Alaska cruise this August--multiple questions!

[rmzlvacationers]

DH and I going on the Radiance Aug. 16-23 Southbound Alaska & Hubbard Glacier. First Alaska cruise and I have a couple questions:

 

-Flying into Anchorage and taking the Alaska Railroad into Seward. Is one side of the train better to sit on versus the other?

 

-Our Juneau stop is on Sunday from 9am-8pm.  We have an excursion booked for 10am-1:30pm. Also would like to do the tram but have read that the lines can get crazy long.  Looks like 4 other ships in port that day. Is it worth spending the time for the tram?  Would like to walk around town so I would hate to spend hours in lines.

 

-I found sites that tell me how many/which ships are in ports when we are but is there a way to find out which dock Radiance uses at each port?

 

-Ending in Vancouver and going to stay the weekend, is it worth it to get Canadian currency beforehand? Probably just going to use our cc anyway so is this needed?

 

Any other advice for newbie Alaska people is much appreciated!!

[markeb]

21 minutes ago, rmzlvacationers said:

-Flying into Anchorage and taking the Alaska Railroad into Seward. Is one side of the train better to sit on versus the other?

 

 

Is the Gold Star service available for the day you want to take the train? It's more expensive, but those are the glass topped rail cars. Great view all around and an observation platform at the end of the car. Breakfast included as well as coffee and soft drinks and I believe two alcoholic beverages per person. 

 

The views were on all sides. 

 

22 minutes ago, rmzlvacationers said:

-Ending in Vancouver and going to stay the weekend, is it worth it to get Canadian currency beforehand? Probably just going to use our cc anyway so is this needed?

 

 

Credit cards/Apple Pay seemed to be good everywhere we went. I'll defer to someone from Vancouver, but with the exchange rate I wouldn't bother getting Canadian Dollars before traveling, and I suspect you can do 99% of the transactions you'll do with a credit card/Apple Pay/Google Pay.

 

Those are the two I can help with.

[Northern Aurora]

Regarding Juneau, while the lines for the tram can be long they also move very quickly.  Wait until you are in Juneau to make the decision regarding the tram as it is not worth it to many folks if the weather is cloudy and rainy.

 

Use goggle to find the Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska website.  It will provide the docking location of your ship.

 

We visit Canada frequently.  We use a credit card.  We never bother to obtain Canadian currency.  But make sure that the credit card you use doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee.

[AKStafford]

2 hours ago, rmzlvacationers said:

Is one side of the train better to sit on versus the other?

I would sit on the right hand side for the views along the Turnagain Arm.

 

[jean-lynd]

You can find out what dock you will be at at claalaska.com

[Heidi13]

8 hours ago, rmzlvacationers said:

 

 

-I found sites that tell me how many/which ships are in ports when we are but is there a way to find out which dock Radiance uses at each port?

 

-Ending in Vancouver and going to stay the weekend, is it worth it to get Canadian currency beforehand? Probably just going to use our cc anyway so is this needed?

 

Any other advice for newbie Alaska people is much appreciated!!

 

All cruise ships dock at Canada Place in Vancouver so no need to check the berth in Vancouver.

 

Visa & Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere and American Express is widely accepted. Getting a chip/pin card will expedite your transactions, as will a card with contactless/tap. Personally, I haven't used cash for well over 5 yrs.

[rmzlvacationers]

Thanks everyone for the replies and helpful info!  I got all the docks from the website.  Good call for the tram, very true that we probably will skip if the weather isn't worth it.

[SomewhereGirl]

I've only taken the train from Anchorage to Seward once, booked directly with Alaska RR in Adventure class, and the seat was assigned, but plenty of opportunity to get up and walk around.  The water views were on the right side.  Not sure how seating works if booked through a cruise line.

[dctravel]

23 hours ago, rmzlvacationers said:

-Ending in Vancouver and going to stay the weekend, is it worth it to get Canadian currency beforehand? Probably just going to use our cc anyway so is this needed?

You can likely charge almost everything. Make sure your credit card does not charge you a foreign transaction fee. Also, if a merchant asks, have them charge you in Canadian Dollars. Your credit card uses the interbank exchange rate for purchases, which is almost always better than the rate you will get from the merchant (or a money exchange place).

 

As for cash, if you need any, just grab it from a bank ATM machine (not one of those random ones you would find at a 7-11 in the US). Your bank might charge you a fee, but that is certainly the easiest way to get cash.

[Crew News]

23 hours ago, rmzlvacationers said:

-I found sites that tell me how many/which ships are in ports when we are but is there a way to find out which dock Radiance uses at each port?

 

Any other advice for newbie Alaska people is much appreciated!!

Here is the link to see ships and berths for the Alaska 2024 season:

Alaska 2024 Ship and Berth Schedule

 

Insect repellent is a good idea when traveling in August.