Welcome Back to our Popular Blog Series: Jamie’s Destination “Do”s and “Don’t”s, where our favorite Travel Planning Aficionado shares her wealth of knowledge and experiences about traveling the world! After every trip to a new destination, Jamie gives us her perspective as both a traveler, and a travel advisor, through a quick but comprehensive list of what to do or not do at each vacation location!
As many of you who follow along know, Jamie recently returned from her big Summer Family Vacation, and this year it was to Alaska! As a warm-weather-loving Floridian, even Jamie herself was surprised by how much she was absolutely blown away by the sheer gorgeousness of America’s Last Frontier (despite having to wear a winter coat in summer, which, actually, was a welcome change for once!).
If you do keep up with some of our blogs and emails, you also may have noticed that much of the focus lately has been on Alaska, from May’s Inspiring Itinerary, The Perfect Disney Besties Cruise to Alaska (which, yes, Jamie will be on AGAIN, and YES, YOU can be part of too…check out the details here), to City Guides for Pre-Cruise Activities for both Seattle and Vancouver, which are both popular ports for Alaskan Cruises.
Alaska has always been a popular American destination, especially for cruise travelers, and even people who aren’t avid cruise-goers often opt for a cruise when visiting Alaska. And while Jamie and her family decided to sail with Disney Cruise Line, there are many other options for Alaskan Cruises, depending on your personal cruise preferences. As always, your favorite Love of the Magic Travel Advisor can help you choose the best Alaskan Cruise option for you!
So Let’s Get Going to America’s Last Frontier! But First…
Jamie’s “Do”s and “Don’t”s for Cruising in Alaska!
Table of Contents
Top Favorites, and Jamie’s “Must Do” Experiences
1. DO OVER Pack
While cruises only run in Alaska during the warmer months from May through September, even the warmest months of July and August still only have average highs in the 60s (which basically feels like winter temperatures to Floridians like Jamie), with lows dipping into the 40s and 30s throughout the sailing season. With the extra hours of sunlight, the daytime highs can actually feel warmer by midday, so the smartest choice for attire is plenty of layers. This is especially true for when you’ll be off the ship most of the day on excursions; you’ll want to be able to peel off, and also layer up as needed, so having a large, comfortable bag or backpack to stash or grab your extra layers from is also a must.
Even if you’re staunchly Team Carry On, Alaska may be a destination to which checking a bag may actually make your life easier. Some items you’ll definitely want to have with you are a packable parka, a waterproof jacket (bonus if you can wear your parka underneath to layer), hats and gloves, and while snow boots aren’t a necessity, a comfortable pair of closed-toe shoes is definitely necessary.
2. DO Splurge on Excursions (Especially the Helicopter Glacier Tour)
For many people, an Alaskan Cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime Bucket List trip, so you absolutely don’t want to miss any of the once-in-a-lifetime experiences that Alaska has to offer while you’re there (and let me tell you, there are a LOT). From Helicopter Tours to walking on glaciers to dogsledding experiences, each day you spend in Alaska offers a new and unforgettable adventure, depending on the excursions you choose to participate in.
Therefore, budgeting for excursions on your Alaskan Cruise is an absolute MUST DO! Of course, your favorite Love of the Magic Vacations Travel Advisor will be able to help you choose the perfect excursions for you and your family, but if you’re looking for some suggestions right away, Jamie’s favorite excursion was definitely the Helicopter Glacier Tour, which also included sledding with the sled dogs as an added bonus!
3. DO Venture Out Beyond the “Downtown” of Each Port
Cruise Ports all over the world are designed to showcase what that specific location specializes in and has to offer, making each port unique in its own way, and the ports in Alaska follow suit with each stop giving cruise visitors a glimpse of local life. There are cafes and restaurants with local fare, shops filled with the work of local artisans, and museums that highlight the history of the area.
The port towns in Alaska are nothing short of quaint and fascinating, however, as mentioned, these little towns are just a glimpse of what life is like in each location. There is so much more exploring that can be done once you step outside the “Downtown” areas. Whether you choose an excursion that takes you out of town, or you explore farther out on your own, the more you get to see and experience in Alaska, the better your vacation will be!
