Potential First Time Alaska Cruiser With Questions

[rncruiser]

I am considering an Alaskan cruise for next summer. My husband and I are in our 60’s. Our cruising experience has mostly been limited to the Caribbean. 
We have no problem walking but are otherwise not active. So long hikes up mountains would not be for us. 

What are shore excursions like on Alaskan cruises as far as difficulty? 
 

I have heard that Alaskan excursions are quite pricey. I realize that this is going to vary based on excursion type and port of call, but a general idea before we book would be helpful. We usually cruise on Royal Caribbean so would most likely book on Radiance of the Seas. 

 

How are the CruiseTours? What little I have seen of them, there seems to be  a lot of free time. Is there enough to see to keep us busy and make the tour worthwhile?

 

I am sure I will have plenty of more questions but this is enough for now. 

[karatemom2]

You will never regret the decision to take an Alaska cruise. I can't address your cruisetour question, as we have only ever done cruises, but we have done many.

 

Ship excursions in Alaska can be quite expensive and there are a wide variety from very strenuous to very easy - you will have no problem finding options that align with your fitness level. We like to hike - but are certainly not super athletic. There are a lot of low key, beautiful hikes in Alaska. For example, the easy hike to Nugget Falls at Mendenhall Glacier is a good example.

 

In my estimation, there is NO reason to book a ship excursion in Alaska, unless it is something you can't book privately or if it is an excursion that borders on the edge of your boarding time. We do almost exclusively private tours - lots of very dependable vendors you can learn about here.

 

Some popular options for each of the main ports:

 

Juneau: Whale Watching

              Mendenhall Glacier

              Mt. Roberts Tramway

              Shrine of St. Therese

              Gold Rush Mining Museum

              Alaska State Museum

              Treadwell Mine Trail

              Red Dog Saloon

              Gold Creek Salmon Bake

 

Skagway: White Pass Train

                Yukon Highway

                Dyea - Chilkoot Trail

                Museums - Gold Rush History

                Gold Rush Cemetery

                Various hiking options

                Days of 98 Show

                Red Onion Saloon

                Liarsville

                Carcross

 

Ketchikan: Creek Street

                 Salmon Run in season

                 Herring Cove (bears in salmon season)

                 Saxman Native Village

                 Totem Bight Park

                 Lumberjack Show

                 Ward Lake

                 Lunch Creek and Trail

 

Other ports offer some highlights as well - Icy Strait Point is great for bears and whale watching, Sitka offers wonderful Russian History, Fortress of the Bear, Raptor Center, etc.

 

There is a wealth of things to do at each port - we find often the best way to explore is to rent a car, do our research and do things we want to do on our own. But also, again, many private vendors who offer great tours.

 

As you do more research, this board is a great place to ask questions.

[Coral]

Definitely save up for excursions. They are not cheap. If you are only going once, you want to do the excursion that appeals to you and not settle for 2nd or 3rd choice due to cost.

 

 

[AKStafford]

On 8/3/2024 at 6:17 AM, rncruiser said:

How are the CruiseTours?

In my opinion: the cruise lines do a great job of cruising through Southeast Alaska. I do not like their cruisetours through Southcentral Alaska. I think renting a car and putting together your own trip is a much better way to go. There's nothing offered on a cruisetour that you can't book on your own, often for cheaper.

You'll find plenty of planning help at the TripAdvisor forum for Alaska travel: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html

[edinburgher]

On 8/3/2024 at 3:17 PM, rncruiser said:

So long hikes up mountains would not be for us. 

Although we haveonly taken three Alaskan cruises, we have not once taken "a long hike up any mountain" because we are not "sporty enough for that kind of activity, usually finding plenty of  interest  to keep us occupied during port calls. We are mostly independents and the few excursions which we have taken included

The White Pass and Yukon excursion out of Skagway, IMHO not to be missed, (a shorex)

2 whale watching tours, one out of Juneau, the other from Icy Strait Point,  (both booked with independents) and

our biggest expense, a flightseeing trip over Glacier Bay out of Haines on a perfect weather day which we booked only on arrival with an independent local company given perfect flightseeing weather.

