Eph60

People have asked me why I cruise Alaska so often. My answer is that Alaska is never the same twice. By this I mean the glaciers are constantly changing and never look the same twice. My recent time in Alaska is proof of that. We hit Glacier Bay 3 times in June. With the glacier calving it appeared as if we were in a different spot each week. I have many pictures of Marjorie Glacier from Glacier Bay over the years and even this past month. If you really look at the pictures you can see a lot of changes over the years and even over the weeks.
I also always know I will see wildlife but never know where or when as well as different size waterfalls. Alaska always keeps you looking because if you are not looking you will miss something.

I will agree that without a doubt cruising is one of the most economical and relaxing ways to take a vacation. I have seen many great places and met many wonderful people while on a cruise. I will also take any opportunity I can to go on a cruise. I will also admit that there are some land vacations I have done that are as good if not better then a cruise vacation for me. I love to be on a ship, however I love getting out on a vacation in the woods with nobody or nothing around. Some of the greatest memories I have of a vacation is just jumpint in a canoe in the Boudry Canoe Waters of Northern Minnesota and heading out camping with family, friends or on my own. The cost is one tank of gas and a $25 permit. Yes I have to cook for myself but I get to enjoy wildlife, the beauty of the lakes and forest and I get to sit by a nice campfire at night and just unwind from the rest of the world.
In otherwords for me I love to cruise but I also love the solitude of being on my own for vacation. It all depends on how much stress I have been under.
I also love traveling by train to see things that I cannot see from a cruise ship. As long as I am not at work any type of vacation is great for me.

I was reading another post and the question popped in my head. What is more important to you sea days or ports? In otherwords do you need a port intensive cruise or are you happy with more sea days?
For me I prefer sea days, the more the better. For my wife she likes to have more port days.

I have cruised on many cruise lines and at many different levels of loyalty programs on the different lines, but the truth for me is I pay no attention to the loyalty programs. I will take advantage of a price offer but as far as anything else goes in the programs they really do not interest me and I really do not use the perks. That is just me but as I say I really do not pay attention to the programs.

The post about questions asked on a cruise to the crew got me thinking about this. I thought maybe I could help some figure out how to get a tour that might be right for you when you are already on a cruise ship.
The ships will usually have a talk about tours that you can attend when you are on the ship. These talks do have some good information, however keep in mind that they will more then likely talk about the tours they have not been able to fill or sell in advance bookings. This does not mean they are not good tours they are just less popular.
To get the best advice for the tours go to the tour desk and talk to the tour sales staff. First let them know what interests you have, such as you want something active or not active. Do you like to see wildlife or are you just looking for beautiful scenery? Do you prefer something from the water or a land type tour? It may sound odd but let them know the types of things you like to do back home because that can give them an idea of what you like.
The sales staff does NOT know you so they really do not know what you like and unless you give them an idea of what you like they will sell you what they need to fill or what the manager has told them to push for that cruise.
Do some research online or through books of the area you are going to. You can find a lot of things that you may really want to see or do and that will steer you towards a tour that is right for you. You must also decide whether you want to take a longer or shorter tour. You could tie up your whole day on tours and not see the port so decide how important it is for you.
Keep in mind your budget. Tours from the ships are a lot more expensive then if you booked them on your own, however a tour from the ship will more then likely be a reputable tour company and they will get you back to the ship before it sails. This may be important to you if you have never been to the port before.
If you are taking a tour during a holiday keep in mind that some tours may not be available. Some tour companies are small family operations and like you they enjoy doing things with their families on holidays.
To enjoy your tour better have an idea of what is important to you and let the sales person know that so they can direct you to the right tour for you.

The post about questions asked on a cruise to the crew got me thinking about this. I thought maybe I could help some figure out how to get a tour that might be right for you when you are already on a cruise ship.
The ships will usually have a talk about tours that you can attend when you are on the ship. These talks do have some good information, however keep in mind that they will more then likely talk about the tours they have not been able to fill or sell in advance bookings. This does not mean they are not good tours they are just less popular.
To get the best advice for the tours go to the tour desk and talk to the tour sales staff. First let them know what interests you have, such as you want something active or not active. Do you like to see wildlife or are you just looking for beautiful scenery? Do you prefer something from the water or a land type tour? It may sound odd but let them know the types of things you like to do back home because that can give them an idea of what you like.
The sales staff does NOT know you so they really do not know what you like and unless you give them an idea of what you like they will sell you what they need to fill or what the manager has told them to push for that cruise.
Do some research online or through books of the area you are going to. You can find a lot of things that you may really want to see or do and that will steer you towards a tour that is right for you. You must also decide whether you want to take a longer or shorter tour. You could tie up your whole day on tours and not see the port so decide how important it is for you.
Keep in mind your budget. Tours from the ships are a lot more expensive then if you booked them on your own, however a tour from the ship will more then likely be a reputable tour company and they will get you back to the ship before it sails. This may be important to you if you have never been to the port before.
If you are taking a tour during a holiday keep in mind that some tours may not be available. Some tour companies are small family operations and like you they enjoy doing things with their families on holidays.
To enjoy your tour better have an idea of what is important to you and let the sales person know that so they can direct you to the right tour for you.

