Help! Planning Bucket List Alaskan Cruise!

Good Afternoon,

I am in the process of booking and planning a cruise for my family. Myself, Husband, Son ( 17), my parents ( late 60's) and another couple (late 60's). Money is not as much of a concern, however the trip of a lifetime is! We had a cruise already booked with Norweigan for June, however after the horrible customer service that I heard about ( word of mouth) I decided to cancel it and start over.

We are looking to cruise in the Month of June ( after June 1st). Looking at either a 5 or 7 days. I have been researching Royal ,Holland, Princess and still need to do my research on Celebrity, Oceania, Crystal & Disney.

If you had your choice to explore Alaska which one of these lines would you choose? I want to make sure we see as much of the beautiful state as possible and get the full experience of it all.

Any and all recommendations would be VERY much appreciated!

Thank you so much!

Michelle :D

I want to make sure we see as much of the beautiful state as possible and get the full experience of it all.

The big cruise lines are all at least 7 days trips and cover the same basic routes through Southeast Alaska. Some do Glacier Bay, some don't. You can do one way to/from Vancouver to/from Seward or Whittier or a round trip cruise from Seattle.

Cruising through Southeast Alaska is great, but you are only seeing a small portion of our great state. If you have more days (say 2 weeks total) you could as see some of Southcentral and Interior Alaska.

So you eliminated a choice, due to a one sided "word of mouth"???

Ok,

What is it you want out of this trip? Are you only doing a cruise? Have time for main land touring?

have you looked at and determined activities of interest in EACH of the Alaska ports? Ranked your interests? Do you know what tours you are going to include? And know schedules available?

Glacier preferences? (with YOU determining what you want to see, not just reading slanted "recommendations" ?)

Frankly, for a "trip of a lifetime", answering those questions would be important to consider, plus have the benefit of narrowing down the choices.

There is a lot to consider with a cruise choice decision. Itinerary can be significant with Alaska, but so can cruise line, price, date etc.

Break down the points that are important to you and go from there.

We went on NCL both times we went to Alaska and wonderful service. A couple of their ships go to Glacier Bay too. Look,at port times and then decide which cruise to choose. More port time means more time to expierence Alaska vs the ship.

For me, I knew that I wanted Glacier Bay or Hubbard. Wanted a trip that left Vancouver, rather than Seattle (more inside passage cruising), a ship that stopped to let passengers off for an excursion up the Tracy Arm Fjord and a stop at Skagway.

I highly recommend picking up a guide book on Alaska Cruises. I got one from Frommer's that was so helpful in narrowing down my choices. I also did much reading on this forum once I did decide. Once you narrow down what ports you want, then you can choose your ship. Happy planning.

Good Afternoon,

 

 

We are looking to cruise in the Month of June ( after June 1st). Looking at either a 5 or 7 days. I have been researching Royal ,Holland, Princess and still need to do my research on Celebrity, Oceania, Crystal & Disney.

 

If you had your choice to explore Alaska which one of these lines would you choose? I want to make sure we see as much of the beautiful state as possible and get the full experience of it all.

 

Any and all recommendations would be VERY much appreciated!

 

 

Thank you so much!

Michelle :D

Five whole days in Alaska. Why bother!! Even 7 days is too short but that it what you are stuck with on most cruises.

DON

We used HAL in AK and they did a great job. I agree with leaving from Vancouver if you can. I can also say that we heard mixed messages about NCL and this summer we used them for a Bahamas cruise and were more than pleasantly surprised. I agree not to eliminate them on word of mouth of one person. Glacier Bay was phenomenal so please make sure that (or Hubbard) is included.

We have our Bucket List Alaska cruise scheduled for July 2018 with Royal Caribbean. Vancouver to Seward then we did their add on package inland. That way we get the most use of our time for seeing as much of Alaska as our time frame will allow.

I'm sure that most of the cruise lines will have the inland portion to add to your cruise.

Good Afternoon,

 

I am in the process of booking and planning a cruise for my family. Myself, Husband, Son ( 17), my parents ( late 60's) and another couple (late 60's). Money is not as much of a concern, however the trip of a lifetime is! We had a cruise already booked with Norweigan for June, however after the horrible customer service that I heard about ( word of mouth) I decided to cancel it and start over.

