Our 2024 Alaska Adventure--including planning!

[Arkiepig]

Not overkill- I did the same😇  I scheduled an excursion when the port was full, so that afterward I could (hopefully) explore a less crowded port.

 

 

 

[Szt]

You sound like a kindred spirit. My husband keeps telling me not to “stress” over planning so much. I have to explain- I enjoy each trip 3 times. 1- in planning and dreaming. 2- actually taking the trip. 3- Going through pictures and remembering. 
I have yet to go to AK. So no specific advice. But have done a lot of diy travel. First, cudos to you for making travel a priority while you can. At 53 and 60 we are dealing leg pain from diabetes, crippling back pain and stomach issues. Things like taking a nature hike are no longer possible. So doing the more athletic things while you can is smart. I grieve all the things I will never get to do and wish I had done them 10 years ago. One hard lesson I learned from travel- things will never go exactly as planned. Leave room for the unexpected and give yourself permission to change the plan as you go if you feel like it.
General travel tips:

Anything that requires good weather do as soon as possible.
You may not get another chance. Of course almost everything in AK is an outdoor activity. 

 

Good shoes are the single most important element to a good trip. 
 

Consider every hiccup a fun experience. Don’t worry about what you can’t do. Enjoy every moment together. 

One tip that might help save a little- consider looking to River.com for dog sitters. Usually cheaper than a kennel and better for fur babies. 
 

Hope that helps a bit. Love your posts. Keep going. 
 

[Arkiepig]

Thanks for the great advice!  Planning trips brings me joy.   I would be embarrassed to admit how many hours I have spent on various Alaska sites since we booked last year.  And our trip is not until 2024😉   It's like a jigsaw puzzle with moving pieces and a budget.  Splurge here, scrimp here.  My husband insisted on not renting a car.  So lodging  and restaurants locations matter along with bus and train routes, and shuttle times.  I think I have it all put together, then I consider other choices.  It has been fun. It is winding down now--I have the lodging book.  So no more big changes!

 

Enjoy your trip.  I will look for your trip report!

[cmmaxwell03]

15 hours ago, Arkiepig said:

Thanks for the great advice!  Planning trips brings me joy.   I would be embarrassed to admit how many hours I have spent on various Alaska sites since we booked last year.  And our trip is not until 2024😉   It's like a jigsaw puzzle with moving pieces and a budget.  Splurge here, scrimp here.  My husband insisted on not renting a car.  So lodging  and restaurants locations matter along with bus and train routes, and shuttle times.  I think I have it all put together, then I consider other choices.  It has been fun. It is winding down now--I have the lodging book.  So no more big changes!

 

Enjoy your trip.  I will look for your trip report!

You have come to the right place on the AK forum 😄 

 

[cmmaxwell03]

This will crack y'all up!

 

10 days ago we could start our 'Comfort Check In' online for our cruise.  I have been putting it off because they want us to upload pictures of each of to use on our cruise cards....It's been warm lately and I have had my hair up in a ponytail, braid, etc for the last 15 days.  So...in all my urgency to plan and have everything be a "perfect" as possible...I have not completed this step because I have not fixed my hair HA!  I was in a rush to purchase flights and make other reservations but apparently THIS can wait.  LOL

[dd57]

2 hours ago, cmmaxwell03 said:

This will crack y'all up!

 

10 days ago we could start our 'Comfort Check In' online for our cruise.  I have been putting it off because they want us to upload pictures of each of to use on our cruise cards....It's been warm lately and I have had my hair up in a ponytail, braid, etc for the last 15 days.  So...in all my urgency to plan and have everything be a "perfect" as possible...I have not completed this step because I have not fixed my hair HA!  I was in a rush to purchase flights and make other reservations but apparently THIS can wait.  LOL

It absolutely can wait.  It saves you, oh, maybe 90 seconds at the pier by uploading your photo.  We never have bothered. 

 

BTW, your cruise card won't have your photo on it.  Instead the staff carry tablets/phones that display your photo when you make an order or reboard.

