Exploring the vast wilderness of Alaska can take you to so many places along the way, and Royal Caribbean offers one way to do in some serious style.

On a recent stop in Skagway, Alaska on a Royal Caribbean cruise, we tried out the Yukon Hummer Adventure so that we could not only see large swaths of Alaska and the Yukon Territory, but do it in a really fun way.

Description

The Yukon Hummer Adventure is a 4 hour tour that takes you from Skagway deep into the heart of the Yukon Territory in Canada.   Your group gets to drive a 4-wheel-drive Hummer H3 as part of a caravan that will see a lot of the countryside.

We booked our excursion directly with Royal Caribbean and took an early time to ensure we had time after the tour to explore Skagway upon return.  The tour cost us $152 per adult and $104 for our 7-year-old daughter.  We are pretty sure nearly all of that cost pays for the gas for the H3. 

A representative from the tour company will meet you at the end of the pier and provide van transportation to the tour departure point.  Here, you hop into a H3 (4 people per vehicle), do a quick radio check and set out on the road.

The Hummers provided had some mileage on them (149k miles on the one we drove) but were in good working order.  The cars were comfortable and have an automatic transmission.  There is also climate control and a sun roof.  

All guests planning to drive must be at least 25 years old, bring a valid driver's license and name of insurance company, and must sign a liability/insurance waiver.  

Each car has a two-way radio that you can use to communicate during the drive.  The tour leader drives first, which everyone in the group following.  The tour leader regularly comes on the radio to share driving strategies, point out animals, and provide history of the region, the gold rush, and what life is like there today.

During the tour, you will reach White Pass Summit and pass through subalpine terrain, en route to the narrow Caribou crossing at the headwaters of the Yukon River and see Emerald Lake.

We made a few stops along the way, which include

• The Yukon Territory welcome sign
• Emerald Lake
• Village of Carcross, Yukon Territory
• The Alaska welcome sign (on the return trip)

The exact route you go on will depend on road and weather conditions.  We also stopped to see a bear that was alongside the road.  We would have made more stops for wildlife, such as moose or porcupine, but we never saw any.

Since this excursion crosses the U.S.-Canadian border, guests must carry their passport, and if applicable, their visa.

Comments

We booked the Yukon Hummer Adventure because it allowed us to cross off two bucket list items: see lots of the countryside in and around Alaska, and drive a Hummer.  We certainly accomplished both.

Much of the tour is conducted as you drive, and there is a lot of places along the way that you will see, but will not have time to stop at and explore.  In order to reach Carcross and Emerald Lake, much of the tour time is required in getting back and forth.

When you do stop, there are often beautiful vistas to enjoy and the kind of scenery you might imagine Alaska and the Yukon are known for historically.  I certainly would have liked to have made a few more stops on the way at other spots, but I did feel we saw a lot more of the Yukon than anyone else on similar tours.  Seeing the mountains, valleys, rivers and lakes, even at 55 miles per hour, is better than not seeing them at all.

Our tour guide briefed us early on the tour about what to do when we see a bear, and I was very happy we did find one along the way but that was the extent of the wildlife on the tour that we spotted.  Obviously which animals you see or do not see is left to chance, but it is worth noting that our driver was willing to stop for other animals if they were spotted.

Driving the Hummer was very easy, and as someone who does not know how to drive a manual transmission, it was simple enough to operate the Hummer.  If you can drive a pick up truck or mini van, you can drive a H3. 

The best part of the tour is we covered so much ground and came across so many beautiful views along the way.  Being able to drive the H3 was also really fun, and I do believe half the appeal of this tour is you have to be excited to drive a Hummer in the first place. 

The two major stops along the way are Emerald Lake and Carcross.  Emerald Lake is a beautiful freshwater lake that is known for its intense green color.  It looks like it belongs in the Caribbean, and not in the sub arctic.

Carcross is a small village just before Emerald Lake and you will have your longest stop.  There was just enough time to use the restroom and grab coffee and a snack.  I would have loved to have had an additional half hour to explore the town a bit more.

More time is really at the heart of my only complaint about the tour.  You spend a vast majority of the time doing exactly what the tour promises: driving a Hummer.  While neat and a great way to inflate your manly ego, I can think of 3-4 places I really would have liked to visit along the way.  It should be noted you can book a private tour with the tour operator and basically go wherever you want, as an alternative for those that also like the idea of exploring on foot and driving an awesome car along the way.

