Top 10 party Games
50 fun minute to win it games
40 best party food ideas
    • Super Bowl
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Spring Parties
    • Summer Parties
    • 4th of July
    • Fall parties
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • New Year’s Eve
    • Adult Birthday
    • Kids Birthday
    • Birthday Party
    • Baby Showers
    • Bridal Showers
    • Disney Party
    • Game Nights
    • Girls Night
    • Movie Nights
    • Teen Parties
    • Adult Games
    • Baby Shower
    • Bridal Shower
    • Birthday Party
    • Bingo Games
    • Board Games
    • Christmas Games
    • Dice Games
    • Disney Games
    • Game Night Games
    • Group Games
    • Halloween Games
    • Holiday Games
    • Kid Games
    • Minute to Win It
    • Outdoor Games
    • Scavenger Hunts
    • Summer Games
    • Teenage Games
    • Trivia Games
    • Appetizers
    • brunch foods
    • Charcuterie Boards
    • Desserts
    • disney recipes
    • Drinks
    • finger foods
    • no bake desserts
    • party dips
    • party snacks
    • Crafts
    • Decorations
    • Free Printables
    • Gift Ideas
    • Party favors
    • Printable Games
    • About Us
    • About Britni
    • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
    • Printable Games
    • our Favorites
Play.Party.Plan
  • TikTok
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
Search
  • Holiday Party Ideas
    • Super Bowl
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Spring Parties
    • Summer Parties
    • 4th of July
    • Fall parties
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • New Year’s Eve
  • Party Ideas
    • Adult Birthday
    • Kids Birthday
    • Birthday Party
    • Baby Showers
    • Bridal Showers
    • Disney Party
    • Game Nights
    • Girls Night
    • Movie Nights
    • Teen Parties
  • Party Games
    • Adult Games
    • Baby Shower
    • Bridal Shower
    • Birthday Party
    • Bingo Games
    • Board Games
    • Christmas Games
    • Dice Games
    • Disney Games
    • Game Night Games
    • Group Games
    • Halloween Games
    • Holiday Games
    • Kid Games
    • Minute to Win It
    • Outdoor Games
    • Scavenger Hunts
    • Summer Games
    • Teenage Games
    • Trivia Games
  • Party Food
    • Appetizers
    • brunch foods
    • Charcuterie Boards
    • Desserts
    • disney recipes
    • Drinks
    • finger foods
    • no bake desserts
    • party dips
    • party snacks
  • Printables
    • Crafts
    • Decorations
    • Free Printables
    • Gift Ideas
    • Party favors
    • Printable Games
  • About
    • About Us
    • About Britni
    • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
  • Shop
    • Printable Games
    • our Favorites
all Party Games
Holiday Party Ideas
Party Food
party ideas by theme
free printables
shop printabless
Home ‏‏‎ ‎/‎‎‏‏‎ ‎ Travel ‏‏‎ ‎/‎‎‏‏‎ ‎ Cruises ‏‏‎ ‎/‎‎‏‏‎ ‎ 5 Things I Wish I’d Known Before my Alaskan Cruise

5 Things I Wish I’d Known Before my Alaskan Cruise

By:

Britni Vigil

02/06/2025

This post may contain affiliate links. Privacy policy.

5 things I wish I'd known before my Alaskan cruise including great tips for Alaskan cruises like what to pack, how much you'll spend, and what to do!

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! 

5 things I wish I'd known before my Alaskan cruise including great tips for Alaskan cruises like what to pack, how much you'll spend, and what to do!

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

IMG_4455

IMG_4459

IMG_4489

IMG_4491

IMG_4497

IMG_4495

#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.

5 things I wish I'd known before my Alaskan cruise

5 things I wish I'd known before my Alaskan cruise

5 things I wish I'd known before my Alaskan cruise

5 things I wish I'd known before my Alaskan cruise

#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.

Must-read tips for an Alaskan cruise! Everything from a packing guide (with outfits recommendations), the best excursions, best cruise line, and more! So helpful whether you’re doing Princess, Carnival, or a Royal Caribbean cruise with kids OR adults!

#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.

.

5 things I wish I'd known before my Alaskan cruise

5 things I wish I'd known before my Alaskan cruise

5 things I wish I'd known before my Alaskan cruise

5 things I wish I'd known before my Alaskan cruise

5 things I wish I'd known before my Alaskan cruise

5 things I wish I'd known before my Alaskan cruise

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! 

Must-read tips for an Alaskan cruise! Everything from a packing guide (with outfits recommendations), the best excursions, best cruise line, and more! So helpful whether you’re doing Princess, Carnival, or a Royal Caribbean cruise with kids OR adults!

