Please help me plan our first cruise - Alaska - so many questions!

[RubySlippers102]

Hi all, I'm planning our first cruise for our 5th anniversary. I have so many questions I hardly know where to start. Planning for late August 2017. My first set of questions is regarding which ship/itinerary to go for. These are the two I've narrowed it down to:

 

Solstice - roundtrip from Seattle - Ketchikan, Tracy Arm, Juneau, Skagway, Inside Passage southbound, Victoria BC.

 

Infinity - roundtrip from Vancouver - Inside Passage, Icy Strait, Hubbard glacier, Juneau, Ketchikan, Inside Passage.

 

Basically itinerary wise I'm choosing between seeing Skagway/Tracy Arm and the Icy Strait/Hubbard glacier. Opinions? Also interested in opinions on the ships themselves!

 

Next - definitely going to get a balcony room, now trying to decide between the different classes. We may use the spa for one treatment, but besides the spa what benefits are there to choosing an AquaClass cabin vs concierge or veranda/balcony? If anyone has cruised on either of these ships and loved their cabin, I'd love specific cabin recommendations too!

 

Which side/area of the ship should I be looking to reserve for best views and privacy?

 

As far as excursions, number one on the list is dog sled, which is the best? Also looking for recommendations for other excursions...we're into beautiful views, wildlife, food...pretty much everything. Do we need a specific excursion to see whales or will we probably see them from the ship?

 

Lastly...deciding between the free wi-fi and drink package. Both are pretty important to us, which is the better value?

 

Thanks so much for all your help, if you've gotten this far! :eek:

[islandchick]

You may want to consider a one way cruise from Vancouver to Seward if you are really interested in wildlife, etc. That way you could spend some time in Alaska.

 

If you are set on a round trip then I would choose the one out of Vancouver as it goes to Hubbard glacier.

 

If you are interested in whales and other sea wildlife then I would chose a forward cabin with a balcony as once the ship gets close they will dive and if you are near the back of the boat you will not see them. I would also chose the starboard side (right) You will most likely see whales, etc but would see them much better on a small boat excursion. I have done one out of Seward twice and saw humpback whales bubble feeding, killer whales, otters, dolphins, sea lions, etc. I have not done any wildlife cruise other then there so cannot give recommendations for the other ports, however I think Icy straight is supposed to have good wildlife cruises.

 

Lots of people love aqua class and eating at their own restaurant Blu, however my husband and I were very unhappy with Blu and decided that we were better off just getting a balcony and using the difference in cost to buy a dining package.

 

I am not totally sure if the ships you are choosing have the large "overhang" but this is really nice for Alaska as it allows you to be outside even when raining. We thought initially we would hate it but it worked out great.

 

There is a really great kayaking excursion from Southeast Sea Kayaks out of Ketchikan- you have to book it on your own but no need to worry about anything as they are very professional. I have done this twice and loved every minute. If you choose earlier time frames then you will have time to walk around Ketchikan which is a really cute town. It also has a nice totem pole museum.

 

The helicopter/dog sled trip out of Juneau is outstanding through Era Helicopters. I also booked this privately. Again book a time frame that allows you to have time in town. You will have plenty of time to go to Mendenhall glacier, also take the Mt Roberts tramway and do a small hike (we saw a large black bear just off the trail)

 

I would choose the drink package over the wi fi but I am not somebody who spends time on any device while on vacation. You should be able to make phone calls, etc from all the ports.

[owensamo]

I don't have any experience with either of these ships or itineraries, but we sailed on the Millennium northbound this summer, so we had both Icy Strait Point and Skagway as well as Hubbard.

 

I loved the itinerary - ISP was very non-commercial - Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan had a lot of the same shops and merchandise, ISP was very different and offered a great glimpse into real SE Alaska island life. That said, one of our favorite tours was from Skagway - the Glacier Point tour (Boat ride to an off-the-grid camp where we kayaked on a glacial lake to walk up to Davidson Glacier) - so I'm glad we were able to do both.

 

We actually booked a whale watch on the dock in Juneau on impulse, and that was probably the best tour we had! We were on a Dolphin Tours boat, and found a humpback calf playing in the water with its mother. The calf breached 6-8 times, and the mother did once as well - it was amazing, and the best money we spent on the trip! We did see some whales spray from the observation lounge, but didn't get anything as good of an experience as on the small boat close to the animals.

 

We did see a lot of wildlife - but mostly at the Wildlife Conservation Center outside of Girdwood, at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage, and at Denali National Park. Most of what we saw during the cruise was bald eagles. Tons of bald eagles. We didn't see any wild bear or moose anywhere in our travels in Alaska - if they hadn't been in the zoo and conservation center, I might not believe they actually have them! ;)

[lag9122]

We are doing a north bound cruise next June from Vancouver to Seward on Millennium . We are doing the Harv & Marv whale watching tour which we did last year on a round trip from Seattle . I want to get into the heart of Alaska and visit Anchorage . We also did the dog sled tour in Skagway last year which was really great and meet Ryan Redington who's grandfather started the itiarod race . I love the cruise so much we are going again . Enjoy your cruise and have fun.

