How & when to see Alaska? (Anchorage, Haines: RV parks, rentals, campers)

[akpls]

Originally Posted by Okey Dokie

....... except it rained in Ketchikan.....

Huh...who'd a thought it would rain in Ketchikan?

[beach43ofus]

The deed is done! Compromises were made (I'm married). We are going July 17-31 2020 for 14 days. We're flying into Seattle instead of Vancouver, or Alaska, to get a non-stop flight from Tampa, and to save $.

My wife didn't like the land expedition, or wilderness lodge idea, so we are taking a sea cruise instead (ugh!). I really didn't want to be on a traditional cruise ship for 14 days (too young for that), so I tried for Uncruise, but my wife found that to be "Spartan".

Thus, we booked a 14 day Alaska cruise on Seabourn cruise lines' Sojourn ship. It carries only 450 passengers, can get back into the tighter places & smaller ports, so some of the cruise hoards will be avoided. The stern of the Sojourn opens up into a ship-based indoor/outdoor marina where they launch Kodiacs, kayacs, & other water toys, so there's that.

It's supposed to be a 6 star rated cruise line...I've never heard of anything over 5 stars. This has me wondering what they'll do to earn that 6th star? How 'bout dropping me off at the first Port, then picking me up 14 days later on the return voyage

So my Indiana Jones-styled Alaskan expedition has turned into a James Bond Thunderball White Tux soiree ...fancy tranformable yacht, and all.

As I said, compromises were made I'm still shaken by it...but not stirred. I'll live to die another day.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

The deed is done! Compromises were made (I'm married). We are going July 17-31 2020 for 14 days. We're flying into Seattle instead of Vancouver, or Alaska, to get a non-stop flight from Tampa, and to save $.

My wife didn't like the land expedition, or wilderness lodge idea, so we are taking a sea cruise instead (ugh!). I really didn't want to be on a traditional cruise ship for 14 days (too young for that), so I tried for Uncruise, but my wife found that to be "Spartan".

Thus, we booked a 14 day Alaska cruise on Seabourn cruise lines' Sojourn ship. It carries only 450 passengers, can get back into the tighter places & smaller ports, so some of the cruise hoards will be avoided. The stern of the Sojourn opens up into a ship-based indoor/outdoor marina where they launch Kodiacs, kayacs, & other water toys, so there's that.

It's supposed to be a 6 star rated cruise line...I've never heard of anything over 5 stars. This has me wondering what they'll do to earn that 6th star? How 'bout dropping me off at the first Port, then picking me up 14 days later on the return voyage

So my Indiana Jones-styled Alaskan expedition has turned into a James Bond Thunderball White Tux soiree ...fancy tranformable yacht, and all.

As I said, compromises were made I'm still shaken by it...but not stirred. I'll live to die another day.

Oh boy, perhaps you should have booked on Princess Cruises.

Does this one originate in Seattle or Vancouver and ends..?

Be sure to bring a heavy jacket, hat and gloves if you're accustomed to being warm, otherwise your time on deck will likely be uncomfortable and limited.

[beach43ofus]

Originally Posted by Arktikos

Oh boy, perhaps you should have booked on Princess Cruises.

Does this one originate in Seattle or Vancouver and ends..?

Be sure to bring a heavy jacket, hat and gloves if you're accustomed to being warm, otherwise your time on deck will likely be uncomfortable and limited.

Starts in Vancouver & ends in Vancouver. Flights were non-stop and much cheaper into Seattle vs. Vancouver or Anchorage, so we're doing Seattle. I hate flights that have stops, and we saved $800+ by flying into Seattle. Some of that will be spent getting from Seattle to Vancouver, but I'm told there's a shuttle bus that moved people between these 2 airports, so we'll do that. I'm thinking that could cost us $100???

This luxury cruise line gives you a jacket to use, and take home w/ you. For $15k, that's the least they can do

[indy_317]

Originally Posted by beach43ofus

Thx for that tip. I'll heep that on the 2nd trip up into Denali.

