Rookie Alaskan Cruiser--Help me choose route?

I'm looking forward to hearing about your cruise as we are set for a 14 day in Sep 2023

We were/are in the same spot you are. We have never cruised to Alaska, but are going this summer. I talked to so many people to try and find the “best” cruise to take. We knew we were only going once, so decided on a cruise/land tour combination. You need to factor in both the time and money. 14 days means we can see the interior and also cruise. It also means we only pay for air fare for the one time we are going. We decided on Holland America because of their itinerary and reputation for service. I know it is overwhelming when trying to decide on a cruise. I advise deciding on what you want to see, how much time you have, and the cost. Everyone I talked to said that Glacier Bay is a “must”. I will be happy to report back to you after our cruise in early July and let you know how it turned out.

Hi there. There is a lot to consider when planning a trip to Alaska - the first main question is how much time do you have for the trip? Most first-timers to The Great Land to a 7-day "Inside Passage" roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver. This is a great "overview" cruise and you get to see a little of everything...wildlife, marine life, glaciers. I refer to it as the "highlights" cruise. When you start looking at longer cruise-tour options, these require 10-14 days or more and spend more time in the interior of Alaska and/or the Yukon Territory. I've been to AK 13 times and still haven't seen/done everything...it's a huge state. I would highly recommend a travel agent with Alaska experience to help guide you. Even the 7 day Inside Passage cruises are not all the same...some include Glacier Bay, others include some other Glacier experience but honestly isn't nearly as impressive as Glacier Bay but still lovely. Also, some cruise lines (ie Princess and Holland America) have the best docking spots in the ports of call as they have more ships in AK and have been sailing the waters longer than AK has been a state. There are a lot of nuisances that are important to consider. Also, the onboard programming. Princess and HAL both have onboard naturalists and park rangers giving talks and meeting with passengers. Any trip to Alaska is a good one but some will make the experience better than others. Feel free to message me with any questions.