, and they were meant to be romantic-y types of things. You don’t get to choose what you get, but they do bring them right to you!

As of 2026, there are variations on The Sultry Bites appearing around Virgin’s fleet. It seems that there is a move toward providing a small box of chocolates at the start of the cruise rather than things like the macaroons pictured above. I can only guess that this is easier to control and standardize across the fleet and various suppliers around the world.

Value is Very Subjective

Now that you are familiar with the perks, let’s talk about that value so many people want to know about. Everything that comes with this addon is potentially worth it, but it all depends on what matters to you. Let me explain.

Take the champagne, it’s the second most valuable item in the package at around $105 on board price, but if you don’t like champagne, then it’s worthless to you. If you know someone who likes champagne, it’s possible to bring the bottle home to them in your luggage, but the bottle can be purchased for around $50 in many places, so justifying the champagne as a gift for someone else, doesn’t really make sense.

The same thing applies to the Savory Bites and juices. If you like those things, then they provide value to you, if you don’t like them, then it’s meaningless. I liked them both, but I like sweets and juices. Your enjoyment may vary.

Early boarding is what most people buy Splash of Romance for, which I understand. Typically, people want to get on the ship as soon as possible so they can start enjoying their vacation to the fullest. Personally, I get this mindset. I don’t want to stick around the port town, I want to get on the ship – if I wanted to stay in the city, I would have booked the vacation there instead of the cruise. Lots of folks think that early boarding is all the reason they need to spring for the package. In addition, the people who board soonest tend to have the best luck making reservations for other events like the Grog Walk or one of the very popular shows.

But that doesn’t cover every perk you get, there’s still one I haven’t talked much about.

Thermal Spa

The thermal spa passes are the most divisive among people. If you’ve never been to a thermal spa, I’d say give it a try, because you never know if you like something without trying it! I’ve spent time in thermal spas before, and I enjoy them and I enjoyed what Virgin offered. I didn’t take any pictures though, because that’s a creepy thing to do in a spa, but you can find promotional images on Virgin’s site to give you an idea.

Inside there’s a sauna, a salt room, a mud room, heated marble benches, and hot and cold plunge pools. If you haven’t used these facilities before, staff are happy to give you a tour and explain it as you go. The biggest thing that I don’t think many U.S. folks understand is that these are shared spaces, they aren’t private and just for you. Spa culture isn’t as prevalent in the U.S. as it is in Europe, at least in my experience, so this explains a lot of the confusion I see. Since you will be sharing the area with other guests, wearing a swimsuit is necessary.

There’s also no massage included with Virgin Voyages Splash of Romance. It’s not that they don’t have massage services, they do, it’s just not part of the Splash of Romance package. Some folks think that’s part of what they get and are disappointed when they find out what the package really is. I enjoyed my time in the thermal spa and would do it again. The staff is excellent, and the quality is quite high for a cruise ship.

As the most valuable item in the package, at least monetarily speaking, it’s worth talking about on its own. Purchasing it for two people separately costs between $120 and $160 (the price changes if you are in port or at sea), so out of the $250 price tag of Splash of Romance, this is a big part of it. As a final tip, the spa staff recommends coming on a port day because it’s less busy, but that’s only true as long as it doesn’t rain heavily and cancel all the excursions!

Is Splash of Romance Worth it?

It’s an easy answer for me, yes. But the answer may not be so quick for you.

I can’t say that it really represents a significant bargain. If you purchase the champagne and thermal spa passes separately, you would wind up close to breaking even. The juices push it over the goal line, again, just in monetary terms, but not by much. The Sultry Bites are nice, but they’re not better than all the other already amazing sweets available on the ship, and the Sail Away Hour is fine, but it’s easy to miss it as you’re getting your room set up or getting changed for dinner.

What does it come down to then?

Priority Boarding.

It was always going to be about Priority Boarding, wasn’t it? Yes, it was.

Virgin Voyages Splash of Romance doesn’t represent some sort of great deal, it’s basically pre-puchasing a few things. Priority Boarding is where the value truly lays.

Look, if you want to get on the ship ASAP and you don’t have Deep Blue Extras or a suite, Splash of Romance is made for you. This is really what the package is about, just feeling a little more special on your vacation. It doesn’t represent an amazing deal or some steal of the century thing, it’s just about feeling special.

So, ask yourself, when you take a vacation, do you want to feel special? I know that I do, and that’s why Splash or Romance gets a thumbs-up from me.

The post Virgin Voyages Splash of Romance – Is it worth it? appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Before we get any further into this, I want to make clear from the outset that any businesses I mention here have no relationship with us. If I’m bringing them up it’s because I think people would like what they offer and nothing more, I’m not receiving any commission from them or something like that.

Juneau

Juneau is the capital of Alaska but can only be accessed by sea or air; no roads lead to Juneau. That’s not a joke, there really aren’t any roads that lead into or out of Juneau. Which means that taking a cruise there is probably the best way to visit the town.

If you’re planning a day without excursions in Juneau, you need to consider that Juneau is one of the busiest ports in the state, so expect a lot of cruise ships to be in when you’re there. The good news is that because there are so many tourists that come to the city each day during the cruise season, there’s plenty of infrastructure to entice them.

Right around the port there are a lot of tourist shops. Most of these are going to have the same sort of jewelry, stainless steel Ulus, and T-shirts that you’ll see in any tourist shop, so unless that’s your thing, you can move right past them.

In that area, you can also find the Red Dog Saloon. It’s Juneau’s oldest tourist spot and has a couple of interesting things to see and do. In addition to the ambiance, which plays into the rough and ready theme, they have Wyatt Earp’s gun, which he checked in but never claimed, and a local shot that’s become quite famous. Known as the “Duck Fart”, which is more appetizing than it sounds, it consists of Irish cream, coffee liqueur, and whiskey in equal parts. There’s a walk-up window on the street where you can buy one and not have to wait for table service should you only wish to down the creamy concoction.

Mendenhall Glacier is one of the best sites in Juneau.

If you want something a little more cultured and a little less… Duck Farty… Maybe try the Alaska State Museum. It’s easily walkable by following the waterfront from the cruise terminal. Inside, you’ll find exhibits on local cultural and natural history, even retrospectives from local artists are on display there. You can learn about the native tribes, the history of mining and logging, WWII, and even a climb-aboard sailing ship. It’s a beautiful museum and something that excursion goers often miss.

If you’re up for a bit more of a journey, you can take a taxi out to Mendenhall glacier. About a 20-minute ride from port. Mendenhall is a beautiful glacier with a nice visitor center, and if you’re ambitious, you can hike over to Nugget Falls, which cascades down the mountain just to the right of the glacier. Although the glacier is included in many excursions, you don’t need one to go there and sometimes it can be better when you are on your own because you’ll have more time.

Ketchikan

Ketchikan is often called “Alaska’s first city”, not so much because of when it was founded, but rather because of its location. It’s the furthest southeastern major city in Alaska and it’s situated right near the start of the Inside Passage, meaning it’s usually the first stop for a cruise.

The city of Ketchikan has more than 80 totem poles in it and you can scarcely go a block without seeing one. Tucked a little ways back from the waterfront, off of the aptly named Totem Dr. there’s the Totem Heritage Center. It’s a walkable distance from the port, but it’s uphill and might be a bit of a challenge for some people. If you’re willing to take an Uber, the Saxman Totem Park at the nearby Tlingit town of Saxman is another place that centers on totems that is easy to visit.

