An inside passage cruise can save you money as you fly in and out from the same port. But if you want a spectacular Alaskan trip it’s much better to start in Anchorage and end up in Vancouver or Seattle. The land formation is so much more dramatic near Anchorage. The train ride from Anchorage into Seward, where you can pick up the ship, is breathtaking. You will also see the three towns that Gary described in this video. Be sure to leave extra time to come early to Anchorage and explore and definitely explore Vancouver and Seattle.
Wish we researched more before we booked it from and to Seattle. Sounds wonderful to ride train to see the spectacular views on the way to the cruise ship. Maybe next time. 😅
@@jadendjeu3115 We went on our Alaskan cruise for our 25th anniversary back around 2001. There was no internet. Princess cruises did information talks at local hotels. That’s how I got my research. Hard to believe.
@@icedteamama176 That depends on your goals and pocket book. One day is the minimum but there are many tours to take from Anchorage. The mountains are spectacular and many wild life tours. There is a trolley tour around the town. The train to Seward is a must. Exploring the Kenai peninsula is beautiful also. Enjoy!
Not getting tickets to that White Pass & Yukon railway is my biggest regret of my cruising career to date. I'm confident that I'll be back at some point, but I was SO gutted that learn that it sold out so early on my cruise there last year. My advice to anyone considering this is to try and get booked early - it looks amazing!
@@elizabethbertucci9313 you absolutely can, but all were sold out when we got to the ticket office too! We had another 3-4 ships in port with us that day, so huge demand!
We have just got back from a two week Alaskan cruise with Princess (July 2024), Vancouver to Whittier and back to Vancouver. We were unlucky with the weather it was foggy and raining most of the time. We did the train at Skagway on the way up which was a waste of money, might as well have been on the London underground for all we saw. We could just about see the trees at the edge of the track. We had prebooked it with Princess so couldn't change it. On the way down the second week the weather was much better. My suggestion would be to not book the train and check on the day you are there. If the weather is good book it. There was plenty of availability even in peak season.
I’m so excited about our upcoming Alaska cruise tour with Princess this coming September. 7 day cruise and 4 days at Denali! We have some incredible excursions booked. A once in a lifetime experience, so we are doing once in a lifetime excursions.
We had an absolutely gorgeous and amazing day at Hubbard Glacier, which is still advancing, unlike most other glaciers. We saw numerous humpbacks on our whale watching tour out of Juneau (including a mama and calf) and a large pod of orcas right off the side of our ship! It's important to note though that the large breaching out of the water often shown in videos is very unlikely in Alaska. That behavior is more likely to be seen in winter in Hawaii.
Thanks Gary! Love Your Videos. First Timer Cruiser-Just returned from July 14-21. 7 day cruise on Seabourn Odyssey to Alaska = EPIC, AMAZING. Did most you’ve mentioned & more! Skagway Railway Train was OVER THE TOP & Hubbard Glacier was TOP NOTCH excursion from a catamaran all day spectacular guides/narration/calving of the ice show & we stayed outside on all levels of the catamaran in AWE for HOURS. For us: #1 Hubbard Glacier…#1 Skagway Railway…#1 IcyPoint Strait Gondola…#1 Juneau Tram Gondola only when the foggy/rainy Juneau cleared up on our 2nd day there after Disembarkation from ship. Our Juneau Float/Sea Plane to the Taku Lodge was cancelled due to fog/rain…. Help me get back to Alaska to do that stuff we missed due to Weather…Ketchikan Excursion boat was broken down…Lumberjack show cancelled due to rain. Not sure I can deal with lines on larger ships, we only had 380 people. Small Ship Cruising is all I know now. Go figure.
Thanks so much for the very kind and generous thanks amount. And great to hear your thoughts and things you missed and need to get back to see and do!!!
My friends and I are booked on a HAL inside passage cruise June next year (brief stop in Tracy Arm Inlet then Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, & Ketchikan). I've watched this and the Alaska without breaking the bank video; thank you for some great ideas. I have a feeling we will need to go several times to see evrything though! Really excited and looking forward to it.
@@tipsfortravellers They did indeed! Thank you ! I also forwarded links to both videos to my friends, so they can use them to make some decisions too. 😊
We're heading out on Ovation next Friday and have the dog sledding excursion with additional landing booked for Juneau, the White Pass Luxury Car in Skagway, and the Otters, Raptors, Bears Oh My Tour booked for Sitka. We're very much looking forward to all of those excursions.
