My First cruise…..

A client of mine asked me the other day which was my favourite cruise destination, and it has to be the very first cruise I did, nearly 15 years ago. Although I had been selling them for several years , my manager at the time thought it was about time I tried one for myself, and what a cruise to start…… an Alaskan cruise! I had a what we call a ‘Fam Trip’ a jolly more like it with Princess Cruise’s on board Sea Princess. I flew out to Vancouver had 2 days there, then a 7 nights cruise from Vancouver back to Vancouver.

I was a little apprehensive about doing a cruise but none about going to Canada and Alaska. I had the common worries of first time cruisers….age, restriction’s of being on a ship, is there enough to do, how much will I spend, formal dining etc etc.

Vancouver is still today one of my favourite cities. It was fantastic. We stayed at the Sutton Place Hotel in the heart of the city and only short walking distance from Robson Street, one of Canada’s most popular shopping areas. We didn’t have much time so we were up early and out of the hotel. There were certain things I didn’t want to miss! Granville Island and it’s famous market, then Stanley Park to see the famous Totem Poles! I found out the day we were leaving Vancouver to cruise, Bryan Adams was playing live in Stanley Park! I was slightly gutted to be missing that but little did I know the week the ahead was going to be an experience I wouldn’t have missed for the world! I really wanted to visit Gastown too but time was against us. Gastown is named after Gassy Jack Deighton, a Yorkshire seaman, steamboat captain and barkeeper who arrived in 1867 to open the area’s first saloon. Gastown was going to have to wait a week, I had a cruise to embark! So my first ship – The Sea Princess ….WOW! I didn’t expect to be so amazed by a ship , she was enormous (small compared to todays ships)), but I couldn’t wait to get aboard. It was June and I had packed everything from shorts to thick winter jumpers, hiking boots ,sunglasses ,dinner suit and waterproofs! It was Alaska, I had no idea what weather to expect! The first part of the cruise from that evening and the next morning was of course the Inside Passage.

I got up the next morning around 5am, my body clock was way out! I will always remember going up on deck, that first morning, towards the back of the ship at the crack of dawn and realising how quiet it was. All you could hear was ice cracking and creaking around you, there was also a school of dolphin’s following in the wake of the ship. The clouds were very low and misty and one of the waiters brought me a coffee! This was just the start of my experience of a life time……….read on!