Alaska cruise, cruise and land, or explore on our own? About This Page:

[Ann2]

In the beginning of planning Alaskan vacation, and finding this research more overwhelming than my usual planning. I'm trying to determine if going simple and doing a cruise...but with that doing a round trip which doesn't offer all the ports I would like to do vs going one way and seeing a more wide spread selection of ports, and perhaps adding a few days on land and exploring on our own. Cruise tours that offer this seem more expensive than I believe doing on my own. Then lastly... Would flying into Alaska and exploring on my own offer more bang for the buck??? I guess, like anyone, I want as much adventure for the least amount of money. Any suggestions, experiences that would offer assistance would be greatly appreciated!!! If we do a cruise ...7-9 days, if add land 2-4 days...Trying to squeeze this in the beginning of June if possible. And suggestions on best cruise line to take too??? Thanks!

[Pris]

Hi! We have done 2 Alaskan cruises and have another booked for 2016. I love visiting there. Anything you book and do on your own would definitely be cheaper, but I'm not into doing that because i'm not that good a planner. I know a couple of pass porters have done this and written trip reports.( Terri - Dr.Dolphin and Marnie - Colexi's Mom I believe) You might try searching for them. We did a cruise tour a couple of years ago with Celebrity. We did 5 nights pre cruise starting in Fairbanks. There was time in Denali, Talkeetna, Anchorage, Alyeska and Seward before boarding the ship in Seward and sailing to Vancouver. It was really good and I would recommend them. They have various tours of a variety of lengths, but you must be sure Denali is included. We rode several legs on the Alaskan Railway and loved it. Our first cruise was Disney, Vancouver to Vancouver, and I really enjoyed it. Our next cruise is with Royal Caribbean (whom we sail quite often) and is Seattle to Seattle. We are touring the Canadian Rockies after that one with the cruise line.

[Disneybine]

I have not been to Alaska myself so I don't speak from experience. Considering how far apart the interesting spots are, I would definitely go with a cruise. Personally, I would go with Disney as I like their itinerary. If you do it on your own, there'll be a lot of driving through deserted areas.

The one-way cruise would only be an option for me if there was something especially interesting that I'd want more than a day for to explore.

Good luck deciding!

[jenifermg0]

If you book thru a travel agency/cruise company, you should be able to get some kind of land/sea package. I would recommend this.

If you just do a cruise, you are going to miss a HUGE part of Alaska. Most of the land/sea packages normally include a cruise up thru the Inside Passage, a train trip to Denali National Park and often a bus ride back to Anchorage or Fairbanks for your return home (or possibly a round trip on the train).

By doing both the sea trip and the time on land you will see a large portion of the most beautiful parts of Alaska.

I cannot recommend any one cruise company as I have never been on a cruise, but I can tell you that the train trip from Anchorage to Seward is wonderful so I'm guessing the trip to Denali is just as nice. I have driven to Fairbanks (going thru Denali) and it is a BEAUTIFUL drive.

Unfortunately, even after having been in Alaska for all but about three years of my life, I have never been to Southeast so I cannot advise you on what to do down that way.

Seward is often one of the ports of call. It is a cute, quaint little town...don't expect to find McDs or any other big name fast food joint - there isn't one. However, there are lovely little shops/cafes where you can get local seafood and locally made crafts/souveniers. There is also a great candy shop that has locally made fudge and salt water taffy. Just a few doors down is a brewery were you can get great beer if you are into that. I was actually just down in Seward this past weekend for a Spring Special (whale watching cruise, tickets to Sea Life Center, hotel and breakfast) and I always enjoy playing tourist.

There is a "village" just outside of Denali National Park with lots of shops, restaurants, hotels, B&Bs, tour companies, etc to cater to tourists and, of course, there is some stuff actually in the park, including wildlife tours that take you deeper into the park. I've heard that they have pretty good luck with finding wildlife for everyone to see.

I really can't recommend enough going with land and sea. Setting up your own vacation is completely possible, but the distances you travel can be intimidating for some people. For instance, Anchorage to Fairbanks is close to 400 miles and there isn't really a lot in between. Anchorage to Seward is around 150 miles. In a lot of ways, it's like Disney...better to let someone else do the driving so you can enjoy the scenery!!

Hope this gives you a little help in making your decision and I hope you are able to come and enjoy this state I love and call home.

[dsny-nut]

We just went last June. Wanted to go Disney but they stoped the one way cruise just before we went. You are correct, planning was a TON of work, I loved every minute of it. I felt like I was on the trip from the minute I started planning.

You are correct you can save some money. But how much time is it worth. That's the question. If you are very Independent like me do the planning. But I feel if you book with Princess Cruises and use there land / Cruise You'll get 90 % of what I spent 18 months planning.

We checked out the Princess lodges , Fantastic !!!!! Would love to have stayed there. But I was planning the land portion my self , they don't guarantee they won't give the rooms to there cruisers so I elected to not stay at the princess hotels.

Hope this helps, Our favorite thing was landing on a glacier at mount McKinley.
We flew out of Talketna AK. Was pricey but well worth the money.

For most people this may be a once in a life time event, Don't hold onto your pennies to tight.

Don't be afraid to take some long underwear. Hats and mittens. If you have the option don't miss Glacier Bay National Park !!

[jenifermg0]

Originally Posted by dsny-nut

For most people this may be a once in a life time event, Don't hold onto your pennies to tight.

You know, I sometimes have a heck of a time wrapping my mind around this thought. Living here, it is so easy to take this beautiful place for granted. Every once and a while I have to stop and take some kind of a trip and play tourist. I just did this last weekend and it makes me stop and think about the wonders all around me on a daily basis.

I can see Denali (aka Mt McKinley) as I am driving to the grocery store. I will often open my front door to a moose or a bear (those are the days I'm late to work). We have gone camping and gone to sleep to sound of wolves singing in the distance. Walking on a glacier...yep...done that on a whim. Want to see beluga whales...just time it right and you can watch them for hours about 15 miles from my home and the Dall sheep are typically just across the highway from where you watch the whales. Bald eagles...they are everywhere. Camp on the beach at Seward...you will probably see seals or sea lions or otters playing in the surf.

It is so easy to forget to appreciate the world around you. I am so happy when I read about how excited you all are to be coming up here and then to read about the wonders you see and how much you love it, it makes me love my home all over again.

Originally Posted by dsny-nut

Don't be afraid to take some long underwear. Hats and mittens. If you have the option don't miss Glacier Bay National Park !!

It is ALWAYS a good idea to dress in layers. The weather here is unpredictable and can change in a heartbeat. And ALWAYS, bring a rain coat/poncho (at least a disposable one, but a little heavier duty would be better). And DON'T wear cotton if you can...especially socks!!! Wool socks will continue to keep your feet warm even when wet. We have always encouraged the boys in my son's scout troop to wear wool/quick dry/fleece type clothing. These types of materials are just better all around than cotton. Cotton gets wet and stays wet - and that can make for a miserable day at the very least or a deadly day at the worst (if you are lost or stranded).

[B.M.]

We took the Disney cruise to Alaska nearly five years ago. We had a wonderful time!

However, I have plans to go back and explore the interior on my own.....

I would write out all the things in Alaska you consider a "must see" and then find an itinerary that allows you to see all of it...