Alaska | Hole In The Donut Cultural Travel

Repositioning Cruises – Great Deals

Published April 22, 2009 | By Barbara Weibel

Last week I was having lunch with a couple of friends when the conversation turned to repositioning cruises. Not being familiar with the term, I asked them to tell me more.

“They’re the absolute best cruise travel deals available!” my one friend insisted. And she proceeded to educate me.

Some ships sail the same itinerary – or at least stay in the same region – year round. Others switch routes with the seasons, requiring them to reposition the ship from one home port to another, which is by necessity a one-way trip. Rather than sail without passengers the cruise lines sell these repositioning trips at a significant discount. Although these cruises require travelers to arrange for more expensive one-way airfare, they also visit more ports of call because they are not limited by the round-trip requirement. Further research turned up some intriguing examples:

Cruise West’s Spirit of Oceanus, a small luxury ship that accommodates only 120 passengers

Cruise West’s Spirit of Oceanus is a small, luxury ship that departs from Anchorage, Alaska on September 10, 2009 for an 18-night Bering Sea crossing dubbed the Ring Of Fire. On its way to Kobe, Japan, the ship visits the Alaskan, Russian, and Japanese ports of Seward, Kodiak, Shumagin Islands, Dutch Harbor, Kiska Island, Attu Island, Petropavlovsk, Atlasova Island, Kuril Islands, Kushiro, Matushima, and Ise. The Continue reading →

Posted in Travel industry news |

Tagged Alaska, Bering Sea, California, Celebrity, Cruise West, cruising, deals, discounts, Europe, Florida, Holland America, Japan, Mexico, repositioning cruises, Russia, Transatlantic, Travel, Vancouver |

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Thar She Blows! Will Alaska’s Mount Redoubt Soon Erupt?

Published February 5, 2009 | By Barbara Weibel

Scientists and vulcanologists seem to be in agreement that the eruption of Alaska’s Mount Redoubt is imminent. The question is not if there will be an eruption but when it will happen and how strong it will be. Redoubt has a long history of documented eruptions. The most recent occurred in 1989-90 and was characterized by large explosions that produced ash clouds reaching altitudes of 40,000 feet that disrupted air traffic operations in and out of Anchorage.

Possible scenarios for this new event range from no eruption at all to a complete collapse of the mountain flank, but according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, the most likely scenario is an eruption similar to the 1989-90 event that could persist for weeks or months. The AVO warns that the hazards associated with this type of eruption could include ash clouds reaching 40,000 feet or higher; ash fall; mudflows that could travel east down the Drift River, possibly reaching the Cook Inlet; and pyroclastic flows (fast-moving clouds of hot ash and gas) that could travel swiftly down the mountain flanks, affecting areas within about nine miles of the volcano.

Judge for yourself. First, take a look at the photos of the 1989-90 eruption:

Geologist uses a theodolite to measure the dimensions of the lava dome at Redoubt Volcano. From the same installation, scientists also utilized a laser-ranging device to measure distances to reflectors. Repeated measurements of these distances allow for detection of ground deformation that may be related to volcanic activity. Photograph by R.G. McGimsey, June 04, 1990.

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Posted in Alaska travel |

Tagged Alaska, Alaska Volcano Observatory, Anchorage, ash falls, explosions, Mount Redoubt, photos, pyroclastic flows, scientists, Travel, volcanic eruption, vulcanologists |

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Traveling To See The Northern Lights

Published November 23, 2008 | By Barbara Weibel

Of all the things I still long to see on this beautiful planet of ours, the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) is at the top of my list. I’m not sure why I am so intent upon seeing this exquisite display of nature’s power and majesty. It may have something to do with my spiritual beliefs. I think of God as pure energy, and perhaps for me the Northern Lights come closest to representing “the face of God.”

I have long been able to see people’s auras – the energy fields that emanate from and surround them. Each person’s energy is a different color or combination of colors, and the colors can Continue reading →