I finally booked our Alaska Cruise for this summer. To do so I had to do quite a bit of research
on research to learn about the different cruises and ports. I would like to document and share some of
that research.
Land + Cruise vs
Cruise Only vs Land Only
The absolute best way to see Alaska is to take a Cruise to
visit all the port cities and sites, then travel inland to visit the State
Parks and inland cities. This require at
least 11 Days and you really should plan on at least 12-14 Days if you want to get
the most out of your vacation. Land
tours can be made pre or post cruise, I like taking a Northbound approach it
just feels more natural, but starting in the North and travelling south is also
a great option.
If time is a concern, then choose to take a cruise in
Alaska. We chose this because both my
daughters, now employed, could not take more than a week off from work. Cruising Alaska makes was ideal since it can
be done in a week a
Land only trips to Alaska can be done, but will require a
lot of planning and transportation. I
would not suggest this unless you have a specific goal like fishing or hunting
and you have time. Going from place to place
Alaska can be accomplished by rail and plane and the transportation can be an
adventure in itself but the thought of waiting at airports packing and
unpacking just doesn’t make sense unless you are really opposed to a cruise
Cruise Options
There are many cruises and Cruise Lines sailing in
Alaska. All are great options to choose
the right one would require understanding your lifestyle and expectations. I can help with this and will be able to ask
a few key questions that would point us in the right direction to help you
choose best cruise and itinerary.
Alaska Cruises are either round trip or one way (open
jaw). Round trip cruises start and end
in the same city, Seattle or Vancouver are the most common but there are cruises
from San Francisco and other ports.
These cruises are usually 7 Day and spend about 5 days in destinations
and 2 days at sea. The benefit of these
cruises are they end up in the same city and Airfare is easier and usually less
expensive. The downside is that you spend
less time visiting Alaska destinations.
Round Trip cruises from Vancouver travel through the Inside
Passage to its first destination this means a smoother ride and some great scenery
but airfare to Vancouver can be high and if you are going with a big family
this can make a significant difference.
Round trip cruises from Seattle visit many of the same destinations as
Vancouver destinations with the addition of Victoria BC. All Seattle and San Fran cruises will stop
at a Canada port, Victoria BC being the most common. This is done to enable the Cruise ship to
sell duty free.
Open jaw cruises are either Northbound or Southbound. Northbound cruises usually start in Vancouver
and will cruise to either Seward or Whittier both are coastal towns near
Anchorage. Southbound cruises start in
Whittier or Seward and end in Vancouver.
These cruises usually visit an additional Destination one on my bucket
list is the Hubbard Glacier.
So here is my Favorite itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in
Vancouver and see the sites. Stay
overnight in Vancouver.
Day 2: A little more
sightseeing in Vancouver then off to the ship
Day 3: Cruising along the inside passage (Good time for a
massage and some well-deserved R&R)
Day 4: Ketchikan – Take a ride on a Seaplane, see Misty Fjords
then back to town for some shopping
Day 5: Juneau – Take a boat tour and see Humpback whale. Go
to a Salmon Bake
Day 6: Skagway – Take a small gauge train through the White
Mountain Pass. Pet a few puppies.
Day 7: Icy Straits – Helicopter and hike on a Glacier
Day 8: Glacier Bay or Hubbard Bay. Take in the scenery from my balcony and
relax.
Day 9: Seward/Whittier -
Take a Bus to Anchorage, visit the Museum, have a great dinner.
Day 10: Alaska RR to Denali overnight in Denali
Day 11: Denali Park tour
Day 12: Alaska RR to Fairbanks pet more puppies
Day 13: Pan for Gold in Fairbanks
Day 14: Fly home
No comments:
Post a Comment