Too Many Alaska Cruisers Get These 7 Things Wrong
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- čas přidán 18. 06. 2024
- You need to get your Alaska cruise right as for most it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip and the stakes are high, and as they cost more than many alternative cruises the stakes are higher. These are the mistakes I see people cruising to Alaska keep making - so you can avoid them
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00:00 Start
00:37 Right Cruise
03:00 Pre- and Post
03:55 Best Time
05:14 Best Cruise Line
07:07 Right Cabin
08:26 Budgeting Right
12:31 Packing Right
Being an Alaskan resident for 25 years, I would recommend that you target late May as your best bet for good weather. The rainiest season is typically in Early to mid August. But being that the three ports of call discussed in this video are located in boreal rainforests, so some rain should be expected. Come and enjoy our beautiful State!
I concur, late May and early June are usually driest.
Thank you ❤
We’re in a mid June
Hello what will it be like in April?
@@Ann-MD still cold mid 40s during the day probably still some snow here and there. I call it Indian snow. Because it’s Apache here and Apache there
A balcony is a must. A bottle of wine and nibbles watching the scenery go by.
This was probably the 25th video I've watched in preparation for our Alaskan cruise and it was by far the most useful! Thanks!
Brilliant to hear 👍🏻 hope you have a fantastic trip
As someone who drove tour bus for Holland America and Princess for a few years, here’s some advice: If you want to explore the interior of Alaska (Fairbanks, Denali, etc.) while also cruising the coast, first of all, start with the LAND portion. There’s much to see, and the scheduling can be tight, so it’ll be quite taxing if you’ve already been on a cruise for a week prior. Also, make sure to fly in a day or so early to give yourself enough time to explore Fairbanks (as you’ll be starting there for the land portion leading to the cruise). There is quite a lot to do, and I wouldn’t want you to miss anything. Another bit of advice for exploring Fairbanks is if you have to choose between the Riverboat Discovery and the Gold Dredge 8 excursions (usually you can book both on the same day, but I’ve often seen people stuck with this decision), go for the Riverboat Discovery. You’re fed lunch if you buy it as part of your package, and if you don’t, they have boxed lunches there as well for you to choose. However, I will say that if you find a particular interest in the history of gold mining and the pipeline, go to the Gold Dredge 8. You do have the opportunity to stand immediately next to the real pipe, and you can walk inside the dredge itself and see all the machinery and such.
Second: while traveling from Fairbanks to Denali, I suggest going by motorcoach because you’ll either make a pit stop in Nenana (a key city regarding the history of the Iditarod sled dog race) or Tatlanika, and in both places are real and friendly locals with plenty of amazing stories to tell that you can’t get otherwise.
However, if you get motion sick or have limitations with mobility, definitely travel by rail, as you’ll have many more opportunities to stand up and stretch during transit, and it won’t be as cramped.
Should I still go on my cruize Oct 7 2023, or too rainy?
@@debbiedormand1499 That’s a good question. It’s often rainy or overcast along the coast, so my recommendation would be to keep an eye on the forecast and plan accordingly for weather. Alaska is still quite beautiful even if it is raining, so you’ll be in for a real treat. 😊 One thing I can guarantee is that it will be chilly in October, so make sure to dress in layers - exercise leggings under anything you’d like to wear will help you feel warmer, and a good windbreaker and vest will help your upper body stay warm.
How nice of you to post this! Thank you!
My husband and I sailed with the Regent. First class with only around 300 hundred passengers. Wonderful experience. I would never consider a huge ship with thousands of people on it.
I@@heide6842
Have been fortunate enough to do three Alaskan cruises. They all ended in Seattle. After the first cruise I realized four ships pull into Seattle and almost everybody on those ships headed to the airport. It is absolutely ridiculous. Humongous lines no room to sit. Stressful way to end a vacation. Second two times left on a Monday. Hardly anybody at the airport and Seattle is a great city to spend a day or two in.
