Thread: Did your Alaska cruise(s) meet expectations?

Did your Alaska cruise(s) meet your expectations?

Please do tell us what you liked ... didn't like ... etc. Since many of you have taken multi Alaska cruises, do you have a favorite ship or itinerary?

It's a Poll so please vote.

We have enjoyed all of our Alaskan cruises, about a dozen of them.
Some of them have been better than others because the weather can vary greatly but even when the weather has not been as good we have still enjoyed it.

There really is no time of year that guaranties good weather.

I voted exceeded. We have been on 4 cruises to Alaska and usually cruise there in September. This was our first time to be there in May. We did a round trip from Seattle, stopping in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Hubbard Glacier and Icy Strait Point with a day of cruising the inside passage. Because we were there so early there was a lot of snow still on the mountains and it was breathtaking. We couldn't get as close to Hubbard Glacier as you can in September, but it didn't matter because everything was so beautiful.

When we cruise there again in the future (and I'm sure we will), we'll opt for another spring cruise.

Garry

Exceeded!!!! This is the most wonderful itinerary...so wonderful that we have sailed there 6 times and would go back many more times if we could!

It is different every time we go. The views and the weather are never the same. We like the spring or fall with spring being our favorite time of year. We have witnessed more glacial calving in the spring.

Well our first one, out of Seattle, although we enjoyed it , didn't really meet expectations. The only glaciers we were going to see were in Tracy Arm but we couldn't get in due to fog. But we did do the railroad excursion from Skagway which was great.
However our second was from Whittier to Vancouver and took in College Fjiord and Glacier Bay. That was really good. Only topped by Antarctica and the Beagle Channel.

So that was a did not meet and an exceeded. SO I had to vote other since you didn't give multiple choice Lulu

While we've only done one cruisetour, it lasted 12 days and it was amazing! We not only got to see alot of Alaska, but our tour also included the Yukon. We took a shore excursion that took us north of the Arctic Circle and another one by helicopter to a glacier for a dog sled tour.

Alaska is definitely one of those places everyone has to see at least once, but not just by a roundtrip cruise from Vancouver or Seattle. Those cruises just go up and touch some of the southern tail of the State, they don't actually allow you the opportunity to get up into the heart of Alaska. Those cruises give you a nice introduction, but does not give you an overall picture of the magnificence of the State - doesn't give you the chance to see Anchorage, Denali, or Fairbanks as an example.

While roundtrip cruises are great, it's so much nicer to do a one-way cruise and then plan to spend the time and money before or after the cruise to do some touring in the State. Had we not done this, we would not have gotten the chance to see all the bears, eagles, elk, deer, moose, and other wildlife that we saw. And we would not have visited such interesting towns as Dawson, Chicken, Tok, Whitehorse, Cold Foot, Wiseman, or Eagle. We wouldn't have had the chance to try a 12" cinnamon bun, a real salmon bake, or the Sourtoe Cocktail. We wouldn't have seen the beauty of the fireweed, walked on the permafrost, or touched the Alaskan pipeline.

One day we'll do the typical roundtrip cruise, but we're so glad we spent the time and money to do it right the first time.

Pete

Originally Posted by tonylinsdell

So that was a did not meet and an exceeded. SO I had to vote other since you didn't give multiple choice Lulu

Sorry, Tony! Figured the "Other" would cover those who had any they liked and any they didn't ... and would explain like you did.

Glad you had such a great time on your second cruise to Alaska!

The first ones always exceeded our expectations, and now they always meet our expectations. We're booked for Alaska cruise number 10 on June 1st, 2012 (on the freshly rebuilt Millennium). We do find that 7 days isn't enough anymore - in 2010 I did an 11-night on the Infinity with my wife in May and a 14-night on the Radiance of the Seas with my Dad in September - both were superb!

Originally Posted by LuLu

Sorry, Tony! Figured the "Other" would cover those who had any they liked and any they didn't ... and would explain like you did.

Glad you had such a great time on your second cruise to Alaska!

We really enjoyed the first one , it's hard not to enjoy a cruise
Just we never saw any Glaciers which we were expecting.

Originally Posted by tonylinsdell

Just we never saw any Glaciers which we were expecting.

Wonder what the best time of year to see GLACIERS would be?