Our tour guide, Ben, was very helpful and conveyed the story of the gold rush and life in Skagway and the Yukon today.  Ben was insightful, knowledgeable and happy to help take photos at any stop.  

Overall, we had a great time seeing a lot of Alaska and Canada on this tour.  If the idea of driving a Hummer and exploring the Yukon sounds like a great combination, then this is the tour for you.

Cost: $152 per adult, $104 per child. Children must be at least 5 years old. Booster seats are available.

We had a fantastic Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska. So much so, it was the kind of cruise vacation that met and exceeded all of our expectations. As they say, hindsight is 20/20, and looking back on our first Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska, here are six mistakes we made and three great choices during the cruise.

The mistakes

Assuming a balcony room is a necessity

If you read any blog post, feature article or message board post about taking a cruise to Alaska, nearly everyone seems to talk about the importance of booking a balcony stateroom. So much so that it makes it seem like not booking a balcony stateroom is a mistake.

Over the seven nights of our Alaska cruise, we stayed in a Junior Suite balcony stateroom and it was a spacious room with some nice perks associated with it. However, I really do not feel that staying in a balcony stateroom is the must-do that everyone makes it out to be.

To be fair, having a balcony stateroom is very nice and I enjoyed walking out whenever I pleased to enjoy the scenery. Having walked the ship, I felt there were numerous and ample opportunities to enjoy the scenery passing by without a need for a balcony room.

By far the best time for seeing the most compelling scenery is during the Tracy Arm fjords morning, culminating with a marvelous glacier.  

The ship does 360-degree spins to provide everyone with a view of the glacier and surrounding area. If you rely purely on your balcony, you will miss out on a great deal of the viewing time. Moreover, the public decks are not that crowded. I surveyed the crowd on the helipad, pool deck and aft FlowRider area, and in all cases, it was quite easy to walk up and snag a spot.

Booking a balcony room is not a mistake by any means, but when you consider how much more a balcony room will cost versus one of the interior rooms, saving a lot of money and opting for an interior room (money that can be spent later on some really amazing excursions) is a fantastic idea.

Booking CityPass in Seattle

Before and after our cruise, we wanted to get a good sampling of what the city of Seattle, Washington has to offer. It seemed as though the CityPass option was perfect. For one low cost, you could experience up to 5 popular Seattle attractions and save quite a bit of money.

There are two reasons why I believe buying a CityPass was a mistake for us.

First, we underestimated the amount of time we would need to do it all. I really thought between the day we flew into Seatle before the cruise and the day after we got off the ship we would have more than enough time to visit all the attractions included with the CityPass. Between the travel fatigue of getting into Seattle and the post-cruise fatigue, the reality was we needed more time to see it all (in addition to meals and catching up on sleep). Moreover, some of the museums included in the CityPass were less than our favorite uses of time (the science museum and aquarium were great, but the Museum of Pop Culture was a dud).

If you happen to be spending more than 3 days in Seattle, it can be a decent money-saving option. Just keep in mind that while it includes five attractions, they are all not made equally.

Not spending more time at Mendenhall Glacier Park

When we planned our day in Juneau, we leaned heavily on the guided tours available. We had a great time learning about the Iditarod race and of course meeting and petting some really cute puppies. However, I wish we had spent much more time at Mendenhall Glacier Park.

I had no idea how close you can get by simply taking a taxi to the park and walking on one of the many easy-to-navigate trails and get an amazing view of this natural wonder. I am by no means an outdoors man, hiker or park kind of guy. Getting the mail in the summer afternoon is what I consider to be on par with Lewis and Clark’s survey of the Louisiana Territory. I found the Nuggets Fall trail to be very easy to walk and my kids loved seeing what was just around the next corner.

If I could go back again, I would grab a taxi and head straight to Mendenhall Glacier Park, walk the trails and enjoy the incredible scenery. There simply was not enough time for my liking on this go around and I would advocate anyone visiting Juneau to plan on lots of time at this park.

Not researching where to eat in port

In each port we visited, we spent a lot of time figuring out which excursion to try but no time researching the best local restaurants to dine at. The result was we ended up in good, but not great restaurants.

The ports of Seattle, Juneau, Skagway and even Victoria have a reputation for fresh seafood and while many establishments offer it, I think it is safe to say everyone wants to experience the best while on this kind of a trip.