 

So, a few excursions would be good to do as you don't want to miss all the best experiences of interest to you personally, not to others,  but certainly not necessary in every port. You could carefully choose which you would like and budget for those whilst  planning low cost or free activities elsewhere..

 

You can find many sights, attractions and sites to visit during port calls which are either free or low cost by doing some research/homework before you travel. As an example from Ketchikan, in addition to strolling the town including Creek St for free, you could take a public bus to Totem Bight and next door Potlatch Park for a $2 pp each way bus fare, only $1pp for seniors.  Entry to Totem Bight, a State Park, is  currently only $5pp.

 

I cannot comment on cruisetours as we have not done one, in part as our  flights home become tricky when not out of either Vancouver or Seattle and it was more practical for us to return from these airports..

 

And Alaska is quite costly as locals have only a short summer window in which to earn enough to help them through winter.

 

Edited August 5 by edinburgher

[Sarahg0915]

The excursion prices shocked me, too. The cost of the excursions I'm planning for my 7-day will be more than a Caribbean cruise. 😬

 

I do a ton of excursion research and can usually find a good deal, but not in Alaska! 

[edinburgher]

 

 

 

A

10 hours ago, Sarahg0915 said:

I do a ton of excursion research and can usually find a good deal, but not in Alaska! 

Alaska is not alone in having pricey excursions.  You would find high prices in a number of European countries, including Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, and Switzerland.

[donaldsc]

14 hours ago, Sarahg0915 said:

The excursion prices shocked me, too. The cost of the excursions I'm planning for my 7-day will be more than a Caribbean cruise. 😬

 

I do a ton of excursion research and can usually find a good deal, but not in Alaska! 

 

Not surprising.  The tour companies have maybe 4+ months to make enough money to live on for the dead months.

 

DON

[Coral]

22 hours ago, Sarahg0915 said:

The excursion prices shocked me, too. The cost of the excursions I'm planning for my 7-day will be more than a Caribbean cruise. 😬

 

I do a ton of excursion research and can usually find a good deal, but not in Alaska! 

There is a whole world outside of the Caribbean and most is quite a bit more.

 

I will take an Alaskan cruise over a Caribbean cruise any day. Anyone can go to a beach cheaply in the Caribbean........

[SightCRR]

When looking at different cruises look closely at the times in ports. 

Watch out for and avoid Ward Cove stops outside of Ketchikan. 

From the recommendations above search youtube to view what the tours/excursions are like. Just about every one will be there and look for newest and private not the sale ones. 

One for first timers would be the Ketchikan Crab Boat Tour that includes close up eagle feeding.  

[Coral]

I would encourage you to look at multiple lines. I like Glacier Bay and RCCL doesn't go there.

[edinburgher]

On 8/3/2024 at 3:17 PM, rncruiser said:

We usually cruise on Royal Caribbean so would most likely book on Radiance of the Seas

As already stated above, RCL do not visit Glacier Bay, one of the top, or, or possibly, THE top destinations in Alaska and for many this is one of the main reasons to cruise some of Alaska.

 

And not at all strenous as it is several hours of some of the most spectacular scenic cruising. and really not to be missed   And forSarahg0915 this is a day where no excursion is needed and thre  is no additional charge.😀

 

Suggesting you look at cruiselines such as HAL and Princess, both of which have decades of experience Alaska cruising and both do it really well..

 

 

[Sarahg0915]

On 8/6/2024 at 10:07 PM, Coral said:

There is a whole world outside of the Caribbean and most is quite a bit more.

 

I will take an Alaskan cruise over a Caribbean cruise any day. Anyone can go to a beach cheaply in the Caribbean........

I know...OP was talking about Alaskan excursion prices versus Caribbean. 