Yest these questions come frequently. Another shore excursion question frequently asked is "will I get wet if I go snorkeling or scuba diving?" You also get "do I have to put my face in thw water when I go snorkeling?"
One question which is asked all the time and is poorly worded is "what kind of tour do I like?" Hard to answer that one if you do not know the person and this is how you can get sold a bad tour for you.

Actually the Hubbard Glacier is not in Glacier Bay. Marjorie is the big glacier in Glacier Bay. Hubbard Glacier is in the Yukatat Bay, but it is true it is beautiful to see.

During the summer months whale watching for humpbacks is big in Alaska. There are actually 5 different types of whales in Alaska but Humpbacks and Orca are seen the most on a cruise.
With any type of whale you will more then likely see the blow from their spout before you see anyother part of the whale. The blow can go 30 to 40 feet in the air and you can see it a long way off.
In Alaska the humpback is feeding and will not breach, or jump, as much as when it is in warmer waters. You still may see them breach but not as often.You will see a lot of them break the surface and see them roll where their fluke will come out of the water. Each fluke has markings on it and no two flukes have the same marking and that is how they identify infividual whales. There are a couple ways they eat that you might see. One is scoop feeding, where they come to the surface and literally open their mouths and scoop food from the water barely breaking the surface. Another way is bubble net feeding. This is where several whales will start circling fish blowing air to make a net that the fish will not swim through. Then whales will come up through the center of the air net and feed on fish. They do come higher out of the water when they do this. Juneau, Sitka, Seward, Whittier and Glacier Bay are excellent places to see humpbacks. Humpbacks will rise and lower in a certain patern, so when you do see them you may be able to figure out when they will surface again.
The Orca is in Alaska year round. They travel in family pods. The way to identify an Orca is by the markings around its dorcel fin this is called the saddle. No two Orca's have the same marking. The dorcel fin on an Orca can rise five feet or more in the air. An Orca is not actually a whale it is a an extra large porpoise. An Orca is a meat eater and will feed on sea lions and whales. When you Orca you will most likely see more then one. These you can see jump out of the water frequently. I actually have a picture of one in mid air off the side of a ship I was on. Orca's can be seen between Victoria and the Inside Passage. They are also in Juneau, Seward, Whittier and Glacier Bay.
There are also dalls porpoise that look like Orca, however they are much smaller and do not have the large dorcel fin. These like to play off the wake of the ship and are very fast.
The thing that is so amazing about seeing any whales in Alaska or anywhere for that matter, is the fact that they are all very graceful even though they are so large. I am always amazed when I spot a whale.

Some very good points there. I would caution that the one about looking at a travel agent should also say look for an experienced cruise travel agent. Not all travel agents are experienced in cruising also some cruise agents will push one cruise line to get a maximum commision instead of picking the correct cruise line for you. So yes a travel agent can save you some money if you pick the right travel agent.
I have delt with some bad travel agents when I first started cruising and I always do my own research and ask travel agents questions to see if they really do know what they are talking about.

I am sure you have heard of medical emergancies and probably read of a few on this and other cruise boards. The truth is they happen much more often then you may think. They range from deaths to injuries from falls. I have even seen up to four ambulance calls for pickup off the ship all in one day in one port.
In the case of deaths if the death is at sea most cruise lines will have someone stay with the survivors of the deceased so they are not left alone in their grief.Yes the ship does have a place to store those that have passed away.
I personally had to assist passengers that collapsed due to seizures or pass out from diabetic problems while heading to and from tours.
Age is not always a problem sometimes it is just not paying attention. I was escorting a group to a tour on the promenade deck one day when a lady not paying attention because she was so busy talking that she walked into the beam of a davit for a lifeboat and knocked herself out. The beam was brightly colored and easily seen and I even warned passengers of it as we passed but she was in her own little world. I know the next day it looked like she went 15 rounds with the heavy weight champ.
So maybe one point of this post is that you may want to make sure you have insurance especially medical insurance when you take a cruise. I hope you never have anyone pass away on a cruise but there are many chances for injuries and medical treatment. It does happen daily on a cruise.

