So, talk to me about Alaska...

[LibrarianBecky]

I'm considering an Alaskan cruise on Ovation for the summer of 2020 for my family's vacation.  We have cruised a number of times and really enjoy it as a way of getting a 'taste' of places that we might not otherwise get to go.  It would be myself, my husband, and our son (age 13).  We sailed last year on Anthem out of Cape Liberty and REALLY enjoyed what the ship had to offer (even though the Bahamas itinerary wasn't great).  Looking at ships that go to Alaska, I think Ovation would be the best match for us because of the variety of on-board activities, which we took advantage of on Anthem.  It's a little bit hard for me to wrap my head around going on a cruise that wouldn't be warm and tropical (not to mention the fact that it basically costs twice as much as a Caribbean).  It seems like something you should experience at least once, though.  My husband is definitely on board with Alaska--he would rather do that than something like Bermuda (which would also be new for us). 

 

For tropical cruisers that have cruised to Alaska, did you enjoy it?  Also, for experience Alaskan cruisers, should I consider another ship (or even another cruise line) to get 'the most' out of an Alaskan cruise? 

 

Thank you for sharing your opinion! 

[Clarea]

 

You may also want to take a look at the Alaska forum:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/

[frank808]

We did 25 or so Caribbean cruises on Royal before doing an Alaska cruise on Explorer in 2017.  It was a FANTASTIC cruise and the scenery is AWESOME.  The Alaska cruise was by far our most enjoyable and the most scenic.  Our view might be a little jaded as the caribbean islands remind us of our home as we live on Oahu.  We love to cruise so we just spend some time in the theme parks of florida then tack on a week or two cruising.  We also have one son that was 11 years old at the time and he really enjoyed the Alaskan cruise.

 

Our first Alaska cruise, I spent more time on using the balcony in 7 days than all our previous days in the caribbean combined.  I loved watching the scenery go by and it does not get dark till about 3am and even then it is like dusk.  I would just fall asleep watching the alaska float by. 

 

Loved Alaska so much in 2017, we have a week on Ovation this July then boarding Radiance for the northbound cruise.

 

I would say you made a great decision and don't worry to much.

 

 

Edited January 18, 2019 by frank808

[Bee Guy]

If you enjoy wildlife and spectacular scenery Alaska is a great place.  I have been several times, mostly fishing trips, but only one cruise.  Loved it.  Weather was wet, (we went in August).   Highlight was seeing Orcas bubble feeding.  We have another trip planned at the end of a TP from Sydney to Hawaii to Vancouver to Steward.  35 days!   Looking forward to it.  This time we will be in Alaska mid May.  Hoping that is not too early.

[Grenouille21]

We did an Alaskan cruise last summer (link in my signature) on Holland America.  It was amazing!!  Definitely something everyone should do at least once.  

 

My kids were 14 and 12, and they loved the ship's smaller size, and the fact that there weren't very many kids on board so they had the counselors paying lots of attention to them.  The kids club counselors gave me the BEST advice on everything on the ship, from where to find the best drinks, which was the coolest bar, and when and where we would see wildlife, and when and where to go t see the best glacier views.  

 

There are a few things to consider when booking an Alaskan cruise: where do you want to begin and end your cruise, do you want to do round trip or one way, do you want to do a land portion with your cruise, and do you want to see Glacier Bay.  I'm sure there are more things to consider, but those were the big ones.  I'll share our choices and how they worked out.

 

Most of the cruises visit the same ports in Alaska.  I knew that we wanted to visit Glacier Bay, and there are only a few cruise lines allowed in there.  That limited us to Princess and Holland (I think another line goes in but I'm not sure).  I had read that leaving from Seattle sends you out in the ocean, around Vancouver Island, and that is less scenic and rougher seas.  Leaving from Vancouver yields better scenery and calmer waters.  That was what I had heard anyway, and it led us to an itinerary that left from and returned to Vancouver.  

 

I debated about doing a land portion in Alaska, but I was overwhelmed and planning on a short time frame, so we chose to spend time in Vancouver and Whistler instead.  We had never been there and it was a great choice for us.  

 

Glacier Bay is a National Park in Alaska.  It is totally worthwhile and I strongly recommend finding an itinerary that goes there, especially if this may be a one-and-only trip.  

