1st Alaska cruise

[TXRed]

Hello to all!! We just booked our first cruise to Alaska for 9/08 on our favorite ship the Rhapsody!! We are so excited. Will depart from Seattle and end in Vancouver. Please anyone, tell me what your experiences have been...the do's and the don't bothers....what's the best what to get back to Seattle? WE have only sailed MX and the Caribbean...so what clothing should we take...any suggestions on tours? Ports of Call are Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Ann Fjord, Prince Rupert and Vancouver...any and all suggestions and tips and info will be greatly apreciated.

[Sue L]

My best advice is to go to the Alaska Port of call board. Extremely helpful and very active board. Make sure you helicopter to a glacier. Most amazing thing I have ever done!

[fluffi]

Hello to all!! We just booked our first cruise to Alaska for 9/08 on our favorite ship the Rhapsody!! We are so excited. Will depart from Seattle and end in Vancouver. Please anyone, tell me what your experiences have been...the do's and the don't bothers....what's the best way to get back to Seattle? We have sailed MX and the Caribbean...so what clothing should we take to Alaska...any suggestions on tours? Ports of Call are Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Ann Fjord, Prince Rupert and Vancouver...any and all suggestions and tips and info will be greatly appreciated.

 

u will love alaska we have sailed there 3 times in sept 08 to new england will be our 16th cruise the best tour is the train ride in skagway to the yukon by bus & the train back down i would go back to alaska in a heart beat luv it have a great time we just got off the rhapsody went to hawaii 11 day cruise

[TXRed]

My best advice is to go to the Alaska Port of call board. Extremely helpful and very active board. Make sure you helicopter to a glacier. Most amazing thing I have ever done!

 

thanks I will...but in the past I have always gotten the BEST answers right here....

[TXRed]

u will love alaska we have sailed there 3 times in sept 08 to new england will be our 16th cruise the best tour is the train ride in skagway to the yukon by bus & the train back down i would go back to alaska in a heart beat luv it have a great time we just got off the rhapsody went to hawaii 11 day cruise

 

we have been wanting to go for several years.....and now we ARE!! Thanks so much for the train ride suggestion...sounds like some thing we will certainly want to do....

[TXRed]

My best advice is to go to the Alaska Port of call board. Extremely helpful and very active board. Make sure you helicopter to a glacier. Most amazing thing I have ever done!

 

ooopss forogot to thank you for the helicopter suggestion...my husband and son would really love to do that....

[Big Kielbasa]

We did our first Alaska cruise-tour this past Aug, all I can say i can say is we're itching to do it all over again. I spent many hours on the deck sucking in the scenery and really didn't want to leave, my wife had to drag me in for meals. Don't let the glamor of the ship keep you inside, take in all you can of what your going there for.:)

[libertybelle41]

I recommend the float plane to Taku lodge in Juneau. We loved it!

[RBOUR]

You will LOVE Alaska just got back from a two week trip on Radience. If possible get a room with a balcony nothing like watching the world go by from your own balcony:D :D

[Sue L]

thanks I will...but in the past I have always gotten the BEST answers right here....

 

 

 

While that might be true for other ports of call, the Alaska board is a lot different. There are a ton of Alaskan natives with the inside scoop and many others who have done Alaska numerous times and they are a VERY active bunch and you will get a ton of answers. I hope you will do the helicopter trip also, I am the world greatest chicken and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Don't let the cost make you queasy either, worth every penny.

[MLG4MEE]

In Juneau I would do whale watching & Orca Point Lodge, in Skagway I would check out White Pass train ride.

[Host Kewlguy]

u will love alaska we have sailed there 3 times in sept 08 to new england will be our 16th cruise the best tour is the train ride in skagway to the yukon by bus & the train back down i would go back to alaska in a heart beat luv it have a great time we just got off the rhapsody went to hawaii 11 day cruise

 

We're renting a car and driving up to Emerald Lake and the rest of the Yukon in September, 2008. Much more freedom and flexibility when doing it that way. Also it's an easy drive.

[DEBCAT65]

Hello to all!! We just booked our first cruise to Alaska for 9/08 on our favorite ship the Rhapsody!! We are so excited. Will depart from Seattle and end in Vancouver. Please anyone, tell me what your experiences have been...the do's and the don't bothers....what's the best way to get back to Seattle? We have sailed MX and the Caribbean...so what clothing should we take to Alaska...any suggestions on tours? Ports of Call are Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Ann Fjord, Prince Rupert and Vancouver...any and all suggestions and tips and info will be greatly appreciated.