Juneau will more then likely be on every Alaskan cruise. Juneau is the capital of Alaska. Juneau is a city that is about 24 miles long and at the widest only about 5 miles wide. You can only get to Juneau by air or by boat. Juneau is surrounded by water and the Mendenhal Glacier. The airport for Juneau is actually on an island out in the waterway. If the plane runs long on landing you are in the water.
The Mendenhal Glacier is a big draw. You can actually get quite close to the glacier. You can do river rafting down the river from the melt of the glacier. There are many tours that go to the glacier but you can also get there by the local bus service.
There is a tramway in Juneau that will take you high up on the mountain for some very impressive views. Gold mines were a very big part of Juneau and you can also visit some of the old mines and still do some gold panning on tours. If you find gold on the tours you get to keep the gold.
Flight tours are very big here in Juneau. There are plane and helicopter flights, they are expensive but well worth the trip. A flight tour out onto a glacier is really a must do if you can afford it.
Fishing is also big in Juneau. If like fish there are many shops here that will specially pack it and ship it home for you.
Juneau is one of the hottest spots for whale watching. I personally have always seen whales when I take a whale watch in Juneau. The cruise line has tours that will take you out on larger boats, but there are several excellent local whale watch outfits that take you out on smaller boats.
There is a great cultural center to learn about the Alaskan past and some of the native tribes that live there. The Red Dog Saloon is a big attraction here. It is not in the original spot that it once was but it is easy to find and is known for fun and good food and drink.
You will find many shops to buy gifts in Alaska and many of the shops will be related to the cruise industry and shops that you find anywhere in cruise ports. If you want the true Alaskan products head off the main drags and check the side streets. Juneau will also have the franchise food stops such as McDonalds or Subway if you want them.
Juneau has an excellent bus system that is reasonable in price if you want to see much of the area on your own. You can spend a lot of time checking out Juneau and a lot of money if you are not careful.

I see this section of the board is pretty quiet, however the Alaska cruise season is coming up quickly, so I thought I would post some information on some of the ports. I will start out with Ketchikan.
Ketchikan is a rainforest. It is one of the wettest places on earth. Bring rain gear because you will most likely get some rain. Ketchikan also has a tide that raises and lowers up to 30 feet. What does this mean? It means you may get on and off the cruise ship on different floors as the tide changes during the day.
Ketchikan at one time was a big logging area. This is not the case today due to regulations. Ketchikan is an excellent place to go fishing. The totem parks in Ketchikan are very interesting and full of history.
Flight tours are great here and it can actually get quite interesting watching the ships dock or leave with all the sea planes flying in and out of the area.
Ketchikan has a very interesting and fun lumberjack show that is close to the pier. It is well worth seeing especially if you are with kids or a family.
One of my favorite tours here is kayaking. It gets you close up to some sea life as well as some beautiful scenery. Riding the Ducks can also give you a good perspective of the town from the sea and the land.
Ketchikan is an easy town to walk around. Walking Creek Street can also provide a lot of history. My biggest complaint about Ketchikan is that it has been taken over by the cruise line related gift and jewlery shops. After all I do not go to Alaska to see Caribbean Jewelers as I step off the ship. If you want some true Alaskan products I suggest you walk farther into the town and find the true local shops.

When to cruise Alaska is a question that is asked frequently. The truth is this is a question that is hard to answer because every month in Alaska is different during the cruise season. I will try to help with this question but keep in mind Mother Nature does what she wants.
May is considered the driest month to be in Alaska. The temperatures on average will be in the 60's. Daylight will be anywhere from 16 to 19 hours long as the month goes on. There will still be snow on the ground in many places. If you want to see waterfalls this is a great month due to the snow melt. They will be everywhere. The start of the month the trees will be bare but with the long days they will sprout leaves very quickly, in fact within a day or two. The animal life will be limited because bears and such will just be starting to come out from the winter.
June will start out dry but by mid month the rain will start to come in and when the rain starts in Alaska it will be a long time before it stops. The temperatures will get into the mid to high 70's. The trees and flowers will be in full bloom. Wildlife will be very active. The salmon will start running about the third week of June. Daylight will hit 24 hours during this month. For those that have never experienced it, that much daylight can get confusing when trying to tell time.
July will be pretty much rain the whole month. There will be very little dry days during this month. When I worked in Alaska I think we had three dry days during July the year before they had 5 dry days, in otherwords make sure you have rain gear.. Temperatures can hit in the high 70's to low 80's. There will be a lot of wildlife both on land and sea. The salmon will be running full in the start of the month. July is peak season and when I worked at the lodges we got a lot of complaints because people did not expect all the rain and clouds.
August will start out with rain but dry out a couple weeks into the month. The sun will start to drop quickly every day. By the end of the third week the chances of seeing the norhhern lights will increase. By the end of August leaves will start to change colors. The bad thing about the color change is that the majority of colors will just be yellow with an occasional red thrown in. Temperatures will get down to low 60's and many more days down into the 50's. Whales will start to head south but will still be in the area.
September the final month of cruising. This month will be fairly dry but the sun will go down more quickly and it will also start getting much colder. There may be mornings with frost on the ground. The chance to see norhtern lights will be much improved. You may even see snow. There will still be some wildlife and some whales but the whales will be thinning out. The best part of September is for the shoppers. Shops will have a lot of sales before they close up for the season.
I hope this helps some in your planning but remember that Mother Nature does what she wants.