 

As far as cold weather and not being outside on the ship, that didn't bother me at all.  There was a great lounge on a high floor with big windows, where you could watch the scenery, look for whales and dolphins and seals and otters, and you could stay warm.  The last sea day, when we were returning to Vancouver, the weather was great, so I sat outside and watched the amazing Inside Passage.  I watched fishing ships, watched porpoises jumping in the ship's wake, saw whales, and more.  It was great.  People were lying out in the sun and swimming outside, though it wasn't quite THAT warm.  But I didn't miss the idea of being out on deck basking in the sun.  I got so much reading done, and saw so many cool things I had never seen before.  I was never bored.  

 

Happy to answer any questions you might have about Alaska!

[ULCajunCruiser]

We went in 2011 on Radiance of the Seas  see my review here:  

We loved the Radiance and think its the perfect ship for Alaska with all its windows.   Sailed in a hump balcony cabin.   Did a lot of research and decided on a northbound, just feel like the scenery gets better each day.

 

Went back in 2016 on Celebrity Millineum.  Did not enjoy that ship near as much, but they did have a Naturalist on board, and that was very nice.

 

2011 was wet and cold, about what we expected.  2016 was warm to hot!!!   Just have to be prepared for anything

 

I agree that Alaska is a must do!!!   Enjoy!!

 

[wheezedr]

Honestly the cruise to Alaska should be about what you will see and do off the ship and less about the ship itself.  Many experienced cruisers will tell you that time in Glacier Bay is a most and while there are wonderful cruises that do not get in there it is still the premier Glacier experience.  That being said Princess and HAL become your best bets.  We did the NB out of Vancouver on Princess  when my son was slightly older than yours.  We all throughly enjoyed it.  We still remember kayaking Ketchikan in the rain, not the DW, she went shopping.  He and I played golf out of Denali, Beware of the Bears, is not a sign you see on every course.  If it doesn’t totally break the budget I would suggest a one way with a pre or post land tour to Denali.  Friends loved the Princess lodges, we did the tour on our own, but either way gives you more of the Alaskan experience.

[shippmates]

We enjoyed our Alaska cruise even if it was cold.  I would recommend doing a land tour prior to your cruise so you get to see more of the state and take a trip into Denali to see all the animals.  The Alaska cruise is so very much different than the Caribbean.  Just remember to pack layers of clothes.  Enjoy your cruise.

[BirdTravels]

Alaska is our favorite cruise destination and we try to do it almost every year. Sitting on your balcony nightly and watching whales, dolphins, seals and other wildlife is magical. 

[SmashatSea]

We did an Alaska cruise in August of 2017 on Explorer, much smaller than Ovation. It was my first cold weather cruise. We LOVED it. The excursions and scenery are so unique compared to those of warm weather cruises. It felt like much more of an active, adventure vacation than the leisurely tropical cruises we have taken.

 

Our ship was very simple but actually didn't find ourselves wanting to do a ton because it was so great to be out on the deck or balcony just reading a book or playing cards. The glaciers and mountains we were going through were just amazing. The cruise for us was much more about the destination than the ship. We hope to take another and include a land tour portion because we loved Alaska so much.

[cementhands]

9 hours ago, LibrarianBecky said:

I'm considering an Alaskan cruise on Ovation for the summer of 2020 for my family's vacation.  We have cruised a number of times and really enjoy it as a way of getting a 'taste' of places that we might not otherwise get to go.  It would be myself, my husband, and our son (age 13).  We sailed last year on Anthem out of Cape Liberty and REALLY enjoyed what the ship had to offer (even though the Bahamas itinerary wasn't great).  Looking at ships that go to Alaska, I think Ovation would be the best match for us because of the variety of on-board activities, which we took advantage of on Anthem.  It's a little bit hard for me to wrap my head around going on a cruise that wouldn't be warm and tropical (not to mention the fact that it basically costs twice as much as a Caribbean).  It seems like something you should experience at least once, though.  My husband is definitely on board with Alaska--he would rather do that than something like Bermuda (which would also be new for us). 

 

For tropical cruisers that have cruised to Alaska, did you enjoy it?  Also, for experience Alaskan cruisers, should I consider another ship (or even another cruise line) to get 'the most' out of an Alaskan cruise? 

 

Thank you for sharing your opinion! 

We did a family reunion cruise to Alaska about 9 years ago. 17 people. Princess Cruise line. Round trip out of Seattle. We stayed one night pre cruise at embassy suites. Enjoyed Seattle visiting downtown doing a underground night tour as well as tourist sites during the day.

Loved Alaska. We were constantly saying wow. Some hiking to glacier. Alaska Brewery tour. Salmon fishing and shipped it home. Days of ‘98 review dance hall show in one Skagway with bus tour off ship was a great deal. 

