Alaska advice needed

[CLEMM]

I am thinking of taking my first Alaska cruise in 2011 but I am overwhelmed with when and what ports. I went to the ports of call board but that just overwhelmed me more. Do I do Tracy Arm Fiords or not? What is not to be missed? What is an ideal itinerary? I know it is subject to opinion, but that is what I want, your opinion. Thanks.

[patty1955]

We loved it all. I really don't think there's a bad itinerary.

[Pean]

We are also thinking of going next year. I was wondering if there is a better time of the year to go in. Thanks

[celebrity-me?]

We went in early May and that was great - we saw and heard the glaciers calving - quite amazing! Our friends did it in late July and did not see much snow or ice - the main reason for many for doing an Alaskan cruise.... they are planning to go again, this time in the Spring.

[wvufan]

First, we like the longer itineraries that usually include a week in Alaska and then a trip down the coast to SD etc.

 

Here's my opinion on best ports and excursions. Our must do ports would be Ketchikan, Skagway, and Juneau along with Hubbard Glacier.

 

* Ketchikan. Take a float trip to the Misty Fjords with Island Wings or Carlin Air. Second choice is the Bering Sea crabfishermen's tour.

 

* Skagway. Take the train trip or rent a car and drive to Emerald Lake (our first choice). Google Murray's Guide and pay a few bucks to get a fantastic guidebook.

 

* Juneau. Whale watching with Captain Larry ( Orca Enterprises). Have them drop you off at the Mendenhall Glacier and take shuttle back to town. Another good excursion is a glacier helicopter landing-we prefere Coastal Helicopters.

 

* Icy Strait Point. Bear watch with Trekk

 

* Sitka. Walk through the national park to the raptor center.

 

* Victoria. Canada. Take local bus to Butchart Gardens. Walk around town, in the Empress, and Parliament.

 

* Vancouver-walk to Stanley Park

 

* Hubbard Glacier-get out on deck!

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

[BitsnBearsmom]

We did Alaska last year and loved it - we did a 1 week and only went to Juneau, skagway, ketchikan and Victoria and a day cruising in Glacier bay. We went 2nd week of August and weather was perfect - saw lots of calving of the glaciers in Glacier bay. Next time I will make sure we do a longer cruise or 2 back to back 1 way cruises so we can go farther North. I will also go for a balcony on the back of the ship for next time too.

 

Juneau is definatly the port to do whale watching - we saw lots here and then went to Mendenhall Glacier. Skagway we did a tour that took us to Emerald lake and we did a horse back trail ride around it - absolutely beautiful. Ketchikan is a good port to not have an excursion - lots to see/do within walking distance of the dock. Victoria was a bit of a waste IMO b/c the ship docked at dinner time.

 

I can't wait to do Alaska again - loved every minute of that cruise!

[cruie4ever]

Cruising to Alaska is fabulous .We just finished our 4 th cruise on Milliennium May 21,2010 in Seward . Then we did on our own 11 nights in Alaska .The weather was just perfect & no rain the whole trip .

 

We always go to Alaska in May & never been disappointed .If you are doing tours go on line & get the coupon books . One is http://www.toursaver.com ,about $100 . The other is a great book which we used & I think you can access it at http://www.alaskadiscountcoupons.com ,that book is $50 . Saved us a ton of money not only tours but food ,ie .

[Lois R]

I agree with everyone else. Alaska is FABULOUS:D:) I have been

3 times and plan on going again in 2011 too:) It is one of my most

very favorite itineraries!!!!

[laine80]

We went with my parents in 2008 and loved it so much, we took DH's parents on the same itinerary last year too! In our opinion "musts" are Juneau with a whale watching tour (we HIGHLY recommend Harv and Marv and and Rum Runner Charters), Skagway with a drive to Emerald lake, Glacier Bay, and Seward with with a Kenai Fjords tour. Another thing we really enjoyed was flying into Seattle and taking the Amtrak to Vancouver..very scenic and relaxing! We went in late May/early June, got a better deal, saw lots of wildlife, and lots of snow. You can view our pics from the first trip by clicking here or on the link in my signature below and from our second trip here. Videos (including a great one from our whale watching trip) can be seen here.

I hope this helps you out some!

[librarycin]

I've done two Alaska cruises.

 

My first one included: Ketchikan, Juneau and Icy Strait Point, as well as Hubbard Glacier. Favourite port: Icy Strait Point. I liked that it was less commercial, and we had a beautiful day for our tour. I did a hike, looking for brown bears - we never did see any, but it was absolutely beautiful anyway!