Ketchikan’s most iconic feature is Creek Street. It’s the perfect place to go when on an Alaskan cruise with no excursions.

Nothing is more iconic that in Ketchikan than the famous Creek Street. Boardwalks running alongside Ketchikan Creek are home to dozens of businesses and restaurants. This attraction is really only accessible by foot, which makes it perfect for anyone that doesn’t have an excursion. You should know that a great deal of the waterfront is pay-to-enter, at least on one side of it, but the other side is accessible to the public. If you’re in Ketchikan, take a minute to walk through here, I promise that you won’t be disappointed.

Finally, of course, there’s the lumberjack show. If you read my article on excursions in Alaska, you already know I was going to see this show. The reason that it’s showing up here is that you don’t need to book tickets on the ship, you can buy them day of at the door or on their website. Just make sure you don’t miss your ship leaving.

Sitka

The town of Sitka has a long and interesting histo ry involving the Tlingits, Russians, Americans, and was once the capital of Alaska before Juneau replaced it. If you’re coming into Sitka, you’re almost certainly docking at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, which is about 6 miles out from Sitka and there’s functionally no option to walk in. The good news is that they run shuttle buses into the town all day long when ships are in port. The terminal itself is quite lovely and there are a number of vendors that have a shop there.

Once you’re downtown in Sitka, you can walk almost everywhere that you might want to go. If you are looking to see wildlife, I recommend the Alaska Raptor Center which is on the edge of town, but still walkable. They do amazing work and you can see eagles, owls, hawks, and more up close and personal. You may have heard of the Fortress of the Bear which also does rehab work but that is very far outside of town, and one of the things that you can’t realistically walk to.

You can go to the Raptor Center in Sitka even if you’re doing an Alaskan cruise with no excursions.

Not far from the Raptor Center, you can explore part of the Tongass Rainforest at the National Historic Park, which has easy to traverse paths, winding underneath the beautiful canopy formed by the towering trees that will surround you. This same place has a totem park with interpretive signs along one of the paths. Not far away from the park, you can check out the Sitka Science Center, which has a small aquarium and touch pools that kids are sure to love.

The downtown area isn’t massive, but it has a lot of interesting shops and other sights. I love supporting local businesses and I really love a local artist’s shop I encountered called Fate Accompli. Not only is the artist’s own art on display for decoration or on pottery, but she also has other local artists with ornaments, jewelry, and more. Stop in there and you’ll find something beautiful and local, which is better than cheap tchotchke.

Skagway

Skagway is one of the smaller towns that you’re likely to visit on an Alaskan Cruise, but the town is certainly built for lots of people. Almost immediately when you reach the town itself, you’ll notice the train, or at least the train tracks. These are part of the White Pass and Yukon Route train that I discussed in my video about Alaskan excursions. But, since this is a video about what to do if you don’t have an excursion, you’re going to step right over those rails on continue into the city.

GO right on by the Skagway train when you’re doing an Alaskan cruise with no excursions.

The downtown, which is mostly confined to Broadway, feels and looks just like an old mining town and that’s because it is. The buildings that you see are largely original to the gold rush days and are suitably decorated. If you are want to walk around downtown, it’s easy to spend a few hours browsing through the shops and eating some local fare.

If you’d like a sugary treat, I recommend checking out the fry bread shop, it’s called Klondike Doughboy and it’s on 3^rd ave, just please don’t feed the crows. I love my birdy friends and if you think fried dough isn’t great for us, it’s really not good for them! Should you have worked up a bit of a thirst and are looking for try something with a local flavor, there are two places that serve Sitka Spruce Tip Beer (when it’s in season). Both Klondike Brewing Company and Skagway Brewing Company, serve the unique beverage. However, Skagway Brewing also has a restaurant if you need a bit to eat as well.

For those that are wondering what spruce tip beer tastes like, I would say that it’s similar to a sour. Fortunately, that happens to be my favorite type of beer, so I absolutely loved the pint I had.

Skagway is my favorite town to spend a day in when doing an Alaskan cruise with no excursions.

Plenty of folks don’t really care for shopping or crowds, and it can get crowded in the town when five ships are in port, there’s some wonderful hiking that starts right at the waterfront. It’s about a 40-minute walk from the port to the Gold Rush Cemetery. This is the old cemetery for Skagway during its earliest years. Not much further of a walk brings you to Reid Falls, a stunning cascade of water over the mountainside. It’s worth mentioning that you can book a shuttle service to the falls and back from the downtown are for $10 per person if walking isn’t an option for you or if it’s just not something you fancy doing.

Another self-guided sightseeing choice is to rent a bike, including an e-bike. Sockeye Cycle, which is right downtown (like almost everything), has a variety of bicycles that you can pick up for the day. I’m not sure that most people will want to ride up the road out of town, which climbs a mountain, but some people might. I know I watched a few folks do it while I was there. This might be a little bit quicker way to see the cemetery and all of downtown in a day.

Skagway has lots of interesting activities that you can participate in besides hiking and eating. There’s the Skagway Museum and Archives where you can learn about the fascinating history of region. The Red Onion Saloon offers guided tours of the building that was once a brothel but is now a restaurant. You can easily while away time just sitting and relaxing by the stream and waterfront.

Icy Strait Point

Icy Strait Point was created by the local Tlingit town of Hoonah nearby to give cruise ships a place to stop. While it doesn’t have a long history like many of these ports, it does have the distinct advantage of being designed from the ground up to accommodate cruise passengers.

I didn’t know what to expect here and, being completely honest, hearing that a place was designed specifically for cruise ships didn’t inspire confidence in me. However, I am happy to admit when I’m wrong and I was wrong to doubt Icy Strait, because I loved it!

In the complex, which I think is the fairest description of Icy Strait, there are two gondolas. The green one is free and runs from the “wilderness port” to the main area of Icy Strait Point. More than anything, it’s to get cruise ship passengers from the far port to the near port by cutting out the roughly quarter mile walk through the forest, although that walk is quite pretty. The other gondola, the red one, is only available to paid ticket holders and leaves from the wilderness port and goes up, way up, to top of the mountain.

These chili fries are some of the best I’ve had! Icy Strait Point is one of the best places for an Alaskan cruise with no excursions.

Some excursions include all-day tickets on the red gondola, but you can also buy tickets day-of. At the top of the mountain is the zip line, which claims to be one of the worlds longest. There are a few small shops, a vendor for make-your-own smores packs, which you cook over an open fire, and a nature hike to the hidden lake, which is breathtaking. Buying tickets to the red gondola costs $55 per person, so it isn’t cheap. I love a nature hike and I love gondolas (kinda weird, I know) so I thought it was worth it, but you might not.  You should also know that if you are scared of heights, riding the gondola might be a challenge for you.

In the main area of Icy Strait Point, there is an adorable boardwalk with a few restaurants and shops. The majority of the shops are run by the local artisans and business owners, so you won’t be shopping at big international companies. There is one big international company there, but it is VERY clearly marked, almost hilariously so.

When visiting, I recommend stopping into one of these eateries I mentioned, grabbing a seat by the water, and trying the reindeer chili or, for the more intestinally abusive among us, the reindeer chili fries. They are amazing.

As for that seat by the water I suggested you grab, well that’s because the absolute best wildlife watching I’ve ever had in Alaska was in Icy Strait Point. Most people will book a whale and bear watching excursion, but just sitting around the harbor gives you some mind-blowing views.

Although the wildlife excursions in Icy Strait are great, you can easily enjoy nature sitting right at a table.

