Alaska Cruise - First Timer

My husband and I are considering an Alaskan cruise in 2018 and I have several questions - I know some of the answers will be subjective but that's okay - just trying to get people's thoughts. My husband and I are late 50's early 60's - healthy and fairly active and I'm wondering the following:

 

• Would 7 days or 10 days be better and why?
  
• Is there a cruise line that you would recommend for this cruise? We have been on Carnival and Royal - I like both but preferred Royal Caribbean. In saying this, I must also state the RC ships were the larger ones (Freedom and Oasis class);
  
• What month is best for cruising?
  
• Can you use the pools on the ship or is it too chilly?
  
• Is a balcony preferable for this cruise?
  
• Are there excursions that people consider a "must do" - especially beautiful or unusual nature experiences.
  

Thanks in advance for all your help.:hearteyes:

You could do Explorer of the Seas. It's a compact Freedom class, but you'll be limited to 7-days out of Seattle.

 

 

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My husband and I are considering an Alaskan cruise in 2018 and I have several questions - I know some of the answers will be subjective but that's okay - just trying to get people's thoughts. My husband and I are late 50's early 60's - healthy and fairly active and I'm wondering the following:

 

 

• Would 7 days or 10 days be better and why? Do a 10 day cruise with a land portion first
  
• Is there a cruise line that you would recommend for this cruise? We have been on Carnival and Royal - I like both but preferred Royal Caribbean. In saying this, I must also state the RC ships were the larger ones (Freedom and Oasis class); Look at Princess , Celebrity and Holland as well
  
  
• What month is best for cruising? June prefered otherwise May or late August
  
• Can you use the pools on the ship or is it too chilly? Yes the pools are ope
  
• Is a balcony preferable for this cruise? Depends on your budget
  
• Are there excursions that people consider a "must do" - especially beautiful or unusual nature experiences. I always like the White Pass train in Skagway.
  

Thanks in advance for all your help.:hearteyes:

I would look at your budget and time you have . Cruises that start in Alaska end in Vancouver. Consider the extra cost and time to fly to Anchorage or Fairbanks.

You can do 7 day roundtrip cruises from Seattle or a 10 day from San Francisco

 

• Is there a cruise line that you would recommend for this cruise? We have been on Carnival and Royal - I like both but preferred Royal Caribbean. In saying this, I must also state the RC ships were the larger ones (Freedom and Oasis class);
  
• What month is best for cruising?
  

Thought....

• part of the Alaskan magic is the meet a glacier. Holland America and Princess ships offers the most sailings to fit your schedule to see Glacier Bay.
  
• Holland America offers a Yukon Denali option where you can travel between Skagway and Anchorage without a boat.
  

Month wise.... Cold vs warm vs wet vs dry vs wildlife vs fireworks vs price

• May and September is cheaper, but colder and some excursions are not running. Some like these months as you can do back 2 back cruise getting to/from Alaska.
  
• May can mean ice congestion to some glacier viewing sites like Tracy Arm/Sawyer. Ice in some years can go into July! In 2016.... it was mid-August before ships went to Tracy Arm.
  
• May has cherry blossoms in some ports
  
• May to July is dryer in Alaska, August will see more rain and September will be wettest. If too stormy to dock.... cruise ships will skip the port.
  
• July to August will be dryer in Cascadia
  May to August will give you more day light
  
• August and September offer better wildlife opportunities with bears and salmon
  
• August starts to get statistically wet.... with storms more likely in September to fill the Ketchikan rain gauge
  
• I like late-July for weather compromise and wildlife. It's also priced higher. Check out the climate chart on this page... http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/juneau/alaska/united-states/usak0116
  
• some ports offer seasonal opportunities like fireworks and pride celebrations, but can also mean congestion on those popular days.
  
• http://www.alaska.org/advice/best-time-to-visit-alaska => it recommends mid-June to mid-July!
  
• http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2667
  

You could do Explorer of the Seas. It's a compact Freedom class, but you'll be limited to 7-days out of Seattle.

 

 

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This cruise has one of the worst itineraries in Alaska.

