First time to Alaska

[NCteacherlovescruising]

My husband I have been on several Caribbean cruises, but he's always wanted to do Alaska.  We're finally ready to plan one for next summer.  I've read Holland is best for Alaska, which would be another first for us.  Could someone please tell me which ports are a must and why.  We would like to see glaciers, wildlife, beautiful scenery, and whales and or the Northern Lights would be a cool bonus.  Oh and we want a land a sea package.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  I'm a teacher, so I would have to go late June-early August.  When would be best in that time frame?  Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

[RuthC]

I would go in June, around the time of the summer solstice, as the days are so much longer. Trying to stay up until the sky gets dark can be a fun game to play with yourself (you will lose). 
You are unlikely to see Northern Lights until you will be back in school, as the sky needs to be dark for that. There is a possibility of that in early August, though. 
I have been to Alaska many times, in every month from May into the last voyage in September, and have never seen the Northern Lights. One of the great regrets of my travels. 

Animals will be lively in June/July, with salmon heading upstream in July/August. You can practically reach over and grab one, they are so close. 

I am partial to Hubbard Glacier, but Glacier Bay is a fine introduction to all the ice. It's a full day, usually, seeing several glaciers. The Park rangers will come aboard and give talks broadcast over the loudspeakers on deck. 
Bring binoculars, and perhaps see a bear walking along the shore! 

As to ports, that will be somewhat dependent on which itinerary you take. Ketchikan and Juneau are fairly standard. Ketchikan has become a busy tourist trap, full of Caribbean shops that open for the season, then the sales force follow the ships. 
Sitka is interesting due to its Russian heritage. Skagway has a real gold Rush look to it, and some interesting historical sites to see. 
Do read Mitchener's book on Alaska before going, then marvel at the sights when you see them in person. 

Have a great time in The Great Land. 

[Himself]

Ruth that is a great description.  Of Course they all stop in Juneau. That place has quite a history. 

[DaveOKC]

1 hour ago, Himself said:

Ruth that is a great description.  Of Course they all stop in Juneau. That place has quite a history. 

And LOTS of things to do (IMO) in Juneau.  Whale watching and helicopter landing on nearby glacier my two favorites.

[aliaschief]

Already some great advice. With great vistas and wildlife sighting I always recommend everyone have their own set of binoculars.

[shrimpboat123]

2 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

My husband I have been on several Caribbean cruises, but he's always wanted to do Alaska.  We're finally ready to plan one for next summer.  I've read Holland is best for Alaska, which would be another first for us.  Could someone please tell me which ports are a must and why.  We would like to see glaciers, wildlife, beautiful scenery, and whales and or the Northern Lights would be a cool bonus.  Oh and we want a land a sea package.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  I'm a teacher, so I would have to go late June-early August.  When would be best in that time frame?  Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Agree with everything Ruth said.

 

We did a Land & Sea to Alaska in 2012. I would recommend you do the land portion first. It can be quite intensive and some long days. That way you can relax on the cruise south bound. If you get to Skagway, be sure to take an excursion on the White Pass & Yukon railway. The scenery is outstanding.

 

I also recommend you have at least 2 days in each land location and 3 days in Denali.  In Denali, if you can, take a Flight Seeing excursion that flies over and around Mt. McKinley (Denali). We went in late June and had very good weather.

[oaktreerb]

Great review by RuthC.  As far as the land part of your tour there are plenty of people who will tell you to rent a car and do the research yourself.  

 

We have been on a number of Holland America cruise tours and we like them because they are all narrated so you learn a lot, the luggage is handled for you, there is no waiting at the hotel desk to get your room key, the Denali tours include the longer Tundra Wilderness Tour, and there is always a HAL rep at each location to assist you.  You travel with a group so you meet other travelers but once you reach your destination you are free to do whatever interests you.  Take the longest tour with  two nights in Denali.  

I think there is still one that includes Seward and Alyeska, both are amazingly beautiful.  In 2022 HAL is using the port in Whittier for the first time and some of their cruises will include College Fjord for even more glaciers!   

