I was so very fortunate to “live” in Alaska for 4.5 months and have firsthand knowledge of this breathtaking cruise region.
Alaska is an ideal area for exploring by ship - forested islands, waterfalls and glaciers mainly situated on the narrow coastal strip between mountains and sea.
The Alaskan cruise season is typically from mid May to September with July and August the most popular months. Temperatures in May, June and September range from 10C to 18C while in August it can reach the low 20Cs but it can change on a daily basis. It can also rain at any time and quite often does but May and June are the driest months.
I worked for Royal Caribbean International as a Guest Services Purser for 3 years and our voyages were seven day cruises to the Inside Passage that started and finished in Vancouver and where passengers got to explore the twisting and sheltered waterways between the coast and the offshore islands. I visited ports as far north as Skagway and Haines (twin ports) and southern ports such as Juneau and Ketchikan. Sitka has been added to most cruise itineraries now but I have not been there.
As a purser we had to sell the shore excursions when the team were taking the excursions. Passengers were often disappointed when the excursion they wanted to go on was full when they could have pre-booked this prior to travel. It is widely known that Alaskan excursions sell out faster than any other region and I always advise clients of this at booking stage, they will thank-you for letting them know.
I did a lot of excursions from whale watching in Juneau to flying in a helicopter onto glaciers but my favourite excursion was to sail up Misty Fjords and experience its “noisy” silence!
My favourite Glacier is Glacier Bay, and I also experienced Hubbard Glacier. Most cruise lines have a lecturer making announcements as you sail in and out of port giving passengers the detailed history of each port and glacier. Holland America Line has a high percentage of the permits to visit Glacier Bay than any other cruise line.
An outside stateroom with a Balcony is a must for an Alaskan Cruise because those passengers that don’t have one will be sandwiched between other passengers on the open decks trying to take photos! Your clients will thank-you (again) for this advice.
When I go back to Alaska I want to go with Crystal Cruises!
Brendan O'Connor
Travelmax
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