????????Please help?????????

[Criscomia]

My DH and I are Planning a trip to Alaska. Help!!!!!!!!! I have a few questions?????????????

1) What is the best time to go to Alaska? Weather wise?????

 

2) What should you pack? Coats and jackets and sweaters or a mixture of summer and winter stuff

 

3) What is the best itinerary?

 

4) Best cruise line where children are limited? Love children, but don't want to be on a cruise ship for our 40th Anniversary with "kids running willd".

 

Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you,

Cindi

[Toyz711]

1st you have to get your wants in order. what do you want to see/do...fishing, whale watching, history, bears, glaciers.

check out the website for each port, to start here are these:

http://www.traveljuneau.com/

http://www.skagway.com/

http://www.visit-ketchikan.com/

you can do a search on the 'net and on these boards for glacier bay, hubbard glacier and sawyer glaciers. whales are really discussed a great deal, the search is working great right now.

http://www.alaskacruises.com/what_to_pack.asp can help you with what to pack.

 

there is not "best" way to see alaska. it's what works for you and your likes and budget. how much time you do have? interested in a landtour in mainland alaska? or just a round-trip cruise? it's all good:D

[agabbymama]

I think HAL would be a great cruiseline for your 40th anniversary. My husband and I are celebrating our 43rd this year, and we love HAL.

 

While there are a lot of people older than us, there are also a lot of people younger than us. And quite a large group of folks right around our age. I don't buy the statements that HAL is for old folks. My Celebrity cruise to New England/Canada had a boatload of scooters and motorized wheelchairs. And I don't think there will be as many kids on HAL as on Carnival, NCL or RCCL.

 

And I wasn't worried about the shows, disco, bars closing by 11:00, as I was usually in the cabin in bed by around 10:00 anyway, to get up early the next morning for excursions, etc.

 

The total sailing ambiance of HAL is beautiful. So much wood and brass, fresh flowers around the ship, a real teak promenade deck all the way around the ship (HAL is the only mainline cruiseline that still has this), teak wood deck loungers with wool blankets, free hot chocolate and split pea soup on Glacier viewing day, the overall elegance of a bygone era when you took a "voyage" on an ocean liner, which is what HAL started as crossing the Atlantic from Holland.

 

The itinerary is pretty much the same for all the cruise lines. The Inside Passage with Sitka, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. Some throw in Victoria or Prince Rupert or Icy Strait Point. Most do some Glacier viewing at Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier or Twin Sawyer glaciers. Make a list of what is important to you to see or do. Budget, Russian History, Gold history, wildlife, adventure activities, etc. Across the top list the cruiselines/ships, as different ships for the same line may do a different itinerary. Research each line/ship and put an "X" in that box. When you finish, you should have one that has more "X's than the others.

 

I went in May for the Inside Passage cruise in '99 and had rain almost every day. I think the only day that wasn't rainy was the Glacier Bay viewing day, and it was cold. I had a full length fur lined winter raincoat with gloves and hat. My husband was fine in a windbreaker type jacket, so it depends on how much the cold bothers you. I'd rather have the coat and not need it, than be cold and not have my warm coat. I always take some of each attire as you just never know what the weather will be travelling anywhere. You'll get a better price in May or September (beginning or ending of season). Also a lot of sales in September I'm told as it is the end of the season. June and July are supposed to be bad for mosquitos and flies. Mosquitos love me, so I chose August. However, now reading on these boards, August and September supposedly get a lot more rain. As a matter of fact a lot of the roads, rails, etc were washed out in August spoiling a lot of folks trips. I'm keeping my fingers crossed '07 isn't the same. Weatherwise you take your chances to travel anytime.

 

So do your homework, have fun researching and deciding what it is you want to do, and then enjoy a wonderful cruise.:p

[mbisson]

there is not "best" way to see alaska. it's what works for you and your likes and budget. how much time you do have? interested in a landtour in mainland alaska? or just a round-trip cruise? it's all good:D

 

Cathi-Tell your DH to look out 'cause I think I'm in love! ;) My goodness there is a woman that thinks exactly the way I do (at least about Alaska cruises).

