Question: What cruise line offers the best Alaskan cruise?
We are going with friends next year around September. There are so many cruise lines to choose from and selections of places to go that each one offers. What, in your opinion is the best cruise line and places to visit. We are senior adults and do not want a “party cruise” just good sight seeing and relaxation. Thanks
(best alaskan cruise)

Best answer:

Answer by TINKERTOY ….. the 1 & only
I have been to Alaska twice, once on business for 2 weeks with some weekend sightseeing and then on a cruise. In my opinion the best cruise for you (I am a senior also) would be a cruise-tour. The cruise tour allows you to see more of Alaska by land (bus and/or train) either before or after the cruise. You get to select one or two stopovers in places like Denali National Park or Talkeetena.

Cruises of the inside passage are pretty much the same and usually all stop at the same port cities like Sitka, Skegway, Juneau. When the ships go to where you can see the glaciers the sights are also pretty much all the same. After a while all of the scenery looks about the same; all beautiful. But there is no one place that I would suggest (based on my land and sea tours) you gotta see this.

There are 4 cruise lines which offer this and all would be good. Princess Cruise line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Holland America all offer cruise-tours.

We did our cruise tour with Princess and it was very good. We did the cruise part first and then had a day and night in Anchorage, a great train ride from Anchorage to Denali National Park, and after a night at a lodge owned by Princess we took the train the next day to Fairbanks for a night there. My recommendation is to do the tour part first and do fly to the start point a day early so you don’t get caught in a flight delay.

All four of the cruise lines that I have mentioned use the train for the land tour. But Royal Caribbean, Princess, and Celebrity have special domed train cars that provide great visibility. Not all tour segments are the same so you really have to pay attention to how the land tour is organized and whether it uses the train or buses.

You will do well to book your cruise now for next Sept to get the very best price. Sept is a great time to go to get good prices because the last couple cruises of the Alaska season are always the lowest priced. The weather is also likely to be pleasant, although not as warm as mid-simmer. We did out cruise tour in May, before summer months, and the weather was very nice, mid 70′s. The further we went north the warmer it was. It will be rainy in a couple stops like Ketchcan and Juneau; just take a rain poncho.