SirTomster

I have not been to Anchorage, so take what I say with a grain of salt. And only one cruise to Alaska, or anywhere for that matter. So I know squat. I just have researched a lot of options for my upcoming cruise. If I were arriving in Seward from your ship, I would stay in Seward. The next day (or same day depending on when you arrive), take a 4 to 8 hour Kenai Fjords tour, then either another night in Seward and then the Train to Anchorage for the flight home. I have heard so many good things about Kenai Fjords. I am doing a southbound in June and flying in 2 days before to rent a car to drive to Seward to do the Kenai Fjords cruise, then back to Anchorage to get on a bus to Whittier for my cruise. Now there are things to do around Anchorage, but from what I have read, I would pick the Kenai Fjords option over something else. And who knows, once I complete my cruise I will have completely different advice.

As the person who would be driving if I rented a car. I would miss out on many sights because I was focused on driving. So I would not want to drive. I will be there in June and doing the 8 hour Train/Bus tour. I get to focus on enjoying the sights. No on what is in front of me on the highway.

I would look into a Kenai Fjords cruise. One of the shorter ones since you arrive at 11:30. There are a couple of companies that offer tours there. Major Marine and Kenai Fjord Tours are the ones with some larger boats. I believe there are some companies with smaller boats as well. I expect they will store your luggage for you while on the boat but I would double-check.

So some of this is based on what I have seen on YouTube. I think popular Youtuber "Tips for Travellers" mentioned this in one of his Alaska videos. But also, you can find locals with a plane that will offer the option, but how maintained is their aircraft? It is one thing to hire someone to drive you around and another to hire someone to "fly" you around. I had assumed that the cruise lines would have more requirements for the tour operators they work with to ensure their equipment is well maintained. Cruise lines do not want to be associated with their passengers dying while on a cruise line excursion. But now I am not so sure. I did a quick google search on "Alaska cruise excursion plane crash" and there are unfortunately a few hits. Including people suing the cruise line for plane crashes. One article did seem to imply that there are no additional requirements to be a tour operator for a cruise line besides adding the cruise line to their insurance. So do they vet these people and ensure their aircraft are safe? I had assumed so, but now.. I wonder. Here is a cruise critic article from 2019 that discusses this. https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles/q-a-are-flightseeing-shore-excursions-safe So I will be doing 3rd party operators for my pending Alaska cruise, (Whale Watching, Skagway Train) but if I ever want to get into a helicopter or plane, I think I would go through the cruise line just to be a little safer. Not that this means you are safe, you are flying in a small craft.

I first recommend that you research what the cruise line offers These are likely the most popular options available in those ports. Then as you identify things you want to do, you can then research those items in the port you are in. IE Whale Watching in Juneau is big. Then if you search here on Cruise Critic there are a LOT of posts about Whale Watching in Juneau and the groups that people recommend. Pro Tip: Many cruise line excursions are large groups. As in their Whale watching will be on a catamaran with 100+ people. But you can get on a boat with 6 other people (plus the Captain) for a cheaper price. Which sounds better to you? For some, the Catamaran does sound better. Not to me though! Another item, if you pick a flying excursion, be careful. That is one I lean towards going through the cruise lines. Also, cruise lines offer guarantees that the ship will not leave without you. If you go out on your own, no guarantee. Keep that in mind. Now most operators have some guarantee to get you to the next port but that is not fun. So there is a little bit of dice rolling involved.

I recommend you fly in the day before the cruise. Any hiccups on your flight to Anchorage and no Cruise for you! So be smart and get in the day before. Then you can choose more options to get to Whittier. A cheaper option is the ACT Bus: $70.00 per person and it includes the Wildlife center. Or a cheaper version that is direct to the port. https://alaskacruisetransfer.com/rates/

I can only recommend ensure that your cruise includes Glacier Bay. Went in 2011 going back this year. Glacier Bay is magical. I will never do an Alaskan cruise without it. We are stepping it up this year and doing a Southbound to include Hubbard Glacier. And a quick pre-cruise visit in Alaska.

My wife and I did Harv and Marv back in 2011 and it was fantastic. I have booked them for 2024 as we are heading back to Alaska. They are very popular on this board from what I have seen. Also, there is another boat but I cannot remember the name. I loved it as it was a boat of 6 people. Not some catamaran with my closest 150 friends. But you can search Juneau Whale Watching and find many discussions on it.

I have no experience to give but I have booked Salmon Berry Tours to take me from Anchorage to Whittier. You want the reverse and they have that option. So good luck in which ever option you decide.

