Which Alaska cruise

[M12345]

I was on the website looking st the options for Alaska and there’s a ton of options. Boat and land tours. Overwhelming to say the least. Does anyone know if there’s a brochure or can offer some guidance on how to sort through all the different cruises. What are your suggestions of which one to do or which ones to avoid.

i know Alaska is super expensive, when is the best time to book for 2020? Thanks

[melski94]

There are really only 4 options:  Ovation, Serenade, Radiance (north) and Radiance (south).  Look at the land options after you decide on the ship as the majority of the cost is in the ship.  I suggest looking at the live blog page and looking back on Matt's blog posts for previous Alaska cruises.  There is quite a few things to read and research.

 I'd also compare flight prices.  For us, Seattle is the cheapest but other factors outweigh flights.  Does the ship matter to you?  Normally for us, the ship does matter and I'd really like to sail on Ovation.  However,  this is a once in a lifetime trip and I'm looking more for the ports so I'm about to book Radiance.  If you book now, you can always reprice if it goes lower.

I don't think there is a cruise to avoid!

 

[SpeedNoodles]

You can't go wrong on any RCL Alaskan Cruise!  We'll be taking our 3rd this June on Ovation.  There are some considerations that may help you choose what's best for you - one is price.  The newer ship (Ovation) is likely going to run more than the more seasoned ships.  All are beautiful.  We always do Inside Passage, because my husband doesn't fly - we need one that starts and ends in the same port.  If flying, it's usually also cheaper to fly into and out of the same city.  Time of year matters, too - the cruises will be cheaper in May and September than in June/July/August.  I prefer to cruise to Alaska the week of June 21st, because few things thrill me like experiencing the Summer Solstice, the longest period of daylight of the year, in Alaska!  But that's me - what's important to you?  Take a look at shore excursions in various ports (you can see them on the website under "The Experience" - they won't all be there but you'll get an idea.)  No matter which you choose, you are going to love your cruise.  Alaska is amazing.  Get a balcony - there's nothing like stepping out onto your own private baclony on glacier viewing day!  And prices only go up with time, especially on Alaskan cruises, and they book quickly, so book as early as you can to be sure you get the cabin type you want.  Good luck, and have fun!

[M12345]

Thank you both. Looks like I have a lot of research to do and as soon as possible. Thanks for the advice to pick a ship first

[KJ1231]

+1 for Radiance for the ports. We did Southbound without a land piece attached (we went to Seattle for a couple nights after). My in-laws did the land first and said they definite;y preferred the land piece first because it was more intense as far as the schedule goes - up and out early, bags packed and ready each morning. So they felt liek they got the intense part first and then relaxed for a week while cruising. I can't wait to go back some day!

[Baked Alaska]

+2 for Radiance.  We will be doing the southbound on Radiance next July. We picked this open-jaw route so we could see and do a lot more of Alaska (given the state's enormity, that's a funny statement). We will be flying into Anchorage four days prior to embarkation for our own sightseeing and fishing excursions (Hello Rusts Flying and Guide Service!). Then we will be taking the Goldstar Service on the Alaska Railroad to Seward in the morning. Will arrive in Seward around 11:30-12:30. Will check in on the boat, eat some lunch, and then walk-off and head over to the Alaska Sealife center for a couple of hours. We will cruise for the next week, hitting many awesome ports of call with awesome views and excursions. Disembarkation will be in Vancouver. We will spend just part of the day there and then jump on the Cascades Amtrak service to Seattle (and fly out from there). Hoping the Seattle Sounders will have a game that weekend in town. We wanted to get the long flight and land part of our trip done first so we can relax (sort of) on our cruise, just as @KJ1231 mentioned. I suspect that this will not be our last Alaskan cruise, as next time, I'd like to spend more time in Vancouver! 

Echoing @SpeedNoodles, book as early as you can as prices will most probably only go up. Use a good TA that will monitor prices for you and rebook as necessary, however, do book as far far far in advance as you can and can afford.

 

[AshleyDillo]

To echo what has been mentioned already, we did the cruisetour through Royal..southbound on Radiance with the land portion beforehand.  That was definitely the way to go.   Getting to Fairbanks wasn't easy as it's a smaller airport but the land tour took care of the transportation and hotels once we landed so that took a little of the planning out of our hands.  Plus we got C&A points for the land part of the tour as well as the cruise portion.  The hotels we were in were always convenient to catch optional excursions or had shuttles to go explore on your own.  We got to take the glass dome train through parts of Alaska and the same tour bus met us to take us to the hotels.  I was anxious about all the logistics but it worked out seamlessly with things pre-planned but also the free time to explore and do your own thing.

