Sell me on Alaska??

[OCSC Mike]

22 minutes ago, kfnesq said:

The excursions and experiences there are unlike anywhere else - my advice to people is save up and spend ALL that you can afford on the excursions.  Caribbean you can do on the cheap and it's great, but Alaska I would not scrimp on.  You won't regret it.

 

Could not agree more. My entire cruising history (when I'm paying at least) is cheap Caribbean... and one helluva trip to Alaska.

[sadiwest]

I only know two people who saw Alaska outside of taking a cruise.  My mother and stepfather who did a multi month tour across country, including WEEKS in Alaska in their RV.

 

It's not so easy to see a large portion of the state if not on a cruise.  It's Alaska.  Everyone should see it once.   My timing wasn't great (September 2001) but I'd do it again. 

 

Not cheap, but do it right and see as much as you can.  

[OCSC Mike]

4 minutes ago, sadiwest said:

I only know two people who saw Alaska outside of taking a cruise.  My mother and stepfather who did a multi month tour across country, including WEEKS in Alaska in their RV.

 

Not sure I could do the RV part but good for them! We spent 10 days taking the train all the way from Fairbanks to Seward before our cruise and loved it. Even with 10 days and maybe 5-6 different cities we only cracked the surface but it was definitely worth it to spend a chunk of time on land beyond the cruise ports.

[PIR8LUVR]

We went in 2018 and are going back this summer. We loved it! We were very fortunate to have practically perfect weather. We went the first week of August. Highs at sea were in the 60s or low 70s, lows in the 40s. In port, the temp was around 80. It did not rain at all when we were in Alaska (unless it was while we were sleeping). It sprinkled a little in Victoria. I will be shocked if we have that kind of weather again, though. Alaska is magnificent. It was cool to see the biodiversity. In school, I never cared much for history but I loved learning about the history of Alaska on our cruise. There was a retired school teacher who gave lectures. For us, it was the opportunity to see and do things we would not normally. I can't wait to go back.

[Crazy planning mom]

2 hours ago, sadiwest said:

I only know two people who saw Alaska outside of taking a cruise.  My mother and stepfather who did a multi month tour across country, including WEEKS in Alaska in their RV.

 

It's not so easy to see a large portion of the state if not on a cruise.  It's Alaska.  Everyone should see it once.   My timing wasn't great (September 2001) but I'd do it again. 

 

Not cheap, but do it right and see as much as you can.  

 

2 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Not sure I could do the RV part but good for them! We spent 10 days taking the train all the way from Fairbanks to Seward before our cruise and loved it. Even with 10 days and maybe 5-6 different cities we only cracked the surface but it was definitely worth it to spend a chunk of time on land beyond the cruise ports.

We did a land trip when our cruise was cancelled due to the pandemic.  We went to Anchorage, Seward (Kenai Fjords National Park) , Matanuska Glacier, Talkeetna, and Denali, of course.  It was wonderful.  Still would like to do a cruise.

[OCSC Mike]

18 minutes ago, Crazy planning mom said:

 

We did a land trip when our cruise was cancelled due to the pandemic.  We went to Anchorage, Seward (Kenai Fjords National Park) , Matanuska Glacier, Talkeetna, and Denali, of course.  It was wonderful.  Still would like to do a cruise.

 

We especially loved Denali and Seward. Glad you were able to make lemonade out of covid lemons!

[twinmommy08]

Alaska is hands down the best cruise I’ve taken so far. We went at the end of May and the weather was nice. I packed hats, parkas, rain boots, etc. None of it left my luggage. 

Purposely not going when you have the means and opportunity is a mistake. You can’t appreciate the beauty and magic of being there in pictures or video. It’s somewhat a spiritual encounter if you enjoy being in nature. 

 

[Katems75]

I appreciate everyone's responses and gorgeous photos!  I'm very much on the fence.  The cold, or even just 'not hot' weather is truly a turn off.  I've lived in upstate NY my whole life so I am no stranger to cold and so for me 'vacation' is somewhere decidedly NOT COLD!!  I don't ski, either.  

 

Thank you to the person who said to book a smaller ship that can get in to more ports.  I'm concerned that excursions are so necessary and so expensive!

 

Eeek, lots to think about!

[Mum2Mercury]

You want to be sold on Alaska?  Sorry, I'm not your girl. 

 

Until about a year ago I wanted to do an Alaskan cruise, and I decided "It's time" and sat down to plan it.  Specifics that turned me against the Alaskan cruise: 

 

- I live on the East Coast, so the flight would be long and expensive.  Realistically, we're only going to Alaska once, so I want to "do it all" on one trip.  (Okay, I know we won't "do it all", but you know what I mean -- I don't want to come away with regrets.)  

- As I looked at excursions, I saw things I wanted to do and things I wouldn't mind doing -- but a number of the things I wanted to do and see were inland /not accessible on a cruise.  