 

The one I just got back from included: Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, as well as Tracy Arm Fjord. Favourite port: Skagway. I did not do the train, but did a bus tour (with a separate company) into the Yukon. Amazing scenery! Also saw a black bear feeding along the side of the road, and everyone else, except me :-(, saw two moose run across the highway in front of us. Tracy Arm Fjord was beautiful, but it was early May, so there was still way too much ice to get very far. I don't even think we got halfway. Apparently, at the end is a glacier, but even without getting there, it was gorgeous.

 

Hope that helps!

[Jack Aubrey]

I really loved Alaska 2 yrs ago. We did land based tour out of Anchorage then southbound itinerary to Vancover. That way got the "work" of land based touring and connecting flights out of the way up front, and an easy direct flight home out of vancover. I would add to Holly's good rec's above... a helicopter over a glacier.. up close and personal view is awesome. We combined with dog sledding which was great. Drive up to Yukon in Skaway was fun, and DD (7 at the time) loved panning for gold on the way back to the ship. Have fun. I've never heard of anyone not enjoying Alaska!

[Pean]

Thanks guys for all your great information. Unfortunately I had my dates wrong. We are doing a Mediterranean cruise next year and Alaska the following. I suppose it is never too early to start planning. Cheers

[CLEMM]

As usual, you have all been so helpful! Thanks!

[dmwnc1959]

I have been to Alaska five times on four different cruise lines and on three mainly different itineraries.*Let me start with the itineraries:

 

Roundtrip, Northbound, and Southbound. I also did one that started in Juneau and ended in Victoria but that is a rarity.

 

ROUNDTRIP cruises start in Vancouver or Seattle, cruise up to Alaska and return to the exact same port they started at. Some at the very beginning or end of the season may start in Vancouver and end in Seattle but that is rare. Seattle departures almost always go to the Pacific Ocean side of Vancouver Island and spend lots of time transiting the San Juan Islands outside of Seattle which takes away from some of the time that could be spent in Alaska, whereas Vancouver departures transit the straits and narrows (a shortcut) to the west of Vancouver Island therefore spending less time 'getting there'.*Vancouver departures tend to have better itineraries than Seattle departures due to the fact that the Seattle departures start further south and Seattle departures almost always include a half-day late evening stop (6pm) in Victoria BC on the last day heading back. Victoria is nice but it isn't Alaska. Some*find it easier to fly in and out of Seattle than Vancouver, but you can fly into Seattle and take cruise line transfers, a shuttle, or Amtrak (the Cascades is a wonderful train) to Vancouver. Most all the R/T itineraries include Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, with a visit to a glacier or fjord area. Glacier Bay is vastly superior than Tracy Arm with respect to seeing 'glaciers', but Tracy Arm is a spectacular fjord and quite breathtaking. For a first timer the choice is very tuff but I would recommend if you are only going to do this once, pick*Glacier Bay. Other popular ports or areas that can be visited include Sitka or Hubbard Glacier. View the cruise lines Shore Excursions sections to get an idea of what each port is about and what there is to see and do once in each port. Depending on your lifestyle and ease of mobility that will decide on your activity level.*Roundtrip cruises (other than the transit through Canadian waters) also stay solely within the panhandle of Alaska and the Inside Passage of Alaska (Southeast Alaska is a temperate rain forest within the Pacific) and do not visit the main 'body' of the state of Alaska, and do not go further north than Hubbard Glacier. That's still all and fine. I have done 3 Inside Passage cruises and they were spectacular.

 

NORTHBOUND: Are straight line (for lack of a better term) cruises. They most always only start in Vancouver and end in Seward, AK. You start off slow and end with a bang, cruising the sedate and stunning Inside Passage ending in spectacular College Fjord. Ports of call for the most part are same as the R/T sailings. Flights coming back from Alaska (Anchorage) to the continental US are very long for East Coast residents and almost always on overnight flight. Transfers from Seward to Anchorage are by motor-coach or rail.