 

Most people love Alaska so much that they return since there is always more to experience.  Then, if you want to rent a car the next time you will be more knowledgeable and be ready to plan your own trip.  (Or take another cruise tour and let someone else do the driving.)

[cat shepard]

Hope this helps you. It has been almost 20 years since my first visit to Alaska, so I decided to go again. I would have gone this August/September, but the pandemic changed it to a next year event. 
 

I am traveling with someone who has never been. Here ‘s what we decided on, so we could experience as much as possible - it is a HAL land/cruise tour with a couple days on our own. 
 

We fly into Anchorage, head to Kenai peninsula (Seward). Overnight there. Will do an 8 hour boat trip on Kenai fjords. Lots of marine life encounters. Right now we plan to take the train back to Anchorage.
 

 The next day we head to Whittier for the 26 glacier trip around Prince William Sound. Different marine life & glaciers.  Back to Anchorage for the night, where we meet our land tour.

 

The  next day we take the McKinley Explorer train to Denali. One day we do the Wilderness bus tour included with the tour. The other day we spend a few hours flying around the mountains, and landing on a glacier. Then back to terra firma to do some hiking around the park. I suspect we will at least see caribou, moose, Dall sheep, willow ptarmigan and if we are lucky - a bear or two. If we are super lucky, we will see “the mountain”.
 

Then we head to Whittier via train to meet our ship. We visit Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay, Skagway/Haines (float through bald Eagle territory in Haines), Juneau ( small boat trip to Mendenhall glacier), Ketchikan (sightseeing via sea plane w/ landing, then hike through local national park). Then we sail the inside passage to Vancouver. We plan to do a hop on/hop off in Vancouver the day we arrive, then the next day take the ferry to Victoria to visit Butchart Gardens. Then we take the train to Seattle to spend a few days with my friend’s brother and his family. 

 

We won’t  finalize all details until next year, but this gives you an idea.

 

And as many have already advised - bring binoculars. The smaller, higher quality - the better. And keep your eyes peeled, you never know when you will encounter something very special. 
 

BTW my first trip was right after Labor Day and we still saw hundreds of salmon in the streams and rivers, so I can just imagine what it is like during the peak of the season. 

Most of all - enjoy!

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by cat shepard

[kangforpres]

Yea, defiantly do a land portion and get to Denali. You will appreciate the vastness of Alaska that way, plus your best chance at Northern Lights will be your overnight stay in Fairbanks.

 

Have Fun

[dfish]

Alaska was my first cruise in 2007 and I returned in 2015.  What a great place to go!   I would suggest reading the Alaska board on this website.   There is very good information about all the various ports and what is available to do in those ports.   Look for posts by Budget Queen.  Not only will she save you a buck or two, but she has very extensive experience in Alaska and can really nail it for you as far as activities, wild life sightings and such.   

[lcand1923]

You have gotten great advice.  I would recommend that you read Anne Vipond's "Alaska by Cruise Ship" to get an idea of what each port has to offer and help you make up your mind regarding which cruise to pick.  I second Ruth's suggestion of a June sailing because you will have longer days and more sight-seeing time.  Do the land portion first so you can rest a bit once you are on the ship.  I have been back to Alaska four times and would find it difficult to pick a "must see" port since they are all so great.  Enjoy!

[cat shepard]

17 minutes ago, dfish said:

Alaska was my first cruise in 2007 and I returned in 2015.  What a great place to go!   I would suggest reading the Alaska board on this website.   There is very good information about all the various ports and what is available to do in those ports.   Look for posts by Budget Queen.  Not only will she save you a buck or two, but she has very extensive experience in Alaska and can really nail it for you as far as activities, wild life sightings and such.   

 

Debbie

 

Forgot how helpful Budget Queen was in helping us zero in in what we “must do”. Cruiser Bruce & Crew News too!

