Alaska Cruises?

ScreaminSeahawk

I've gotten really close to booking a honeymoon with whitewater rafting in Fiji for under $4000... BUT one side of both my fiance and I is thinking that we could spend half of that if we stay in the US and still find a fun adventure elsewhere.  So I was wondering if anyone has been on a cruise in Alaska... Maybe there are some rock climbing excursions on a nearby mountain (not those ones on the boat).  If not rock climbing, where there any adventurous things you could do once you dock?  Was it a fun trip? How were the rooms you stayed in?  Was it worth being able to see the water from your room or is it worth it to save money with a room inside the boat and save it for other things? 

We've never considered a cruise, but this may be the best the financially to do -- especially since we just bought a house a few months ago.

Thanks for all of the help.  As a guy, I've never heard of this website, but it's definitely been the most helpful part of planning this honeymoon!

sunshine_day_dreams

If you're looking to do the adventurous stuff, I wouldn't do the cruise.  We were in AK this past summer, and a lot of the really cool stuff was outside of the realm of cruise excursions.  To be completely honest, where one cruise ship docks four or five dock and the cities aren't large enough to handle all the people and it gets reaaaallly annoyingly crowded - and those crowds follow you on your excursions.  You're also limited on how far you can go and what you can do because things in AK are so spread out and you aren't docked long enough.

We loved Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Denali for adventure.  In Wrangell-St. Elias you can do ice climbing and get out onto glaciers.  In Denali, I'm not sure about the climbing, but there is some EXCELLENT hiking and really awesome views.  You can also do Kenai Fjords which has a huge concentration of glaciers.  There is a catamaran tour that we took that you could certainly do off a cruise ship, but you can actually hike around in the park if you stay in Seward right around Exit Glacier.  There is pretty good kayaking anywhere along the water and you can find tour outfitters out of most cities.

We spent 3 weeks in AK and spent under $5k, so it's definitely doable and, IMO, a far better experience than seeing AK from a ship.  Check out http://toursaver.com We used this book to shape our trip and it really helped us plan a great trip on a more managable budget.

cukimerrydoll

I haven't personally been on a cruise in AK, but FH's parents went for their wedding anniversary this past June.  They said it was one of the best times they have had in a long time.

They were able to do some hiking, skiing, etc.  I'm not sure about rock climbing, but depending on where in AK you would go, I'm sure you could get hooked up with something like that!

realest8ladie

OK, here goes... I have been on a cruise to Alaska, as a matter of fact it was Holland in May of 08. It was amazing, but the cruiseline itself left a bit to be desired. Carnival was next to us having a blast while we were looking for things to do. As for budget, it wasnt any cheaper for as as we like to have some drinks, go on excursions and played all night, everynight at the casino. This was mainly because there werent any activites after 10 pm pn Hollnad. On the flip side, the excursions were soo much fun. We hopped ontp the Aleutian Ballad, the ship that sank not once, not twice but THREE times on that show The Deadliest Catch on the Discovery channel. That was awesome I must say. We also did some bike tours and saw some great places. We had fun, but we would have taken a more in depth trip had we known all that was there to see. I agree, a cruise to Alaska is great to see whats there, but you have to take a long one or, take a tour to visit. Hope this helps.

ColbyJack13

I have been on an Alaskan cruise previously, and I will also be going again for our honeymoon in June 2010   As previously mentioned, Holland cruise line is crap.  We're going on Princess.  The shore excursions are fun, and if you go early enough in the season (may/early june) then some of the other cruise lines are not going yet and it isn't too crowded.  If you go on the cruise line's website, they will surely have a list of the various shore excursions available for each port, so feel free to take a look and see if you would be interested.  As far as paying for a window.. It is nice to have the natural light in your room, but honestly you won't be sitting in there looking out the window anyway, so it isn't a necessity.  If you want the light but don't care about looking out, you can always get an "obstructed view" room which is cheaper than an unobstructed view (just means there is a lifeboat blocking your view).  Whenever we want to watch the world go by, we're always up on deck or at least in the Windjammer cafe or something rather than locked in our room staring out the tiny window.  Hope that helps   Enjoy!

king26

I've never been on an Alaskan cruise, but I've been on 8 different cruises with 3 different cruise lines, and say, go with Carnival!  Their rooms are bigger then any of the others, they have a TON of excursions, and there are activities all night long.
I've also been in a cabin with no window, a window, and a balcony.  While it's nice to have a balcony to go out on if you want, like the PP said, if you really want to see the water go upstairs and look at it.  Also as the PP said, get an obstructed view and its' MUCH cheaper and you still get the view. Check for discounts-because i live in Maryland my cruise was $200 cheaper then my brother's one year.  They have military discounts, AAA upgrades, etc.  Check into it, it's a fun experience!