Armed with suitcases, sunglasses, jackets and a book or two, 68 people from Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, gathered to board the luxurious Regent’s Seven Seas Mariner cruise ship for a seven day Alaskan adventure.  Other than the trip, what did these people have in common?  They were all listeners of Chicago’s WGN radio (720 AM) and BIG fans of the popular WGN radio personality John Williams.

John Williams, accompanied by his wife Brenda and son Griffin, was the guest host for this Alaska holiday – a trip that had been featured on WGN by Kelly Cruises for several months.  Knowing that John would be traveling with them was a strong incentive for these guests to set off to see if all that is said about the beautiful state of Alaska is indeed true.  Many guests had never been on a cruise, most had never been to Alaska before….what an adventure we had!

After flying to Anchorage, Alaska and riding a scenic bus trip to Seward, all WGN/Kelly Cruises guests boarded Regent’s Seven Seas Mariner and were ushered to their cabin suites, with walk-in closets, fluffy robes and slippers, stocked refrigerators and….luxury of all luxuries – a balcony of their very own! (What better way to watch magnificent scenery than wrapped in a cozy robe, sipping a “whatever” on your own balcony?)

But no time for staying in your suite that first evening…A private cocktail party was held onboard ship the night we sailed for all Kelly Cruises guests.  It gave us an opportunity to meet each other – and of course John Williams - who was greeted like a rock star.  Sipping cocktails and enjoying hors d’oeuvres, we found out some of us lived close to each other, grew up in the same neighborhoods, had mutual friends and spent hours either at home, work or in the car listening to WGN radio.  Of course, the cocktail party went on longer than scheduled – but our course was set.  We were all going to have a memorable, fun next seven days!  

Memories and fun???  We had them tenfold!  The Seven Seas Navigator, our home for the week, was a spoiler.  Beautiful suites, great beds, continually available chilled water and soft drinks, fluffy towels, great showers, beauty products – who could ask for anything more?  But more was exactly what we got!  The unbeatable service, friendly cabin stewards (who remembered not only your name, but your schedule, so your room was always “freshened” upon your return) and irresistible food…. (everywhere and anytime) completed our journey.  Room service 24/7 buffets for breakfast lunch or dinner, a coffee bar, fresh cookies, fresh fruit, fresh seafood and three dining rooms for dinner….Yes, we were spoiled and yes, we enjoyed every minute of it! 

We didn’t spend night and day on the ship, though we did consider it.  Alaska, with all its beauty and mystery was out there waiting for us….and we were ready to take it all in.  Alaska is like another not-so-little world.  The air is crisp, clean (rains a lot) with wildlife that is rarely seen up close and personal.  The scenery can take your breath away with its beauty and stature. Seeing pictures of Alaska is one thing…standing in front of it is another experience all together.  Not only does it fill you with awe, it reminds you that you are just a small part of a very big planet Earth.

Our first port of Sitka, Alaska was the location for the Kelly group shore excursion, a private Sea Otter and Wildlife boat tour.  We were fortunate with the weather, though cool, the skies were rain free.  And we were in luck with the sights on the tour.  Alaska’s wildlife was there to greet us and show off.  We enjoyed front row seats to gray whales, humpback whales, bald eagles and sea otters.  Cameras flashed and oohs and aahs were continually heard throughout the three hour trip.  (Yes, we did eat here also – with freshly baked scones, hot coffee and hot chocolate – we never missed a feeding!)  We were delighted to discover our tour guide had studied at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.  (Isn’t the world a small place?)  She, of course, was immediately the groups’ favorite and we did sing the Northwestern football fight song on the way back to the ship.

We sailed on to Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway where we all had separate experiences, which included walks on the Glacier, Salmon Fishing (successful!) and zip lining through the Tongass National Forest.  The steam train ride following the Yukon trail was beautiful and everyone was keenly aware of the struggles the first settlers and gold miners must have endured.  The sea day through Tracy Arm was the experience of a lifetime.  We spent hours on deck filling our eyes with the Glacier’s magnificence and our ears with the deafening silence of this most beautiful land.

During the free time on the ship we were able to take advantage of the Spa services with massages, facials and mani/pedis to keep us looking fabulous.  We visited the Casino and some of us came out winners!  We danced, sang, played bingo, worked out in the gym, went to lectures, took naps, sat on our balconies to enjoy the views and to read our books, and we watched movies and talked with our new friends about the day.

There’s nothing like a cruise to take you to completely new places – not only geographically, but mentally as well.  Life’s everyday concerns are easily put on hold in an environment that is meant to fulfill your wishes.  It’s beautiful, relaxing and nurturing, with everything at your fingertips. You are surrounded by staff whose wish is to keep you happy during your stay and people sharing the same experiences as you.  You leave a little different than when you boarded.

We did have a final private cocktail party for the group.  How could we not?  This time we met as old friends who shared seven unique days.  Rolls of film were taken.  (John Williams was in every photo!)  We talked and laughed as if we had known each other for a long time.   We then paraded – with John at the head – to the Main Dining Room where Kelly Cruises had arranged for a section of tables allocated for our group.  Dinner went on forever as we table-hopped, took more photos, swapped phone numbers, email addresses and seriously discussed how we could all get together again.  Part of the conversation was how we could hide on the ship and not depart when we docked in Vancouver!

We all agreed this was one of, if not THE, best vacations we had ever had.  We all agreed we were spoiled to the “nth degree”.  We all agreed John Williams was still our favorite WGN radio personality.  And we all agreed that we never looked or felt better and that none of us gained one single pound!