Denali on a perfect clear morning, the moment we joined the 33% club. (Photo by
Kristin Morris)
Richard and Kristin Morris
Some vacations help you relax. Alaska changes the way you see the world. There is something genuinely difficult to describe about standing on the bow of a ship as a glacier the size of a city block cracks and thunders into the sea. Or watching a humpback whale breach just off the starboard rail. Or looking out across mountain ranges so vast and untouched that you feel, maybe for the first time in years, genuinely small. An Alaska cruise is not about the ship. It’s about the destination. Unlike Caribbean or Mediterranean cruises where the vessel itself is often the main attraction, Alaska demands your attention every single day. Every morning brings something new.
We want to tell you about one trip in particular. Not because it was the only time we’ve been to Alaska, we’ve made this journey many times, but because it captures everything we love about why this destination is so special. A few years ago, Kristin and I did Celebrity’s 13-Night Great Frontier Expedition CruiseTour. It combines a 6-night land journey through Fairbanks, Denali, Talkeetna, and Anchorage entirely by train, followed by a 7-night southbound glacier cruise to Vancouver. The land tour included three separate legs aboard the Wilderness Express, a stunning glass-domed railcar that winds through scenery most people never see.
When we arrived at Denali National Park and stepped off the train, I did something that probably seemed strange: I immediately went for a hike. The wilderness was right there. The next morning, we boarded the Tundra Wilderness Tour, a bus that ventures deep into the park on roads closed to private vehicles. The goal is Alaska’s Big 5: moose, caribou, Dall sheep, grizzly bear, and wolf. We saw three of the five. The wolf and the bear eluded us, but that’s part of the magic. Alaska is not a zoo. You’re a guest in something wild. That day, Denali itself was shrouded in clouds. The mountain reveals itself on its own terms, and only about one in three visitors ever sees it clearly.
We went to sleep that night not knowing which club we’d be in. The first surprise in the morning: it had snowed overnight. In August. We’re from Arizona, we don’t see that. There was a dusting of snow on the trees, on the trails, on everything. The second surprise: the skies had completely cleared. Denali was out, fully, magnificently, impossibly out. Every direction we turned, there it was. Kristin took photo after photo. We’re both part of the 33% club now, and we don’t take that lightly.
That experience, the train journey, the tundra, the unexpected snow, the mountain revealing itself, is why we recommend this specific CruiseTour to so many of our clients. And we’re taking a small group back again in August 2026 to do it all over again.
Planning the right Alaska cruise matters enormously. The month you choose, the cruise line, the itinerary, whether you add a land tour, every decision shapes a completely different trip. That’s why having an experienced guide in your corner makes all the difference.
Contact us at 602-626-3740 or visit arizonacruiseandtravel.com to get our Alaska Cruise Planning Guide. Alaska is the last great frontier. We’ll make sure you experience it in a way you’ll never forget.