5 things I wish I'd known before my Alaskan cruise including great tips for Alaskan cruises like what to pack, how much you'll spend, and what to do!
5 things I wish I'd known before my Alaskan cruise including great tips for Alaskan cruises like what to pack, how much you'll spend, and what to do!

Want to save this Idea?

Enter your email below and we’ll send this idea straight to your inbox (plus you’ll receive tons of fun weekly ideas from us!)

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.




Loading

Want More Fun Ideas?

Want more fun ideas like this one? Enter your first name and email address in the form below to join the Play Party Plan community! You’ll receive weekly recipes, party ideas, games, and more directly to your inbox!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.




Loading

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

rate this recipe:




Have a question? Use the form above to submit your question or comment.
I love hearing from you and seeing what you made!

  1. Madeline
    03/09/2018

    We are at the very early stages of planning an Alaskan cruise. Love your post. Please add me to your list for future updates. Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Deb Niles
    02/24/2018

    My husband and I are cruising on Norwegian early Sept. for an 11-day Anchorage Denali Express land/sea tour. We want to fish for Salmon, which port is the best chance of catching some fish that time of year? Stops include Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. Thanks!

    Reply
    1. BritniV
      05/11/2018

      Unfortunately we didn’t go fishing on our trip so I’m not sure! Hope you figured it out!

      Reply
  3. Oralia Guzman
    01/25/2018

    Is it best to go through a travel agent or on your own? Cost wise

    Reply
    1. BritniV
      01/30/2018

      Unfortunately I’ve only ever done it on my own, so I’m not sure what the cost would be for a travel agent.

      Reply
  4. Betsy Wiggins
    01/25/2018

    My husband and I cruised Alaska and had a blast! The glacier excursions are fantastic, and so is sledding with the dogs!! I felt so exhilarated after that sled ride. We also went salmon fishing in Skagway and caught a whole bunch. They weigh it and then can it fresh for you. Yum! Really delicious. That cruise was a ton of fun, I believe one of our best vacations. It didn’t hurt that the weather was great, too.

    Reply
  5. Melissa
    01/15/2018

    I really enjoyed this post. I found this on Pinterest. My husband and I will be going on an our Alaska Cruise at the end of May. We are sailing with Carnival cruise line. We plan on going to Seattle 3 days prior. We are staying at Ramada Inn Tukwila (I have heard some horror stories about this area, now worried about all ready booking there) . We booked this cause it was on the out skirts of town. Our plan is to rent a car and go to Snoqualmie falls on that Saturday. I have heard the traffic is horrible in the city so plan to return the car on Sunday and use the light rail for downtown. So excited about this trip. Its our 20th anniversary. Thank you for all the tips on this post.

    Reply
  6. Crystal
    01/15/2018

    We are in the beginning stages of plamning Alaska cruise and appreciated all the grwat tips! Please add me to your list for future updates. Thanks!

    Reply
  7. Dinah
    12/21/2017

    I’m glad I took time to read this … very informative with all the different comments too. My husband and I are booked on a Holland America cruise from Vancouver during the 2018 southern hemisphere summer so I’m getting more excited now after reading all of these. Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Sieg
      09/18/2018

      You’ll love Holland. We’ve been on
      two other lines and always go back to Holland. Great service. Never been disappointed. The last 2 were out of Seattle. Don’t miss the ChaHulu glass exhibit at the
      base of the space needle. Getting ready to book number 4 to Alaska

      Reply
      1. Britni
        10/02/2018

        Thank you for sharing these helpful tips. That is wonderfully kind of you.

  8. Jan Warner
    11/11/2017

    So…question for everyone out there. Better to book cruise out of Seattle or Vancouver? We plan on doing land excursions, taking in as much as possible.

    Reply
    1. BritniV
      11/12/2017

      We loved Seattle but never been to Vancouver… so my ignorant vote is Seattle!

      Reply
  9. Amber
    09/28/2017

    I found this post via Pinterest – thank you for the useful info! In it you mentioned you were hoping to write another post about which excursions were worth their price. Would you please tell me how I can find that? We are considering going in 2019 and would like to have your input. Thanks! =)

    Reply
    1. BritniV
      10/15/2017

      That post is still in the works, but I’ll make sure to send you a link when I post it!

      Reply
      1. Bev Kline
        03/04/2018

        We will be in this area the 1st wk of June, 2o18. How fast is your post? Would love a link also!
        Thanks!

      2. Debbie
        01/08/2019

        Me too please. We’re leaving for our Princeas landcruise 5/31. Thank u.

      3. BritniV
        02/01/2019

        It’s on my list for February!!

  10. lynnette
    09/13/2017

    Britniv these are great ideas. We Love Seattle too. We have not done the glassblowing so that will be on our list for next time.
    Our favorite ever Excursion is the WhitePass Train up out of Skagway. IF you get a chance this is amazing.
    Also we always take binoculars and our good cameras for this trip. The wildlife and nature is Amazing!!