We did the same itiniary on the Vision this past June. This cruise was worth every penny we spent!! We booked independent excurision with Capt Larry w/Orca Enterprises for whale watching - exceeded our expectations. In Skagway, we did the Yukon motor coach up to Carcross - we even went as far up as Emerald Lake. It was amazing!!! Renting a car would be great, but you would miss the scenery on the way down by train. Our 12 year old DD had a blast video taping the scenery. Our DD and DS 15, had a wonderful time on this trip.

 

Prince Rupert was a let down to us. There was not really much there, except for a lot of mosquitos. We did the white water rafting excursion and I would not recommend this one. But, we did see quite a few bald eagles in Prince Rupert.

 

Make sure you get a balcony. We spent hours on our balcony.

 

Packing - 1 word....layers. It was hard to pack because there were 4 of us.

Final words...check out the Alaska boards as previously suggested. You will get soooo much help there. It is worth the time and effort.

 

Have a great trip. Take lots of memory cards!!!

 

Debbi

[Buccaneergirl]

We have been to AK twice and my reccomendations are:

1. get a balcony

2. Take the helicopter - the 1st time we did it to the glacier and walked around and this time we went to the glacier and did the dog sledding. Both are great, but the dog sledding was my favorite - either one is so worth the $$!

3. The floatplane was awesome too.

4. See pics at the link below.:)

Have a great time!!

[sagiv666]

Hello to all!! We just booked our first cruise to Alaska for 9/08 on our favorite ship the Rhapsody!! We are so excited. Will depart from Seattle and end in Vancouver. Please anyone, tell me what your experiences have been...the do's and the don't bothers....what's the best what to get back to Seattle? WE have only sailed MX and the Caribbean...so what clothing should we take...any suggestions on tours? Ports of Call are Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Ann Fjord, Prince Rupert and Vancouver...any and all suggestions and tips and info will be greatly apreciated.

 

My wife and I just returned from a 14-night cruise to Alaska on the Radiance. We loved our time. We lucked out on the weather, although we had our share of rain and cold, but that is par for Alaska. We enjoyed the shore excursions -- although I know some were cancelled due to bad weather.

 

What we learned:

Bring along layered clothing. One never knows how the weather will be, and it is better to have more that can be taken off if the weather warrants rather than less, shiver, and ruin your cruise. We got our outerwear from L.L. Bean. In fact, my jacket is called the "Weather Channel Jacket": it has a fleece lining that can be removed, as well as a hood, and the whole jacket is water repellent. You see it all the time if you watch the Weather Channel, and see their correspondents in all types of weather. Both of us had a down vest which we could wear if needed. In addition, my wife brought jeans and I had work pants, and we had footwear resistant to the weather and allowing traction; in fact I brought a pair one half sice larger so I could wear heavier socks when needed. We both had mittens and caps (in addition to my golf cap, I had 2 Navy watch caps and my wife had a cap she bought on the train when we saw Alaska by land before the cruise. Oh! Bring sunglasses - if the sun is out, the reflection from the water, glaciers, and mountains and ground covered with snow will answer the question "Why?"

Hold off on perfume and after-shave. On land you will be where wild animals, especially moose and bears may be near, and you don't want to get too close. If a moose happens to charge you, run. If a bear does, hold your ground, and if he/she doesn't, back away slowly, saying "nice bear" in a low voice. I think the clue is not to do anything these animals consider aggressive to them. Even if he/she stands on his rear, he/she may be just trying to see who you are. And do not touch cubs, or interfere with anything he/she might consider food!

If you are looking forward to taking pictures and have a digital camera, take a number of memory cards, and a good supply of batteries, unless you have rechargeable ones -- in that case, don't forget your charger. I brought 2 2gb memory cards and an extra battery and I thought I was set. I ended up buying another memory card (4gb) and tow more batteries. We are going on a cruise in a few weeks, and I ordered an extra charger and 3 plastic carrying cases for my rechargeable batteries. I need a bigger camera bag to carry what I have,and a smaller one to take on excursions.

Most stores in Alaska take credit cards, but I also brought traveler's checks. Passenger Relations always broke them for me if I needed cash, and on ship you have an account.

