Alaska Cruises About This Page:

[SarahJ]

DH and I are considering taking an Alaska cruise next summer, just the two of us. We have an opportunity through a friend at my work to get an awesome friends & family rate on Princess. If any of you have been on an Alaska cruise, what type of stateroom did you have? DH thinks that a verandah is a necessity but I'm trying to do this as inexpensively as possible so I'm willing to consider an inside cabin. I just can't imagine using the verandah as much as we did on our Caribbean cruises.

Any other information you might have on Alaska cruises would be welcomed since I've never been that far north. I'm just happy we won't have to pay for airfare!

[jimmymac]

We've done 3 Alaska cruises, each time with an aft-facing balcony cabin (suites twice). We spent a lot of time on the balcony because Alaska is so gorgeous. We saw whales, dolphins, eagles hunting, Hubbard Glacier, Inside Passage. Just watching the sun "set" is fabulous. If there's any way you can swing it, get a balcony cabin. An Alaska cruise is something you'll never forget - Alaska is one of God's museums

[MelissaL]

When we did an Alaskan cruise 10 years ago, we had a porthole, and it was fine. That said, if we'd had a balcony, I'm sure we would have given it a lot of use, because as the previous poster pointed out, the scenery is gorgeous. (Alaska was much greener than I had envisioned, although we saw plenty of glaciers too.)

I would go for at least a porthole if you can, although of course there are outdoor decks where you can sit if you do have an inside cabin.

Happy planning,
Melissa

[zacksmom_1993]

We took the Dawn Princess to Alaska last summer, and I would almost say that a balcony is a neccessity for their itineraries. Almost all of their ships sail into Tracy Arm, this absolutely gorgeous fjord, and they do it really, really early in the morning. If you have a balcony, you can get a special room service breakfast served on the balcony and I was jealous, jealous, jealous of everyone who got to do this on Tracy Arm day. Although, I was travelling with my Dad, sister, and Zack, so the romance factor would have been kind of lost on us! Plus, the Princess staterooms are SMALL! The extra space and light from the balcony would have been very, very welcome.

I'd also recommend finding a cruise that sails into Glacier Bay. There is something about watching the glaciers calving; hearing them, that just can't be described. The Inland Passage was like a lake when we sailed it, and the ship is close enough to the shore that you can see bears, sheep, and moose from the boat. Plus, we had absolutely incredible experiences with whales and dolphins that would have been phenomenal from our own personal balcony.

One note of caution on the Princess itineraries, make sure that you talk very carefully with an agent to insure that you are cruising in the Inland Passage for the entirety of your cruise. We had sort of a funky itinerary (we were roundtripping from San Francisco) so we sailed in the open ocean between Alaska and Victoria, B.C. On that front, I've heard that the ships sailing from Vancouver are the way to go because those departing from Seattle similarly sail on the open Pacific. We had a very rough time of it for a few days out on the open sea! I actually found the Princess forums at Cruise Critic to be indispensible when planning our cruise. Although watch out, discussions about tipping and formal dress can turn UGLY there! Cruise Critic - Cruises, Cruise Reviews, Cruise Lines Let me know if I can answer any other questions for you and have fun planning your cruise!

[KathyL]

DH and I have also done the Alaskan cruise on Princess. Princess is actually our favorite cruise line. I would definately go for the "balcony cabin" if you can swing it. The views are amazing, and sometimes it's just nice to be able to take it all in from your own space. If you can't do a balcony, definately book an outside cabin versus and inside cabin. I did an inside cabin once, and had a hard time not knowing what was going on outside. Also, unless you kept your bathroom light on at night or kept your TV on the "web cam" channel, it was really dark all the time in the cabin. If you look carefully at the Princess pricing, sometimes there is not a big difference money wise between the inside and outside and outside to a balcony. Personally, if you want to splurge a little (I know you said you were trying to save money) go for a mini-suite! You get more room, and a bathtub/shower combo rather than a little stall type shower. Good Luck with your choices.

[lukeandbrookesmom]

Originally Posted by jimmymac

We've done 3 Alaska cruises, each time with an aft-facing balcony cabin (suites twice). We spent a lot of time on the balcony because Alaska is so gorgeous. We saw whales, dolphins, eagles hunting, Hubbard Glacier, Inside Passage. Just watching the sun "set" is fabulous. If there's any way you can swing it, get a balcony cabin. An Alaska cruise is something you'll never forget - Alaska is one of God's museums

I absolutely agree!

[BelmontBelle]

Originally Posted by jimmymac

We've done 3 Alaska cruises, each time with an aft-facing balcony cabin (suites twice). We spent a lot of time on the balcony because Alaska is so gorgeous. We saw whales, dolphins, eagles hunting, Hubbard Glacier, Inside Passage. Just watching the sun "set" is fabulous. If there's any way you can swing it, get a balcony cabin. An Alaska cruise is something you'll never forget - Alaska is one of God's museums

Everyone else has mentioned Princess, what Cruise line or lines did you use? If you've used more than one, which did you prefer?

I'm also wondering what time of year or month is best for an Alaskan cruise?

[lukeandbrookesmom]

Originally Posted by BelmontBelle

I'm also wondering what time of year or month is best for an Alaskan cruise?

May - September is best and June/July have the longest days.

[minniemanor]

The next best option for Alaska after Princess is Holland America. Peak times are June & July so you will pay more for those months but if you plan ahead it will be worth it!

[BelmontBelle]

Originally Posted by minniemanor

The next best option for Alaska after Princess is Holland America. Peak times are June & July so you will pay more for those months but if you plan ahead it will be worth it!

With June and July being the best options, what about August? Is there much difference?

[marisag]

I just returned from my Alaskan Cruise ysterday. It was unbelievable!! I completely agree with what everyone said above. We did an Inside Passage Princess Cruise and went into Glacier Bay. Only 2 cruise ships a day are allowed in. It was beautiful! I took over 800 pictures. If you have any specific questions- feel free to ask as everything is still so fresh in my mind. We had a balcony too and I would say if you can swing it it is definitely the way to go. There was nothing like sitting on my balcony and watching the glaciers calve. I can't even put it into words.

June and July are the best months but August would not be too bad. September is considered a shoulder season. It would definitely be more inexpensive but also much colder and unpredictable.

[chezp]

How awesome Marisa! Any chance of you writing a trip report, as it would certainly help me - and I'm sure other PassPorters to plan their Alaskan cruises?

[marisag]

Originally Posted by chezp

How awesome Marisa! Any chance of you writing a trip report, as it would certainly help me - and I'm sure other PassPorters to plan their Alaskan cruises?

Funny! I was going to mention that my plan was to write a trip reprt but my life has been so ridiculously busy recently that I didn't want anyone to hold me to it . I will definitely try though! And if anyone has any questions in the meantime-- feel free to ask or send me a PM. I