If Alaska is on your bucket list, I have two pieces of advice for you:
Don't wait until the last minute to start planning.
And…
Don't automatically assume you only want a cruise.
Because if you're going all the way to Alaska, I want you to know about something called an Alaska cruisetour.
And depending on what you want to experience, I might recommend that before I recommend a traditional seven-night Alaska cruise.
Why?
Because there's a BIG difference between cruising Alaska and experiencing Alaska by land and sea.
So, What Exactly Is a Cruisetour?
Let's get this out of the way first because if you've never cruised Alaska before, you might be sitting there thinking:
“Eric, what in the world is a cruisetour?” 😂
It's pretty simple.
A cruisetour combines a cruise with a land vacation.
With a traditional Alaska cruise, your ship takes you along the coast. You'll visit ports, experience incredible scenery, see glaciers depending on your itinerary and have opportunities to take excursions.
A cruisetour adds another piece:
Alaska's interior.
Depending on the cruisetour you choose, that can mean traveling inland to places such as Denali, Fairbanks and Anchorage, staying at wilderness lodges and traveling portions of Alaska by train or motorcoach before or after your cruise.
So instead of:
Fly → Cruise → Fly Home
your vacation could look more like:
Fairbanks → Denali → Rail Journey → Whittier → 7-Night Cruise → Vancouver
Now we're talking.
You're not replacing the cruise.
You're adding Alaska to the Alaska cruise.
And if you're telling me:
“Eric, this might be the only time I ever make it to Alaska. I want to experience it.”
Then yes.
We're talking about cruisetours.
Why I Like Princess for the Rail Experience
There are multiple cruise lines offering Alaska vacations, and I'm always going to look at what fits the individual traveler.
But if you tell me:
“Eric, I want that Alaska train experience.”
Princess is going to get my attention.
Princess offers cruisetours that combine its Voyage of the Glaciers cruise with inland Alaska, and depending on the itinerary, transportation can include both rail and motorcoach.
And we're not talking about sitting on a regular commuter train staring at the seat in front of you.
Princess uses glass-domed rail cars designed so you can actually enjoy the scenery while you're traveling.
Huge windows.
Mountains.
Wilderness.
Alaska surrounding you.
So now getting from one destination to another isn't just transportation.
It's part of your vacation.
One Cruisetour I Really Like: Princess CB3
There's one Princess option I've been researching that I particularly like: CB3.
This is the kind of itinerary I'd show somebody who tells me the land experience and train are important.
You begin your vacation in Fairbanks.
From there, the land portion takes you into the Denali area, with a combination of motorcoach and rail transportation as the journey continues south.
Eventually, you make your way to Whittier, where something changes:
Your hotel starts moving. 😂
You board the ship and begin the seven-night cruise portion south toward Vancouver.
And this is exactly why we have to look beyond the word “cruisetour.”
Different cruisetours have different routes.
Some use more rail.
Some use more motorcoach.
Some spend different amounts of time in different destinations.
So if the train is one of the reasons you're excited about Alaska, tell me.
I'm going to look at how much of your particular trip is actually on the train, not just sell you something because the brochure has a pretty picture of one.
Land First or Cruise First?
Here's another decision.
You can find Alaska cruisetours that put the cruise first and the land portion afterward.
Personally?
Give me the land first.
Think about how that vacation flows.
At the beginning, you're exploring Alaska's interior.
You're changing locations.
You're getting on a motorcoach.
You're riding the train.
You're visiting Denali.
You're staying at lodges.
You're moving around and experiencing Alaska.
Then you arrive in Whittier.
You board the ship.
You unpack.
And that's it.
Now let somebody else do the driving. 😂
Give me my balcony.
Give me something to eat.
Give me a drink.
And let me enjoy the cruise south.
That's why, personally, I like the idea of doing the more active land portion first and finishing with the cruise.
Does everybody have to do it that way?
No.
But if you ask:
“Eric, which way would YOU do it?”
Land first.
Cruise second.
But Here's the Other Part: Start Planning EARLY
Now let's talk about something people don't always realize.
If you're thinking:
“We'll do Alaska next year.”
You may think you're early.
Depending on what you want?
You might not be as early as you think.
Can we still find Alaska cruises for next year?
Absolutely.
Can we still find balcony cabins?
Very possibly.
But there's a difference between:
Finding you a balcony
and
Choosing the balcony I actually want you in.
And that's where starting early matters.
The Best Cabin Locations Don't Wait for Us
Let's say we've looked at your itinerary and decided there's a particular area of the ship I'd prefer for you.
Maybe there's a particular side we're considering because you're sailing one-way.
Maybe you want midship.
Maybe you want an aft-facing balcony.
Those cabins aren't unlimited.
People are booking them while you're still saying:
“We've got plenty of time.”
And eventually our conversation changes.
Instead of:
“Which of these cabins do you want?”
it becomes:
“Okay…here's what's left.”
I don't like the second conversation nearly as much.
“But It Says Balcony Guarantee”
This is another thing I want travelers to understand.