[dfish]

3 hours ago, cat shepard said:

 

Debbie

 

Forgot how helpful Budget Queen was in helping us zero in in what we “must do”. Cruiser Bruce & Crew News too!

 

One of the things she said that sticks with me is to not economize on what you do in port.  You can economize on your cabin and how many drinks you have, but the experiences you have are priceless and they are what make the trip.

[Mary229]

I have been twice, once in May and once in June.   Both  times I had great weather, June was very crowded, May was delightful.  Next year I am going on the very last land and sea voyage first for the lights and I just do like cold weather.  I expect it to be chilly in late August.  If you send me an email at Dallashome at g mail . Com I will send you a link to a blog I have read which gives a very complete overview of the land and sea journey.  

if you like walking Ketchikan is great for town and country walking in one day hike with wonderful totem poles along the way.  Unfortunately I won’t be going to Juneau this time but the Medenhall Glacier is a must see.   The ports in Alaska offer easy self-directed options all the way to very expensive fly overs of the Arctic circle.    

[RobB778]

11 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

And LOTS of things to do (IMO) in Juneau.  Whale watching and helicopter landing on nearby glacier my two favorites.

Do you need any equipment for whale watching? Do I have to buy a special binocular like here are listed? Or for a tourist it`s not a must

[Crew News]

20 minutes ago, RobB778 said:

Do you need any equipment for whale watching? Do I have to buy a special binocular like here are listed? Or for a tourist it`s not a must

No special equipment needed. Some excursion operators provide binoculars for guests.  The ship crew will have their own binoculars as will other passengers asked to holler when they spot a whale.  A thigh-length water-resistant jacket would be nice to have since Alaska is in a temperate rain forest and the probability of rain is high.  Add gloves and hat as it can get cold when the excursion boat is racing to locations where other boats have spotted whales.

 

I recommend a backpack to carry a spare poncho to use if you want your camera to not get drenched.  Bring a telephoto lens for your camera because boat operators are prohibited from coming close to the whales.  Now if the whales, as below, decide to come to the surface right beside your boat, no problem.

 

All excursion boats go to the same locations.  Small excursion boats have few amenities.  Larger boats have real bathrooms, food, binoculars for all guests, comfortable seating, biologists, and excellent heat.

 

Photos below were taken by me in Auke Bay (Juneau) in June and May respectively.:

 

 

Edited May 31, 2021 by Crew News

[RobB778]

1 hour ago, Crew News said:

No special equipment needed. Some excursion operators provide binoculars for guests.  The ship crew will have their own binoculars as will other passengers asked to holler when they spot a whale.  A thigh-length water-resistant jacket would be nice to have since Alaska is in a temperate rain forest and the probability of rain is high.  Add gloves and hat as it can get cold when the excursion boat is racing to locations where other boats have spotted whales.

 

I recommend a backpack to carry a spare poncho to use if you want your camera to not get drenched.  Bring a telephoto lens for your camera because boat operators are prohibited from coming close to the whales.  Now if the whales, as below, decide to come to the surface right beside your boat, no problem.

 

All excursion boats go to the same locations.  Small excursion boats have few amenities.  Larger boats have real bathrooms, food, binoculars for all guests, comfortable seating, biologists, and excellent heat.

 

Photos below were taken by me in Auke Bay (Juneau) in June and May respectively.:

 

 

 Thanks so much for your detailed reply, gonna make a note with all that you`ve written 

Btw, photos are insane, like a screenshot from a movie!

[DaveOKC]

6 hours ago, RobB778 said:

Do you need any equipment for whale watching? Do I have to buy a special binocular like here are listed? Or for a tourist it`s not a must

Since Crew News already gave you great advice, I will not repeat, but wanted to add that you need a good camera, one that can quickly take pictures.  The whales often surface when you least expect and you only have seconds to get the best shots.  As you can see, sometimes the whales get VERY close to the boat.

