This is one of the best travel videos I've ever seen. Why? Because it was just two nice humans talking to other humans. No big egos. Just two people sharing their experience and trying to help others make the best of their trip. Thank you!
Thanks so much. That just made my day! That is exactly why we started the channel. It is just us being us trying to help people based on our experiences. Emma & Jack
Well said! I love watching travel videos for tips and advice but cringe at so many that our more about them and their instagram vibe. Thanks Lindsay & Jack!
I'm a lifelong Alaskan and when my parents celebrated their 50th anniversary our entire family cruised from Vancouver, BC to Seward. It was early August and we had rain every day. Bring a rain coat, puffy coat, hat and gloves. It's cold outside when the ship is moving. Alaska is incredible. The best things that we've done as locals are wildlife cruise out of Seward and flight seeing tour from Talkeetna to the Ruth Gorge/and or Denali. The Ruth Gorge is at the base of Denali. I've climbed Denali twice and that flight is the most incredible you will ever experience.
I'm getting chills hearing someone else say that flight to Ruth gorge was best experience of my life!!!! Tied with it was a float plane we took from Hamilton Island Australia and landing on Whitehaven beach in the great barrier reef!!!!!!!!
I love Alaska, too. I'm a full-time Alaskan and every day I get to love Alaska and the most amazing views... 360° no matter the season. I'm glad you love it too.
I have sailed to Alaska 4 times so far, always out of Vancouver even though we live in Seattle. 1st 3 were on Holland America who essentially pioneered trips to Alaska and therefore gets the best docking spots at the busiest ports (Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway). Last year we decided to try an Alaska cruise on Cunard's Queen Elizabeth. Cunard (as well as Holland America) are owned by Carnival. For me it was THE best cruise of the 4 specially because of the 10 days RT itinerary with stops at several of what one might call the outlier Alaska destinations such as Sitka, Icy Strait Point (incredible whale watching here) and Skagway as well as visiting both Glacier Bay and Hubbard glacier. Of course we also had "obligatory" stops in Juneau and Ketchikan and a lot of sightseeing sailing the Inside Passage. Service is outstanding, food is amazing and pricing was in line with Holland America, Celebrity, Caribbean, Princess, etc. If you long for a taste of the "old days" of grandiose cruising you can get all decked out 2 nights (both are days at sea) with full gala dressing and enjoy a full orchestra and ballroom dancing. Contrary to popular belief this is not obligatory. If you want to be really "snotty" you can book the higher priced suites and you will have use of an exclusive lounge area, outside deck and dining room. Sounds somewhat akin to the Haven on NCL. The QE herself is the same layout as the 2,000 passenger Holland America ships and the cabins are very nicely appointed. The entire maritime crew and most of the passenger customer service folks are British. The support crew is similar to other ships, mostly from Indonesia, Phillipines and Eastern Europe. Most of the passengers were British or Canadian along with a smaller number of folks from Japan and China. Surprisingly, we ran into few Americans on the ship. We saw few children onboard and really didn't notice a lot of onboard activities geared to them (like you have on Caribbean or Disney ships these days). For folks going with out kids, I highly recommend this line and ship and be prepared for very British things such as grand staircase (you can get awesome pics here), a fabulous grand ballroom along with outdoor shuffleboard and of course croquet. Best of all though was their fish and chips (best I've ever had) only served at lunchtime at the Pub - and - their afternoon tea service, a real spectacle in itself.
I was on the QE in early Sept. of this year and pretty much echo your sentiment about the grandness of it. We especially loved the entertainment the 13 days on board. Only disappointment was not getting to stop in Skagway for the White Pass Rail excursion due to high winds. That was what we most looked forward to. There were 7 of us on the trip and none of us actually loved the menu and food onboard. The specialty restaurant was very good but you pay extra for those meals. We boarded ship out of Vancouver so we spent 2 days there sightseeing before getting on the ship. Loved Vancouver and Victoria Canada, BC. We opted to get off the ship cruise in San Francisco instead of Vancouver, caught the red eye home to SC.. That gave us 10 hours to tour the city. Overall great trip, Alaska was breathtaking but ports only so,so.. Glad I went on the Alaskan cruise but probably would not go on another one though many people do.... I have too many other places I want to visit.
Thank you so much for this comment. We are British expats living in BC and we miss our culture so much we plan to return to the UK in the next few years. We do however want to see Alaska before we leave Canada, so we will definitely look into this cruise.
Every cruise I’ve taken has brought experts on board the ship to give lectures and narrate the visit to the different glaciers. I’ve visited all of the glacier stops on many cruise lines and Hubbard Glacier is far an away the most impressive in my opinion.
We’re a retired couple and are taking our first cruise in September-to Alaska. We never dreamed we’d get to see Alaska, but a travel agent in our community got a really great group deal. We will be going on Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas on Sept 2, 2024, and we’re so excited!
That is amazing. We are happy for yal and hope you have an amazing time. In a couple weeks to end our Alaska series we will have a video all on Excursions at the different ports. Emma & Jack
@@lindsayslivealittle so, thanks for such a quick response. I’ve been watching all kinds of videos on cruising Alaska, and I find your videos to be fun, interesting and informative. We have the train excursion booked and a whale watching excursion. We did get a balcony room, and after your video, that confirms that we made the right choice. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your videos.
We went to Alaska last summer in our RV. It was the experience of a lifetime! As much as you seem to love Alaska you really should either purchase an RV and drive there or fly there and rent an RV in Alaska. We saw the ships from the cruises and realized how little of Alaska you would see if cruising. We plan to do a cruise to experience it, but I would encourage you to try it our way. You will not be disappointed! You can see so much more driving. It’s truly breathtaking and so worth it! We enjoyed your video.
This was my dream until I actually drove in the mountains. After a 20 day drive through California, Oregon and Washington I wouldn’t do it again. I never knew I had a fear of heights but it was really bad. I’m glad we did a trial run before buying a RV.
On our first trip to Alaska we actually did a roadtrip ourselves and had an amazing time. Driving up to Alaska and the summer camping around is on our bucket list now!
I have went camping to Alaska 3 times drove are RV into Canada and that drive was amazing and then to Alaska we went to 4 of the islands we just took the boat over they but are RV right at the bottom and you could get a room or sleep under on lounge chairs they had heaters it was open but had room and side you can sleep under the stars I mean priceless try it if you can God bless us all 🙏❤️🙏❤️
@@zebratroopfan6695 We took our little Winnebago to Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, Devils tower and Yellowstone. The only trip of horror was entering Yellowstone via the north west entrance by mistake. We rode on the side of a mountain up up and up. White knuckled driving doesn't describe the terror we both felt seeing the drop off just feet from our SUV. I was singing Nearer my God to Thee the whole 3-4 miles. Once off that mountain we both said never again. I do not have a fear of heights but fear of narrow lanes. Thank God nobody came by going the opposite direction. So this year, 2024 we're taking our little Winnie to Smokey Mountain with a stopover in Shannondoah National Park. We've been to Shannondoah before so know the road, Skyline Drive is up up around and around the mountain to Big Meadown campground which is high up to the mountain top BUT....the road is WIDE, Very WIDE. No problem. p.s. I did feel badly for the people hauling 5th wheels and motorhomes. Crazy!!
We cruised to Alaska on Princess in 2015 and loved it. Had a fabulous bus tour into the Yukon out of Skagway on a crystal clear day. Also went Salmon fishing out of one port and just a town tour in another. We cruised Glacier bay too. Best day ever! We loved Alaska so much that we drove the Alaskan Hwy. the next year and did our own 5 week trip from MN all the way to Prudoe Bay. We are ready to go again!
Hey everybody in the comments or looking to go up there. Look into the alaska state ferry system. You can take your van. At any time of year. You could literally spend months. You can go as fast or slow as you want. You can get so close to the shore that you can throw a rock and hit the shore. You could keep supplies in your car and sleep in a tent on the deck of the ship. 1000 percent totally worth it. You could go one way up there and thendrive back. Through Canada of course. But if you want total access, take the blue canoe. Seriously if you want to go to AK for what's there not the gltz and glamor of a cruise ship go with the ferry. Halfof the people on the boat will be locals. Great conversations.
Loved our NCL Alaskan cruise last May before the mosquitos really came out. Loved Juneau & Skagway, but thought Ketchikan, while cute, had soooo many jewelry stores with the "callers" out front trying to get you into their shops. I came to call it, affectionately (kind of), as the "Ensenada of Alaska."
