All things Alaska...so confused!

[Natitude61]

Thinking about heading to Alaska for our next cruise...we've only ever done Caribbean, and an Alaska cruise has always been on my bucket list.

 

Looking at my options, though, I'm so confused about the itineraries. I do know that I prefer a round trip rather than north- or southbound, and I prefer to fly in and out if Seattle or Vancouver, rather than Alaska itself, if only for the fact that airfare will be a bit cheaper from the east coast.

 

So for those who have done Alaska, what do you think are the must-see parts? What are the best itineraries? Would you combine the cruise with a land tour? What other pearls of wisdom can you throw out to me?

 

A little about us got background -- DH and I are in our early 50s, moderately active and fit, would rather be doing than watching...

 

Thanks!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[summersigh]

IMHO ... definitely do the land AND sea trip.

 

The cruise lines make it painless to do the land portion - they take care of all the transportation and they even transfer your luggage from hotel to hotel. I found that doing a cruise line land tour was about as cheap as I could book the same things myself.

 

Don't miss Denali National Park. Pick a tour that includes the long Denali day excursion ... it was fantastic.

[jhagen]

Been a while since doing an Alaska, but we went Vancouver Northbound several years ago. Wish we would have done the Danili train tour with it. Can book that for either before or after the cruise. There are cruises that go part way up and then return to departing port. You can also do a back to back on the same ship (make sure you get the same stateroom so you don't have to pack to change rooms on the second cruise. I would suggest go to your departure port a day or two early just to sight see (and to make sure you don't miss the cruise). Vancouver is really neat! You may want to get a 'good' TA that you can set down and talk to. Also there must a Cruise show near you. Go to the Reviews on this board and read a lot. Keep asking questions.

[bouhunter]

Thanks for posting this, I've had the same questions and look forward to the replies:) The post may get moved to the Alaskan board since it isn't RC specific......

 

We hope to do an Alaskan cruise in 2015. I've had many adventures in the Arctic on land, but have not done a cruise "up north" yet:D

[taylortime05]

I'm very interested in the replies to this post. We are also considering an Alaska Cruise and I have all the same questions.

 

Thanks

[luvscruising2007]

Alaska is a wonderful experience. We did the northbound from VanCouver and added a 3 day land tour. I would do a longer land tour so that I could see more of Denali and more of the interior of Alaska. I would also do the land tour first followed by the cruise. But, either way is great.

 

Keep in mind that many of the excursions are expensive; more than a Caribbean excursion. But, well worth it.

[summersigh]

We flew into Anchorage 3 days before the land tour started and rented a car to sightsee.

 

Did a 5 day cruise line land tour includng Denali and Fairbanks. The land tour we picked had us fly back to Anchorage then a cruise line bus trip to Seward to sail. We ended the cruise in Vancouver and could easily have flown home from there.

 

You can book flights into one city and out of another as well as fly to or from a cruise an extra few days on either end so you can sightsee.

 

(We flew into Anchorage 3 days early, land cruised, water cruised, took the Rocky Mountaineer sightseeing train to Jasper, spent 3 days going down the Ice Highway in a rental car, and finally flew home from Calgary) :D:D

[marci22]

The Ports of Call board for Alaska is one of the most informative, imo. Start reading through the pages for extensive information on Northbound vs Southbound vs round trip vs which side of the ship to be on for which itinerary.

 

Don't just look at the first page. Keep reading through the posts. It will take some time but it will be worth it.

[Kamloops50]

We always do the 14 day RTN from Vancouver . This because we can drive to the port the day before . On disembarkation we can pick our car and be home by supper time.

If you want to fly to/from the same airport , take the 14 day HAL cruise on the Statendam in 2015 . It will take all the to Anchorage and then return back to Seattle as one cruise.

[ace1zoe2]

We've done both the cruise only & a cruise tour. If you have the time the land portion really adds to awesomeness of the cruise!

 

I have a VERY detailed review of our cruise tour linked in my signature below. There is lots if info about ways to save money and lots of detailed info on the land tour. If you have any questions just post on that review & I will be notified so that I can try to answer your questions.

 

 

Also you will find tons of information on the Alaska forum in the ports section.

Edited April 18, 2014 by ace1zoe2

[BecciBoo]

I do know that I prefer a round trip rather than north- or southbound, and I prefer to fly in and out if Seattle or Vancouver, rather than Alaska itself, if only for the fact that airfare will be a bit cheaper from the east coast.

