My best advice as a long time Alaskan resident is don't be afraid to ask locals for opinions. We know all the good eats, shops etc. You will be more likely too to get better souvenirs shopping local too, a lot of local shops support local artist.
That is something we discovered yeas ago when we drove the Alaska Highway. The locals are friendly and will tell you places to see that no brochure or tour guide will but more importantly places to avoid. One of our best serindipity moments was stopping at an off the beaten path little place because we were hot and needed to just grab a drink and sit for a few moments. The waitress/owner/cook/janitor/everything else noticed my professional camera gear and asked about it, when I explained I was a freelance nature photographer and my wife and I had just finished a long hike she mentioned an eagles nest with chicks that could be photographed up close from the window of an old abandoned building. Portrait style photos of baby Eagles interacting with their parents isn't something you get everyday.
I lived in Alaska for 32 years. Regarding the whale watching tours. Keep in mind whales are wild animals and the ocean is vast. While the whale watching tour groups know the migratory patterns of the whales, there is no way anyone can guarantee that a whale will be at the location you go to when you go there. In fact, it’s the same with ANY of the wilderness tours in Alaska. Wild animals are just that...wild and free. While chances that you’ll see the animals your looking for are good, it cannot be guaranteed. So you may have fun or you may feel you spent a lot of money for nothing. Also, Alaska is part of the USA but is detached from it and the climate and terrain are harsh. That all adds up to “life is expensive in Alaska”. Expect sticker shock when you get there. Anywhere outside of Anchorage, the prices can get pretty high. Outside of Anchorage, most communities also add sales tax. Finally, even in the summer, the weather is cool to cold. When you’re on the water (on a vessel), expect it to be windy and cold. Not freezing, arctic cold but cold enough to require a jacket, hat, and maybe even gloves.
I took an ATV tour south of Anchorage. The guide kept stopping and looking through his telescope, saying there were bears on waaaaaaaaaaaaay faraway mountains (probably Mt. Shasta!) But I was more interested in the ATV ride in the backwoods. The big mud puddle was the highlight of the trip for all of us!
Silk long-johns and a light pack able waterproof jacket/vest or merino hoodie plus light weight merino hat and gloves really work in fjords when its misty and briskly windy. UVA/UVB sunglasses help with glare that inhibits seeing at a distance. Good binoculars with a reliable neckband are useful. Cell phone with zoom lens gets good-enough glacier and some wildlife pics
I was on an Alaska cruise last year (HAL). We were the last ship of the season. Port shops were getting ready to shut down for the season. Good prices on everything. Rained everyday. By a stroke of luck, our visit the Glacier Bay it was clear and sunny. Fantastic experience.
But...You can't be respectful of nature if you get on those cruise ships. "Cruise ships have often been described as ‘floating cities’, and as environmental groups have pointed out that they are just as if not more polluting. A passenger’s carbon footprint triples in size when taking a cruise and the emissions produced can contribute to serious health issues. On top of the pollution caused by their exhaust fumes, cruise ships have been caught discarding trash, fuel, and sewage directly into the ocean."
Went on an inland cruise in Alaska 6 years ago at the end of August. We were prepared for the rain and snow, but we had temperatures in the 70's. People who lived there said it was unusual to have that type of weather. We had a blast on this cruise. It was a great cruise. Do not let the weather stop you.
Save your money Just take a trip to homer then go inland see Kenai and Matanuska-Susitna Valley, After 25 years in Alaska, having been in most villages and all cities, I can say those were the most magical places to me.
(I live in homer) if you come to homer just don’t drive like most tourist on a rainy day, they always drive so slow from the rain , like, the rain doesn’t make the road slippery. P.s. I’m glad you liked homer I love living here
Here’s a related tip. Ask your travel agent which cruise lines are sailing 7 days, one-way to Alaska (Whittier or Seward). Then you can either sign up for their extended Alaska tours or rent a car or RV. In Seward you can book a tour to Kenai Fjords National Park (before driving to Homer 😉). Or, fly up, do your touring, then catch the southbound 7 days sailing back to Vancouver, BC.
Nah, man. Ketchikan is pretty nice for light hiking and seeing the Tlingit culture. Homer is just commercial fishing and the Mat-Su Valley is just farm land. There’s better farm land to tour in the Lower 48.
We just came back in early July from a two week cruise in these waters. Our ship did not go into Glacier Bay, for the reasons she states, but we did visit two other fjords to see the Dawes Glacier & Hubbard. We've been to Kenai Fjords so we have seen other glaciers. Dawes was OK but only calved a little. The ride in and out was gorgeous. But the visit to Hubbard Glacier was fantastic. The ship turned so the port side was facing the glacier from about 1.5 miles. For nearly an hour the glacier calved in spectacular episodes. Lots of cracking & booming with big waves coming towards us as huge chunks fell into the water. Several of them appeared to be the size of buildings. The captain said he'd been at this glacier a dozen or more times & had never see it spawn so much ice. He is right about Vancouver and immigration. One tip: since we were staying in Vancouver at the end of the trip, we did not have to go through Customs & Immigration when we got back. We walked right through to the taxi/limo area. We had been warned about the long taxi line so we had arranged for a car & driver. If you can afford that, it will get you out of the terminal in a few minutes and not an hour or longer in the cab line. Our car driver said that Vancouver does not have enough taxis to cover the demand and Sundays around the cruise terminal heading to the airport are insane.
It sounds like we may have been on the same trip.... Hubbard Glacier was magnificent and my favorite part of the cruise. The Captain took several extra rotations to allow passengers on all sides to enjoy. There were many calvings with their thunderous booms... it was amazing. And the Captain told us it was one of the clearest and prettiest days he had seen there in years. Quite a nice treat since much of the early cruise was hazy due to the forest fires on the Kenai Peninsula. We actually smelled the smoke when we arrived in Anchorage airport and didn’t see the mountains around Anchorage until the day we left for Seward.
When we were in Alaska, our helicopter tour was cancelled due to weather, so in the next port, we took a catamaran trip to a glacier island, then hiked for a couple of kilometres, then got into a canoe and actually rowed out the place near where the glacier calves. We even saw a whale from the catamaran! It was stunning. Embarkation in Vancouver wasn't as bad, maybe because we were Canadian citizens,at least compared with experiences in Miami.
As an Alaska resident and a frequent Alaska cruiser (HAL), one thing I recommend inJuneau for souvenir is art work by local artist Rie Muñoz, who is no longer with us. Whimsical scenes of Alaska life are available in all price ranges.
We were able to pick up one of her pieces and an ULU knife and chopping board at the native gift shop at the top of a reasonably priced tram, just off the cruise dock. There is a decent hiking trail at the crest of the mountain at top of tram.
