Alaska Questions

[KatieKepic]

We're planning on booking an Alaskan cruise when the next release comes out for summer 2027. It will be our family of 4 (teens wil be 17 & 19) and my sister and her family of 4 (kids will be 10 & 7).

We are trying to decide on the best time to go. We are stuck with school/college calendars so we're looking at mid-June through early August. We're mostly hoping for wildlife viewings (particularly whales & bears). From what I read, it looks like July might be our best bet?

For dining, is early or late better for Alaska? Looking at the port times for the 2026 sailings, I'm thinking late to maximize our time in the ports?

Also, room location. How hard are the aft verandahs to get, especially if we're needing 2?

And I know we have ample time to look at excursions but figure I'll ask now to start looking. Any excursions that you loved? Any you'd avoid or wouldn't do again? We prefer to book private and not PAs through DCL. The expception would be the Glacier Explorer. If you've done that one (DG01), what did you think? Worth it?

And anything you wish you knew before you did went? I'll take any advice

 

[DCLMP]

We did the first sailing in May and saw lots of whales. You didn't need to go on whale watching trip they were everywhere. We also saw a mama bear and her cubs and two other bear sightings on our whale watching trip. I think the bears make there way down to the water that time of year. We went in September and saw no wildlife at all. A lot of it's just luck.
I would go mid June to mid July because there is less rain and days are the longest.

I thought the glacier explorer was worth it. That's actually when we saw the Mama and her cubs. We did segways in Juneau and ATV's in Ketchikan, Whale watching in Icy straight. We booked everything except the explorer through Alaska shore excursions.

We had a forward sideways inside room it was fine. We always do late dining.

 

[KatieKepic]

We did the first sailing in May and saw lots of whales. You didn't need to go on whale watching trip they were everywhere. We also saw a mama bear and her cubs and two other bear sightings on our whale watching trip. I think the bears make there way down to the water that time of year. We went in September and saw no wildlife at all. A lot of it's just luck.
I would go mid June to mid July because there is less rain and days are the longest.

I thought the glacier explorer was worth it. That's actually when we saw the Mama and her cubs. We did segways in Juneau and ATV's in Ketchikan, Whale watching in Icy straight. We booked everything except the explorer through Alaska shore excursions.

We had a forward sideways inside room it was fine. We always do late dining.

Very helpful, thank you! We were debating doing a whale excursion in Juneau so I'm glad to know we'll be able to see them without having to book an excursion. There's so many things we want to do/see, I'm having a hard time picking

We typically do late dining as well unless traveling with my sister, then we've done early. Since her kids will be older on this one, I'm thinking we may be able to make late work.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

We went in mid June. Weather was fantastic but we didn't see any bears. We were told it was still a bit early as the salmon run hadn't started. We did see whales, other sea life, and bald eagles. Leaving Juneau, we had the best whale sightings from the boat.

We had early dining and still felt like we had more than enough time in port. I love the long port days in Alaska, we had a blast.

As far as excursions go, we loved the train in Skagway and also the rainforest guided nature hike in Ketchikan. We did a tour in Juneau that took us to the glacier, a salmon hatchery, and the Alaska state museum. We didn't feel like we had enough time in any place (except the hatchery, could've skipped that). I'd either pick a different tour next time or just ride share to the glacier and museum, both of which we thought were well worth the time. At each port we found local places to eat at with no trouble. I don't think I talked to a single person who thought their excursion was a waste. Even the one that we didn't love was still really good, it just fell to last place because the other two were so fantastic. We did not do the Glacier Explorer, but I did see that those folks were able to get much closer to it than the ship did.

It's not really an excursion for the cruise, but I highly recommend coming into Vancouver a few days early. It's such a friendly, fun city. We especially loved Capilano Suspension Bridge park.

On our cruise, the aft cabins were the last to book up. If you book early, you'll have no problem getting two together. We thought the verandah was totally worth it, especially on glacier day.

My best advice is to invest in really good waterproof shoes that you can walk in. We did a lot of walking/hiking and had amazing weather all but one day, but that one day we all had dry feet. Also, we preferred fleece under a waterproof jacket rather than our puffer coats. Easy to adjust to changing temps and plenty warm.

