Lessons I’ve learned after two Alaska cruises
“Crap”!
We had just returned home from our first seven-night Alaska cruise. Excited to relive our trip, I hurried to download the thousands of photographs from my camera onto my computer.
My heart sank as I looked at the photos. All my pictures were in black and white. Or, should I say, various shades of gray?
I couldn’t believe it!
Why didn’t I check the camera’s settings?
The funny thing was, I didn’t make a mistake. Let me tell you what happened.
Alaska’s Unpredictable Weather (Especially in May)
After leaving the cruise port in Seattle on the Norwegian Bliss, we did not see the sun until the last day of our seven-night cruise. During this last week of May, every day was cold, with misty rain from the low, moody cloud cover.
My pictures weren’t in black and white. The scene was. My camera captured exactly what we saw for six days—gray skies.
Having loved Alaska, we decided to go back the following year. Oddly enough, it was the same week as the prior year, but the weather was completely different.
Our cruise on the Discovery Princess was incredibly sunny every day, except in Ketchikan. And that could be expected, as Ketchikan is the rainiest city in the United States.
The forests were a lush green beneath the brilliant blue skies. The snowcapped mountains were strikingly white. And the glaciers gleamed in hues of blue that we couldn’t detect the prior year.
Unlike our first Alaska cruise, my rain gear and hiking boots spent most of that cruise in our cabin. The weather was perfect! They tell you to dress in layers. Most layers were peeled off moments after stepping off the ship.
Together, the two cruises gave us a more honest picture of Alaska’s unpredictable weather.
I’m glad we experienced the gray, misty version of Alaska first. Had our sunny Princess cruise come first, we probably would have returned the next year badly underprepared for the cold and rain.
So, What Can You Expect From an Alaska Cruise?
The vibe on an Alaska cruise is totally different from a Caribbean or Mexican cruise. It’s chill, literally and figuratively.
Both types of cruises are amazing, and each serves a different purpose for me. Caribbean cruises are a welcome escape from my daily stressors. Alaska cruises offer a sense of adventure.
Sipping coffee on the cruise deck, I could see hundreds, if not thousands, of miles of seemingly untouched wilderness. The rugged mountains emerge from the ocean. There are no palm trees or white sand beaches here. This terrain is tough, and you imagine anyone who lives there must be tough as well.
And unlike the fun in the sun, party cruises, you’ll see a lot of flannel, jeans, and hiking boots!
At the end of the day, your exhaustion isn’t from the heat. Instead, the tiredness you feel is from the 15,000 steps while wearing those boots.
There are no steel drums playing, but you may catch some Alaskan folk music playing while in port.
Tropical cocktails seem out of place there (umbrellas are needed—outside, not in your drink). Instead, beer seems more appropriate for the occasion, or maybe a scotch (served neat).
You’ll reach for a sweater before the sunscreen. But still apply sunscreen! I actually got a little too much sun on our second Alaska Cruise!
And I would have said you won’t see any bikinis, but I would have been proven wrong after seeing a beaver pelt bikini!
What Do I Remember Most About Alaska?
In my opinion, the reason you go to Alaska is to surround yourself with nature. All my favorite memories and stories centered around the landscapes and wildlife.
On our first whale-watching trip, we had a humpback whale breach just feet from our boat. Seeing the huge mammal emerge from the sea and roll over with its fin and belly exposed to us was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
I was thrilled to see a black bear in the snow from our train. Now, understand that was probably as close as I wanted to be to one in nature. But seeing it in its natural habitat was truly special.
And there are bald eagles everywhere! I got very good at spotting their white heads while perched in the trees. Though I could point them out from a mile away, somehow I couldn’t read my menu at dinner, no matter how far I extended my arm! It’s tough getting old.
And one of my favorite sights was a sea lion on top of a buoy, barking loudly and protecting his place from the smaller sea lions trying to join him.
The snowcapped mountains, the deep valleys, the raging rivers, and the spectacular glaciers will forever be etched in my memory.
What Ports Should We Visit?
This may be a controversial response.
It doesn’t matter. Well, maybe not as much as you would think.
If you look at the excursions offered at each port, you’ll notice they are very similar. Whale-watching, nature hikes, helicopter rides, and wildlife tours seemed to be offered everywhere we stopped.
Immerse yourself in nature. It’s all around you in Alaska.
If you want to ride the White Pass Railway toward the Yukon, you’ll need to stop in Skagway. Or a visit to Mendenhall Glacier requires a stop in Juneau. And if you want to go to Glacier Bay National Park, you’ll need to take an Inside Passage cruise.
But honestly, the ports did not factor into our decision on what cruise to take.
If you were to force me to choose an itinerary, I’d go to the Inside Passage to Glacier Bay National Park again. It was absolutely stunning. The landscape, glaciers, and wildlife were mesmerizing.
And before you ask, the cruise line mattered far less to me than I expected. Choose the line that fits your budget, schedule, and travel style—but do not let the search for the “perfect” ship keep you from going.
I remember the mountains and wildlife far more clearly than the cabin, meals, or entertainment.
Alaska is so unbelievable; being there was all that mattered.
But There Is One Thing I Wish I Had Done in Alaska
I actually have many things I wish I had done in Alaska, but some of them were choices I made.
Someday, I would love to kayak to the Mendenhall Glacier. Or ride on a dogsled led by a team of huskies. Of course, I can’t forget a helicopter ride to the top of a glacier!
But instead, I chose other amazing experiences. Absolutely no regrets with the choices made.
But if I had one regret? Two Alaska cruises. Nine days in port.
Yet somehow I didn’t have any fresh Alaskan salmon. Not once.
I gorged on crab (oh did I!). I drank local beer. But no salmon.
So I’ll correct my mistakes next time in Alaska. Less crab and lots of fresh Alaskan salmon!
Is an Alaska Cruise Good for Children?
Our cruise on NCL was just my wife and me. My stepdaughter joined us for the second Alaska cruise.
We were fortunate. She was old enough to appreciate nature and the scenery without getting bored. And she was also old enough to recognize the significance of what she saw.
I think an Alaska cruise can be educational, as well as entertaining, for children. But depending on the child, Alaska could be fascinating, or it could be boring. Some of it may be lost on very young children.
I say that, even though I am considering an Alaska cruise in 2027 with my granddaughters who will be 6 and 8.
Yes, the hypocrisy is not lost on me.
My Final Thoughts
When I’m on a Caribbean beach, with the sun’s warmth kissing my skin, I typically think of how grand life is.
In Alaska, with the spectacular mountains, forests, and shorelines in view, I take another sip of coffee, breathe in that fresh air, and just feel grateful for life.
I’ll visit Alaska again, hopefully soon. Maybe on a cruise, or maybe by train. Who knows? There is just something about Alaska that keeps calling me back. Maybe it’s the salmon?
I am humbled by its grandeur.
Alaska’s striking beauty, from what I’ve experienced so far, can only be compared to New Zealand—and that’s probably the greatest compliment I can give.