My husband and I look our first cruise to Alaska for our 25th anniversary almost 21 years ago on Princess. We loved it and later went on 5 more various cruises. We went the first week in June with kids still in school, things starting to green up but snow still around to have wonderful varied scenery. The waterfalls are just rushing that time of year. 🏔
Agreed that Glacier Bay is an essential part of any Alaskan cruise. It was the highlight for us. We had the last cruise of the season, the weather was absolutely beautiful, and when in ports, many of the businesses were having clearance sales on their merchandise.
Absolutely sage advice that bears repeating. We had warm sun lead to rain which faded out into cloudy and cold while in Ketchikan. Being prepared is the way to go!
Once again, you have done a great job explaining how cruisers can get the most for their money and for their experience. The train ride to Denali is a must see. The helicopter and dog sled ride to Mendenhall Glacier are breathtaking. The wildlife are there and as long as one goes there, they will see whales, moose, eagles, beavers, and more. Your viewers should remember that beside jet lag they may find the 23 hours of daylight a little disorientating, but they will quickly adapt. Great work as usual, Gary!
Great timing for this video. I'm actually going on an Alaska Cruise in 5 days. It's my first time and I'm super excited
I just started planning an Alaskan cruise for 2023, perfect timing!
Totally agree re: Ketchikan, Skagway and Juneau - we were delighted to spend time in all of these ports a few weeks ago. While the inside passage does have more time 'at sea', I do think it's great for first-timers to Alaska - a mix of more 'normal' cruising and Alaska!
We did the NCL Encore Alaskan Cruise in June 2022. I would definitely do it again! I agree, if you can afford it, the balcony cabins are worth it. The only excursion that I would book over and over again is the White Pass Railway in Skagway. I loved my cruise!
We went to Alaska this past May on the Carnival Miracle. The trip was absolutely perfect in every way possible. Don’t feel like you are limited to just Holland America or Princess.
But HAL was marvelous,,!!!!!
We went to Alaska this past May as well. First time to Alaska. We left out of San Francisco.
I would NEVER sail on Carnival ANYWHERE.
@@cherylkoski7184 I'm sorry you feel that way. You must have had a bad experience. We have sailed 3 times on Carnival. Fantastic each time.
@Lorelei R I agree, we took Carnival when we went on the Fall Foilage Cruise and we had a blast! We've gone on Carnival and Royal Caribbean, and it's been hard to top that cruise 🛳 on the Fall Foilage....
End of the season can be amazing for clearance sales on everything in the ports. Jewelry can be hugely marked down. If your a shopper like me you’ll love the end of season clearance sales.
Thanks to all your previous videos, my wife and I did not fall victim to these pitfalls. Cheers. 😊
I went several years ago on Holland America. We stopped at Sitka instead of Skagway. We had a great time. When we were in Juneau we did gold panning which got us outside of town. This was a cheaper activity which freed up some money for other activities at other stops. You are correct about having rain gear. Make sure its good, the hood should seal since the finer rain can blow around.
Glacier Bay is amazing. Probably my favorite day of an Alaskan cruise. But Endicott Arm is breath taking as well. Be sure to look for the tour that takes the smaller boat further in to see the glaciers close up.
We did the inside passage but we did it via ferry hopping by car. We stayed in hotels on land but 2 of the nights worked out getting cabins on the ferry. We stopped at Prince Rupert, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau and Skagway. It was an amazing trip.
Very good advice. I have cruised Alaska multiple times and you know what you're talking about.
My wife and I took NCL to Alaska in August 2022 and loved it so much we booked another for may 2023. Very good tips, definitely expect rain. In Ketchikan it was sunny one minute and rain the next. Remember you are going to a rainforest.
Great tips. One more thing to consider on choosing lines, Holand and Princess have priority for docking at the ports. You'll be much closer to town. some lines even have to tender guests into town.
