What are the best tips for planning an Alaska cruise? — featuring Royal Caribbean Blog

0:00 there's nothing like an Alaska cruise and today I've got 50 of the best Alaska cruise tips for a perfect vacation up [Music] next hey everyone it's Matt from Royal caran blog.com and Alaska cruise is so different from any other Cruise out there whether it's the Caribbean or Europe there's a whole new adventure

0:26 waiting for you in Alaska and I want to share with you a ton of easy tips and tricks to make your cruise fantastic and before you even get into this video let's make it really easy for you you just want to download all these tips I got the hookup if you go to royalcaribbeanblog.com

0:43 Alaska tips you can download all them in a Easy PDF format but let's get into the video with our tips starting with number one figure out the best time for your Alaska cruise the Alaska cruise season generally runs between May and September while many offerings and experiences on

1:00 an elas Cruise will be similar no matter what month you choose there are a few differences to consider May and September are definitely the shoulder season during these months you're going to find fewer families and passengers on board and lower prices in addition you may have a greater chance of seeing the

1:14 Northern Lights as fall begins September the most popular months though for Alaska is June July and August these months are when daylight hours are the longest Wildlife viewing opportunities are the greatest and the weather is the warmest so it's really a matter of debating do you want to save some money

1:30 would would you rather deal with crowds pricing all that good stuff number two research the best ship for you Royal Caribbean has both large and small cruise ships that visit Alaska each with their own benefits and drawbacks larger ships will offer more onboard activities and venues whereas smaller ships are

1:46 able to fit into more destinations along the Inside passage taking a look at what you hope to see and experience while on an Alaska cruise is an important First Step before booking any ship are you traveling with kids and looking for the most onboard activities if so selecting a Quantum class ship is going to be

2:02 right for you the quantum class ships offer the clex an indoor sports court and activities like bumper cars soccer pickle ball and more they also have an indoor pool as well as more bars dining options and entertainment the smaller ships which tend to be the radiance class cruise ships are a lot smaller but

2:19 don't let that deter you from choosing them many people find that cruising to Alaska on a smaller ship comes with its own benefits smaller ships are able to fit into more ports meaning you could visit destinations like hubard Glacier and Tracy arm Fjord and like Royal Herman's larger ships these small ships

2:36 still offer fantastic viewing opportunities with floor ceiling windows and plenty of outdoor deck space you also really should consider a balcony cabin if a balcony stateroom is in your budget then I really recommend booking one to enjoy the opportunity to have a private area to enjoy the natural beauty

2:51 of Alaska anytime you want there's no denying that having easy access and private space especially when near Glacier is a really lovely perk of being in a balcony balcony rooms come at a higher cost than an interor room obviously but for many people it's well worth the cost and my next tip is

3:08 actually you could instead save some money with an interior room while having a balcony cabin is super nice it is not essential as you might think to have for an elastic Cruise you can still have an amazing cruise by depending purely on public areas to enjoy the view and saving money and by booking an inside

3:25 cabin Royal cion chips feature ample deck space to enjoy the view any time of day even when near a glacier you ought to find plenty of great viewing opportunities moreover the price of a balcony room may be much more expensive than an inside room and you may decide that it's better to Simply go with the

3:42 cheaper room and use that money saved to invest in an amazing Shore Excursion the bottom line is look at all the room categories but don't assume you need to get a balcony room but if you can afford it great go for it and if not you're not doing yourself a disservice without one my next tip is to definitely book with a

3:57 travel agent this is something I share all the time here on this channel a travel agent should cost you nothing extra and they can provide you extremely valuable help and support during the booking process being able to ask your travel agent questions and get them resolved without having to take time out

4:11 of your day to contact Royal Caribbean is going to save you so much time plus good travel agents have an abundance of knowledge about Royal Caribbean Alaska and the cruise industry so they're able to answer questions you may have about your upcoming Cruise next up book your dining and drink packages in advance

