Lessons learned from my first Alaskan cruise

[stilley9]

You guys have been a wealth of knowledge to me and our trip was wonderful, so i thought i would just share a couple of nuggets that i learned during my planning. i'm not suggesting that everyone will agree and these are just MY humble opinion, so please take it for what it's worth.

 

a reminder on our trip - party of 10 ranging in age from age 5 to age 70 from north carolina. wanted to get a good variety of alaskan flavor - wildlife, scenery, etc. none of us had ever been. we booked a southbound (whittier to vancouver) norwegian sun cruise - june 16 - 23.

 

i took some AMAZING pictures and will share a more detailed trip report with pictures as soon as i get through them all. for now, i thought i would share a few things that i wish i would have known. admittedly i did a TON of research on shore excursions and plans after the initial cruise was booked, but i didn't do nearly enough in choosing the ship or itinerary. i hope this helps someone out there (again remember just my opinion so be nice) :)

** last caveat, we had a wonderful time, so these are the only things i wish i would have done differently.

 

1) i wish we would've done northbound from vancouver instead of southbound to vancouver. leaving whittier was horrible - torrential downpours, COLD, gray. terrible awful weather. for me, sailing away is usually such a fun festive time. leaving whittier, we just wanted to run to our room and get dry and warm. the weather in vancouver is generally much better, and i could tell they had a big deck party with a band/drinks etc. on the northbound cruise. not so much on our southbound vancouver cruise.

 

2) i wish we would've flown into fairbanks instead of anchorage. this would've allowed us time to go to denali, as it's only 2 hours from there (vs. 4-5 from anchorage).

 

3) because we didn't have time to go to denali, we decided to do seward instead. we landed in anchorage around 7 pm saturday night (after a really long day of flying). we stayed the first night in a little motel about 45 minutes down turnagain arm. it was a fine experience, but i wish we would've just driven on down to seward saturday night to allow us more time for activities in that adorable little town.

 

4) furthermore, i wish our cruise would've left from seward. whittier was okay, and i'm definitely biased from the horrendous weather, but i could've skipped that experience altogether and just left right from seward. the tunnel to whittier was neat, and we did a glacier cruise from whittier, but i would've preferred to just stay in seward.

 

5) on that note, we did a wildlife cruise from seward and a glacier cruise from whittier (both from major marine). both were great and the people were awesome, but from my sample size of 1 cruise from each location, the seward cruise into the kenai was far superior. we saw animals galore and a calving glacier. on the whittier cruise, we basically never left the inside cabin - never saw a single animal and the 2 glaciers we saw never moved. (again, remember the weather was awful - pouring down rain). i wish we would've skipped the whittier cruise, or maybe would've done the 26 glacier cruise just for a different experience. the food on major marine was great both days, as were the cocktails. :)

 

6) i wish i would've known that the upper deck forward cabins are ROUGH (duh, i know). we upgraded to mini-suites on the 11th floor right at the front of the boat. the night we left whittier, we experienced 25 foot waves and 75 mph winds (literally saw on norwegian channel on the tv "hurricane conditions"). it was pretty bad. i luckily don't get seasick, but i was terrified as was most of my party (i've been on 5 cruises, so not a novice - that was the worst weather i've ever gone through on a cruise). it was a storm, so most people won't have that experience, but that was ours.

 

7) i wish i would've known the difference between hubbard glacier and glacier bay. (again, duh i know). ncl does glacier bay on the northbound cruises only for the most part. when we had to switch our date and thus moved from a northbound cruise to a southbound cruise, we lost the glacier bay day. because of the crazy storm, we were very behind schedule and didn't get to spend any time at the hubbard glacier. in fact, we didn't get close to it at all because of all the ice (probably because of the storm we were in). so that was a bust.

 

8) Tracy Arm is GORGEOUS. I wish my cruise ship would've offered a small boat excursion to go up to the Sawyer glacier. Again the ice was thick in the water and we didn't get close at all. the cruise towards the glacier was beautiful though, but we only saw the glacier in the far distance before we turned around.

 

9) i wish i would've packed less. definitely needed all the cold weather/rain gear, but i didn't need so many shirts and pants as i rewore some of them. i definitely didn't need as many dressy clothes.

