Re: Alaskan Cruise Tips??
SoLittle,<br />As for the Cruise lines, here is the run down...<br /><br />Avoid Carnival...They cater to the 20 -30 drunken crowd, or those who travel with unruly children. They sell cheap cruises aand make up the difference in alcohol sales.<br /><br />Holland America is more upscale, but it has mostly the geriatric crowd. <br /><br />RCI,Norwegian amd Princess fall in the middle.<br /><br />Personally, I prefer Norwegian. They dont have the hordes of Kids and the ships are quite nice. They have the freestyle dining which means you can dine in any of the 8+ restaurants whenever you want. I hate being assigned to a table at a specific time like a lot of cruise lines do. Although the ships carry the same number of passengers as other lines, they spread out the activity decks so thay you never feel crowded. I've sailed most lines and NCL is the one I liked last time I went to alaska.<br /><br />As for when, I prefer to sail mid May, at the beginning of the season. Its a bit cooler, mainly in the 50's, but its the start of the season and everyone's still happy you're there. Also, most kids are still in school so the mix is like 20% young, 40% 35-55, and the rest 55+ years old. Its nice pulling into port and still see snow on the mountain peaks in Juneau. July -August is peak tourist season and is very crowded.<br /><br />A few things you will need are a warm coat, a rain coat or umbrella, and a good set of binoculars. Up on deck in the wind in the fjords it can be bone numbing so a nice jacket is essential. Alaska is know for its drizzling rain so you'll want at least an umbrella. Nothing better than being cold and wet.
The binoculars are a must for the wildlife you will see.<br /><br />As for the tours, look and see what interests you. One thing that I found funny is the cruise lines warning about unscrupulous tour companies selling tours on the dock. This is a joke because you are still in the united states. Tour operators must be licensed by the state of alaska. (The cruise lines want you to book through them because they typically get a 20% cut on the booking) You can get great tours on the dock or simply contact the chamber of commerce in each port. That what we did and had a great time at half the costs. Example, in Juneau, the cruise had a bus tour to the Mendanhall Glacier. They wanted 45 dollers each. We got the same tour on the dock for $24 each. A round trip bus ride to the Glacier was only $6 and they ran every 25 minutes. The tour was Ok, but it was just a ride around town in a bus while the guide pointed out the buildings. Next time we will go to the Glacier and just stay there for a few hours. <br />Anyways, Alaska is a great state to visit. Do some homework first and enjoy the trip.<br /><br />Nav