4:27 just like any Royal coing Cruise it's really important to to pre-book any dining or drink packages for your cruise via the Royal caran Cruise planner website booking early really allows you to some money on things like the drink package dting packages and more speaking of booking early in Alaska you really

4:43 want to book excursions in advance the same rules that apply to dining and beverage packages also apply to shore excursions because it's really important to book your tours well in advance in fact because popular shore excursions often risk selling out it's even more important to book shore excursions ahead

4:59 of time compared to even dining or beverage packages whether you're booking through Royal car directly or through an outside provider be sure to research what activities and excursions are recommended in each Port while some ports may be the best for whale watching Others May offer best historic or

5:13 cultural opportunities my next step is how to find the best itinerary for an elastic cruise and really when I say best that's a very relative term because it's important to have an understanding of what options are available some cruise ships leave from Seattle whereas others leave from Vancouver and some are

5:27 one-way sailing to Alaska While others are round trip and some itenas visit more Cruise ports than others browsing through all of Royal K's elastic Cruise offerings is a really good starting point for researching the different options available alternatively you could also talk to your travel agent to

5:42 discuss which options might work best for you depending on what you want to see what's important to you and of course who you're traveling with budget Etc if you listen to one tip in this entire video make sure it's this one and that is fly into your departure port a day early no matter where in the world

5:57 your cruise departs from it is super important to arrive drive to your departure City at least one day prior to the cruise flight delays and cancellations misconnections traffic unexpected car issues and weather can negatively affect your chance of getting to the cruise port on time so arrive one

6:11 day ahead of time at least stay in the hotel the night before your cruise and that way you have a good buffer if you run into any unexpected delays also you should really know the differences between Alaska and a Caribbean itinerary now this may seem obvious but we're going to go with this on this one

6:25 cruising to Alaska is very poor to intensive itinerary with short excursions that cost way more money and have far fewer party events unlike the Caribbean where the places you visit can sometimes be secondary and elasic cruise is really about where you're going on land and the onboard experience can

6:43 almost feel like an afterthought something else you should really consider if you really want like the best Alaska cruise experience is to extend your Alaska cruise with a cruise tour rooll cing offers expanded Journeys to Alaska with its Cruise tour program a cruise tour will take you to incredible

6:58 destinations that no Cru you can visit from the coastline to the heart of the frontier a Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise tour offers a sea package and a land package together that offers some really cool must either before or after your cruise you can book a cruise tour that combines a Land Tour which usually runs

7:16 3 to seven nights popular destinations on these land tours include Denali National Park for wildlife viewing talint best place for Denali views and Fairbanks every Alaska cruise tour includes knowledgeable Adventure Specialists who act as gu historians and conier and they're by your side for the

7:33 entirety of the land tour providing inside our tips and local perspective you should also expect on your last Cruise abnormal hours in ports most cruises tend to have Port stop somewhere between like 7 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. at the latest elastic cruises however often have more abnormal hours some Port stops

7:51 for example may be between 400 p.m. and midnight or you might have two stops in one day most ports will stick to the more normal hour so to speak but if you're looking at an itinerary and you're shocked to see such bizarre hours for your Port stops don't be too alarmed cruises to Alaska run primarily during

8:08 the summer months when daylight hours are much longer so it's possible to have a walking tour around the port at 9:00 or 10 p.m. in the peak of Summer while it's still enjoying the daylight I should also mention it's a really good idea to purchase travel insurance for your Alaska cruise even though the

8:24 insurance plans on most US citizens will work in Alaska cuz you're within the US it's still a really good idea to purchase travel insurance prior to your cruise travel insurance can cover travel delays and cancellations lost luggage or valuables medical coverage emergency transportation and more it's a good

8:39 safety net yeah you're probably not going to use it but if you ever need it boy it really comes in handy do yourself a favor invest in travel insurance for your Alaska cruise another really good tip is to be flexible in ports your cruise will stop at a variety of ports in Alaska with some stopping in Canada

