It really helps going on a cruise with someone who needs a motorized scooter to get around –even if she is your husband’s ex-wife. Our blended family is somewhat of an enigma. Not only are our five offspring blended into this second marriage, so are the ex-halves. Friendships have evolved on both sides and as well as celebrating Christmases and birthdays as one big happy pack, we’ve even been known to vacation together. So it comes as no surprise when Brent’s first wife, Kristin, asks if she and a friend can tag along on the same Alaska cruise that we’ve booked. Even though this holiday is ironically also dubbing as a belated anniversary celebration it’s fine with me. I know we’ll have lots of ‘alone’ time and, what the heck, the more the merrier. After all, Carnival doesn’t call them ‘fun ships’ for nothing.

Embarking is a breeze

Servicing over two thousand passengers is like manning a small city and we discover that Carnival has ironed out every kink so things run like clockwork. Online pre-boarding speeds up our embarkation process and the red carpet treatment is provided to those, like Kristin, who require additional assistance. By trailing alongside her scoot-mobile, we zip through the registration formalities, and in no time are hugging up to the deck rail to bid Vancouver a grand farewell. The harbor is picture perfect. Afternoon rays reflect off high-rise condos and business icons that frame the city’s skyline. They cast shadows over the lush green space of Stanley Park and light up the coastal mountain backdrop. As we pass beneath the suspension cables of the Lion’s Gate Bridge, the fiery sun slips beneath the horizon and we literally sail into a crimson sunset.

The Spirit: A Floating Architectural Treasure

Carnival’s reputation for glitzy décor doesn’t let us down. Not only does the dazzle live on in The Spirit, but so do a number of eras of time, expressed creatively through the use of diverse architectural styles. The jaw dropping beings as soon as we step into the impressive lobby, swathed with burnished bronze, gleaming hardwood and shimmering crystal. The sleek art-deco décor flows through to neighboring stairwells, elevators and the amazing atrium where we can escalate up this cruiser’s core in just seconds.  During the nine story ride we soar past exquisite works of art –massive panel paintings by acclaimed Israeli artist Calman Shemi. The whimsical angelic subjects, rich in color and texture, are framed by scrolls of lacey cast copper, a dominating design feature that flows harmoniously beyond. Are we instantly impressed? You bet!

We saunter the two levels of promenade in an effort to get our bearings, and peer into public venues that revive and give life to the present. The Chippendale Library, embraced by rich dark wood, flaunts English garden murals, and columns shaped like giant Chippendale table legs. Although the warm environs immediately transports us back to the 18th century, the access to computers keeps us well grounded to our current electronic age.

We’ll also look forward to remaining rooted, while dancing the week away at the two-level Dancin' Dance Club. A floor to ceiling video screen backdrops this hopping hot spot and pulsates with images as the beat goes on –definitely a futuristic funky kind of twist.

Oriental is the theme scheme at the sing along Shanghai piano bar, where musician Bre will entertain and accompany us while we belt out our favourite tunes, then it’s back to the ‘50s with Babe Ruth and Alonzo Mourning, two of the legendary greats that don a wall of the Champions' sports bar. There’s Louis XIV to embrace the casino crowd, King Tutankhamen of ancient Egypt who will watch over the glitzy show each night at Pharaoh’s Palace, and Napoleon with his shrine in the main dining room, appropriately titled ‘The Empire.’ Over the next seven glorious days, beneath its gilded dome, painted murals and crystal chandeliers, we look forward to dining in grand style.

There’s no fear of Cabin fever!

Any veteran cruiser knows that, with all of the scheduled activities and things to do onboard, there’s hardly time for stateroom hibernation. And let’s face it, many of the cruise lines don’t exactly put on the Ritz when it comes to spacious quarters. Well, not so with The Spirit. As well as room fit for royalty, eighty percent of the thousand plus staterooms offer an ocean view. And eighty percent of those feature private verandahs that provide an up close encounter with Alaska’s stunning scenery as it rolls on by. While in the comfort of our spacious interior, we’re treated like a king and queen, lavishing over everything from nightly turn down and first run movies to complimentary twenty four hour room service.

