Cunard has announced its Alaska schedule for the 2026 season, which will take place aboard Queen Elizabeth from May to September.

The vessel will operate 15 roundtrip voyages from Seattle, ranging in length from seven to 12 nights. Those looking for a longer vacation can take extended voyages of up to 42 nights, taking in the landscapes of Alaska, the beauty of the Caribbean, and the iconic Panama Canal.

An additional highlight to Cunard’s 2026 season is eight sailings through the Panama Canal. The ship will glide through 50 miles of locks and waterways between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Cunard’s 2026 program on Queen Elizabeth features visits to 31 unique destinations across 16 countries, including highlights such as Colón, Panama, and Bridgetown, Barbados.

Cunard Alaska Cruise Highlights

Queen Elizabeth‘s voyages in Alaska will include calls to destinations such as Juneau, where famous gold miles put the city on the map, or Haines, a prime destination for kayaking.

The season will also include visits to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Glacier Bay National Park and Hubbard Glacier.

Prices for a 10-night Seattle sailing roundtrip to Alaska in July 2026 start at $2,069 per person based on double occupancy in a Britannia Balcony stateroom.

“Alaska is a truly unique destination, and we’re delighted to return with our 2026 program,” said Katie McAlister, president of Cunard. “Sailing through its spectacular fjords and seeing the immense glaciers is an experience like no other. On board, guests can sip regionally inspired cocktails, enjoy cuisine influenced by local flavors, and hear fascinating stories from renowned explorers. These voyages promise to create unforgettable memories, and we can’t wait to welcome our guests on board Queen Elizabeth.”

Sailings are now open for booking, and travelers can claim up to $800 in onboard credit per cabin for bookings made through March 26, 2025. The $800 credit ($400 per person) is based on reserving a Queens Grill Suite on 10 to 20-night sailings. Passengers in a Britannia stateroom will receive up to $400 in onboard credit.

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American Cruise Lines has announced its biggest season in Alaska ever. For the 2025 season, the line will have two small ships in the region operating five itineraries. American Cruise Lines’ season in Alaska will run from May through September.

For 2025, ACL has repositioned its small ship American Constitution to the west coast for summer Alaska cruises and spring and fall Puget Sound cruises. Doubling capacity in the region, the 170-guest vessel joins sister ship American Constellation to sail five itineraries, including two new Alaska National Parks cruises. These adventures include seven days of land exploration in Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks. They combine the land tour with either a nine or 12-day cruise between Fairbanks and Juneau.

American Cruise Lines’ offerings in Alaska are notable because they blend small-ship expedition access with large-ship luxury and comfort on board. Unlike other small ships in the region, the U.S. built American Constellation and American Constitution are both fully stabilized and offer balcony cabins. There are also a number of onboard amenities, alternate casual dining venues, and spacious top-deck lounges that are uncommon on other ships of their size.

All itineraries include pre-cruise stays and a range of experiences featuring up-close views of Alaskan glaciers and wildlife. Plus, all of ACL’s Alaska cruises include small-ship access to Glacier National Park, with some sailings including a rare overnight there.

Alaska Cruise Itineraries

19-Day Grand Alaska National Parks

This itinerary includes seven days of guided exploration in Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks and a 12-day Alaska cruise that sails into Glacier Bay National Park, the Inside Passage, Frederick Sound, and the Wrangell Narrows.

This cruise sails from Fairbanks, Alaska to Juneau, Alaska. It visits Fairbanks, Anchorage, Seward, Juneau, Haines, Sitka, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Tracey Arm.

16-Day Alaska National Parks

This adventure includes seven days of guided exploration in Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks plus a nine-day Alaska cruise with visits to Glacier Bay National Park and the Wrangell Narrows.

This voyage sails from Fairbanks to Juneau and visits Fairbanks, Anchorage, Seward, Juneau, Haines, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Tracey Arm.

9-Day Southeast Alaska

This American Cruise Lines voyage includes a pre-cruise stay and sails roundtrip from Juneau. The itinerary includes visits to Juneau, Haines, Glacier Bay National Park, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier, also sailing the Wrangell Narrows.

12-Day Alaskan Explorer Cruise

This itinerary includes a pre-cruise stay and sails roundtrip from Juneau. The extended 12-night voyage visits Juneau, Haines, Glacier Bay National Park, Sitka, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Tracey Arm. Alaskan Explorer cruises also sail the Inside Passage, Frederick Sound, and the Wrangell Narrows.

16-Day Alaska Inside Passage Cruise

The 16-day Alaska Inside Passage Cruise sails from Seattle to Juneau or the opposite. It includes exploration of nearly 1,000 miles of coastline through Alaska’s southeastern panhandle, where 22,000 islands create a maze of beautiful landscapes.

This itinerary visits Juneau, Haines, Skagway, Glacier Bay National Park, Petersburg, Wrangell, and Ketchikan, Alaska; and Friday Harbor, Anacortes, and Seattle, Washington. The cruise also sails the Inside Passage, Frederick Sound, the Queen Charlotte Strait, and the Strait of Georgia, and includes a pre-cruise stay in either departure city.

May 2025 departures from Seattle offer a complimentary Four Seasons pre-cruise package, and all 2025 American Cruise Lines Alaska Inside Passage Cruises offer complimentary domestic airfare.

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Holland America has announced a $70 million expansion project on its Denali property in Alaska, which will expand guest capacity and enhance the Alaska cruisetour experience for guests. The investment will build on the line’s position with more opportunities for glacier viewing and more ways to see Alaska’s wildlife than any other cruise line.

“It’s truly special that we can bring guests to a lodge at the doorstep of Denali National Park,” said Beth Bodensteiner, president of Holland America Line. “This investment is a win for Alaska, our guests, and Holland America Line. Enhancing and expanding the Holland America Denali Lodge will help meet the growing interest in combined land and sea Cruisetours for our 49th state and further support the Alaska tourism industry.”

Expansion Highlights

2025

The project is set to begin this year, starting with enhancements to the riverside interpretive trail with scenic viewpoints, improved on-site wayfinding, refined menu offerings in restaurants, and public space improvements for the Cottonwood and Canyon Lodge guest room buildings.

2026

The project will continue with 48 remodeled rooms in the Holland America Denali Lodge, a new coffee shop, and a remodeled Karstens Public House with expanded indoor and outdoor seating.

2027

2027 will bring the addition of a new guest room building with 120 suites and standard rooms. There will also be a main lodge renovation that includes a new restaurant, a new lobby bar, and an enhanced coffee experience.

Cruisetours Open For Booking

2025 and 2026 cruisetours are available for booking, allowing guests to combine an Alaska cruise with a journey into Denali National Park and Canada’s Yukon Territory. A series of 17+ itineraries will combine a cruise with an overland journey, offering more access to Alaska’s glaciers, wildlife, and wilderness tours.

Holland America owns motorcoaches, railcars, and hotels, providing preferential schedules for cruisetour guests. Each itinerary includes a scenic ride on the luxury glass-domed McKinley Explorer train, and select itineraries visit Dawson and rides through the historic White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad from Skagway. Other select itineraries offer direct-to-Denali service, taking guests from the ship to their Denali hotel room on the same day.

Wildlife Spotting

In addition to glaciers, Holland America offers more ways to see the wildlife of Alaska. The line’s ships in Alaska each carry a wildlife expert on board to help guests spot the animals found in the Last Frontier, including whales, eagles, bears, moose, otters, seals, sea lions, and more. A wildlife spotting guide points out the native animals found along the cruise route and includes a map with the best places to see each species. Between 8 am and 5:30 pm, wildlife sightings are announced for guest viewing.

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We have sailed to Alaska six times, twice with Norwegian Cruise Line. While we’ve enjoyed our cruises with the brand, an Alaska cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line isn’t right for everyone. So, before you put down that deposit, you need to know the pros and cons of Alaska cruises on Norwegian Cruise Line. Armed with all the details, you can pick the correct ship, and your Alaska cruise will be smooth sailing.

The Pros and Cons of Alaska Cruises on Norwegian Cruise Line

Freestyle Approach

Norwegian Cruise Line is the pioneer of flexible dining on a cruise ship. The brand’s freestyle approach to cruising means there are no set dinner times. Cruisers are free to dine whenever and with whomever they want during the cruise.

In Alaska, this freestyle approach offers more options than the traditional main dining on other cruise lines. Given that port of call times can vary daily, this flexibility becomes invaluable. For instance, one morning, you might be up for a 6 AM shore excursion, while the next day, the ship could be docking in the afternoon until 9 or 10 PM.

During our voyage on Norwegian Bliss back in 2018, we had the pleasure of cruising with friends. Throughout the week, we shared some dining experiences as a group of six, others as a table of four, and some nights it was just the two of us. Freestyle dining makes switching up the table arrangements in situations like this very simple.

Yet, for those of us who like to plan ahead, there’s no need to fret. You still have the option to pre-reserve dining times. This means you won’t miss out on that coveted dinner at Cagney’s Steakhouse, or you won’t have to wait for a table when you return from a long day ashore in Skagway. During our voyage on Norwegian Encore last year, we had most of our dinners reserved before boarding the ship. But we still had the flexibility to adjust a couple of those times when our plans changed.

Onboard Viewing Areas

We always suggest cruisers opt for a balcony when sailing in Alaska. On all six of our Alaska cruises, we went with this upgrade. This was true on both of our Alaska cruises with Norwegian Cruise Line. But even if you don’t want to splurge, you won’t miss out on the scenic cruising and Alaskan landscapes when sailing with NCL.

Several Norwegian Cruise Line ships in the region offer a variety of viewing areas scattered throughout the ship. Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Encore offer indoor and outdoor viewing areas for all types of weather.

The Observation Lounge at the front and top of the ship provides excellent 270-degree views. There is plenty of comfy furniture to unwind, not to mention snacks and complimentary drinks throughout the day. There is also a bar for those premium beverages.

Outside, the multi-level pool deck offers plenty of space for sightseeing, but there is also the Waterfront which we think is even better. This outdoor promenade, which is closer to water level, wraps around most of the deck and has various seating options. Not to mention, there are several bars and dining venues just a short walk away.

Further, the Vibe Beach Club offers an exclusive outdoor deck if you want to upgrade your Alaskan experience. With limited capacity, you are all but guaranteed a spot in the hot tub with a glacier view and a private bar. We think this upcharge deck is a hidden gem when sailing in Alaska. We had access to this spot on our Norwegian Encore cruise last year and loved it.

While smaller, Norwegian Jewel also offers several viewing spots throughout the ship, including indoor and outdoor venues on different decks. This helps to disperse the crowds and offer various vantage points.

Visits Glacier Bay National Park

While the various cruise lines offer different onboard experiences in Alaska, these trips are really about the destination. For us, picking the right itinerary is more important than what is on the cruise ship. So, we are happy to report that many of Norwegian Cruise Line’s sailings offer scenic cruising to Glacier Bay National Park.

For first-time cruisers in Alaska, Glacier Bay National Park is a must.

Norwegian Cruise Line offers itineraries visiting Glacier Bay National Park on mega-ships and medium-sized ships. Regardless of the size of the ship, the programming is the same. This includes park rangers coming on board for the entire time in the park. Along with lectures in the theater, other rangers provide narration as the ship glides down to the main attraction, the Marjorie Glacier.

Other informative sessions occur inside the ship with exhibits and literature about the park. Additional Q&A opportunities exist with rangers as they walk the outdoor decks in search of wildlife. This several hour-visit is something you don’t want to miss. So, grab your gear and head outside for these spectacular sights!

Each visit is unique, given the weather conditions and tides. During our last visit on Norwegian Encore, we were able to sail down the John Hopkins Inlet to get some fantastic views of the John Hopkins Glacier, which is not always visible or allowed.

Free at Sea

Norwegian Cruise Line is often also a better value when cruising to Alaska. The brand’s popular Free at Sea promotion includes several add-ons that are usually an upcharge on other cruise lines.

While the promotion can change, typically, it includes a free drink package, WiFi credits, shore excursion credits, and specialty dinner credits. Depending on when you book, this promotion can include 3^rd and 4^th guests sail free and reduced airfare as well.

While cruisers still need to pay the service charges on some of these items, we think this promotion is of great value. It is an easy way to make your cruise more inclusive. Plus, the cruise line lets you upgrade to Free at Sea Plus, offering even more onboard perks, like unlimited WiFi, Starbucks beverages, and additional specialty dining.

Another benefit of the Free at Sea promotion is it is combinable with travel advisor perks. So, you can get even more savings and value when you take advantage of promotions run by your preferred travel advisor. These can include additional onboard credit, free gratuities, and more.

Solo Travelers

Most cruise fares are based on double occupancy for each stateroom. Since Heidi and I usually travel as a couple, this is fine for us. However, it isn’t so great for those traveling solo, as it means these individuals have to pay double to cruise.

Luckily, Norwegian Cruise Line is one of the cruise lines that has devised a way around the “single supplement.” On its mega-ships, it offers studio cabins designed specifically for parties of 1.

So, those traveling by themselves have dedicated cabins that are more reasonably priced. While smaller than a typical cabin, these studios are thoughtfully designed and feature everything travelers need to feel at home on the ship.

Plus, on NCL’s larger vessels, these studio cabins are clustered in sections of the ship. With a separate entrance and lounge, solo travelers can meet and mingle with others traveling by themselves. There is even a dedicated cruise staff manager for solo cruisers who hosts events and activities.

Of course, cruisers still have access to all the bars, restaurants, and other areas of the ship. But, having this solo area and dedicated space makes it easier and more affordable for solo cruisers to see all that Alaska offers in style and sophistication.

Specialty Restaurants

As the first cruise line to eschew traditional dining times on cruise ships, NCL is also known for its specialty dining. Across its ships, there are a variety of restaurants featuring global-inspired cuisine.

Signature restaurants include Cagney’s Steakhouse, a classic American-style steakhouse with various chops and cuts on the menu. There is also the French Le Bistro and the Italian La Cucina (or Onda by Scarpetta).

Other restaurants can include the lively Teppanyaki Japanese-style steakhouse, which includes dinner and a show at this hibachi restaurant. There is also Q-Texas Smokehouse, serving comfort food with live music and some of the best desserts on the ship. Not to mention, cruisers can enjoy freshly crafted Mexican specialties and margaritas at Los Lobos depending which NCL ship they choose.

Additionally, one of our favorite restaurants on any cruise ship is Food Republic. This fusion restaurant serves small plates, tapas, and international cuisine, combining various cooking styles, ingredients, and signature cocktails.

With the Free at Sea, most guests can dine at two specialty restaurants for free. Additional dining packages are available, or guests can pay a la carte for additional meals. However, getting an add-on dining package is a much better and cost-effective option.

Lively Onboard Atmosphere

While other cruise lines might offer more Alaska-focused onboard activities than NCL, Norwegians know how to party. Norwegian Cruise Line ships offer lively and fun activities day and night. The ships have several well-themed bars and lounges offering live music.

We are fans of the drinks at the Sugarcane Mojito bar, especially its signature drinks, like the Jalapeno Cucumber and Raspberry-Guava Mojitos. The District Brewhouse has one of the best beer selections of any ship, with dozens on tap and more in bottles and cans. Not to mention, it features live piano music on most nights of the cruise.

The A-List Bar offers upscale cocktails, and the Maltings Whiskey Bar offers classic drinks. While sipping their favorite adult beverages, cruisers can listen to live music or other cruise director staff events in the Atrium. Further, the Local offers a standard cocktail menu and a complimentary pub menu featuring some of the best chicken wings at sea.  

The cruise line also has several parties and nighttime events. There are silent discos in the club, comedy shows, game shows, and more. In the main theater, NCL features production shows and headliner acts each night of the cruise. One of our favorite shows on any ship, Choir of Man, is a must see on Norwegian Encore.

Undoubtedly, the nighttime atmosphere is more upbeat, fun, and lively than many of the other cruise lines sailing the region.

Great for Families

One complaint some cruisers have about mega-ships is that they have too many distractions. However, we argue that there are definitely advantages to having a large ship with a variety of onboard attractions. For one, they can appeal to a wide range of travelers and multi-generational families.

Ships like Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Bliss are ideal for large groups traveling to Alaska. The kids will enjoy the onboard attractions, like the virtual reality games in the Galaxy Pavilion, the go-kart track, and the laser tag. Although, as big kids, we think these amenities are a lot of fun as well.

