Cruising Alaska - so many choices........ (Wrangell, Skagway: to rent, hotels, prices)

[ConeyIsBabe]

It's on my bucket list - the Alaska cruise - but all the choices are daunting; large ship/smaller ship - inside passage/outside passage - side trips - length of trip - when to go for the best weather - best itinerary - etc. etc. etc.

Can anyone give me any feedback on the best cruise for two senior ladies not into the party nightlife scene, or a gigantic ship with a huge population ?

Thanks for any suggestions and cruise tips !

[akvarmit]

I can't speak to the cruise experience - but I think the most important spot on the ship would be the one the deck that allows you to soak in the visual beauty that you'll see .
If $ is an issue, the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry can be a fun experience and you could plan your stops in the same ports that the cruise ships go to. Plan out your own itinerary instead of paying inflated cruise prices. Just an alternative.
Dawn

[Metlakatla]

Cruise West might work for you. They have nature based cruises and don't dump you off into the port cities and all their faked Alaska.

[GrammasCabin]

It kinda depends on what you're looking for. If you want a comfortable, be waited on kind of cruise you'd obviously have more fun on one of the bigger cruise lines. If you're looking for a bit more of a "get out there" experience then either look into the smaller cruise ships or take the ferry up from Bellingham. There are wonderful local b&b's, cabins to rent, some pretty nice hotels. Locals in the smaller inside passage island towns are thrilled to have you, love to show off their world and they're hurting. You could google the towns along the inside passage and coordinate time you'd like to spend with the ferry schedule. The ferries can be a blast!
The Emperss of the North is a beautiful little paddle boat that cruises the island towns on up to Skagway. They stop in Wrangell and we take their passengers on jet boat tours up the Stikine River to the glaciers, out to the fish creeks to watch the bears, halibut & salmon fishing. They're an older crowd with younger attitudes and just have a ball. They're the "pack a sack lunch" type.
The big cruise ships don't come into Wrangell much anymore but when they did I found their passengers were more the country club type who liked to shop and be entertained. Although there were always a few lilvely ones in the bunch. They're all fun.

[Metlakatla]

The Empress is an amazing ship...I believe it's from Majestic Cruise Lines (which I understand to be an American owned company as opposed to Princess, et al).