Help with Alaskan cruise

[dee1321]

Need some guidance please, I am just beginning to look into an Alaskan cruise and need any info that can be provided. We have been on multiple Caribbean cruises which I LOVE! However, my DH says we can't go on another Caribbean cruise until we go on an Alaskan cruise. Please give best dates and itineraries, which ship, not looking on going until 2016. What are the must sees and dos... Thanks!

[vrock]

We have been to alaska twice both times were round trip from seattle. We chose that itinerary because it worked best for us to drive to the port.

 

We went in late June and late August, we preferred August the weather was much better.

 

We booked directly with Harv and Marv whale watching in Juneau it was the highlight of our trip. We would highly recommend them. We took the train ride in Ketchikan really liked that as well.

 

Alaska is still my favorite cruise and cannot wait to go back again. Have a great cruise.

[AmberCascades]

Get some guide books from the library. Frommers and Fodors have very good Alaska ports of call books.

 

They describe what's available at each port, which ships go there, what the cruise ships are like (e.g. casual, formal, party, laid-back, kids, not many kids, etc.). Alaska is all about the itinerary, but if itineraries are similar then you might want to look at which cruise line suits you best.

 

Then you can decide what interests you in each port. I remember doing lots of research on the best whale watching trips only to find out that my DH had zero interest in that (and I didn't really care either - but that's what everyone said we should do).

 

We've been to Hubbard Glacier twice and loved it. We did round trip from Vancouver and saw the Inside Passage. We enjoyed walking around Ketchikan and looking at the totem poles, Creek Street and the salmon ladder. We did flightseeing over the glaciers in Juneau and went to a lodge where we had fresh salmon and we saw a black bear close up. Other people like whale watching, or hiking, or going to the lumberjack show or the Deadliest Catch tour. That's why I'd recommend doing some research to find out what you really want to do so you get the most out of your trip.

[fischymom]

Hi! You will have a great time, Alaska is beautiful. WE went 4 years ago in August and we are going again this August. The first time we did a closed route Seattle to Seattle but this time we are taking the Southbound from Seward to Vancouver.

Our first one gave us weather in the 60-to 75 degree area. And we had some misty rain and fog but nothing that kept us in. We took to dressing in layers so we could adjust as needed through the day.

Must do's for us were the privately booked tour into Canada. That was amazing and we were able to really do so much more than the big bus tours through the cruise line. We stopped at Carcross Crossing, Emerald Lake, Carcross Desert, We went up over the top of a mountain (cant remember the name right now). The tour was about 4 hours give or take.

One of the reasons that I wanted to take a North or South bound cruise this time is because you get to go farther in to Alaska. I know travel for us this time is higher on a whole than it was to fly in to Sea-Tac. We have to fly from Denver to Anchorage then take a train to Seward. Then we fly home from Vancouver to Denver.

[wants2cruise2]

the short answer is GO!

We went a few years ago after several Caribbean cruises. And like you I did a lot of research. I found that I made the right choices for me and my situation.

 

I didn't have unlimited funds, so a round trip cruise made the air round trip from Philadelphia better than 2 one ways, I wanted Glacier Bay, only some smaller ships go there so that put us on the Westerdam out of Seattle. Couldn't afford a land portion so didn't do it. And went in Mid-May, the 2nd week of the season. Weather was amazing, and we were told it's never that good every single day so we know that was just luck. But was more reasonable that July or August.( And a tad less kids)

 

Busy, not relaxing like a Caribbean cruise. But It was the absolutely best cruise ever.

 

Whatever you decide, you will not regret it. I've wanted to go again since getting home but DH says we have so many places we've never been yet so that's just silly.

And I know he's right.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

I went last year on the Westerdam - LOVED Alaska, the Westerdam not so much. Glacier Bay was beautiful, but personally if I was going to do it again with GB I would probably look at Princess (I think they have some GB permist) over HAL...just me, others love HAL.

 

I'm going this year on RCI (my running coach and her husband lead running cruises, and that's what I'm going on). We changed to the Radiance this year mainly because of the itinerary - we are in port for much longer than on HAL, which will enable people to do excursions after our runs. We are scheduled to do the Hubbard Glacier, which will be different than GB but I'm sure still gorgeous.

[HappyGirl1959]

I would recommend reading the Alaska threads of the Ports of Call section of the boards. Great information there!

[Susie51]

I've cruised to Alaska in June and twice in Sept. It was rainy and cold all three times.

 

Cruising round trip out of Seattle is convenient, but I think departing from Vancouver the views are nicer.

 

Enjoy your cruise and all of the planning involved.

[vestamark]

Alaska is a great cruise. We went last month on Princess. Did a round trip from Seattle. Loved Seattle but would probably go out of Vancouver if going on another RT. The itineraries are slightly better due to not stopping in Victoria. Actually I would take a one way cruise if I had the time and would make sure and get to Denali.