- I looked into the idea of arriving a week or so early and/or staying a week or so later, but that didn't seem to work out; for example, if we sailed from Seward, Alaska, Denali National Park is a six hour drive.  (I would be super disappointed to travel all the way across the continental US and fail to see Denali.)  

- The excursions are quite expensive.  The activities that interest us seem to be less expensive if you plan them on your own.  

 

After genuinely trying to plan an Alaskan cruise, I decided it's not for us.  Instead, we are going to do a one-way Alaskan TRAIN TRIP.  We'll make stops here and there, and we'll take day-trips from the train track; this'll allow us to decide how long we want to stay in various areas.  This is going to be more effort, but the trip plans are falling into place and seem more "us".  

 

I do buy into what one poster said:  Go before the glaciers melt.  

[time4u2go]

27 minutes ago, Katems75 said:

I appreciate everyone's responses and gorgeous photos!  I'm very much on the fence.  The cold, or even just 'not hot' weather is truly a turn off.  I've lived in upstate NY my whole life so I am no stranger to cold and so for me 'vacation' is somewhere decidedly NOT COLD!!  I don't ski, either.  

 

Thank you to the person who said to book a smaller ship that can get in to more ports.  I'm concerned that excursions are so necessary and so expensive!

 

Eeek, lots to think about!

I know this is the RC forum, but you really should go on Princess if you are doing Alaska.  They have their own lodges, and the train ride is simply amazing.  Princess goes to Glacier Bay National Park.  RC does not.  Princess is really known for Alaska.

 

In general, you should most definitely do an Alaskan cruise.  It's a truly unbelievable experience.  I don't know anyone that went on one that regretted it.

 

Edited June 13, 2023 by time4u2go

[time4u2go]

4 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I do buy into what one poster said:  Go before the glaciers melt.  

Definitely true.  They are quickly receding.

[SbbquilterUT]

We have sailed Alaska in late May, June, August and September - shorts to hike in Skagway, sunny and lovely on the pool deck one cruise and rainy and windy on another.  We only wore coats on the day we were outside watching the glacier.  Other than that it was layers of tee shirt, long sleeve wool tee, fleece/vest if needed and a raincoat was the top layer.  The scenery and the wildlife are so interesting - nothing like Caribbean beach days.  

[OCSC Mike]

7 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

After genuinely trying to plan an Alaskan cruise, I decided it's not for us.  Instead, we are going to do a one-way Alaskan TRAIN TRIP.

@Mum2Mercury

As mentioned, this is what we did, from Fairbanks down to Seward (with several stops in between including several days in Denali). Then we did take a 7-night cruise Southbound but I wouldn’t do it without the land portion so I think you’re on the right track.

 

As for “doing it all” & only going once, that’s how we approached it as well. And yes, it is not cheap.

 

My wife worked with an outside company for a year planning the 10 days on land. They booked everything from the train tickets to hotels/lodges for us. Our final itinerary was revised 50-60 times. I can’t advertise for them of course but the name is a synonym for chase & rhymes with root if you’re interested.

 

Very long trip report in my signature with tons of pics & info as well. Way more about the land portion than the cruise & there’s a nice pic of me sleeping on the train if I recall. 😴 

 

Happy planning!

[Giantfan13]

Really, if you need to be 'sold' on taking an Alaskan cruise, you already have it in your head you won't like it. If that is your attitude, stay in the Caribbean and see basically the same exact thing on most islands there. People don't go to Alaska just to see it, they want to experience it. As the slogan goes, it is America's "last frontier".

That said, we have been 4 times and would go again in a heartbeat. It is more than fantastic, it is an adventure. In the Caribbean, you get up go to the beach, drink some exotic drinks, and do the same thing every day. In Alaska every day is different. Yes, it can be expensive, but it also can be pretty cheap. Like in Skagway, rent a car and travel at your own pace into the Yukon to Emerald Lake. Do a Kyack thing in another port, see a glacier up close and personal in Juneau, and don't forget the whales, the eagles, and bears and you don't have to pay to see them. Just get out and they will be around. And, the misbelief that you need to walk around in a coat, hats, and mittens, well is just a misbelief. YES, if you get onto the glacier it will be cold, but walking around town, or riding in a car it is usually mid 70's, nowhere near cold.

AND you would deprive yourself and your family of the chance to see all of this because you 'might' feel cold. REALLY.

 

Cheers

Len 

[LibertyBella]

I am a hot weather person, I love to sit on the beach and bake, and my absolute favorite cruise in the world is the Greek Islands (in Summer!).  I will spend whatever it costs on the longest, most comprehensive shore excursions that visit ancient ruins and museums for the day.