 

10) i wish we would've gone at the end of july. i didn't know about the salmon run timing, and i really would've liked to have seen salmon in the streams. my husband, brother and 8 year old son went king salmon fishing in ketchikan. they had a great time, but no one was catching a thing that day. my 8 year old cried as he wanted to catch a salmon. it was heartbreaking. later in the summer, i'm told that the other kinds of salmon (pink maybe?) practically jump in your boat. catching kings is much harder work.

 

And a couple of things i'm so glad we did:

1) listening to your advice, we booked multiple occasions to see the sights. so i was super thankful for the kenai day cruise because we saw so much wildlife and a calving glacier - when we didn't get to see the hubbard or the sawyer glacier, i wasn't devastated. the weather and the wildlife operate on their own schedule so don't put all your eggs in one basket!

 

2) so glad we did the Taku Lodge excursion in Juneau. I was terrified of getting on a floatplane but we all did it and it was so worth it. Just do it! the sights from the air are amazing. the weather in juneau was absolutely gorgeous on our day there and the taku lodge was idyllic. i could've stayed there 3 days. it's peaceful and beautiful (but i'm glad they have mosquito spray)

 

3) so glad we did the railway in Skagway. unique experience and afforded gorgeous views.

 

4) so glad we paid the $120 pp for the ultimate dining package on NCL and also glad we didn't buy the beverage package. the food in the specialty restaurants was well worth the $120, and the drinks weren't that expensive onboard. for you ncl travelers, we loved teppanyaki (japanese) and cagneys (steakhouse) the most.

 

5) so glad we stayed in vancouver for 2 days. that city is wonderful, and i could move there today. i loved it!

 

6) overall, so glad we did it. it was awesome. alaska is splendidly gorgeous, even moreso than i imagined it would be.

 

i'll share more pictures and report later, but those are my tidbits of information for you other alaska newbies out there.

[SparkleBee]

great post. will be helpful for people still in the planning stages. glad you had an amazing time!

[Keith1010]

Very well written. I think it's heat that you took the time to write and share this.

 

Keith

[tlcoke]

Thank you for sharing.

 

Having rode through the edge of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012 on the Disney Fantasy in a forward cabin (actually dead center at the front of the ship). I know exactly what you were experiencing in your storm. Our TA said that night with Sandy was the worst she had ever experienced in her 28+ cruises. So know that was a rare occurrence and don't let it keep you from future cruises. There are still some friends from our Hurricane Sandy Trip, that will not set foot back on a cruise ship as a result of that experience.

 

 

I have things that I wished I knew in regards to the itinerary we chose for our upcoming group trip, when our TA gave us options for the dates and possible itineraries for our group to choose from, I was more concerned with making sure the dates would work with my work schedule than where and how long we visited each location. One of the main things I am taking away from my planning experience for possible future trips is to make sure you are in port long enough to do the tours you want to do, as there were several excursions on my short list that I couldn't do because of our limited time in ports.

Edited June 27, 2014 by tlcoke

[sartoken]

Which railway excursion did you do in Skagway? We are interested in doing one as well, but can't decide which one to do. Was it one of these:

 

Bennett Scenic Journey (more info)

 

Yukon Bus & Rail Excursion With Lunch / Husky

Puppy Camp / Emerald Lake (more info)

 

Yukon Rail/Bus/Dogcart Excursion With Lunch /

Dogcart Ride / Emerald Lake (more info)

 

White Pass Summit Bus & Rail Excursion (more info

 

Thank you.

[stilley9]

Our TA said that night with Sandy was the worst she had ever experienced in her 28+ cruises. So know that was a rare occurrence and don't let it keep you from future cruises. There are still some friends from our Hurricane Sandy Trip, that will not set foot back on a cruise ship as a result of that experience. .

 

yes, i spoke to numerous crew people, and so many of them were seasick during the night and others were as scared as i was, so i know it had to be highly unusual. it was so rough, all the drawers and doors would slam open and closed - i have no idea how anyone slept through it. in my fog of fatigue, i got up and put my clothes on, because i just knew we were going to have to evacuate the boat. i'm not sure WHERE i thought we would go as the lifeboats would've been useless in those conditions.