[Szt]

On 8/14/2023 at 10:24 AM, MississippiMom said:

@Anita Latte, I appreciate you asking this question.  We are at the very, very beginning of the research for an Alaskan cruise in two to three years.  Yes, we would like to see glaciers, but (people might freak out when they read this next part) do we really need to spend THAT much time staring at them?  It seems like every time someone is on this board asking for itinerary recommendations, the "you must go to Glacier Bay" pops up, but, maybe, that's not the most important part of that family's priorities.  I can see the financial appeal of taking the cruise you can afford.  Or being realistic enough to know that your family really enjoys the activities offered by a specific cruise ship.

 

For me, the reality is that I hesitate to book a cruise line we have never tried before.  I'm leaning toward a one-way (Southbound) RCCL or NCL for Alaska, with a pre-cruise self-guided tour in Anchorage and Denali.  I'm sure I will change my mind hundreds of times before we ever book anything, but I would love to find the posts that do NOT focus on the glacier viewing.  I want to know more about the different port stops and the port excursions.  This former Northern Exposure viewer and The Proposal watcher can't help but really want a Sitka stop.

 

10 hours ago, robbinsca said:

No reason we can’t form our own group table from the CC people. We also love meeting people and having the same table partners each night. We are traveling with another couple, and we have Northern Minnesota roots so we could probably get along…

 

[Szt]

The funniest part is they will only look at your photo when you are standing in front of them- probably with your hair in a ponytail or braid. 
I somehow got lucky and took a great DMV pic for my driver’s license. People always look at it, look at me and say “wow, your picture is really good!” I always wonder if they mean as opposed to the person standing in front of them. Lol 😆 

[SirTomster]

One item to triple check.   My wife and I are planning a Southbound from Whitter to Vancover in June of 2024.   So we need passports.    I have one from years ago, so only thought about getting my wife one.  Well as part of the process, I pulled out my never used Passport and found out it expires April of 2024.  I would be SOL if I had not checked that.  So now I am getting both of us a passport.

 

So for those that depart or arrive from Vancouver, make sure to check your passports.  No assumptions.

[Stowaway LFC]

11 hours ago, SirTomster said:

One item to triple check.   My wife and I are planning a Southbound from Whitter to Vancover in June of 2024.   So we need passports.    I have one from years ago, so only thought about getting my wife one.  Well as part of the process, I pulled out my never used Passport and found out it expires April of 2024.  I would be SOL if I had not checked that.  So now I am getting both of us a passport.

 

So for those that depart or arrive from Vancouver, make sure to check your passports.  No assumptions.

We went ahead and got passports and are still waiting for them to arrive.  We only stop in Prince Rupert on the 2024 Alaska cruise but we are planning a British Isles cruise for 2025 so we definitely will need them!

 

[disneyochem]

12 hours ago, SirTomster said:

So for those that depart or arrive from Vancouver, make sure to check your passports.  No assumptions.

Good advice!  And also keep in mind the six month passport validity rule—most cruise lines enforce it!

[Priszm]

On 8/17/2023 at 9:42 PM, SirTomster said:

One item to triple check.   My wife and I are planning a Southbound from Whitter to Vancover in June of 2024.   So we need passports.    I have one from years ago, so only thought about getting my wife one.  Well as part of the process, I pulled out my never used Passport and found out it expires April of 2024.  I would be SOL if I had not checked that.  So now I am getting both of us a passport.

 

So for those that depart or arrive from Vancouver, make sure to check your passports.  No assumptions.

I run paranoid about my passport. So I usually check it at least once a year 😄

[torybruno]

Hello all!

I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed this post and reading through all 8 pages!  I used to visit cruise critic often during our first cruises, but have not lately.  

We are newly retired, just turned 60, and have been tasked with planning an Alaska adventure with 2 other couples who have not been.  We've been twice, and both times only booked and planned two months out.  After reading this post, I'm thinking I better get on it for June 2024!!

