Has Anyone Not Fallen In Love With Alaska??

[Cravester78]

You read over and over how much people love their cruises to Alaska and sometimes go back numerous times. Has anyone gone to Alaska but not loved it? Maybe not even liked it? Why did you feel that way?

[mapleleaves]

I know plenty of people in the Pacific NW who would never go back. Try going during a week of rain, wind and low cloud cover and Alaska doesn't have much appeal. They feel like they can stay home in Seattle and have the same gloomy experience with no cost. Plus not everyone enjoy scenery and scenic cruising.

 

None of my friends or family will go back to Alaska (other than the guys who have their annual fishing trip to Sitka).

 

I doubt I would ever cruise to Alaska again .... at least when you're on the move in the interior you can drive to a location with better weather.

[Gardyloo]

I visited Alaska for work for years, and later lived there for a decade or so and worked all over the state, mainly in the bush. We left when my wife's job was transferred to Seattle, and shortly after my third walk-away plane crash. Somebody was telling us something, I guess...

 

Lots of return trips, of course - godchildren's weddings, sadly, a few funerals, and trips just to say hi and renew friendships.

 

Alaska's size (as usual) makes generalizing impossible. There are parts of Alaska, and aspects of the state (and some of the traits one sees frequently in Alaskans) that I don't miss in the slightest. I truly do not miss the darkness, or watching baseball on the TV while it's snowing outside. I don't miss the mud at breakup, or glare ice in parking lots, or the way people overheat their houses in winter, making your skin so dry that you think you'll die from scratching. I don't miss having to fly for hundreds of dollars to get anywhere past Palmer or Seward. I certainly don't miss the politics.

 

But I DO miss the view of smoking volcanoes from light planes on the way out to the Aleutians; having a moose eating lunch outside the dining room window while we're having Thanksgiving dinner. I miss endless daylight and the feel of a silver salmon hitting a Pixie like a torpedo. I miss seeing the northern lights dancing in the sky from my friend's house in Rainbow Valley, and I miss the giant zucchini and cabbages at the state fair. I miss the babel of Yu'pik, Inupiaq, Aleut and Tlingit speakers telling tales. I miss standing on the edge of the Kuskokwim River, frozen feet thick, at sundown.

 

 

But you know what, it's still there, a plane ride away. Time to head back and check on the silvers I guess.

[xlxo]

Has anyone gone to Alaska but not loved it? Maybe not even liked it? Why did you feel that way?

Weather makes a huge difference for me. One port I went to was such a dissappointment, I loved it much more when I went back on a second trip. The difference was the first visit was a total downpour.

 

As a result, I now recommend avoid late August and September when it's wetter. However, others feel August is when the wildlife are more visible for feeding.

[Putterdude]

I like Alaska enough that I have been there 17 times but love it....no. Now I love the Caribbean but Alaska, not so much. There are aspects that are fascinating but I see eagles, whales, Orcas, seals, dolphins and snow capped mountains all the time. I get lots of salmon, spot pawns, halibut and crab locally, for us that's no big deal. Living close to Vancouver its easy and inexpensive for us to jump on a ship and go but I wouldn't fly across the country every year to see it. We thought for a while we might go to Alaska last fall and didn't and the reason we would have gone would have been just for the cruise experience.

[subaru94]

Hi, We are Aussies looking at doing an Alaskan cruise either next year or year after, we are on a budget and just wondering if we would be happy with Anchorage, Denali or spend the extra dollars and see the Canadian rockies?

[gottagoacruzn]

Been there again and again.:) Will be going back in Sept, cuz I think its gonna be hot when I go, but I don't care.:rolleyes:

[Putterdude]

Hi, We are Aussies looking at doing an Alaskan cruise either next year or year after, we are on a budget and just wondering if we would be happy with Anchorage, Denali or spend the extra dollars and see the Canadian rockies?

 

You are coming a long way and spending a lot of money, my advice would be to do both, they are quite a different experience.

