First Time Alaska from Seattle

[TexanBuckeye]

Hi all. This will be my first ever cruise and I am so excited. We will be travelling from Seattle to Alaska on Emerald in May 2017. I have been avidly reading all the advice to cruisers and have found some reviews on travel to Alaska but haven't found any that have taken the trip from Seattle (maybe I just haven't found it yet). Anyway, I am looking for any and all tips, suggestions, and general info that you are willing to share. :)

[Thrak]

Hi all. This will be my first ever cruise and I am so excited. We will be travelling from Seattle to Alaska on Emerald in May 2017. I have been avidly reading all the advice to cruisers and have found some reviews on travel to Alaska but haven't found any that have taken the trip from Seattle (maybe I just haven't found it yet). Anyway, I am looking for any and all tips, suggestions, and general info that you are willing to share. :)

 

Tip: Start saving now for all of the cruises you will be taking as this first one will likely get you hooked. :)

 

Our first cruise was to Alaska (10 day round trip out of SF) and it got us hooked. If you are doing Glacier Bay get out on the upper decks so you can see all around. It's the best chance to see calving.

 

Enjoy yourself. You only get one first cruise and it can be an amazing eye opener.

[jpcello]

Hi all. This will be my first ever cruise and I am so excited. We will be travelling from Seattle to Alaska on Emerald in May 2017. I have been avidly reading all the advice to cruisers and have found some reviews on travel to Alaska but haven't found any that have taken the trip from Seattle (maybe I just haven't found it yet). Anyway, I am looking for any and all tips, suggestions, and general info that you are willing to share. :)

 

We had never been to Seattle so we flew out two days before our cruise (from NY). I think I may have booked the hotel through the cruise line (we went on Celebrity). We stayed up the hill from the Public Market (nice hotel but can't can't remember the name - but definitely a chain - probably either Marriott or Hilton or Hyatt). Just walking around the market and eating was amazing (you have to watch the guy throwing fish). Went to the original Starbucks. Took a trip to the Space Needle and had lunch at the restaurant at the top. Stopped at several art galleries along the way. I used the cruise transfer from the hotel to the cruise ship, which turned out to be about a 5 minute drive!

 

Only warning - my sister uses a mobility scooter and we tried "walking up the hill from the market" before we knew there was an elevator". The walk actually blew a fuse on my sister's scooter because it's just so steep.

[Sea Hag]

You're going to love it. You'll be visiting Tracy Arm, rather than Glacier Bay, which I'm sure you know. We've been down Tracy Arm several times, and it can be spectacular. If there's a lot of ice in the water, your ship won't be able to get very close to the glacier, but it still should be very nice. We prefer Glacier Bay over Tracy Arm, but that's just our opinion. You can see Glacier Bay on your next Alaska cruise. :D

 

We're not big fans of organized excursions, so we usually take off on our own. We have done some including a float plan over the Juneau glacier field, a snowshoe hike at Skagway, and a whale watching out of Victoria. The first two were great; the whale watching was a complete dud.

 

You'll want to go up to Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. There're buses near the pier that go there and back for a very reasonable cost. Lots to see and do.

 

If you're a hiker, there's plenty of hiking nearby Ketchikan and Skagway. Probably Juneau too. Somebody posted a really good hiking map of Ketchikan area on the Alaska board.

 

That's just my take on a few things. :)

[Chloekins1975]

Seattle

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Chloekins1975]

Cruised out of Seattle in August, 2nd Alaskan cruise and it won't be my last! If you visit the space needle please go into the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit which is next door. You will se the most amazing glass sculptures in lots of color combinations. Check it out online for a preview

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[easyboy]

Hi all. This will be my first ever cruise and I am so excited. We will be travelling from Seattle to Alaska on Emerald in May 2017. I have been avidly reading all the advice to cruisers and have found some reviews on travel to Alaska but haven't found any that have taken the trip from Seattle (maybe I just haven't found it yet). Anyway, I am looking for any and all tips, suggestions, and general info that you are willing to share. :)

We did our first Alaska cruise in 2012 out of Seattle R/T on the Golden. We were on an inside cabin and we went up the upper deck for a better view. Bring also a binocular. We stayed at the Cedarbrook Lodge pre-cruise and we enjoyed the hotel and its services. Good luck on your first cruise!

