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| First things first – which cruise did you take and when? | Jilly: We took Norwegian Cruise Line’s Alaskan Seas & Glacier Bay holiday, which included a night in Seattle and a seven night cruise aboard Norwegian Pearl. September was a lovely time of year to go; surprisingly quite warm and sunny during the day and really dramatic skies enhancing the landscape. It was my first time in Alaska and I was thrilled by it.
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| And your first experience of NCL Freestyle Cruising, what did you think? | Jilly: Absolutely fantastic, both my husband and I loved it, especially the wonderful variety of places to eat. It was my first time on such a large ship and I must admit I thought it might be hard to meet people, but I was amazed how easy it was and how friendly. The accommodation was very nice indeed and it was a great privilege to have our own balcony to take in all the sights. | |||
| With 16 dining options on board, did you have your favourites? | Jilly: For me, dining is like wine and I love discovering new things. So, we dined around the ship and the food was excellent everywhere. If I had to name a favourite it would be Cagney’s Steak House – outstanding food, wine and service. Oh, and a little tip, take the ‘Behind the Scenes’ ship tour; it’s fascinating, especially the galleys and the bridge: also, I was very impressed by all the green policies on board. | |||
| Did you take in the nightlife? | Jilly: Yes, I was completely taken with the shows – classy acts and thrilling productions, enhanced by the big theatre. There were excellent comedians too in one of the more intimate venues. Evenings on board are very special. |  |
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| What would be your number one highlight on board? | Jilly: I would have to say the Spa with its amazing facilities and huge panoramic windows. In fact I saw my first whale breaching the sea while I was relaxing in an oceanview whirlpool and, incredibly, you can even watch the whales and the scenery from the picture windows in the sauna. It’s well worth buying a spa pass for the week. |  |
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| I know you’re a fan of wildlife, did you see much? | Jilly: The wildlife viewing fulfilled my expectations. We saw humpback whales, even a killer whale, bald-headed eagles and on excursions ashore, bears are everywhere. And it’s just fascinating to see so much from the ship itself – very rewarding. |  |
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| Now, tell us about the Alaskan scenery? | Jilly: For me, it was a journey into the unknown, to a remote part of the world that is unbelievably beautiful. The virgin forests, mountains, dramatic skies illuminated with shots of light through the clouds can all be enjoyed from the ship. And sailing through the very calm waters of Glacier Bay, up close and personal to ancient glaciers was a wonderful experience. By the way, the ship’s library has some excellent books about glaciers, which are well worth reading for a real insight. |  |
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| And the highlights ashore? | Jilly: Skagway is a wonderful old Gold Rush town and I would really recommend the excursion aboard the White Pass & Yukon narrow-gauge railroad built in 1898 to carry the prospectors to the Canadian gold fields. The scenery – mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls – is stupendous viewed from the vintage coaches. Ketchikan is a fascinating place too, with an old board walk along the river and a salmon run in the middle of town, where you can see the salmon leaping upstream. We also visited Juneau and incredibly the Alaskan capital is inaccessible by road. |  |
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| Any more tips? | Jilly: Make the most of your day in Seattle before the cruise; it’s easy to get about and the Aquarium is excellent with lots of local sea life and fauna, so you can acquaint yourself with the wildlife you can see on the cruise and catch some of the more elusive animals in wonderful surroundings. | |||
| So, that’s Alaska and it sounds amazing, where next? | Jilly: I would simply love to go to Hawai‘i which would be another new destination for me with scenery on an equally grand scale. A Norwegian Cruise Line cruise around the islands would be perfect. | |||