In June 2019, my sister and I went on an Alaskan cruise together. It was one of the cheapest, easiest, and most enjoyable ways to see the beautiful state of Alaska! Yet, I couldn’t believe more people in their 20s hadn’t taken advantage of cruising.
We were basically the only people under retirement age on the boat! I kept thinking, why aren’t more 20-somethings vacationing this way? Yes, seeing Alaska by cruise ship may seem like a thing only older people do; however, I discovered that young adults can save a lot of money by vacationing this way. Let me show you why and how…
Don’t forget to Pin this for later!
WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE AN ALASKAN CRUISE
By taking an Alaskan cruise you can save a lot of money! The best way to take an Alaskan cruise is to research for the cheapest deal you can find and book with an experienced cruise ship company. We chose Princess Cruises and loved it!
My sister had a roommate getting married in Anchorage, Alaska, and invited me to come as her “date”. Being from the Midwest, it seemed impossible for us to travel to Alaska because of how expensive it would be. We found that between a rental car, gas, lodging, food, and airfare it seemed impossible to afford a trip where we could see some of the sights in Alaska. It was going to add up to thousands of dollars each.
However, when we started looking up cruise ship deals, we found we could fly to Vancouver, take a one-way weeklong cruise to Anchorage, and fly home, all for just over $1,000! Plus, we would see so many destinations along the way.
Don’t believe me? That’s the amazing part. An Alaskan cruise saved us money because we didn’t need a rental car, yet we could see many different sights. No expensive gas bills for us! Also, Juneau, Alaska’s capital, is only accessible by plane or boat, not land. A rental car would have limited us from seeing some places in Alaska!
We also didn’t need to worry about buying groceries, finding cheap places to eat, or how to store fresh food. The cruise boat provided us with more than enough food for every single meal and anything of our choosing to meet all our dietary needs!
Oh, and lodging? We had a cozy room that was cleaned for us every day. We also had more activities on the boat than we could participate in, so there was always something to do. And on top of it, we woke up in a new place every day! It almost felt like time travel, going to sleep, and waking up to new sights and sounds.
Would I recommend an Alaskan cruise? Absolutely! We booked with Princess Cruises and loved sailing on the Royal Princess cruise ship. We signed up for a deal where we received the cheapest cabin, which was still amazing quality, had great service, and had bonus offers like extra spending money! It was a cheap way to see so many different Alaskan towns.
Related Post: How Do You Quickly Become Debt-Free In Your 20’s?
However, there are a couple of reasons I would not go on one again. First, I want to see new places and a cruise boat can only stop at the same ports for each trip. Second, while it’s convenient, it’s not adventurous. You can’t go off and explore the unknown as much. Instead, you have to weave your way through tourists’ traps. You are somewhat limited in what you can see and do.
Evaluate if an Alaskan cruise is best for you! And if you decide to go one, then be sure you keep reading.
WHAT TO EXPECT ON YOUR ALASKAN CRUISE
An Alaskan cruise can be so much fun, as long as you have the right expectations in mind! Here are a few things you need to know so that you can know the best way to take an Alaskan cruise today.
Keep in mind that the age group is mostly going to be older people close to or in retirement. While my sister and I, both in our 20s, still had so much fun together, just know that you will be surrounded by people who are older and more relaxed than you. However, there are still so many activities on the boat that you will cater to your age group!
Expect it to be cold and rainy! I had no idea how much rain Alaska receives. It’s close to being a rainforest! Even in June, the weather was steady at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit and a cold breeze from the boat kept it feeling even cooler.
It also rains more than you expect and with no easy access to laundry, unless you want to pay, then your clothes will be soaked for quite a bit before you can wear them again. This was a problem we ran into immediately.
And speaking of clothes, make sure you pack enough! I re-wore my clothes too many times because I didn’t pack right. But more info on what to pack in a bit!
Be prepared to go tech-free. Unless you want to pay for a Wi-Fi package then you will have to turn your phone off, especially when you go to Canada. However, it can be so refreshing to be away from the world for a week or two that I didn’t even mind.
