thecruiserofships Posted February 2, 2014 #1 Share Posted February 2, 2014 (edited) Last year (2013) I got to cruise to Alaska for the first time and I enjoyed the scenery and the ports. Since then I (mostly me) and a close family member have spent time writing Alaska tips and posting them on my blog. I thought I would share this here instead of the typical blog/website section because the information I share pertains to people here. I try to give tips that can be applied to any cruise line or itinerary, but I also give some itinerary specific information too! http://www.embarkandaway.com/alaska.html Please enjoy and ask questions! If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions write away! :) Edited February 2, 2014 by thecruiserofships Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHEZMARYLOU Posted February 2, 2014 #2 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Thanks for posting. We are doing our 2nd Alaska cruise and land tour this year. I'll be checking out your blog. Mary Lou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecruiserofships Posted February 4, 2014 Author #3 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Thanks for posting. We are doing our 2nd Alaska cruise and land tour this year. I'll be checking out your blog. Mary Lou Have a good cruise! I hope you enjoy the blog and feel free to ask questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmego2 Posted February 4, 2014 #4 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Thanks for posting such useful information. I'm looking forward to studying your information more thoroughly. We are booked for June 2015 sailing from Seward, AK to Vancouver. We will also be doing a 5 day land trip prior to sailing, and I'm responsible for all the planning and bookings since we're going the independent route. I rely on great information like yours to make good decisions for our group of 4 adults! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetotraveltx Posted February 5, 2014 #5 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Thanks for posting such useful information. I'm looking forward to studying your information more thoroughly. We are booked for June 2015 sailing from Seward, AK to Vancouver. We will also be doing a 5 day land trip prior to sailing, and I'm responsible for all the planning and bookings since we're going the independent route. I rely on great information like yours to make good decisions for our group of 4 adults! We are looking at June, 2015 as well for 4 adults. Which cruise line did you pick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecruiserofships Posted February 6, 2014 Author #6 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Thanks for posting such useful information. I'm looking forward to studying your information more thoroughly. We are booked for June 2015 sailing from Seward, AK to Vancouver. We will also be doing a 5 day land trip prior to sailing, and I'm responsible for all the planning and bookings since we're going the independent route. I rely on great information like yours to make good decisions for our group of 4 adults! You're welcome! Feel free to ask questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoof Posted February 6, 2014 #7 Share Posted February 6, 2014 (edited) I'm in the early stages of planning a trip to Alaska with my wife, hopefully this summer. I'll be browsing your blog in hopes it's got the answers and info I'm looking for..thanks for sharing! Ed Edited February 6, 2014 by Shoof Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecruiserofships Posted February 6, 2014 Author #8 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I'm in the early stages of planning a trip to Alaska with my wife, hopefully this summer. I'll be browsing your blog in hopes it's got the answers and info I'm looking for..thanks for sharing! Ed Let me know if you have any questions! If you I don't have something online and you want information about a particular subject I would be more than happy to give you some links here on this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecruiserofships Posted February 9, 2014 Author #9 Share Posted February 9, 2014 We are looking at June, 2015 as well for 4 adults. Which cruise line did you pick? I'm also wondering what cruise line that poster picked. I hope they come back to answer. When I cruised I did the Carnival Miracle from Seattle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo24 Posted February 9, 2014 #10 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Thank you so much for posting this. I am currently planning for my first trip to Alaska next year so am soaking up all the information that I can! Jo :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjrpar Posted February 9, 2014 #11 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Let me know if you have any questions! If you I don't have something online and you want information about a particular subject I would be more than happy to give you some links here on this thread. We are researching a 2015 cruise and want to visit the Yukon. Will probably use HAL since they are currently the only cruise line that oes there. Any advice would be appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okie1946 Posted February 10, 2014 #12 Share Posted February 10, 2014 But not our first cruise After 3 cruises to Alaska - we decided that we had to do the Land portion of the cruising before we got to the point that we couldn't do it. Thank you for the blog and all the tips. We did a lot of research and looked at a lot of