I took a Holland America cruise on the Noordam from Seward to Vancouver. The roughest part was flying to Anchorage and traveling six hours to Seward but took the train and it was quite scenic and beautiful. The cruise was incredible, the scenery was amazing, and the customer service was impeccable. Glacier Bay was amazing, and having a balcony cabin was a must. A visit to Mendenhall Glacier in Anchorage was unforgettable (make the effort to hike up to the edge, you won't regret it!) When we landed in Haines, we took the ferry to Skagway for the White Pass and Yukon Route train ride, and it was definitely worth it! I'd never been on a Holland America cruise and it was such a great experience - the older crowd didn't bother me a bit, to be honest. One of the most memorable cruises I've ever taken - I'd definitely do it again!
We’ve been to Alaska 3 times, going again in August. Absolutely beautiful.
I just happened to be going to Alaska (via NCL Encore) on my first cruise -- Oct 2nd! So this video was very helpful. I did discover your channel before I even booked a cruise - thanks for the great insights!!
Have a great time. Please let me know how you get on as my partner & best friend have booked Encore Alaska next year as their annual getaway.
We took a HAL cruise mid-Aug 2022. Our 3rd cruise to Alaska. I agreed that the inside passage and land tour are the best combination. Thank you very much for the tips of price alert website that helped us got 20% back from HAL before curising. We were blessed and grateful that one out of seven days rained. The raining hike up to Mendenhall Glacier was not as bad becuase we packed properly as you suggested in this video. You are correct; HAL did turn the ship on both sides at the Hubbard Glacier, where we enjoyed the beauty right from our suite balcony. We did not know the starboard or portside were important until this trip. We’ve been on both Princess and HAL in Alaska and enjoyed the trip immensely. The wild life spotting from curise ship is not easy, but we were blessed to see many humpback whales. Thank you once again for your great tips on this channel. You prepared us for the HAL cruise nicely. Keep up the great work, and we are so grateful for your advice.
Going in my first cruise, to Alaska! I’m excited. Gathering all the info I need for a hopeful great trip.
I had booked two back-to-back Alaska cruises starting in Vancouver traveling first northerly to Seward and then a southernly route on the return cruise back to Vancouver. This allowed partially exploring a port knowing that I would return soon to complete the exploration. I had booked the cruises two weeks prior to the sail date and was fortunate to find an Alaskan travel guide in my library that focused on cruise ports. This helped my quick preparations last minute. At many ports I stopped into the US National Park ranger building at each port town and received recommendations for nearby hiking routes that fit into my available time. For myself, these hikes into nature are the most memorable. Clothing style is more casual on this type of cruise so wearing nice jeans and a sweater to dinner is just fine. I brought only one pair of all black sneakers to minimize luggage size and wore them to every event on board and on land. Because of my nature hikes, it was necessary to wipe them clean in my cabin after I returned. A pair of sandals allowed me to let the black sneakers dry out and still walk around the ship comfortably.
I remember going to a second-hand store to get some silly thing for a ship board Trivia Contest--red sock.
My first ever cruise is to Alaska in less than a week. Already made sure to avoid some of your no-nos! Flying into Seattle early, picked a Glacier Bay itinerary, managed to get myself a balcony, and picked what I hope are some great excursions! -- Still salty about missing the train ride in Skagway but I'd rather not be squished by a rockslide -- and I guess that'll give me a reason to go back!
Great tips, lots of good information, as always. Thanks for sharing!
Our North to South with Denali tour (BEARS!) and cruise on Holland America was unforgettable… we stopped in Haines…. And drove up to the animal preserve in Mosquito lake! Also, the gold mine!
14 nights on island princess best 2 weeks ever. Loved island princess. Travelled with 3 generations, grandchildren loved it. Crew were very good, and loved having the children there. White water rafting, saw bears catching salmon. Lumberjack show, very interesting trip to village, and totompoles. It was the Trip of a lifetime, and very much worth saving for.