Budget! Excursions are activities that you can participate in off the boat but the mistake that most people make is they don’t budget correctly for the trip. More on that in a bit too.
Lastly, the elevators on the boat are always busy and full. You will either wait a long time to use them or use those stairs! I suggest the stairs, but just expect to use them a lot.
In fact, the boat will be full. Sometimes you won’t be able to find a table to eat at near the buffet, you may get lost on the boat several times, you may not be able to go outside on the deck a lot making the boat feel crowded, and activities on and off the boat can fill up fast.
However, there are lots of opportunities to make new friends and learn more about the state of Alaska. The towns you are stopping at have entertainment and sightseeing to enjoy while you are sailing.
Now that you have the right expectations on what an Alaskan cruise is like let’s get you all the information you need to make the trip as fun as possible!
Don’t forget to Pin this for later!
Also, as a side note, if your flight gets delayed or canceled it could be a horrible chance of missing the cruise boat. You should always book your flight a day or two beforehand so that if anything happens, you won’t miss the entire trip. My sister and I didn’t fly in early but thankfully everything worked out perfectly. It is something to be aware of and see if you want to take your chance on it or not.
If your flight does get canceled or delayed, you can earn compensation with Compensair! Be sure to keep this link handy in case you need it.
WHAT TO PACK FOR YOUR ALASKAN CRUISE
Pack enough clothes! I read some great advice on what to pack before my Alaskan cruise but most people suggest very minimal items.
However, because of all the rain and it was colder than I expected, I did not pack enough clothes. For a weeklong cruise, I suggest packing enough for a different outfit every day. Most days you will be wearing two or three different outfits, so if you have enough for one a day then you will be golden.
Bring formal wear. There are usually one or two nights on the cruise boat where you must dress in formal wear for the evening. You usually can’t eat out at restaurants without it. Don’t forget to pack two formal wear outfits, one for each night.
Bring binoculars, sunglasses, a raincoat, and an umbrella. Without these items, you will have a miserable cruise. They are necessities to enjoy Alaska.
Don’t bring your swimsuit. With how cold and rainy Alaska is, we never saw anyone swimming in the pools. Once and a while we saw a hot tub guest but due to the weather, the hot tub was often closed. We never ended up needing our swimsuits and they took up unneeded space in our luggage.
Bring your passport! You will be passing into Canada sometimes, or if your boat leaves from Vancouver then you will need it to even board the boat.
Also, bring winter gloves, scarves, headbands, and a warm jacket (other than your rain jacket that will get wet). I was thankful to have credit onboard the boat with our sign-up bonus so that I could buy a winter hat and sweater.
One of the best ways to enjoy your Alaskan cruise is to sit outside on the deck and take in the beauty of the glaciers, the wildlife, and the great majesty of the ocean. Pack warm so you can enjoy these spectacular views, you won’t regret it.
I suggest these on Amazon:
WHAT TO DO ON YOUR ALASKAN CRUISE
On the boat, your Alaskan cruise boat will have lots of fun entertainment throughout the whole day, every day! You can choose what you want to do based on your interests. And, it is all free! Off the boat, your Alaskan cruise will have lots of excursions you can participate in at each stop.
Those excursions are not free, and that’s where your budget comes into play.
The way to keep your Alaskan cruise cheap is to not participate in all the extra things. This includes coffee, alcohol, Wi-Fi, and gaming packages. These are all added to the cost of your initial cruise and can add up fast. The excursions off the boat are also very expensive and priced very high.
Begin with, what is the most money you can afford to spend in total for the whole trip? Once you have your spending limit set, think about each category you may have money going towards:
-The cost of the cruise itself
-Extra packages (coffee, WiFi, alcohol, gaming, laundry, casino, etc.)
-Excursions off the boat
-Souvenirs on and off the boat
-Airfare and travel
-Emergency cash
First, sign up for your Alaskan cruise when a promotion is happening several months ahead of the time you are planning on going. You can find great deals and get a cheap cabin the further ahead of time you book.