With various dining options, including casual venues and sit-down restaurants, it is easy to make everyone happy. The parents and grandparents will enjoy venues like the Observation Lounge as well as the adult-focused entertainment and late-night comedy. While the kids can hang out with friends in Splash Academy or Entourage.

Thermal Suites

Alaska cruises are filled with long days and nights. With early morning scenic cruising and long days ashore at all hours of the day, you will want some rest and relaxation. Luckily, Norwegian Cruise Line ships feature fantastic spas and thermal suites. In fact, the thermal suite on Norwegian Encore is one of the best on any cruise ship.

The thermal suite boasts several rejuvenating experiences. It has a hydrotherapy pool, steam rooms, a sauna, a salt room, and even a snow room. The best part is that the thermal suite is all the way forward, offering some of the best views on the ship. So, cruisers can even relax on a heated stone lounger while admiring glaciers.

There are a limited number of passes to the thermal suite. So, you know it will never be overcrowded. While the cruise line does offer week passes, you might be able to score a day pass on a port day too. So, if you need a break from all the adventures ashore, a morning or afternoon in the spa might do the trick.

Not to mention, the spa offers a variety of other services as well. There are massages, facials, pedicures, manicures, and more. So, you can return from your Alaska cruise well-rested and ready to tackle being back on land.

The Cons of Sailing to Alaska on Norwegian Cruise Line

Not As Many Choices As Other Cruise Lines

While some cruise lines offer six or seven ships in the region, Norwegian Cruise Line only offers four ships. Most of these ships sail from Seattle, WA on round-trip itineraries. So, compared to the competition, there are fewer options for sailing to Alaska with Norwegian Cruise Line.

Whille we are fans of mega-ships and think the roundtrip route is excellent for first-timers to the region, it does mean that most ships offer similar ports of call. However, NCL Bliss and Norwegian Encore offer different glacier viewing spots, which means cruisers must choose between scenic cruising of Dawes Glacier or Glacier Bay National Park.

If you are not a fan of mega-ships, Norwegian Sun offers nine-night sailings. This smaller ship sails Glacier Bay and many popular ports. But, given the extra days, this might be difficult and expensive for families wanting to cruise to Alaska.

Or, cruisers can opt for a one-way cruise on Norwegian Jewel. These southbound or northbound routes begin or end in Seward, Alaska, or Vancouver, British Columbia.

Lack of Alaska Focused Onboard Experiences

Many cruise lines sailing in the region promote their onboard programming. Princess Cruises has a North to Alaska series of lectures, themed events, and special dining and drink offerings. These events occur throughout the trip and offer a more immersive way to learn about and experience the region.

Similarly, Holland America Line has its We Love Alaska series of talks, presentations, and region-focused enrichment. Whether it is learning about the history of Alaska or more about the famous Iditarod race, these talks are well-produced and informative. This cruise line offers several dining options and locally sourced food and beverages during its sailing as well.

On the other hand, Norwegian Cruise Line offers very little enrichment. In fact, besides the typical Glacier Bay National Park ranger experience, our last Norwegian Encore trip had no Alaska-specific programming. We were surprised that there were no regional guests, nighttime talks, or Alaska-themed activities.

Even the food and drink menus were pretty standard. We have sailed on the cruise line’s mega-ships in the Caribbean and the onboard daytime and nighttime lineup felt exactly the same when in Alaska. We would have liked NCL to offer some onboard edutainment coupled with the ashore tours and excursions.

Time Spent Ashore

For us, perhaps the biggest drawback of cruising to Alaska with Norwegian Cruise Line has to do with its itineraries. While some NCL ships do get to cruise through Glacier Bay National Park, most 7-day itineraries offer less time ashore in other ports when compared to competitor cruise lines in the region.

While several cruise lines offer full day stops at many ports of call, NCL’s stops are often shorter or the timing is not ideal. Depending on the itinerary, you will likely have an early morning stop in places like Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, or Juneau. Some routes include the afternoon in Juneau, with the ship docked until later in the evening.

Also, Norwegian Cruise Line does not have preferential berthing in many ports. This means the ship docks further away from the city center. For instance, the Ward Cove dock in Ketchikan is a bus ride away from town. Thus, you can’t get off the ship and walk to the nearby attractions like most cruise lines. So, getting to and from the ship, if not on an excursion, can be a headache.

Likewise, depending on the time of year and the number of ships in port, the ship might not always dock in Juneau. So, there is the potential to become a tender port, which is never fun.

Who Should Take Alaska Cruises on Norwegian Cruise Line?

While there are a few cons, we had a fantastic time on both our Alaska cruises on Norwegian Cruise Line.

The cruise line is great for those cruising with a large group. The six of us on Norwegian Bliss took advantage of the freestyle approach to customize our trip. We were able to do things as a large group as well as smaller groups throughout the week. Our tours of the Mendenhall Glacier and a float plane in the Misty Fjords were some of our best excursions in the region.

Likewise, our trip last year on Norwegian Encore was equally memorable. Our day in Glacier Bay was gorgeous. We were able to get much closer to several glaciers in the park than ever before, including clearly seeing the John Hopkins Glacier from a private sundeck. We took advantage of the cruise ship’s upgrades, like the Vibe Beach Club and thermal suite. Not to mention, we dined at essentially all of the specialty restaurants, took advantage of our upgraded drink package, and enjoyed the onboard attractions throughout the week!

If you’re cruising as a family, NCL’s larger ships in the region offer plenty to keep the kids entertained between ports of call. And there’s still plenty of nighttime entertainment for mom and dad too.

Although, NCL probably won’t appeal to travelers looking for a more enriching experience. If you are looking for a more culturally immersive experience or more authentic Alaska onboard programming, Norwegian might let you down.

Further, if there are specific routes or ports that you want to visit, then this cruise line might not offer the exact schedule that interests you.

But for those looking to make this vacation a mix of fun and facts, Norwegian Cruise Line is a great choice. After all, it is a vacation, not a college tour!

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Planning an Alaska cruise can be stressful. Admittedly, we have made some mistakes while planning our previous six Alaska cruises, and we want you to learn from our mishaps. So, we’ve put together this list of the common Alaska cruise mistakes when planning a trip way up north. Armed with the right information, you can successfully plan and execute your perfect cruise vacation to this magnificent destination.

Our Latest Alaska Cruise Mistakes Video

Alaska Cruise Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make

Failing to Focus on the Itinerary

Perhaps the most frequent question we get is, “What is the best cruise line (or cruise ship) in Alaska?”. This is the completely wrong question. We have sailed with five different cruise lines in Alaska, each with pros and cons, but the “best” really all depends on your preferences.

However, Alaska cruises are more about the destination than the ship anyway. So, what cruisers really should focus on when picking an Alaska cruise is the itinerary.

It is true that many cruise lines offering 7-night cruises stop at similar ports. Many of these cruises will have calls in the state capital of Juneau. Other popular spots are Skagway and Ketchikan. While not as popular, other towns like Icy Strait Point, Sitka, or Haines might be on the itinerary. But, these port stops are not all created equal.

When investigating the itineraries, it’s important to look at the port of call times and number of hours in port. Some cruise lines spend only half a day at some stops, like Ketchikan or Victoria, British Columbia. Others have more full-days in port, giving you more time ashore.

Further, all cruises offer scenic cruising to one of the region’s glaciers. Glacier Bay National Park, the Dawes Glacier, and Hubbard Glacier are among the most frequently visited locales. But, some are better than others in our opinion.

There are also one-way itineraries vs. roundtrip itineraries. For many, a roundtrip cruise from Seattle, WA might be easier to plan. However, one-way itineraries usually offer more ports of call. These tend to head north or south from either Seward or Whittier, Alaska or Vancouver, British Columbia.  

So, don’t pick an Alaska cruise solely based on the cruise line. Look at the itinerary options and where you’ll visit to decide what appeals to you the most.

Not Comparing Cruise Ships

All major cruise lines offer at least one ship that sails in Alaska, and some offer several ships. Thus, there are many options when cruising in the region. Even after picking an itinerary, there will likely be several ships to review.

Each cruise line has its own onboard vibe and atmosphere. Norwegian Cruise Line is known for its Freestyle approach to cruising. Holland America Line and Princess Cruises have the biggest presence in Alaska and offer more onboard enrichment. While Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Disney Cruise line are more family-focused.

While it is true that each cruise line is unique, even within each cruise line’s fleet, there is also variability. Assuming that all the cruise ships from a line, say Royal Caribbean International, are the same is an Alaska cruise mistake you don’t want to make.

Some of these ships are mega-ships like Norwegian Encore or Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. However, both cruise lines offer smaller ships sailing in the region as well.

While the region might be more important when picking an Alaska cruise, you do still want to compare ships across the different cruise lines. You’ll want to pick the cruise ship that has the onboard amenities, activities, and features that appeal to you and your travel party the most.

Not Budgeting Appropriately

Some of our Alaska cruises have been the most expensive trips we have taken on a per-day cost. Not only is the cruise itself more expensive, but so are the other associated costs.

Now, for us, these splurges have been worth it. Dog sledding on a glacier or taking a floatplane through the Misty Fjords are experiences we will never forget. But, we knew ahead of time that these would be pricey. Not to mention, flights, hotel stays, and all the other add-ons can rack up quickly.

While some balk when we offer budget advice, from our experience, an Alaska cruise is more costly than comparable trips in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and the Bahamas.

Of course, these Alaska cruise costs do depend on the cruise line you choose, the cruise cabin you book, and the number (and type ) of shore excursions you pick. But, in our experience, cruisers should budget about $300 to $600+ a person per day for an Alaska cruise.

For the two of us, we have easily spent close to $10,000 on some Alaska cruises. But, you can quickly look at all of the costs associated with cruising to Alaska and run the numbers for your trip. That way you have a reasonable estimate of how much it will cost you and your family and can budget accordingly.

Not Booking Early

With Alaska cruises being expensive, one mistake cruisers make is waiting until the last minute to book. For us, we usually book our Alaska cruises 8 months to a year in advance. In all instances, the cruise price increased as it got closer to the sailing date.

So, we suggest booking as early as possible. Right now, all cruise lines already have 2025 Alaska cruises on their websites.  

In the rare instance of a last-minute deal, any cruise fare savings will probably be consumed by paying for last-minute airfare. Also, booking at the last minute often means that popular tours and cabin categories are already sold out.

For many, going on an Alaska cruise is a bucket list trip. So, we suggest booking early and taking advantage of lower fares. Plus, you will have more time to pay off the cruise and research what you want to do in each port of call.

Opting to Book Directly With the Cruise Line

We have been on over 80 cruises. Yet, whenever we book a cruise, we always use a trusted travel advisor. Booking our Alaska cruises was no different.

While the cruise lines do offer plenty of information on their websites, we suggest finding a travel professional to help you through the process of reserving your trip.

For those who don’t cruise often, a travel advisor can help you compare the different ships and itineraries in the region. Plus, they can offer advice on shore excursions at the ports of call or things to do onboard the ship. Our travel advisor friends are invaluable sources of information.

Along with ensuring you pick the right Alaska cruise for your travel party, travel advisors offer additional benefits. Often, they can provide perks that make booking with them a better deal. These perks are usually in addition to any of the cruise line promotions. So, the travel agent might be able to get you onboard credit, specialty dining, free WiFi or gratuities, or even drink packages.

It is also possible that the travel advisor has access to group rates. These fares are typically lower than the cruise line’s advertised price. Even if that is not the case, booking with a travel advisor is usually a better value than booking directly with the cruise line.

Flying in the Day of Your Cruise

For many, an Alaska cruise means a rather long flight to the embarkation city. Even though many will make up time by heading west, one of the most nerve-wracking things you could do is decide to fly in on the same day of your cruise.

The worst thing you could do is spend money on an Alaska cruise and miss the ship. After all, the cruise ship will be leaving with or without you.

So, we always suggest flying in the day before the trip. Doing so provides some wiggle room in case there are any travel delays or issues getting to the ship’s homeport. You don’t want to be stressed if there are some unforeseen travel disruptions.

Also, many of these departure ports are fantastic cities to visit themselves, like Seattle and Vancouver. So, why not get a head start on your Alaska adventure and spend a few days in your embarkation city.

Cruising At the Wrong Time

The Alaska cruise season runs from the middle of April to the end of September/early October. The peak time to visit Alaska is the end of June through the middle of August. This time will have the warmest temperatures, the longest daylight hours, and the best chance of seeing wildlife.

But, if you pick this time, you can also expect cruise ships to be filled with families. Not to mention, there will be several ships in port each day. Cruising in the middle of the season also means the highest prices.

Thus, we highly recommend sailing during the shoulder season. This is the first few weeks of the season and the last few weeks of the season. During this time, there will be fewer crowds and lower prices. Sometimes, cruises during the beginning and the end of the Alaska cruise season can be literally half the cost of sailing during the middle of the summer.

We would rather cruise at the off-times and opt for a better room or spend the money on one-of-a-kind shore excursions.

We have sailed to Alaska in almost every month during the season. On all our trips to Alaska, we have had mostly seasonable weather. Regardless of when you cruise, it will rain in Alaska. But, we have been able to experience all the region has to offer whenever we travel. The one exception is that SOME shore excursions may not run very early or very late in the season.

Failing to Book Shore Excursions in Advance

Just like booking the cruise, you can miss out if you delay on booking tours. The most desirable tours often sell out quickly. Whether you opt to book with the cruise line or directly with tour providers, it is best to secure those highly coveted shore excursions as early as possible.  

For instance, whale watching in Juneau or helicopter tours of Mendenhall Glacier are among the first to go. These tours have limited capacity and are often the first booked. Thus, we have been known to book some of our excursions just days after depositing on a cruise. This is especially true for these once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

If the prices change, you can often cancel and rebook or contact the cruise line for a refund.

We wouldn’t want you to spend all this money for your Alaska cruise and not get to experience all the state has to offer. So, book early!

Thinking You Need to Book an Excursion at Every Port

While we don’t want you to miss out on exciting shore excursions, that doesn’t mean you have to book one at every port. During our cruises, we have certainly explored the ports on our own, visited museums, or done short tours instead of an all-day outing.

Towns like Skagway and Ketchikan (shuttle required from Ward Cove) are very walkable. These towns feature saloons, shops, and local historical sites and exhibits that are easily explored without a guided tour.  

Icy Strait Point is also an easy port to explore on your own. It has restaurants, a mill museum, and enjoyable walking paths that don’t necessitate an excursion. Cruisers can also pay a fee for the gondola ride up to the top of the lookout point for a small hiking trail.

While we don’t always have a shore excursion booked, we do always have a game plan for each stop. Even though we have been to many of these locations several times, we always find something new or interesting to try. If nothing else, we can always grab some local food and a beer while enjoying the beautiful surroundings.

Alaska is definitely not the place to stay on the ship during a port of call.

Not Being Flexible

Unfortunately, the weather in Alaska doesn’t always cooperate. We have had tours canceled, and our ships have been delayed docking or leaving due to the conditions. Our glacier viewings have been altered as well due to fog. So, when traveling to the region, cruisers need to be flexible.

Your tours might be rescheduled or cancelled, or the the ship might need to take an alternative route. Some of those wildlife tours might need to go to different locations due to weather or other concerns. Also, it is possible certain ports are missed or scenic cruising is altered due to ship traffic or Mother Nature. While unfortunate, if things change from the original plan, just go with the tide. It’s usually not the cruise line’s fault.

Of course, any cancelled tours will be refunded, and the cruise line will try to offer alternative programming if there are itinerary changes. It actually took us 3 booked attempts before we were finally able to take our helicopter tour to the Mendenhall Glacier for dog sledding. It just seemed that our tour always got cancelled for some reason or another.

With that said, remember that you are on vacation, and there is still plenty to do and see when in Alaska!

Packing Inappropriately

Perhaps the biggest Alaska cruise mistake we see cruisers make has to do with packing. Sure, we certainly overpacked on our first Alaska cruise. But since then, we have gotten more strategic about what we bring with us in our luggage.

What time of year you travel might affect some of the items you pack. But, regardless of when you go, you will need layers. Everyone in your travel party will need a packable raincoat as well. It will rain, so be prepared.

Plus, a pair of comfortable walking shoes is vital. But, you won’t need snow boots; a heavier pair of wool socks will do. We also suggest a pair of lightweight, waterproof pants if you plan to do a lot of hiking or tours on the water.

