ALASKA: pre-post plans question

[gisaacs]

This question is for anyone that has done an ALASKAN cruise, and specially, if they also know about Anchorage/Denali/Seward.

 

My girlfriend and I (we are both 29 years old) will be taking the ALASKA cruise on RCCL serenade of the seas in June. Roundtrip Vancouver itinerary. My question is the following:

 

1. Before the cruise, Is spending some days in Anchorage/Seward/Denali a good idea? Or are these places more or less the same thing as the stops the cruise will have (Skagway, Ketchikan, Juno)?

 

2. Supposing we were to decide to spend some days in these areas, which is the most "cool" one?

 

P.S.: I know that there are other itineraries that start or end in alaska, so it a lot less expensive to do one of those instead of the vancouver round trip. But, lets assume that we MUST do the vancouver round trip.

 

Thanks... Gabriel

[alaskamt]

By all means, rent a car and see some of the state. If I only had a short time pre or post, I'd head down to the Kenai Peninsula - Seward. The drive is drop-dead gorgeous and there are numerous hiking trails all along the way. You can go fishing or day trip sight-seeing out of Seward harbor. You can walk to Exit Glacier. Driving up here is way less intimidating than almost anyplace else.

 

Enjoy.