I am going next June with my wife. So chilly, rainy, bloodthirsty giant mosquitoes, tourist traps, it won’t get dark and lots of walking. Got it. Thanks!
We have cruised the inside passage on Holland American, and done an independent land trip by flying to Anchorage and renting a car. As the content creators mentioned, a land tour was also our favorite. Driving in Alaska is easy and you see so much more of what you think is the "real" Alaska. We went Memorial Day week, right before summer prices kicked in. The weather could be coolish, but we weren't bothered by the mosquitoes. My brother just did a van tour of Alaska and they did mention the huge mosquitoes, that they will not miss. In late May, daylight was about 20+ hours a day, so long days to tour. We drove to Denali NP, took a flightseeing trip to the climber base camp, hiked in the park, visited several husky kennels and saw tons of wildlife of all kinds. Clear views of Denali. Stayed at the Princess cruise lines hotel, nice. Also an excellent lodge in Talkeetna. Then drove down to Kenai Fjords NP and Seward for several days. Took a great day trip on a boat with a NP ranger narrating; again saw lots of wildlife, glaciers calving. Stopped to walk on Exit and Porter glaciers. Ate lots of local seafood, fresh strawberry pie. Dined at a Wine Spectator award winning restaurant in Anchorage. Visited the local park highlighting the 1964 earthquake. We did none of this on the cruise. If you like cruising for its own sake, do that. If you want to see the best of Alaska that is not tourist towns and jewelry shops, fly and drive yourself.
As a travel agent specializing in Alaska, I agree with you. I prefer to cruise myself for personal reasons which I will not get into her for sake of brevity. I also won’t add to what you stated as your comments were perfect. However, 2 things to consider are budget and time. If you have a lot of both, do your option. Not everyone has an unlimited (or grand) budget and most Canadians are limited to 2-3 weeks of vacation annually - this means many of us will only go for 7-10 days at a time due to work limitations or taking 2-3 one week holidays per year rather than going all at once. Few people have those options. Furthermore, not everyone wants to drive or camp. Agreed that you only get a glimpse of Alaska on a cruise but ditto for going to a conference for a week in San Antonio and only having time to see the River Walk - can’t claim that you’ve visited all of Texas but it is what it is. People have a right to choose what they want to do and have to have the time and financial budget for it.
My last Alaska cruise was on Celebrity in May 2019,the weather was in the 80's...no need to get off the ship if you have been there before and got off at the ports and did some of the main tours...will be going back in June and as usual will chill out on the balcony and enjoy the view sipping wine...
We went on our first Alaskan cruise last September. We loved icy Point Straight because it was more authentic! We were shocked when we got off in Juneau and Ketchekan and saw Del Sol, Diamonds international etc.... It just turned us off. You really must get off the beaten path! One more thing to stress.... bring a warm weather coat and layers, whatever time of year you go! We are from Northern Ontario Canada and know winter weather and were fully prepared! But seeing some of these people struggling with just sweatshirts broke my heart!! Great informative vid for first timers!!
I have never thought seeing Alaska by cruise was a good idea. I lived there for three years and I know that it's so much better to just go there and drive around.
Uncruise Adventures is the best way to see the true Alaska. Amazing scenery and wildlife everyday. They hire excellent guides that make the trip so memorable. We just signed up for our 4th Uncruise, that is how much we love it.
We have had a few people say this now! We definitely would love to check them out! Looks fun! Our only issue is they allow kids on some of them but the kid usually has to be 8 years old! We have a 4 year old so she wouldn’t be able to join us unfortunately!
Im from Juneau, thank you for the kind words of my hometown...I'm Tlingit from Taku Kwan, a river just before you hit Juneau city and Borough. Growing up I wanted to leave so bad and experience other lifestyles...I did, I came back and now there's not another place I'd rather be. I love all the weather here, I know a lot of people don't...but if you make the best of every situation, you'll almost look forward to another rainy, snowy, windy day lol...glad you loved it, hope you come again...
We’ve been 3 times now is July trip an August trip and a September cruisetour to Denali- recommend September because the colors were spectacular and we got the northern lights twice from Denali then Fairbanks!
We went on an Alaskan Princess Cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver last June, FABULOUS Cruise ! We want to do a two week round trip next time & take the Denali trans excursion too. Maybe Celebrity next, we will see. My sister in-law & hubby are doing Celeb late June & doing Denali before the cruise.
My only cruise was to Alaska with Princess in mid-May 2016. We did the combined land/sea from Vancouver to Anchorage. Loved every single minute and would do this trip over again in a heartbeat given the chance!
That's the one i wanted to go on in June,but could not get the cabins we wanted,they book up real fast,so have to leave out of Seattle on Carnival Luminosa..
Also, we did a land and sea package on Holland from Vancouver thru the Yukon, ending in Fairbanks including Denali. It was one of the best trips of my life. We had 3 or 4 days on the ship then in skagway we took the train up the mountain into Canada where we picked up a bus and drove thru the Yukon to Fairbanks. It was a lot of bus time but so beautiful and away from the tourists. We overnighted in a few small towns. Dawson City was like a pioneer town. The Yukon experience was so much more authentic than the cruise ports.
Been on 2 cruises to Alaska, first one in September 1993 on Princess, and loved it. Second time was in July of 2004. Same itinerary, but on NCL. The towns were fun, and interesting. We didn’t do any of the on shore excursions because of the price even back then, but we did do the train trip and was awesome, just 3 cars pulled up the mountain by the old steam locomotive. I’m glad now that we made those cruises when we did, as it looks like those towns are nothing much more than total tourist traps now, ripping people off.
We booked the only inside room we've ever had on a cruise. Being out on the balcony in fall is cold so time of year should influence your decision on a cabin. Also, look for a ship with an "indoor" pool. One with a sliding canopy is nice when it's cold.
Excellent tips. Typically I get bored with some of these travel videos. You two have a positive/endearing vibe when discussing your vacations. I have subscribed, and I wish you well. Thank you for the useful tips.
Great Video 🙂 We’re doing a cruise to Alaska late April. I’ve been researching this for 3 years! Totally excited to know it paid off. Thanks for the tips! Good luck with the channel!! ❤
Quick thoughts, the Alaska railroad is beautiful but a bit expensive. Before or after your cruise take it in or out of Anchorage to explore the interior of Alaska. Take it to kenai peninsula or Denali/Fairbanks. It travels mostly thru the wilderness (not along the highway). Simply gorgeous scenery.
Been on 5 Alaska cruises and you have done a great job of telling those who have not, Some great info the only things you missed are the Flot plans out of Ketchacan and Helow to The Mendenhal Flashed & land on it!
Thanks so much! And thanks for sharing additional activities. We haven't done either of those but we did do a Helo out of Seward when we road tripped around the Kenai peninsula
You forgot the Alaska Marine Highway System; we did a sailing south that went through the Wrangell Narrows between Petersburg and Wrangell that is too narrow even for some of the expedition ships to fit. Also do some web searches and find local Alaskan shops. I know in both Juneau and Ketchikan there are artist co-ops where local artists sell art that is made in Alaska by Alaskan's.
That you for commenting to add that. Also a great option to look at. Agree with Ketchikan and Juneau about the local artists but we were really surprised that there wasn’t event more. Emma & Jack
I used to work up in Alaska in the 80s the Matanuska ferry was a great way to travel between Alaska and Seattle especially in the fall on the trip home everyone had lots of money
Take a small ship!!!!! Oceania has wonderful Alaska cruises. Our ship had a whooping 630ish passengers. Such amazing service. We got to a small town the big ships cannot do. Food was wonderful. You could dress if you wanted or just a polo was fine.
Absolutely. There are several small ship companies to choose from. We did Cruise West cruise, a small ship company that no longer exists. It was fantastic. As a travel expert once told us, you can use the large ship cruise and see Alaska with a narrow gesture, or you can take a small ship cruise and SEE Alaska, with a large wide open arms gesture. When comparing our cruise with friends who went on the giant ship, she was right. No comparison.
We are getting ready for our third cruise to Alaska. Inside passage. Round trip from San Francisco 11 days. We are Princess Cruise loyalists. Can’t wait.
Love the Bloopers. Most movies, videos that have Bloopers put them at the end. You had Bloopers at the end and throughout the video. Great job! Seriously, enjoyed the video and I learned some things. I don’t worry about mosquitoes. They sting me, my blood actually kills them.
Have to keep these videos entertaining with the bloopers! So try to leave some in. Glad you enjoyed it and even better that you learned some things along the way!
