Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/40418
ALASKA, ! DISNEY'S NEWEST CRUISE IS A STUDY IN NATURE-FANTASYLAND CONTRAST BY SHEILA HANSEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN TOULGOET (counter-clockwise from top) The 11-deck Disney Wonder was outfi tted with a sheltered viewing area and glass- enclosed café for north-coast sightseeing; the 977-seat Walt Disney Theatre; story time in the Oceaneer Club; hardy youngsters brave the brisk Alaskan breeze in Mickey's Pool; writer Sheila Hansen and her son, Thomas, savour a private seafood lunch. t's elbow to Gor-Tex-covered elbow on Deck 10. Cameras click, smart phones roll video and fi ngers point as passen- gers spot the fi rst of southeast Alaska's superstars – cool-blue icebergs calved from even bluer glaciers. Then, amid the oohs and ahhs, a middle-aged man sporting an Elmer Fudd earfl ap hat lends some perspec- tive. "Don't get too excited," he mutters. "There's lots more to come." He's right. As our ship plies the narrow, jade-green waters of the 51-kilometre-long Tracy Arm fjord, the chunks of ice multiply – some are as small as buckets, others as big as mansions – until we're fl oating in ice soup near the base of Sawyer Glacier. A slab breaks off, sending up a splash. Having departed from Van- couver two days ago aboard the Disney Wonder, we're hungry for this northern eye candy. Apparently, so were a whole lot of other cruisers – enough to prompt Disney Cruise Line to announce, two years ago, that it planned to add an Alaska itinerary to its roster, which includes Caribbean, Bahamas and European routes. To prepare for cooler, rainier weather, the 13-year-old Wonder got a new sheltered viewing area on the bow and a glass-enclosed café midship. Now, on this May day in 2011, it's all hands on deck for our family (husband Dan, fi ve-year-old son Thomas and me) on Disney's inaugural seven-night sailing to Alaska. The sun breaks through thinning clouds, I (theatre, storytime) ©2011 Disney bringing out the white in the ice. Over the ship's loudspeaker, retired Alaska park ranger Pete Griffi n tells us that these icebergs formed from snow that fell around the time of Colum- bus's fi rst voyage to the New World and that they're critical habitat for harbour seals during pupping, from May to June, and molting, in August. The tone onboard has gone from excited to hushed as everyone takes in this slice of Coast Mountain beauty. But then a child's whine cracks the air. That would be my child's whine, which quickly escalates into a howl. Hmm . . . the sugar buzz from his syrup-soaked Mickey waffl e must be wearing off. Reluctantly, I take Thomas's hand and make tracks to our stateroom three decks below. It's time to chill. Our retreat turns out to be a blessing in dis- guise, though. Not only do the glaciers and ice- bergs look the same from our verandah as they do from above, but we can ogle them in this quiet space without having to share the railing. The tranquility has a soothing effect on Thomas, who briefly curls up on the bed for a rest. Moments later, Dan walks through the door with two plates of barbecued salmon, halibut and prawns, a seafood salad of crawfi sh, clams and scallops – and hushpuppies. We settle around the small verandah table for an alfresco lunch. The sun warms our faces. The ship's wake sloshes over icebergs below. Though there are a couple thousand passengers on board, we feel completely alone, and it is delicious. WESTWORLD >> SEPTEMBER 201 1 41