We had a lot of factors to consider while planning how to see state 42, Alaska. We wanted a cruise that didn’t begin or end in Alaska, was small enough to use the Inside Passage (so The Husband was less likely to get seasick), and had significantly more adults than children.
We decided on the Holland America Noordam seven-day Alaska Inside Passage cruise in a balcony room. It departed from Vancouver, BC, and arrived in Seattle, WA. Interesting fact: Alaska cruises that are round-trip from the US have to stop in Canada. Most of them docked in Victoria, BC, for a few hours on the way back.
We left on a football Sunday in September, so we went to the Butcher & Bullock Pub in Vancouver, a known Bills Backer bar before boarding. The Noordam is a smaller ship, with a capacity around 1,900. We took the last cruise of the season and there were only 1,100 passengers. This made for an easy embarkation, so we had no trouble going straight after the game to board.
Day 1-Depart Vancouver
Once we were onboard, we got the muster drill out of the way and got settled in our room. We booked late and all the suites were gone, but we were lucky to get a Verandah room with a balcony. At around 300 sq feet, it was small but plenty of space for the two of us. The bed was pretty comfortable, the couch was handy for holding all my things but not comfortable enough for sitting, and the bathroom was a standard cruise bathroom. The balcony was the star of the room, because the scenery was gorgeous everywhere we looked. It had just two seats and a small table, but it was all we needed.
Our travel agent (AKA my stepsister) knew it was my birthday month, so there was a birthday cupcake waiting in the room. The little details like this are why booking through travel agents is worth it.
We spent the evening checking out the ship as we cruised through the Straight of Georgia and headed toward the Inside Passage. Like most cruise ships, it had multiple bars, restaurants, shopping, a casino, and several seating areas. Unlike any cruise I’ve been on, it also had a lending library and a free library with actual good books! You could borrow a book for the duration of the trip or take one from the free library. Most cruises have a library of sorts, but I’ve never seen one with new books.
The pool area had a retractable roof, which makes sense for a ship that cruises Alaska into October. There were people in the pool and hot tub day and night, despite the chilly temps.
Day 2-Inside Passage
The next day felt like a day at sea and an excursion day, even though we didn’t leave the ship. We spent the day cruising up the Inside Passage, and there was so much beautiful nature to see. We were constantly on the lookout for animals, especially birds and whales. Despite having a balcony, we didn’t want to miss anything the other side of the ship. After breakfast, I grabbed a coffee at the cafe in the library and we started walking the track on the Promenade Deck. Three trips around were roughly a mile, so we got a fair amount of steps in while looking at nature. They also had nice chairs and blankets available.
Within a few laps, we saw humpback whales! It was pretty far from the ship, but my birders’ eyes caught the spout. We also had lots of gulls and other seabirds following the ship.
After getting in a lot of steps, we had lunch at Lido Market. It was much nicer than the usual cruise ship buffet. Most of the stations had made-to-order items served by staff, and there were rotating cultural cuisines that were actually really good. Because The Husband is picky and I’m primarily vegetarian, it was easier to eat most meals there. And unlike the cruises we’ve been on, we never got sick of it.
After lunch, we headed to the Thermal Suite at the Greenhouse Spa. We booked the week package. It included a warm hydrotherapy pool, heated ceramic loungers, and steam rooms. It was a nice place to relax but it was small and crowded. We went a few times and had to leave because it was full, even though the ship had low capacity. At $179 per person for the week, we didn’t use it enough to justify the price, but I liked having it as an option. (I can’t believe I know this, but the Disney cruise spa pass is MUCH better.)
We ended the day in the Crow’s Nest, a panoramic bar on deck ten. It had tons of seating, table service, and board games. I don’t know why, but it had the relaxed atmosphere of a ski lodge après-ski.
Day 3-Juneau
Day three greeted us with a gorgeous pink sunrise as we cruised down Tracy Arm Fjord toward the Sawyer Glaciers. The pink seemed to cover the entire world as clouds slowly rolled in and took on the gorgeous color. Unfortunately, the fog came in thick, and the captain decided to turn around and head toward Juneau. Although not seeing the glacier was a bummer, we ended up seeing orcas! That was the first bucket list thing The Husband crossed off that day.
We also saw a bunch of these little cabins on that water. If anyone owns one and would like visitors, we’re available.
The ship was able to dock when we arrived early in Juneau, so we had some extra time before our excursion to Mendenhall Glacier. Despite being the only state capital without roads leading in or out, we were surprised by the size. It wasn’t big, but there was a lot more to see and do in the little city than we expected.
After a little walk around Juneau, we got on a bus and headed to Mendenhall Glacier. While there are lots of options for excursions in Juneau, many were sold out when we booked. We knew we wanted to see the glacier, and this ticket, which basically included just the bus ride to the glacier, thirteen miles from Juneau, was all that was left. As things do, it ended up working out great.
We checked out the Visitor’s Center before heading down the path toward the glacier. The walk from the Visitor’s Center to the glacier viewing area was an easy, paved 0.3-mile loop. There were pieces of the glacier floating by (the little ones are called bergy bits, the big ones are growlers) and even bald eagles!
The viewpoint had a great view of the iceberg and the surrounding mountains. Like almost everywhere in Alaska, it’s hard to grasp the sheer size of what you are seeing.