 

Definitely look at the itineraries and look beyond what you are used to if you want to see Alaska. Sometimes 10 day cruises don't give you any more ports then 7 day cruises.

This cruise has one of the worst itineraries in Alaska.

I had no idea what you were referring to until I dug into it myself. For starters, one less port than other itineraries. Then, a day cruising Tracy Arm (which often is so clogged that a lesser choice has to be substituted) instead of Glacier Bay. This itinerary does afford passengers much more time in Victoria than most other Alaska itineraries. Of course, I'm not sure what a visit to Victoria has to do with an Alaska cruise, but that's just me.

 

If the alternative has to be Carnival, then if it were me I would check into Carnival Legend, and choose one of its itineraries that include Glacier Bay (May 15, May 22, August 28).

I had no idea what you were referring to until I dug into it myself. For starters, one less port than other itineraries. Then, a day cruising Tracy Arm (which often is so clogged that a lesser choice has to be substituted) instead of Glacier Bay. This itinerary does afford passengers much more time in Victoria than most other Alaska itineraries. Of course, I'm not sure what a visit to Victoria has to do with an Alaska cruise, but that's just me.

 

If the alternative has to be Carnival, then if it were me I would check into Carnival Legend, and choose one of its itineraries that include Glacier Bay (May 15, May 22, August 28).

 

And their times in Juneau are not good. Someone else posted how difficult it is to try to get 2 excursions in that day that they want to do and would be able to do if they docked in the morning but struggled with their port times. This really is a bad itinerary. I guess it is for those who don't want to see Alaska but want to see the ship.

I guess it is for those who don't want to see Alaska but want to see the ship.

Or, at least, the (large size of the) ship matters more than seeing Alaska. I believe EOTS is the largest ship offering Alaska itineraries. I think these are the largest ships of each mainstream mass market cruise line that are visiting Alaska this year:

 

EOTS 138K GT

Celebrity Solstice 121K GT

Emerald Princess 114K GT

Norwegian Jewel/Pearl 94K GT

Carnival Legend 89K GT

Nieuw Amsterdam 87K GT

Disney Wonder 83K GT

Good morning-

 

IMPO- Cruising to Alaska on a smaller ship is best. Alaska itself is the destination. With less people on board you can embark and disembark faster at each stop. This means more time to explore. Some tips from experience.

•Select a ship that has a lot of glass in it's lounges. That way you are always looking at the scenery. There is less than 4-5 hours of night during summer months. We found ourselves hiking on the Iditarod @1am.

•IMO - One way from Vancouver is the best way to get up to Seward and really see Alaska.

• Adding a land tour is ideal.

•Some ports you will have to go past the tourist shops to get to the real Alaska. Talk to locals and forest rangers. They have the real scoop.

•Go for a hike and get away from the crowds. That is where you will find animals in their environment.

•Take a kayak into the bays. We saw large variety of fish and other sea life.

 

Have fun!

 

http://www.goneawayagain.com

Edited July 30, 2017 by frenchcanrican

Good morning-

 

IMPO- Cruising to Alaska on a smaller ship is best. Alaska itself is the destination. With less people on board you can embark and disembark faster at each stop. This means more time to explore. Some tips from experience.

•Select a ship that has a lot of glass in it's lounges. That way you are always looking at the scenery. There is less than 4-5 hours of night during summer months.

•One way from Vancouver or Seattle are the best way to get up to Seward and really see Alaska.

• Adding a land tour is ideal.

•Some ports you will have to go past the tourist shops to get to the real Alaska. Talk to locals and forest rangers. They have the real scoop.

•Go for a hike and get away from the crowds. That is where you will find animals in their environment.

•Take a kayak in to the bays. We saw a large variety of fish and other sea life.

 

Have fun!

 

 

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Cruises fro Seattle don't go to Seward one way. Seattle to seward is against American Law. My preference would be . Fly to Anchorage and take a the cruise lines land tour. (Alaska is an expensive place especially in tourist season.)

Cruise to Vancouver on the line of your choice. Keep in mind that some cruise lines use Whittier instead of Seward.

Cruises fro Seattle don't go to Seward one way. Seattle to seward is against American Law. My preference would be . Fly to Anchorage and take a the cruise lines land tour. (Alaska is an expensive place especially in tourist season.)

