Anyone Going to Alaska Soon - For the First Time?

[huggs]

Headed on my second cruise - to Alaska for the first time! There are a lot of moving parts - flying from Detroit, layover in Toronto, landing in Vancouver. Spending a night in Vancouver before embarking. Lots of planning for independent tours and car rentals at all ports. A long day in Anchorage at the end of the cruise, with the flight home leaving at 11:57pm, a layover in Denver and finally arriving in Detroit at 3pm the next day.

Starting to get anxious about all of the planning and keeping it all together!

 

How exciting for you. On the saving $ tips board there are some folks that have posted tips for organizing that also helps with saving ...some talk about ...here is the link to the board.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1784268

 

One laminates her travel information, another has a spread sheet. I thought the idea of laminating some of your travel info and copy of travel docs is an awesome idea to help keep tidy and handy.

I hope you have a wonderful trip.

[Dawn1004]

Enjoy Alaska, it is beautiful, completely different to any other cruise I think.

 

We were always only ever going once - you know, the trip of a lifetime. But we loved it so much, we pretty much decided on last day of first cruise that we'd be returning.

 

we're organising our 2nd Alaskan cruise for 2015. We'll be away for about 6 weeks all up, visiting Disneyland, Niagara Falls Canada side, some time in Vancouver, Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper. After cruise we're going up to Anchorage, Denali Wilderness Park, Girdwood.

 

This time round we'll self drive quite a bit on our pre and post cruise tours, last time we didn't dare drive in the USA, but think this time round we'll be right ( although we won't be driving around Los Angelas!).

 

We're flying in from Western Australia.

[Cairobat]

Husband and I are going to Alaska on the Grand Princess in two weeks. It's our first cruise and I could not be more excited!!

[Rina155]

Husband and I are going to Alaska on the Grand Princess in two weeks. It's our first cruise and I could not be more excited!!

 

 

Have a wonderful trip! I always thought I wouldn't enjoy an Alaskan Cruise, but my parents wanted that for their 60th wedding anniversary. So we all went and oh my I believe it has been one of my favorite trips, and now am headed back this summer for a second time!

 

 

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[Texas_cherbear]

woohoo 1st cruise ever and 1st cruise to Alaska week after next. Won't be my last either. So lolling forward to the trip and some great photography subjects. :) Soloing it all the way :)

 

 

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[Rose40thanni]

Wow can't wait to hear about it....that is my next adventure for 2015...

 

 

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[Texas_cherbear]

I leave Houston thurs for Seattle sail away is Friday on Celebrity Solstice. beyond thrilled. :)

 

 

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[JimS4210]

First cruise ever! Headed to Vancouver on June 20th. Boarding the Norwegian Sun on the 23rd. Been planning and re-planning for the past 6 months. Finally have a nice itinerary planned. A few days in Vancouver pre-cruise, then a 7 day NB cruise that disembarks in Whittier. We'll spend 3 nights in Seward, 1 night somewhere en route to Denali, and 3 nights in Denali! Got reservations booked, car booked, excursions booked, ready to go!

 

As the OP said, there are a lot of moving parts, but I'm a planner and like the little details so planning made the time go quicker.

 

37 days and we'll be on a plane to Vancouver!

 

Jim

[sally flower]

iam going on the 18 to 25 th to seattle:)

[sally flower]

iam going on the 18 to 25 th to seattle:) this is may 18 -25 any one on this cruise

[Mytime2014]

5th cruise -- 1st Alaska - started packing and not leaving for 24 days -

 

Oosterdam Vancouver 5/25 crazy excited now

 

 

have a roll call going on the Holland Oosterdam site -- check it out if you are on this cruise

 

That's my birthday!!! so lift a glass/cup/mug for me....I'll be along on July 5th on the Westerdam. Suitcase is still in the closet, but the list of thing to take is growing

[Mytime2014]

Our first Alaskan cruise is in August. :)

 

We fly from Houston to Vancouver where we will spend four nights prior to boarding Radiance of the Sea. Two weeks of DIY land travel after the cruise and then fly from Anchorage back to Texas.

 

All of the plans and reservations have been complete for several months. No car rentals except for Denali, we are using Alaska rail for everywhere else.

 

Sorry to threadjack - but if you come back to this thread....I'm in San Antonio and if this 1st cruise goes well on HAL, I may want to look at cruises in the fall or winter from Houston or Galveston....any recommendation? for ship or boards to look for reliable info?

[SPacificbound]

Sorry to threadjack - but if you come back to this thread....I'm in San Antonio and if this 1st cruise goes well on HAL, I may want to look at cruises in the fall or winter from Houston or Galveston....any recommendation? for ship or boards to look for reliable info?

 

Hi from Houston! Sorry, I have no recommendations for you on Galveston or Houston cruises. We have never taken one and probably never will. We have done so many fly/land trips to the Caribbean we just don't have any interest.

 

I hope you have a wonderful time in Alaska! :)

[BCRose]

First cruise, first time to Alaska:) in late July. I have been wanting to do this for YEARS! But life and work always hijacked my plans.

 

But unlike all you folks coming from far afield, I just need to hop on sky train and head to the port. One of the reasons why this was the year for Alaska, I only had one vacation week available, and I didn't want to spend anytime traveling to any destination.

 

I am a hobby naturalist and probably will have my binoculars permanently attached to my face, along with DH which will have his camera permanently attached to his (he just bought another lens, specially for this trip) :rolleyes:.

 

We will be traveling with our youngest, our 16 year old daughter who will be turning 17 on the cruise!

[amyhough]

My husband and I will be cruising to Alaska to celebrate our 10th anniversary. We will be on the ship in 16 days. We are both so excited we can hardly stand it. I'm even having to keep myself from packing up all my stuff for the trip at this very minute!

[lizzie_m]

1st cruise EVER. Radiance leaving Seward on July 4. 4 day land tour before that. Hope I know what I'm doing with the pre-planning.