 

SOUTHBOUND: The opposite of a

N/B. They start*in Seward AK and end in Vancouver. Flights to Anchorage are still long but always full daytime (no overnight redeyes) and arrive in plenty of time as most S/B cruises depart late in the day around 6pm. On my flight to Anchorage we flew over a vast stretch of glaciers as well as College Fjord and I got some amazing pictures from the plane.*Most cruise passengers*that do extensive Land Packages in the main body of the state of Alaska do S/B cruises because it gets all the off-on bus hopping and hotel/lodge stays with all the packing and unpacking over with first, then they can enjoy a relaxing cruise for the last 7 days before flying home from*Vancouver or transferring to Seattle. S/B cruises start off with the 'bang' of College Fjord (albeit very early the first day out at 6am!!!) and then after all the ports leave the last day to unwind and relax before hitting Vancouver.*Itineraries of N/B and S/B are pretty much the same.

 

The most important part other than the itinerary is the ship and cruise line. Pick one that fits your lifestyle and comfort level.*People don't cruise Alaska for the 'weather' which can go from one extreme to the other in the same day. I have had downpours in Ketchikan, sunshine and 70 degrees in Juneau, and bitter cold in Glacier Bay, all in the same cruise! Pick a ship, that if you get struck in rain and mist for a week, you are comfortable in and will enjoy. Of the five cruises I did all had very good weather for the most part, but there will be days though that the weather just will not cooperate and that is what Alaska is all about.*

 

Also, book a cabin that you are financially comfortable with. I had a Skysuite with verandah, one balcony cabin, a suite with no balcony, an oceanview, and an inside cabin. I rarely ever spent time in the cabins or on the balconies. I was almost alway topside by 6am. Remember, Alaska can have some very long days too with the sun up from 5a-9p. I didn't waste a single moment and have taken thousands of pictures.

 

The single best way to 'experience' Alaska is by getting away from the ports and doing the shore excursions. For the most part downtown Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway are VERY touristy and not a true reflection of Alaska. The shore excursions can be quite expensive, but seeing a glacier icefield from a helicopter, enjoying a salmon bake at forest or glacier retreat, looking for whales in a sightseeing cruise, kayaking *or horseback riding in the 'elements', or riding the rails beats hitting the t-shirt and jewelry shops downtown. You can do both, sightsee and shop, but I recommend putting more emphasis in the sightseeing. Alaska is stunning in it's grandeur, don't miss it because you wanted to save a few bucks or spent the entire port time downtown.

[dmwnc1959]

In addition to the above post let me also share some of the Shore Excursions I have done at the big three port of calls:

 

JUNEAU -

- Floatplane sightseeing over the Juneau Ice Field

 

- Helicopter sightseeing and touchdown on a glacier. We also repelled down part of a glacier wall with all the appropriate gear.*

 

- Mt Roberts Tramway. Spectacular views.

 

- Wildlife sightseeing cruise. Saw lots of humpback whales, killer whales, and brown bear.

 

- Mendenhall Glacier and Fisheries Tour.*

 

- Taku Glacier Flightseeing and Wilderness Lodge Salmon Bake

 

KETCHIKAN -

 

- Totem Bight State Park tour

 

- Saxman Native Village tour. More totem poles.

 

- Kayaking. Great fun!

 

- Lumberjack Show

 

- Creek Street self guided

 

- Gold Creek Salmon Bake

 

SKAGWAY -

 

- White Pass and Yukon Railroad. Actually did this twice.

 

- Jetboat tour of eagle preserve

 

- Salmon Bake at Liarsville. Did this one twice also.

[dmwnc1959]

As far as the best time of year? That's pretty subjective. I have been in early May, late May, twice in the later half of August, and once in September. Early May was the worst as it was very cold, wet, and Glacier Bay was clogged in parts with growlers making it difficult or impossible to get close to the glaciers.

 

The Aug/Sept trips were great but I did encounter a torrential downpour once in Ketchikan (I didn't even bother to leave the ship until after noon), rain in Glacier Bay, and brilliantly warm weather in Juneau. But like I said previously, nobody goes to Alaska for the weather!

 

June is probably peak season with lots of families as well as the longest days of sunlight. Even in August I vividly remember being on deck taking pictures at 5am and at 9pm.*

 

Remember both US and Canadian holidays when traveling. Once departing from Vancouver in late May it was Canada's national holiday 'Victoria Day'. It was a mess.

[dmwnc1959]

On a final note these were the ships I did:

 

- Volendam

- Sun Princess

- Dawn Princess

- Celebrity Galaxy

- Spirit of Oceanus

 

Of all*the cruises I did I couldn't tell you that one had a better or ideal itinerary over the other. My cruise on GALAXY was 12-nights and started, in of all places, Los Angeles. We hit four ports in Alaska (including Sitka) as well as San Francisco, Oregon, and a full 12-hour day in Victoria before ending in Vancouver.

