First Alaska Cruise
 

My husband and I are in our 60's (Ok..I'm not quite there...but close enough!) and this will be our first cruise. We want to take one of the 7 day round trip cruises. We are leaning towards one that leaves from Vancouver and does the Tracy Arm, Juneau (because we have heard good things about the bus trip to Mendenahall Glacier), Skagway (because I want to do the rail excursion), Glacier Bay and Ketchikan. We've been looking at the ms Zuiderdan (Holland America Lines) because it has the date late in July that best fits our schedule this year and there are some really good last minute deals on rooms with a balcony.

Any experts want to comment on this itinerary, ship or excursions? What to take on a cruise and what not to bother with? Do we need a travel agent or can we do this on our own? How soon would we want to book the excursions?

Thanks in advance,
Utahtea

I am not familiar with the ship in question. In this instance it would be good to ask a travel agent about the ship's service and policy's with what to bring on board, luggage quotas etc. Even if you do book direct.... Also find out in advance what items you can bring from each destination find out if there are any restrictions on these either from the ships policy of the destination customes and , I know it varies in some crusie destinations. All in all definitely use a travel agent for information and if still not comfortable on your own then get the agent to organise everything.

Happy cruising.

P.S sounds like a great cruise thought! book early:)

I can't comment on the ship b/c we've never been on HAL. However I think you will like it. Try www.cruisecritic.com for extensive passenger reviews. However an Alaskan cruise is one of the best ones out there so do try it. Usually we don't use a TA but as this is your 1st cruise I think it wise to get a good one. Yes, you can book it on your own if you wish. If you do try to get an amidships balcony cabin. You will love having a balcony and amidships is great in terms if limiting motion sensation. As for what you will need I recommend dressing in layers. Bring sweaters, jerseys and a light, rain proof jacket. Invest is binoculars too. It is great for nature viewing. As for excursions, which is the best part of an Alaskan cruise, I always say check what is offered and then pick what excites you the most. Yes, you can do a bus to Mendenhall but you can also go by helicopter as well so keep your options open. The rial trip is Skagway is great. We did that and the views are amazing. Do go and book asap. You will love it. Cheers, Larry :-)

A very good choice. It is a very standard inside passage cruise. you may want to look at Seattle round trip on Princess which will give you a stop in Victoria as an alternative.

For Skagway, Whitepasss railroad is great, skip the optional Yukon Suspension bridge. Not worth the money. Bring your passport as you will be crossing the border into Canada.

If all you want to do in Juneau is take in Mendenhall Glacier, take the public buses rather than the one from the cruise line. You can spend more time there. The cruise line's excursions only allow you a bit more than an hour and a half. Other self directed trip should include the tram to Mt. Roberts. There are lots to see in Juneau, including whale watching etc. I liked the Salmon bake.

For Ketchikan, Misty Fjord is a must stop.

Answers to your questions:

Say yes to a travel agent. I always promote local travel agent rather than the internet agents. Support your local business! Pick someone reputable and has been around.

Bring rain gear (rain poncho from dollar stores would work). You will have 33% chance of seeing sunlight in Juneau. If it doesn't rain, bonus!

Bring warm clothing. It will be windy while scenic cruising on an open deck. Dress in layers. Temperature in July could range from 80 to low 50.

The misty Fjord excursion is going to be full before you know it so that should be booked right away, be it through the cruise line or on your own.

Mendenhall is no issue. There are public transportations all over. The Whitepass Railroad has a good capacity so you can book that while you are on board or pay the $99 on your own.

One last thought. Since this is your first cruise, my suggestion is to pay the premium (about 25%) and book excursions through the cruise line than on your own. Less hassle but cost more money. They are quite organized and will walk you through the whole process.

Book a balcony if the price is right, if not, at least get an outside cabin.

Good luck on your trip!

Thanks everyone for your replies. I like the route and ports of the cruise that leaves from Vancover over the one that leaves from Seattle. We are driving up to Vancover from California so after the cruise we plan on going over to Vancover Island to visit Victoria and then down to Olympic National Park. We've done Victoria before but many, many years ago.

We have our passports! We have two sets of binoculars!! We also have a spotting scope on a short tripod, wonder if that would be worth bring along? I'm not going to get my husband on a helicopter.

I called a local Travel Agent today, one that I'd seen around here for years and years. I had found a deal thought Holland America Cruise online and she called and could get the same deal. I told her I would go though her but she couldn't give me any reason why it would be better or why I should...I thought she would try to sell herself, but whatever...so I think I'll just go though the cruise line.