Thanks!

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

We did just that Radiance out of Vancouver, not a prettier port or city anywhere, most convenient pier ever, stay at the hotel at the pier...even their airport is gorgeous. Sail up and back and don't miss a thing. Loved it, our best ever! I recommend Sept. we did the last cruise of the season and had sun 6 out of 7 days...fabulous. You are too late to get the el primo cabins for 2015. You have to call the day the itinerary is released to get 9256 best cabin on the ship.

 

Start reading the Alaska threads now and you will be well educated when you book!

[Buccaneergirl]

We have done AK twice, both from Vancouver to Seward and then on to Anchorage. The second time we added the 5 night land tour. Like an above cc'er said, make sure you do the 8 hour Denali trip if you go, to see all the wildlife.

 

The best excursion we ever did was the helicopter to the glacier with the dog sledding. It is expensive, but so worth it! It was a once in a lifetime experience(although if we ever go back to AK, I will do it again, so maybe twice in a lifetime:D).

 

It is all very confusing and if you do your research here on CC, you know we all won't steer wrong! Good luck!

Edited April 18, 2014 by Buccaneergirl

[Eileen G]

If you want to do a round trip 7 day cruise out of Vancouver or Seattle you really can't add an Alaska land tour. You could do a few extra days in Vancouver or Seattle which is great if you have never been to the pacific northwest. In order to do an Alaska land tour with a cruise you need to do a one way northbound or southbound. That means flying into or out of Anchorage and into or out of Vancouver or Seattle (you would need to get from Vancouver to Seattle as one ways usually don't go out of Seattle).

 

Alaska is very expensive but it doesn't have to be. Yes it is wonderful taking all those pricey excursions; helicopter rides, float planes, trains, dog sleds. But if you need to keep to a budget you can have a wonderful time just seeing what is near the port. Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan are the most popular ports on the round trips. It is very important to check port times as some are half days. There is also a glacier day with the best being Glacier Bay or Hubbard.

 

Go to the Alaska board and read some of the posts to get educated about what Alaska has to offer.

Edited April 18, 2014 by Eileen G

[Yorkshire-Pudding]

Go for it. From a non-American perspective, we completed an independent land and RC cruise to tour of Alaska in July 2013 to celebrate my husband's 50th birthday. As we travelled from the UK and will never repeat the trip we travelled extensively for 3 memorable weeks and every day was an opportunity for a new adventure. We travelled:

 

- London to Vancouver.

- Vancouver to Seward on Radiance of the Seas.

- RCI coach from Seward to Anchorage.

- The train from Anchorage to Fairbanks.

- Land from Fairbanks across the Arctic Circle.

- Flight from Fairbanks to Seattle

- Seattle to London

 

It was a truly amazing experience, the weather was surprisingly warm and we saw everything from eagles, brown bears, seals, whales and moose. If I have one tip it is research, research, research. I spent a year putting our itinerary together. I think I must have read every thread on CC which mentioned Alaska from what clothes to pack to what to do.

 

For husband and son the highlight was a trip to an island with a bear population of over 1200 but human population of less than 20 (I forget the name). It was very expensive but the experience was truly magical. Involved a seaplane with their guide to the island, a kayak tour to arrive at the viewing point. They got within 15 feet or so of a pair of bears. Their second favourite was a RC tour to visit a glacier.

 

Unfortunately although they got a helicopter to a glacier the dogsledding did not occur because of poor weather conditions.

 

The options of tours are extensive and I would suggest you set an informal budget and go from there.

 

IMHO the north or south bound gives the real taste of Alaska as the land and scenery gets more interesting as you move further north.

[summersigh]

Airfare all the way to Alaska is expensive coming from as far away as we live.

 

When we're in that situation we go at the planning as .... we probably won't get back this way again so what do we NOT want to miss?

 

We may have to tighten the budget at home to accommodate that BUT we find we don't have regrets and can comfortably move along to the next item on our "Travel Bucket List" :D

[negc]

Thinking about heading to Alaska for our next cruise...we've only ever done Caribbean, and an Alaska cruise has always been on my bucket list.

 

Looking at my options, though, I'm so confused about the itineraries. I do know that I prefer a round trip rather than north- or southbound, and I prefer to fly in and out if Seattle or Vancouver, rather than Alaska itself, if only for the fact that airfare will be a bit cheaper from the east coast.