 

I really appreciate the news about Denali, I was thinking we would do it again this time, but after reading you cannot go as far into the park...  the Seward area is peaking my interest with the bike rentals and boat excursions.  We have narrowed down our time line to the last 2 weeks of June, it's just a matter of what cruise line to pick.  We are not loyal to any one, we have sailed most of the big lines.  

 

Both Alaskan cruises we have done were on HAL.  The first time, we did 3 nights in Denali with the cruise line.  The absolute best thing we did on that cruise was fly in a day early, rented a car and drove to Majestic Valley Wilderness Lodge for the night.  In the morning we did the Matanuska Glacier trek for FOUR hours with MICA guides.  Hands down, two trips to Alaska, and this was the most amazing thing we did, and want to repeat it in 2024.  Afterward we drove back to Anchorage and met up with our party for the beginning of the cruise/tour.  

 

The second cruise we did three years later, when a deal came in my email that was too good to pass up!  Round trip out of Seattle, we had two free Marriott nights in Seattle, one free airfare, and the cruise visited two different ports we had not been to the first time, and very cheap for a balcony.  

 

If anyone is interested... here's some of the excursions we have done...

Juneau, whale watching on a private 6 passenger boat, second time we took a taxi to Mendenhall glacier, hiked to the glacier, then took the tram up and ate lunch at the top, and did a small hike at the top.

Glacier Point Wilderness Safari to Davidson Glacier was my second favorite tour after the MICA guides.  We did this from Haines, but it's my understanding the same tour runs from Skagway.  I'm not sure if they still let you exit the 21 person canoe and walk up to the face of the glacier like we did, but it was an AMAZING tour!

Ketchikan... we did an all you can eat crab leg excursion and wilderness tour, and the second time we did a float plane to Misty Fjords with Island Wings (highly recommend!)

Victoria was also a new port on the second cruise, and Butchart Gardens did not disappoint!

Also loved sailing Glacier Bay day!

 

Again... thank you for this wonderful post, I look forward to following it!

[no1racefan1]

1 hour ago, torybruno said:

Hello all!

I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed this post and reading through all 8 pages!  I used to visit cruise critic often during our first cruises, but have not lately.  

We are newly retired, just turned 60, and have been tasked with planning an Alaska adventure with 2 other couples who have not been.  We've been twice, and both times only booked and planned two months out.  After reading this post, I'm thinking I better get on it for June 2024!!

 

I really appreciate the news about Denali, I was thinking we would do it again this time, but after reading you cannot go as far into the park...  the Seward area is peaking my interest with the bike rentals and boat excursions.  We have narrowed down our time line to the last 2 weeks of June, it's just a matter of what cruise line to pick.  We are not loyal to any one, we have sailed most of the big lines.  

 

Both Alaskan cruises we have done were on HAL.  The first time, we did 3 nights in Denali with the cruise line.  The absolute best thing we did on that cruise was fly in a day early, rented a car and drove to Majestic Valley Wilderness Lodge for the night.  In the morning we did the Matanuska Glacier trek for FOUR hours with MICA guides.  Hands down, two trips to Alaska, and this was the most amazing thing we did, and want to repeat it in 2024.  Afterward we drove back to Anchorage and met up with our party for the beginning of the cruise/tour.  

 

The second cruise we did three years later, when a deal came in my email that was too good to pass up!  Round trip out of Seattle, we had two free Marriott nights in Seattle, one free airfare, and the cruise visited two different ports we had not been to the first time, and very cheap for a balcony.  

 

If anyone is interested... here's some of the excursions we have done...

Juneau, whale watching on a private 6 passenger boat, second time we took a taxi to Mendenhall glacier, hiked to the glacier, then took the tram up and ate lunch at the top, and did a small hike at the top.

Glacier Point Wilderness Safari to Davidson Glacier was my second favorite tour after the MICA guides.  We did this from Haines, but it's my understanding the same tour runs from Skagway.  I'm not sure if they still let you exit the 21 person canoe and walk up to the face of the glacier like we did, but it was an AMAZING tour!