[zqvol]

You read over and over how much people love their cruises to Alaska and sometimes go back numerous times. Has anyone gone to Alaska but not loved it? Maybe not even liked it? Why did you feel that way?

 

It's OK, but we have been twice and while we will probably go back it won't be on a cruise. What you see in southeast AK is just more of the same and it gets old.

[CowPrincess]

You read over and over how much people love their cruises to Alaska and sometimes go back numerous times. Has anyone gone to Alaska but not loved it? Maybe not even liked it? Why did you feel that way?

 

My DH can't see the appeal of Alaska, for a number of reasons. He has limited vacation time and prefers to use that time for a winter getaway. We live in an area of soaring mountains and turquoise water -- for him the scenery is "too much like home". We also live in bear country, so "seeing a bear" isn't high on his list :D He absolutely doesn't love Alaska :D

 

On both of his cruises to Alaska we have had spectacular weather. Thank goodness :eek: We just got back from a 14 day Alaska cruise, and he was as under-delighted with it as he was with the 7 day Alaska cruise we did a few years ago. I will keep going back, because there is something in Alaska that touches my soul. He has already said he won't join me ...

[JDinWA]

<snip>

But I DO miss the view of smoking volcanoes from light planes on the way out to the Aleutians; having a moose eating lunch outside the dining room window while we're having Thanksgiving dinner. I miss endless daylight and the feel of a silver salmon hitting a Pixie like a torpedo. I miss seeing the northern lights dancing in the sky from my friend's house in Rainbow Valley, and I miss the giant zucchini and cabbages at the state fair. I miss the babel of Yu'pik, Inupiaq, Aleut and Tlingit speakers telling tales. I miss standing on the edge of the Kuskokwim River, frozen feet thick, at sundown. <snip>

 

 

This was really lovely, Gardyloo!

[mapleleaves]

Hi, We are Aussies looking at doing an Alaskan cruise either next year or year after, we are on a budget and just wondering if we would be happy with Anchorage, Denali or spend the extra dollars and see the Canadian rockies?

 

 

In July you can always get an inside cabin for Whittier-Vancouver for $349-$449. Princess offers them starting around the end of May. I've seen it for the past 5 yrs but BQ says that offer has been around much longer.

So if this was my trip .... I'd fly into Anchorage, drive/train/bus to Denali for a few days, visit Seward for a few days, then cruise to Vancouver. If you're comfortable driving, and have the time, drive to the Canadian Rockies. A car gives you access to more affordable lodging options.

[New2cruise1483]

While we enjoyed Alaska, we certainly didn't fall in love. For us, it was very similar to home, just bigger. We like to refer to it as north Idaho in steroids lol. There were things there of course we don't get to see at home such as glaciers and whales, but we have a lot of wildlife. Bears, wolves, cougars, whitetail deer, mule deer, Bobcats, elk and moose. I can tell you if you've ever been out in the brush and come across a moose that really doesn't appreciate your presence, seeing a moose otherwise doesn't have much appeal lol. We may go again someday, but in a way it was just a bit disappointing to us. We will probably focus more on the tropical areas simply because it's out of the norm for us

[subaru94]

In July you can always get an inside cabin for Whittier-Vancouver for $349-$449. Princess offers them starting around the end of May. I've seen it for the past 5 yrs but BQ says that offer has been around much longer.

So if this was my trip .... I'd fly into Anchorage, drive/train/bus to Denali for a few days, visit Seward for a few days, then cruise to Vancouver. If you're comfortable driving, and have the time, drive to the Canadian Rockies. A car gives you access to more affordable lodging options.

 

Thanks for the information/advice, appreciate it, just having to convince hubby it is worth the long trip at the moment.

[JPH814]

We leave for our first trip on Wednesday - yes flying 10 hours to get there. While it is on my bucket list, I have rather low expectations.

 

I most look forward to the train trip and then two days in Denali before the cruise, seeing the wildlife and scenery and a raft trip. And I am looking forward to a whale watching trip in Juneau and sailing into glacier bay.