Demoten have your camera ready for the White Pass Rail trip. There are some fantastic views. One picture that is especially great is you will cross a railroad bridge high in the mountains. When on that bridge you can see all the way back into Skagway to where the ships dock. this view through the valley and back to the sea is a do not miss photo op.

There is a reason they call the eagle the pigeons of Alaska. That reason is the fact that eagles are considered a very lazy bird. The eagle is a scavenger. It will pick the easiest meal it can find. Eagles like to be around low tide because there will be some small pools with fish stuck in them and that makes them easy meals for eagles. A bald eagle is actually totally black or brown when born. It will not get its white head until it reaches adulthood. They are a beautiful bird and Alaska has more then anywhere else in the world but they are a scavenger and not a bird of prey.

Juneau will more then likely be on every Alaskan cruise. Juneau is the capital of Alaska. Juneau is a city that is about 24 miles long and at the widest only about 5 miles wide. You can only get to Juneau by air or by boat. Juneau is surrounded by water and the Mendenhal Glacier. The airport for Juneau is actually on an island out in the waterway. If the plane runs long on landing you are in the water.
The Mendenhal Glacier is a big draw. You can actually get quite close to the glacier. You can do river rafting down the river from the melt of the glacier. There are many tours that go to the glacier but you can also get there by the local bus service.
There is a tramway in Juneau that will take you high up on the mountain for some very impressive views. Gold mines were a very big part of Juneau and you can also visit some of the old mines and still do some gold panning on tours. If you find gold on the tours you get to keep the gold.
Flight tours are very big here in Juneau. There are plane and helicopter flights, they are expensive but well worth the trip. A flight tour out onto a glacier is really a must do if you can afford it.
Fishing is also big in Juneau. If like fish there are many shops here that will specially pack it and ship it home for you.
Juneau is one of the hottest spots for whale watching. I personally have always seen whales when I take a whale watch in Juneau. The cruise line has tours that will take you out on larger boats, but there are several excellent local whale watch outfits that take you out on smaller boats.
There is a great cultural center to learn about the Alaskan past and some of the native tribes that live there. The Red Dog Saloon is a big attraction here. It is not in the original spot that it once was but it is easy to find and is known for fun and good food and drink.
You will find many shops to buy gifts in Alaska and many of the shops will be related to the cruise industry and shops that you find anywhere in cruise ports. If you want the true Alaskan products head off the main drags and check the side streets. Juneau will also have the franchise food stops such as McDonalds or Subway if you want them.
Juneau has an excellent bus system that is reasonable in price if you want to see much of the area on your own. You can spend a lot of time checking out Juneau and a lot of money if you are not careful.

