Love Cruising -Hate Alaska

[Pointyhead]

To keep my bride of 40 years happy, I have signed us up for a cruise in Alaska next August. We will be going with two other couples our same age (60). My problem is that while I love cruising (been on 9 so far) I have absolutely no desire to go to Alaska. I have read all the stories of people here about having fun but that's assuming that they all had an interest in it before going. I don't. I love the beach scene and warm weather. I'm more of a Jimmy Buffet guy than a Johnny Horton one.

 

Before you say it, I spent 21 years in the military, I've been in cold places many times, and I didn't care for it then either. I know it could be 95 degrees when we are there, but for every one person to tell me how hot it was on their Alaska cruise, two would show me photos of their party on deck with parkas on.

 

I don't care for the mountains much. I don't fish, so that's not an option. I can go fifteen minutes from where I'm sitting right now and see bald eagles, so it isn't a big deal to watch them in Alaska. Whales don't interest me either.

 

I suppose the most I can hope for is that the ship has a good sauna where I can stay warm and sweaty while listening to Inner Circle on my mp3 player.

 

Lest you think I'm just being the grumpy old man, I'm not. I don't plan on going there to make everyone around me miserable (I'm really outgoing and the life of the party in our groups), but I have tried, and I can't work up any enthusiasm for this trip.

 

Maybe someone can shed some light on my situation, or at least commiserate with me over this situation I have found myself in.

[deerhuntingal]

Ha ha! Sometimes we just have to do what our spouses want to keep the peace! Like you, my better half is not the most enthusiastic about our 7 day cruise to Hubbard glacier in August but I let him get involved in picking a shore excursion so that helped. He is mostly going to relax and sit back on the balcony but we have a boat ride and day long tour to Sawyer glacier and salmon fishing planned as well but our itinerary is not port intensive since we have to go further north. More time on board to just relax. The key here is to pick the ship and itinerary that suits you. I sailed Norwegian and the food was so so. Not much to do on board either. Cruise ships in Alaska tend to be smaller but some have more on board things going on then others so choose well. Make sure yours is all you are wanting as it sounds like you will be spending more time on board than off. Just relax and have a vacation any way you see fit as in the end, it is the time we spend with our loved ones that really matters......you can look back and say that is why it was so special.........

[xlxo]

I recommend maximizing your pre/post-cruise days in Vancouver/Seattle August beaches to build up your tolerance for all that mountains, glaciers and water.

[CowPrincess]

Pointyhead, last year I cruised to Alaska and there was a HUGE group of first-time-to-Alaska people onboard. Most of the men sounded JUST like you "I'm only here because my wife wanted to do this cruise". By about halfway through the cruise all those men were changing their tunes, and many of them were talking about "next time we come to Alaska". So you may change your mind.

 

But then there's my husband, who came with me to Alaska this year because (more or less how he put it) he "enjoys seeing my wife's enjoyment". He is completely done with going to Alaska :( and this last cruise (14 days) was more than enough. I guess he no longer cares about enjoying my enjoyment :D

 

Good luck I hope the cruise turns out to be more enjoyable that you currently expect.

[Ramjet1997]

After 27 plus cruises to Bermuda, the Caribbean, the Mexican Riviera, and others, I swore that I woud not go to Alaska - too cold - too wet - yada yada yada.

 

Well, in 8 short weeks we will pursure Alaska on the Radiance of the Seas and a 4 day land tour with a vengence. I have reams of information from friends, relatives, internet sites, etc. My sister just returned from Alaska and said it was their best trip EVER.

 

So, I am excited and looking forward to a new experience. I know that there will not be warm sunny beaches and days lounging around the pool. And I hope to God that I do not see one Diamonds International!

 

Keep an open mind and you might be surprised. I have yet to talk to ANYONE who did not love their trip/cruise to Alaska.

[mapleleaves]

I always suggest that people do some research on Alaska. The more you know about the destination, the better the trip will be. Borrow an Alaska travel book from the library and learn about Alaska and the ports.

 

If you're not interested in wildlife or scenery, how about history? The gold mining history is quite fascinating. The hardships of people being unprepared for the cold wet weather, to Dolly, transportation, and life in general at that time. If your cruise starts in Seattle, visit the Klondike Goldrush Museum in Pioneer Square. http://www.nps.gov/klse/index.htm

 

OTOH, if you have no interest in this trip or getting anything out of it, why should any of us care ??