 

 

I have things that I wished I knew in regards to the itinerary we chose for our upcoming group trip, when our TA gave us options for the dates and possible itineraries for our group to choose from, I was more concerned with making sure the dates would work with my work schedule than where and how long we visited each location. One of the main things I am taking away from my planning experience for possible future trips is to make sure you are in port long enough to do the tours you want to do, as there were several excursions on my short list that I couldn't do because of our limited time in ports.

 

yes, this is exactly what i mean! we prioritized work schedules and personal schedules and really missed a couple of places/things i would've like to see. oh well, there will be another alaska trip sometime in the future and you have to live and learn!

[stilley9]

Which railway excursion did you do in Skagway? We are interested in doing one as well, but can't decide which one to do. Was it one of these:

 

Bennett Scenic Journey (more info)

 

Yukon Bus & Rail Excursion With Lunch / Husky

Puppy Camp / Emerald Lake (more info)

 

Yukon Rail/Bus/Dogcart Excursion With Lunch /

Dogcart Ride / Emerald Lake (more info)

 

White Pass Summit Bus & Rail Excursion (more info

 

Thank you.

 

we did the chilkoot charters (booked privately) yukon bus and rain with lunch and dog cart ride. here are a couple more lessons learned on this one:

 

- book independently. chilkoot was GREAT and we had about 10 people in our train cart. we could pick left or right or any side we wanted - it wasn't crowded at all.

 

- if you're seeing a pattern, the weather in the yukon was awful for us. cold and rainy. really, really rainy. very unusual for up there. we did the dogcart ride, which was cool - but we were drenched. and cold. i'm still glad we did it. emerald lake is probably beautiful on a sunny or at least cloudy day. on a day like ours, it was not as spectacular as i expected.

 

- you can see the husky puppies whether you do the dog cart ride or not.

 

- lunch was good. it was nice to be covered and warm.

 

- our chilkoot tour guide was great. the van/ small bus-thingy wasn't crowded at all, and i just know that we had a better experience than the cruise ship excursion with the hundreds of people being herded around.

 

i wanted to do the bennett scenic tour, but it wasn't offered on the day we cruised (our ship left at 5 pm, and that tour doesn't come back until 4:30, and that's cutting it too close). you may just want to double check.

 

give chilkoot a call - talking to them on the phone before my trip was super helpful.

[twinmom38]

excellent post indeed..

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[Shaelyn]

We just got back from our trip also. The Chilkoot tour was great. We did the train up/bus back. The lunch was excelllent. We saw lots of wildlife. We had more people in our group(maybe around 20), but still plenty of room. Evidently everyone had heard to sit on the left, so everybody was sitting on the same side on the train. Would highly recommend them!

[Alberta Quilter]

Well, from the things you learned from this past trip, you can put to use on your next trip to Alaska!:D Every time I've gone back to Alaska, I've had some duplicate ports but I've always managed to see something new. I didn't know about Glacier Bay my first time and got off the ship for our land tour the day before.:eek:

 

I'm glad to hear that you had a great time, in spite of the weather and other mishaps.

[Giantfan13]

great report and awesome tips. That is what makes this place so special, we all share the goods and the bads, to help make all our trips that much better.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Cruise_More_Often]

What a wonderful post! You've taught me a few things to watch for, and I've already done three Alaska cruises. This thread will be very helpful to future cruisers.

 

I'm so glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[Cheryl H]

Excellent information!! Funny, we thought just the opposite about #1. Our sailing was northbound. It was great, but we had a red eye out of Anchorage to come home and we were beyond exhausted. I think next time we do a one way, we'll get that long flight to Anchorage out of the way first and cruise southbound and I want to go into Seward a day or two early to do the Major Marine tour you mentioned. But this next one, we booked a R/T Vancouver. So no Anchorage for us this time.

Edited June 28, 2014 by Cheryl H

[JimAOk1945]

I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise in spite of your disappointments. We have been to Alaska twice in August and were fortunate to enjoy good weather both times. Alaska is amazing. We plan to go back again soon.

 

Happy cruising!

[cruisingagain2011]

I would highly recommend the bus up and train back. We have done that and did just the train the last trip. Both are wonderful, but when taking the bus you can get on and off to take photos on the way up.

