Why We Started Vacationing In Alaska

A decade ago, I convinced Pop that cruising to Alaska was a worthy vacation for our family. He was quite skeptical—total beach dude, my father—and wasn’t sure it would be compelling enough for a trip.

I was fascinated by the entire allure of Alaska. The last frontier. When you see pictures, tv shows, videos, calendars even, it looks almost otherworldly. How can this still be part of the United States? How could anyone tame that wilderness? Who would choose to make Alaska their home? The intrigue got the better of me, and I worked hard to convince Pop we should visit. 

Cruising from Seattle, the very first cruising day when I woke up and went on the balcony, I was hooked. The air is just…different. It was, and remains, enthralling.

Fast forward to this summer, when we returned to Alaska after three reschedules due to COVID-19. This trip was scheduled in 2019, and since then many things have changed, which meant that middle kid Sweet Stevie wasn’t able to travel with us after all. We did pick up my brother Bill and his family, so we had a group of 10 on this epic journey. 

Getting There

A quick note…

I can only report to you, dear readers, on what I have done. So it’s important to note that my two Alaska visits have both been cruises round-trip to Seattle, WA. I have not had the opportunity to see Denali, or do substantial hiking in that beautiful state. Both of my trips necessitated flights from Vegas to Seattle to get the Carnival (2012) and Holland America (2022) cruise ships.

Anyway…

You know my love of Southwest Airlines, but I encourage you to make the best choice for you. My brother and his family flew from Virginia on American Airlines, and many people rave about Alaska Airlines on that itinerary. 

As always, when we discuss cruising (especially to Alaska), I strongly encourage you to get to the port the day before. We took the first flight of the day, and spent a lovely day touring around Seattle in beautiful weather with no stress or concerns about traveling. My brother, unfortunately, had his flight canceled, and if he hadn’t been flying a day early, he would have missed the cruise entirely. Don’t make that mistake! 

Cruising To Alaska

I would love to do a land trip to Alaska, but really would be torn about where to go. That’s why cruising is the best alternative for me—I get to visit several different cities and experience their independent cultures. Unfortunately, I only get eight hours or so at each location, so I can only scratch the surface, but it is long enough to get some feel for the area. 

We cruise Carnival frequently, and this year was our first Holland America cruise. No doubt about it—both are spectacular options. I’ve come to the decision, after my 21st cruise, that there is no bad cruise line or ship. We went with Holland due to an insanely great deal back in 2019, and I’d go with them again to any location, but, really, just go. Choose your favorite line, or try something new because it is less expensive. No matter what, the action in Alaska is out your porthole or on your balcony—the ship is much less important.

With a 10 pm sunset time, we were outside on deck much longer and later than a Caribbean cruise, concentrating more on the scenery than the activities below decks. 

Overall Impressions

On the first cruising day of this trip, I woke up early, and stepped out on the balcony. I wanted to get a feeling for the air temperature, so I could dress appropriately. At that exact time, about 50 yards directly off the ship, a beautiful humpback whale breeched out of the water with a tremendous splash. It was breathtaking. 

That was just the beginning. Throughout the week, we witnessed numerous whales playing in the water, sea lions, otters even, and whole groups (flocks?) of bald eagles. We saw bears on our last cruise, too. Robbie Two Spleens, my youngest, was thrilled to get pooped on by a bald eagle (which is both weird and fantastic!) while he was filming it diving off of a tree.

We are definitely biased about Alaska, as this is my oldest kids favorite cruising destination, and it was great going this year with a family of six who had no experience with Alaska. Seeing it fresh through their eyes reminded us of why we came back—and why we are already planning another Alaskan adventure. 2026 perhaps…

Where We Went

Doing a roundtrip Seattle itinerary minimizes the ports we can visit. If you can do a one-way cruise ending further north, that would be perfect in my opinion. Over the two cruises, we have visited the following unbelievable parts of Alaska:

Juneau

A vibrant state capitol city, Juneau is best known for two things: Whale watching and the Mendenhall Glacier. Both times in Alaska, we have done combination tours that include both things. Obviously, whale watching is dependent on the whale’s moods that day, but both times we have seen numerous whales. At the Mendenhall Glacier, I strongly encourage you to do the 1.5 mile round trip hike to Nugget Falls. Walking directly up to the bottom of this unreal scene was a fantastic experience. We were soaked from the mist coming off the falls, and were able to see the glacier from a much closer location. 