 

The best whale watching we have done (and we have done at least 6) was in Icy Point Straight.  Was able to see "bubble feeding" 5 times and was able to get some great photos of it.  so, if you are also going to IPS, save your whale watching excursion for there instead of Juneau (which also was good though).

 

[zelker]

1 hour ago, DaveOKC said:

The best whale watching we have done (and we have done at least 6) was in Icy Point Straight.  Was able to see "bubble feeding" 5 times and was able to get some great photos of it.  so, if you are also going to IPS, save your whale watching excursion for there instead of Juneau (which also was good though).

 

We have had the opposite experience - whale watching out of Icy Straight Point has been just ok and much better and more dependable - including bubble-net feeding - in Auke Bay (Juneau) which is where this photo was taken.

 

[Jeremiah On a Cruise]

You've got good advice above.  Here are my two cents:

 

To see glaciers:  Glacier Bay is typically talked about as the best choice for glaciers, and you can't really go wrong here.  It's a day long event with a park rangers walking you through everything.  You get great viewing of multiple glaciers, and it's truly amazing.  With that said, I do prefer Hubbard glacier over Glacier Bay. Hubbard is a single, larger glacier.  But, you can't go wrong with either.  Note that there are many others ways to view glaciers, but any of these are tier below Glacier Bay and Hubbard in glacier viewing.

 

For wildlife?  Whale Watching is amazing out of Icy Straight Point (also called Hoonah) or Juneau.  If you spend time outside, you are all-but guaranteed to view a whale from the cruise ship - but these are from afar.  If you want to get close and see some great whale behavior, a whale watching tour from one of these ports is a great option. 

 

While both Juneau and Icy Straight point are both amazing for whale watching, I find Juneau slightly less convenient as it requires a 20 minute bus ride, and a bit of time on the boat to get to the good grounds.  However, you often get more companies that do tours our of Juneau (Harv and Harvs are forum favorites).  The company that serves Icy Straight Point is fine.  Minor points, but points.

 

For Cruise Line:  Holland America is a great great option for Alaska.  The ships are well designed for the area with the best observation decks in the business (IMO) and a great promenade.  I've also had good experiences with their naturalists and itineraries.

 

I slightly prefer Celebrity to Holland America, but that's personal preference - and largely mood dependent (Celebrity is considered more lively).  For relaxing and watching the beauty of Alaska go by, you can't go wrong with Holland.

[rsldonk]

The reason why HAL is the best for Alaska is Glacier Bay. Pick an itinerary that includes that. Most itineraries will include Ketchikan and Juneau, which seems to have been covered well above. 
 

edit to add:  you can get a good pair of binoculars for fairly cheap. I just got a new compact pair on Amazon for like $30. The more you spend, the better the optics, however, while a $300 pair is better than a $30 pair, I don’t think it’s an extra $270 worth of difference 

Edited May 31, 2021 by rsldonk

[idiebabe]

5 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

Since Crew News already gave you great advice, I will not repeat, but wanted to add that you need a good camera, one that can quickly take pictures.  The whales often surface when you least expect and you only have seconds to get the best shots.  As you can see, sometimes the whales get VERY close to the boat.

 

The best whale watching we have done (and we have done at least 6) was in Icy Point Straight.  Was able to see "bubble feeding" 5 times and was able to get some great photos of it.  so, if you are also going to IPS, save your whale watching excursion for there instead of Juneau (which also was good though).

 

In Icy Straight do you remember what month is the best?  Also, did you do a Private or a Ship Excursion?

 

Thanks!

[DaveOKC]

56 minutes ago, idiebabe said:

In Icy Straight do you remember what month is the best?  Also, did you do a Private or a Ship Excursion?

 

Thanks!

We were there in Sept, 2019 and it was fantastic.  We went on a ship's tour, which departed close to the ship's docking area (5 minute walk?).

[DaveOKC]

Icy Point Straight photos:

[DaveOKC]

Just now, DaveOKC said:

Icy Point Straight photos:

Watch the birds - they will tell you where the bubble feeding is going to happen.