Love Cruising -Hate Alaska

Oh, to see Alaska with the wonder and fresh perspective of John Muir, who exclaimed (after "discovering" Glacier Bay):

"One learns that the world, though made, is yet being made. That this is still the morning of creation. That mountains, long conceived, are now being born, brought to light by the glaciers, channels traced for coming rivers, basins hollowed for lakes." John Muir (1838-1914)

The journals and writings of the early explorers provide a glimpse of the wildness, majesty and indescribable essence of Alaska. Reading their first recorded impressions is fascinating to me. John Muir's "Travels in Alaska" (1915) can transport you.

Pointyhead, I truly hope your caring act of sacrifice for your wife is greatly rewarded with countless "AH HA!" moments along your journey through Alaska, The Last Frontier!

Len, you are a wise man. We all do things that we don't necessarily like, but we do it to make the other happy. I clean the cat's litter box, not because I want to, but the wife hates to, so I make her happy by doing it. I hate balancing the checkbook, and she's a financial manager for the government, so she does that for me. Marriage is give and take.

 

As for the cruise, I am warming to the idea. We hope to see friends in Portland that we haven't seen in 25 years, or meet up with an old AF buddy that lives just north of Seattle. I like trains so the White Pass train tour looks promising. We'll make it work. I'm just not into the Alaska scene, mountains, ice, crab legs or whales and that was my original point.

We live in Vancouver so cruises to Alaska are easy. Believe me, you will love Vancouver, especially if you leave here with the heatwave we are having this year. I truly love your post though, because my husband really really doesn't like our 25lb Maine Coon cat.....but will clean out his little box because he loves me! I found him (the cat not my husband) at the SPCA 14 yeas ago....so life and marriage is a compromise. I hope that you have a truly wonderful cruise. I will keep my fingers crossed...because there is nowhere more beautiful (other than Vancouver) than Alaska when the sun shines.

Yesterday my partner talked to a business friend who had undertaken an Alaskan cruise last year. He is not a cruise person and it was his wife who booked the trip. He said he was totally blown away by Alaska - his best holiday ever. Things are looking up for our trip.

Funny you should say that......more Floridians live in Alaska than any other state....there are several dozen Alaskans who moved here from the Keyes....beaches sure are different....but in many ways we are pretty similar..lol

If you are not interested in the scenery, but generally a life-of-the-party guy, why not check out the local bars/hang-out joints? People watching can be a fun activity (for me, anyway) and what better place to do this, and perhaps meet some nice folks in the process.....

Actually, OP, since you've already decided to "bite the bullet" (which I admire BTW), why not just let your DW do all the planning and just go along for the ride? We're having an impossible time picking excursions for Alaska because we couldn't care less to do any of it. We've pretty much decided - no pre-planning, no trying to work up fake enthusiasm - we'll just get up in the morning and see where the day takes us. We can enjoy each other's company under practically any circumstance. Bon Voyage!

I kept telling my husband that I never wanted to go to Alaska on a cruise only to pay good money to see snow and ice that I can see for free out my window for 4 months out of the year. Well the temp was warmer in Alaska than my home at the time and the views of snow and ice (glaciers) were not my back yard. Frankly, this turned out to be one of our all time favorite trips. We also did the land cruise tour with Princess to Talkeetna and onto Denali and finished in Fairbanks. Would not have traded this for any trip to the Caribbean...now our upcoming trip to the Caribbean in November will be a bit of a let down for us.....

My partner is the same. Alaska is on my bucket list and I have booked next year for a 60th treat. He likes glaciers, and mountains, but isn't really into Alaska as such. He will just have to deal with it, but as his expectations are low I am sure he will be in for a real treat. On the other hand, I have assigned him a week in Hawaii on our way back to Australia.....

 

And there are plenty of places I have been to with him, and things we have done together that would not make my pick but we enjoyed them as a couple.

Hi Pushka, we are from South Australia too and considering doing an Alaskan cruise next year maybe June?? who are you cruising with and are you doing any land tours, we are tossing up Canadian Rockies vs Denali/Anchorage?:confused:

Ooh. Hello! It seems like spring today instead of mid-winter, doesnt it :)

I have booked Coral Princess northbound on 28th May and southbound on 4th June. A big birthday and wedding anniversary on the 3rd.

I had originally booked with Celebrity but was desperate to see Glacier Bay. This B2B gives me that, twice, plus Hubbard Glacier.

Thought about doing Alaska/Denali or Rockies but thought we might be too glaciered out by then to really enjoy it. Hence Hawaii!

