ALASKAN CRUISE???
 

We've mostly vacationed in the Caribbean (both cruise & land) and LOVE it there... BUT, we'd like a change for our next vacation and are considering an Alaskan cruise.

Several questions:

1. During the summer months, what kind of weather will we experience in Alaska?

2. What are the most scenic routes? (we love to see natural beauty and are not into fake touristy things)

3. Do any of the ships have optional casual dining on formal nights - it was fun on our first cruises to get all dressed up, but we've been there, done that and prefer not having to pack all of those extras that you need when getting formal (like suits & extra high heels)!

4. I know that Alaska is not the Caribbean, but for those who have been to the Caribbean - especially St. John (our favorite) - is Alaska as spectacular? Do you ever get bored of seeing icy mountains?

Thanks everyone!

Lisa

I have been on 32 cruises with 10 to Alaska. There is no comparism with the Alaskan scenery. I recommend you either look at a round trip Vancouver cruise or a one way Vancouver/Seward with another week for interior Alaska travel on your own. Very simple to arrange with a rental car. As for weather, most likely you will be in a light jacket, but also needing knit hat and gloves during glacier viewing. A wide range of attire is necessary. Most all ships have alt. buffet dining.

I've been to Alaska a couple of times. The last cruise was with NCL (Norwegian Cruise Lines). They have a free style dining that may interest you. Go to their web site and check out their itineraries for Alaska. Other than that, you might want to check with each cruise line that you could be considering to make sure you have a "good" alternative meal ... if you don't want to dress up for the dining room.

The key word with Alaska and clothing is "layering." Rain is something that you will deal with anytime of the season, so take a rain jacket with a hood.

I've been in May and July. In May you may have areas where there is snow on the ground and colder weather. You won't see much in the way of whales or salmon during that time either. In July there was plenty of whale watching but no snow on the ground. I also dealt with pesky gnats or flies in the tour to Whitehorse, the passage out of Skagway, but it wasn't totally unpleasant.

My favorite cities in Alaska, for visiting are, Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. As I said before, I've been before and would go back again.

I have booked an Alaska cruise with HAL, and thankfully, they have an "always casual" buffet for those nights that you don't want to dress in formal clothes for dinner. I completely understand your thoughts on not having to get all gussied-up to eat while on vacation. As this was an issue for me, I e-mailed HAL with a list of questions (one was about casual dining), and they replied in a couple of days. They seem very willing to answer all the questions you may have.

In the HAL book I picked up at my travel agent I read that in the evening, in all areas of the ship, they don't want folks in jeans, t-shirts, and tennis shoes. They do prefer that you wear "nicer" clothes at night, however, that doesn't mean it has to be formal wear.

I also read in a Royal Carib. book that they have a casual buffet for all meal times too. That's all I know about RC.

Hope this helps.

If you really want to see scenery and wildlife and skip the touristy stuff, you might want to consider booking on one of the small cruise lines like Cruise West, Glacier Bay Cruise Lines, Linblad, or Clipper. I really like the Yorktown Clipper because it has a cruise ship feel with all the advantages of a small ship. Very friendly staff, small pax numbers (max 130), everybody gets to know fellow passengers, and onboard naturalists that will point out wildlife. Dress is always outdoor casual as you will be out on deck often to look at eagles, orca, humpbacks, bears, etc. These boats have shallow drafts and can get a few hundred yards off the beach to look at bears and goats. The shore excursions are mixed with some touristy and some just hikes or kayak trips. Some of the small ships never even visit major ports - they anchor for the night in some secluded cove or by a hot spring. You won't regret a trip to Alaska.