5 Things to Love About an Alaskan Cruise

Trip overview

If you have been considering an Alaskan cruise, especially with friends, book the trip today.

Ten of us flew into Vancouver, BC for a couple days of sightseeing and relaxation before boarding the Celebrity Summit. In Vancouver, we caught the sights, including the famed steam clock, and enjoyed our pre-boarding dinner at Cardero's Restaurant on the water. I had the best salmon I have ever eaten!

Steam clock in Vancouver, BC

The ship, Summit, while not the newest in the Celebrity fleet, was beautiful, and I highly recommend the Concierge Class staterooms with a great location, as well as the early embarkation and other perks. Since the cruise, I've been obsessed with finding the best Alaskan cruise. I’m happy to share my findings if you would like to learn more!

A cruise and Alaska is a great trip to share with friends. Definitely try to go in late July—the weather was perfect! During the days, we were able to enjoy the natural beauty and culturally interesting ports and excursions. We didn’t all go on the same adventures, with some doing kayaking, others doing e-bikes and hiking in Ketchikan.

Beauty

In Juneau, some went canoeing, others hiking, and my husband and I absolutely loved the helicopter ride to the Mendenhall Glacier. We all met up afterwards at Tracy’s Crab Shack on the water (there’s two so make sure you find the one on Whittier Street), and ate the freshest king crab we have ever had!

Tracy's in Juneau—worth it!

We are ready for our helicopter ride!

Sitka was a walking town with an interesting Russian culture and a nice hike.

Yes to whale watching—we saw both Orca and Humpbacks in the Icy Straits port.

I will say that my husband and I booked our excursions through Celebrity and liked the convenience and peace of mind that it was all handled, while others in the group chose to book through Viator.

Totems in Sitka

We went from Vancouver to Seward and loved the way the cruise built up to the finale of the Hubbard Glacier. Our pilot was able to get the ship close to the action, and it was breathtaking!

On the ship after our adventures, we met for drinks and dinner each night. A couple of nights we chose specialty dining, but most we enjoyed in the main dining room. With all of us having anytime dining, it was easy to grab the pager and go have a drink to relay the fun of the day, with the wait for dinner never more than 45 minutes for us.

Can always find our friends!

A few of us found our way to the spa while others chose to sit by the pool. Yes, you can sit by the pool on an Alaskan cruise... in July.

I think one of the best parts of doing a group trip on a cruise ship is that when there was downtime, everyone could find something they wanted to do. Some relaxed and played cards, some went to shows, others gambled and my husband... naps!

A great trip overall with so many wonderful memories.

Mendenhall Glacier

• The time of year does matter with this cruise. Some friends of ours did the exact same itinerary in May, and it was a lot colder and rained more than it did when we went in July. If you don’t mind bundling up, any time works!

• The other thing to note is that we have been on other cruises that were definitely more formal than this one. We did dress on the two "formal" nights, though this itinerary was a little less formal than what we had experienced on other ships. Most of the time, the dress was on the more casual side.

• Definitely do the excursions. Some cruise itineraries lend themselves to being able to walk around towns, which you can do on this cruise too, but much of the deep beauty requires a shuttle to the natural wonders.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Alaska page.