My family of four and a group friends took a cruise to Alaska on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas, which took us to places like Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, and Dawes Glacier.
Even though I've taken two other cruises to Alaska, this was my first in over 4 years. Back then, there were still Covid rules in place.
I was far from a novice on this Alaska cruise, as I've not only been there a couple of times before, but also spent plenty of time researching.
Getting back to Alaska, I was far from a novice. And yet, I was still surprised by a few important things on my cruise and they are lessons I think almost anyone else headed to Alaska would want to know about.
Here are seven things I didn't expect about the overall experience.
The impact of the World Cup made my vacation more expensive.
I booked my Alaska cruise two years ago, but had no idea back then that the World Cup would play a significant role in my travel plans.
It never crossed my mind, but just like trying to cruise from the same city the Super Bowl is hosted in, hotel and airfare prices will skyrocket.
My cruise departed from Vancouver, Canada, which was one of two Canadian cities selected to host the World Cup. The result was when it came time to book flights and hotel rooms, I paid much more than I expected.
I stayed in the Pan Pacific hotel because it's in the same building as the cruise terminal. At $600 per room, per night, it cost me much more than I expected.
It's a good idea to look at what events are happening in the city you're cruising from to see what kind of impact it might have on demand to get there.
Creek Street in Ketchikan is a tourist trap.
I'll say it: I was disappointed how much Ketchikan was a tourist trap, especially Creek Street.
Creek Street is the picturesque street you've likely seen lots of photos that looks like a throwback to gold rush Alaska.
While it does look as cute in real life, there's not much here that you won't find everywhere else around town (or in other Alaska towns you visit).
I was disappointed this part of Ketchikan didn't have more to it than more of the same souvenirs you'll see elsewhere. To be fair, all the ports in Alaska are kind of like this. Haines remains the most authentic town that I've visited.
My advice is take your photo of Creek Street, but you can avoid the crowds trying to get into every store because there's not much beyond what you'd find elsewhere in town.
I was impressed by how much Alaskan food offered on my ship.
I'm so used to Royal Caribbean's food that almost anything different grabs my attention. I was pleasantly surprised to see the ship's chef's leaning into Alaska cuisine as much as they did.
The Windjammer buffet had a variety of different dishes from both Alaska and Canada. While none of it might be the most authentic version you'll ever have, I give them a lot of credit for trying.
There was an "Alaskan breakfast sandwich" every morning, which was the combination of French toast, bacon and eggs.
My favorite was the Alaskan salmon chowder soup, which was essentially New England Clam chowder, but salmon substituted for the clams. Plus, they even served it in bread bowls on one afternoon!
The bagel station had Alaskan salmon, Alaskan baked fresh cod, and a giant hoagie sandwich. I don't think the sandwich is related to Alaska, but it was different!
There was even a poutine station on one day, which a number of Canadians onboard seemed impressed by.
I was also very happy to see Alaskan Brewing beers offered onboard, which offered a nice alternative to the usual beers you'd find on Royal Caribbean ships.
A lot of stores closed early, regardless of how late ships were in port
Our itinerary had us in port fairly late for most ports, and yet a lot of shops were closed by 5 or 6pm.
The cruise schedule is well-known by shop owners, so I was surprised how many were closed even though our ship was in port until 8 or 9pm.
This isn't like the hardware store in your hometown. These are towns that literally make all of their revenue off cruise ship passengers during the cruise season. So you would expect them to maximize every minute considering how short the season is.
In both Juneau and Ketchikan, a lot of places were closed by the time we got to the early evening. That limits shopping and dining opportunities, and it forces our hand to return to the ship earlier.
If I'm being honest, this phenomenon occurs in other ports I've visited around the world where ships stay late. But those are towns and cities that have year-round tourists, whereas Alaska is more limited, and that's why I was surprised.
Prince Rupert is a sleeper hit.
Due to US maritime law, all Royal Caribbean ships make at least one stop in Canada. It might look like a technical requirement, but I was fairly impressed by Prince Rupert Island.
This is a quaint town, but it's perfect for walking around and enjoying some time outside.
We lucked out with amazing weather, so it helped greatly that Canada's rainiest city had no rain.
There's a sunken garden that was perfect for a quick stop, a few different breweries, and lots of scenic walks along the water.
Our cruise focused on Alaska, but don't overlook your time in Canada as well.
You don't need a parka, but glacier day will be chilly.
It's easy to look at an Alaska cruise and fall into the trap of thinking you need clothes fit for the arctic.
It's still summer in Alaska, and I think you can ditch the parka or heavy jackets.
I packed three outer layers on my cruise: a fleece jacket, a heavy hoodie sweatshirt, and a light rain jacket. That's it.
I think that's more than sufficient for the outdoors in any of the ports, even with temperatures that barely exceed 60 degrees.
The one day where you might really get cold is on your glacier visit. For this day, double or triple down on what you brought.
I wore my fleece and hoodie on top of each other and was warm enough to be outside for long periods. A knit hat and gloves really paid off on glacier day.
Buying disposable hand warmers would probably be a good idea. (Affiliate link that costs you nothing extra to use)
The reality is I don't think it will be as cold as you might think, and we were in t-shirts more often than even I expected.
Excursions are expensive, but you'll regret not doing more.
Alaska shore excursions are much more expensive than in the Caribbean, but you really should bite the bullet and book them anyway.
While you can easily walk around town on your own without spending extra, the best things to see and do require an organized tour to do properly.
I booked a private wildlife tour in Sitka that absolutely blew me away, with both what we saw and how personal the experience was.
Captain Patrick only takes small groups of 6-8 people out on his boat to the spots he knows there are almost always lots of wildlife.
We saw whales, sea otters, bald eagles, and sea lions, and he explained everything about Alaska along the way. When we couldn't find humpback whales, he extended the tour at no cost to find them.
For most people, Alaska is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so don't go cheap on the excursions. Save more for the good ones that will take you to see and do things that are the top of your bucket list.
