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Firstly, I’ll tell you a little more about me. I’m 33, female, single(will possibly be travelling with friends, but most definitely have my owncabin) and this will be my first ever cruise. I’m not a great one for nightlife(however, if I went with friends, we would want a fairly decent level ofnightlife), but I love spas and chose an Alaskan cruise as I also love wildlife/animalsand sightseeing. I do love the luxuries in life (who doesn’t?!) and I wouldlove a fairly new and modern ship. I appreciate that not all ships/cruise linestravel to Alaska, so this also limits me somewhat. My budget is around £3-4k. Ihave suffered with ill health, so this cruise will be one of my bucket listthings and the trip of a life time, so money is not the be all and end all. However,I don’t have an unlimited amount to spend (I wish!)

Now that I’ve given you a little info about me, I’m hoping you guyscan answer the following questions:


  • What is the best time of the year for spotting wildlife? I really want to see as many animals as possible, but my main aim is to see bears and whales. I have read that late June/early July is the best time for this, but I’m also conscious that the weather might be worse. May is apparently the driest month, but no good for spotting bears, as they aren’t out of hibernation yet.


  • What is the best cruise line/ship? I appreciate this maybe like asking ‘how long is a piece of string?’, but I have narrowed it down to Holland America, Celebrity and NCL. I did look at Oceania, but they were quite a lot more expensive than the other three. As mentioned above, I really like spas and modern cabins etc, so I don’t know if anyone can recommend a ship/cruise line well suited for this. I know that NCL are launching ‘Bliss’ in 2018 and this looks really nice, but I really want to fly into Vancouver and this only flies into Seattle.

I’d greatly appreciate any advice and love to hear about anyone’sexperience on an Alaskan cruise (hints and tips and advice on excursions too!).

Many thanks,

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Firstly, I’ll tell you a little more about me. I’m 33, female, single(will possibly be travelling with friends, but most definitely have my owncabin) and this will be my first ever cruise. I’m not a great one for nightlife(however, if I went with friends, we would want a fairly decent level ofnightlife), but I love spas and chose an Alaskan cruise as I also love wildlife/animalsand sightseeing. I do love the luxuries in life (who doesn’t?!) and I wouldlove a fairly new and modern ship. I appreciate that not all ships/cruise linestravel to Alaska, so this also limits me somewhat. My budget is around £3-4k. Ihave suffered with ill health, so this cruise will be one of my bucket listthings and the trip of a life time, so money is not the be all and end all. However,I don’t have an unlimited amount to spend (I wish!)

 

Now that I’ve given you a little info about me, I’m hoping you guyscan answer the following questions:

 

 

  • What is the best time of the year for spotting wildlife? I really want to see as many animals as possible, but my main aim is to see bears and whales. I have read that late June/early July is the best time for this, but I’m also conscious that the weather might be worse. May is apparently the driest month, but no good for spotting bears, as they aren’t out of hibernation yet.

  • What is the best cruise line/ship? I appreciate this maybe like asking ‘how long is a piece of string?’, but I have narrowed it down to Holland America, Celebrity and NCL. I did look at Oceania, but they were quite a lot more expensive than the other three. As mentioned above, I really like spas and modern cabins etc, so I don’t know if anyone can recommend a ship/cruise line well suited for this. I know that NCL are launching ‘Bliss’ in 2018 and this looks really nice, but I really want to fly into Vancouver and this only flies into Seattle.

I’d greatly appreciate any advice and love to hear about anyone’sexperience on an Alaskan cruise (hints and tips and advice on excursions too!).

 

Many thanks,

 

My advice would be to get a book from the library, either Frommer's or Fodor's Alaskan Cruises and Ports of Call. These books discuss each cruise line, size of ship, on-board culture (e.g. elegant, relaxed, party, etc.), as well as the best times to see wildlife and they also give a lot of information on the various ports. Not all cruises go to all ports. For example, if you decide you must see Skagway then you will have to look at various itineraries to see which lines go there.

 

People here are very helpful, but you are going to get a lot of different opinions. I've found that these books (any ports of call books) really help me to narrow down what's available and what I most want to do.