[TracieABD]

I have written three reviews/ live from blogs on cruises from Seattle Alaska. The links to the blogs are in my signature. I would be happy to answer any specific questions!

[QuilterGirl]

I live in Seattle and we have done "Alaska from Seattle" cruises six times. Here are my tips in a nutshell - sorry for the length, but these are the most-(over)-discussed topics about this trip:

- plan to arrive a couple days early to get over jet lag and to enjoy all that Seattle has to offer.

- there are no hotels (or car rental agencies) at the cruise pier used by Princess (which is Pier 91). You will have to use some other means to get from your hotel (or the airport) to the ship. Your hotel might have a shuttle, or you can use a taxi, private shuttle service, etc. There is public transportation (light rail) from the airport to the CBD, but not to the cruise pier.

- for Alaska in particular, it is wonderful if you have a cabin with a balcony, but there are many places on the ship to go outside (or be inside) and check out the scenery.

- in both Seattle and Alaska, you might encounter rain, hot sun, coolness, or perfect weather. Sometimes all in the same day. Plan on layers for clothing. Some kind of moderately-waterproof jacket/coat with hood or hat, maybe a fleece vest, some long- and some short-sleeved shirts, at least one each of long pants and shorts. A pair of gloves and a warm hat or scarf may be useful on Glacier Day, and possibly at other times. Fill in with sweaters/sweatshirts to layer. We don't bother with rainpants, boots, or umbrellas - if you are in a downpour, you are going to get wet - it's part of the adventure.

- poke around on the Princess website to see what to wear on "formal night," where you can dine for free or for an extra fee, what types of activities are run on the ship - lots of answers there if folks would just look.

- the Alaska board on CruiseCritic will have many threads of potential interest to you.

- Princess ships have self-service laundry rooms so you could do a load and thus cut down on how much you pack; however, the laundry rooms are locked at certain times in Alaska for environmental reasons (discharge). Plan ahead. Or send your laundry out. If doing your own laundry, the machines use your cruise card for payment.

- make plans in advance for each port you visit - don't "plan" on "just walking around town" or you will miss all that makes Alaska unique. There are "active activities," learning about Native culture, chances to see nature up close, scenic tours, food/beverage sampling.... you can book tours through the ship or in advance via the internet. Most (but not all) ports have excursion vendors at the pier as well - take your chances on availability. Yes, Alaska IS expensive, and the shore excursions will tend to be, too.

- bring binoculars, plan on taking photos - not just of Alaskan sights but you will want to take photos on the ship too.

- you are not to bring coffee etc. or non-commercially-packaged food off the ship in Alaska. You will find local coffee shops (and restaurants) in each town and it is politic to patronize them.

- the ship will conveniently (for a fee!) have internet-accessing options. When in or near a port in Alaska, a cellphone will be able to connect and it will be free (assuming that when you are at home, you can call anywhere in the US for free). Watch out if you are in/near Victoria though - that is NOT free on most plans.

- the ship will have many ways in which they would like to part you from your money - just be aware!

- you will have a great time and will come back with many memories of your first cruise and Alaska. But watch out.... both are habit-forming!

[caribill]

Some suggestions:

 

a) Locate the roll call for your cruise at the top of this page where it says - Find Your Princess Roll Call

 

On the roll call you will "meet" others on your cruise and they will be very willing to help you have a great cruise and answer any questions you may have.

 

b) Go to the Princess web site and download the "Cruise Answer Book." This will answer many questions about cruising on Princess, even questions you did not know you had.

 

c) If you find you like cruising on Princess (and I am sure you will), before the end of the cruise go to the Future Sales Consultant and purchase Future Cruise Certificates. These cost $100 each (fully refundable if not used within two years) and would be your entire down payment on a future Princess cruise. In addition, when you take that future cruise you would get some free Onboard Credit (OBC), the amount of which depends on the length of the cruise and the type cabin booked.