Was very grateful for all your tips Gary, we took note and your good advice.
So much valuable info you shared on Alaska. Thank you
We are cruising to Alaska on the Discovery Princess at the end of September. We chose Seattle to Vancouver so that we can spend extra time in Vancouver afterwards. It’ll be our first time on Princess and to Alaska so we’re pretty excited! We’ve already booked our excursions - the train ride, the helicopter glacier ride, and the crab fest!
Lots of great info. Many people were improperly dressed. The temps are 45-70 F for the daytime and it may rain. Pack accordingly like it's late fall and you'll be fine.
I highly recommend a small ship cruise with Alaska Dream Cruises. It has a max of 49 passengers. The crew was awesome and the chef was amazing. You can get in areas and closer to places than the larger ships can. It was an amazing 9-day cruise from Sitka to Ketchikan. Great experience.
My husband and I took an Alaskan cruise tour with Princess 12 years ago, and that was our first taste of cruising. We flew into Anchorage and spent the night. Anchorage was a lot of fun for a half day. We then went back to the airport the next morning where a bus picked us up and took us to the McKinley Lodge in Denali State Park. We had a gorgeous view of the mountain that evening along with a superior martini. We went for a guided hike the next day (our guide was a graduate student in environmental science, and he was fun!) and then the third day left for the Denali Lodge close to the entrance of Denali National Park. We took a bus tour into the park, but could only go the first 15 miles because we were there for just one night. The lodges and their restaurants were magnificent. The next morning we boarded the glass domed train, which is what I was really looking forward to before the trip. It was spectacular! The variety of terrain, the mountains, everything! Then we pulled into Whittier and saw the Coral Princess. I had never seen such a beautiful ship. I wasn't keen on cruising before (I was thinking of the train ride as the only highlight), but my husband and I discovered the joy of having our hotel move with us as we visited Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau where we went white water rafting, sea kayaking, and hiking to the Mendenhall Glacier. We are thankful that Princess "tricked" us into taking a cruise. It is something we continue to enjoy.
Great video and perfect timing for us! Thanks so much, Gary. After watching your other videos, we're on Holland America Noordam in two weeks, north from Vancouver to Whittier. Comforing to hear your recommendations, as we are12 hours in Juneau, 14 hours in Skagway. Then on to Denali and Fairbanks. And we're splurging for the excursions. We're following your recommendation, except that we're doing the Black Bear, Wildlife and Nature Walk in Ketchikan instead of the lumberjack show. Next time!😀
I took my very first cruise ever on Princess, Inside Passage, 12 nights. It was their last sailing for the season. We left Vancouver a half day late (diesel generator issue) so we lost our stop at Icy Point. But we got to see more of the Inside Passage during the day. Based on this video, I made all the right moves. The stop at Sitka was great - took a 5 hour tour and the first part was on the water where we saw orcas, humpbacks, otters, bald eagles flying, and bears snagging and eating salmon. It was Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Sitka, Endicott Arm, Ketchikan, Prince Rupert, and Victoria. Had better weather than when I visited Scotland in 2019.
I have yet to do this (though its high up on my bucket list) so I really appreciate this very clear and sensible advice. Thank you.
We were on Holland America’s Zuiderdam at the end of July. Glacier Bay was on the itinerary but sadly it was very foggy and we didn’t see much. We booked an excursion through the cruise that picked us up before the boat arrived in Juneau and took us all the way up Tracy Arm Fjord to the Sawyer Glacier - it was the highlight of our trip. Gorgeous scenery and tons of wildlife and whales.
There were so many multigenerational families on board and things were much more casual than I expected as far as evening dress goes. Unless you want to, you don’t need dressy clothes.
Oh, Gary/...I loved it when you talked about the dress code (or lack thereof). I lived in Alaska for over 30 years. Anchorage has an annual festival called "Fur Rondy" that celebrates the old fur trappers and such and the Alaskan tuxedo is is a set of Carhart coveralls and bunny boots. And there are some cruise ships that dock in Seward. You can catch the train there to Denali and Fairbanks. Thank you for doing this video. Oh how I miss Alaska.