[Coral]

I never planned to go to Alaska. I ended up with a free cruise and thought "I would never pay to go to Alaska". Honestly, the weather was awful and I wasn't thrilled with the cruise line but for a brief half day, we had decent weather and I could see how beautiful it was.

 

I researched a ton after and changed dates, changed cruise lines and have returned 10 plus times and thankfully the weather cooperated with me on future cruises. As a Caribbean girl, I never thought I would want to go to Alaska. Now, I could care less about the Caribbean.

[Lerin]

We had crummy weather and weren't on our ship of choice for our first trip to Alaska-and LOVED it. So much so that the next year we went again. We're thinking of returning in a few years as well.

 

Like you we didn't have a huge interest in whales, animals, mountains, fishing, glaciers, etc... so that did not draw us to the cruise. In fact we didn't do any of that stuff on either cruise. We did see some wildlife, but we not actively looking. It's impossible not to see mountains or glaciers, but we didn't take any special excursions to hike or anything.

 

What we did like was cruising; the ships, the activities, the entertainment, the spa-even the covered pool which we did use.

In ports we mostly just walked around town which was a very enjoyable experience. One of the cruises was over the 4th of July so we got to participate in the town's festivities.

 

I suggest you don't think of it as a cruise in the stereotypical sense(beach, hammock and mai tai in hand) but just think of it as a vacation.

Surely you've taken other vacations that didn't end up in the Caribbean. Have you been camping? Road trip across the USA? Europe? There are a million fun vacations that don't involve the beach.

 

Enjoy the time with your wife and friends and I do hope you aren't being serious about spending the entire time listening to tunes in the sauna.

[Pointyhead]

 

OTOH, if you have no interest in this trip or getting anything out of it, why should any of us care ??

 

I am not suggesting that I won't get something out of it, quite the contrary. I am just saying that at this point that I have 0 enthusiasm for going, and I'm looking for things that would pique my interests. I should have made that clearer in my original post. I do like history and hope to hit a museum or two, although my wife gets bored easily in them. (we are an odd couple :p)

 

Everyone I have talked with that has been has liked Alaska, but they also were looking forward to going. I have yet to meet someone like myself that went and came back ready to go again. I'm sure they exist, I just haven't seen one.

 

BTW, I just got back from my 3rd trip to Brazil. If you want to see some beautiful country, go there! It's absolutely gorgeous, outside of Sao Paulo, that is.

[Pointyhead]

We had crummy weather and weren't on our ship of choice for our first trip to Alaska-and LOVED it. So much so that the next year we went again. We're thinking of returning in a few years as well.

 

Like you we didn't have a huge interest in whales, animals, mountains, fishing, glaciers, etc... so that did not draw us to the cruise. In fact we didn't do any of that stuff on either cruise. We did see some wildlife, but we not actively looking. It's impossible not to see mountains or glaciers, but we didn't take any special excursions to hike or anything.

 

What we did like was cruising; the ships, the activities, the entertainment, the spa-even the covered pool which we did use.

In ports we mostly just walked around town which was a very enjoyable experience. One of the cruises was over the 4th of July so we got to participate in the town's festivities.

 

I suggest you don't think of it as a cruise in the stereotypical sense(beach, hammock and mai tai in hand) but just think of it as a vacation.

Surely you've taken other vacations that didn't end up in the Caribbean. Have you been camping? Road trip across the USA? Europe? There are a million fun vacations that don't involve the beach.

 

Enjoy the time with your wife and friends and I do hope you aren't being serious about spending the entire time listening to tunes in the sauna.

 

 

I have traveled extensively all over the world, lived in Germany for 3 years, been in a war, got shot at, gotten lost at least once in most major cities of the world. (The Air Force is a great travel agency! :D). I'm pretty much ready to go anywhere, anytime, but Alaska has never been on my bucket list. But, I subscribe to the ancient truth-Happy wife, Happy Life, so I'm going. :cool:

[ronandannette]

...My problem is that while I love cruising (been on 9 so far) I have absolutely no desire to go to Alaska. I have read all the stories of people here about having fun but that's assuming that they all had an interest in it before going. I don't...

