First Time Cruise-small ship but luxury + expedition possible?

[TravelMamaBear23]

Husband and I would like to plan a trip with our four twenty-something "kids" to Alaska this summer, if availability permits.  We have not cruised before b/c we don't love crowds and usually like to spend extended time in one place/village/town.  It seems, however, that the best way to see some of the wildness of Alaska is a cruise so we are finding our way.  We are most interested in wildlife, photography, the outdoors and also good food and comfortable (even luxurious) cabins.  Some of us are more active(kayaking, hiking, etc) and some would like to spend some afternoons onboard relaxing, reading, etc. Our first thought was an expedition cruise by Lindblad or similar might be good fit but the ship that was suggested (Quest) has cabins of 155 sq ft (tight for two large"kids" to share or spending an afternoon "in"), one restaurant and a single indoor communal space.  I am trying to learn about small ships(under about 400) that have a mix of both comfy accommodations and good food with high quality guides/naturalists and activities.  Ease of access of expeditions and avoiding large crowds to do activities is also a priority.  I have read recommendations that Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier are don't miss places but am a newbie when it comes to Alaska!

 

I would be most appreciative to hear recommendations from those of you with experience in this area.  Is there such an animal as a luxury cruise with a good number of expedition options that are easy to access and high quality? I have read some articles about "luxury expedition cruises" (Seabourn, Windstar, ACL) but can't get a feel for the expeditions and would appreciate any first hand experience.

[cmmaxwell03]

Hello.  I am not sure of your budget, but Viking has smaller ships with less than 1000 customers.  They seem to offer a lot of luxury items.  However, I do not know if your kids would find it interesting.  We are sailing with them in September and we are in our 40s but it does appear that most of the guests on these cruises are 50+ yrs in age.  

[TravelMamaBear23]

Thank  you, for the suggestion.  I had forgotten about Viking but I will do some research there.  I know that their cruises are usually older but that on some itineraries (usually in the summer) they have a younger average age of passengers.  Definitely worth investigating!

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, TravelMamaBear23 said:

Husband and I would like to plan a trip with our four twenty-something "kids" to Alaska this summer, if availability permits.  We have not cruised before b/c we don't love crowds and usually like to spend extended time in one place/village/town.  It seems, however, that the best way to see some of the wildness of Alaska is a cruise so we are finding our way.  We are most interested in wildlife, photography, the outdoors and also good food and comfortable (even luxurious) cabins.  Some of us are more active(kayaking, hiking, etc) and some would like to spend some afternoons onboard relaxing, reading, etc. Our first thought was an expedition cruise by Lindblad or similar might be good fit but the ship that was suggested (Quest) has cabins of 155 sq ft (tight for two large"kids" to share or spending an afternoon "in"), one restaurant and a single indoor communal space.  I am trying to learn about small ships(under about 400) that have a mix of both comfy accommodations and good food with high quality guides/naturalists and activities.  Ease of access of expeditions and avoiding large crowds to do activities is also a priority.  I have read recommendations that Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier are don't miss places but am a newbie when it comes to Alaska!

 

I would be most appreciative to hear recommendations from those of you with experience in this area.  Is there such an animal as a luxury cruise with a good number of expedition options that are easy to access and high quality? I have read some articles about "luxury expedition cruises" (Seabourn, Windstar, ACL) but can't get a feel for the expeditions and would appreciate any first hand experience.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic. You have listed some excellent preferences, and it may be challenging to fill all of them. I concur that a cruise is an excellent option to see the coastal wilderness areas of Alaska.

 

May I suggest starting with a couple of research projects, as this will help to focus on options and also timing:

   - What exactly do you want to see in Alaska - glaciers, what wildlife, salmon runs, whales, snow, etc. Are you interested in ship hosted RHIB (Zodiac) tours, or are you good with ship provided shore-ex, or local vendor tours. Note - if you want ship based RHIB tours you will need to sail on a US Flag ship, as foreign-flag expedition ships are not permitted to use their marine toys in US waters. Do you want to spend the entire time in Alaska, or are you comfortable sailing in/out of Vancouver/Seattle.

   - What do you want from the ship experience - size of cabin (note: unless the ship has suites, cabin sizes are normally < 300 sq feet, usually a lot less), do you want all-inclusive, included alternative restaurants, multiple dining options, included wifi, included laundry (or self-service machines), tours included, flights included (business class ??), onboard lectures, etc.