I hav a crude for October7 2023 I'm afraid it may rain took much , should I still go?
If it makes ya feel any better my yard still has 2 feet of snow in Wasilla.
I’ve only ever been to Juneau, but you could spend an entire summer there and never run out of things to see and do. I got to go on a friend’s commercial fishing boat and caught a 10 lb flounder and they grilled it on the boat. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
I'm just a stones throw from Vancouver so for our first cruise my fiancé and I have decided to take a cruise to Alaska next May. We've booked on Celebrity for a cruise up and back in 7 days. Won't cost us anything to get to and from the cruise ship terminal. So the wedding will be on Saturday and the following Saturday we will be boarding the ship. Balcony cabin.
My friend and I did an Inside Passage cruise the week of July 4th, hoping to get the best weather possible. We did start with 2 days at sea, but I love those. I love the activities and games. For some reason, we weren’t able to stop at Skagway. But even early July is COLD!
The best recommendation I ever heard and now I have knowledge to do so, huge thank you 😊
My husband and I took a cruise on NCL in 2015. Prices have increased since then, but I did budget. We arrived a day early, flying into Anchorage (80 degrees!), then we took a train excursion to Seward. This being my husband's 1st cruise he was not sure what to expect. We had an awesome time, with great excursions. Being June we had a fluctuations of weather. This is one cruise I would take again.
Agree...weather. I took an excursion into Ft. Dawson, 23 miles above Artic Circle, 84 degrees.
On our sep trip we had low and high temps. Layers of clothing help. Be flexible too. I wanted to fly around Mt McKinley but weather was bad. The day we departed for the cruise not a cloud in the sky and we were baking
My wife and I are taking our first cruise next August, to Alaska! That was very helpful, thank you!
Good tip about the sun glasses. Learnt for the day I eventually go on an Alaska cruise. Thank you Gary
Good advice on this video, having been myself I concur with all points made. We went in September 2022 with Holland America and the only thing that didn't happen was no rain for the entire week. We were very lucky. All in all, an amazing experience and one I would thoroughly recommend to any cruiser.
Always so helpful Gary TY!
Good video and one I wished had been available when I went to Alaska in 2018! lol
I was on a Celebrity cruise and we had a 12-hour stop in Juneau. I reserved a car for the sole purpose of driving out to the far side of the glacier and hiking in. The hike was about 2.5-3 hours (each way). When I got to the Mendenhall Glacier, I was practically alone as it was the far side, opposite the glacier info centre. I spent a couple hours exploring for ice caves and was able to go a short way into the glacier's interior. TL/DR, if you have a very long stopover, a car rental is a potential option. :)
We went as part as of our honeymoon, we had a balcony cabin on Holland America, and chose the inside passage… it was stunning. Canada and Alaska are amazing places to visit.
Very good information. Exactly what we needed. Thanks
My spouse, my mom and I went to an Inside passage on HAL Konningsdam at the end of July. On the day we were in Glacier Bay, we were delayed by a medical emergency. We managed to sailed at the Margerie Glacier later skipping a visit to another glacier that was planned. However, the Princess Cruise ship that was following our ship, couldn’t get there because it was too foggy and, therefore too dangerous to sail. So, even if you book with a cruise line that goes in Glacier Bay, you may not be able to go there.
Besides that, we departed from Vancouver as since we’re Canadians, it was a much more convenient choice. We did fly and sail on the same day because of the Covid tests requirements and didn’t want to risk it before embarking. It was hectic (yes the port is confusing) but it allowed us a safe cruise. We had rain in Juneau, foggy morning and sunny afternoon in Skagway and fantastic weather at Glacier Bay (when we made it) and in Ketchikan. We then planned to stay in Vancouver and explore both the Okanagan Valley and the Rockies while where in the Canadian West Coast. For the Skagway train, if you can, book it in the afternoon as the fog hides the mountains and it tends to be foggier in the morning. Although you can get interesting pictures from the foggy scenery. Overall, we had a fantastic cruise and my Mom is still raving about the musher camp excursion.
