The Alaska cruising season begins in earnest in May and generally ends in September. You can find a variety of cruises, including roundtrip cruises from ports such as Vancouver, Seattle, and San Francisco. Several cruise lines also offer southbound and northbound directional cruises that start or end in Alaska. The advantage of a directional cruise is the ability to add on a cruise tour and enjoy Alaska by land. We decided to take advantage of a good deal by booking one of the first cruises on Princess heading northbound, starting in Vancouver and adding on a 5-day land package. We were fortunate to have ideal weather days throughout the cruise, not once having to pull out our umbrellas, which is a rarity. There were a couple of things that we didn’t see which could be a benefit if going later in the summer. That would be seeing the bears and the northern lights. The experts were saying that in May the bears are just coming out of hibernation. Also, later in the summer, the salmon are running and that is when the bears can be found out looking for food. A better chance to see the northern lights on a cruise happens as the summer progresses around mid-August when less daylight leads to darker night skies.
Take a quick 17 second peek of our amazing trip! Big bucket list item achieved!
VANCOUVER: Sailing out of Vancouver, the cruise port is surrounded by many dining options and is walkable on the day of departure ifstaying within 4 or 5 blocks. We arrived at about 11:30 AM, and there were already lines. If you already have your medallion, you can skip one line in the process. Your room on the ship may not yet be accessible when you first board, so be sure to explore the ship and check out the different areas including the spa and sanctuary where you can take tours. Food will be available as soon as you board so there is no need to grab lunch before getting on the ship.
KETCHIKAN: After a sea day the following day, our first stop was Ketchikan. We did not planany excursions at this stop. Since we were the first ship in port that day, we decided to head out early to Creek Street to get pictures before the crowds showed up, which they did with three more ships in port later in the morning. Creek Street is such a charming walk along the river where the salmon swim upstream (during season) and there are so many cute shops and buildings to enjoy. After walking through Creek Street we headed to Married Man’s Trail which took us up to the highest point and had the best views. At the top of the trail is Cape Fox Lodge where you can get a cup of coffee or if it’s later in the day, enjoy a cold drink on their Eagles Nest patio with beautiful views of the town and water.
A popular excursion a lot of people were doing was the lumberjack show . They have a grandstand where they offer multiple shows each day and perform a variety of competitions. However, if we were to return, one of the excursions we would definitely do and suggest, is the Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s Tour. If you’ve seen Deadliest Catch on the Discovery channel, the ship you board was previously featured on an earlier season. You can watch the crab-catching process onboard but the coolest part we heard about and saw from the pictures of the people that did it were the bald eagles. The ship goes near an island that is home to an Indian tribe and is a reserve for bald eagles. It offers chances to see the eagles up close as they fly around looking for food. All of these activities are easily reachable by foot from the cruise ship.
If you are interested in seeing bears, Ketchikan would probably be the best port out of all our stops to see them. For this tour, you would be taken to a nearby rainforest sanctuary.
JUNEAU: The next stop is in Juneau, the state capital of Alaska. Although the nearby downtown is not the greatest for sightseeing, it is the place to see whales. We booked through a small local business, Harv & Marv, and loved every minute of it. If you are interested in whale watching, you are picked up at the cruise port and taken to a marina, where you meet your captain and get on the boat. It is pretty much a guarantee that you will see whales. We did, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any up-close tail flips or belly flops. We did see a couple of tail flips in the distance and several long glides along the water that showed just how big they were. We were on a smaller boat with four other people, which was great because it was so quiet that you would actually first hear the spout and then see a whale spraying out the water before surfacing. We were there on a rare sunny day, but the captain said that he thought the whales were more active when it was raining and the water was a little choppy, so don’t be discouraged if you encounter rain on this excursion. Juneau also has a glacier that a lot of people drive to see. As we were driving to the marina, they pulled over for us to see it in the distance and take pictures. We decided not to venture out to it after our whale-watching tour, although many did.
Juneau also has a tram that takes you to the top of the town with great hiking trails and views of the water. The tram line can get a little long, so be sure you have enough time to get both up and back down without missing any scheduled activities.
SKAGWAY was the next stop. Most everybody here is taking the narrow gauge train. Since we were catching a train later in the trip we decided not to take this 2.5-2.75 hour trip. The reviews we heard seemed to be mixed with many saying it was a very pretty ride, but seeing wildlife was hit-and-miss. We decided to get off the ship early again to get some pictures downtown before the crowds appeared. We were the second of four ships at the port on the day we were there. We had planned to just walk to Lower Reid Falls but decided to stop by Klondike Bikes, a local e-bike store to see if they had any bikes available for rent. They did, although they were sold out by the time we got back so it’s best to reserve these ahead of time if interested. We ended up riding them to the waterfall and to a scenic overlook where you can see the ships in port. You can also rent an electric car here as well. The other excursion we heard about was an adventure park with ziplines, although we didn’t meet anyone who actually went there.
Another popular thing amongst the tourists is to stop by Klondike Doughboy for the fried Alaskan bread. Basically a huge big, flat fried dough with cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top. Definitely big enough to share! A nice treat after hiking and biking.
The next day was spent in Glacier Bay National Park. The ship never stops but US National Park rangers actually climb aboard the ship and offer commentary as you sail through the park. It’s a good day to keep an eye out for the glaciers and various wildlife. We brought binoculars and had fun looking for wildlife and other surprises throughout the day.