My only concern about the deal I found is the cabin is up front. The only thing that the travel agent did tell me was she's had customers complain that up front can be a rough ride. So now I'm worried about that.

Today I went to the library and checked out the Fodor's Alaska Ports of Call 2009 edition. I'll read over that tomorrow. My free copy of the 2010 edition should reach me before we leave. :)

Utahtea

We did similar itinerary on Princess 2 years ago. "I am not going to get my husband on a helicopter" I am aircraft-phobic - and smaller is worse. Against my better judgement we did the helicopter landing and walk-around on Mendenhall - it was worth the trauma and price. They cram you into a helicopter with an apparently 12 year old pilot (actually, he was in his 20s, but seemed really young to me). They put twice as many people in the copter as one would reasonably think they could, close and lock the door from the outside. When the helicopter was about 50 feet off the ground I started to internally panic and consider jumping out - instead I closed my eyes and prayed. When I opened 1 eye there was a majestic view of the city, mountains - like nothing I have ever seen. I decided if I was going to die I might as well enjoy the view. Incredible experience.

In addition to advice above - clothing is much more casual than one would expect on a cruise. Ignore the photos on-line of elegantly dressed people. Fleece and sneakers during the day. Anything but jeans at night. "Formal night" means dress pants or any dress for women; a jacket for men - many did not even wear a tie, but one would be nice.

Budget for excursions - whether private or booked thru cruiseline. There is little to see in any port other than jewelry and t-shirt shops without additional transportation - rail, road, air.

I could get seasick in a bathtub - but had no problems anywhere on cruiseship. A balcony is wonderful - sitting outside watching scenery is amazing. We went over summer solstice so even at 2 AM there was enough light for scenery.

Good idea to spend some time in Vancouver area - based on your other posts, I am sure you will love it.

Things to bring - a big clip to close cabin curtains if you need darkness to sleep - it stays light late and sun rises early. A multi-plug wall thing since there is never enough electrical outlets and you will have camera battery and cell phone chargers. (Cell phones will work in some places, not in others). A few pairs of comfortable walking shoes in case they get wet and not as many dress shoes as you think. A small daypack for port days.

We booked on our own - I know travel agents need the business, but could also not find any reason to do so.

The difference between cruiseline-booked excursions and privately booked ones is sometimes price, but not always. They generally use the same tour operators. If you are on a cruiseline excursion they guarantee they will get you back to the ship before it leaves, even if bus, plane, train is delayed. This is not the case for privately booked ones - but there are only rare stories of people missing the ship on these.

Have a good trip.

Actually up front is fine providing the seas are OK. If so then its not an issue really. When we were in Victoria we took a harbour boat out to see the Orcas and that was really neat. If you haven't done that I recomend it. I'm not sure why the TA didn't want your business. Maybe its because she would not get much if any commision. I would have thought it a wise thing to do b/c it may engender future business but whatever. Just book it yourself. I would say be swift however. Have a grat time. Larry :-)

Here is my logic for using a travel agent. If HAL and the Travel agent charges you the same, why wouldn't you go with the local agent? You will get personal and local service while HAL is offering on-line and phone support only? Ask your travel agent for "goodies" such as a bottle of wine or on board credit. Also, ask the travel agent to do a walk through with you.

If this is your first cruise, the local agent should be able to get all the documentation done for you (rather than do it yourself on-line) and they can arrnage for all the paperwork, luggage tags etc and put everything into a tidy package(or you can do it all on your own). If the cost is the same, why not?

Binoculars, yes! Spotting scopes, probably not. For wildlife in Alaska, they don't stay still, especially whales, eagles, bears and the like.

If it is no to helicopter, how about seaplane? Misty Fjord is majectic.

Unless you have issues with motion sickness, I wouldn't worry about the front of the ship too much.

In my years of cruising. I have only seen 3 incidents of people left behind for getting back late to the ship, so that is not too often. It almost happened to us once but we were on a ship arranged excursison so they hold everything for the group. The reason why we were late? A traffic accident that blcoked off the highway.

I will caution the use of cell phones while on board. They will charge international roaming charges while on baord, especially along the Canadian coastal or international water. Even if you are in Alaska, some cell plans covers the continental US but nor Alaska and Hawaii. Check with the cruise line and your cell phone service provider before using. I always have my cell phone off when I am at sea or on a cruise. What do you need it for anyway?

You may want to check out John Upton's book called "The Alaska Cruise Handbook: A Mile-By-Mile Guide". See if it is available in your local library.

Last but not least, I have a request ... please post a review.

