Alaska newbie with questions

[bjtravelnews]

A little help please!  I am considering an Alaska cruise.  Considering the cost of the air fare, pre night hotel and land portion to extend the cruise, this will likely be a one time vacation.  Thus, I want to make the most of the vacation.  Considering Princess since they seem to be the best choice for Alaska (of course - if this isn't right, please chime in!).  There are so many options my head is spinning.  For all those who have been to Alaska, what ports do you consider to be the most important?  It looks like only one cruise goes to Icy Straight?  Is this worth seeing?  For land portion, what are the don't miss places?  Sorry - I know much of this is subjective.  But I want to go into this with as much info as possible since I likely will only do this once.  THANKS so much for all your thoughts.  I am at a total loss here!

 

[dd57]

It would be helpful if you told us a little about yourself. Why appeals to  you when you travel - seeing amazing landscapes?  Seeing wildlife?  Being active (like kayaking)?  Learning about other cultures?   Seeing where history happened?  All of these can be experienced on an Alaska cruise but knowing what you like would help us make recommendations.

[cw2go]

If you really believe this is a one and done... I said that too and got addicted! 😜

 

I'd suggest looking at one way sailings with the most amount of port time. Princess has great itineraries but doesn't mean best depending on what you want out of your time in Alaska.

You'll also have to pick your glacier sailings. Glacier Bar, Hubbard as ex. As for ISP, It's a super fun port stop but if you're not into adventurous tours or whale watching, you'll be limited. I'll also mention tours are very pricey but for me they are what makes the vacation to Alaska so special. I spent big bucks getting OUT of port! I cruise interior staterooms because for me top deck is where I spend my time. This is heavily debated, up to you. Try not to focus on the ship, they are all pretty equal in Alaska. The vibe is far more sedate and casual than in Europe to the Caribbean. 

 

Once you nail down the itinerary and share what your desires are, I'll be able to help with the must have tours. Ages or mobility issues? Any children? Is budget a concern? 

 

Word of caution, you'll never see it all and need to be flexible as weather can turn on a dime. 

 

 

Happy to help, 

Patty 

 

 

[dd57]

I 2nd the point of getting out of port.  We're going back for our 4th Alaska cruise this summer because we enjoy it so much.  Friends of ours just walked around town at the stops and didn't understand why people like Alaska.  You don't have to spend a lot of money at all the ports, but the big adventures do cost a bit.

[MommaK2D2]

We did an Alaska cruise thru Princess in 2019 and it was amazing!  Going in early April on NCL so will have more comparison for you then. (NCL I hear is a more casual vibe than Princess, and I do think I will miss the dressier stuff/high teas on the seas etc)

    In terms of ports:   Our favorite was Glacier Bay (hubby was enthralled and just sat on the balcony with coffee for like 8 hours and LOVED it).     We did Icy Straight Point- and it was nice but probably the port I would drop off the ones we did. Gorgeous but small. They have some indigenous culture performances- but we ourselves live in an area full of indigenous culture so this wasn’t a big draw. Nice whale watching, but we personally saw more whales in Juneau. 
     Juneau we had some great whale watching and enjoyed the baby whales. Mendenhall

glacier was near but it has receded so much it is more in the distance. 
   Skagway we absolutely loved, and I don’t think I would do a trip with no Skagway myself. We splurged on the train to Yukon/Carcrosse (with bus down via Chilkoot), and it was amazing. I am super frugal but that one was worth the $$ to us. Stood on the back of the caboose and just took it all in as we ascended. 
    One thing: princess ends up in Whittier, which is beautiful but nothing but a cruise debark/embark warehouse, nothing to see there. Whereas some of the other cruises end in Seward which has a lot to offer, excited this next trip to see the Kenai fjords which is renowned for wildlife and Orca. (But haven’t experienced it yet). I remember being sad that we ended at Whittier instead of Seward. 
   You will have a great time regardless!!! Enjoy 

[oaktreerb]

Glacier Bay is the ‘Not to miss”.  It’s guaranteed glacier viewing inside the national park.  As far as ports go the usual are Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway or Sitka.  Haines is a less visited port and less touristy.  Skagway is a national park (Gold Rush history) and the road/railroad can take you into Canada, BC.  Ketchikan centers on native culture, early Alaska culture, and fishing.  The Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s tour is informative and lots of fun.  Sitka is amazingly beautiful and a center of Russian/Alaska history.  Also a great fishing port but many excursions will be based on animal/sea creature experiences.  Juneau is best for “getting out of town for whale watching or Tracy Arm small ship excursion”. Mendenhall Glacier is popular but other experiences are better.  There will be a lot of ships in Alaska in 2023 and Princess and Holland America will be in prime docking locations, closer to town, in most cases.  

 

Whittier is closer to Anchorage and offers a glacier cruise experience.  Seward has more activities but isn’t that far away, either.

[wolfie11]

Best seafood in Alaska in Whittier at the Swiftwater Cafe!

[oaktreerb]

How much time do you have for this vacation?  The cruise will be 7 to 14 days.  The land portion can include Seward and the Turnagain Arm area up to Anchorage.  A train ride to Denali to hopefully see bears, moose, and other animals at a distance on a minimum two night stay at the national park is offered by most cruise lines (Princess and HAL have the most inclusive facilities).  The park road is under construction for probably the next two summers so the tour has been shortened.  You can read about the park on the national park web page.  

 

You can research all of these options online.  There is a lot to see and do.  That’s why most people make repeated trips to Alaska.  

[CNDKangaroo]

I've been to Alaska twice and am going twice this June.  I sailed with Holland America and loved it, Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and Glacier Bay.  I also sailed with NCl and really loved the itinerary at the time Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Sitka, Glacier Bay and Icy Point.  This year I'm sailing with Celebrity - Juneau, Ketchikan, Icy Point and Hubbard Glacier. 

 

I loved Sitka and Skagway (I realize I'm not doing either this time!).  

[kickboxrca]

I tried to get out of going on my first cruise to Alaska, and now we are heading on our fourth ... yes, it's definitely more expensive than the Caribbean, but the adventures are amazing.  I know you are looking at just a cruise, however the cruise tour (land and sea) that we did last year was super.

 

I echo what previous posters have said about the ports - we haven't been to Sitka yet, but Glacier Bay is a not miss ...and we have loved the diversity in Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan.  The trip up to Carcross on the train was lovely ... we have also done a dogsledding training thing out in Dyea that was a big highlight.  If you want to see whales, the small boats do a great job of getting you close to them.  When we go to Sitka this trip, we plan on doing our own thing - heading to the Bear refuge, the Raptor Centre, and hiking around the national park.

 

I would be interested to hear what you think when you get back.  Have a wonderful trip!