 

Cruise to Vancouver on the line of your choice. Keep in mind that some cruise lines use Whittier instead of Seward.

 

 

 

Fixed. My bad.

 

 

http://www.goneawayagain.com

We opted for the ocean view window for the following reasons:

1) for our family of 4 it was a huge price difference. My husband cannot sit still and watch and with 2 children they can sit but for how long??? So we opted for the Ocean View where we can still look out in the morning, but especially sailing into Juneau for whale watching and Glacier Bay we loved being out on the top deck with a pod and blankets.

2) Out in the open decks you can hear the naturalist talks over the PA (they are not fed into the cabins), we were able to move easier from one side to the other and with others nearby you could see more (as in you can hear people say "oh look over there" etc)

Given the chance to go back to Alaska, I would Ocean View again. If your decision came down to having an expensive shore excursion (helicopter on the glacier, bear/whale watching etc) or a balcony, I would go the ocean view and great excursions.

 

We sailed on the Carnival Legend on her last cruise for the season last year (4th Sept). Now if you are worried about kids, this is the time to go as there was a total of 32 chn from 0-17 on board.

 

Pools were swimable (is that a word??) and water slides if that is what you want were open.

 

Juneau was raining, but not bucketing down, and same with Skagway. Didn't bother us as we were white water rafting in Juneau, thus wet and Skagway we were pretty much undercover for most of the tour. The rest of the days were magnificent.

 

I would have loved to have done a longer one, or a land then cruise, but time and money prevented us. We were already at day 80 in the US and only had 10 days left before we were given the boot!

My husband and I are considering an Alaskan cruise in 2018 and I have several questions - I know some of the answers will be subjective but that's okay - just trying to get people's thoughts. My husband and I are late 50's early 60's - healthy and fairly active and I'm wondering the following:

• Would 7 days or 10 days be better and why? We just finished 7 days on land and 7 days on a southbound cruise from Seward to Vancouver. 14 days was not enough. We felt we needed one more day in each town we visited. With that being said, if you can afford more than 10 days, I recommend that. If 7 or 10 days are your only choices, I would definitely chose 10.
  
• Is there a cruise line that you would recommend for this cruise? We have been on Carnival and Royal - I like both but preferred Royal Caribbean. In saying this, I must also state the RC ships were the larger ones (Freedom and Oasis class);
  
• What month is best for cruising? I don't know if there is a best month, there are so many variables such as weather and when wildlife is more prevalent. We were there in June. The weather was everywhere from 55 degrees to 80 degrees. We had warm, sunny days,cool, rainy days and everything in between.
  
• Can you use the pools on the ship or is it too chilly? The pools are heated (slightly) so yes you can use them although we didn't see many people in them on our cruise this year.
  
• Is a balcony preferable for this cruise? If money is no object, then yes, I would have a balcony to be able to see some of the sights. We had a balcony but honestly, I hardly ever used it for sightseeing. If there were things to see, I wanted to be on one of the upper decks to be able to move around for better views.
  
• Are there excursions that people consider a "must do" - especially beautiful or unusual nature experiences. Depending on where you spend time on land, I highly recommend a flightseeing tour of Denali with a glacier landing. That was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
  

Thanks in advance for all your help.:hearteyes:

 

Here is a link to my review from our trip this year.

My husband and I are considering an Alaskan cruise in 2018 and I have several questions - I know some of the answers will be subjective but that's okay - just trying to get people's thoughts. My husband and I are late 50's early 60's - healthy and fairly active and I'm wondering the following:

 

 

 

 

 

• Would 7 days or 10 days be better and why? We've done the 10 day from San Francisco a few times. You get more sea days, and also Astoria. After two times in Astoria & 2 ship tours, it's one to skip. HAL also has a 14 day that is round trip from Seattle and goes up to Anchorage plus a few more ports. It's on our bucket list.
  
