Alaska cruise info?

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We are thinking of booking an Alaska cruise for this June. It feels a little bit last minute but we want to make it happen! This would be for me, my spouse, and our three teen/young adult offspring (age range 14-21 at time of travel).

Looking at booking through Costco–any pros or cons to this?

I understand different cruise companies have different vibes: For instance Carnival is for partiers, Celebrity is for older people and has lots of rules, Royal Caribbean is good for people my kids’ ages, and Princess is somewhere in the middle of all this. Does this sound accurate?

Also, our passports have expired. Obviously not a problem for Alaska itself, but if the ship stops in a Canadian port, does this mean we cannot get off the boat? We will try to renew before June, but it seems it will be a tight timeline. Just not sure how much of a problem that will be. We’re hoping to depart from either SF or Seattle.

Booking for five passengers is awkward as well. I’ve been told we’d need a double and a triple, that it’s not possible to get a cabin that could accommodate all of us. True?

Any other advice to share?

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If you are leaving and returning from a US port, you don’t need a passport. However, if there was any type of emergency where you would need to fly home from a Canadian city, you would be stuck without a passport. There may be cruise line specific rules as well.

Cruises I’ve been on have had cabins for five. But with a last minute booking, you may not be able to get that type of cabin.

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Cruise critic has a lot of helpful information regarding anything about cruising to requiring a passport: Do You Need a Passport for a Cruise?

I would definitely consider getting a passport. We left from Vancouver so it was required.

We did an Alaska cruise with 2 teenage son’s and selected Royal Caribbean. A good choice for there were activities for them and for us the parents. Since we were only 4, we got 2 adjoining cabins with a king and a double. Did not opt for a Balcony, only a large window. It was too cold even in July to use the Balcony.

I booked several sight seeing tours from outside companies vs. the cruise line. We did a float plane excursion in Ketchikan to the Misty Fjords and a Mendhall Glacier and Whale sightseeing tour in Juneau. A private bus tour with 2 other families up to White Pass in Skagway and then took the Railway down back to town. The only excursion we booked through the cruise line was Salmon fishing. We had 2 guides for the 4 of us and had a great time.

I found recommendations for the outside excursion companies on Cruise Critic also.

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We did an Alaskan cruise pre-Covid (RT SF) with extended family with 4 high-school and college aged kids and had a great time. I would recommend getting two cabins with a connecting door with the parents in one and the kids in the other. Highly recommend Princess. I also booked a recent cruise with Costco and their add-ons totally were worth it (came with $120 shop card and Princess drink package that included gratuities and wi-fi thrown in).

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My in laws took H, SIL, BIL, our two kids & my nephew on a Princess Alaskan cruise for D & nephew’s high school graduation. It was an early July cruise. We had an amazing time! We didn’t do any land excursions through the cruise line. I did a lot of research on Cruise Critic and picked from suggestions I found there. Among our excursions, we did kayaking in Ketchikan, a helicopter ride to Mendenhall Glacier, and rented an SUV to drive into White Horse BC from Skagway (which was really cool). H & I shared a room with D, and S shared a room with his cousin. They had an inside room, because both needed it to be pitch black to sleep - they hung out on the deck or with us when not sleeping.

Not all ships can get you up close & personal with glaciers. Definitely check Cruise Critic to find out what ships would best meet your needs. As for Costco, the people we know who have booked cruises through Costco felt that they got great deals.

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@Ally86 - 2 things -

  1. get the passports. Even if it means paying for expediting - there are excursions (like the Skagway train) that you won’t be able to book, your ship will definitely hit “a foreign port” and you’ll not be able to enjoy that port - and as noted above if an emergency occurred you would be stuck - don’t chance it.

  2. Carnival in Alaska isn’t the “party ship” like in Mexico & the Caribbean - in fact, all the cruise lines are far more mellow in Alaska than almost anywhere else. Very early mornings following the sunrise (we were up between 5-5:30) and early bedtimes (often by 9!) even though sunsets weren’t until 10:30!

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I just renewed my passport, and it took 11 weeks. That was normal processing, not expedited.

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Check the cruise line websites. Costco isn’t always cheaper. They run deals.

Went on princess last year from Seattle. Yea you need a passport even if not getting off the ship.

You might call and ask for alternatives if allowed but they did ask for them (passports). I didn’t get off in Victoria.

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I just renewed my passport online on January 22nd and I still don’t have it. It can take up to three months right now. I saw on the news that even if if you pay to have it expedited, it can still take weeks.

I did roundtrip from Seattle to Alaska a few years ago and loved it. Royal Caribbean would be nice for a family.

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Meant to add I was on Celebrity in Alaska . Royal Caribbean might be better for teens and young adults. Princess is of course also well known for good cruises to Alaska. You should work on all your passports ASAP. Have fun!

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Royal Caribbean is a great choice with teens and young adult. They have 4 ships in Alaska this June. Two of them (Radiance and Brilliance) have a 6-sleeper category called Ultra Spacious Oceanview. They may or may not still have open cabins of this type at this later date. Your other option to all be in one stateroom is an ultra-expensive ($$$) suite. Only Royal direct by phone, or a Travel Agent like Costco, can get you a quote for these rooms with >4 people.