Lived in Alaska 3 years. Can tell ya a cruise is a waste of a lot of time if you are adventurous. Fly into Anchorage and get a car via Turo. Here is your 7 day itinerary: Day 1 (just flew in) - Go get checked into a hotel. Relax from the flight. Go get dinner at Moose's Tooth. Call it a night. Day 2-3: Get up early and drive to Homer (4 hours). Get an Air BnB for the night. Spend two days here and leave in the afternoon for Seward. Day 3-4: Arrive in Seward. Explore the beaches in town and get dinner at basically any restaurant downtown and see the shops. Book yourself a fishing charter in the morning after getting breakfast at the Smoke Shack. Arrange to have your catch of halibut, salmon, rockfish sent back home filleted and vacuum packed. You will be exhausted. Choose to drive straight back to Anchorage (2 hours) or stop in Whittier along the way. Dinner at Coast Pizza or Turnagain Arm Pit is a must on the highway. Day 5: Anchorage. Take a breather. Go downtown and explore the shops. Check out 49th State Brewing. If you have the energy, book a half day brewery tour and enjoy. (There are great breweries in South Anchorage that are NOT downtown - a van tour is ideal). Day 6: Head up to Hatchers pass for a hike. Stop at Eklutna Lake along the way and either hang out or rent some Kayaks. The lake and the hike can be done in one day. Day 7: Have one day just to do anything you want to do in Anchorage. Make this your easy, chill day to get things in order. You will have missed Denali, but that is a 6-8 hour drive and should be a week trip in itself. I feel if you follow that 7 day plan you will have had quite an awesome Alaska introduction. Or... you can be captive on a ship and be hearded like sheep when you port.
@@Yeahoot Victoria's Empress Hotel high tea, handsome cab rides, mansion tours and Buchart Gardens late-in-the-evening walking tour are wonderful and late garden evenings often include fireworks show (when we were there a guy on a nearby balcony played his organ to accompany the firework display); there is night lighting of the garden and pathway -- magical!
Love Alaska I've been to Juneau, Valdez, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Chena Hot Springs, Denali, Talkeetna, Wasilla, Palmer, Girdwood, Whittier, Portage Glacier, Kenai Peninsula, Seward, Homer and many other small towns in between. Mostly when I visit I stay in Anchorage. If you really want to get the full experience of Alaska. Do it by car or Alaska railroad. Anchorage is the largest city and the center to all the great places in Alaska. Fairbanks is the second largest city.The good thing about the Cruise Ship. It takes you to some of the parts of Alaska where you only can get there by Airplane or Boats. Alaska is indeed a vast State that is breathtaking and filled with wonder.
Andre Gilbert Keep in mind, he does videos about cruising. Vacationing and cruising are different. Visitors won’t have time to ride the railroad or rent a car. As you know, Alaska is HUGE and spread out. Anchorage and Fairbanks are 350 miles apart. No one from a cruise ship will have time to travel that distance during their shore day.
My Alaska cruise was magnificent!! I took excursion at each port. Spent 90% of my time outside on the deck always looking. Was surprised only a handful of passengers had binoculars!! Alaska is all about the nature. Binoculars will help u spot it so u can tell someone so it can be announced overhead. Someone at my dinner table spent more on his bar bill than I did on my excursions. Now that was a waste!! My cruise originated in San Francisco, 11 or 12 days the end of May. We only had light rain about 4 hr on one day only. I only needed a light jacket one day. I took thermal underwear (less space to pack & easy to carry). If u don’t care for nature, then don’t cruise Alaska.
I went to Alaska last summer for 10 days and have another trip to Alaska planned for this summer. We landed in Anchorage and had a car rental so we visited Whittier, Seward, Cooper Landing, and Homer. Such a beautiful state.
Our excursion guide in Totem Bight state park told us most shops along the main streets where you get off the ships are owned by the cruise lines (unless there is a sign specifically stating 'locally owned'.) She told us if we wanted to do more local shopping it's best to go in a few streets. That was certainly our experience in Ketchikan. Thanks for the tip about looking for the bear and hand logos - I'll keep an eye out for them if I go again.
Your guide was probably only a seasonal-, non-local hire. She is incorrect. MOST non-jewelry stores are indeed locally owned. Source: Born and raised in the Inside Passage, 25 years in Alaskan Tourism.
its a rain forest, so...the scenery is amazing, been twice and going again this year, its our favorite laid back cruise, plus we cruise in September after the kiddies are back in school...the souvenirs are mostly the same as any other tourist town, just have Skagway on the shot glasses instead of say New Orleans, its still well worth it...thanks for the videos
If you go through the inside passage and you have AT&T I guarantee you'll have service while in port. It can be spotty while the boat goes between ports but cell service should be good in town
I cruised the first week of May ( the first or second cruise of the season with Holland America), and it was absolutely beautiful. We had clear skies everyday, which I was very thankful, since I was really scared of flying in a helicopter. Also, there weren’t many ships in the ports. However, everywhere we went people were surprised about the lack of rain, and kept saying that we brought sunshine with us...
I live in the matsu valley and was just curious to see what people apparently need to know before coming here. I highly recommend visiting Sutton. It's just a quaint little historical coal town.
As a Canadian going to Vancouver for an Alaskan cruise. No one has said where I would encounter US customs. It turns out that it's at Vancouver pier. People should be prepared for that.
I say skip the excursions. The only thing to really excurse to are glaciers, and you seen them from the ship. There is enough to see in the towns themselves to fill up your day, so I don't really see the point in booking an excursion. Also, Hubbard Glacier is a good alternative to Glacier Bay, and is a lot nicer actually.
Another excellent video Gary. I've done two Alaska cruises (Celebrity Millennium, Oceania Regatta) and been to the state numerous times. I agree with your first point emphatically: good weather is a blessing. Always plan for rain. I cannot overemphasize how many passengers are disgorged in major ports like Juneau and how hokey the souvenirs can be if you stay near the docks. Venture further out to see more of the state. I very much enjoyed our Alaska cruise on a smaller ship (Oceania Regatta) as the ports were much more out of the way. I'm an airline pilot as well and have to tell you beware of the Vancouver airport. Customs and immigration can take a VERY LONG time, so if you're starting a cruise go the day before (our standard practice). Your videos continue to set the standard for cruise information. I'm an experienced cruiser and never fail to learn something.
Thanks. Much appreciated and great to hear your feedback. Good tips - and especially on the airport as I agree as have been through a few times and can be really slow......
I just came off of Nieuw Amsterdam--Alaska Cuise. Glacier Bay was beautiful. It didn't rain at all... encountered a little bit of fog during at sea times, but clear and Sunny for the most part. Temps at the ports were in the mid to upper 70s--the locals thought it was hot while this AZ girl was enjoying the "cool" weather..
Sharon at Sea 2 weeks ago it was cloudy for the whole week except for the Friday sailing back. It was very windy in Skagway. It rained there in the afternoon too.
Same here, we had very few rain days. Vancouver port customs is actually worse for Americans I think... when we went through all non US were routed to a separate line but I would say 80% of the people were routed to the US passport line!
I'm keeping that in mind, I've been hearing that a bit. A little rain isn't so bad but I wouldn't like to miss all those amazing views behind clouds. Thank you.
Spot on list, sir. There are some shops with more authentic souvenirs, but they are usually farther away and maybe not as big and loud as the big ones... you know the ones in the coupon books etc.
In 1980 my husband booked an AM cruise with DO A courses for continuing education. I was also several months pregnant. I learned it is no fun to be seasick & morning sick. Because the inland passage is gentle, the open sea travel was more uncomfortable. The ship recommended pregnant woman be seen by the doctor, an additional fee. Glacier bay was spectacular. Embassy was like the old west. The railway thru the Yukon trail educational. Sigma had Russian influence. Ketchikan totem pole and cedar plank cooked salmon. Juneau the least interesting to me, though they converted an old department store into gov't. Offices. We left from Vancouver. While there we took a trip to the Stanley Park raspberry festival.
Some of the native crafts can be pricey, especially the unique baskets made from whale balleen, the plates for catching plankton & krill. There is a BIA arts and crafts board that has information on tribal arts and artists.