While we were there, I watched dozens of bald eagles catching fish, soaring above us, and preening in the trees over my head. There are humpbacks and orcas that live in the waters right off the shore. You might even see a bear while just sitting there eating your chili.

I really was skeptical of this place, and I experienced it without an excursion, just as I’m describing. Most of the people I talked to that day also had gone in with low expectations and every single one of them remarked how happy there were to be there. It’s worth mentioning that we were the only ship in port that day, which may have colored our perspective, but I think even with another ship in port we would have had a great time.

Victoria

The most common of the Canadian ports for a cruise stop is Victoria. This is not a port that I have personal experience with, however, one of our team members does. Karen, who is part of the Far Far Away Travels team, used to live in Seattle and has spent a fair amount of time in British Columbia. She wrote an entire article on the city that is worth reading if you’d like to get a much more thorough rundown of the activities available.  

The good news for everyone visiting the city is that Victoria is a popular place for people to explore, even without an excursion! Keep in mind that this is a sizeable city with around 400,000 people living in the Greater Victoria area. Even though you don’t need an excursion to do some cool things, you’ll probably need to grab a taxi or Uber.

One of the most popular and famous places you can visit is the Butchart Gardens. It’s about a 30-minute card ride from the cruise port in downtown Vitoria, but looking at these images of the gardens certainly makes me want to visit the next chance I get. Getting to spend any amount of time in a place like this would be worth the taxi over there.

If you’re in Victoria, it’s easy to do the Butchart Gardens on an Alaskan cruise with no excursions.

If gardens aren’t your thing, the Royal BC Museum is another option. Their permanent exhibits cover both the cultural history and natural history of the region. The museum is large enough to attract traveling exhibits. Just a few days ago, at least at the time of writing, an exhibit on ancient Egypt opened and will be operating for the duration of the 2026 cruise season.

Perhaps you want to do a little shopping, fortunately, Victoria has you covered there as well. Given the size of the city, there’s all the normal sorts of touristy shopping places, but you may want to make your way down to the Fisherman’s Warf to experience something a little more unusual. At the Warf, you’ll find a floating collection of businesses. I don’t want to oversell it, because it isn’t the largest shopping area you’ll ever see, but there are numerous restaurants, an artisan boutique, and even kayak tours if you have the time and want an excursion after all.

I won’t belabor the point here any longer, there’s lots to do in this amazing Canadian city. If I’ve intrigued you enough that you want to learn more, check out the article my colleague Karen wrote about visiting Vitoria.

Haines

I have not yet been to Haines, and it is a less frequent stop for Alaskan cruises but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing for a tourist to do there, far from it. Little did I know, when I started researching the town, that it has several very interesting and unique places to visit.

First things first, though, there is a shuttle service between the cruise port and the town that you can use at no cost. You can walk from the cruise ship dock into downtown Haines, it isn’t all that far, but the shuttle runs to different points around the area. According to the most recent map I could find (so, double check this when you’re visiting rather than taking my word as gospel), the route will take you to the following places:

First up is the Visitors Center, then the Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center, which is next to the Hammer Museum (more on that in a moment), followed by several different stops in the downtown area. Next the shuttle goes to Dalton City, which is the real movie set used in the 1991 film White Fang (yes, I’ll say more about that too). After that, the shuttle makes its way to The American Bald Eagle Foundation, and finally Historic Fort Seward.

As you see, there’s a fair number of things to do in Haines but let me tell you a bit more about them.

Haines is a fantastic port for an Alaskan cruise with no excursions.

The Hammer Museum is exactly what it sounds like. It is a museum and it’s all about hammers. They claim to be the world’s largest collection of hammers, which I have no reason to doubt when they have thousands of examples on display and thousands more in storage. The small building is filled to the brim with examples of types of hammers, exhibits on the history of the tool, and rare hammers that can’t be found elsewhere. The city highlights that visiting such a different kind of museum is a bragging right unto itself.

At the Dalton City movie set from White Fang, you’ll find the structures from the Disney film. Haines is where the set was built and the filming took place, so they were left here after production wrapped. Today, the “town” remains as an attraction for people to visit.

American Bald Eagle Foundation is a non-profit organization that works towards to conservation of the American Bald Eagle and its habitat. The center is, obviously, in Haines and you can visit it. There you will find educational programs and a few resident birds.

The American Bald Eagle Foundation is a worth place to spend some time when you’re on an Alaskan cruise with no excursions.

The last stop of the shuttle is Historic Fort Seward. Last functional as a US military outpost in 1945, it is now a few remaining buildings and a clearing. What’s more popular to visit is the sculpture garden that was put in place on some of the old ruins of the barracks.

Besides what I’ve described, there’s lots of beautiful waterfront and nature to hike through, so there’s plenty to do at this stop. If you are more inclined to spend some of your day walking, there are several self-guided walking tours that the city has made pamphlets for. There’s one for the downtown area and one for Fort Seward. There’s also a walking tour of the totem poles around the city; that guide tells the stories for the totems and gives you their locations.

Prince Rupert

Prince Rupert is a city in British Columbia that appears on the occasional Alaska cruise itinerary. The city has diverse industries and more than 10,000 people living in it. Just like Victoria, I haven’t been there myself so unfortunately I don’t have personal knowledge. However, also just like Victoria, we have people are on our team that are on their way to visit it as I’m recording this, so we will have that personal experience to help guide our clients and all of you.

I’ve heard online chatter, which is to say people complaining that there isn’t much to do in the city, at least within walking distance of the cruise terminal. I’ve spent several hours poring over tourism websites for the city and Google Maps to browse through the city’s streets, taking a virtual tour to see what there is to do.

Only a block or so from the terminal is the Museum of Northern BC. It’s not a very large museum, but it looks lovely from the exhibit pictures they have. The institute covers the geological history and the long cultural history of the area, dating back thousands of years. There’s also an attached art, the Ruth Harvey Art Gallery, which displays rotating works from local and regional artists.

Although Prince Rupert is lighter on things near the port, the Museum of Northern BC is worth your time on an Alaskan cruise with no excursions. Photo credit: Hans-Jürgen Hübnerhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7650323

On the horticultural side of things, the nearby Sunken Gardens offer visitors a gorgeous space to admire nature and, possibly, have lunch. Which brings up another possibility for an activity when in port, simply enjoying a cup of coffee. One of the things that I spotted in my perusing online were several cafés and bakeries in the area.

Aside from these things there are small art galleries, hand crafted gift shops, and some small parks and short hiking trails that can all be walked to fairly easily. There does seem to be some truth to the feelings of tourists that activities near the port are limited.

I want to be crystal clear here, what I found online pointed to an active city, with many restaurants, homes, and supermarkets, all overlooking a stunning landscape. Prince Rupert seems like a lovely place that has tons of things to do – away from the cruise terminal. There are water tours galore, cultural and nature centers, hiking trails, mountain vistas, all within driving distance of the port, but you do have to drive to things.

If you are interested in having a relaxing morning or afternoon and enjoying a walk along the waterfront, browsing some small shops and museums, or having a lovely cup of coffee, you’ll have a nice time. If that’s not something that interests you, then it might be a decent day to stay on the ship and take advantage of the quiet.

The post How To Take An Alaskan Cruise With No Excursions appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

What Adults Only Cruise Lines Are There?

