Why do you cruise to Alaska?

[Deeliteful]

I am asking this with a little tongue in cheek! But have just been reading some reviews of Alaska Cruises on Infinity - complaining of too many sea days and not enough to do :confused:

 

Well I only ask because surely the sea days are a big part of the experience looking at the scenery and looking for wildlife. I was certainly never bored last year and know I won't be this year.

 

Happy Alaskan cruising everyone :D

[xlxo]

Thoughts...

• very convenient to go for those who live on the West Coast..... minimal time zone changes. Less flight times from West Coast residents
  
• California departing Alaskan cruises have much more sea days than the 2 sea days departing from Cascadia. I don't count scenic cruise glacier viewing days as a sea days.
  
• Going to Alaska in the summer is cooler than other summer destinations in the USA
  
• Alaska uses US currency.... Some places in Canada too
  
• You can feed the wildlife with safety.... Alaska mosquitos are Zika free
  
• unlimited mountains, trees, and water
  
• summer glaciers
  
• humpbacks!
  
• pixie dust snorting opportunities with one cruise line
  
• fireworks in late July in Vancouver
  
• minimal terrorist threat.... watch out for ULU's
  
• Red Onion
  
• gold rush history
  
• ATT coverage.... they have internet!
  

Edited July 2, 2016 by xlxo

[saxmangeoff]

Xlxo has covered it well. I live in the PNW, so drive to the port.

 

And it's like taking a traveling hotel room to the world's largest National Park.

[SevenSeas1492]

Will be our first Alaska cruise next year. We live on the East Coast, and most of our cruises are to the Caribbean. We are looking forward to a different type of cruise with beautiful scenery and cooler weather. We have been reading the reviews of Alaska cruises and can't wait to go!!!

[bonvoyagie]

Agree with all of the above points.

 

I don't call them sea days but SEE days as there is always something to see when you are traveling between ports.

 

I always though of AK cruises (esp the RT) as being very port intensive.

 

Oh well, to each their own. The more people who don't cruise to AK will leave more room for the rest of us who do. :D

[VennDiagram]

Will be our first Alaska cruise next year. We live on the East Coast, and most of our cruises are to the Caribbean. We are looking forward to a different type of cruise with beautiful scenery and cooler weather. We have been reading the reviews of Alaska cruises and can't wait to go!!!

 

While watching the scenery, also watch for marine wildlife. That is one of the big draws for me on an Alaska cruise -- the whales :)

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Thoughts...

• very convenient to go for those who live on the West Coast..... minimal time zone changes. Less flight times from West Coast residents
  
• California departing Alaskan cruises have much more sea days than the 2 sea days departing from Cascadia. I don't count scenic cruise glacier viewing days as a sea days.
  
• Going to Alaska in the summer is cooler than other summer destinations in the USA
  
• Alaska uses US currency.... Some places in Canada too
  
• You can feed the wildlife with safety.... Alaska mosquitos are Zika free
  
• unlimited mountains, trees, and water
  
• summer glaciers
  
• humpbacks!
  
• pixie dust snorting opportunities with one cruise line
  
• fireworks in late July in Vancouver
  
• minimal terrorist threat.... watch out for ULU's
  
• Red Onion
  
• gold rush history
  
• ATT coverage.... they have internet!
  

 

Yeah, what xixo said:D ^^^

 

We live in the Seattle area, so no flights for us if we leave from our home port or Vancouver, B.C. That's a big plus! Alaska is different for us every time we go. It's a photographer's paradise:) Like "bonvoyagie" said above, there's a lot of gorgeous "see" time on an Alaska cruise.

[saxmangeoff]

And it's like taking a traveling hotel room to the world's largest National Park.

 

I should clarify here. I don't mean a National Park in the proper sense (a special place managed by the National Park Service). I mean all of Alaska is as wonderful as any National Park.