I had the same question and ended up doing bus first. For two reasons: 1) I assume that if there is going to be wildlife, it is more likely to be seen in the morning and therefore I wanted the option that could stop to see the wildlife. AKA the bus. 2) Starting at 9:30 AM instead of 7:30 AM sounds better to me :) So for #1, that is just a pure assumption on my part and could be completely the opposite of what happens. I have no facts to back up my assumption. I might miss out on wildlife because of my assumption since 7:30 AM is earlier, so I might miss out on early morning wildlife.

I am following since I am on this cruise too and have the same questions. I am starting to plan. Here are my initial thoughts. Kahului, Maui - 1st Option: Road to Hana Tour 2nd Option: Whale Watching (But I will be seeing them in Alaska in June 24) Honolulu, Oahu - 1st Option. Waikiki Beach during the day. Luau at night 2nd Option. Maybe add a Turtle Trip and skip the Luau Nawiliwili, Kaui - Waimea Canyon Hilo, Big Island - Volcanos. Nuff said. Also, another question. Does anyone know when these start locking up? IE would prefer to start booking in July after my Alaska Cruise is over and I will have started saving up for this trip. So I hope it isn't like Alaska and you should book out as early as you can.

There is a YouTube channel I follow who did pretty much your itinerary. Search Paul and Carole Love to Travel and view their Canada and Alaska vlogs. So you can see what they did on their Cruise. It might help. I have been researching HAL for my cruise a lot because I received a free inside cabin. So I cannot comment on Princess and I am biased towards HAL due to that. I am not sure if a 14-day up and back is the best. It seems the only difference between the northbound and southbound is that the northbound goes to College Fjord and the southbound goes to Hubbard Glacier. Otherwise, you hit the same 3 ports on both cruises. Now maybe if you have plans to do multiple things in each port, hitting them twice is a good idea. Personally, if I could do what you are planning, I would reverse it. I would fly to Anchorage, go to Seward to do the Kenai Fjords 1 day cruise. I would then go to Whittier and do the Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise that does College Fjord. Then I would do a southbound to Vancouver. Hitting Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay. Then once in Vancouver do the Rocky Mountaineer to Lake Louise and Banff. If you have more time/funds you can start even earlier in Anchorage and do Denali or other locations too. But it sounds like you are going to do a fantastic trip. I am one of those people who love to plan, so get a lot of enjoyment in the planning. So hopefully you are too and you can look at all the great options available.

Well they opened up 2024 bookings today and I am booked. Ended up doing the Bus first then the train. Train first was at 7:30 AM. Bus first is 9:30 AM. We are in port for 14 hours so I was good with starting a little later.

My wife and I are going on a cruise to Alaska in June of next year. We will be visiting Skagway and I plan on booking the Bennett Scenic Journey option which is half train and half bus. I am leaning towards the bus option going up and taking the train down and wanted anyone's thoughts on this option. My reasoning is that by taking the bus up first, we might see more wildlife and be able to stop the bus to take pictures. Then, take the train back down and enjoy the views and relax since this is an 8 hour excursion. Thoughts? Any pros/cons to the reverse?

Now I am not sure if this is a deal or not. I thought the prices were higher but they are cheaper now. For me, the price to fly home from Vancouver is 1K over the price of flying from Seattle. So I will be taking the QuickShuttle from the Canada Place pier to the Seattle Airport. Right now the prices seem to be 1/2 off. I had a price of $130 for the bus but I booked it for $70.98. I do not see them advertising any sale, but still it was nearly half of what I expected to pay. That includes 2 bags for each of us. So for those who end up in Vancouver at the end of the cruise, it might be an option to consider. Or for someone that leaves from Vancouver. Flying to Seattle and taking the bus to Vancouver to get on the ship. I ended up deciding to stay a night in Seattle and not trying to catch a flight that evening since you never know if traffic will delay the bus.