I relied too heavily on simply pulling up my Yelp app to guide me, but there are a lot of choices and it is hard to know which spots really offer the best seafood, and which offer the okay or good stuff. 

My advice is to figure out which local food you are most interested in and find a couple of options in each port to visit. There are a lot of restaurants, but I know we probably ate at a few tourist duds rather than the real deal.

Not renting a car after the cruise

We planned a few days in Seattle after our cruise to explore more of the city. Since Explorer of the Seas returned on a Friday, we had a built-in weekend after the cruise to explore. I wish I had taken the first day back to explore Seattle, and then rented a car to be able to go beyond the city limits.

Seattle offers a lot to see and do, but there is a ton very close as well. The Boeing Factory, the city of Vancouver and nearby national parks are wonderful places to visit and by the second day in Seattle, I felt like we were going to attractions that were nice, but nearly as compelling as the others I listed.

Moreover, renting a car would have included the cost of getting from our Seattle hotel to the airport, so it would not have been a major additional cost to spring for the rental car.

Not attending the lectures on the ports

Royal Caribbean offered complimentary lectures presented by higher education staff on the history and culture of the ports we visited, and I wish I had attended these.

As is often the case on Royal Caribbean cruises, we each must juggle the multitude of activities offered onboard (in addition to the ever-tempting nap), and unlike a Caribbean itinerary, the lectures provided onboard offer important context for the adventures you will take on shore later in your visit.

These lectures may not offer money-saving tips or pitfalls to avoid, but they do offer the kind of insider look at these ports that I think helps improve your appreciation of each city when you go to visit them later. The other guests on my cruise who did attend these lectures reported back having a better understanding of the history and significance of various landmarks and institutions they would see in port. I think it is far more valuable to know why the places you visit are important rather than trying to learn and appreciate at the same time.

Things we did right

Bought jackets on eBay

Unless you live in a particularly cold climate to begin with, more than likely you will find yourself buying a lot of clothing to be prepared for an Alaska cruise. One of the mantras of packing for an Alaska cruise is to layer your clothing.

Fleece and waterproof jackets are the bread and butter of layering, but you will find these types of jackets to be pricey (especially the name-brand ones).

I have two kids (ages 7 and 3) that needed jackets and I really did not want to invest a lot of money on outerwear that they would quickly outgrow. Moreover, living in Florida means it was not like we would get a whole lot of additional use out of them after the trip.

Buying our kids jackets and my own fleece jacket on eBay saved us so much money. A North Face waterproof jacket and Columbia waterproof jacket cost just $50 total. My North Face black fleece jacket came in at just $13. We saved hundreds of dollars by going this route.

In many cases, it was clear people had bought these expensive jackets for a trip and now have no use for them anymore. When it comes to kids especially, the shelf life of clothing is quite short before they are too small and I am really glad I saved money with this idea.

Moving around the ship in Tracy Arm

As I mentioned earlier, we had a Junior Suite balcony on our Explorer of the Seas cruise to Alaska, which meant we had a private spot to enjoy the view in Tracy Arm. As the glacier started to slip from view due to the ship’s rotation, I wanted to see more and decided to see how crowded it was elsewhere on the ship.

To my surprise, the public decks were not that crowded. I found a one person deep crowd at any given area and it proved to be quite easy to get a spot of my own once someone else moved on.

Not only was it easy to get a spot along the railing to see the glacier, it meant I got more time to see the glacier and surrounding beauty. Keep in mind that your time viewing the glacier is quite limited, so by moving around the ship to see the glacier on my own, I greatly multiplied my viewing opportunity.

Taking my kids

After booking my Alaska cruise, some people asked if I was bringing my kids with us. I was kind of surprised to hear that question, because I knew it mostly likely came about because going to Alaska is quite expensive and how much will a 7 and 3 year old really get out of the experience.

Bringing my kids with us was a great decision for many reasons. First, I believe good parenting starts with providing positive learning experiences for children. Anywhere we take them, including vacations, should be about surrounding them in a positive environment where they can create memories that will guide them for the rest of their life. 

Second, the shore excursions in Alaska are vastly different than ones in the Caribbean. While going to the beach or renting a boat is also a positive experience they enjoy, our tours in Alaska took us to places they only saw in books iPads and movies. We often tell them our day trips at home are a kind of adventure, but taking them to Alaska was a true journey.