There are currently three adults only, or as they sometimes say “kid-free”, cruise lines in the world, which certainly lends a bit of exclusivity to them. Those three lines are, in order of how long they have been adults only, Viking, Virgin Voyages, and Oceania. The last of those only joined the game in January 2026 and, before that, Virgin Voyages only joined in February 2020. Suffice it to say, this is still a small field of players.

Offering up an option for people to sail the seas, and rivers in the case of Viking, without children around has obvious appeal. In fact, there are a growing number of establishments that cater to adults only in the travel world, especially with boutique hotels and B & Bs. I doubt that this segment will ever become dominant in travel, simply because plenty of people want to travel with their kids, but I do expect to see more companies and venues offering this experience.

You may notice that the three cruise lines I listed are higher end experiences, and that does seem to be typical. The ships are smaller, especially Viking’s, and the target clients for these companies are often higher-earning adults that want sophistication and refinement in their experiences, typically meaning luxurious accommodations. In fact, a very popular type of client for these lines are parents with their adult children. It’s commonplace to find families traveling together on these ships, especially for reunions.

Even though each line has the same rule of, no sailors under the age of 18, each one is different in the atmosphere they offer.

Viking

Viking cruises is the largest of these lines, by a long shot. They offer both river and ocean cruises all over the world, so there’s lots of offerings for itineraries. Viking is also the most senior player in adults only cruises and they have the biggest advertising budget, so most people in their target markets have heard of them.

A Viking Cruises River Boat

Onboard, the Viking experience is mostly all-inclusive. There are some alcoholic beverages that will be charged to you should you wish to have them, but they do offer a selection of alcoholic beverages at meals in the restaurants, and these will be included in your ticket. Alcoholic beverages ordered outside of restaurants will be charged to you, but there is a beverage package available for an additional cost to cover these sorts of occurrences.

Wi-Fi is also included in your bookings on Viking, and they even offer a limited selection of included excursions. Another gratis amenity is access to the spa on the ship. The exact offerings in the spa changes from ship to ship over their large fleet, but in general it will have saunas. Since this question gets asked frequently when spas are the topic, no, massages are not included on the ships that offer that service.

The vibe on their ships tends to be, what I would call, reserved and quiet. Viking’s clientele trends older than some other lines and it’s uncommon to find sailors younger than 45-50 on any sailing. The entertainment on board is focused on enrichment, emphasizing science, culture, and history lectures, rather than show tunes or stand-up comedy. The décor is elegant and refined, with glass railings and rich wood surfaces.

We’ve found that the line has excellent customer service and offers more overnight stays in ports as well as longer itineraries than most competitors. If what I’ve described sounds good to you, then Viking might just be the line for you. Given that they offer both ocean and river cruises, that gives them an extra edge that’s hard to beat.

Virgin Voyages

Virgin has made a name for itself on the seas with its target market. They offer a distinctly youthful experience on their ships, emphasizing fitness, top-notch entertainment, and top-tier food. The onboard experience is amazing no matter what cabin you are staying in, whether that be a Sea Terrace or a Mega-Rockstar suite. While Virgin only has four ships, and their itinerary diversity is more limited, they still offer many diverse and excellent options.

Virgin Voyages Top Deck Running Track on Their Adults Only Cruise Ship

Included amenities cover, Wi-Fi, fitness classes, and most beverages. There are no restaurants walled behind an upcharge, every dining establishment is included in your booking – a major departure from every similarly priced cruise line. They do not, however, include the spa like Viking. There are also no included excursions on Virgin, but at a lower price point than Viking, that makes sense.

Most shocking for a cruise line is that there is no drinks package available. The customers on Virgin Voyages seem to prefer it this way and, for what it’s worth, so do I. I rarely encounter overconsumption of alcohol to be a problem on their ships, not that it doesn’t happen but I’ve never seen it become an issue like it can on other lines. Their drinks are also reasonably priced at, what I would call, typical bar prices. The quality of the drinks, though, is unmatched on the ocean and they also offer some of the best mocktails I’ve ever encountered.

The vibe on their ships tends to be youthful. That doesn’t always mean young people, but it does mean people who are young at heart. There are twenty-year-olds and sixty-year-olds sharing the dance floor, having a blast. People are, generally, polite, fun, and diverse, the same goes for the staff. Overall, joyful and relaxed are the best descriptors for Virgin. You can just as easily relax in your Sea Terrace hammock, reading a book, as you can dance the night away at the pool on Scarlet Night.

If that sounds appealing to you, then Virgin Voyages may be the cruise line for you. If you do like the experiences, Virgin brands also have other travel opportunities that may appeal to you, like hotels and airlines, which is quite different.

Oceania

Oceania cruises, as I mentioned above, only very recently joined the adults-only cruise lines. Before January 2026 they were open to all ages which puts a bit of a wrinkle into their new change. To accommodate the passengers that have already booked an Oceania cruise with their young children, they are allowing those bookings to proceed as purchased. That means that, for a while, you will likely still experience kids on the ship, but there likely won’t be many of them. That’s general lack of children is the reason they made the change, most of their customers didn’t travel with kids.

Onboard, Oceania offers a mostly robust basic package. Their standard fare includes specialty dining, Wi-Fi (one per guest), gratuities, soda, specialty coffee and tea, Vero still and sparkling, cold pressed juices, smoothies, gourmet ice cream, free self-serve laundries. It’s worth noting that suite guests get free laundry service. That puts their included amenities somewhere between above Virgin and below Viking.

Oceania Makes A Big Deal Out of Afternoon Tea

They do offer a drinks package as well as a larger upgrade package they call Simply More which includes a drinks package, excursions, airfare, and transfers (transportations from the airport or a hotel to the ship at the start of the cruise and then the same at the end of the cruise).

The vibe on their ships tends towards a country club feel. The Oceania clientele is often in their 40s-60s. The entertainment on board features pianists, classical string quartets, and dynamic vocalists. They also boast of their lecture series, culinary center for cooking classes, and art seminars. Afternoon tea, the classic affair, headlines their activities, which gives you an idea of how important they think it is.

We’ve had clients rave about their time on board and want to sail again immediately. The line is part of NCL, so if you’ve have status with that cruise line they recently opened up so you can status match with NCL to Oceania. Reports are that many NCL sailors are quite happy stepping up to this line with the status match. If what I’ve described sounds good to you, then Oceania might just be the line for you.

Options

These are the only three truly adults-only cruise lines in the world, so if you don’t want to have a single child around you on the ship, you’ll need to pick one of these. However, there are other lines that, while they don’t explicitly ban kids, kids just aren’t very common.

Among these are Regent Seven Seas, Azamara, Silversea, Explora, Seabourn, and Seabourn. More specialized lines, sometimes called expedition cruises, often have few children on them. Lines like HX, Ponant, and Lindblad are all in this more rarified area of cruising and young kinds are just a very uncommon sight.

There’s one common thread among all the lines that don’t allow or don’t frequently have children on them, though, they are more luxury focused. Don’t get me wrong, you can sail Virgin Voyages for a price that’s competitive with RCCL once you factor in what’s included with Virgin against RCCL’s packages to achieve the same thing, but that’s the only listed here line I can say that about.

The truth is, if you want to sail kid-free, you’re going to be looking at a premium experience and a more premium price. That’s not exactly a terrible thing, but price is a factor to consider. That being said, I cannot even count how many times I’ve sat down at breakfast on Virgin and someone says to their dining partner, “I’m so glad that I don’t hear screaming kids.”

The post The Only Adults Only Cruise Lines In The World appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Importantly, EES is a different program than ETIAS, which is a separate program that we’ve covered previously. Because these two programs are being implemented around the same time, let’s highlight some of the details and differences.