We diverted from the land tour for leaving Anchorage to Seward and took the train to Seward and also checked out the Sealife center before the cruise.  The train ride from Anchorage to Seward had amazing scenery with wildlife and glaciers.  

When we got off the ship in Vancouver we stayed and explored Vancouver by their excellent local bus system.  We took the Amtrak to Seattle and again that was some amazing scenery traveling along the coast and we got to see bald eagles flying alongside the train.  We overnighted in Seattle before catching our flight home.  Seattle has a light rail that goes all the way to the airport, so it was very convenient.

For it being the first trip to Alaska the cruisetour was a good intro to Alaska.  Now I have a better idea of what there is to do and what it is like and where I would want to explore more and go back and see.  

 

[Pima1988]

I lived in AK for almost 4 yrs right outside of AK.  I do believe the ship does not matter, but I would say the time of the year matters just as much, and maybe more if the itenary s port intensive.  In Anchorage we call May the SPIT month.  It basically does not rain, but it is not unusual for it to spit...mist, light showers all day.  Plus, a TON of big arse mosquitos.  By early June the mosquitos and spit is gone.  June and July are the best months. I would book 3rd week of June prior to summer solstice.  Believe it or not Denali is warm, than again I lived in AK for yrs.  If it is sunny, you can expect a dry air 80 degrees.  August, you are getting back into iffy weather.  Still slightly warm during the days, but chilly at night.  Depending on how cold August gets you might see more bears and moose....going into hibernation.  I would say that no matter when you go, if you dock in Anchorage, you need to book Simon and Seaforts.  It is an amazing restaurant (pricey), but the service, the ambience and if you can get a window table it is worth the cost.  Try the prime rib and the crab/artichoke dip.   I would stay at the Hilton over Captain Cook Hotel.  You can easily walk to Simon and Seaforts.  The Hilton has an amazing roof top restaurant/bar when we lived there.  They are north of Captain Cook.  

If you are in Anchorage I would suggest Eagle River Rafting.  http://rafting.allaboutrivers.com/Alaska_river_rafting/Eagle_River_(AK)_rafting-riv265.html 

We lived in Eagle River.  It is about 25 mins from Anchorage.  It is a mild ride, but still a lot of fun.

I would also suggest that if you are staying in Anchorage to contact Simon and Seaforts and book asap if you want a window over looking the bay.  I cannot tell you how amazing this restaurant is regarding food and service. 

[Pima1988]

OBTW, I will say that I was born, raised in NJ.  I started  wearing shorts in AK in late April. I had issues with sleep in the summer.  June until end of July it is daylight 20+ hrs a day.  This would be the one cruise I would opt for interior.  Set your phone as an alarm clock  JMPO, go to the WJ and have breakfast.   Spend the money on the excursions.   You will feel chilly with the wind of the ship and the temp of the water compared to a Caribbean cruise.    Hence, if you have a balcony and sailing in July. the sun will not set until 3,4, 5 a.m.

My husband was stationed there.  The wives would do a white water rafting trip every summer solstice.  1 yr I said when we returned, @ 3:30 please, I just want to go to sleep before the sun rises.  Their response was it set and rised while we were talking.   That is June and July in AK.   Midnight is dusk in June.  

[Pima1988]

Just now, Pima1988 said:

OBTW, I will say that I was born, raised in NJ.  I started  wearing shorts in AK in late April. I had issues with sleep in the summer.  June until end of July it is daylight 20+ hrs a day.  This would be the one cruise I would opt for interior.  Set your phone as an alarm clock  JMPO, go to the WJ and have breakfast.   Spend the money on the excursions.   You will feel chilly with the wind of the ship and the temp of the water compared to a Caribbean cruise.    Hence, if you have a balcony and sailing in July. the sun will not set until 3,4, 5 a.m. In July the sun will rise 1 hr later.

My husband was stationed there.  The wives would do a white water rafting trip every summer solstice.  1 yr I said when we returned, @ 3:30 please, I just want to go to sleep before the sun rises.  Their response was it set and rised while we were talking.   That is June and July in AK.   Midnight is dusk in June.  