However, you won’t need ski pants or thick winter jackets. You probably won’t need big puffy sweaters either. But, you know your own temperature regulation best.

We suggest several medium-weight garments, such as long sleeved shirts, sweatshirts/sweaters, vests, and packable puffer jackets. If you go toward the end of the season, maybe some thermals would be nice for that early morning sail in and out of ports of call. You might also want to pack a pair or shorts and a couple t-shirts for an exceptionally warm day or for around the ship.

In our experience, you can easily see a 30 to 40-degree change in temperature throughout the day. You could wake up to a temperature of 35 degrees for glacier viewing, but it could be close to 70 degrees by late afternoon.

So, you will still want accessories like hats, gloves, scarves, and other essentials like sunglasses, sun tan lotion, and bug spray.

Back onboard, dinners are more casual than in other regions. Plus, many cruise lines offer self-service laundry. So, you could wash some clothes mid-cruise if you want to reduce the amount you pack for the trip. Just be sure to check if your cruise line does indeed offer this.

Relying Solely on Your Smartphone

The video and photo quality of smartphones have come along way. Still, some of the best memories we have from our Alaska cruises were captured in an old-fashioned way with a camera.

We are not saying you need to go out and spend thousands of dollars to purchase equipment. For a few hundred dollars, you can easly rent the newest DSLR or mirrorless cameras and zoom lenses for the week. I took my old Sony a6000, a pretty basic mirrorless camera, and rented a few extra long zoom lenses, which were well worth the money.

Along with cameras and lenses, travelers should also pack binoculars. These will certainly come in handy for wildlife spotting. Other gear you may want to consider bringing along are 360 cameras or action cameras like Go Pros, particularly something that is waterproof if you plan to do any kayaking or water-related activities.

Selecting the Wrong Cabin

Whether or not you should upgrade to a balcony stateroom on an Alaska cruise is a hotly debated topic. We agree that picking a ship with various areas for sightseeing is important. We like ships like Norwegian Encore, which offer many indoor and outdoor viewing areas.

But, we still think having the ability to get out of bed and open your door to the Alaskan vistas in the morning is worth the upgrade. Maybe even enjoy some coffee on the balcony while admiring the views or scouting for wildlife.

Admittedly, this is not worth it for everyone. If you are on a budget, you might want to allocate your funds elsewhere.

Given the wide range of price points for staterooms on a ship, picking the right cabin comes down to your preferences and budget. If you can only sail during the summer while the kids are out of school, maybe you can save some money by opting for an interior cabin.

Or, another option is to opt for a guaranteed cabin. This will guarantee you a certain stateroom category, but you won’t be able to select your actual cabin. The cruise line will assign it to you prior to your sailing.

Another option to save some money on a cruise cabin is to book a lower category with the hope of trying to bid up closer to your sailing date. Of course, not all cruise lines and all sailings offer this bid program, but if it is available, you can likely score a balcony (or better) cabin for much less than the initial booking price.

Sleeping In

When taking an Alaska cruise, the schedule can be a bit hectic. Early morning ports of call are not uncommon. Scenic cruising occurs all hours of the day. Plus, with 18 hours of daylight, it is easy for your biological clock to feel out of sync.

While it is important to get plenty of sleep on an Alaska cruise, we don’t recommend sleeping in.

There might be early morning sailings by fjords that you won’t want to miss. Walking the outdoor decks or enjoying breakfast on your balcony is the ideal way to spend a morning. Instead, take advantage of down time for a nap before dinner or call it an early night before the next day’s port of call.

Also, we suggest booking early morning tours. The odds are that you will have more favorable weather conditions and be ahead of the other tourists from the several ships that may be in port along with you.

Even if you have a later day stop in port, getting off the ship as soon as you can will help you beat the crowds and ensure you get to see and do everything you want.

Passing on the Onboard Enrichment

Of course, travelers visit Alaska for the ports of call. But, this doesn’t mean that you should skip the onboard enrichment. Many cruise lines offer captivating and well-curated presentations, lectures, and other themed events during the voyage. These are sometimes the best parts of the trip.

We always attend the various lectures and informational sessions, where we have met Iditarod race champs and watched local artists craft their next masterpieces.

Many cruise lines routinely feature local cultural experts and historians onboard during the cruise as well. These talks can range from learning about the First Nations people from a Tlingit Princess to a presentation on the history of Glacier Bay National Park.

We have learned about the sordid history of Skagway, humpback whale migration, and Alaska’s stampede toward statehood all on a cruise ship. So, make sure to review your cruise ship’s daily schedule or app to see when these events are occurring. Bookmark them and don’t miss out on even more ways to immerse yourself in all that Alaska has to offer.

Comments

Have you made any of these Alaska cruise mistakes? Do you have Alaska tips or tricks to share? Drop us an anchor below to share your advice for cruisers heading way up north for the first time.

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When considering the best time to go on a cruise, there are multiple factors that have to be accounted for — namely the region you want to sail. The best time for a Caribbean cruise isn’t going to be the same as the best time for a northern Europe or Alaska voyage, for example. Other factors like cost, weather, and crowds might also be things you take into consideration.

To help you figure out when you should best aim for taking a cruise, we’re breaking down our recommendations by region.

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How to Pick the Best Time to Go on a Cruise

Caribbean and Bahamas

There isn’t necessarily any “bad” time to cruise to the Caribbean or Bahamas, with the region welcoming cruise ships all year-round. However there are things to take into consideration, such as hurricane season which runs from June through November. Prices tend to be a bit cheaper from September through November, because of this and because kids are back in school.

Weather and crowd-wise, we recommend taking a Caribbean or Bahamas cruise in the January to mid-May time period, not counting school break weeks. The weather is more mild this time of year, it’s not hurricane season, and crowds shouldn’t be quite as heavy when school is in session.

Alaska

The Alaska cruise season generally runs from mid-April through September; cruise ships don’t sail in the region when it’s at its coldest throughout the winter. Of the cruising season, there isn’t a clear-cut answer when it comes to when is “best.”

To avoid crowds, choose a voyage during the shoulder season in April, May, or September. The least rainy month is May, while the warmest (and busiest) will be July and August. Certain times of the Alaska cruise season also increase your chances of seeing wildlife and/or the Norther Lights.

Mediterranean

Cruise ships sail in the Mediterranean all year long, but the primary season runs from April into early November. For more mild weather and less crowds than during the busy summer season, aim for a Mediterranean voyage in early May or September.

For the lowest crowds, look for one of the few voyages sailing in the winter or early spring. If you’re looking for warmth and sunbathing weather, June and July are good bets — avoid August if possible due to the hottest temperatures and highest crowd levels.

Mexican Riviera

There isn’t really a “bad” time to cruise to Mexico’s west coast, as the weather ranges from balmy to hot the majority of the year, and cruise ships sail there year-round.

For warm weather that isn’t too hot and the best chance at no rain, look to visit the Mexican Riviera during the winter and into early spring. As long as you avoid time periods where kids are off from school (Christmas break, winter break, spring break, etc.), you’ll also encounter fewer crowds during this timeframe.

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Bermuda

The Bermuda cruise season generally runs from late March into early November. For mild weather, cheaper cruise fares, and fewer crowds, try to sail right at the beginning of the season in April or May. If you don’t mind spring break crowds, Good Friday and Easter is a fun time to visit Bermuda as there are lots of fun treats to eat and a Good Friday kite flying event at Horseshoe Bay Beach.

If enjoying the fanfare of a yacht racing event is more your speed, try to plan your cruise for the end of April at the beginning of the Bermuda International Invitational Race Week.

Northern Europe

Though cruises are available in northern Europe year-round, you’ll find the largest amount of voyages during the warmer months in spring, summer, and the beginning of fall. The best season to take a cruise in northern Europe weather-wise is in the summer from June through August. If you’re okay with cooler weather and want fewer crowds, opt for a sailing in September or October.

Canada/New England

The best time to visit Canada and New England is highly subjective based on what your goal is in going there. If you want the warmest, sunniest weather to explore quaint coastal towns and cities on the northern Atlantic seaboard, July and August are your best bets.

But many travelers head to this region specifically to see the dazzling fall foliage, in which case the best time to visit is October. September can be a good middle ground, because crowds will thin out (as school is back in session) but the weather will still be warm. There’s also a chance to see the start of the leaves changing towards the end of the month, though it varies from year-to-year and is never guaranteed.

Australia/New Zealand

Cruises sail Down Under year-round, and there is no cut-and-dry answer as to when the best season is to sail. Different parts of the region experience different weather in relation to the seasons, and it comes down to what’s most important to you.

For sunny skies and hot days in many parts of the continent where cruise ships sail, take a cruise during the austral summer. Since the seasons are flipped for the northern and southern hemispheres, that means during our winter season, from around December through March.

Waiting until at least February or March is a good idea for avoiding crowds, as Australian and New Zealander kids’ summer break generally runs from mid-December through January. For a voyage in northern Australia, consider March or later, as the cyclone season runs through February.

Hawaii

Like many other regions, there isn’t really a “bad” time to visit Hawaii. Certain times of year are preferable than others based on one factor, but another time of year will be more desirable based on another factor.

If you want more mild weather that isn’t in the rainy season, consider April to May or September to October. For the least chance of a rain shower (but the hottest temperatures), take a cruise to Hawaii in June, July, or August. For the best prices, look into voyages that sail in November and early December.

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What’s your best time to go on a cruise? Which of these regions have you visited on a cruise? Drop us an anchor below to share what time of year you like to vacation.

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Ship Overview

Having just returned from Alaska on Princess Cruises, we were eager to explore more of the region on this trip. It had been a while since we sailed on a Norwegian Cruise Line Breakaway-Plus Class ship. We attended the 3-day naming ceremony for Norwegian Encore back in 2019 and we also sailed Norwegian Bliss to Alaska back in 2018.

Norwegian Encore is the final ship in the Breakaway-Plus Class, with a gross tonnage of 169K and accommodating just under 4,000 guests at double occupancy. She is one of five Norwegian Cruise Line ships sailing in Alaska this year, along with sister ship, Norwegian Bliss.

Norwegian Encore boasts all the bells and whistles of modern mega-ships making it an attractive option for families and multi-generational groups. From a 1,100 foot long racetrack at the top of the ship, to the largest and most immersive laser tag arena at sea, and the Galaxy Pavilion VR gaming area, there is plenty to keep the kids and teens entertained between ports of call.

Not to mention, the ship features the forward-facing Observation Lounge perfect for Alaska, two pools and whirlpools, a spa and thermal suite, and the deck 8 Waterfront promenade. There’s also everybody’s favorite production show, Choir of Man; Beatles tribute bands in The Cavern Club; comedy shows in The Social; and all your other typical cruise activities from trivia to a silent disco and the GLOW party.

When it comes to dining, Norwegian Cruise Line is the innovator of the Freestyle approach. Thus, Norwegian Encore features several specialty restaurants including the signature steakhouse Cagney’s, Onda by Scarpetta, Le Bistro, and more. There’s also three complimentary main dining rooms, The Local Bar & Grill, and the Garden Café buffet. When you get thirsty, there’s plenty of bars to grab a drink too, including two of our favorites, the Sugarcane Mojito Bar and the District Brewhouse.

Don’t worry, Norwegian’s Free at Sea has you covered with a free open bar, specialty dining, and even more perks. This offer features a Premium Beverage Package and 2-meal specialty dining package for a 7-day cruise (balcony and above). It is important to note that guests still need to pay the 20% gratuity on these free perks at the time of booking.

Since our last sailing on Norwegian Encore back in 2019, not much has changed. The ship is still in great condition and you can find all your NCL favorites on board. The one noticeable difference is that Kinky Boots is no longer a main theater production show, which is a bit of a disappointment as it was great.

This Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review was a 7-day roundtrip cruise from Seattle including a stop in Glacier Bay. Additionally, it included four ports of call: Juneau; Skagway; Ketchikan; and Victoria, BC. As always, in our signature day-by-day review below, we detail our sailing in the region on Norwegian Encore.

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Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review – Day 1

A Pre-Cruise Night

For this Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review, we flew into Seattle a day early as we always recommend. Booking a hotel stay at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront, we were in a prime location to get to Pier 66 on embarkation day.

Feeling a bit tired from all our recent travels, we didn’t do much in Seattle this time around. With the beautiful weather, we did manage to walk around the waterfront area a bit and grabbed some food at Elliott’s Oyster House.

The Seattle Marriott Waterfront is literally across the street from NCL’s docking location in Seattle. Checking out of the hotel by 11 AM, we simply walked across the street, dropped our bags with the porters, and were onward to the terminal check-in process in no time.

Welcome Aboard Norwegian Encore

Given priority embarkation by NCL, we breezed through this process and were onboard in about 20 minutes. We decided to immediately proceed to our muster station to check-in for this mandatory safety briefing. Much like other cruise lines, you can watch the safety video on your stateroom television or smartphone and just simply need to stop by your actual assembly station for a quick overview.

Since we were being hosted by the cruise line on this sailing, we then met with our onboard contact before beginning our typical embarkation day routine. This took us up to the top of the ship where we began taking photos and videos for about the next 1.5 hours. This included areas like the pool deck, fitness center, Vibe Beach Club, the Encore Speedway, laser tag, and the Seattle skyline.

Approaching 2 PM, and the cabins still not ready, we decided to grab some lunch at The Local Bar & Grill. This sit-down venue is a great complimentary option and alternative to the buffet. I sampled the chicken salad sandwich, while Don devoured some of what he calls the best chicken wings at sea.

By the time we finished lunch, the cabins were ready. So, we decided to grab some Starbucks and head upstairs to drop off our carry-on items. Of note, Starbucks is included in the Premium Plus beverage package on NCL!

Our cabin was 12718, a Category BA cabin located pretty far forward on the starboard side of Deck 12. This cabin looked in really good shape still considering the ship is a few years old now. It had modern décor and was a pretty standard size and layout when it comes to balcony cabins.

The bathroom and shower did feel a bit more spacious, whereas the balcony itself is somewhat smaller when compared to other cruise lines. Nonetheless, we still recommend a balcony cabin especially in Alaska.

The layout of the room had the desk and sofa closer to the entrance and the bed closer to the balcony, which is our preferred layout. We also liked that there were USB outlets near the bed for charging our phones at night.

Given that sail away was not until 5 PM, we took some time to get photos and videos of our cabin and begin some unpacking.

Come Sail Away

Taking a break around 4 PM, we headed outside to scout out a spot for the sail away. Perched over the pool deck, we had a great vantage spot of the ship with the Space Needle on one side and Mount Rainier on the other side. After a bit, we also headed down to the pool deck to catch some of the sail away party. It was certainly more lively than our recent sail away on Princess Cruises.

While it was a gorgeous day in Seattle, as the ship pulled away and starting picking up some speed, it got noticeably windier and colder. Thus, we headed back inside to prepare for our first evening on Norwegian Encore. With a busy Alaska itinerary, we needed to make good use of our time to ensure we still got to experience everything on the ship.

Back to the cabin, we finished unpacking and got ready for dinner. Tonight, we were dining at Cagney’s our first of seven specialty dinners.

Our First of Many Specialty Dinners

Surprisingly, Cagney’s is one cruise line’s steakhouse that does not offer any chicken or vegetarian option on the menu. Thus, I had to make a special request, with which the manager was happy to oblige.

Starting off the meal, I sampled the baked onion soup and the wedge salad, while Don ordered the shrimp cocktail and ahi tuna tartare. All were pretty typical steakhouse appetizers; though, I would have to admit that the soup did not live up to the famous black and blue onion soup at the Crown Grill on Princess Cruises.

For entrees, the chef grilled me up some chicken breasts, and Don enjoyed his filet mignon. Perhaps the highlight of the meal though was the aptly named OMG caramel-butterscotch cheesecake.

With dinner taking a solid two hours this evening, we made a brief stop at the Social to check out the silent disco before heading to the theater for the first show of the cruise at 9:30 PM. The two comedians, who would perform multiple sets over the course of the week in the more intimate Social Comedy Club, had an introductory show in the theater tonight.

The two comedians on this sailing were Travis Nelson and Lucas Bohn. Of the two, we thought Lucas was funnier and definitely the edgier comedian. Let’s just say a couple may have stormed out of the theater because they didn’t agree with his material.