First time viewer and I love y’all’s vibe! One of the most informative videos I have ever seen!! Follow has been earned!! Thanks so much for a great video!
Bring one summer outfit....we hit a heat wave in Victoria and Juneau, 96 degrees. Everyone was caught off guard! The locals were swimming at Mendenhall glacier.
We’re lucky that we live in the Pacific Northwest. So getting to Seattle or Vancouver is a bus ride. Last August, we did a Princess cruise from Vancouver, 7-days to Whittier and another 7-days back to Vancouver. Same (interior) cabin, very good price. Weather iffy going, excellent returning. We saw different glaciers each time. We did a few excursions, but also on our own as we had explored this route before.
Thanks so much! If you are not huge cruisers Alaska is probably the best one to give a cruise a try! So many fun active activities to do when you get off. You won’t be bored!
Yes, one of the best Alaska videos l’ve seen. Was there last year and yes try to get full days in the ports. Missed this hint for my first trip last year and l am heading there again in 60 days and am spending full days in Skagway and Ketchikan. We did a balcony last time and whilst it was nice to have didn’t spend much time on it. Inside stateroom this time as lm travelling single but won’t spend time in it as l will be out on the decks. Oh by the way Go Aggies, whoop, whoop. I’m from Australia and visited A & M a few years ago.
My husband and I did a land tour with Celebrity last year late August. It was nice for people that just want to have everything planned, but I felt rushed and would have liked to stay at each sight longer. Do it yourself if you can and don't forget Seward and Kodiak!!!we are going on a back to back Alaskan cruise this year with Princess.
Finally made it to Alaska last August. I was on an older ship on NCL. I will say this was definitely my least favorite cruise. I found if you don’t do excursions every port, (the excursions are very pricey); there really isn’t much to do unless you want to shop for jewelry that all looks alike. We also didn’t enjoy all the time at sea, our ship ,(the Sun); didn’t have enough activities during times at sea. So when planning, don’t go on the Sun and make sure the ship has lots to do.
I cruised in July, and the only time I used my raincoat was as an additional layer for warmth. There was no rain the entire time! I will say that a drink package was a waste because we spent so much time off the ship
Thanks much. We do our best to incorporate bookmarks in all our talking heads videos. For real time vlogs it is much more difficult to do and can’t accomplish all the time but glad you appreciate the work! Emma & Jack
Thanks guys! As a matter of fact, I typically look for the "Bookmarks" on each video before deciding IF I will watch it or not. So your added effort in doing this will definitely attract more viewers in my opinion. Keep up the great work!...
If you want a different type cruise to Alaska, use the Alaska Marine Highway departing from Fairhaven, Wa. Drive your car onto the ferry, sail to Skagway, then drive back to the US
We have done two one way Alaskan cruises. The last one we flew to Anchorage and rented a car for 10 days and made a complete loop staying mostly in air b&b’s. Then got on our Celebrity ship and cruised to Vancouver and then flew home. It was a fantastic trip! Best excursion on both our cruises were whale watching tours out of Juneau. It was unbelievable!!!!
Alaska Marine Highway is the way to go. Alaska’s public ferry system is amazing and you’re not held to the cruise ships schedule. If you actually want to explore the place you need more then the few hours that the cruise ship gives you.
We did the Princess last week out of Vancouver and ended up in Whittier. Loved all the ports and Glacier Bay was stunning. Chilly and pretty cold but I had layers. We did encounter some light rain and yes it was Windy. Raincoat is a must.
To save money and get away from the tourists we just go hiking in most ports. We have done the tour stuff before but still love Alaska so much. There are hiking trails everywhere in Alaska and it's easy to find a good day hike close to town.
Completely agree. We are going to have a budget friendly activities video coming in a couple weeks. Would love for you to mention this in the comments of that video as well!
Thank you for this video! I was born, raised and retired from Sitka. I now live in South Carolina. I actually lived in the community called Mt. Edgecumbe . 3 small islands landfill connected then referred to as Japonski Island. It was a military base and had so many cement bunkers that were perfect play areas for my baby boom era generation. So much history there! Research it 😊
We took a Norwegian cruise to Alaska two years ago in October. Although some of the excursions were not available we still had a lot of outings to do in each port. One thing I was not aware of was when we docked in port we were the ONLY cruise ship in port. I can only assume that this gave us an easier/quicker time moving to and from excursions and while in port. Talking to people in those ports, during peak season, there could be a FEW ships in port at the same time. We would have been very disappointed to have gotten in ports only to have waited in Disney type lines. Luckily this was not our case. Y'all were exactly correct in saying, if you can afford it, get a balcony room or at minimum an ocean view. It's worth the extra price. Great video guys.
Thank you so much! I did not know about the Port of Seattle sending bags to airport. My wife & I just purchased our 15 yer anniversary Alaskan cruise (2nd cruise) and we were trying to figure out what to do logistics wise for the whole day since we have a redeye home. Cheers!
It is a great benefit and honestly wish every city did it! Hope you have an amazing time. We will have another Alaska series coming out in the next few months so tune in for that.
Fort Lauderdale with Royal also has the suitcase valet service!! It was sooo nice putting luggage out the night before and your bags are taken to airport. So cool!
Thanks for your review and tips. One thing to mention is that I appreciate when people say that you can do something but then there’s always the question of how do you do that thing. So for instance, never having done it, I would love to know how you schedule for your luggage to go straight to the Airport. On the app? Through the agent? Through guest services? Always nice to follow up with how when you say you can.
Thanks for watching. Towards the end of the cruise you get a paper in your room showing it as an option. It’s very simple, you just fill it out and you are good to go. If you have a frequent flyer number for the airline that you would usually get feee checked bag then you fill that out and it won’t coast you any more. It’s run by the port of Seattle so only an option if your cruise ends in Seattle. If you have any more questions let us know and we would be happy to answer them.
Great vlog guys. We live in the UK and have just booked our 5th cruise to Alaska next year - 10 nights. We love it so much there and find Celebrity and Princess offer the best itineries as we like to spend whole days in port and May or September are the best months to go.
Thanks for the video. We will be taking our first cruise to Alaska in June 2024 for 14 days on Princess. Our first time on Princess as well. We haven't decided on any excursions yet. Nothing has drawn our attention. Going to be different having more than just a watery landscape most of the trip.
We hope you have an amazing trip. We will have a video come out in a week or so focused just on excursions we would suggest. Hope you enjoy the channel. Emma & Jack
We went on Princess in early June, 22 years ago. I want to go again. We had two warm days, the others was cool. We started in Vancouver and ended at Anchorage. That flight home was a killer. It’s on my bucket list to do again.
We live in Seattle and are going to Alaska on Celebrity, thanks for the good tips. We are going last week in May. Misquitos adore me and I never thought about that, or rain.
if the goal is to 'just get there'... Alaska Marine Ferry is still a spectacular cruise, much less expensive, and lets you set your own agenda in ports.
It is not less expensive to take the Alaska Marine Highway when you consider a bearth and meals. I worked on the Ferry for the US Forest Service and wanted to take a birthday trip 25 years later. I wanted to get off at port and visit the towns, the cost became prohibitive. It was a better deal all around to take a cruise. I enjoyed it immensely! The only drawback we didn’t get to stay in port for long enough for my desire.
Thanks for all the great info. We did HAL land and cruise 20 years ago to the main ports everyone stops at. In May we are doing an expedition cruise with HX/Hurtigruten. Yes it is a lot more but includes excursions, tips, beer and wine at lunch and dinner... only a couple of very special excursions if you want. So excited about the small towns and active offered like zodiac and kayaks right off the ship. Woo hoo!
Just found you guys and love the videos. Great information presented in a fun way. Subscribing now and look forward to future videos while doing a marathon session of your previous ones. Safe travels!
You both are the best, the videos you provide are so informative. I hate the cold but watching your videos are tempting me to at least try an Alaskan cruise.
Thanks so much! You should definitely go for it. You can always add layers if you get cold but honestly it is typically between 60-80 during cruise season.
I agree this was a wonderful video by two very down to earth individuals! thank you so much, your info will be put to good use when I cruise Alaska next year (just two senior gals enjoying retirement with friends!!
13 varieties of mosquitos in AK. Early summer is usually better weather but still cool. Later summer possibly more rain, especially in the SE "Inside Passage" that most people travel to, especially on cruises. Save money for the onshore excursions! Good Video!! One of the most scenic travels is via cruise, train to Anchorage, train to Denali, train to Fairbanks, bus to Deadhorse, fly home or the reverse. Then and only then will see a large portion of what Alaska is about but yet still only a small portion too. Alaska is so much bigger than people realize! I've been lucky to see much of AK during my work with someone else paying the bill. 42 yr resident.