Thanks Gary. We really enjoyed our Alaska cruise on Princess. The White Pass rail trip was definetely a highlight of the day and we would do it again. Glacier Bay was also great, watching the glaciers calving.
Gary, thank you so very much for this video! I’m in the process of booking/planning our 1st Ak cruise as a special welcome home vacation for our USAF son. I know I can without hesitancy, trust your advice! Much love from the US Gulf Coast🏝💚
I went to Misty Fjords by boat - long ride, but rewarded by the wildlife we saw including two large pods of orca. The waterfalls at Misty Fjords were spectacular too. The only disappointing day was Juneau when it poured with rain, the Mount Roberts tramway was shut because of the weather and my whale watching tour was a washout - we did see a humpback, sort of, but it was raining so hard :( Ah, well I will just have to go back. I will never grow tired of Glacier Bay.
We've done it 5 times with Princess and Norwegian. We lived in Oregon and have a cousin who's a park ranger in Glacier Bay. Going up on a cruise was cheaper (but a lot longer) than flying to visit. Our favourite thing to do in Ketchikan was to go on a kayaking trip. We saw lots of wildlife that way and it's beautiful. I agree with Gary that you're not going to see much on one of the sight-seeing flights. Bald eagles and seagulls mostly. Glacier Bay is absolutely awesome and worth the trip alone. If Keri comes aboard your ship from the Ranger service, say "hi!"
Thanks Gary! We're going May 2024 for our anniversary. Luckily, we can simply drive to Seattle so no airfare costs! We're planning on cruising Alaska at least every other year for quite a while. I'm hoping to enjoy all the different itineraries and land tours.
Thank you so much for your channel! I'm planning my cruise trip to Alaska next summer and your videos have been tremendously helpful! I look forward to these excursions as most of them are on my bucket list of things to do in Alaska. While in Juneau, I was debating whether to take the 7-hour excursion to Tracy Arm Fjord or sign up for the whale-watching and Mendenhall glacier tour instead. I realized I would not be able to do both because of the limited time we have in the port. But my cruise ship is going to Glacier Bay, so I guess I'll pass on Tracy Arm and spend the day whale-watching and exploring Mendenhall Glacier, the trails, and the town.
Thank you for this informative video. Our son lives in Seattle, so an Alaska cruise is definitely on our list of things we have to do. We have seen Orcas in Elliott Bay while walking the length of Myrtle Edwards Park in December. It was very exciting! My husband happened to have his good camera with him and we took lots of pictures!
Gary, I’ve heard from other travellers that the Skagway railway trip while good, can be superseded by the same general route but by bus as they pullout at the look outs with better views and they stop for wildlife photography opportunities
My wife and I discussing going on the Alaska cruise for the first time. She wants to drop everything to go next month. I am like Whoa! We need this plan this and go when the best time to see the scenery. One of my requirements is the White Pass and Yukon RR trip. Even though I do not think we will go into Canada, I need to renew my expired passport, just in case. I appreciate your tips of how to choose the cruise line as we would like to get as much time in each port. I might be in touch as we plan this out.
Gary, next time in Ketchikan you might consider taking the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's tour. This is an amazing tour and well worth the money. It is informative, interactive, entertaining and emotional. They sail in protected Indian land and you will see a ton of bald eagles. I highly recommend it.
Gary, I'm cruising with RC in July and we stop at Skagway. Trying to pick the best train ride. The independent vendors up there boast that their return bus trip stops at scenic locations, but the RC excursion just says that you will "see" those locations. Any idea if the RC train/bus excursion if the bus stops along the road for people to get off and take pictures, or does it just get you down to the ship? I wish you would do a video on the train ride explaining the 3 different destinations (US border, Fraser, Bennett), what you can do in each location, the bus (motor carriage) and what is best!
Just returned from Alaska cruise on Norwegian encore. Disappointed all the way around…..ports are touristy and Glacier bay was a huge disappointment…perhaps my expectations were too high, but I wouldn’t advise an Alaskan cruise unless you don’t expect to see wildlife and just enjoy the scenery.
Gary, You have helped me in planning, Thank you! What MONTH in Juneau Alaska (in this video) did you do the Dog Sledding Excursion which had SNOW? July didn’t…we just got back.
Gary, love your videos but your latest image spinning between shots gives me a headache so could only watch in short bursts. Can you please return to 'straight' videoing. Thank you.
Our first stop from Vancouver is Juneau! But ship arrives and 2 pm and departs at 10 pm. Ughhhh...What's your best suggestion to capture the best of Juneau in that amount of time?
