This summer, my husband, Lance, and I—along with our sons, Matthew, 18, and Josh, 24—decided to dig into some of my family history in Alaska. A cruise seemed like the best and easiest way to experience the state, which was to be the 50th U.S. state I’ve visited, after many years of sitting at 49.
Growing up, I learned about our family’s connection to Alaskan history from my father. My great-grandfather’s brother, Michael J. Heney (whom my dad was named after), was the lead engineer for the construction of the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, said to be one of the world’s most spectacular train rides, due to the scenery, tight turns, and fast elevation gains.
Several books have been written about “Big Mike” Heney, explaining his role in the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s. At the turn of the century, thousands of people were coming to Skagway, Alaska, on their way to the Yukon Territory with the hopes of striking it rich. The railroad was built to connect prospectors to the Yukon capital of Whitehorse, over a rugged and deadly stretch of mountains.
I reveled in reading about my great-great-uncle’s adventures as a young man and learning about the railroad industry. He traveled from his hometown of Ottawa to Manitoba and then on to Alaska. The concept of someone with our uncommon name being famous in another corner of the world was enchanting.
On the 2,908-passenger cruise ship, there are many ways to escape the crowds, including booking a suite in the exclusive Retreat area of the vessel.
Photo by Steve Dunlop/Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises
The adventure begins
In late July, we flew to Seattle to board Celebrity Cruises’ 2,908-passenger Celebrity Edge for a seven-night round-trip cruise. Before embarking, we visited Calvary Cemetery, where Big Mike is buried. His grave is easy to spot, marked with a huge Celtic cross that overlooks the University of Washington below. As the boys wandered, noticing four large vases surrounding the main gravestone emblazoned with “Heney” in all-caps, and finding other Heney family gravestones nearby, they started to understand what a unique part of their past their ancestor was.
“I didn’t expect it to be this imposing,” Josh said, marveling at the cross and taking photos.
The writer and his sons take a photo at the grave of their ancestor Michael J. Heney.
Courtesy of Paul J. Heney
Aboard the Edge, we enjoyed The Retreat, an exclusive area reserved for guests in Suite Class accommodations. That allowed us access to the Luminae restaurant, special lounge seating areas inside and out, and a separate hot tub and pool. The boys enjoyed these less-crowded spaces, and I frequently found them relaxing as I lay on the plush couches in the lounge. The experience gave us the best of both worlds: all the amenities and dining options of the large ship, along with the intimate vibe of The Retreat, which provides more of a small-ship feel.
Luminae offered elevated dining, with impressive service even for an upscale cruise line like Celebrity. My husband and I found ourselves eating a majority of our meals there. The staff remembered our food and drink preferences from the first day, even teasing us when the kids abandoned us for a meal. Our older son, Josh, was eventually hooked on Luminae, however, after trying chef Daniel Boulud’s signature Chocolate Pill dessert one evening (consisting of chocolate and hazelnut on a crispy praline). We also enjoyed the seared branzino with eggplant caponata and the grilled New York steak frites.
Another advantage of staying in the Retreat? Exclusive access to the Luminae restaurant and its signature chocolate dessert.
Photo by Paul J. Heney
The Edge, which launched in 2018, features four main restaurants, as well as seven specialty restaurants. Particularly memorable were our experiences at Fine Cut Steakhouse, for its excellent steaks, and Eden, with its inventive menu of regional specialties from the countries that the ship visits—and stunning views. Both are premium options, requiring an extra charge and reservations in advance. We made full use of the excellent fitness facility on board and managed to get the boys to several shows; they loved comedian Sean Kent’s wry wit and a Broadway-type show called Colors of Light that featured singing and acrobatics.
Excursions, but our way
We enjoyed port stops in charming Ketchikan and a surprisingly warm Juneau, as well as a thrilling cruise up the Endicott Arm to the Dawes Glacier, where our captain slowly rotated the ship so everyone could watch the ice calving. Finally, we arrived in Skagway, the beginning point for the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad.
None of the Skagway excursions fit what we wanted, so we customized our own itinerary with Celebrity’s Private Journeys, a team that designs individual programs. I asked the team to craft an excursion that would include riding a train on the very route Michael J. Heney built, along with a trip to Whitehorse, so we could meet up with my third cousin, Marusia Heney, with whom I’d connected on Facebook years ago. Celebrity suggests that guests book Private Journeys at least three weeks in advance, but I started six months before, wanting to ensure all the details were ironed out. The customized experience costs extra: For instance, our Private Journey was priced at $1,500 for the four of us.
In Skagway, the writer and his family traveled by train to retrace his great-great-uncle’s journey.
Photo by Ronald Wong/Unsplash
It was just as I had hoped it would be. Dale met us once on shore and was our combination driver, guide, and storyteller for the day. He drove us to the Skagway Depot and Train Shoppe, where another cousin of mine, John Heney, had advised us to find Big Mike’s dress suit, located in a glass case there. Before boarding, Dale asked us to wait while he spoke with the woman in charge, a friend. He succeeded in getting us into the last car at the back of the train, which he said offered the best experience because you could look behind the train as well as out both sides for dramatic views.
The train ride itself was mesmerizing. Near the 12-mile mark, we eagerly watched for the sign announcing Heney Station (formerly a station in the 1800s, though now just the sign remains). It was amazing to see it alongside our kids and watch their beaming faces. The route is spectacular, hugging the steep mountainsides, but the opportunity to stand out in the open air on the platform between cars, looking straight down into plummeting valleys or along the train’s tight turns before it plunged into tunnels, inspired next-level awe.
Once in Whitehorse, we enjoyed a long, raucous lunch with Marusia and some of her family, including her daughter Audrey, 18. Audrey, like Matthew, is about to venture off to college life across the country—she eastward to Montreal and Matthew westward to Tucson.
We laughed and learned about each other: how we got to where we are in life, the experience of raising kids, our worries about the upcoming empty nests. Now we’re planning the next steps in these newfound family friendships: Audrey will visit us in Cleveland this winter, and Lance and I will return to Whitehorse to experience the northern lights in early 2026.
Big Mike would be proud of the connections that he continues to create, all these years later.
