8/8/16 Alaska is a WONDERful first cruise! (Completed!)

Had to look up land sickness after reading your trip report. I didn't know land sickness was a thing. On our Alaskan cruise apparently we had some rough waters. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE kept talking about it. I couldn't feel a thing. People would look at me crazy and go you don't notice that? Nope nothing. At one point I felt a tiny bit of movement, people were talking about how the ship was moving like crazy. But when I got off the ship especially in Ketchikan(Day 6), I couldn't walk straight. It really felt like I was walking in a bounce house. It wasn't sick, dizzy or anything. It happened a few other times. It amused people to no end because as soon as I'd get on the boat and we'd be under way, perfectly fine. I guess I was meant to be a Pirate!
 
Thanks for the great report! We hope to cruise Alaska in 2019, so thanks for the tips!
 




Great trip report with fabulous pictures! We haven't planned on cruising to Alaska, because I've been there four times and my DW has been there twice. I too am a geologist and enjoyed rock climbing and mountaineering for 30 years. I took a guide course with Alaska Mountaineering School in the Alaska Range in 2000. Then DW and I flew to Juneau in 2001. Your pictures of the Mendenhall Glacier brought back some good memories from that trip. From Juneau we eventually flew to Skagway and then went on to Haines via the Alaska Ferry. I attempted an ascent of Mt. Bona in 2002. Then in 2012 DW and I went together to the Kenai Peninsula. Now after reading your report we are seriously thinking about going back to Alaska for our next DCL cruise in 2019. Maybe we'll see each other on the 8/9/18 Baltic cruise.
 
Great trip report with fabulous pictures! We haven't planned on cruising to Alaska, because I've been there four times and my DW has been there twice. I too am a geologist and enjoyed rock climbing and mountaineering for 30 years. I took a guide course with Alaska Mountaineering School in the Alaska Range in 2000. Then DW and I flew to Juneau in 2001. Your pictures of the Mendenhall Glacier brought back some good memories from that trip. From Juneau we eventually flew to Skagway and then went on to Haines via the Alaska Ferry. I attempted an ascent of Mt. Bona in 2002. Then in 2012 DW and I went together to the Kenai Peninsula. Now after reading your report we are seriously thinking about going back to Alaska for our next DCL cruise in 2019. Maybe we'll see each other on the 8/9/18 Baltic cruise.
Thanks for reading my trip report! It was a fantastic first cruise and wonderful scenery! You've definitely seen more of Alaska than us--but it would still be worth doing it by cruise--it's a different type of experience.

Wow, I'm always surprised to meet others who majored in geology. Alas, I never got to put my degree to use in Geology (tough job market in New England when I graduated)--but I loved studying it in college--and my college trip to the Grand Canyon helped shape the future vacations DH and I would take--trips to many National Parks out west--first just us, and then with the kids. I think the Baltic cruise will be our first
non-Geology based "big" trip that we take! Yes, perhaps we'll see each other on the cruise!
 
Thank you for this wonderful trip report! We have our 1st cruise booked for next year to Bahamas, but my dream cruise is to Alaska! (Just not in the budget right now). I'll re-read later to take notes (as I am a super planner). Who knows, maybe we can use our placeholder for an Alaska cruise! :)
 
Thank you for this wonderful trip report! We have our 1st cruise booked for next year to Bahamas, but my dream cruise is to Alaska! (Just not in the budget right now). I'll re-read later to take notes (as I am a super planner). Who knows, maybe we can use our placeholder for an Alaska cruise! :)
Thanks for reading it! I hope you make it to Alaska someday! It's crazy how prices just keep increasing! Our cruise in 2016 was $2700 less than the cost of the same week in 2019. If you're able to go in May/early June or late August/early September--those are the 'cheaper' times to cruise Alaska--and definitely plan to do either an inside or oceanview room as the verandah costs are $3K (or more) higher!

Enjoy your first cruise next year!
 
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I know I'm really resurrecting this thread, but after re-booking Alaska, for the third time, I'm trying to hype myself up again for the planning! I think yours, and a few other trip reports/FB posts have me convinced to look into Chilcook Tours in Skagway, which was one port I was undecided about.
 
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I know I'm really resurrecting this thread, but after re-booking Alaska, for the third time, I'm trying to hype myself up again for the planning! I think yours, and a few other trip reports/FB posts have me convinced to look into Chilcook Tours in Skagway, which was one port I was undecided about.
Thanks for reading my old trip report! Ug, sorry you've gone through the planning process so many times. I guess we're lucky as our 2020 and 2021 cruises weren't that interesting to me (Bahamas and Western Caribbean), so I didn't have my heart invested in those cruises. (I moved the Caribbean one to a Greek isles cruise and that one will upset me if it gets cancelled.). We loved our Chilkoot Charters tour, so it's a good decision!

Enjoy your cruise!
 

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