 

Other than that, I will be fine just hanging out onboard. I can do without the little towns and looking at totem poles. I am not into salmon and lumberjack demonstrations.

 

But this will be a trip with my family - wife, two adult children and spouses. I love cruising and will happily stay onboard reading, working out, napping on deck and await their stories when we all gather for dinner in the evening.

 

...then again, sometimes low expectations result in the most pleasant surprises.

 

I'll post again in a couple of weeks

Edited July 6, 2015 by JPH814

[Putterdude]

We leave for our first trip on Wednesday - yes flying 10 hours to get there. While it is on my bucket list, I have rather low expectations.

 

 

Well be sure and wave on your way by.

[lynncarol]

My husband and I took a cruise to Alaska under duress (our favorite relatives insisted we go with them). I had low expectations as I hate to be cold and wet and I knew the ports would be crowded. Well, it rained on the cruise and snowed two days before we arrived at Denali. But guess what? We saw gorgeous glaciers, fabulous views, Mt. Denali in all its splendor, grizzlies feeding on salmon and more. Both my husband and I loved it!

[Lastdance]

My husband and i have been to Alaska once: he got food poisoning after a kayak excursion and missed a lot of the scenery. IMHO, I would rather keep going back to the Med! I love it there, especially when i connect it to an addition week or more with a rental car. However, for my husband's sake I am returning. Also, I promised my dad that we would stay in the States for a year. Sometimes, you just have to do what you just have to do. :D:D:D (I won't have to do hardly any planning, so that is a good thing!)

[ronandannette]

My husband and i have been to Alaska once: he got food poisoning after a kayak excursion and missed a lot of the scenery. IMHO, I would rather keep going back to the Med! I love it there, especially when i connect it to an addition week or more with a rental car. However, for my husband's sake I am returning. Also, I promised my dad that we would stay in the States for a year. Sometimes, you just have to do what you just have to do. :D:D:D (I won't have to do hardly any planning, so that is a good thing!)

Aww, we're taking a 7-day Southbound next month as a "consolation" for having had to cancel the much-anticipated trip to Rome with a Med cruise we had planned for September (it was to celebrate a milestone anniversary). :( There's not too much about either the destination or the ship we're excited about, comparatively. My DH has been joking that we may never cruise again, as we've often said Alaska is the "last place" we ever wanted to go...:p

Edited July 12, 2015 by ronandannette

[subaru94]

My husband and I took a cruise to Alaska under duress (our favorite relatives insisted we go with them). I had low expectations as I hate to be cold and wet and I knew the ports would be crowded. Well, it rained on the cruise and snowed two days before we arrived at Denali. But guess what? We saw gorgeous glaciers, fabulous views, Mt. Denali in all its splendor, grizzlies feeding on salmon and more. Both my husband and I loved it!

 

What time of year did you go on your cruise please?

[deerhuntingal]

I liked some aspects of the May cruise I took this year and some not so much. I did not like the touristy souvenir shops in Juneau and Ketchikan and to a lesser degree Skagway. I expected some but the sheer number of them was

a surprise. Icy Strait was a bit boring unless you do an excursion. It was a quick trip to Hoonah to see Alaska as the locals live it. Not touristy at all but not to much going on.

 

The things I loved were the excursion to Davidson Glacier (breathtaking!), The salmon fishing in Ketchikan (our guide was very nice and the scenery was beautiful), The people were all nice and helpful in the ports and the weather was beautiful. I also loved Glacier Bay and the calving of it while we were there.

 

We are going back in 2 weeks to see Hubbard Glacier and Sawyer Glacier

as my DH did not get to go the last trip so I booked this one to see the other sites. If your on the fence about it, do a shorter cruise in an inside (cheaper) cabin. You will get the cruise experience of Alaska without spending a ton of $$ and if you love it, you can always go back for a longer one in a balcony or suite!