Get ready for your Alaskan cruise with these tips for your Alaska cruise, all things that I wish I’d known before my first Alaskan cruise! Everything from what to pack to Alaskan cruise excursions, Alaskan cruise prices, and even the best time to cruise Alaska!
When we first started talking about going on an Alaskan Cruise for my mom’s 50th birthday, I was so excited. Alaska has always been on my bucket list of places to visit, and well, I love cruises. I’ve been on 10 or more Caribbean cruises, so I thought I knew pretty much everything I needed to about cruising.
I was so wrong.
An Alaskan Cruise is nothing like a Caribbean one, other than the fact that you’re cruising on a big boat and everything on the ship is included. Everything else about an Alaskan cruise is different than any other Caribbean cruise I’ve ever been on. That’s why I’m sharing these 5 things I wish I’d known before my Alaskan cruise, so hopefully I can help anyone who is going on an Alaskan cruise soon to be prepared, unlike me, before they go.
Alaskan Cruise Tips
#1 – Seattle is the perfect Alaskan Cruise departure city.
About half of the Alaska cruises we looked at left out of Seattle, Washington and the other half left out of British Columbia, Canada. We chose Seattle because one of my best friends’ families live there, which meant a free place to stay and unlimited pickle ball games. But even if we didn’t have family there, I would’ve picked Seattle anyway because it’s one of my favorite towns ever.
There are also great shuttles from many of the Seattle hotels to the cruise port and a taxi ride from downtown Seattle to the cruise port is cheap. There are also quite a few hotels that offer a park and cruise offer that’ll allow you to stay one night, leave your car while you cruise, and pick it up later. Perfect to avoid having to pay extra parking fees during your Alaskan cruise.
If you have a day or two in Seattle before your Alaska cruise, make sure to:
- Eat your way through Pike Place market
- Make your own glass-blown bowl
- Take a boat out on Lake Bellevue or another one of the many lakes in Seattle
- Explore and shop downtown
#2 – Pack and Dress in Layers for Your Alaskan Cruise
Typically when I go on a cruise, I pack a handful of bathing suits, some cover-ups, flip flops, and a couple of dress-up outfits for the cruise itself. For an Alaskan cruise, you have to pack everything from swim suits to formal dresses (for formal night) to rain coats (it rains a lot) and even hats and gloves.
Just because Alaskan cruises cruise in the warmer months of the year doesn’t mean it’s going to be warm in Alaska or on the boat itself in the middle of the ocean. You could have a beautiful sunny day where you can walk around in jeans and a t-shirt and then other days you could be bundled up in a hoodie, rain gear, and a scarf. Alaskan weather is finicky so pack enough options that you can wear something comfortable no matter what the weather is like.
If you forget a rain coat or don’t want to pack one, you can actually get a nice quality one in Alaska on one of your in port days for super cheap. Both my husband and I ended up buying ones on our cruise to Alaska that we still use today.
#3 – There’s More Down Time on an Alaskan Cruise
Unlike most Caribbean cruises I’ve been on that have shows and activities going on all night long, our Alaskan cruise was dead by about 10PM. The Alaskan cruises prices tend to be more expensive and geared toward an older crowd of people and the entertainment and activities reflected that. I was with a group of about 20 for my mom’s 50th birthday when we went and most of the time, it seemed like we were the only ones awake and walking around the ship around 10PM.
We went on the Princess Ruby, a popular Princess Cruises Alaska, but I’m willing to bet that the other cruises will be similar. So if you want to sleep, there will likely be plenty of time to sleep without having to miss out.
The other downside was also that not only did the activities and entertainment end early, almost all of the food closed early as well. There was one small cafe on our ship that was open all night long, but it only served a handful of small desserts and pre-made sandwiches that were not my favorite. I would’ve loved to see the pizza place or ice cream or anywhere really open after 10PM for those of us who don’t go to bed at 9PM.
#4 – Alaskan Cruise Prices Are More Expensive
Our Alaskan cruise was by far the most expensive cruise I’ve ever been on and it’s not because we chose the nicest ship or the longest itinerary or anything like that. They were all expensive. And the excursions all were too. I’ll be sharing the Alaskan cruise excursions that I thought were worth the money next week but for now just know that you’re going to spend a pretty penny on the cruise, probably about double what you would for a Caribbean cruise.
One nice splurge for people who don’t drink alcohol like me is an all you can drink pass that includes juices, hot chocolates, milkshakes, and virgin frozen drinks if you’re on Princess cruises. And if you’re on another cruise line, they likely have something similar. I guarantee I downed at least 3 virgin pina coladas or daquiris a day and a milkshake or two on top of that. The pass easily paid for itself.
