In the winter of 1985 I was driving through the Mojave Desert with a friend, talking about our apparent need for new river gear. As we passed the Twenty Nine Palms Marine Base, a man unexpectedly appeared on the side of the road selling used ammo cans. My friend and I laughed wildly and quickly came to realize that the moment was "All In A Days' Karma". This blog contains the occasional ramblings of a died-in-the-wool westerner who loves seeing, understanding, and being alive upon these landscapes. I cherish the moments of bliss and irony that come to all of us as we explore the planet and its residents (and perhaps visitors) in the short time we are here.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Crystal Serenity Set to Navigate the Northwest Passage with 1600 passengers

Map by Crystal Cruises
It's happening. For the first time, a luxury cruise ship will transit the Northwest Passage from Alaska to New York City. Read about it here.

I have sailed in the eastern portion of this routing, around Baffin Island, the Davis Strait and west Greenland. It is beautiful in a stark kind of way and one wonders if the luxury cruise ship crowd can endure three weeks of Arctic scenery? My guess is that there is not that much demand to see this through the years. Climate change is driving the ability for these ships to transit these waters.

Photo from Alaska Public Radio