American Constellation in Alaska: Juneau

The view from our stateroom
(Photo: Gerry Barker)

By GERRY BARKER
North Palm Beach Life

Our American Cruise Lines' "Alaska Explorer" cruise started here in Juneau, Alaska's capital. While the year-round population is a little over 30,000, during the cruise season, it hosts more than 1.6 million visitors. So many, in fact, they have had to place restrictions on how many large ships can visit.

Happily, our ship, American Constellation, is a small ship, with a passenger capacity of 175. We're fine.

There are many things to like about American Cruise Lines, starting with how we were greeted on arrival at Juneau International Airport by a friendly man holding an "ACL" sign. A group of us heading for the ship were escorted to shuttle buses that would take us to the historic Baranof Hotel in downtown Juneau, where ACL had arranged a pre-cruise stay. After a long day of travel from West Palm Beach, that was just what the doctor ordered.

We had time to do some exploring on our own, including a visit to one of our favorite places in Juneau -- the Red Dog Saloon, with its sawdust floors and a piano player straight out of the Old West -- plus a new stop, Jellyfish Donuts (ready for a Salmon Donut?). The next morning, we got our cruise credentials at the hotel before joining our fellow travelers for a buffet breakfast hosted by ACL.

After breakast, it was time to board the buses that would take us to American Constellation following a tour of Juneau that featured a stop at the Alaska State Museum and its impressive collection of exhibits showcasing  Alaskan history, culture, industry and art. It was a great way to introduce what we were about to experience over the next 12 days.

When we arrived at the ship, the crew was ready to scan us aboard -- it's the easiest embarkation process you'll ever have on a cruise. We wsere happy to see a familiar face: Capt. Bryan, who previously captained our American Cruise Lines' journey around Puget Sound.

Once aboard, our stateroom was ready and waiting -- even our luggage was already delivered. Now this is how cruise travel should always be. Now let's go explore Alaska!

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Juneau Slideshow
Photos: Gerry Barker