 

I did a Northbound on Dawn Princess and a Southbound on Sun Princess.

 

I did a Vancouver R/T on Volendam.

 

I also did a Juneau-Victoria on Spirit of Oceanus that hit a few rare places including Metlakatla and Petersburg, Alaska as well as Prince Rupert, Canada.*My review of that one cruise

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=469

[redjetz]

I have been to Alaska five times on four different cruise lines and on three mainly different itineraries.*Let me start with the itineraries:

 

Roundtrip, Northbound, and Southbound. I also did one that started in Juneau and ended in Victoria but that is a rarity.

 

ROUNDTRIP cruises start in Vancouver or Seattle, cruise up to Alaska and return to the exact same port they started at. Some at the very beginning or end of the season may start in Vancouver and end in Seattle but that is rare. Seattle departures almost always go to the Pacific Ocean side of Vancouver Island and spend lots of time transiting the San Juan Islands outside of Seattle which takes away from some of the time that could be spent in Alaska, whereas Vancouver departures transit the straits and narrows (a shortcut) to the west of Vancouver Island therefore spending less time 'getting there'.*Vancouver departures tend to have better itineraries than Seattle departures due to the fact that the Seattle departures start further south and Seattle departures almost always include a half-day late evening stop (6pm) in Victoria BC on the last day heading back. Victoria is nice but it isn't Alaska. Some*find it easier to fly in and out of Seattle than Vancouver, but you can fly into Seattle and take cruise line transfers, a shuttle, or Amtrak (the Cascades is a wonderful train) to Vancouver. Most all the R/T itineraries include Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, with a visit to a glacier or fjord area. Glacier Bay is vastly superior than Tracy Arm with respect to seeing 'glaciers', but Tracy Arm is a spectacular fjord and quite breathtaking. For a first timer the choice is very tuff but I would recommend if you are only going to do this once, pick*Glacier Bay. Other popular ports or areas that can be visited include Sitka or Hubbard Glacier. View the cruise lines Shore Excursions sections to get an idea of what each port is about and what there is to see and do once in each port. Depending on your lifestyle and ease of mobility that will decide on your activity level.*Roundtrip cruises (other than the transit through Canadian waters) also stay solely within the panhandle of Alaska and the Inside Passage of Alaska (Southeast Alaska is a temperate rain forest within the Pacific) and do not visit the main 'body' of the state of Alaska, and do not go further north than Hubbard Glacier. That's still all and fine. I have done 3 Inside Passage cruises and they were spectacular.

 

NORTHBOUND: Are straight line (for lack of a better term) cruises. They most always only start in Vancouver and end in Seward, AK. You start off slow and end with a bang, cruising the sedate and stunning Inside Passage ending in spectacular College Fjord. Ports of call for the most part are same as the R/T sailings. Flights coming back from Alaska (Anchorage) to the continental US are very long for East Coast residents and almost always on overnight flight. Transfers from Seward to Anchorage are by motor-coach or rail.

 

SOUTHBOUND: The opposite of a

N/B. They start*in Seward AK and end in Vancouver. Flights to Anchorage are still long but always full daytime (no overnight redeyes) and arrive in plenty of time as most S/B cruises depart late in the day around 6pm. On my flight to Anchorage we flew over a vast stretch of glaciers as well as College Fjord and I got some amazing pictures from the plane.*Most cruise passengers*that do extensive Land Packages in the main body of the state of Alaska do S/B cruises because it gets all the off-on bus hopping and hotel/lodge stays with all the packing and unpacking over with first, then they can enjoy a relaxing cruise for the last 7 days before flying home from*Vancouver or transferring to Seattle. S/B cruises start off with the 'bang' of College Fjord (albeit very early the first day out at 6am!!!) and then after all the ports leave the last day to unwind and relax before hitting Vancouver.*Itineraries of N/B and S/B are pretty much the same.

 

The most important part other than the itinerary is the ship and cruise line. Pick one that fits your lifestyle and comfort level.*People don't cruise Alaska for the 'weather' which can go from one extreme to the other in the same day. I have had downpours in Ketchikan, sunshine and 70 degrees in Juneau, and bitter cold in Glacier Bay, all in the same cruise! Pick a ship, that if you get struck in rain and mist for a week, you are comfortable in and will enjoy. Of the five cruises I did all had very good weather for the most part, but there will be days though that the weather just will not cooperate and that is what Alaska is all about.*

 

Also, book a cabin that you are financially comfortable with. I had a Skysuite with verandah, one balcony cabin, a suite with no balcony, an oceanview, and an inside cabin. I rarely ever spent time in the cabins or on the balconies. I was almost alway topside by 6am. Remember, Alaska can have some very long days too with the sun up from 5a-9p. I didn't waste a single moment and have taken thousands of pictures.