8:54 as well common ports include ketan Juno Skagway Sitka hannes and hubard gla sure where your visit depends on your ship size and itinerary and embarcation Port however it's important to remain flexible and ENT understanding your artillery can change Alaska's weather conditions may lead to high seas storms

9:12 heavy winds especially if you're traveling during the shoulder season like early May or late September the day you planed in Sitka as an example could be replaced by a stop and catcher can or perhaps ship is unable to sail further into a passage for a glacier sighting the majority of sailings do go as

9:28 planned but being Flex is really important next up find a great spot to watch glaciers and scenery a unique aspect of an Alaska cruise is that you can see land for the majority of the sailing they mainly sail through Alaska's Inside passage where FS waterfalls and mountains dot the

9:44 landscape on both sides of the ship on the first or day or two we really recommend exploring the ship to make note of areas that you can watch scenery once you get to Alaska the pool deck is a really popular option but you may find other hidden gems throughout the ship here also going to want to wake up early

10:01 and stay up late because traveling to Alaska will have different daylight hours than what you're used to in the Caribbean cruise especially if you're traveling in the middle of summer with as many as 19 hours of daylight in the summer months don't forget to wake up early and stay up late to be amazed by

10:15 the scenery around you in Alaska and also this is hard one for a lot of first- timers but try not to worry about the weather It Will Rain while you're in Alaska there's no getting around that but it's also not the end of the world weather forecasts don't always match what you'll experience be prepared for

10:30 changing weather daily you really should be prepared for varying clothing options which is really why wearing layers is super important in Alaska and when it does rain give it a few minutes because it generally doesn't last that long take it all in because it might actually end up you know starting out Sunny then rain

10:47 then cloudy then Sunny then rain again it just you never can tell exactly but don't worry about the rain as much as you possibly can and certainly don't let it stop you from enjoying your day another really important tip is to definitely bring your motion sickness remedies depending on the weather

11:02 conditions outside and the time of year you sail to Alaska you may encounter some choppy Seas While most days should be pretty smooth sailing it's always a good idea to plan in advance if you're prone to motion sickness this is especially true if you plan to book a whale watching tour as many guests will

11:18 feel more movement on a smaller vessel something else different about an Alaska cruise is you should take advantage of Port lectures Roy crian offers complimentary lectures by higher educational staff on the history and culture of the places you're going to visit it's easy to overlook these types

11:33 of offerings so many other activities and things to do on a typical roing cruise but do yourself a favor and check them out also this may go without saying but truly relax and enjoy the scenery even with all the fun activities you'll find on a royal caran ship it's always a great idea to spend time sitting back

11:49 and relaxing on an Alaska cruise sailing through the Alaska Inside passage comes with stunning views in every direction and while I could be attempting to book a full day of fun activities on board don't fre forget to take in some time relaxing here's another good tip though for the things you do want to do on

12:04 board the ship which is book shows and dining on the first day just like any roll cing Cruise be sure to book your specialy dining and entertainment on the first day of your cruise to ensure you can reserve the days and times that work best for you as soon as you get on board connect to the ship's Wi-Fi open the

12:18 royan app and then scroll through the calendar and Reserve any entertainment you're interested in don't worry you don't need to purchase a Wi-Fi package to use the Royal Caribbean app and if you bought a Donnie package well then definitely head the restaurants on board to reserve all specially dining days and

12:33 times for the week another good tip is to bring cards or board games with you because you're going to encounter some downtime on elastic Cruise especially compared to what you might experience during warmer weather in the Caribbean while there are certainly enough activities and entertainment options to

12:45 keep you occupied some people like to spend time playing cards or games with fellow passengers especially considering that it might be cooler or wetter outside or both than you might be used to and one last onboard tip is to confirm your main dining room dining times and options because when you

13:00 booked your cruise you should have selected a dining time either traditional or MyTime dining additionally if you'd prefer a private table as supposed to dining with others it's a good idea to speak with the staff in this main dining room on embarcation day to ensure that this is the case

13:14 let's hit up the sh Excursion tips next for Alaska number one book a whale watching tour because whale watching tours are arguably the most popular short exerion of book in Alaska and for good reason because you get to view the largest mammals on Earth in their natural habitat and it's a remarkable