If you plan on buying items such as wood vases, pictures, etc. see if you can ship them home -- the price for this is not that great. If you buy items which are sharp (like Alaskan knives called an "ulu"), shipping is almost mandatory. Whatever you buy, when you ship you don't worry about extra weight when you disembark and fly home.

These are the best ideas I have for now. If I have more, I'll chime in again.

Expect to have a great time!:)

[lovesublime]

Good idea to go over to the Alaska board. Lots of helpful people there. You will love Alaska so much. Here's a few things to keep in mind:

 

1. Be prepared for any kind of weather including cold and rain. Dressing in

layers works well.

 

2. You MUST have a balcony.

 

3. Rent a car from Avis in Skagway and make the drive to Emerald Lake.

 

4. Go on a whale watching excursion in Juneau.

 

5. Have fun!!!

[lovesublime]

Good idea to go over to the Alaska board. Lots of helpful people there. You will love Alaska so much. Here's a few things to keep in mind:

 

1. Be prepared for any kind of weather including cold and rain. Dressing in

layers works well.

 

2. You MUST have a balcony.

 

3. Rent a car from Avis in Skagway and make the drive to Emerald Lake.

 

4. Go on a whale watching excursion in Juneau.

 

5. Have fun!!!

[mitaxi]

Congratulations on booking this cruise... just back last month form my first (and not my last) cruise to Alaska..

 

a highlight for me was whale watching ...A MUST :D

 

Enjoy your cruise...

[sagiv666]

You will LOVE Alaska just got back from a two week trip on Radience. If possible get a room with a balcony nothing like watching the world go by from your own balcony:D :D

 

That was quite a cruise; my wife and I took it as well -- we also had a balcony. The excursions were marvelous (in Juneau we also took the helicopter to the glaciers -- whale watching in Juneau, and the White Horse RR ride in Skagway were our other favorites).

Prior to the cruise, we had taken a land tour of Alaska. Denali shouldn't be missed. After the land tour ended, we had some time for outselves in Anchorage before flying to Vancouver. One day a float plane took my wife and myself, and another couple, to the Redoubt Lodge in the Lake Clark reserve. There we spent the morning and afternoon out on an open boat

watching wildlife, especially bears. In fact, this was the highlight of our whole trip. Also a thanks to our Captain for his navigation which added to the cruise -- he did a great job when we came to the Hubbard Glacier. :)

[megr1125]

Hello to all!! We just booked our first cruise to Alaska for 9/08 on our favorite ship the Rhapsody!! We are so excited. Will depart from Seattle and end in Vancouver. Please anyone, tell me what your experiences have been...the do's and the don't bothers....what's the best what to get back to Seattle? WE have only sailed MX and the Caribbean...so what clothing should we take...any suggestions on tours? Ports of Call are Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Ann Fjord, Prince Rupert and Vancouver...any and all suggestions and tips and info will be greatly apreciated.

 

You would have to find something to do for the day in Vancouver as the train doens't leave until early evening, but the Amtrak Cascades is a nice way to get back...it's a very nice ride. You might want to consider staying over in Vancouver if time permits and if you have never been there before...same for Seattle...i would consider coming in a day or 2 early-again, nice city to explore...lots to do.

www.amtrakcascades.com

also there is quick coach which is the bus..... www.quickcoach.com

We did the white pass and yukon route train in Skagway I believe....it was miserable (foggy, lite rain) so it was a little hard to see, but still fun. In juneau I went into town and found a local tour at a booth there near the end of the tram. We got an end of season discount-it was a decent tour.....and i included a visit to mendenhall glacier....we paid a lot less than the ships' tour..i think we got a $35 tour for, eh $25 maybe......

we were on Serenade, but if you click on the link in my signature, there are pictures of stuff in the ports (we did Juneau, Ketchican, Hubbard Glacier and Skagway) Also, since you are on one of the last cruises for the season, there will be bargains on 'stuff' in port...(and maybe on the ship-ours WAS the last cruise, so all the AK stuff was 75% off!)

[robtulipe]

Good idea to go over to the Alaska board. Lots of helpful people there. You will love Alaska so much. Here's a few things to keep in mind:

 

1. Be prepared for any kind of weather including cold and rain. Dressing in

layers works well.

 

2. You MUST have a balcony.

 

3. Rent a car from Avis in Skagway and make the drive to Emerald Lake.

 

4. Go on a whale watching excursion in Juneau.

 

5. Have fun!!!

#1 is why I wouldn't spend a lot of $ extra for #2. Didn't seem to be lots of people using their balconies on our recent Ultimate Alaska cruise on the Radiance. That's my impression when I was looking down the side of the ship. View from top decks of Radiance class ship is great and you are protected from the elements by all the glass up there.

