# Alaska cruise



## DGS49

Holland America has recently sent me some brochures offering cruises at incredibly attractive prices.  For example, a 14 day cruise including all the typical stops for, let's say, less than $2,000PP.  So for me and the Old Lady to fly cross country to Seattle and pay the price, all in, would be less than five grand.

To those familiar, the main variable on a cruise is the relative need to go on excursions and the cost thereof.  At some destinations, a reasonable-cost walk or local tour is sufficient, but at others, the stop is a total waste of time if you don't take an expensive tour.

I would be willing to spend a thousand or so for tours, but not much more than that.

Anyone have any insights?


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## Weatherman2020

DGS49 said:


> Holland America has recently sent me some brochures offering cruises at incredibly attractive prices.  For example, a 14 day cruise including all the typical stops for, let's say, less than $2,000PP.  So for me and the Old Lady to fly cross country to Seattle and pay the price, all in, would be less than five grand.
> 
> To those familiar, the main variable on a cruise is the relative need to go on excursions and the cost thereof.  At some destinations, a reasonable-cost walk or local tour is sufficient, but at others, the stop is a total waste of time if you don't take an expensive tour.
> 
> I would be willing to spend a thousand or so for tours, but not much more than that.
> 
> Anyone have any insights?


Do Mendenhall glacier in Juneau, make sure you sail into glacier bay. Good lesson on the global warming myth there.

Walked Ketchikan and Victoria, but do the White Pass train in Skagway. Only did 7 days, didn’t get north of glacier bay.


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## gallantwarrior

I live in Alaska and worked for Princess a couple of summers.  While the land excursions are neat, they are overpriced and most Alaskans wouldn't go on one on a bet.  These businesses count on tourists from the cruise ships to make bank.  What kind of tours were you thinking of?


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## WillowTree

I lived in Alaska eight years! I took the cruise so my husband could see Alaska! So book a flight seeing excursion. Go up and see the bears feeding on the salmon. Sept is best for that. Flight see to a glacier lake on top of a mountain. Take a hike through the woods to a cabin for some gold mining a baked salmon lunch and ginger cookies. The train ride from Fairbanks to Anchorage is nice. Any trip to a glacier is nice. Go whale watching. Get out and walk in Sitka, and Ketchikan. Look up the bald eagles are sitting way up the hillside in the Sitka spruce trees. They look like Christmas tree ornaments. Have a drink and talk with the locals! Oh! And for god’s sake go to Denali.


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## Maxdeath

If you do any excursions it will most likely be more then a thousand dollars. Did only two when we were on the Alaska cruise. One by helicopter to see the glaciers. The  other was to travel by bus over white pass then back by train. Those cost over $1200.00


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## gallantwarrior

WillowTree said:


> I lived in Alaska eight years! I took the cruise so my husband could see Alaska! So book a flight seeing excursion. Go up and see the bears feeding on the salmon. Sept is best for that. Flight see to a glacier lake on top of a mountain. Take a hike through the woods to a cabin for some gold mining a baked salmon lunch and ginger cookies. The train ride from Fairbanks to Anchorage is nice. Any trip to a glacier is nice. Go whale watching. Get out and walk in Sitka, and Ketchikan. Look up the bald eagles are sitting way up the hillside in the Sitka spruce trees. They look like Christmas tree ornaments. Have a drink and talk with the locals! Oh! And for god’s sake go to Denali.


Ya gotta know locals.  I can take you to walk on a glacier for a couple of dollars, see Denali, or even better, Wrangell-St.Elias.  I don't know whether Again Sheila and Mr. S enjoyed their outing to Talkeetna, but it was probably better than anything they could have experienced hanging around Anchoragua for a day.  If all you want is a nice meal at an Alaskan homestead, I can provide that...plus a Denali view (if the weather allows).


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## gallantwarrior

Maxdeath said:


> If you do any excursions it will most likely be more then a thousand dollars. Did only two when we were on the Alaska cruise. One by helicopter to see the glaciers. The  other was to travel by bus over white pass then back by train. Those cost over $1200.00


Anything involving air transport is expensive but often worth the price.  Be aware that air travel is very dependent on the weather, though.


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## candycorn

DGS49 said:


> Holland America has recently sent me some brochures offering cruises at incredibly attractive prices.  For example, a 14 day cruise including all the typical stops for, let's say, less than $2,000PP.  So for me and the Old Lady to fly cross country to Seattle and pay the price, all in, would be less than five grand.
> 
> To those familiar, the main variable on a cruise is the relative need to go on excursions and the cost thereof.  At some destinations, a reasonable-cost walk or local tour is sufficient, but at others, the stop is a total waste of time if you don't take an expensive tour.
> 
> I would be willing to spend a thousand or so for tours, but not much more than that.
> 
> Anyone have any insights?