 

So for those who have done Alaska, what do you think are the must-see parts? What are the best itineraries? Would you combine the cruise with a land tour? What other pearls of wisdom can you throw out to me?

 

A little about us got background -- DH and I are in our early 50s, moderately active and fit, would rather be doing than watching...

 

Thanks!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

If you want to combine a cruise and a landtour in Alaska, and I strongly recommend that you do so, you will need to do a one way (northbound or southbound between Seward and Vancouver). Spending time in Denali during the landtour is a definite highlight of the experience but we also enjoyed the Riverboat Discovery excursion in Fairbanks, and our visits to Talkeetna and Anchorage.

I personally think that too many people put off going to Alaska until they are older when it is best experienced by people like yourselves, who are active and fit and would rather be doing than watching. I suggest a southbound cruise so that you get the longest flight over with at the start of your trip which will also make your flight home much shorter. If you can, consider extending your trip by spending a day or two in Vancouver and going either to Whistler or Victoria for a day trip.

Find someone, perhaps a knowledgeable TA, who has been to Alaska and you should be able to get all of your questions answered. If not, there are many posters on here and on the Alaska board who will be more than willing to help you.

[pspercy]

I found planning a land part for AK was difficult - and I've had lots of experience in such things. I wanted to drive a loop, not backtrack etc. Sounds simple but there really aren't that many good roads there. I even bought Milepost ! I thought I had a good loop but found one leg was forbidden to rental cars. Also considered an RV rental, but for two people you really don't save much, if at all. I ended up with a bunch of reservation$$$ but no clear plan and was feeling very frustrated when I took a look at the going rate for cruisetours for Celebrity (had already booked the cruise part, Seward to Vancouver). One we fancied was only a couple of hundred more each so I switched to CruiseTour :) It worked out very well, it was quite a small group. On the advice of friends we did land first, cruise later.

 

If/when we do it again I'll try another shot at doing it myself, I know far more now. Princess has a land division princesslodges.com , people have used them then booked a different cruiseline for that part. AK railroad is bookable too. A totally different twist is the Alaska "Marine Highway" comprehensive ferry system.

 

Next time we want to start in Fairbanks and include the Denali full tour as well as some fishing along the way at minimum!

 

Holland America has restarted their 14nt itinerary which is attractive as well so there's lots of choices, you just have to decide what's important to you and go from there, good luck

Edited April 19, 2014 by pspercy

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

We love Alaska, done it 3 times and a fourth booked for May 2015 which will be our first cruise tour. Starting in Fairbanks doing a 3 day pre cruise and then south bound cruise on the Radiance ending in Vancouver.

 

If you opt for the Seattle round trip, your choice is the Rhapsody for 2014 or the Jewel for 2015. Either way you will miss the port of Ketchikan, one of the best ports. Another is the glacier, Radiance does Hubbard Glacier while the other is Tracy Arm Fjord Sawyer Glacier. Hubbard is hands down the best of the two. Having said that, weather plays a huge part and viewing isn't guaranteed for either one of them on a bad day!

 

 

***

[Trekker954]

If you are only going to do one Alaska cruise I highly recommend you find a way to do the northern or southern route as it has the better glacier and better ports. Ketchikan was one of our favorites with the Anan Creek Family Air bear excursion. We flew in Anchorage early and actually, due to time restraints, did a flightseeing excursion to Denali. We met the small plane at a nearby airport at about 4 am, he flew us up and around McKinley (amazing, truly amazing). We were dropped nearby Denali where they whisked us off to the park. We boarded the required bus for the longer trip into Denali. Nat. park. We were actually quite disappointed with the park. The buses are like old school buses where you are crammed in (its fine with children sitting two by two on these type of buses, but squishing adults is a bit much). The buses are passing each other with little wiggle room on some major drop offs. Animals were too far away, with the occasion moose or fox crossing a path.

I'm glad we did it, but certainly glad we didn't spend an overnight there. I'd say save your money for the best excursions from the ports you may stop at. It was the most expensive cruise with the most expensive excursions (all researched heavily and private) but the most rewarding vacation ever. Go mid July; do NOT miss booking anan creek to see the bears catch salmon and the gorgeous eagles waiting in wait for the discarded parts.

[alaskawdw12]

As others have said, if you want to do a land part as well you'll have to do a northbound or southbound cruise instead of a round trip.