Following the comedy show, we made one more stop of the night at my favorite bar on the ship, the Sugarcane Mojito Bar. We had to start the cruise off right with a Raspberry-Guava and Jalapeno Cucumber mojito.

Chatting and enjoying our drinks, we decided to call it a night around 11:30 PM.

Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review – Day 2

Our First Sea Day

Day 2 of this Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review was a sea day. Since Don was working his full-time job again during this trip, we were up around 5:30 AM. Don headed out to grab our morning Starbucks along with some photos and videos around the ship before jumping on some conference calls by 7 AM. This is about the only time that the Observation Lounge was relatively empty.

Around 10 AM, we took a break to attend the This is Alaska presentation in the theater. Unfortunately, this was a glorified shore excursions talk with some Alaska facts interspersed. Curated Alaska programming is definitely one thing we missed on NCL.

Attempting to head outdoors on the Waterfront, it was extremely windy, so we decided to stay indoors instead. Exploring more of the ship, we decided it was time for lunch around 12:30 PM. The fusion restaurant, Food Republic, was open for lunch on this sea day. So, what better time to grab some tapas than right now.

An Afternoon Feast

We think the Food Republic is a hidden gem, but for some reason the venue is never busy. With the specialty dining package, cruisers can order 4 plates off the menu. This makes it a great dining option with friends as you can share multiple plates.

Don ordered the tiger rolls, pastrami and sauerkraut dumplings, kimchee fried rice, and salt & pepper calamari. He enjoyed all these selections and still stands by this being his favorite NCL restaurant. I ordered the Thai chicken lettuce wraps, chicken teriyaki, Korean fried chicken, and liege waffle for dessert. While all were good, my favorite was the Korean chicken.

This feast did take 90+ minutes, so by now, we were in need of our afternoon coffee. Back to Starbucks, we stumbled upon a Deal or No Deal game starting soon in the Atrium. Why not stick around and play? We purchased two cards for $49. While always fun to watch, we weren’t very lucky this time. We won an instant play ticket which resulted in a whopping $1.

By now, it was after 3:30 PM. Thus, we headed back to our cabin for a little work and scenic cruising before dinner. Tonight’s dinner was at 7 PM in Le Bistro; it was also the line’s Dress Up or Not Night.

Dinner and a Show

To dinner right on time, tonight’s specialty dining experience also lasted just about 2 hours. While our meal was good, Le Bistro is probably our least favorite restaurant on the ship.

Don started with the escargot and endive salad, while I did the goat cheese croquettes salad. For an entrée, I ordered the coq au vin and Don did the lamb chops. For dessert, we tested out the chocolate marquise and fraisier cake. Of all the items, the coq au vin was the standout dish of the evening.

With the Not So Newlywed game show occurring at 9 PM and our Choir of Man reservation at 10 PM, we made our way to the Atrium after dinner for the first half of this game show. While always a good time, a rather tipsy contestant made the show even funnier.

Honestly, we don’t really like that many of these game shows and activities take place in the Atrium as opposed to the theater or another entertainment venue as it’s almost impossible to ever score a seat.

Around 9:30 PM, we walked over to the theater for Choir of Man, the signature production show on Norwegian Encore. This show does require reservations, which can be made pre-cruise or upon boarding the ship. Cruisers can also go standby if they don’t get a reservation.

We highly recommend that you do see this show as it is a lot of fun. The 75-minute production is a high-energy singing and dancing spectacle. Set in The Jungle (also known as the local pub), the talented cast perform everything from classic rock hits to sing-a-long favorites. So, leave your worries behind and toast along with the lads during this award-winning show.

After the show, we felt it was only proper to round out our night at the District Brewhouse. If the Sugarcane Mojito Bar is my favorite, this is definitely Don’s favorite. The Brewhouse has one of the largest beer selections on any cruise ship. Thus, we grabbed a final drink and listened to the guitarist and piano vocalist, Ryan.

When his set wrapped up, so did we. Tomorrow was our first port of call.

Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review – Day 3

A Late Call into Port

Day 3 of this Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review was our first port of call in Juneau. Though, it was a late day stop with our time in port scheduled for 2:30 to 11 PM. We also gained an hour of sleep last evening to align with Alaska time which is 4 hours behind EST.

Still, Don had work meetings beginning at 10 AM EST. This meant another early morning for us. Following this call, he met our onboard contact to check out the Studio Lounge and the Mandara Spa. The rest of the morning was mostly consumed with work and some sightseeing from our balcony. Though, it was pretty foggy out.

Since today was a late port of call, the main dining room was open for lunch. Thus, we decided to grab a bigger lunch since we didn’t know how long we’d be out in Juneau or what our dinner plans would be.

As our first meal in the main dining room this cruise, we were pleasantly surprised. Historically, we have not been very impressed with NCL’s MDR, but this meal might have changed our mind. I ordered the chicken parm and Don did the rotisserie chicken. Both options were very good and probably some of the best we’ve had at sea. The peanut butter cheesecake dessert was also quite tasty.

An Evening in Juneau

Finishing lunch around 2 PM, we headed back to our room for a bit before meeting for a tour of the Haven at 3:15 PM.

Securing the necessary photos and videos, we were finally ready to go ashore around 5 PM. About 2 hours after the ship was cleared, there were no lines or waits to get off the ship or secure a shuttle to the downtown area.

By the time we booked this cruise, most of the excursions were already sold out. So, we decided to take a ride on the Goldbelt Tram and then just walk around the area afterwards. Even though it was foggy and misty most of the day, it did clear up a bit in time for our tram ride.

Taking the approximately six-minute trip up Mount Roberts from the lower terminal, we ascended to a height of about 1,800 feet. At the top, there are viewing platforms where you can look down onto Juneau and several of the docked cruise ships.

There is also a small theater with a video about the Tlingit people, a gift shop, a restaurant, and walking trails. The trails were rather wet and muggy, so we decided not to venture far beyond the viewing platforms. Still, we spent about 75 minutes exploring before getting in line to take the tram back down.

To our surprise, we were greeted with a long line of others also waiting to take the ride to ground level, which ending up taking about 45 minutes. While a ticket entitles you to ride anytime during the day, make sure you give yourself plenty of time for the roundtrip so you don’t miss your all-aboard time.

A Walk Along the Waterfront

We then spent the next hour or so walking along the boardwalk in Juneau. This took us past Tracy’s Crab Shack and some other shops. We then continued to a great vantage point of the cruise ships, where we took some photos of Norwegian Encore, Ovation of the Seas, and an Un-Cruise vessel.

We ventured along the Juneau Seawalk to The Whale Project which is just over a mile away from Downtown. Despite popular belief, our amazing photo of a whale breaching was just this sculpture. It is a great depiction of a humpback with intermittent water spraying up from the fountains.

While Don debated grabbing something to eat at Tracy’s, it was getting a bit chilly so we just headed back to the ship instead. Back onboard, we b-lined directly to the dining room to ensure we could get sat before it closed.

Tonight on the menu for Don was Asian spareribs summer roll, bang bang chicken & shrimp, and the lava cake. I did the potato soup, chicken madeira, and brownie s’more. While still better than our original expectations, we did enjoy today’s lunch better than dinner.

Out of dinner past 10:30 PM, we were exhausted so decided to call it a night. Tomorrow was a long day and shore excursion in Skagway.

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Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review – Day 4

Welcome to Skagway

Day 4 of this Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review had us calling into Skagway for a full day. We also had a comprehensive tour booked for today, the aptly named Best of Skagway shore excursion.

Up around 6:30 AM, Don headed out to continue collecting photos and videos while I got ready. He had to meet our host this morning for access to the Galaxy Pavilion and the kids areas.

We had placed an order for room service breakfast the night before to be delivered between 8 and 8:30 AM, but it ended up arriving a few minutes early, even before Don returned to our cabin.

Enjoying our breakfast and doing a little morning work, we then headed out for the day. We made our way ashore to meet our tour at the assigned location on the pier. This tour included a stop at Liarsville, a ride on the White Pass Rail, and a visit to the Red Onion Saloon.

Traveling Back in Time to the Gold Rush

Boarding a large tour bus from the pier, we arrived at our first stop right around 11:30 AM. Liarsville is a replica of a Gold Rush trail camp where we watched a short show then got to try our hand at panning for gold. Let’s just say that we didn’t strike it rich!

After collecting our earnings, we had a few minutes to explore the area before it was time for the salmon bake. The included lunch consisted of a buffet of side dishes along with freshly prepared salmon.

Around 1 PM, we re-boarded our bus to head back into town for our visit to the Red Onion Saloon. Here, one of the madams gave us a “quickie tour” of the former brothel along with some insight into what it was like living and working here during the gold rush times. There are also some props on display from the era. Be sure to be on the lookout for the resident ghost as well.

Now, it was time for the highlight of the tour–our trek up the Klondike Highway into Frasier to board the White Pass Rail. During this nearly 3,000 foot climb in elevation, we made a couple stops for photo ops.

Once on the train, we took the approximately 2 hour, 27.7 mile scenic ride back to sea level in Skagway. Along the way, we admired the beautiful vistas and other landmarks like the Trial of ’98, the steel bridge, inspiration point, bridal veil falls, and more.

If you are taking the train from Frasier down to Skagway, you will want to sit on the right side as this is where most of the landmarks are located. However, if the weather allows, passengers can also venture outside on to the platforms for sightseeing and photos.

Upon arriving back into Skagway around 5 PM, we decided to walk back to the ship given the nice weather. We strolled through Downtown, taking some photos along the way. Unfortunately, the fudge store was closed and Starbucks was no longer in existence. So, we had to wait until we got back to the ship for our afternoon dose of caffeine.

Time to Mangia!

Back onboard, it was straight to Starbucks then back to our room to relax for a few minutes and change up for dinner. Tonight, we were dining at one of our favorite Italian specialty restaurants as sea, Onda by Scarpetta, at 7 PM.

You can always tell how good an Italian restaurant is going to be by its bread basket, and this one did not disappoint. Although, we wanted to make sure to save enough room for all the additional delicious courses too.

I started with the burrata, while Don ordered the fritto misto. We also split the Marcellaio pizza which featured a ricotta stuffed crust. For entrees, we both opted for a pasta dish. I did the Mezzalune and Don the Scialatielli. Everything at Onda was just at flavorful as we remembered. Although, we would probably stick with the Margherita pizza in the future.

Saving just a tiny bit of room for dessert, we finished off the meal with the butterscotch budino and tiramisu. After this nearly 2-hour feast, we waddled our way up to the Observation Lounge for some music by the Lemon Duo, one of the live music acts we had yet to see. After about a half hour, we continued on our music tour to the Cavern Club.

The Cavern Club, inspired by the Liverpool landmark, typically hosts Beatles tribute bands. However, we were told that one of the members of the group was sick, so the ship’s rock band mostly played this venue during our sailing. Still, the Cavern Club was packed with fellow cruisers rocking out to Royal Flush.

Following this set, we ended our evening in the Sugarcane Mojito Bar with some drinks and live Latin music. Tomorrow were were cruising through Glacier Bay early in the morning, and we certainly did not want to miss it.

Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review – Day 5

A Morning of Glaciers

Day 5 of this Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review was another “sea day” with scenic cruising into Glacier Bay National Park.

Up at 6:30 AM again this morning, Don grabbed some morning coffee as we interspersed getting ready and some sightseeing from our balcony. We were also listening to the narration on the bridge cam that was pointing out landmarks, wildlife, and such.

During a cruise through Glacier Bay, there is the opportunity to typically see 5 glaciers depending on the weather. Thus, our first, and probably longest, glacier visit was Margerie Glacier around 9 AM.

One of the nice things about Norwegian Encore, when compared to our recent Princess cruise, was the abundance of spaces to glacier view.

Normally a crew area, the ship’s helipad was open today for guests to marvel at these glaciers. We started our day here, accessing it through a hallway on Deck 8 near the District Brewhouse. Honestly, we weren’t all that impressed with the view from here, especially being short like me.

In search of the best spot on the ship, we walked back to the Waterfront. From here, we were able to walk around this 1/3-mile long promenade keeping up with the glacier as the Captain made his first 360′ turn.

Where’s the Best View?

Wanting to see what the view was like from our balcony, we then hurried our way up to our cabin in time to catch the view on the starboard side. If you are not crazy like us, there is no need to hustle from one location to the other, as all guests will get a view regardless of whether they are on the starboard side or portside of the ship.

What did throw off our timing a bit was the sequence this Captain took compared to our previous visits. While all ships spend about an hour admiring this glacier, our previous trips on Princess and Holland America spent about a half hour on one side before turning and spending about a half hour on the other side. However, our Captain on Norwegian Encore completed three full turns.

After our balcony, we ended up spending the rest of our glacier viewing time between the Vibe Beach Club and the pool deck. The Vibe Beach Club, while an up-charge, is a hidden gem even in Alaska. This outdoor space provided uninterrupted views with fewer crowds and great views from the hot tubs.

Along the way, there’s also opportunity to see the Lamplugh Glacier, Grand Pacific Glacier, Reid Glacier, and the John Hopkins Glacier. During this time of year, cruise ships are not allowed past Jaw Point, meaning the John Hopkins Glacier is about 6 miles away. Still, on a clearer day, the views are fantastic.

With most of the glacier viewing done around noon time, we made our first (and only) visit to the Garden Café for lunch all week. The selections were pretty typical of a cruise ship buffet, with nothing really wow’ing us.

From here, it was down to the theater to catch the 1 PM presentation by the Park Ranger. If your cruise ship is calling in Glacier Bay, a park ranger will board the vessel to provide commentary while cruising the area and will also give an informational presentation either before or after your sightseeing.

Each presentation is different as it not only includes facts and figures but also some personal narrative. Ranger Rachel’s talk was interesting as she first visited Glacier Bay as a child on a cruise ship!

With a busy morning, we decided to head back to the room to rest a bit before our busy afternoon.

Testing Out All the Thrills

On Norwegian Encore, you can be as chill or as thrill as you want. But if you want to do both, you end up with a schedule something like ours!

We had reservations for the Encore Speedway at 4:30 PM followed by the laser tag. For an up-charge of $15, cruisers can set off on an 8-minute race to the finish. Where else can you race family and friends with views like these?

This course covers over 1,100 feet with 10 turns and 4 points that extend up to 13 feet over the side of the ship. There is also a viewing area where bystanders can watch the race and provide a temporary speed boost to their favorite drivers.

Let’s just say that thanks to a tween driver who caused a 5-car crash, Don came out victoriously in this race!

Next up was laser tag, which I decided to bow out of and capture the photos and videos instead. I didn’t need another loss on my scorecard. So, Don and our friend Adam suited up for a battle on this most intricate laser tag course at sea. The lost city of Atlantis laser tag course is $9.95 for a 10-minute game and is a fun activity for all ages.

Dinner and Some Laughs

Following laser tag, it was time to change up for dinner. Tonight’s dinner was at Los Lobos, the Mexican specialty restaurant on Norwegian Encore, for 7 PM.

Of course, we had to start the meal off right with some tableside-prepared guacamole. We may have also ordered the queso fundido as an appetizer alongside some margaritas. What’s Mexican without margaritas?

For entrees, I decided to order the appetizer-portion of chicken quesadillas with the Mexican corn and Don ordered the cochinita pibil. Everything we ordered was great up until the dessert. The fried beignets were the weakest portion of this meal and did not compare to the similar option we had on Norwegian Prima last year.

Rushing out of dinner rather abruptly, we made it to the Social comedy club just in time for the 9 PM show. Besides Choir of Man, this is the other show that requires reservations. There are two comedians featured here with several showings throughout the week. So, we made sure to reserve one of each comedians’ sets. Tonight was Lucas Bohn.

Lucas was certainly the funnier of the two comedians. Though, we actually enjoyed his material from the theater on the first night more.

Following the comedy show, we headed over to Q for Nashville Nights and Lights. This pretty much consisted of a country line dance class followed by live music and dancing. It’s too bad there wasn’t a country band featured in this venue as there was in pre-COVID times.

Sipping the signature smoked peach margarita, we stayed for a bit before calling it a night. Tomorrow was our next port of call in Ketchikan.

Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review – Day 6

A Short Stay in Ketchikan

Day 6 of this Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review was our next port of call into Ketchikan. This stop was a short, early morning stop, with us only in port from 7 AM to 1:15 PM, which meant all aboard was 12:45 PM.