13:28 experience now whale watching tips are not cheap but they won't necessarily break the bank either some ports are better than others for whale watching and some months bring a higher chance of spot whales than others also speaking of wildlife you also want to check out the other amazing wildlife in Alaska well

13:42 watching is super popular but don't overlook being able to see other animals like Bears Eagles salmon sea lions sea otters and other wildlife in Sitka check out the Fortress of the bear which is a bear rescue center located in the city center in katakan walk around Creek Street for the chance to spot sea otters

13:59 playing in the creek and when you're on a bus tour or walking around town be sure to look up into the trees CU you can usually spot plenty of eagles something else worth checking out in your Alaska cruise is Alaska's native history while Alaska cruises are famous for providing stunning views don't miss

14:14 the opportunity to learn about Alaska's history and culture while visiting the state real offer shore excursions with a focus on the history and culture in its Alaska ports as an example one of these tours is the native cultural and historical tour in Sitka where guests get to see the confluence of native

14:30 culture Russian culture and American influences and if you're in Alaska I really think it's super important to visit your glaciers I mean geez this should be like on your top priority list because while your Crews may visit places like hubard Glacier or anot arm and dos Glacier you may also want to

14:46 explore glaciers up close in Port my favorite is med Hall Glacier in Juno and it's one of the most visited glaciers on Alaska cruise as it's easily accessible via bus or taxi from the cruise port while at met Hall Glacier recreational area you can walk around the walking trails and check out nugget Falls which

15:02 is one of the best waterfalls you can see super easy to get to if you're looking for a truly once in a lifetime experience well book a helicopter tour that brings you actually to the top of Glacier another idea is also to go on a Day hike because Alaska is a dream for active Cruisers there's a lot of

15:19 magnificent nature and mountains to explore all Alaska cruises offer fantastic dayhike opportunities from really easy pave trails to truly challenging ones which talked about glaciers as a really fun thing to do but there's also something else you should check out if you want to maybe combine a

15:33 more active way to see glaciers and that is go kayaking because kayaking brings visitors to pictures destinations along the coastline some kayaking excursions allow you to get close to Glaciers and you may even spot Wildlife on the tour kaying is a relatively low impact activity making it a really great choice

15:50 for those looking for an active Excursion that also allows them to relax and enjoy the scenery and one other way to see everything is to maybe go on a biking or a scooter Excursion if if you're looking to explore Alaska in a unique way well two wheels might be the choice for you because bike tours and

16:04 rentals are available in most Alaska ports a really fun one is the bike in Brew Glacier View tour in Juno which combines a bike ride with a beer tasting if riding a bike sounds like too active for you consider renting an electric scooter in Skagway through Skagway scooters to explore all of Skagway and

16:20 the surrounding area let's talk food in Alaska because one big mistake that we made on our first Alaska cruise was not taking the time to research where to eat and Port Alaska has some amazing local Cuisine and there's a lot of other Pretenders too so you want to find the really good stuff so here's a few food

16:34 and drunk recommendations for your Alaska cruise in Ketch can the Alaska Fish House is a really popular seafood place located just a few blocks from the port in our experience a long line form during around lunchtime but the extremely fresh fish is worth the visit in Skagway on a chil Alaska day not much

16:50 fills the spot more than a doughy sugary and warm piece of Alaska fried bread similar to an elephan ear Alaska Fred bread is a popular snack in the and the best place to try it is the Klondike dough booy in Skagway each piece of fried B is fried to order and it's guaranteed to warm you up no matter

17:07 what the weather is like outside and then in Juno and Sitka due to Alaska's historical and geographical connection to Russia you can find Russian influences in the cuisine here a restaurant to taste Russian flavors is pelman which is located in both Juno and Sitka pelman offers steamed Russian

17:24 dumplings in two flavors beef or potato the dumplings are then topped with butter curry hot sauce and cilantro which really is an incredible flavor combination just like eating drinking can also be a way to learn more about the culture of Alaska our recommendation is to plan shore excursions for the

