Has anyone been on an Alaskan cruise? Thinking about taking my wife on an Alaskan cruise for our anniversary. I appreciate any recommendations.
I sailed from Seattle up to Alaska on Norwegian many years ago. Alaska was nice in the summer time. Didn't see any whales or bears though.
I haven't been, but I was talking to my boss the other day about this. He and his wife have been on a few Alaskan cruises and says it is nothing short of amazing.
Family took NCL to Alaska in September 2013. It's the better than the other ones that we took (Disney - Mexico, Royal Caribbean - East and West Bahamas). I was initially concerned with the size of NCL's ship because it's smaller than the other ships but it wasn't bad at all. Will probably go back again and try a different cruise line just to compare.
What a coincidence: I have been looking at Alaskan cruises for my honeymoon this summer. Any input from the CF brethren would be greatly appreciated.
I believe we were on Holland America when we went back in the late 90's. It was nice, saw some whales, disembarked at a few locations to be bused up to some glaciers. The coolest part was when we were up near a glacier while on the cruise ship, and it began to crumble. It sounded like thunder, and made big enough ripples to make the ship bob up and down.
Went on a 7-day cruise with Holland America in the summer. Started in Anchorage, ended in Vancouver with the destination cities being Haines, Ketchikan, and Juneau. It was a wonderful cruise. We were lucky with perfect weather being 60s-70s with sunny skies when it is generally overcast most of the time there. Also saw plenty of whales, seals, and otters. I'd recommend bringing binoculars. Most of the time, you'll hardly see their backs and the best way to spot them is to look for when they spout. Food was really good and what you'd expect for a cruise - buffet and formal dinners. For some reason, all the service and staff were primarily Indonesian and secondly Filipino. There was an ethnic night where they cooked Indonesian food and I enjoyed it. You'll have typical cruise entertainment, too. My recommendations would be to go in the summertime and also get a window room. Normally, I'd be cheap and go for interior cabins, but Alaska's shores and scenery are worth having that view.
On my bucket list. I'm actually looking to do either a Caribbean cruise or an all inclusive next month. Waiting to see if the in laws are willing to go or not. I promised them I'd take them on a cruise, as my treat, for all the help they've given me in the past. Not sure if they're taking me up or not for this date. If so, I'll scale down the plans a wee bit. If not, it's wide open. I'm starting to enjoy cruising after doing my first two last year.
My boss and her family did it last year. Looked awesome, man. Cruises don't appeal to me at all in general but I'd totally do Alaska.
Done it twice. Once with Holland America. Once with Disney Cruise Lines. Both were out of Vancouver. Highly recommend both.
Did a 7 day Princess Cruise out of Seattle this Summer. Went to Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Victoria. Lots of fun. Excursions were all amazing. But boat was just okay imo.
In Juneau, one of the popular excursion is a "WildLife Safari", which cruises Juneau bay looking for Humpbacks, Orcas and Bald Eagles. Here is a picture of a Humpback Whale blowing near our excursion boat before diving under it: The blow got everyone on the boat soaked. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Hint: even though it is the middle of summer in Alaska you will need to bring a light winter coat.
Did a 7 day on ncl jewel in June. Great experience. My advice is to not pre book your offshore excursion with cruise line. There is a huge mark up. Search online and book local. Had a great whale watching excursion with Juneau tours. Smaller boats, less people, and supporting local economy. Not to mention it was 50% less than the ncl sponsored excursion!
Man. Need to go back on carnival magic to play basketball in the middle of the night. That's when the crew plays. We played some 5 on 5 with the crew members. they're all five feet five Filipinos. They ran our asses off the court.
Great trip for me too. Recommendations: Train ride Yukon Helicopter and glacier hike combo Sea cayak When you get to the glaciers, best spot is the outside jacuzzi. Don't do the dog sled. Since it summer, no ice.
You could easily book a decent cabin for $800 per person. Don't forget about air fare and hotel expenses, though. In Anchorage, the GF and I took a car to Alyeska and hiked a glacier on the mountain. Haines - fished in a lake. Both caught a salmon. Unfortunately was catch and release, not many excursions allowed you to eat your own catch. Juneau - kayaked Mendenhall Glacier lake and hiked the mountain by the trolley. Ketchikan - ziplined through the rain forest. On a series of lines, we zipped over a black bear that was foraging. I do agree with xcamm. Try to book your excursions on your own. Use the suggested cruise line excursions to search for types of activities. The only anxiety I had doing it was that it wasn't as seamless finding the tour group getting off the boat, but all the tour groups are typically at the ports, they're just harder to find since there's not a visible crowd.
Never been to Alaska, but I'll echo this advice. That's what I do for my Caribbean cruises. Much cheaper and often times you'll find better service. Tripadvisor is the place to go.
I have been to Alaska on NCL. I would definitely do it again if the round trip flights weren't more expensive than the entire cruise. I would have to disagree about booking excursions on your own (not through the cruise line) especially if this is your first time going. You never know what could happen and the ship will not wait for you if you're late on your own excursion. They will wait on all ship excursions however. So it really depends on where you are going and how familiar you are with the destination and cruising...
