Anyone looking to explore Alaska should seriously consider doing so on a cruise. This way you’ll get to see a whole load of Alaskan destinations, and take part in local activities that you might not otherwise have the chance to.
I visited Alaska on a Princess Cruises Alaskan Cruise, and it was incredible. To be perfectly honest, the idea of a cruise never appealed to me. It was something I thought only retired people did, and it sounded like a particularly slow way to travel. I’m so used to packing my travels with daily adventures that when I heard it would be a few days at sea between each port, I thought I’d probably die of boredom.
But, I’m pleased to say I was pleasantly surprised. Here’s how my trip turned out.
10 Day Alaska Inside Passage Cruise (from San Francisco)
Starting off in San Francisco
The cruise started from San Francisco, Pier 27 to be precise. I’m from the UK so I seized the opportunity to spend some time in San Francisco before the cruise departed, seeing the sights and visiting family members.
Pier 27 was reasonably close to Pier 39 (a buzzing tourist pier, full of restaurants, arcades and shops), so we stopped there for a while for some lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp (oh yes), before walking a little further to pier 45, otherwise known as the Musée Mécanique. This was the perfect way to spend the time we had to wait before we could board. The museum is full of arcade machines and penny games that will throw you back in time, and there’s something for everyone there too.
Boarding
Once the time came for us to board, I was impressed by how speedy the process was. If, like me, you’re used to waiting in security queues at airports for absolutely ages, you’re in for a treat, because as it turns out, cruise terminals are a lot quicker and more organised when it comes to getting people through security and safely on board.
Once we got through security we were handed our very own Princess Cruises cards to use on board for drinks, snacks, everything!
My first experience of a cruise ship
Once the commotion of boarding had died down it was time to set sail, and three days of non-stop cruising awaited us.
Having never been on a cruise ship before, I didn’t really think that there could be all that much to do. I’d packed books, work to do, my laptop, anything that I thought might keep me from going slowly insane. And do you know what? I didn’t touch any of it.
WiFi on board was ridiculously expensive, and priding myself on being a budget traveler, there was no way I could justify it. So I seized the opportunity to cut myself off from the outside world for a few days, and explore what the ship had to offer.
There was so much it was almost overwhelming. No matter how many times I walked around the ship, I kept discovering new things, and getting lost repeatedly (in a good way).
The first thing I found on my around-the-ship adventures was endless amounts of food. Seriously, there was food everywhere. From the buffet, to the coffee shop, to the pizzeria, to the ice-cream stand, to several formal restaurants, wherever I went on the ship, I was never more than a couple of minutes away from food, and good food at that! And the best part was that most of it was free (well, included in the overall price I’d paid for the cruise).
So once I’d finished trying every sweet and savoury snack I could manage, I went on to find out where and what the onboard entertainment was, because as much as I love food, I couldn’t manage a ten day cruise doing nothing but eating.
There was a whole entertainment program, including things like games, competitions, workshops, evening shows, Bingo, there was even a Casino! As well as organised entertainment, there was also plenty to do spontaneously. There was a shuffle board, a basketball court, a pool, gym and a running track. So as you can imagine, I was instantly drawn into onboard activities and my books and work were long forgotten.
Sight seeing and whale watching
Lots of people travel to Alaska in the hope of seeing whales, whale watching was even an optional excursion at a lot of the ports, but we were able to watch over the side of the ship and catch a few unplanned glimpses of fish, dolphins and even one or two whales.
Once we got a little closer to land, the scenery was also incredible. We sailed through glacier carved fjords, and admired waterfalls – there were endless photo opportunities.
One member of our party had booked a cabin with a balcony, and so even when the weather got a bit too chilly to be standing up on deck, we were able to sight see and take pictures without getting too windswept. We all snuggled under blankets, with wooly hats and a glass of champagne, enjoying the mountain scenery.
Juneau – the first port
Juneau was the first port of call for our ship, and it was the one I was most excited about. Why? Because I’d booked a kayaking excursion to explore Mendenhall Lake, and hopefully see some more Alaskan wildlife.
Here’s a video showing a few different clips of my excursion. We may not have seen any whales, but I stand by that it was the best possible way to explore the untouched areas of Juneau.
I don’t have much to report on Juneau itself, as 6 hours of my day there was spent paddling through blissfully calm waters, but I was able to fit in a ride up the mountain, on Goldbelt Mount Roberts Tramway. And if you happen to be in Juneau ever, I’d recommend it.