Just returned from land tour & SB on Coral Princess! We had a fantastic time; considered it 1 of our best vacations ever and we've done a lot of traveling. Maybe it helped we had nothing but beautiful weather

Len, you are a wise man. We all do things that we don't necessarily like, but we do it to make the other happy. I clean the cat's litter box, not because I want to, but the wife hates to, so I make her happy by doing it. I hate balancing the checkbook, and she's a financial manager for the government, so she does that for me. Marriage is give and take.

 

As for the cruise, I am warming to the idea. We hope to see friends in Portland that we haven't seen in 25 years, or meet up with an old AF buddy that lives just north of Seattle. I like trains so the White Pass train tour looks promising. We'll make it work. I'm just not into the Alaska scene, mountains, ice, crab legs or whales and that was my original point.

I'm not sure why so many people picture you as a crusty curmudgeon who intends to glower for 7 days. Your posts make it clear that you don't intend to be the party pooper ... you're just asking for some insight on how get drum up some enthusiasm for a trip that really doesn't sound like it's something you want to do.

I think you wife is a very lucky woman who has a supportive husband. Shared experiences are the core that hold a relationship together.

I think you'll find that Alaska is a bit tougher to research when planning shore excursions ... it certainly has been for me. I'm 9 days from leaving and I just figured out today what I want to do when we get to Denali. But there's some really cool options if you dig enough ... and today I found white water rafting :).

Ha! Too funny, Pointyhead. I share your trepidation about 50% abviously since I clicked on this thread.

My husband and I love to cruise for the ship and the sea. We live in FL so we can hop on a cruise w/o any travel issues or extra cost. THAT is my biggest issue with our Alaska cruise next week. I hate the whole airport, plane, transportation etc!!! I use to love it as a part of the adventure.

We have been planning for about 8 months with bro-in law/wife. My husband really wants to go as they do, I know I will enjoy the scenery even if it's raining. We paid $600+ for seaplane glacier Taku lake lodge excursion in Juneau that I couldn't wait to do. TILL LAST WEEK!

I know we will have a blast and it will be spectacular, but I still can't wrap my head around all the packing of way-too-many contingency clothing options and rain gear and the antisapation of our 15+hour travel days to and from. :eek:

I will try to post when I get back.

We just got back from our 2nd Alaskan cruise. My intention was to post fabulous pics in an attempt to get OP fired up, but when I went back and read the original post, everything that excites me is exactly what doesn't excite you. Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks. Weather was warm (relatively speaking) except for the day we sailed by the glacier.

Soooo, my only suggestion at this point is to start thinking about the satisfaction you will get from seeing DW enjoy what excites her. 😁

Meanwhile, we are talking about when we can go again, and which ship we will sail next time.

I love this thread!!

I'm not a fan of cruising but I always wanted to see Alaska. Some years ago when my kids were younger, my in-laws took their children and families on a four day Family Disney Cruise with a double stop at their Castaway Cay island in the Bahamas. I don't like sitting at the beach at all. I couldn't wait to get off the boat. I never ever wanted to cruise again until my in-laws suggested Alaska.

We just got off the boat July 4th. I loved seeing Alaska. However, I am not a fan of cruising and I did get restless.

That said? I had a great time seeing all the sights. On the sea days, I enjoyed the 2 for 1 happy hour cocktails and sitting on the balcony of our room.

We went on the Skagway White Pass train, not only was the scenery beautiful but the civil engineering involved to design that route was incredible. I'm an Electrical Engineer, but my dad was a Civil Engineer and I was wishing he was alive to go with us because the track ran through some very inhospitable areas. My son and I were talking about the sheer magnitude of effort it took to build it.

Ha! Too funny, Pointyhead. I share your trepidation about 50% abviously since I clicked on this thread.

My husband and I love to cruise for the ship and the sea. We live in FL so we can hop on a cruise w/o any travel issues or extra cost. THAT is my biggest issue with our Alaska cruise next week. I hate the whole airport, plane, transportation etc!!! I use to love it as a part of the adventure.

We have been planning for about 8 months with bro-in law/wife. My husband really wants to go as they do, I know I will enjoy the scenery even if it's raining. We paid $600+ for seaplane glacier Taku lake lodge excursion in Juneau that I couldn't wait to do. TILL LAST WEEK!

I know we will have a blast and it will be spectacular, but I still can't wrap my head around all the packing of way-too-many contingency clothing options and rain gear and the antisapation of our 15+hour travel days to and from. :eek:

I will try to post when I get back.

We Had a great trip! Ended up packing pretty much the right things, but I wanted to take my Uggs, mostly for around the ship, which I felt I would look strip leaving FT Lauderdale in them cause they take up too much room! Shudda brought them! Our weather mas marginal.

Seattle - sunny and warm. Do an underground tour in Pioneer SQ. Very interesting an precursor to Alaska from a history perspective.