Skagway

This was Pop’s favorite port, where we rode the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway up to Canada. It was a beautiful and nostalgic way to travel through a stunning landscape with multiple water sources and wildlife at every turn. While my parents stayed comfortably seated inside, we all went outside to taste the clean and clear air and feel the gentle snowfall. One of the best parts of cruising to Alaska: The outside air.

Sitka

Pulling into this destination was quite underwhelming, as it is a plain and common shipping port—not the fancy docks you see in most locations. We were enthralled, however, with the beautiful city a free shuttle ride away from the ship. A short walk brought up to Sitka National Historic Park, which is a totally free forest with hourly ranger talks, and well marked hikes. We did a fabulous waterfront totem pole hike that was incredibly picturesque, and gave us interesting cultural information about the creation of totem poles. 

Touring the town was interesting, as it maintains some of it’s Russian roots from before it was acquired by the United States. We stopped and had fantastic, authentic Russian dumplings while we were there which made our visit complete. 

Ketchikan

In 2012, a local fisherman on the pedestrian bridge in Ketchikan helped Mom catch a King Salmon just for fun. He made her reel it in, and put it into his cooler all by herself. She was laughing, yelling and screaming the entire time. It remains one of my favorite memories of Mom, and we went back to that bridge just to take a picture. An all-time favorite port, we skipped the very famous Lumberjack Show in favor of a self-guided hike throughout the town. While we saw few salmon, we did spend time on famous Creek Street (the old red light district Ketchikan was famous for) and enjoyed relaxing on the waterfront at an isolated stream. 

Hubbard Glacier

Cruising in Alaska directly into the area of the glacier, we start to pass small pieces of ice—I hesitate to call them icebergs. This made Pop absolutely insane, and how I learned why he didn’t want to go to Alaska! Titanic!!! He was convinced icebergs would be everywhere, and we would be in danger. That, of course, isn’t true. However, I will tell you seeing your first one or two pieces of ice floating by is a bit unnerving…

This trip, our ship was significantly smaller than Carnival, and I think that may have helped us get closer to the glacier. Ship employees told us we were less than a mile from the glacier, and the views were spectacular. Pieces of the glacier falling off is called “calving”, and we were able to witness this phenomenon multiple times, with the accompanying crashing sound. 

This is the location of my greatest Alaska regret—twice—and one I hope to remedy my next trip. There is an excursion—quite limited—to take a small boat very close to the glacier. It is expensive, and sells out quite quickly. If I could suggest anything to you (and I don’t like telling people how to spend their money) it would be to make sure you take that excursion. I guarantee I won’t miss that opportunity a third time.   

Victoria, BC

This is a very frustrating non-port attached to most Alaska itineraries. Due to federal law, a ship must port in a foreign country, so this is how Alaska sailings complete that requirement. We were in Victoria from 8 pm to midnight this year, and 6:30 to midnight in 2012. It’s enough time to walk into town and see their government buildings and do some shopping, but that’s about it. There is a beautiful city and quite walkable, but it’s annoying to have to watch the clock the entire time. It’s also the last night of the cruise, when I’m already concerned about packing and catching the plane tomorrow. 

The only excursion I might consider at this port is a visit to the famous Butchart Gardens, especially if you port on a Saturday night when they do the fireworks. 

Is it worth it?

Alaska is a must-see for every American. It is a part of our country unmatched anywhere, with its own culture and history and marvelous people. 

No matter where it is in your list of travel priorities, move it up. It’s worthy of a top spot.

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