My favorite was a Salmon Bake lunch at Skagway. It's touristy but he had Sockeye that day, and served the best salmon I've ever had.
It’s crazy busy up on deck in glacier bay so a balcony is a must if you want good photos
This is so useful. Thanks a lot for the tips. Planning to go next year.
I traveled on Princess in mid May, inner passage. We never had a rainy day & we saw Mt McKinley twice.
We also spent 3 days prior to the cruise on the train ride, staying at the lodge etc… which was great. It was an awesome trip!
I screwed up when I booked our Alaska cruise on RCL. I couldn't figure out why the first and last ports weren't Vancouver. Then I realized I had booked the one way to Seward. So I did the only rational thing. I booked the next week to come back. It was a great 2 weeks. Love RCL.
Did a Cunard, Queen Elizabeth, 10 day cruise this summer. RT Vancouver. Visited both Hubbard and Glacier Bay. A great trip.
Thank you Gary. Looking into booking for summer 2023 and will definitely keep these tips in mind.
I went to Alaska in June 22’ and day temps were upper 80s evenings were 60’s much warmer than I had planned for
Thank you for making this video! Cruising to Alaska next summer.
Gary….loved your fashion show!! However, the one for Antarctica was great also! Wonderful info as usual 😊
Great video! We were in Alaska last May on Radiance of the Seas. It was toward the end of the pandemic so the ship was 1/2 full and crowds were small. We had a blast. If you want to see what small town Alaska life is really like, select a cruise that stops in Haines. It was refreshing not to see shop after shop selling the same kitschy stuff. Many homemade crafts found there, including a beautiful hand carved wooden orca We took home with us.
Great tips. Thank you for the video.
My wife and I just returned from the Juneau/Skagway/Ketchikan route on Princess (7 days, late July-early August). It was outstanding- highly recommended! We couldn’t have asked for anything more. The balcony cabin was quite nice for Glacier Bay, but if you don’t want to spend an extra $1000 for a balcony, you’ll be fine. Our ship was probably 50% retired folks, 50% families. Not a party crowd, but there were plenty of people our age (30’s) on board. We’ll be doing this cruise again every year for the foreseeable future. It really was a next-level experience.
This is brilliant and so helpful...thank you so much for sharing. Very professional👍👍👍👍
This was so helpful. Thank you!
We recently went on a Sitka, Skagway, & Juneau trip. We loved our day in Juneau! If I had it to do over, I would have stayed on the boat in Sitka and paid for an excursion in Skagway. The line in Sitka for town was insane! There wasn’t really anywhere to get essentials. Staying on the boat on a port day means you have the pools and hot tubs to yourself, but shops are closed!
There are amazing excursions that aren’t through the cruise line. However, you have to give yourself plenty of time to get to your bus and back!
I packed all types of essentials related to weather & needed none of it. We had great weather the entire trip (this isn’t typical!)
Love these tips. We're planning on going next year to Alaska.
This video was very helpful we're going round-trip on Ruby Princess 6/4 and happily, I've made good choices on the tours that we have booked! Thank you! Eileen
Lots of excellent tips, Gary! Thanks so much, as we have our first Alaska cruise booked for June 2023.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching :-) :-)
Had a great deal on our Alaska cruise on Celebrity last May-“Black Friday” sale. Cruised suite class and it was lovely.
We just got back from our first cruise, to Alaska, inside passage. We're from Portland, OR, have had the rainiest spring, but they were heading into a heatwave when we left, so I had hopes that system would extend north, and so it did. We never even had clouds until the last day, bit of fog between Ketchikan and Victoria, and perfect temps. Amazing.