When to cruise Alaska is a question that is asked frequently. The truth is this is a question that is hard to answer because every month in Alaska is different during the cruise season. I will try to help with this question but keep in mind Mother Nature does what she wants.
May is considered the driest month to be in Alaska. The temperatures on average will be in the 60's. Daylight will be anywhere from 16 to 19 hours long as the month goes on. There will still be snow on the ground in many places. If you want to see waterfalls this is a great month due to the snow melt. They will be everywhere. The start of the month the trees will be bare but with the long days they will sprout leaves very quickly, in fact within a day or two. The animal life will be limited because bears and such will just be starting to come out from the winter.
June will start out dry but by mid month the rain will start to come in and when the rain starts in Alaska it will be a long time before it stops. The temperatures will get into the mid to high 70's. The trees and flowers will be in full bloom. Wildlife will be very active. The salmon will start running about the third week of June. Daylight will hit 24 hours during this month. For those that have never experienced it, that much daylight can get confusing when trying to tell time.
July will be pretty much rain the whole month. There will be very little dry days during this month. When I worked in Alaska I think we had three dry days during July the year before they had 5 dry days, in otherwords make sure you have rain gear.. Temperatures can hit in the high 70's to low 80's. There will be a lot of wildlife both on land and sea. The salmon will be running full in the start of the month. July is peak season and when I worked at the lodges we got a lot of complaints because people did not expect all the rain and clouds.
August will start out with rain but dry out a couple weeks into the month. The sun will start to drop quickly every day. By the end of the third week the chances of seeing the norhhern lights will increase. By the end of August leaves will start to change colors. The bad thing about the color change is that the majority of colors will just be yellow with an occasional red thrown in. Temperatures will get down to low 60's and many more days down into the 50's. Whales will start to head south but will still be in the area.
September the final month of cruising. This month will be fairly dry but the sun will go down more quickly and it will also start getting much colder. There may be mornings with frost on the ground. The chance to see norhtern lights will be much improved. You may even see snow. There will still be some wildlife and some whales but the whales will be thinning out. The best part of September is for the shoppers. Shops will have a lot of sales before they close up for the season.
I hope this helps some in your planning but remember that Mother Nature does what she wants.

I was wondering how many of you read cruise reviews?
For me I have always read a lot of reviews. I do take all reviews with an open mind. For the most part I do not know the people who write the reviews so I do not know if their likes and dislikes are the same as mine. I do look at the overall information and I read as many reviews as I can so I can try to compare the likes and dislikes. If I read enough reviews from one poster I will be able to figure out how similar our likes and dislikes are.
All reviews are important to me because they all do have information on them that may help me in a decision. My ultimate decision will be once I cruise on a ship and make up my own mind.

Cruising during hurricane season can cause some problems for a cruise, such as waves, rain and winds. Having said that one of the best views I have had from a ship deck was during hurricane season. The ship does change course to try to avoid as much trouble as possible and because of that on one of our trips in the Caribbean the ship was trying to avoid a hurricane. We actually had great weather and calm seas but in the distance at night you could see the storm off in the distance. The light show it provided for us while sitting out on the deck at night was worth taking the cruise all by itself. In otherwords storms can provide a beautiful site if the ship is positioned right.

Dmoten what type of excursion are you looking for? Do you want something active or just easy going? One of my favorite active tours in Ketchikan is kayaking. I like this because you get up close with some of the sea life and the views from the kayak of the various islands are great. A flight tour is always great but expensive.
For easier going tours a trip to one of the totem parks is both educational and beautiful. You are in a rainforest so you will see some great plant life as well as seeing totem poles, lodges and learning the history of the totem pole and lodge.
If you have a little time going to the lumberjack show is fun for a family and does not take that long. This is near the ship right in town.

Demoten have your camera ready for the White Pass Rail trip. There are some fantastic views. One picture that is especially great is you will cross a railroad bridge high in the mountains. When on that bridge you can see all the way back into Skagway to where the ships dock. this view through the valley and back to the sea is a do not miss photo op.

I have looked at many cruise boards and it is pretty much the same on every cruise board. Very few people post information on Holland America and her ships. There are also very few reviews written on Holland America cruise ships. The truth is there is only one board that I find a regular set of reviews about Holland America cruise's on. I will not mention that board out of respect for this board. Even on that board there are not a lot of reviews written.
So please give me an opinion on why you may think few people comment on Holland America.

I understand that Holland America is known for having older passengers but older doesn't mean dead, I mean no offense. I know many older people that a lot of young people cannot keep up with. In my mind older people would be able to write some great reviews and comments because they actually learned how to write, unlike many younger people that write in short text type messages.
I'm sorry if I sound a little rude but I have alwyas felt that many older people have a more interesting point of view and I have learned more from elderly people then young people. I guess that may sound like a snob so I am sorry if I have offended anyone. Once I cruise on Holland America this summer I will try to help others with information. By the way I am older and a great grandfather.

On one of the ships I worked on the crew laudry was on the highest deck of the ship. I was doing my laundry, which took about an hour and a half, and sitting on the crew deck. While on the crew deck I counted over 90 whales as the ship sailed on. I also saw a mother humpback and her calf practicing breaching next to the ship for 45 minutes. Now if I was a passenger I would have probably been doing some activity inside the ship, I did not see many passengers out on deck, however I was relaxing and got to see a fantastic site.