Team Snorkel Alaska had the honor of hosting YouTubers ParoDeeJay back in June of 2024. Jay and his wife Dee have some 75,000 followers on YouTube and have posted close to 2000 videos! They are frequent cruisers to all sorts of destinations around the world and they have cruised on many different cruise lines. Their videos rate the ships, the ports and the shore excursions all while providing a humorous dialogue. Dee joined us for a rainy day, low tide snorkel while Jay stayed top side to film the adventure from above the water. We really appreciated having them on tour and have received numerous referrals from people that have seen us on their YouTube channel. Have a look and give them a like. We hope to see you in the water!
With so many Alaska cruise choices how does one decide which cruise line, which ship and which itinerary? Company founder Fred Drake worked on board Norwegian Cruise Line ships for 7 years with 3 summers cruising to Alaska and he’s happy to share his insight. He also worked on the transportation side of things when he was the Division Manager of Gray Line of Alaska in Juneau. He’s had the chance to speak with thousands of cruisers and hear their opinions on their choice of cruise line, ship, itinerary and shore excursions.
Fred feels that you should consider the itinerary first. A cruise that sails roundtrip from Seattle gives you the least amount of time in the place you have chosen to cruise to! Alaska…. Ships that sail from Seattle have to spend more time at sea to get to Alaska and they have to make a mandatory stop in Canada to comply with the Jones Act. We’ll let you google that. That port is typically Victoria, B.C. and it’s a short 4 hour stop typically in the evening. A cruise that is roundtrip out of Vancouver, Canada has much greater port times than roundtrip Seattle. Another great option is a one-way cruise from Vancouver up to the Anchorage area or vise versa. The ships will either end or begin their cruise in Seward or Whittier. And with the one-way itinerary you can easily add on a land tour to Denali and Fairbanks.
Now how about the cruise line? If you have kids to entertain Disney is a great choice. Are you older and more well-traveled? Then Holland America is great choice. Both Princess and Holland America have been cruising Alaska the longest and they have many ships and itineraries to choose from. Are you a party animal? Carnival would be the choice for you. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are also great lines but check the itinerary and port times first. Fred loved his time spent on board Norwegian ships, but this was years ago and things have changed. They have gone from a small Norwegian owned line to a huge corporation that is no longer owned by the Norwegian family that started it. The ships are amazing but check their itinerary and port times. But also consider that they have built their own docks that are often far from the actual port. They provide free shuttles but who wants to stand in line waiting for shuttles?
In our next blog Fred will talk about choosing the right Shore Excursion for you and family or friends.