We were on X Solstice. Great ship & Crew. Between the on-board Naturalist Brent Nixon's fun and informative talks on the ship - his live narration of Tracy Arm was so cool, and the Top Chef and other cooking demos (love that) I was very entertained on the ship.

Weather had a marine layer that just hung over the whole coast. But I must say offered some really interesting cloud and rolling fog over water and mountains.

Ketchican - Rainy, but a nicely laid out town. Take the Fox Creek lodge tram up to top and have a nice lunch. It at Creek street. Shocker - Diamonds intl is there.

Juneau weather was the worst. They cancelled all flight tours after 3pm. I would not have want to do any before that either. Too cloudy. I was forced to do a cruise tour to Mendenhall Glacier park for $95. True value maybe $40.

Skagway weather damp on arrival. But cleared up and we did White Pass Train. Gotta do it. So beautiful. Hang out on the platform to get great shots. Town and stores are fine and yes, Diamonds International. Our last chance to get Ulu knives. Love my caribo antler one. Use it every day.

The diesel motor coach pollution that hangs in all the towns was horrible - probably because of low ceiling, but I got overwhelmed a couple times.

Sea Days back were sunny maybe mid 60's.

I would go back to Alaska, but probably not on large cruise ship. I love to cruise, would just like a more Alaska experience. Small charter type cruises are available I hear. Hit ports when there aren't 4 big ships in port!

We all had a wonderful time, but can't wait for our 10 days in s. Carribean and relaxing on the sea and enjoying the ship (and Diamonds Intl :eek:).

We Had a great trip! Ended up packing pretty much the right things, but I wanted to take my Uggs, mostly for around the ship, which I felt I would look strip leaving FT Lauderdale in them cause they take up too much room! Shudda brought them! Our weather mas marginal.

Seattle - sunny and warm. Do an underground tour in Pioneer SQ. Very interesting an precursor to Alaska from a history perspective.

We were on X Solstice. Great ship & Crew. Between the on-board Naturalist Brent Nixon's fun and informative talks on the ship - his live narration of Tracy Arm was so cool, and the Top Chef and other cooking demos (love that) I was very entertained on the ship.

Weather had a marine layer that just hung over the whole coast. But I must say offered some really interesting cloud and rolling fog over water and mountains.

Ketchican - Rainy, but a nicely laid out town. Take the Fox Creek lodge tram up to top and have a nice lunch. It at Creek street. Shocker - Diamonds intl is there.

Juneau weather was the worst. They cancelled all flight tours after 3pm. I would not have want to do any before that either. Too cloudy. I was forced to do a cruise tour to Mendenhall Glacier park for $95. True value maybe $40.

Skagway weather damp on arrival. But cleared up and we did White Pass Train. Gotta do it. So beautiful. Hang out on the platform to get great shots. Town and stores are fine and yes, Diamonds International. Our last chance to get Ulu knives. Love my caribo antler one. Use it every day.

The diesel motor coach pollution that hangs in all the towns was horrible - probably because of low ceiling, but I got overwhelmed a couple times.

Sea Days back were sunny maybe mid 60's.

I would go back to Alaska, but probably not on large cruise ship. I love to cruise, would just like a more Alaska experience. Small charter type cruises are available I hear. Hit ports when there aren't 4 big ships in port!

We all had a wonderful time, but can't wait for our 10 days in s. Carribean and relaxing on the sea and enjoying the ship (and Diamonds Intl :eek:).

So.....would you go again for the scenery? Even though the weather was less than desirable?

So.....would you go again for the scenery? Even though the weather was less than desirable?

Our weather involved low ceilings and a good deal of rain ... and I had a fabulous time. I used my balcony more than on any other cruise I have ever been on. Cruising the inside passage was a constant unfolding series of breathtaking mountains and tumbling waterfalls.

And we had a great time in the ports ... zodiac boat excursion in Ketchikan, White Pass Train in Skagway, flightseeing with a glacier landing at Mt. McKinley and whitewater rafting in Denali ... those were the big ticket items.

It was like no other cruise I've ever been on ... and it will stand out forever as one of the best.

So.....would you go again for the scenery? Even though the weather was less than desirable?

Yes, I would do it again! I actually enjoyed the mix of weather. There was a night that we had a late dinner at Silk Harvest which has floor to ceiling windows on starboard side and we watched the different cloud layers on distant landfall and low fog bank roll over the glass-like water. A couple of whales and dolphin were spotted. It felt like we were on another planet. We sat on our balcony for a bit and watched as we sailed into a fog bank that was so dense you couldn't see more than a couple feet in front of you. Solstice blew her horn every couple minutes. Really errie.