 

Expedition ships are normally much smaller, with the Viking expedition ships being the biggest at just below 400. However, neither of the Viking expedition ships cruise Alaska. If you want an expedition type experience, I suggest checking out Linblad/Nat Geographic and Hurtigruten. For luxury/premium experience, you can check out Viking, Oceania, Seabourn, Regent, Silversea, Hapag-Lloyd.

 

 

[AKStafford]

Do either of these fit what you are looking for?

https://www.alaskandreamcruises.com/

https://discoveryvoyages.com/

[oaktreerb]

Seabourn is luxury.  Check out their itineraries.  The cabins are large.  Food is good.  You can choose your excursions off the ship according to your own interests.  

 

There are yachts that cruise in Alaska during the summer.  You might need to research those with a Travel Advisor.

[Coral]

I would look into Seabourn also. 450 passengers. Sorry - not first hand experience on expedition part.

 

I think if you want expedition, you will give up luxury. My ultimate trip would be Un-cruise or one of the ones @AKStaffordposted.

 

I almost thing if you get luxury - the 20 something kids will probably not fit in due to an older demographic. If you do expedition (un-cruise), you sacrifice luxury. I would go expedition over luxury for the Alaskan expedition experience.

Edited January 8, 2023 by Coral

[TravelMamaBear23]

Thanks to all of you for the information and suggestions. @Heide13, I appreciate the questions that you offer.  They will help to narrow down our focus. Plus, I learned  new acronym ! Is there a way to find out which ships offer RHIB/Zodiac tours off the ship or is it a matter of checking the flag of each ship?  For example I did a quick google search of the Seabourn Odyssey which sails in Alaska and learned that it is sailing under the flag of the Bahamas.  So not Zodiacs off the ship, I assume?

 

Good point, @Coral about the demographic. Do you think that Seabourn type cruises will have mostly older people even in the summer?

[Coral]

1 minute ago, TravelMamaBear23 said:

Thanks to all of you for the information and suggestions. @Heide13, I appreciate the questions that you offer.  They will help to narrow down our focus. Plus, I learned  new acronym ! Is there a way to find out which ships offer RHIB/Zodiac tours off the ship or is it a matter of checking the flag of each ship?  For example I did a quick google search of the Seabourn Odyssey which sails in Alaska and learned that it is sailing under the flag of the Bahamas.  So not Zodiacs off the ship, I assume?

 

Good point, @Coral about the demographic. Do you think that Seabourn type cruises will have mostly older people even in the summer?

I would ask Seabourn part of CC: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/79-seabourn-cruise-line/ 

 

There are not a lot of posts on Alaska board about Seabourn. I don't have personal experience. I would expect it to skew older.

 

@Heidi13is a wealth of experience, having worked for the cruise lines. @donaldsc has sailed some small lines and @AKStaffordbeing local and also a cruiser.

 

You maybe better off sailing on a mainstream line in a higher category and then spending the difference in $$$ on shore excursions such as ice trekking, helicopter landings, etc.... Sounds like something yours sons would enjoy.

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, TravelMamaBear23 said:

Thanks to all of you for the information and suggestions. @Heide13, I appreciate the questions that you offer.  They will help to narrow down our focus. Plus, I learned  new acronym ! Is there a way to find out which ships offer RHIB/Zodiac tours off the ship or is it a matter of checking the flag of each ship?  For example I did a quick google search of the Seabourn Odyssey which sails in Alaska and learned that it is sailing under the flag of the Bahamas.  So not Zodiacs off the ship, I assume?

 

Good point, @Coral about the demographic. Do you think that Seabourn type cruises will have mostly older people even in the summer?

 

The Seabourn Odyssey falls into the luxury ocean category, but I do not believe she is considered as an "Expedition" ship, so most likely would not have Zodiacs on board for pax use. Yes, being flagged in Bahamas would not permit the crew to utilise any marine equipment for pax.

 

I should note that this is based on expedition ships operating in the Great Lakes, as they can use the toys for pax in Canadian Waters, but not US Waters. My assumption is this would apply to all US Waters.

[MBP&O2/O]

We have an Odyssey cruise booked for Alaska and have booked various excursions. There were several Zodiac options direct from the ship, but I presume they will be shore based operators.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CathyP4]

If you & your family are adventurous; look at Uncruise.  The accommodations aren’t fancy but activities, food, guides, & itineraries are wonderful!  Like summer camp at sea.

[wolfie11]

Foreign-flagged expedition ships do offer Zodiac excursions.  Their zodiacs are considered separate to the main ship and are US registered and driven by US captains.