EES:

• You don’t need to do anything before traveling.
• Biometric data will be collected at entry. Children under 12 years of age will not be fingerprinted.
• It does not require paying an entry fee.
• Applies to all non-EU and non-Schengen passport holders.

ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System)

• You do need to complete a digital application form before you travel.
• Basic traveler information will be collected at application, but this program does not capture biometric data.
• There is a €20 fee due at time of application. The fee can be waived for people under 18 and over 70.
• Applies to any visa-free nationals that are traveling to these European countries.

The EES should become faster over time, but it’s quite slow right now.

These two programs have different aims. Going through the EES happens every time a traveler enters or leaves any of these countries and it is intended to track the movements of travelers through them. ETIAS is intended to raise money and control entry before travel. Additionally, the EES is active now and ETIAS is being rolled out in the last quarter of 2026.

Right now, the EES seems to be slowing down entry to Europe. Just a matter of two weeks ago, we had personal experience entering the travel zone at the Lisbon cruise terminal. Disembarkation took several hours to clear customs. That’s not great news for upcoming travels but, in the long run, European officials hope that EES will speed up the process.

For the moment, make sure that you plan for extra time to enter Europe.

Also, please note that these changes do not apply to the UK which, rather famously, is not part of Europe, I mean the EU. Indeed, The United Kingdom has it’s own travel fees coming online.

Princess Pours Program, What Is It?

The next update that might interest our readers is a major one from Princess Cruises. Just over a week ago, Princess announced that they are launching a new POURS collection, which will be arriving this summer.

As the name implies, this program is Princess looking to step up their game in the cocktail and mocktail experience. This collection isn’t another beverage package, it’s more of a marketing stunt. Princess wants to capture people’s attention by showing off nice drinks, and they’ve pulled in celebrities to help with that.

The announcement includes promotional images with Matthew and Camila McConaughey, Liev Schreiber​, Jason Momoa, Blaine Halvorson, Jon Bon Jovi and Jesse Bongiovi, and more besides. These stars aren’t just there for pictures, they all have their own alcohols that will now be served on Princess Cruises’ ships. From the McConaughey’s Pantalones Tequila to Kylie Minogue’s no alcohol sparkling rosé.

With the POURS program, you’ll be saying, “Alright, alright, alright…”

As I said, this isn’t a new drinks package so these new beverages will be included in Princess Plus and Premier. Which is nice to hear, since those programs got a price hike a while back.

My favorite thing about this is that as part of this revamp, Princess Cruises is markedly increasing the number of mocktails and other non-alcoholic drinks on offer. This is wonderful news for any sailor that doesn’t drink alcohol, like Nichole. These new offerings include drinks like the Hibiscus Zenberry Crush and Golden Orchard, which bring a level of sophistication without the hangover.

Given the shifting trends in alcohol consumption by the youngest generations, Princess is likely reading the room and looking to enhance their options. With Gen Z consuming far less alcohol than previous generations, increasing NA offerings will appeal to a larger portion of that market. Older generations still consume alcohol at pretty much the same rate between them, but over the years consumers of all ages have trended toward higher quality and more sophisticated drinks. The POURS program hits both of those desires and will step up Princess’ game at the bar, which is something I’m quite glad to see them do.

United Airline Changes: The Good and the Bad

United Airlines has announced several changes recently which are being met with both joy and annoyance.

First, United announced that they will begin kicking people off flights should they be listening to music or shows without headphones. In other words, if someone is broadcasting whatever they are watching to the whole cabin, you may be removed from the plane. While I haven’t personally encountered behavior like this before, it was apparently happening enough that they felt the need to create a rule for it.

Let it be known that if you fly United, you should bring some headphones. Or maybe a book. I really loved A Gentleman In Moscow, so I would pick that up.

In slightly less welcome news, United recently announced Fare Options, separating each seat type into three new forms, Base, Standard, and Flexible. These fare options will have different costs and different rules associated with them.

New fares from United means that you’ll be paying more for miles.

For example, a Base fare ticket will be charged extra if you want to choose your seat location, while a Standard and Flexible fare will let you choose the seat. Similarly, the Base fare will get one checked bag, while the others will have 2 bags. Flexible operates much more like Standard, but can get a refund, while the other two typically do not.

Finally Base Fare, even in business class, doesn’t earn miles when flying or give lounge access. This means you could pay top dollar for a Polaris seat and not get to stay at their special lounge or get a single mile for the flight if you choose the Base Fare option.

This puts United much more in line with how Delta has operated since they announced their fare options around this time last year. All of this comes on the heels of United cutting back their milage program to make it much harder to earn miles outside of the higher-cost seats.

I’ve included a chart from United so you can see some of the restrictions placed on the base fare. The chart you see is specific to Polaris, which is United’s top tier long haul flight cabin. As you can see, the base fare has plenty of restrictions on it.

I wrote an article last year that asked if airline status is worth it. These changes give me one more reason to say, no. I say, fly the best rate in the best seat you care to pay for, and whichever airline that’s with is who you fly on – diamond be damned.

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Oh… You’re still here. You want an explanation, you say? Well then, I guess I’ll explain.

Can cruise ships really just change your itinerary?

Once again, yes, cruise ships can just change your itinerary with, basically, no notice. The cruise lines reserve the right to amend, alter, and cancel any part of the cruise, including any ports, and even cancel the entire sailing. To show you what I mean, let’s take a look at a contract from Princess Cruises. It’s a typical representation of a passage contract, which is what you agree to when you book a cruise.

Here is an excerpt from Princess Cruises passage contract:

Except as otherwise provided, Carrier may, for any reason, without prior notice, cancel the cruise; deviate from the scheduled ports of call, route and timetable; call or omit to call at any port or place or cancel or modify any activity on or off the vessel; comply with all governmental laws and orders given by governmental authorities; render assistance to preserve life and property; or change the date or time of sailing or arrival, change the port of embarkation or disembarkation, shorten the Cruise or substitute vessels, aircraft or other transportation or lodging.

Since most people are not versed in legalese, the “Carrier”, in this case, means the cruise line and that wall of text means they can change itinerary plans with no prior notification and they can do so for any reason. The passage contract continues:

Accordingly, You should not make any important arrangements or meetings based on the scheduled Cruise, which may change without liability to Carrier.  Furthermore, the Captain of the vessel as well as the operator of any other means of transportation may, in his/her sole discretion, take any action deemed necessary for the safety, security, comfort, or well-being of any person or to prevent damage to or loss of the vessel.

In other words, this is the cruise line advising you, the passenger, not to make important plans around the cruise ship arriving at where or when its scheduled to arrive. “Important plans” is open to some interpretation, but that could be something like a wedding, a business meeting, a funeral, even a medical appointment. The contract goes on to give notice that the Captain of the ship has the power to, at their sole discretion, change plans and take actions to keep people safe, secure, and comfortable and do the same for the ship itself.

This is just the first paragraph of Section 8, which covers schedule deviations, of 18 sections in the contract. There are three more paragraphs in Section 8 alone.

Lawyers be thorough.

To be clear, I am not one and this is not professional legal interpretation. Additionally, just to be doubly clear, Princess is not being singled out here. That language is similar to other lines, and I chose it because Princess is one of the largest cruise companies in the world so many people have taken a cruise under that exact language.

Should This Make Me Nervous?

Let’s step back and have a reality check about this for a second. When legal structure comes into play it starts to feel intimidating to many folks, which I get. However, this is not the time to hit the panic button.

