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I set the phone back in its cradle and with a sigh of irritation I leaned back in my chair. The custom shower tile was going to be late…even later than it already was. Delays are a part of custom home building, but this particular job has had hiccup after hiccup, and frankly this little gem of good news is not going to be received well by my client. Deciding to put off that impending phone call for just another moment, I instead began opening up the mail. Bill…bill…bill…junk…bill…junk…big manila envelope. Hmmm…it’s from our lumber supplier. Frowning in puzzlement, I slid out the glossy brochure and a letter that was addressed to myself and my partner-in-crime and “boss,“ my husband Scott. Dear Scott and Stacey, Congratulations! As a thank you from SmallTown Lumber Company, we are pleased to announce that you have qualified for our end-of-the-year “SmallTown VIP Giveaway!” As a top customer, you are one of our “SmallTown VIP‘s!” As a token of our appreciation, we’re giving our largest customers an all-expense-paid “VIP” dream vacation! This “VIP” vacation includes a 7 night Alaskan cruise, airfare to Seattle and all transfers. Please contact our corporate travel agent for scheduling and details. From everyone here at SmallTown Lumber, we thank you for being a “SmallTown VIP!” I believe I read the letter a dozen times. Is this for real? Yes…the return address is correct. Yes…I recognize the signature on the bottom of the letter. Holy cow…this is for real!! I started thumbing through the glossy brochure in amazement. The photos showed an enormous ship silently gliding through channels of sheer cliffs and snow kissed mountains. Happy looking people dotted the outside decks pointing in amazement at the beautiful scenery. A bald eagle majestically soared through the unbelievably blue sky in the background. The plume of vapor from a whale erupted from the glassy surface of the water. Bright white icebergs were dotted all around the ship’s hull. Wait…ICEBERG’S?? Reality hit me like a face full of arctic water. Uhhh…me…on a cruise??? I’m too young to go on a cruise…I’m only 28!! We’re too active for a cruise!! We’ll be bored!! What if we get seasick??!! Why, I’ll surely feel trapped! Oh. My. Gosh…What if the ship hits one of those iceberg things? What if it sinks??!! I can’t swim in freezing water! A mental image of Scott and I running together in panic, hand in hand just like Jack and Rose flashes through my mind. Ok, enough. I snapped myself out of my dramatic little daydream and snatched up the phone to call Scott to tell him the news. He had the same reaction as me, while we were overwhelmed with gratitude and disbelief at the generous gift…we just couldn’t shake the, “Oh goody…a cruise,” state of mind. While we love to travel, we’d never even considered taking a cruise before. Knowing we could not turn this down, I called the travel agent to get the details. By the time I hung up, we were booked. June 6...a ship called the Diamond Princess….balcony room…Seattle round trip to somewhere called the “Inside Passage.” A cruise. We’re going on a cruise. Blinking a few times in shock, I started thinking of all the planning and research that was ahead of me. Me, on a cruise? In six weeks??!! Little did I know, I was about to become “The Accidental Cruiser”…. To be cont'd...

When one cruise ends, another begins … that’s my motto! Our Ireland & Scotland Interlude was not yet complete, when we were already thinking of our next cruise. Actually, we were not yet sure of the destination, we just knew it would be a cruise on Princess. Therefore, as is the custom, we took advantage of the Future Cruise Desk while on board the Ocean Princess and earned future cruise credits and on-board credits by booking a future cruise, to be taken on any ship at any time within the next four years. Hey, why waste time! Immediately, on returning home, we booked our next cruise, a 12-day cruise to the Mediterranean. Ahhh … but as is typical with me, our next summer cruise booking is never written in stone. In the next weeks and months, it can transform into a different ship, a different destination, a land vacation or … horrors! … no vacation at all. We realized our one-way voyage from Venice to Barcelona was not going to be a cheap one, and the more I looked into hotels, excursions and air fare, the further and further the ship sailed away from us until it was just a black speck on the horizon. That's when my dear husband uttered the words I have so longed to hear ... "what about Alaska?" What? Did I hear you correctly or is that wax buildup in my ear? Did he just say “Alaska” or was that “I’ll ask her”? He’s never wanted to see Alaska. Oh, joy … oh rapture! He DID say Alaska! Well, I wonder what brought this on, I immediately thought to myself, as I would not dare utter these words out loud in fear of his changing his mind. Two words – Grand Princess. You see, the Grand Princess was the ship which carried us on our first cruise 10 years ago to the Caribbean, so it holds fond memories for us. Two more words: San Francisco – sealed the deal. A round trip, 10-day cruise from a city we’ve always thought about visiting, 4 full days at sea on a ship which has been re-fitted with a covered dome over the pool, a sailing up the inside passage of America’s Last Frontier to Glacier Bay National Park … what’s not to like? If he was going to cruise to Alaska, he said, this was the only way. After all, he has always been drawn to tropical heat and oppressive humidity over the “ice and cold” of Alaska, and it would take something really awesome to swing him around. Okay, I said, let’s do it – before he re-thinks the idea. I immediately fired up the computer and changed that cruise from the Mediterranean to Alaska faster than you can say “my Alaska dream cruise”. I am now on a new mission and have new purpose in my life! With a plan to spend three days pre-cruise in San Francisco, I am exploring the city, hotels, the sites and Alcatraz, of course! Air fare to San Francisco is refreshingly more reasonable than flying to Europe, and I have fare alerts arriving in my mailbox daily in the hopes of finding that perfect rate. What’s more, David has been researching the ports and has even made suggestions about excursions – which means, yes, he IS excited about Alaska. Shhh ... don't tell anyone!

"Alaska shines, despite the weather" View full cruise review

Leave on first ever cruise ( except overnight ferry from Venice once) and have really no idea what I'm in for! Really looking forward to it but would love any suggestions or tips im from Australia

We - husband, 2 adult daughters, and me - will be on the Norwegian Pearl round-trip from Seattle on July 9. This will be the first time for our girls, and we are all super-excited! Who else is going?

Embark on a journey of a lifetime: A 7-night Alaska cruise aboard the revitalized Radiance of the Seas® followed by a multi-night fully escorted land tour that takes you deeper into Alaska's rugged interior. Plus, when you book select 2014 Northbound tours, by August 31, you will receive $200* to spend onboard. • Discover the stunning grandeur of Alaska's untamed coastline with its dramatic fjords, calving glaciers and belly-flopping humpbacks. • Choose from eight new exciting dining experiences ranging from Giovanni's Table Italian restaurant to the sizzling skewers of Samba Grill Brazilian steakhouse. • Experience the interior of Alaska with your very own Adventure Specialist who will give an inside perspective on regional history, culture and natural wonders. • Spend your evenings in authentic lodges located steps from incredible sights like Denali Park, home to Mt. McKinley, wild salmon and more. Don't miss out on this great offer, book your 2014 Cruisetour today! Call Rick Cauthen today at 513-278-8195

We are here in Seward waiting to board the ship on Friday! It is a small and charming town with AMAZING views! It's worth getting here or staying a day longer. We had a delish dinner tonight at Thorn's Showcase Saloon. We're staying in the Hotel Seward. They have 2 different sections: historic and modern. We're staying in the historic side and it's so charming. The only draw back is shared bathrooms but still fun!! :D Here's a link to our photos so far! https://www.facebook.com/dennarenee/media_set?set=a.10153026580295444.1073741839.768005443&type=3