Navigating the choices for Alaskan Cruises

 

Should an Alaskan cruise be on your bucket list?  The answer to that question is a definite YES!  However, navigating the choices for an Alaska cruise can be very difficult for a novice cruiser, as all too many options are available to choose from.  The cruise itinerary, the time of year, the shore excursions available on the cruise line, the cruise line and the ship sailed by the cruise line all have a factor in which cruise someone should choose.

There are two basic Alaskan cruise categories:

• 7+ Day Inside Passage Roundtrip
• 7+ Day Northbound/Southbound One-Way (w/wo Denali Land Tour)

For those wanting to cruise Alaska for the first time, I recommend taking an Inside Passage roundtrip cruise, as it provides an intense Alaskan experience in a short time and allows the cruiser to make arrangements to travel to/from a single port from/to home.

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Most inside passage cruises will leave from the Home Ports of Vancouver, BC; Seattle, WA ; and San Francisco, CA.  All cruises originating from a United States port will make a mandatory stop in at least one of the following Canadian ports to comply with the US Passenger Vessel Services Act:

• Prince Rupert, BC
• Vancouver, BC
• Victoria, BC

Sometimes, the stop is long enough for a cruiser to explore the port.  Other times, the ship will stop at the port for 3 or 4 hours in the evening, at a time which does not allow the cruiser to fully enjoy the stop. An example of this is when the Carnival Spirit visits Victoria, BC on May 19, 2025 between 8:00 pm and 11:59 pm.  What worthwhile things can a person do in Victoria on this visit?  However, if a cruise spends a significant portion of its Canadian port visit in daylight hours, a cruiser will often have many choices of activities to occupy one's day.

It is not only Canadian ports where Alaskan cruises make abbreviated stops.  For example, on the same Carnival Spirit cruise, the ship will make port in Ketchikan  between 7:00 am and 1:00 pm on May 18, 2025.  If one is not an early riser, this stop becomes meaningless for the cruiser, as there is not enough time to explore this port.  So, it is very important that a cruiser examine the cruise's itinerary and the time spent in each port before booking a cruise - it'd be a shame to go to a port and not have enough time to do the things one can only do in the port.

Most Inside Passage cruises will visit 3 or 4 of the following ports: 

• Haines
• Icy Strait Point
• Juneau
• Ketchikan
• Sitka
• Skagway

and visit one (or, sometimes two) of the following glacier zones:

• Endicott Arm
• Glacier Bay
• Hubbard Glacier
• Tracy Arm
  

Of these ports and glacier areas, I consider Skagway and Glacier Bay to be must-visits.  In Skagway, the White Pass and Yukon Railroad is a must for a shore excursion.  And Glacier Bay is the highest rated place where one can view Alaskan glaciers.

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Many one-way Alaskan cruises will either cruise Northbound from Vancouver and terminate in Anchorage (Seward or Whittier) or sail Southbound from Anchorage and terminate in Vancouver.  One-way cruises are often coupled with a stay in  Denali National Park.  As one would expect, transportation to the embarkation port and from the disembarkation port is a more complex affair, and a part of the trip logistics that I might hand off to the cruise line to make my planning easier.  

An important factor in cabin choice that applies only to one-way Alaskan cruises is whether one has a port side (left) or starboard side (right) balcony cabin.  If one sails North, choose a starboard cabin.  If one sails South, choose a port cabin.  This way, one can get the best views while sailing through the Inside Passage.  Although some ships may make an occasional port in a place such as Valdez, AK, one should focus on travel through the Inside Passage and the land portion of one's trip before/after Anchorage.

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There are so many options one can choose from when deciding to take an Alaskan cruise, that it's hard to go completely wrong with one's choice of cruise ship, cruise itinerary, and cruise duration.  However, I suggest that one try to come as close as possible to this model list of places being visited:

• Glacier Bay (Cruising)
  
  
• Skagway (for the White Pass and Yukon Railroad)
• Juneau (for the Mendenhall Glacier)
• Ketchikan (for the Lumberjack Show and Creek Street)
  
  
• Victoria (to tour the city and visit the Buchart Gardens)
• Vancouver (it's Canada's answer to the USA's San Francisco)

Please note that I have rarely seen a cruise of any length that visits all of these places.  However, there have been a couple of Northbound and Southbound 7-day cruises (with different port stops) which have been combined into a single 14-day cruise that visits all of these places.  To me, this might be an ideal itinerary for a bucket list cruise.