Edited June 29, 2014 by cruisingagain2011

[jskinsd]

I too was on this cruise and the one northbound the week before. The week before was my 18th alaskan cruise and this cruise was my 19th. The week before the weather fantastic. The southbound trip was the worst. See OP. But this was really my first alaskan cruise :) And I too had a terrific time.

Crazy old man with headphones would would not act his age.:D

[stilley9]

I too was on this cruise and the one northbound the week before. The week before was my 18th alaskan cruise and this cruise was my 19th. The week before the weather fantastic. The southbound trip was the worst. See OP. But this was really my first alaskan cruise :) And I too had a terrific time.

Crazy old man with headphones would would not act his age.:D

 

so disappointing to hear the weather the week before was fantastic, especially since that was the one we were supposed to be on.

 

oh well, i guess … that's life. my family had a wonderful time, and we will have stories to tell for years about the night i thought the cruise ship was going to capsize in the 25 foot seas, and just about everyone got seasick. it made for a good adventure.:)

[ARRTrain]

Seward & Whittier almost have the same weather most of the time. Seward is closer to the Gulf of Alaska. I've seen cruise ships stuck in Seward for 3 days while they wait out the weather.

[sept10dsm]

Seward & Whittier almost have the same weather most of the time. Seward is closer to the Gulf of Alaska. I've seen cruise ships stuck in Seward for 3 days while they wait out the weather.

 

and it is all the luck of the draw. We had a wonderful sunny day last summer in Whittier! We did a 14 day b2b out of Vancouver. So just never know. All the days were sunny except a slight drizzle the second time in Juneau and then it was sunny. The first cruise we departed Seward back a few years ago on another sunny day. So Alaska is a rainy place along the cost. We were told by our Captain how lucky we were for such a sunny time-both cruises!

[cheerfulkim]

If it's any consolation, you may have had a better time sailing out of Whittier your first night. I took the Major Marine Kenai Fjords tour on June 17 out of Seward. I guess on both the 16th and on my day they shortened it to just a Resurrection Bay tour due to the storm you sailed into. I was fine as long as we were in the Bay, but when we crossed over the Gulf of Alaska to get to the other side of the Bay, I got pretty seasick! Boy, were the seas rough! I would do it again though, just because of the wildlife we saw.

On our second cruise to Alaska, we sailed into a storm on our second day. 25 foot waves all day. Half of the crew got sick. They said it was the worst they had seen in several years. Once we got through the Straights of San Juan de Fuca things calmed down. I have decided that I prefer the one way cruises much better! Not as much time in the open seas!

[sept10dsm]

If it's any consolation, you may have had a better time sailing out of Whittier your first night. I took the Major Marine Kenai Fjords tour on June 17 out of Seward. I guess on both the 16th and on my day they shortened it to just a Resurrection Bay tour due to the storm you sailed into. I was fine as long as we were in the Bay, but when we crossed over the Gulf of Alaska to get to the other side of the Bay, I got pretty seasick! Boy, were the seas rough! I would do it again though, just because of the wildlife we saw.

On our second cruise to Alaska, we sailed into a storm on our second day. 25 foot waves all day. Half of the crew got sick. They said it was the worst they had seen in several years. Once we got through the Straights of San Juan de Fuca things calmed down. I have decided that I prefer the one way cruises much better! Not as much time in the open seas!

 

We did a Major Marine cruise on our turnaround day in Whittier and it was wonderful!

[arl_nocaps]

Thanks for the good review. I am sailing Aug 10 from Vancouver. Any tips on your two days in Vancouver. I am also staying 2 days after the cruise.

 

arl_nocaps

[new kiwi girl]

You will love Vancouver as it's a beautiful city and so easy to get around in. I always stay at the Blue Horizon as it's on a main shopping, eating, cafe kind of street. Reasonably priced and great views. The hop on and hop off bus is really great if it's your first visit as it takes you to all the major must sees such as Stanley Park which is fabulous. Right on the water with great walking and biking trails, cafés, totem poles etc. plan on a few hours there. Granville island is another must see and you could easily spend a day there, and the hop off and on bus drops you at the little 5 min ferry that takes you there. Lots of restaurants and cafés that are well known for great food and atmosphere. I'm staying 3 days there before my cruise as it's one spot I really miss since I moved over to New Zealand. Lots of info on the internet so have fun!