 

I usually try to avoid answering questions such as "what are must sees" because I don't know what the person asking is like. For instance I like looking at glaciers, but on occasion, I've heard comments like "just looks like a lot of ice"

 

-Monte

[Criscomia]

Thank you both for you input. I have only cruised on HAL once and been on RCCL, Celebrity and going in May on Carnival. To date, my favorite by FAR is HAL.

 

 

I'm great at making spreadsheets and lists, so this should keep me busy and the process of elimination should work just fine.

 

Again, thank you.

 

Cindi

[Hoyaheel]

We wanted to do HAL but waited too long and the itineraries we wanted (a one way, since we're visiting family up by Fairbanks too) were all sold out on balconies :cool: ... Still some good prices on oceanviews, but we really wanted a balcony. So we're on Pacific Princess, the last cruise in their Alaska season. We're hoping that because it's such a small ship there will be fewer children (because there's not so much for them to do, unlike other, larger ships).

[Toyz711]

less kids on alaska cruises then you will find in most other areas of travel.

i think mostly because the weather doesn't always allow for swim/sun/surf. we had just a handful of kids on the NCL cruise, true it was after school started, but only a few babies/toddlers and such. plus the ship have great kids programs that keep them busy.

we loved the NCL program, didn't have to worry about dressing up after a long day out in the weather or hurrying back to get to a pre-set dining time. personally, i love the roundtrips...save the land tour for when i get back up there with an RV and can really explore. i find pre-set tours too, well, pre-set..less room for doing our own thing.

 

the weather changes all the time, last year they had major rain storms that flooded the areas around denali. but this year it might be beautiful that time of year. no way to tell. we had rain in sept, but still have a great cruise. the whales didn't care, so neither did i:D. best chances for good weather are also the most $$ times.

 

to see the wildlife, you are going to have to get out and find them. seeing them from the ship will be difficult, unless very lucky. plan on $$ for those excursions.

 

1 - budget

2 - time available to go (vacation time, etc)

3 - time best for you to go

4 - ports get busy with so many ships in port, if you don't want crowds.... plan excursions.

5 - enjoy it no matter what!!!

 

monte - we believe as long we are GO, life is good. since we have done most of our trips with little or no money..life has been lucky as well. after costa rica we are doing amsterdam.

[mbisson]

monte - we believe as long we are GO, life is good. since we have done most of our trips with little or no money..life has been lucky as well. after costa rica we are doing amsterdam.

 

I went to Amsterdam a couple times while stationed in Germany. Loved it, but watch hubby if he says he's "going window shopping" :eek:

 

I checked on my popup Sat before last, it was almost 70 degrees out. One week later the high was 34. And the dog wants to go camping!

 

-Monte

[Toyz711]

no problem, he wants to see van gogh!!! he got an eyefull of "windows" in new orleans once. since we don't drink coffee we don't have to worry about coffee shops and coffee shops;)

i may have him email you when that trip gets closer.

[mbisson]

no problem, he wants to see van gogh!!! he got an eyefull of "windows" in new orleans once. since we don't drink coffee we don't have to worry about coffee shops and coffee shops;)

i may have him email you when that trip gets closer.

 

Don't think I'd be much help. It's been 30 years since I was there (oh my),but I don't think any of those young women sitting in the window was named "Van Gogh" LOL. But he could check out the Van Gogh Museum.

http://www3.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp?lang=nl

 

-Monte

[Toyz711]

to the original poster:

check out bealls for their end-of-season sale on their columbia line. sometimes they have some quilted vests and such. the vest are good for extra pockets besides warmth. a good lined-windbreaker with a hood is extra nice. you don't need a real parka, just plan on layers. (maybe lots of layers depending on when you go)

the best itinerary is where you are going. most cruise hit and high spots, juneau, skagway and ketchikan..they may change out one of those to add sika or icy straits point. one thing i do recommend for 1st timers is glacier bay. a great day of cruising through the national park, seeing many glaciers.

[tomko2]

Cathi, thanks for the links to those websites --- everything I was looking for in a nutshell.

[Toyz711]

glad you can use it, i love searching ....can you tell? i have WAY too much time to be on the 'net. have to watch for hubby IMs in case he has 'puter problems. (i am his cheap tech help)

not kidding...researching for inside passage is 1/2 the fun. they have all kinds of information.:D