 

Have a great first cruise.

 

 

[caribill]

Some suggestions:

 

a) If you have not already done so, locate the roll call for your cruise at the top of this page where it says - Find Your Princess Roll Call

 

On the roll call you will "meet" others on your cruise and they will be very willing to help you have a great cruise and answer any questions you may have.

 

b) Go to the Princess web site and download the "Cruise Answer Book." This will answer many questions about cruising on Princess, even questions you did not know you had.

 

c) If you find you like cruising on Princess (and I am sure you will), before the end of the cruise go to the Future Sales Consultant and purchase Future Cruise Certificates. These cost $100 each (fully refundable if not used within two years) and would be your entire down payment on a future Princess cruise. In addition, when you take that future cruise you would get some free Onboard Credit (OBC), the amount of which depends on the length of the cruise and the type cabin booked.

 

Have a great first cruise.

 

 

[jpcello]

If you visit the space needle please go into the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit which is next door. You will se the most amazing glass sculptures in lots of color combinations. Check it out online for a preview

Forums

 

I've seen other Chihuly exhibits and I am now a huge fan. Breathtaking. Wish that would have been there when I was there.

[cruiseintoheaven]

You'll need good walking footwear for both Seattle and Alaska. Seattle has some pretty steep hills. The Sky Observatory is close to the water and offers 360 degree views from a much higher vantage point than the space needle, though a visit to Chihuly is a must. Try to see the Market early in the morning as it wakes up - and don't miss the fish tossing or the beautiful (and inexpensive bouquets of flowers). Have fun! [emoji4]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[molme]

We did the cruise from Seattle last year on the Crown. We also sailed in May and think that is one of the prettiest times of the year in Alaska. The mountains were still snow covered and just beautiful. We were lucky in that we had great weather with temps in the low 70's, high 60"s. Only rain we had was in Ketchikan and that was only a drizzle. One of the best cruises we have ever done. We stayed two nights prior to sailing at the Hampton Inn downtown. Very convenient to the Space Needle and monorail downtown. There was a grocery store in the next block that we used to purchase wine and other items we needed for the cruise. The highlight of our cruise was the train ride in Skagway up into the Yukon. Some of the most awesome sights. This is one excursion that I think everyone that goes to Alaska needs to take. Expensive yes, but so worth it.

We were very lucky in that we booked an obstructed ocean view and got an upwell for $149 pp to a balcony on the Caribe deck.

Can't wait to go back and do the land and cruise tour in another year or so.

[cruiseintoheaven]

Molme, curious if you were on the May 21-28th sailing? I ask because your description of the weather matches our week on the Crown exactly!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cruisin' Chick]

Our Alaskan cruise was the RT from Seattle on the Sapphire Princess when it was a brand new ship in 2004.

 

One reason you may be having a hard time finding reviews for the specific Seattle to Seattle cruise if looking on the front page of this website is that often Princess will vary which ships do the one-way and which ones do the Seattle RT or SF RT. so better to check all of the ships on the Alaskan itinerary and then see where each one sailed from this summer (or look at the roll calls for this summer and see which ships did the RT).

 

But I do echo the above suggestion to read the Cruise Answer Place on the Princess website as well as look up the info for your ship.

 

You can also google each port and find many tourism websites. Back in 2004, I even found cruise ship calendars that told me where we would be berthing.

[AF-1]

I am going to jump in here and just observe. I too will be taking my first Alaska cruise on Emerald next July. Looking forward to the beauty of our 49th state

[Chloekins1975]

I did the Yukon trip too, up on a coach and back on the narrow gauge train and it was worth every penny. Our bus driver had lots of interesting information about the Klondike gold rush. Highly recommend it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[donswife]

There is a good chance of "motion on the ocean" the first night and sea day because you get out into open ocean pretty quickly. If you have any tendency toward queasiness, take a bonine/meclizine/less drowsy formula before you board and one the next day. Green apples also help and they have them at the buffet.

