1st time Cruiser, 1st time Alaska, Questions!

[Wildlife Girl]

Hello everyone,

 

I have a very general question.

 

My parents and myself are cruising to Alaska in mid June with Holland America on the Veendam. My parents are 65 and I will be 42.

 

We are active people as in, "like to be busy". We would never sit on a beach, we have to be in the water, preferably scuba diving or snorkeling. We don't sit in bars or casinos. We don't smoke or drink. And, although we get along very well with others, we like to do things independently. We are generally not group people. We are not super active physically though, as in hiking, etc. because we have previous physical injuries that give us a lot of trouble. But, we try to do what we can. We can certainly do some hiking.

 

Our primary interest is wildlife and scenery. We are extremely interested in any animals we can see, but could not afford a cruise in July. We came into this knowing very little about Alaska, and were dismayed when we found out we couldn't possibly see polar bears, and can't afford a day trip to Katmai or Kodiak Island to really get a great experience with bears.

 

Our cruise is one way, with a northbound one week cruise and then one week on land.

 

But, now I am beginning to wonder, are we going to enjoy it? Are we the wrong type of people for this? What are our chances of seeing much wildlife?

 

I know those are very general questions, that's why I tried to give you a lot of detail about us. We thought a first trip to Alaska would be best on a cruise. We really didn't want to do a lot of driving ourselves. My Mom and I were in a group situation on a 3 1/2 week trip to Africa because again, that's not a situation where you want to strike out on your own! So, we really enjoyed that and felt we could do that type of thing again.

 

I'm sorry if this post seems absurd. I have just been reading a lot on these boards and worrying that we might not be on a good cruise line, or a good ship, or we might not enjoy this type of thing, or particularly that we might not see a lot of wildlife. I know you can't predict that, but you can usually have an idea.

 

We are sharing a Verandah mini suite type room. Can't remember the exact name. There's two single beds that make into a large bed for my parents, and a sofa bed for me which is in a little sitting area. We have a balcony and are supposed to have a bathroom with a whirlpool tub.

 

Aaarrghhh! I am just frustrated! :confused:

 

Any opinions, comments, etc. would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks so much! :)

T.

[ruecatt]

You sound a lot like us. I am 45, my husband is 50. We also like to stay busy and love wildlife. We took an Alaska cruise last year and are doing it again in June. Last year we also we in June, its a great time to go, the weather was wonderful. We saw lots of beautiful bald eagles, sea otters, a bear :eek:, deer, sea lions, and killer whales in Victoria. The bear we saw, we weren't on one of the bear viewing tours, we saw it on the sea life tour and the bear was at the waters edge. I saw some pictures of people who took the bear viewing tour and they were great. They saw several bears.

 

You will have a great time! It is so beautiful, you won't be disappointed. The glaciers are amazing as well.

[farmerjohn]

We were on an Alaska cruise in July 2007. We took the shuttle from Juneau to Mendenhall glacier. When the shuttle dropped us off in the parking lot at the visitor center at the glacier, there was a group of people 20 feet away watching something. We went over to look and saw a mother bear fishing in the stream with her cubs nearby. When we went to leave the glacier we saw more bears in the same area. Only 20-50 feet from people. Don't think this was the safest thing, but it was way cool.

 

Also saw lots of eagles in Juneau and Ketchican.

 

Also stumbled upon the Alaska State Museum in Junuea on a very rainy day. It was very interesting and I would recommend it.

[Wildlife Girl]

Thank you Ruecatt and Farmerjohn for your replies. :)

 

You have made me feel much better about my decision. I know Alaska is beautiful, and I don't see how we could not enjoy it.

 

Farmerjohn, you were there in July, which I know is prime Bear time. But maybe since we will be in Denali and other Bear locations later in June, we will be lucky enough to catch some bears. I would LOVE to see a mother bear and her cubs!

 

I'm a little worried, because in the Roll Call sections, I see very few people taking Holland America cruises to Alaska, or on the Veendam, so I hope it will be good. I'll keep my fingers crossed. ;)

 

Thanks again!

[kiwicruiser55]

Hello everyone,

 

I have a very general question.

