Journey to Alaska

Oops. There goes my #mombrain.

I just realized I forgot to write about our adventures to Alaska! A week after we returned home from our month long road trip, we found a smoking hot deal to go on an Alaskan cruise on Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam! A bucket list trip for my husband, who has always wanted to do that cruise.

In front of our ship in rainy Juneau

Fresh from unpacking, it was a strange feeling to be packing again - except this time we had to bring warmer clothes (sweaters, toques, extra pants!) and evening clothes for the dining room. I'll be honest...we actually brought slightly more on our 1 week cruise to Alaska than we did for 4 weeks in California! Weather makes a huge difference. Though note to self: glad I brought more underwear this time.

The four of us hunkered down in a single cabin, mom and dad in a queen size bed, toddler in a pull out bed and babe in a pack&play. There wasn't much room to spare. Originally our stateroom was set up in a much more space efficient configuration (pack&play was placed next to our bed), giving us ample space to move around. The biggest problem for us was that there was no outlet nearby. Most cabins only have one or two outlet spots for hairdryer and cell phone use. This is usually located in a very obscure spot, far away from the bed. 

What's the importance of having an outlet nearby anyhow, you may ask? 

As hard of hearing parents, we have a special set up with our baby monitor that requires a constant stream of electricity. Without it, we may as well be operating blindly - an unsafe situation when one has a 10 month old in tow! Thankfully, a few months earlier, we purchased a travel electrical outlet bar with usb charging ports in it. It was our lifesaver.

Purchased from Amazon.ca for $17. Two outlets for the baby monitor system, and three usb ports to charge our phones!

In normal circumstances, cruise lines frown on passengers using extra outlets - but thankfully they didn't complain to us. Had they done so, we had a very valid reason on hand. Next time we go on a cruise we'll bring an extension cord so that we can have our power sources in a more 'desirable location' - as well as baby. Since I couldn't have my phone RIGHT next to me to watch the video stream, I had to literally lean over all the way to the floor each time the bed shaker went off. To get a better idea of how our baby monitor system works fully, check out the article I wrote on it.

The four of us had a grand time. We ate back the pounds that we lost in California in a single week, my 3 year old had a blast at Club Hal (kids club) - often asking us when she could go back. We all loved the late night performances. The performers would tell us that our kids were the cutest (as we often sat in the front row) and couldn't believe that they were still up at all hours! Fortunately for us, our kids will go to sleep when we ask them to... for now! 

We all enjoyed our stops - Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. Plus, the trip through the Inside Passage was the best. Interestingly enough we only took a handful of photos on this trip as we took this time to let the scenery soak in. Sometimes, there is beauty in not taking photos at every stop.

For us, travel will be the best way for us to spend money on. Frugal style, of course!