It is so large and outside of cruising we have done a road trip around the Kenai peninsula. We had no idea about the 13 varieties of mosquitos. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the tip on the Seattle Port luggage handling! No other YT vids I've watched on planning mentioned this and we have a long day in Seattle when we disembark. Looking forward to checking out Seattle sans our big bags.
Right on target about time in ports. We only had 4 hours in Victoria arriving at 8 pm. Not enough time to fully enjoy this city. I now check this before booking new cruises.
@@mandarinfox1813 It really is a beautiful city,but so was San Francisco,Seattle,Vancouver,NYC etc etc...Blame the 1%and the politicians,we will own nothing and be happy,that's the plan..
There are many people that rent their personal motor homes through brokers. I had a friend that did that to help pay for his motorhome. Usually these motorhomes are nicer than the big rental places.
I want to thank you both, this info was very helpful and I know that it would apply anywhere else “tres expensive” as well. I contemplated cruising before the pandemic and glad I didn’t experiment… but there’s nothing stopping me from exploring… ever.! Wonderful info and enjoyed what you learned through experience, thank you! Cheers from Toronto 🇨🇦!
First congratulations! Secondly, we hope you have an amazing time. If you have any questions when planning just let us know. Our only ask would be you share our channel with a friend or neighbor. But most importantly, Alaska is an amazing way to spend celebrating 15 years! Emma & Jack
LOVE this video! I did Carnival Miracle out of San Francisco (I live in San Jose so it was convenient) last August-so lucky it only rained in Juneau-other than that flawless. Going back this August-losing Icy point straight, but getting Sitka, Juneau part 2 Skagway part 2, Ketchikan, and Prince Rupert. part 2.... And yes it's jewelry stores galore. If you get to Skagway be sure to get Happy Endings (bar) and Morning Wood hotel to walk around.
We did our honeymoon cruise to Alaska (2003) from Seward to Vancouver- wish we knew the cruise was mostly older crowd and the night life was pretty non existent. We were not fans of the buffet but did room service mostly. Had a cabin wi5 a balcony which was real nice to watch the puffins.
We took the Alaska State ferry from Bellingham, WA to Skagway and brought our car. We camped on the deck. My in-laws had a room. We enjoyed the inside passage! Then we were able to drive all the way to Dawson City and out to Seward. We then drove through the Yukon and Stewart, BC to see bears in August. Amazing trip.
Thanks so much! Hope you have a fantastic trip! We love Alaska! If you are still debating on excursions while there I did a video on great budget friendly excursions! Might be helpful! m.th-cam.com/video/lykYyP_QaeI/w-d-xo.html Emma
There are a lot of stores that have "locally owned and operated" signs in the windows. I strongly recommend people seek them out. I was just looking into that Seattle Port Valet thing. It really looks good, as I walk with a stick and we usually have one big bag between us, two carry on, two personal items and a CPAP. It's a real PITA wrangling all that through US customs at the pier. It seems the service is only available for domestic airlines though. I tried enrolling but it's not available for Air Canada or WestJet customers.
A great glacier viewing is College Fjord on Northbound Princess cruises. Lots of glaciers in a smaller area than Glacier Bay. I’m with you on AK cruises being a favorite.
Nice video ……On my Alaska cruises I,ve always booked thru a local guide and NOT the cruise line. Never missed my ship and don’t have the crowded bus syndrome
Here are some of our early videos from our roadtrip in Alaska. Don't judge us too much as these are from when we started the channel 2 years ago. :) th-cam.com/video/hiMM_NVNLQ0/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/92fq_B3Joj0/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/2HjJvdr9Vk8/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/w84fKkdDvpk/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/jyymqaIzh1w/w-d-xo.html
This is one of the best travel videos I've ever seen. Why? Because it was just two nice humans talking to other humans. No big egos. Just two people sharing their experience and trying to help others make the best of their trip. Thank you!
Thanks so much. That just made my day! That is exactly why we started the channel. It is just us being us trying to help people based on our experiences.
Emma & Jack
So true. I would invite these people in for coffee.
Thank you so much! So sweet!
Live a Little
Emma & Jack
Agree! Less useless flash and more facts -from a nice couple.
Well said! I love watching travel videos for tips and advice but cringe at so many that our more about them and their instagram vibe. Thanks Lindsay & Jack!
I'm a lifelong Alaskan and when my parents celebrated their 50th anniversary our entire family cruised from Vancouver, BC to Seward. It was early August and we had rain every day. Bring a rain coat, puffy coat, hat and gloves. It's cold outside when the ship is moving. Alaska is incredible. The best things that we've done as locals are wildlife cruise out of Seward and flight seeing tour from Talkeetna to the Ruth Gorge/and or Denali. The Ruth Gorge is at the base of Denali. I've climbed Denali twice and that flight is the most incredible you will ever experience.
Climbing Denali sounds amazing!
I'm getting chills hearing someone else say that flight to Ruth gorge was best experience of my life!!!! Tied with it was a float plane we took from Hamilton Island Australia and landing on Whitehaven beach in the great barrier reef!!!!!!!!
I love Alaska, too. I'm a full-time Alaskan and every day I get to love Alaska and the most amazing views... 360° no matter the season. I'm glad you love it too.
Every visit just makes us want to immerse ourselves more and more.
I have sailed to Alaska 4 times so far, always out of Vancouver even though we live in Seattle. 1st 3 were on Holland America who essentially pioneered trips to Alaska and therefore gets the best docking spots at the busiest ports (Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway). Last year we decided to try an Alaska cruise on Cunard's Queen Elizabeth. Cunard (as well as Holland America) are owned by Carnival. For me it was THE best cruise of the 4 specially because of the 10 days RT itinerary with stops at several of what one might call the outlier Alaska destinations such as Sitka, Icy Strait Point (incredible whale watching here) and Skagway as well as visiting both Glacier Bay and Hubbard glacier. Of course we also had "obligatory" stops in Juneau and Ketchikan and a lot of sightseeing sailing the Inside Passage. Service is outstanding, food is amazing and pricing was in line with Holland America, Celebrity, Caribbean, Princess, etc. If you long for a taste of the "old days" of grandiose cruising you can get all decked out 2 nights (both are days at sea) with full gala dressing and enjoy a full orchestra and ballroom dancing. Contrary to popular belief this is not obligatory. If you want to be really "snotty" you can book the higher priced suites and you will have use of an exclusive lounge area, outside deck and dining room. Sounds somewhat akin to the Haven on NCL. The QE herself is the same layout as the 2,000 passenger Holland America ships and the cabins are very nicely appointed. The entire maritime crew and most of the passenger customer service folks are British. The support crew is similar to other ships, mostly from Indonesia, Phillipines and Eastern Europe. Most of the passengers were British or Canadian along with a smaller number of folks from Japan and China. Surprisingly, we ran into few Americans on the ship. We saw few children onboard and really didn't notice a lot of onboard activities geared to them (like you have on Caribbean or Disney ships these days). For folks going with out kids, I highly recommend this line and ship and be prepared for very British things such as grand staircase (you can get awesome pics here), a fabulous grand ballroom along with outdoor shuffleboard and of course croquet. Best of all though was their fish and chips (best I've ever had) only served at lunchtime at the Pub - and - their afternoon tea service, a real spectacle in itself.
Thanks for sharing your experience. We want to give Cunard a try because of its uniqueness!
I was on the QE in early Sept. of this year and pretty much echo your sentiment about the grandness of it. We especially loved the entertainment the 13 days on board. Only disappointment was not getting to stop in Skagway for the White Pass Rail excursion due to high winds. That was what we most looked forward to.
There were 7 of us on the trip and none of us actually loved the menu and food onboard. The specialty restaurant was very good but you pay extra for those meals.
We boarded ship out of Vancouver so we spent 2 days there sightseeing before getting on the ship. Loved Vancouver and Victoria Canada, BC.
We opted to get off the ship cruise in San Francisco instead of Vancouver, caught the red eye home to SC.. That gave us 10 hours to tour the city. Overall great trip, Alaska was breathtaking but ports only so,so..
Glad I went on the Alaskan cruise but probably would not go on another one
though many people do.... I have too many other places I want to visit.
Thank you so much for this comment. We are British expats living in BC and we miss our culture so much we plan to return to the UK in the next few years. We do however want to see Alaska before we leave Canada, so we will definitely look into this cruise.