 

My DH is a cold weather fan, played ice hockey in school and even to this day is an avid skier.  He will vacation to any mountain, anywhere, as long as it is in the Winter.

So we compromise--some vacations in the cold, some in the heat!

 

Yet cruising is its own unique experience, and I think less about the weather and more about what one should see and do.  However, there is definitely a high season and a low season for many areas.

 

I think Alaska cruises are marvelous, and yes, we splurged on excursions, including taking a helicopter to the glacier and hiking with crampon boots. Okay, so I had to bring the coat, gloves, and hats, and it was definitely not bikini weather, but watching eagles in flight, and searching the shores for moose and bears is completely mesmerizing.  Also, the scenery is truly majestic and memorable.

 

Should you go?  Most definitely!  Will it be as cheap as a Caribbean getaway?  Probably not, but now that my husband is scuba certified, he spends hundreds of dollars on those water excursions, so I just have to build excursion costs into all our cruises.

 

Alaska cruises are sometimes priced very competitively, so what you save on the cruise cost can be budgeted for excursions. 

 

I hope you decide to add this great destination to your bucket list.

[Another_Critic]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

- I live on the East Coast, so the flight would be long and expensive. 

 

Rode in the back seat of a Plymouth Fury III, along with my parents and grandfather, from the east coast to Alaska when I was 15 years old.  Drove the dirt (mud in our case with all the rain) Alaska Highway through Canada.  While in Alaska we drove as far south as Homer and as far north as Fairbanks.

 

I definitely want to do another land-based trip and would probably combine it with a cruise (maybe a northbound cruise, then land trip, then southbound cruise)

[PhillyFan33579]

My simple take on Alaska cruises. 

Fun cruises = warm weather

 

Alaska cruises = cold weather (in my book) no matter what time of year

 

Therefore fun cruises does not equal Alaska cruises. 
 

Having said that, I do think most people will enjoy at least one Alaska cruise. Personally to fully enjoy an Alaska cruise you need to do some type of sightseeing tour at every port. Staying on the ship is not a good option because there aren’t a lot of things to do, unlike a Caribbean cruise. 
 

 

[Cruise a holic]

21 hours ago, LEMJMcC said:

Too funny!😅

Why funny --- true facts?  Scary.

Edited June 14, 2023 by Cruise a holic

[Mum2Mercury]

13 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

... Our final itinerary was revised 50-60 times ... Very long trip report in my signature with tons of pics & info as well. Way more about the land portion than the cruise & there’s a nice pic of me sleeping on the train if I recall. 😴 

 

Happy planning!

I was seriously working on our Alaskan trip plan, then we got busy with our first grandbaby and retirement, and I kinda let it fall by the wayside ... but it won't finish itself, so I'd better get back on it. 

 

Yes, I can relate to the revisions.  When I planned our cross-country driving trip, I'm sure I revised that many times or more (Is Mesa Verde National Park worth that long drive?  Yes.  Haven't had something special for the kids in a couple days.  Oh, a water park!) .  In the end I had a notebook full of directions, hotel reservations, tickets for various events ... but we literally didn't take a single wrong turn, never had any problems with our various reservations.  I like planning.  

 

I look forward to reading that trip report!  

12 hours ago, Giantfan13 said:

Really, if you need to be 'sold' on taking an Alaskan cruise, you already have it in your head you won't like it. If that is your attitude, stay in the Caribbean and see basically the same exact thing on most islands there. People don't go to Alaska just to see it, they want to experience it. As the slogan goes, it is America's "last frontier" ... 

I don't know.  A number of times I've thought "that vacation isn't for me", but then a friend's description has made me want to try it.  For example, I never considered a European river cruise ... then my mother went on one, and it sounded like a great trip.  Now I want to go.  

[LEMJMcC]

Every person with whom I have personally discussed an Alaskan cruise has, to a person, said that it was the best cruise they've ever taken.  Most of these folks are a bit older than my wife and me, yet certainly not sedentary in their lifestyles.  I vagabonded across southeast Alaska many years ago and was thoroughly impressed by its rugged vastness and natural beauty.

 

We've taken five Caribbean cruises over the last seven years and just this week booked our first Alaska cruise for next summer.  Hopefully it will be worth the added expense of flying across the continent, staying a few nights in a hotel, and paying for transit between the airport and cruise port.  I guess we will save on parking though, not having our own car.  We are looking forward to it with great anticipation!

 

Choosing excursions may be a chore...but such first-world problems!

[jean87510]

On 6/12/2023 at 8:53 PM, Katems75 said:

My extended family wants to take an Alaskan cruise, which has never appealed to me.  I understand it's beautiful and all, but the thought of taking a coat and hat and mittens on a CRUISE is depressing to me.

 

So what are Alaskan cruises REALLY like?  How is the weather and what would be the warmest time of year?  Are you still in coats during the warmest time?  Which ships are best for cold weather?  Are people standing around on their balconies shivering?

