Alaskan cruises are something special for sure, I’ve been sending clients for years and this year my family was finally able to fit an Alaskan cruise into our schedule and I’m in love! From gold rush towns to whales on a sea day to glaciers that are larger than life – Alaska was everything I hoped it would be and I can’t wait to go back. Funnily enough, all of my clients who go say the same thing!
Picking the right cruise line to sail to Alaska on is certainly a science. Each cruise line’s itineraries are built differently; there are so many different options and experiences out there so part of how I qualify my clients during their consultation call is below:
The first thing to think about is if you want to sail to Glacier Bay National Park. That choice right there knocks quite a few cruise lines out of contention.
The next is if you want a cruise line that has a land component we can add on before or after your cruise.
The last thing I ask is where you want to sail from – the most common options are Seattle, WA; Vancouver, B.C.; or up by Anchorage, AK.
Once we’ve settled on the major things it’s pretty easy to qualify you a bit further to find out the best cruise line depending on your travel party, interests, and needs.
Our cruise to Alaska was on the Disney Magic and we sailed from Vancouver, British Columbia. Vancouver is one of my favorite ports as it’s so accessible (even when you have to fly into Seattle due to flight cancellations but I’m not here to talk about that) and the city is so walkable. We stayed in a hotel about 3 blocks from Canada Place and we were easily able to walk our suitcases down to the port on embarkation day. Granted we are carry on only, but still having a port that’s so convenient and doesn’t require a transfer is a gamechanger. Plus the scenery is beautiful with Grouse Mountain, the seaplanes, and Stanley Park to check out while you’re onboard and waiting to set sail.
The cruise we took brought us to Skagway, AK; Ketchikan, AK; Icy Strait Point, AK; and to Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier for a beautiful glacier viewing day. We sailed through the Inside Passage which was one of my favorite parts of the cruise – just walking on deck 4 or curled up in a blanket reading and watching the scenery go by. We absolutely lucked out with the weather and had gorgeous days in every port, you never know what to expect as Alaska has a temperate rainforest climate.
Our favorite port days took us into small gold rush towns to explore the shops and learn about their history (so many brothels) and on tours with locals where we learned about Alaska and about what it’s like to live in Alaska. We also did a bear walk tour in Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska. We had high hopes that we would see a bear with the 3:1 bear to people ratio on the island and after about 20 minutes of standing on a platform watching a river I spotted a bear step out of the brush to check out what was happening. Just as quickly as the bear came out it was gone so I’m glad I spotted it!
Part of the magic of Alaska is observing – just seeing what sea life and animals you’ll see when you’re walking around the ship. Watching the beautiful mountains and the Inside Passage. And that beautiful glacier day where you sail through icebergs and watch the water turn from regular ocean water to a brilliant turquoise color from the sediment mixing with the water and the sun’s reflection. Nothing can prepare you for how beautiful it is.
If Alaska is on your list, it’s time to talk!
