I have only been on one cruise and that was in Alaska. I decided that I am not a cruise person, but that said, I would repeat the Alaskan cruise in a heartbeat. There is nothing to compare to being in front of a glacier when it calves (splits off). The sight and sound is unbelievable. My favorite excursion was the helicopter ride landing on a glacier. Again, beyond description. Before I went, I obsessively checked out all the excursions and the safety record of the various helicopter companies (I guess one doesn't become TKO by chance!) so I was confident in my selection. We sailed with Holland America (S.S. Statendam) one way down the inside passage. We went in late May 2000. I'm "cutting and pasting" a trip report I sent to someone from one of the message boards I had visited before my trip. I wish I could remember which one it was, but alas, my memory just isn't what it used to be! If there is anything else you'd like to know, I'll dig up my stuff from the trip and try to help you out. Here it is: Well Karl, I'm back! Where to start... Now first of all, remember this was my first cruise so I have nothing to compare to. I was however traveling with friends who have been on five other cruises... The ship is beautiful, with many lovely common rooms. The staterooms seemed quite spacious to me. I had an outside cabin on the main deck. I really enjoyed having the window! The Crow's Nest was gorgeous. From there you have a 365 degree view. We often had a pre-dinner drink there while soaking up the view. The entertainment was good. I particularly enjoyed the ventriloquist--he was incredible! I missed the banjo player, but EVERYONE raved about him. I did not play bingo or go to the casino. I did enjoy the movies a few times and they provide popcorn! I indulged myself with a massage--it was heavenly. Glacier bay was wonderful. The glaciers are just beyond words. Dress warm--in order to really appreciate them you need to be outside and bundled up! I hear it's the same in the summer. I had earmuffs, gloves, heavy socks, warm boots and a very warm coat and I was quite comfortable. Many were unprepared however and really couldn't be outside to enjoy the view. So much of the glacier experience is the sound, which of course you miss if you're viewing it from behind a window! Now the ports. Sitka is the most delightful city. I walked around, hiked a bit in the park and visited the Rapter Center which I thoroughly enjoyed. We did it all on our own. It was about a 30 minute walk to the center and we were happy for the exercise! We did not go to the Russian dancers--those that did said they were good. It is a very manageable town and you need not sign up for the excursions on the ship if you want to ride to these places. All arrangements can be easily made in town for less money. Of course, we were not there at the height of the season so I don't know what it will be like in July. If you decide to buy any of the Russian crafts (nesting eggs, lacquer boxes, etc.), wait until you get back on ship if they're advertising a sale on them that night. I didn't believe it, but the ship's prices really were significantly less expensive! In Juneau we took the "Pilot's Choice" helicopter ride and landed on two glaciers! It was absolutely the highlight of my vacation. Others took the wildlife cruise with Larry of Orca Enterprises (at my suggestion, off the cruise list) and said it was absolutely unbelievably wonderful (does that sound enthusiastic enough?) You book that yourself when you get off the boat. It cost $95. I was sorry I hadn't arranged to do both. Dress warmly if you go. In Ketchikan we did the Misty Fjords seaplane and cruise. It's a 25 minute flight over beautiful landscape, land in the fjord at a dock, catch a boat and see the view from that angle. It was great, but I wished the boat ride could have been shorter--the whole adventure took 4 hours, 3 hours on the boat, and it was a bit too long. I had done the national park wildlife cruise in Seward (great) before departing so I think I was a bit "boated out". The scenery was breathtaking though. Now the downside....I found the food to be average. I don't eat meat, so I was limited to fish and pasta, but it just wasn't anything to write home about. Others said the beef entrees were consistently good, but my friends felt it was the worse food they had ever had on a cruise. If you like desserts, the pastry chef is great--that's where most of my calories came from! The mango sorbet was to die for! Maybe my expectations were too high. I had been lead to believe I'd be getting 5 star meals every night and that was certainly not the case. I didn't starve mind you, I just wasn't overly impressed. I also found the service to be only okay. Examples: despite the fact that our table of 6 asked for more bread every night, it wasn't until the fifth night that it was automatically brought. The servers never introduced themselves (their names were on a card on the table, but they never stated them themselves). One afternoon in the Lido, I selected a dessert, but before the server even picked it up, I realized it was not chocolate, and changed my selection. He rolled his eyes. Our wine consistently arrived midway through dinner. My friend ordered a latte at the Java Cafe right before 5 o'clock when they were about to close--she was given it, but it was gently slammed down on the counter, as if to make a statement. Again, maybe I was expecting too much, this is the type of service I receive at home regularly, but I thought it would be different on the ship. Our room steward however was efficient and pleasant. Our room always looked great. All in all, I really did have a great time, but I think my bubble was burst regarding the quality of food and service. It was only the second sailing of the season, and obviously some of the crew is new (the gentleman sent to bring us to our cabin didn't know where it was!) so perhaps it will improve. I hope so. Hopefully my comments were helpful and not too negative. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. Alaska is too gorgeous to do otherwise! If you have any specific questions, please feel free to e-mail me. As you can see, I'm still jet lagged--it's nearly 2 am! Good night, Debbie

