6 Things to Think About Before Booking an Alaskan Cruise

Is an Alaskan cruise on your bucketlist?! Join me on this episode for my best tips for helping you plan the best Alaskan adventure for your family.

Here are my top 6 things to think about before planning an Alaskan cruise.

There are a few different cruise itinerary options for Alaska.
If you want to start and stop in the same city, your main options are Seattle and Vancouver. These typically have around 3 stops in Alaska
Or you can pick an itinerary that ends in Alaska. Since we wanted to spend extra time in Alaska after our cruise, we chose a cruise that ended in Seward. We flew into Vancouver to embark on the cruise.
Side note: We flew into Vancouver and had a great private driver for the day! He picked us up from the airport and showed us around for the day.

We have done 7 days both times, and it was perfect for our family.
Once you choose the amount of time you want to spend, start looking at cruise line options! We have gone with Norwegian and Princess, and they seemed pretty much the same to us.
The main Alaska cruise lines: Holland America, Princess, Norwegian (NCL), Disney, Royal Caribbean

Decide if you want more sea days or land days. Different cruises have different options.
Also, be sure to check out how long each ship stops at each port. Some cruise lines don’t allow for much time at some stops, so this is just something to be aware of.
I would recommend booking these cruises as far out as possible. Alaskan cruises book out much sooner than other types of cruises. You will probably want to book 6-12 months in advance
Pick your cabin room. I would recommend getting a room with a balcony for Alaskan cruises if you’re able to. The views are absolutely amazing on these cruises, so it’s nice to have your own balcony to enjoy it.
Get your flights

We prefer to fly in the day before our cruise leaves. We do this in case of flight delays.
At the end of your cruise, I recommend booking flights for the afternoon that you disembark from the boat. This is because everyone is usually tired and ready to be home by the end of the trip.

May-September is the Alaska cruise season. The shoulder season of May and September will definitely be chillier, but less busy in the cities.
June, July, and August will be warmer and “better” weather, depending on what you like. We went in May and it was chilly and rainy some days, but overall nice!

Don’t forget to think about excursions when planning your Alaskan cruise.
Just to be aware, some of the Alaskan excursions can get pricey. If your family loves high-adventure activities, you’ll want to save up and plan for these excursions.

Don’t overthink the packing! We dressed pretty casually.
Pack things that you can layer.
Our family brought a lot of joggers and jeans for pants. We also brought a range of short and long-sleeved shirts, along with a jacket or two.
Your shoes will depend on your excursions. I brought one pair of tennis shoes to use at the boat gym and on hikes. I would also recommend packing at least one pair of sandals for convenience on the ship.
Our family used carry-ons only and we were able to fit rough for two weeks. You can do it!

Drink packages on cruises can be very expensive. We decided to just buy specialty drinks a la carte since we don’t drink a lot of “fun drinks”.
However, be sure to check out the package for the cruise you book and decide if it’s worth it for your family.
We did buy a water package where they put water bottles in our rooms, and we loved having those.