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Although I have just mentioned what shore excursions I'd choose on an Alaskan cruise, there are many more options one can choose from at each port.  Since Alaska is the focus of this entry, I'll list a few excursion choices I've found at each of the Alaskan ports below:

• Haines
  - Native Culture Experience Tour
  - Nature and Wildlife Photography Tour
  - Whale Watching Tour 
  - Hiking
  - ATV Trekking
  
  
• Icy Strait Point
  - Gondola and Forest Tram Tour
  - Seafood Feast and Tribal Dance Show
  - Wilderness Hike
  - Halibut Fishing
  - Remote Wildlife and Brown Bear Search
  
  
• Juneau
  - Mendenhall Glacier Explorer Tour
  - Juneau Tram on your own
  - Alaska Salmon Bake
  - Underground Mine Exploration and Gold Panning
  - Alaska Zip Line Adventure and Axe Throwing
  
  
• Ketchikan
  - Totem Bight State Park and Ketchikan Highlights
  - Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show and Crab Feast
  - Historical Ketchikan & Creek Street Walking Tour
  - Rainforest Canoe and Nature Trail
  - Off-Road UTV Safari, Cruise, Crab & Craft Beer
  
  
• Sitka
  - All About Sitka - Russian & Tlingit Heritage Discovery
  - Alaska Raptor Center, Totem Park & Tlingit Dance
  - Sitka Guided Fly Fishing
  - Fortress of the Bear & Silver Bay Homestead Cruise
  - Sitka Historical Floathouse & Scenic Cruise
  
  
• Skagway
  - Easy Skagway: City, Klondike Highway & The Days of '98 Show
  - Rise & Shine at the Red Onion Saloon & Historical City Tour
  - White Pass Steam Train to Bennett Lake
  - Rail, Summit & Suspension Bridge with Brunch
  - Musher's Camp & Sled Dog Experience
  
  

The above is an incomplete list taken from Princess Cruises' list of available shore excursions.  Similar trips may be available from independent vendors at each port, such as Ketchikan's Lumberjack Show and Skagway's ride on the White Pass and Yukon Railroad.  There are more than enough excursion types to keep most people happy.  Hopefully, you will be able to enjoy some of them.  But be sure to enjoy the unique beauty that can be found in America's Last Frontier.

Cruise Line Excursions - Are They Worth The Price?

 

The decision whether one should take a shore excursion sold by a cruise line often depends on one's answers to the following questions:

1. How comfortable are you with planning a trip from a cruise port, and being able to return to your ship before it leaves for the next port? 
2. How comfortable are you with navigating around an unfamiliar city, walking, or using their mass transit systems?  
3. How comfortable are you with communicating with people who may not speak your language? 
4. How comfortable are you with wandering through areas which may have high crime?
5. How comfortable are you with people trying to sell you goods in foreign markets?

The answers to these questions and more all help to determine whether you should buy a shore excursion offered by a cruise line, whether you should buy one from another company, or whether you should explore what the port has to offer on your own.

There are many advantages to buying a shore excursion through a cruise line:

1. The vendors have all been vetted for both reliability.
2. The activity level for each excursion meets standards set by the cruise line.
3. In some cases, the excursion(s) may be the only safe options available at the port. 
4. The cruise line will issue refunds if a change in the ship's schedule (usually weather related) prevents a cruiser from taking an excursion.
5. The cruise ship will always wait for its excursions to return before leaving port.

Additionally, in the latter days of the pandemic, cruise line excursions were the only ones available, as cruisers were kept in a "bubble" meant to protect them from unvaccinated locals at each port. However, there is one major disadvantage: Cruise lines always add their own markups to the price of excursions, and this can make each excursion needlessly expensive.  

A good example that there is a choice between cruise line offered excursions and do-it-yourself shore excursions exists in Bermuda. One can get to any point in the Bermuda archipelago via its bus and ferry system.  Both the Crystal Caves and Cooper's Island Preserve can be reached via Bermuda's transit system.  Additionally, NCL offers the following 6 hour excursion to these places from the Dockyards area for $139: 

Caves and Waves

Explore the geological wonders and eerie formations in Crystal Caves and then spend hours relaxing at a series of beaches linked by footpaths and surrounded by a nature reserve. 

