ALASKA SOUTHBOUND ON CARNIVAL SPIRIT
I planned this trip over a year ago as my 40th birthday present to myself. Originally it was booked two years ago but had to be canceled due to a relocation, so I then rebooked last year after moving. I have no regrets at all. I had studied the Carnival website about my specific itinerary and the ship practically on a daily basis, and it was also fun to count down the days with the little counter on Carnival's website that tells how many days until the cruise. Needless to say my excitement and anticipation were in high gear. My one regret was going alone as that costs almost twice as much because of the double occupancy price issue. On the other hand, one could come and go as they pleased and didn't have to deal with anyone else, so that was a plus in its own regard.
Carnival booked both my cruise and my airline tickets. While that made it easier, I was not able to access my flight information on the airline websites or select my seats. Other than that one non-cruise related detail, it was great. We arrived in Anchorage on time and proceeded to the baggage claim where we were met by our Carnival representative. To be honest, THAT part of the entire trip was the most disorganized, but not a catastrophe by any means. They didn't seem to have any priority of getting people from the airport on to the shuttle buses to Whittier (90 minutes away). Once we got on our buses and were on our way, everything changed. The driver was most informative and professional. The drive from Anchorage to Whittier is incredibly beautiful and a fantastic part of the trip. At first I upset because of a long commute to the ship, but that turned out to be a part OF the adventure.