Looking to the wonderful CC community for some expert advice – I’m thinking of taking D on a post-graduation trip to Seattle (I lived there years ago and really loved it), and then possibly take an Alaskan cruise from there. We’re not “cruise people”… we’re a bit concerned about feeling trapped out there on the water with a ton of people, irrational as that may be… I know the ships are BIG, but can it still feel claustrophobic with so many passengers? (We are social beings, but we also like our space!)
Would love to hear from those of you who have done it – which cruise line/ship, what were the highlights/lowlights… best way to book? Things not to miss, and things to avoid? Thanks so much in advance!
We went on our first cruise last summer on Holland America’s Amsterdam ship. We loved it. The ship was comparatively small with about 1300 passengers. We went to Juno, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria. The highlight was Glacier Bay. It was amazing. It was a 7 day cruise. The scenery was stunning.
My family and I did an Alaskan cruise 6 years ago on NCL. We too thought we weren’t cruise people but we thoroughly enjoyed it. We chose NCL because they have a more informal dress code and dining restrictions. Check out cruisecritics(dot)com for a boatload of info
My first cruise was a big turn-off. Went to the Carribean. The sight of a thousand people on a tiny “private island” slathering on the sunscreen and then getting into the pristine water…standing on the coral in their swim fins…not a good experience, so we aren’t “cruise people” either.
That said , we are going on our third cruise to Alaska this summer. The scenery is fantastic, and the vibe is different than tropical party boats. Lots of family groups. If you go, please pay for a balcony cabin. It’s very much worth the price difference because so much of an Alaska cruise is the scenery that you are passing during daytime. Bring good binoculars.
I haven’t gone on a smaller ship. It sounds intriguing, but our trips have all been with extended family and we just went with the cruise line the person making the arrangements decided, all three times on NCL.
Celebrity does Alaska cruises from Seattle as well. I took one in 2012, RT Seattle. Had a great time, beautiful scenery. There was a naturalist on board that gave interesting talks.
We did Inside Passage on Norwegian. We went in June and it was still very cold. The ship and ports were all enjoyable. If you go in Spring or early summer make sure you bring a good coat and warm clothes. The salmon spread/dip is the best. Be prepared both on the ship and all over Alaska they will be pressing you to buy Tanzanite jewelry–a blue gem stone. Lots of hard sell.
H and I went on Princess out of Vancouver and had a great time. We went in September to avoid kiddos on board and our weather was lovely. I spent some time talking to the conservation officer on board who had lived in the small mountain town where S1 lives. Great trip and probably high on my favorite vacation trips. We rented a car and drove out of town for several of our stops…the fall color was spectacular.
Did an NCL in 2014, inside passage. All past cruising experience has been in warm weather climates. Being in cold weather does change the feel of the boat. More time inside. We loved hanging out in the game room and library. It was a GREAT family vacation. Check out this group for excursions http://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com.
We’ve used them numerous times and found the excursions to be smaller, more intimate and much more pleasant than those offered thru the boat.
We went in June and the weather was great, unseasonably warm according to people, so you never know. Layering is great. We took heavier jackets, scarves, gloves but didn’t really need them.
We went in August 2015, just dh and I, on Princess one-way north from Vancouver to the port south of Anchorage. We chose the one-way because we wanted to add Denali NP (rented an RV and camped inside the park for 5 days–amazing).
Think about what interests you—wildlife? Scenery? Glaciers? Hiking or other active pursuits in port?
We chose Princess because I wanted to go inside Glacier Bay NP. Only a few cruise lines receive permits for Glacier Bay.
@cameo43 I hear you on the claustrophobic part. We did a Caribbean cruise about 10 years ago and I actually had a panic attack the day before the cruise because DH booked an inside room. Didn’t end up being too bad, but not my favorite vacation.
We’re taking my 85 year old mom on an Alaskan cruise this August/September to scratch off her bucket list item of visiting every state. We took one with our kiddos when they were in high school and it was way better than the Caribbean cruise. Big part of that was getting a nice roomy balcony suite as opposed to that inside room with fold down bunks.
We did (and will do again) something similar to @WhereIsMyKindle and @momofthreeboys, but the opposite way. Not doing Denali this time, but will take a half day tour bus (with wildlife stops) from Anchorage to Whittier. We’ve booked Princess through Costco Travel.
@dietz199 thanks for the excursion recommendation.
Go to the “other” CC: Cruise Critic. Tons of great info there, and they have their own very active forums. Go to boards dot cruisecritic dot com. There are forums there for each cruise line and for specific destinations and ports. Lots of advice about what itinerary is best, what shore excursions are best, selecting a ship, selecting a room on the ship, etc.
Oh I have been on cruise critic for YEARS!! Lots of great info there. Was just wondering what folks here have enjoyed excursion-wise. We are doing inside passage, with stops at Ketchikan (might go salmon fishing though someone recommended a kitchy lumberjack show) Juneau (whale watching?) Skagway and Victoria (town is supposed to be beautiful- might not do any tour that day). Would love to hear what others have done, liked/didn’t like, etc.
Ketchikan–hiked around the town, looked at the totem pole museum (not the place outside town), enjoyed the antics of two seals in the creek, watched salmon negotiate the salmon ladder
Juneau–amazing glacier hike on the Mendenhall Glacier through Above & Beyond Alaska (beyondak.com; booked directly), seriously the highlight of the cruise. We hiked 3.5 miles, some of it very strenuous, and onto the glacier where we spent an hour. We were able to go into ice caves! I would go again in a heartbeat.
Skagway–a combo of the train ride up into Canada, kayaking on a glacier-fed lake, and a (small) bus ride back to the pier area. I can’t locate the name of the provider—it’s one that can be booked directly but for our date we had to book through Princess (had to do w the train times that day). We were in a group of maybe 15. We had our own train car with plenty of room (everyone could have a window seat). They had double and single kayaks available.
We rented a car in Skagway and drove up into the Yukon. Very easy to do, the rental car company was just a few blocks from the pier.
If you do go, remember to bring passports since you enter Canada.
