Thoughts on an Alaska Cruise from someone not into animals or nature!

[disneyfan1313]

I know that I can't be the only crazy person who booked an Alaska Cruise who has no interest at all in "nature" or seeing wildlife! Crazy, I know. :) I thought I would put together some of my thoughts on the ports and the overall experience to hopefully quell some anxiety of someone who thinks they are in for 7 days of boredom.

 

First of all - a little background on me. I'm a mid-30s professional and a DINK who has been on 20+ cruises on all major lines. Outside of 1 trans-atlantic and 1 Italy cruise they have all been various Caribbean or Mexican Rivera itineraries. We booked an Alaska cruise to try something different and also because a group of our friends were going who we love to travel with. I had been doing quite a bit of research in advance and was pretty stressed out about what to do in each port. Having no interest in animals or nature (give me a big city any time!) leaves most of the shore excursions out of the picture and the high prices of most of the excursions made it risky to try something that we may or may not have any interest in. The TL;DR is that we had a *great* time and made it enjoyable to us by finding some different things to do. Finding interesting restaurants and Geocaching (look it up if you are not familiar!) in each port really helped along with having a ship with great activities to enjoy when you got bored of looking at the mountains!

 

This review isn't about the ship and I won't talk about activities on board since this is the Alaska board. But just as an FYI - we sailed on the Radiance of the Seas doing a 7d Northbound Inside Passage leaving from Vancouver and ending in Seward.

 

Vancouver - AMAZING! We absolutely loved this city and wish we had more than two days to explore. It had a very european feel mixed with the best parts of Seattle. If you are a "city" person, and your cruise leaves out of here I would highly recommend that you have an extra day or two to explore.

 

Day 1 - Cruising Inside Passage - I have to admit, even though spending time in the wilderness is at the bottom of my "bucket list" - this was beautiful scenery. Admittedly it did get a little old after an hour or two and especially after I realized it was what I would be seeing for the next 7 days. This is where having a ship with great activities comes into play. It was nice to be able to glance outside occasionally while enjoying the ship herself.

 

Day 2 Ketchikan - I think the first thing that caught me off guard (even though I knew from reading about it in advance) was how similar to Caribbean ports these Alaska ports really were. Look - a Del Sol, a Diamonds International and a crew internet cafe! That being said, this was probably the most "authentic" of the ports that we went to so it was fun to explore some of the back streets, etc. We did the lumberjack show (I know... very touristy) but it was actually really fun. Worth the cost and had lunch at a great seafood place right next door. This was definitely a tough port to find something to do at since the excursions here were all "outdoorsey" - but we had a great time exploring the town and our friends (who are also not particularly outdoorsey either ) really loved the deadliest catch excursion.

 

Day 3 - Icy Strait Point - Or "Labadee in Alaska"! I have to admit that I was pretty shocked how "Labadee" like this port was - and that isn't a bad thing! We actually enjoyed the nature trail and walking around the complex quite a bit without feeling out of our comfort zone. Plus... mini donuts with maple dipping sauce rock! Our friends did the zip-rider and enjoyed it as well - but the cost was a bit high compared to other zip-lines that we have done in other parts of the world. We decided to take the long walk to Hoonah and I am VERY glad we did. Very nice walk - safe with sidewalks the whole time - and a small and somewhat authentic town to walk around at the end.

 

Day 4 - Juneau - This was probably our biggest disappointment. We decided to do the very touristy (but fun) Red Dog Saloon for lunch. Followed up with the bus ride to the glacier (no spiel - $10 per person each way). The glacier was very impressive and worth the trip even to a person like me. The rest of the town just didn't do it for us and didn't seem to have a ton of culture when we walked around - plus lots of angry locals, angry bus drivers to and from the glacier, etc.