Ketchikan... we did an all you can eat crab leg excursion and wilderness tour, and the second time we did a float plane to Misty Fjords with Island Wings (highly recommend!)

Victoria was also a new port on the second cruise, and Butchart Gardens did not disappoint!

Also loved sailing Glacier Bay day!

 

Again... thank you for this wonderful post, I look forward to following it!

I love this! Thanks for finding us and sharing your experiences 🙂  I'm even more excited to book with MICA guides now!

[cmmaxwell03]

46 minutes ago, no1racefan1 said:

I love this! Thanks for finding us and sharing your experiences 🙂  I'm even more excited to book with MICA guides now!

 

I realized I'm WAY too excited when I see a new post to this thread 💕

[Arkiepig]

Here’s my August 2024 plans.This will give something for  cmmaxwell03 to look at! Thanks for all the help from this board. I am much more excited about this than the RCI land tour I originally booked😊

 

Saturday- Evening arrival in Anchorage. Stay at Anchorage Hilton

Sunday-Pick up rental in the morning. (Already Booked) Drive to Alaska Wildlife Center. Return to Anchorage in time for late afternoon bike ride on Tony Knowles Bike trail. Where to eat?

 

Monday Morning Train to Talkeetna. Adventure class. 2 night stay at Susitna River Lodge cabin. Note: Hosts will provide transfers upon arrival and departure. Afternoon flight seeing trip if weather cooperates. Maybe rent bikes?

 

Tuesday- Back up day for flight seeing if weather did not cooperate . If not, choose from Jet boat river trip, a guided river raft trip or ride bikes (if we have rented bikes.)

 

Wednesday- Late morning bus to Anchorage. 1.5 hour lunch break near Convention Center. Where to eat?? Continue bus to Seward. 2 nights at Lodge at Resurrection Bay.

 

Thursday. Explore Seward. (Have 1 day car rental booked from Lodge) Maybe Drive to Exit Glacier, Dog sledding tour. Maybe Sealife Center. Dreaming of doing another flight seeing tour.

 

Friday; Morning small hike around grounds. 1130 -5:30 Kenai Resurrection Bay Tour. Quick to Board Cruise ship for 8pm departure. 

 

Radiance of the Sea : Just listing stops/Excursions

 

Juneau- Bike Tour

 

Skagway- Train and bike tour

 

Haines (night)- Wildlife Safari and Bear Viewing 

 

Icy Point- No excursion, walk around town, maybe lunch

 

Ketchikan- Wilderness Fishing / Dining with Baronoff

 

Vancouver- Disembark in A.M. Sightsee. Maybe rent bikes for Stanly Park, Nice dinner. Stay at Blue Horizon or Hampton Inn. Leave early next morning for return flight.

[no1racefan1]

2 minutes ago, Arkiepig said:

Here’s my August 2024 plans.This will give something for  cmmaxwell03 to look at! Thanks for all the help from this board. I am much more excited about this than the RCI land tour I originally booked😊

 

Saturday- Evening arrival in Anchorage. Stay at Anchorage Hilton

Sunday-Pick up rental in the morning. (Already Booked) Drive to Alaska Wildlife Center. Return to Anchorage in time for late afternoon bike ride on Tony Knowles Bike trail. Where to eat?

If you rent from Pablo's Bike Rentals, International House of Hot Dogs is right  next door. They get rave reviews online so I'm thinking about hitting them up for a cheaper lunch the day we rent bikes.

 

Monday Morning Train to Talkeetna. Adventure class. 2 night stay at Susitna River Lodge cabin. Note: Hosts will provide transfers upon arrival and departure. Afternoon flight seeing trip if weather cooperates. Maybe rent bikes?

 

Tuesday- Back up day for flight seeing if weather did not cooperate . If not, choose from Jet boat river trip, a guided river raft trip or ride bikes (if we have rented bikes.)