There is no point in arguing the fact that leaving the kids at home would have saved us thousands of dollars, but the memories we make as a family are so important to me because it is my own memories of traveling with my parents and sisters years ago that I believe fostered my own drive to visit the world via a cruise ship.

Your thoughts

What do you think about the mistakes and successes from my first Alaska cruise? If you have cruised to or visited Alaska, what mistakes do you feel you made? Any questions for those taking or considering an Alaska cruise? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

Hands down the best way to see Alaska is on a cruise. Travelers can experience the awe of the Inside Passage, with its jaw-dropping scenery and diverse wildlife as well as land based thrills on a variety of curated cruisetours. Royal Caribbean is taking Alaska cruises to the next level by offering some of their best ships, including Radiance of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean released new information about 2019 Alaska and select European cruises, as well as when guests can expect to begin booking these adventures.

Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society members can begin booking sailings on December 12, 2017 at 9:30am - 1:30pm EST, with the general public available to begin booking at 1:30pm EST.

2019 Alaska Sailings

• Radiance of the Seas
• Ovation of the Seas

2019 Europe Sailings

• Brilliance of the Seas
• Jewel of the Seas
• Oasis of the Seas
• Rhapsody of the Seas
• Serenade of the Seas
• Vision of the Seas

The remaining deployments will be released sometime in Spring 2018.

Royal Caribbean announced beginning with the 2019 deployment season, Radiance of the Seas sailings will feature two new stateroom categories within Ocean View and Balcony accommodations — Northbound Preferred and Southbound Preferred.

This change will appear with the opening of 2019 Alaska sailings on Radiance of the Seas, which is scheduled for the week of December 11, 2017. These stateroom categories offer guaranteed premium views of the scenic Alaskan coast. Royal Caribbean hopes this change will eliminate confusion about which side of the ship is more desirable.

The new stateroom categories offer, "guaranteed premium views of the scenic Alaskan coast" and is applicable to Radiance of the Seas sailings between May 5, 2019 and August 30, 2019.

Royal Caribbean has released its 2018-2019 North American cruise itineraries, that allow guests to choose cruises that sail to destinations in the Caribbean, Alaska and Northeast.

Royal Caribbean’s Alaska itineraries are available to book starting March 16, 2017, while year-round Caribbean & Bahamas sailings will begin opening on March 17 and continue to open on a rolling basis, shortly followed by seasonal Caribbean and Northeast itineraries beginning on March 30. All itineraries are available to book one day in advance for Crown & Anchor Society loyalty members.

Nineteen Royal Caribbean ships will sail from South Florida, Puerto Rico, Texas, the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast.

Symphony of the Seas

Now available to book

• After spending her inaugural summer season sailing to the historic cities of the Mediterranean, Symphony of the Seas will unite with her three Oasis-Class sisters stateside, arriving to Royal Caribbean’s brand new Terminal A at PortMiami. Beginning November 17, she will sail seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, adding Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis to other marquee Oasis-Class ports of call.   

Alaska

Available to book March 16, 2017

• Explorer of the Seas will continue to sail to the new frontier with seven-night itineraries departing from Seattle, Washington with ports of call in Victoria, British Columbia, Juneau, Alaska and the Inside Passage, showcasing its jaw-dropping scenery and diverse wildlife.
• Radiance of the Seas will sail seven- and nine-night open-jaw itineraries between Seward, Alaska and Vancouver, British Columbia, uncovering the myriad of Alaskan adventures.

South Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico Offer Year-Round Caribbean

Select Ships available to book starting March 17, 2017

• Allure of the Seas will reposition from Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale to PortMiami for the winter season, where she will continue to offer seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
• Harmony of the Seas will continue to sail year-round seven-night Caribbean itineraries from Port Everglades Cruise Port in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, switching from Saturday to Sunday departures for the winter.
• Oasis of the Seas will continue year-round seven-night itineraries from Port Canaveral, east of Orlando, Florida to the Caribbean, while Majesty of the Seas will offer three- and four-night getaways to The Bahamas.
• Liberty of the Seas will continue her year-round deployment from the Port of Galveston in Texas, offering seven-night Mexico and Western Caribbean itineraries.
• Enchantment of the Seas will sail three- and four-night getaways to The Bahamas, year-round from PortMiami.  