The reason that this language exists is to protect the cruise companies from lawsuits because they didn’t go to a specific port on the itinerary and ensure that the captain of the cruise ship can make the call to keep a ship safe and undamaged even if it means that the passengers don’t get to go to The Bahamas.

It’s good to ask, can a cruise just change the itinerary, but it’s not a common occurrence.

In practice, this doesn’t really impact your typical cruise all that much. It’s not like cruise lines are out here just taking people’s money and telling them to get bent every time they leave port. It’s in the cruise line’s interest to give the passengers a good time so they want to come back and, broadly speaking, people want more cruises. The cruise industry has grown consistently over the decades to be one of the most popular ways to vacation, especially for families.

Customers often don’t go back to companies when they have a bad time and given the growth of the industry it’s reasonable to conclude that most people are having a good time on cruises.

That’s not to say that bad times don’t happen, though. What you need to know is what to prepare for.

Why do these changes happen?

To understand why the cruise lines reserve the power to change the cruise without prior notice, we need to discuss the realities of sailing.

The moment you step onto a cruise ship, you are embarking on one of the largest vehicles and most complex systems ever created. Take a moment to think about all the things that a cruise ship is, what it contains, and the tasks it performs. It contains hundred or even thousands of hotel rooms for guests, hundreds more rooms for the staff, not to mention the commons spaces like bars or theaters for people to spend time in. There are desalination plants to provide fresh water, there is an engine to propel the ship and provide power to every inch of the vessel. There is a brig, medical facilities, food preparation and storage to feed thousands of people every day. Most have at least one pool, many have two or more, there are hot tubs, gyms, spas, and shops. All of it needs to be cleaned, daily, and the ship is ten stories tall, or more, above the water.

Oh, the water. I almost forgot. The entire thing floats on the ocean and needs to navigate, safely, waters that can experience 100+ mph winds and waves that crest 40 feet or more.

Careful consideration needs to be given to the safety of all the people on board and all the equipment. That’s not something to be taken lightly and cruise lines will do what they need to keep you out of harm’s way. The reason you so rarely hear stories of ships navigating weather like that is because they take pains to avoid it, even if it means skipping ports or changing destinations.

The weather doesn’t even need to be that extreme to cause a problem. Some ports have narrow channels or shallows that could wreak havoc on a massive ship being piloted through tight spaces. If the waves and currents are too strong, ships might not be able to safely dock.

Besides the weather, another reason that needs to be considered is medical emergencies. Sometimes this means that a person needs to be evacuated from the ship and that means changes to schedules or experiences. I’ve taken several cruises that diverted for medical emergencies where we stopped at ports that weren’t planned on so someone could get lifesaving care.

Other considerations are widespread violence or war. We’ve seen companies scuttle destinations or pull out of entire regions because of both of those. Earlier this year, Mexican cartel violence exploded and some lines skipped Mexican ports. On the other side of the world, cruise ships no longer go through the Red Sea because of war in Yemen and ships being threatened.

I’ve given examples of just a few things, but once you consider the complexity of everything at play you start to understand the caution needed. Ships don’t like to change plans because they pick up fuel and supplies at some stops and sourcing all their various needs becomes more challenging the more itineraries are altered. They also, let’s not forget, want you to have a good time and changing plans makes that harder to do in many cases.

While all that is true, the bottom line for a cruise ship is that none of that comes before safety and security.

What recourse do you have?

If the plans change and your entire cruise is altered, there are still obligations that the cruise line has to you but, there are also things they are not obligated to do. Let’s start with what they are obligated to do.

Should the cruise line not stop at a port, they do need to refund you the port fee that you paid. Most of the time these fees are between $5 – $15 per person for each port. They also need to refund you any excursions that were booked at that port, if, and this is critical,you booked it through the cruise line. If youbooked thatexcursion on your own, outside of the cruise company, that loss is on you.

Additionally, if a cruise is shorter in length than what you paid for, you are likely entitled to compensation. As an example, if you paid for a 10 night cruise and the sailing only lasted 5 nights, then there is likely a refund of your fare that you are owed, prorated by the portion of the length of the voyage that was completed. In our example that would be a 50% refund. That may even be true in the case of weather causing the shortening.

You also may have paid attention to the phrase, “Except as otherwise provided”, in the passenger contract above. That clause is, really, about mechanical issues. Should a ship suffer mechanical problems, like an engine failure, those are, typically, considered to be the responsibility of the cruise line and, should they occur, the cruise line then becomes liable for some form of compensation to passengers. The specifics of the compensation will vary by situation, but there will be some form of remedy.

There’s another important document that passengers, at least North American ones, should know about when it comes to their rights, the International Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights, the PBOR. This document is not a law, but rather a set of rules that has been adopted by oceangoing members of CLIA, the Cruise Lines International Association. The PBOR outlines certain rights that these companies guarantee for passengers sailing on their ships. Take a few minutes and read it over, it isn’t dense legalese or complex, but it is important.

Beyond what I’ve stated above, there is nothing that a cruise line is obligated to do should they change your itinerary. They owe you no refund, explanation, or apology.

That, and this is true, does not mean that it doesn’t suck if they do that.

What can you do?

Well, there’s really only one thing that you can do should a cruise line decide to change all the plans and not tell you until it’s happening – complain.

There isn’t a better answer than that, truly. Complaining about the way that you were treated or how much the situation sucks is the only thing you can, realistically, do. With that in mind, I’m going to share my advice on how to complain most effectively.

Here are my bona fides on complaining.

• Manager of customer service call center that served 100,000+ customers.
• Food service employee, supervisor, and restaurant manager for 5+ years.
• Twenty years working in customer service and customer engagement and retention.

Believe me when I tell you, I know how to effectively complain.

Here’s the strategy:

1. Do not be rude. Personal insults, hostility, name calling, etc., will always get you little or nothing. The company has more money, PR, and lawyers than you do and the employees are often cogs in a machine given little ability to override policy or compensate people. What abilities, and mental/emotional bandwidth, they do have will not be used on a person who belittles them.
2. Know your rights. Understanding exactly what your rights are gives you grounding in the conversation. Not all employees fully understand the rights of the consumer, not out of maliciousness, but because most call centers suck at providing training to their staff and that’s something that’s only getting worse in my opinion. If you have firm ground to stand on with your argument, you are in a much better position should you need to escalate it.
3. Be firm and consistent. Know what you are looking to get before you complain. If you are looking for an amount, state that amount and don’t change it. It doesn’t mean you are going to get it, but being consistent in what you ask for makes you seem more reasonable.
4. Contact your travel agent. We travel agents have some pull with these companies. I don’t want to overstate our influence, but we do have a different relationship with them than you do as a consumer. If you book through a travel agent, we can help take up the fight with you and coordinate our efforts. There’s also the advantage that we can help advise you on the first three points.
5. As a last resort, publicly air your grievance. Sometimes shaming a company can get results. They want to control their image as much as possible and a public display of your bad interaction can bring about actions. However, you still need to follow the first three rules when you do this. If you post something publicly and you just make yourself look bad, it won’t help your case. Being courteous, professional, informed, and consistent are absolutely key to this working.

This is not a huge problem

I’ve just put more than two thousand words down, explaining the legal structure of passenger contracts and what your rights are under them. That’s a lot of information but it really isn’t that big of deal most of the time.