    Reply
  11. Sandy W
    08/05/2017

    We just returned from 2 weeks in Alaska and sailed from Vancouver BC to Seward on Seabourne Sojourn. It was a wonderful and beautiful way for my 70th and my husband’s 72nd birthdays. We had pretty good weather, with just a little rain. The day we disembarked we took a 6 hour boat trip through the Kenai Fjords. We saw the best whale action there than the whole rest of trip. I just wish I’d know we were going way out in ocean, since I do have problems at time with sea sickness. I ended up being ok, but still pretty choppy ride at times. And being able to go into Glacier Bay with a national park ranger on board really was great. This was a trip I’ll never forget.

    Reply
  12. David
    06/11/2017

    Great Stuff! We just spent 4 weeks exploring Alaska and it was Amazing! So many adventures to list a few off the top of my head that we loved… Our new favorite city is Juneau Alaska. We did it all from Hiking, Glacier Ice Climbing, Ice Caving, Gold Panning, Heli-hiking, to Cruising. One huge one was wild bear viewing and camping in Lake Clark NP. It is a worlds top 100 travel adventure and an experience of a lifetime.

    Reply
  13. Janice
    05/24/2017

    Thanks for the info. We are sailing on the Ruby Princess in mid-September this year. It’s the next to last Alaskan cruise of the year. We are late-50’s, so the Ruby sounds like the ship for us. At this stage we aren’t interested in a ship full of kids or party animals. HAHA!

    Reply
    1. Janice
      05/24/2017

      We are from Texas too. About 90 miles northwest of FW.

      Reply
      1. BritniV
        05/25/2017

        Fun! We are in between Dallas and Fort Worth!

    2. BritniV
      05/25/2017

      You’re going to love it!

      Reply
  14. Brenda
    05/19/2017

    Going on Holland America lines end of August. Taking the 20 day cruise/ land journey out of Vancouver. This is an item on my hudband’s bucket list and our first cruise ( had 6 kids – no cruises for a family that size). I’ve flown to the inner passage but he has never been. Can’t wait for him to see the immensity snd beauty everywhere. I’m hoping for whales as I didn’t see any on the ferry to Scagway last time. Hope we didn’t wait too late to enjoy it I’m 69 and use a cane following a fractured hip and he has breathing issues from years of smoking. Are there excursions suitable to our situation? Very expensive so we want to enjoy everything we can.

    Reply
    1. BritniV
      05/25/2017

      I wish I had more advice for you Brenda, but the excursions we did probably aren’t suitable to your situation. We did dog sledding, zodiak whale tour, and rented a car and drove around. I would check out what Holland America offers, they normally have recommendations for age and activity level.

      Reply
  15. Doris
    05/18/2017

    I would love to cruise Alaska did live in Fairbanks for 4 years love it. The northern lights are breath taking. Riding a sled with sled dogs people don’t realize how fast they travel the midnight sun it just beautiful the Four seasons

    Reply
    1. BritniV
      05/25/2017

      That sounds amazing Doris!

      Reply
  16. Vickie
    05/15/2017

    Going on Norwegian first week in July. Silly question but what about shoes to wear. Don’t plan on any excursions just sightseeing.

    Reply
    1. BritniV
      05/25/2017

      It depends on what type of sightseeing you’re doing. If you’re going to be hiking, I’d bring a comfy pair of hiking shoes. If it’s mostly just walking around the cities and it’s going to be warm enough – these are my all-time favorite travel shoes –> http://www.playpartyplan.com/best-travel-shoes/.

      Reply
←Older Comments
1 2 3
Newer Comments→

Hi I’m
Britni

I love sweet treats, my family, games, and anything fun!

Read More

Ideas by Theme

BABY SHOWER
BIRTHDAY
BRIDAL SHOWER
DISNEY
GAME NIGHT
HOLIDAY
JUST FOR KIDS
Movie Night
Outdoors

Popular Party Ideas

Bridal Shower Games

woman blindfolded with her hand in a plastic cup

Party Games

Kids Board Games

Blindfolded blocking is one of the best baby shower games

Baby Shower Games

Top Recipes

slice of chocolate dr pepper cake on a white plate

Best Party Foods

Wooden spoon stirring a batch of homemade Chex Mix

Homemade Chex Mix

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Slice of peanut butter pie on two plates with a blue napkin

Reese’s Pie

Free Party
Ideas E-Club

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Loading

As Featured On

Free Party Email Club

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Loading
Play.Party.Plan

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Let’s Connect

  • TikTok
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
Contact
About us
Privacy
Accessibility

© Play Party Plan. Branding by MRD. Theme by OC.