You may see a guarantee balcony available even when some of the cabin locations you'd prefer are gone.
And yes:
You're getting a balcony.
But with a guarantee booking, you generally aren't choosing the exact cabin yourself. The cruise line assigns your stateroom according to the terms of that guarantee category.
For somebody who tells me:
“Eric, I don't care where my cabin is. Just make sure I have a balcony.”
That may be perfectly fine.
But if you tell me:
“This is my bucket-list Alaska vacation and sitting on my balcony watching Alaska is one of the things I'm most excited about.”
Now I care where you're located.
I'd much rather start early enough that we're saying:
“Let's choose your cabin.”
Not:
“Let's see where they put you.”
Which Side of the Ship Should I Book?
Now we're getting into one of the biggest Alaska questions.
“Eric, which side?”
And I'm not going to give everybody one universal answer.
It depends.
Are you sailing northbound?
Southbound?
Round-trip?
What's your itinerary?
Where are we going?
If we're doing a one-way southbound itinerary, for example, there may be a particular side or location that I prefer based on what we're trying to accomplish.
But that's exactly why I want to look at the actual sailing before recommending a cabin.
And if we determine there's a particular cabin location I really want you in?
We need it to still be available.
But You Know What Else I Like? The Back.
Don't sleep on an aft-facing balcony for Alaska.
Different cruise lines have different names for their accommodations. You may hear terms such as aft balcony or, with Celebrity, Sunset Veranda.
I'm talking about facing straight off the back of the ship.
Picture this:
You're sitting on your balcony.
The wake is stretching out behind you.
You've got water.
Mountains.
Alaska disappearing into the distance.
Give me something to drink and leave me alone for a little while. 😂
That's a view.
Now, aft isn't automatically best for everybody.
Mobility matters.
Distance from elevators matters.
Motion sensitivity can matter.
Some people prefer midship.
That's why I'm not interested in telling everybody there's one “best cabin.”
I want to find the best cabin for you.
“What About the Glaciers? Don't I Need the Right Side?”
Here's where people start panicking.
Everybody wants to see the glacier.
Of course you do!
That's one of the reasons we're going to Alaska.
But when your ship reaches a scenic glacier-viewing area, don't assume half the ship gets to see it and everybody else is out of luck.
Ships can maneuver during scenic cruising to provide viewing opportunities, and you're not limited to your balcony either. Ships have public observation areas where you can take in the scenery.
So please:
Don't fight somebody at the railing. 😂
There is plenty of Alaska out there.
Your cabin location can absolutely enhance your experience, but I'm not going to tell you that one side gets the entire vacation and the other side gets nothing.
We'll look at your actual itinerary and plan accordingly.
There Are More Alaska Decisions Than People Realize
This is why I don't want you going online and randomly clicking BOOK NOW because you found an Alaska cruise.
Because I'm going to start asking questions.
Do you want to leave from Seattle?
Vancouver?
Round-trip?
One-way?
Northbound?
Southbound?
Cruise only?
Cruisetour?
Do you want Denali?
Fairbanks?
How important is the train?
Land first or cruise first?
Balcony?
Aft balcony?
Is the exact cabin location important?
And then we haven't even gotten to:
Whale watching.
Fishing.
Wildlife.
Helicopters.
Dog sledding.
Glaciers.
That's why there's a difference between booking an Alaska cruise and planning an Alaska vacation.
Why I'd Start a Year or Even Two Years Ahead
I'm not saying there's some magical rule that says:
“You MUST book Alaska exactly two years before departure.”
That's not what I mean.
I'm saying if Alaska is already on your radar for next year—or even the year after—let's start talking.
Maybe we don't need to book today.
Maybe we do.
But I want to see what's available while we still have choices.
Because starting early gives us:
Choice of cruise line.
Choice of ship.
Choice of itinerary.
Choice of cruisetour.
Choice of rail experience.
Choice of sailing direction.
And especially…
Choice of cabin.
I'd rather start with ten good options and narrow them down than start with two and try to make one work.
Don't Just Cruise Alaska. EXPERIENCE Alaska.
That's ultimately my recommendation.
If you tell me:
“Eric, I just want a seven-night Alaska cruise.”
Great.
We can absolutely do that.
But if you tell me:
“I've wanted to see Alaska my whole life.”
Now I'm going to ask you another question:
Have you thought about a cruisetour?
Because maybe you don't just want to see Alaska from a cruise ship.
Maybe you want to wake up near Denali.
Maybe you want to ride that glass-domed train.
Maybe you want to see Alaska's interior.
Maybe you want to spend a few days exploring by land and then board your ship and experience Alaska from the water.
That's a completely different vacation.
And if that's what you've been dreaming about?
Let's start planning it before we're choosing from whatever everybody else left behind.
You don't have to know which ship.
You don't have to understand northbound versus southbound.
You don't have to know which cruisetour.
You don't have to know which side of the ship.
That's my job.
You tell me what you want Alaska to feel like.
Then we'll figure out how to make it happen.
Poet's Year-Round Travel
Turning travel wishes into reality.