Knowing that Norwegian Cruise Line ships dock in Ward Cove, which is about a 20 minute drive from the Downtown area, we decided to book an organized shore excursion to avoid the hassle of taking the shuttle back and forth in this short amount of time. In fact, the last shuttle from Downtown was scheduled for 11 AM!

Thus, we were up early and headed ashore by 8 AM to meet our tour in the main terminal building. This building is quite large but is basically just a gift shop and tour meeting area.

Today’s tour consisted of a visit to the Totem Bight state park and the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. Our tour, and tour guide, for Totem Bight was much more organized than our one a few weeks prior to Saxman Village.

Our guide gave us a brief tour of the grounds with some narrative about the poles, as well as visiting a replica clan house and a restoration building with some artifacts. After some free time to walk around on our own and visit the gift shop, we were off to Downtown for our lumberjack show.

Yo-Ho!

While we have seen this show before, it’s always a good time. Starting a bit late, due to a medical emergency that happened to occur right beside me, this show lasted just about an hour. It featured two teams of lumberjacks, Spruce Mill and Dawson Creek, competing in a series of challenges. Alas, our team did not take the victory. Still, it was fun to watch the competitions including axe throwing, speed climbing, sawing challenges, log rolling, and more.

A quick lumberjack photo later, we immediately took the quick walk back to our bus which got us back to Ward Cove around 1 PM. This is one of the benefits of booking shore excursions with the cruise line. Even if your tour is delayed, the ship will not leave without you.

Arriving to a line of other cruisers still waiting to get back onto the ship as well, it was about 20 minutes later when we actually got back onboard. We did hear that the shuttle back to the ship was a bit of a disaster as well. So, needless to say, the ship did not depart Ketchikan on time today.

Given the time, we decided to grab a quick lunch at The Local to hold us over until our dinner at Q Texas Smokehouse this evening. With some coffee in hand, we went back to the room after lunch to get some work done before our 7 PM reservation.

Another Night of Dinner and Comedy

While NCL fans give Q mixed reviews, we enjoy this BBQ specialty restaurant. It’s a casual atmosphere with good food and good drinks. We started off the night with the Lone Star chili and deviled eggs. Then, I opted for the smoked turkey breast, and Don went all in on the Pitmaster. The turkey breast was better than I remember, and the Pitmaster featured it all–brisket, spare rib, chicken, and sausage.

For desserts, I went with my go-to at this venue, the mason jar banana pudding, while Don tried something new, the bread pudding. Both were great choices.

Scurrying out of dinner by 8:45 PM, we grabbed seats for the 9 PM comedy show in the Social. Tonight’s show was with comedian Travis Nelson. Unfortunately, at least 75% of his show was the same material from the first night’s welcome aboard comedy show in the theater. Oh well.

After the comedy show, we ended up running into a couple that we knew and grabbed drinks and chatted for a while before taking the conversation back to the Social for the night’s GLOW Party.

Always a popular event, there was a crowd dancing along to all the hits. We decided to make our exit around 11:30 PM. Tomorrow was already the last day of the cruise and we were losing an hour of sleep tonight to get back on to Pacific Time.

Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review – Day 7

Let’s Make it a Sea Day

Day 7 of this Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review was our final day with an evening call into Victoria, BC. This was a short stop from 8 to 11:59 PM but mandatory for this roundtrip Seattle cruise.

Given the short amount of time in port, we decided to make this our own sea day, tying up some loose ends and enjoying more of the ship’s amenities.

With nothing concrete on the agenda, we slept in until around 8 AM this morning. Don walked around collecting the remaining photos and videos returning with our morning dose of Starbucks.

We finally headed out around 10:30 AM to check out the Galaxy Pavilion. While we had walked through here earlier in the week, we had yet to test out any of the attractions. At the Galaxy Pavilion, cruisers have the option to pay per attraction, per hour, per day, or purchase a week-long pass. We opted for the hour pass which was $29 per person.

The venue was actually pretty quiet so we were able to knock out most of the games during this one hour. We tried the Walk the Plank, Descendant, the car racing, the Jurassic Escape, two different games in the 7D cinema, and more.

Of note, the virtual escape room is extra money and does require reservations. By the time we realized it, the game was already sold out for the week.

After all this gaming, we had worked up an appetite, so we headed to lunch at the American Diner. This venue is an up-charge, where you can either pay a la carte or use a specialty dining credit. Since we had already used all our credits, we paid a la carte. Unfortunately though, this was the worst meal we had all week and not worth an up-charge in our opinion.

Now for Some Relaxation

With the afternoon to ourselves, we decided to catch a little of two different events occurring at 1:30 PM. First, we stopped by the Atrium for the All About Alaska trivia session, and then we stopped into the theater for the Ocean Music Fest. This show was basically a compilation of most of the ship’s musicians playing in one show.

Then, we stopped in at the shops to use our remaining onboard credit on a ship model and t-shirt.

Since we were docking in Victoria this evening, only one bar per deck was allowed open on the ship. This meant that we wouldn’t be able to grab final drinks at the Sugarcane Mojito Bar this evening. So naturally, this meant we stopped by for a drink now before it closed.

Next on our list was to finally spend some time in the thermal suite beyond just taking photos and videos of it. We spent just under 1.5 hours here, alternating between the heated loungers and the experiences. My personal favorite is the salt room, while Don enjoys the sauna. The snow room was a bit too cold and icy for us.

This thermal suite on Norwegian Encore is quite large and features several padded and heated stone loungers. So, even though it was fairly busy, we had no issues finding a spot to call our own. Even in the sauna and salt room, there were only a few other cruisers with us. The therapy pool was the only spot that seemed crowded.

Cruisers can purchase week-long passes, or day passes on port days pending availability, to this thermal suite. However, there are only a total of 200 passes provided, so be sure to book early.

While we wished we could have stayed longer, we did have an early 5:30 PM dinner at Teppanyaki tonight. Thus, it was back to the room to get ready for our final specialty dinner.

Our Final Night on Norwegian Encore

The dinner and a show experience at Teppanyaki is always a good time, and this visit was no different. Our chef served up the grilled veggies, garlic fried rice, and our entrée of choice with a side of humor. Of course, I opted for the Chicken Yaki Udon and Don did a combo of steak and calamari. Everything was well-prepared and flavorful.

Stuffed from dinner, we made our way up to the Observation Lounge to catch some of Archie’s set, this was the only musical act on the ship that we hadn’t seen yet. So, we enjoyed the music, views of Victoria, and some espresso martinis.

About an hour later, we decided it was time for the worst part of the cruise–packing. We packed up our two larger suitcases and placed them outside our door. While we usually do self-assist walk-off, we were in no rush tomorrow as our flight wasn’t until 3:40 PM.

After packing, we snuck into Coco’s right before it closed at 9:30 PM. I justified this by saying that we didn’t really have dessert at Teppanyaki. After all, we couldn’t go a whole week on Norwegian Encore without indulging on something at Coco’s. We opted to share the Nutella and Milk Chocolate ice cream sundae. Yum!

Speaking of something else we hadn’t done all cruise, that was get a mango meltdown, one of NCL’s signature frozen drinks. So, in the name of research, we headed outside to the Surf Bar to do just that. Then, given our limited bar options this evening, we grabbed out final drinks of the cruise at the A-List Bar before calling it a night around 11 PM.

Today was the perfect ending to a fabulous week on Norwegian Encore in Alaska!

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Norwegian Encore Alaska Cruise Review – Disembarkation

Time to Say Goodbye

Just like that our Norwegian Encore Alaska cruise review had come to an end. It was already disembarkation day.

NCL had provided us with priority disembarkation which meant that we did not have to leave the ship until around 9 AM, but we needed to be out of our cabin by 8:30 AM. So, we set an alarm for 6 AM to get ready, grab some coffee, and finish packing.

Around 8:30 AM, we headed off to our meeting spot where we were escorted to a separate line with Haven guests to get scanned off the ship. This took no time at all for us; though, it didn’t look like there was a long line for other guests either at this point.

Off the ship, in an Uber, and to the airport, we made ourselves comfy and did work until our late afternoon flight. Thankfully, we made it home without any real delays.

Now, we have some time at home until our next trip, which isn’t until August at the moment.

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Ship Overview

For this Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska cruise review, we hopped onboard Majestic Princess for a 7-day southbound itinerary from Anchorage (Whittier), Alaska to Vancouver, British Columbia.

Our first Princess cruise was actually on this ship to Alaska back in 2021. So, we were already quite familiar with Majestic Princess and couldn’t wait to get back onboard.

Majestic Princess is the third vessel in the Royal Class of ships. The newest ship in this class, Discovery Princess, is also sailing in Alaska this season round-trip from Seattle, Washington. In fact, Majestic Princess is just one of seven Princess ships in the region.

WATCH OUR COMPLETE PRINCESS ALASKA CRUISE REVIEW VIDEO!

At 144K gross tons, Majestic Princess offers its 3,500+ guests a variety of amenities and features that are signature to Princess Cruises. However, originally debuting for the Chinese market, there are still hints of Asian-influence on the vessel. From the western-themed Conservatory, to the signage, and the cruise line’s only Harmony Chinese restaurant, Majestic Princess is a bit distinct from her sister ships.

Still, the ship features two outdoor pools, one adult-only indoor pool, and a sports deck. There are also several bars and lounges, restaurants, and entertainment spaces to keep guests entertained between ports of call. Majestic Princess features all the usual cruise activities like nightly production shows in the main theater, trivia, game shows, Bingo, Movies Under the Stars, and live music.

While in Alaska, the centrally located signature Piazza is the ideal spot to relax or socialize on a chilly sea day. Those looking for enrichment will enjoy the North to Alaska programming featuring onboard naturalists and experts who host engaging talks on the history, culture, and wildlife of the region.

New for 2023, Princess is also offering an expanded Wild for Alaska Seafood menu. Guests can expect extensive menus offering a rotation of fresh Alaska seafood dishes. Not to mention, Majestic Princess is now home to a brand new specialty restaurant.

Replacing Bistro Sur La Mer, The Catch by Rudi is the first Princess restaurant primarily devoted to seafood. The creative dishes and attractive price of $39 per person will certainly lure you in.

Finally, Majestic Princess and the rest of the Princess fleet offer MedallionClass technology to make your vacation more personalized and contactless. Features include OceanNow where you can order food and drinks anywhere on the ship, keyless stateroom entry, and much more.

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Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review – Day 1

A Pre-Cruise Stay in Anchorage

For this Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review, we had to fly from Boston to Anchorage. Given the extended travel time, we decided to fly into the area a couple days early. We secured a 2-night hotel stay in Anchorage at the Fairfield Inn and Suites Midtown given there was limited availability when we booked rather last minute.

While the hotel was acceptable for our short stay, we would likely look for a nicer hotel when visiting in the future. Local recommendations included the Marriott, Hilton, or Hotel Captain Cook.

Prior to our departure, we booked a tour for our full pre-cruise day on Friday. This tour included a scenic drive down Turnagain Arm, stops at Explorer Glacier and lookout points along the way, a cruise on Portage Lake, and a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

However, a few days prior to our tour, we were notified that the boat for the cruise portion on Portage Lake was undergoing repairs and thus would not be part of our tour. Still, Jeremy from Alaska Exquisite Travel did a great job providing narration during the newly shortened tour. This small group tour was a great introduction to the area, and the scenery was amazing.

We capped off the wonderful day with a meal at 49th State Brewing and caught up on much needed sleep before embarking Majestic Princess.

Onward to Whittier

Since we were hosted by Princess Cruises on this sailing, the cruise line arranged a private transfer for us from the hotel to the cruise port in Whittier on embarkation day. This drive is about 1.5 hours, and the cruise terminal can only be accessed by a one lane tunnel. This means that your transportation needs to be timed appropriately.

Getting picked up at our hotel promptly at 11:15 AM, we set off along a similar route from yesterday. Upon arriving in Whittier, our driver gave us a brief overview and drive around “town”. Of note, if you are cruising from this port, you will need to secure accommodations in Anchorage and make this same drive on embarkation day as Whittier has few amenities.

Once at the cruise terminal, we dropped off our bags and headed inside. Unfortunately, our Medallions did not arrive at our house until after we left for this trip. Thus, the check-in process took a bit longer. Those cruisers who had their Medallions breezed through check-in, security, and onto the ship in no time.

For us, we needed to wait in a small line of other passengers either picking up their Medallions at the terminal or those who did not receive them like ourselves. With some tech issues, it took about 30 minutes to receive a keycard that would allow us on the ship. We then needed to have Medallions printed at Guest Services.

Officially Onboard Majestic Princess

Officially boarding the ship around 1:45 PM, we made our way to Guest Services for our Medallions. Surprisingly, the ship felt like a ghost town. So, we took this opportunity to take some photos and videos of the specialty restaurants, piazza, and a few nearby areas before heading to our cabin.

Given that it was later in the afternoon, the staterooms were ready, so dropping off our carry-on gear was the second order of business.

Unlike most contemporary cruise lines, the standard balcony cabins on Princess Cruises do not come with a sofa or sitting area. With all our gear and Don working remotely from the ship, this extra space is essential for us. We decided to place an upgrade bid from our standard balcony to a premium deluxe balcony cabin.

With a winning bid, we were assigned stateroom D717. This cabin is located pretty aft on the starboard side of Deck 9, the Dolphin deck. With the exception of the extra sitting area with a loveseat and small table, the room was identical to the one we previously had on Majestic Princess. However, the balcony is noticeably larger which was an added bonus for cruising in Alaska.

Dropping off our gear and taking videos and photos of the cabin, we headed off to get reacquainted with the rest of the ship. But first, we watched the mandatory safety briefing on the television and checked in at our assembly station.

Since we had dinner at 6:20 PM tonight, but hadn’t eaten anything all day, we grabbed a quick snack and some caffeine at the International Café during our explorations. We also made sure to check out the spa and get our sticker for the thermal suite.

Our First Evening on Majestic Princess

After admiring the views from the pool deck, we headed back to our cabin to unpack and settle in for the week prior to dinner. Our dinner tonight was at the Concerto main dining room.

With Dine My Way, guests can make reservations in the app for the same time the entire cruise or different times each night. Guests also have the option to dine at a shared table or a private table.

With the expanded Wild for Alaska Seafood menu, we were excited to test out the new options. Well, mostly Don since I don’t eat seafood. Each evening, the menu features items designated as “Local Eats Alaska Flavors”. Tonight, Don sampled the Bering Seafood Stew and the Alaskan Ale-Braised Short Ribs, and he really enjoyed the stew.

Dinner tonight took about 90 minutes which is on par with most of our MDR experiences across various cruise lines. Following dinner, we grab some seats and drinks at the Good Spirits Bar in time for the Sail Away party taking place in the piazza at 8:30 PM. Actually, our sail away had been delayed as one of the trains taking passengers to the ship was late arriving, but the party still occurred nonetheless.

We stuck around for about 30 minutes then headed to the theater for the first headliner act of the cruise, the comedian Tony Daro. This show started late as they were awaiting the Captain’s announcement and emergency alarms. Unfortunately though, the comedian’s show ended up being interrupted with such. Still, he provided a few laughs before we retired for the evening.

We still had not adjusted to the four hour time difference, and we wanted to make sure we were well rested for the remainder of the cruise. Tomorrow was our first glacier viewing opportunity.

Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review – Day 2

A Morning of Enrichment

Day 2 of this Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review was a scenic day of cruising. Today, we would be viewing Hubbard Glacier for the first time. We get asked all the time whether Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay is better, and now we could finally give an informed opinion.

Up around 6:30 AM, Don set off on his typical morning routine to secure photos and videos and returned to the cabin with our morning coffees. We then headed out to the World Fresh Marketplace for breakfast around 9 AM.

Unfortunately, this buffet was very busy and not well laid out causing much congestion. It took us quite some time as well to locate the omelet station. The food itself was rather underwhelming too, so we ended up avoiding the buffet for the remainder of the cruise.

The sun was shining and the temperature was mild, so we strolled around outside for a bit collecting some menus and more photos before attending the first North to Alaska presentation at 11:15 AM. This Welcome to Alaska talk was with a Tlingit princess, Rachel Moreno. She provided some insight into the history, culture, and language of her tribe.

With another enrichment talk on whales occurring at 1:15 PM, we decided to grab some lunch at Alfredo’s in between. We loved this venue during our two previous Princess cruises, and this time did not disappoint either.