We're pretty frugal, so didn't do any excursions, except the tram in Juneau. In Skagway we rented a motorcycle, rode to White Pass and Dyea on our own, spendy but so much fun! We walked around town, discovered Deer Mountain trail, hiked about a mile up before heading back to town. It was awesome!
This was really helpful. I would normally avoid Princess because I heard it’s for over 50s and I’m more of a Virgin voyager. You and many agents always recommend Princess and they do have good offers for UK passengers.
This was amazing so much valuable info ty!
Did a cruise in 2009 on NCL. Really enjoyed it and will go again.
Had a great excursion in Juneau that included the White Pass and a long bus trip with many stops. The only thing I didn't like was that you are rushed on and off the bus and get very little time in some places. I spoke with a fellow traveler who rented a car and made his own excursion. I think I may do this next time and then go where I want and spend a bit more time in some spots.
Incredibly helpful video, definitely shaped my travel plans
I found your video very informative, thank you!
You are very tied down on a cruise. We took the ferry from Prince Rupert, through the Inside Passage to Skagway, then took the train on the old gold mining trail to Whitehorse and the best Canada Day I have ever seen. BTW, we found that the locals and the come from away workers in Skagway were very friendly and we had a wonderful stay.
We did an inside passage and chose a starboard balcony. We wanted the land on our side going north and Vancouver Island on our side heading south (we live on Vancouver Island). And a balcony was a must for Glacier Bay as the deck was too busy and we could not get to the rail. So from the cabin we got the best view and could still listen to the Park Ranger.
What a great video, Gary! so informative!!
Glad you enjoyed it
I was very lucky with a very warm and sunny Alaska cruise around June 21 round trip from SF.
Thanks for the tips❤😊🎉
We went about 6 years ago, on Holland America, with a special guest cruise, that did a series of concerts in the evening. We did a number of excursions in the ports, including snorkeling in Ketchikan, zip lining in Skagway, and a tour of the city in Skagway, "Ghosts and Good Time Gals", which covered a lot of interesting history of the area, and the city in particular. I also found, walking the unbeaten path around the towns, and meet the locals, to get a real sense of what life is like in the far north.
Great tips! Thank you!! ❤️
I enjoyed the Alaska cruise my family went on a few years ago. I remember the ship was very small but very nice.
I did a glacier climb. It gets really warm on the glacier since the sun is reflecting off the ice. I wore layers so I was okay. Also sunscreen is essential.
For extended on-shore excursions, keep in mind the summer wildfire season. We had our helicopter tours around Denali cancelled because of zero visibility.
Great tips for cruising Southeast Alaska. Keep in mind our temps all summer are in the 50s and 60s.
We cruised Alaska in 2021, and I'm very glad we did Glacier Bay -- though we missed Skagway. Of course, I don't believe everything was back to normal. I hope to go back again in a year or two. Skagway will be a must.
I took the Norwegian Cruise cruse line (inside) trip to Alaska in late August 2017. I had to arrange my trip from Denver Colorado and my sister and friends from NYS. I had sleeper cars on amtrack for everyone and selected a one night stayover at a hotel 30 minutes from the port the day before departure for everyone. The NY travelers had to leave a day before I did and would arrive about 5 hours before I would at the hotel (I arrived a 9PM PT). It worked out perfectly, we embarked with no problems. The return trip to Seattle included a one night stay across from the Airport, because I had scheduled a land vacation for one week in Mainland Alaska to begin the next day. I also had booked our flights for 11 AM giving us a good night's rest and a landing time in Anchorage at 3 PM in the afternoon. The hotel shuttle picked us up and our land vacation began. I scheduled our return flight for 6 PM to get us into Seattle around 9:30 PM. I also had booked a one night stay at the same hotel across from the airport, I figured we all would be tuckered out by the time we got back. I left early to beat the traffic and make the only train that leaves for Denver each day, everyone else left at a later time with no problems. This vacation worked well because I created a numbered step by step itinerary guide for everyone. They included times, train/ track numbers, hotel locations/ numbers, taxi names/ numbers , hours of operations and backup plans B and C if things went wrong. Look at the guide, follow each step in order and you would be fine, and they were. It was the first time for everyone take such a journey and meeting and departing in different direction. It took six months to figure, plan and iron out all the details....it was worth it.