Thanks very much for this. I watched Jane McDonald Cruising in Alaska last year and whilst she visited the place you highlight she didn't make these points so it's great to have seen both films.
We’ve done a lot of Alaska Cruises as we live in a departure port city and can get really good last minute deals. Your video is spot on with your advise 👍
Great tips - thanks! I would not have considered the immigration queues and would ordinarily board as early as possible. I’m planning a 2020 cruisetour so your Alaska videos are a welcome resource.
I enjoy your videos very much. They're packed with great information! My husband and I are planning a June 2020 cruisetour to Alaska (probably on one of the Princess ships). Thanks for all your tips.
Perhaps we'll meet there. We are thinking of planning an Alaskan cruise for 2020 too. These videos are making it sound more appealing all the time. I think a cruise will be a good introduction to that part of the world.
Couldn’t help but notice a lack of any video from Sitka. Having spent half my life there, it’s no surprise that Holland America is cutting Sitka out of its scheduled stops. Used to be, a great number of shops downtown were owned by the cruise line and would be shuttered for the fall, winter and spring seasons. Once Sitkans took issue with this and began reclaiming their Main Street store fronts and having more local businesses instead of the H.A. run “souvenir shops”, H.A. Began to cut them out of the listed stops. It’s a shame that you didn’t get to see an Alaskan town with some self respect on your cruise. Sitka is full of history, amazing beauty, talented craftspeople and and an incredible spirit that you just don’t get to experience in the places (effectively) owned by the cruise line/tourism industry. It’s the difference between going to Disneyland’s European cull de sac Vs. actually visiting Europe and experiencing its diverse villages and customs. Visit Sitka! **Please don’t park your tripod and camera in the middle of the street to get “the best picture ever” of St. Michaels Russian Orthodox Church and expect residents (trying to get to and from their jobs, homes, lunch etc.. ) not to... gently... encourage you to get out of the way and stop blocking traffic. It’s really not cool, would you do that at home?** I’ll shut up now :)
Not true. I just peeked at the itinerary for the Oosterdam's 7-day cruises in 2019 and 2020 and they include Sitka... just an example that HAL has not totally cut Sitka out.
In regards to the rain... We took a bus tour of Ketchikan when we were there. The tour director pointed out a nearby mountain the locals apparently use to predict the weather. If you can't see the mountaintop, it's currently raining. If you can see it, it'll rain later that day. And to the WiFi - make sure to bring plenty of memory cards for your camera. We toured from Fairbanks down to Whitter via bus. The hotels had decent WiFi. But once we got on the ship... Someone told me to hit up the Skagway library. They might as well not have WiFi, it was super slow and would drop every couple minutes - probably because too many tourists like me were trying to get on at the same time. They do have a couple desktops with a stable wired connection. I wasn't able to upload any photos from my phone, but I was at least able to check in on stuff.
This is the only cruise I have an interest in taking because the chance of being seasick the whole time and afterward is low. All three of my immediate family members have been to Alaska. Everyone except me.! It is my turn.
If your itinerary includes scenic cruising of Tracy Arm, be sure to check the duration of the scenic cruising if you are expecting to see Sawyer Glacier at the end of the fjord. Our cruise on the HAL Amsterdam (July 8, 2019 - 7 day cruise) had only 3 hours scheduled which did not get the boat all the way back to the glacier. Quite a disappointment for those who were expecting to see the glacier!!!
Enjoyed my Alaska cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam but I did find many of the shops in port to be very generic and the same everywhere you went. My only other complaint was there were not enough things going on during sea days. Other than that it was a great cruise.
We've been on 2 previous Alaskan cruises (and have our next one booked next June) - we LOVE our days at sea. They are the days to really relax, put your feet up, enjoy the scenery - we've never been bored at sea!
Take a small boat cruise. You'll see places the mega liners can't go. Virtually all excursions are included in the cost and you spend a lot of time off the boat.
Thanks. Great to hear it helped and you found it interesting. Thanks for watching the video (please keep watching !) and hope you get to do that cruise :-)
Holland America cruises really push jewelry sales with full time I can't remember what they call them jewelry experts Travel Experts on the ship when you get into places such as Juno, jewelry stores or every other store on some streets. Alaska is beautiful though. We really liked Sitka though it was quite an organized getting back to the ship on the buses. but it is ridiculous how much they push the sell of diamonds and jewelry on the ship and at the destinations. 1 jewelry store told us that they will not pay the $10,000 that the ship demands to be on the advertising and on the map that the ship hands out as people get off the ship for the port
Don't even bother with any of the promos, raffles, contests,or art auctions-- spend your money on a good coastal guidebook and spend your time on deck looking at Alaska and making notes about observation in the book -- yields a lifetime souvenir that helps recall detail of 'the Great Land' You can loan it to trusted friends to encourage their travels.
I have found that our glacier trips are quite good and compare favorably, Glacier Bay or not. Aldo weather, they may be used to compensating for bad weather but our last trip the weather was so bad our dog sled trip was cancelled at the last minute. The choppers could not fly so if you travel to the dog sled start by chopper, you should be prepared fir last minute cancellations and have an alternate activity planed. Making last minute shore excursions could result in not getting your favored excursions. The shore trips fill up fast.
Skagway is a tourist trap! I’ve never cruised but roadtrip over the summers & take the marine hwy. fly in & rent an RV. This way you’ll see grizzlies outside the rescue. It’s sad to see a bus of tourist dropped off in Denali & they’re rushing to see as much as possible in a few hours. Most of the animals back into the back country. I guess if you like cruising but if you want to really see Alaska outside of over priced tourist traps, drive!
I did the Alaska cruise about three weeks ago on the Nieuw Amsterdam Holland America, the cruise and the places like The Tracy ford arm glacier and the Yukon pass was great especially the destination ports of Juneu, Skagway, Ketchikan, the only downside is the cruise companies shoving jewellery, into your face at nearly every stop, and it's sad that these store take up a significant amount of space in the main streets but the experience overall was grand.
Holy crap, excursions are expensive, especially in American dollars. We are from Vancouver and we thought , wait…bears we have em, whales you can often see them on our ferries, eagles well come on its BC….float planes tick……glaciers…tick…beautiful scenery’, tick, rain forest…tick, ……. ok, so we are going for the holiday , the ship and the fun, can’t wait! 🫢
Great Gary....The rain is the biggest one....everyone thinks it's always bright and sunny and perfect weather everywhere...no the brochures don't show that. Thanks for the tips....
Most of Alaskan cruise don't go to Vancouver they go to Victoria ( capital of British Columbia) is one of the most beautiful place of Alaska cruise. DO NOT TAKE ANY EXCURSIONS OR SHUTTLES BUS BECAUSE TAXIS ARE CHEAPER THAN BUS ( Shuttle bus charges per person) and taxi is cheaper when you not traveling by yourself. For example Shuttle bus charge you 13 dollars for downtown round trip. And taxi is 10 dollars for whole taxi one way to downtown. Based on group of 4 you will pay 13x4= 48 in Shuttle bus And 10 each way total 20 in taxi for 4 people. Same applies for gardens and city tours.
To expand on #7, Alaskan cell carriers only use GSM. If you have a CDMA phone like mine, you can't use cell data/voice. I found that out the hard way when I went to Fairbanks. I had to stop at a Sprawl*mart in Wasilla to get an el-cheapo disposable prepaid GSM phone. I still have it in case I go back. I don't know if one can get a GSM SIM card for their phone and just switch between CDMA and GSM that way. Check with your cell provider.