As someone who lives on the Kenai Peninsula, most places open May 15th and shut down September 15th.
Thanks for adding on to the content! Appreciate having local knowledge on the channel.
Dad was there several years. The icon joke is waking up to two mosquitoes discussing whether to eat him there or take him home!
They are so big! Great joke.
They're like dive bombers
Every cruise I’ve taken has brought experts on board the ship to give lectures and narrate the visit to the different glaciers. I’ve visited all of the glacier stops on many cruise lines and Hubbard Glacier is far an away the most impressive in my opinion.
This is what I was wondering. Ssems like Hubbard should be the most impressive, but I'm not sure. Trying to plan one for 2025. Do you have any recs?
We’re a retired couple and are taking our first cruise in September-to Alaska. We never dreamed we’d get to see Alaska, but a travel agent in our community got a really great group deal. We will be going on Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas on Sept 2, 2024, and we’re so excited!
That is amazing. We are happy for yal and hope you have an amazing time. In a couple weeks to end our Alaska series we will have a video all on Excursions at the different ports.
Emma & Jack
@@lindsayslivealittle so, thanks for such a quick response. I’ve been watching all kinds of videos on cruising Alaska, and I find your videos to be fun, interesting and informative.
We have the train excursion booked and a whale watching excursion. We did get a balcony room, and after your video, that confirms that we made the right choice. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your videos.
I meant to say “wow”, thanks for the quick response….typos….
We are looking at this same cruise!! Haven't "bit the bullet just yet".
@@ginanronniemann6281 come on along!!!!
We went to Alaska last summer in our RV. It was the experience of a lifetime! As much as you seem to love Alaska you really should either purchase an RV and drive there or fly there and rent an RV in Alaska. We saw the ships from the cruises and realized how little of Alaska you would see if cruising. We plan to do a cruise to experience it, but I would encourage you to try it our way. You will not be disappointed! You can see so much more driving. It’s truly breathtaking and so worth it! We enjoyed your video.
This was my dream until I actually drove in the mountains. After a 20 day drive through California, Oregon and Washington I wouldn’t do it again. I never knew I had a fear of heights but it was really bad. I’m glad we did a trial run before buying a RV.
On our first trip to Alaska we actually did a roadtrip ourselves and had an amazing time. Driving up to Alaska and the summer camping around is on our bucket list now!
This is also on our bucket list, we have an RV. Anything you recommend seeing?
I have went camping to Alaska 3 times drove are RV into Canada and that drive was amazing and then to Alaska we went to 4 of the islands we just took the boat over they but are RV right at the bottom and you could get a room or sleep under on lounge chairs they had heaters it was open but had room and side you can sleep under the stars I mean priceless try it if you can God bless us all 🙏❤️🙏❤️
@@zebratroopfan6695 We took our little Winnebago to Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, Devils tower and Yellowstone. The only trip of horror was entering Yellowstone via the north west entrance by mistake. We rode on the side of a mountain up up and up. White knuckled driving doesn't describe the terror we both felt seeing the drop off just feet from our SUV. I was singing Nearer my God to Thee the whole 3-4 miles. Once off that mountain we both said never again. I do not have a fear of heights but fear of narrow lanes. Thank God nobody came by going the opposite direction.
So this year, 2024 we're taking our little Winnie to Smokey Mountain with a stopover in Shannondoah National Park. We've been to Shannondoah before so know the road, Skyline Drive is up up around and around the mountain to Big Meadown campground which is high up to the mountain top BUT....the road is WIDE, Very WIDE. No problem.
p.s. I did feel badly for the people hauling 5th wheels and motorhomes. Crazy!!
We cruised to Alaska on Princess in 2015 and loved it. Had a fabulous bus tour into the Yukon out of Skagway on a crystal clear day. Also went Salmon fishing out of one port and just a town tour in another. We cruised Glacier bay too. Best day ever! We loved Alaska so much that we drove the Alaskan Hwy. the next year and did our own 5 week trip from MN all the way to Prudoe Bay. We are ready to go again!
What an amazing experience. We want to road trip with our travel trailer in the near future to Alaska!
Emma & Jack
Hey everybody in the comments or looking to go up there. Look into the alaska state ferry system. You can take your van. At any time of year. You could literally spend months. You can go as fast or slow as you want. You can get so close to the shore that you can throw a rock and hit the shore. You could keep supplies in your car and sleep in a tent on the deck of the ship. 1000 percent totally worth it. You could go one way up there and thendrive back. Through Canada of course. But if you want total access, take the blue canoe. Seriously if you want to go to AK for what's there not the gltz and glamor of a cruise ship go with the ferry. Halfof the people on the boat will be locals. Great conversations.
Sounds pretty incredible. Thanks for sharing with the community!
Some ferries do not allow camping, I wondered why I was reading that when planning our trip! Pretty cool that some do!
Loved our NCL Alaskan cruise last May before the mosquitos really came out. Loved Juneau & Skagway, but thought Ketchikan, while cute, had soooo many jewelry stores with the "callers" out front trying to get you into their shops. I came to call it, affectionately (kind of), as the "Ensenada of Alaska."
Glad yal enjoyed your trip!
great tip on the Seattle Port Luggage thing!
I wish it was available every cruise!
I am going next June with my wife. So chilly, rainy, bloodthirsty giant mosquitoes, tourist traps, it won’t get dark and lots of walking. Got it. Thanks!
With the possibility of being hot. But will 100% be an amazing trip!
We have cruised the inside passage on Holland American, and done an independent land trip by flying to Anchorage and renting a car. As the content creators mentioned, a land tour was also our favorite. Driving in Alaska is easy and you see so much more of what you think is the "real" Alaska.
We went Memorial Day week, right before summer prices kicked in. The weather could be coolish, but we weren't bothered by the mosquitoes. My brother just did a van tour of Alaska and they did mention the huge mosquitoes, that they will not miss. In late May, daylight was about 20+ hours a day, so long days to tour.
We drove to Denali NP, took a flightseeing trip to the climber base camp, hiked in the park, visited several husky kennels and saw tons of wildlife of all kinds. Clear views of Denali. Stayed at the Princess cruise lines hotel, nice. Also an excellent lodge in Talkeetna.
Then drove down to Kenai Fjords NP and Seward for several days. Took a great day trip on a boat with a NP ranger narrating; again saw lots of wildlife, glaciers calving. Stopped to walk on Exit and Porter glaciers. Ate lots of local seafood, fresh strawberry pie. Dined at a Wine Spectator award winning restaurant in Anchorage. Visited the local park highlighting the 1964 earthquake.
We did none of this on the cruise. If you like cruising for its own sake, do that. If you want to see the best of Alaska that is not tourist towns and jewelry shops, fly and drive yourself.
As a travel agent specializing in Alaska, I agree with you. I prefer to cruise myself for personal reasons which I will not get into her for sake of brevity. I also won’t add to what you stated as your comments were perfect. However, 2 things to consider are budget and time. If you have a lot of both, do your option. Not everyone has an unlimited (or grand) budget and most Canadians are limited to 2-3 weeks of vacation annually - this means many of us will only go for 7-10 days at a time due to work limitations or taking 2-3 one week holidays per year rather than going all at once. Few people have those options. Furthermore, not everyone wants to drive or camp. Agreed that you only get a glimpse of Alaska on a cruise but ditto for going to a conference for a week in San Antonio and only having time to see the River Walk - can’t claim that you’ve visited all of Texas but it is what it is. People have a right to choose what they want to do and have to have the time and financial budget for it.
My last Alaska cruise was on Celebrity in May 2019,the weather was in the 80's...no need to get off the ship if you have been there before and got off at the ports and did some of the main tours...will be going back in June and as usual will chill out on the balcony and enjoy the view sipping wine...
Sounds amazing! We hope you have a great time!
I was in a room at the back of the ship. That balcony was priceless on that cruise!
Sounds amazing!
Very practical info for someone who doesn’t know anything about Alaska. Planning a September trip and your suggestions were great. Thanks!
Holland America land tour and cruise, best vacation ever!
What was your favorite port/excursion? Leaving on HAL in May.
We suggest everyone do Alaska by land and cruise. Best way for a fuller experience!
Emma & Jack
Our favorite port is Skagway followed by Ketchikan. Skagway has our favorite excursion ‘ghosts and good time girls tour’ from the Red Dog Saloon.
We are doing the land and cruise tour in late June. Very excited. Will be our first time in Alaska/Vancouver!