17:40 morning and spend the afternoon walking around the pork to try the local food and drinks dled along most glas Cruise ports are small historic saloons with local history and drinking at a saloon is a quintessential part of visiting any small town in Alaska speaking of drinking in town if you're a beer lover

17:57 man there's such good beer in Alaska a variety of local craft breweries are located in most ports offering the perfect place to wind down after a busy day my top recommendations in ketan are the Bowen Street Brewing Company Juno the Barnaby Brewing Company and in Skagway either the Skagway Brewing

18:12 Company or Klondike Brewing Company something you might not think about but if your cruise visits Skagway you can actually get a chance to visit Canada's Yukon territory which is just 15 miles from the center of town the Yukon Territory like much of Alaska offers rugged terrain fascinating culture and

18:28 breathtaking scener you can have to visit the Yukon Territory by renting a car or motorcycle booking an Excursion or traveling on the White Pass Yukon Railway something else fun to look at is Alaska's Russian history because United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 before the purchase though Russia

18:44 really had a big influence on the state bringing architecture food and religion to the region visiting Alaska today offers a chance to learn more about Russia's impact on this area and the best port to experience Russia's Alaska history is definitely Sitka which was the former capital of Russian Alaska

19:02 from the Orthodox Cathedrals to barf Castle State historic site where the formal transfer of Russia to the US occurred you're sure to get a glimpse of the state's Dynamic history while in Sitka my next Alaska tip is to pack a snack with you while on your Excursion because you may find yourself further

19:17 out in nature and more active than what you normally Book on a Caribbean cruise packing granola bars trail mix or even the small boxes of cereal you can get with room service is a really good idea and also I don't know the this goes without saying but really and truly get off the ship in every port regardless of

19:33 how bad the weather is outside or if you've been there before always get off the ship when you can even when we don't have anything planned just walking around the historic Port Towns can be a nice way to spend a few hours if it's cold and rainy go to a local seafood restaurant Saloon coffee shop or Brewery

19:49 and immerse yourself in the town's culture while tasting delicious food and drink let's share some packing tips for Alaska starting with bring an all weather jacket given its Northerly position and very phography I think it's a really good idea to have a very flexible jacket now there's a lot of

20:04 good choices to consider out there but you really want an allweather jackets that way you can always remain warm and dry some of my favorites are Colombia's Bugaboo line of jackets with a fleece interchange and the Northface girls or boys Vortex triclimate jackets equally important if not more important is the

20:22 wearing the right kind of shoes because it does get cold and wet in Alaska and nothing is worse than having wet and cold feet so having the right Footwear will make sure you can enjoy your day in Port now rugged hiking boots are not totally necessary unless you're actually going to go hiking in Alaska for walking

20:40 around Alaska's towns and visiting popular spots like men and Hall Glacier sneakers should suffice but make sure they have good grip and if possible at least water resistant that would be really helpful something else you should pack for Alaska are binoculars because there's some amazing Wildlife all around

20:56 you you don't need to go crazy with like some fancy binocular out there but being able to zoom in on a ball legal resting or sea lion swimming is worth every penny on our recent Alaska cruise we actually got the AER I don't know if it's pronounced correctly OC c e r compact binoculars they were $35 on

21:12 Amazon and they worked wonders the best strategy for what to wear in Alaska is all about layers layers allow you to be prepared for any kind of weather in general every day of your cruise in Alaska while in Port you're going to want to have three layers a base layer which is your T-shirt and jeans a warm

21:30 layer which is a fleece or a down jacket or sweater and then your waterproof layer which is a thin waterproof jacket that's suitable for when it rains that way you can always take off a layer or put it back on depending on what's happening with the weather also there are some important accessories you can

21:45 bring with you hats gloves and even sunglasses believe it or not are really important while you may picture Alaska as being rainy and cloudy you'll be surprised how helpful sunglasses are on sunny days not only is the sun shining on you but the it be reflected off glaciers and snow which makes sunglasses