 

Maybe someone can shed some light on my situation, or at least commiserate with me over this situation I have found myself in.

 

So happy to see your thread - I was just about to start a similar one! We booked yesterday on a 7-Day Southbound as a "consolation" for having to cancel a much-anticipated trip to Europe with a Med cruise. Both DH and I feel very much like you do but only because we live in an area that is basically equivalent to an Alaska cruise only without the ocean. Mountains, forests, wildlife, rivers, ice and snow are just so much same-old-same-old...

 

I do have a bit of an off-beat question for some of the obviously experienced posters here:

If you had absolutely no interest in the terrain, scenery and wildlife in Alaska, what would you recommend for shore time - either organized excursions or on our own in the ports?

 

Sightseeing is such an iconic part of a trip to Alaska; I've had a hard time researching anything that is a bit different. Please advise and TIA.

Edited June 16, 2015 by ronandannette

[Budget Queen]

You must be agreeable to going? And don't really care? All well and good in my opinion. As long as you aren't a whiner and complainer. :)

 

I do TransAtlantics every year, and last year did 2 Hawaii cruises from/to Ca. which is loaded with sea days- of which I am bored silly. And really do not like them. But my husband is dragged around to all the places I want to go to, and he really likes the sea days. :) So it's an easy compromise, I do what I want in Hawaii, and we are usually a couple weeks extra in Europe. :) I'm never saying, how much I "hate" the trip or wish, I hadn't gone. This makes ALL the difference, frankly. So hopefully you are on the same page?

 

IF you are going to be miserable, I would suggest you stay home.

[GUT2407]

Happy wife = Happy life.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Quite frankly, if I had no interest in the scenery, terrain, and wildlife of Alaska, I would not go. My husband has no interest in cruising or travel, and is quite happy at home, so I leave him there, and travel with my mom and/or sister. Life is too short, and money in too limited a supply, to squander either on experiences that we don't want and can avoid.

[tangerinebunny]

We do a Caribbean cruise each December. Neither of us particularly enjoys the Caribbean - too hot, too humid, too much sun, blah, blah. But we have a great time on the ship and do a few things we enjoy in the ports.

 

As a matter of fact, we look forward to that December break.

 

So the 'think of it as a vacation' idea works for us. It's nice to be with friends, be free of responsibilities, and self-indulge a bit.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I am so un-outdoorsy. Never went camping and never want to. But did go on an Alaska cruise -- our intro to Princess too. I research the ports for my family. We went on a tour of the totem pole making place in Ketchikan before exploring Dolly's museum (came up with a good explanation of the place for our 7-year-old:o). We followed a ranger giving a tour in Skagway and ended up at the Moore House, which has a fascinating history...and then went on a van tour up to the Yukon. In Juneau, we just walked around. Victoria was very pretty, and we ended up spending a few hours in the Miniature Museum.

 

There are some places I don't care for -- like Ensenada and other parts of Mexico. I imagine any port has its fans and its detractors.

[Chenega]

As an Alaska resident going on 43 years, these comments make me smile. If our wildlife, glaciers, history, and other factors that make this one of the most unique places in the world, why go? Obvious some folks would be happier somewhere else than in the 49th state :)

 

By the way, the picture below is of a glacier in Blackstone Bay which is an hour and a half out of Anchorage. Right after I took the shot, it "calved" (i.e. large pieces of ice fell off) and created a good sized wave which headed toward the boat. Quite an experience!

Edited June 16, 2015 by Chenega

[sherryf]

I do have a bit of an off-beat question for some of the obviously experienced posters here:

If you had absolutely no interest in the terrain, scenery and wildlife in Alaska, what would you recommend for shore time - either organized excursions or on our own in the ports?

 

What about history and culture? Gold rush, totem poles, etc.

 

Or if you are adventurous, do something like zip lining or kayaking.

 

Remember, attitude is important. If you go into this trip expecting to hate it, you probably will. Instead, try to be optimistic and believe that you can and will have a good time. You just might be surprised!

[Gardyloo]

What about history and culture? Gold rush, totem poles, etc.

I was going to say the same thing. Focus on the human geography of Alaska - the many different native cultures, the search for the Northwest Passage, Russian America, the various gold rushes, the fishing industry, the military history, modern oil-based economies, native activism and entrepreneurship... Alaska is a place where a lot of history gets made; it's way more than moose and mountains.

