Definitely buy good travel insurance that covers medical evacuation. While on an Alaskan cruise, my wife became quite ill and had to be admitted to the hospital in Ketchikan. Two days later, she had to be flown by an air-ambulance jet to a hospital in Seattle. The entire time, the insurance company paid for my hotel, ambulance transfers, air-ambulance cost ($70,000), shipping unneeded luggage back home, meals, etc. They reimbursed us for the unused portion of our cruise as well. They didn’t make us pay first and submit receipts-they paid directly and very quickly. Axa insurance was terrific. We will return to Alaska soon, and we’ll again sail on Holland America.
Thanks for the tip. Glad to hear your wife is doing better. Travel insurance is a must on any cruise, but especially when traveling to a remote area like Alaska. When is the next cruise?
I am glad you had the insurance and that it came through for you. I recently found out that a yearly travel insurance policy was only about $40 more than a single-trip policy. I will opt for that next time I travel
I experienced an Alaskan cruise in August 1996 on Princess Cruise line. It was the original Love Boat ship! What a glorious trip. Taking a helicopter ride to walk on a glacier was amazing. An Alaskan cruise is a must 🎉🎊😉🦋
The best tip by far is to have a balcony stateroom, it is priceless, especially for the glaciers. When everyone else is scrambling topside for a good vantage point, you can be in your private room with a perfect view…. Again, priceless!
Balconies are nice, but unnecessary. You're stuck with a one-sided view, when you could simply walk on deck and experience everything in a full 360. If you're on a tight budget, you'd be much better off to get a standard interior room and use that extra disposable income for a once in a lifetime excursion, like a helicopter ride to a glacier, dog sledding...etc
Sailing on HAL Nieuw Amsterdam in Aug 2024 for our 5th visit. This time we start in Whittier ending in Vancouver. We enjoy HAL and their Neptune suites. Thanks for sharing
We sailed on that ship in 2021! We did a different itinerary though. We have a cruise review on our channel if you have any questions about the ship. What are Neptune suites like?
@@Eatsleepcruise1 Neptune Suites are awesome. Eurodam, Zaandam, Koningsdam (aft balcony Neptune) are the 3 we have done Neptune suites. Nieuw Amsterdam (Alaska Aug) and Koingsdam to Hawaii from San Diego are up next. The level of service you get is awesome. We especially enjoy the Neptune Lounge for all concierge services. Koningsdam you get Club Orange access because Pinnacle Grill does not offer breakfast. All the other ships breakfast is in the Pinnacle Grill which is included. Pack lightly, because you get laundry services included with room. We especially enjoyed that on our 14 day full transit Panama Canal trip from Florida to San Diego. Allows room for all the souvenirs you end up buying and on longer voyages we had 3 dressy nights. Just sent suites and dresses to laundry and get them back the next day. It’s nice having such a large room especially on long voyages. After balcony Neptune has a massive wrap around deck to enjoy. Large room is nice on longer voyages. We enjoyed the Aft Balcony Neptune because of the awesome views. But, we found being at the back of the ship makes for a long walk, especially returning from an excursion day. Neptune Lounge is mid ship and even that seemed like a long walk after a while. I highly recommend trying it, but you could find yourself never wanting to book a lower level room after the experience. Safe sailings
Neptune Suites are pricey, however, we have splurged 3 times for special occasions or itineraries. Fortunate to have done aft Neptune suite on Nieuw Statendam and Koningsdam. Have booked one for a future 14 day Vancouver-Alaska itinerary. It is difficult to go back to a balcony after that experience, but we have done many balcony cruises as well. Love Holland America. Will be 4 star mariner’s this summer.
We board our first Princess cruise to Alaska 3 weeks from today. I honestly don't understand the excitement of glaciers but I am excited about seeing the Alaskan natural landscape. See if it is worth a road trip in our future.
@@Eatsleepcruise1 Royal Princess 14 days out of Vancouver on 6/15. Long port stops and we visit several glaciers, Glacier Bay x 2. We leave on the 12th to explore Vancouver for a couple of days. Premier Package and trying both the balcony breakfast and dinner. We received our medallions yesterday. We have been on Disney and Carnival and wanted to try something new.
I'm not totally sold on the fascination with glaciers either. Although, the size of ice sheet they all flow from is a little amazing. If you can swing it, a helicopter tour that lands on one might give a better impression.
Can you recommend a seasoned Alaska travel agent? Looking to do a 2026 Alaska Land and Sea cruise tour. Need a seasoned professional that can help us narrow down the itinerary, Holland vs Princess, as well as excursions. We are also undecided about northbound versus southbound. Sounds like they both have pros and cons. Love your channel, thank you.