 

 

 

We are looking to cruise in the Month of June ( after June 1st). Looking at either a 5 or 7 days. I have been researching Royal ,Holland, Princess and still need to do my research on Celebrity, Oceania, Crystal & Disney.

 

 

 

If you had your choice to explore Alaska which one of these lines would you choose? I want to make sure we see as much of the beautiful state as possible and get the full experience of it all.

 

 

 

Any and all recommendations would be VERY much appreciated!

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much!

 

Michelle :D

Oceania Regatta does Alaska as a world class experience. A ship with only 670 passengers, it is small enough to get "up close and personal" with the Hubbard Glacier while providing excellent accommodations and service as well as the "best food at sea." Recognize that, with Oceania, the cabin price includes airfare, beverages, specialty restaurants, internet and a choice of excursions, booze or OBC. No nickel-diming, "prom nights," thundering herds, etc.

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then we did their add on package inland. That way we get the most use of our time for seeing as much of Alaska as our time frame will allow.

 

I'm sure that most of the cruise lines will have the inland portion to add to your cruise.

all the major cruise lines offer add on mainland packages. However, in my opinion, it is even more important to do your homework with that choice. There are some pretty crappy itineraries out there that most people have no clue about. Details are essential for no surprises and getting the most out of your trip. Unfortunately- too many people don't know all the information about what they are booking. Make sure your tour is right for you.

So you eliminated a choice, due to a one sided "word of mouth"???

Yes. We had a planned trip with NCL with two other couples. NCL changed our ship. Which is fine. But what is not fine is having a CSR tell you that they changed your cabin to a different floor, area and lesser quality cabin etc. but you will still be paying the same price as the better room you originally had. That is not ok. When they told the CSR from NCL that this was NOT ok and that you were going to cancel, their response was " Sorry, there is nothing we can do...and if you want to cancel, thats fine...you are in the allotted time frame to do so" That is not ok in my book.

Even though this was word of mouth...This is not hearsay, these are facts.

What is it you want out of this trip? Are you only doing a cruise? Have time for main land touring? have you looked at and determined activities of interest in EACH of the Alaska ports? Ranked your interests? Do you know what tours you are going to include? And know schedules available? Glacier preferences? (with YOU determining what you want to see, not just reading slanted "recommendations"

We do have time for main land touring. We have not determined activities of interest in each of the Alaskan ports. I have never been to Alaska and have NO idea what I want to see. I do know however I want to be sure to see the most important things, must have locaitons etc., this is why Im posting here to ask for some recommendations. Im not basing my choice off of solely this of course, but I appreciate others opinions, suggestions. I have no idea what "Glacier Preferences" we have. Can you explain that?

We do have time for main land touring. We have not determined activities of interest in each of the Alaskan ports. I have never been to Alaska and have NO idea what I want to see. I do know however I want to be sure to see the most important things, must have locaitons etc., this is why Im posting here to ask for some recommendations. Im not basing my choice off of solely this of course, but I appreciate others opinions, suggestions. I have no idea what "Glacier Preferences" we have. Can you explain that?

Budget Queen mentioned in another thread that she was going away today so she probably won't see your reply for a while.

I don't have the number of visits to Alaska that some others posters here have, but I can assure you that "most important things" and "must have locations" are subjective.

Unless you are prepared to spend far more than 5 to 7 days in Alaska, you will need to do some research and figure out what is important to you and your group, and prioritize.

Every port has a website about the things to do in the port. Maybe start there. Make notes of what sounds interesting to you. Then see how many of those ports any one cruise will take you to.

I can give you a list of what I enjoy doing, but that won't make them important or interesting to you.

Juneau -- Douglas Island beach playing with other people's dogs, whale watch, hanging out in a dive-y bar chatting with the locals

Ketchikan -- totems, walk the town, go to the park, sit on the waterfront chatting with the locals

Skagway -- hiking

Sitka -- St. Michael's Church, the national historic park, otter viewing

Kodiak -- everything

Homer -- the spit, the Fishermen's Memorial

Trust me, my list will NOT be your list, nor should it be. For a first trip to Alaska, perhaps your only trip, your priorities should be very different. :)

The itinerary is far more important than the cruise line or specific ship in Alaska. The primary focus is the scenery and port activities, not the newest ships, best entertainment, best food, etc. as you may look for in the Caribbean.