Only buy excursions and packages that are within your budget. Resist temptation when you are on the boat to buy extra things. I promise you don’t need them. We didn’t buy anything extra and enjoyed the trip on a very cheap budget.
Know that you can buy excursions on the boat and land when you arrive in a town. We found one excursion that was much cheaper to buy with a local company than through the cruise boat. While excursions the cruise company recommends are often more reliable, several local ones are much cheaper and just as fun!
Do your research so that you are not scammed by locals. But also don’t be completely against checking out local options for fun things to do when you arrive back on land. Take advantage of excursions and don’t miss out on them but only participate in ones you can afford.
Another budget tip is to take food like fruit and bread with you after breakfast from the boat. Then you can eat on the go while you are doing your excursions! Ultimately, be sure you set up your budget ahead of time and enjoy an Alaskan cruise that you can afford!
Recommended Post: Insider Advice: 30 Things To Do Before 30 Years Old
Don’t forget to Pin this for later!
REGRETS FROM OUR CRUISE
Before you go on our Alaskan cruise I recommend learning as much as you can about your port stops you can before you arrive. When you know the best things to see and do, you can find what it’s your budget and experience everything you want to do.
If this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for you, don’t go without doing research. I regret not learning more ahead of time and budgeting properly. I could have seen and experienced much more if I had done a little bit more research.
It’s also important to know that even though there are tourist traps, there are also a lot of locals selling unique pieces. Some of these you can only find handmade in Alaska. Jewelry shops are everywhere for tourists. Instead of spending your time in these, I recommend stopping in local artisan shops and getting to know the locals.
Enjoy the good seafood on the boat. I regret not taking full advantage of this. For each meal, you can order as much as you want. I encourage you to not be wasteful. But also to take the time to enjoy as much unique food as you can. Enjoy eating new and unique foods, like wonderful seafood dishes, that are at no extra cost to you.
I also recommend sitting on the deck and observing nature more on the days the boat is sailing. While there are lots of fun things to do inside the cruise boat, don’t miss seeing the nature!
All in all the best way to take an Alaskan cruise is to go with people you love, have a budget you can stick to, and have a heart that is ready to learn and enjoy the beautiful state of Alaska.
It is truly breathtaking!
What did you learn from this post? What is the best way to take an Alaskan cruise according to you? Let me know in the comments below!
Kelsey at GoodPointGrandma
Latest posts by Kelsey at GoodPointGrandma (see all)
- Our Homesteading Journey – December 2024 Update - December 21, 2024
- My Top Books Of 2024: Homesteading, Homeschooling, Homemaking And More - December 14, 2024
- 7 More Helpful Cookbooks On Sourdough Breads And Baked Goods - December 7, 2024
I’ve never been on an Alaskan cruise. Great tips if I ever go!
Thanks Natalie, I recommend it!
Lots of good +/- info – I appreciate that! Glad you were able to take this cruise! I need to give an Alaskan cruise some thought!
Thanks Patricia. You would love it!
An Alaskan cruise is high on my travel bucket list. Keeping the cost around $1K would definitely make it doable!
Yes, kept it super doable and so easy to see so much of Alaska!
We cruise yearly and just got back from an Alaskan cruise as well. A lot of your hints are great but one thing to note is that booking excursions on land and not through your cruise ship can be a bit risky especially since travel now after the 2 years of pandemic (which stopped the cruises and tourist industry for Alaska and all other ports that rely on cruises) just restarted. The reason it’s risky is because the stops in each port are shorter and if you are on an excursion that runs late, your ship will leave without you.… Read more »
Great point Maureen! This post was written pre-pandemic so I’m glad you have added this remark.
Your advice is fabulous! We’ve had an Alaskan cruise booked twice and had to cancel because of the pandemic. I do suggest you not call the vessel a “boat”. It’s a ship. Most cruisers cringe at the word. Will be using a lot of your tips on our cruise especially regarding what to pack!