22:02 really helpful and if all this sounds really expensive one of my favorite tips is actually to buy used clothing instead instead of buying an all new wardrobe go on eBay because there's a lot of great items on there like a quality jacket as an example buying one that's gently used

22:17 on eBay could save you a lot of money especially for kids because you know you're going to use it for this cruise and then they're going to outgrow by next year in addition check if there are any used outdoor gear stores in your area these consignment shops can be an excellent place to find quality Outdoor

22:32 Clothing at a much lower price and then of course don't overpack too much I mean packing for Elastica can really feel overwhelming I get it but from puffy jackets to rain gear boots dress clothes and swimsuits it could be easy to fill up like your suitcase in about two seconds one of the big important lessons

22:48 from cruising in Alaska is to pack much less than you think you'll use especially while of course relying on the essentials as the weather in Alaska is colder than on a Caribbean cruise you may find that your clothes stay cleaner a longer you're not going to sweat through them nearly as much and you may

23:02 also find yourself wearing nearly the same exact outfit every day and along those lines our next tip is remember you can always do laundry on board your ship if you're concerned that you're not going to have enough or your clothes get dirty all roing cruise ships offer laundry service and it does cost extra

23:17 but let me tell you something while not the cheapest option out there the convenience of having clothes washed Midway through the cruise and packing lighter can be well worth it here's now a couple things you want to bring and don't bring on a Cru number one bring a waterproof or water resistant day pack

23:32 with you it's always a good idea to have like some sort of a bag with you and you go ashore especially when visiting a last you're going to need somewhere to put your sweatshirt when it gets too warm or your phone when it starts to rain so bringing a waterproof or water resistant day pack will really help a

23:46 lot speaking of rain don't bring an umbrella it might seem tempting to do so but it's actually more cumbersome and less useful than you might think instead make sure you have a hood on that all-weather jacket that we talked about earlier and believe it or not you really should pack a swimsuit just in case

24:03 you'd be surprised actually but there are opportunities to go swimming on your cruise now number one it actually could be warm on your cruise especially if you're going during those summer months like July or August but in addition to that there's also indoor spots to go to first of all you've got hot tubs and no

24:17 matter what the temperature is outside the hot tub temperature is always quite warm and in addition of that you have the adults only salarium and in Alaska when you've got cold weather Royal carine does allow children into the salarium During certain hours of the day because the main pool essentially is

24:34 useless anyway bring bathing suits with you it'll actually be more useful than you might think and of course don't forget to pack the usual stuff you might need on a cruise like dinner outfits Formal Wear loungewear and pajamas and something else I don't think is really necessary to bring is a super expensive

24:49 camera I know you're going to Alaska you want to get amazing shots of the glaciers and the Animals you're going to see but truly like an over-the-top camera is not totally necessary if you have a decent like phone as in a phone that came out in the last 2 or 3 years it's probably going to be just as good

25:06 for you unless you're planning on creating like some amazing like wall siiz prints at your house any new iPhone or Android will be able to take really good photos with you and it'll save you a lot more money than trying to invest in a DSLR or some sort of a mirrorless camera and my last elastic Cruise tip is

25:22 if you forget a piece of clothing like a waterproof coat or sweatshirt don't worry there are plenty of souvenir shops available at every port you can purchase a variety of these things so that way if it's a little cooler or a little warmer than you expected you don't have the right clothing for it you can usually

25:37 find something in one of the souvenir shops granted most of them are going probably have the word Alaska on it but hey it's a good souvenir and you'll always remember getting that souvenir on the trip there you go 50 Alaska cruise tips hopefully these help make your trip to Alaska so much better let me know in

25:52 the comments below what are your top tips for Alaska if you've been there before looking forward to reading your tips suggestions and secrets while you're down below our video please hit the like button subscribe to our Channel and turn on notifications that way YouTube Let with a brand new video to

26:07 share this has been Matt from Roan blog.com and we'll talk again real soon