 

Day 5 - Skagway - We booked a Daya Dave tour to Emerald lake that also took us to the top of the pass, etc. We went for this tour because I had read it would be focused more on culture and history (gold rush facts, etc) and less on "lets look for a goat 100 yards away". We actually ended up loving this tour and thought it was a perfect blend of history/culture with a little bit of nature thrown in. Plus we got to see snow - which was awesome for us Floridians. :)

 

Day 6 - Cruising the Hubbard Glacier - First of all, I am not a morning person - so having to wake up at 8am to see this glacier already didn't put me in the best of moods. But to be honest, after seeing the Mendinhal glacier in Juno - this was a bit of a disappointment. It was interesting in a "let me take a few photos and go back inside where it is warm" kind of way - but I probably wouldn't wake up early for it next time. The Mendinhal is much prettier and scenic IMHO.

 

Day 7 - Seward! - We had the late (6pm) train booked so we had the whole day to explore Seward. We are actually very glad we did this - we ended up loving Seward. Not touristy at all, beautiful to walk along the water where all the campsites are - the town also had some awesome Geocaches, great coffee houses and great restaurants. Easy to blow 8 hours in this town.

 

Train to Anchorage - this was the highlight of our trip by far. So much fun to see the changing landscape in a comfortable environment. We decided to spend the extra money to do "Gold Star" class and we are VERY glad we did. I commented in one of the other threads but the difference is night and day and worth the extra expense. Taking that train was a good way to summarize all the different landscapes you saw during the cruise in 3 hours - frankly you could do that and skip the cruise.. ;)

 

Anchorage - we had an extra day in Anchorage after the cruise. While Anchorage was "nice" it definitely feels like a small town that wants to be a big city. Not a ton to do - especially after hours. Some good restaurants - but nothing outstanding. Few tours that aren't nature oriented - although we enjoyed the trolly ride that took us out to Earthquake park. And the weekend summer market was fun as well - but much smaller and less variety than markets you see in other cities. Overall we had an OK time in Anchorage - but would probably skip the extra day next time.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions - and to you non-nature people out there like me... try an Alaska Cruise - you will find something to enjoy if you look!

[oaktreerb]

Interesting comments from a disneyfan 1313. I have always considered Alaska "Disneyland for Adults". You missed a lot.

[PandRBarry]

Actually, you might be the only one!!! Lol

[katrina915]

I don't mean to be insulting, but I can't figure out why someone would go to Alaska if they aren't into nature and animals and scenery.

 

I haven't been to Alaska in 10 years and I am disappointed to hear that it is like the Carribean ports with DI, etc. Glad that I booked excursions away from port in July so I can see the Alaska that I fell in love with 20 yrs ago.

[BrusselsGirl07]

Interesting review! We are the opposite of you and very much into nature, animals and scenery, so really looking forward to our Alaska adventure. Our itinerary is packed with tours to see animals and nature!

 

Can you let me know how long the walk from ISP to Hoonah was? And where you bought the mini donuts from, they sound delicious!

 

Thanks! Yvette

[disneyfan1313]

BrusselsGirl07 - The walk took us about 45 minutes to get into the "heart" of Hoonah. That was at a pretty leisurely pace with some photo stops however. The mini donut place is as you are headed out of the "compound" of ISP. You can't miss it.

 

katrina915 - Because it is a life experience... that's why! If we only did things we enjoy and are comfortable with, life would be pretty boring. :)

 

oaktreerb - I don't think we missed anything at all actually! We had a great selection of experiences that I think encompasses what an Alaskan cruise is about.

Edited June 1, 2014 by disneyfan1313

[mapleleaves]

it's an interesting perspective and I appreciate that you took the time to write a brief report. Alaska isn't for everyone so it's pretty surprising that a person who isn't into nature and wildlife would even consider it. Good on you for making the effort !!

Isn't Vancouver fabulous !! What a great city.

[cigarboo]

Thank you for posting your review from a non nature/animal lover perspective. I can relate to it and it's so refreshing to read a report like this. Seeing this is an alaska cruise board, I think most people who hang out here do very much enjoy nature, so most reviews are coming from that view.