From the viewpoint, we headed down the unpaved trail that brought us closer to the glacier and adjacent waterfalls. It was not as short or flat as the paved trail, but it was still an easy walk. The waterfall roared, blowing mist all over us in a beautiful rainbow. From the closer viewpoint and with my 500 mm lens, we could see the blue ice at the bottom of the glacier where a piece of it had recently broken off.
The glacier is melting rapidly due to climate change, causing major flooding in the area. As the uptake in AI for absolutely ridiculous uses (80’s AI trend photos, for example) continues to increase, I wonder how much longer we’ll have the privilege of seeing things like the Mendenhall Glacier.
Back at the Visitor’s Center, there was a scope set up to look at the mountain goats way out in the distance! I love goats, so this was very exciting. After wandering the center, we hopped back onto the bus to Juneau.
We had plenty of time before our ship left, so we walked around Juneau for a bit. We saw ornate, impressive totem poles and, of course, stopped into a bookstore. We had a drink at the Red Dog Saloon, where I embarrassingly learned that Wyatt Earp was a real person.
After a lunch of fresh fish at The Hangar while watching seaplanes take off, we headed back to the ship.
Seeing the Northern Lights was at the top of The Husband’s bucket list. I saw them on a train trip to Churchill, Manitoba, but he missed them. We hoped that a late September Alaska cruise would be the time he finally saw them, and he did! It was incredible. The green and purple were much brighter than the times I saw them, and they danced through the sky long into the night. We started watching them from the observation deck, then headed back to the room where we watched them from the balcony for hours.
Day 4-Skagway
We arrived in Skagway, AK, on day four. Since I love trains, we booked the historic White Pass and Yukon Route Railway excursion. The beautiful old train climbs up into the mountains to White Pass Summit, at 2,888 feet, then returns to Skagway. The scenery was breathtaking. Despite being afraid of heights, the ride wasn’t intimidating. There was a guide sharing all sorts of interesting information, and we could walk between cars. It was nice to stand in the open mountain air, and it made for better pictures.
The train ride was only 2.5 hours, so we had plenty of time to wander around the old gold-mining town. The Red Onion Saloon, an old brothel, was the busiest place in the small town. They offered brothel tours throughout the day, and there was always a crowd outside. The Visitor’s Center is decorated with old driftwood, and it’s surprising it survives the cold Alaskan winters. The town itself looked straight out of an old western movie.
At night, we were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights again! This time they really danced through the sky and the constant movement made photos difficult but it was incredible to see.
Day 5-Icy Strait Point
We arrived in Icy Strait Point in Hoohan, AK, the largest Tlingit village in Alaska, on day five. It’s a cute little port with a restored salmon cannery as the main attraction. They have local goods and a restaurant. We had some delicious doughnuts from Lil Gen’s Donuts and watched some birds before heading out on our whale watch excursion.
Our whale watch took us out into Icy Strait and around Hoonah Island. We were worried that we wouldn’t see any since it was late in the season (October 2nd), but we ended up seeing dozens of whales! We got so lucky. Our boat anchored, and we just watched in amazement as they swam and dove together like synchronized swimmers.
Since there wasn’t a lot to do in Icy Strait Point, we got back on the ship after the whale watch and had lunch at the Dive In, the burger stand by the pool. I was pleasantly surprised to find vegetarian options, and the cheese fries were way better than they should have been.
Day 6-Ketchikan
We booked a six-hour Misty Fjords National Monument tour out of Ketchikan and it left soon after we arrived in port. We were a little hesitant about spending six hours on a boat when we were already spending seven days on one, but it ended up being one of our favorite things of the trip. Misty Fjords lived up to its name, but the mist added atmosphere to the views that made them even more spectacular. And the constant moisture gives the steep fjord walls a thick rainforest coverage that looks too incredible to be real. And there were so many waterfalls! Some were small trickles running down the fjord, some roaring as they barreled down the mountains. The boat was quite comfortable, and they had a beverage bar and complimentary snacks. The six hours flew by, and we still talk about how beautiful it was.
We walked around Ketchikan for a while after the excursion and found the Asylum, a Buffalo Bills backer bar! It wasn’t a game day (we made sure to book the cruise when they weren’t playing) but it was cool to see the Bills in Alaska.
Day 7-Day at sea
I was feeling a little run down, so we spent the day at sea relaxing in the room. The best part about having a balcony is that you really don’t miss anything if you don’t want to leave your room. We booked our comped specialty dinner at Canaletto that night, which ended up being really delicious. I think I’ve had so many bad meals on cheap cruises early in my traveling that I’m unnecessarily jaded. They also had a great wine list that wasn’t available at the other bars. After dinner, we headed back to the room to relax.
Day 8-Arrival in Seattle
Disembarkation was quick and easy, which was great because I was so sick. I had been up all night with fever and chills. It’s times like these that I’m grateful I’m a nurse. We went straight to the drug store, stocked up on COVID tests and supportive medication, and checked into our hotel. As I suspected, I had COVID and I was sick as hell. I’m glad I got the booster before we left because who knows how sick I would have been without it. Thankfully we had just been to Seattle so I didn’t feel any FOMO. I rested and recovered until it was time to leave for state 43, Arizona.
We took the cruise from September 28th to October 5th, 2025. We paid $3,138 for the cruise, plus $179 each for the spa, $70 for laundry services, $50/day each for the drink package, $300 in tips, plus all the excursions. While it was expensive, nothing about traveling to Alaska is cheap. But it was absolutely worth every penny.
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