As I pull back the curtain in our stateroom, a large chunk of very blue ice floats just outside the window and is surrounded by hundreds of smaller pieces.

We’re in one of the narrowest sections of Tracy Arm Fjord and the mountains on each side of us drop straight into the water from more than 2,500 metres, adding to the drama of the landscape.

Getting up at 6am while on vacation seems a tad rude, but for a cruise of Tracy Arm it was worth the effort. The weather was pretty awful to start with, however, but by the time we inched up towards Sawyer Glacier two hours later, the cloud lifted a bit and it brightened up enough to provide us with a stunning view and some great photo ops. Infinity went pretty close to the glacier, and the captain gave us a lingering visit and a slow turn around. This is why people cruise Alaska…..getting into the heart of the landscape, which by ship is a unique experience.

The cruise towards Juneau was leisurely and highly scenic, and after we arrived in the early afternoon we decided to don our trainers and get out into the area on foot. First we explored the back streets away from the bedlam of the main shopping drag - with five cruise ships in port, there were around 10,000-plus cruise passengers keen to spend their money. Having just declared Juneau a dog town, I had two fabulous cat fixes in two blocks. The first was a curious looking half-Persian who wanted to play, and the second was a street-wise tabby who wanted a cuddle.

Having navigated downtown, we took the Mount Roberts Tramway to the top of the mountain and went on a short hike. The scenery was stunning with views of the Gastineau Channel in both directions, snow capped peaks and sub-alpine meadows dotted with wildflowers and plants with berries. It was an exhilarating walk, and the views well worth the effort. Tomorrow's report will be from Skagway, where we hope to take the train up into the mountains….they say the scenery is stunning, with gorges, waterfalls and high ranges. Stay tuned….

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