Alaska?

[noseybuddy]

Has anyone taken a cruise to Alaska? What month did you cruise and what cruise line did you use? What is the best month (weather wize) to cruise?

 

[Beth76]

I went two summers ago in July. We went on RCI's Radiance of the Seas. Our weather was beautiful--but we were lucky. The weather in Alaska changes at the drop of a hat, so planning around it is really a moot point. I would highly recommend RCI as they are a good middle of the road line. There's stuff for everyone. Great for families and younger adults.

If you're older and not going with kids, you may want to look into Celebrity or Holland America, which tend to draw an older crowd. You'll probably get better service and food on those lines, but they won't have the activities that RCI does. Princess and NCL might be on par with RCI.

Go to www.cruisecritic.com for a lot more information.

 

[BVC4us]

We also went 2 summers ago in July. We cruised on the Holland America Vollendam. What an incredible experience! The scenery is awe-inspiring. We had fantastic weather...quite warm in fact. We swam in the outside pool while visiting Glacier Bay!! Anyway, have fun planning. It was one of the greatest vacations I've ever had.

 

[jazstar87]

i went on Sapphire Princess.. despite my family i had a wonderful time. i am 17 so i think teens would like it but little kids wouldn't really care if they were in alaska or not. My cousin (4 and 6) really didn't like the kids club they thought i was punishment. I kinda like the ship but not like disney though, i really didn't feel any magic....

 

[ilovedale3]

DH and I went to Alaska last year in early May (the first sailing of the year for Princess). We cruised on the Dawn Princess. We had an awesome time! The ship was wonderful and the weather was beautiful. It was still kinda chilly the further north we went (we cruised from Vancouver to Whittier then took the train from Anchorage to Fairbanks). The high was only in the low 40's in Fairbanks, but in the lower part of the state it was between 65-70 degrees each day. The part we liked about our trip was the fact that it was the "shoulder season" so there were no crowds and the rates were cheaper.

 

[Pugdog007]

We're going in June of the Serenade of the Seas (RCCL). We selected this ship because it's new and for the younger demographic (hopefully.) We are 2 adults late 30's and 2 teens.

 

[brermomof2]

We went on RC Radiance of the Seas in early August of 2001. Not only did we enjoy all the amenties of the ship, but we also enjoyed the many land excursions as well. The most breathtaking experience of my life.

 

[noseybuddy]

We're going in June of the Serenade of the Seas (RCCL). We selected this ship because it's new and for the younger demographic (hopefully.) We are 2 adults late 30's and 2 teens.

DH and I are in our early 40's and have two teens. I would love to know how your trip went when you return. Does this ship have the rock climbing, mini golf, etc. like the Mariner of the Seas has. Our family cruised on this ship in Dec. 2003. My kids really liked it.

 

[noseybuddy]

I haven't heard anything bad about a cruise to Alaska. Must be really nice. My DS who is 16 has been bugging me to take this cruise. I think maybe I should really consider looking into it. Thanks for the info everybody.

 

[Lachesis00]

I recommend July or August... mid August is so beautiful in SE Alaska.... (believe me, I lived there all of my life). Fairbanks will be light most of the summer... so keep that in mind. In August it can be in the 80's and 90's! I lived there for 3 or 4 years as a kid.

 

[georgina]

We did Royal Caribbean also, last July, Serenade of the seas. It does have a rock climbing wall and mini-golf. Our family had a great time, would highly recommend it.

 

[fireplug]

We did the Coral Princess late Aug-Early september. We did a 6 day land and 7 day cruise. He loved it, The scenery is breathtaking We were unable toview Mt McKinley but the weather was really good. Just a few gray days and little rain. I have included a link to some of our 1100 pics. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

http://smccabe.photosite.com/Week1/ Land portion

http://smccabe.photosite.com/Alaska2004Cruise



Steve

 

[Laura]

Go to www.cruisecritic.com for a lot more information.

If you haven't gone to it yet, Cruise Critic is a great website for advice if you can't decide on what ship or itinerary; you can ask just about anything on the boards there.

If you and your family really liked the Royal Caribbean experience, then if I were you I would probably go with that cruise line again. We took a cruise to Alaska on the Norwegian Spirit in June and the weather was great--80 degrees most days! (This is unusual; we were expecting much cooler temps.) Alaska is one of the destinations where the cruise lines send some of their best ships. I do think the demographics tend to be older on Alaska cruises, but I can't be positive. But Alaska is beautiful and you will be happy you went!

 

[noseybuddy]

We did the Coral Princess late Aug-Early september. We did a 6 day land and 7 day cruise. He loved it, The scenery is breathtaking We were unable toview Mt McKinley but the weather was really good. Just a few gray days and little rain. I have included a link to some of our 1100 pics. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

http://smccabe.photosite.com/Week1/ Land portion

http://smccabe.photosite.com/Alaska2004Cruise



Steve

Thanks, I enjoyed looking at your pics.

 

[noseybuddy]

If you haven't gone to it yet, Cruise Critic is a great website for advice if you can't decide on what ship or itinerary; you can ask just about anything on the boards there.

If you and your family really liked the Royal Caribbean experience, then if I were you I would probably go with that cruise line again. We took a cruise to Alaska on the Norwegian Spirit in June and the weather was great--80 degrees most days! (This is unusual; we were expecting much cooler temps.) Alaska is one of the destinations where the cruise lines send some of their best ships. I do think the demographics tend to be older on Alaska cruises, but I can't be positive. But Alaska is beautiful and you will be happy you went!

Thanks, I added that web site to my favorites.

 

[becky_AK]

I live in SE Alaska (Junuea, to be specific) and after working in the tourism industry for years and seeing cruise passengers in town, I would say that if you want a good experience without a lot of crowds, go in May. The weather is still kind of cool during this time, but you will get a lot of good rates and last year May was our best month. The average temperatures are better in late June, July & August which are the months that I would visit if I did not live there. It is a very beautiful time to see SE Alaska & the entire state for that matter.

Just be forewarned, the weather in Alaska does change very quickly. It can be sunny & warm one day & rain for 3 weeks straight after that. Don't let the rain ruin your vacation, enjoy it & experience Alaska and all the beauty & culture that it has to offer. I hear so many people complain about rain when there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, don't waste your trip complaining.

 

[m&m's mom]

I went two summers ago in July. We went on RCI's Radiance of the Seas. Our weather was beautiful--but we were lucky. The weather in Alaska changes at the drop of a hat, so planning around it is really a moot point. I would highly recommend RCI as they are a good middle of the road line. There's stuff for everyone. Great for families and younger adults.

If you're older and not going with kids, you may want to look into Celebrity or Holland America, which tend to draw an older crowd. You'll probably get better service and food on those lines, but they won't have the activities that RCI does. Princess and NCL might be on par with RCI.

Go to www.cruisecritic.com for a lot more information.

We were on the Radiance last Summer in Alaska. Loved it!! There were 31 of us ranging in age from 7-72 and income between $80,000 and over a million a year. We all had a wonderful time! I would highly recommend Alaska and Radiance.
We went in July and thought if was the warmest month I did not want to be there in any other month. We have rainy drizzly weather almost every place we went. Bothersome but did not ruin the trip.