the cruises before we chose HAL's Seattle Gold Rush. This gives us an opportunity to spend 3 nights at Denali as well as days spent in Fairbanks, Dawson, and Whitehorse before we spend one night in Skagway before we join the Volendam in Skagway. We will be cruise Glacier Bay on our 40th wedding anniversary. So this cruise will be a totally different aspect of Alaska and we getting just as excited as we were before we went on our first one. Barbara Previous Cruises Alaska - Westerdam - September 2009 - 7 days Alaska - Rotterdam - September 2010 - 7 days Mexican Riviera - Oosterdam - April 2011 - 7 days Alaska - Amsterdam - September 2012 - 14 days Currently in Planning Stages: Panama Canal - March, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecruiserofships Posted February 14, 2014 Author #13 Share Posted February 14, 2014 We are researching a 2015 cruise and want to visit the Yukon. Will probably use HAL since they are currently the only cruise line that oes there.Any advice would be appreciated If you could provide any more itinerary details here I can post some links to some websites that I found useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjrpar Posted February 14, 2014 #14 Share Posted February 14, 2014 If you could provide any more itinerary details here I can post some links to some websites that I found useful. Would like to visit Dawson City, Whitehorse, Yukon Pass, etc. Also, want to see some glaciers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecruiserofships Posted February 14, 2014 Author #15 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Would like to visit Dawson City, Whitehorse, Yukon Pass, etc. Also, want to see some glaciers. Here is a Travel Yukon Tourist website: http://travelyukon.com/ Here is Trip Advisor's Yukon Page: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g155045-Yukon-Vacations.html On this page you will find links to Dawson City information, Whitehorse Information, and some other cities. Both of these websites seem to have good information and this is what I suggest to try for more research. None of these are my websites or information so I don't know exactly how relevant or current the info is, but I hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecruiserofships Posted February 14, 2014 Author #16 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Thank you so much for posting this. I am currently planning for my first trip to Alaska next year so am soaking up all the information that I can! Jo :) I hope the information helps! Let me know if have any questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo24 Posted February 16, 2014 #17 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I hope the information helps! Let me know if have any questions! Thank you so much, I may well do! Hoping RCI releases the cruises this coming week and once it has been booked, I may be back with LOTS of questions! Jo :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecruiserofships Posted February 19, 2014 Author #18 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Thank you so much, I may well do! Hoping RCI releases the cruises this coming week and once it has been booked, I may be back with LOTS of questions! Jo :) Good luck with booking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady_Jag Posted February 19, 2014 #19 Share Posted February 19, 2014 (edited) Hi! I read your section on balconies (thanks for that, BTW!), and still can't make up my mind on which cabins for June 2015. I'm planning to surprise my mom with an Alaskan cruise for her birthday, so I will need to get 2 rooms for four of us: Me, hubby, my mom, and my 8-year-old. I'm torn between 2 aft balconies or 2 "bowling alley" balconies on the Carnival Miracle. Which would be our best bet? Pros of aft balconies: - Better view (correct?) - Quieter hallway - Partial covering on deck 4 - No lifeboats below Cons of aft balconies: - The dividers between the balconies do not open. - The Carnival Miracle layout has only 2-person and 3-person cabins adjacent. I would be booking my mom and daughter in one cabin and me and hubby in another to avoid the "singles' penalty." - More expensive: about $400 per person more! - Farther from the elevators. (My mom has mobility issues and can't walk long distances.) Pros of "bowling alley balcony" - HUGE balcony! - One is handicap accessible (so my mom doesn't have to deal with a heavy balcony door) - Less expensive than an aft balcony - Divider between the 2 balconies can be opened - More seating - Closer to elevators Cons of "bowling alley balcony" - Located only on the port side of the ship - Recessed area of the ship - They hold a max of 2 people each, so if by some chance, my mom refuses to go, we will have to scramble for a "good" cabin for three 2-3 months after our initial booking. - Noisier than aft balcony cabins - Lifeboats below Thoughts? Edited February 19, 2014 by Lady_Jag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjrpar Posted February 19, 2014 #20 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Hi!I read your section on balconies (thanks for that, BTW!), and still can't make up my mind on which cabins for June 2015. I'm planning to surprise my mom with an Alaskan cruise for her birthday, so I will need to get 2 rooms for four of us: Me, hubby, my mom, and my 8-year-old. I'm torn between 2 aft balconies or 2 "bowling alley" balconies on the Carnival Miracle. Which would be our best bet? Pros of aft balconies: - Better view (correct?) - Quieter hallway - Partial covering on deck 4 - No lifeboats below Cons