#5 – You go on an Alaskan cruise to see the beauty of Alaska
I already mentioned that the cruise pretty much shuts down at night, or at least ours did, but the other thing I noticed was that most everything on the cruise was just a little worse than other cruises I’ve been on. When we were searching for cruises, one thing that I noticed was that the best of the best ships and entertainment were all being sent into the Caribbean somewhere. All of the ship options that we had were older, less innovative ships.
Alaskan cruises aren’t about the ship and things you can do on the ship like ice skating or zip lining from one end to another. Alaska cruises are about seeing and enjoying the beauty Alaska (and typically somewhere in Canada) has to offer. Once you embrace that and realize that you’re more likely going to be looking for whales alongside the boat or taking photos of glaciers floating in the water, you’ll fall in love with Alaska like I did. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and somewhere that I would love to go back to, maybe not on a cruise, but for sure to visit. Cruising was great, but I’d rather just fly in and have the chance to explore the Alaskan wilderness more than you can in just a few hours.
Most cruises have the option to do an at sea floating through a fjord, which basically means floating on the cruise ship in and out of a little fjord surrounded by beautiful glaciers and mountains. It’s typically super early in the morning and while it’s beautiful, I probably would’ve just preferred to sleep in. But if you’re all about embracing the Alaskan beauty, get up early, bundle up, and enjoy the gorgeous scenery. Or take it one step further and book an excursion to actually go explore the glaciers you can see from the side of the boat instead of just looking at it from afar. That’s the beauty of a cruise to Alaska.
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Have you ever been on an Alaskan cruise? What things would you add to my list of things to know before you go? Don’t forget to pin these Alaskan cruise tips for later!
Andrea says
I live in the Seattle-ish area and honestly have never been on a cruise. Luckily the Alaskan cruise is the only kind that even interest me and am trying to plant that idea to the hubby as our 10th anniversary is coming up next year. Great article. I second the lightrail from the airport to downtown. Very easy- hassle free. NOT as crowded as DC unless you hit it right game time. lol Based on my experience as a local… lol You will usually find a “local” willing to answer your questions about stops and must sees if you get to spend some time in Seattle. 😀 I definitely think staying in Seattle and using the shuttles or transit is worth it as far as cost/time/mental capacity as opposed to staying further out, renting a car, finding parking (also insane) and having to deal with traffic (which is INSANE). Unless you want to explore outside the immediate city. But that’s another subject! Now I realllllly want to take a cruise to Alaska. 😀
BritniV says
You should take one Andrea, it was awesome, even if not quite what I expected!
Mary Etter says
We live in the Seattle area, for those flying in who don’t want to rent a car. Check out the light rail from the airport to downtown, It’s very inexpensive. If you get a hotel near the pier, it’s cheaper than a rental car and parking. The hotels may also have shuttle service to the docks.
We did an Alaska cruise in June, and unlike the Caribbean cruises I’ve done, I found that “dressing up” on the ship, was way more casual. Most evenings, I felt over dressed,
The reasons the excursions are so expensive is because you’re sailing in American waters, but even if you don’t plan any excursions, you will find fun things to do in the ports.
BritniV says
You’re right Mary, ours definitely did seem a bit more casual. And thanks for that note about the excursions, good to know!
Karen says
Alaska tour and travel have some fabulous land tours.
Elaine says
We went on Celebrity in May. The ship was not dead and every day was jam packed. We flew into Anchorage and did 7 days on land and the railroad then boarded the ship in Seward and spent 7 days on the cruise to Vancouver. Simply amazing trip. Excursions were expensive but well worth it. Small complaints about the lousy wifi on the cruise but everything else was great.
BritniV says
Thanks Elaine, that’s great to know. I’ll have to check out that itinerary next time!
Jennifer says
I did the Ruby Princess in the Caribbean, and it was the same way. I found out, after the fact, that Princess is geared towards retirees. I would not recommend taking kids on a Princess cruise.
BritniV says
Thanks for the tip Jennifer. I actually did a Princess cruise a while back with my entire family (kids, adults, grandparents) and didn’t have that experience at all but things may have changed! We’ve never had an issue on the Caribbean cruises, just our Alaskan one.
Kim Legere says
We went on our Alaskan cruise this July. It was amazing!! We went out of Seattle also. We bought the City Pass online prior for $74 with this pass we had admission to The Space Needle, Chihuly Glass museum, EMP museum, Seattle Aquarium and a Harbor Cruise. We went on the Celebrity Solstice. There was great entertainment and late night activities. We loved this boat. We booked 10 months prior and got awesome deals(free internet, free drink package and onboard credit).
Patricia Geis says
My husband and I went on a cruise to Alaska on Norwegian and it was great – up all night. We flew into Seattle 2 days prior & did all the sightseeing stuff – it was great – When we returned to Seattle our flight wasn’t until that evening – had we known that our ship offered luggage hold & sightseeing offers we would not have done everything the 2 days prior to our cruise.. We would have waited and done some sightseeing on our return date. Also, Seattle has a great transit system – we used it & found it easy to use.
