Alaska cruise question.

[DiamondBill102]

We are in the early stages of booking an Alaska cruise for our 35th anniversary.   We have always sailed to the Caribbean.  Sailing into warm waters we are used to sitting by the pool and deck games.  Obviously sailing to Alaska that wouldn’t be the case.

 

 My question is do they have our door activities?  Are there more indoor activities then normal?   

 

Also any advice on sailings for Alaska would be greatly appreciated. 
 

Thanks 

[Lois R]

Hi, I am sure you will get a variety of responses and another suggestion would be to post this on the "Alaska Forum".  I have sailed to Alaska multiple times over the years. As for outdoor activities? What are you referring to?  No sitting by the pool for me....too cold.  I am sure there are indoor activities on the sea days but if you are going to Alaska, I would say make sure you get off the ship to see things while in port🙂 There are some wonderful excursions with beautiful scenery!

 

As for advice? Layering your attire would be one of my recommendations. It can get quite cold, although I would say check the weather within a couple of weeks before you sail. That can help.

[puppycanducruise]

We did a cruise to Alaska on HAL several years ago.  One of the pools is covered and we were among the few people that used it and the hot tubs.  It's wonderful sitting in the hot tub watching the scenery.

[mooseridge]

We have cruised Alaska 4 times (& hiked it in our younger days).  What an amazing & beautiful place it is!  The big question is what dates are you planning to cruise?  We have gone in May, once in early September, once in late Sept to October, & once in August.  Except for the late September, it has sometimes been VERY warm.  When we left Kodiak in mid-September Holland had a big party at the back outside pool.  It was not until we got back closer to Vancouver that it got MUCH cooler.  

 

That being said, you always want to pack for layers.  If you are doing Glacier Bay National Park you will want layers, head coverings, mittens even.  So beautiful.  You will want to be out front on the deck.  But it is chilly'!

 

We've always seen people at the domed inside pool/hot tubs.  

 

Be sure to get a balcony cabin.  You will want to want for whales & great views right from your cabin.

 

There are great tours.  Icy Strait is great!  The whale watch tour is awesome.  Also, ride the zip line!  Tracy Arm, Hubbard Glacier.  Inside passage (Vancouver if you can, much better for sites then Seatlle)

 

Best wishes!  

 

Mooseridge

 

[Essiesmom]

Please do not be badgered into paying for a balcony because someone says you must.  I have done Alaska four times in an inside and don’t feel I missed anything.  EM

[robthens]

Have cruised to Alaska 9 times.  (Obviously one of my favorite destinations)

Traveled in May & September (once in August)

I suggest the following:

- dress in layers (the only time I have ever needed warm clothes is while in Glacier Bay)

- bring a light weight rain coat, hat & gloves

- get a balcony (if you don't,  spend the day on the top deck)

- include Glasier Bay (stay on ship that day,  don't pay extra for the üp close & personal excursion)

- order room service during Glacier Bay

- eat fish & chips in Juneau from the food truck down from the ship

- Deadly ish Catch tour is amazing, float plane to the Tacku (?sp) lodge is pricey but so goodjj

  so many wonderful excursions!!!!!

- don't waste your money on any excursion featuring salmon bake

- if you have time and money, include the land tour ( have done it post & pre cruise)

Happy to answer any questions.

 

  

 

[Ferry_Watcher]

Alaska cruises are very port intensive, so you will be off the ship during a fair bit of your trip.  I would also encourage you to opt for a balcony, if financially feasible - especially since this cruise is to celebrate a milestone anniversary.

Other tips:

Arrive the day before the cruise to save on travel stress.

Dress in layers - fleece is your friend, and a good, breathable raincoat will save the day, along with waterproof shoes.

Don't overpack, and either wash your underwear or quick drying shirts in your sink, or treat yourself to the laundry service, which often times will run a special 'all you can stuff into a bag' special.

Go on a whale watching excursion.

Be prepared to be awed.

[YourWorldWithBill]

4 hours ago, DiamondBill102 said:

We are in the early stages of booking an Alaska cruise for our 35th anniversary.   We have always sailed to the Caribbean.  Sailing into warm waters we are used to sitting by the pool and deck games.  Obviously sailing to Alaska that wouldn’t be the case.

 

 My question is do they have our door activities?  Are there more indoor activities then normal?   

 

Also any advice on sailings for Alaska would be greatly appreciated. 
 

Thanks 

We just got back from an Alaska cruise on Holland America. HAL and Princess have the most experience in Alaska, so sometimes they get preference in ports. Good to know. HAL does an excellent job. Lots of excursions to choose from, and we really loved a couple of ours. It's a great trip.

[Aquahound]

56 minutes ago, YourWorldWithBill said:

We just got back from an Alaska cruise on Holland America. HAL and Princess have the most experience in Alaska, so sometimes they get preference in ports. 

 

I know that rumor gets spread around the boards from time to time, but it isn't actually true.  I've worked with several of the port authorities, and I can say with certainty that moorings priority isn't based on cruise line longevity in the region.

[lenquixote66]

9 hours ago, DiamondBill102 said:

We are in the early stages of booking an Alaska cruise for our 35th anniversary.   We have always sailed to the Caribbean.  Sailing into warm waters we are used to sitting by the pool and deck games.  Obviously sailing to Alaska that wouldn’t be the case.