Do not book on the ships. Book local or on the phone. The cruise ships take 30-40% off the top so you are charged more at the activities desk. And the same people will take you out. They will give you a better tour booking local.
Brilliant, as always. Answered and addressed some great points/questions. Here are two others. Always hear that on-shore excursions more expensive with the cruise line. Travellers encouraged to book with on-shore excursion companies. Same trips, less expense. Your expert view? Second point. Ship shown look enormous. Love Holland-America, but are their smaller ships? We recently took Columbia - Snake River Cruise, following Lewis & Clark trail, with UnCruise. Small ship and really loved it. Told they also go to Alaska. Again, your expert opinion on these. Thank you so much for a great travel service! You're the best!
Thanks for watching and great to hear you find the videos helpful. On your questions. It will cost less usually to use independent companies but many prefer the Crusie line option as they will guarantee the ship will wait if there are any delays and they often have someone from the ship on each tour to keep an eye and make things go smoothly. easier also to argue and get refunds if issues as you are right there with the ship. The Holland America ships are about 2,00 and over but do have some smaller ones. there are lines with smaller ships that are mostly costly though to look at like Seabourn, Oceania but also UnCruise do Alaska too!
Tips For Travellers We’ve been twice. Although it was less expensive to depart from Vancouver, I will never do it again. The airport there is atrociously inefficient. Also, the best souvenirs we got were from a local school district which was holding a fundraiser. We got lovely handmade things. We paid the exorbitant cruise line excursion prices for our first cruise, but on the second one just got off the boat and bought our tours directly-at less than half the cost! Thanks again Gary for a wonderful video.
In Skagway you can use the Smart Bus. It costs $2. We took it from town back to the ship. The distance is easily walkable but it was super windy the day we were there ( 2 weeks ago on the 10th of July ) it started raining while we were shopping. Quilters will like the Quilt Alaska store.
Gary my family always makes jokes about the ship going circles during the night. After sailing from Victoria BC at midnight it would only take the Ruby Princess about 2 to 2 and 1/2 hors to sail back to Seattle and yet the ship was still docking at 7am. This happened in 2015 when we sailed on the Grand Princess from Vancouver down the coast. South of the city there is a ferry terminal ( and a coal shipping port ). The ferries cross Georgia Strait to the Saanich peninsula ( 30 minute drive northwest of Victoria ) in about 90 minutes. The ship sailed around 5 pm and docked at Ogden Point south of Victoria around 6:30am. What was it doing all night?
Gregory Pierce No! If he was marketing for the cruise lines, he would not be able to warn us of the negatives or give honest reviews. He’d be simply MARKETING the cruises. Don’t we have enough marketing in our lives already? I want independent opinions, not more marketing.
I wish I could recommend The Tundra Wilderness Tour In Denali. But I cannot. What a disaster! Small older school bus designed for Fourth graders. We were on this bus for 8 hours!! We saw one coyote the entire day! Nothing else. Everyone on that bus was sick with a cold. That night we both came down with fever and chills. We had to miss the next two excursions. So, don’t say you were not warned.
We saw calving and the sheer size was amazing. Soon as the bow was available we went there. Cold but the hot soup and alcohol laced coffee help keep the chill out.
Saying you’ve seen Alaska after a cruise is like saying like saying I’ve seen Europe because I’ve visited Gibraltar for two days. As a lifelong Alaskan, may I point out that your focus is only on southeast Alaska.
Of course I meant by car not cat! Driving in Alaska means beautiful open highways to.dirt trails, It's like driving in Sydney then heading for the. Australian Outback!
That's true of a lot of vacation crap that's out there so what's the point? People take I-70 across Colorado and say they've been to Colorado. People fly in and out of the Chicago airport and say they've been to Chicago. Technically true but a long, long way from saying they've experienced anything about either place.
Thank you for this video! I would not have thought about preparing for rain as you advise here. I agree with you - it looks beautiful even with the rain! Debra :-)
My best advice as a long time Alaskan resident is don't be afraid to ask locals for opinions. We know all the good eats, shops etc.
You will be more likely too to get better souvenirs shopping local too, a lot of local shops support local artist.
Great point and tip !!!
That is something we discovered yeas ago when we drove the Alaska Highway. The locals are friendly and will tell you places to see that no brochure or tour guide will but more importantly places to avoid. One of our best serindipity moments was stopping at an off the beaten path little place because we were hot and needed to just grab a drink and sit for a few moments. The waitress/owner/cook/janitor/everything else noticed my professional camera gear and asked about it, when I explained I was a freelance nature photographer and my wife and I had just finished a long hike she mentioned an eagles nest with chicks that could be photographed up close from the window of an old abandoned building. Portrait style photos of baby Eagles interacting with their parents isn't something you get everyday.
I lived in Alaska for 32 years.
Regarding the whale watching tours. Keep in mind whales are wild animals and the ocean is vast. While the whale watching tour groups know the migratory patterns of the whales, there is no way anyone can guarantee that a whale will be at the location you go to when you go there. In fact, it’s the same with ANY of the wilderness tours in Alaska. Wild animals are just that...wild and free. While chances that you’ll see the animals your looking for are good, it cannot be guaranteed. So you may have fun or you may feel you spent a lot of money for nothing.
Also, Alaska is part of the USA but is detached from it and the climate and terrain are harsh. That all adds up to “life is expensive in Alaska”. Expect sticker shock when you get there. Anywhere outside of Anchorage, the prices can get pretty high. Outside of Anchorage, most communities also add sales tax.
Finally, even in the summer, the weather is cool to cold. When you’re on the water (on a vessel), expect it to be windy and cold. Not freezing, arctic cold but cold enough to require a jacket, hat, and maybe even gloves.
I took an ATV tour south of Anchorage. The guide kept stopping and looking through his telescope, saying there were bears on waaaaaaaaaaaaay faraway mountains (probably Mt. Shasta!) But I was more interested in the ATV ride in the backwoods. The big mud puddle was the highlight of the trip for all of us!
port566 I will be doing an ATV tour this May! Very excited as it’s my first time! 😁
Silk long-johns and a light pack able waterproof jacket/vest or merino hoodie plus light weight merino hat and gloves really work in fjords when its misty and briskly windy. UVA/UVB sunglasses help with glare that inhibits seeing at a distance. Good binoculars with a reliable neckband are useful. Cell phone with zoom lens gets good-enough glacier and some wildlife pics
Thanks!
I was on an Alaska cruise last year (HAL). We were the last ship of the season. Port shops were getting ready to shut down for the season. Good prices on everything. Rained everyday. By a stroke of luck, our visit the Glacier Bay it was clear and sunny. Fantastic experience.
Alaska cruise started lifelong love affairs with this amazing state. I have only this advice for visitors: be respectful of locals and nature.
But...You can't be respectful of nature if you get on those cruise ships.
"Cruise ships have often been described as ‘floating cities’, and as environmental groups have pointed out that they are just as if not more polluting. A passenger’s carbon footprint triples in size when taking a cruise and the emissions produced can contribute to serious health issues. On top of the pollution caused by their exhaust fumes, cruise ships have been caught discarding trash, fuel, and sewage directly into the ocean."
MMD you are right. I said “it started on cruise ship”. 15 following visits were solo, using ferries and local transportation.
Went on an inland cruise in Alaska 6 years ago at the end of August. We were prepared for the rain and snow, but we had temperatures in the 70's. People who lived there said it was unusual to have that type of weather. We had a blast on this cruise. It was a great cruise. Do not let the weather stop you.
