Anyone done an Alaskan cruise?

[sonnyjane]

I am literally allllllll over the place when it comes to travel plans. I want to do something for my 30th birthday (not tremendously a big deal - I try to do a trip for my birthday no matter what year) and simply cannot nail down a destination. I was thinking Cabo but every time I check in on Trip Advisor the places I am looking at get such mixed reviews that I don't feel confident about it. I go to Vegas all the time, but that's another possibility. One thing I was thinking of that's relatively affordable is an Alaskan cruise. I have wanted to go there for a while, and lived in WA for a year and really miss that "environment".

Anyone ever been? Looks like Holland America Line is the most popular but I'm open to whatever. Any great excursions? Anyone think it's a crappy idea lol? It wouldn't be my first cruise, so I know that drill already.

Appreciate any input!

 

[justginger]

I've not been, but have seriously considered it in the past. Alaska and Hawaii are my only two states left and I just can't seem to make it there, lol.

If you've cruised before and enjoy that type of traveling, I think you'd have a great time. Alaska looks absolutely majestic, the scenery is so...humbling? I can't imagine anyone who enjoys nature and landscapes to not have a lovely time. I think it would be a wonderful 30th birthday trip!

 

[SB621]

My MIL is leaving this week on one and is very excitied. It has been on her bucket list forever. I would totally do it as I have never heard anything EVER negative about it.

I have cruised before and you are in my age range so i would recommend RC or Princess cruises. I think you will have a fabulous time. If you can swing it I would get a balacony. DH and I would take a few meals on our balacony to just get some quiet time and I can't imagine how wonderful that would be with glaciers in the background.

 

[bright ice]

I have and loved it. I would take another again in a heartbeat. Scenery, ports, etc. all wonderful. Went out of Vancouver which is a beautiful city to do some sightseeing in before or after. Been there 3 times we loved it so much.

 

[LibbyLA]

Went on one quite a few years ago. Left from Vancouver, BC, did Glacier Bay and several stops. Loved it! Pictures just don't do the scenery justice. A friend of mine left last weekend on a two-week Alaska cruise.

I say go for it!

liz

 

[amc80]

Check out Princess as well. They have some amazing amenities on board. Also, if you have the time, check out their cruise tours. It's a cruise and land tour all in one.

 

[missy]

I did a Holland America Alaskan cruise but many many years ago. Somewhere around the mid 90's I believe-perhaps 1995? It was amazing. We went on the maiden voyage of the MS Ryndam and it was a blast. My very favorite trip to date and that includes my summer trip touring Europe and my 3 week honeymoon in Italy. Alaska is gorgeous, majestic and truly breathtaking with its amazing scenery. The cruise was the best way to see it IMO and a lovely way to go. We spent many days in each place so there was enough time to explore and we didn't have to keep moving from hotel to hotel since we were on the ship. I highly recommend it. At the time Holland America was the top of the line way to cruise Alaska. I cannot say if that is still true being I took the trip so long ago and am not up on the best cruise lines these days but if it was anything like it was then I say go for it. Enjoy your trip whatever you decide!!!

 

[sonnyjane]

Thanks everyone! I'll start researching.

 

[vc10um]

Another thumbs up over here! We went when I was much younger...I think 11?...on Norwegian before they switched to that whole "freestyle cruising" thing. I remember having a blast, and I know my mother and grandmother enjoyed themselves as well! We travelled from Vancouver up through the Inside Passage. In Skagway we did an excursion where we took a train up the gold rush route to the Yukon Territory border with Canada. In Juneau we just wandered around and shopped and enjoyed our time off the ship. In Ketchican we did an exursion that took us to the Saxman Tribal House where we saw performances of native dances and totem pole carving.

The best part, though, was the humpback whale watching off the boat.

Happy early 30th, sonnyjane, and enjoy your trip, wherever it takes you!

 

[sonnyjane]

Thanks vc10um!!

Has anyone done any of the nature/wildlife excursions? Kayaking, hiking, bear-watching lol?