[Sarahg0915]

On 8/6/2024 at 2:05 PM, donaldsc said:

 

Not surprising.  The tour companies have maybe 4+ months to make enough money to live on for the dead months.

 

DON

As someone planning their first Alaska cruise, it did surprise me. I quickly realized what I'm in for. 

[Sarahg0915]

On 8/7/2024 at 10:21 AM, edinburgher said:

As already stated above, RCL do not visit Glacier Bay, one of the top, or, or possibly, THE top destinations in Alaska and for many this is one of the main reasons to cruise some of Alaska.

 

And not at all strenous as it is several hours of some of the most spectacular scenic cruising. and really not to be missed   And forSarahg0915 this is a day where no excursion is needed and thre  is no additional charge.😀

 

Suggesting you look at cruiselines such as HAL and Princess, both of which have decades of experience Alaska cruising and both do it really well..

 

 

Yup! The one "free" day on my itinerary. 🙂 

[Coral]

22 minutes ago, Sarahg0915 said:

I know...OP was talking about Alaskan excursion prices versus Caribbean. 

Except for maybe Mexico - excursions on cruises outside of Caribbean and Mexico are quite a bit more expensive. One needs to be prepared. Though if one thinks of excursions in the Caribbean, Alaska excursions are much different. Going to a beach compared to landing on a glacier - really no comparison.

[cruisegal415]

Following as we are also considering our first Alaska cruise (but not first cruise by any means!).  Wondering which cruise line offers the best trips in terms of scenery, ports, etc.? I've heard Princess but don't know why.  

[KellyCz]

@rncruiser The one strenuous hike we did was in Juneau at the top of the tram. We hiked uphill for at least an hour, and it was a somewhat challenging incline at times. However, you can take the tram for the views, check out the gift shop at the top if that's of interest, and then ride back down without ever doing the hike.

We cruised in July 2023. For private excursions, I can recommend:

JUNEAU: Harv & Marv small boat whale watching tour. We were on a boat with only two other couples plus two crew members. Nice to avoid the crowds of the larger boats.

SKAGWAY: Chilkoot Charters Yukon Rail & Bus Excursion. We took the train on the way up and a large van/small bus on the way back.

Happy planning!

[edinburgher]

On 8/13/2024 at 4:07 PM, cruisegal415 said:

Wondering which cruise line offers the best trips in terms of scenery, ports, etc.? I've heard Princess but don't know why.  

Both Princess and HAL have decades of experience in Alaska and both do Alaska well. Both probably have more permits for Glacier Bay than other lines, and you really want an itinerary which includes Glacier Bay.

 

And compare port timings too.

 

And will you want cruise only or a  few days land tour added on to the cruise itinerary?.If yes to the add on, check the Alaska cruise/tour offerings by both Princess and HAL.Lots of info on their websites.

 

And will you want one way only, either northbound or southbound, or will you want round trip, the usual being either r/t Vancouver or r/t Seattle?

 

Lots to consider and .lots of reading to do to help you decide.😀

 

 

Edited August 15 by edinburgher

[AKJonesy]

As mentioned in post #4, the cruise lines do a great job in southeast Alaska (Vancouver, Victoria, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Juneau, Ketchikan, Hoonah, etc).  But, if embark or disembark in Whittier or Seward in southcentral Alaska then you should spend time driving on your own for a week or more.  The mistake people make when starting or ending in Anchorage (Whittier port) or Seward is that they fly out the evening of disembarkation forcing them to stay in Anchorage for the day trying to find things to do and having to be stuck with or deal with their luggage for 12 hours.  There is much more to see outside of Anchorage.  You can choose to do it on your own starting from Anchorage and I recommend an RV for that so that you can move around easily and not be tied to making accommodation reservations which are insanely priced.  The bottom line is that I just don't recommend cruising disembarking in Anchorage/Whittier (port) or Seward then going home the same night.