Sail from Seattle to see beautiful Alaska with Carnival Cruises

EXPERIENCE Alaska with a Carnival Cruise and you'll fall in love with the ship and the shore.

on the open ocean.

IT TAKES something special to get me out of bed at 5am, especially if I am supposed to be relaxing on holiday, but our approach to Alaska's Tracy Arm Fjord is all the incentive I need.

It had been a long-held dream of mine to visit Alaska and take in that beautiful scenery - the icy peaks, glaciers and rugged coastline.

I had never been all that interested in taking a cruise, but there are few other ways to get up close to this isolated frontier.

So although our week on the Carnival Miracle, sailing out of Seattle, was a means to an end, it was enough to win us over as converts to the cruise industry.

In Alaska, the view changes by the mile but every moment is special. The clear northern summer weather meant amazing visibility and the region's long days allow visitors to gawp at the sights for up to 20 hours out of every 24.

There is no single highlight, it's just the thrill of being there.

The excitement is the voyage of discovery along the contours of the coastline, seeing seals riding chunks of ice, countless waterfalls, the vivid colour of the sea, breathing fresh air and scanning the horizon. It's all there in real-life high-definition.

And the advantage of travelling these waters on a cruise ship is the ability to take it in constantly alongside everything else you do. So you can walk miles on deck, play minigolf or table tennis, or just find a quiet corner to read a book - all while savouring your changing surroundings.

Bacchus Restaurant is the main formal dining room aboard the Carnival Miracle.

And you can eat. This vast floating restaurant comes with breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between.

The choice includes Asian, Italian, French, Mexican, Caribbean plus burgers, sandwiches and a 24-hour pizza corner among others.

With so many options and no limits, the key is to not worry about the calories but just try to keep a sense of proportion.

In our big family group, everyone, from my five-year-old nephew to his grandma, found something to enjoy.

The same goes for the entertainment, which has events for every taste, from slightly cheesy music revues and magic acts to karaoke and TV-style game shows.

The pool, water slide, games and the popular Camp Carnival kids' club provided the right mix for the young ones.

Grown-ups have a casino, nightclub, spa and the Serenity outdoor area to chill out in.

With this combination of scenery, food and entertainment, it would be tempting to never set foot on dry land, but the Carnival Miracle does makes a handful of stops along way.

Ketchikan, Skagway, the Alaskan capital Juneau, and the Canadian city of Victoria are all welcoming destinations.

You can book additional excursions involving trains, huskies, whale watching and helicopter tours.

But we did well enough for whale watching from the comfort of the Miracle - seeing several orcas doing their best moves in and out of the water.

These killer whales are nature at its wildest, beasts at the top of their food chain. Something for me to contemplate as I lined up with my tray for the next buffet.

The nine-deck Metropolis Atrium on Carnival Miracle.

GO2 - ALASKA

The Carnival Miracle has more than 1000 rooms and suites. The cheapest is an interior stateroom but, if possible, treat yourself to a window view, even if you don't want to pay extra for your own balcony.

The Alaska cruise season is from May to September, around the northern summer. Temperatures can be up to a pleasant 18-20C but you will need layers of clothing. A wide range of cruise lines tour Alaska, most departing Seattle or Vancouver. Some cruises are far more formal, catering to an older crowd, while companies like Carnival are at the fun end of the market, popular with families.

Carnival is one of the more laid-back operators but has two "cruise elegant" nights per week, with a fancier dress code for dinner.

See carnival.com

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