what to expect with a Alaska cruise?

[Thad409]

Weve only sailed to the Caribbean and Bahamas and are used to that kind of atmosphere on the ship kind of always upbeat. Is an Alaska cruise more laid back with less of a party atmosphere? Do the casino and the rest of the ship stay lively at night, or do they roll up the carpets and everyone is in their rooms by 9pm?

[tscoffey]

I was on a HAL ship (Westerdam) in Alaska. HAL is traditionally a 50+ clientele, which was definitely the case for our cruise.

 

BB King blues club was  still going most nights until 11:45PM. Not sure when the casino closed, since I don't gamble. I would imagine a Princess, NCL, or RCCL ships would be at least as busy at night, if not more.

 

And in general, Alaska cruises aren't where the young party-boozer crowds tend to go to. They want sun, fun, sand, and all that -  which definitely isn't Alaska. Plus, Alaska cruises tend to be longer, and cost more - making them more of a disincentive to the party crowds (who normally want shorter cruises, and have less money to book with).

 

Alaska is insanely nice. You won't believe the scenery. Watching a glacier calve icebergs is an astounding experience. Seeing a whale come up out of the water is amazing.  Get a balcony stateroom. Bring a good camera.  The port towns are all quite small (of course - Alaska is the least populous state), so everything is more easy going in them.

 

Edited May 6, 2023 by tscoffey

[Aquahound]

I guess that depends on the cruise line.  From what I've found, activities are pretty similar inside the ships.  Don't expect the crazy late-night pool parties though.  In fact, there are some areas where ships can't even make announcements outside.  

[StollyBolly]

I’ve never found they roll up the carpets at 9 on any cruise I’ve been on.  The factor is usually passengers who want to partake.  It is a cooler climate so remember there won’t be as many poolside activities.  But I’m guessing that depends on the ship and weather.  

[shipgeeks]

We still enjoyed music and dancing every night on our AK cruise, but I don't think there was any pool scene as there would be in Carib.

I have to disagree about having a balcony cabin.  We absolutely loved the scenery, but we observed it from the public decks, all day every day.  Our balcony went to waste; we only spent about two hours there during the entire 10 days.  And it somewhat blocked the view we would have had in an OV cabin.

[Lois R]

I agree with some of the other folks on here........what cruise line "rolls up at 9pm?" I would think many people are still eating dinner at that time. I don't cruise to be on a "party ship" so that is not even in my wheelhouse. As for Casino's, I would think they would be open just like any other cruise.

 

Alaska is amazing.  I have been 5 times over the past 20 years, most recently last summer. The scenery, wildlife, everything.......much of it can take your breath away. 

 

For specifics, I would post this on the cruise line forum you are looking to sail and I am sure the regulars on that forum would have answers as well.

 

 

 

[9tee2Sea]

Take binoculars.  Seeing the icebergs ( or glaciers) up close is amazing.  The difference shades of blue.  Be on the lookout for Whales too.  Train your binoculars on the water spouts in the distance and just try to track them.  I was on an early morning walk around the deck while cruising the inside passage, and a whale popped up along the side of the ship.  Blew water out of its blow hole ( sounded like a loud Tuba), then slowly went back under.  It was awesome!  You will see waterfalls, seals, Bald Eagles.  I once saw a bear cub in a tree by Mendenhall Glacier ( easy Glacier to walk to..not upto, but close enough)

[klfrodo]

Roll up the carpets and close the doors by 9PM? No

Will there be entertainment until 1,2 AM? Yes

 

However, cruises are just like anything else in life and the atmosphere therein.

Caribbean cruises are about sunshine, beaches, umbrellas and sunshine. With a little history thrown in.

Mediterranean cruises are all about history with a little sunshine and beaches thrown in.

Alaska cruises are all about scenery, wildlife, history with zero to very little beach thrown in

[1025cruise]

One thing to keep in mind. Alaska can be port intensive, with a lot of time off ship. People might call it a night early for no other reason than they are tired from a full day's activities with another full day planned for the next.

[lenquixote66]

We did a 14 day HAL trip,the first 7 was a land tour with an Escort.We toured by bus,train and on foot.The next 7 days was a cruise.We booked a balcony but when we boarded the ship much to our surprise we were in a suite.

It was our second favorite cruise vacation .

[XBGuy]

@Thad409  You do not indicate what line you will be cruising with, but you might want to go over to the Princess board and check out a couple current threads where posters are reporting their real-time experiences on various AK cruises.

 

This one is quite comprehensive and includes reports from multiple cruisers.

 

 

[Mary229]

Which cruise line?

[Thad409]

7 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Which cruise line?

carnival most likely

[Mary229]

6 hours ago, Thad409 said:

carnival most likely

I would think there would be a lot of nightlife.  Daytime will probably be more sedate focused on going ashore and wildlife spotting.   Once the sun goes down, if it ever does during your cruise😉, the party will commence

[K32682]

You can expect amazing scenery, variable weather where layers and rain gear are required, interesting ports where everyone speaks English and a more mature environment than a typical short Carribean cruise. 

[SPacificbound]

When we did our Alaska cruise it was Vancouver to Seward on Radiance of the Seas. Beautiful ship and beautiful scenery. On the ship it wasn't much different then any other cruise, but we don't do Caribbean so can't compare to those. After we left the ship we traveled in Alaska by rail and saw a lot more, really enjoyed spending a few days in each town, then on the train to our next stop.