All 3 hit Glacier Bay. Check All 3 are one-way cruises. Check HAL in June Princess in September. Not sure on NCL if the links are the exact cruises you want. June is high season, September is shoulder and weather can be iffy. My first (and only) was in September and had a blast. Even on the 2nd night when it was stormy and 3/4 the passengers missed dinner because they were in their cabins puking. My wife and I were in the Crows Nest having a blast. Missed dinner because we would not leave the Crows Nest (HAL Westerdam) HAL and Princess are the Longest cruise lines to Alaska. Not sure if you care about that. I have heard boarding in Vancouver can be a pain on days when there are multiple ships. So the NCL one worries me. -1 The NCL one ends up in Seward and you could stay there and do Kenai Fjords the next day. That is a plus in my mind. +1 So it is close. HAL Noordam 1924 people. Grand Princess 2600. For me, less is better. you might choose the opposite. A quick view of the two ships.. not sure if one or the other has more entertainment. HAL skews to the older crowds but I do not think Princess is far behind. NCL? Not a clue. Plus it is Alaska, in Summer. There will be kids. Look at the port times and see what works for you. I like the HAL times more than the Princess. They are close but HAL seems slightly longer and slightly later. For me, when I was choosing, I chose southbound. I chose to fly into Anchorage 2 days before the cruise and drive to Seward to do a Kenai Fjords cruise. Then drive back to Anchorage and take the train or bus to Whittier then board the ship. Then cruise and fly home. Have some fun in Alaska, have an awesome cruise then go home. That was my thought on Southbound. FYI, I am on the HAL cruise you selected. So take everything I say with a grain of salt. With you being in your 30's, I would lean more towards Princess. But nearly 700 more people is a thing. I could have done the HAL Nieuw Amsterdam which is slightly bigger than the Noordam. But decided to go with the older and slightly smaller Noordam. All in all, I think you have 3 great itineraries. I lean towards HAL or Princess due to the experience they have in Alaska, and then you are comparing some pretty small differences. But one of those small differences might be very important to you. Enjoy your cruise!

I have opted for the Chilkoot Charters Lake Bennett one. Most train time, but also the furthest into the Yukon and get to see Emerald Lake. I like to do photography, so the photos I have seen of Emerald lake look cool. Another bonus is that it is $50 pp cheaper than the equivalent on Holland America. Second Bonus is Chilkoot has smaller busses than the motorcoaches the cruise lines use. Now, if you are in Skagway on June 19th, I recommend another option

So is anyone aware if someone has missed their cruise because of a delay on the 26 Glacier Cruise? You get back 1.5 hours (or so) before the ship leaves. Which just seems too close to me.

Another Black Friday deal for a Kenai Fjords cruise out of Seward. Kenai Fjords Tours is having a 40% off sale. From November 27 to December 1, 2023, book your coastal Alaska adventure with code CYBER40 to SAVE 40% on your next Alaska day cruise. It’s a trip (and a deal) you won’t want to miss. https://www.alaskacollection.com/day-tours/kenai-fjords-tours/#openseason=false And as posted earlier. Major Marine has 30% off. So some great prices to cruise Kenai Fjords with either company. https://majormarine.com/specials-packages/

I love to plan too. For me, part of the enjoyment is planning the trip. Then living vicariously through others who do the same. Why? It extends the enjoyment. For some, planning an event can enhance the experience. For some, planning is a 4 letter word. To each their own. For instance, my wife is quite happy with me doing the planning. Which means I get to do something I enjoy and she does not have to do something she does not enjoy. In this case, by posting about what she is doing, she is also helping others with ideas. Which hurts nobody.

Curious what happened. I am booked for the Noordam southbound in June 2024.

I am doing a southbound trip out of Whittier. But we will be flying to Anchorage 2 days before the cruise and traveling to Seward for two nights. We will be taking a one-day cruise to the Kenai Fjords. I recommend you look into it. My research shows that it is very popular and can be the trip's highlight. I am not sure when the ship arrives and if you could take the Kenai Fjords cruise the same day or not. But something to consider.

Hehe, all these posts about Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales are making me regret booking my trip for next year. But too late, I jumped on booking my time to be safe. I will just have to avoid their site when the sales happen.

I am in the same boat. I can only hope it does not happen to me next year. I even waited for the price to increase a little because the first price I had was stupid low. My rate is still very low, but closer to reasonable. Though today it is a LOT higher for June. So maybe my great price will still be too low. I booked directly with them to avoid any third party issues.

Go to the cruise line's website and find the excursions they have for Alaska. They will always have the popular options. Now you do not have to go through the cruise line, but you can get ideas. For instance. Whale Watching in Juneau is big. But there are many local companies that will charge less or have less people on the boat. So seeing all the whale watching options on the cruise line shows it is very popular and now you can research. Many stick with the cruise line due to the security of them promising to not leave the port until the tour returns. But you generally pay more. But you can get ideas after seeing what the cruise lines offer in those ports. This will also allow you to see approximate prices and see what is in your budget. Juneau has a helicopter ride to a glacier and dog sledding. Sounds awesome. But it is pricy. If you see that price and go, next! I understand. I did the same thing. It is still sounds like a cool thing, but I will survive without it.