For #3 be warned that Canadian can't take US rental vehicles into Canada. I had known this before and Avis in Skagway confirmed this when we took out one of their car. We couldn't go to Emerald Lake in the Yukon, only as far as Cdn. customs near first town in B.C which is about 20 miles in.

For #4, I agree whale watching is great up there but we also saw whales at St. Theresa's Shrine during our private land tour in Juneau and from ship while in inland passage. Also we having done many whale watching boat tours in Maui had already had had the really close up whale watching experience there at much lower cost.

[lucywestie]

I agree with Rob. We just got back off the 13 night Serenade and a lot of people we talked to were not using their balconies. The weather we had [20 Sept onwards] was very good though the temperature dropped a bit at night. We had an inside cabin and it was fine as there are masses of places on board where you can go and sit and watch the world go by.

White Pass railway was excellent though a bit expensive when booked through the ship. You can save some bucks and book it yourself through the white pass website and its only a 10 minute walk or so from where the ship docks to the railway depot.

We also went up Mount Roberts in Juneau. Again, don't buy through the ship, just walk off the dock and buy them yourself as they are about 5 bucks cheaper per person. The tram takes you up the mountain and there are walking trails with great views [if the weather is clear like we had], shop, restaurant and when we were there there was a chap displaying an injured eagle and talking about it etc.

Also, everywhere you looked souvenirs etc. were on sale. Good quality Tshirts for $3 [down from $15 & $20] in Alaskan Shirt Company. Shops on board had 75% off fleeces, glass, kids clothing etc.

This was our first cruise and we just booked the same one again as we enjoyed it so much. We do intend to do a whale watching excursion this time around though. Friend of mine came back in July from same ship and said she saw lots of whales from the ship so we didnt bother booking one. Though we did see whales this time I think its just probably not the same if you are in a small boat and closer to them..so thats a must see next time.

Oh, and we packed way to much. Pack less thicker clothing and more thinner layers!

Pete

[sagiv666]

#1 is why I wouldn't spend a lot of $ extra for #2. Didn't seem to be lots of people using their balconies on our recent Ultimate Alaska cruise on the Radiance. That's my impression when I was looking down the side of the ship. View from top decks of Radiance class ship is great and you are protected from the elements by all the glass up there.

For #3 be warned that Canadian can't take US rental vehicles into Canada. I had known this before and Avis in Skagway confirmed this when we took out one of their car. We couldn't go to Emerald Lake in the Yukon, only as far as Cdn. customs near first town in B.C which is about 20 miles in.

For #4, I agree whale watching is great up there but we also saw whales at St. Theresa's Shrine during our private land tour in Juneau and from ship while in inland passage. Also we having done many whale watching boat tours in Maui had already had had the really close up whale watching experience there at much lower cost.

 

My wife and I cruised to Alaska in September aboard the Radiance. This was the first time we had a balcony cabin and it was the best decision we made. It was on the starboard side and we had Alaska in view as we cruised North. I saw the cabin used often by all our neighbors. As far as the weather, it can get cold, such as when we get to the Hubbard Glacier. It is not sheltered on the upper decks, and even the CD complained about the cold. Also, the Captain maneuvered the ship so as to give each side a nice view of the glacier, and if you had a balcony, it was easy to retreat inside if the cold bothered you too much. Many afternoons, I just sat outside with binoculars and camera ready in case we saw whales and we sometimes did. When it was quiet, I sometimes had a nice sleep in the fresh air. As we headed South and the weather warmed up, it was nice if I got up early to run outside and take pictures in my birthday suit. True, there were certain times when it was better to be topside to view and perhaps photo certain sights, but in looking back, the balcony contributed so much to our enjoyment of the cruise.

As for whale watching, we took two trips, one out of Juneau and the other out of Icy Strait Point. We enjoyed both excursions and have great pictures. I would do it other places too, but I don't see it being mutually exclusive.:)

[FreewayFortune]

I am so happy for you. Alaska was our first ever cruise last year and it was amazing. It is so beautiful, have a fantastic time. I also loved the Whitepass and the whale watching blew me away. I've only been whale watching on the east coast so seeing more than just the tails was fantastic.