alaska only on water..regrets?

[luckyinpa]

just starting to research alaska. obviously the cruise lines land tours are expensive but all the planning is done for you. i see DIY threads here to read about doing that as well. but has anyone just done a cruise and not done any land tours and then u regret it? i see all alaska cruises are port intensive so you do get some time on land of course. 

 

i see 14 days out of los angeles, some out of san fran and some RT seattle.  id need  to get a passport for the ones that leave out of canada of course. not the end of the world. would you take just a cruise out of even canada or is the land portion a must. 

[Cruise Suzy]

10 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

i see 14 days out of los angeles, some out of san fran and some RT seattle.  id need  to get a passport for the ones that leave out of canada of course. not the end of the world.

 

The cruises leaving from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle ALL make a stop in a Canadian port, usually Victoria, to meet regulations. So you would need a passport for them as well as those cruises leaving from Vancouver.

 

Did a DIY land tour before our first Alaskan cruise - once we were spending $$ for the one-way cruise, the land portion made sense then rather than doing just a land tour some other year. Doing just the cruise in 2021.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

My parents did a cruise only and regret it. 

 

That's why we're holding out until we're can do a land tour also. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

Even for the RT Seattle cruises you will need to have documentation showing citizenship.   As a US citizen (which I assume you are), the very minimum would be your birth certificate (not the hospital / feet one), and gov't issued photo ID.

People are denied boarding all the time for not have the needed documents for traveling. (Remember, all cruises to Alaska leaving US ports have to stop in Canada - hence the need for citizenship documentation).

[masterdrago]

We are seriously considering a 10-14 day land only next trip to Alaska. After spending 16 days with cruise last May, it only whetted my appetite for more. Now I have 8 items on my must do for the return trip. All running from Fairbanks to Homer and Seward.

[luckyinpa]

57 minutes ago, Cruise Suzy said:

 

The cruises leaving from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle ALL make a stop in a Canadian port, usually Victoria, to meet regulations. So you would need a passport for them as well as those cruises leaving from Vancouver.

 

Did a DIY land tour before our first Alaskan cruise - once we were spending $$ for the one-way cruise, the land portion made sense then rather than doing just a land tour some other year. Doing just the cruise in 2021.

 

not true. cruises leaving from usa, as long as you dont do air to foreign countries you are fine with passport card  or birth certificate and  license. ive done this both to canada and bahamas and bermuda with others and those docs were just fine. no one ever had full passport and just stopping in canada does not mean you need one. 

 

ive never left from canada so i cannot comment there. but i do you know you can take train/bus from seattle to canada which i believe some do in order to avoid flying to canada

[luckyinpa]

59 minutes ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

My parents did a cruise only and regret it. 

 

That's why we're holding out until we're can do a land tour also. 

 

what did they miss that they wanted to see and did they know about this before they boarded or found out later

[luckyinpa]

41 minutes ago, masterdrago said:

We are seriously considering a 10-14 day land only next trip to Alaska. After spending 16 days with cruise last May, it only whetted my appetite for more. Now I have 8 items on my must do for the return trip. All running from Fairbanks to Homer and Seward.

 

but thats not a cruise 🙂 i could never do alaska without a cruise. it just seems to be such an integral part of the journey. but i havent done it so maybe not. . what are you must do items. ive already learned the smaller ships are better and dont miss important things

[ABQrobin]

Some of us still work and cannot combine a week on land as well as a week at sea due to vacation constraints.  We did a week on Alaska cruise and loved it, did excursions at every port, loved them all.  We used our time well.  

It would be great to do a 2 week trip including a week on land but it just isn't possible for now.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

25 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

 

what did they miss that they wanted to see and did they know about this before they boarded or found out later

 

They didn't say anything specific.  Just that it was a once in a lifetime trip for them, and they feel they missed the chance to see and do so much more while they were there.  

 

They knew about land tours, but did not book one because they had thought that the cruise only would be "enough," and  therefore not worth the money to do a land tour in addition.  I guess they thought it would be repetitive... as in seen it/done it already through the cruise.  But, after the fact, they realized the land portion would have been worth it.

 

 

[katrina915]

I have done cruise multiple times without land and have not regretted it.  Added DIY land tour a few times onto cruise and still don't regret doing cruise only.   If you only are going once, then yeah adding land tour would be great if budget and time allows.

