10 Tips for Planning a Cruise to Alaska from Seattle

On my first Alaskan cruise, I flew into Seattle and then boarded a bus to Vancouver to meet the ship.  Quite frankly, the last thing I want to do after flying cross country from Philadelphia is to move from one cramped seat on a plane to another cramped seat on a bus.  It’s exhausting and not much of a money saver and my time and level of grumpy gets tested.  So for the next cruise to Alaska, thankfully, the Oprah Live Your Adventure Cruise chose to leave from Seattle on the Holland America Eurodam.  I love Seattle and have been visiting for nearly 20 years as I have family that relocated there so I know the city and always find someone fun to discover each time.

So while my first Alaskan cruise from Vancouver ended in heartache (the ship leaked oil and we skipped the day in Glacier Bay…. on the Glacier cruise), the next cruise to Alaska from Seattle did require a lot of research on my part and a few lessons learned during the journey.  So hoping to save you any surprises, I want to share my 10 Tips for Planning a Cruise to Alaska from Seattle.

As for which cruise line, which itinerary, blah, blah that’s best, I’m sticking to the important features that pretty much affect all cruise lines going to Alaska from Seattle. We can all argue which cruise lines we love, like or hate to Alaska another time.

10 Tips for Planning a Cruise to Alaska from Seattle

1. Alaska ain’t cheap – the cruise price is tempting but the add-ons can quickly multiply to an expensive vacation. Plan your budget accordingly and then add 20%.

2. Seattle is normally a city that has tight hotel space with normal business and leisure travelers but during cruise season be ready to pay even more for the pre/post cruise hotel. Advice is to book lodging in advance or look at the cruise line hotel options (not what I normally recommend but in this case, the pricing might be better). I tend to enjoy the boutique/luxury hotels like the three Kimpton Hotels Seattle (except the Monaco Seattle), newly renovated Hotel 1000 Seattle (Loews) and Four Seasons Seattle.

3. Booking your flight – PLEASE LISTEN TO ME WHEN I SAY “GO THE NIGHT BEFORE”. Do not fly out the same day to Seattle especially from the East Coast.  If you need to know why, read my nightmare flight from PHL-SEA.  We had many people on the July flight leaving for a cruise that day and with our 5+hour delay, the ship sailed without them!  We were scheduled to arrive before noon which should give you enough time to make it to the port for a 4 pm sail away time.  However, our 7 a.m. flight didn’t arrive until after 4 p.m.  The cruise ship representatives met the passengers in baggage claim and had to deliver some bad news.

4. Check your credit card for travel insurance and/or travel interruption insurance. Buy additional insurance if the scenarios required for you, your family and/or group are not covered.

5. If you are buying your flight through the cruise company (not always recommended due to price and connections), in many cases, the cruise company is responsible to get you to the next port at their cost. With enough missing people the ship could wait for you.  This is the cruise company’s call based on port, schedule and a variety of other factors. So if you absolutely must fly on the same day as sailing, you might consider booking air though the cruise line. It’s your gamble.

6. Book shore excursions in advance via the cruise ship (it hurts me to type that! I usually book private guides or tours in advance directly.  I rarely book via the cruise line). Unlike other cruise ports where many of the tours can be had for a lower price and with a variety of tour operators, in Alaska, many of the popular tours are aligned with the cruise ship only.  They don’t offer their tours separately online or in port.  So just when you thought you would save money on that helicopter ride….or hovercraft….or zodiac….think again.

7. If you are flying to a glacier, to a lake or anywhere – expect a per person cost of $300+. Most of the adventure tours are $200+ per person. If flying, understand the risk of weather and cancellation so have a Plan B at the ready.

8. The days start early, really early. Arriving in port by 7 a.m. and expecting to start a tour before 8 a.m. means that you are up by 5 a.m. depending on how many people are sharing a cabin and bathroom.  With early days means early nights if you want to sleep at all.  Many tours are offered multiple times throughout the day so plan accordingly.

9. Leaving port mid-day. Most days started early and then left by 3 p.m. (except in Victoria where we arrived at night for a few hours). To be fair, most of the cruise tours would arrive back to the town with a bit of time to explore (shop, eat, etc.) but not much.  So plan the day in port for what matters most to you.  My Sitka Nature Cruise was all day and started early, however, you could have chosen to explore on your own the Raptor Center and/or Fortress of the Bear.

10. A balcony cabin is really worth it, this from the inside cabin on the lowest deck girl. Despite it being quite cold during the sailing (even in July), the time in Glacier Bay (all day) is wonderful.  The ship goes in and then turns around (a 360 degree turn) so each side of the ship has time to enjoy both sides of the bay and glaciers.  While many choose to be out on the various decks for their viewing points, sitting on your own balcony with a cup of hot chocolate (or mulled wine) is a nice perk.  I normally don’t recommend balcony room upgrades since you are not in the room much, in Alaska, it’s a good choice.

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Bonus: Make sure to enjoy Seattle for a day (or more) as it’s a fun city with a rich history (check out the Underground Tour), the colorful Chihuly Glass & Gardens and great foods, wine and beer. For me, I like to indulge in a great burger at Palace Kitchen, visit the Starbucks Roastery (for desserts) and end the night with chocolate caramels from Fran’s Chocolates.

So that’s my list of 10 Tips for Planning a Cruise to Alaska from Seattle.  Do you have any tips to add to help others with their Alaskan Cruise?  Tips you’ve learned the hard way (like me) or learned from others to avoid heartache and disappointment?