 

It is a wonderful itinerary, I have done round trip Alaska from Seattle 3 times on 3 different lines.

[Eaglecw]

Hi all. This will be my first ever cruise and I am so excited. We will be travelling from Seattle to Alaska on Emerald in May 2017. I have been avidly reading all the advice to cruisers and have found some reviews on travel to Alaska but haven't found any that have taken the trip from Seattle (maybe I just haven't found it yet). Anyway, I am looking for any and all tips, suggestions, and general info that you are willing to share. :)

 

TexanBuckeye, we sail out of Seattle on Princess a couple times a year bound for Alaska. You've got questions, I've got answers. You've already gotten some pretty good information.

[satxdiver]

We did the Seattle-Alaska trip a few years ago on the Golden and will be doing the same trip next year on the Ruby. Our son and DIL live in Seattle and we visit them every summer. Cruising to AK in May you will be at the start of the tourist season which means it will not be as crowded. By all means get a balcony room. The daylight will be long (18+ hours) so there will be a lot to see. While at sea be on the lookout for whales and other marine life.

* Ketchikan is in a rain forest so 200"+ rain/year - be prepared - and not accessible by car/truck. This is where the "bridge to nowhere" was going to be built. It is a small town and there is a really interesting native village of the original inhabitants complete with totem poles. Don't miss the "street" that goes up the creek.

* Juneau is capital of AK and only capital that cannot be accessed by car/truck. Mendenhall Glacier is about 12 miles from the ship and easy to get to with a nice visitor center. The Red Dog Saloon is near the ship, a very popular tourist stop if you can get inside. The AK state museum is there and walking distance from the ship. There are many shops here with genuine made in AK goods for sale. The Alaskan Brewing Co is here with a gift shop near the ship and does offer tours of the brewery and transportation from their gift shop.

* Skagway is an old mining town and jumping off point for the Yukon gold rush. Today not many people live there but they have restored a lot of the old buildings. The big attraction is the Yukon & White Pass railroad up through the mountain pass to the Yukon. Best advice is to take the train (old restored steam) up and the bus down or vice versa.

 

AK is our last frontier and they dress accordingly. Rugged outdoor clothes in layers is the order of the day. Be prepared for rain (particularly Ketchikan) and cold or heat.

[molme]

Cruiseintoheaven

We sailed on May 16,2015, so don't think we were on the same cruise with you.

[AF-1]

We did the Seattle-Alaska trip a few years ago on the Golden and will be doing the same trip next year on the Ruby. Our son and DIL live in Seattle and we visit them every summer. Cruising to AK in May you will be at the start of the tourist season which means it will not be as crowded. By all means get a balcony room. The daylight will be long (18+ hours) so there will be a lot to see. While at sea be on the lookout for whales and other marine life.

* Ketchikan is in a rain forest so 200"+ rain/year - be prepared - and not accessible by car/truck. This is where the "bridge to nowhere" was going to be built. It is a small town and there is a really interesting native village of the original inhabitants complete with totem poles. Don't miss the "street" that goes up the creek.

* Juneau is capital of AK and only capital that cannot be accessed by car/truck. Mendenhall Glacier is about 12 miles from the ship and easy to get to with a nice visitor center. The Red Dog Saloon is near the ship, a very popular tourist stop if you can get inside. The AK state museum is there and walking distance from the ship. There are many shops here with genuine made in AK goods for sale. The Alaskan Brewing Co is here with a gift shop near the ship and does offer tours of the brewery and transportation from their gift shop.

* Skagway is an old mining town and jumping off point for the Yukon gold rush. Today not many people live there but they have restored a lot of the old buildings. The big attraction is the Yukon & White Pass railroad up through the mountain pass to the Yukon. Best advice is to take the train (old restored steam) up and the bus down or vice versa.

 

AK is our last frontier and they dress accordingly. Rugged outdoor clothes in layers is the order of the day. Be prepared for rain (particularly Ketchikan) and cold or heat.

 

wow, this is some great info. I sail in July next year; same itinerary; so the weather may be a little warmer; but who know. thanks for posting the info