[Kitty Ellas Mom]

I haven't been on my trip yet but my plan is to do the cruise (a NB from Vancouver to Whittier) and pad it with one day in each direction.  I'm going to have one full day in Vancouver and maybe a 2/3 of a day in Anchorage (disembarkation, travel to Anchorage then one hotel night).  For me it's the timing b/c I can't be away any longer than that.  I feel like I'm going to see so many new things that it's worth it even without a long time on land.  I'm looking forward to exploring Vancouver and Anchorage on my own almost more than the ports!  

[luckyinpa]

with these  cruises being super port intensive. do you find the dis/embark  procedures a challenge? ie would something like splurging on haven on NCL be worth it?

[masterdrago]

1 hour ago, luckyinpa said:

 

but that's not a cruise 🙂 i could never do Alaska without a cruise. it just seems to be such an integral part of the journey. but i haven't done it so maybe not. What are you're must do items? I've already learned the smaller ships are better and don't miss important things

DW is all about the cruise again but I want to save $$ with inside cabin. She is all about a balcony/suite. I've tried to talk her into one of the small ship cruises like Seabourn, Alaska Dream or Lindblad but might be a bit over budget.

What we want to add to the next visit to Alaska (late shoulder season) is ....
1) Time between Fairbanks and Cantwell to attempt to observe aurora
2) Denali Fall color
3) Full day 8.5hr Northwestern Fjord Cruise on Viewfinder with Major Marine
4) A couple of days bear watching with Alaska Bear Adventures out of Homer
5) Calving glaciers (Seward) most likely with the Major Marine tour on Viewfinder
6) Possible flight seeing over Prince William Sound

7) More sightseeing on the Glenn Allen highway

       Bore Tide attempt again on Turnagain Arm but highly timing dependent

       Also interested in the drive down Richardson Highway - Fairbanks to Valdez

There were 8 but cannot remember the full list now.

Edited January 24, 2020 by masterdrago

[masterdrago]

2 hours ago, luckyinpa said:

 

not true. cruises leaving from usa, as long as you dont do air to foreign countries you are fine with passport card  or birth certificate and  license. ive done this both to canada and bahamas and bermuda with others and those docs were just fine. no one ever had full passport and just stopping in canada does not mean you need one. 

 

ive never left from canada so i cannot comment there. but i do you know you can take train/bus from seattle to canada which i believe some do in order to avoid flying to canada

We did it with only the passport card as we rented a car in Vancouver after debarkation and drove to Seattle for a flight home. Saved $$ on Vancouver to Seattle flight, passport upgrade and got to sight see along drive south. The big negative was the long wait at border on day of cruise ship arrivals.

[bigcitypirate]

Cruising Alaska vs. exploring Alaska by land are very different experiences. Each has its pros and cons. I was lucky to do both as a kid because my parents loved cruising Alaska so much, that they saved up so we could explore Alaska by land for two weeks a couple of years later.

 

You can see things by boat that you cannot see by land - glacier bay, amazing coastal landscapes, whales on the open water, ports that can only be accessed by plane or sea. And you can do it all in the comfort of a cruise ship, with a lot of amenities and entertainment. 

 

You can also see things by land that you cannot see by boat. We went into Denali park and got VERY close to two full-grown wolves and were able to follow them and watch them hunt for about an hour. We also saw moose, caribou, bears, eagles, and lots of other wildlife in more remote areas than the cruise ships go. One of my favorite memories was climbing Flattop Mountain with my dad and brother and doing lots of other hikes with gorgeous scenery we couldn't do before. We rode bikes along the coast on a sunny day. We went to Alyeska, where there is skiing and hang-gliding, and we took an aerial seaplane tour. If you're exploring on your own, you don't have the time constraints of a cruise and can spend time doing exactly the activities you want to do. If you make it far enough North, you might see the Northern Lights. But it is also much more rugged in a lot of areas, and it requires a lot more planning and preparation than a cruise.

 

So, my two cents: if you can afford to do a land tour portion, do it. But if it's not in the cards or if you can't afford to do both, I would do the cruise experience first. A cruise is a great introduction to Alaska and will allow you to easily access a number of different places and experiences. If you love it, Alaska will still be there, and you can plan to visit by land at a later time.

[SightCRR]

Many of the land tours do Denali and that is a long trip. Mt is only out 1 out of every 3 days so many people don't see it. The wildlife is exceptional. With the road being up in the air I wouldn't be trying to plan it. I would try for the bear tours out of Homer, Soldotna or ANC to Katmai, Brooks Falls and or Lake Clark. Then do Matanuska glacier 2 hr drive north of ANC. With that it would be an extra 4-5 days with flights and delays. You would likely be out of time and money. The hard part of bear viewing is picking the right time for the bears to be there that everyone else has not filled up all the spots.  You can watch youtube to see the various tours and spots. I have done diy land only and several cruises but not cruise + cruise sponsored land. You can read all about them in the reviews above. 

