1st Alaska cruise

[Billym1507]

Hi.

This will be our 1st Alaska cruise, we are sailing on the Statendam out of Seattle on June 1st for 2 weeks. We have cruised many times but always to warm climates. My wife has been nagging me for ages to do Alaska and she always seems to get her way lol. If there are any tips you could share we would be really grateful. We are in our 50s and fit enough to do all the tours. Also I am not sure what to pack, as I said this will be a 1st.

I love wild life so it should be good for that. I also enjoy getting off the ship and having a beer and food in a local place.

Thanks for any input.

Billy.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The key for Alaska is to dress in layers. We have Gortex jackets with zippered linings. Also take water proof shoes, a hat, gloves.

If you check out the Alaskan ports of call, you will get a lot more information.

We have done your 2 week Alaskan cruise a couple of times (on the Amsterdam). It is an excellent itinerary.

[Ky Colonel]

... and a visit to "Sticky: New to Holland America? This is for you...AKA "HAL For Dummies" post above will provide a lot of additional tips.

 

We will be taking our 6th Alaska cruise in June and have thoroughly enjoyed each of them, so you also should enjoy your cruise.

 

Smooth sailing,

 

Rod

[xlxo]

• I would say think more of what excursions you are likely to sign up for. Some activities will need more weather protection than others.
  
• if you have a cabin balcony.... it can be kinda cool.
  
• you might want to think about a passport if you plan to ride the White Pass railway into Fraser or go on a Yukon excursion.
  
• Here's an idea of what the temperatures were like last year in June for Skagway... http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/skagway-ak/99840/june-weather/336751?monyr=6/1/2014
  

[lakeside42]

We are also cruising Alaska for the first time on the Statendam, June 1. We have booked a whale watching tour with Harv and Marv in Juneau and a Misty Fjords flightseeing trip with Island Wings in Ketchikan. I am keeping my fingers crossed that we have good weather. Can't wait to get onboard!

[RuthC]

You're going at a good time of year for extensive hours of daylight, and long, lingering sunsets. If you stay up late enough for the sky to get dark, you just may see the pre-dawn light before you climb into bed!

 

Pack your gloves in your jacket pocket before putting the jacket in your suitcase. That way, you will always have them when you need them; you will need them at least some of the time.

 

The 2-week cruise is a great one! You are fortunate to have chosen this one, as you will see the frequented ports, plus others that are off the beaten path.

 

Have a great time in The Great Land!

[rajkr74]

As stated by others,this is a great 14 day cruise!!! You will love it. We have done it twice, both times on the Amsterdam. Layers is the way to go. We had rain and warm sun. So rain gear for those raining days and shorts for the warm days. Here is a link to our Microsoft OneDrive site with some pictures we took in June/July 2014. Just click the albums for the thumbnails.

 

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=07AFC87CDF2F6DCA&id=7AFC87CDF2F6DCA%218477&sc=photos

[SilvertoGold]

You are from Scotland!

 

You've got the clothes - that is half the battle for a lot of people.

 

Good advice on this thread. Have a truly great time in the Great land!

Edited March 21, 2015 by SilvertoGold

[CowPrincess]

Definitely do some extensive reading on the Alaska Ports of Call board:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

 

There are many threads about things to do, what to wear, places to eat.

 

There are incredibly knowledgeable, helpful posters there. Some are Alaska residents, and some have been to Alaska dozens and more times.

 

We are doing the 14 day in May. As SilvertoGold says, you already own the clothes you need :D Make sure to bring good wool blend socks.

[Billym1507]

Thank you very much for your tips, photos and links. You are a nice bunch of people.

Billy.

[summersigh]

Layers work with a water resistant jacket as the outer layer ... with gloves and something to cover the ears. A pocket sized umbrella worked great for us. We waited until we got to Alaska to buy sweat shirts and a couple of long sleeve tees - they became our souvenirs.

 

Also ,,,, a camera with a good zoom and pocket sized binoculars for far off wildlife viewing.

[BeardieMom55]

Hope you have a wonderful cruise. We are doing the same itinerary at the end of July (our second time.) I second what others have said - this is in my opinion the best itinerary. I think you will really enjoy the variety of ports. We too have booked a whale watching tour with Harv and Marv's in Juneau (thanks to the advice of others on this forum). We have cruised Alaska 4 times and driven up a couple of times so have tried a variety of things there. Since you mention you enjoy wildlife I would recommend a smaller boat like Harv and Marvs or the photography based whale watch that HAL offers. Also you might consider a trip out of Homer or Kodiak to see the brown coastal bears of Kodiak or Katmai National Park. I would also recommend some sort of rain protection for your camera. Have a great trip!

[summersigh]

Also you might consider a trip out of Homer or Kodiak to see the brown coastal bears of Kodiak or Katmai National Park. I would also recommend some sort of rain protection for your camera. Have a great trip!

 

Before you book a trip to see the bears do some checking to see how abundant they'll be that early in the Alaskan summer. The reason I say that is when we went in early July we thought to book a very expensive flight trip to a remote resort in bear country in the same area mentioned above. Some in-depth research showed that since it was too early for the salmon to be running the bear sightings would be spotty at best. Just something to think about ... :)

[travelinjones]

May you love Alaska as much as we love Scotland (and Alaska; Anchorage is Mr. Jones' hometown.)

 

Here is a link to a detailed suggested packing list that we wrote for a 2-week land and cruise tour: http://www.travelingwiththejones.com/2014/04/29/packing-advice-for-a-2-week-landcruise-tour-to-alaska/

 

And here is our more general packing tips for Alaska: http://www.travelingwiththejones.com/2010/06/08/visiting-alaska-this-summer-10-tips-on-what-to-pack/

 

As others have stated, you never know what the weather will be like, so plan to dress like a onion, with lots of layers that you can peel off, or add on.

 

Have a great trip!

[BeardieMom55]

Sorry just reread OP's post. June is a little early for the salmon run. Most bears if out of hibernation will probably still be in the coastal areas. We have had great luck seeing them there clamming and grazing on the grass but I agree you might check into that with the outfitter. We were originally scheduled to fly from Kodiak to another part of that island to see the bears and our outfitter opted to go to Katmai instead where the bears were on the coast. Hope you enjoy your trip to Alaska as much as we have.