Dinner had 2 separate tables and rotating relatives was very efficient. 

If you have elderly the HAL ships park closer to town with less walking. Good to know for future.

Tripadvisor yelp and cruise critic for reviews and information.

We look forward to going again after we retire. We went in July. Bring layers of clothes and waterproof gear. Waterproof shoes and jacket with hood. Bring good binoculars.

Amazing experience. Pre plan activities. We did all our own activities off ship for very reasonable prices.

We used Southwest Airlines for flights as 2 free bags needed for all the layers of clothes. Princess does Alaska good. I will try RCL or NCL or Celebrity next time based on price.

Edited January 18, 2019 by cementhands

[Kteacher]

     We cruised Alaska on Celebrity Solstice last summer, and to be honest I did not think I would love it as much as I did. I hate the cold, and as I was preparing and packing it felt strange to be putting gloves, scarves, hats, and winter coats in my suitcase for a cruise.

I was not prepared for how beautiful the scenery was. There was definitely more research needed than a typical Caribbean cruise. The Alaska forums were really helpful, especially about which excursions sell out quickly. I wouldn’t hesitate to go again.

   

[vacationlover_mn]

We enjoyed our trip to Alaska on Radiance last year, and have no regrets.  However, since we only do one cruise a year, we did miss escaping from the cold and doing a winter Caribbean trip 😞

[cruiseguy1016]

If you're trying to "get a taste" of Alaska, you'll want to do more than the cruise. Please consider spending several days on land before or after the cruise. We spent a week on land before our cruise last year. While we enjoyed the cruise portion of our vacation, the land portion is what made the trip so spectacular. The views from the cruise ship are, of course, gorgeous but some of the scenery on land was absolutely breathtaking. The coastline of Alaska is beautiful but if you really want a "taste" of Alaska, you need to see the interior as well. We will be going back to Alaska some day and spending a couple weeks on land.

[Paulette3028]

13 hours ago, ULCajunCruiser said:

We went in 2011 on Radiance of the Seas  see my review here:  

We loved the Radiance and think its the perfect ship for Alaska with all its windows.   Sailed in a hump balcony cabin.   Did a lot of research and decided on a northbound, just feel like the scenery gets better each day.

 

Went back in 2016 on Celebrity Millineum.  Did not enjoy that ship near as much, but they did have a Naturalist on board, and that was very nice.

 

2011 was wet and cold, about what we expected.  2016 was warm to hot!!!   Just have to be prepared for anything

 

I agree that Alaska is a must do!!!   Enjoy!!

 

We are planning a cruise to Alaska on Radiance in June 2020, and thought it would be the perfect ship because of all the glass windows.  We loved being on a Radiance Class ship before and a ship much bigger might not be as enjoyable.  We are planning to do the southern route with a land package before boarding.  

[LeeW]

Alaska is about the scenery, not the ship activities.  If you can, book a cruise-tour but just going on a ship is also great (we've done two with land and a B2B from Vancouver to Whittier and back).  If you want to see Glacier Bay you can't sail Royal Caribbean.  

 

The biggest downside of Alaska is that tours are EXPENSIVE.  Especially if you want to take a float plane or helicopter somewhere.  Worth it, but you have to plan for this.

[Paulette3028]

8 minutes ago, LeeW said:

Alaska is about the scenery, not the ship activities.  If you can, book a cruise-tour but just going on a ship is also great (we've done two with land and a B2B from Vancouver to Whittier and back).  If you want to see Glacier Bay you can't sail Royal Caribbean.  

 

The biggest downside of Alaska is that tours are EXPENSIVE.  Especially if you want to take a float plane or helicopter somewhere.  Worth it, but you have to plan for this.

12 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Alaska is our favorite cruise destination and we try to do it almost every year. Sitting on your balcony nightly and watching whales, dolphins, seals and other wildlife is magical. 

 

I was impressed a few posts ago when BirdsTravel wrote in their post about 'watching whales, dolphins, seals and other wildlife, from their balcony.  There will be plenty of scenery to see and I have to like the ship itself as well....but sitting on my balcony and potentially watching wildlife....sounds good to me.