• Is there a cruise line that you would recommend for this cruise? We have been on Carnival and Royal - I like both but preferred Royal Caribbean. In saying this, I must also state the RC ships were the larger ones (Freedom and Oasis class); For cruisetours, I'd say Princess. It takes you to Glacier Bay and College Fjord. Also docks in Whittier, which has a nice cloth tunnel to the train when we did it in 2010. Really hated Seward. No real terminal, and no gangplank from terminal to ship. Embarkers had to drag this suitcases in the rain and wind.
  
• What month is best for cruising? We've done May, July, August/September. July was 30% more expensive, and we had too many kids. Took a Resurrection Bay tour in Seward which had a boat filled with screaming kids. Both May and August/September can be colder, but we've also had 85°F in Juneau in May, and 52° in Skagway in July, so you never know.
  
• Can you use the pools on the ship or is it too chilly?
  
• Is a balcony preferable for this cruise? Yes! Yes! We've done an Inside, Oceanview and Junior Suite, and it's definitely better to have that balcony. You're not competing w/ everyone else for camera spots. But don't worry, not being able to afford a balcony isn't a reason to skip Alaska. We still had a great time with our inside stateroom.
  
  
• Are there excursions that people consider a "must do" - especially beautiful or unusual nature experiences. A Tour w/ the White Pass & Yukon Railroad in Skagway. We did the legacy car on our last train ride in Skagway, and loved the swivel seats. Butchard Gardens - Victoria, Misty Fjords & Wilderness Exploration Boat Ride in Ketchikan, Juneau Photo Tour (Safari) in Juneau. On our first cruise, money was tight, and we did the White Pass Railroad, and did cheaper tours the other ports.
  
  

Thanks in advance for all your help.:hearteyes:

If you're interested in adding your own land, I'd suggest the Rocky Mountaineer train ride. We had several people in our train car that took the train, then boarded our ship. Rocky Mountaineer doesn't have sleeper cars. We stopped in Kamloops overnight, so we got to see all the beautiful scenery between Calgary and Vancouver. I hear the rail tours through the cruise lines have sleeper cars.

 

If you sail out of Vancouver, I'd suggest the Pan Pacific Vancouver. They collect your luggage directly from your room and take it to the ship. Definitely, one less headache during embarkation. We also strolled to the convention center then onto the ship. So, no taxis from hotel to ship.

 

In Vancouver, you'll do US immigration before you board the ship. You also do immigration when you fly out of Vancouver to the US. When entering Canada, you had to declare anything over $60CAD in gifts.

Edited July 30, 2017 by knittinggirl

My husband and I are considering an Alaskan cruise in 2018 and I have several questions - I know some of the answers will be subjective but that's okay - just trying to get people's thoughts. My husband and I are late 50's early 60's - healthy and fairly active and I'm wondering the following:

 

• Would 7 days or 10 days be better and why?
  
• Is there a cruise line that you would recommend for this cruise? We have been on Carnival and Royal - I like both but preferred Royal Caribbean. In saying this, I must also state the RC ships were the larger ones (Freedom and Oasis class); I would recommend trying either Princess or Holland America - both have long history of cruising in Alaska, both cater to a slightly older crowd, have great service and food.
  
• What month is best for cruising?
  
• Can you use the pools on the ship or is it too chilly? I think you will find them a bit chilly. We saw very few people in the pools on our cruise.
  

• Is a balcony preferable for this cruise? I would recommend a balcony. Yes, you might want to be up on deck for the major scenic cruising, but we saw so much from our balcony at the times when we were in the cabin (getting ready or just chilling). If you can afford the balcony do it.
  
• Are there excursions that people consider a "must do" - especially beautiful or unusual nature experiences. We loved the whale watching excursion from Juneau. The White Pass train from Skagway has beautiful scenery.
  

Thanks in advance for all your help.:hearteyes:

 

 

My views in red. Whatever you decide, have a great Alaskan cruise.

