Please give me your thoughts

[PATRLR]

A lot of good responses here, but, for me I think it comes down to:  Do you like/appreciate wilderness beauty? 

Do you hike?  Do you tend to do things in the woods? Do you visit National Parks and such and enjoy being in or even just viewing wilderness?  If you do, you HAVE to do an Alaska cruise. 

If driving through a national park makes you think "If I see another 'scenic overlook' sign, I'm gonna scream", or, in your opinion, Grand Canyon is nothing but a "hole in the ground, yawn", then don't bother with Alaska.

[RedIguana]

The wife and I finally cruised to Alaska this year. Had one booked for our ten year anniversary in 2020, that did not happen for obvious reasons. It has been her favorite cruise so far, so much so that she is seriously pushing to get back there with our young adult children. By all means, do Alaska over the Caribbean if possible. Another option if you have the time since you have to fly anyway is Norway. Norway is like Alaska on steroids, and the ability to cruise the fjords may be seriously limited after 2025.

[Ret MP]

6 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

in your opinion, Grand Canyon is nothing but a "hole in the ground, yawn", then don't bother with Alaska.

LOL, that's exactly how I felt about the Canyon.  Spent a very long time looking for a parking space, walked a long way to an overlook and YEP a big hole in the ground, turned around, and left.  I love nature and plush mountains, waterfalls, and other "GREEN: type national/state parks.  BTW, I've lived in the Desert S.W. for many years, White Sand Missile Range, NM and Ft. Hood, TX (it will never be Ft. Cavasos for me).  

[Mum2Mercury]

1 hour ago, dd likes to cruise said:

A number of the cruise companies offer an Alaska cruise with Land portion also. That is what we did. On Royal, Vancouver to Steward. Plus 3 days land tour to Denali and Fairbanks. Really enjoyed it. Flew home from Fairbanks. 

I looked into the land-and-sea type things, but they just didn't hit the things we wanted to do.  

39 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

I really don't think there is much difference between the eastern and western Caribbean.  

Agree. 

39 minutes ago, HicksRA said:

How many sand beaches do you need to see?  
Do Alaska…

Well, I've enjoyed many crab leg dinners in the past, but I'm making another one tonight.  Even though I've experienced it before, I expect to enjoy it.  

 

[Weluv2cruise2gether]

We too are from PA so we do hate the winter here so we have done Caribbean cruises many times, western itineraries are our least favorite. We did do Alaska at end of July 2019. I was hesitant since I love the beach, but Alaska did not disappoint. It is BEAUTIFUL!!!! And we talk about the cruise all the time. Yes the price is more, but you are also celebrating a significant milestone in your marriage, so why not a once (or twice) in a lifetime vacation. And as someone else posted, the glaciers are shrinking, so go now before you don’t have large ones to see anymore. 

[LisaLisa87]

2 hours ago, Tntt said:

I know this board is filled with individuals who have cruised to various places, so I'm just seeking advice. In 2025 my spouse and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and we would like to celebrate it on a cruise.

 

DH and I are celebrating our 25th next month with a Western Caribbean sailing on Harmony. We considered a Med cruise but ultimately decided we wanted something more relaxing for this particular vacation. While an Alaskan cruise might not be quite as complex to plan or as taxing physically as a Med cruise, we ruled that itinerary out early as well. Since a Caribbean cruise is less expensive than either of those options, we were able to justify booking a sky class suite. The suite perks will definitely make this feel like more of a Special Occasion. We're currently in the early stages of planning an Alaskan cruise for next year (with NCL since Glacier Bay is a must for us).

Edited August 3, 2023 by LisaLisa87

[cruiselvr04]

We just got back from a cruise tour to Alaska.  It was fabulous for scenery and wildlife.  It was also very intense with very little down time.  We spent more on this trip then even a 2 week river cruise to Europe.  We had a wonderful time though and it was worth it. 

The Caribbean will be much more laid back and restful and you could get a suite for less then what Alaska will cost.  
 

What kind of a trip do you want for your anniversary? Alaska will be more memorable but the Caribbean will be much more relaxed. 

 

 

[roupa]

Do Alaska… a beautiful corner of the USA!  