 

[KatieKepic]

We went in mid June. Weather was fantastic but we didn't see any bears. We were told it was still a bit early as the salmon run hadn't started. We did see whales, other sea life, and bald eagles. Leaving Juneau, we had the best whale sightings from the boat.

We had early dining and still felt like we had more than enough time in port. I love the long port days in Alaska, we had a blast.

As far as excursions go, we loved the train in Skagway and also the rainforest guided nature hike in Ketchikan. We did a tour in Juneau that took us to the glacier, a salmon hatchery, and the Alaska state museum. We didn't feel like we had enough time in any place (except the hatchery, could've skipped that). I'd either pick a different tour next time or just ride share to the glacier and museum, both of which we thought were well worth the time. At each port we found local places to eat at with no trouble. I don't think I talked to a single person who thought their excursion was a waste. Even the one that we didn't love was still really good, it just fell to last place because the other two were so fantastic. We did not do the Glacier Explorer, but I did see that those folks were able to get much closer to it than the ship did.

It's not really an excursion for the cruise, but I highly recommend coming into Vancouver a few days early. It's such a friendly, fun city. We especially loved Capilano Suspension Bridge park.

On our cruise, the aft cabins were the last to book up. If you book early, you'll have no problem getting two together. We thought the verandah was totally worth it, especially on glacier day.

My best advice is to invest in really good waterproof shoes that you can walk in. We did a lot of walking/hiking and had amazing weather all but one day, but that one day we all had dry feet. Also, we preferred fleece under a waterproof jacket rather than our puffer coats. Easy to adjust to changing temps and plenty warm.

So helpful, thank you! I think we'll target July, I would like to have the best chance of bears and my son wants to see the salmon jump. I appreciate the excursion info. Which train did y'all do in Skagway? I was looking at the Yukon Rail one.

We're planning on flying into Seattle, spending a few days there, taking the train to Vancouver and staying 2-3 nights there. The suspension bridge is definitely on my list. If there's anything else y'all enjoyed-places, hotel, restaurants, etc, I'd love to hear.

I'm so glad to hear about the aft balconies.

Thank you for the packing advice. Very helpful.

 

[DCLMP]

Very helpful, thank you! We were debating doing a whale excursion in Juneau so I'm glad to know we'll be able to see them without having to book an excursion. There's so many things we want to do/see, I'm having a hard time picking

We typically do late dining as well unless traveling with my sister, then we've done early. Since her kids will be older on this one, I'm thinking we may be able to make late work.

I don't know if you'll be able to see them without booking a whale excursion or if you'll see bears even during prime season. It's really does come down to luck and being in the right place at the right time. I would look for a week with the best price, during the drier months. Nothing is guaranteed when it comes to wildlife.

We got really lucky seeing so many bears in May. I've seen plenty of bears up close when I lived in the mountains. It was nice to see them from a boat and not having to worry about getting attacked. We got a lot pictures and my heart was not racing in fight or flight mode.

 

[Mathmagicland]

I was looking at the Yukon Rail one.

I’d go with Chilkoot Charter Tours, local company out of Skagway, https://chilkootcharters.com/

They will get the last car on the train, which means you can step out on the rear platform for pictures. Get out early and take the train first/bus second option as it is the better choice from my experience. From that rear platform you can get shots of the ship in the harbor as you go up the hill. The bus will get you into the lunch place about 15 min ahead of most other groups. And their smaller group (think hotel shuttle size bus with less than 20 people ) means you can make more stops and skip busy stops on the way up to catch them on the return ride with fewer people. Also, when we did this, they gave the option to drop in town or at the ship; if you choose to get off in town you are let out at the far end of the business district around 0330pm so can walk back and see the town along with a bit of shopping. It made for a great day in Skagway.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

Not sure where you’re flying from but I also traveled with my young kiddo who was around the same age (we’re east coast based) and the late dining time was absolutely brutal with the time zone change.

Even though we had a few days in Vancouver to adjust, it didn’t really help much …most nights she was literally falling asleep at the table.