Save your money Just take a trip to homer then go inland see Kenai and Matanuska-Susitna Valley, After 25 years in Alaska, having been in most villages and all cities, I can say those were the most magical places to me.
Joshua Campbell do you live in Anchorage?
I agree, Rent a car and drive. Cheaper and so much more to see.
(I live in homer) if you come to homer just don’t drive like most tourist on a rainy day, they always drive so slow from the rain , like, the rain doesn’t make the road slippery.
P.s. I’m glad you liked homer I love living here
Here’s a related tip. Ask your travel agent which cruise lines are sailing 7 days, one-way to Alaska (Whittier or Seward). Then you can either sign up for their extended Alaska tours or rent a car or RV. In Seward you can book a tour to Kenai Fjords National Park (before driving to Homer 😉).
Or, fly up, do your touring, then catch the southbound 7 days sailing back to Vancouver, BC.
Nah, man. Ketchikan is pretty nice for light hiking and seeing the Tlingit culture. Homer is just commercial fishing and the Mat-Su Valley is just farm land. There’s better farm land to tour in the Lower 48.
Went to Alaska on my first cruise. All I can say is LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT It was a very majestic place
It is incredible I agree !
@@tipsfortravellers yes also our first cruise in 1997. The double cabin upgrade was the icing on the cake.
@@emilyarcher873 Saw whales, orcas, seals and plenty of eagles--it was spectacular.
We just came back in early July from a two week cruise in these waters. Our ship did not go into Glacier Bay, for the reasons she states, but we did visit two other fjords to see the Dawes Glacier & Hubbard. We've been to Kenai Fjords so we have seen other glaciers. Dawes was OK but only calved a little. The ride in and out was gorgeous. But the visit to Hubbard Glacier was fantastic. The ship turned so the port side was facing the glacier from about 1.5 miles. For nearly an hour the glacier calved in spectacular episodes. Lots of cracking & booming with big waves coming towards us as huge chunks fell into the water. Several of them appeared to be the size of buildings. The captain said he'd been at this glacier a dozen or more times & had never see it spawn so much ice.
He is right about Vancouver and immigration. One tip: since we were staying in Vancouver at the end of the trip, we did not have to go through Customs & Immigration when we got back. We walked right through to the taxi/limo area. We had been warned about the long taxi line so we had arranged for a car & driver. If you can afford that, it will get you out of the terminal in a few minutes and not an hour or longer in the cab line.
Our car driver said that Vancouver does not have enough taxis to cover the demand and Sundays around the cruise terminal heading to the airport are insane.
Thanks so much for adding all these experiences and tips. Much appreciated as sure they will help other travellers
John Curran. Yes, I appreciate this extra information on top of the original video. 👍
It sounds like we may have been on the same trip.... Hubbard Glacier was magnificent and my favorite part of the cruise. The Captain took several extra rotations to allow passengers on all sides to enjoy. There were many calvings with their thunderous booms... it was amazing. And the Captain told us it was one of the clearest and prettiest days he had seen there in years. Quite a nice treat since much of the early cruise was hazy due to the forest fires on the Kenai Peninsula. We actually smelled the smoke when we arrived in Anchorage airport and didn’t see the mountains around Anchorage until the day we left for Seward.
When we were in Alaska, our helicopter tour was cancelled due to weather, so in the next port, we took a catamaran trip to a glacier island, then hiked for a couple of kilometres, then got into a canoe and actually rowed out the place near where the glacier calves. We even saw a whale from the catamaran! It was stunning. Embarkation in Vancouver wasn't as bad, maybe because we were Canadian citizens,at least compared with experiences in Miami.
As an Alaska resident and a frequent Alaska cruiser (HAL), one thing I recommend inJuneau for souvenir is art work by local artist Rie Muñoz, who is no longer with us. Whimsical scenes of Alaska life are available in all price ranges.
Thanks for that tip.
We were able to pick up one of her pieces and an ULU knife and chopping board at the native gift shop at the top of a reasonably priced tram, just off the cruise dock. There is a decent hiking trail at the crest of the mountain at top of tram.
@@amandareiche9083 Thank you for the nice comment, I hope the Rie Muñoz brings you much joy and memories from my home state of Alaska.
You are correct about going through Vancouver. A real slow pain in the butt. Once again great review.
It is a real pain!! Great to hear you enjoyed the video. Thanks as always for watching!
Well done. So many Alaska travel videos are full of bad information, but yours is right on.
Thanks ! Great to hear your feedback. Much appreciated
Lived in Alaska 3 years. Can tell ya a cruise is a waste of a lot of time if you are adventurous.
Fly into Anchorage and get a car via Turo. Here is your 7 day itinerary:
Day 1 (just flew in)
- Go get checked into a hotel. Relax from the flight. Go get dinner at Moose's Tooth. Call it a night.
Day 2-3:
Get up early and drive to Homer (4 hours). Get an Air BnB for the night. Spend two days here and leave in the afternoon for Seward.
Day 3-4:
Arrive in Seward. Explore the beaches in town and get dinner at basically any restaurant downtown and see the shops. Book yourself a fishing charter in the morning after getting breakfast at the Smoke Shack. Arrange to have your catch of halibut, salmon, rockfish sent back home filleted and vacuum packed. You will be exhausted. Choose to drive straight back to Anchorage (2 hours) or stop in Whittier along the way. Dinner at Coast Pizza or Turnagain Arm Pit is a must on the highway.
Day 5:
Anchorage. Take a breather. Go downtown and explore the shops. Check out 49th State Brewing. If you have the energy, book a half day brewery tour and enjoy. (There are great breweries in South Anchorage that are NOT downtown - a van tour is ideal).
Day 6:
Head up to Hatchers pass for a hike. Stop at Eklutna Lake along the way and either hang out or rent some Kayaks. The lake and the hike can be done in one day.
Day 7:
Have one day just to do anything you want to do in Anchorage. Make this your easy, chill day to get things in order.
You will have missed Denali, but that is a 6-8 hour drive and should be a week trip in itself.
I feel if you follow that 7 day plan you will have had quite an awesome Alaska introduction.
Or... you can be captive on a ship and be hearded like sheep when you port.
Boarding your ship in Seattle means you avoid long lines at customs.
Absolutely!
But... your ship if not registered in the us WILL have to stop at another country or pay a fine. It's a low chance.
@@wizardkitty Yep... itinerary usually includes a stop at Victoria, BC on the way back... but that is fine with me.
@@Yeahoot Victoria's Empress Hotel high tea, handsome cab rides, mansion tours and Buchart Gardens late-in-the-evening walking tour are wonderful and late garden evenings often include fireworks show (when we were there a guy on a nearby balcony played his organ to accompany the firework display); there is night lighting of the garden and pathway -- magical!
The Alaskan State Museum in Juneau is amazing and cheap for the budget conscious.
Child friendly exhibits, too!
As an Alaskan I say good job.
Love Alaska I've been to Juneau, Valdez, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Chena Hot Springs, Denali, Talkeetna, Wasilla, Palmer, Girdwood, Whittier, Portage Glacier, Kenai Peninsula, Seward, Homer and many other small towns in between. Mostly when I visit I stay in Anchorage. If you really want to get the full experience of Alaska. Do it by car or Alaska railroad. Anchorage is the largest city and the center to all the great places in Alaska. Fairbanks is the second largest city.The good thing about the Cruise Ship. It takes you to some of the parts of Alaska where you only can get there by Airplane or Boats. Alaska is indeed a vast State that is breathtaking and filled with wonder.
