Aquahound

Well, I'm not afraid to be the dissenting opinion. Afterall, the excuse of "I can do that at home" applies to almost everything on a cruise. What it doesn't apply to is the passing scenery. A balcony room has floor-to-ceiling windows, even if you're not physically on the balcony. There's so much to see when you roll out of bed, get ready for dinner, or turn-in at night. Also, it's a great way to view the ports and judge the weather. It seems like sail away time is usually around the time we're getting ready for dinner, so I like to hang out on the balcony to watch sail away while dw is in the shower. Again, just a dissenting opinion. I can't imagine sailing AK without a balcony. But that's me. I totally understand others being others.

Like the others, one and done for me on Carnival. That said, I think it would depend on what ships are sailing out of JAX. If it's those hideous looking old Fantasy Class ships, I'd make the drive to PC.

You'll want to ask on your specific cruise line's board, but I'm pretty sure all lines have rescinded that policy.

I totally agree. I actually thought that comment above was pretty ridiculous.

x2!!! This is a great place to hang out at night and they typically have great live music playing.

I lived in the Keys for 20 years. Yes, there is a disdain for big ships, but the deep-rooted story behind that goes more toward a greedy city councilman/bar owner than it does the tourists. One thing I miss dearly about the Keys is the friendly atmosphere.

That's the way to do it. If folks have the time, this is a trip that demands several days pre-cruise with a rental car. Consider an overnight at Alyeska instead of Anchorage. Visit Whittier and on the way, stop and take the Portage Glacier cruise. In Whittier, take the Phillips 26 Glaciers cruise. To or from Homer, take the detour to visit the neat little town of Hope. Allow yourself enough time in Seward to explore the town and to go visit Exit Glacier. There's so much to explore between Anchorage and Seward, it's a shame to just drive past it all.

Yes, Quantum can dock downtown. We docked downtown last year on Ovation. We actually had the premier spot with Celebrity Millennium sitting right in front of us. RCI changes the clocks to AK time.

I can't say I agree with that. My last couple AK cruises have been on RCI Quantum Class ships, and all the entertainment venues were alive and kicking well into the night.

My favorite hotel in Anchorage is the Embassy Suites. I'm pretty sure they run a shuttle to/from airport.

I guess that depends on the cruise line. From what I've found, activities are pretty similar inside the ships. Don't expect the crazy late-night pool parties though. In fact, there are some areas where ships can't even make announcements outside.

That's a great itinerary on a fantastic cruise line (at least, from what I've read and heard 🙂). Enjoy your cruise!

Again, anything is possible when crossing the Gulf of Alaska, but it should still be ok in June. On Princess, you'll be cruising to Whittier. The ship stays pretty close to shore, and you should have some great views, like of Mt Saint Elias.

You should have a very smooth cruise. Most of the inside Passage is like cruising up a wide river. Where it could get somewhat rough is Queen Charlotte Sound, between the Canadian and American sides of the IP. But even then, it shouldn't be bad.

I like them both, but I think I lean toward Quantum Class. I love the Solarium, Two70, and Music Hall.

I fish for king salmon every year in Juneau. We gut the fish on the beach and the eagles clean up the mess. It's amazing to see them swoop down within feet of us. They're such beautiful creatures. I can't get enough of them. 🙂 We have them here in WA as well, just not as abundant.

I’ll happily argue it. It’s easy to compare port times at one particular port where times obviously vary (duh) but over the course of the full itineraries the times between mainstream lines tend to average out. The op didn’t ask about a specific port. They asked a general question, so a general answer is what I gave.

I've taken that tour on the Aleutian Ballad, and it was great. It's a little cheesy in that the traps they pull are pre-loaded, but it's still interesting, nonetheless. And yes, there is a spot where they draw in tons of eagles by feeding them.

In Juneau, I highly recommend Fish and Chips, next door to the Hanger. They have a surf and turf burger that is a beef patty and a halibut patty. I really hope you can do halibut because the burger is amazing.

Not focusing on itinerary and only what you listed... I'm pretty familiar with the individual ships that are sailing Alaska. I've either sailed on them or on sister ships. IMO, the best entertainment is on RCI's Ovation and Quantum of the Seas, and on NCL Norwegian Encore and Bliss. Edge to Royal Caribbean, though. For food, I recommend Celebrity. Princess is a good all-around line. I don't consider them best at any of those items though. Port times are pretty much the same for them all.

For a one-way cruise that goes to Hubbard Glacier, RCI is an excellent choice. While Hubbard Glacier isn't Glacier Bay, it is much more impressive than any glacier in Glacier Bay.

Typo. This is supposed to say 1/4 mile.

One of my favorite hiking trails in Skagway is Dewey Lake. Going up is moderate but once at Lower Dewey Lake, the trail goes all the way around. The trailhead is maybe a 1.4 mile from the ship. Totally worth it. In Juneau, Mt Roberts was mentioned, and it is a good hike, but I would say it is strenuous, even if you take the one-way down. I recommend the city bus that drops you off a little over a mile from the Mendenhall visitor center. From there, you can either hike to Nugget Falls with a thousand other tourists or take the East Glacier Loop Trail, which is beautiful and much emptier. The uphill portion will be moderate. In Icy Straight, I don't recall the gondolas being free. Maybe the lower gondola is free because it is used to take passengers between piers, but I'm not sure. The 2nd gondola that actually goes up the mountain definitely has a cost. I do remember the cost being unlimited rides though.

The last couple times I rode the train, we boarded at the foot of the pier. We were able to board any car we wanted. We just couldn't change once seated, and they did not want passengers walking between cars.

You will love the zipline but as the others said, it does get backed up, so don't expect to be flying down the line exactly on time. Also, the skyride getting up there is half the fun. Depending on where your ship docks, you'll either ride 1 or 2 skyrides. The second one, that actually goes up the mountain, gives you the opportunity to enjoy the sights as a slower pace. Hopefully it is a sunny day because the views are amazing.