What to Expect on an Inside Passage Cruise Part 1

A Silverseas cruise on the liner Sliver Shadow is an example of an iconic Inside Passage cruise along the south west coast of Alaska. Some suggest that exploring Alaska by a cruise ship like this is the very best way to discover this most northern part of the world.

Silverseas cruise ships run from San Francisco and Vancouver on North America’s west coast. This particular luxury cruise runs for 10 days and caters for a limit of 382 passengers. Cruise staff cater to their passengers every need including the availability of a circuit track around the deck for those who need to walk or run off each of the delectable meals served every day!

As it travels north into the Alaskan waters of the Inland Passage, the first port of call on this Inside Passage cruise is Sitka on the western side of Baranoff Island. Set below the dramatic backdrop of the 'Mt Fuji-looking' Mt Edgecumbe, Sitka is both pretty and interesting.  It was originally the home of the local Tlingit people but occupied by the Russians as a trading post from 1799 until 1867 when Alaska was sold to the US.

There is much evidence of both these cultures in Sitka, especially in the shops along the main street that cater for tourists each summer. Russian faux fur hats complete with ear flaps draw plenty of attention along with shawls made from the soft underbelly of musk ox hair.

Tlingit merchandise includes exquisitely carved pieces reflecting aspects of this culture. They are individual works of art, not inexpensive and nothing like the crass commercial products so often found in places like this.

A cultural center offers local dance performances daily in summer and the Sitka National Park features a range of impressive totem poles. The Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center located there, exhibits and demonstrations of arts and crafts and is well worth the comfortable walk from the center of town or an even shorter bus ride.

For those who avoid tourist shops, Sitka's pubs serve the Alaskan delicacy gigantic Alaskan crab claws and this is best ordered with a beer brewed at the Alaskan Brewing Company in nearby Juneau. 

The cruise continues on with opportunities to do some whale watching from the deck and even a little snoozing outside beneath a cosy tartan deck blanket as the cruise heads towards the next Inland Passage destination.

If you’d like to read about other ports of call on this Inside Passage Cruise 'What to Expect on an Inside Passage Cruise Part 2' go to my blog at blog.mightydigitaldownloads.com

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