 

 

Alaska is beautiful though. It would be hard to make a mistake whatever you decide to do.

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... I’m hoping you guyscan answer the following questions:

 

 

  • What is the best time of the year for spotting wildlife? I really want to see as many animals as possible, but my main aim is to see bears and whales. I have read that late June/early July is the best time for this, but I’m also conscious that the weather might be worse. May is apparently the driest month, but no good for spotting bears, as they aren’t out of hibernation yet.

  • What is the best cruise line/ship? I appreciate this maybe like asking ‘how long is a piece of string?’, but I have narrowed it down to Holland America, Celebrity and NCL. I did look at Oceania, but they were quite a lot more expensive than the other three. As mentioned above, I really like spas and modern cabins etc, so I don’t know if anyone can recommend a ship/cruise line well suited for this. I know that NCL are launching ‘Bliss’ in 2018 and this looks really nice, but I really want to fly into Vancouver and this only flies into Seattle.

I’d greatly appreciate any advice and love to hear about anyone’sexperience on an Alaskan cruise (hints and tips and advice on excursions too!).

 

Many thanks,

 

1. Alaska entertains several million tourists every year. There are many travel websites that can give you basic info.

 

2. Some people see whales and bears (and eagles and sea lions and various other critters) from onboard a cruise ship. But all you can really count on (in my limited experience and lots of reading) is tremendous scenery. To see wildlife you probably need to take shore excursions with reputable providers who have a good reputation for knowing where the target species might be found. Avoid large groups which will travel in larger vehicles (buses or boats) which will not be able to get as close to any wildlife without disturbing them.

 

3. On this site, find the Alaska Ports of Call section, read through many discussions of these issues, and ask your own questions there.

 

4. Don't limit yourself to what you can see and do in one week on a cruise ship. The ships will give you scenery and wildlife in the Southeastern Alaska region, a narrow stretch along the coast. Plan as much time as you can afford ashore before and/or after further into Alaska proper. We spent 2 weeks cruising (Seward to Vancouver to Seward, 2 one-week trips), another 2 weeks or so in Katmai and Kenia and Denali. Plan for as long as you can afford in terms of time and funds and prepare to be amazed.

 

Just to tempt you a bit more, here is a link to my favorite photos (20 out of 20,000) from this last year. The last 3 were in Italy, but the others are Alaska last August/September. I just realized that I don't have a separate gallery that covers our full Alaska trip and I'll be working on that.

 

http://photos.stanhalpin.com/p687361325

 

 

Stan

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Like you I have some heath issues and I have booked an R/T Alaska cruise on Holland America from Seattle. A bucket list item for me. I have absolutely no experience. This is just a guess but I would think a cruise that would allow you to fly to Vancouver and return from your last port might provide more Alaska time increasing the opportunities to see more wildlife.

Fewer shore excursions might cover the increased expense of a longer trip. Providing more opportunities to see wildlife from the ship. Some of the shore excursions can be expensive and cost that same as a day or two of the cruise cost.

Or consider adding a land tour to your cruise for more sightseeing opportunities.

I've skimmed some of the options I've suggested while having some tunnel vision on what I wanted.

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You can keep costs down going solo by going early or late in the season. I went alone a few years ago on NCL (a regular inside cabin) and by going on the next to last sailing of the season saved about 40-50% over going in mid summer. Just something to keep in mind when deciding.

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  • 2 weeks later...

We went to Alaska in late June. Saw lots of bears and whales. That being said:

 

We took the Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali NP, and I took several hundred pictures of grizzlies. The buses stop whenever anyone yells out that they see something, and we saw bears as close as 10 yards from the bus. For that, you will need to take a bit of a land tour or arrange a trip to Denali, which is an easy train ride from Anhorage.

 

As for the whales, we took a whale watch in Juneau, and were lucky enough to get in the middle of about 20 whales that were feeding. I took so many pictures that I finally quit -- I had several hundred.

 

We used Holland America, which has been operating in Alaska as long as any of the lines, and they and their sister lines are among the best simply because of experience. The passengers on HA are a bit older than Princess, so Princess might be a better choice for your age group and nightlife. Princess is not as raucous as Carnival.