@@reitzl hope you have a fantastic time!
We went on our first Alaskan cruise last September. We loved icy Point Straight because it was more authentic! We were shocked when we got off in Juneau and Ketchekan and saw Del Sol, Diamonds international etc.... It just turned us off. You really must get off the beaten path! One more thing to stress.... bring a warm weather coat and layers, whatever time of year you go! We are from Northern Ontario Canada and know winter weather and were fully prepared! But seeing some of these people struggling with just sweatshirts broke my heart!! Great informative vid for first timers!!
Thanks so much.
In 2019 we did an Alaskan cruise last week in May,it was in the 80's...
I so agree! Very irritating to of seen the 2 ports be so cookie cutter style ports! Shopping stores like that have no belonging in Alaska sea ports
I have never thought seeing Alaska by cruise was a good idea. I lived there for three years and I know that it's so much better to just go there and drive around.
For many people, the land exploration is not the right option for how they travel but we suggest you need to roadtrip to really see Alaska.
Uncruise Adventures is the best way to see the true Alaska. Amazing scenery and wildlife everyday. They hire excellent guides that make the trip so memorable. We just signed up for our 4th Uncruise, that is how much we love it.
We have had a few people say this now! We definitely would love to check them out! Looks fun! Our only issue is they allow kids on some of them but the kid usually has to be 8 years old! We have a 4 year old so she wouldn’t be able to join us unfortunately!
Im from Juneau, thank you for the kind words of my hometown...I'm Tlingit from Taku Kwan, a river just before you hit Juneau city and Borough. Growing up I wanted to leave so bad and experience other lifestyles...I did, I came back and now there's not another place I'd rather be. I love all the weather here, I know a lot of people don't...but if you make the best of every situation, you'll almost look forward to another rainy, snowy, windy day lol...glad you loved it, hope you come again...
We really love our trips to Alaska!
We’ve been 3 times now is July trip an August trip and a September cruisetour to Denali- recommend September because the colors were spectacular and we got the northern lights twice from Denali then Fairbanks!
We enjoyed both May and September. Heading back in August this year. We just can’t get enough.
Emma & Jack
We went on an Alaskan Princess Cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver last June, FABULOUS Cruise ! We want to do a two week round trip next time & take the Denali trans excursion too. Maybe Celebrity next, we will see. My sister in-law & hubby are doing Celeb late June & doing Denali before the cruise.
Sounds amazing! We are heading up on the Celebrity Edge this summer.
We just can’t get enough of Alaska!
I agree, balcony is worth the additional cost. We spent a lot of time relaxing on our balcony.
OMG i have not seen that bar since i was stationed in Anchorage in the early 80's! One place I always remembered
Had to go since it is a classic!
Glacier Bay is breathtaking
100%!
My only cruise was to Alaska with Princess in mid-May 2016. We did the combined land/sea from Vancouver to Anchorage. Loved every single minute and would do this trip over again in a heartbeat given the chance!
Sounds amazing!
Princess also goes to Alaska out of San Francisco and cruises under the Golden Gate Bridge (fabulous!). Thanks for the video! 🙂
That is amazing and does sound incredible!
Emma & Jack
That's the one i wanted to go on in June,but could not get the cabins we wanted,they book up real fast,so have to leave out of Seattle on Carnival Luminosa..
All ships out of Vancouver sail under the Lions Gate Bridge (their version of the Golden Gate)
Hope you can see it through the fog that day! 😂
@@cc1k435 It's never been a problem before! 🙂
Also, we did a land and sea package on Holland from Vancouver thru the Yukon, ending in Fairbanks including Denali. It was one of the best trips of my life. We had 3 or 4 days on the ship then in skagway we took the train up the mountain into Canada where we picked up a bus and drove thru the Yukon to Fairbanks. It was a lot of bus time but so beautiful and away from the tourists. We overnighted in a few small towns. Dawson City was like a pioneer town. The Yukon experience was so much more authentic than the cruise ports.
That sounds amazing. Alaska is one of our favorite places to visit and going back again this year making 3 years in a row!
How do u like Holland cruises
@@nanyalitz2755we have not cruises with Holland to date.
I always suggest renting a motorhome instead of the cruise line land tour. Read my comment above on this.
@@Chris_at_Homethat is a great option!
Been on 2 cruises to Alaska, first one in September 1993 on Princess, and loved it. Second time was in July of 2004. Same itinerary, but on NCL. The towns were fun, and interesting. We didn’t do any of the on shore excursions because of the price even back then, but we did do the train trip and was awesome, just 3 cars pulled up the mountain by the old steam locomotive. I’m glad now that we made those cruises when we did, as it looks like those towns are nothing much more than total tourist traps now, ripping people off.
While some is super touristy, if you look around and find the right options you can still get a great Alaskan experience.
We booked the only inside room we've ever had on a cruise. Being out on the balcony in fall is cold so time of year should influence your decision on a cabin. Also, look for a ship with an "indoor" pool. One with a sliding canopy is nice when it's cold.
Excellent tips. Typically I get bored with some of these travel videos. You two have a positive/endearing vibe when discussing your vacations. I have subscribed, and I wish you well. Thank you for the useful tips.
Thank so much! We really appreciate it.
Great Video 🙂 We’re doing a cruise to Alaska late April. I’ve been researching this for 3 years! Totally excited to know it paid off. Thanks for the tips! Good luck with the channel!! ❤
Thanks so much. We hope you have an amazing trip!
Quick thoughts, the Alaska railroad is beautiful but a bit expensive. Before or after your cruise take it in or out of Anchorage to explore the interior of Alaska. Take it to kenai peninsula or Denali/Fairbanks. It travels mostly thru the wilderness (not along the highway). Simply gorgeous scenery.
We were planning on doing the train from Fairbanks to Anchorage on our first trip but missed out due to Alaska Airlines complications.
Been on 5 Alaska cruises and you have done a great job of telling those who have not, Some great info the only things you missed are the Flot plans out of Ketchacan and Helow to The Mendenhal Flashed & land on it!
Thanks so much! And thanks for sharing additional activities. We haven't done either of those but we did do a Helo out of Seward when we road tripped around the Kenai peninsula
You forgot the Alaska Marine Highway System; we did a sailing south that went through the Wrangell Narrows between Petersburg and Wrangell that is too narrow even for some of the expedition ships to fit. Also do some web searches and find local Alaskan shops. I know in both Juneau and Ketchikan there are artist co-ops where local artists sell art that is made in Alaska by Alaskan's.
That you for commenting to add that. Also a great option to look at.
Agree with Ketchikan and Juneau about the local artists but we were really surprised that there wasn’t event more.
Emma & Jack
I used to work up in Alaska in the 80s the Matanuska ferry was a great way to travel between Alaska and Seattle especially in the fall on the trip home everyone had lots of money
As a local, this video is very well done. It covers a lot of info for newbies.
Thanks so much!
Gig’em Aggies👍 My son graduated in 2015.
Gig ‘Em. Jack is class of 2008. He is also already starting to recruit our daughter!
Take a small ship!!!!! Oceania has wonderful Alaska cruises. Our ship had a whooping 630ish passengers. Such amazing service. We got to a small town the big ships cannot do. Food was wonderful. You could dress if you wanted or just a polo was fine.
We would love to if we could find the right budget option.
Absolutely. There are several small ship companies to choose from. We did Cruise West cruise, a small ship company that no longer exists. It was fantastic. As a travel expert once told us, you can use the large ship cruise and see Alaska with a narrow gesture, or you can take a small ship cruise and SEE Alaska, with a large wide open arms gesture. When comparing our cruise with friends who went on the giant ship, she was right. No comparison.
@@lindsayslivealittle check with Oceania. I’m sure they run specials.
We are getting ready for our third cruise to Alaska. Inside passage. Round trip from San Francisco 11 days. We are Princess Cruise loyalists. Can’t wait.
That sounds amazing. We want to try Princess but just hasn’t worked out yet! Have an amazing time!
Going on our third Alaskan cruise. Love it so much!
Have a great time!
Love the Bloopers. Most movies, videos that have Bloopers put them at the end. You had Bloopers at the end and throughout the video. Great job! Seriously, enjoyed the video and I learned some things. I don’t worry about mosquitoes. They sting me, my blood actually kills them.
Have to keep these videos entertaining with the bloopers! So try to leave some in. Glad you enjoyed it and even better that you learned some things along the way!
First time viewer and I love y’all’s vibe! One of the most informative videos I have ever seen!! Follow has been earned!! Thanks so much for a great video!