 

As stated, “a beach is a beach”, and that’s what I now think of Caribbean cruises…tho I always enjoy them.
And one glacier may be the same as another in some opinions. However, Alaska has all the rustic geography you can only imagine… unique and beautiful!  The cruise ports are all quaint yet interesting in a calming fashion. I highly recommend adding travel on land before or after a cruise.  Cruise lines have land tours you can book with your cruise, but we have rented a car and explored ourselves.  ( Be aware of car rental pickup and drop off locations!). Alaska is easy to navigate on its good highways.  I envy those who have RVd in Alaska.   Do some research.
Do your comparative shopping for a cruise that offers you the most time in ports and land tour if interested.

For a land tour(diy or cruise based) you would need a one way cruise….Vancouver to Anchorage or the reverse.  We prefer the land option before the cruise so we can R&R on the ship.  Also, the longest flight ( to Alaska) is done first.

You can break up a long flight by taking a route that has brief layovers to stretch if needed.  Just DO plan on flights to arrive a day early in case of any flight delays!

And start saving your dollars.  This can be a pricey trip when flights and excursions are added in…. But so worth it, in my opinion since it is a bucket list for many and perhaps a “ one and done”.

Wow!, that was a long reply, huh? 🤣

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, Tntt said:

I know this board is filled with individuals who have cruised to various places, so I'm just seeking advice. In 2025 my spouse and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and we would like to celebrate it on a cruise.

 

We have also cruised a lot but mainly the Eastern Caribbean, but we have never seen the Western Caribbean, however I also would like to sail Alaska. The issue I have with Alaska is we would have to fly to Seattle because we live on the east coast and we are looking at a 5 hour flight and neither one of us are fans of flying long distances and we know Western Caribbean will be warm and Alaska may be cool and rainy  however , everyone is telling me an Alaska cruise is worth it. So I am a little torn about should we book a 7 nt Western Caribbean or should I just book the Alaska cruise. Just curious about what my fellow cruisers think, what are the pros  and cons between these two cruises. What would you suggest if you were me? 

Congratulations on the 25th Anniversary!

 

We cruise 6-7 times a year. And for us, Alaska is one of the best cruise destinations. 

 

Summer months in Alaska is shorts and t-shirt weather in ports (for us). It is also winter coat weather on glacier watching day. We sail Alaska every year because of its beauty and will be totally different than Nassau and CocoCay. A milestone anniversary should be special, and Alaska is special. 

 

You kinda just gotta get over the long flight (which is actually a relatively short flight). I would fly in a day or two early and enjoy Seattle. We stay downtown near Pike Place Market which has a lot of restaurants and is walkable to other sites. 

 

The link below is to our cruise on the Quantum to Alaska last year. This year's Alaska cruise is coming up in a few weeks from now on another cruise line. 

 

[PhillyFan33579]

2 hours ago, Jasukkie said:

The Caribbean tends to not get the intense heat that we get in US summers. It's the risk of hurricanes that would make me leery of booking there in the summer/early fall.

What part of the Caribbean doesn’t get intense heat? I have been on 8 Caribbean cruises since May. It has been extremely hot at every port we visited on every cruise. It has been a relief getting back to the “cooler” weather in Florida after every cruise. 

[CynBeth6]

2 hours ago, dd likes to cruise said:

A number of the cruise companies offer an Alaska cruise with Land portion also. That is what we did. On Royal, Vancouver to Steward. Plus 3 days land tour to Denali and Fairbanks. Really enjoyed it. Flew home from Fairbanks. 

We did that with Royal a number of years ago around Memorial Day and had such an amazing trip. We brought mostly winter clothes and they had a rare warm spell that week we were glad we bought a few shorts and t-shirts as well.

[PATRLR]

 

1 hour ago, PATRLR said:

 or, in your opinion, Grand Canyon is nothing but a "hole in the ground, yawn", 

1 hour ago, Ret MP said:

LOL, that's exactly how I felt about the Canyon.  Spent a very long time looking for a parking space, walked a long way to an overlook and YEP a big hole in the ground, turned around, and left. 

To be honest, so did we (well, we didn't leave, but, we weren't impressed).  And we're very much outdoorsy types.  Shortly after GC we found ourselves in Zion and OMG, another hole in the ground but couldn't be more night and day different!