Northeast U.S. and Seasonal Caribbean

Available to book March 30, 2017

• Quantum-Class Anthem of the Seas will continue year-round itineraries from Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, New Jersey sailing a diverse series of five- to 12-night itineraries to Bermuda and the Caribbean and seven-night itineraries to The Bahamas. For the fall season, Anthem of the Seas will offer nine-night itineraries to Canada and New England.
• The newly revitalized Adventure of the Seas will call the Northeast “home” for the first time since her debut, sailing a variety of seven-night itineraries from Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, New Jersey to The Bahamas and New England & Canada throughout the summer season. In the fall 2018, the ship will feature three open-jaw 10- and 11-night Fall Foliage sailings to Quebec, Canada. Adventure of the Seas will reposition to Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale for the winter season, offering six- and eight-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
• Grandeur of the Seas will continue to offer a variety of destinations and experiences for guests sailing from Baltimore, including nine-night itineraries to The Bahamas and 12-night itineraries to the Southern Caribbean in the winter; and nine-night journeys to Canada and New England and five-night getaways to Bermuda’s pink sand beaches in the summer.
• Vision of the Seas will join Liberty of the Seas in Galveston, Texas for the winter season offering shorter four- and five-night Western Caribbean getaways.
• Rhapsody of the Seas will sail round-trip seven-night Western Caribbean itineraries out of Tampa, Florida during the winter season.
• Jewel of the Seas will make San Juan, Puerto Rico her homeport for the winter season, sailing seven-night Southern Caribbean itineraries.
• Brilliance of the Seas will sail from Tampa in the winter, alternating four- and five-night itineraries to the Western Caribbean.
• Serenade of the Seas will homeport in Boston for September and October, offering seven-night itineraries to Canada and New England and seven-night itineraries to Bermuda. She will then reposition to Ft. Lauderdale for longer winter vacations sailing the majestic waters of the Southern and Eastern Caribbean on 10- and 11-night itineraries.
• Navigator of the Seas will sail five- and nine-night Southern and Western Caribbean itineraries from PortMiami throughout the winter season.
• Independence of the Seas will make her way to Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida offering four- and five-night itineraries to the Western Caribbean throughout the winter.

Royal Caribbean released today its 2017-2018 Alaska season cruise sailings.

Crown and Anchor Society members are getting a 24 hour head start at the available sailings before the general public. 

Sailings are open for cruises on Explorer of the Seas and Radiance of the Seas, departing out of Seattle and Vancouver.

In addition to the new sailings, Royal Caribbean is offering a Seek & Save deal, where guests can get 30% off their 2017 cruise along with free upgrades.

The Seek & Save deal must be booked between February 16 and Apri 3, 2016 and is valid on sailings departing on or after Mar. 16, 2016.

Offer includes 30% off the standard cruise fare for all guests in a stateroom; all stateroom categories.

In addition, for new sailings deployed during the Offer Period that depart on or after May 1, 2017, the Offer includes a Free Upgrade within the stateroom meta-category (for example from a D8 to a D1, interior to interior, or ocean view to ocean view).

Free Upgrade refers to booking a stateroom for the price of the lowest available category within the same stateroom meta-category type.

Upgrade offer excludes Panoramic, Family, and Suite staterooms.

Offer is combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts, NextCruise offers, and Shareholders benefits. Any dollar off discounts or promotions, such as Crown & Anchor discounts, are applied first, followed by Offer, which is applied to final balance. Offer is not combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military) or any other offer or promotion, including, but not limited to, Standard Group, Interline, Travel Agent, Travel Agent Friends and Family, weekly Sales Events, Net Rates.

Offer excludes all China departures.

Offer available to residents of the United States and Canada.

Royal Caribbean is offering free cruise fare for third and fourth passengers for guests in a triple or quad occupancy stateroom on Explorer of the Seas sailings to Alaska in 2016.

The deal is valid on 7-night round trip Explorer of the Seas Alaska sailings between May 20 – September 9, 2016.

The deal offers free cruise fare for third and fourth passengers in a triple or quad occupancy interior stateroom.  If you book a balcony stateroom, third and fourth passengers will be eligble for a "cruise savings" instead.

In addition, all staterooms booked qualify for Buy One Guest, Get Second Guest 50% Off promotion.

If you book a qualifying cruise to get third or fourth passengers, all other charges, including, but not limited to, government taxes and fees, are not included and apply to all guests.

To qualify for this promotion, eligible sailings must be booked between July 3 and July 31, 2015.

Offer open to residents of the United States or Canada.