Of course, our trusted travel partner is MEI-Travel. Feel free to email me and we can connect you with our agent who can walk you through all of the Alaska options.
Question........ My husband and I are planning an Alaskan cruise, will be our first cruise. We live in NY, don't have a passport, but have enhanced drivers license which allow us to cross into Canada. Won't this document work in lieu of a passport during the cruise excursion??? Thank you for this video. I'm taking notes and learning a lot.
Awesome video! Our family trip is July 20, 2024, on the NCL Bliss got my cabin, wardrobe and binoculars to take in all the nature and beauty of Alaska. We've already booked our excursions and I am most excited about the helicopter glacier tour. Thank you for sharing.
We just flew back home out of Anchorage after our cruise/land tour. Our transportation to the airport from our hotel left a few minutes late, which then had us scrambling to check in at the airport and go through security.
5 місяців тому+3
Muchas gracias por toda su información, si Dios quiere, iremos a Alaska en vuestros primer crucero allî, el próximo més de septiembre. 😃😃
Hello! Very informative video! Thank you. First time cruisers from Florida heading to Alaska! Do you recommend waterproof sneakers? Have most things figured out. Haven't bought shoes yet!
Hi great info. We are cursing there next Sept. In your video you mentioned renting telephoto lens for your camera. I would love to do that, do you have a link to were I can rent one?
Hav just started to explore cruise options for Alaska, keen to sail on a smaller ship that goes further than the traditional 7 day land/sea options - anyone have any recommendations?
Where can I rent camera equipment like lens for a Cannon Rebel? I bought my last Cannon Rebel back in 2017 and I'm sure they are much better now, but I'm not sure I want to purchase a new one. Ty!
I know this is a dumb question, but how do I find a travel agent? Is the best TA someone who lives nearby, someone where you go into their office and discuss cruises? Or is it a cruise expert online? We do not know any others who love cruising like we do, so no friends to ask their experience...
My most recent Alaska cruise was from Vancouver to Nome on board one of Hurtigruten's newest ships. Why no acknowledgement that you can cruise north of Seward?
This is American centric. We have just come back from our first Alaskan cruise. We are from Australia. Can you remember people from other countries cruise Alaska too. So can you do centigrade as well as Fahrenheit in temperatures also kilos as well as pounds.
My suggestion is to not use Uber to get to your airport. I had a RC Quantum of Seas cruise booked for 5-20-24 and never got to the airport because of UBER not picking me up. Got charged and refunded for 7 rides that didn't happen.🥴
@@Eatsleepcruise1From Indy to Seattle.Bad part is all was paid for including cruise, first class air, drink package. I just turned 74 this month, and who knows how many times I have left.🥴
Have fun! Which cruise line? We used BorrowLenses, but we think they were recently merged with another company. We rented a Sony FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS Lens for a Sony alpha 6400. What type of camera do you have?
You'll miss nothing at Icy Strait Point unless you book the zipline early or have a need to buy chinese tchotchkes. It's literally just a place to buy souvenirs.
Definitely buy good travel insurance that covers medical evacuation. While on an Alaskan cruise, my wife became quite ill and had to be admitted to the hospital in Ketchikan. Two days later, she had to be flown by an air-ambulance jet to a hospital in Seattle. The entire time, the insurance company paid for my hotel, ambulance transfers, air-ambulance cost ($70,000), shipping unneeded luggage back home, meals, etc. They reimbursed us for the unused portion of our cruise as well. They didn’t make us pay first and submit receipts-they paid directly and very quickly. Axa insurance was terrific. We will return to Alaska soon, and we’ll again sail on Holland America.
Thanks for the tip. Glad to hear your wife is doing better. Travel insurance is a must on any cruise, but especially when traveling to a remote area like Alaska. When is the next cruise?
Glad that your wife is fine! Which insurance company did you use?
I am glad you had the insurance and that it came through for you. I recently found out that a yearly travel insurance policy was only about $40 more than a single-trip policy. I will opt for that next time I travel
I experienced an Alaskan cruise in August 1996 on Princess Cruise line. It was the original Love Boat ship! What a glorious trip. Taking a helicopter ride to walk on a glacier was amazing. An Alaskan cruise is a must 🎉🎊😉🦋
We agree. Any plans on going back?
The best tip by far is to have a balcony stateroom, it is priceless, especially for the glaciers. When everyone else is scrambling topside for a good vantage point, you can be in your private room with a perfect view…. Again, priceless!
So true. What has been your favorite trip up north?
Might be a silly question but im not sure! Will your side of balcony/ship still get glacier view? Or could i be stuck not seeing anything on my side?
@peterlongo3343 , I've only been on 1 Norwegian ship, but they did a turn so both sides got a view of the glacier.