We somehow managed to beat the crowds and only waited 10 minutes for a table. The pizza was just as good as we remembered it!

Following lunch, it was back to the theater for a presentation by the naturalist, Mark Harris. While he was informative, he wasn’t the best naturalist that we’ve had on our Alaska cruises.

Our First Visit to Hubbard Glacier

Ending right around 2 PM, this gave us enough time to grab some afternoon caffeine and get prepared for our first glacier viewing of the cruise.

While it was sunny this morning, this is Alaska. The weather changed rather quickly and alternated between rain and clouds the rest of the afternoon. We started off outside on deck 17 but ended up back on our balcony when it started raining heavier. This is certainly a perk of having a balcony in Alaska.

Given the weather conditions, we did not get as good of a view as we hoped. Still, we did get to see the Hubbard Glacier through the rain and fog from several vantage points on the ship. This pretty much comprised the rest of our afternoon until dinner time.

Formal Night in Alaska

Tonight was the first formal night of the cruise, and it was back to the main dining room for dinner this evening. With a 7 PM reservation in Symphony, we tested out more of the new menu items. While we remember not liking the MDR during our previous sailing on Majestic Princess, this time our opinions were more favorable.

Don sampled the Alaskan Crab Cake, the Halibut with prosciutto, and the beef tenderloin. He enjoyed the crab cake and the beef tenderloin. Since there wasn’t much on the menu that I liked, I went with one of the Princess Favorites, fettucine alfredo. While Royal Caribbean has removed “classics” from its MDR menus, Princess does still feature a set of classic dishes each evening.

While there were other passengers dressed for formal night, the vibe on Alaska cruises is more casual. So, this meant that there were fewer guests dressed up than you might find in the Caribbean.

Out of dinner in about 90 minutes again tonight, we jetted over to Princess Live for the 8:30 PM game show, Yes or No. We enjoy this venue and the nightly game shows that occur here. Although, we have to admit that DuVaul from our previous Princess cruise was a funnier host than our current cruise director Kevin. It seemed at times that he and the other activities staff were rushing though the events.

From Princess Live, it was back to the theater for the first production show of the cruise, Encore. When weighing the pros and cons of Princess Cruises in Alaska, there are several pros but entertainment is not one of them. These shows are your typical cruise ship revue shows and don’t hold up to the elaborate productions found on newer Royal Caribbean or NCL ships.

Following the show, we closed out the night in the Vista Lounge with the 10:30 PM comedy show and a round of drinks.

Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review – Day 3

Back to Glacier Bay National Park

Day 3 of this Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review was our second “sea day” in a row. Today, we would be visiting Glacier Bay National Park. We visited Glacier Bay for the first time in 2021 and highly recommend you book an itinerary that visits here too.

The weather during our last trip into this National Park was fantastic, and it’s almost like today was trying to one-up that experience. Unlike the weather yesterday in Yakutat Bay, it remained sunny and mild all day today.

We would not be arriving at the Margerie Glacier until around 1:30 PM, so we had the morning to ourselves. Up around 7 AM, we got ready for the day while listening to some commentary from the naturalist on the bridge channel.

Also, Princess had arranged for us to have a balcony breakfast this morning, and it turned out to be the perfect day for it!

Scheduling our breakfast for 9 AM, we enjoyed the food and the views, along with some mimosas. We did head out shortly after though to attend the Ranger presentation occurring in the theater at 10 AM. Attending these presentations is definitely one of our expert Alaska cruise tips! Even if you have cruised this region before, each ranger provides a different personal narrative.

The rangers also set up an informal information desk in the Hollywood Conservatory for the day and provide bridge commentary intermittently during the scenic cruising in the area. Thus, we made sure to stop in for a bit.

A Beautiful Day to See Some Glaciers

Given the weather was so nice, we spent most of the day outside on the upper decks. Not that we like them, but there was even a Bloody Mary Bar. Taking plenty of photos, and maybe enjoying an Alaska beer, we got our first glimpse of Margerie Glacier right as predicted around 1:30 PM on the portside of the ship.

The ship stays here for about an hour and does a complete 360′ turn, so you will have the same view from both sides. Around 2 PM when the ship starting repositioning, we headed downstairs to our starboard side cabin for some additional viewing.

While the Margerie Glacier is the most picturesque, we also saw the Grand Pacific Glacier, John Hopkins Glacier, Lamplugh Glacier, and Reid Glacier. During this time of year, cruise ships can not head down to John Hopkins Glacier due to the harbor seals, but we could see it clearly from Jaw Point even though it was 6 miles away.

Testing Out a Brand New Princess Restaurant

After a full day of glacier viewing, we relaxed and did some work until it was time for dinner. Tonight, we were testing out a brand new specialty restaurant on Princess Cruises. The Catch by Rudi is the cruise line’s first seafood restaurant. It has replaced the former Bistro Sur La Mer on Majestic Princess. It is also being added to Enchanted, Sky, and Discovery Princess.

At just $39 per person, this specialty restaurant is leaps and bounds better than the former Bistro Sur La Mer. While the décor of the venue hasn’t changed much, the menu options were all fresh and flavorful. If you have cruised on Holland America before, this new restaurant felt very reminiscent of Rudi’s Sel De Mer with many similar dishes.

All guests are greeted with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine and a goat cheese and pesto spread served with a French baguette. Despite being a seafood restaurant, there are options for non-seafood lovers like myself. We sampled many dishes from the menu this evening including the marinated lobster tail (Tale of Citrus), cheese plate, and calamari as starters.

For entrees, Don ordered the Sea & Shore, while I tried the Spaghetti alle Vongole. Don was also eyeing the Concerto which is a pasta dish with seafood, but it contained scallops to which he is allergic. We finished off the meal with a Salzburger Nockerl and profiteroles.

All the items were delicious, but the entire experience did take well over two hours. This meant that we missed the Princess Live show tonight. Instead, we grabbed a quick drink at Vines and caught the end of the “Night at the Klondike” taking place in the piazza before heading to the theater for tonight’s headliner act, Reggie Rice. Reggie is a comedian magician with lots of energy.

With not much else happening onboard the ship besides live music, we decided to call it a night after the show. Tomorrow was our first official port of call in Icy Strait Point.

SCORE BIG ON PRINCESS CRUISES TO ALASKA!

Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review – Day 4

Welcome to Icy Strait Point

Day 4 of this Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review had us calling in Icy Strait Point for a full day. While our shore excursion meeting time was not until 1:10 PM, port congestion complicated things a bit.

Arriving at 7 AM (actually we were docked here overnight), guests could go ashore until 11:30 AM. At this time, operations would pause until 1:30 PM so the ship could move into an anchored position. Unfortunately, Majestic Princess had to give up its docking spot to Celebrity Eclipse when the ship arrived. This meant that from 1:30 PM on, guests needed to take a tender to and from the ship.

Since Don was working remotely this week, we were up at 5:45 AM for him to attend some meetings on EST. We made sure to be ready to head ashore just before operations halted at 11:30 AM. Docking near Wilderness Landing, we took the free gondola (the green transporter) over to the main area near the cannery.

We walked this boardwalk and beach area for about an hour, browsing the museum and shops along the way. Heading back to our starting point, we checked in for our shore excursion a bit early. While you are allowed to take your belongings on the ZipRider, we opted to leave them in a locker down here.

Included with the ZipRider shore excursion is the Sky Glider (the red gondola). This is the transportation up to the starting point for the zipline. Guests can also purchase passes to ride the Sky Glider as there are some fabulous views from the top. Although, there isn’t much else.

Getting Ready to Fly

Arriving a few minutes early, we took some photos with the Juneau Icefield as the backdrop and the lovely Majestic Princess anchored down below. Upon checking in for the ZipRider, we were given some basic directions and instructed to watch out for bears as we took the fairly steep downhill path to the landing platform.

When we arrived, we were the only two guests. So, we had the 6-lane course to ourselves. With a vertical drop of 1,330 feet, we zipped down this 5,330 foot long ride at speeds of 60+ miles per hour. As the world’s “largest ZipRider”, this 90-second thrill is a lot of fun. We suggest that you muster up the courage to take flight during your visit to Icy Strait Point.

Landing back down near the Ocean Landing dock, we had to take the green gondola system back up to the Wilderness Landing dock to grab our bags from the locker. Since our tickets gave us all day access to the Sky Glider, we decided to take it back up to the top one more time for some additional photos.

While here, we stumbled upon a guided hike along the 1-mile Hidden Lake Loop Trail. This is a complimentary activity and really the only other attraction up at Sky Peak currently. Guests could not explore this trail on their own due to bear activity. This walk took about 40 minutes with some stops and commentary along the way.

We decided to head back to the ship just after 3 PM. Apparently, we were not alone as there was a very long line of guests waiting to tender back to the ship. We ended up waiting in line for over 30 minutes.

Our Typical Nighttime Routine

Back onboard, we need a little snack to hold us over until dinner. So, we grabbed sandwiches at the outdoor grill. I had a chicken sandwich and Don had a burger. Neither were good as they were both over-cooked.

We then headed back to our room to relax and do a little work before dinner. Tonight was back to the main dining room. We had a reservation for 6:40 PM at Allegro.

The menu’s theme was Italian Night. While our waiter was nice, the service was pretty slow tonight taking about 2 hours. I sampled the arancini and the chicken parm which were both good. Don ordered the seafood antipasto and the Wild Alaskan Salmon which is one of the Princess Favorites.

While the description for the appetizer did not include scallops, there was clearly scallops on the plate, so Don had to pass on this dish. He did enjoy the salmon entrée though. Unfortunately, out of our seven meals, staff only asked about allergies on a few occasions.

Out of dinner late, we missed most of the game show in Princess Live yet again. Tonight’s main theater show was Fantastic Journey. Of the three production shows, this was by far our favorite. It was the most technologically advanced show, and it had modern music and elaborate costumes.

Following the show, we grabbed some cocktails at the Crown Grill Bar and listened to the piano player Arny for a bit. When he took a break, we called it a night. Tomorrow was a big day in Juneau.

Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review – Day 5

Welcome to Juneau

Day 5 of this Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review took us to Juneau. Today, we had a long anticipated excursion booked, dogsledding on the Mendenhall Glacier by helicopter. We have had this excursion booked, and cancelled, twice now.

The first time back in 2014, we were able to complete the helicopter portion but the dogsledding portion was cancelled for some reason. In September 2018, we tried again. And as luck would have it, the dogs were moved off the glacier earlier in the season than usual cancelling our tour yet again.

Today would be our third attempt. Fingers crossed!

Once again, we were up early for Don to complete some work meetings on EST before heading ashore. Thankfully, with early morning arrivals in port, the combination of WiFi and our cellular service allowed him to work without too much issue.

With our tour scheduled to meet on the pier at 9:30 AM, we headed ashore slightly before then. After checking in and waiting for the rest of the group to arrive, we were shuttled to the Temsco helicopter port. Here, we completed a safety briefing, geared up in some glacier walking boots, and were divided into groups.

Just before 10:30 AM, we were prepared to take flight!

Third Time’s a Charm

Leaving the helipad, we took the approximately 15 minute helicopter ride out to the Mendenhall Glacier admiring the scenery along the way. Landing on the glacier, alas, there was the dogsledding base camp.

Here, we met the mushers and received a brief overview. We were then divided into groups of four and led to a sled. The entire experience lasted about a half hour including actual run time with some stops along the way for Q&A and to interact with the dogs. We switched spots with the other couple midway through, so we could experience different vantage points.

While pricey and short, it was a memorable experience, and we are glad that we were finally able to experience it. With just about an hour of total time on the glacier, it was time to reboard the helicopter for our return trip. The visibility had deteriorated a bit, so they were actually questioning whether they were going to cancel the afternoon timeslots. Phew!

Back on land, it had started raining. Thus, we opted to return to the ship instead of walking around the downtown area. We would be returning to Juneau in just a couple weeks on our second trip to Alaska this season.

We were back onboard the ship by around 12:30 PM and headed to Alfredo’s for some lunch. With coffee in hand, we then went back to the cabin for some work before the 3 PM North to Alaska presentation.

It was a dog mushing kind of day! The first female Iditarod race winner, Libby Riddles, gave this enrichment talk. It was fascinating to listen to her story and race to victory. Let’s just say that I would not have survived.

More Dining and Entertainment

For dinner tonight, we were testing out our second specialty restaurant, Harmony, at 6:40 PM. Given its nods to the Asian market, Majestic Princess still has an Asian restaurant in place of where Sabatini’s would be on other ships.

We sampled multiple items on the menu, and the food was quite good. From spring rolls and spare ribs to won ton soup, to kung pao chicken, stir-fried shrimp, Cantonese chow mein, fried rice, and even green tea cheesecake, we tasted it all.

After this multi-course feast, we waddled our way over to the Piazza Bar just in time for the Love Boat party in the piazza at 8:30 PM. This game show type event featured four couples competing in different challenges.

Along with many other guests, we then headed to the theater for the 9:30 PM headliner show, The Mighty Quinn. This show consisted of mostly juggling and comedy, culminating with some juggling on a 10-foot unicycle.

Unlike some other cruise lines, there is not much nightlife on Princess Cruises. You won’t find a silent disco or dedicated nightclub. Instead, there is live music in a few different venues and a DJ that plays in the piazza. So, we grabbed some drinks at Good Spirits and listed to the band perform before calling it a night.

Tomorrow was our final port of call. Where did the week go?

Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review – Day 6

Welcome to Ketchikan

Day 6 of this Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review was our final port of call in Ketchikan.

Once again, Don was up early to complete some work meetings and obligations before heading ashore. He also grabbed us some coffee and breakfast sandwiches from International Café as we didn’t have to meet until 10:30 AM for our tour.

Our tour today was a visit to the Saxman Totem Park. Unfortunately, it was the least organized and least informative excursion of our trip. After meeting our bus, we took the short drive out to the park with our driver providing some commentary along the way.

Upon arrival, we were ushered into a clan house where we watched a quick tribal dance. We then got a brief introduction to some of the totem poles on the grounds including the types of poles and the stories behind them. Without much time for photos or questions, we were quickly escorted to the carving house, where our guide provided some narration.

While there were two works being completed, including one by the famed Nathan Jackson, both artists were “on lunch break” which was a bit disappointing. We then had only 20 minutes of free time before needing to be back at the bus.

Some Sun and Snacks

Given it was such a gorgeous day with no signs of rain in one of the rainiest cities, we ventured out on a walk after our tour. Following the boardwalk, we stopped for photos at the Ketchikan sign and eventually made our way over to Creek Street.

Back onboard the ship around 2 PM, it was time to test out the new premium desserts. These desserts are included in the Princess Plus and Princess Premier pricing options. Guests with Princess Plus get two desserts while Princess Premier get unlimited desserts.

These desserts are essentially ice cream sundaes that make for great Instagram photos. There are six different options, and you can add alcohol if you choose. Although, after sampling a few of them, they all pretty much tasted the same. They are certainly not the crazy concoctions that you can get at Coco’s on NCL.

Enjoying the beautiful weather a bit longer, we eventually headed back to our room to do some work before dinner. Tonight, we had a 6:20 PM reservation at the final specialty restaurant, Crown Grill. It was also the ship’s second formal night.

A Formal Affair

Off to the Crown Grill, we started with our classic cocktails, a cosmo and a sidecar. For some reason, this was one of the few times all cruise that the drinks were actually made properly. No one seemed to know what a sidecar was even though it is on the menu, and I got my cosmo served on the rocks more times than not.

Given that the Crown Grill menu only features steak and seafood, I requested an alternate entrée. The staff were happy to oblige and offered me a selection off The Catch menu. Thus, I ordered the goat cheese souffle (Garden Vegetarian). For starters, I did the Black and Blue Onion Soup and a salad.

Don ordered the tiger prawns and the lobster cake for starters and the Rib-Eye for his entrée. We finished off this filling meal with the yummy salted caramel crème brulee cheesecake.

Overall, The Catch was our best specialty dining experience of this cruise.

Of note, this second formal night was lobster night in the main dining room. Much like other cruise lines, the Land & Sea selection now comes with a $10 surcharge for guests wanting more than one entrée.

With dinner clocking it at over two hours again tonight, we arrived to Princess Live late for the end of a standing room only Liar’s Club game show. This show is always a good time, and tonight’s version did not disappoint.