[flatlander321]

It was simple for us. 25th anniversary and my wife said she wanted to see some whales. I was directed to figure out the details. It was a good trip.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2366744

[dd likes to cruise]

Even though we live in Florida and the flights were not easy finding decent ones, we've always dreamed of visiting Alaska. And I'm not big anymore on rental cars and figuring thing out myself. So we are going to let the Captain do the driving! LOL. We are doing a one way, Vancouver to Seward/Fairbanks. With a 3 day land tour on the end. Also staying in Vanvouver 2 days ahead of time to check that out. Never been there either.

 

Checking off the bucket list!

[Budget Queen]

Yep - all kinds of people. :) I spend my sea days- enjoying the views. I spend a great deal of time, out on deck- usually by myself, so it isn't popular. :) Depends on the person, but I'm attracted to the unknown, and greatly enjoy the new vistas and surprise wildlife sightings.

 

One guarantee- however- if you don't invest your time in "Alaska", you won't "see" it, and hence- perhaps- the "bored" claim.

[Coral]

I live right smack in the middle of the country. It would be far cheaper to cruise out of FLL as the cruises there are cheaper. So it is not that I live close or it is cheap to me.

 

I found Alaska's beauty amazing! I will take an Alaskan cruise over Caribbean any day.

 

After having the 2nd hottest June on record, I love the coolness of Alaska. I like May as the snow is still on the mountains and love sweatshirt weather. There was once I was there over the 4th of July and had to change into shorts. It was fine as it was still cooler then back home.

 

I go simply for the beauty of Alaska. I see things in Alaska that I don't see where I live. For me, it has nothing to do with using US currency, seeing fireworks, Red Onion or other bars, terrorist threats or internet coverage.

[torybruno]

To check it off the bucket list :)

[ssaito1]

Because Hawaii is hot and I wanted to see something polar opposite of the tropics we have here! ;) I love the Alaskan scenery and it was a bucket list item for me.

 

 

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[Karennella]

Because we haven't been there yet. From 2003 to 20013 one or both of our daughters were living in England and so all our major trips were to Europe. Now that they are home and we don't have to go there we are looking at other places that we haven't been.

[mek]

I love Alaska - it's my favorite place to visit. Just back from Norway and while beautiful, IMHO, Alaska is so much more spectacular.

[bluebeard39]

My wife and I have been doing our land tour since July 2nd and I can understand why so many people love Alaska. Next up our cruise on July 8th and we can't wait because we love Alaska and will definitely be back to do whatever we miss in this visit.

[Sequim88]

complaining of too many sea days and not enough to do

 

HAH! Funny - says the fans of Trans-Atlantics with a week of sea days in a row. Sea days are always welcomed by us. Very relaxing. Living less than 20 miles from the port helps make Alaska a no brainer for us on that count alone. But we really do enjoy the scenery up north. A lot like at home - only more intense. Cool and rain are not an issue since we are used to it. We will do an inside next year but figure we will spend a lot of time on a deck in in a well windowed lounge.

[Tricia724]

Splitting hairs maybe, but mostly we cruise FROM Alaska (to Vancouver) and consider it part of our transportation home. The last couple of trips we've been sailing in the cheap seats and it's one of the best travel bargains ever....food, lodging, entertainment, great service, a spectacular view, and wildlife to boot.

 

Nobody harasses you or begs for money when you step off the ship. You don't have to strain your brain doing conversions to a foreign currency. You don't have to start every conversation with "Do you speak English?" You don't have to wonder whether the taxi driver is going to whisk you away down a dark alley where you'll be relieved of your money, credit cards, and jewelry, or worse. And the people are actually glad to see you. Well, okay, most of them seem to be or at least they make you feel welcome. It's like being home yet away from home.

 

Whether on land or at sea, it's a feast for the eyes, and I never find it boring. If someone else does, I only hope they're not on my ship and sharing my dinner table.

[AVN]

Althought we will be going on our 1st Alaska cruise this August, from all my research, I got the feeling (and this coming from a girl who only thought cruising the Caribbean was only way to go) we will be going back. I am so excited in seeing the rest of my great country and a little bit of Canada too! It is a bucket list trip, but as I foresaid, i think we will be going back! We are leaving out of Seattle and will be seeing it for the first time too. Will be there 2 days before the ship leaves.

