Rusty Pickett, ECC, VTA, LCS, MBA

We arrived just at sunset at about 4pm and checked into our room. The hotel is not full by any measure and there was only one of their four restaurants open - an Italian themed restaurant. I has the halibut which seemed the logical choice given where we are.

Today, we headed to the top of the mountain - about 2500 feet above sea level. The resort sits at 250 feet. Although it is the lowest ski resort in the US, it gets the most snow of any resort at more than 600 inches, compared to about 400 inches in Colorado or Park City. It is open 7 days a week until April and then on weekends until the snow is gone. Alyeska is part of the Chugach Mountains. The Chugach Mountains of southern Alaska are the northernmost of the several mountain ranges that make up the Pacific Coast Ranges of the western edge of North America. The range is about 250 miles long and 60 miles wide, and extends from the Knik and Turnagain Arms of the Cook Inlet on the west to Bering Glacier, Tana Glacier, and the Tana River on the east. It is bounded on the north by the Matanuska, Copper, and Chitina rivers. The highest point of the Chugach Mountains is Mount Marcus Baker, at 13,094 feet , but with an average elevation of 4,006 feet, most of its summits are not especially high.
Even so, its position along the Gulf of Alaska ensures more snowfall in the Chugach than anywhere else in the world, an annual average of over 1500 cm (800 in).

As a bucket list item, I have always wanted to go to Alaska in the winter. I have been in the summer a number of times, but in the winter we are hoping to see the Northern Lights. It will not be my first time as I have seen them both in upstate New York as a kid and in Norway.

We flew into Anchorage and settled in to the Embassy Suites waiting for the sun to rise at about 10:00am.
Our first stop was the Anchorage Aviation Museum out by the airport. It is a very interesting museum that documents the Japanese fighting in Alaska during World War II (the battle of Attu) as well as other aviation milestones in Alaska.

Following lunch at a very popular local watering hole and pizza parlor, we headed south along the Turnagain Arm to our next stop the Alyeska Ski Resort where we will stay for two nights.

We are ending our voyage with a sea day. As with any large cruise ship there is a ton of activity in the evening - something for everyone's taste.

Prima is a superb ship and the ship within a ship - The Haven - is something special - equal in every way the comfort and service of Regent or Crystal. NCL will be building several more of this class over the next few years.

Prima has a number of specialty restaurants that you can book. Pricing is usually A La Carte, and the food and service is excellent.

Our stop today was at NCL's private Island in Belize - Harvest Caye. It is perfectly groomed and manicured, but unlike the other cruise lines' islands, you pay for everything here - shore excursions with your ship card and food and beverage with cash or credit card. The pricing is at the resort level so fairly expensive.