Andre Gilbert
Keep in mind, he does videos about cruising. Vacationing and cruising are different. Visitors won’t have time to ride the railroad or rent a car. As you know, Alaska is HUGE and spread out. Anchorage and Fairbanks are 350 miles apart. No one from a cruise ship will have time to travel that distance during their shore day.
My Alaska cruise was magnificent!! I took excursion at each port. Spent 90% of my time outside on the deck always looking. Was surprised only a handful of passengers had binoculars!! Alaska is all about the nature. Binoculars will help u spot it so u can tell someone so it can be announced overhead. Someone at my dinner table spent more on his bar bill than I did on my excursions. Now that was a waste!! My cruise originated in San Francisco, 11 or 12 days the end of May. We only had light rain about 4 hr on one day only. I only needed a light jacket one day. I took thermal underwear (less space to pack & easy to carry). If u don’t care for nature, then don’t cruise Alaska.
I went to Alaska last summer for 10 days and have another trip to Alaska planned for this summer. We landed in Anchorage and had a car rental so we visited Whittier, Seward, Cooper Landing, and Homer. Such a beautiful state.
Thanks. Great tip
Our excursion guide in Totem Bight state park told us most shops along the main streets where you get off the ships are owned by the cruise lines (unless there is a sign specifically stating 'locally owned'.) She told us if we wanted to do more local shopping it's best to go in a few streets. That was certainly our experience in Ketchikan. Thanks for the tip about looking for the bear and hand logos - I'll keep an eye out for them if I go again.
Julia Smith some stores on Creek St in Ketchikan had signs proudly proclaiming " not affiliated with the cruise ships" I was just there 10 days ago.
Yes I saw that too. Obviously a hot point for local retailers.
Yes look out for the locally owned and then those logos!!
Your guide was probably only a seasonal-, non-local hire.
She is incorrect. MOST non-jewelry stores are indeed locally owned.
Source: Born and raised in the Inside Passage, 25 years in Alaskan Tourism.
Looking to buy local---take the tram in Juneau--great shopping in gift shop at top--good hiking trails too.
its a rain forest, so...the scenery is amazing, been twice and going again this year, its our favorite laid back cruise, plus we cruise in September after the kiddies are back in school...the souvenirs are mostly the same as any other tourist town, just have Skagway on the shot glasses instead of say New Orleans, its still well worth it...thanks for the videos
I've been to Alaska 4 times and going again soon. I wasn't aware of the bears or hand symbol on local items....great to know, thank you, Gary! :-)
If you go through the inside passage and you have AT&T I guarantee you'll have service while in port. It can be spotty while the boat goes between ports but cell service should be good in town
I cruised the first week of May ( the first or second cruise of the season with Holland America), and it was absolutely beautiful. We had clear skies everyday, which I was very thankful, since I was really scared of flying in a helicopter. Also, there weren’t many ships in the ports. However, everywhere we went people were surprised about the lack of rain, and kept saying that we brought sunshine with us...
I live in the matsu valley and was just curious to see what people apparently need to know before coming here. I highly recommend visiting Sutton. It's just a quaint little historical coal town.
I do too but I'd suggest they take a drive to Valdez.
As a Canadian going to Vancouver for an Alaskan cruise. No one has said where I would encounter US customs. It turns out that it's at Vancouver pier. People should be prepared for that.
Thanks for the tips. Appreciate it!
I say skip the excursions. The only thing to really excurse to are glaciers, and you seen them from the ship. There is enough to see in the towns themselves to fill up your day, so I don't really see the point in booking an excursion. Also, Hubbard Glacier is a good alternative to Glacier Bay, and is a lot nicer actually.
You forgot to tell the people to not stop on the highway to take a picture of a moose 😂
AV TV or say as your family piles out of the car “Hey kids! Come look at the momma bear and her baby!”
Wild animals are wild. They are not like your doggie or kitty at home. Stay away from them and respect their space. This is their home.
Another excellent video Gary. I've done two Alaska cruises (Celebrity Millennium, Oceania Regatta) and been to the state numerous times.
I agree with your first point emphatically: good weather is a blessing. Always plan for rain. I cannot overemphasize how many passengers are disgorged in major ports like Juneau and how hokey the souvenirs can be if you stay near the docks. Venture further out to see more of the state. I very much enjoyed our Alaska cruise on a smaller ship (Oceania Regatta) as the ports were much more out of the way.
I'm an airline pilot as well and have to tell you beware of the Vancouver airport. Customs and immigration can take a VERY LONG time, so if you're starting a cruise go the day before (our standard practice).
Your videos continue to set the standard for cruise information. I'm an experienced cruiser and never fail to learn something.
Thanks. Much appreciated and great to hear your feedback. Good tips - and especially on the airport as I agree as have been through a few times and can be really slow......
Great video great tips, my wife and I will be taking a cruise in 2021 can't wait!!
I just came off of Nieuw Amsterdam--Alaska Cuise. Glacier Bay was beautiful. It didn't rain at all... encountered a little bit of fog during at sea times, but clear and Sunny for the most part. Temps at the ports were in the mid to upper 70s--the locals thought it was hot while this AZ girl was enjoying the "cool" weather..
Great to hear you and a fab time. I would do it again tomorrow if I could... Great to hear mostly clear weather.
This is so true!!!. Alaska's weather can be very unpredictable. We went prepared for rain in May & ended up with sunny warm weather.
That is a great plus! We had the same - very sunny most days...
Sharon at Sea 2 weeks ago it was cloudy for the whole week except for the Friday sailing back. It was very windy in Skagway. It rained there in the afternoon too.
Same here, we had very few rain days. Vancouver port customs is actually worse for Americans I think... when we went through all non US were routed to a separate line but I would say 80% of the people were routed to the US passport line!
I'm keeping that in mind, I've been hearing that a bit. A little rain isn't so bad but I wouldn't like to miss all those amazing views behind clouds. Thank you.
Spot on list, sir.
There are some shops with more authentic souvenirs, but they are usually farther away and maybe not as big and loud as the big ones... you know the ones in the coupon books etc.
Just came back, and you are right on the mark!!
Hope you had a fabulous time? Good to hear you agree I covered the key points
In 1980 my husband booked an AM cruise with DO A courses for continuing education. I was also several months pregnant. I learned it is no fun to be seasick & morning sick. Because the inland passage is gentle, the open sea travel was more uncomfortable. The ship recommended pregnant woman be seen by the doctor, an additional fee. Glacier bay was spectacular. Embassy was like the old west. The railway thru the Yukon trail educational. Sigma had Russian influence. Ketchikan totem pole and cedar plank cooked salmon. Juneau the least interesting to me, though they converted an old department store into gov't. Offices. We left from Vancouver. While there we took a trip to the Stanley Park raspberry festival.
Your videos are the Best! Fast and to the point! 👍👍👍 I live in Alaska .. right on! Yay for adventures.
Some of the native crafts can be pricey, especially the unique baskets made from whale balleen, the plates for catching plankton & krill. There is a BIA arts and crafts board that has information on tribal arts and artists.
Thanks very much for this. I watched Jane McDonald Cruising in Alaska last year and whilst she visited the place you highlight she didn't make these points so it's great to have seen both films.
Thanks. Great to hear you found this helpful. I also watched her show before going so that helped me know what else to add I guess !
I was there last September and it rained one afternoon for a couple hours. Mostly it was sunny ..