Utah, do a search here and on Cruise Critic. In Juneau we got off and bought a local tour to Mendenhall - probably for 1/2 the price of the ship tour. Did it after reading Fodor's. We didn't make any advance reservations.

Have you ever had motion sickness? If you had, I strongly advise against that cabin, you need something in the lower middle part of the ship. And no upgrades - this will put you in front or back.

We were on the Zuiderdam 2 years ago, and thought it was great. We had a verandah and I wouldn't want to cruise otherwise. Consider the inland tour to Fairbanks. The Alaska cruise is great, but the land tour just doubles the fun. Pack warm clothes. On deck, facing a glacier is cold.

Hi All, We booked our cruise....YAY! We did it ourselves and have already printed out our documents.

The reason for the cell service is to check on our aging parents. I've checked and we should get Verizon coverage in Juneau. We're driving to Vancouver for a reason.....dear husband hates to fly...I don't see me getting him any thing that leaves the ground...lol. Will leave the spotting scope at home.

I've never been on a cruise ship. We did take a small boat tour from Seward, AK to Kenaj fjords National Park almost 20 years ago. We hit very bad weather on the way back and I had more problems with other people throwing up than the boat tossing and turning. (BTW...we have been to Alaska before...we drove...LOL)

We are now working on the excursions. I'm wondering if three will be to many.

Juneau: Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest. Not sure if I want to do two boat tours...see Ketchikan. I wouldn't mind just taking a shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier and spending the time there hiking and then walking around town later. We will have already seen Tracy Arm that morning....want to pace myself ;)

Skagway: I'd love to do the Yukon Expedition & White Pass Railway. I'm just not sure about being on a tour for 8 hours. Second choice would be just the White Pass Summit Scenic Railway 3 1/2 hrs. Has anyone done the Yukon Expedition by bus & rail?

Ketchikan: Misty Fjords Wilderness Explorer - boat tour. Wonder it that's worth it. Anyone ever do this one? If we don't do this boat tour, then I want to do the Juneau boat tour for sure.

Ok..I have one silly question. I have a formal dress that I wore to my son's wedding and I'm wondering if it will be too dressy for formal night? Will I feel over dressed and out of place?

Anyone ever have to do long term parking in Vancouver, BC for their cruise? There seems to be two choices for long term parking near the doc...anyone have any experience? BTW, the TA had no idea where to park our vehicle. :(

What about a hotel in or near Vancouver, BC the night before? Any suggestions?

One last question, what are our chances of seeing puffins on this trip? I love puffins!

Utahtea

On our Princess cruise we did something similar sounding in Ketchican and it was pretty neat to see nature up close. They also stopped at the totem park and a defunct salmon canning factory though I don't know if yours includes that. It may. The totem park was nice but I could have done w/o the factory.
No you won't feel overdressed w/ a formal gown as some do take formal literally. However the trend nowadays is a much less strict interpretation of this so be aware some others will be "underdressed" so to speak. I do think the HAL crowd tends to be more conservative, esp. for Alaska.
Cheers, Larry :-)

as for your question about a Vancouver hotel, we booked on Priceline for 3 nights prior to our upcoming cruise and got Hyatt Regency for $80 per night. Others have gotten good rates using other booking sites.
For answers to your other questions you should really check out Cruise Critic. All of your questions have been answered on that board!
Have fun....we are sailing same itinerary on Volendam.

The whale quest at Juneau is awesome. Done that a few times and still wanted to go back for more. Unfortunately, if you do the whale and Mendenhall combo, you will only have about hour and a half at Mendenhall, and probably no time left for Mt Roberts or the walk around in town. Only caution about taking the trails at Mendenhall, there are often bears around there and they may close the trails form time to time if there are bear sightings. Also, you will have better than 50-50 chance of rain or light drizzle. You can always walk to the lake in front of the interpret center.

For Skgway, skip the Yukon part. If you have drove through to Alaska, then you have probably seen part of it. The big thing they are showing off is the Yukon suspension bridge which is not worth the time or the money IMHO.

Vancouver Cruise Port has consolidated most of the passenger ships to Canada Place so the Ballentine Cruise port is not in use for crusie ships (at least this year), even Celebrity is at the Canada Place now.

I don't believe there is long term parking at Canada Place as it is downtown and parking was by the hour. There is a place called CruisePark. They charged about $100 for 7 days (from more than a year ago) and have a free shuttle to run you to Canada Place. Make sure you call ahead or book on line.

