Alaska is a highly desirable place to travel, but it can be a challenge to plan a trip out there. Some of the best things to see and do in this beautiful state are only accessible by water! We are by no means experts, but we will advocate that going on an Alaskan cruise is a great way to get a taste of The Last Frontier.
I will be the first to admit that I had qualms about going on any sort of cruise. Ray had been on a cruise prior to this one, but I had not, and I prefer to control my own destiny while on vacation. I really wasn’t convinced a cruise was going to be a good fit for me. This trip was a little different though, because it wasn’t one we planned. This Alaskan cruise was my first ever trip with Ray’s family. I love my in-laws, and we were going to Alaska, so the benefits far outweighed my discomfort. We vowed to make the most of this experience – and oh did that pay off!
Alaskan Cruise Overview
We set sail on the Royal Princess for our 7-Day Voyage of the Glaciers. The ship was much bigger than I was expecting! Our journey was southbound, from Anchorage (Whittier) to Vancouver. Ancorage isn’t actually on the water, so we gathered with others on our cruise and rode a bus for about an hour and a half to the port in Whittier.
Itinerary (Southbound)
- Departure: Anchorage (Whittier), Alaska
- Scenic Cruising: Hubbard Glacier, Alaska
- Scenic Cruising: Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
- 1st Port: Skagway, Alaska
- 2nd Port: Juneau, Alaska,
- 3rd Port Ketchikan, Alaska
- At Sea
- Arrival: Vancouver, BC, Canada
At each port, you can either go explore the town on your own, stay on the ship, or choose to do an excursion (extra cost). We highly recommend choosing shore excursions for every port, as this is how you truly get a taste of Alaska!
The Staterooms
I fully expected a tiny, crammed room, but the room was surprisingly comfortable! It was by no means large, but there was enough room to not feel claustrophobic during the short amount of time we would spend in there. The shower was tight, but I got used to it. Housekeeping came every day, which I think helped to make the space feel more comfortable.
Onboard Experience
For as many people as there were on the ship, it rarely felt crowed. There were lots of amenities, activities, and space for us to gather and play games or relax. I really enjoyed the cleanliness, service, and offerings on this cruise. I was worried there would be too much down time, but this really wasn’t the case. There were nature talks, shows, a casino, hot tubs, and plenty of other things to keep us all busy in our limited free time.
Food & Drink
Now is a good time to mention that we were traveling with a group of 9. Ray comes from a big family, so this was nothing to him. I, however, am an only child (don’t worry, I am getting used to the mild chaos now). As fun as it is to be with the whole crew, this means everything takes longer and is more complicated. Having since been on a trip with more than 9 members of Ray’s family, I can tell you that being on a cruise made so many things easier, but especially one thing: meal time.
Breakfast
Breakfast was buffet style, and we didn’t always eat this meal together, since we often split up for excursions with varying departure times. We found that they had a vast expanse of breakfast offerings that were both tasty and filling. There were plenty of healthy options, and the choices seemed to vary slightly from day to day.
Lunch
Lunch was available in the form of casual dining, which meant at a few different locations on the ship, we could walk up and order anything from pizza to pub food at no additional cost. Not everything is included, but a huge portion of what you would want to have for lunch is included in the cost of your cruise. Sometimes, we weren’t even on the ship for lunch, and it was instead a part of our excursion for the day.
Dinner
We had an assigned table and an assigned dinner time, which allowed us to know exactly where and when we were eating every night. Taking this conversation off of the table certainly saved us from some anguish. Dinner was something we all looked forward to every night. Some nights were formal, and our attire and the menu reflected the vibe. We shared our stories of the day over some delicious food! You are also able to dine at one of the many specialty restaurants onboard for an additional charge, but this might be worth it if you want to switch things up. Yes, we had dessert every night.
Overall the food on our Alaskan cruise was much better than I was expecting, and it was dangerously accessible. Room service was an option for any meal. No matter when we were hungry, we could find something good to eat!
Alcohol
Booze wasn’t technically included in the package we had, but we did receive some complimentary drinks. We also each had onboard credit that we were able to use for alcohol (or other specialty items). I don’t have any complaints about the amount of alcohol we were able to get our hands on.
Highlights
The day the ship sailed through Glacier Bay National Park was my favorite day on the entire trip. Only some cruise lines have clearance to do this, and ours was one of them. Because this is a protected area, park rangers had to meet our ship and hop on board as we entered the park!
Glacier Bay was beautiful, though at moments I feared the icebergs were getting a little too close for comfort. We saw something our children and the generations to come may never get the chance to see: glaciers. The park rangers on board told us all about the history and geology of these glaciers as we sailed through a magnificent passage of some of nature’s finest work. This ecosystem is delicate, and the National Parks Service is working to protect the many glaciers that are at serious risk due to global warming. The ship stopped at the Margerie Glacier, a massive, beautiful glacier. We even saw “calving”, or when ice chunks break off the front of the glacier, which was awesome!
So, what’s the weather like on an Alaskan cruise?
It’s no beach, I will tell you that. If you bring appropriate clothing, the weather is no big deal. We went in August, and there were some beautiful days and some rainy days, but the daytime temps were consistently in the 60s. That said, you should expect the temperature to fluctuate 30 degrees on most days. In the morning and once the sun goes down at night, it can be quite chilly! The views from the deck were some of the best parts of this cruise, and we would have been miserable if we weren’t dressed appropriately. Pack wisely and bring lots of layers!
Final Verdict
Our Alaskan cruise was a trip I will always remember. I don’t think we will ever become frequent cruisers, but I did thoroughly enjoy my experience on the Royal Princess. A cruise is a great way to see some of the best parts of Alaska with minimal effort. I think Ray and I will go back to Alaska one day, and we have this cruise to thank for that!