As others have said, research the ports and find what looks like a "must do" for you. Then find a cruise that spends the most time in those ports. A one-way from Vancouver to Seward / Whittier (or the reverse) will usually give you the most time in those ports.

If glaciers are a priority, try to find an itinerary that includes at least Glacier Bay, and others (Hubbard, Sawyer, etc) if possible. Weather and ice can sometimes cause ships to miss a Glacier stop. Glacier Bay is usually not affected. Holland America, Princess and Norwegian usually offer the most trips to Glacier Bay.

Here are things we have done and enjoyed on our trips:

Vancouver - If possible spend a day or two before or after your cruise here. We enjoyed the Hop-on-Hop off tour that included the city and Stanley Park and a combo trip to Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge.

Ketchikan - Kayaking, walk Creek Street and Married Man's Trail, the fish ladder, Totem Bight, good port for souvenir shopping

Juneau - Tracy Arm small boat excursion (if offered or with Adventure Bound), whale watching, Mendenhall Glacier, Mt Robert's Tram

Skagway - Emerald Lake Bus / Train Combo trip, explore the town

Haines - Rent a car and drive the Haines Hwy, stop at Kroschel Wildlife Center

Sitka - Fortress of the Bear sanctuary, walking tour of town

Icy Strait Point - whale watching with Glacier Winds, walk the trails near the dock, see the restored cannery

Seward - Kenai Fjords cruise ( at least 6 hour tour, longer if possible), Alaska Sealife Center, take the train to Anchorage if your schedule allows

None of those may appeal to you, but it gives you options to look at. There are so many options in Alaska that it can be overwhelming. It can take multiple trips to see just a few of the things you want to see. Research will help you narrow down the priorities for you.

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Thank you all so much for your time in responding to my post. I know it takes time to sit and write all this stuff and I so thankful you did that. I am not a seasoned cruiser. Only been on Carnival and RC once. I rely on assistance from folks like you and my travel agent..and of course my own research. Its just so hard when you dont even know whats there to look for! LOL Thanks again!

Five whole days in Alaska. Why bother!!

DON

Well, I didnt know that. Thats why Im asking here. Sorry, Im not a frequent cruiser . I am here for advice and direction.

1stx- I too am planning my first vacation to Alaska- it is a bit overwhelming:-) hope you have fun!

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Well, I didnt know that. Thats why Im asking here. Sorry, Im not a frequent cruiser . I am here for advice and direction.

Don't pay much attention to snarky comments. There seem to be a lot of very useful comments here. What I've realized over the years on Cruise Critic is that you have to filter the suggestions so that they match as closely to what your question(s) are/were. There's a great ignore feature on Cruise Critic that can make your online experience more enjoyable.

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If money isn't an issue and you are the adventurous kind, check out Un-Cruise Adventures. We saw them while on our HAL cruise in Glacier Bay. They sure got up close and personal with the glaciers--so much more than we were able to do. The ships are smaller, so they are able to go into smaller bays and inlets of the Inside Passage. They are pricier than mainstream cruise lines, but from what I could determine, the passengers get a much more intensive and personal experience on their ships. Wish we could have afforded to go on that.

Of the lines you mentioned, I have only been on Princess, HAL and Disney -- I chose Disney for our Alaska trip as my girls were young then. Given the ages of your traveling companions, you can probably cross Disney off your list (though it was amazing for the type of trip I was doing at the time). Your 17 year old (in June when many other teens are in school) will unlikely love any of those lines unless he happens to find some people his own age that make it interesting (not saying that family can't be interesting)! When my eldest daughter hit her teens, cruising was her most favorite type of trip, but we were traveling during peak times when a lot of other families were onboard. Money-no-object is a foreign concept to me when it comes to cruising, so I would (selfishly) be picking the cruise that had the best food and stateroom comfort. My kids would probably want a ship that was brand new and carried 2000+ passengers! I'm not sure if you will have 3 in your stateroom, but certain ships will have good room layouts for 3, and others won't. It would certainly be something I would look at before choosing a ship. Enjoy your trip.