After departing from the pier, you will enjoy a leisurely tender ride to St. George’s Island, the northernmost point of hook-shaped Bermuda. A short scenic drive will bring you to Crystal Caves, which were discovered in 1907 when a teenager tried to retrieve his cricket ball from a hole and found it led to a huge series of caverns.

You will have the opportunity to explore the wonders underground, which include a crystal-clear lake and a profusion of white stalactites eerily illuminated for added drama. Parts of the caves are accessed along a pontoon boardwalk that floats atop the lake, allowing a closer look at the geological formations underwater. As an alternative, you may remain above ground and meander the gardens and browse the gift shop.

Continuing, you will soon arrive at the Clearwater Beach & Cooper’s Island Reserve, a secluded wedge of undeveloped land on Bermuda’s eastern end. The area contains six interconnected beaches, an idyllic setting to enjoy hours relaxing in the sun, doing whatever you please.

Yet, one could buy a Bermuda 1-day bus/ferry pass and reach both the Crystal caves and Cooper's Island Reserve for $19, then spend another $30 to see the Crystal Caves.  As long as one is sure to be able to make it back to the ship on time, one can save $90/pp by doing this excursion one one's own. But one has to feel safe using public transit in Bermuda to achieve these savings.

Sometimes, one wants the safety of taking a cruise line vetted shore excursion.  NCL offers the following excursion when their ships port in Maui:

Road to Hana Deluxe

Sit back and appreciate all of the sights along the famed Hana Highway without having to navigate the curves yourself. Travel over bridges and along the twisting road in the air-conditioned comfort of an exclusive 8-passenger luxury limo-van.

Although $459 was a steep price to pay for this excursion, I can say from personal experience that I was very glad to know that the cruise ship would wait for my group to return.  Although we made it to Hana without incident, the van that took us to Hana had engine problems on the return trip.  There is no cell phone service along this road, and it would take some time for the tour guide to get us help and get us back to the ship.

Not all people want to do the leg work needed to design their own shore excursions, nor do they want to pay the high markup for excursions sold by a cruise line.   Contrast the following two excursions.  The first is offered  by Shore Excursions Group for $99 (with a guaranteed return to the ship on time), and the other by NCLfor $129:

Nova Scotia's Peggy's Cove

Visit iconic Peggy's Cove Lighthouse and see the South Shore, from Halifax to Peggy's Point, on a comfortable bus tour.

Peggy’s Cove & Acadian Maple

When people think of Canada, they think of maple syrup. When people think of Nova Scotia, they think of Peggy’s Cove. On this tour you’ll get a chance to experience both! Board your coach for the scenic drive to Peggy’s Cove – one of the most popular and visited lighthouses in Atlantic Canada. Enjoy some free time here to take some breathtaking pictures and explore the village with its galleries and souvenir shops.

Continue your journey to Acadian Maple Products, started as a family hobby over 30 year ago, today they are the largest purchaser and processor of maple syrup produced in Nova Scotia. Their high quality products are now enjoyed worldwide and their shop welcomes over 30,000 visitors a year. Browse the shop and get your taste of Canada!.

Of the two above cruises, which one would you choose?  No doubt, NCL is making money by both selling tickets with a $30 markup and by getting a possible kickback from Acadian Maple Products.  Given that Peggy's Cove is a popular destination with cruise passengers, one might find the Shore Excursions Group trip a cost effective alternative to the excursion offered by NCL.  In my case, I ended up taking the NCL excursion, as the discount offered by their "Free at Sea" deal reduced the price for the excursion to be within a couple of dollars of the excursion offered by Shore Excursions Group.


There are times where I would only consider the cruise line offered shore excursions.  For example, the following excursion costs $155 and lasts 2.5 hours:

Falklands Battlegrounds

Designed for the history and military buff, you will get a first-hand look at the battlefields of the Falklands War on this 2.5-hour tour. You'll board your transportation at the pier and travel outside of Stanley to Estancia Farm where a battlefield expert will lead you on a tour of some of the major battle sites. From this panoramic spot, you can see Sapper Hill, Wireless Ridge and Mount William. After days of heavy artillery fire, the Argentine forces surrendered on June 14. At the end of this moving and memorable tour, you'll board your motor coach for the return trip to the harbor.

Given the remoteness of the Falklands, I wouldn't take the risk of not returning to the ship on time.  If I wanted to do anything more than walk around Stanley, I'd go with the cruise line offered excursion to shift the risks to the cruise line. The cruise line handles all of the logistics and takes all of the risks.  What more can you ask when in a remote port with few opportunities to rejoin the cruise, if one is not able to return to the ship on time?