From here, it was off to the theater for the final production show, Sweet Soul Music. This revue show featured several Motown hits and was a pretty typical cruise ship production.

Next on the agenda was a “street performance” type show in the piazza with The Mighty Quinn. He performed a couple juggling acts during this 15-minute set, which were very similar to his previous show in the theater.

We then decided to check out the Midnight Sun Experience in the Hollywood Conservatory. It was described as a camp fire-style vibe with acoustic music from Cola Sounds, hot chocolate, and warm cookies. Well, one of the three were present.

The venue was pretty empty and there was no hot chocolate or cookies. One of the activities staff later announced that this only occurs in Skagway. Because cookies and hot chocolate are only available in Skagway?!?! In any case, we listened to the duo perform, who were probably the best musical act on the ship.

When they took a break ,we moved on to the Crown Grill bar for some martinis before calling it a night, the Milky Way was one of my favs. Tomorrow was already the last day of our Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review.

Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review – Day 7

The Perfect Sea Day

Day 7 of this Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review was a sea day as we made our way to Vancouver, BC.

Turning our clocks ahead one hour before bed last night, we set the alarm for 7 AM. Fueled with some coffee, we spent much of the morning working and capturing our remaining photo and video content. We also sampled the juice bar along the way. This is located at the Wake View Bar aft on deck 16 and is covered in the drink packages.

It was yet another beautiful day onboard Majestic Princess. We truly got lucky with the weather this trip. We will be returning to Alaska in two weeks on Norwegian Encore and can only hope that the weather is half as nice.

For our final lunch, I decided to give the grill another try while Don got some noodles from the nearby noodle bar (where Slice would be on other Royal Class ships). I sampled the chicken tacos this time, and they did not change our opinion of the grill. In comparison, the Dive-In burger bar on Holland America ships is much better.

While some press materials have indicated the ships would have featured Alaskan cocktails this season, we did not have any luck sampling them. They were not on any menus yet. One bartender did show us the staff version of the drink menus/recipes, but most bartenders knew nothing of them nor had the ingredients to make them even after we showed them. Oh well, they sounded tasty.

Grabbing our afternoon coffee, we headed to the theater for the 1:15 PM Deal or No Deal game show. We purchased a card to play along for $25; however, you can just simply watch the game show if you want.

Finally Checking Out the Enclave

After the show, we went back to the cabin to change up and finally check out the Enclave. Princess Cruises had given us a week-long pass to this thermal suite, but we had yet to use it. So, now was our chance. We spent about 1.5 hours here enjoying the heated loungers, therapy pool, sauna, and steam rooms.

When compared to some other thermal suites, it is rather small. It also does not feature a salt room, which is my personal favorite.

Feeling a bit rejuvenated, the time had come for the most dreaded chore of the trip…packing. While we had a transfer to the airport, it did not meet until after 9 AM which was too late for us. So, we decided to do self assist walk-off which began around 8 AM. This meant we did not need to leave our luggage out this evening, but we still wanted to pack up anyway.

Our Final Night Onboard Majestic Princess

Our final dinner of the cruise was at 6:20 PM in the Concerto main dining room. This was the quickest dinner of the cruise even though it featured the Baked Alaska parade. Tonight, I enjoyed the watermelon and feta salad, spinach ricotta ravioli, and the Baked Alaska of course. Don tested out the salmon cake, sweet and sour shrimp, and the pork belly. The highlight for him was the pork belly entrée.

Finished early, we grabbed seats in Princes Live for the Hollywood Hiccups game show, which was hilarious. The show consisted of the activities staff acting out scenes from famous movies. Let’s just say that Rose and Jack may have made an appearance.

Following routine, we made our way to the theater for a second, all-new show from Reggie Rice. Unlike some other cruise lines, there was no late-night comedy. This was the one and only show in the theater this evening. Personally, we enjoyed his first show from earlier in the week better.

After the show, we got a final round of drinks at the Double Down bar and called it a night around 11:30 PM.

BOOK NOW: Exclusive Rates on Princess Cruises to Alaska!

Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review – Disembarkation

A Long Day of Travel

Our Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska Cruise Review had come to an end. Today was disembarkation day in Vancouver.

Up around 6 AM to shower, get ready, and finish packing, we were surprised to see that we were still sailing into Vancouver. We watched the sail under the Lion’s Gate bridge, past Stanley Park, and into the Canada Place cruise terminal.

Grabbing some coffee and breakfast sandwiches from International Café, we were ready by 8 AM. Not hearing any announcements yet, we decided to head down to deck 6 anyway. Don was able to hop in an elevator pretty quickly with two of our bags, but I waited another 10 minutes or so for one with enough room for me and our additional bag.

Guests were already scanning off the ship when we arrived. This might have been our quickest disembarkation ever. We were off the ship and in a taxi headed to the Vancouver airport in no time. This taxi ride is a flat fee of $38. At least our travel day started off smoothly.

With fast WiFi, we were able to get quite a bit of work done in the airport until our flight. But things went downhill from here.

Unexpected Delays

Boarding the plane on time, we sat and waited forever, with the pilot suggesting it was taking longer than expected to load luggage. This in turn triggered a need to switch flight attendants which delayed us taking off by 1.5 hours. Of course, we only had a 1.5 hour layover in Toronto so things were not looking good for us.

It turns out a majority of passengers on our plane missed their connectors and were rescheduled to new flights. The only problem was that our new flight back to Boston wasn’t until tomorrow morning! Booking a room at the Toronto Sheraton airport hotel, we got some room service and a few hours of shuteye before attempting to get home once again.

While we got home without issue this time, our bags were not so lucky. Even though Air Canada told us our bags were checked to our final destination, they did not arrive with us on the plane. With much of an ordeal, we finally had our bags over a day later. Moral of the story is that we will not be flying with Air Canada again any time soon.

Albeit late, we were back home for just under a week. Laundry, packing, and working were on the agenda before flying to Seattle for our next Alaska cruise departing June 4th. Stay tuned!

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If you are considering a cruise to Alaska, the first cruise line that may come to mind is Princess Cruises. You’ve seen the advertisements and marketing campaigns, but are they really the best cruise line in Alaska? Well, we’ve cruised to the region six times now, twice with Princess, and want to share our thoughts with you. In this post, we detail the pros and cons of sailing Princess Cruises to Alaska.

Princess Cruises to Alaska: The Pros and Cons

It’s true that Princess Cruises has earned quite the reputation when it comes to cruising in Alaska. And for good reason, as there are several pros of sailing Princess Cruises to Alaska.

WATCH OUR VIDEO ON THE PROS AND CONS OF PRINCESS IN ALASKA!

Pros of Sailing Princess Cruises to Alaska

Number of Ships

If you look at the sheer number of vessels cruising in the region, Princess Cruises comes out on top with seven ships. This number is matched only by Holland America Line which comes in a close second place with six ships in Alaska this season.

Even within the Princess fleet, there is variety in the ship’s cruising to Alaska in terms of size, age, and amenities. If you enjoy mega-ships, there’s a ship for you. If you’d prefer a smaller, more intimate experience, there’s also a ship for you. One of the cruise line’s newest ships, Discovery Princess, is cruising Alaska as well. And many of these ships rank among our picks for Best Alaska Cruises.

In 2024, cruisers have the choice between Crown Princess, Discovery Princess, Grand Princess, Majestic Princess, Royal Princess, Ruby Princess, and Sapphire Princess. Similarly, in 2025, cruisers have the choice among Caribbean, Coral, Discovery, Grand, Royal, Ruby, and Sapphire Princess. The line’s soon-to-debut Star Princess will even cruise the region in 2026.

Discovery, Majestic, and Royal all belong to Princess Cruises’ Royal Class of ships. At over 140K gross tons, these are some of the largest vessels that cruise the region. Crown, Sapphire, and Ruby Princess are similar in size at around 113-115K. Grand is the smallest Princess ship cruising to Alaska at around 107K; yet all four of these ships belong to the same class, the Grand Class.

The ranking of these Princess ships in Alaska from newest to oldest is: Discovery, Majestic, Royal, Ruby Crown, Sapphire, Grand. Discovery Princess launched in 2022, while Grand Princess debuted in 1998.

Variety of Itineraries

Given the number of Princess Cruises ships sailing to Alaska, this allows the cruise line to offer a variety of itineraries. Princess Cruises offers roundtrip sailings that depart from Seattle, Vancouver, and even San Francisco. The cruise line also features one-way sailings from Anchorage (Whittier) to Vancouver and vice versa.

While most of our cruises have been roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver, our recent Majestic Princess cruise was our first one-way sailing. We really enjoyed getting to experience a bit more of the region with this popular Voyage of the Glaciers itinerary.

Given the number of ships and departure points, this allows the cruise line to offer a variety of cruise lengths as well beyond the traditional 7-day cruise. Guests even have the option to extend the cruise with a land tour, but more on that in a bit.

The good news is that no matter which ship or itinerary you choose, all Princess Cruises to Alaska include at least one day of glacier viewing. Many of these itineraries include scenic cruising through Glacier Bay National Park, which we highly recommend. Select sailings even include a visit to both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay.

Exclusive Alaska Food and Beverage Offerings

Another benefit of sailing Princess Cruises to Alaska is all the Alaska food and beverage offerings as part of the North to Alaska by Princess programming on all ships sailing the region.

Princess features an expanded Wild for Alaska Seafood menu. Guests can expect a rotation of fresh Alaska seafood dishes in the main dining room as well as the World Fresh Marketplace. Some of the dishes on the MDR menus included Wild Alaskan Salmon, Bering Seafood Stew, Alaskan Ale-Braised Short Ribs, Alaska Crab Cake or Salmon Cake, Alaskan-Caught Halibut, Cod, or Tuna, and more.

Along with all the locally sourced food selections, guests can enjoy the Cook My Catch experience onboard Discovery and Majestic Princess in The Catch by Rudi. There’s also salmon cooking demonstrations, destination-inspired cocktails, and more for guests to enjoy during their Alaska cruise.

MedallionClass Experience

Another pro of sailing with Princess Cruises to Alaska is the MedallionClass experience that its ships offer. This technology is aimed at making your vacation more personalized and contactless.

One of the highlights of MedallionClass is OceanNow where you can order food and drinks anywhere on the ship. Whether you want to order a latte or cappuccino to your stateroom while you are scouting wildlife from your balcony or a pina colada while lounging in the solarium, you can do so through the app. Guests with the Princess Plus or Princess Premier Packages receive this feature at no additonal cost. Otherwise, it’s a $14.99 per guest activation fee.

Other benefits are the wearable technology and keyless stateroom entry. We love the fact that we don’t have to carry around a room keycard. Your Princess Medallion can be worn in a watch band, a belt clip, a bracelet, or a necklace for added convenience. As you approach your stateroom, there is no need to fumble for your keycard as the technology will sense your Medallion and unlock your door for you.

Your Medallion can even be used to pay ashore in select destinations. Further, you can locate your friends and family onboard the ship, watch your digital muster drill, and much more. How’s that for convenience?

Extended Time in Port

Regardless of the cruise line or itinerary, you can expect a pretty typical line-up of Southeastern Alaska ports of call on most contemporary ships. These ports include Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway, with Icy Strait Point or Sitka sometimes replacing one of the options. Roundtrip sailings will usually include a call into Victoria, B.C. as well.

What does differentiate Princess from some of the competition is its extended time in port and preferential docking locations. For instance, Norwegian Cruise Line docks at Ward Cove in Ketchikan which requires transportation to get to the Downtown area unlike other cruise lines who dock closer.

On our 2023 Majestic Princess sailing, we were literally in port ALL DAY. In Icy Strait Point, we were docked from 6 AM to 7 PM. We were in Juneau from 6:30 AM to 5 PM and in Ketchikan from 10 AM to 6 PM. This is in contrast to other ships that may only dock from 7 AM to 1 PM in Juneau or Ketchikan or for 4-5 hours in Victoria in the evening.

While ashore, Princess also offers cruisers a variety of shore excursions for all types of travelers. Some of these activities are created in partnership with Animal Planet and/or Discovery. Some may also boast small groups or local connections to get you closer to your destinations.

North to Alaska Programming

While many cruise lines do offer onboard enrichment opportunities when cruising to Alaska, Princess Cruises features an entire North to Alaska program of specially curated activities. These opportunities usually include talks by locals and experts on topics such as history, Alaskan culture, and wildlife of the region.

Some exclusives include Alaskan lumberjacks, Deadliest Catch, and Libby Riddles who is a retired dog musher. We had the opportunity to listen to Libby Riddles share her story and road to victory in the Iditarod race.

Other onboard events include “Puppies in the Piazza” during your visit to Skagway (which we did not get to experience as our ship did not call into this port), a Night at the Klondike, the new immersive Voyage to the Stars Northern Lights experience, and more.

Further, during the scenic cruising through Glacier Bay National Park, a park ranger will come onboard the ship to provide real time narration, Additionally, they will offer a formal presentation in the main theater with more in-depth information. This should not be missed during your Princess cruise to Alaska.

Traditional Cruise Experience

When sailing Princess Cruises to Alaska, your cruise ship will provide the perfect backdrop to your majestic destinations. In general, Alaska cruises are more relaxed. But, on Princess Cruises, you won’t feel overwhelmed by trying to do everything on the ship as well as while ashore.

That’s not to say that you will be bored on the ship though. You will still find all the traditional elements of a cruise vacation like pools, bars and lounges, restaurants, and entertainment spaces to keep you occupied between ports of call.

All the usual cruise activities like nightly production shows in the main theater, trivia, game shows, Bingo, Movies Under the Stars, and live music will still occur. You can also find a spa, fitness center, and casino onboard Princess ships. Though, you won’t find all the flashy bells and whistles found on some other cruise lines. In a sense, Princess Cruises provides a more classic cruise experience.

Further, Princess does still offer kids programming to ensure Alaska cruises are fun and engaging for multi-generational families as well.

Best Pizza at Sea

What Princess Cruises lacks when it comes to racetracks and sky diving simulators, it makes up for with pizza!

Princess Cruises has been consistently voted as having the best pizza at sea, and we agree. On many ships in the fleet, Alfredo’s or Gigi’s serves up delicious handmade pies in a sit-down restaurant setting. These casual dining experiences are included in the Princess Plus and Princess Premier packages. Guests without these packages can dine here for a $14.99 prix-fixe charge or a la carte.

There’s also a poolside pizzeria on most ships serving up quick grab and go slices.

When devouring your pizza, be sure to save some room for dessert. Princess Cruises now features premium desserts, with and without alcohol. These desserts are included in the Princess Plus and Princess Premier fares or can be purchased a la carte otherwise. These Italian-inspired gelato treats are definitely instagram-worthy.

New Inclusive Fare Options

When planning your Alaska cruise, we always tell travelers to budget extra as these bucket list trips will cost more than Caribbean or Bahamas cruises.

Like most contemporary cruise lines, Princess Cruises’ standard fare includes most onboard amenities. Still, there are additional services and amenities not covered in this cruise price. To offer more “all-inclusive” cruise vacations, Princess Cruises has rolled out its Princess Plus and Princess Premier pricing options. These options might make sailing with Princess Cruises to Alaska a bit more attractive for those worried about “nickel and diming” on a cruise.

Guests can upgrade from the Princess Standard fare to the Princess Plus package for $60 per person, per day. This package includes the crew incentive (also known as gratuities), WiFi for one device per guest, and the Plus Beverage package. The Princess Plus package also features two casual meals per cruise, two premium desserts per day, OceanNow fee waived, two fitness classes per cruise, and unlimited room service.

More recently, Princess Cruises has a third pricing option, Princess Premier. The Princess Premier package is the most inclusive offering and is $80 per person, per day to upgrade. This package includes the Premier Beverage Package, WiFi for 4 devices per guest, Crew Appreciation, and two specialty dining meals per guest. 

With this fare, guests also get a photo package, unlimited casual dining, unlimited premium desserts, unlimited fitness classes, OceanNow fee waived, unlimited room service, reserved seating in the theater, and entries to win Princess Prizes.

Cruisetours and Lodges in Alaska

In conjunction with your Alaska cruise vacation, Princess Cruises also offers cruisetours and lodges to extend your stay in the Last Frontier. In fact, another differentiating factor is that Princess operates five wilderness lodge properties and several luxury railcars. This makes Princess an easy choice if you are considering adding a land-portion to your Alaska cruise.