Which ship?  Interior, balcony, or suite?  Almost $200 per day sounds kind of high if it’s interior.

Anyway, Glaciers are a wonder of the world.  You can see eagles in a zoo.  Advantage Glaciers.


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## Toro

candycorn said:


> DGS49 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Holland America has recently sent me some brochures offering cruises at incredibly attractive prices.  For example, a 14 day cruise including all the typical stops for, let's say, less than $2,000PP.  So for me and the Old Lady to fly cross country to Seattle and pay the price, all in, would be less than five grand.
> 
> To those familiar, the main variable on a cruise is the relative need to go on excursions and the cost thereof.  At some destinations, a reasonable-cost walk or local tour is sufficient, but at others, the stop is a total waste of time if you don't take an expensive tour.
> 
> I would be willing to spend a thousand or so for tours, but not much more than that.
> 
> Anyone have any insights?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Which ship?  Interior, balcony, or suite?  Almost $200 per day sounds kind of high if it’s interior.
> 
> Anyway, Glaciers are a wonder of the world.  You can see eagles in a zoo.  Advantage Glaciers.
Click to expand...


I saw hundreds of eagles flying in the air and swooping down into the sea to catch fish in the Straight of Georgia right beside our boat. It was one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever seen. 

And we saw it on the 4th of July!


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## candycorn

Toro said:


> candycorn said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DGS49 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Holland America has recently sent me some brochures offering cruises at incredibly attractive prices.  For example, a 14 day cruise including all the typical stops for, let's say, less than $2,000PP.  So for me and the Old Lady to fly cross country to Seattle and pay the price, all in, would be less than five grand.
> 
> To those familiar, the main variable on a cruise is the relative need to go on excursions and the cost thereof.  At some destinations, a reasonable-cost walk or local tour is sufficient, but at others, the stop is a total waste of time if you don't take an expensive tour.
> 
> I would be willing to spend a thousand or so for tours, but not much more than that.
> 
> Anyone have any insights?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Which ship?  Interior, balcony, or suite?  Almost $200 per day sounds kind of high if it’s interior.
> 
> Anyway, Glaciers are a wonder of the world.  You can see eagles in a zoo.  Advantage Glaciers.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I saw hundreds of eagles flying in the air and swooping down into the sea to catch fish in the Straight of Georgia right beside our boat. It was one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever seen.
> 
> And we saw it on the 4th of July!
Click to expand...


I’m sure it was spectacular.  But if you’re going to do a shore excursion and pay for something, I still think anything having to do with wildlife would be secondary to seeing one of the true natural wonders of the world before they are gone.   We did a whale watching excursion off of Newport Beach once.  Very impressive.


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## gallantwarrior

candycorn said:


> Toro said:
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> candycorn said:
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> DGS49 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Holland America has recently sent me some brochures offering cruises at incredibly attractive prices.  For example, a 14 day cruise including all the typical stops for, let's say, less than $2,000PP.  So for me and the Old Lady to fly cross country to Seattle and pay the price, all in, would be less than five grand.
> 
> To those familiar, the main variable on a cruise is the relative need to go on excursions and the cost thereof.  At some destinations, a reasonable-cost walk or local tour is sufficient, but at others, the stop is a total waste of time if you don't take an expensive tour.
> 
> I would be willing to spend a thousand or so for tours, but not much more than that.
> 
> Anyone have any insights?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Which ship?  Interior, balcony, or suite?  Almost $200 per day sounds kind of high if it’s interior.
> 
> Anyway, Glaciers are a wonder of the world.  You can see eagles in a zoo.  Advantage Glaciers.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I saw hundreds of eagles flying in the air and swooping down into the sea to catch fish in the Straight of Georgia right beside our boat. It was one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever seen.
> 
> And we saw it on the 4th of July!
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I’m sure it was spectacular.  But if you’re going to do a shore excursion and pay for something, I still think anything having to do with wildlife would be secondary to seeing one of the true natural wonders of the world before they are gone.   We did a whale watching excursion off of Newport Beach once.  Very impressive.
Click to expand...

Wildlife is unpredictable, though.  Best place to see moose around Anchorage, for instance, is right around the airport.  There are some places special to view bears but some are by lottery drawing only and all are expensive.  If possible, the bus tour into Denali Park is usually a good way to see animals in their natural habitat and it's pretty inexpensive, too.


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