I've been to Alaska 3 times. Twice on Princess and once on NCL. I had a horrible experience on the Sun as did the other 12 cabins that were travelling with me. Princess does the cruise right, as does Oceania, Celebrity and Holland. Disney is fine, but you're spending twice the money for the same itinerary just for the mouse :halo: I would definitely go by itinerary. For a 7 night cruise you will want to make the most of your time in Alaska so I would look at a ship with 4 stops vs. 3. The glaciers are important too, but don't bank your trip on this as depending on weather or even birthing of seals, the ships could be prohibited. Hubbard glacier is the largest and nice to see. Glacier Bay is very popular. Too bad you cant spend a couple days more because Denali and the Kenai and Seward area are great spots. I believe Celebrity has a northbound/southbound itinerary that touches 4 ports. They also offer very good amenities. The must see, must do in my opinion could be different than yours. Google things to do in Alaska or Alaska Cruises ports of call. That might help you determine. In Juneau it's always my favorite spot for Whale Watching. A combo trip to Mendenhall glacier is also very good. Ketchikan is good for seeing Totem poles or walking the town to see the salmon on Creek Street. Sea Planes are very popular in this area as they offer tours to Misty Fjords. Another popular, but cheesy, thing to do in Ketchikan is the Lumberjack show. In Skagway the most popular is the White Mountain Pass railroad excursions to the Yukon. You can also rent a car and drive the route up to Emerald Lake. Beautiful drive. Salmon bakes are also very popular here. Hope that helps a bit. You'll love Alaska!

PS - If NCL was changing your ship to the Bliss, that wouldn't be bad. It's a brand new ship making it's debut this summer in Alaska, however the itinerary lacks a little for me. It is also a roundtrip out of Seattle which can be cheaper to fly to, but the itineraries will be better if you can do a northbound or southbound cruise.

I remember planning our first cruise to Alaska. It was also our first cruise. It was so much fun researching all the ports. It was difficult to pick excursions, because we wanted to do everything. I never thought we would go back to Alaska after our first trip, but now I am lucky enough to be planning a third trip. My husband passed away almost three years ago, so now I will be enjoying it with my son. We chose the Golden Princess. It worked out well for us. We enjoyed the ship, the ports, and the excursions we chose. In Juneau, my husband went salmon fishing. I did a zipline excursion. My husband was not interested in ziplining, and it was on my bucklist, He enjoyed the fishing trip, and he also got to see lots of eagles and whales. On our second cruise, in Juneau, we went to Mendenhall Glacier. It was beautiful. They have several easy trails to hike. There is also a good visitors center there. We saw several bears up close.

First trip to Skagway, we took the bus to the Yukon. The scenery was beautiful.The driver made lots of photo stops. He also was very knowledgeable on the area. We saw Emerald Lake (beautiful!), Carcross, Carcross Desert, Caribou Crossing, sled dogs, had a good lunch, and got our passports stamped. We also saw some bears on the side of the road. They were eating dandelions. The bus driver told us the dandelions made them a little intoxicated. It was a wonderful day.

In Skagway, on the second cruise, we took a boat to Haines, then got on a bus that took us to a wildlife preserve for a jet boat ride. We had a picnic lunch before starting the boat ride. We saw eagles, and 2 moose, and other wildlife. It was cold and raining on this trip. We got soaked even though we had raingear. On the bus ride back to Haines, there was a huge bear eating salmon in a stream beside the road. The bus driver stopped about 15 minutes for us to get a good look and take pictures. It was an awesome experience, even though the weather was not cooperative. We had a few hours before we had to board the ship. It was still raining and we were already wet, so we did some shopping and went to the Museum in Skagway. It was small, but very well done and enjoyable.

In Ketchikan, our original excursion was cancelled. We went on an excursion called Eagles, Totems, and Lighthouses. We enjoyed it. This was the only day it rained on our first cruise. However, it was a lot of fun. We saw lots of eagles, even young and juvenile eagles. It rains most of the time in KetchiKan.

On our second cruise in Ketchikan, we did not do excursion. We walked around the town and shopped. Creek Street is fun. We even toured Dolly's house.

Victoria was our last stop. First trip, we did the double decker bus tour. That was a lot of fun. The tour guide was great and made the tour very interesting and fun. Victoria is a beautiful city.

On our second cruise we went to a castle. It was beautiful and we enjoyed it.