 

My parents and myself are cruising to Alaska in mid June with Holland America on the Veendam. My parents are 65 and I will be 42.

 

We are active people as in, "like to be busy". We would never sit on a beach, we have to be in the water, preferably scuba diving or snorkeling. We don't sit in bars or casinos. We don't smoke or drink. And, although we get along very well with others, we like to do things independently. We are generally not group people. We are not super active physically though, as in hiking, etc. because we have previous physical injuries that give us a lot of trouble. But, we try to do what we can. We can certainly do some hiking.

 

Our primary interest is wildlife and scenery. We are extremely interested in any animals we can see, but could not afford a cruise in July. We came into this knowing very little about Alaska, and were dismayed when we found out we couldn't possibly see polar bears, and can't afford a day trip to Katmai or Kodiak Island to really get a great experience with bears.

 

Our cruise is one way, with a northbound one week cruise and then one week on land.

 

But, now I am beginning to wonder, are we going to enjoy it? Are we the wrong type of people for this? What are our chances of seeing much wildlife?

 

I know those are very general questions, that's why I tried to give you a lot of detail about us. We thought a first trip to Alaska would be best on a cruise. We really didn't want to do a lot of driving ourselves. My Mom and I were in a group situation on a 3 1/2 week trip to Africa because again, that's not a situation where you want to strike out on your own! So, we really enjoyed that and felt we could do that type of thing again.

 

I'm sorry if this post seems absurd. I have just been reading a lot on these boards and worrying that we might not be on a good cruise line, or a good ship, or we might not enjoy this type of thing, or particularly that we might not see a lot of wildlife. I know you can't predict that, but you can usually have an idea.

 

We are sharing a Verandah mini suite type room. Can't remember the exact name. There's two single beds that make into a large bed for my parents, and a sofa bed for me which is in a little sitting area. We have a balcony and are supposed to have a bathroom with a whirlpool tub.

 

Aaarrghhh! I am just frustrated! :confused:

 

Any opinions, comments, etc. would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks so much! :)

T.

 

Hi, we went on the Veendam last year in August, we are a bit like you dont like crowds, always travel independently and we are bit unsure about the cruise. We loved it, there are so many places on the boat to sit, it never seemed crowded. At ports of call we got off and went walking, talked to the locals, and as we are keen fisher people would make a B line for the rivers to see the fish spawning. We went into Denali and saw lots of wildlife and were lucky to experience the wonders of Autumn and the majestic mountains were in full view all day. Check out my photos:-

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/Ladyflyfishernz/ALASKAAugSept2008?authkey=fALujlDjDdg#

 

Dont worry you will have a wonderful time!

[austinlw]

This summer will be our first trip to Alaska too, but not our first cruise. My wife and I have always been the same type of travelers as you - independent, like to camp, hike, watch wildlife. I didn't think I would like cruises until I decided to try one a few years ago and I was hooked. Very relaxed, lots of fun, you get to eat great food every night, and you get to see things you can't see any other way, or at least not so inexpensively.

 

We have friends who have been on Alaska cruises or to Alaska, and they all say the same things. There's wildlife everywhere. The first bald eagle and the second are a big deal. After the 20th one, OK, there's another one.

 

My wife and I are really excited about our trip. One of the things we are planning to do after we get off the ship is take a Kenai Fjords day long boat trip out of Seward. The views and scenery are supposed to be great and there is plenty of wildlife to see onshore. The prices are about like a shore excursion - from $89 to $169, depending on how far you go and what they feed you. You might want to look into it.

[toptier]

My wife and i (33yrs old each) will be doing our first cruise and first time to alaska. We are going on Radiance of the Seas from 22 - 29 May 2009.

 

Can someone please advise on day trips to -

1. Skagway (full day)

 

2. Icy Strait (full day)

Is this the best place for whale watching?

Is it worth kayaking in Glacier Bay or any other suggestions?

 

Thanks very much for all your help

[Wanderbug]

My wife and i (33yrs old each) will be doing our first cruise and first time to alaska. We are going on Radiance of the Seas from 22 - 29 May 2009.