I think the 1st trip would be fly into Anchorage, rent a car, and head South to Alyeska for a night at that upscale resort, then onto Seward, and Kenai areas. How many days in each? Anyplace else worth staying on that penninsula?

Are Seward and Kenai inundated with cruise ship hoards?

When I was planning our cruise and self-guided land tour, I got a lot of information from places on the Kenai Peninsula. They definitely targeted the cruise ship passengers. That being said, there were a lot of buses of the various shuttle companies and cruise companies waiting to take people to Anchorage or up into Denali and/or Fairbanks, if not other places. I didn't get the feeling that many of the cruise folks staying over were visiting the Kenai Peninsula.

Alyeska was a pretty decent area. We just drove down there for part of the day. If one likes short (1-3 miles or so) hikes, relatively easy, I highly recommend taking Crow Creek Road to the Winner Creek Gorge Trailhead (a/k/a Lower Winner Creek Trail). Just note that Crow Creek Road is gravel part of the way. It was just like any other maintained gravel road when we went. I know some car rental places don't allow folks to take gravel roads, but I really don't think they could prove one did. One can also hike to the gorge from the resort area as well.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Arktikos

Be sure to bring a heavy jacket, hat and gloves if you're accustomed to being warm, otherwise your time on deck will likely be uncomfortable and limited.

I would second this but also add to bring a pair of flat nonslip shoes that are comfortable for walking and some thickish socks.

[Sockeye66]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I would second this but also add to bring a pair of flat nonslip shoes that are comfortable for walking and some thickish socks.

Are both you messing with him? I've spent many a summer all over AK, both land and sea, and have never bothered to "bundle up".

Jaysus Christo!, what's the lowest temp he'll see, 50 degrees? That's t-shirt and shorts weather.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Sockeye66

Are both you messing with him? I've spent many a summer all over AK, both land and sea, and have never bothered to "bundle up".

Jaysus Christo!, what's the lowest temp he'll see, 50 degrees? That's t-shirt and shorts weather.

No, I'm not messing with him. I'm recommending comfortable footwear because tourists are on their feet a lot when walking around the port cities, not "bundling up." I wear decent socks and footwear even at blistering temps of 50 degrees.

And nonslip shoes are pretty important both on boat decks as well as the boardwalks of some of the port cities because it's SE Alaska and it rains. Surfaces tend to get slippery when it rains. The other poster who made clothing recommendations added the qualifier "if you're accustomed to being warm," so....I agree. Plenty of tourists, especially those from warm places such as Florida like the OP, seem to struggle with staying comfortable when things get breezy in SE Alaska. There's also a big difference between sitting on a cruise ship deck watching the sun go down at 10 p.m. and being on a working boat doing physical labor.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by Sockeye66

Are both you messing with him? I've spent many a summer all over AK, both land and sea, and have never bothered to "bundle up".

Jaysus Christo!, what's the lowest temp he'll see, 50 degrees? That's t-shirt and shorts weather.

40's and breezy is possible any month of the year.

Many tourists can be observed bundled up on the street, or while visiting Mendenhall glacier, with hats, gloves and parkas during overcast, cool days during summer, even lacking a strong breeze. Seems a bit odd, but that's the way it is.

On deck is colder, naturally, since you're surrounded by a body of 40 degree water and also moving through the air. Even on the warmest days I'm not comfortable in t-shirt and shorts on deck the state ferry.

These folks are coming from Florida in July! I know from my travels that it takes awhile to acclimate.

Good footwear is helpful advice. It reminds me of my childhood, when cruise ship tourism was fairly new to the region. My friend and I made fun of the male visitors, just between the two of us. So many had big bellies like Santa Klaus, and they were wearing white shoes! No local ever wore white shoes back then.

[Metlakatla]

Another reason to wear thickish socks is so that your ankles don't get bit up to hell by mosquitoes when you're on land. Make sure the socks are light-colored; mosquitoes tend to be attracted to darker colors.