4. DO Plan in Pre-Cruise Time to Explore Your Origin Port City
And speaking of Port towns and cities, planning in a few Pre-Cruise days in the city where your cruise begins is basically standard procedure nowadays. If you are flying to the city where you’ll embark for your cruise, you must plan to arrive at least one night, preferably more, in advance of the start date of your sailing. With flights and air travel frustratingly unpredictable as of late, the best way to ensure you don’t miss the boat (literally!), is to arrive a few days in advance, with plenty of time to regroup before setting sail.
Plus, a day or two in a fun and exciting city is almost like a bonus mini-vacation added on to your already amazing cruise! You get to explore the city, and depending how much time you have, maybe even the surrounding areas, too, all the while building anticipation for the cruise you’re about to take! Many Alaskan cruises set sail from either Seattle or Vancouver, and if you missed it earlier, we have City Guides with Pre-Cruise Activities for both (find the guides at these links: Seattle and Vancouver)! Of course, you can also spend some time Post-Cruise in your disembarkation Port as well, but just to be sure you get to your boat on time, extra Pre-Cruise days are a necessity!
5. DO Be Sure You have a Valid Passport (and Be Aware of Canadian Barriers to Entry)
As always, double and triple checking your passports for valid expirations dates, and making sure you actually have passports to begin with are non-negotiable Must-Dos for any trip outside of the country. Not only does your passport need to have an expiration date that covers your trip, but the expiration date must actually be valid for SIX MONTHS AFTER your return date into the United States (so, for example, if you are traveling this August, your passport must be valid through February of 2025). Whether it makes sense or not, asking questions won’t change the rules, so it’s best to just follow them.
In addition, Canada (where many Alaskan cruises depart from, or at least travel through, requiring a valid passport for embarkation) has some unusually strict restrictions for visitors, even if you are leaving from and returning to Seattle. For instance, Canada does not allow entry for anyone with a felony record, and while most people assume they’re in the clear, in Canada, DWIs and DUIs count as felonies. These precautions should be considered LONG BEFORE booking a cruise that includes a stop in Canada (which is most Alaskan cruises).
6. DO Invest in a Quality Camera (or Photo Course)
Alaska is truly one of the most breathtaking and majestic places on Earth, and while there are hardly any pictures that actually do it justice compared to being there in person, you’ll want to capture the landscape and the wildlife you experience in the best way possible. For some, this may mean breaking out and dusting off that DSLR camera you’ve been looking for a reason to use for years, and Alaska is for sure that reason! For others, taking the best pictures possible may mean finally signing up for that iPhone camera workshop you’ve always eyed and wondered if it was worth it; no better time to find out than a trip to Alaska where you’ll want the highest quality photos your iPhone can take! Whatever works best for you, being prepared to capture the scenery of your trip like an expert will help you relive your experiences in Alaska for years to come!
Top “Must-Don’t”s, or Things Jamie Would Do Differently
1. DON’T Pass Up a Balcony or Verandah Cabin
If you follow Jamie on any of her social media accounts, you know how much she loves cruising, and also how much she prefers a balcony or verandah cabin while cruising. But this is not just Jamie sharing her personal cruise preference; cruising in Alaska is an entirely different experience from ocean cruising through places such as the Caribbean or even the Mediterranean.
While some avid cruise travelers may think, “I’ve cruised so many times, I don’t need to spend the extra money on a balcony just to look at the ocean and the sky,” the scenery on an Alaskan Cruise is nothing like an ocean cruise with “just” ocean and sky to look at. There are glaciers and wildlife and forests and whales and bald eagles and so much more to see in Alaska! If you’ve never upgraded to a Balcony or Verandah Cabin on a cruise before, Alaska is definitely the time to go for it! Seriously, Jamie saw whales…from her own balcony!
2. DON’T Forget Binoculars
And speaking of all there is to see (preferably from your own Balcony or Verandah, of course), DO NOT forget binoculars when you take an Alaskan Cruise! Though you may not usually budget space in your luggage for a good pair of binoculars, you’ll absolutely want to do so for your trip to Alaska (and if you don’t, you’ll wish you had, or wind up buying a pair while there).
From soaring bald eagles, to breaching whales, to calving glaciers, the list of once-in-a-lifetime sights you can see in Alaska from your very own balcony is almost never ending, and you won’t want to miss any of it because it’s too far for you to see clearly! Trust Jamie: Don’t forget binoculars!