[bwaz]

 

I suppose the most I can hope for is that the ship has a good sauna where I can stay warm and sweaty while listening to Inner Circle on my mp3 player.

 

 

 

 

Not sure what ship you're on, but there are some beautiful spas in Alaska bound shups Celebrity Solstice for instance has a Spa Club with Persian Gardens, " a series of rejuvenating aquathermal environments"---an aromatic steam room, an Finnish sauna, an herbal sauna, and a warm tropical rain shower. Radiance of the Seas has heated tile loungers in its spa. You 'll have some nice options for zoning out someplace warm, I bet.

 

Sent from my LG-D801 using Forums mobile app

[Budget Queen]

So happy to see your thread - I was just about to start a similar one! We booked yesterday on a 7-Day Southbound as a "consolation" for having to cancel a much-anticipated trip to Europe with a Med cruise. Both DH and I feel very much like you do but only because we live in an area that is basically equivalent to an Alaska cruise only without the ocean. Mountains, forests, wildlife, rivers, ice and snow are just so much same-old-same-old...

 

I do have a bit of an off-beat question for some of the obviously experienced posters here:

If you had absolutely no interest in the terrain, scenery and wildlife in Alaska, what would you recommend for shore time - either organized excursions or on our own in the ports?

 

Sightseeing is such an iconic part of a trip to Alaska; I've had a hard time researching anything that is a bit different. Please advise and TIA.

 

I guess I don't get it?? Why aren't you just going to Europe? You can go there for a week? You have stated, you have NO interest in Alaska so why go?

[Jane2357]

I'm going to assume in your 40 yrs of marriage that your wife has done her share of doing what makes you happy (football, museum, music) and now she is excited to go to Alaska and you can't muster up any enthusiasm?

 

Alaska is truly the last frontier in this country - with beauty so shattering that you know you are in God's country. I went to Alaska 12 yrs ago - and I came back forever changed and have longed to return (5/27/16 - yippee) and share it with my husband.

 

I'm serious when I say - stay home. Stay home and let her take her BFF, sister or SIL - because your attitude is a downer and will only ruin it for her. There are many different islands with white sand beaches and I've been on many of them - there is only 1 Alaska. :D

[outoftowner]

Good grief people. I bet you have wasted hours lecturing children with the, "how do you know you won't like it if you haven't tried it yet" reasoning.

 

The man has stated he is the life of the party and will not make anyone miserable. He is old and experienced enough to make the call.

 

He just doesn't share in the joyful enthusiasm our anticipation causes in us.

 

What does it matter if he likes Alaska or not, he enjoys the company of his wife and friends. Who knows, he may like it in spite of himself. Kinda like broccoli :rolleyes:

[runner15km]

My spouse and I had a good time on our Alaska cruise last summer but for us we will not sail to Alaska again. We are also warm water beach bums.:)

[ronandannette]

What about history and culture? Gold rush, totem poles, etc.

 

Or if you are adventurous, do something like zip lining or kayaking.

 

Remember, attitude is important. If you go into this trip expecting to hate it, you probably will. Instead, try to be optimistic and believe that you can and will have a good time. You just might be surprised!

 

I guess I don't get it?? Why aren't you just going to Europe? You can go there for a week? You have stated, you have NO interest in Alaska so why go?

 

A "series of unfortunate events" have made it impossible for us to follow through on our big 20th Anniversary plans in Europe but a getaway to celebrate is still vitally important to us. Far from expecting to hate it, we need to find a way to love it, or at least like it a lot. It needed to be within a very tight time frame, easy to fly into on the day of and be affordable. Alaska is the only cruise that checks all the boxes.

 

But we are realists and know the scenery won't have the awe-inspiring effect on us that most experience. That's why I'm happy to have any and all ideas for other pursuits. I like the idea of ziplining - we've done it tons of times in many different locations. Given that it's offered in several ports, does anyone have any input on how they compare? We also really like museums and architecture - anything of note we shouldn't miss? I'm also thinking I'll book a round of golf for DH (I forget whether it's available in Skagway or Ketchikan). He really likes to "collect" rounds at interesting courses.