[rjgdjg]

After 15+ Caribbean cruises, we did a roundtrip Seattle to Alaska and like other posters, found it an out-of-this-world, once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience. Like you, we were a bit hesitant, because we love living out of shorts (we live in FL). But it was well worth it. Few things I'll share:

* Expect to spend less time on the ship, on the decks, than you do in the Caribbean (we went to Alaska Memorial Day week and the warmest it got was low 50s)

 

* Dress is overall more casual (I wore jeans in the MDR, as others did)

 

* The Alaskan towns on the cruise circuit are adorable and gorgeous, with their frontier-style architecture, nestled amid snow-capped mountains

 

* Do as much research as you can ahead of time about where to go and what you'll see, to make sure you get the most out of the trip

 

We went with Princess, which has a long history with Alaska. They did a great job, with memorable speakers (a naturalist narrated as we passed through Glacier Bay, woman who raced in the Iditarod, etc.), seafood buffet...

 

Hope this helped a bit. - Musing About Cruising

[iamcsm]

There is a lot of good advice here.  I have done several Caribbean cruises, and Hawaii and Mexico, and finally cruised to Alaska in 2017 on the Explorer.  I also thought I prefer cruising to warm weather locations.  Here's what I found:

 

-Yes - I definitely like cruising with palm trees and sand more than in cooler weather, but I'm glad I went to Alaska once.

-Yes, the scenery is nice, but it depends where you come from.  I'm from Oregon so it was like here, but more and bigger.  If you aren't used to seeing mountains and greenery, you might really enjoy it.  I did love seeing the icebergs floating around in the bay as the ship sailed past them.

-Don't count on seeing wildlife.  The only wildlife I saw were the same things I see in Oregon, eagles and salmon.  We even did an all day driving tour into the Yukon and still didn't see much wildlife (other than a stop we made to see sled dog puppies!).  It will really depend on being in the right place at the right time.  Didn't see any whales from the ship either, although I looked constantly.  Some in my party were lucky to see some.

-Depending on the weather when you go, you may or may not see much snow.  Yes, the glaciers will be there, but we did not see snow capped mountains, the snow had all melted.  I had pictured majestic snow capped mountains and didn't get to see those.  We went in August.

-Definitely pack clothes to wear layers.  It can rain any day of the year (and did often for us).

-On the ship, they did have AMAZING hot chocolate and warm, hot out of the oven donuts in the entry to the Windjammer one day!

-I was surprised to see the Alaskan port towns had all of the same shopping vendors you see in the Caribbean, with a few local shops mixed in.

-We had a stop at Victoria, BC and it was a beautiful, clean town (without the usual store) and we really enjoyed just walking all around the town.

 

All this being said, your experience can vary greatly.  Mine was not what I was hoping for, but I know many, many others who love cruising to Alaska and do it over and over again.

[Paulette3028]

2 hours ago, iamcsm said:

There is a lot of good advice here.  I have done several Caribbean cruises, and Hawaii and Mexico, and finally cruised to Alaska in 2017 on the Explorer.  I also thought I prefer cruising to warm weather locations.  Here's what I found:

 

-Yes - I definitely like cruising with palm trees and sand more than in cooler weather, but I'm glad I went to Alaska once.

-Yes, the scenery is nice, but it depends where you come from.  I'm from Oregon so it was like here, but more and bigger.  If you aren't used to seeing mountains and greenery, you might really enjoy it.  I did love seeing the icebergs floating around in the bay as the ship sailed past them.

-Don't count on seeing wildlife.  The only wildlife I saw were the same things I see in Oregon, eagles and salmon.  We even did an all day driving tour into the Yukon and still didn't see much wildlife (other than a stop we made to see sled dog puppies!).  It will really depend on being in the right place at the right time.  Didn't see any whales from the ship either, although I looked constantly.  Some in my party were lucky to see some.

-Depending on the weather when you go, you may or may not see much snow.  Yes, the glaciers will be there, but we did not see snow capped mountains, the snow had all melted.  I had pictured majestic snow capped mountains and didn't get to see those.  We went in August.

-Definitely pack clothes to wear layers.  It can rain any day of the year (and did often for us).

-On the ship, they did have AMAZING hot chocolate and warm, hot out of the oven donuts in the entry to the Windjammer one day!

-I was surprised to see the Alaskan port towns had all of the same shopping vendors you see in the Caribbean, with a few local shops mixed in.

-We had a stop at Victoria, BC and it was a beautiful, clean town (without the usual store) and we really enjoyed just walking all around the town.

 

All this being said, your experience can vary greatly.  Mine was not what I was hoping for, but I know many, many others who love cruising to Alaska and do it over and over again.

