Following my return from a recent land and sea Alaska cruise with Princess Cruises, I received a thank you letter from my brother Louis-Simon, who had accompanied me on the trip. Dr. Louis-Simon Gagnon is not only a well-known medical doctor in our hometown of Quebec City, but he also happens to be a very experienced outdoorsman and salmon fisherman. So when Princess Cruises invited me to experience their new and exclusive “Cook My Catch” culinary program in Alaska, whereby the cruise ship’s chefs cook and serve you the salmon that you catch during a salmon fishing excursion, I immediately thought of my brother Louis-Simon as the ideal companion to help me reel in the big fish. He accepted without hesitation. I would like to share with you (translated from French) what Louis-Simon wrote to me a few days after our 12-day land and sea Alaska cruise, aka “cruisetour” …
“Hello Denis,
I’m still floating on Cloud Nine.
We lived an extraordinary journey together, unique and magical as perhaps only two brothers can experience.
Extraordinary for the beautiful landscapes that we admired,
Extraordinary for the Princess Lodges resorts we stayed at,
Extraordinary for the excursions that allowed us to share unique experiences, including
the landscape photography lesson,
the guided tour of the Mount Denali National Park renowned for its bears, moose and wild mouflon sheep, as well as the highest peak in America, Mount Denali,
the helicopter flights over glaciers and the glacier trekking adventure,
the airplane flight around Mount Delani,
the rafting excursion down the Talkeetna River,
the panoramic trains,
the nightime views of the Northern Lights,
dog sledding in the Yukon and salmon fishing in the Pacific,
the sightings of the whales, walruses and seals, the observation of the glaciers in the fjords, the Swiss massage onboard ship, the dinner theater, and so on.
Extraordinary for the chance to do activities and excursions that we could not have done otherwise,
the chance to experience with you all the restaurants and bars of the ship, the casino (where I finished even money) and all the special access by-invitation places such as the kitchen and the wheelhouse,
the opportunity to meet with the Executive Chef, the ship’s senior officers and especially the Captain as well as the other members of the press group traveling with us including David, Laura, Christie, Brea.
Extraordinary for the unforgettable moments like the night of my birthday dinner where, thanks to you, the champagne flowed and the birthday cake was enjoyed with our travel companions.
Extraordinary for all the wonderful moments we enjoyed together aboard the Star Princess.
Extraordinary, unusual and magical, nothing less. This is surely the most beautiful trip of my life so far.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, A THOUSAND THANK YOU’s to you and to our host, Princess Cruises.
Another fabulous episode of our life together as brothers!
your Kid Brother
Louis- Simon
P.S. When can we take another trip together?”
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Charles McCool says
Looks like a wonderful experience. So cool you saw the Northern Lights.
alison abbott says
How wonderful that you had the opportunity to experience this cruise with your brother. I am not normally a large ship cruise fan, but
this one might be enough to change my mind.