Cruises from Seattle to Alaska

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Anyone here ever been on a cruise? My parents and I are planning on a cruise from Seattle to Alaska. Anyone in the Seattle area?


Thanks

I've been on several cruises, one of which was a 7-day (or 8?) that went from Anchorage (Whittier) to Vancouver. Lots of great scenery, but if you've never been on a cruise before, make sure to bring some Dramamine or other motion sickness meds. Which cruiseline are you taking?

I visit Seattle pretty much every year.

Not sure which cruiseline yet...

Big fan. You can be as active or as quiet as you like. Alaskan cruises are outstanding for scenery.

You might want a few strategies for avoiding crowds, but it is generally do-able.

For cruise lines, I recommend a bit of research to find what suits your tastes. We have a very firm favourite in our family, but that might not be appropriate for you.

I always wanted to go on an Alaskan cruse but I am deathly afraid of crowds or getting norwalk virus, these cruses seem to be a major source of this

There are 6 cruises to choose from.

Celebrity
Princess
Norwegian
Carnival
Holland America
Royal Caribbean


Some have 14 day cruises too. I will be going with my parents and an aunt and uncle. My aunt and uncle are in their 70s. I like to see wildlife. I read that even in summer Alaska can get cold too. Seattle will be nice too. My aunt and uncle live in Seattle. Probably will have to bring summer and winter clothing. How would you call up your loved ones or have someone call you?

It's always good to prepare for a range of weather conditions, especially on a summer cruise in the Pacific Northwest. Raingear is a must. I've been on cruises with Princess, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean, and although I've enjoyed them all, those cruiselines do tend to serve different types of passengers. Carnival tends to have a lot of younger families and children, whereas Princess tends to have a few more older folks. This becomes evident during the formal nights, when passengers are typically expected to dress relatively formally for dinner. The younger families tend to just go for more casual options, whereas the older people love dressing up.

While fun, cruises can be quite the money sink if you aren't careful. You might be able to do some whale watching from the ship, but more likely if you want to see wildlife, you'll be best served by taking part in some activities at the various ports of call. If you do some research online ahead of time, you can find various local tour companies which can provide you with some great nature/wildlife opportunities at a fraction of the cost that the cruiseline will charge if you book through the cruise company.

Many cruise ships these days, at least the Carnival Triumph that I went on this past summer, has satellite access so that you can use cell phones to call your family while out at sea. However, it costs a lot. My own preference is not to expect to make or take any calls while on ship, and wait until you're docked to make a call. Besides, this is vacation! It's good to just unplug from the world, at least for a little while.

Oh yeah, hope you love eating! There's practically nonstop food available on the ship, and I gained at least 5 pounds on this past summer cruise, and it was just a 5-day cruise too! Carnival's chocolate melting cake is awesomely yummy.

I'm in Seattle! My school is right next to the cruise port and I love watching the ships, some of them are bigger than my school. I've never been on one though. D:
But I've taken many ferries in the Seattle area, and no matter what it always seems to be cold and wet on deck, or at least REALLY windy. XD; A waterproof coat with a hood would be a must. But for outings to see wildlife on the shore, I'd just wear a light rain-jacket and like a hoodie or something. And bring binoculars.
Alaska is fantastic. If you can get to a muskeg, that's my favorite type of Alaskan landscape. Or an alpine/subalpine tundra. But that might be too far from the ship. XD; I don't actually know.
Or a hotspring! There are a few up there.. (Never ever EVER go anywhere new without taking a swimsuit..)

Last edited by wigglyspider on 16 Dec 2009, 7:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I went on a cruise to the Caribbean about 6 years ago. We went to Key West and Cozumel. We were also supposed to go to Grand Cayman, but rough surf kept us from docking there.

Grand Cayman has gorgeous beaches, but the town is TINY. Nothing much to see, except lovely beachy stuff, which I assume you'd get on other nice beaches too, if it helps.

I'll make a note of that.

i live pretty much right by seattle haha

I have family that live in Auburn and Federal Way.