As to the cell phone. I can certainly understand the need. However, to avoid international roaming charges, speak to the crusie ship and look at who you are connected to when you turn on your phone. If you are not at port, more than likely, you will be paying international roaming charges. I have heard horror stories of hundred dollar phone calls at $5 a minute.

Utah, it is my understanding different cruises have agreements w/diff. phone companies, so not every cell phone works on every ship. On the shore you should be fine. Call both: cruise line and phone company to find out the roaming charges, when it will work. Or just use when off the ship.

Your formal dress will be perfect for formal night.HAL is still a little conservative,besides its nice to change from sweat shirts in the morning to something more glamorous in the evening.
As for the Skagway wxcursion,We did the 3 hour White Pass ScenicRailroad last year and loved it.Found the time alloted to be just right. Have a wonderful cruise.We are going back in two weeks and taking the whole family along.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I don't plan on using the cell phone on board ship, only when we are at ports. I think it will only work in Juneau.

We still haven't decided on the land excursions yet. Still can’t decide if we want to do the Yukon part of Skagway. It’s been 19 years since we’ve been to Alaska..and would love to experience the driving part again. I’ll keep you posted on what we decide.

Eschew, I’ll look into “The Alaska Cruise Handbook: A Mile-By-Mile Guide”.

jacketwatch, I have had to registered twice over the last two days on www.cruisecritic.com and you wouldn’t believe the hoops I had to jump though to finally get to post on that board. It’s one of the slowest boards I’ve been on. I finally had to give up tonight because the pages just wouldn’t load. To bad, because it looks like it has a lot of good info. I’ll give it another try tomorrow. I had hoped to find my information here on Fodor’s because it’s where I like to hang out! 

If anyone has any other comments, hints or suggestions, I’d love to hear them

Utahtea

Sometimes the cruisecritic board is really slow for me too but then I just leave and come right back. That usually does the trick. Good luck. Larry :-)

Utahtea,
If you even think you may get motion sickness, see your doctor and get a script for a "patch". I used these on the last boat we went on, and it made a world of difference. I have been sick on every other boat I have been on until the patch! LOl

my very first cruise was on the zuiderdam. it is a great ship and we have done that itinerary. it is a wonderful cruise up the inside passage and not prone to roughness like the other itineraries. i would suggest, budgetwise, to book your excursions dockside, esp if you are docked for the whole day. give yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship before sailing, since if you are delayed and didn't book with the cruiseline, there is the chance they will leave before you get back if you are late. then it is your resp to get to the next port. if booked with the cruiseline and you are late, they will wait for you.

do use a travel agent. they have a wealth of information and contrary to popular belief, the cost of your cruise will not be any more expensive.

My boss recently took a trip on a sail boat to the BVI's and used the patch w/ great results. All was fine except for a bit of a dry mouth which is a common side effect. However a British MD on the Tahitian Princess told us the patch was not in use in Europe due to bad side effects. This was 2006 and she prescribed a small dose of phenergan for my wife which also worked well. I think if you get something and it doesn't work its a good idea to have a back up plan. Prescription drugs from the ships MD are expensive and if you have a medical paln which covers meds its good to get them B4 you go. Some people swear by ginger capsules which are found OTC in health food stores and other use OTC bonine. Just a thought. Cheers, Larry :-)

I too am in the planning stage of my first Alaska cruise so I am looking forward to your trip report as well.

Our travel agent recommended travel insurance and also letting Holland America arrange flights. This was good advice, since our original flight was delayed (after we got to the airport), so Holland America arranged another flight, which got us to Alaska in time. On each of our two Alaska cruises, a passenger has been injured, and had to be airlifted by helicopter to either Vancouver or Seattle. The hospitals in Alaska are not equipped to deal with some types of situations. And although Holland America has an onboard clinic and doctors and nurses, they wouldn't be able to handle every type of medical emergency.

Travel agent recommended to use the cruise ship for flight arrangements? For me, this would be a red flag.

Utah, check travel insurance on InsureMyTrip website, they give good comparison. It's not just for medical coverage, it's for delays, lost luggage, etc...

We bought the travelers insurance thought Holland America. It's for both having to cancel because of medical and also has medical if you have to be airlifted off. Since this was our first time and wasn't that expensive, we decided to buy it.

We are driving up, so not worried about flight :)

We have booked our excursions...WOOT!

Tracy Arm: Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer to see the glaciers up close! Glaciers are top on my list of things to see. It was a really hard choice between this and whale watching. We still might do the evening whale watching from Juneau, we just have to decide if that's to much for one day since we are in Tracy Arm and Juneau the same day.

