I’m going with my family on a cruise to Alaska (The inside passage and the Tracy Arm Fjord) and we leave on Mothers Day. Any ideas on things I should be sure to pack? Things I might want to leave behind? What do I need to know?
We’re travelling on the Golden Princess. I’ll call the cruise line, but does anyone know if I’m able to set up my own onboard account separate from my family or does it have to be the whole room? (I ask because I’ll probably be doing some drinking and I know they won’t and I don’t want them to pay for it)
#1: Pack rain gear. Ponchos, slickers, whatever. It will rain, and it might rain every day. Plan all activities as thought it will probably be raining. Once you accept that, just have fun!
If you’re going to do any hiking, particularly off the beaten path, take a good pair of hiking shoes or boots. A rain jacket is a good suggestion, as Southeast Alaska is temperate rain forest. If you’re just sticking with the tour company’s suggestions, the boots aren’t necessary. Speaking of whom, the company will steer you to shops or restaurants that they are in cahoots with; they get kickback fees for recommending those shops. If you’re into old books, Observatory Books in Juneau has a good selection of Alaskana.
I went in June and never saw a drop of rain, so you may get lucky as well. We really enjoyed the helicopter trip to the glacier, and we had never been in a chopper before. We also liked the totem pole workshop.
I know when we cruised Royal Caribbean, each person could have a separate account - my mom and one sister shared a cabin, but they didn’t share sis’ bar tab. I would assume other cruise lines operate similarly.
Take some good binoculars! You’ll use them a lot. And if you’re into photography, you’ll want both a good wide angle lens (for the landscapes) and a good long telephoto lens (for the wildlife on shore).
I agree that you should pack rain gear. We had great weather, but that was an exception.
Try to book a cabin on the starboard side if you are traveling north, since that is where the land and the scenery is. (Never mind if you have an inner cabin!)
Book early for excursions. A lot of the glacier ones fill up quickly.
Most important thing - travel a day early. We left from Vancouver, and our flight from Oakland to there was very delayed. We had arranged for a trip to Victoria before we left so we were fine, but some people at the airport who were leaving that evening were in serious danger of missing the departure. It is well worth the cost of a hotel room to not have to worry.
As for the separate charges, each person gets a key card, so I would guess that they could set it up, but you’d have to ask. I think our bills identified who made the charges but we got just one. In any case the bills are very well itemized, so you’ll know what you need to pay for.
BTW, this was during the Bubble when I had money to burn, so we did an extra week of interior traveling, which we liked as much or more than the cruise itself. The train goes through some beautiful country. We wended our way up to Fairbanks and flew home from there.
I’m flying in Saturday afternoon and we depart Sunday so I’m good there. Thanks for all the tips! I’m a fairly well seasoned traveller but have never been that far north or done a week long cruise.
The shore excursions which you can book through the cruise ship are much more expensive than identical trips run by local companies at each port. But they are also much more convenient.
And if you are on an organized excursion run by the cruise ship, you don’t have to worry about delays—if you don’t get back to the dock by 5:30 in the evening, the ship will wait for you.
If you are not part of a group sponsored by the cruise ship, you are responsible to get yourself back to the dock by 5:30 p.m. If for any reason you fail to get there on time, the cruise ship will leave without you and you’ll be stranded in Ketchikan or wherever.
Dress in layers with a rainproof layer on top - you’ll probably want to spend most of the day on deck for the Tracy Arm visit - the fjord is beautiful and the glacier even more so!
If you’re not hiking - take an oldish pair of sneakers and waterproof them with the spray stuff. Have 2 pairs of shoes, just in case!
We really enjoyed the following excursions - don’t know if you can book last minute or not (and they’re pricey - but worth it!)
Juneau - Harv & Marv Whale Watching
Ketchikan - Island Wings Floatplane excursions
On Princess, each person has an account, so you’ll be fine. And they don’t need to know what you do.
Them raised wooden sidewalks in Skagway can be damn slippery! The White Pass & Yukon train ride was very cool.
We went on the last sailiing of the season and all the tourist crap was marked down to under half-off. That was cool. I got a nice Alaska hat for like $2! And that was all.
Don’t bother with the lumberjack show in Sitka (I think). Lame.
I did this almost 20 years ago. I don’t remember it raining much, but it can certainly happen. I remember going ocean kayaking, and taking a helicopter ride to a glacier. And beautiful snow capped mountains. Tons and tons of beautiful snow capped mountains in the background.
The last day or two it was sunny and almost warm. People were laying out on the deck in shorts. But most of the trip it was cooler.
I don’t drink, but apparently there’s a fair bit of really good beer on the Alaskan Cruise circuit. So if that’s your thing, make sure you keep it in mind when you’re off-ship.