 

The single best way to 'experience' Alaska is by getting away from the ports and doing the shore excursions. For the most part downtown Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway are VERY touristy and not a true reflection of Alaska. The shore excursions can be quite expensive, but seeing a glacier icefield from a helicopter, enjoying a salmon bake at forest or glacier retreat, looking for whales in a sightseeing cruise, kayaking *or horseback riding in the 'elements', or riding the rails beats hitting the t-shirt and jewelry shops downtown. You can do both, sightsee and shop, but I recommend putting more emphasis in the sightseeing. Alaska is stunning in it's grandeur, don't miss it because you wanted to save a few bucks or spent the entire port time downtown.

 

This is one of the very best responses to a question I have seen on these boards! Very detailed and anticipates questions not asked. Thank you!

[dmwnc1959]

Hey! 'You're Welcome' and Thanks! ANY other questions please feel free to ask. I look forward to the day I get to go back for another 5 cruises. People have commented that once you do a certain itinerary that's enough. I never tired of Alaska or the tranquil and stunning diverse scenery. Obviously once was not enough for me!

[dmwnc1959]

P.S. I did make an error describing one portion of the Vancouver R/T cruises in my initial post. I said that:

 

...whereas Vancouver departures transit the straits and narrows (a shortcut) to the west of Vancouver Island therefore spending less time 'getting there'

 

ACTUALLY they transit to the EAST side of Vancouver Island through the straits and narrows. This provides a more sheltered transit in calmer water as opposed to Seattle departures that go to the West of Vancouver Island in the open Pacific Ocean waters.

 

Sorry about the confusion!

[dmwnc1959]

A few other quick notes. If you are coming from the east coast, or have never been to either Vancouver or Seattle, try and do at least a 1- or 2-night pre-cruise stay. Both cities are beautiful and there is quite a lot to see and do, even at night. I have booked my own hotels both times (Seattle and Vancouver) as well as doing a cruise line 1-night pre-cruise in Vancouver (Sutton Place) which was nice but a tad expensive. This will get you into the 'vacation' state of mind and prevent you from rushing around to get to the ship.

 

Although not definitive, here is a webpage that offers suggestions for packing:

 

http://www.alaskacruises.com/what_to_pack.asp

 

And if you are a photographer, or just love to take pictures, take more film or memory cards than you think you'll need. You'll probably go through at least twice that.*

[schuddle]

Don't forget to bring:

 

- A good set of binoculars.

 

- 2 extra batteries for your digital camera. Everyone remembers memory cards, but its easy to forget the batteries. You can usually buy batteries for $2 or $3 on ebay (versus $20 or $30 at Best Buy).

 

- A battery charger for your camera batteries. Same reason :-) And same shopping strategy.

 

Alaska is very photogenic. She loves to pose for pictures.

 

We loved the Hubbard Glacier. And in Juneau, we stood 20 feet away from a momma bear with 2 cubs. Standing on a bridge over a stream, she frolicked for an hour pulling salmon out of the stream for her babies. It was amazing. There were so many fish, you could barely see the water.

 

I can't wait to go back. Infinity was our ship, and she was a beauty. The crew on that vessel are superb.

[Woobstr112G]

We've gone twice and absolutely loved the scenery and the excursions. Most of the towns, with the exception of Sitka, are kinda the same with a plethera of the same Diamond International and other types of jewelery stores. In Skagway though, you gotta vist the Red Onion Saloon. Great atmosphere and the local beer was good too. It was built in in 1897 and operated as one of Skagway's finest houses where men could spend their money. The saloon has a museam upstairs that is worth the small charge to enter.....:):):)

 

Bob

[CLEMM]

DMWNC1959: Thank you so much for your wonderful posts. They are EXACTLY the info I was looking for and you are so kind to take the time to provide such detail. I will do my best to pay it forward.

[dmwnc1959]

Here are some pictures I took on my last cruise to Alaska doing the Sun Princess on a S/B from Seward to Vancouver:

 

Flying over glaciers, College Fjord on the approach to Anchorage