That's very good information. We're planning for summer 2023!
I have watched many of your videos. Great tips and info. I booked a Alaska cruise. Thanks to you😊👍
We’ve done a lot of Alaska Cruises as we live in a departure port city and can get really good last minute deals. Your video is spot on with your advise 👍
Great tips - thanks! I would not have considered the immigration queues and would ordinarily board as early as possible. I’m planning a 2020 cruisetour so your Alaska videos are a welcome resource.
Thank you. We are planning an Alaskan cruise next year. These are awesome tips!
Lucky you! Great to hear you found these tips helpful
I live outside Boston. One of the bonuses is whale watching can cost about $50. Humpbacks are humpbacks.:)
2019 we are waiting for rain this year, warm to hot days pleasant evenings, strange but true.
I enjoy your videos very much. They're packed with great information! My husband and I are planning a June 2020 cruisetour to Alaska (probably on one of the Princess ships). Thanks for all your tips.
Great to hear you enjoy the videos. Thanks for letting me know. Alaska is so awesome......
Perhaps we'll meet there. We are thinking of planning an Alaskan cruise for 2020 too. These videos are making it sound more appealing all the time. I think a cruise will be a good introduction to that part of the world.
Couldn’t help but notice a lack of any video from Sitka. Having spent half my life there, it’s no surprise that Holland America is cutting Sitka out of its scheduled stops. Used to be, a great number of shops downtown were owned by the cruise line and would be shuttered for the fall, winter and spring seasons. Once Sitkans took issue with this and began reclaiming their Main Street store fronts and having more local businesses instead of the H.A. run “souvenir shops”, H.A. Began to cut them out of the listed stops. It’s a shame that you didn’t get to see an Alaskan town with some self respect on your cruise. Sitka is full of history, amazing beauty, talented craftspeople and and an incredible spirit that you just don’t get to experience in the places (effectively) owned by the cruise line/tourism industry. It’s the difference between going to Disneyland’s European cull de sac Vs. actually visiting Europe and experiencing its diverse villages and customs. Visit Sitka! **Please don’t park your tripod and camera in the middle of the street to get “the best picture ever” of St. Michaels Russian Orthodox Church and expect residents (trying to get to and from their jobs, homes, lunch etc.. ) not to... gently... encourage you to get out of the way and stop blocking traffic. It’s really not cool, would you do that at home?**
I’ll shut up now :)
Not true. I just peeked at the itinerary for the Oosterdam's 7-day cruises in 2019 and 2020 and they include Sitka... just an example that HAL has not totally cut Sitka out.
Always nice to get good advice from Mr. Beverage.
In regards to the rain... We took a bus tour of Ketchikan when we were there. The tour director pointed out a nearby mountain the locals apparently use to predict the weather. If you can't see the mountaintop, it's currently raining. If you can see it, it'll rain later that day. And to the WiFi - make sure to bring plenty of memory cards for your camera. We toured from Fairbanks down to Whitter via bus. The hotels had decent WiFi. But once we got on the ship... Someone told me to hit up the Skagway library. They might as well not have WiFi, it was super slow and would drop every couple minutes - probably because too many tourists like me were trying to get on at the same time. They do have a couple desktops with a stable wired connection. I wasn't able to upload any photos from my phone, but I was at least able to check in on stuff.
This is the only cruise I have an interest in taking because the chance of being seasick the whole time and afterward is low. All three of my immediate family members have been to Alaska. Everyone except me.! It is my turn.
If your itinerary includes scenic cruising of Tracy Arm, be sure to check the duration of the scenic cruising if you are expecting to see Sawyer Glacier at the end of the fjord. Our cruise on the HAL Amsterdam (July 8, 2019 - 7 day cruise) had only 3 hours scheduled which did not get the boat all the way back to the glacier. Quite a disappointment for those who were expecting to see the glacier!!!
Princess allows time to 'go all the way!'
2022, April. Whale watching in Juneau…..$219 each. Whitepass railway is over $300 each.
THANK YOU so much for these tips! We are heading to Alaska for 18 days on September 10th! (2019) and CANNOT WAIT!!!!
We LOVE Skagway!! Our favorite port!
Nice video. Useful information. It is on my bucket list.
Great to hear ! It’s great line !
Enjoyed my Alaska cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam but I did find many of the shops in port to be very generic and the same everywhere you went. My only other complaint was there were not enough things going on during sea days. Other than that it was a great cruise.
Agree on the shops. There was not loads to do, agree
We've been on 2 previous Alaskan cruises (and have our next one booked next June) - we LOVE our days at sea. They are the days to really relax, put your feet up, enjoy the scenery - we've never been bored at sea!
Take a small boat cruise. You'll see places the mega liners can't go. Virtually all excursions are included in the cost and you spend a lot of time off the boat.
We went on an 1-week Alaska cruise in July of 2017. it rained hard the first 5 days.
Yes that is the big month often for rain .. hope you had a good time though?
It's cold, wet, very crowded and very expensive. But don't let that put you off.
Worth every penny 😁
Lots of great advice. I am really enjoying watching these videos as I havent been on a cruise, but I am planning to do one in 2020.
Thanks. Great to hear it helped and you found it interesting. Thanks for watching the video (please keep watching !) and hope you get to do that cruise :-)
I live in Alaska we have fine phone connections in populated areas
What about Anchorage hitting 90 degrees this summer?
James Garrison
What part of Alaska are you in?
Holland America cruises really push jewelry sales with full time I can't remember what they call them jewelry experts Travel Experts on the ship when you get into places such as Juno, jewelry stores or every other store on some streets. Alaska is beautiful though. We really liked Sitka though it was quite an organized getting back to the ship on the buses. but it is ridiculous how much they push the sell of diamonds and jewelry on the ship and at the destinations. 1 jewelry store told us that they will not pay the $10,000 that the ship demands to be on the advertising and on the map that the ship hands out as people get off the ship for the port
Agree . Same is true on the Caribbean cruises. All the big lines do it and assume the commission is quite lucrative for them .....
Don't even bother with any of the promos, raffles, contests,or art auctions-- spend your money on a good coastal guidebook and spend your time on deck looking at Alaska and making notes about observation in the book -- yields a lifetime souvenir that helps recall detail of 'the Great Land' You can loan it to trusted friends to encourage their travels.
I have found that our glacier trips are quite good and compare favorably, Glacier Bay or not. Aldo weather, they may be used to compensating for bad weather but our last trip the weather was so bad our dog sled trip was cancelled at the last minute. The choppers could not fly so if you travel to the dog sled start by chopper, you should be prepared fir last minute cancellations and have an alternate activity planed. Making last minute shore excursions could result in not getting your favored excursions. The shore trips fill up fast.
Great points and tips !
I went on an Alaskan Cruise in May several years ago. There was no rain and a high of 80 degrees.
Been working in Alaska in various places for 3 years now and it is really hard to be impress with scenery anywhere else.
Lucky you. It is remarkable !
lookup a quick tutorial on how to remove background hiss in your audio with Audacity. makes a huge difference and is very fast. good vid tho
Skagway is a tourist trap! I’ve never cruised but roadtrip over the summers & take the marine hwy. fly in & rent an RV. This way you’ll see grizzlies outside the rescue. It’s sad to see a bus of tourist dropped off in Denali & they’re rushing to see as much as possible in a few hours. Most of the animals back into the back country. I guess if you like cruising but if you want to really see Alaska outside of over priced tourist traps, drive!