 

The earlier poster (xlox?) listed a number of things that also make Alaska VERY appealing :). I was just telling my husband that this is the first trip I didn't have to worry about the currency exchange or order currency in advance for several years now. And yes, Verizon has service! I also think it will be interesting to see land the entire time from the cruise ship. I will admit there are times when I enjoy the "sea" days more than the port days. And in this case, as an earlier poster said, they will be "see" days! In case you haven't figured it out...I am geeked about this trip!:D

 

Lastly, given the current "world situation", it's a great time to re-discover the USA and all it has to offer...:D

 

Safe traveling everyone!

[donaldsc]

If I had my druthers, I would drive to AK and take the Alaska Marine Highway where necessary to get to places w/o connecting roads. However, having done it once, it is sort of a long drive (3296 miles each way from Las Vegas to Fairbanks and that is driving directly w/o detours) so going on a cruise ship is the best alternative.

 

When we did our driving trip to AK, we put more than 12,000 miles on the car. Also, based on a very conservative car cost of $0.25/mile and gasoline is more expensive in Alaska and Canada, my car costs alone were $3000 so taking a cruise is also cheaper.

 

DON

Edited July 7, 2016 by donaldsc

[vuildog]

I am asking this with a little tongue in cheek! But have just been reading some reviews of Alaska Cruises on Infinity - complaining of too many sea days and not enough to do :confused:

 

Well I only ask because surely the sea days are a big part of the experience looking at the scenery and looking for wildlife. I was certainly never bored last year and know I won't be this year.

 

Happy Alaskan cruising everyone :D

 

I'm so glad you asked this question. Just booked the Infinity to Alaska for next summer, while on the Summit. Always thought we were only summer weather cruisers. Good to get out of the cold in February, and head to the Caribbean. But I know cruising will probably be the only way I will ever see Alaska. My problem is my mother. I love her to death, but....

 

She is not a "scenery" person. Doesn't get excited at seeing beautiful mountains. Don't think seeing whales, bald eagles, glaciers, etc. will interest her at all. So I am really hesitant to continue on with the booking. She acts excited, even said she would do a sea plane/helicopter tour. Maybe even kayaking. But I don't want to end up going, and have her complaining the whole time. I'm just torn.

 

So hoping for some good insigh,t from you fine Cruise Critic folks!

[Rydain]

I went because my family was set on an Alaskan cruise, and it was an opportunity to enjoy local history and culture and adventurous activities - hiking steep Gold Rush trails through lush forests, biking along tidal flats, ice climbing and trekking on a glacier right up to a swirling blue hole of death. The scenery was definitely a bonus, and I was wowed when the Radiance sailed up close to Hubbard Glacier. :)

 

As someone who much prefers cold to heat, I liked the weather, too - even though it ended up being sunnier and hotter than expected. Still better than summer back home. ;)

[cinesage]

[lovescruisingbc]

So much has been covered here already .. We live in Vancouver so the only transportation we need is a cab to the Cruse-ship Centre -although I must admit we generally stay at the Days Inn, downtown the night before the cruise - its not too expensive, allows us to have a pre-cruise dinner with friends, and is walking distance to the ship! Nothing like getting up.at 6am and watching your ship come in! It never ceases to excite me! With respect to the cruise I agree wholeheartedly with "xlxo" "middle aged mom" and those who go there because they love it! Next May will be our seventh cruise there-always the Inside Passage round trip, but on different ships. May will be a little different as we cruise out of Vancouver and arrive back in Seattle -9 days instead of our usual 7! Every trip is different! We try to do different port activities each time so we are getting to know some of the areas really well! Definitely a photographers paradise! Last year we were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights .. That was in August at Skagway! There is just so much to see and do - it really is impossible to get bored, unless you really want to!

 

 

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