Simalar other-worldly experience in Tracy Arm. When you see the vast wilderness and know there is 100x more of same out there, you feel so small. The AIR! We spent the whole time on our balcony, about 4 hrs and it was 42 deg.! Being from Fla, I loved it. July, really? Tip: grab a couple flannel blankets on lawn deck and bring to cabin for your balcony.

To keep my bride of 40 years happy, I have signed us up for a cruise in Alaska next August. We will be going with two other couples our same age (60). My problem is that while I love cruising (been on 9 so far) I have absolutely no desire to go to Alaska. I have read all the stories of people here about having fun but that's assuming that they all had an interest in it before going. I don't. I love the beach scene and warm weather. I'm more of a Jimmy Buffet guy than a Johnny Horton one.

 

Before you say it, I spent 21 years in the military, I've been in cold places many times, and I didn't care for it then either. I know it could be 95 degrees when we are there, but for every one person to tell me how hot it was on their Alaska cruise, two would show me photos of their party on deck with parkas on.

 

I don't care for the mountains much. I don't fish, so that's not an option. I can go fifteen minutes from where I'm sitting right now and see bald eagles, so it isn't a big deal to watch them in Alaska. Whales don't interest me either.

 

I suppose the most I can hope for is that the ship has a good sauna where I can stay warm and sweaty while listening to Inner Circle on my mp3 player.

 

Lest you think I'm just being the grumpy old man, I'm not. I don't plan on going there to make everyone around me miserable (I'm really outgoing and the life of the party in our groups), but I have tried, and I can't work up any enthusiasm for this trip.

 

Maybe someone can shed some light on my situation, or at least commiserate with me over this situation I have found myself in.

Hi Pointyhead,

Just wanted to let you know that we managed to survive, and even thrive during our recent Alaska cruise and you probably will too! We made it into a really different kind of trip where we focused on everything BUT the ports and ended up having a very relaxed week. That's not to say that we didn't get off in every port; we did, but we had pre-booked nothing and basically just went where the day took us. Some ports were more enjoyable than others. Your plan may need to be different if there are experiences your wife has her heart set on - some of the more iconic stuff is not doable on the fly. I must admit, even though we thought the viewing day at Hubbard Glacier would be a yawn, it's hard not to get caught up in the excitement of all the other passengers. We really enjoyed watching so many people have the experience of a lifetime.

The only negative thing I will say is that the "cruise-y vibe" one comes to expect on warm-weather itineraries simply didn't exist on this trip. Much more like the "floating hotel" others sometimes refer to.

I see you've booked on the Pearl - I'm taking a short trip down the coast on her soon. I'll be sure to check out the thermal suite for you. ;)

Well, pointyhead is at least honest. I certainly understand that Alaska is not for everybody, I know a few who looked at Alaska, fell in love, moved here immediately, bought property, etc, only to discover it was a lot more harsh than they expected, particularly in the winters.

Also, it is pretty common for wives to badger the husband into taking a cruise, have experienced that many times. They want to be out on the golf course or something instead. One time we were getting on the Regal Princess (The old Regal) in Tokyo for a four week plus war cruise of the South Pacific, ending in San Fran. I had read up on the Regal and was dismayed at some negative comments, most concerning the lay-out of the vessel. Since my wife is a bear in the stateroom until she gets everything unpacked I stay out of her way and find that is a good time to do a recon. I went through the Regal and found I really liked the ship, most negative comments were unfounded or exaggerated. Being in a happy mood and still killing time I stopped by a little bar not far from our cabin (The hole in the Wall). Only two in there, one customer nursing a highball and the bar-keep. I ordered and told bartender how impressed I was with the ship. The other customer said: "I hate this ship, the only reason I'm on it is because my wife wanted me to, I would really like to see somebody put a torpedo into it right now." Throughout the voyage, and it was a good one, I occasionally would pass by that bar, the poor guy was in there constantly with a booze, nursing his tormented soul, I felt sorry for his wife.

Our late governor, Jay Hammond, was a big game guide in Alaska but lost his zeal for it many decades ago. Here is one of the reasons why he says: "I was guiding for an outfitter, I had thrust upon me a hunting client to whom I will charitably refer simply as a "suffering sight-seer". He complained about everything under the sun and increased his complaints if the sun didn't shine, which happened to be most of the time. He complained of bad weather, lack of booze, the abundance of bugs, the cost of the hunt, the food and the state of his bowels.

After having hauled him to a mountain top where he'd emptied his rifle at a fine Dall ram (which escaped unscathed, to my secret satisfaction), he demonstrated once more how often the hunted out-nobles the hunter, and launched into a profane litany of all things Alaskan, ending with the assertion, "Alaska's the last place on earth I'd ever want to live."

I reflected on that for a moment and mused, "You know, I agree. Alaska's the last place on earth I'd ever want to live too. And with any luck at all, it will be!"