janikh

Just got back from our Alaskan Cruise & HAD to give a 2 thumbs up to Chilkoot Tours in Skagway & Brian, our tour guide on the bus-train excursion! It was such a fun way to see that part of Alaska & Canada & I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone! Brian knew so much about the area, but not too much to overwhelm us. And he stopped at several out of the way places for photo-ops. And the train ride was beautiful!

We have reservations at Glacier Brewhouse! The menu at Humpy's looked a little better, but the Brewhouse did reservations on Open Table, so it won!

Thanks, everyone! Looks like we are between GlacierBrewhouse & Humpy's, which I have seen on other threads! Good to hear that OpenTable is available on some - reservations sound like a must.

best place to eat dinner in Anchorage - GO!

Thanks! We are shuttling to SeaTac, so Ken's will be perfect!

After our cruise ends, we are shuttling from Vancouver to Seattle and have approximately 10 hours before our flights leave. Is there someplace where we can check our luggage in Seattle so that we can leave the airport and so some sightseeing?

We are thinking about dog sledding as part of an excursion. Is it worth doing in July when there isn't any snow? We saw one in Skagway, but it is in a cart and is on a path. Is that the only way to do it?

thx!

Your review was the funniest one I have read! I want to cruise with you! :) Seriously - thanks for all the great info. We are doing the Southbound in July & you gave me lots of good ideas of non-cruiseline activities. Can't wait to start booking excursions!

We are doing Southbound on Princess July 18. We want to do a helicopter excursion, but not through the cruise line. Who is the best, safest company to use? We can do it in any port - but don't know where it is the best to do it.

Our first cruise to Alaska, will also be our first time on Princess. We chose it for land tour option and the itinerary. We will be downing Hubbard Glacier & Glacier Bay. Where is the best place to look for tips on choosing Alaskan shore excursions?

Go to the Ports of Call section of Boards. Click Alaska, then you can either scroll down to see if your question is already up, or start a new thread. We always find our shore excursions from here - they are less expensive, and we get the feedback from those who have taken them previously.

Planning a cruise for July. We are having a hard time deciding 1 way vs RT. They both look so good, but aren't sure which is the better choice. We have been told that if we see Glacier Bay, then no other glaciers compare. But, we have also been told that the Hubbard Glaciers are well worth the extra price of air fare. HELP! I realize everyone has a PERSONAL preference, but input is really helpful! Thanks!

Based on my experiences, I agree with your opinion to stay away from CCL and NCL.

 

I'd say the best dining and service experience is on Celebrity. However, for the other stuff you mentioned - onboard experience, evenings, and amenities - I'd say it's a toss up between Royal Caribbean and Princess.

Thanks for the input. The actual cruise date may also determine which way we go.

We (4 adults) are planning an Alaska Cruise for July. We get off the ships when they dock & re-board as late as we can. So - we are wondering which ships offer the best onboard experiences for the evenings and dining. Also, which are the best for service & amenities. We have done Royal Caribbean, Celebrity & Carnival (NEVER AGAIN!), but not Princess or HAL. We have been steered away from Norwegian. Any preferences?

Thanks for the feedback! We generally leave the ship as soon as it docks, & come back close to leaving time. We usually book our excursions from the "Ports of Call" information we get here. But once we get onboard, we want good service, good food, and good entertainment. We want a NICE ship, and fun things for at sea days.

Searching for the perfect Alaska cruise for 4 YOUNG 65 year olds. Best ship for food, service, things to do onboard at night. Celebrity, Princess, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean? We have sailed on Celebrity, Royal Caribbean & Carnival previously, but all have been Caribbean cruises, so the atmosphere & activities are different from Alaska. Since there won't be any swimming pool time on the cruise, we need to have fun things to do. And we like to do late dinner & then roam the ship after for entertainment. Suggestions? Thanks!