 

When we started planning, I went to the ports of call boards, read a good bit about the various tour providers in the various ports, and picked what appeared to be the best. Don't just read one or two, but read a lot, and you will get the general thought as to what operators are best.

 

One note. We were leaving from Seward, and having the day, we took the Kenai Fjords tour (this was about 5 hours if I recall correctly). We did not see any whales, but the wildlife we did see was incredible, and getting close to a glacier (1/2 mile) on a small boat was much more impressive than staying a mile away on a cruise ship. Up close, you can hear the glacier, and they are definitely not silent! You see calving from close enough to really see it. Other than the tour of Denali, this was clearly the most impressive thing we did in Alaska.

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  • 1 month later...
1. Alaska entertains several million tourists every year. There are many travel websites that can give you basic info.

 

2. Some people see whales and bears (and eagles and sea lions and various other critters) from onboard a cruise ship. But all you can really count on (in my limited experience and lots of reading) is tremendous scenery. To see wildlife you probably need to take shore excursions with reputable providers who have a good reputation for knowing where the target species might be found. Avoid large groups which will travel in larger vehicles (buses or boats) which will not be able to get as close to any wildlife without disturbing them.

 

3. On this site, find the Alaska Ports of Call section, read through many discussions of these issues, and ask your own questions there.

 

4. Don't limit yourself to what you can see and do in one week on a cruise ship. The ships will give you scenery and wildlife in the Southeastern Alaska region, a narrow stretch along the coast. Plan as much time as you can afford ashore before and/or after further into Alaska proper. We spent 2 weeks cruising (Seward to Vancouver to Seward, 2 one-week trips), another 2 weeks or so in Katmai and Kenia and Denali. Plan for as long as you can afford in terms of time and funds and prepare to be amazed.

 

Just to tempt you a bit more, here is a link to my favorite photos (20 out of 20,000) from this last year. The last 3 were in Italy, but the others are Alaska last August/September. I just realized that I don't have a separate gallery that covers our full Alaska trip and I'll be working on that.

 

http://photos.stanhalpin.com/p687361325

 

 

Stan

 

OMG your pictures are stunning. I can't wait to go and hope I see even a little bit of this on our cruisetour.

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One other suggestion for late June or July. We did an Alaskan cruise at the beginning of June, and it was great.

 

Then I saw pictures from a July cruise on the same ship- and where we were about a mile from a glacier, they were a few hundred yards from it. Way more spectacular.

 

We were also early in the whale season- saw plenty of spouts on the way from Seattle, but only a few in the bay.

 

Might cost more money, but this may be the only time you do this- so spending to make it the best is worth it, IMHO.

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I would SERIOUSLY disagree about Bliss. Alaska is an itinerary where you want a midsize vessel. When you have all those passengers clammering for limited deck space, it does not give a good experience. Yes, you can argue that everybody will be hanging out on a balcony on Bliss. However, this will not be the case if weather is not ideal. Plus, Bliss will not have a full promenade deck. I have sailed 4 cruises on the Breakaway class, and this is not ideal for a scenery driven itinerary. YMMV, but I do not think you would have the best overall experience on that vessel if this is a bucket list vacation. Bliss is a "family friendly" (IE: could be lots of kids) ship. Our last cruise on Getaway had us running back to Holland America. Lots of unruly children on board.

 

Also, Celebrity Solstice class vessels lack a true promenade deck, so keep that in mind.

 

IMHO, the best all-around cruise itinerary is the one Holland America does out of Vancouver, that gives an option to to a tour of Tracy Arm Fjord via excursion, but also goes to Glacier Bay. Nieuw Amsterdam is doing this sailing in 2018. HAL has OK nightlife (production shows and a band that plays in a lounge), but nothing like you would find on Bliss. As an aside, my wife actually enjoys the spa on Holland America more than on Norwegian, simply due to the fact that HAL does not oversell passes. HAL keeps the weekly spa passes to a small amount. You can actually USE the thermosuite, and not have issues. The HAL spa is smaller, and more tranquil. The NCL Breakaway class spa is huge, and more "industrial", and difficult to relax in.