 

[Disnsyncey]

I’d go with Chilkoot Charter Tours, local company out of Skagway, https://chilkootcharters.com/

They will get the last car on the train, which means you can step out on the rear platform for pictures. Get out early and take the train first/bus second option as it is the better choice from my experience. From that rear platform you can get shots of the ship in the harbor as you go up the hill. The bus will get you into the lunch place about 15 min ahead of most other groups. And their smaller group (think hotel shuttle size bus with less than 20 people ) means you can make more stops and skip busy stops on the way up to catch them on the return ride with fewer people. Also, when we did this, they gave the option to drop in town or at the ship; if you choose to get off in town you are let out at the far end of the business district around 0330pm so can walk back and see the town along with a bit of shopping. It made for a great day in Skagway.

Chilkoot is the WAY to go......I love that last car! And they have tours that go farther than the normal cruise line trips!

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

We're planning on flying into Seattle, spending a few days there, taking the train to Vancouver and staying 2-3 nights there. The suspension bridge is definitely on my list. If there's anything else y'all enjoyed-places, hotel, restaurants, etc, I'd love to hear.

In Vancouver ... Granville Market, Museum of Anthropology, Stanley Park. If you're willing to rent a car for a day or two, the drive up 99 is gorgeous and has tons of places to stop to sight-see or short hikes. Sea to Sky gondola, Shannon Falls, Cypress Falls, beach possibilities. Personally I'd skip Seattle and go right to Vancouver. If you don't want to spend the whole time there, do that drive up 99 and stay a night in Whistler, or else ferry over to Vancouver Island and stay in Victoria for a night or two.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

We took the train from Seattle. Sit on the left for the best views. I think Amtrak is getting new trains for that route which will be nice. Bring your own food for the journey, the stuff on board wasn’t great. There’s a restaurant called 13 Coins just steps away if you want to place a carry out order.

 

[jimmymc]

If your only options are from mid-June to early August, I'd do early August. The very end of August to early September is my perfect time for an Alaska cruise, but I know that's tough with school. Any time in July or August will have great wildlife viewing.

Late dining is definitely preferred. Even some DCL excursions don't get back to the ship until 6 on the later port days.

Aft verandahs are generally in high demand, but it's always worth a shot if you're flexible about the floor and don't need them connecting.

In Juneau, I can highly recommend Alaska Whales & Rainforest Trails (JU34). It's run by Gastineau Guiding. They only sell through cruise lines, not independently, but the groups are small. I think it's a great value for what you get. For 8 people, you could reach out to them directly for a private tour and compare the price.

In Skagway, I like renting a car and driving the white pass route on your own. That lets you stop wherever you want and stay for as long as you want. If you don't want to drive, the White Pass railway and spending time in town is a great day too.

I did the George Inlet Lodge crab feast in Ketchikan, and it was one and done for me. I'd just get crab legs from a restaurant in town instead. The Rainforest Bear Sanctuary is a great option that isn't too expensive. There are also plenty of wildlife viewing excursions here.

If your cruise visits Icy Strait Point, definitely do whale watching there. It's more of a manufactured port and doesn't have as much to do as the other towns, but it's also near some of the best waters for seeing whales.

For general advice, bring all types of clothes. It can be 40 and windy one day, then 75 and sunny the next. Also bring comfortable walking shoes. Hiking boots are overkill unless you're doing an all-day hike on your own. If you want to photograph wildlife, you'll need a long lense. Vancouver is a great city and easy enough to use public transit around. Go early if you can.

 

[Mathmagicland]

, I would like to have the best chance of bears

Re timing for bears, Disney offers a few options out of Ketchikan but they were not offered yet in early July this year. If your schedule allows, I would target late July to early August for best chance to see some. Since you are looking at 2027, maybe reach out again here during 2026 season to see if folks who are going next summer can help you better define the timeline when those are offered. Otherwise you may need to look at a private tour.

 

[holula]

Chilkoot is the WAY to go......I love that last car! And they have tours that go farther than the normal cruise line trips!

I third Chilkoot. We did the full day and went into the Yukon with the train backs and despite the weather it was amazing.

 

[KatieKepic]

I don't know if you'll be able to see them without booking a whale excursion or if you'll see bears even during prime season. It's really does come down to luck and being in the right place at the right time. I would look for a week with the best price, during the drier months. Nothing is guaranteed when it comes to wildlife.

