Have you ever been on an Alaskan cruise?

Question

Did you enjoy it?

Would you do it again?

Any tips?

And how much should I expect to spend for two adults?

Thanks :)

Answer 1

YES, we went on a cruise to Alaska for our honeymoon about 6 years ago.  We went on a Princess cruise line ship and it was very lovely.  We enjoyed the cruise and the ship.  We actually did a cruise-tour that included a couple nights in hotels and a train ride from Anchorage to Fairbanks, with a stop in Denali National Park.  That's the way I recommend seeing Alaska because you will then see more wildlife.

And yes I would do it again and probably will after we go other places that we want to cruise to.

The Alaska cruise season is from May to Sept.  The weather is generally warmer in June, July and Aug, but it can also be pleasant in May and Sept. When we went a few years ago in May it was shirt sleeve weather (70's) in Anchorage and Fairbanks. The odd thing was, it was cooler further south in Juneau and Skagway than it was up north. It was rainy and cloudy in Ketchkan. It will be cold, like coat, hat and gloves weather, when you get close to the Glaciers. Otherwise they would melt. When you pack, think layering of your clothes. A couple long sleeve shirts/tops, a sweater/sweatshirt, a light jacket, maybe with a hood.

The best prices will be in May and Sept but you will see the same things as other times. The port stops will be the same but may be in a different order.  Some cruises ship itineraries are run in reverse order, North to South vs starting in Seattle or Vancouver. Check the cruise line web sites for variations by date, itinerary and price.

As I said, the best Alaska cruise experience is the CRUISE-TOUR. The  Princess, Holland America, and Royal Caribbean cruise lines all run cruise tours which take you by train all the way to Fairbanks, Alaska. Princess and RC have special domed train cars for this. Your best chance to see wild animals will be if you do a cruise-tour where you go further north after cruising the inside passage. The only animals you are likely to see in the inside passage is seals.  On these tours You can arrange to stop for a night or two in Taketna, or  Denali National Park. This will be your best opportunity to see Moose, Caribou, eagle, wolf, and bear. But you really need two days at Denali so that you have time to get one of the Park Service's buses that go deep into the park. Regular tour buses , cars and campers can only go about 3 or 4 miles into the park. The Park Service runs buses about 17 miles into the park, but you must get to the visitor center very early to reserve a spot on one of their buses. The train stops going north and south do not get you to Denali in time or allow enough time for the deep back country buses.  With Princess, Holland America, and RC you can do the tour part first and then go to Seward or Whittier to get on ship for the inside passage part.  

I always recommend to cruiser to get a balcony cabin because it will really enhance your cruise experience.  I have been cruising for about 20 years and in the old days ships did not have balconies, at least the cabins that I could afford. Some people will say just get an inside cabin because you will not spend much time in it.  Well if you do get an inside cabin that is true because its like being in a closet.  BUT, if you get a balcony cabin you can sit in it and watch the beautiful scenery go by and step out on the balcony to see things that you would miss being inside.

Now I said all of that about cabins to lead to this.  You can get a balcony cabin on most cruise lines like Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, etc for between $1200.00 and $1500.00 each person.  The inside and outside cabins are pretty much less than $1,000.00.  So its up to you on how much you want to spend; about $2,000. for two or $2400. for two  I suggest visiting the cruise line web sites and look at the cruise itineraries and rates to help make up your mind.  You also need to know that there are a big variety of cruise itineraries.  Some cruises are one way and other are round trip; others start in Anchorage or Fairbanks and end in Seattle or Vancouver.

Once you pay for your cruise there are some other charges and expenses that you should be aware of.  The price of your cruise includes your cabin, all meals (except the specialty restaurants), all shows and entertainment, and use of all facilities on ship. The things that you will have to pay for are:

GRATUITIES: They will amount to about $10 per person in your cabin per day; about $70 each for the week. When you check in at the pier they will set up an on-board charge account for you to cover any and everything you may buy on ship. They will issue you a "cruise card" which will also serve as your room key and pass to get on and off the ship. At the end of the cruise they will add the gratuity to your tab and you can pay with a credit card or cash, your choice.

ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND SOFT DRINKS: Coffee, tea, milk, juice, and lemonade and punch will be provided free but you must pay for drinks (alcoholic beverages) and they will add a 15% gratuity to each drink of soft drink order.

PHOTOGRAPHS: Cruise lines will take plenty of photographs of you all over the ship, in the dining room, and as you exit the ship in ports. These will cost a lot, like $15 to $20 for most. Skip them and save yourself a lot of money. Take your own camera and have the other passengers photograph you on and off the ship.

TOURS/EXCURSIONS: These are listed on your cruise line web site and you can reserve them well before the cruise and pay for them also. If you wait until you are on ship to book tours they will be charged to your on board account (then you can pay cash to settle your account on the last day)  Tours can add hundreds to the final cost of your cruise.

SOUVENIRS: Anything you buy on ship from a gift shop or duty free shop goes on your on board account. Things that you buy on shore you pay cash or credit card for.

CASINO: If you plan to gamble on ship you will need cash for that.

OTHER: most cruise lines have what they call "specialty" restaurants where there is a gratuity/service charge. All other food on board is free and its not really necessary to budget for food; you cannot eat all that will be available.

If you want/need to have your hair done, get a massage or wrap, or any services from the spa, you will have to pay for them. You can use the gym free but the spa stuff cost big bucks.

Ships now have internet cafe and some have WiFi but the there is a fee for internet access and it is very expensive (like about $50 to $60 an hour).

You cabin will likely have a minibar with soft drinks and munchies; you have to pay for them (but there is free room service 24/7).

I know this was long but hope it answered all of your questions.

Answer 2

We are going in July from Vancouver on the Celebrity Mercury, so I'll be interested to see what answers you get.

Have a look at http://www.cruisecritic.com for your ship and see what experienced cruisers have to say about cruising to Alaska.

Answer 3

Hi Victoria,

I am a cruise specialist and have been on two Alaskan cruises and it is not to be missed!  I'd like to start out by saying that the answer from Tinkertoy was excellent!!  There was a lot of accurate information there to help you plan your cruise, but I would just like to clarify a couple of points.  First, the 'Inside Passage' is the way the cruise lines describe the round trip cruises, usually from Vancouver or Seattle.  The one way itineraries, North or South start or end usually in Whittier or Seward, which are about 40 -50 miles south of Anchorage, and those itineraries must be used if you will be planning a cruise tour as well.  If you sail north, then the tour will be after the cruise; if you cruise south, then the tour is before you cruise.  Also, besides the cruise tour, you will also be able to see an abundence of wildlife (whales, eagles, bears, etc.) if you take certain excursions provided by the cruise line during the cruise.

Otherwise, all of the information provided by Tinkertoy is just about everything you need to know, especially the point about getting a balcony cabin!!  Do not, I repeat, do not go on that trip without a balcony cabin!  The scenery never stops, and you won't want to always run to the nearest outside deck to see it.  On our last cruise in September, we awoke at about 7am to find ouselves in the middle of a fantastic glacier and snow covered mountain fijord, and we were able to take our blanket (it was a bit chilly), go out to the balcony and enjoy it.  Also, on our first cruise (also in September), we were out on our balcony pretty late at night and saw the northern lights; priceless!!

Keep in mind that because the season is only 5 months, it does sell quickly and the best prices are early in the booking season, so it is already getting late for the 2008 season.  I would also like to point out that there may be many other factors that affect your choice of cruise lines; whether it is the average age of the passengers, are you bringing kids, what type of dining choices you'd like, dress codes, shipboard activities, budget needs, and many others.  That's where a cruise specialist could be of great assitance, and keep in mind that there are no fees for the services we provide.  And since our company is part of the biggest leisure travel companies in the world, it is quite unlikely that you'd be able to find a better price than we could provide.  Our company also handles cruise bookings made on Orbitz.

I've included a link below to my website if you're interested, and I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have!  Whether it's me or someone else, a cruise specialist will help you get the best experience you're looking for.  I hope you have a wonderful trip!

Neil

http://nlazinsky.cruiseone.com/travel/cr...