[luckyinpa]

2 hours ago, masterdrago said:

We did it with only the passport card as we rented a car in Vancouver after debarkation and drove to Seattle for a flight home. Saved $$ on Vancouver to Seattle flight, passport upgrade and got to sight see along drive south. The big negative was the long wait at border on day of cruise ship arrivals.

 

how much was the one way drop off fee? articles say thats killer.  how long was the border crossing? 

[AlanF65]

6 hours ago, luckyinpa said:

just starting to research alaska. obviously the cruise lines land tours are expensive but all the planning is done for you. i see DIY threads here to read about doing that as well. but has anyone just done a cruise and not done any land tours and then u regret it? i see all alaska cruises are port intensive so you do get some time on land of course. 

 

i see 14 days out of los angeles, some out of san fran and some RT seattle.  id need  to get a passport for the ones that leave out of canada of course. not the end of the world. would you take just a cruise out of even canada or is the land portion a must. 

 

If the goal is to see Alaska I would do a 14 day out of Vancouver, you get more ports and time in ports when you leave from Vancouver. I have done a 7 day out of Seattle, and 11 Day out of Vancouver that returned to Seattle, am doing a 14 day and 10 day out of Vancouver this year.

 

I also thought about a b2B out of Vancouver with a 2 week land  on my own.

There is a 7-10 night small ship out of Juneau that includes 3 days at the lodge in Glacier Bay.

 

Sometime in the future when I retire I will drive to Fairbanks and do the land portion on my own for 4-6 weeks.

I have no interest in Sailing out of SF to Alaska and spending 5-6 of the days out on the Pacific and I am 90 miles from SF.

If you enjoy the onboard experience more than the ports then the sea days would work for you. With the cost of Alaska Cruises I want to see more ports and different ports.

[luckyinpa]

 thru just reading this thread i realize there's so much i dont know that i dont know what im missing nor would want to see. also i neglected to say i have 14 or 15 days total max from the time i leave home to return

 

also a cursory glance at some princess cruise tours show them sold out already. i only have a narrow window end may/beginnig june to do this vacation.  (secondary question, why are there no panama canals during may/june?)

 

so if i go to alaska this late in the game it seems like it's going to be all cruise or  a preplanned tour. i did see some of them spent  5 or 6 days on land.  get on the train etc. we are adventuresome from the perspective that we liked climbing the rocks at peggys cove and wading thru the ocean to get to the st martins caves in canada. but not the kind to take steep mountain hikes with camping gear. 

 

also there are 11 and 12 day tours that have 3 or 4 on land. but i feel im greedy and would miss out on the 2 or 3 days missed on other planned tours. and the incremental cost of additional nites isnt that great. 

 

also ive never flown to a cruise before so that added hotel/flight etc expense adds up. and my fav airline doesnt do canada or alaska so thats one reason id lean toward a lower 48 round trip. but obviously that rules out totally any land components of cruises i believe. 

 

so many variables. 

 

so just curious. out of the following which would be the most rewarding for you and why. or which should a newbie cross off the list because its not as memorable

 

Departing from: Seattle, Washington

Ports of Call: 

• Ketchikan, Alaska •
•  Cruise Endicott Arm, Alaska •
•  Juneau, Alaska •
•  Skagway, Alaska •
•  Victoria, British Columbia

 

Departing from: San Francisco, California

Ports of Call: 

• Juneau, Alaska •
•  Skagway, Alaska •
•  Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska •
•  Cruise Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska •
•  Victoria, British Columbia

 

Departing from: Cruise Puget Sound

Ports of Call: 

• Seattle, Washington •
•  Cruise Stephens Passage •
•  Juneau, Alaska •
•  Cruise Glacier Bay National Park •
•  Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska •
•  Sitka, Alaska •
•  Ketchikan, Alaska •
•  Victoria, British Columbia

 

Departing from: Seattle, Washington

Ports of Call: 

• Cruise Inside Passage, Alaska •
•  Juneau, Alaska •
•  Skagway, Alaska •
•  Cruise Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier •
•  Victoria, British Columbia

 

Seattle, Washington

Ports of Call: 

• Sitka, Alaska •
•  Cruise Hubbard Glacier •
•  Skagway, Alaska •
•  Juneau, Alaska •
•  Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska •
•  Cruise Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier •
•  Ketchikan, Alaska •
•  Victoria, British Columbia

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2020 by luckyinpa

[luckyinpa]

related question. is it worth the extra for the balcony vs inside/OV rooms?  they really kick up the prices for balcony and ive never sailed in anything but it, but if you are in port 90% of the days, would balcony even matter?