We got really lucky seeing so many bears in May. I've seen plenty of bears up close when I lived in the mountains. It was nice to see them from a boat and not having to worry about getting attacked. We got a lot pictures and my heart was not racing in fight or flight mode.

Yep, we're just trying to increase our chances so we have the best possible odds of seeing wildlife. I think we're going to aim for July. Hopefully we have decent weather and wildlife

That's amazing y'all had such goodlife with the bears! We've only seen them during a visit to Great Smoky mountains and most of that viewing was from the car so I can't imagine seeing them up close without a barrier, I"m sure much more enjoyable from a boat or car!

 

[hardcorestitch]

We're planning on booking an Alaskan cruise when the next release comes out for summer 2027. It will be our family of 4 (teens wil be 17 & 19) and my sister and her family of 4 (kids will be 10 & 7).

We are trying to decide on the best time to go. We are stuck with school/college calendars so we're looking at mid-June through early August. We're mostly hoping for wildlife viewings (particularly whales & bears). From what I read, it looks like July might be our best bet?

For dining, is early or late better for Alaska? Looking at the port times for the 2026 sailings, I'm thinking late to maximize our time in the ports?

Also, room location. How hard are the aft verandahs to get, especially if we're needing 2?

And I know we have ample time to look at excursions but figure I'll ask now to start looking. Any excursions that you loved? Any you'd avoid or wouldn't do again? We prefer to book private and not PAs through DCL. The expception would be the Glacier Explorer. If you've done that one (DG01), what did you think? Worth it?

And anything you wish you knew before you did went? I'll take any advice

I would try after July 4 for sure.

 

[KatieKepic]

I’d go with Chilkoot Charter Tours, local company out of Skagway, https://chilkootcharters.com/

They will get the last car on the train, which means you can step out on the rear platform for pictures. Get out early and take the train first/bus second option as it is the better choice from my experience. From that rear platform you can get shots of the ship in the harbor as you go up the hill. The bus will get you into the lunch place about 15 min ahead of most other groups. And their smaller group (think hotel shuttle size bus with less than 20 people ) means you can make more stops and skip busy stops on the way up to catch them on the return ride with fewer people. Also, when we did this, they gave the option to drop in town or at the ship; if you choose to get off in town you are let out at the far end of the business district around 0330pm so can walk back and see the town along with a bit of shopping. It made for a great day in Skagway.

Perfect, thank you! That is who we were looking at. Did y'all do the Yukon option or a different one? The only thing I was a bit nervous about for the morning option is that at least for 2026, it shows the port time starting at 7:15 and for Chilkoot the morning tour was at 7:30 so I wasn't sure how doable that would be but I would much prefer the morning and getting to wonder the town at the end of the day.

 

[KatieKepic]

Not sure where you’re flying from but I also traveled with my young kiddo who was around the same age (we’re east coast based) and the late dining time was absolutely brutal with the time zone change.

Even though we had a few days in Vancouver to adjust, it didn’t really help much …most nights she was literally falling asleep at the table.

Definitely something to consider. We're coming from TX (central time) and my kids have never had issues with time adjustments but they also don't really sleep My sister and her family are coming from Orlando and I'm not sure how her kids do with time change. Thank you!

 

[KatieKepic]

In Vancouver ... Granville Market, Museum of Anthropology, Stanley Park. If you're willing to rent a car for a day or two, the drive up 99 is gorgeous and has tons of places to stop to sight-see or short hikes. Sea to Sky gondola, Shannon Falls, Cypress Falls, beach possibilities. Personally I'd skip Seattle and go right to Vancouver. If you don't want to spend the whole time there, do that drive up 99 and stay a night in Whistler, or else ferry over to Vancouver Island and stay in Victoria for a night or two.

Great suggestions, thank you! We'd definitely be willing to rent a car.

 

[KatieKepic]

We took the train from Seattle. Sit on the left for the best views. I think Amtrak is getting new trains for that route which will be nice. Bring your own food for the journey, the stuff on board wasn’t great. There’s a restaurant called 13 Coins just steps away if you want to place a carry out order.

Very helpful, thank you!