I’ve sailed on cruises more than most people; it’s part of my job. Changing or cancelling ports has only happened to me once. Yes, we missed some ports we wanted to see because bad weather made it unsafe to stop. In the grand scheme of things, that’s a small problem. The line gave our port fees back and we got some onboard credit for the trouble. I wish we could have stopped there, but sometimes things can’t be helped.

I’ve said this before, many times, but sometimes your job as a traveler is to roll with the punches. No one can control everything in life, and it can get messed up. Keep a level head, try to have a positive attitude and, if something goes wrong, follow the advice I gave above.

The post Can A Cruise Just Change The Itinerary Last Minute? appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

These are some sights that you simply can’t miss. (Also, they’re my personal favorites because I’m writing the article and I get to choose.)

Lumberjack Shows

Some folks seem to resist doing touristy things when they’re traveling. I can understand the feeling a bit, but I would recommend that, at least sometimes, you just let yourself do the touristy thing because it’s usually fun. Lumberjack shows definitely fall into the category of touristy and also into the category of fun.

I haven’t been able to go to one yet, but I will be when I go on an Alaskan cruise with Virgin Voyages later this year and that’s got me really excited! I love watching lumberjack competitions. The skill, physicality, and absolutely ridiculous nature of them are perfect. If you grew up in the 90s, like me, Lumberjack shows are a bit like an adult version of Nickelodeon’s GUTS.

Ketchikan hosts the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show and it’s the classic display of axe swingin’. There’s also six foot saws, log floats, and massive chainsaws. It’s touristy as all get out and you won’t regret going.

Whale Watching

In the chilly waters of Alaska there are eight whale species that you might see. Humpback, Gray, Right, Orca, Minke, Beluga, Bowhead, and Blue whales all live beneath the waves up there. Of course, as an avid Star Trek IV fan, humpbacks pique my interest the most, but seeing any of these would be amazing.

The whale watching tour I had in Juneau was absolutely one of the best Alaskan cruise excursions!

This is one of the photos I took the last time I was whale watching in Juneau. In the late spring and early summer, humpbacks are arriving from their annual migration from the waters around Hawaii. They also bring their newborn calves with them and you might get a chance, like I did, to see them playing in the water.

There’s no shortage of opportunities to whale watch when you’re on the Alaskan coastline. Every town that you stop at will have some opportunity to go sightseeing for some cetaceans. Most of the whale watching excursions combine it with something else, like going to a glacier. Speaking of glaciers…

Mendenhall Glacier

Mendenhall glacier, which sits just outside of Juneau, is something that has to be seen to be believed. I can describe it to you, but it won’t do it justice. The total size of the glacier is just over 13.5 miles in length and, though the height is constantly varying, the face of the glacier is around 100 feet tall. It sits inside the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, a region of more than 5,800 acres nested in the larger Tongass National Forest.

I visited Mendenhall glacier immediately after I went whale watching.

Near the glacier’s terminus is a waterfall known as Nugget falls, which is, somewhat unbelievably, fed by another glacier, the Nugget glacier. This isn’t a small waterfall either at over 377 feet high, making it more than twice as high as Niagara. Next to Mendenhall, it looks like a quaint tumbling of water.

Mendenhall glacier, which sits just outside of Juneau, is something that has to be seen to be believed. I can describe it to you, but it won’t do it justice. The total size of the glacier is just over 13.5 miles in length and, though the height is constantly varying, the face of the glacier is around 100 feet tall. It sits inside the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, a region of more than 5,800 acres nested in the larger Tongass National Forest.

Near the glacier’s terminus is a waterfall known as Nugget falls, which is, somewhat unbelievably, fed by another glacier, the Nugget glacier. This isn’t a small waterfall either at over 377 feet high, making it more than twice as high as Niagara. Next to Mendenhall, it looks like a quaint tumbling of water.

There’s a visitor center where you can learn about the glacier’s history and it’s retreat due to global warming from climate change. For those inclined to walk, there are hiking trails that go right up to Nugget falls and get closer to the glacier face. You can also book a kayaking tour onto Lake Mendenhall and see the amazing wall of ice  from the water.

White Pass and Yukon Route Train

Located in Skagway, it’s likely the biggest single attraction in the small town. There are multiple trains running several times throughout the day. Riding the rail will entail a telling of the history of it’s construction, of Skagway itself, and the surrounding area. Lest you be wary of a boring lecture, the story of Skagway is far from that. The grizzled tale involves a crime boss and conman, an engineering marvel, a town all but held hostage by a “military company” during the Spanish-American War, falling boulders the size of a house, and a bloody and desperate gold rush that fueled it all.

The best Alaskan cruise excursions bring you views like this.

History aside, the views afforded by the ride are unparalleled and worth a trip to Alaska on their own. The train takes you high into the mountains surrounding the small town as the rail goes from the Skagway port and climbs over 2800 feet to reach the summit of White Pass and cross, briefly, into Canada’s Yukon.

After the ride is over, you can visit the original White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad administration building which is now the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park museum. Inside, you can learn even more about the stunning history of the town and its historic sites.

Helicopter and Airplane Sightseeing

There are two hotspots for aerial sightseeing, Juneau and Skagway. Each offers many options of airborne touring, soaring above glaciers, mountains, bays, and rivers. They all have guides to tell you about what you’re seeing and it’s importance to the area. Few places around the world offer so many chances to fly aboard a helicopter, even for a short period of time. In Alaska, however, you’re spoiled for choice.

Admittedly, I’ve not yet had the chance to do a helicopter tour, despite a long-lived desire to take one. These are, after all, one of the more expensive activities that you can participate in, which is a consideration when you’re making vacation plans. The opportunities to soar above the land are never more plentiful than in Alaska, though, and if it’s something that you want to experience, I would say that this is something that you really should consider.

Rainforest Hikes

When most people think of a rainforest, they think of the Amazon. It’s the most famous and it’s exactly what you’d expect from a tropical rainforest. Hot and humid, a thick canopy of leaves above your head, vines, rivers, the quintessential jungle. That’s not the only kind of rainforest, there’s also a temperate rainforest and that’s exactly what is found in Alaska.

The Tongass National Forest is the largest U.S. National Forest, making up a space larger than 10 U.S. states and 75 U.N. nations. Most of the national forest is a temperate rain forest, keeping more mild temperatures than surrounding areas. Sitka, for example, rarely experiences below freezing weather or temperatures above 60° F (15° C). It does rain a lot though. It’s a rainforest, so… that’s sort of what it does.

The roots of a living tree I walked under. Where else can you experience this?

Sitka offers some truly spectacular guided hiking opportunities where you will see things that you didn’t know could exist. On my two hour and change hike, I walked under the roots of a living tree, saw bald eagles diving for fish, climbed to a meadow that felt like it was transported straight out of Middle Earth, and learned about bears purposely giving themselves natural stool softeners. I promise you, I am not making that up.

There’s so Many Choices

This list is not exhaustive, not at all, but these are the types of things that I enjoy most or, in the case of helicopters and lumberjack shows, still want to experience. I know that when I first went to Alaska, I didn’t know what there was to do and I was a bit overwhelmed with the choices. I hope that this helps you a little in making a choice on what to do but know this, once you go to Alaska, you’ll want to go back.

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What’s the Weather Like?

No matter where you’re going, knowing what to pack revolves a lot around the weather and, unless you are a father in your late 50s or older, it’s unlikely that you keep track of the weather in any place other than where you live. Given that, and this is true, most of us do not live in Alaska, you probably don’t have any idea what the weather is like there. Good news, though, because I looked that up for you.