Seattle is a great place to visit – so much to do – we did the underground city tour, Pike”s Market (fabulous) went to the Needle & had dinner there & my husband lucked out – the NY Yankees were playing the Seattle Mariners so he was able to get a GREAT SEAT at the game behind the Yankee dugout – he wouldn’t be able to get that at Yankee stadium. He loved it.
We went in June and we have great weather – for the 2 days in Seattle (no rain) and in Alaska not a drop of rain – our Captain on the ship said that we were lucky because the week before our cruise they had rain every day. We also have 80 degree weather – it was actually hotter in Alaska than it was in New York City.
Gina says
Was this on Norwegian Sun? We just booked for Sept.
BritniV says
It wasn’t Gina, it was on another cruise line! I hope you enjoy!
Jackie says
Gina….when are going? I am cruising on the Sun Sept 11-18!!
My first cruise and I’m very excited!!
Jackie
lynnette says
Gina we are going September 25th on Norwegian. Is that the cruise you will be on? If not can you add feeadback on your weather? this is our 4th Alaska cruise but we have never gone so late in the season.
Johnna says
We went on Norwegian Sun this past last August. We did the 14 day cruise (7 cruise/7 land) and it was amazing! The land tour though you have to but your own food and snacks. That can get expense. The tour guides were awesome! We are going again this year in mid August with my cousins. If you are going to Ketchican, it does rain a lot there. Bring a raincoat! Enjoy and have a blast!!
Anita says
Thank you for the information. We hope to go to Alaska next year. I am researching everything i can about it. I was already leaning toward just flying up and touring from there. Do you have any advice on where to stay and tour recomendations?
BritniV says
I’ve never been to Alaska other than on a cruise but if you check out Traveling Mom, a site I write for, they have tons of great recommendations depending on where you’re looking to go. https://www.travelingmom.com/?s=alaska
Barbara L. says
What excursions do you recommend? I’m going alone with my 8yr old and 5yr old in June, we can’t wait!
BritniV says
I still need to write my post but the excursions we did and loved were a helicopter + dog sledding tour and zodiaks (they’re like a combo between white water rafts + jet skis). We got soooo close to the whales, it was incredible! Oh and make sure to plan at least one day just to explore, Alaska is beautiful!
Walter says
Denali – Go to the Dog Kennels, take a scenic tour of the park.
Also, the Tundra Wilderness Tour is very interesting.
Fairbanks – Gold Dredge 8 Tour is great.
Skagway – Whitepath Railway Tour.
ellen says
We are going in July, There will be 12 of us going, and my best friend! this is going to be her second Homemoon with us!
Wendy says
We just returned from our Alaskan cruise on the Celebrity Solstice, it was amazing, if you decide to do another cruise you should check out this ship.
Ellen Webster says
We went to Alaska on a Carnival Ship. We had a natualist on board on the p.a. saying “Whales on portside, eagles on starboard, etc.” Started in Anchorage, not Seattle, but went 3 days early – wonderful. Went on a dog sled ride. Got invited back. We took them up on the offer, have been back 4 times and bought retirement property there. Weather is similiar to Chicago. We went late August – 87 degrees. Look for deals – there are lots out there. Your pictures are so good and remind me of the sounds and smells as well as the vastness of everything.
Thanks for the reminder.
David says
I went on a Carnival cruise to Alaska from Vancouver, BC, Canada some years back. That cruise had a naturalist on board, as well. That said, both our respective Alaska cruises sailed through Glacier Bay. The only difference was, my cruise to Alaska was round-trip from/to Vancouver and was from about mid- to-late September. And-would YOU **BELIEVE** *it*?-the only place where we really needed a jacket and gloves was on the glaciers!! Other than that, you actually could wear a T-shirt (or sweatshirt, for that matter) without a jacket over it at the time of my cruise.
BritniV says
That’s fantastic! I wish we’d had more sun/warm weather but was definitely glad we’d brought along jackets (and purchased them for those who didn’t).
Kathy says
Where did you dog sled? OUr cruise has only offer seeing the dogs.
We leave in 3 days and we’re flying to Fairbanks and visiting Denali then cruising 7 days from Seward.
BritniV says
So sorry I didn’t get back to you before your trip. We did our helicopter + dog sled excursion in Juneau with Alaska Icefield Expeditions. They also offer them in Skagway!
michelle brown says
Where did you get to make the blown glass bowl?
BritniV says
We did it at a place called Rainier Glass Blowing in Seattle Michelle! It was awesome.
angela says
I took my kidlets aged 8 and 9 this summer. It was so much more amazing than I thought it’d be. We went on Disney , out of Vancouver. Flew in to Seattle , took train up to Vancouver. A gorgeous easy train ride. Definite go back and explore place.
BritniV says
That sounds amazing! I’m hoping to take my son once he gets a little older, I really did love it!