Cruising to Alaska: The Ultimate Decision Guide

CruiseUSAAlaska

Apr 29

Holland America’s Westerdam cruise ship docked in Ketchikan, Alaska

Is an Alaskan Cruise right for you?

Getting to Alaska was definitely on the Bucket List in our quest to visit all 50 United States, we just needed to decide how to get there… In the end, we decided an Alaska Cruise made sense for us.

So, we looked at the different cruise ships, itineraries, dates and costs…

Then we jumped in and booked a 7-night cruise with Holland America. It was a round-trip cruise that began and ended in Seattle, Washington, with stops in Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria, B.C. This made my heart happy because it meant we’d check two states off our bucket list with one trip!

But is cruising a good way to see Alaska? It depends what you want to get out of it. Overall, we really enjoyed the experience, but there were things we wish could have been different. Here’s our short list of pros and cons:

Pros:

Cruising is like the ultimate all-inclusive vacation (especially if you purchase the drink package)
In a short period of time, you can see several different locations
There’s always something to do (if you get bored on the cruise ship, that’s on you)

Cons:

There’s not enough time in each port to truly explore the destination
Unless you pay for an excursion, it’s difficult (near impossible) to really get a feel for Alaska. [Read our post, “Alaskan Cruise: Bucket List Trip or Tourist Trap?” for more on excursions and port time]
There’s always something to do (trying to do everything is exhausting)

The Ship: Westerdam

Holland America’s Westerdam ship is considered a mid-size ship, although for first-time cruisers it felt enormous (until we pulled into our first port next to some much-larger ships!). It features 11 decks and accommodates 1,916 guests.

Our Room

Guest room options include interior, ocean view, verandah and suites. This is a place where you can cut costs if you don’t mind a room without a view, but knowing that one of the elements we were most excited about was whale-watching, we chose to book a verandah room. And, for us, it was worth the cost.

Our room had a queen bed, a small sitting area, a mini fridge and a private patio. The rooms on a cruise ship aren’t spacious, but there was enough room to get organized and be comfortable for the week. We brought a small power strip to charge our electronics and hanging toiletry bags for the bathroom.

Reading through other’s recommendations before our cruise, I bought magnetic hooks to help stay organized. This was a tip I saw multiple times, but the hooks were a waste of money. Nothing in our room was magnetic.

Getting Settled

What we learned right from the start was that we had a lot to learn about cruising.

The initial onboarding went smoothly enough thanks to a little pre-planning. We tagged our luggage according to the ship’s instructions and they were delivered right to our room. We had all of our travel documents ready in line (a valid passport was required since we had a stop in Victoria, B.C.), so we kept moving along pretty quickly.

When we got to our room, we watched the safety video, donned our life jackets and toasted to our adventure with a glass of champagne. Then (with life jackets carefully stowed away, hopefully never to be used again), we check in at our assigned muster station. Yes, I am a rule-follower and we did do all that before starting to explore the ship. Honestly, we made it pretty fun!

Exploring the Ship

There’s a lot of activity in the beginning when everyone is boarding the ship and getting excited to set sail. On the Westerdam’s Lido Deck, we found welcome cocktails, music and snacks being passed out around the pools. The back (aft) side of the Lido Deck is open and offered a great vantage point to watch from as we left port.

Dining options onboard range from super casual to fine dining. At the beginning, this was a bit overwhelming, but as we learned the ship’s layout, we found the options to be plentiful (more on this later).

Other ship amenities:

The Crow’s Nest (a bar and lounge on the upper deck where we spent a lot of time watching the scenery ahead of us and playing games)
Two pools (on the Lido Deck), each with an adjacent hot tub
A library (we both borrowed a book thinking we’d have time to lounge and read; neither of us did)
A basketball and pickleball court on the top deck (that was fun!)
A walking track around the Observation Deck (a great place to get in some steps on cruising days and do a bit of whale-watching)
Shopping (everything from Alaska-focused souvenirs to fine art and jewelry)
The World Stage (featuring comedy acts, top-notch dance performances, nature presentations, and more)
Multiple lounges offering live music and dancing
And a fitness center, spa, casino and kids club

The Food

Food on the cruise ship is plentiful and, with the pre-paid drink package, so were beverages. You can literally eat and drink your way through the week if you choose to, but I don’t recommend it (your clothes might not fit at the end!).

On the Westerdam, we had complimentary 24-hour room service which we took advantage of every day, waking up to coffee and a light breakfast snack that we enjoyed on our private patio.

For a quick snack (almost anytime), there was the Lido Market. This was a buffet restaurant situated between the two pool decks. When we first boarded the ship, our room had an invitation to a celebratory first-night dinner in the dining room. Not knowing yet where that was, we went first to the dining area at the Lido Market. Totally different! Moral of this story: learn your way around to maximize your experience.

Located around the pool deck were a few specialty diners, including the Dive In where we grabbed burgers and fries for a quick bite to eat.

The main Dining Room was more upscale than the Lido Market and offered breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. The staff here were exceptional! The hostess greeted us by name, the servers were personable and efficient, and the food was really good.

And then there were multiple fine-dining options, including the Pinnacle Grill and Canaletto restaurants. These were available for an added fee, but with our cruise package two complimentary upgraded dinner reservations were included.

Final Thoughts…

Back to our initial question… Is cruising the best way to see Alaska? Maybe not, but it’s an easy introduction.
Do you need to pack dressy clothes for the ship? Maybe for some cruises, but not on the Westerdam. I brought a couple dresses, but spent most of the time in casual attire. Layers are a must, on the ship and on shore.
Can you cruise to Alaska AND see more of the state than just a few hours in the ports? Absolutely. Look into a cruisetour, combining an Alaska cruise with a land tour. Several cruise lines offer this option that takes you to other parts of Alaska, including into the Denali National Park.

STEP 1: Book a Cruise