This was originally posted by Jefferbelle on the community forum.
We're going on the Alaska cruise this fall--our 3rd time (7th Olivia cruise)--and I wanted to send a brief answer to someone who asked why people are always so hugely impressed by this destination. (IMHO.) Everywhere else, you head for a spectacular scenic spot--a waterfall, a gorgeous beach, a wildlife preserve--and after a few hours on a bus or in the car, you come to the spot, and it's the highlight of the day. In Alaska, every time you go around a curve, you come upon something that takes your breath away. You marvel at half a dozen highlights each day. Example: seeing a bald eagle is always exciting. How about a FLOCK of bald eagles sitting on a pier waiting for the fishing boats to come in? On the last Olivia trip, on one boat excursion, we saw puffins, sea lions, dolphins, and much more. At one point, we saw a whale at a distance. She circled around a bit, getting a sense of who we were. (The excursion boat was full of Olivia women, no others.) And then--because she trusted us and could feel our energy
(my interpretation)she came within ten feet of the boat to show us her calf, swimming right beside her. Mama zoomed past at a pretty fast clip, but I'm just sure she was proudly showing a group of women her baby. I still choke up thinking about it.