I did the Alaska cruise about three weeks ago on the Nieuw Amsterdam Holland America, the cruise and the places like The Tracy ford arm glacier and the Yukon pass was great especially the destination ports of Juneu, Skagway, Ketchikan, the only downside is the cruise companies shoving jewellery, into your face at nearly every stop, and it's sad that these store take up a significant amount of space in the main streets but the experience overall was grand.
Yes, I agree with you about the shopping and all the on board presentations and "advisors". I assume it is a big money earner for the lines.....
Holy crap, excursions are expensive, especially in American dollars. We are from Vancouver and we thought , wait…bears we have em, whales you can often see them on our ferries, eagles well come on its BC….float planes tick……glaciers…tick…beautiful scenery’, tick, rain forest…tick, …….
ok, so we are going for the holiday , the ship and the fun, can’t wait! 🫢
Thank you for these videos
Great Gary....The rain is the biggest one....everyone thinks it's always bright and sunny and perfect weather everywhere...no the brochures don't show that. Thanks for the tips....
Thanks. Yup, rain was the big thing I had not really known about until close to the time. All the brochures should great sunny times......
Thank you, very helpful!!
Good tips, nice and concise. Thanks.
Most of Alaskan cruise don't go to Vancouver they go to Victoria ( capital of British Columbia) is one of the most beautiful place of Alaska cruise.
DO NOT TAKE ANY EXCURSIONS OR SHUTTLES BUS BECAUSE TAXIS ARE CHEAPER THAN BUS ( Shuttle bus charges per person) and taxi is cheaper when you not traveling by yourself.
For example Shuttle bus charge you 13 dollars for downtown round trip.
And taxi is 10 dollars for whole taxi one way to downtown.
Based on group of 4 you will pay 13x4= 48 in Shuttle bus
And 10 each way total 20 in taxi for 4 people.
Same applies for gardens and city tours.
It’s still warm when it rains!
To expand on #7, Alaskan cell carriers only use GSM. If you have a CDMA phone like mine, you can't use cell data/voice. I found that out the hard way when I went to Fairbanks. I had to stop at a Sprawl*mart in Wasilla to get an el-cheapo disposable prepaid GSM phone. I still have it in case I go back. I don't know if one can get a GSM SIM card for their phone and just switch between CDMA and GSM that way. Check with your cell provider.
Do not book on the ships. Book local or on the phone. The cruise ships take 30-40% off the top so you are charged more at the activities desk. And the same people will take you out. They will give you a better tour booking local.
@@jetstream6389 I always book via the ship or the cruise line's web page for that very reason.
Very informative, thank you for sharing
Thanks for Your hints !!!
The rain is awesome weather
Brilliant, as always. Answered and addressed some great points/questions. Here are two others. Always hear that on-shore excursions more expensive with the cruise line. Travellers encouraged to book with on-shore excursion companies. Same trips, less expense. Your expert view? Second point. Ship shown look enormous. Love Holland-America, but are their smaller ships? We recently took Columbia - Snake River Cruise, following Lewis & Clark trail, with UnCruise. Small ship and really loved it. Told they also go to Alaska. Again, your expert opinion on these. Thank you so much for a great travel service! You're the best!
Thanks for watching and great to hear you find the videos helpful. On your questions. It will cost less usually to use independent companies but many prefer the Crusie line option as they will guarantee the ship will wait if there are any delays and they often have someone from the ship on each tour to keep an eye and make things go smoothly. easier also to argue and get refunds if issues as you are right there with the ship. The Holland America ships are about 2,00 and over but do have some smaller ones. there are lines with smaller ships that are mostly costly though to look at like Seabourn, Oceania but also UnCruise do Alaska too!
Thank you!
You been to Alaska? Got any other thoughts about things to watch out to share?
Tips For Travellers We’ve been twice. Although it was less expensive to depart from Vancouver, I will never do it again. The airport there is atrociously inefficient. Also, the best souvenirs we got were from a local school district which was holding a fundraiser. We got lovely handmade things. We paid the exorbitant cruise line excursion prices for our first cruise, but on the second one just got off the boat and bought our tours directly-at less than half the cost! Thanks again Gary for a wonderful video.
Nope... not yet... And, May - is the time to sail there...
In Skagway you can use the Smart Bus. It costs $2. We took it from town back to the ship. The distance is easily walkable but it was super windy the day we were there ( 2 weeks ago on the 10th of July ) it started raining while we were shopping. Quilters will like the Quilt Alaska store.
Gary my family always makes jokes about the ship going circles during the night. After sailing from Victoria BC at midnight it would only take the Ruby Princess about 2 to 2 and 1/2 hors to sail back to Seattle and yet the ship was still docking at 7am. This happened in 2015 when we sailed on the Grand Princess from Vancouver down the coast. South of the city there is a ferry terminal ( and a coal shipping port ). The ferries cross Georgia Strait to the Saanich peninsula ( 30 minute drive northwest of Victoria ) in about 90 minutes. The ship sailed around 5 pm and docked at Ogden Point south of Victoria around 6:30am. What was it doing all night?
You and your channel are AWESOME! Should be the marketing messaging for all the cruise lines.
Gregory Pierce
No!
If he was marketing for the cruise lines, he would not be able to warn us of the negatives or give honest reviews. He’d be simply MARKETING the cruises. Don’t we have enough marketing in our lives already? I want independent opinions, not more marketing.
Great job Gary!
Nice video and information.
Thanks 😀😀
Thank you for this information
I wish I could recommend The Tundra Wilderness Tour In Denali. But I cannot. What a disaster! Small older school bus designed for Fourth graders. We were on this bus for 8 hours!! We saw one coyote the entire day! Nothing else. Everyone on that bus was sick with a cold. That night we both came down with fever and chills. We had to miss the next two excursions. So, don’t say you were not warned.
Great video, very accurate 👍🏼
Thanks 😀
Very helpful video thanks
Thanks. Appreciate you watching
Thankyou peace fellow babies.
I went with HAL Nieuw Amsterdam to Glacier Bay.
Awesome wasn't it??
We saw calving and the sheer size was amazing. Soon as the bow was available we went there. Cold but the hot soup and alcohol laced coffee help keep the chill out.
Looks fab. Gr8 review. As usual Gr8 advice. Hopefully we visit Alaska one day soon 🤫👍
Good advice
Thanks, great to hear!
Saying you’ve seen Alaska after a cruise is like saying like saying I’ve seen Europe because I’ve visited Gibraltar for two days. As a lifelong Alaskan, may I point out that your focus is only on southeast Alaska.
alan swensen the tiniest sliver of our state
Ya I did land and cruise thing. It was very nice but would like to drive next time.
I spent three weeks in Alaska by cruise ship, motorcoach, cat and bush plane and I just barely have begun.
Of course I meant by car not cat! Driving in Alaska means beautiful open highways to.dirt trails, It's like driving in Sydney then heading for the. Australian Outback!
That's true of a lot of vacation crap that's out there so what's the point? People take I-70 across Colorado and say they've been to Colorado. People fly in and out of the Chicago airport and say they've been to Chicago. Technically true but a long, long way from saying they've experienced anything about either place.
Hi Gary, just to go confirm to book the cabin on the post side to sail into passage way from Vancouver?
Very good tips.
#9 (Excluding Tour Shops and other Business)
The regular local people might be friendly but honestly they really don't like you there.
Thank you for this video! I would not have thought about preparing for rain as you advise here. I agree with you - it looks beautiful even with the rain! Debra :-)