 

[Baked Alaska]

3 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

When we got off the ship in Vancouver we stayed and explored Vancouver by their excellent local bus system.  We took the Amtrak to Seattle and again that was some amazing scenery traveling along the coast and we got to see bald eagles flying alongside the train.  We overnighted in Seattle before catching our flight home.  Seattle has a light rail that goes all the way to the airport, so it was very convenient.

For it being the first trip to Alaska the cruisetour was a good intro to Alaska.  Now I have a better idea of what there is to do and what it is like and where I would want to explore more and go back and see.  

 

Did you do the Vancouver hop on/hop off (or on your own ?) and then get on the Cascade service to Seattle? Where did you stay in Seattle and how did you get from the train station to your hotel? I think our train arrives in Seattle around 10:30 pm.

[Matt]

Thanks for the recommendations @Pima1988

[AshleyDillo]

18 hours ago, Baked Alaska said:

Did you do the Vancouver hop on/hop off (or on your own ?) and then get on the Cascade service to Seattle? Where did you stay in Seattle and how did you get from the train station to your hotel? I think our train arrives in Seattle around 10:30 pm.

We did Vancouver on our own.  We stayed at the Fairmont in Vancouver just blocks from the port for 2 nights after the cruise.  We took a cab to the hotel and it really was a ridiculous few blocks and confused the cabbie..but no way we would have been able to juggle all the luggage.  Fairmont hotel stay was courtesy of points for signing up for a credit card..but I bet it would be pricey otherwise.  We navigated around Vancouver using the public bus system and our legs...just bought day transit tickets and used Google Maps to get us around.  Then we took a cab to the train station early in the morning to catch the Amtrak back to Seattle.  This was in 2014, so Uber/Lyft wasn't as ubiquitous at the time.

Our Seattle-bound train was the first one in the morning, so we got to Seattle before 10am.  The Amtrak station is near the football stadium, on the edge of Pioneer Square and right by Chinatown.  We were staying at the Hilton right across from the airport and took a cab there to get checked in and drop off luggage.  Then we took the light rail back into Seattle to explore a little.

There is a light rail station close to Amtrak, but, again, we had my parents and four people's worth of luggage so it was easier to just cab it than haul it to the light rail station.

If you're trying to do the Amtrak to Seattle the same evening that the cruise gets into Vancouver you should have a little time to explore around for the day but there's always the issue of dragging around your luggage.  We were facing ridiculous airline prices that made it cheaper for us to stay and take the flight home a few days later.  And it didn't hurt that we had the free hotel nights in Vancouver.

I have been to Seattle on my own several times and the light rail makes it really easy to get to the airport if you can handle your own luggage.  

The Hilton (Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center) hotel that we stayed at would be convenient if you had an early morning flight as it is pretty much across the street from the airport.  There is also a Marriott right there and a Doubletree a little further up the road.  You walk about a block from the hotel to the light rail station and cross over to the other side of it and you are at the airport.  There's also a 24/7 restaurant called 13 Coins that I love going to which is nearby those airport hotels.

[SolariumSnoozer]

I recommend checking out this @twangster blog from one of his Alaskan cruises, here is the link:

 

In the blog I ask him his preference between the one way cruise and the round trip one, this was his response:

 

On 9/22/2018 at 8:46 PM, SolariumSnoozer said:

That along with the extra ports leads me to think the one way cruise is the better choice.  Do you agree with that If you can only do an Alaskan cruise once?

 

I totally get your question.  When I booked my 1st Alaska cruise I approached it on that basis - if I'm going to do Alaska once, all my research said to do it right and put a little more effort into booking it one way.  

I prefer the Southbound one-way in a large part due to the train.  What an amazing way to set the tone for the cruise.  Then there are the extra ports plus longer times in some of them.   To be fair I have not done a Northbound one way.  Ending in Vancouver is easy.  Cheap transfer to airport or a great city to explore post cruise if you wish.  

When I booked the RCLBlog group cruise out of Seattle I thought I was settling for a lesser Alaskan experience (based on my research).  I was wrong.  It was a great Alaska cruise and not just because of the group.  

Let me put it this way - if I could, I'd go one-way more than Seattle.  As a repeat Alaska cruiser or for anyone who is intimidated by the logistics of a one way, a Seattle round trip provides a great Alaskan experience.  My next and 4th Alaska cruise is Seattle based (for now).  

If you can, either way, add a few days to explore Seattle, Anchorage and/or Vancouver.  You won't be disappointed.  

There is no wrong way to cruise Alaska.   YOLO, book it.