 

And for what it is worth, DW and I are 34. Ignore the age comments about Holland America only being for older people.

Edited by UPNYGuy
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I did a singles' cruise to Alaska a few years ago, when I was 32. You will have so much fun!!! [My cruise was on Princess, which I didn't really like - everything shut down by 11 pm, but I became good friends with another single woman my age, so we hung out together while everyone else was sleeping.]

 

I was in an oceanview cabin. I spent more time out on deck or in one of the lounges than trying to look out the window in my room. Next time I'd probably do an inside cabin. I highly recommend that you do a cruise that goes to Tracy Arm Fjord. It was breathtaking.

 

My trip was the first week in August. We saw whales from the ship, and I saw a giant porcupine in Juneau. Most of my excursions weren't wildlife-related, although I did spend a significant chunk of time watching the salmon spawning run at one of the ports [salmon spawning season is mid-July - September].

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  • 4 weeks later...

RR -- here are my not-so-humble opinions:

 

Take HAL, the Volendam, 7-day roundtrip out of Vancouver -- including Glacier Bay and the full inside passage. Save money with an interior cabin on the Lower Promenade deck, near the mid-ship door(s) onto the biggest balcony on the ship! Those would be 3356, 3352, 3344, and 3340 (from nearest to farthest from the "extra" door on the port side of ship). My DB and SIL had 3356 last year on this cruise and liked it very much -- they even liked being inside for better sleep in the darkness! [Aside: request a fan before the cruise -- SIL did and it was a tiny footprint columnar floor fan that didn't take up hardly any space, but alleviated the closed in feeling.]

 

Do one of the ship's tours in Juneau for whale-watching (they guarantee you will see whales!). I recommend the one that includes Mendenhall Glacier (after all you will not see a glacier in UK!) and don't necessarily recommend the one with the salmon bake at a "lodge". DEFINITELY do not recommend the Red Dog Saloon near the ship's dock!

 

The whale spotting is very good in late-ish June as the humpbacks have just returned, hungry, from giving birth in Hawaii's waters and are feeding like mad and the babies are learning how to maneuver their still-immense bodies. Both of our trips to Alaska were in June (over the solstice), so I can't testify as to what you'll see later in the summer, but I believe the tour operator(s) still guarantee "or your money back".

 

I would plan on looking for bears at the Ketchikan stop. Quoting TheCalicoCat, "Late July - to Early September is quoted time frame for bear activity in that area." That's when the salmon are running and bears are feeding (do you see a pattern???). Here is a webpage on bear viewing there, also thanks to CalicoCat:

http://www.experienceketchikan.com/bear-viewing-in-alaska.html

 

 

At Skagway, take a train trip. You need to! to see the scale of the region. I recommend a ship's tour that takes the train one direction and a bus the other way... just to see more of the area, from a different point of view. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a chance to see bears on such a tour in August particularly -- there is running water just about everywhere. Again, we didn't see any, but that doesn't mean they might not be there for you!

 

It's true you can save a little money booking independent tours, but since we didn't, I can't make any recommendations.

 

The Nieuw Amsterdam sails the same route starting and ending on the weekend instead of midweek like the Volendam. So flights should be less for the Volendam but getting time away might be better for the NA, for you or your friends. The Nieuw Am. is a newer ship with possibly *slightly* more modern facilities (DH and I sailed on NA on a TA... did I notice this? not so much, specifically not in the stateroom). Some of the venues, maybe -- but each of the HAL ships have a different 'theme' and the NA's is NYC so a bit more glitzy. The Volendam's is "garden", but all HAL ships have actual flower arrangements. The NA has no cabins on the deck of the actual promenade and the nearest deck that does, the Upper Promenade one floor up, has very few midship inside cabins... one to be exact.

 

We enjoyed the Volendam very much (there were eight of us, from my family). There was live jazz before dinner and classical after -- and a DJ in the Crow's Nest as late as we wanted to be up -- there being so much to do the next day, almost every night!

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