Edited August 3, 2016 by lag9122

[Northern Aurora]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

There are just sooo many options when visiting our state, but it is important to understand that what one person finds fascinating may not be so interesting to another. So folks need to research the ports and excursions best for their personal interests. The Alaska forum, located under the "Ports of Call" section, has a number of trip reports, organized by year, posted in stickies at the top of the index page. Well worth the time to browse through them.

 

Also, communities here in our state, like communities in other areas of the world, generally have visitor's guides on the internet. For example, if you do a search using "Juneau visitor guide" you will find the "www.traveljuneau.com" website.

[BecciBoo]

I agree, spend a few days reading the Alaska boards.

 

We are getting ready for our 2nd Alaska, this time on X.

 

Our first was Vancouver round trip and Hubbard was exceptional! Huge glacier compared to Sawyer and Dawes. Better land views in Tracy Arm. Nothing in Alaska will disappoint...take your pick!:D

[ATLgirl15]

This post could have been mine a month ago. We just booked our July 2017 Alaska cruise after going through so many of the same questions. I did a lot of reading on here and asking questions which led me to booking Infinity. I love solstice class ships but decided I'd rather be on a smaller ship and cruise the inside passage from Vancouver and go to Hubbard glacier (especially considering all the trouble with Tracy arm this year). I am bummed that the itinerary does not include Skagway but that just gives me an excuse to go back in the future.

 

We chose a sky suite because we like having the perks that go along with the suite (private dining, priority boarding, etc). I keep hearing that starboard side is better but it seems like that side was already full even a year in advance.

 

I haven't booked my excursions yet but have narrowed it down to helicopter/dog sled in Juneau, whale watching in Icy Straight Point, and misty fjord float plane in Ketchikan. Each will leave us with time to explore town as well and eat some local seafood! There are lots of great recommendations here for vendors.

 

Good luck with your planning.

[ClaudiaB]

I also suggest that you go to the dedicated "Alaska" forum here in the ports section. There are frequent posters there who are a wealth of information, and who have great advice.

 

We've been twice on Infinity to Alaska, round trip from Seattle, and they remain some of our favorite cruises ever. We did mostly independent excursions.

Kayaking on a rare clear warm blue sky day in Ketchikan is a day we talk about often. Taking the Whitepass Railroad out of Skagway and getting off 1/3 the way up and hiking up the Laughton Glacier about 4 miles in and 4 miles out is also another very memorable day.

 

Whatever you do, make sure you spend a lot of time on deck watching for the whales, etc. You won't want to be in the buffet or casino or inside much on this cruise. It's all about nature and the beauty and awesomeness of Alaska.

 

Next time we go we're doing a one way north and then renting a car and doing the interior ourself for about 2 weeks.

[Peteymil]

I don't have any experience with either of these ships or itineraries, but we sailed on the Millennium northbound this summer, so we had both Icy Strait Point and Skagway as well as Hubbard.

 

I loved the itinerary - ISP was very non-commercial - Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan had a lot of the same shops and merchandise, ISP was very different and offered a great glimpse into real SE Alaska island life. That said, one of our favorite tours was from Skagway - the Glacier Point tour (Boat ride to an off-the-grid camp where we kayaked on a glacial lake to walk up to Davidson Glacier) - so I'm glad we were able to do both.

 

;)

 

we no longer do ships excursions as we book them independently, but on our very first cruise we also did the Glacier Point tour, and it was outstanding. we still talk about it, 16 years later.

[Brangwen]

We just did our first Alaska cruise in May - we did the Solstice RT from Seattle.

 

We looked and looked and got confused and looked some more but honestly since we had never been to Alaska it all started to seem the same, so we picked the cruise we did based on timing of the dates and price.

 

We loved it and will eventually go back and do a longer cruise, probably hubbard... but I'm glad we did the one we did as an "intro" to Alaska. We got a taste of things and learned that we loved it. We had a starboard balcony cabin but I don't think there's a bad view.

 

Here's a general opinion of what we did and what we thought (as always, this is my personal opinion, so take with as many grains of salt as are required):

 

Seattle - cruise port was a bit of a mess, not as bad as Miami though :rolleyes:

 

Ketchikan - we did a rainforest hike and totem park with Wild Wolf Tours (independent)... loved ketchikan and loved our tour... would not hesitate to go back here again, sort of a small town vibe

 

Tracy Arm - we went to Dawes vs. Sawyer... being this was the first glacier we have ever seen it was AM-A-ZING... we saw calving... the captain did "donuts" with the ship so everyone could see and we spent a good amount of time just watching... so beautiful!

 

Juneau - I jokingly called this the "nassau of alaska"... very touristy, diamonds international, blahblahblah. We did the shuttle bus to Mendenhall glacier. Again this was beautiful and I'm glad we did it. Probably would not go back to Juneau again.