 

[missy]

Thanks vc10um!!

Has anyone done any of the nature/wildlife excursions? Kayaking, hiking, bear-watching lol?

We went on different wildlife hikes and in fact that's where I lost my beloved unique bracelet. I like to think it is in a more beautiful place now than when it was with me. But I did love that bracelet. Tip- don't wear any bracelets while hiking and the such. LOL.
We did a lot of land excursions so really the cruise was just to get us to different places in Alaska the most convenient way. Not to mention the breathtaking views while cruising Alaska. It was a 2 week cruise with lots of land time.

 

[AprilBaby]

I went last July. Remember its cold up there all year round. Sun up till midnight was cool! If you go, choose a cruise that is part land/ part cruise and goes up into "real" Alaska. Mine just did Juneau, Skagway and ketichkan. Very touristy. I really hated the trip but hubby loved it. Victoria was beautiful but we only had 4 hrs there. Buchart gardens are exquisite. Remember holland America is known as the floating mortuary so if you are young, look at Princess cruise lines.
We did a river raft trip, river was very low. Saw tons of eagles. We did a whale watch and barely saw any whales. Never saw a bear.

 

[sonnyjane]

I went last July. Remember its cold up there all year round. Sun up till midnight was cool! If you go, choose a cruise that is part land/ part cruise and goes up into "real" Alaska. Mine just did Juneau, Skagway and ketichkan. Very touristy. I really hated the trip but hubby loved it. Victoria was beautiful but we only had 4 hrs there. Buchart gardens are exquisite. Remember holland America is known as the floating mortuary so if you are young, look at Princess cruise lines.
We did a river raft trip, river was very low. Saw tons of eagles. We did a whale watch and barely saw any whales. Never saw a bear.

Lol I did NOT know that so thank you for that advice!!!

 

[pinkjewel]

I went 2 years ago- BEST trip EVER!!!!!!!! My dh and I are really not into cruises at all, but to see Alaska you pretty much need to cruise. I found this great (but expensive) small ship cruise line. We booked one of their photography cruises and it was spectacular!! The nice thing was that there were only about 85 of us on board and since we were small we could get into the places the large ships could not. We saw whales almost everyday-including an Orca pod that swam along side us for about an hour, we saw eagles, seals, bears,mountain goats, I could go on and on. We got in small boats and did little excursions,too. The nice thing is that we weren't on a really strict time table- so if there was interesting wild life we stopped and spent time watching them. It truly was a magical experience! Unfortunately the cruise line- Cruise West- went out of business after being in business for something like 75 years, a few months after our trip.Here are a couple of photos from the trip

 

[missy]

I went last July. Remember its cold up there all year round. Sun up till midnight was cool! If you go, choose a cruise that is part land/ part cruise and goes up into "real" Alaska. Mine just did Juneau, Skagway and ketichkan. Very touristy. I really hated the trip but hubby loved it. Victoria was beautiful but we only had 4 hrs there. Buchart gardens are exquisite. Remember holland America is known as the floating mortuary so if you are young, look at Princess cruise lines.
We did a river raft trip, river was very low. Saw tons of eagles. We did a whale watch and barely saw any whales. Never saw a bear.

Lol I did NOT know that so thank you for that advice!!!

LOL I did not know that either. When we went (mid 90's) I went with 3 friends and we were all pretty young and I would guess we were probably the youngest people traveling independently of parents. (It was pretty pricey and I remember thinking I cannot believe I am spending so much money on a trip). But I was used to always being the youngest everywhere I went (no more though haha that age thing really creeps up fast!) and so though everyone was older they weren't significantly old if you kwim. I would have guessed 40's and 50's. But maybe that has all changed now. I was never one for the party cruises though. I really am an old soul so I guess it suited our needs. I really loved that Holland America Alaska cruise and if they are still the top cruise line for Alaska personally I would not hesitate to take it again. My dh has never been to Alaska nor has he ever been on a cruise and we had been talking about this possibility. Thanks to your thread I think I will revisit this topic with him. I know he would love Alaska as much as I do.