These unique cruisetours combine a 7-day Voyage of the Glaciers Alaska cruise with scenic rail travel from the ship to the lodge via exclusive Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service. During the land portion of these cruisetours, travelers can visit some of the state’s most popular areas that are not accessible by cruise ship, spending three or more nights on land at Princess Wilderness Lodges. Further, every cruisetour visits Denali National Park.

The five Princess Lodges include: Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge, Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge, Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, and Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge.

Cons of Sailing Princess Cruises to Alaska

While there are many pros of sailing Princess Cruises to Alaska, there are also some cons of which to be aware.

Fewer Bells and Whistles

If you usually cruise newer ships in the Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Line fleet but were considering Princess for your Alaska cruise, you may be disappointed in the onboard offerings. While Princess cruise ships do feature all the cruise staples, you won’t find any bells and whistles on its ships.

This means that you won’t find sky diving simulators or bumper cars like on Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. You also won’t find a race track, laser tag, or a VR complex like on NCL’s Norwegian Encore. If these types of signature attractions are a must for your kids and teens, you should probably consider another cruise line.

Along the same lines, you won’t find Broadway shows on Princess ships either. While some Royal Caribbean and NCL ships feature signature entertainment venues and shows, Princess productions are more akin to traditional cruise ship revue shows.

Further, you won’t find any over-the-top theming at the bars and lounges or any high energy nightlife. In fact, most bars close by 11 PM.

Of course, Alaska cruises are more about the destination than they are the ship anyway.

Lackluster Entry Level Staterooms

Personally, one of our biggest cons of sailing with Princess Cruises to Alaska is the lackluster entry level staterooms. After 80+ cruises with various cruise lines, there are some things that we have come to expect in our usual balcony cabins. Yet, they are missing on most Princess ships. This means that you might need to upgrade your accommodations which can increase your Alaska cruise costs. We upgraded to a premium deluxe balcony cabin.

In particular, a sofa or loveseat which comes standard in many competitor cruise lines’ cabins does not with Princess Cruises. Specifically, cruisers will need to upgrade to a deluxe balcony or mini-suite in order to get a sitting area in their stateroom. With more and more travelers never fully disconnecting on vacation and even working remotely, we think the extra seating area is essential.

Further, cruisers who have sailed with other lines might be surprised that even the newer ships in the Princess fleet still feature shower curtains in the bathroom. Yes, that means the dreaded clingy shower curtain while you are trying to bathe. While showering on a cruise ship is never ideal, this makes the situation even worse.

Thankfully, Princess has finally listened, and the new Sun Princess and Sphere Class of ships fix both of these issues!

Fewer Dining Options

Compared to some other ships cruising the region, Princess ships tend to have fewer dining options. Of course, Princess Cruises has main dining rooms that offer multi-course meals each evening with some featured local-inspired dishes.

There’s also the World Fresh Marketplace/Horizon Court. This buffet serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday; however, the venue is not well laid-out in our experience, making it rather congested.

In terms of other casual dining, there’s a sit-down pizza venue on some ships (which we love) and the International Café serving some quick grab and go items. Outdoors, there’s a grill and a pizzeria (or Noodle Bar on Majestic Princess). Though, we were not impressed with the quality or preparation of the grill items during our visits.

In terms of specialty restaurants, there are also fewer options than many mega-ships from competitor brands. On most of the Princess ships sailing Alaska, you will only find a Sabatini’s Trattoria and a Crown Grill steakhouse. Majestic and Discovery Princess does feature the newer seafood restaurant, The Catch. However, you will not find a hibachi restaurant, a sports pub, a Mexican restaurant, etc.

More Alaska Cruise Tips

If you are planning your Alaska cruise and need more tips, we have you covered. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

• Best time of year to take an Alaska cruise
• Alaska cruise packing guide
• Alaska cruise mistakes

Comments

Have you sailed with Princess Cruises to Alaska? What are some of your pros and cons for sailing with this cruise line? Drop us an anchor below to share your recent Alaska cruise reviews.

The post Princess Cruises to Alaska: The Pros and Cons appeared first on EatSleepCruise.com.

Planning your first Alaska cruise might feel a bit overwhelming. We first sailed to Alaska in 2014 and have been fortunate enough to cruise the region a few other times since then. To help those preparing for their first trip to the Last Frontier, we have compiled this list of the 11 things we wish we knew before taking our first Alaska cruise. Armed with these nuggets of wisdom, your first visit should be smooth sailing.

What We Wish We Knew Before Taking Our First Alaska Cruise

Not All Alaska Cruise Itineraries Are Created Equal

For our first cruise, we worked with a travel agent to secure a round-trip sailing from Seattle, WA. While this is a very popular option for many, there are various other Alaska cruise itineraries as well.

Roundtrip sailings from Vancouver, British Columbia are another popular option. Additionally, there are one-way cruises from Seward or Whittier, Alaska to Vancouver or vice versa. Some cruise lines even offer sailings from San Francisco to Southeast Alaska. 

Further, a variety of cruise ports and scenic cruising options exist across these Alaska itineraries. A majority of these cruises stop at the state capital of Juneau and larger ports like Ketchikan and Skagway. However, there are also other lesser visited ports like Sitka, Haines, and Icy Strait Point.

Not to mention, cruises offer several different glacier viewing opportunities. The Dawes Glacier, the Hubbard Glacier, and Glacier Bay National Park offer different experiences.

It took us several sailings before we ever visited Glacier Bay National Park. Now, we can’t recommend enough trying to find a cruise that sails through this pristine area. With the opportunity to view multiple glaciers and well-curated programming from the park rangers, this is a fantastic introduction to the region and cruising in Alaska.  

Alaska Cruises Are Not Cheap

We sailed on our first Alaska cruise close to 10 years ago. We splurged on this trip to celebrate our anniversary. So, we didn’t mind paying quite a bit more for this cruise when compared to our previous Caribbean and Bahamas cruises. At the time, we didn’t realize this was the rule, rather than the exception.

Since then, we have learned that cruising to Alaska is not cheap. Cruise fares can run double those for similar rooms and ships in other regions.

Then, there is the airfare to get to and from the departure points. Tack on additional costs like specialty dining, alcoholic beverages, cruise gratuities, and shore excursions, and you will watch the bill quickly add up.

While most of these other fees are pretty standard across destinations, the same can not be said about shore excursions. Many cruisers are traveling to the region for unique, bucket list experiences. And there are certainly some unforgettable tours. From helicopter tours and glacier walks, to dog sledding, bear or whale watching, and zip lines, many travelers have their hearts set on these tours while in the Pacific Northwest.

We have indeed spent hundreds of dollars for some of these experiences. So, if you want to go all out, you could easily spend a thousand dollars or more per person just on shore excursions.

With all these considerations, we recommend that cruisers plan to spend between $2,000 to $5,000 a person. We have easily spent $8 to 10K on subsequent cruises to the region for just the two of us. But, trust us, it is so worth it!  

ALASKA CRUISE SAVINGS: BOOK NOW AND SAVE ON YOUR NEXT ALASKA CRUISE!

The Days Are Long

Where tropical cruises are a time for rest and relaxation for many, Alaska cruises are all about doing and seeing as much as possible.

Most itineraries include early morning calls into port with excursions starting as early as 7 or 8 AM. Not to mention, the scenic cruising days can mean that you are up even earlier to admire the magnificent fjords and glaciers.

Your cruise ship will likely spend several hours in port. So, even if you have a short excursion in the morning, you could stick around and check out the downtown or enjoy some self-exploration in the afternoon.

Back onboard your ship in the evening, there is dinner, entertainment, live music, and plenty to keep you busy. Further, depending on when you sail, the sun will most likely not set until 9 or 10 PM.

Plus, there is the opportunity to see the Northern Lights during certain times of the season! So, you might be out on your balcony or the pool deck until the wee hours of morning trying to catch this natural phenomenon. 

Then, you will be up bright and early the next day to do it all over again.

Alaska cruises are unique, but they are also tiring. So, plan your schedule accordingly to ensure you don’t burn yourself out by the end of the trip.

What You Should Really Pack

Admittedly, we are over-packers. Though, looking back on our first Alaska cruise, we packed way more than what was necessary. Of course, packing for Alaska is all together different than packing for the Caribbean or Bahamas.

The time of year and your shore excursions impact what you should bring to some degree. But, regardless of when you cruise, there are several must-pack items all Alaskan cruisers need to have in their suitcases.

Chief among these items are multiple layers of clothing. Base layers and medium-weight pullovers or jackets are necessary. Make sure these items are easily packable in a day bag, as it is not unheard of to see temperature swings of 40 degrees in one day.

You will want water-resistant clothing like hiking pants, rain coats, and waterproof footwear as well. It will rain in Alaska, so you must have the right outwear to weather these wet mornings and afternoons ashore.

Other accessories like hats, gloves, and scarves can provide an added layer of warmth during chilly mornings but will probably not be necessary for the entire day.

On the ship, the vibe is more casual, but you will still want to bring a few nice outfits for dinner. Keep in mind that many ships also have self-service laundry. This can help you pack less and save on airline baggage fees during your trip.

Although, you don’t want to forget to pack items like a bathing suit. Yes, the pools and hot tubs are still open as is your ship’s spa and thermal suite.

Other cruise essentials we always pack include magnets and an over-the-door shoe organizer. You can neatly organize your small electronics and toiletries in the shoe organizer, leaving plenty of counter space. Magnetic hooks come in handy to hang wet clothes, bags, hats, and other items to free up space in the closet.

LAST MINUTE CRUISE DEALS: BOOK NOW FOR THE LOWEST FARES OF THE SEASON!

When You Sail Can Save You Thousands

We knew that Alaska was a seasonal cruise region. This means cruises only occur during a set time of year. Traditionally, the Alaska cruise season runs from the end of April/beginning of May to the end of September/beginning of October.

What we didn’t realize though is that when you decide to sail within those few months can impact the cruise’s overall cost by a lot.

Cruisers will want to sail during the shoulder season to save the most money. This is the beginning or the end of the Alaska cruise season. In the past, we’ve sailed in September, and doing so has easily saved us thousands.

We compared cruise fares during this time of the year to the middle of the summer, and the overall costs can easily double.

The peak time of the Alaska cruise season is July into early August. This time corresponds with school breaks and is a popular vacation time for many across the globe. Thus, the fewer crowds during shoulder season is another benefit.

Admittedly, the middle of the summer corresponds to the warmest weather. This time of year also corresponds to the most daylight hours and is often the peak time for wildlife sightings. 

Regardless of when you cruise, you will still have a great time. Just be prepared to find drastically different prices across the season during your planning process.

The Enrichment Programs Are Top Notch

We don’t recall any lectures or enrichment talks on our first cruises to the Caribbean and Bahamas. Though, nearly 10 years later, we still remember Brent Nixon and Miss Amanda from our first Alaska cruise. This onboard historian and naturalist were top notch.

With some downtime, we wandered into a talk on whales and were instantly hooked. From there, we learned about the history of Skagway, the origins of the native population, and so much more. During our seven days onboard, we made it a point to attend all of the talks by this husband-and-wife team.

Since then, we regularly attend these enrichment talks, especially when cruising in regions like Alaska. Whether the speaker is a local Tlingit or a Park Ranger, these talks have enhanced our overall Alaska cruise experience.

Most cruise lines do feature these onboard talks, so we suggest that you add at least a few of them to your schedule. They are often tailored to your particular itinerary and occur either on sea days or close to the sail away time on port days. Trust us, these 45-minute sessions will be some of the highlights from your trip.

There Are a Variety of Cruise Ships in Alaska

Whether it is how long they have been sailing in the region or the number of ships cruising the region, many cruise lines claim they are the best in Alaska. However, the best cruise line or ship in Alaska really depends on your family’s preferences.

More cruise ships are sailing in the region than ever before. So, there are plenty of options. From boutique and expedition cruise ships hosting a couple of hundred passengers to mega-ships with thousands, there are ships of all sizes with various onboard amenities.

We sailed with four different cruise lines during our four sailings to the region. Each one had its own style of cruising, and we loved all of them.

Along with ships of various sizes, these ships can offer everything from skydiving simulators and go-kart tracks, to outdoor decks with real lawn space to relax, to kayaks and zodiacs to get off the beaten path. Some cruise lines feature orchestral performances and BBC Earth productions, while others have Broadway-caliber shows in the main theater.

As you can begin to see, there really is a ship to suit every type of traveler. While we tend to prefer mega-ships, smaller ships can visit more unique areas and might offer more onboard inclusions, along with upgraded food and service.

So, when booking an Alaska cruise, do your homework. This is also where a good travel advisor can help guide you in the right direction.

Upgrade Your Equipment

Many travelers rely solely on their cell phones now for taking photos. Honestly, that is usually good enough in most instances. But, for our last two trips to Alaska, we did upgrade our camera gear, and I am so glad we did.

You don’t have to spend thousands on a new camera. You can rent all the gear you need from several online outlets. I rented a few extra zoom lenses for our Sony camera, and they made all the difference in capturing photos during our whale-watching and bear-watching expeditions.

Or, you can opt for some other gear to capture your adventure. An action camera like a GoPro or a 360 camera like the new X3 might be more your speed. These cameras are modestly priced so that you don’t feel too bad splurging on a new toy. Again, you can also opt to rent these for a fraction of the cost.

If you don’t want to get new cameras, at least ensure you have the appropriate gear for your cell phone. Perhaps, you will want to get a gimbal for some stabilization. Given the weather conditions, we recommend water-resistant cellphone cases, holders, or mounts as well.

You will not be the only one trying to capture Alaska’s incredible landscapes. So, having the right equipment and accessories ensure your pictures and videos are Instagram-worthy!

A Balcony Cabin is Really Worth It

While many contend that a balcony in Alaska isn’t necessary, we disagree. Our first balcony cabin ever was actually on our first Alaska cruise. Since then, returning to other less spacious accommodations has been challenging.

On early morning sail into ports, you can enjoy some room service with a view. Or perhaps, you can sip a coffee while admiring the majestic fjords. The best part is that your warm cabin is just steps away when you get chilly.

Sailing through Glacier Bay is a several hour affair, so having the convenience of going in and out of your stateroom is a huge perk. Actually, some of our best photos of glaciers and fjords have been taken from our private balcony.

It’s also the perfect place to spend the afternoon watching the coastline or scouting for wildlife with some binoculars.

While a balcony cabin will cost more money, we think the upgrade is worth it especially in Alaska. If budget is a concern, maybe price out a balcony cabin during shoulder season or book a guarantee balcony rate.

Stray From the Beaten Path

Yes, it is true that we are over-planners and always have our days ashore mapped out ahead of time. It took us a few trips to finally realize that not every minute of your Alaska cruise needs to be planned.

You should take some time to just wander and explore. Definitely do those fantastic excursions but carve out a little time in your day to experience the local way of life. Check out some nature trails, restaurants, museums, and shops.

Many of these Alaska towns are fairly walkable. With some quick internet research or port maps, you can set off to explore some of the downtown attractions. Stroll Creek Street in Ketchikan, grab a beer at the Red Onion Saloon in Skagway, or check out the best legs in town at Tracy’s Crab Shack in Juneau.

You can also do some souvenir shopping, marvel at totem poles, or find a trail to take a short hike.

Whatever you do, be sure to set aside some time to learn more about Alaska’s people and places at a slower pace.

When You Book Can Save You Thousands Too

Not only does when you sail affect your overall cruise costs, but when you book your cruise can too. We tend to book our cruises months in advance, sometimes even earlier for sought after destinations like Alaska.

Typically, the earlier you book, the cheaper the cruise rate. Booking early also gives you more cabin options and more time to pay off the cruise. It also gives you more time to plan and ensures you get all the shore excursions you want.

In our over 65 cruises, there has only been one time that our cruise fare actually dropped in price after we booked. Occasionally, you can get a last-minute cruise deal for select cabin categories. But, you must live near the cruise departure point to ensure that any money you save on this last-minute cruise deal isn’t washed away by costly last-minute airfare.

Booking late may also result in limited tour options or sold out shore excursions. Thus, we never recommend risking your dream vacation by waiting.

Comments

Are you going on your first Alaska cruise? Do you need some Alaska cruise tips or planning advice? Drop us an anchor below with your Alaska cruise questions!

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