I really think that a lot of your advice on Alaska is spot on. We went to Alaska on "the wrong ship" (Costa Riviera). The cruise was less than remarkable but the excursions were quite excellent. As for a "different type of cruise," do realize that going on a cruise is the ONLY affordable and time efficient way to travel to SE Alaska for MOST Americans. Many people on Alaskan cruises are NOT cruisers and many will never return to another cruise.
By the way, you can fly into the one of the ports and take the Alaska Ferry all the way Dutch Harbor if you want to. However, the issue is that you do not know if the ferry will run on schedule. We had intended on doing that while I was working - fly into Juneau, take the ferry to Seard and fly home from Anchorage. However, it ended up taking the better part of two weeks.
Thank you for the video! Really great summary. I was extremely surprised by how much the excursions cost! I thought the Caribbean prices were a bit pricey, but this really topped the chart! I'm trying to seriously budget maybe just one expensive excursion since it's difficult to drop the price of the cruise on the excursions alone this time.
Thanks for the info Gary.
My wife and I went there in early September on the Ruby Princess out of San Francisco. It was our first cruise to Alaska and we didn't have a single day of rain on our whole trip. Even seasoned Alaskan cruisers we met on board said they have never had such nice weather in Alaska, I was actually wearing shorts in Ketchikan, the only pair I had!
We cruise out of San Francisco to Alaska most of the time. This year we’re going to Sitka, and Prince Rupert and a few others.
There is another Alaska itinerary as well if you choose an expedition ship like Hurtigruten's Roald Amundsen. I went in July and the itinerary was very different because it was 16 days and included the Alleutian Islands. The cruise started in Nome, and went to St. Matthew Island, Chuganek, Dutch Harbour, Unga Village, Kukak Bay, Geographic Harbour, Kinak Bay and Kodiak before taking the Inside Passage to Seward, Icy Bay, Sitka, Wrangell, Misty Fjord, ending in Vancouver.
Sounds amazing
That sounds incredible!!!
I did a June Hurtigruten cruise that had a different itinerary than yours but not the same as the large cruise ships. This is partly because Roald Amundsen is a smaller ship and can get into ports that the large ships can’t. It’s also the only cruise I’ve heard about that stopped for almost an hour so we could watch 4 pods of killer whales and another time turned around because someone spotted a bear and they wanted people to have the opportunity to see it. Between that and the days where they lowered the zodiacs and kayaks so we could get closer to everything it was amazing. It’s more expensive than many of the others but a totally different experience. They even made sure that the couple of people in wheelchairs were taken out in the zodiacs so they didn’t miss out!
@@rowenakotelniski2603 That is what I love about the Expedition cruise ships. They will stop or even turn around for wildlife for as long as the passengers want. I was on an Antartica cruise in November which only had 56 passengers. During dinner one of the naturalists spotted an Emperor penguin sitting all by himself on an ice flow. The naturalist immediately ran on deck with everyone in the dining room following him, including all the waiters. We had not expected to see any Emperor penguins on the cruise because they nest much further south. The captain stopped the ship and everyone stayed on deck watching the Emperor penguin for over 30 minutes before returning to the dining room to have dessert.
Gary
We just got back from two week HAL cruise to Alaska-just not very good overall, ship very old, food poor. Denali (train, charter buses, lodge owned by HAL The “lodge” was like a motel 6. Sorry to here you caught COVID - not a very pleasant sickness. Glad your doing better.
Thank you! I love this channel! ❤️🚢❤️