Best Alaska Cruise out of Seattle?

Question

When is the best month to go as far as weather? Which Cruiseliner/ ship is best to travel with? Which places should I make sure are on the list of places to see .....and when we stop what should I visit while on land? Do I need a passport for anything at all? What about rooms, should I get one with a balcony? Is it worth it? What is Inside Passage? Do you know of any website with pictures of the places you will see on an Alaska Cruise? Sorry for so many questions I just really some help with planning my first cruise ever. Thank you!!

Answer 1

The best time to go is when you can get the best price. The Alaska cruise season is from May to Sept. The weather is generally warmer in June, July and Aug, but it can also be pleasant in May and Sept. When we went a few years ago in May it was shirt sleeve weather (70's) in Anchorage and Fairbanks. The odd thing was, it was cooler further south in Juneau and Skagway than it was up north. It was rainy and cloudy in Ketchkan. It will be cold, like coat, hat and gloves weather, when you get close to the Glaciers. Otherwise they would melt. When you pack, think layering of your clothes. A couple long sleeve shirts/tops, a sweater/sweatshirt, a light jacket, maybe with a hood.

The best prices will be in May and Sept but you will see the same things as other times. The port stops will be the same but may be in a different order. Some cruises ship itineraries are run in reverse order, North to South vs starting in Seattle or Vancouver. Check the cruise line web sites for variations by date, itinerary and price.

The best Alaska cruise experience is the CRUISE-TOUR. Princess, Holland America, and Royal Caribbean all run cruise tours which take you by train all the way to Fairbanks, Alaska. Princess and RC have special domed train cars for this. Your best chance to see wild animals will be if you do a cruise-tour where you go further north after cruising the inside passage. The only animals you are likely to see in the inside passage is seals. On these tours you can arrange to stop for a night or two in Taketna, or Denali National Park. This will be your best opportunity to see Moose, Caribou, eagle, wolf, and bear. But you really need two days at Denali so that you have time to get one of the Park Service's buses that go deep into the park. Regular tour buses , cars and campers can only go about 3 or 4 miles into the park. The Park Service runs buses about 17 miles into the park, but you must get to the visitor center very early to reserve a spot on one of their buses. The train stops going north and south do not get you to Denali in time or allow enough time for the deep back country buses. With Princess, Holland America, and RC you can do the tour part first and then go to Seward or Whittier to get on ship for the inside passage part. I recommend doing the tour part first.

Alaska cruises and tours are mostly scenic and cultural. The usual stops for the inside passage portion are Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and College Fjords. The scenic parts are the animals, mountains, glaciers, fjords, and waterfalls. The cultural parts are the Alaska Native, gold rush, fishing industry, and historical sites.

The inside passage means that the route goes between the mainland and islands off the coast so that the ship is not in open ocean water with large swells. It is a smoother ride because of this. There will be places where you are 4 or 5 miles from land on either side of the ship and the land is somewhat mountainous. Exceedingly pretty.

When we went to Alaska we too Princess cruise line and we had a balcony cabin. That was the first time that I had a balcony and now I will not even consider a cruise without one. You can see so much more and enjoy your cruise more. Plus most of the new cruise ships are built with many balcony cabins so they are now much cheaper than they were at one time. I use the balcony for solitude when I want to get away from the crowd on ship and read or just enjoy the scenery without a lot of chatter all around. I also go out and sit at night, especially on moon lit nights.

Check the web sites below for Alaska cruise info; my Alaska cruise pictures are on my Yahoo 360 page right now (until Yahoo deletes them).

Answer 2

Well, Everyone is going to have a different favorite cruiseline. Mine for Alaska is Princess. They have great sea/land packages. Your don't need a passport as long as you are going from Seattle, If you go out of Vancouver or if your ship stops at an Canadian port then yes you will need a passport. Getting a room with a Balcony is defiantly worth it. Especially going through the glaciers. If you would email me I would be more then happy to send you out some information on a few different companies. Also with Princess. Most of there ships have over 50% or more of their rooms are balconies so they are cheaper then most other cruiselines...

Answer 3

Weather - June threw August warm. Best cruise line everyone has their favorite. I like Norwegian for the layout of the ship, the crew, food etc. In Ketchikan shop at Salmon mall at end of pier many shops great prices also Alaska Shirt co. Every cruise ship line has on line video's where you can see sites and if you have the travel channel they have Alaska specials. Passports you will need to check when you book your trip. A balcony again depends who you ask. I say no why pay up to $500.00 each more and you only get to se a view from one side. The fun, people etc.. are on deck. To much to see to stay in your cabin. Princess as well as others will send you a free DVD. If you belong to triple AAA they have brouchure & can save you money on cruise & plane fare.The inside passage is where you travel between to bodies of land, Canada & the US which also makes for a much smoother cruise as the waters are calmer.
ENJOY.

Answer 4

I've only taken the Holland America cruise from Seattle to Alaska, so can't compare it to Norwegian, sorry. It's a wonderful cruise though, absolutely beautiful! Our first cruise, we reserved a cabin without a balcony and they upgraded us - now I won't cruise without one, it adds so much to the experience to be able to step right outside your cabin to enjoy the scenery. There are lots of fun excursions in each port, just pick a few that match your interests and fitness level. Summer is most expensive. Fall is less expensive because it's more likely to be cooler and might possibly rain.