Cruising on the High Seas

At the most famous of the spectacular Alaska glaciers around Juneau, Sydnie (left) and Tanya Fiocca hiked through knee-deep creeks and scrambled free-hold over rocks to get to the Mendenhall Glacier. They were only the seventh and eighth visitors to the western side of the glacier this year and Sydnie, at age 14, the youngest ever.

For the lucky winner, it’s a one-time opportunity that brings loved ones closer together with unique shared experiences.

That was the case for Tanya Fiocca from Finance, the lucky winner of last year’s Choose a Cruise Super Raffle. Tanya and her 14-year-old daughter Sydnie had an amazing trip, choosing to take an Alaskan cruise in August and as well opting for a four-night land trip to seeing the highlights of the incredible northern landscape.

“We spent a little more than the $3,500 I won with the raffle to do both the land portion and the cruise, but we wouldn’t have been able to do this at all without my major win,” Tanya says.

The duo first flew to Seattle and then up to Anchorage, Alaska, to do their land tour by panoramic train journey, going on hiking, kayaking and bicycling adventures. They then boarded ship for the cruise portion, heading southbound along the Canadian west coast. After seven days and frequent stops to see some amazing land and seascapes, they disembarked at Vancouver.

Tanya says half the fun of the trip was in the planning. “Before booking our trip, my daughter and I did all kinds of research into what we should see and where we should go. The staff at Cruise Ship Centers were excellent and we really had an amazing time. I’m planning to buy more tickets this year!”

The United Way Committee is anticipating higher ticket sales this year and is ordering 1,000 tickets for the Choose a Cruise Super Raffle. Tickets will again be available at the discount price of just $20 for a $3,500 travel voucher. Details on ticket sellers and when tickets will be available are being finalized. «