 

I'm going to be cruising end of July and admittedly, I'm probably not what most would consider a nature enthusiast. Sometimes people like me end up in alaska because of other people, or curiosity, change of scenery, convenience. If I had not moved from a cold place to florida, it probably would not have crossed my mind to go to alsaka. I'm a hot weather gal, but I can only take so much of gorgeous beaches and Caribbean ports, so that's 1 way a non nature person can end up doing an Alaskan cruise.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm so excited about going, which is why I've been reading reviews and visiting this forum everyday. However, I think I would be ok just scratching the surface of alaska. If I find that I want more, I would come back for a land tour.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I appreciate your review. While I enjoy a beautiful view, staring at glacier after glacier seems to me like it's going to be pretty darn boring. That, combined with the cold temps, is why we haven't booked an Alaska cruise in the 30+ cruises we've done so far.

 

We leave soon and we're doing a lot of activities and seeing all we can in a week but frankly, neither one of us are that excited about going. I hope we come back completely thrilled with AK but I'm not counting on it. We're just not that "into" nature either. :cool: Thanks for the review. It's good to know there are others that feel the way we do.

[Nancyquilts]

I don't mean to be insulting, but I can't figure out why someone would go to Alaska if they aren't into nature and animals and scenery.

 

I haven't been to Alaska in 10 years and I am disappointed to hear that it is like the Carribean ports with DI, etc. Glad that I booked excursions away from port in July so I can see the Alaska that I fell in love with 20 yrs ago.

 

Those shops are easy to ignore.:D

[Chenega]

As a long time geography teacher who has lived in Alaska for forty-two years, I am never bored by glaciers since they teach you a lot about the planet on which we live and the forces that shape it.

 

Watching a glacier calve into the waters of a deep fjord and the subsequent rocking of the 100 passenger tour boat you are in can truly be a humbling experience. Add to it the shaking of the earth, viewing the tallest mountain in North America or watching the shimmering lights of the aurora borealis and one can truly respect for our natural world.

 

By the way, the picture is a glacier in Blackstone Bay in Prince William Sound whose face/terminus is the height of a 14 story building; an equal amount goes under the water. Something to think about ;)

Edited June 2, 2014 by Chenega

[katrina915]

As a long time geography teacher who has lived in Alaska for forty-two years, I am never bored by glaciers since they teach you a lot about the planet on which we live and the forces that shape it.

 

Watching a glacier calve into the waters of a deep fjord and the subsequent rocking of the 100 passenger tour boat you are in can truly be a humbling experience. Add to it the shaking of the earth, viewing the tallest mountain in North America or watching the shimmering lights of the aurora borealis and one can truly respect for our natural world.

 

By the way, the picture is a glacier in Blackstone Bay in Prince William Sound whose face/terminus is the height of a 14 story building; an equal amount goes under the water. Something to think about ;)

 

I agree with not ever getting bored with scenery, nature, etc.

 

That's why I am flabbergasted that someone would pay good money to go to Alaska if they aren't interested in these things. To each his own, I guess. Maybe that's why it was much more crowded when I went 10 years ago from the first time I went.

[donaldsc]

deleted

Edited June 2, 2014 by donaldsc

[DrivesLikeMario]

I think it's good to try everything once and that's why we're going. People can go on for ages about how fantastic the glaciers are, how incredible etc., but to us, it's very hard to imagine it being interesting. We hope to be proved wrong soon. ;)

[DaKa2002]

Sounds like a lot of folks miss the museums, and many other unique features in Alaska. Agreed, the nature, scenery, and animals can be terrific. A cruise is only the tip of the iceberg for Alaska!

[mlkmnsgrl]

See, I think this is just the type of review we need on cc. A cross section of all different vacation styles. We are cruising Alaska in 2 weeks. Not the rugged adventure types, but very much the scenery and history/culture types so it's very fitting. And we are also going with the Dyea Dave tour.