We did the RT out of Seattle both times, because we have a cousin there. So visited with them before and after the cruise .

My son and I will be cruising to Alaska in June 2019, on the Emerald Princess. He has never been to Alaska. I know he will love it. We are going to spend a couple of days in Seattle. I love the city and I want to show it to him.

This trip I want to see different things, but I also want him to really have fun. He wants to do the Deadliest Catch Tour in Ketchikan, so we are going to do that. It sounds like it will be a lot of fun. In Juneau, we are going to do the Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Watch Tour. I do not mind going to Mendenhall again, and I want to see whales. We never saw whales on the two previous trips to Alaska. Hopefully this will be the time to see them. We have not decided yet what we want to do in Skagway or Victoria.

I am sure you will love your trip no matter what excursions you choose. Alaska is such a magical place. As I think back on planning our first trip, the excursions we chose were sort of like a shot in the dark. We had no clue what to expect from this cruise. Everything we did ended up working out great for us. It also seemed on every excursion, we saw and experienced unexpected things, like watching a huge bear eating salmon up close from the safety of a bus. That was totally unexpected and not a part of the tour. I will remember that experience forever.

Good luck and happy trip planning. Let us know which cruise you choose and which excursions you decide on.

Shellgirl, you shared some great stories. Sympathy on the death of your husband. [emoji22]. I am currently planning my first Alaska trip along with 4 other couples at this time. I am the designated planner and we may add a few more couples before we leave. We are looking at, and very near to booking, NCL Jewel in July 2018. Most of us have cruised the Jewel before, so that will be comfortable for us. I expect I will find a lot of ideas here over the next few months.

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I went to Alaska in 2010 with a friend on the NCL Sun. I did not enjoy the Sun, but the cruise was great. We did the big three stops: Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. I did whale watching and Mendenhall in Juneau, a nature walk in Ketchikan, and White Pass in Skagway. White Pass is considered the "thing to do" in Skagway, and while I did enjoy it, I won't be doing it again on my next trip. A lot of folks recommend the extended trip with the bus/van ride because you get to see more. I did recommend WP to my parents who are in their early 60s.

This time around I will be on Princess, going to the same three stops with a brief interlude in Victoria. We will also see Glacier Bay, which I am pretty enthused about. In Juneau, DH and I are kayaking and playing with sled dogs. I would have liked going whale watching again, but unfortunately the timing doesn't line up with our kayak tour. We could have signed up for a non-Princess sponsored tour, but DH said he'd rather play with puppies. My parents are doing the whale watching and Mendenhall tour. In Ketchikan, we are (hopefully) taking a float plane to Misty Fjords. Despite what my signature says, I actually rebooked my cruise for early September, and weather is iffy at that time, so I hope the plane is still a go the day of! In Skagway, DH and I are rock climbing and rappelling while my parents go on WP. Then we are all doing the Glacier Point wilderness adventure. Here's a video.

I don't know if you are still following this thread, but I will share my choices with you, for what it's worth. We (three ladies 72, 58, 25) started planning our bucket list Alaskan cruise in 2016 and are sailing this May. So I have done a lot of research and asked a lot of questions on Cruise Critic. And I have added and discarded things from my tentative itinerary. And even now we are still debating whether to take a Prince William Sound cruise when we arrive in Whittier.

This is what we have planned:

Fly into Vancouver day before cruise and do some sightseeing there.

Cruise with Princess for 7 days (chosen for the Glacier Bay experience)

See totems in Ketchikan

Whale watching cruise with Harv and Marv's in Juneau

Stroll around town in Skagway (Many people do the train excursion.)

Arrange our on transfer from Whittier to Anchorage, either by motorcoach in the morning or by train in the evening after a half day boat cruise in Prince William Sound.

Pick up rental car in Anchorage and spend the night there.

Drive up to Denali the next day with stops along the way when something catches our eye.

Shuttle bus into Denali National Park on June 1st and June 2nd (going to the Eielson Visitor Center)

Drive back to Anchorage, spend night, fly home.

This may not interest you at all, but this is what my cousin, daughter and I want to see. I will say that from all the research I have done that the one thing I would NOT do is take the land tour that is offered by any of the cruise lines. You can't stop where you want to, you are in a herd, and it's not really cost effective anyway.