During this year's Alaska cruise season, a mudslide covered the tracks of the White Pass & Yukon Railroad, stranding cruise passengers.  A separate mudslide prevented buses from returning the cruisers to their ships.  The cruise lines responsible for these cruisers had the (also stranded) buses take them on a 200+ mile drive to the nearest port accessible from the Alaskan highway: Haines, AK, where their ships would be waiting for the cruisers.  Yes, this is an extreme example of what a cruise line will do for passengers on shore excursions it sells.  But it shows the value of a cruise line's guarantee to get these passengers back on the ship.

For the most part, the decision to take a shore excursion sold by the cruise line, to take a shore excursion sold by vendors such as Viator and Shore Excursions Group, or to do an excursion on one's own depends on risk tolerance, personal finances, and comfort when dealing with both the unfamiliar and the unknown.  It pays to learn as much as possible about a port before making this type of decision, as there are many factors to be considered when choosing shore excursions.  When in doubt, play it safe and go with the cruise line's shore excursions.  Peace of mind can be priceless.

Researching things to do in a cruise port.

 

As I like to say, all Caribbean Islands have beaches, shopping districts, and forts.  The island of St. Kitts was no exception to this rule.  When I was there for the first time, I avoided the shopping district and spent my morning there visiting the fort at the top of Brimstone Hill, then spending an afternoon at Turtle Bay. Nowadays, St. Kitts has more things for a cruiser to do on a shore excursion, and I'd like to help people get the best value out of any port.

Given that I usually schedule my cruises far in advance to get the best prices, this also gives me the opportunity to research things I can do at each port.  For example, Bermuda has beaches,  a shopping district in its capital, and a fort near the pier we will be docking at.  But there is more to this archipelago than the usual points of interest, as it has museums, historical architecture, and caverns, in addition to the usual water based activities that one can enjoy on a shore excursion.  Since I will be in port for 3 days, it made sense for me to research the mass transit options for Bermuda, as well as the places I'd want to visit. This way, I could avoid spending the extra money that the cruise line would charge for excursions.

But first, I had to find out - Is Bermuda Safe?  And from what I can tell, a tourist can travel anywhere in Bermuda without worry, unlike the situation in Caribbean nations such as Haiti and Jamaica.  If Bermuda wasn't safe, I'd only venture off the ship in a cruise line sponsored excursion, staying in a cruise line sponsored "bubble" for safety.

Next, on things to find out would be how to reach my points of interest without using cruise line sponsored transit.  From what I have read, buses and ferries run during daylight hours, and can get a person to any point in Bermuda without trouble.  Given that a bus/ferry day pass is relatively cheap, it makes sense to use their system to reach the outer reaches of the archipelago (and return), and save money that can be better used on souvenirs and meals.

The cruise line offered a tour to both the Crystal Caves and Bermuda's Aquarium/Zoo for $169.00, including transportation to and from the ship.  Using the following web sites, I built my own shore excursion as follows:

• https://www.investopedia.com/terms/forex/b/bmd-bermudian-dollar.asp 
• https://www.gotobermuda.com/plan/getting-around-bermuda
• https://caves.bm
• https://www.investopedia.com/terms/forex/b/bmd-bermudian-dollar.asp 
• https://bamz.org/visit/planning-your-visit

Self Constructed Excursion:

• Zoo/Aquarium - $10
• Crystal Caves - $35
• Bus/Ferry Fare ($5/segment) - $15 (or $25) based on individual fares.
  Day passes may be available for a lower price.
  

Total cost for Excursion - $60

Given that I've saved over $100 by building my own excursion, I have more money I can spend elsewhere in Bermuda.

The process I used for Bermuda can be used in most places with little effort.  However, it takes an investment of time to sort through all the available options.  Yet, my decision making process only applies when the risk for being back to the ship late is very low.  In the case of the above excursion, I would do this on the first of my 3 days in Bermuda.  The second day would likely be spend exploring Hamilton.  And the third day would be spend at the Naval Dockyard, a short walk from the pier where the ship is docked.  Each day, I am taking progressively less risk of returning to the ship late, as I don't want to risk the ship leaving Bermuda without me.

Hopefully, this will give the reader of this entry an idea of how best to plan a shore excursion.