Be prepared to spend more money on excursions than in the Caribbean if you really want to get the full experience. We did the Harv N Marvs whale watching which was the highlight of the entire trip. Also enjoyed a helicopter tour with glacier visit in Skagway. Can't do that just anywhere!

We liked Princess but I think we would've been happy on most any line. Alaska is the real show and the ship comes second for me.

If school schedules are not a concern then I'd go in early September. We went in June which was great.

Whatever you choose you'll love it. You almost can't go wrong!

 

 

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[emilygrace]

Been to Alaska 3 times and I would go back in a heart beat! I absolutely LOVE Alaska.

 

If you are set on going with RCL next year I would not recommend the Explorer. For Alaska you need a ship with a lot of glass and outward views. That's the whole point of being there. If you are not limited to RCL there is a wide selection of cruises to choose from. We've been to Hubbard Glacier and Sawyer Glacier (Tracy Arm) and of the two I think Hubbard is more spectacular because you can get closer to it. My next Alaska cruise is definitely going to Glacier Bay.

 

When in Juneau, don't miss Mendenhall Glacier (you can take a bus out and back for a few $$) as it is a totally different type of glacier.

 

We have gone in September (wonderful warm weather, only wore a jacket at the glacier), early May (cool but stunning scenery with the snow closer to water level) and June (2013, scorchingly hot in the mid-80's). Of the 3, the one in May was my favorite. So 3 cruises, total 28 days and out of that we had one day of rain.

[Doug S]

We were in the same boat as you... lots of Caribbean trips, but no Alaska. Went with a family/friend group of 10 and just got off Jewel out of Seattle and loved it. It is impossible to compare it to our usual jaunt around the tropical islands. Two very different experiences, but both great.

 

We way over-packed with warm clothes, but our weather was extremely warm and not the norm at all. Not a drop of rain the whole week either. Like others say, clothing layers is the way to go. Definitely recommend a balcony, as we spent more time on ours this trip than any previous one.

 

We did all private tours and were very happy with them. Whale watching, helicopter to Hubbard glacier from Juneau, Motor coach ride from Skagway up along the same route into Canada as the train, but we were far more comfortable and had a flexible itenerary. Skagway also has a nice touristy shopping district with a neat old miner saloon and lots of jewelry, arts, crafts, and hoo-haas. $4 ticket gets you all day pass on buses to/from nearby shopping district. Did a half day city tour in Victoria which was OK. Sea day sailing up to view glacier (we did Endicott Arm due to Ice in Tracy Arm) was a fun relaxing day with many photo ops. You may not visit the same ports, but should have similar opportunities on any Alaskan cruise.

 

We took tons more pictures and videos on this trip than in our Caribbean trips. Lakes, wildlife and beautiful scenery. Good camera and binculars come in handy, but most of our pics were still cell phone shots.

 

Was a bit different returning to a smaller ship, as we have gotten used to the larger promenade style ships, but we adjusted.

 

We also extended our trip a few days in Seattle and did some tours there. Did the fish market, Seafood festival, Observatory, and some great dining. Also did a local wine tour, but for a guy that can't stand wine, that was pretty much a bust for me (but the ladies enjoyed it). Also a famous glass art gallery there some of our group toured.

 

I've rambled enough, but maybe you can gain a little insight from our experience.

[dee1321]

Thanks everyone! So great advice. School is not a problem so maybe I will look at the first part of September 2016; definitely would get a balcony cabin and if affordable maybe a small suite since sounds like might be in cabin more than on a caribbean cruise. Sounds like the consensus is the best Alaskan cruise is not a closed loop cruise from Seattle, I will look into that to see if can afford one way tickets from two different ports. We are from Mississippi so quite a long flight. Keep any other info coming. Royal Caribbean is our favorite cruise line so will be sticking with them and whatever ships they have at that time cruising there.

[ckelly14]

Thanks everyone! So great advice. School is not a problem so maybe I will look at the first part of September 2016; definitely would get a balcony cabin and if affordable maybe a small suite since sounds like might be in cabin more than on a caribbean cruise. Sounds like the consensus is the best Alaskan cruise is not a closed loop cruise from Seattle, I will look into that to see if can afford one way tickets from two different ports. We are from Mississippi so quite a long flight. Keep any other info coming. Royal Caribbean is our favorite cruise line so will be sticking with them and whatever ships they have at that time cruising there.

 

Just off the Radiance last month and really liked the ship. I agree with the one way itineraries vs. round trip. Loved Seward and Vancouver- both are worth a visit by themselves. Highlights:

1. Kenai Fjords tour in Seward

2. Train to Yukon (White Pass)

3. Train from Seward to Anchorage.

4. Biking around Vancouver

[vestamark]

Not sure how they interact from a loyalty standpoint but Celebrity is a RCCL brand and is a major player in Alaska. If this helps it will open up many more options for you.