 

something like this is only 1500 OV which seems insanely cheap

 

Vancouver (Canada Place), British Columbia	---Not Applicable	4:30 PM
day2	At Sea	---Not Applicable	---Not Applicable
day3	Ketchikan, Alaska	6:30 AM	3:00 PM
day4	Juneau, Alaska	8:00 AM	9:00 PM
day5	Skagway, Alaska	7:00 AM	8:30 PM
day6	Cruise Glacier Bay National Park	6:00 AM	3:00 PM
day7	Cruise College Fjord, Alaska	6:00 PM	8:30 PM
day8	Whittier (Anchorage), Alaska	12:30 AM	8:30 PM
day9	Cruise Hubbard Glacier	3:00 PM	8:00 PM
day10	Cruise Glacier Bay National Park	9:15 AM	7:30 PM
day11	Skagway, Alaska	7:00 AM	8:30 PM
day12	Juneau, Alaska	6:30 AM	5:00 PM
day13	Ketchikan, Alaska	10:00 AM	6:00 PM
day14	At Sea	---Not Applicable	---Not Applicable
day15	Vancouver (Canada Place), British Columbia	7:30 AM	---

Edited January 24, 2020 by luckyinpa

[rogueknits]

4 hours ago, Kitty Ellas Mom said:

I haven't been on my trip yet but my plan is to do the cruise (a NB from Vancouver to Whittier) and pad it with one day in each direction.  I'm going to have one full day in Vancouver and maybe a 2/3 of a day in Anchorage (disembarkation, travel to Anchorage then one hotel night).  For me it's the timing b/c I can't be away any longer than that.  I feel like I'm going to see so many new things that it's worth it even without a long time on land.  I'm looking forward to exploring Vancouver and Anchorage on my own almost more than the ports!  

This is what we are doing. Our cruise is Wed-Wed, and we are coming from NY, so already we are looking at a lot of vacation days with only one weekend in there (rather than being able to bracket across two weekends). We are flying in to Vancouver early afternoon Tuesday, and staying one night in Anchorage after the cruise (the alternative was taking the red eye home which essentially means taking the day off of work to sleep anyway, so that was a no brainer). Wish we could take two full weeks off work and do a trip up to Denali, but even this schedule is pushing it. 

[SightCRR]

Of the SEA departures we like the last one best because of the Glaciers although #3 is not bad with Glacier Bay. The one from VAN looks very good and doubles up on Juneau, Skag and Ketch which all of which will have enough different things to do in each city to fill up two days. sightcrr 

Edited January 24, 2020 by SightCRR
add Skag

[masterdrago]

1 hour ago, luckyinpa said:

 

how much was the one way drop off fee? articles say thats killer.  how long was the border crossing? 

Car rentals are interesting. We reserved for the 8 day land adventure pre-cruise from Enterprise Anchorage airport. They had the lowest rates and the best reviews. For our May trip the price in January on 1st booking was ~$460. Checked in February - $265. Then I rebooked in late February for $218 for the full 8 days. It was a 4 door Chevy Malibu Hybrid with a large trunk to hide luggage. We rented a car in Vancouver at the offsite airport location for 134CAD ($97US) for a single day to drive the couple of hours to Seattle and dropped that afternoon at the airport location. They upgraded us to a Jeep Grand Cherokee. We had a 2+ hour wait at the border crossing. What fun! Some guy was pushing a cart selling ice cream to folks in line. Not sure what the fee was - did not say in the paperwork. Way cheaper than the air from Vancouver for the two of us plus having to upgrade the passports from cards. Plus DW had found us 1st class to Houston on AlaskaAir for $265ea.... had a really bad experience seated next to a 400# disagreeable guy on the way up!

[masterdrago]

1 hour ago, luckyinpa said:

related question. is it worth the extra for the balcony vs inside/OV rooms?  they really kick up the prices for balcony

For my DW, it is. And Grand Suite to boot. I think I could easily go with the inside room to save a few grand to only spend it elsewhere. Like on a bear close encounter. DW is so afraid of being eaten/attacked by a bear that she would not even make the short mile long walk from the ship to Hoonah. I did get some nice shots of the famed Grizzly through the transit bus window but for me, I'm wanting the close contact that folks can only get with a specialized tour.