Alaska?? am wondering if I should do just a cruise - and if I do a cruise which places should I try to get to see ?? and which places aren't worth seeing? OR.. should I do a rail trip (Canada) from VanCouver that goes to Komloops, Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff and Calgary?? anyone ever been to these areas??
Anyone ever been to ...
- Thread starter JLS
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RPMDAD
Well-Known Member
Never been there myself, heard cruises are nice but i do remember my dad went ther on a business trip one time for about 10 days, it was during Alaska summer whenever that is and he said he loved it, the scenery the people and the places, he always told me he liked it much better than Hawaii which he had taken my mother to one time on vacation and just thought that Hawaii was just a big tourist trap. Just my .02.
Jim
That sux!
I've heard its truly a beautiful place (Alaska).. I've always wanted to go to Hawaii but I keep hearing how expensive it all is and yeah the scenery, the beach, the volcano's and all thats great but they said other than that its not a whole lot to do there.. ???
aps45819
24/7 Single Dad
What exactly do you expect to do when you travel to a scenic area?
The concept is to look at the scenery
I lived in HI for several years in the 80's and it was very expensive then.
A basketball sized watermelon at a roadside stand was $20. I spent a lot of time swimming/diving/surfing.
If you go on a cruise to Alaska, expect the highlight to be standing at the rail looking at the scenery. If you just want to drink and gamble there are a lot of other places to do it for less $$$
Is there any places I should skip getting off at the ports on the cruise? What about Lake Louise and Jasper? I hear they are very beautiful to see.. or aren't there like a rail/cruise type thing where U cruise and then u get off and train it for a few days as well??
Not interested in drinking/gambling, and thats what balcony's are forWhat exactly do you expect to do when you travel to a scenic area?
The concept is to look at the scenery I know that...but theres also museums, and other places on land to see as well..
I lived in HI for several years in the 80's and it was very expensive then.
A basketball sized watermelon at a roadside stand was $20. I spent a lot of time swimming/diving/surfing.
If you go on a cruise to Alaska, expect the highlight to be standing at the rail looking at the scenery. If you just want to drink and gamble there are a lot of other places to do it for less $$$
bobbyb
New Member
Each Port of Call has their own big tour attraction. In Anchorage it is the Denali Park http://denaliparkresorts.com/. In Juneau the the big deal is the Red Dog Saloon and the Mendenhal Glacier. Then there is Glacier Bay http://glacier-bay.gsfc.nasa.gov/. In Scagway there is the White Pass Railroad (a must see) http://www.whitepassrailroad.com/. Do a Google search for alaska tour and see all the great places to visit.
When you are picking a cruise you need to look at all of the cruise lines (at least a dozen) and decide which cruise line and which cruise you want. NCL has ships that are regestered in the US so thay can leave from a US port and return to a US port without stoping in Canada. The rest must leave a from Canada and end in the US or some combination of that.
The cruises run from May to Sept. It is too cold and too much snow to do anything in the winter. The mid summer cruises have problems with fog and haze on all the mountins, because they are still snow covered and the weather is warm, well relatively warm. The wales are up there in the late spring and summer. Spent the extra bucks and get a balcony cabin you will be glad you did.
NCL has "Free Style Dining" which means you can eat in any restaurant on the ship at any time that you want. We really liked it that way. The ship we were on had 22 restaurants including the main dining room. We never waited more that 10 minutes, and that was only once during the whole cruise.
Go through a GOOD travel agent like Wagonut (American Express) they will not cost you anything and will make your life much better. Most of the cruises are booked 6 to 8 months in advance but the Travel Agencies book blocks of rooms and may be able to get you in earlier.
You are looking at about $5 grand for air fairs and cruise for two. But it is well worth it. I would do it again in a minute if I could.
There are other ways to see Alaske including a train that takes you through Canada and Alaska then hooks you up with a cruise back down the coast.
Do the reasearch it will be well worth it.
Bob
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BadGirl
I am so very blessed
Although we didn't go to Alaska, we did recently return from an NCL Trans-Atlantic cruise. It was wonderful! Please, splurge on a balcony cabin, or try to upgrade to abalcony suite. We were on the aft (back of the ship) in a Penthouse balcony suite, and it was a perfect location....the sights were amazing, and best of all, the sunsets were unobstructed and gorgeous.
Go to this site to check out Alaska cruises, Alaska ports, excursions, and Alaska points of interest. You definitely need to establish an account to post, but I think that you can lurk on that site without setting up an account.
Alaska Cruises, Alaska Cruise Reviews - Cruise Critic
Go to this site to check out Alaska cruises, Alaska ports, excursions, and Alaska points of interest. You definitely need to establish an account to post, but I think that you can lurk on that site without setting up an account.
Alaska Cruises, Alaska Cruise Reviews - Cruise Critic
Cool, Thanks!
bobbyb
New Member
That's right. Try http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/home.html for cruise schedules and everything you want to know about the ships and staterooms. September is a good time but there are no whales and it can be cold and snowing. You will need heavy clothing and heavy coats. That will increase your baggage weight. Remember you are over a thousand miles north of Seattle, Wash.
I believe that they only have cruises for two or three weeks in September. But the Tourists Traps will be having last cruise of the season sales and some of the prices can be very good. The big gimmick with every town is the jewelry stores and they are everywhere. At the end of cruise season they close up shop and move to the Caribbean for the winter. So it is the same jewelry and the same people in both places.
The side trips fill up fast so book them as soon as you book the criuse or you may not get them. There are times when 3 or 4 criuse ships hit the same town at the same time. thats 3 to 4 thousand people pouring into the town so book early, at least 6 months early. Whats amazing is the towns can handle the load with out any trouble.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com
fficeffice" /><o></o>It is best to book all your side trips and excursions through the cruise line. That way if the side trip is late getting you back to the ship the ship has to wait for you. If you book your own side trips with out the cruise line’s involvement they will leave you if you are late getting back and you have to catch up to them on your own at your expense. We were late getting back from a seaplane tour of the Tongas National Forest from Ketchikan. There the ship was when we got back, waiting for us. You should have seen some of the looks the crew gave us when we got on the ship. But they were still very nice to us.
Bob
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Penn
Dancing Up A Storm
I've been there twice, while I was in the military. beautiful place, no doubt.
Once, in 1971, 400 miles west of Anchorage(in the middle of nowhere!), and in 1973, about 25 miles northwest of that site. Ok, out in no man's land!
But, is it beautiful? Hell yes! Please bring along ample supplies of skeeter repellent. Yes, they will eat you up!
Once, in 1971, 400 miles west of Anchorage(in the middle of nowhere!), and in 1973, about 25 miles northwest of that site. Ok, out in no man's land!
But, is it beautiful? Hell yes! Please bring along ample supplies of skeeter repellent. Yes, they will eat you up!
tes218
New Member
We took the Inside Passage cruise on our honeymoon. Absolutely breathtaking. If at all possible, get a room with the balcony. We took Princess cruiseline and they have private balconies. If you have the time/money, also take the Cruisetour via train to Denali. It adds a few days but worth it. We left from Vancover and docked at Anchorage (Whittier). You can get a free DVD and booklet showing all of the places, dates, etc at Princess Cruises : Official Cruise Line Website.