Thank you! We really appreciate it.
Bring one summer outfit....we hit a heat wave in Victoria and Juneau, 96 degrees. Everyone was caught off guard! The locals were swimming at Mendenhall glacier.
Oh boy! That definitely helped the local stores because I’m sure people didn’t plan for that level of heat!
We’re lucky that we live in the Pacific Northwest. So getting to Seattle or Vancouver is a bus ride. Last August, we did a Princess cruise from Vancouver, 7-days to Whittier and another 7-days back to Vancouver. Same (interior) cabin, very good price. Weather iffy going, excellent returning. We saw different glaciers each time. We did a few excursions, but also on our own as we had explored this route before.
Sounds pretty amazing. Nice to able to live close to a port. With us living in the center of the country, everything is a flight from us.
Very helpful information! We love active things and have never taken a cruise. Alaska is the only one we would consider, this is very helpful❤
Thanks so much! If you are not huge cruisers Alaska is probably the best one to give a cruise a try! So many fun active activities to do when you get off. You won’t be bored!
We didn't use any bugspray last August and we are going back this August. I love Alaska.
We have now been 4 times in 2 years with another coming up in September. I think we are addicted!
Yes, one of the best Alaska videos l’ve seen. Was there last year and yes try to get full days in the ports. Missed this hint for my first trip last year and l am heading there again in 60 days and am spending full days in Skagway and Ketchikan. We did a balcony last time and whilst it was nice to have didn’t spend much time on it. Inside stateroom this time as lm travelling single but won’t spend time in it as l will be out on the decks.
Oh by the way Go Aggies, whoop, whoop. I’m from Australia and visited A & M a few years ago.
Whoop!
Thanks so much. Hope yal enjoy your trip. We head back in August.
Emma & Jack
My husband and I did a land tour with Celebrity last year late August. It was nice for people that just want to have everything planned, but I felt rushed and would have liked to stay at each sight longer. Do it yourself if you can and don't forget Seward and Kodiak!!!we are going on a back to back Alaskan cruise this year with Princess.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Enjoy your Alaska cruise this year!
Finally made it to Alaska last August. I was on an older ship on NCL. I will say this was definitely my least favorite cruise. I found if you don’t do excursions every port, (the excursions are very pricey); there really isn’t much to do unless you want to shop for jewelry that all looks alike. We also didn’t enjoy all the time at sea, our ship ,(the Sun); didn’t have enough activities during times at sea. So when planning, don’t go on the Sun and make sure the ship has lots to do.
I cruised in July, and the only time I used my raincoat was as an additional layer for warmth. There was no rain the entire time! I will say that a drink package was a waste because we spent so much time off the ship
You got lucky with rain! But either way it doesn't damper our experience.
I subscribed to your channel BECAUSE I appreciate the organization and bookmarks on your video. Thanks for a great job!
Thanks much. We do our best to incorporate bookmarks in all our talking heads videos. For real time vlogs it is much more difficult to do and can’t accomplish all the time but glad you appreciate the work!
Emma & Jack
Thanks guys! As a matter of fact, I typically look for the "Bookmarks" on each video before deciding IF I will watch it or not. So your added effort in doing this will definitely attract more viewers in my opinion. Keep up the great work!...
Headed on RC May 30th! Very excited to start planning and researching the best things to do in each port
Have an amazing time. We have a new Alaska series coming out soon!
Doing an Alaskan cruise in late June! My first cruise ever:) I’ve really enjoyed y’all’s videos and think Poppy is so cute!!!!
Thank you so much! Hope you guys have a fantastic cruise in June!
If you want a different type cruise to Alaska, use the Alaska Marine Highway departing from Fairhaven, Wa. Drive your car onto the ferry, sail to Skagway, then drive back to the US
That sounds very fun! We might have to try that out! Thanks!
Live a Little
We have done two one way Alaskan cruises. The last one we flew to Anchorage and rented a car for 10 days and made a complete loop staying mostly in air b&b’s. Then got on our Celebrity ship and cruised to Vancouver and then flew home. It was a fantastic trip! Best excursion on both our cruises were whale watching tours out of Juneau. It was unbelievable!!!!
Amazing! We had a road trip portion on our first trip and loved it!
Alaska Marine Highway is the way to go. Alaska’s public ferry system is amazing and you’re not held to the cruise ships schedule. If you actually want to explore the place you need more then the few hours that the cruise ship gives you.
It has been added to our list!
We did the Princess last week out of Vancouver and ended up in Whittier. Loved all the ports and Glacier Bay was stunning. Chilly and pretty cold but I had layers. We did encounter some light rain and yes it was Windy. Raincoat is a must.
Excellent video! Having been born and raised in Anchorage, I can attest to the mosquito being the state bird 😅
Thank so much!
Holland cruise ship stop downtown Ketchikan, it is NCL that you have to take a bus to downtown out at ward cove
100%. We get our first downtown port stay this year when we sail on the Celebrity Edge to Ketchikan.
To save money and get away from the tourists we just go hiking in most ports. We have done the tour stuff before but still love Alaska so much. There are hiking trails everywhere in Alaska and it's easy to find a good day hike close to town.
Completely agree. We are going to have a budget friendly activities video coming in a couple weeks. Would love for you to mention this in the comments of that video as well!
Thank you for this video! I was born, raised and retired from Sitka. I now live in South Carolina. I actually lived in the community called Mt. Edgecumbe . 3 small islands landfill connected then referred to as Japonski Island. It was a military base and had so many cement bunkers that were perfect play areas for my baby boom era generation. So much history there! Research it 😊
We will check it out. Thanks for watching!
We took a Norwegian cruise to Alaska two years ago in October. Although some of the excursions were not available we still had a lot of outings to do in each port. One thing I was not aware of was when we docked in port we were the ONLY cruise ship in port. I can only assume that this gave us an easier/quicker time moving to and from excursions and while in port. Talking to people in those ports, during peak season, there could be a FEW ships in port at the same time. We would have been very disappointed to have gotten in ports only to have waited in Disney type lines. Luckily this was not our case. Y'all were exactly correct in saying, if you can afford it, get a balcony room or at minimum an ocean view. It's worth the extra price. Great video guys.
Thanks so much!
Thank you so much! I did not know about the Port of Seattle sending bags to airport. My wife & I just purchased our 15 yer anniversary Alaskan cruise (2nd cruise) and we were trying to figure out what to do logistics wise for the whole day since we have a redeye home. Cheers!
It is a great benefit and honestly wish every city did it! Hope you have an amazing time. We will have another Alaska series coming out in the next few months so tune in for that.
Fort Lauderdale with Royal also has the suitcase valet service!! It was sooo nice putting luggage out the night before and your bags are taken to airport. So cool!
Sooo helpful!
Thanks for your review and tips. One thing to mention is that I appreciate when people say that you can do something but then there’s always the question of how do you do that thing. So for instance, never having done it, I would love to know how you schedule for your luggage to go straight to the Airport. On the app? Through the agent? Through guest services? Always nice to follow up with how when you say you can.
Thanks for watching. Towards the end of the cruise you get a paper in your room showing it as an option. It’s very simple, you just fill it out and you are good to go. If you have a frequent flyer number for the airline that you would usually get feee checked bag then you fill that out and it won’t coast you any more. It’s run by the port of Seattle so only an option if your cruise ends in Seattle.
If you have any more questions let us know and we would be happy to answer them.
As a geography enthusiast I approve this message
Great vlog guys. We live in the UK and have just booked our 5th cruise to Alaska next year - 10 nights. We love it so much there and find Celebrity and Princess offer the best itineries as we like to spend whole days in port and May or September are the best months to go.
Thanks so much! We are heading back in a little over week on Celebrity Edge.
Thanks for the video. We will be taking our first cruise to Alaska in June 2024 for 14 days on Princess. Our first time on Princess as well. We haven't decided on any excursions yet. Nothing has drawn our attention. Going to be different having more than just a watery landscape most of the trip.
We hope you have an amazing trip. We will have a video come out in a week or so focused just on excursions we would suggest.
Hope you enjoy the channel.
Emma & Jack
We went on Princess in early June, 22 years ago. I want to go again. We had two warm days, the others was cool. We started in Vancouver and ended at Anchorage. That flight home was a killer. It’s on my bucket list to do again.
We hope you get to go again soon!
We went to Alaska in mid June! It never rained and the weather was beautiful! We were very lucky!
Lucky! We have been relatively lucky as well.
