I never thought I would enjoy an Alaskan cruise; afterall, it's cold!  And I thought it would be boring looking at snow & ice.  I was so wrong!  This was probably the best cruise I had ever been on.  We went with another couple and weren't quite sure what to expect.

We choose the Norwegian Sun out of Vancouver, Canada for a 7-night roundtrip cruise.  After catching a very early morning flight, we arrived in Vancouver by mid-afternoon.  Embarkation went well and we were resting and getting settled in to our balcony staterooms waiting to set sail.  NCL offers the 'free-stlye dining' which means you can go to the formal dining rooms anytime between 5:00pm and 10:00pm for dinner.  No rushing to get to the dining room ontime!

We stopped at 4 ports of call:  Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and Wrangel.  In Ketchikan, my friend & I took a kayaking trip around an island off the coastline while our husbands tried their luck at salmon fishing; their cooler was soon overflowing with salmon!  In Juneau, we took the Ice Glacier Helicopter tour; now that was awesome flying over the glaciers and then landing on one!  We got out and explored for awhile before heading back to the small airport.  By the way, we booked all our shore excursions through the locals which was great!  Smaller groups and per-sonalized service.  In Skagway, we took the 2-hour horseback ride up in the Canadian Yukon.  Our guide looked like a modern 'Annie Oakley' and showed us some unbelieveable scenery!  In Wrangel, we walked around  the small town visiting with some of the sights the locals recom-mended.   Then cruising back to Vancouver, we saw lots of glaciers as the captain of the ship manuvered through the small passages.

Since the Alaskan cruises are seasonal: mid-May through mid-September, they fill up quickly!  Now (fall/winter) is the time to book your Alaskan cruise for the following summer to get the best prices and availability.   Feel free to call or email me with any questions.  I'd love to share more with you!
 

We departed for Puerto Vallarta on a chartered flight out of Houston on a Thursday afternoon and returned on Sunday afternoon. I had never been to that side of Mexico (Pacific ocean) before so I had no idea what to expect. Upon our arrival, we were taken to the Marival Resort & Suites Nuevo Vallarta. Our suite was awesome! A 2-bedroom/3-bath room, more like a small apartment that faced the beach. We had a small refrigerator and microwave in the kitchen area but didn't need to cook since this is an 'All-Inclusive' resort. The resort is great for families or couples and is very spacious. We enjoyed a Canopy Tour the 2nd day where we were taken by jeep to the jungle area. Bring a scarf or hair tie, ladies; it's a bumpy, windy ride! We were instructed on how to put on our gear and the guides were great explaining every detail to us. We then walked a short way to the 1st 'platform' where we were strapped to the zipline and off we sailed above the treetops! We zipped to about 13 treetop platforms. The next day we were taken by boat to Caletas Beach Club. We were treated to a great buffet lunch at tables up on the hillside where we watched a school of dolphins swim by; plus I splurged and got a massage while there to soothe the aches from the bumpy ride day before! Puerto Vallarta is definately a place I would go back to!