Return to Alaska?

[cruzincurt]

Just curious, we've cruised 28 times in the Caribbean, never to Alaska. I had occasion visit Ketchican, AK and Prince Rupert, BC for a couple of weeks on business and always wondered why someone would cruise to Alaska, have to wear a rain coat and or hat and gloves in the summer. The weather was always miserable, cold and rainy each time I was there. I watched people getting off the cruise ships carrying umbrellas and wearing raincoats and they didn't look like there were having a good time.

 

Does anyone keep returning to cruise again and again in Alaska? Or is one trip to view the wonders of nature in this region enough? No question, the landscape and mountains are beautiful.

[Janet524]

Just curious, we've cruised 28 times in the Caribbean, never to Alaska. I had occasion visit Ketchican, AK and Prince Rupert, BC for a couple of weeks on business and always wondered why someone would cruise to Alaska, have to wear a rain coat and or hat and gloves in the summer. The weather was always miserable, cold and rainy each time I was there. I watched people getting off the cruise ships carrying umbrellas and wearing raincoats and they didn't look like there were having a good time.

 

Does anyone keep returning to cruise again and again in Alaska? Or is one trip to view the wonders of nature in this region enough? No question, the landscape and mountains are beautiful.

 

We've cruised to Alaska twice - 10 years between trips. Guess we were lucky. We had beautiful weather - in the mid 70's both times, once in mid-May, once in mid-June.

 

One could say why would anyone want to go to the Caribbean over and over again. It's hot, humid, people are always sweating and complaining about the heat and getting sunburned and don't look lke they're having a good time. I guess it's just personal preference. That said, we've cruised to the Caribbean 30+ times - just to cruise. The ports are of little interest to us - been there, done that. We simply enjoy cruising and by now the ship is really the destination for relaxation, and the closest departure ports do mostly Caribbean cruises. Maybe if I lived in Vancouver I'd do more Alaska cruises!

[greydog]

Just curious, we've cruised 28 times in the Caribbean, never to Alaska. I had occasion visit Ketchican, AK and Prince Rupert, BC for a couple of weeks on business and always wondered why someone would cruise to Alaska, have to wear a rain coat and or hat and gloves in the summer. The weather was always miserable, cold and rainy each time I was there. I watched people getting off the cruise ships carrying umbrellas and wearing raincoats and they didn't look like there were having a good time.

 

Does anyone keep returning to cruise again and again in Alaska? Or is one trip to view the wonders of nature in this region enough? No question, the landscape and mountains are beautiful.

 

We've done Carib about 10x and AK 5x, incl 1 land tour ANC to Fairbanks. Every one of AK trips was better than any Carib trip. That said, we are not beach/pool people and find the AK scenery spectacular and do alot of hiking on AK trips. No grizzlies to see in Carib.

 

We've had about 70% good weather on AK trips doing either May or early Sept AK trips - luck of the draw.

Happy Cruising

[billsgal]

cruzincurt,

 

You sound just like me before our first trip to Alaska. I don't like cold, we have plenty of snow here in New England, and I can go to New Hampshire if I want to see mountains. Well, DH really wanted to go, so we did, and I had one of the best cruises we've had (and we've been on over 70) and we are going again in one week.

 

If you have time and the money, I suggest you do a cruisetour, as that really gets you deeper into Alaska. The scenery in Alaska was majestic and magnificient, mountains in NH cannot compare. Yes, we had snow flurries while in Denali, but it was 80 in Fairbanks. We cruised Princess, and while it was too cool to use the pool, others were in. This time we are going on Radiance OTS, so we'll have the indoor solarium pool, if we want to swim.

 

There is a thread right now on the main board from LindaO who just boarded the RD on Friday, detailing the precruise tour. Weather has been very warm,and in lots of pictures people are wearing shorts. Weather is a crapshoot even in the Caribbean. Alaska cruises are different, but certainly a wonderful experience,IMO.

 

I returned from our first Alaska trip exclaiming the wonders and beauty of AK. I am very excited to be returning, this time with 17 friends!

[emilygrace]

The first time we cruised to Alaska (in September) I thought "oh, this is nice. Snow topped mountains, lots and lots of green trees, a glacier or two." Perfect weather for shorts every day, only put on a jacket (lightweight one) at the glacier. But I thought "I can see this kind of scenery an hour or two from home (SF area in CA), except for the bears." Yes, we saw bears.

 

The second time we cruised to Alaska (beginning of May) I was knocked on my butt! Now THIS was the Alaska I was expecting.....ice and snow almost at sea level, cool and crisp days (but sunny....only 2 afternoons of drizzle out of 14 days). It was spectacular.

 

Not a fan of the Caribbean.....to each his own. I'm one of those people Janet524 mentioned, sweating and whining about the heat.

[cruzincurt]

Good observations. We live in Florida by choice, enough of winter. As for the Caribbean cruises, we also don't usually get off in the ports anymore. Seems to me these latest cruise ships are built for the Caribbean! Beach, sun, sand = warm.

[Adri204]

Heat wave tropical heat wave is how I can best describe my area of the state right now. Its been unbearably hot in my little section of the state. It was 85 degrees yesterday which is the equivilent of about 95-100 degrees in other places. Its so hot right now our state has multiple fires going on. 80 at last count that are being contained and some places have been evacuated.

 

When you talk about the panhandle which is where you have been thats only a small portion of our state. The beatifull green and lush views are because of all the rain. Anyway I hope more people decide to come and cruise to our state and take land tours and explore.

 

We are a large state with six separate regions to be exact each with thier own unique section of the State. My region of the state is expierencing some scorching hot weather and needs the rain badly.

 

Adri :)

[truffles2]

We resisted Alaska for years, didn't think we would like it, and finally went last year. It was beautiful, we did have great weather, we did have a wonderful time....everyone should try it at least once.

[Loyal2RCCL]

We cruised Alaska twice with a year in between. The first time we just did the 7 night cruise from Vancouver in early June and the weather was very hot the entire time. So much so that we came home with a tan. The second time we did the 6 night land tour, followed by the 7 night cruise, also in early June and the weather wasn't as hot, but still warm enough to wear shorts. The only rain we encountered this time was a little drizzle in Ketchikan, but that's not unusual as that city gets 14 feet of rain a year.

 

Alaska is an amazing place and I can wait to return next year.