We live in Seattle and are going to Alaska on Celebrity, thanks for the good tips. We are going last week in May. Misquitos adore me and I never thought about that, or rain.
Thanks so much. May is better with the mosquitos! But rain is almost 100% going to happen atleast 1 day.
if the goal is to 'just get there'... Alaska Marine Ferry is still a spectacular cruise, much less expensive, and lets you set your own agenda in ports.
Sounds like a great option.
It is not less expensive to take the Alaska Marine Highway when you consider a bearth and meals. I worked on the Ferry for the US Forest Service and wanted to take a birthday trip 25 years later. I wanted to get off at port and visit the towns, the cost became prohibitive. It was a better deal all around to take a cruise. I enjoyed it immensely! The only drawback we didn’t get to stay in port for long enough for my desire.
@@superesthistore2447 thanks for that info! We haven’t tried doing it that way. Good to know!
Live a Little
Alaska was my first cruise... Now I am hooked... 😂
Haha! Alaska is pretty epic! Great way to start!
I lived in Alaska for 4 years and this video is very accurate
Thanks so much!
Thanks for all the great info. We did HAL land and cruise 20 years ago to the main ports everyone stops at. In May we are doing an expedition cruise with HX/Hurtigruten. Yes it is a lot more but includes excursions, tips, beer and wine at lunch and dinner... only a couple of very special excursions if you want. So excited about the small towns and active offered like zodiac and kayaks right off the ship. Woo hoo!
That sounds amazing. We have expeditions on our bucket list and may have 1 booked. But we really want our daughter to experience it!
Just found you guys and love the videos. Great information presented in a fun way. Subscribing now and look forward to future videos while doing a marathon session of your previous ones. Safe travels!
Thank you so much! I appreciate the support and hope you enjoy the marathon session!
You both are the best, the videos you provide are so informative. I hate the cold but watching your videos are tempting me to at least try an Alaskan cruise.
Thanks so much! You should definitely go for it. You can always add layers if you get cold but honestly it is typically between 60-80 during cruise season.
I agree this was a wonderful video by two very down to earth individuals! thank you so much, your info will be put to good use when I cruise Alaska next year (just two senior gals enjoying retirement with friends!!
Thanks so much! We hope you gals have an incredible time.
13 varieties of mosquitos in AK. Early summer is usually better weather but still cool. Later summer possibly more rain, especially in the SE "Inside Passage" that most people travel to, especially on cruises. Save money for the onshore excursions!
Good Video!!
One of the most scenic travels is via cruise, train to Anchorage, train to Denali, train to Fairbanks, bus to Deadhorse, fly home or the reverse. Then and only then will see a large portion of what Alaska is about but yet still only a small portion too. Alaska is so much bigger than people realize! I've been lucky to see much of AK during my work with someone else paying the bill. 42 yr resident.
It is so large and outside of cruising we have done a road trip around the Kenai peninsula. We had no idea about the 13 varieties of mosquitos. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the tip on the Seattle Port luggage handling! No other YT vids I've watched on planning mentioned this and we have a long day in Seattle when we disembark. Looking forward to checking out Seattle sans our big bags.
Glad it could help! Hope yal have a great time.
Right on target about time in ports. We only had 4 hours in Victoria arriving at 8 pm. Not enough time to fully enjoy this city. I now check this before booking new cruises.
One trip we didn’t even make it to Victoria until 10PM
Victoria is beautiful,but it's a drug/homeless infested city...very sad and can not find a decent restaurant..
@@neilcharles2520that’s so sad. I used to go yearly until the homeless camps set up and began terrorizing everybody. It was so beautiful there.
@@mandarinfox1813 It really is a beautiful city,but so was San Francisco,Seattle,Vancouver,NYC etc etc...Blame the 1%and the politicians,we will own nothing and be happy,that's the plan..
You can rent an RV through Great Alaskan Holidays and do a self led tour.
That was my first experience with Alaska. AMAZING!!!
That is an amazing first trip to Alaska! We saw several during our roadtrip.
Emma & Jack
There are many people that rent their personal motor homes through brokers. I had a friend that did that to help pay for his motorhome. Usually these motorhomes are nicer than the big rental places.
And where could we find these brokers… sounds like such a fabulous idea
@bernadettebourassa8385 Great Alaskan has a website. We had a great experience.
Mid August we had the Northern Lights. Heading towards Seattle, on the stern it was active.
That is a lucky trip!
I want to thank you both, this info was very helpful and I know that it would apply anywhere else “tres expensive” as well. I contemplated cruising before the pandemic and glad I didn’t experiment… but there’s nothing stopping me from exploring… ever.! Wonderful info and enjoyed what you learned through experience, thank you! Cheers from Toronto 🇨🇦!
Thanks so much! Cheers to our northern neighbors!
Thanks for the video! my husband and i are going for our 15th anniversary on holland this July and we are so excited
First congratulations! Secondly, we hope you have an amazing time. If you have any questions when planning just let us know. Our only ask would be you share our channel with a friend or neighbor.
But most importantly, Alaska is an amazing way to spend celebrating 15 years!
Emma & Jack
LOVE this video! I did Carnival Miracle out of San Francisco (I live in San Jose so it was convenient) last August-so lucky it only rained in Juneau-other than that flawless. Going back this August-losing Icy point straight, but getting Sitka, Juneau part 2 Skagway part 2, Ketchikan, and Prince Rupert. part 2.... And yes it's jewelry stores galore. If you get to Skagway be sure to get Happy Endings (bar) and Morning Wood hotel to walk around.
Thank you so much! We hope you have another amazing trip!
We did our honeymoon cruise to Alaska (2003) from Seward to Vancouver- wish we knew the cruise was mostly older crowd and the night life was pretty non existent. We were not fans of the buffet but did room service mostly. Had a cabin wi5 a balcony which was real nice to watch the puffins.
Hope you still had a good time being the young people on the ship and it being your honeymoon.
Emma & Jack
Solid information! Enjoyed your video! Thanks!
We appreciate it. Have a great week.
Emma & Jack
We took the Alaska State ferry from Bellingham, WA to Skagway and brought our car. We camped on the deck. My in-laws had a room. We enjoyed the inside passage! Then we were able to drive all the way to Dawson City and out to Seward. We then drove through the Yukon and Stewart, BC to see bears in August. Amazing trip.
That sounds epic!
Heading there on Royal Caribbean at the end of June. Thanks for the information!
Have an amazing time! Thank so much!
Great info! We will be taking our 2nd Alaskan cruise in July 2024.
Thanks so much! Hope you have a fantastic trip! We love Alaska! If you are still debating on excursions while there I did a video on great budget friendly excursions! Might be helpful!
m.th-cam.com/video/lykYyP_QaeI/w-d-xo.html
Emma
There are a lot of stores that have "locally owned and operated" signs in the windows. I strongly recommend people seek them out. I was just looking into that Seattle Port Valet thing. It really looks good, as I walk with a stick and we usually have one big bag between us, two carry on, two personal items and a CPAP. It's a real PITA wrangling all that through US customs at the pier. It seems the service is only available for domestic airlines though. I tried enrolling but it's not available for Air Canada or WestJet customers.
We weren't aware of the international flights. You can also register while on-board if needed so there might be different rules at that time.
So informative! Love the rapport between the two of you! You really made it enjoyable to watch! TY!
Thanks so much!
May I suggest a Princess Cruise to Alaska. Princess does Alaska right - prime docking, so no long bus rides into the ports for 1 example.
It’s on the list for the future.
A great glacier viewing is College Fjord on Northbound Princess cruises. Lots of glaciers in a smaller area than Glacier Bay. I’m with you on AK cruises being a favorite.
We have never done one ways and never been on Princess (yet). Thanks for sharing!
Emma & Jack
College Fjord is impressive. We saw it on a day cruise out of Whittier while the main cruise lines were shut down for Covid.
Nice video ……On my Alaska cruises I,ve always booked thru a local guide and NOT the cruise line. Never missed my ship and don’t have the crowded bus syndrome
Thanks for the great information. I'd love more about Alaska by car.
Here are some of our early videos from our roadtrip in Alaska. Don't judge us too much as these are from when we started the channel 2 years ago. :)
th-cam.com/video/hiMM_NVNLQ0/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/92fq_B3Joj0/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/2HjJvdr9Vk8/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/w84fKkdDvpk/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/jyymqaIzh1w/w-d-xo.html
We always go w Princess AND include the Land Portion into Denali
Haven’t had a chance to go on Princess yet but it is on our list!