3. DON’T Skip a Glacier Tour Excursion
Although the Glacier Tour Excursion was mentioned earlier under “DO Splurge on Excursions,” it bears repeating that the Glacier Tour specifically is one excursion you DON’T want to miss! On Disney Cruise Line, this excursion takes place on the Stikine Icecap. Your ship will most likely travel through the Endicott Arm or Tracey Arm, depending on the weather and wildlife report. You’ll have an option to book an excursion that departs directly from the ship to get a closer look at Dawes glacier, and you should NOT pass up this opportunity.
The aerial views alone make the splurge worth it, but add in actually walking on a glacier, and then getting to take an actual dogsled ride, and your Glacier Tour Excursion day will easily be the highlight of your Alaskan Vacation, and maybe one of the highlights of all of your vacations ever!
4. DON’T Spend Glacier Day Inside
“Glacier Day” on an Alaskan Cruise is usually the day when your ship sails along a stretch of landscape that includes a number of glaciers that will be visible from the boat. While you won’t dock in a port on Glacier Day, there is still SO much to see, whether it’s from your own balcony or from other decks on the ship. Some cruise ships even provide narration on Glacier Day, so everyone onboard knows what they’re looking at as the ship sails by magnificent sight after sight.
While some people may be tempted to stay inside on Glacier Day because it’s “too cold” on deck, or they’re “too tired” from days of excursions, DON’T let an excuse like that steal one of the most breathtaking days of your Alaskan Cruise! Layer up, grab an extra strong coffee and get out into the crisp Alaskan air for views that are truly unparalleled!
5. DON’T Forget to Consider the Weather and Available Activities when Selecting Sailing Dates
It’s no secret that Alaska is cold. If one of your excursions includes standing on a glacier and being pulled through snow in a dogsled, you basically know what you’re getting into in terms of weather. However, there are variations in how cold it will get, depending when you’re sailing within the cruising season. May and September will be the coldest at either end of the sailing season, while July is the warmest, falling in the very middle of cruising months.
Even if lower temperatures don’t bother you, there are some activities that will or won’t be available in the coolest and warmest months of Alaska’s sailing season. For example, certain routes may still have too much ice to sail through at the ends of the season, while certain variations of wildlife may only be spotted during the cooler months when temperatures don’t rise too high during the day for the animals to come out. If there are certain activities that are absolute Must-Dos for you, be sure to check with your favorite Love of the Magic Vacations Travel Advisor, who can make sure everything you want to experience will be available during your preferred sailing dates.
6. DON’T Miss Out on a Picture with Mickey and Minnie in their Alaska Attire
Okay, yes, this one is a super specific “Don’t” for Disney Cruise Line, so if you’re sailing on a different line, this won’t apply. But if you are sailing DCL, seriously do not miss taking a picture with Mickey and Minnie! Their on deck looks are too adorable to not get a picture of; and I don’t know about you, but I’ve been waiting for Disney to put out a replica of Minnie’s coat for purchase, because personally, I’d be the FIRST to order one!
And…that’s a wrap of Jamie’s Destination “Do”s and “Don’t”s for Cruising in Alaska!
Ready to Plan?
Now that you have all of Jamie’s best advice for Alaskan Cruises, are you ready to plan your next Adventure to Alaska? Contact your favorite Love of the Magic Vacations Travel Advisor or email hello@LOTMV.com to start planning today!
Looking for more of Jamie’s Destination “Do”s and “Don’t”s?
Just like last year, a new Destination “Do”s and “Don’t”s list will come out soon after Jamie returns from her latest trip to a new location! You can find links to all of Jamie’s 2023 Travel Tips here: Jamie’s 2023 Destination “Do”s and “Don’t”s, A Recap, and to all of Jamie’s 2022 Travel Tips at this Blog: Jamie’s 2022 Destination “Do”s and “Don’t”s: A Recap.
Jamie’s Destination “Do”s and “Don’t”s: Xcaret Resorts, Mexico
And don’t forget to check out our Inspiring Itineraries as well, featuring a Perfect Plan for your next vacation, and highlighting a new destination each month! You can find links to all of 2023’s Inspiring Itineraries in this Blog: 2023 Inspiring Itineraries Recap and even links to all of 2022’s Inspiring Itineraries here: A Year of Inspired Travel: 2022’s Inspiring Itineraries, Month by Month.