The Alaska Travel Industry Association has a page on their website dedicated to briefly describing the weather during different parts of the year. I’ve taken their descriptions, and other information I was able to find to create a very broad description of each month. It may surprise you that there’s quite a range of weather that you can experience throughout the Alaskan tourism season, which runs mid-May through mid-September.

Here’s how that breaks down:

Starting in May, the average daytime temps range from 40-55 degrees Fahrenheit or 4.5-13 degrees for my Celsius challenged friends. May skies are usually overcast or mostly cloudy with some scattered or light rain and 16-18 hours of daylight.

Typical Alaskan weather in May.

In June the average temperature ranges from 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit or 10-21 degrees Celsius. The skies are clearer and the days are drier. This time of year brings something special, specifically the summer solstice, where, in parts of Alaska, you will get 24 hours of sunlight. Having experienced close to that in Iceland, I can attest that it is truly amazing.

Moving on to July, which is the warmest month, you’ll feel temps ranging from 55-75 degrees Fahrenheit or 13-14 degrees Celsius. Although, some days it does get above 80 and even 90 degrees Fahrenheit or 26.5 to 32 degrees Celcius. Skies above will be mostly sunny and clear with 18-20 hours of daylight.

By August it’s cooling down a bit and fall is approaching. Temps are between 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit or 10-15.5 degrees Celsius. The weather turns back to overcast and rainy but there’s still 14-16 hours of daylight.

Once September arrives, though, things start to get fairly chilly as the average temps are between 35-50 degrees Fahrenheit or 1.5-13 degrees Celsius. As autumn rolls in, it’s often rainy and frost regularly forms overnight.

Clothing Advice and List

When it comes to your clothing, knowing what to pack for Alaksa, much like ogres, is all about layers. Throughout the season you can see that there are temperature swings of 15°-20°F (5°-10°C) during the day. That means that you’re going to want a light jacket, possibly fleece, (like this one) on the outside and a lighter piece of clothing, like a long or short sleeved t-shirt under it.

Personally, during the shoulder months of May and September, I would advise taking a water resistant or waterproof jacket as your outer layer because it was often misting or lightly raining when I was there. Many, but not all, windbreakers are water shedding and could be a good fit for this.

High quality socks are also a good idea. I personally like using merino wool socks. They dry out quickly and keep you warm. Bringing premium socks is doubly important if you plan on doing any hiking or other vigorous outdoor activities. I suppose that during June and July, the type of sock you have probably matters less, given the drier weather, but the rest of the season you’ll find this advice helpful.

I would also recommend a hat of some sort. During the rainy parts of the season, a good water-shedding hat will keep your head dry and during the sunny parts of the season it’ll keep the sun out of your eyes – and there’s a lot of sun!

I use a hat like this because I prefer function over form for this sort of thing. Which is a polite way of saying I don’t mind looking dorky but being comfortable.

As for footwear, that’s very dependent on what you are planning on doing. If you are planning a hike, I recommend bringing a pair of hiking boots or shoes. The trails that you hike on are marked and well-trod, but they are not sidewalks or paved. Sneakers or running shoes are fine if you’re just walking around town or doing a crab or fish feast. Don’t bother with sandals or flip-flops, leave them at home.

• Light out layer, possibly fleece. You may water it to be waterproof if visiting in May or September.
• Good quality socks, I suggest merino wool, especially if you’re hiking or doing other vigorous outdoor activities.
• A hat. If you have a hat that sheds water, that’s a good trait, but during sun or rain, a hat is very beneficial.
• Bring appropriate shoes for your activities. If you are hiking, bring hiking footwear. If you’re not doing vigorous activities outside, sneakers are okay. Forget the sandals.

Cruise Specific Clothing

Most cruise goers have their cruising experience in warm climates, but Alaska isn’t that. There’s unlikely to be good weather for you to lay out on the deck. Most outdoor activities on the ship will be less comfortable than they are in the Caribbean, for example. Sun dresses and shorts are probably not the right choice. Jeans, slacks, cardigans, sweaters, those are better picks. Evening attire depends on the cruise line, but plan to incorporate warmer things in your outfit.

Pools are sometimes heated on cruise ships, but not always, so before you pack any swimwear, check the specific ship you are going on and see if that ship heats their pool or pools. If they aren’t heated, they are almost certainly not warm enough to be used comfortably in Alaska. However, if there are hot tubs on your ship, which there often are, those can be fun to use, especially if you like a little bit chilly air on your nose while the rest of you is warm in the water.

• Bring warmer clothes than you would on a Caribbean cruise.
• Long pants are a must and if you want to wear a dress or gown, bring a wrap of some sort to keep you a bit warmer up top.

Accessories

Alaska is one of the most stunning places that you’ll ever visit and there’s a few things that you may regret if you don’t bring them. Some of these are activity dependent (you don’t need trekking poles to ride on a scenic railway), so use your best judgement one what ones you will personally benefit from.

Binoculars

No matter what you’re doing in Alaska, you’ll want to be able to see things a little better and a good pair of binoculars is perfect for a trip like this. Some cruise lines will provide binoculars in cabins, but most do not, and the lines that do provide them don’t provide great ones either. No matter how you’re visiting Alaska, though, you’ll want a pair for yourself.

You don’t want to miss a sight like this,

To get an idea of what I’m talking about, here’s a link to my Alaska album. There’s a lot of photos in it, so jump around as you see fit. I was able to use my telephoto lens to bring all that nature a bit closer to me and I think you’ll want to do the same.

There’s a big quality difference between the $25-$50 range and when you jump up to $100+. If that’s worth it to you, I’ve read very good things about this pair from Vortex.

I don’t personally own a pair of these, but from what I’ve read in reviews, people’s experiences are quite positive. They provide a 10x magnification and a fairly wide viewing angle without being too heavy to hold. They should last for many, many years and come with a case and strap.

Now, if you are open to spending more and getting the benefits of image stabilization technology, then you can step up to this pair from Canon.

I own a pair of these (of slightly older model). I’ve used them for wildlife spotting and birding for about 10 years. The image stabilization tech is astoundingly cool, making gazing through them much easier, but the price was certainly a jump. Strictly speaking, I don’t think it’s necessary to buy these if you are not going to use them more than for this trip, but they are very fun.

No matter what you choose, you’ll thank yourself for picking up a pair.

Trekking Poles

Getting a nice pair of trekking poles can be very beneficial if you plan on traversing some more difficult or slippery terrain. The key to a good pole, though, is that it fits you. Adjustable poles make that easier, but you still need to know the range of height you need.

Here’s a simple guide:

To know if your poles are a good fit, the most common test is to bend your arm at the elbow out at a 90° angle from your body and make it parallel to the ground. Your pole should fit right into your hand and preserve that 90° angle while the tip rests on the ground. Since everyone is a different height, getting adjustable poles is very helpful for getting the sizing correct and giving you adjustability for different terrain.

I quite like this pair, which I own, but I would recommend that you go to a store to try the poles out in person if that’s possible for you to do.

They’re extremely lightweight, not even a pound, and they have helpful length markers so you can zero in the correct height for you quite quickly.

One thing to note about trekking poles. If you’re flying, these must go in checked baggage. Don’t try to put them in your carry-on, you won’t be allowed to fly with them.

Humidifier

This is likely only necessary when going to Alaska in May or September, but I assure you that it’s very helpful. I have an entire article on the best travel humidifiers here. Read it over and pick up the best one for your needs.

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