However, I agree with others that 2 cabins is best with the older kids & young adult. This configuration is often similar, or even less cost. Note that one person in each room has to be at least 21 years old, per Royal’s policy.

You can start some pretend bookings on Royal’s website. Set it for 2 cabins, then 2 in one cabin and 3 in the other. You can run various scenarios to find the price range and availability of cabin types that works for your budget. Then you can have an idea what to ask Costco to book.

In my experience, Costco is a great bargain because they usually give you a gift card of decent value for each cabin you book. The big downside is if/when you want to book any special dining or excursions, or make any changes to your reservations, you have to go through Costco. We like the control of our reservation, so we don’t use a TA.

Highly recommend you get your passports renewed.

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Royal Caribbean crushes Princess - especially if it’s an Oasis Class ship. Celebrity, not for kids, but good food. Much less dorm like.

I went with my dad as his gf couldn’t go. Got covid. Buffets are packed. Little rules following. Still see people sneeze and not watch, touch bread with hands.

A cruise isn’t for me in this environment. Too many people are sloppy.

But we are going again for my dad’s 85th bday.

Maybe we need a college confidential cruise :).

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I don’t think the Oasis-class ships for Royal can get to Alaska. Too big for the Panama Canal.

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Royal Caribbean has Quantum of the Seas in Alaska, a Quantum class ship with over 4000 passengers. Still a huge ship with plenty to do onboard.

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Agreed! But not Oasis class, that’s all.

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Alaska cruises are typically 7 days. Sometimes 10 but usually 7. The whole point of going to Alaska is to see the scenery. The are so many choices of what to do OFF the ship. I don’t understand the need for extensive activities onboard, but The Points Guy lists Royal Caribbean for those who want a “megaresort” cruise experience. The best Alaska cruise for every type of traveler - The Points Guy

Also Celebrity is not for old people. OP might be thinking of Holland America, but that stereotype is outdated too, at least for Alaska cruises. Princess is my favorite of the mass market cruise lines.

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My bad for mentioning oasis and alaska if it’s not a fit.

Celebrity crushes it and RC (in my opinion) beats Princess and Norwegian. We long stopped going on Carnival.

But we are about the amenities and food moreso than the party atmosphere. My sister likes the spa on RC - she buys a package to sit in these heated chairs. On Princess, she thought their spa features wasn’t up to par and didn’t buy the package.

Everyone likes different things.

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I’ve been spending a ton of time watching YouTube videos about cruise ships because I’m going on Brilliance of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) up the California coast in April as it is repositioning for the summer trips to Alaska.

I don’t think many leave from SF to Alaska. Most leave from Seattle or Vancouver. You could leave out of Seattle and either fly back from Anchorage or return to Seattle. The only foreign port you’d hit is Victoria Island in Canada. If you leave from Vancouver you’d need a passport assuming you’d fly to Vancouver. Otherwise you need a certified birth certificate and ID, and it is a little more of a hassle.

All travel agents will charge the same as the cruise company (unless they’ve booked a group rate of rooms that they then resell to you) but they give the bonuses like online credit or like Costco gives the gift cards (based on the price of the cruise). I’ve only been on Disney cruises and always used a TA to get the online credit. My friend didn’t want to use a TA this time so no freebees.

One adult has to be in each stateroom, so if none of your children is 18 you can book one adult in each room and then just switch around as you like. Some people like to book a balcony or porthole room with the inside room right across the hall. Plus you get 2 bathrooms if you book 2 rooms!

The You Tube videos cover EVERYTHING, from the food to the teen hangouts to the extra costs. Some of the cruises are pretty cheap but then everything is an extra charge like soda, special restaurants, exercise classes. Others are more expensive but practically all inclusive. My friend and I are going cheap, but we don’t want any of the extras…well she wants alcohol but those packages are really expensive, like $70/person/day so no, not paying $420 for alcohol when the cruise wasn’t that much!

TLDR: most say Princess and Celebrity are a step above, Royal Caribbean has the more elegant ships (old wood), Disney is the most expensive but more is included (and no smoking or casino).

I did see the NBC piece on Friday night saying passports are taking 13+ weeks, and expedited are taking 2 months. The state department tried an online application but the test failed and they are reworking it. Trying to hire more processors but that won’t be done by June.

I went to Alaska (Juneau and then down the inside passage) one year, the last week of June. It was lovely - the weather, the light, the animal viewing. Have a good time.

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We took the Golden Princess in September. Many of those on our cruise were SRs. Didn’t see many younger folks.

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We did a mixed age group on Princess. Everyone was happy with the experience.

With older kids you could have a balcony and an interior across the hall. There are viewing spots all over the ship but I like a balcony for fresh air and a guaranteed place to sit.

We did one way from Vancouver ending in Whittier but if going again would look at a longer round trip because the planning is easier. Plus I did not like the tunnel through the mountain to get to the Anchorage airport!

Personally, I don’t care about the company and am open enough to the experiences each offers but it depends on the cost. I’ll happily sail Carnival from a local port (especially on a casino rate) and enjoy the casual atmosphere and guests who want to have fun. For a more special trip I’d choose another line.

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