 

What I can't figure out is what all you 30-time cruisers do in the Caribbean...but we're decidedly not beach ppl and it seems like even the shore excursions are sand, sand, sand. :D So if we love cruising, where else do we go without having to mortgage the house for Europe?! :confused:

[Mytime2014]

I don't mean to be insulting, but I can't figure out why someone would go to Alaska if they aren't into nature and animals and scenery.

 

I haven't been to Alaska in 10 years and I am disappointed to hear that it is like the Carribean ports with DI, etc. Glad that I booked excursions away from port in July so I can see the Alaska that I fell in love with 20 yrs ago.

 

I'm planning a Caribbean cruise and I don't enjoy beaches, except for walking along the edge of the water at sunset. I want the relaxing sea days and to explore some things other than the beach. IMO its cool that someone who wasn't into one aspect was willing and [mostly] able to do something different - and not insist on their way or no way!!!

[mapleleaves]

So if we love cruising, where else do we go without having to mortgage the house for Europe?! :confused:

 

we did a RT cruise out of Venice and I thought it was pretty reasonable, maybe $699 pp. I reserved the cabin about 9-10 months in advance. I think excursions can put you over the top so we did DIY at each port, stayed 3 nites in Venice for just under $200 a nite (w b'fast), used the bus for transfers since we travel lite. I've travelled frequently overseas so I watch airfares but generally find best prices in Jan. Planning DIY overseas is a little more work, but it was fun to do the research.

Repositioning cruises can be a great deal. Oct is still nice in Europe, less crowds, lower hotel rates, lower airfare.

Edited June 2, 2014 by mapleleaves

[kittercat85]

I was excited to see you mention geocaching, as I'm an avid cacher myself. I am into the animals and nature, but I of course can't pass up the chance to do caching in Alaska!!

 

I will also be in Juneau and Ketchikan - any must do caches out that way that we should try and hit? Thanks :)

[DrivesLikeMario]

See, I think this is just the type of review we need on cc. A cross section of all different vacation styles. We are cruising Alaska in 2 weeks. Not the rugged adventure types, but very much the scenery and history/culture types so it's very fitting. And we are also going with the Dyea Dave tour.

 

What I can't figure out is what all you 30-time cruisers do in the Caribbean...but we're decidedly not beach ppl and it seems like even the shore excursions are sand, sand, sand. :D So if we love cruising, where else do we go without having to mortgage the house for Europe?! :confused:

 

There's a lot more to the world than the Caribbean. Try TAs - they're very inexpensive relatively speaking. We've done Europe and that is by far my favorite destination although we've also been to Hawaii, the Mex. Riv., Canada, besides lots of Caribbean cruises.

[arl_nocaps]

interesting --we are fron florida and picked Alaska to be cool --

thxs for the Icy Strait tip - wondered what i would do all day.

Doing whale watching in juneau and railway in skagway otherwise just walking around. Hope to enjoy the oceania regatta. any tips for vancouver - will be there for 2 days at end of cruise.

[lynninsc]

I enjoyed your review. Glad you had a great vacation. We also enjoy geocaching and plan to do some in port. Did you by any chance find any out near Mendenhall?

[Giantfan13]

Going on a cruise to Alaska with such negative thoughts about it before you even set foot on the ship, well, it would really amaze me if you had a good time.

 

As far as those glaciers are concerned, take a good look at them and a few pix because the way they are melting, they may not be there for your children to enjoy.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[mlkmnsgrl]

Going on a cruise to Alaska with such negative thoughts about it before you even set foot on the ship, well, it would really amaze me if you had a good time.

 

As far as those glaciers are concerned, take a good look at them and a few pix because the way they are melting, they may not be there for your children to enjoy.

 

Cheers

 

Len

 

But that's precisely the point: the op DID have a good time and offered up this review from a less than typical perspective which demonstrates that Alaska can be enjoyed by those who aren't likely to jump in a kayak for a rugged wildlife and scenery tour.

[Keith1010]

Thanks for your review/trip report.

 

Keith