alaska rookie

[desertmoon]

Looking at our first Alaska cruise and we have possible

open dates for May, July and September. Any suggestions?

 

On some itineraries balconies are a real advantage, on others not so much.

Would you recommend a balcony for the Inside Passage from Seattle?

 

Any particular ship that you like? Is the entertainment pretty much

the same?

 

In the Caribbean, it's always better to arrange your own shore

excursions rather than accept the ship's offerings. In fact, many

locals have websites so you can make arrangements before

departure. Are there similar good options at Alaskan ports?

[TracieABD]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

We have always cruised Alaska in July. We had a lot of rain on cruise, the highest temps recorded (sun and in the 70's) on another. Last July, we had typical weather: clear skies and cold-ish.

 

We have also done our own shore excursions. There is a whole mess of information about this on the "Alaska" page.

 

Once you decide on a date, you may want to join your roll-call. This way you can meet others who will be on your specific cruise. You may even find common shore-excursions to share.

 

:)

Edited January 21, 2015 by TracieABD

[Thrak]

Some people insist on a balcony for Alaska. I think you get better viewing from the public upper decks. That way you can see all around.

 

If you are doing Glacier Bay the date isn't as important as if you are doing Tracy Arm. If you do Tracy Arm at the wrong time of year you will most likely never get close to the glacier. With Glacier Bay you are guaranteed to get up close and personal with the glaciers. (Say "Hi" to Margerie for me. :))

 

We did our first cruise to Alaska in an inside cabin in September and it was fantastic. We had perfect weather everywhere we went. (Don't count on that though!)

Edited January 21, 2015 by Thrak

[geoherb]

We have been in two obstructed view cabins and a deluxe ocean view cabin on our Alaskan cruises. A balcony is not a necessity for me. I'd rather save the money to spend on shore excursions. We've booked all of them except one independently. The one we booked through Princess was snorkeling in Ketchikan due to the short timeframe the ship was in port. It was great.

 

Here's the link to the Alaska board for you to research what people recommend in each port.

[DougH]

Yes, the Alaska board should answer any question you can think of. My preference is earlier in the season. mid May to Mid June. I think this tends to be drier, I like the longer daylight hours and a bit less crowds. If you can afford a balcony go for it but I'd vote for spending the extra money on excursions if you have a choice. I've been up there 20+ times and never had a balcony yet.

 

Lots of vendors shore side offering excursions at generally a cheaper price than the cruise line. Just do your research before you go, don't wait until you're there to decide.

[cruisequeen4ever]

Any of those months are good for scenery, and one can never predict Alaskan weather. We've had showers in July, hot and sunny the first week of June, and a mix of warm and sunny and cool and rainy in May, June, and July.

 

I recommend you do the one way Voyage of the Glaciers to see the most possible. Glacier Bay is the pinnacle of viewing experiences. If possible, add on a land tour to venture into more of Alaska either before or after the cruise.

 

As for a balcony, we've had a balcony, obstructed Oceanview, and inside, and all were fine. The balcony was ideal and incredible, but consider the cost in making your decision. Prioritize money spent on the balcony vs. Shore excursions.

 

For shore excursions, it is safer to do independent excursions in Alaska than other places because you're in the U.S. I still recommend doing cruise line excursions if you're going far away or out to sea or up in the air to be safe. That way, if there's an emergency, you're covered.

 

Happy sailing! 🚢

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[DoulaAnn]

Alaska was our first cruise, and we learned a few lessons. We took the one way Voyage of the Glaciers with a cruisetour which included stops at Denali and McKinley Lodges as well as returning to Anchorage. The land portion was well worth it -- so much different stuff to see.

 

As for favorite ship, we were on the Diamond Princess, but I don't think she goes to Alaska any more. Loved the ship, and her sister ship, Sapphire, may still go there.

 

A balcony isn't essential, but we liked it because we could go out an look at the glaciers, then step back into the room to warm up and just watch out the window. Maybe we missed something -- I don't know.

 

The biggest lesson we learned was that booking an independent excursion was preferable. We did two of Princess's excursions, and just by the very nature of their size, we didn't see as much as if we had been in a smaller group. We did our whale watching independently with a group from our Roll Call here on CC, and it was great -- just 12 of us on the boat with the pilot and the naturalist. Have continued to have proof of this decision (smaller groups via independent tours) on subsequent cruises.

 

Hope this helps some.

[Colo Cruiser]

Looking at our first Alaska cruise and we have possible

open dates for May, July and September. Any suggestions?

 

On some itineraries balconies are a real advantage, on others not so much.

Would you recommend a balcony for the Inside Passage from Seattle?

 

Any particular ship that you like? Is the entertainment pretty much

the same?

 

In the Caribbean, it's always better to arrange your own shore

excursions rather than accept the ship's offerings. In fact, many

locals have websites so you can make arrangements before

departure. Are there similar good options at Alaskan ports?

 

We always get a balcony in Alaska. we spend hours out there rain or shine. :D

[Qcruise]

We would definitely recommend a balcony cabin for Alaska. We went the last sailing in September and it had great benefits. We saw the Northern lights off our balcony at midnight, late season that is possible, and they are clearing out all "Alaska" clothing and souveniers from the ship and the ports.....great deals for sure. We came home with many Christmas gifts, one could actually buy all your winter wear on the cruise. Some folks were sailing a back to back and the ship went from Alaska to Hawaii the next week.

[Jim Avery]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2040408&highlight=alaska+preview+review

 

This is from last May. Hope it helps.:D