For the second half of our cruise, we visited Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan and the Inside Passage.
Icy Strait Point isn’t really a town—more like a pit stop just outside a small village. There’s not a ton to do, but that was fine since we only had around four hours there anyway. Mylène went on a whale-watching tour while the kids and I opted out. We weren’t keen on reliving the trauma of Teddy’s previous experience feeding the fish with his own lunch.
Ketchikan was our next stop—a charming little town perched at the southern tip of Alaska’s “panhandle,” just before crossing into British Columbia. It was surprisingly lovely! We strolled along the river hoping to spot salmon battling their way upstream. No luck with the salmon in the river, but we did see a few lucky fishermen reeling them in nearby. Close enough?
On our last day, we were back in Canadian waters, cruising through the stunning Inside Passage—the channel between mainland BC and Vancouver Island. We were treated to a pod of dolphins leaping and playing alongside the ship, which was super cool.
The Good
I definitely enjoyed the cruise more than I expected to. It’s sort of like an all-inclusive resort down south—but instead of staying put, you wake up somewhere new every morning. I was worried I’d feel trapped, but the ship is enormous and packed with things to do. Honestly, it didn’t even feel like we were at sea most of the time.
Another highlight? Our dinner waitstaff. We had the same team every evening, and they were incredible—friendly, hilarious, amazing with the kids, and on top of everything. We liked them so much, we even added them on Facebook.
The Bad
Not much to report here, to be honest—but I needed a “bad” section to make the title work, so here we are.
The Ugly
As much as I enjoyed the cruise, I don’t think I’ll do another one—and here’s why:
1. It’s absolute shit for the environment. During an info session with the ship’s captain, we were given some fact sheets. Turns out, our ship is powered by a gas turbine engine—the same kind used in jet aircraft—and it runs on the same type of fuel. It burns 215,011 liters of fuel per day. Over our 7-day trip, that’s 1.5 million liters. With 2,500 passengers onboard, that breaks down to about 602 liters per person. To put that into perspective, my car holds 53 liters, so it’s like filling up my tank 11 times—or the equivalent of 6 to 9 months of driving for me—all crammed into one week.
2. The crew is exploited The ship’s crew was incredible—hardworking, kind, and professional. But after speaking to a few of them, we learned that most crew members sign 8- to 10-month contracts without a single day off. That’s 10- to 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, for the better part of a year. While they earn more than they might at home (many are from the Philippines, India, Indonesia, etc.), their effective pay ends up around $4–5 per hour. At best, it's exploitation. At worst... It's slavery.
So while I genuinely had a great time, I can’t ignore the cost behind the curtain. For those two reasons, I think this will be my first—and last—mega cruise.
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