of aft balconies: - The dividers between the balconies do not open. - The Carnival Miracle layout has only 2-person and 3-person cabins adjacent. I would be booking my mom and daughter in one cabin and me and hubby in another to avoid the "singles' penalty." - More expensive: about $400 per person more! - Farther from the elevators. (My mom has mobility issues and can't walk long distances.) Pros of "bowling alley balcony" - HUGE balcony! - One is handicap accessible (so my mom doesn't have to deal with a heavy balcony door) - Less expensive than an aft balcony - Divider between the 2 balconies can be opened - More seating - Closer to elevators Cons of "bowling alley balcony" - Located only on the port side of the ship - Recessed area of the ship - They hold a max of 2 people each, so if by some chance, my mom refuses to go, we will have to scramble for a "good" cabin for three 2-3 months after our initial booking. - Noisier than aft balcony cabins - Lifeboats below Thoughts? Have never been to Alaska but question the better view from an aft. We had our first, and last, aft last year in the Caribbean. You can see your wake but we really missed the side view, especially arriving in port. Felt frustrated with the very limited view. Also, second the comment on long walks. Just our opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Very Frequent Flyer Posted February 19, 2014 #21 Share Posted February 19, 2014 What is the weather normally like in Alaska during late August? Even though it will be late summer, will the weather be relatively cold compared to, say, Vancouver? Reason I ask is I'm embarking on a 5 week trip, visiting, Alaska (land tour and cruise), then Calgary and the Rockies, New York, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Victoria, and Vancouver. I know New York and Toronto will be quite warm, but not 100% sure about Alaska. I might need to bring clothes for all 4 seasons!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo24 Posted February 19, 2014 #22 Share Posted February 19, 2014 Good luck with booking! Thank you! All booked! Got the itinerary and cabin we wanted... 457 days to go (well actually less until we leave for the holiday)! :D Radiance Southbound from Seward to Vancouver. I managed to hold it and then mum called RCI to confirm and pay the deposit - the guy was apparently very impressed at how organised we were! Just a few things we are looking at to get an idea of excursions; Juneau - Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Watching Skagway - White Pass Scenic Railway and / or Klondike Highway Summit Icy Strait Point - Whale Watching Ketchikan - Misty Fjords In these ports, based on the above, do you feel that there is anything major that we might be missing out on? We will have time to explore the ports as we are lucky with incredibly long port days :) Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady_Jag Posted February 20, 2014 #23 Share Posted February 20, 2014 Have never been to Alaska but question the better view from an aft. We had our first, and last, aft last year in the Caribbean. You can see your wake but we really missed the side view, especially arriving in port. Felt frustrated with the very limited view. Also, second the comment on long walks. Just our opinion. Thank you for the insight! I will consider both points when I book next month. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecruiserofships Posted February 21, 2014 Author #24 Share Posted February 21, 2014 What is the weather normally like in Alaska during late August? Even though it will be late summer, will the weather be relatively cold compared to, say, Vancouver? Reason I ask is I'm embarking on a 5 week trip, visiting, Alaska (land tour and cruise), then Calgary and the Rockies, New York, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Victoria, and Vancouver. I know New York and Toronto will be quite warm, but not 100% sure about Alaska. I might need to bring clothes for all 4 seasons!!!!! You will probably have to bring clothes for multiple seasons. I am not very familiar with the temperature patterns so you might want to be checking local forecasts closer to time for Alaska. I do agree that New York and Toronto will probably be warm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecruiserofships Posted February 21, 2014 Author #25 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Thank you! All booked! Got the itinerary and cabin we wanted... 457 days to go (well actually less until we leave for the holiday)! :D Radiance Southbound from Seward to Vancouver. I managed to hold it and then mum called RCI to confirm and pay the deposit - the guy was apparently very impressed at how organised we were! Just a few things we are looking at to get an idea of excursions; Juneau - Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Watching Skagway - White Pass Scenic Railway and / or Klondike Highway Summit Icy Strait Point - Whale Watching Ketchikan - Misty Fjords In these ports, based on the above, do you feel that there is anything major that we might be missing out on? We will have time to explore the ports as we are lucky with incredibly long port days :) Thanks If you have extra time you might want to consider doing the Mt. Robert's Tramway in Juneau. I really enjoyed it. On my site if you click on the Juneau page you can view a video clip I uploaded to Youtube of the tram ride. Also for Ketchikan you might want to check out the Creek Street area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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