 

Wednesday- Late morning bus to Anchorage. 1.5 hour lunch break near Convention Center. Where to eat?? Continue bus to Seward. 2 nights at Lodge at Resurrection Bay. We are staying there too! Very excited about it. 

 

Thursday. Explore Seward. (Have 1 day car rental booked from Lodge) Maybe Drive to Exit Glacier, Dog sledding tour. Maybe Sealife Center. Dreaming of doing another flight seeing tour.

 

Friday; Morning small hike around grounds. 1130 -5:30 Kenai Resurrection Bay Tour. Quick to Board Cruise ship for 8pm departure. Have you decided which company you are using for Resurrection Bay tour? I'm leaning towards Adventure 60 North.

 

Radiance of the Sea : Just listing stops/Excursions

 

Juneau- Bike Tour

 

Skagway- Train and bike tour

 

Haines (night)- Wildlife Safari and Bear Viewing 

 

Icy Point- No excursion, walk around town, maybe lunch

 

Ketchikan- Wilderness Fishing / Dining with Baronoff

 

Vancouver- Disembark in A.M. Sightsee. Maybe rent bikes for Stanly Park, Nice dinner. Stay at Blue Horizon or Hampton Inn. Leave early next morning for return flight.

Love it!! I added a few questions/comments. I have heard that it's a good idea to make reservations for most of the popular sit-down restaurants in Anchorage. I don't usually pick and schedule where we are eating ahead of time, but might have to do so for this trip!

[Arkiepig]

No1Racefan1–
Thanks for the lunch recommendation. I am in need of some cheaper eats recommendations to mix in with nicer sit down restaurants. I definitely learned about the Lodge at Resurrection Bay here😘.  After seeing the website, I was sold! —-will look into Adventure 360 North .  Thanks!

[cmmaxwell03]

Thank you @Arkiepig  Work is a little boring today and your planning has brightened my day.

 

We will be in Anchorage in less than 2 weeks.  I am happy to provide feedback on the 3 places we hope to eat: Glacier Brewhouse (dinner), Snow City Cafe (breakfast), and Crow's Nest (fancy anniversary dinner).  I need to find a way to work in the International Hot Dog place...it sounds awesome!

 

In Seward, we are doing a wildlife cruise in Resurrection Bay through the cruise line.  I will see if I can find out what company they use.  I was curious about something...is your cruise in both Kenai and Res Bay?  I have not researched it (shocker, I know...lol) but I thought they were 2 different places.  

 

I saw you mention a dog sledding tour.  We found one in Anchorage that includes a helicopter ride up to a glacier.  It's through Alaska Helicopter Tours (super original name, haha).

[Arkiepig]

cmmaxwell03

Please post your experiences with the Dogsledding tour  out  of Anchorage.  Until my airline tickets are booked-I can add another day at the beginning of my trip.    I have waffled between doing that several times. Sigh!  It’s the Knik  glacier, right?   

 

[cmmaxwell03]

12 minutes ago, Arkiepig said:

cmmaxwell03

Please post your experiences with the Dogsledding tour  out  of Anchorage.  Until my airline tickets are booked-I can add another day at the beginning of my trip.    I have waffled between doing that several times. Sigh!  It’s the Knik  glacier, right?   

 

Holy moly...it HAS to be my lunch time for sure.  I was like "Ooohhh waffles"  oh boy!

[dd57]

4 hours ago, cmmaxwell03 said:

Thank you @Arkiepig  Work is a little boring today and your planning has brightened my day.

 

We will be in Anchorage in less than 2 weeks.  I am happy to provide feedback on the 3 places we hope to eat: Glacier Brewhouse (dinner), Snow City Cafe (breakfast), and Crow's Nest (fancy anniversary dinner).  I need to find a way to work in the International Hot Dog place...it sounds awesome!