Edited August 3, 2023 by PATRLR

[Thesandman12]

3 hours ago, Tntt said:

I know this board is filled with individuals who have cruised to various places, so I'm just seeking advice. In 2025 my spouse and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and we would like to celebrate it on a cruise.

 

We have also cruised alot but mainly the eastern caribbean, but we have never seen the western caribbean, however I also would like to sail Alaska. The issue I have with alaska is we would have to fly to seattle because we live on the east coast and we are looking at a 5 hour flight and neither one of us are fans of flying long distances and we know western caribbean will be warm and alaska may be cool and rainy  however , everyone is telling me an alaska cruise is worth it. So I am a little torn about should we book a 7 nt western caribbean or should I just book the Alaska cruise. Just curious about what my fellow cruisers think, what are the pros  and cons between these two cruises. What would you suggest if you were me? 

We have done both type cruises. We found Southern and Eastern Carib. to be much better than western, that is just us. Alaska, in my opinion, is much better than Carib. It is said that toward the end of June and most of July, there is less rain, but it can rain anytime. We have sailed all 3 summer months. Some times a little rain and cooler, but weather did not take away from the cruise. We always fly nonstop if we can. We will fly to a hub that has a non stop spend the night and catch the non stop the next AM, that usually cuts down on a single long flight, depending on the hub location. We always fly in to the cruise port a day or 2 before the cruise. We did our 25th and 50th on ships. We booked our flights to a hub ourselves and then booked the nonstop through air2sea, save money. Hope this helps.

congrats on the 25th.

[Tlbecker1]

We have done many Alaska and Caribbean cruises.  I would definitely choose Alaska for a special occasion.  It is breathtaking.

[OCSC Mike]

1 hour ago, PATRLR said:

Do you hike?  Do you tend to do things in the woods? Do you visit National Parks and such and enjoy being in or even just viewing wilderness?  If you do, you HAVE to do an Alaska cruise.

 

I know I'm a weirdo but I don't care for any of those things yet spending 18 days on land & sea in Alaska was the best vacation I've ever taken. There's so much more than hiking and looking at breathtaking views (I know you know this but I want people to know that non-outdoors types can also love Alaska).

 

Taking a ride to the arctic circle from Fairbanks and flying back, taking the bus ride all the way to the back of Denali National Park (bears and sheep and moose, oh my) and staying there for 2 nights (yes, sadly the road is currently impassable), flying around Denali, hiking on a glacier (way cooler than hiking through a forest to me), watching my wife ice climb on that glacier, taking a helicopter up to a glacier in the mountains to go dog sledding, ocean kayaking, whale watching, the Kenai fjord tour, randomly spotting a sea otter hanging out near the shore in Seward while just walking down the street... I'm sure I'm forgetting tons of stuff even after all that.

 

Very long review of our 2018 trip in my signature if anyone is interested.

[BallFour4]

This is easy. We just celebrated our 40th anniversary on the Quantum of the Seas to Alaska. After forty cruises, most warm weather we finally made it. Get a balcony, do amazing excursions, just go!

Here are a few of my photos. Message me and I will share more.

 

Seattle

Victoria BC

Ketchikan

Juneau.

Sitka.

Quantum

 

.

 

Edited August 3, 2023 by BallFour4

[gowensricks]

My husband and I are individuals that love the warm climates (Caribbean, Mediterranean, etc). However, last summer we went to Alaska on Quantum (I was initially very skeptical). Shockingly, it turned out to be in our top five cruises (we have gone on 24 cruises to date). It did not hurt that we had the most perfect weather...

 

I would probably give Alaska a try. 

[Cruisin'4Us]

5 hours ago, Etta1213 said:

I grew up in PA with rough winters. For me, warm weather vacations hold a strong attraction. However, if your trip will be in summer, expect to accept possibly intense heat in the Caribbean. I've loved some Carib excursions, such as interacting with stingrays, the sea turtle sanctuary in Grand Cayman, the swim with dolphins, interact manatee, sea lion show in Cozumel's Chankanaab Park. 

Add us to the list of Grand Cayman excursion fans!

 

It's been years, but we loved Pancho's Backyard (Mexican restaurant) in Cozumel.  We went to the original location (not the one at the port.)  If you go, go early to avoid crazy long lines.