 

Can someone please advise on day trips to -

1. Skagway (full day)

 

2. Icy Strait (full day)

Is this the best place for whale watching?

Is it worth kayaking in Glacier Bay or any other suggestions?

 

Thanks very much for all your help

 

 

We are going on the week after you.

 

There are so many excursions available. It depends on what types of things you want to do. We are taking the train in Skagway and then doing the 8 mile hike to the glacier. It sounds awesome, but it definitely isn't for everyone.

 

In Icy Straits, I have booked a whale watching trip with Glacier Wind Charters. Shawn has been great to work with through email and I have heard great reviews.

 

http://www.g-wind.com

[Wildlife Girl]

Kiwicruiser, your photos are fabulous! Thank you so much for showing me those. You have totally renewed my faith in this exciting trip! Now I am on the edge of my seat. What beautiful pictures you took!

 

It's funny, I had been thinking, maybe we shouldn't have booked a trip to Alaska, but instead be going back to New Zealand! Your country is gorgeous! If I had my way I would live there.

 

After The Beatles, my favorite musician is a Kiwi, Neil Finn & Crowded House. What a great guy he is too.

 

Anyway, thanks so much to you and everyone. You've all been so kind, and my doubts have been put to rest.

[qiangf2]

My wife and i (33yrs old each) will be doing our first cruise and first time to alaska. We are going on Radiance of the Seas from 22 - 29 May 2009.

 

Can someone please advise on day trips to -

1. Skagway (full day)

 

2. Icy Strait (full day)

Is this the best place for whale watching?

Is it worth kayaking in Glacier Bay or any other suggestions?

 

Thanks very much for all your help

 

At skagway, get a rental car and drive along the Klondike HWY using Murray's guide. Then, do a horseback riding with Joni at Emerald Lake Ranch.

[NancyIL]

I'm a little worried, because in the Roll Call sections, I see very few people taking Holland America cruises to Alaska, or on the Veendam, so I hope it will be good. I'll keep my fingers crossed. ;)

 

 

Holland America and Princess have 8 ships each cruising to Alaska, and HAL does a great job there. I cruised to Alaska on the Veendam last July (different itinerary than in 2009) and I had a great cruise. The Veendam will have had an extensive drydock this April, so it should be in great shape for Alaska.

 

There were only 3 of us that posted regularly on the roll call for our Alaska cruise, but we had a full ship.

[leahsdad]

Icy Straight Point if great for a whale watch

 

At Skagway rent a car (Avis is there) and drive to Emerald Lake-----wonderful scenery you can enjoy at your own pace--lunch at Spriit Lake Lodge is very good--if its closed that day you can get a decent burger at Montana Services (he truck stop/road house)

 

Paul

[CowPrincess]

Wildlife Girl, my DH took his first trip to Alaska AND first cruise last spring on Holland America. He is a convert now, and thinks cruising is the only way to go, AND Holland America is the only line he wants to travel on.

 

Just because the Roll Call isn't busy doesn't mean it will be a bad trip. On our Alaska Roll Call, there were only 2 of us :) The ship was full, the trip was FABULOUS, and we had a wonderful time.

 

We saw a bear swimming in Glacier Bay in early May. If we'd had binoculars, we'd have been able to see it MUCH better. We are from "bear country" (get them in our back yard) so to us, we'd rather generally NOT see bears :D

 

You can go on a whale watch excursion in Juneau, and likely see more than just whales (seals, eagles, sometimes bears). Don't think that seeing a whale from the deck of the ship is anything like seeing a whale from a small boat.

 

Skagway has a number of nice easy hikes. You can get a hiking map from the National Parks Service office in Skagway. They tell you the elevation gain, length in miles, time, etc. Have a look here http://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/shorterdayhikes.htm

 

You sound very much like my DH and I, (not into sitting around, and not big "joiners") and we really enjoyed cruising Alaska. (I've been 4 times, trying to manage a 5th this spring!)

[Wildlife Girl]

CowPrincess, NancyIL, austinlw, thanks for your great tips and advice! Will check out the extra excursions you mentioned and hiking. :)

 

I'm feeling very good about the trip now and am ready to get the rest of the details planned. We haven't booked any day trips yet. We are trying to figure out which ones to book.