 

 My question is do they have our door activities?  Are there more indoor activities then normal?   

 

Also any advice on sailings for Alaska would be greatly appreciated. 
 

Thanks 

We cruised to Alaska in May 2008 on HAL .The temperatures were the warmest on record.Whatever you decide ,enjoy your cruise .

[Elaine5715]

This is one of my favorite Alaskan trip reviews

 

[Elaine5715]

Here's the other

 

[bbwex]

So differences of opinon:

We had a balcony because I really enjoy sitting out on the balcony, but it was too cold every single day, including the day we got back to Vancouver to ever sit out there and enjoy it.

I concur with the earlier suggestion to do a tour, and I would suggest a good land tour before your cruise, particularly if you can start your cruise in Alaska -- so you finish your tour and then get on board.  We did six days starting in Fairbanks, going to Denali, and then on to Anchorage.  Denali is a must, and though people often suggest one of the other tours there, the standard, all-day bus tour is great -- you will see more bears than you can believe, and they stop to let you photograph them and the other wildlife as you drive 51 miles in.  We boarded our ship in Seward, and we took the five hour boat tour there before we boarded, and it was the second best thing we did on the entire cruise -- the up close and personal trip to a glacier was amazing.

Spend time on the Ports of Call section and read a lot to find the best tours in each port, and then book them early as private tours.  DW and I both felt that the tour up to the Yukon was only fair, but the whale watch and walk on a glacier in Juneau were fantastic, and a float plane trip in Ketchikan was excellent.

Have a great time.

[CPT Trips]

^^^ This!

[DiamondBill102]

On 11/7/2022 at 4:30 PM, bbwex said:

So differences of opinon:

We had a balcony because I really enjoy sitting out on the balcony, but it was too cold every single day, including the day we got back to Vancouver to ever sit out there and enjoy it.

I concur with the earlier suggestion to do a tour, and I would suggest a good land tour before your cruise, particularly if you can start your cruise in Alaska -- so you finish your tour and then get on board.  We did six days starting in Fairbanks, going to Denali, and then on to Anchorage.  Denali is a must, and though people often suggest one of the other tours there, the standard, all-day bus tour is great -- you will see more bears than you can believe, and they stop to let you photograph them and the other wildlife as you drive 51 miles in.  We boarded our ship in Seward, and we took the five hour boat tour there before we boarded, and it was the second best thing we did on the entire cruise -- the up close and personal trip to a glacier was amazing.

Spend time on the Ports of Call section and read a lot to find the best tours in each port, and then book them early as private tours.  DW and I both felt that the tour up to the Yukon was only fair, but the whale watch and walk on a glacier in Juneau were fantastic, and a float plane trip in Ketchikan was excellent.

Have a great time.

Can you tell me a little more about the bus trip.   Company and price maybe if you remember 

[shipgeeks]

When we did our AK cruise, we did spend all our sea time on the upper deck, but our activity was watching the wonderful scenery in all directions, not participating in any cruiseline activities (if there were any - ?)  We did wear warm layers most of the time, as well as ballcaps and sunglasses.

We wore our bulkiest shoes and jackets on the plane, to save luggage space for silk or cotton shirts, wool sweaters (not sweatshirts), rain jackets, warm socks, etc.

We were upgraded to a balcony cabin, and we never used it, in fact we disliked it, as it made the cabin darker and gloomier.  I do not recommend a balcony, even if you like sitting out, as the view is very limited compared to the public decks.

Re excursions, it is probably worth researching both cruiseline options and independent. A cruiseline one that we took was only $1 different in price, and the pickup was right at the ship.

Have fun planning, and have a wonderful cruise!  Great destination.

[wineoclock]

Which cruise line would you all recommend for Alaska please? 
 

We usually sail Celebrity in a suite but are open to other lines including luxury ones. 
 

Thank you 

[Hlitner]

14 hours ago, wineoclock said:

Which cruise line would you all recommend for Alaska please? 
 

We usually sail Celebrity in a suite but are open to other lines including luxury ones. 
 

Thank you 

This depends on one's budget and taste.  For us, nothing beats one of the small ship luxury lines and our favorite Alaskan cruise was a 14 day on the Seabourn Sojourn where we had about 425 passengers.  If doing it on a mass market line, we would opt for either Princess or HAL because they have the shore-based infrastructure to go along with the cruise.   Consider that Princess has their own rail cars, hotel (near Denali) and HAL has their own buses.  

 

Also keep in mind that when you are on a 3000+ passenger ship going into an Alaskan port with barely that population it leaves something to be desired.   That being said, many on those large mass market cruises think of Alaska in terms of Diamonds International. large bars that cater to cruisers, tours designed for large cruise groups, etc.  If that is what folks prefer than bless them :).  

 

Hank

[crystalspin]

16 hours ago, wineoclock said:

Which cruise line would you all recommend for Alaska please? 

Of the mass-market cruiselines, Holland America and Princess have been doing Alaska the longest, have more permits to take you into Glacier Bay, and have the infrastructure to offer the most comfortable & well-organized Cruise-Tours (sea+land trips). 

 

We have sailed Alaska three times with HAL. But the largest ships were 1400-1600 pax, and I would hesitate to pick a much larger ship for the reasons Hank mentions.