Travel

[JudyL]

Thinking of doing a cruise next year in August.  Been looking at different options.  Anyone ever done an Alaskan cruise?  Thinking of Norwegian cruise line, 7 days out of Seattle.  This will be my first real cruise.  Did a 3 day cruise out of LA once & it was not a good trip but that wasn't the cruise's fault.  Any input re the cruise, the cruise line or other cruise lines are appreciated.  Thanks!

[World Traveler]

@JudyL An Alaskan cruise is one of my favorite trips taken. My sister and I took our father, who was in a wheelchair, on that trip out of Seattle. We used Celebrity Cruises and they were awesome with our father. The minute one of their crew people saw us with him, they took over. We would go into the eating area, and they took him, pushed him around to see what food he wanted, and another crew person filled up his plate with whatever he wanted. My sister and I did not have to lift a finger!

The scenery is awesome in Alaska. And we did many of the extras each time we came into a port. I did dog sledding, which was a blast! They use a helicopter to get you to where the dogs are. You can even "drive" the sled if you want. I did that and also sat in it. Felt like I was in the Dr. Zhivago movie!

My sister and I both did the kayaking excursion and loved it, even though we got soaking wet because it rained that day.

She did a big hiking trail and her photos thru the woods were so beautiful.

I took my dad on a train ride at one of the stops and that too was great.

Most of all, watching the glaciers 'calve', break off, was quite an experience.

If you can afford a room with a balcony, go for it. It makes all the difference in the world!

[Kachina624]

I've been on two Alaskan cruises.  One of the high points is Glacier Bay.  The park service limits the number of ships that can go there due to environmental concerns.  Be sure any ship you're considering has it on its itinerary. 

The other high point of any trip to Alaska is a side trip to Denali National Park.  It's such a thrill to see bears, caribou, moose and other animals up close and personal.  It takes a little more money and adds a couple of days to the schedule but is so worth it. 

I don't think the cruise line makes much difference.  I'm not a big fan of Princess or Carnival.  If you leave from Seattle take some sea sickness medicine.  There's a long stretch of open ocean that can get pretty rough before you get to the inside passage which is calm as a bathtub. 

Take a raincoat, layers of jacket & sweatshirt, gloves, and binoculars.  It can get chilly on a ship that's underway.   Dress is very casual. 

Get reviews of cruise lines on cruisecritic.com.  A room with a balcony is essential for an Alaskan cruise. 

[I am still oxox]

As cruise lines go NCL is not first class, I would say Celebrity or Holland America.

[chiclet]

Went on Princess cruise to Alaska.  Awful week of my life.  I don't feel like I saw alaska at all.  The side trips from the cruises were boring too.  If I wanted to see alaska I would go to go to anchorage and take trips from there. 

[gmkb]

I would recommend Holland America, Celebrity, or Princess cruise line.  I have found that you get what you pay for with cruising.  

Take warm clothing and rainwear with you.  The scenery is certainly beautiful.

i am probably one of only a handful of people that did not enjoy an Alaskan cruise.  It was very cold and rained every day, 

[itsmagic]

I have not taken an Alaskan cruise with NCL but I did use that cruise line for a Hawaiian cruise.  I liked NCL because it was more casual and we didn't have to take a special outfit for a more formal meal.  I know some people look forward to that but we are happy with casual. 

[kaydee50]

We have taken a 7 day cruise from Vancouver to Seward and a 14 day round trip from Seattle which we are repeating next year because we liked it so much.  A lot depends on your budget, how long a cruise you want and what kind of "experience" you're looking for.  I have taken NCL and it was OK but we are pretty loyal to Holland America.  If you really want to see more of Alaska and less of the cruise experience I would suggest taking a one way cruise and then take a land tour which is offered by HAL and Princess to Denali, Fairbanks and other areas of Alaska you won't have an opportunity to see on a cruise.  Bon voyage!

[Abrowneyegirl]

Another vote for Holland America!  The quailty of the cruise line can make or break the experience.

We have several friends that have taken Alaskan cruises and since this is on our list to do we ask a lot of questions.

The land-sea cruises seem to be the best bet for the $, best experience.

10 days + seem to the magic number with 2 weeks being the most favored.

Since we live on the east coast, once you add in travel days it is easily a 16-17 day vacation so for us it is a trip planned for retirement.

[FrostyBabe1]

If you prefer a more active cruise experience, I would not recommend Holland America. I've taken two cruises on HAL, one of which was to Alaska, and probably would not choose them again. Nearly every one of the active excursions (hiking, biking, kayaking, etc.) that I signed up for was cancelled for lack of participants. What was offered in exchange was something very sedentary, ie, a bus ride to sit and watch a movie or listen to a talk about some subject. HAL definitely caters to the less active traveler.