 

Question: Does anyone know if it's best to book day excursions with Holland America or a third party? Does anyone know about the quality of Holland America's excursions? I know you have a little insurance by booking with HAL if your ship gets into port late and your excursion should have already begun, or something like that. Whereas with a third party, you'd be in trouble. But, maybe third party excursions are better quality or offer more? I don't know.

 

Thanks again! :)

[Seabreeze8]

Hello,

We are thinking of an Alaska cruise as well but not able to go until end of August/early September. Would we be able to see as much wildlife as you would in the summer? Also what would the weather be like then? Thanks, everyone! :)

[NancyIL]

CowPrincess, NancyIL, austinlw, thanks for your great tips and advice! Will check out the extra excursions you mentioned and hiking. :)

 

I'm feeling very good about the trip now and am ready to get the rest of the details planned. We haven't booked any day trips yet. We are trying to figure out which ones to book.

 

Question: Does anyone know if it's best to book day excursions with Holland America or a third party? Does anyone know about the quality of Holland America's excursions? I know you have a little insurance by booking with HAL if your ship gets into port late and your excursion should have already begun, or something like that. Whereas with a third party, you'd be in trouble. But, maybe third party excursions are better quality or offer more? I don't know.

 

Thanks again! :)

 

In 2 Alaska cruises, I booked only one excursion through the ship. There are a few that can only be booked through the ship. Otherwise we booked with independent companies for whale watching in Juneau, a rail/bus tour in Skagway, and Misty Fjords flightseeing in Ketchikan.

[Sunshine91]

Hello,

We are thinking of an Alaska cruise as well but not able to go until end of August/early September. Would we be able to see as much wildlife as you would in the summer? Also what would the weather be like then? Thanks, everyone! :)

 

Try weather.com - you can plug in any location (or zip code) and find weather-related info for any time of year.

[Sunshine91]

Question: Does anyone know if it's best to book day excursions with Holland America or a third party? Does anyone know about the quality of Holland America's excursions? I know you have a little insurance by booking with HAL if your ship gets into port late and your excursion should have already begun, or something like that. Whereas with a third party, you'd be in trouble. But, maybe third party excursions are better quality or offer more? I don't know.

 

Thanks again! :)

 

That "insurance" is more on the back-end. If your ship-sponsored shore excursion is late getting back to port, the captain will wait for you. If you are out on an independently booked tour & are not back on-time, well, that's just too bad. The ship leaves when scheduled to.

Years ago as 1st time cruisers, John & I were more inclined to book thru the cruise line. We wanted that extra measure of safety. Now that we have sailed a few seas, it's likely to be a mix. For example, if the activity we want to do requires more than a bit of land travel, we probably would still book thru the cruiseline. But if it's local to the port itself, we'll do it on our own.

We cruised in Europe last summer & I had bought a Fodor's or Frommer's guide to Scandinavia. I google-mapped every port - downloaded & printed those & took 'em with me (much better than what the ship provides). I had just done a TON of research ahead of time on the internet (not just here on CC), so in places where we had no specific excursions purchased, we could still find places in the towns.

Haven't been on Veendam since 1991, but she was lovely then. She should look spectacular after her drydock in April. :)

[kiwicruiser55]

Hello,

We are thinking of an Alaska cruise as well but not able to go until end of August/early September. Would we be able to see as much wildlife as you would in the summer? Also what would the weather be like then? Thanks, everyone! :)

 

Check out my photos of our trip departing on cruise on 22nd - 29th August 2008 and the land and fishing trip in September, and see what our weather was like!

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/Ladyflyfishernz/ALASKAAugSept2008?authkey=fALujlDjDdg#

[fun_seeker]

 

Question: Does anyone know if it's best to book day excursions with Holland America or a third party? Does anyone know about the quality of Holland America's excursions? I know you have a little insurance by booking with HAL if your ship gets into port late and your excursion should have already begun, or something like that. Whereas with a third party, you'd be in trouble. But, maybe third party excursions are better quality or offer more? I don't know.

