Category: Princess-cruises

Princess Cruises Expands "Discovery at Sea" Excursion Program

10/23/2015

Courtesy Princess Cruises

By John Roberts

Princess Cruises, long a top choice among cruisers seeking out exotic destinations, is upping its game when it comes to adventure.

The line is launching an enhanced Discovery at Sea program in conjunction with Discovery Communications, the company that produces TV shows for the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and more.

The idea is to give travelers a more immersive experience when onboard and on excursions when ashore during their sailings. Princess will offer Discovery and Animal Planet shore excursions that give cruisers interactions with animals or sites not available through independent tours. The Princess Cruises and Discovery collaboration takes advantage of unique relationships Discovery has fostered throughout the world for its cable TV programming to develop one-of-a-kind experiences for Princess Cruises' passengers. For example: a "Meet the Sloths" excursion to visit to a sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica.

Princess also continues to offer a "Stargazing at Sea" program developed with Science Channel's Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi to take advantage of the clear skies available when a ship is at sea. Passengers head to the top decks to learn about the stars and universe on display. Cruise programs highlight when certain special celestial events are due to happen.
Discovery at Sea onboard activities include "Shark Week at Sea," with games, challenges and programming highlighting sharks, a "Finding Bigfoot" contest and several other games and events.

Princess Cruises' ships, especially the newest ones, are among the best in the industry, with well-designed and elegant spaces and amazing dining options. But the experience onboard has always been fairly sedate. I love the idea of adding these energetic activities to the onboard experience as well as the more immersive excursion experiences. They will definitely make cruising with Princess even more fun for the active traveler.

Travel fit!

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Snorkel in Alaska? It's Not Just for the Caribbean Anymore.

6/29/2015

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Snorkeling in Alaska in the inside passage in Ketchikan

You want me to go out into those chilly Alaskan waters, huh?

By John Roberts

Did I ever tell you about that day we went snorkeling in Alaska?

That's what I thought, too, when Mrs. In The Loop suggested we give it a try on our first trip to that wilderness wonderland.

I expected to see a lot of interesting wildlife in Alaska, but I was thinking more about bears and moose and whales (from the comfort of a boat) and bison, etc. Plus, "Isn't that water going to be a little bit too cold?" I asked the wife.

Well, we will be wearing a wetsuit, she told me. This was our first cruise to Alaska, and on our first port stop -- in Ketchikan -- we jumped into those chilly waters with a company called Snorkel Alaska for a seemingly wacky adventure.

Turns out, it was a fantastic time. We saw a range of interesting creatures in the clear and brisk waters of the inside passage of Ketchikan, in an area known as Mountain Point, and we got hot chocolate afterward!

Our first duty was to suit up in the locker facility and check-in building of Snorkel Alaska. This was quite a scene, with everyone in our group of 12 people squeezing themselves into the wetsuits. There is very little dignity in the process of contorting yourself into your sausage casing in front of a bunch of strangers -- men and women got dressed in separate locker areas, by the way.

The wetsuits made the 50-degree waters tolerable, as the initial rush of cold water enters the suits but is quickly warmed by your body and provides an insulated environment. We were covered head to toe, with only our faces exposed for breathing.

It was a different kind of adventure, for sure. It's awesome to tell people about that time you went snorkeling in Alaska and watch them curl up their faces in confused expressions before exclaiming "What?! You can do that?"

Thanks for reading.

Travel fit! Travel happy!

JR

After suiting up, we made our way down to the edge of the water to take the plunge.

Starfish seen while snorkeling in Alaska in Ketchikan.

Colleen holds a starfish. We saw interesting underwater creatures that boasted vibrant colors and bizarre shapes.

We snorkeled in September. The water was cold and filled with mesmerizing ribbon-like vegetation.

Colleen shows off a sea cucumber (left). A bright purple starfish (above).

Snorkeling in Alaska in Ketchikan, we spot two bald eagles, common Alaska animals.

While exploring the waters, I looked up and saw these majestic bald eagles looking at us like we were crazy.

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Princess Cruises Expands "Discovery at Sea" Excursion Program

Snorkel in Alaska? It's Not Just for the Caribbean Anymore.

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