La Vie Boheme

On the cruise the vast majority of the crew is from another country. On land most everyone providing services is a U.S. citizen. In the towns of Southeast Alaska, such as Ketchikan and Skagway, many in the shops and on the tours are locals.

Others, such as the Princess railway employees and the bus drivers are seasonal employees who come up for the season from the lower 48.

Then there are the true bohemians. I overheard the restaurant manager at Denali lodge talking to the couple next to us. He said that he had spent the last several years in Las Vegas, and that this was his first summer in Alaska. He wasn't sure where he was going to go in the autumn, but that Princess had a  job fair in August, and he was sure he'd find something in the warmer climes.

Our superb waiter at the Mountain View restaurant at Princess McKinley Lodge told us that this was his fifth summer in Alaska, but that each winter he had spent someplace different.

You've got to admire people who choose to live that way. For me, I'm too old and too settled for that. But I still am delighted to lift my glass and toast those who choose to live la vie boheme.

cruise reflections — planning, packing, and etiquette

One thing Terry and I learned from this cruise: we have no clue how to pack. I spoke with one Australian who said he and his wife "travel light." We had dinner with a cruise veteran couple who had spent part of the day doing laundry.  Terry and I packed more than we needed. Her suitcase was overweight by Alaska Airlines standards. I bought two packages of undershirts neither of which I opened.

I know there's tips out there for how to pack for a cruise. Guess we need to pay attention. We sent two boxes home from McKinley Lodge to keep Alaska Airlines from being grumpy with us on our return trip.

Etiquette: It's like this. The first night at dinner we were seated with a guy who was on his fourth cruise and styled himself as a cruise expert. We both agreed that we couldn't put up with him for another six nights and switched to Anytime Dining. After that we met some marvelous cruise veterans who were much more modest and unassuming and happy to share their experience.

You do meet some fascinating and enjoyable people.

cruise reflections — the local economy

Cruising and the local economy is a mixed bag. Ketchikan's economy was once dominated by logging and salmon fishing, but both industries collapsed there. The cruise business was a good boost to the local economy during the summer months, but along with that there came foreign-owned jewelery stores which pushed the locals out of business and boarded up their stores in the off-season.

Certainly locally-owned businesses still exist, and many locals work the cruise ship business during the summer, along side those who come north to work the season.

Along with Ketchikan, Skagway is much in the same position, as is to some extent Juneau even though it is the state capital.

One can only hope for a more balanced economy for these areas, that while the cruise industry continues to be part of it, there is not a total dependency.

cruise reflections — the crew

The crew on most cruise ships (the exception being American-flagged ships that cruise Hawaii, which don't much exist anymore) is a virtual United Nations at sea. The terms are tough. Generally a six-month contract with few days off. But often it beats life back home, and allows one to send money to ones family.

We had young crew members from the Philippines who were no doubt sending money home.We had crew members from Mexico, where the tourist trade has dried up because of the drug wars and threats of violence. We had long-time veterans from Italy for whom the cruise business was their way of life and the way of providing for their family. One woman from Ukraine was married to a cruise veteran. This was her first contract, as they swapped roles, while she took her turn at working and he took time off to take care of their child.

It appeared to me that Princess treated the crew well. They were generally happy, and I could see a sense of camaraderie among the dining room staff, at least. One evening we were seated with a couple from South Africa, and the crew made sure that the South African member of the dining room staff was introduced to them, at which time we heard several minutes of conversation in Afrikaans.

To those of us in settled, middle class lives, this might not seem like the best way to make a living. To a large segment of the world's population, it may be one of the best options.

cruise reflections — the passenger perspective

The passenger perspective of a cruise is the easiest and most fun, not to mention the perspective with which I am most familiar.

From the standpoint of the vacationer, a cruise is a marvelous way to travel. Your luggage is delivered to your stateroom, and you don't have to deal with it until you put it out the night before the end of the cruise. All of your meals are paid for (unless you choose to enjoy a premium restaurant, for which you pay a cover charge), and you can choose to stay as busy as you like or do as little as you like. Each port of call is different, and there are plenty of shore excursions to choose from. The crew is pleasant and accommodating, and there is really nothing you have to worry about.

From the perspective of a vacation where you toss aside all of your day-to-day concerns and simply enjoy yourself, there is nothing better than a cruise.

Upcoming: the crew perspective and the local economy

Alaska: Mt. McKinley

We are told that Mt. McKinley, or Denali, as Alaskans and Native Americans believe the proper name to be, is visible only about a third of the time. Of the four days on which we were in sight of the mountain it was cloudless on two. How about that?