Glorious Grazing

Food, fabulous food! It’s a big part of cruising and Carnival goes all out to make sure we’re more than satisfied! As well as stateroom sustenance, we join Kristin and her traveling compadre, Renee, most evenings at The Empire Restaurant. Koko and Novie, our personal waiters, provide ample smiles and silver service while we savor culinary classics that would impress the House of James Beard. Health conscious and vegetarians are equally appeased, thanks to the Nautica Spa menu options and personal consultation with the ship’s dietician.

Luxury-loving passengers may choose to dine at the Nouveau Supper Club, an alternate highfalutin eatery, that’s fashioned after great supper clubs of the past. The two-tiered work of art, housed beneath the ship's funnel, is bathed in a rosy hue and hosts a dance floor and stage for the nightly entertainment. Cinderella-like glass stairs trail from the fine diner to La Playa Grille on the Lido deck, where casual buffet spreads include everything from pastas and 24 hr pizza to grilled specialties and ethnic creations. With the midnight spreads, chocolate extravaganzas and a grand bountiful buffet that would appease Henry V111, there is never a hungry moment!    

Wild life aboard and beyond

This northbound route to Alaska hosts a cornucopia of natural wonders, ranging from deep fjords and glistening glaciers to wildlife above and below the sapphire chop. From various observation areas and our private veranda, we’re privy to clear sightings of soaring eagles, leaping porpoises and whales that spout from the deep. Bordering the sliver-thin waterway are hills choked in evergreen and saw tooth summits that tower above like looming sentinels. It’s untamed wilderness in finest form and we’re frequently awed and mesmerized by its magnificence.
 
Although the vistas and wildlife sightings are certainly added bonuses on this spectacular excursion, there’s definitely no shortage of top-notch ‘wild life’ onboard The Spirit. From the moment we step over this floating resort’s glamorous threshold, the Carnival fun begins. Our daily guide outlines everything from entertainment to activities and believe me, there’s no way anyone can do it all! We try.

We check out team events like the Match Game and Trivia, applaud volunteers of the Men’s Hairy Chest Competition and bean bag toss, challenge each other at shuffleboard and ping pong, and plunge into the many swimming pools that dot the sun-splashed decks. (one even has a retractable cover for those cloudy Alaska days) There are classes on how to make towel critters like the ones on our pillow at nightly turndown, lectures about wildlife, whales and glaciers, and a line up of professional performers that captivate us every evening. While younger sailors are enthralled by the Techno Centre and Fun House, a 2,400-square-foot children's play area, and the casino crowd hover around slots and blackjack tables, spa denizens are lured to the heavenly rooms that promise exotic treatments at sea. And splayed over two levels is a state of the art fitness centre where we attempt to burn off those extra calories –for me, an unattainable task. 

Quaint coastal communities

Four quaint port stops are included in this Alaska excursion and at each one we’re inundated with a mind boggling line up of onshore opportunities – everything from whale watching to heli-flights. In Ketchikan we tour Revillagigedo Island’s beautiful backcountry via canoe and jostling jeep safari. In Juneau, we’re led to higher ground after taking the town tramway to the sub alpine trails of Mt Robert’s. The White Pass Railroad, out of Skagway, takes us on a scenic journey back to the Klondike Gold Rush days and Sitka’s colorful streets and totem-studded trails shares its Tlingit and Russian past.

Tying the knot the nautical way

The Spirit’s chapel, a gothic-styled house of worship, is the perfect spot to tie the nautical knot. A wedding package can be tailor-made to suit the needs of each couple, and whether the ceremony is performed in port for first-timers, or enroute for re-affirmers, it’ll surely be accompanied by lots of shipboard romancing! During our cruise a long standing pair, already wedded a blissful 50 years, renew their vows during a ceremony at sea. Other newlyweds who had been matrimonially melded in the port of Vancouver begin launching their lifetime together with their Alaskan honeymoon. We, on the other hand, are content to celebrate this anniversary by just sharing the spectacular sights and scenes that abound. And even though Kristin and Renee have traveled the same nautical journey, aside from joining them for a few meals and an occasional nightly performance, it’s been ‘alone time’ all the way. Here’s to The Spirit and the last frontier! It’s been so romantic, maybe next time we’ll see if my ex and his second wife want to tag along!

Carnival Cruise Lines: http://www.carnival.com/