I've been to Alaska 6-7 times now and remember being overwhelmed trying to plan the first trip. I read these boards, checked out books from the library, "cruised" the Internet, and kept a matrix with each ship I was interested in, the ports they stopped in, and the times of the port stays. For that first trip I chose Carnival Legend because it left from Vancouver and stopped in Sitka, but I had to trade Glacier Bay for College Fjord. Since then we've cruised mainly Princess from Seattle and San Francisco. The ship is of less importance for an Alaskan cruise - the itinerary usually determines who you decide on. I would not recommend a round trip cruise for your first time, although if finances are tight, airfare is usually cheaper with a round trip. Our first trip was two weeks on land and sea - we started in Victoria for a few days, then Vancouver, the cruise, Seward, Anchorage, Denali, and Fairbanks. We were hooked! We did the land portion on our own. Since then we've done land only, cruise only, one way and round trip. Alaska is so vast, you can return multiple times and never do the same thing twice.

 

The best advice I can give is be clear on what's important to you, read, read, read, and expect to return to do those things you couldn't on the first trip!

Cruises fro Seattle don't go to Seward one way. Seattle to seward is against American Law.

 

Which American law prohibits cruising from Seattle to Seward?

Which American law prohibits cruising from Seattle to Seward?

 

PVSA for foreign flagged ships. The small USA based ships can do it.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886

PVSA for foreign flagged ships. The small USA based ships can do it.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886

 

 

Thanks. I thought a specific law preventing Seattle and Seward trips. Closed loop trips are offered between Seattle and Seward with at least 1 required Canadian stop,

Thanks. I thought a specific law preventing Seattle and Seward trips. Closed loop trips are offered between Seattle and Seward with at least 1 required Canadian stop,

 

It is the same law that affects the East Coast and Caribbean cruises as well.

It is the same law that affects the East Coast and Caribbean cruises as well.

 

 

I realize that closed loop trips are required but the statement was worded with a prohibition between Seattle to Seward. I was wondering if there was some strange northwest law similar to the infamous Wright Amendment which regulated Dallas Love Field. My relatives who live in Texas were not even aware of the amendment.

My husband and I are considering an Alaskan cruise in 2018 and I have several questions - I know some of the answers will be subjective but that's okay - just trying to get people's thoughts. My husband and I are late 50's early 60's - healthy and fairly active and I'm wondering the following:

 

 

 

• 
   
  
• Would 7 days or 10 days be better and why?
   
  
• Is there a cruise line that you would recommend for this cruise? We have been on Carnival and Royal - I like both but preferred Royal Caribbean. In saying this, I must also state the RC ships were the larger ones (Freedom and Oasis class);
   
  
• What month is best for cruising?
   
  
• Can you use the pools on the ship or is it too chilly?
   
  
• Is a balcony preferable for this cruise?
   
  
• Are there excursions that people consider a "must do" - especially beautiful or unusual nature experiences.
   
  

Thanks in advance for all your help.:hearteyes:

 

 

 

We've done many AK cruises and we feel HAL's 14-day Seattle RT itinerary is the very best. Small, well maintained ships, GREAT food. Several ports that NO other cruise lines (except boutique lines) go to. Port in Anchorage (not Seward or Whittier) for all day. Just a great trip. As for cabins, we've decided that balconies aren't worth it because it's often too cool to enjoy them. But we're the type that uses the cabin only for changing and sleeping, so that may not fit your tastes. I recommend the White Pass train if you go to Skagway and float plane over Misty Fjords. If you're a hiker, there are wonderful trails to explore at every stop. Above all, take binoculars and enjoy the magnificent views!

 

 

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On our next Alaska trip, we're boarding in San Diego, going to Vancouver, spending a night in Vancouver at the Pan Pacific Vancouver, then boarding a new ship and finishing in Seattle. We can fly Southwest both ways.

Forgot to mention for camera enthusiasts, take a really long lens. My 12-100mm (2x crop factor) wasn't long enough for Hubbard. On the way back, I took my 75-300mm (like 150-600mm), onto my balcony which did the trick.

You have received some very good information here. Alaska is our destination of choice, as we live in the Pacific Northwest. Our 11th trip is coming this Friday. In my travel blog, I have many posts about Alaska...ports, excursion, glaciers, packing list, etc. If you can work it into your budget and timeframe, I would recommend a one way either northbound or southbound. If not, try for a RT from Vancouver....you will have better options for glaciers. Seattle is the easiest to sail from. Check out my blog.....http://www.zest4travel.wordpress.com. You might find some helpful information. Enjoy your planning!