Good luck with your decision Sonnyjane. I hope it will be a trip of a lifetime for you and you will enjoy it as much as I did!

 

[LibbyLA]

sonnyjane,

I snorkeled (yep, snorkeled! saw tons of purple, orange, and yellow starfish and an eagle landed on a rock a few feet from our group), rode a bicycle down the mountain after riding the train up, and hiked and kayaked (hiked out, kayaked back; other half of the group kayaked out, hiked back). Saw a whale when kayaking back.

Also took a helicopter to two stops on glaciers.

liz

 

[sonnyjane]

Thank you everyone for your advice! I ended up booking it!

It's still a while away (not until September) but I booked my flight and the stateroom. Now starts the fun of picking excursions! Despite the reputation of Holland America being for the older crowd, the dates fit best for my husband and I, so that's who we are going with. And of course I chose a room with a balcony!

Yay! Can't wait! Thanks again!

 

[OneFifty]

My sister went a few years ago on Holland American and had a blast. She was probably 22 at the time. She absolutely loved it. They took a glass topped train from the airport to the cruise terminal and said it was gorgeous. She also went snorkeling and had to push through a pack of jelly fish, saw tons of whales and eagles...

I have also heard that Princess is for the older crowd, but I have been on Royal Caribbean a bunch of times and Carnival once, so no personal experience with them.

 

[AprilBaby]

Thank you everyone for your advice! I ended up booking it!

It's still a while away (not until September) but I booked my flight and the stateroom. Now starts the fun of picking excursions! Despite the reputation of Holland America being for the older crowd, the dates fit best for my husband and I, so that's who we are going with. And of course I chose a room with a balcony!

Yay! Can't wait! Thanks again!

I
We took Disney cruise line and it was great but their prices are getting outrageous. Please come back after the trip and tell me what you think of Holland America! We are in our mid fifties and are thinking of trying them. The "old" reputation scares me.

 

[sonnyjane]

Thank you everyone for your advice! I ended up booking it!

It's still a while away (not until September) but I booked my flight and the stateroom. Now starts the fun of picking excursions! Despite the reputation of Holland America being for the older crowd, the dates fit best for my husband and I, so that's who we are going with. And of course I chose a room with a balcony!

Yay! Can't wait! Thanks again!

I
We took Disney cruise line and it was great but their prices are getting outrageous. Please come back after the trip and tell me what you think of Holland America! We are in our mid fifties and are thinking of trying them. The "old" reputation scares me.

Ha ok I'll try to track the thread down and post when we get back at the end of September. I laugh because in a lot of the photos on tje website you can totally see tons of canes, walkers, and wheelchairs! I do know some folks my age that went also and had fun so I think it's ok. If I were going with girlfriends it might be different but my DH is an "old soul". We will probably be asleep by 9:00 anyway

 

[FrekeChild]

I loved it when we went. We went in August and the hottest it got there was 70 degrees, so that was perfect for me. We went site seeing and on a glacier hike. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

 

[Ellen]

Please do post on your trip. My hubby has been wanting to see Alaska for a while now, and a cruise was probably how we would go about it. We've never done a cruise, so all info would be most helpful.

Hope you have a great time!

 

[Skippy123]

We didn't do a cruise but I would go again to Gustavus and stay at the Gustavus Inn. [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/forum/download/file.php?id=298899']https://www.pricescope.com/forum/download/file.php?id=298899[/URL]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/forum/download/file.php?id=298900']https://www.pricescope.com/forum/download/file.php?id=298900[/URL]

https://www.pricescope.com/forum/download/file.php?id=298902

eta: hmmm, the pics aren't copying over correctly. sorry that you have to click on the links. Oh and in Gustavus at the dock, there were like 10 to 20 giant bald eagles daily; they are the most amazing birds to see!