Skagway: Yukon Expedition & White Pass Railway. It's been 18 years since we made it up to the Yukon, so want to go there again, even if it's for just a short time. Who knows if we will get to Alaska again.

Ketchikan: Misty Fjords & Wilderness Explorer

I wasn't that worried about being sea sick. Do you think it's something we really have to worry about? I guess I still have time to contact my doctor.

Utahtea

Good choices all around. What did you decided on Juneau? Mendenhall obviously, and anything else?

Sea sickness should not be a problem but better safe than sorry. Get some meds just in case.

Juneau and Tracy Arm are in the same day. Tracy Arm is in the morning and we will get to Juneau about the same time as the ship, approx 2 PM. We are now torn between a whale watching tour later that evening or making it on our own to Mendenhall Glacier. There's no way we could possibly fit all three into one day. Don't want to over book ourselves and be to rushed so this is very hard to decide.

Utahtea

I have a new question, let me know if you think I should start a new thread.

We have been told we can bring water and soda on board. Has anyone done this? Do you pack it in your luggage or can you just put your luggage tags on a case of water or do you carry it on?

Utahtea

Well Tracy arm is a scenic passage and not a stop so that brings it down to two things to do. I suppose you could book the glacier tour and the whale watch w/ the ship so really its their responsibility to take care of you after that. Normally the ship will block you from booking conflicting excursions so if they let you them the time frame must to possible. I must say that if you arrive at 2PM thats one very long day but Alaska is about the excursions so if you can do that by all means do so. I have heard of people bringing non-alcoholic beverages in checked luggage/ However these days the weight restriction on baggage is tough so the extra weight from beverages is alot. How about getting stuff in port, then bringing it aboard? I am pretty sure you can do that. I get the feeling you are really excited about your 1st cruise. Well I doubt it will be the last. Have a ball. Its a great vacation. Cheers, Larry :-)

jacketwatch,

We're driving to Vancouver so I though we'd buy the water and soda in the states before we crossed the border so I don't have to worry about weight restrictions on a flight. I didn't think there was weight restrictions on the cruise ship. We don't plan on brining on wine or booze of any kind.

I'm sure we could book both the Tracy Arm and Whale watching which would happen immediately following Tracy Arm...I'm just not sure we're up to all of that. We're still thinking about it.

Utahtea

OK. I thought you were flying. Thats the wt. restriction I meant.

I am not clear what you mean about Tracy Arm. For us this was a scenic passage which had no stops or tours. The ship simply went through it. Is this different for your cruise?

I am curious as to why you need to take bottled water. We have found the ship's water just fine to drink.

Does your ship offer the soda card? Everybody's different but I can't see lugging water and soda onboard.

Some folks, many actually, simply prefer botled water.

Larry, some crusie lines offer a small boat tour close up to Tracy Arm as part of a shore excursion.

Utahtea, If you are going to be at Juneau at 2 pm, it's too late to do both. Pick Mendenhall. You can always do whale watching some other time or some other place. It's not the same as the Alaska but you can do whale watching all the way along the North America Pacific coast from Mexico Baja all the way up to Alaska.

We have done whale watching in Cabos, California and Tofino. Different time of year and different location offer different type of whale sighhtings.

In terms of bottle water, why are you buying it in US and bring it into Canada? Buy it in Canada and less lugging around. How much water and pop are you bringing with you? If the stuff is not insde your luggage, they may get damaged or misplaced.

For all the trouble lugging them around to save a few bucks. Not worth it. My DW always accuse me of buying too much junk food and drinks for our road trip / hotel stays that we always ended up lugging everything back to the car and drove home with bags of chips, chocolate bars, peanuts and drinks.

We always over estiamted our consumption and ended up with extras. Typically they charge $3 for a large bottle of water on the ship. If you drink a bottle a day, it is $21 for the week. Even if it is free in the store, it is $20 you are saving.

Thanks Eschew. :-)

Our cruise is offering the Tracy Arm Fjord & Glacier Explore excursion. We board a high speed catamaran directly from the cruise ship and get closer to the South Sawyer Glacier and go to the North Sawyer Glacier that the cruise boat won't get to. The catamaran takes us back to Juneau where the ship will be.

We lived 50 miles from the California coast so I could take a whale watching trip at any time. Besides, we have to save something for next time! ;)

I've done a lot of reading any everyone says bring your own soda and water. If it's not convenient, I'll probably skip it. I don't know if Holland America has soda cards. I haven't seen anything on it.

Thank you one and all for your help. I've been busy packing!

Utahtea

And don't forget to post a trip report back here and share your wonderful experience. :)