The last stop was WHITTIER which was where our cruise ended. There was no time to see what was around there as we walked directly to the train, which left early in the morning for the start of the land portion of the tour and a 5-hour trip to Talkeetna. Princess took care of moving all large bags to each destination. On the train, you don’t have room for more than a small backpack. You will be able to walk around the train and stretch your legs or visit the observation car with a bar that you can walk to. 
TALKEETNA is a town that all of the mountain climbers know about because if you plan to climb Denali Mountain which is the tallest mountain in North America, you are required to first check in and register at the ranger station here. From the train, coaches (we learned that a coach has a bathroom and a bus does not) were waiting to pick us up and transport us 5 minutes over to the town center. The town has shops and restaurants. We did a quick walk through town and then headed back to the shuttle area to catch a coach to our first destination, the Princess Mt. McKinley Lodge. Others spent more time in Talkeetna and raved about the local food and shopping. There are coaches that leave on the hour to and from Talkeetna and the Princess Mt. McKinley lodge.
The ride takes about 50 minutes. We received our room key on the coach so we could go directly to our room once we were arrived. Our room had not yet been serviced, so we dropped off our backpack (our large luggage was delivered straight to the room) and went back to the main lodge to hang out. The Mt. McKinley Lodge is in a secluded area that looks similar to a church camp. There are hiking trails around the property and they have naturalists that provide nature walks and talks. If you are looking for more action, you will definitely want to look into the available excursions, most of which start back in Talkeetna but can be booked ahead of time before your cruise or at the lodge. At the main lodge, they have a big deck that looks out to Denali Mountain. As far as dining options here, there is a sit-down restaurant and a coffee/pastry bar for breakfast, a bar & grill, and separate sit-down restaurants open for lunch and dinner.
After two nights here, we were then transported by coach to the Princess Denali Lodge. This coach ride is about two hours, with a stop along the way to stretch our legs. The Princess Denali Lodge sits adjacent to the main highway which offers more options for dining and shopping. We actually never ate at any of the restaurants on site at the lodge as we fell in love with the pizza and beer at Prospectors Pizza which is across the street and decided to go back the next day for pasta. As part of our tour package, we were provided a Natural History Tour. This is a 4-4.5 hour tour on a bus through the Denali National Park. We decided not to take advantage of it mainly because we didn’t want to be on a bus that long. Reviews for it seemed to be mixed, with not many people seeing a lot of wildlife found along the way. In this same link, you will also find that the National Park Service offers the Tundra Wilderness Tour. Friends we talked to who took this one said that this tour goes deeper into the park than the Natural History Tour, and they actually saw quite a bit of wildlife, including a bear. We decided to instead go on a Polaris ATV side-by-side adventure. We were picked up at the lodge and driven over to the facility to get fitted for helmets and instructions. There is an extensive network of trails, and the side-by-side ATVs were actually pretty comfortable and a lot of fun. You will get dirty, especially if you are back further in the line. We stopped a couple of times for photo ops, and then we stopped at a small dining area they operate, where they served a very nice five-course family-style meal before heading back to the starting point. Later that night, we hiked about a mile and a half to the Denali National Park sign for fun photos.
After two nights at the Princess Denali Lodge, coaches transported us to Fairbanks, which was another 2-hour ride with a stop in a town along the way to stretch our legs. In Fairbanks we were taken directly to the Riverboat Discovery (https://www.riverboatdiscovery.com/). This boat ride was also included as part of our package. It’s a 3-hour boat ride with a stop for a walking tour of a local Indian village. Along the boat ride, we got to see a seaplane take off and see where sled dogs are trained, along with a demonstration. At the dock, lunch is available as well as snacks and drinks for purchase (you will be hungry!)
Once back, we took the coach to the last lodge, the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge. This lodge is located across from the airport and there are not a lot of dining options. There is a restaurant on-site, but we thought it would already be too busy, so never even looked into it. The Pump House is a pub across the river that we saw on the riverboat ride that looked intriguing but would have required a car to get there, and by the time we looked into Uber, prices were $40, so we ended up just walking down the road to a restaurant called Pikes Landing that we saw driving from the riverboat to the lodge. The food wasn’t bad but certainly wasn’t the best. This is also where the LOVE ALASKA sign is for a fun photo op. We had an early flight the next morning, so after a short walk, we went back to our room. We did set our alarm, however, for midnight to see the sun that was out at that time for the first time of the year.
When you are ready to depart, you should have already received the suggested time to catch the shuttle to the airport for your flight. The airport is about 7 minutes away. You can have any checked luggage sent to the airport ahead of time, which you then pick up and check in when you arrive.
Notes
- Your required gratuities on the ship are already covered if you upgrade to a Princess Plus or Princess Premier package.
- It is not required, but ever since we started cruising, we have also provided a tip to our steward, who takes care of our room for the week on the ship. We usually give it to him or her the first day we arrive, as they usually stop by to introduce themselves. They obviously appreciate it, and I feel like we benefit as well throughout the week.
- On the train to Talkeetna, each car has a guide who points out things along the way and answers any questions. The coach drivers at each of the lodges are also good about pointing things out along the way, so we ended up tipping them as we left the train and coaches.
- If you do any excursions, you might also want to keep some tip money on hand for the captains and tour guides as well.
- Because Alaska was just opening back up for tourists in May when we went, we experienced some slow kitchens and staff working out the kinks on the land portion. I would expect things should be running much more smoothly as the summer progresses.
- If interested in any of the excursions, most of the ones above can also be booked directly through Princess. We ended up booking everything directly with the vendors, but there is security booking through Princess, especially if there are any complications getting back to the ship. Princess will wait before departing for any excursions booked through Princess, but they will not necessarily wait for any other issues that are not booked directly with them.
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