 

[sonnyjane]

We didn't do a cruise but I would go again to Gustavus and stay at the Gustavus Inn. [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/forum/download/file.php?id=298899']https://www.pricescope.com/forum/download/file.php?id=298899[/URL]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/forum/download/file.php?id=298900']https://www.pricescope.com/forum/download/file.php?id=298900[/URL]

https://www.pricescope.com/forum/download/file.php?id=298902

eta: hmmm, the pics aren't copying over correctly. sorry that you have to click on the links. Oh and in Gustavus at the dock, there were like 10 to 20 giant bald eagles daily; they are the most amazing birds to see!

Thanks for taking the time to share!!

 

[Skippy123]

Thank you everyone for your advice! I ended up booking it!

It's still a while away (not until September) but I booked my flight and the stateroom. Now starts the fun of picking excursions! Despite the reputation of Holland America being for the older crowd, the dates fit best for my husband and I, so that's who we are going with. And of course I chose a room with a balcony!

Yay! Can't wait! Thanks again!

sorry I missed this part. I haven't done a cruise but when I went my cousin went on a cruise and I think a balcony is a must! Have fun! Where are they stopping on the cruise? Can't wait to see your pics when you get back!

 

[sonnyjane]

Thank you everyone for your advice! I ended up booking it!

It's still a while away (not until September) but I booked my flight and the stateroom. Now starts the fun of picking excursions! Despite the reputation of Holland America being for the older crowd, the dates fit best for my husband and I, so that's who we are going with. And of course I chose a room with a balcony!

Yay! Can't wait! Thanks again!

sorry I missed this part. I haven't done a cruise but when I went my cousin went on a cruise and I think a balcony is a must! Have fun! Where are they stopping on the cruise? Can't wait to see your pics when you get back!

Day 1: Seattle
Day 2: at sea
Day 3: Juneau
Day 4: Glacier Bay (at sea)
Day 5: Sitka
Day 6: Ketchikan
Day 7: at sea
Day 8: Seattle

 

[ame]

My parents have gone three (our four?) times now, and I think most were Princess, and one might have been Norwegian? They have enjoyed every one.

 

[sonnyjane]

So far for excursions I have a whale-watching boat/nature hike booked for Juneau and sea kayaking in Sitka along with a visit to the Raptor Center afterward on my time (not with the ship). Nothing planned for Ketchikan yet as nothing looks too appealing, at least not worth the price! If anyone did something fun in Ketchikan, let me know!

 

[Skippy123]

So far for excursions I have a whale-watching boat/nature hike booked for Juneau and sea kayaking in Sitka along with a visit to the Raptor Center afterward on my time (not with the ship). Nothing planned for Ketchikan yet as nothing looks too appealing, at least not worth the price! If anyone did something fun in Ketchikan, let me know!

On your list the only place I have not been to is Ketchikan. My FIL and cousin have been there.
I can ask them what they did?

So in Juneau are you going to Mendenhall Glacier? If not, I would for sure do that.

You will actually or should see a lot of Whales on your Glacier Bay trip.

 

[sonnyjane]

So far for excursions I have a whale-watching boat/nature hike booked for Juneau and sea kayaking in Sitka along with a visit to the Raptor Center afterward on my time (not with the ship). Nothing planned for Ketchikan yet as nothing looks too appealing, at least not worth the price! If anyone did something fun in Ketchikan, let me know!

On your list the only place I have not been to is Ketchikan. My FIL and cousin have been there.
I can ask them what they did?

So in Juneau are you going to Mendenhall Glacier? If not, I would for sure do that.

You will actually or should see a lot of Whales on your Glacier Bay trip.

The excursions at this point are all refundable so I can change if I want to right now. My friend recommended the "Glacier Trek" on Mendenhall but at $430 PER PERSON I can't wrap my head around that very easily. The trip I have booked currently was the highest ranked with the most reviews... it passes the glacier but there's no hiking on it.

I'm going in late September (last cruise of the season) so while it's good for lower fares and crowds, there are some excursions that aren't offered at that time of year. If there is a train in Ketchikan, it's not offered during my dates.

I'm a Libra which means I'm horrible at making decisions... I weigh the options constantly!