Heading for the beach or the mountains is not an overwhelming choice if you are planning a camping holiday or doing a tour by automobile.

It is however a vital question for those who are attracted to cruise ship vacations. The two destinations are as extreme as north and south, hot and cold, up and down.

One is all about tropical islands, sandy beaches, different cultures and sun block values. The other is about glaciers, whales, mountains and waterproof outerwear.

My wife and I did not face that cruising decision since the first cruise of our lives was in mid-March and, needless to say, the direction was south. That 14-day, 10-island trip with Holland America Line, aboard the Maasdam, made us realise that we had been missing an exhilarating and luxurious aspect of travel. We made up for that three months later by departing Vancouver, headed for Alaska, aboard the Island Princess for another two weeks at sea. We had booked the return trip aboard the same Princess Line ship with four port stops each way.

As a result of our north and south experiences we are frequently asked the defining question: “We can only take one North American cruise: which should it be?”

Our answers are inconsistent. If the person asking the question lives in Vancouver we tell them they would probably prefer a Caribbean trip. Someone from southern Ontario gets sent in the opposite direction. The reason is that on a vacation you want to see things that are different and do things that are different. At least we do. And givers of advice invariably assume that everyone is like themselves. People in Vancouver see snow-capped mountains every day, glaciers are not far away and marine life in its natural setting is never more than a few hours distant. Totem poles grow in Stanley Park: I know, I’ve seen them.

On the other hand icebergs, calving glaciers, towering mountains, coastal native life and breaching whales are the things vacations are made of for the dwellers of Ontario’s relative flatlands. The sandy beaches of Lake Erie can always approximate Antigua or Half Moon Cay, at least in August. And Alaska’s cool clean air is as refreshing an escape from summer’s humidity as Barbados’ heat is relief from February’s chill.

Tropical islands are nothing to shrug one’s shoulders at, but for the most part, when you glide past them on a cruise ship they look, dare I say it, much the same. On the Alaska trip we slid into fiords and got close enough to glaciers that we could see and hear giant chunks of ice calving off and cascading into the ocean. Snow capped peaks were constant companions and the ocean was alive with humpback whales, sea otters, seals, orcas and dolphins. Bald eagles soared above and bear and mountain goats were spotted on land. Alaska was mostly about the unadulterated grandeur of pure nature. The towns we visited were small, clean and interesting, but not fascinating.

Water sports were the highlights of our southern sojourn with snorkelling and scuba diving among the iridescent fish, flora and coral of the islands being the most memorable. That’s not to say there is no aquatic activity in Alaska and I don’t mean in the ship’s pools. We sea kayaked in a bay and went snorkelling at a small island. Yes, we swam, albeit in wet suits, and the underwater vista was amazing with medium-size fish, urchins, jellyfish, starfish and plants as long as a ladder. For water lovers there is really no comparison with the Caribbean’s warm waters, silky beaches and underwater life. There is also no comparison with the cultural experience. Alaska is predominantly white and English speaking while the totem-carving native inhabitants provide the interesting exception. Caribbean islands change from port to port and one hardly knows if it will be French, Spanish, Dutch, English, Portuguese or Carib. A bus ride across St. Martin takes one from the culture of Holland to France in 30 minutes.

Many Caribbean cruisers have a focus on buying gold, diamonds, watches and other glittery baubles that are supposedly cheaper than elsewhere. As a result consumerism seems to be the dominant culture for a half-kilometre radius around the ports, so one must do some walking to get a real feel for the cities and towns. Alaska similarly suffers cruise-ship consumer culture, but it is less intrusive. Native carvings and paintings make more worthy souvenirs.

Weather both north and south is mostly unpredictable, but that will not surprise Canadians. The Caribbean in winter can be too hot, too cold, too windy etc. Alaska will never be too hot, but it can be too wet and too cold. Our total of four weeks of cruising saw not a drop of rain, not enough wind to rock the boat to any extent and nothing whatsoever to complain about.

The best thing about choosing between north and south is there is no wrong decision. We have precious memories of watching, from the stern of our ship, the sun set over white, crystal glacier-clad mountains and set behind lush, bright green, rain forest islands.