The tram took us to the top of the mountain, where we could see out over the capital. By the time I rode the tram, it was 9pm, and way past sunset, but even so, the view was incredible. Our cruise ship was lit up in the waters below, and Juneau looked warmer than ever.
At the top of the Goldbelt Mount Roberts Tramway there’s also a little shop that’s got some great souvenirs.
Skagway
Skagway was the second stop on our Alaska cruise, and this stop had a slightly different feel to Juneau, perhaps because this time I explored the port, rather than just setting off for an excursion.
The town was like stepping back in time to the old west, with saloons and diamond shops everywhere. It looked exactly like I’d imagine a gold rush town to look.
Whilst in Skagway, we did take part in another excursion, this time a slightly less active one. We boarded the Whitepass and Yukon Route Railroad train, and for three hours, we took in the views, took some great pictures, and even made some new friends.
Ketchikan
Ketchikan was an interesting stop, mainly because it was so varied. The main town was full of gift shops, diamond and jewellery shops, and of course cafes. To be honest, I didn’t spend too much time looking around the shops, as the general impression I’d formed was that most cruise town ports consisted of the same shops, selling similar souvenirs. I wanted to explore off the beaten path.
So we took a local bus to the Totem Heritage Centre. The centre was full of information and stories about the origins and designs of the 19th century Totem poles.
From the Totem Heritage Centre, we followed a trail that took us through the woods and to a river where there was literally thousands of salmon. With Ketchikan being the salmon capital of the world, we couldn’t resist climbing down to the river to get a closer look at the salmon.
We decided to walk back, through the local streets, rather than getting the bus, so that we could get a feel for local life. The place was pretty much deserted, but still it made an interesting walk.
When we got back to the main town, we explored the famous Creek Street, which used to be an Alaskan red light district in the 20th century. This was quite something to see, with the wooden buildings all raised above the creek, and sea lions swimming underneath.
The buildings were all brightly coloured, and the street was packed. There were tourists everywhere, and actors dressed as brothel madams enticing you to enter the old brothels that are now museums.
Glacier Bay National Park
Glacier Bay was the highlight of the whole cruise, it was the reason most of us were on the cruise in the first place.
We weren’t able to get off the cruise ship, as Glacier Bay is a protected area, but the ship stopped for a whole day in the National Park, giving us plenty of time to take pictures and enjoy the scenery. We even managed to see one of the glaciers calving. This is basically where chunks of ice break off of the glacier and fall into the water, with the sound of thunder. This is apparently a rare sight to see, and it was definitely quite incredible to watch. The sound of thunder was unmistakable.
A Glacier Bay National Park Ranger also came on board to tell us more about the glaciers’ history, how they moved and why they calve (apparently global warming has nothing to do with it).
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria was our last stop, and it was pretty different from our previous Alaska stops. For one, it wasn’t freezing cold, and it was much more city-like even than Juneau, Alaska’s capital.
There wasn’t quite as much to do in Victoria when it came to excursions, but there was definitely to keep us occupied for the afternoon we were there.
We started off by getting a water taxi to take us further into the city, which was an experience in itself. Then we explored the British Columbia Parliament Buildings, before going for afternoon tea at a hotel overlooking the harbour.
It was the first stop where the shops were a bit more varied than just gift stores and diamond stores, so naturally, we spent some time browsing and inevitably, buying souvenirs. It was my first time in Canada, so of course I couldn’t leave without buying some Rocky Mountain chocolate.
Back to San Francisco
Sadly, our ten day Alaskan cruise adventure started to come to a close after we visited Victoria, British Columbia. After two more sea days, we were back in San Francisco, saying goodbye to all the new friends we’d met, and exchanging photos of all the amazing sights we’d seen.
So the Alaska Inside Passage Cruise was one that I would highly recommend, and if the chance ever presents itself, I’ll definitely return to Alaska to explore further. The sights were incredible, and unlike anything I’d ever seen before, and even the experience of being on a Princess Cruise was something I won’t ever forget. The extravagant displays of food, faultless entertainment, and friendliness of the staff made the whole trip even more memorable.
I live in the UK, in the country’s most uneventful city, where the most interesting story in the local paper is about banning dressing gowns in supermarkets.
I travel and I write, because surely there are more interesting stories than that to write about and share.