Our first stop on our recent July cruise to Alaska aboard the Royal Princess was Juneau, and I was glued to our balcony, taking in the breathtaking scenery as we cruised toward the port. I had been looking forward to seeing whales more than anything on this trip, and somehow we got lucky before we even reached the port. As we cruised through the calm, deep-blue waters surrounded by snow-capped mountains, we began spotting whales from our balcony.

There was something pretty special about waking up to that view. The mountains seemed to go on forever, the water was almost perfectly still, and every few minutes there was another reason to grab the camera.

Once we arrived in Juneau, a group of friends and I headed out for a whale-watching excursion. This was the experience I had been waiting for, and it did not disappoint.

We headed out into the surrounding waters, and before long we were seeing whales right in front of us. Seeing them is one thing, but hearing them surface and breathe just a short distance away makes it completely different. We spent time watching them move through the water, and I don’t think any of us wanted to leave.

And the whales weren’t the only wildlife we encountered. We also spotted bald eagles and sea lions, which made the excursion feel like our own little Alaskan wildlife adventure. At one point, we watched a group of sea lions gathered around a buoy, seemingly trying to climb onto it. It was so cute seeing them so close in their natural environment.

Of course, the scenery was almost as impressive as the wildlife. Everywhere we turned there were mountains covered in dense green forest, snow still sitting on the peaks and incredibly blue water. The photos really don’t do it justice. It was one of those places where I found myself taking pictures constantly because I didn’t want to forget a single view.

After our whale-watching excursion, we continued our Alaska experience with an authentic salmon bake. It felt like a quintessential Alaska experience with good food, great friends and the outdoors all around us.

Before heading back to the ship, we made one final stop at infamous Red Dog Saloon in downtown Juneau. It was fun to switch gears and experience a little of Juneau‘s historic, lively side before reboarding Royal Princess.

Looking back at the photos, what stands out most is just how blue everything was: the sky, the water and the mountains reflecting across the Inside Passage. We couldn’t have asked for better weather: sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s. I honestly don’t know if Juneau could have given us a more perfect day.

I went to Alaska hoping to see whales. I got whales, eagles, sea lions, incredible scenery, great food and a day with some of my favorite people.

Not a bad way to spend a day in Alaska.

— Darla Mossotti, account executive