Hi Gary, subscribed and watched number of your videos and I feel like I am ready to cruise Alaska now with your helpful tips! A few questions for you if you would advise. I would like to go to a dogsledding adventure but it seems that it maybe over for the year. I will be at Juneau on 9/26. Is it too late? If it is available, which company I should book it with? And we are going on the Halland America Westerdam saliling on 9/24 from Seattle and have $100 per person credit on excursion. Which one should we go on? They have 40 people boat whale watching($199 per person), whale watching and salmon bake together for $20 additional which I think is a better deal than just whale watch at Juneau. Another one I am interested in is a backcountry zeep driving and canoeing at Katchiken for $169 per person on sale. I am a bit active person, exercise all the time and love outdoor activities but my husband is rather sit by the pool kind of guy. What would you suggest? Would appreciate your opinion. Thank you! Jaden
Hello everyone-- I have a question about dog sledding/helicopter riding in Alaska. One of the members in my party is a pretty big guy, 300 pounds-- Is he still able to participate in the excursion? And what is the weigh in process like? We spent a lot of money on the booking but it didn't seem to have any upper weight limit. We just want to be sure we all can go comfortably. Does anyone know?
I want to go dog sledding on a glacier with my 3 friends but all sold out or august 28 - eurodam sept 26 departure from seattle - know of an available tour?
Breaks my heart to see those pore dogs being slaved and how they keeping them outside on a short leash until it's time to pull people. Soooo sad, can't belive it's legal here in US. And people actually think it's a fun excursion, I wouldn't do it if it was free...
The dogs love to pull, love to run. When they are not chisen for a run they actually whimper and cry. The dogs love it, the mushers love at and the passengers enjoy the run. Learn more. These digs are not apartment dwellers.
I'm not sure I feel comfortable contributing to possible mistreatment of dogs. I am not certain, but something tells me that those "sled dogs" are being used for money. Could someone look into this?
The dogs are bred to be sled dogs. Have you ever watched a documentary about dog-sledding? Do you consider border collies to be "abused" when they are trained and used to herd sheep? Do some research on sled dogs before passing judgment.
We will be heading out on our sixth Alaska cruise in September. We’ve done all the most exciting excursions and plan to repeat our favorites this time. One you did not mention in Skagway, that is definitely worth the money is the Ocean Raft Wildlife Adventure. It’s definitely not a raft, though, it’s more like a jet boat and very exhilarating. Also, in Skagway, is the White Pass Train into the Yukon with a 15 mile bike ride back down to town. You literally ride a bike 🚴 Thru the border crossing and stop at glacial waterfalls to fill your water bottle. It’s a longish thrilling downhill ride!
Hi, I am looking to go on cruise to Alaska and trying to decide which one of two cruises would be more interesting. The difference is that 1 visits Sitka and Icy Strait Point in Alaska and the other visits Victoria in canada. both are PRincess. Which cruise would you recommend,?
Hi Gary, We just got back from our beautiful Alaska. Loved the train ride just beautiful views. Gary I was enjoying the wonderful views and fresh air , then noticed the stack on our Holland American ship . Bunker Oil used as fuel surprised me . I never thought about it until then. This beautiful landscape MUST be protected . I feel in this day and with all the new technoligy we can do better. Bunker is used and is so bad for the enviroment I had no idea until I asked .
Would the encore or edge be better for a 30 y/0? Im torn as i love all the activities encore has but edges food i hear is way better. And expert ratings have the edge at a 5/5.
We just returned from a 12-day Med cruise with HAL, and I was deeply disappointed (vs. 4 prior HAL cruises) in the cuts they made to services while increasing their nickel-and-dime upcharges. Unfortunately, it does seem that for Alaska, HAL is our best bet, as we certainly want to see Glacier Bay. Princess being their sister line, we don't expect a radically different experience - plus, we prefer smaller ships. What do you suggest? (Also, if you're interested in hearing about some of our HAL disappointments, I'd be happy to send you a separate note.) Thank you for all your wonderful advice!
We are going this September on HAL. And we did the Med cruise last year on Royal and wasn't too impressed with them. I'm interested to know what disappointed you on HAL.
@@michelleconlon3375 Even with our upgrade package, we still had to pay surcharges on drinks > $11, numerous entrees, wines, etc. The number of upcharges wound up being more than the value of the package. At the same time they charged us more for things that used to be included, they also cut back on services. Two full-cabin stewards are now 1 with a part-time assistant. No more Mariner receptions or lunches. No more afternoon tea. And so on.