I am going with 'no specific hope', yet do expect it to be much different than cruising the Caribbean.  By the time we do sail to Alaska, June 2020, we will have sailed up through NE to Canada (August 2019) - so that will actually be our first non Caribbean cruise.  I will always like more 'warm weather' sailings, but there are other places to see in the world and we are trying now to do them.  

 

I fully enjoyed your commentary....and will totally go prepared, but not so prepared that I am NOT amazed....because no matter what I see, it will be different than where we live, which is S. Florida.  

 

[Hoopster95]

20 hours ago, LibrarianBecky said:

For tropical cruisers that have cruised to Alaska, did you enjoy it?  Also, for experience Alaskan cruisers, should I consider another ship (or even another cruise line) to get 'the most' out of an Alaskan cruise? 

 

 

I feel Ovation will be the premier ship to be on to cruise through Alaska for the "ship" experience. The views out of Two70 and the Solarium are going to be out of this world, let alone Northstar. (I feel the chair hogging in the Solarium will be out of this world also on these sailings, but that's for another thread! 😈)

 

More to your second question, if you want more out of Alaska vs. the "ship" experience, Ovation would probably be your worst choice. Seeing only Skagway and Juneau as your once-in-a-lifetime Alaska sailing would be very poor in my humble opinion. I would seriously look at Radiance or Serenade of the Seas, or one of the other lines already mentioned that enters Glacier Bay, along with pre or post tour options on land. Note that both Radiance & Serenade will be home ported out of Vancouver, a premier destination in itself, and you sail through the BC inside passage which gets rave reviews by balcony dwellers who sit on their balcony all day watching the awesome scenery. (Ovation out of Seattle cannot get through the inside passage, and heads about 200 miles out into the Pacific Ocean along the west side of Vancouver Island, the waters are usually a little rougher that first and last day of the cruise)

 

So now you have to choose.... the ship, or actually seeing (and doing) more of Alaska?

 

Edited January 18, 2019 by Hoopster95

[vistapat]

On 1/17/2019 at 5:53 PM, LibrarianBecky said:

  Also, for experience Alaskan cruisers, should I consider another ship (or even another cruise line) to get 'the most' out of an Alaskan cruise?  

 

We're booked on Ovation for the end of August of this year.  This will be our 6th Alaska cruise (so yes - we love it) and we are going for the ship rather than the ports this time.  Our first Alaska cruise was a one-way northbound on an old Carnival rust-bucket ship, followed by a land tour to Denali and ending in Fairbanks, and was amazing.  As others have said, Alaska is a place to consider the ports more than the ship, and the Ovation itinerary is lacking, in my opinion.  I think your son will be old enough to be engaged with the ports, the scenery, the people, and the animals and wouldn't miss all the activities on Ovation.  In fact, I second the opinions that you might want to consider other cruise lines as well as Royal.  Whatever you decide, I'm confident your family will have a wonderful experience.

 

Pat (Librarian Lisa's mom)

[Jingerwoppy]

If you can't sleep with the sun up, be sure you get an inside cabin. 

[dreamer976]

I certainly agree w/Hoopster when it comes to cruising Alaska regarding cruising for the ship, or cruising to actually experiencing as much of Alaska as you can cram into a 7-day'r.  

 

I, too, love my Caribbean, Hawaii and other warm weather destination cruises and I definitely think of sandy beaches and palm trees when imagining Nirvana; HOWEVER, Alaska is so very breathtakingly beautiful, that seeing it with your own two eyes almost defies description. We, in fact, loved our first ever Alaskan cruise (actually, an 11 day Cruisetour that started in Fairbanks and a 7-night southbound cruise Seward to Vancouver) so much, that we repeated the cruise portion in 2011 aboard the Radiance.

 

While RCI does not draw permits to enter Glacier Bay, they do goo to Hubbard Glacier, which is spectacular in its own right. 

 

Weather, as usual, is a total crap shoot; the dressing in layers is good advice, as is always prepare for rain. For me, a certified "freezie cat", even I didn't mind donning my coat and gloves and sitting out on our balcony with a pot of hot coffee watching the scenery, inside passage traffic and yes, even whales, go by!

 

Whateverr you decide too book, enjoy!   

[LeeW]

In four visits to Glacier Bay have only seen a major icefall once, but this one was about half the size of the ship.  For reference, the wall is somewhat over 200' high, and the top deck of the ship is about the middle of the wall.  Wish you got more than an hour hanging around Marjorie Glacier.  Last trip had three ice caves that ship could have sailed into, dropping chunks of roof that sounded like cannon.  That was B2B trip, and it had changed completely only four days later.