If you are just trying to 'get your feet wet' so that you can return someday and 'wing it' I would suggest going with a tour group. I've done it. All the travel arrangements are made for you. This would be airfare to Europe and motorcoach to get to designated sights, and possibly even another air trip to a further destination in Europe. It's not as hectic as it sounds. It's not the *If It's Tuesday This Must Be Belguim* hamster wheel. There is less stress if all the plans are made for you and you don't feel so much like flotsom and jetsom, bobbing around Europe. The tour groups also schedule 'free time' for the group so you can do what you want at that time. There are always planned activites like museums and shopping, but some confident types break from the group and jump in a taxi and do things on their own making sure they are back to the mortorcoach on time. The planned activities give you a "taste" of the various cities and towns. You always have an interpeter for things, like ordering from a street vendor or how to inform the hotel that the toilet is broke, and the guides are savvy enough to steer you away from questionable situations. If you are going to visit the smaller towns or any of the former Soviet block countries you will find the NO ONE speaks English in these parts. Not only that but the lettering in countries like Poland and Checkoslovakia in incomprehensible to the average American so trying to read signs and menus is nearly impossible. By going on a tour group they will tell you what different requirments are for each country. Some countries require travelers health insurance in case you get sick, for instance, some don't require it. They will also tell you of customs so that you don't find yourself in hot water or even arrested for doing something that seemed "OK". For instance, it it rude to take a person's picture with a camera in some parts of Europe and it could start a fight. Since you say you wish to see Italy and Greece consider the option to fly there, and then take one of the ferries across from Italy to Greece so that you can experience the Mediterranean by boat. Since you are not going all over Europe, flying to Italy/Greece and taking taxis, busses, or trains around the country side would be a good experience. Tour groups often combine different styles of travel for siteseeing adventures. The tour I went on had motor coach for the main planned event but the guide would arrange a hired driver (for extra fee) for those who wanted to go elsewhere and not with the group. You will also find some comeraderie by going with a tour group and some of them will be seasoned travelers who can hwlp out also. Tour group is the way to go for older "first timers" to Europe who just want to get their feet wet.

Have fun on your train ride; I did a long one and really enjoyed it. No airport hassel and free wi-fi. Not crowded so was able to spread out over 2 seats and sleep. Just wish it was less expensive than flying. I have a dear friend, a very intelligent firefighter/paramedic. This guy does not hesitate to run into burning buildings, but he is afraid of flying. His wedding gift to his wife was to fly to their honeymoon location; if not for a heavy dose of xanax he would have missed his honeymoon. Yes, generalized anxiety disorder is a diagnosis. The Affordable Care Act provides one of the largest expansions of mental health and substance use disorder coverage in a generation, by requiring that most individual and small employer health insurance plans, including all plans offered through the Health Insurance Marketplace cover mental health and substance use disorder services. Also required are rehabilitative and habilitative services that can help support people with behavioral health challenges. These new protections build on the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) provisions to expand mental health and substance use disorder benefits and federal parity protections to an estimated 62 million Americans. http://www.mentalhealth.gov/get-help/health-insurance/ @chisue, If you are looking for "talk therapy" it is usually better to see a psychologist/PhD, as psychiatrists/MD's are primary used for medication management.

You mentioned being a little claustrophobic, I am not, but I see that Viking has nothing but veranda rooms or suites and I think that will help a lot. It’s great just to be able to go out on the deck and get out of the state room without having to be “in public.” Personally I went into my first cruise very skeptical, but I absolutely love being on the ocean and escaping from the Canadian winters. I have only been on two Caribbean cruises with a limited number of ports, none of the ports you are going to. I think the best way to set yourself up for success is to research each of the ports to know what the strong points are and what might interest you. Viking has a resident historian who gives talks before each of the ports and I have always enjoyed these kind of talks on other ships. For me, not a shopper, so I try to stay away from the markets and shopping excursions. For packing, my advice would be similar to any other trip to hot weather areas: bring stuff that you love and feel comfortable in, realize that there is laundry on the ship but it might be expensive, bring a couple of slightly nicer outfits for any dressy evenings, and absolutely bring very comfortable walking shoes or sandals for your excursions. If you enjoy swimming, the demographic on a Viking ship is going to swing older just because it’s more expensive, and no one will be taken aback by how you look at all. Everyone’s there for the same reason. Most ship excursions are very accessible for people with mobility limitations, if you read through the description of the excursion it will usually outline the physical demands. There are no formal nights on your ship, in fact they’re pretty much being phased out everywhere, and I did find the dress code here: https://www.vikingcruisescanada.com/oceans/frequently-asked-questions.html