 

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[jm485]

An Alaska trip is one of our "possibles" for next year. I'm looking at a R/T from Seattle -- mostly because I'm anticipating enough problems getting the DH to agree to fly to take a cruise, much less take multiple flights on the way there or home.

 

One piece of advice I saw in a couple of reviews was that if you are doing a one-way cruise, by going southbound, you get the longer flight to Alaska over with at the beginning of the trip. Don't know if you can get to Seattle or Vancouver non-stop from where you are, but even if not -- 2 flights is better than 3!

 

ETA: On most airlines, you won't have to book "two one-way" tickets, but a "multi-city" itinerary. Depending on the airports and timing, it's not always a lot more expensive to fly into one airport on your outbound flight and another on the return. Most airlines open tickets up 11 months in advance, so you won't be able to check on airfare until October for flights in September of next year.

Edited July 15, 2015 by jm485

[NightOne]

A lot of good advice has been given in this thread already but I would add a few things:

 

1. Highly consider going on a Princess cruise in Alaska. Whereas Royal Caribbean and Carnival tend to own the Caribbean, Princess tends to own Alaska. I know this is the Royal section but I think even here many would not argue this point.

 

2. Consider a Cruise Tour - Princess has their own lodges and you can do a a few days on land before the cruise. Princess and Holland America (both owned by Carnival Corp) also have their own sightseeing train in Alaska.

 

3. Go to the Alaska section here on Cruise Critic and read all the posts you can from BudgetQueen :)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

 

She knows a LOT about cruising to Alaska.

Edited July 15, 2015 by NightOne

[vestamark]

Second that about BudgetQueen. She gave me some great advice while I was planning ours.

 

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[cruisnpat]

I agree you have been given lots of good advise, I just want to say that we just took the princess ship from Vancouver on the northbound cruise and we did the 11 day cruise/land tour and it was great. We went in May but if I go again I would go in July/Aug. What ever you decide to do you will have a great time. Enjoy your planning that is 1/2 the fun.

 

 

A lot of good advice has been given in this thread already but I would add a few things:

 

1. Highly consider going on a Princess cruise in Alaska. Whereas Royal Caribbean and Carnival tend to own the Caribbean, Princess tends to own Alaska. I know this is the Royal section but I think even here many would not argue this point.

 

2. Consider a Cruise Tour - Princess has their own lodges and you can do a a few days on land before the cruise. Princess and Holland America (both owned by Carnival Corp) also have their own sightseeing train in Alaska.

 

3. Go to the Alaska section here on Cruise Critic and read all the posts you can from BudgetQueen :)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

 

She knows a LOT about cruising to Alaska.

[JimAOk1945]

We sailed on the Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas on the southbound route. We loved it! We had four ports of call, Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and Icy Strait Point located in the Alaskan town of Hoonah.

 

When we booked the cruise, we arranged to have transfers through RC and I'm glad we did. When we flew into Anchorage, we asked for the RC representative. We were directed to a kiosk where the friendly RC staff checked us off their list, and then told us when the next bus was leaving for Seward. I think we had about a one hour wait.

 

We grabbed a quick bite to eat at the food court, then went back to the waiting area at the RC desk. When the bus arrived, we got in along with several other people and the driver loaded up all the baggage.

 

I'm not sure how long the drive was but it seemed to pass quickly. The scenery was fantastic and the driver gave information about what we were seeing from time to time.

 

Before we knew it, we had arrived at the Seward terminal. The Radiance was the only ship there! Check in at the terminal was a breeze. We walked right in, went up to the counter to check in, and went right on to the ship!

 

The quickest embarkation we have ever had.

 

The ship is fantastic and the cruise was the best we have ever had. The itinerary includes 4 ports of call. Icy Strait Point was and still is our favorite. We went on the Bear and Whale watch combo excursion through RC. We saw two bears catching Salmon and countless whales! It was absolutely breathtaking!

 

When we went through the Hubbard Glacier area, we witnessed numerous "calving" which is when great chunks of ice break off with loud cracking and rumbling then fall into the water.

 

I could go on and on. As you can see, even now I get excited just thinking about it and trying to describe what we saw.

 

At the end of the cruise, going through the Vancouver terminal was no trouble at all. We also had a transfer through the cruise line that took us to the Vancouver airport.

 

You might be interested in seeing my wife's picture slideshows. Here is a link to the page where you will see slideshows about the different ports of call as well as the ship. The slideshow will start when you click on the link, but you can also go through the pictures if you want to by clicking on the thumbnails one at a time.

 

2012 RC Radiance of the Seas ~ Alaska Southbound

 

HAPPY SAILING! It's a great way to explore the world!

