CELEBRITY INFINITY ALASKA EXCURSION

The Mendenhall Glacier, seen from the air (Photo: Bob Nesoff)

By Bob & Sandy Nesoff
Special to Cruising Squared

Over the years we’ve flown in virtually every type of aircraft you can imagine from antique open cockpit bi-planes of the sort Snoopy and his Red Baron flew in, over the Poconos to single engine puddle jumpers in Haiti and the luxury of Air France and Virgin Atlantic jumbo jets. We still feel a bit of excitement as we board any plane, knowing that when we land there’s going to be an adventure ahead of us.

Coming down the gangway of Celebrity’s luxurious ship, the Infinity, in Juneau, Alaska brought with it a bit of extra tingle. Spread out at the foot of the gangway were dozens of tour operators pitching their wares and trying to snag tourists for scores of trips around the Alaskan countryside.


We had booked our tour through Infinity’s tour desk and knew there would be no surprises. Waiting for us was a comfortable bus that took us on a short hop to the city’s rather smallish airport. Airports and ports are a required staple in many of Alaska’s cities and villages because of the lack of a road network. In many of the areas you can only get in or out by boat or plane.

We were headed for a helicopter with space for about six passengers on our way to the Mendenhall Glacier, a few miles outside of the city. The view of Juneau as the chopper rose was spectacular. But the surrounding mountains and forests was even more beautiful. Below we could see a handful of glaciers that had, over eons, cut their way through the mountains on the way to calving at the Inside Passage.

But the Mendenhall put them all to shame. It was a huge ice field—make that a river of ice—with jagged ice stalagmites pointing skyward, deep crevasses, some of which appeared to have no bottom.

The chopper landed near a collection of tents used by the guides and surrounding the Alaskan flag, looking much like the camp that Robert Peary or his rival, Frederick Cook might have stayed in at the North Pole.

Walking on the glacier is tricky (Photo: Sandy Nesoff)

We hurriedly exited the chopper with the blades blowing up a storm of ice flakes and dirt that had accumulated there over the millennia; bent low because of the whirling blades (they were far enough overhead to be safe, but it was a reflex to duck down) and treading carefully over the pock marked and uneven surface of the glacier.
Portions of the ice were a beautiful, deep blue, indicating that it was dense and filtering out white light. The ice wall surrounding us had jagged peaks and sheltered the ice river as if in a valley. But the wind whipped in and the Alaskan flag was flying straight out.

Most of the visitors had only brought light summer clothing; after all, it was mid-August and the rest of the world was warm. We had the good fortune to have bought a great hooded jacket in Ketchikan and a black fleece on board the Infinity. We were warm.

After about a half hour of exploring the Mendenhall we could hear the helicopters coming in with another crew of visitors and signaling our turn to depart. The sight of the line of helicopters circling overhead and landing next to each other was stirring, especially for any military veteran who had seen such a maneuver under other circumstances.

After a bit of exploring in Juneau we headed back aboard the infinity and into a hot shower. One caveat, by the way…don’t buy any knives or similar objects in town because they will be confiscated at security as you reboard the ship. They will be, however, returned to you prior to disembarkation in Seattle.

One hint we might suggest is that many people seek to cut costs by going ashore and purchasing their local tours. That’s almost like the warnings at airports not to take the gypsy cabs that approach and ask if you want a ride.

Check in with the tour desk. These representatives know the areas and what the tours consist of and can discuss them intelligently with you. They’ll let you know if there are any restrictions you need to know about and will recommend a tour suitable for your ability.

We had one mores stop on the itinerary, Victoria, British Columbia. But that’s for discussion at another time. We’ve sailed on a number of ships from a variety of lines and found Celebrity to be one of the better ones. Passenger comfort is paramount; the ships are modern and have a variety of activities and entertainment that’ll suit even the most jaded palate.