[Jimbo]

3 hours ago, BallFour4 said:

This is easy. We just celebrated our 40th anniversary on the Quantum of the Seas to Alaska. After forty cruises, most warm weather we finally made it. Get a balcony, do amazing excursions, just go!

Here are a few of my photos. Message me and I will share more.

 

Seattle

Victoria BC

Ketchikan

Juneau.

Sitka.

Quantum

 

.

 

Wow, amazing pictures you captured. Brings back lot of memories when we did our Alaska Cruise in 2017

 

Your photo's of Butchart Gardens  are excellent.

 

Thanks for posting.

Edited August 3, 2023 by Jimbo

[Ret MP]

4 hours ago, PATRLR said:

 

To be honest, so did we (well, we didn't leave, but, we weren't impressed).  And we're very much outdoorsy types.  Shortly after GC we found ourselves in Zion and OMG, another hole in the ground but couldn't be more night and day different!

Oh Oh Oh ya.  I think Utah and its state and federal parks are the most beautiful in the U.S.  But, I haven't been to them all, yet.

 

[CruisinBanka]

4 hours ago, BallFour4 said:

This is easy. We just celebrated our 40th anniversary on the Quantum of the Seas to Alaska. After forty cruises, most warm weather we finally made it. Get a balcony, do amazing excursions, just go!

Here are a few of my photos. Message me and I will share more.

 

Seattle

Victoria BC

Ketchikan

Juneau.

Sitka.

Quantum

 

.

 

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing!

[JustUs275]

I would definitely choose Alaska. We celebrated my (first lol) retirement in 2015 with an Alaskan cruise and it was fabulous! Breathtaking scenery, unique excursions, and the weather was excellent (60-low 70's) the end of May/first of June. We spent a few days pre-cruise in the Seattle area and really enjoyed that as well. The whole trip was a one-and-done for us and we are so glad we did it!

[PigsCanFly]

13 hours ago, Tntt said:

I know this board is filled with individuals who have cruised to various places, so I'm just seeking advice. In 2025 my spouse and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and we would like to celebrate it on a cruise.

 

We have also cruised alot but mainly the eastern caribbean, but we have never seen the western caribbean, however I also would like to sail Alaska. The issue I have with alaska is we would have to fly to seattle because we live on the east coast and we are looking at a 5 hour flight and neither one of us are fans of flying long distances and we know western caribbean will be warm and alaska may be cool and rainy  however , everyone is telling me an alaska cruise is worth it. So I am a little torn about should we book a 7 nt western caribbean or should I just book the Alaska cruise. Just curious about what my fellow cruisers think, what are the pros  and cons between these two cruises. What would you suggest if you were me? 

We sailed to Alaska on a b2b on Veendam out of Vancouver for our 25th anniversary.  We flew out of Rochester NY to Seattle with DW, self, My Mother, Our son (15 at the time) and my Best man.  We met up with a great friend who took Amtrak out of Boston to Seattle.  I rented a car and drove to Vancouver for the cruise.  It was late June/Early July 2008.  The weather was in the 80's for 2 weeks.  We had a great time for the entire cruise.  It also happened to be Alaska's 50th anniversary of their statehood.  DW and I had a renewal of vows ceremony on the ship and it was great.

It is a long drive out West, but if you have the time available, I also recommend the drive West.  

We revisited Alaska 4-5 years ago by driving to Toronto , flyinf direct to Vancouver, connection to Anchorage and taking a land & sea to see Denali.  The train ride was very nice to Denali, a few days there (awesome), bus back to Whittier for a 7 day cruise back to Vancouver., nonstop flight back to Toronto and drive home.

 

If you decide on the Caribbean, I suggest a partial transit of the Panama Canal which usually includes costa Rica and the ABCs of the southern Caribbean rt out of Ft Lauderdale.

Good Luck where ever you cruise and congrats on your 25th.  We are traveling Boston 2 Quebec City 2 Boston next month for our 40th anniv.

 

[Merion_Mom]

Go to Alaska.

 

Before it melts.

[Merion_Mom]

14 hours ago, Tntt said:

 however I also would like to sail Alaska. 

 

1 minute ago, Merion_Mom said:

Go to Alaska.

 

Before it melts.

 

And here is some heresy:  Cruise on Princess.