 

In Seward, we are doing a wildlife cruise in Resurrection Bay through the cruise line.  I will see if I can find out what company they use.  I was curious about something...is your cruise in both Kenai and Res Bay?  I have not researched it (shocker, I know...lol) but I thought they were 2 different places.  

 

I saw you mention a dog sledding tour.  We found one in Anchorage that includes a helicopter ride up to a glacier.  It's through Alaska Helicopter Tours (super original name, haha).

Our cruiseline, the same one you are on, used Major Marine for the Resurrection Bay cruise.

 

We decided to eat at Glacier Brewhouse the morning after our arrival in Anchorage.  The only reservations available for that day were 4:30 or before, or after 8:30.   Boo.  Then we realized that we hadn't adjusted to the time change yet, and 4:30 in Alaska was our normal dinner time at home.  We were seated at 4:30, and were glad we got there when we did as a large tour group of around 30 people was taken to a back room, which I'm sure impacted the kitchen for later diners.  The food was great as was the beer selection.

[KruisinKath]

5 hours ago, Arkiepig said:

Here’s my August 2024 plans.This will give something for  cmmaxwell03 to look at! Thanks for all the help from this board. I am much more excited about this than the RCI land tour I originally booked😊

 

Saturday- Evening arrival in Anchorage. Stay at Anchorage Hilton

Sunday-Pick up rental in the morning. (Already Booked) Drive to Alaska Wildlife Center. Return to Anchorage in time for late afternoon bike ride on Tony Knowles Bike trail. Where to eat?

 

Monday Morning Train to Talkeetna. Adventure class. 2 night stay at Susitna River Lodge cabin. Note: Hosts will provide transfers upon arrival and departure. Afternoon flight seeing trip if weather cooperates. Maybe rent bikes?

 

Tuesday- Back up day for flight seeing if weather did not cooperate . If not, choose from Jet boat river trip, a guided river raft trip or ride bikes (if we have rented bikes.)

 

Wednesday- Late morning bus to Anchorage. 1.5 hour lunch break near Convention Center. Where to eat?? Continue bus to Seward. 2 nights at Lodge at Resurrection Bay.

 

Thursday. Explore Seward. (Have 1 day car rental booked from Lodge) Maybe Drive to Exit Glacier, Dog sledding tour. Maybe Sealife Center. Dreaming of doing another flight seeing tour.

 

Friday; Morning small hike around grounds. 1130 -5:30 Kenai Resurrection Bay Tour. Quick to Board Cruise ship for 8pm departure. 

 

Radiance of the Sea : Just listing stops/Excursions

 

Juneau- Bike Tour

 

Skagway- Train and bike tour

 

Haines (night)- Wildlife Safari and Bear Viewing 

 

Icy Point- No excursion, walk around town, maybe lunch

 

Ketchikan- Wilderness Fishing / Dining with Baronoff

 

Vancouver- Disembark in A.M. Sightsee. Maybe rent bikes for Stanly Park, Nice dinner. Stay at Blue Horizon or Hampton Inn. Leave early next morning for return flight.

You could do whale watching tour in Icy Strait Point. Highly recommend Glacier Wind.

[cmmaxwell03]

39 minutes ago, dd57 said:

Our cruiseline, the same one you are on, used Major Marine for the Resurrection Bay cruise.

 

We decided to eat at Glacier Brewhouse the morning after our arrival in Anchorage.  The only reservations available for that day were 4:30 or before, or after 8:30.   Boo.  Then we realized that we hadn't adjusted to the time change yet, and 4:30 in Alaska was our normal dinner time at home.  We were seated at 4:30, and were glad we got there when we did as a large tour group of around 30 people was taken to a back room, which I'm sure impacted the kitchen for later diners.  The food was great as was the beer selection.

Argh...I didn't realize we would need a reservation for the Brewhouse.  We were planning on having dinner there the night we arrived.  I was not going to make a reservation since our flight could be delayed.  Oye...

 

[cmmaxwell03]

To be safe, I went ahead and made reservations but will keep their number handy in case we have any flight delays.  Thanks @dd57