Balconies are nice, but unnecessary. You're stuck with a one-sided view, when you could simply walk on deck and experience everything in a full 360.
If you're on a tight budget, you'd be much better off to get a standard interior room and use that extra disposable income for a once in a lifetime excursion, like a helicopter ride to a glacier, dog sledding...etc
I love silver billowy clouds and rain 🌧 , so "gloomy, bad, weather" is not the language I'd use. I hope you enjoyed the beauty. Thank you for sharing.
Awesome content. I made a reservation for my first Alaska in May 2026. Thanks for your great advice.
Have fun! Which cruise line and itinerary?
@@Eatsleepcruise1 round trip from Seattle with Star Princess .
Great video. I've watched so many and found this one covered most of my questions.
Glad it was helpful! When are you heading to Alaska?
Sailing on HAL Nieuw Amsterdam in Aug 2024 for our 5th visit. This time we start in Whittier ending in Vancouver. We enjoy HAL and their Neptune suites. Thanks for sharing
We sailed on that ship in 2021! We did a different itinerary though. We have a cruise review on our channel if you have any questions about the ship. What are Neptune suites like?
@@Eatsleepcruise1 Neptune Suites are awesome. Eurodam, Zaandam, Koningsdam (aft balcony Neptune) are the 3 we have done Neptune suites. Nieuw Amsterdam (Alaska Aug) and Koingsdam to Hawaii from San Diego are up next. The level of service you get is awesome. We especially enjoy the Neptune Lounge for all concierge services. Koningsdam you get Club Orange access because Pinnacle Grill does not offer breakfast. All the other ships breakfast is in the Pinnacle Grill which is included. Pack lightly, because you get laundry services included with room. We especially enjoyed that on our 14 day full transit Panama Canal trip from Florida to San Diego. Allows room for all the souvenirs you end up buying and on longer voyages we had 3 dressy nights. Just sent suites and dresses to laundry and get them back the next day. It’s nice having such a large room especially on long voyages. After balcony Neptune has a massive wrap around deck to enjoy. Large room is nice on longer voyages. We enjoyed the Aft Balcony Neptune because of the awesome views. But, we found being at the back of the ship makes for a long walk, especially returning from an excursion day. Neptune Lounge is mid ship and even that seemed like a long walk after a while. I highly recommend trying it, but you could find yourself never wanting to book a lower level room after the experience. Safe sailings
This is my cruise 9/1 staying in Neptune suite as well. Boarding in Whittier after 3 night at HA land resort. Very excited!!
Neptune Suites are pricey, however, we have splurged 3 times for special occasions or itineraries. Fortunate to have done aft Neptune suite on Nieuw Statendam and Koningsdam. Have booked one for a future 14 day Vancouver-Alaska itinerary. It is difficult to go back to a balcony after that experience, but we have done many balcony cruises as well. Love Holland America. Will be 4 star mariner’s this summer.
Does the Neptune Suite have a king sized bed. I am booking a land/cruise in June 2025 this week. Any tips? I've never been to AK.
What’s the best time to travel if I like the colder weather what would you recommend for a first time cruise
We board our first Princess cruise to Alaska 3 weeks from today. I honestly don't understand the excitement of glaciers but I am excited about seeing the Alaskan natural landscape. See if it is worth a road trip in our future.
Which ship and itinerary?
Glaciers can’t be understood until experienced…. When they calving is it incredible…. I would be curious to see what you think post cruise.
@@Eatsleepcruise1 Royal Princess 14 days out of Vancouver on 6/15. Long port stops and we visit several glaciers, Glacier Bay x 2. We leave on the 12th to explore Vancouver for a couple of days. Premier Package and trying both the balcony breakfast and dinner. We received our medallions yesterday. We have been on Disney and Carnival and wanted to try something new.
I'm not totally sold on the fascination with glaciers either. Although, the size of ice sheet they all flow from is a little amazing. If you can swing it, a helicopter tour that lands on one might give a better impression.
Can you recommend a seasoned Alaska travel agent? Looking to do a 2026 Alaska Land and Sea cruise tour. Need a seasoned professional that can help us narrow down the itinerary, Holland vs Princess, as well as excursions. We are also undecided about northbound versus southbound. Sounds like they both have pros and cons. Love your channel, thank you.
Of course, our trusted travel partner is MEI-Travel. Feel free to email me and we can connect you with our agent who can walk you through all of the Alaska options.
If I bring an item not allowed on board will you get it back at the end of the cruise
In most instances yes. The cruise line will collect the item and return it to you at the end of the cruise. When are you cruising?
Question........ My husband and I are planning an Alaskan cruise, will be our first cruise. We live in NY, don't have a passport, but have enhanced drivers license which allow us to cross into Canada. Won't this document work in lieu of a passport during the cruise excursion???