 

Thanks again! :)

Hi,

 

As brand new cruisers in 2005, we took a cruisetour to Alaska on the Veendam with HAL pre-cruise, during the cruise and post-cruise packages. They screwed up the pre-cruise and post-cruise packages and we will never do that again with any line. They did refund part of our post-cruise tour price, but it was a long drawn out process. The HAL tours during the cruise went off without a hitch and we were back in town way before the ship left. The closest call came in Juneau, where one couple (always late back to the bus) caused us to miss one of the tour stops so we could make it back to the ship on time.

 

This year we went to Europe and used a mixture of cruise line and DIY tours. The only problem we had was on one of the cruise line tours when the van got stuck in traffic. They wouldn't hold the ship for us, but they let us know when we finally arrived that 5 minutes later and they would have been gone. The only advantage to a cruise line tour is that the tour people have the telephone number of one of the ship's officers and the tour guide can let the ship know why they are delayed and when they expect to arrive, so the ship doesn't make an early departure.

 

We hope that helps.

Steve and Avra

 

[FarmerJen]

Wildlife Girl, I don't know if you will be in Juneau, but there are several trails there. My DH and three young kids spent several hours hiking there and had a blast! I printed a map before we left and we walked to one from the ship.

 

As far as wildlife goes, just watch! We saw a mother bear and cubs from the ship. I can't tell you how many animals we saw just by standing along the balcony and waiting.

 

Make sure you check out the ship's naturalist. He/She will give daily talks, teaching you about the geology, flora and fauna you will see along the way. At those lectures, you will also be given a heads-up as to the best time to be out on deck for various animals.

 

Another option... take the helihike in Skagway. I can't tell you how much fun it was. First, we rode a helicopter (short ride) above the mountains and flew next to glaciers. Then they dropped us off near a very easy-to-hike trail. We hiked down the trail and back with a guide who taught us about plants on the trail. The scenery was gorgeous. When we arrived back at the start of the trail, we hopped on a train back to town.

 

There was a couple with us who were in their late 60s and they didn't have any problems.

[Sunshine91]

As brand new cruisers in 2005, we took a cruisetour to Alaska on the Veendam with HAL pre-cruise, during the cruise and post-cruise packages. They screwed up the pre-cruise and post-cruise packages and we will never do that again with any line. They did refund part of our post-cruise tour price, but it was a long drawn out process. The HAL tours during the cruise went off without a hitch and we were back in town way before the ship left. The closest call came in Juneau, where one couple (always late back to the bus) caused us to miss one of the tour stops so we could make it back to the ship on time.

 

It sounds like your HAL-sponsored shore excursions during the cruise were fine, with the exception of one couple who just couldn't or didn't get with the program. That could happen anywhere.

 

Could you elaborate, please, on the problems with your pre- & post-cruise packages? It must have been pretty awful for HAL to have issued a refund. :(

 

Thanks.

[JuneauGal]

Icy Straight Point if great for a whale watch

 

At Skagway rent a car (Avis is there) and drive to Emerald Lake-----wonderful scenery you can enjoy at your own pace--lunch at Spriit Lake Lodge is very good--if its closed that day you can get a decent burger at Montana Services (he truck stop/road house)

 

Paul

 

I agree with this. Ice Strait is by Point Adolphus, which is considered the best whale watching around here. Driving up the Klondike Hwy. is a good recommendation--the views are spectacular.

[dfitz]

kiwicruiser, beautiful pics, great slideshow!

We will be on RCCL Serenade, Sept 5-12,09: Icy Strait Pt, Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau ... only problem is now that I've seen your pics, I'd love to see some of the ports we're not going to be visiting!

 

Thank you to those of you who posted excursion ideas too :) sounds like quite a few of us who are similar types of travelers

 

~Denise

[Seabreeze8]

Sunshine91 and Kiwicruiser55, thank you very much for the web link and slideshow. They really helped us to get a sense of the weather around end of August and beginning of September. The weather is not as good as in the summer but it's not bad either. Now that we have narrow down the time, we can now plan for the itinerary. Thanks again! :D