 

I would also like to add that I planned our land portion (a week long, before the cruise) by myself, with the huge help of the Alaska forum on CC and reading through Lonley Planet, Frommer's and the other big travelers guide I can't remember right now (oops :) ). I personally didn't find the planning difficult and I actually enjoyed planning the trip as much as I enjoyed being on it. We booked everything half a year in advance, including our room onboard which we thought was perfect.

 

Whatever you choose, whether you end up doing just a cruise or combining it with a cruise tour or with a DIY land tour you'll have an amazing time! Just remember that Alaska is enormous and there's no way to see it all in one visit, so you shouldn't feel pressured. Just enjoy whatever you end up doing :)

[Hoopster95]

So for those who have done Alaska, what do you think are the must-see parts? What are the best itineraries? Would you combine the cruise with a land tour? What other pearls of wisdom can you throw out to me?

 

Embarkation:

I see you're from Virginia. Have you ever been to the Pacific Northwest? If not, you MUST plan at least one full day in Vancouver. Google tourism Vancouver and "Things to do". Vancouver has been voted #1 or #2 city in the world for livability for the last 10 years or so. Most people I've spoken to who have embarked/disembarked in Vancouver have regretted not making plans for at least one full day.

 

Time of year:

May & June has not been kind to us the last few years, lots of rain and cold weather. Alaska has followed suit in these months so helicopter excursions, float planes, views from the ship, etc with cloud/fog/rain have be hampered and/or cancelled. In recent years (10 and more) our summer months have become August & Sept. If you read some previous reviews, cruisers have been basking in t-short and shorts in Juneau/Skagway during their August cruises :)

 

Ports:

If considering the one-way trip, the airfare is not cheap. But having Ketchikan on the itinerary and Hubbard are fabulous. If you're not planning on doing a land tour for 3-4 days pre/post cruise and you just want a "taste" of Alaska with your full travel plans, the round trip from Seattle is excellent (done it twice). You visit Victoria to get a little taste of Canada which is a gorgeous city, but you miss Ketchikan.

 

Best of all worlds:

Book the final Alaskan run on the Jewel of the Seas!!! This cruise embarks in Seattle (great day visit city pre-cruise), skips Victoria but DOES visit Ketchikan, and then disembarks in beautiful Vancouver. No extra airfare from Anchorage. Superb weather, clear views 360 degrees from all angles of the ship, etc etc.

 

Downside to the above:

While the itinerary has Tracey Arm Fjord, we could not get all the way into the channel because the ice flows were too much for the hull of the ship (Summer released more ice than in May for example)! This also happens in early season do to fog/rain where the ship cannot enter. However floating around with massive icebergs all around you was quite phenomenal too.

 

Excursions:

I agree with others before me, at least one helicopter tour is a 100% must no matter what the price... un-bloody-believable when you fly a couple hundred feet above an incredible Glacier with the deep blue ice and huge cravasses... just incredible... and then land and walk on the Glacier. My video and pictures are phenominal. :D:D Excursion of a lifetime :)) I did this in Juneau as there are other things to do in Skagway and Ketchikan.

 

In Ketchikan google Bering sea crab fishing tour in... 5 star rated excursion rated in the top 20 on Trip advisor anywhere in the world. That was just a totally awesome day! Don't want to hijack this thread but if you want a couple of pics let my know and I'll post them here.

 

Have a great cruise :D

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Thinking about heading to Alaska for our next cruise...we've only ever done Caribbean, and an Alaska cruise has always been on my bucket list.

 

Looking at my options, though, I'm so confused about the itineraries. I do know that I prefer a round trip rather than north- or southbound, and I prefer to fly in and out if Seattle or Vancouver, rather than Alaska itself, if only for the fact that airfare will be a bit cheaper from the east coast.

 

So for those who have done Alaska, what do you think are the must-see parts? What are the best itineraries? Would you combine the cruise with a land tour? What other pearls of wisdom can you throw out to me?

 

A little about us got background -- DH and I are in our early 50s, moderately active and fit, would rather be doing than watching...

You partially answered your own question with the highlighted part.

 

We're going on the roundtrip cruise you've described out of Vancouver for two reasons - the significant reduced cost over a "split airfare" trip (two different starting and finishing places), as well as Vancouver having a lot to see in addition to the cruise itself. We added 2 extra days just for Vancouver on top of the great 7-day cruise...where whale-watching, glaciers, wildlife, loggers, and Alaska salmon are just a few of the excursion possibilities.

 

Enjoy!