Thank you for this video. I'm taking notes and learning a lot.
Awesome video! Our family trip is July 20, 2024, on the NCL Bliss got my cabin, wardrobe and binoculars to take in all the nature and beauty of Alaska. We've already booked our excursions and I am most excited about the helicopter glacier tour. Thank you for sharing.
If doing a one way, the flights TO Ancorage have better flight times than those FROM Anchorage. Plus the southbound fare is often the cheaper one.
Thanks for the tip, Steve. Have you sailed on a one-way southbound before?
@@Eatsleepcruise1 No, we did northbound. Also drove an RV from Iowa one way for the RV rental company. Flights back are often after midnight
That is due to the difference in time zones between Alaska and the mainland--especially Eastern Time Zone.
We just flew back home out of Anchorage after our cruise/land tour. Our transportation to the airport from our hotel left a few minutes late, which then had us scrambling to check in at the airport and go through security.
Muchas gracias por toda su información, si Dios quiere, iremos a Alaska en vuestros primer crucero allî, el próximo més de septiembre. 😃😃
We hope you get there. Have you picked a ship? Let us know if you have any questions.
Viajaremos con Celebrity, muchas gracias por su interés, su tenemos alguna duda, l'e preguntaré. 👍🏻
Thanks for the ideas. Best. Joy
You are so welcome! When are cruising to Alaska!
Hello! Very informative video! Thank you. First time cruisers from Florida heading to Alaska! Do you recommend waterproof sneakers? Have most things figured out. Haven't bought shoes yet!
the best Alaska cruise tips video out there! Learned a lot, thank you!
Glad you found it helpful. When are you cruising to Alaska?
Hi great info. We are cursing there next Sept. In your video you mentioned renting telephoto lens for your camera. I would love to do that, do you have a link to were I can rent one?
Happy to help. Here you go. What cruise line are you sailing on? www.borrowlenses.com/
@@Eatsleepcruise1 thank you. we are sailing on Princess
Hav just started to explore cruise options for Alaska, keen to sail on a smaller ship that goes further than the traditional 7 day land/sea options - anyone have any recommendations?
Where can I rent camera equipment like lens for a Cannon Rebel? I bought my last Cannon Rebel back in 2017 and I'm sure they are much better now, but I'm not sure I want to purchase a new one. Ty!
Check borrowed lenses. That’s who we used. When are you cruising?
Alaska in June 2024... so excited!
Thank you for all the good info
Any time! Going to Alaska?
I know this is a dumb question, but how do I find a travel agent? Is the best TA someone who lives nearby, someone where you go into their office and discuss cruises? Or is it a cruise expert online? We do not know any others who love cruising like we do, so no friends to ask their experience...
Check the website of the cruise line you plan to use. They normally list several.
My most recent Alaska cruise was from Vancouver to Nome on board one of Hurtigruten's newest ships. Why no acknowledgement that you can cruise north of Seward?
Sounds like a great trip. Those are rare itineraries, so thanks for sharing. Would you sail with HX again?
This is American centric. We have just come back from our first Alaskan cruise. We are from Australia. Can you remember people from other countries cruise Alaska too. So can you do centigrade as well as Fahrenheit in temperatures also kilos as well as pounds.
You could also just google the translation from one to the other. I do this quite often.
Um ya you can't assure it will go smooth. Cruise Princes for Alaska land then sea.
My suggestion is to not use Uber to get to your airport. I had a RC Quantum of Seas cruise booked for 5-20-24 and never got to the airport because of UBER not picking me up. Got charged and refunded for 7 rides that didn't happen.🥴
That sounds awful. To the Seattle airport or Vancouver, BC?
@@Eatsleepcruise1From Indy to Seattle.Bad part is all was paid for including cruise, first class air, drink package. I just turned 74 this month, and who knows how many times I have left.🥴
I loved this video 🛳️
Thanks. Planning an Alaska cruise?
One way Alaska cruise > round trip
Can be, depending on the itinerary. What are you comparing?
Great video. I will go to Alaska first time next June. Which camera zoom lens did you find useful and where did you rent? Thanks for info
Have fun! Which cruise line? We used BorrowLenses, but we think they were recently merged with another company. We rented a Sony FE 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G OSS Lens for a Sony alpha 6400. What type of camera do you have?
@@Eatsleepcruise1 Holland america and i have a canon rebel t7
You'll miss nothing at Icy Strait Point unless you book the zipline early or have a need to buy chinese tchotchkes. It's literally just a place to buy souvenirs.
There are also cruises out of SFO
Yes, there are some that go to Alaska.
if you have to "pay off" aka finance your cruise, you should not go on one. If you can't pay cash then it's too expensive...