[Missymo]

I have just come home from my Seattle-Seattle ,Alaska vacation. I had been talking about going to Alaska over 10 years. Gotta say it was the best trip ever. Not to be missed. We went to , Ketchikan, Tracy arm , Juneau, Skagway and Victoria. Went on floatplane, helicopter, dog sledding, glacier landing, and bus/train combo. Even did an Orca watch. Covered everything on my wish list for this first cruise to Alaska. Will definitely go back and head further north.

[Budget Queen]

I, FIRST suggest you educate yourself about Alaska, and what a cruise there involves. Several excellent port of call books should be available, along with Alaska travel guides.

 

Some of the "recommendations" above are pretty one sided, with claims they should be given priority. I can't disagree more. One example- supporting this, ALL these posters are raving about their trips. :)

 

I recommend looking at EACH Alaska port possible, there are only 6 available for the 7 day regular cruises. Each is very different from the others, with activities. I suggest you decide what you want to do and how you want to occupy your port time. It isn't the Caribbean, where there is a crappy port included, or you just jump in a cab for a "tour".

 

Read up on the scenic glacier sailing. IF you determine your priority first, then your cruise ship selection will be more manageable. Of course, the route needs to be selected first.

 

IF you are doing a one way, I always recommend adding on another week to take advantage of being there. Do NOT underestimate time and distances. Do a whole lot of additional research on this if included in your plans.

 

Take your TIME, making your selections and reservations. Have ALL your itinerary set before you do. I always see people who jump into reservations- then later finding out- it was a mistake because they made some wrong assumptions.

[Budget Queen]

Not sure how they interact from a loyalty standpoint but Celebrity is a RCCL brand and is a major player in Alaska. If this helps it will open up many more options for you.

 

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I would not consider them a "major player" in Alaska, sorry. They only have a few ships sailing there, and never will see see permits for Glacier Bay. Rci doesn't usually have any ship naturalists either, although Celebrity has some top ones.

 

Instead, I suggest looking at ENTIRE itineraries and plans and not limiting yourself to certain cruiselines- IF you are sailing Alaska for Alaska.

[mccoy132]

We just completed our first Alaska cruise a few days ago, 7 day round trip from Vancouver on the Celebrity Infinity. We have cruised to Caribbean/Florida, Bermuda and New England/Canada before.

 

I enjoyed Hubbard Glacier and Juneau the most. Ketchikan was good as well, Icy Strait Point was pretty small, without as much to do. I did enjoy cruising through the Inside Passage (even saw a whale fin for a second there). The changing scenery is better than the more open ocean sailings in previous cruises. The weather was warmer than I thought (maybe we were lucky last week). It was cold on the top deck at Hubbard Glacier but the rest of the trip was pretty mild.

 

I'm glad we took the Alaska cruise and look forward to another one in the future.

[Guest maddycat]

A lot of good advice has been given in this thread already but I would add a few things:

 

1. Highly consider going on a Princess cruise in Alaska. Whereas Royal Caribbean and Carnival tend to own the Caribbean, Princess tends to own Alaska. I know this is the Royal section but I think even here many would not argue this point.

 

2. Consider a Cruise Tour - Princess has their own lodges and you can do a a few days on land before the cruise. Princess and Holland America (both owned by Carnival Corp) also have their own sightseeing train in Alaska.

 

3. Go to the Alaska section here on Cruise Critic and read all the posts you can from BudgetQueen :)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

 

She knows a LOT about cruising to Alaska.

 

Our first Alaska cruise was a 7 night round trip from Vancouver. Our next was a 12 night cruise tour. Both were with RCI. They were wonderful. Alaska is unique. Beautiful and interesting. RCI did a great job on both of our cruises.

 

The first part of the cruise tour was a 5 night land tour. Then we had a 7 night south bound cruise from Seward to Vancouver. Part of the land tour was taking the sightseeing train. The train consisted of an Alaska railroad engine pulling rail cars of the various cruise lines. There were a couple of RCI cars, a couple of Celebrity cars, a couple of Princess cars and a couple of HAL cars. All connected to the Alaska railroad engine, all doing the same sightseeing tour.

[BrnBrok]

About 20 years ago my wife and i went on an Inside Passage R/T Cruise. Left from Vancouver. We added about 3 more days and we toured Vancouver and Victoria. The touring before cruise was hectic, but worth it. We loved Victoria and though tired went on to a great Alaska Cruise.

 

Will be leaving soon for a Princess Land Tour going from North to South. I chose this because we wanted a cruise to sort of relax after a busy land tour portion.

 

I suggest that you look at the guidebooks that others have mentioned and then keep reviewing reports on Cruise Critic in this Alaska Forum. I would also use TripAdvisor to see what interests you on the land portion and again the places you will stop on the cruise.