Have fun on your trip. My father was stationed in Alaska during the Korean War, part of a defense against an invasion across the Beriing Straight. He was shipped up from Seattle on a troop transport ship, and spent most of the journey seasick with the rest of the GIs, as the boats didn't have all the modern stabilizers, etc that they do now. He vowed never to go on a ship again. It took my mom almost thirty years to convince him to go on a cruise vacation and, when he finally agreed, he loved it. I know he always wanted to go back to Alaska. I don't know how he did it, but he sent my mom a gift of a real Alaskan Malamute (?) puppy while he was stationed up there. The dog rode back to the States between the pilot and co-pilot on a military transport plane and made it's way all the way to Connecticut.