 

If you don't book excursions, can you still see the beauty of Alaska, or are excursions necessary?

 

Most importantly...would there be ducks hidden on the ship??? 😉

If you haven't done so already, go to YouTube.  Quite a few videos on cruising in Alaska.  Plus there is a section on Cruise Critic about Alaska

If you need to be sold on Alaska and prefer not to bring coats and have a need to look for ducks, the Caribbean or Bahamas may be a better fit for you.  

[RedIguana]

On 6/12/2023 at 8:53 PM, Katems75 said:

My extended family wants to take an Alaskan cruise, which has never appealed to me.  I understand it's beautiful and all, but the thought of taking a coat and hat and mittens on a CRUISE is depressing to me.

 

So what are Alaskan cruises REALLY like?  How is the weather and what would be the warmest time of year?  Are you still in coats during the warmest time?  Which ships are best for cold weather?  Are people standing around on their balconies shivering?

 

If you don't book excursions, can you still see the beauty of Alaska, or are excursions necessary?

 

Most importantly...would there be ducks hidden on the ship??? 😉

      Just off an Alaskan cruise from May 23 to June 8th. Went on a line other than Royal, as could not do 14 nights, and wanted more than 7. The week before and after our cruise had great weather (Juneau hit 80 F). We had 45-55, with light misty rain some portion of most days. Only rained heavy enough for ponchos a few hours. Thermals, t-shirt, overshirt, and lightweight water-resistant outerwear made it fairly comfortable. Even this Floridian did not require a heavy coat or mittens. Just make sure you bring waterproof shoes. 

       That said, would 100% do the same cruise again under the same weather conditions.  If going Royal, I personally would pick a Radiance class ship (saw Ovation there, but have not sailed that class ship, so no clue how it is in cold weather-but I prefer smaller ships myself).

       Only cruise line excursion was (Skagway) White Pass railway/bus combo up into the Yukon. Excellent!

       Juneau took a shuttle to Mendenhall glacier (taxi may be more economical if more than 2 pax). Made the hike to the waterfall. Shore excursions are too time limited, hence the shuttle. 

       Our itinerary included Hubbard Glacier. One of the few that is advancing and not retreating.

Southeast Alaska is a Temperate rainforest. Proper clothing takes care of weather issues.

       Sitka had a free shuttle to town. Took that, then booked a shuttle for fortress of the bear and the raptor center. Had more time at both, and saved $100 between the 2 of us. As a bonus, we were the drivers last trip, so she brought us to a few local sites and took us back to the ship.

       Ketchikan we did the Lumberjack show (we just purchased tickets at the door, you can order online or buy through cruise ship for a few extra dollars but will get covered seats in case it rains), and then walked the town a bit. Show was pretty fun.

       Icy Straight Point we walked to the visitor area via the trail instead of the free tramway. Saw whales and sea-lions right from the boardwalk. Took a cheap shuttle into town and back to have an ale at the brewery.

       You can see a lot of the beauty of Alaska without doing shore excursions. I do recommend the White pass railway though, even if just the shorter trip to Frasier and back. Whale watching excursion might be worth it also. 

        But if you ever plan on doing Norway, do Alaska first. Norway is like Alaska on Steroids.....

[Lorabelle]

On 6/13/2023 at 6:53 AM, OCSC Mike said:

 

It's actually not funny. My wife saw the glacier we hiked on in 2018 via the tour company's social media for the next year or two and it was sad to see how much smaller it had gotten.

I completely agree.  The first time I saw Mendenhall Glacier was in 1992.  It is much smaller now than it was back then.  It has receded quite a bit.  Same goes for the various glaciers in the bays that the ships cruise.  It's very sad to watch over the years.   Nothing funny about it.

[A&L_Ont]

11 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

My simple take on Alaska cruises. 

Fun cruises = warm weather

 

Alaska cruises = cold weather (in my book) no matter what time of year

 

Therefore fun cruises does not equal Alaska cruises. 
 

Having said that, I do think most people will enjoy at least one Alaska cruise. Personally to fully enjoy an Alaska cruise you need to do some type of sightseeing tour at every port. Staying on the ship is not a good option because there aren’t a lot of things to do, unlike a Caribbean cruise. 
 

 

We have gone three times in late July and wore shorts and had temps in the 70s/80s. Maybe we were just lucky. It’s just a different type of heat than the Caribbean, which brings a different type of fun. 

[BecciBoo]

Are You kidding?  Our favorite cruises ever hands down.  Radiance and Celebrity Solstice both Sept.  Shorts weather. And absolutely save your pennies nickels and dimes for a float plane and a whale watch. Harve N Marve or  F.I.S.H.E.S for whales, Island Wings for plane.

 

Edited June 14, 2023 by BecciBoo