 

Skagway - cute little town, appears to survive mainly on the tourist season but it's cute. We did the train north and then bus on up to the yukon and Emerald Lake and then back down. This was well worth the cost, such beautiful scenery. We dropped some people off for a dogsled excursion and the dogs were pulling people on wheeled carts through the mud. Our driver said this was normal for summer and there really isn't any "true" dogsledding during "normal cruise season" unless you go far up into "Big Alaska"... maybe others can comment on this? What I saw didn't look like much fun at all.

 

Victoria BC - we have friends that live here, so we hung out with them :cool:

 

Hope that helps a bit? I don't think you can go wrong on whichever you choose and then if you like it you know what you want to do the NEXT time. :D

[bbappel]

We did the Alaska cruise at the end of June on a RCCL ship, Explorer of the Seas. I would have preferred Celebrity because 1) the pool is neither warm nor covered, and 2) there are more places to see outside, in addition to our balcony.

 

In Juneau we took a shuttle into town and booked (privately) a bus to Mendenhall Glacier where we took a hike and lots of photos. We had all done the train before and were traveling with a 7 year old and an 18 year old. It was a relaxing day. At the end of the trip, we went to Tracy's Crab Shack where we had a bucket of king crab. It was delicious. Luckily we had select dining so we were able to enjoy a late lunch and just have a late dinner.

 

In Skagway we took the ship tour to Liarsville & Salmon Bake with Goldpanning. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like kitschy humor and entertainment and the food was much much better than I expected. The salmon was fresh and perfectly prepared. The sides were sort of "pot luck" sides but also tasty.

The panning was fun, especially for the 7-year old. The people at Liarsville helped her isolate her gold. They didn't do it for her, but made it easy for her to do. They got high marks from me. You don't get a lot of gold but it is exciting to see that glitter in the bottom of your gold pan. Later the 18 year old and his dad (our son) went zip-lining. They said it was very very much fun.

 

In Victoria we had considered going to Butchart Gardens but decided instead to simply walk around and enjoy the area near the port. We took cabs to the Empress and then walked and walked. We visited the Welcome Center, all picked up decks of cards and tote bags from the Casino representative, figured out what we could do, and then just walked, and walked. We then had a snack and a beer at a restaurant overlooking the water.

 

Enjoy, our first cruise was a one-way Alaska cruise with a post-cruise tour from Anchorage to Fairbanks on Celebrity Summit. After that, we were hooked with spending time on a cruise - unpack once, see lots of places.

 

Beth

[NorthernLite]

I'd go with the Infinity and try for a Concierge Class 1 all the way back and facing aft. The smaller the ship the smaller the turning radius and the closer they are allowed to glaciers. Our first was on HAL in a suite on the port aft and we woke to a pod of orcas swimming and jumping along side the ship right outside our window as we woke up one day. We did an independent whale watching boat out of Juneau with, I think, Captain Mike's Tours. You should be able to find them on the Alaska Port of Call forum. We found plenty of whales in late May/early June and Mike knew where to find otters if the whales didn't show.

 

Both SEATAC and Vancouver Airport are about the same distance from the cruise ports, 45 minutes or so by taxi. Definitely go in the day before, at least, and stay downtown which ever way you go. Oh, the Solstice Class ships are huge and tendering ports will take time. So unless you are Elite or above and get priority tendering then again, the smaller ship is better.

 

Do look at this as your first trip to Alaska. Our first cruise was 14 days r/t out of Seattle that went as far as Homer where a moose did walk down their Main Street. We are now packing to go even further north. And go with drinks unless you like dial up and worse speeds. Head to a coffee shop on land for quick free wifi. Last, Alaska has many small breweries with restaurants and we found them great places to eat for the most part.

Edited August 4, 2016 by NorthernLite

[2onboardagain]

If you have the time for a cruise tour, I would urge you to consider it as it gives you an opportunity to see some of the interior (Fairbanks, Denali etc) of Alaska while also seeing what you can see from a cruise ship. For anyone considering the land sea option I would also highly recommend doing the land first as they will really fill those LONG Alaska summer days with activities and you really will need the second week on the ship to recuperate! Whatever you do Enjoy!

[nekzaadvakil]

Just completed our first Alaskan cruise, celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary just before the cruise. Our detailed review with tons of pictures including the dog sled tour is in my signature below.

 

Ship wise - I'd chose the Solstice over the Infinity anyday.

[ldock]

I love Skagway, and been there 6 times. It gives u a feel of old Alaska, and far more to do even if just wandering arround then icy straight. However Hubbard glacier is the most popular Glacier, and for good reason. victoria, is a beautiful port, if u haven't been there I do recommend, how ever there r is a catch. One: expensive getting bk to main land via ferry, or u can just fly out of Victoria, which may b simplist. If choose this make sure u have a extra day or two to enjoy this beautiful place.

 

So now that I made it harder to decide.... Have fun