JJS Loc: SE Michigan & SW Florida

I took Oceania. More expensive but appreciated the smaller ship both for service and ability to dock in shallower ports. If you stop in Wrangell DO NOT MIISS the Wild Bears of Anan. Look it up on Google. It's run by the US Forest Service and only a limited number of visitors are allowed each day so BOOK EARLY. Truly a once in a lifetime experience.

RolandDieter

The smaller ships can get much further into the bays and and inlets. These were what we like best on our Inside Passage Cruise. The cruise line we took is out of business, so I cannot recommend a company. But my recommend is to look for a smaller ship and study where they stop and what side trips you wish to take. The above recommendation to do the rail trip at Skagway is a must-do as far as I'm concerned. The ferry idea is also good but inconvenient. If you do the ferries ... most towns are very small, so make sure you can get a hotel room. Note that the guy who recommended this took his motor home.

02Nomad Loc: Catonsville, MD

I took the Holland America inside passage cruise and thought it great! My only advice would be to NOT go the first week of September. It is the start of the rainy season and it rained all seven days of the cruise!

JeffR Loc: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

JJS Loc: SE Michigan & SW Florida

I took Oceania. It's more expensive but I appreciated the smaller ship both for the service and the ability to dock in smaller ports. If you stop in Wrangell DO NOT MISS the Wild Bears of Anan. Look it up on Google. It's run by the US Forest Service and the number of daily visitors allowed is very limited, so BOOK EARLY. It's truly a once in a lifetime experience.

Stephan G

Just as a suggestion. Make your first cruise a discovery excursion for a following trip. Keep a diary to note thoughts and desires for the next trip. You will have too many diversions regardless of which provider you use.

Bon Voyage!

craig.j.tucker

Having lived in Alaska for 13 years, I really can't talk cruise line prices, but I can talk weather.

Once a Norwegian cruise parked in Valdez and it was so socked in, you could barely make-out the foothills in possibly the most beautiful place on earth-- with the Norwegian skipper saying over the loudspeaker, "So sorry we can't something this time, maybe better luck next time."

Next time? What next time--? This was a once in a lifetime trip for most.

The point being, be prepared for bad weather. Those cruise ships usually go to Ketchikan and Sitka and Juneau, which all see (or don't see) lots of weather.

Perhaps you can study weather patterns on Weather.com, which has a "Month" button for predictions and posted weather.

And certainly you can price the cruise lines online-- yes?

MarciaES

We went with Princess a couple of summers ago and are going back again this coming up summer with some relatives. Fly into Anchorage, up to Denali and stay at the Princess lodges. We take the train back south to Whittier where we board the ship. From there got to Skagway, Juneau, Ketchican, Glacier Bay, and the Inside Passage to Vancouver, BC. They won't let you on the ship without a passport since you'll dock at Vancouver. In Juneau be sure to see the Mendenhall Glacier. Had 3 crystal clear days up at Denali! Spectacular! I had just gotten a new camera for this trip -- Nikon 5300 -- and loved it compared to what I did have. I didn't have time before the trip to get lenses so just went with the 18-55 and 55-300 lenses that came with it. Saw lots of eagles, bears, moose & other assorted wildlife. Have fun -- I can't wait to go back!

wanderingbear Loc: San Diego

I like this one from nikonbug. To add to it IF you have the time and really want adventure once you get into the

Alaska area you can take the Mail boats. They can drop you off at interesting Small villages, you can stay a day or so and explore. You can still do the Tourist sights Skagway, railroad for instance. STAY AWAY FROM THE MAIN TOURIST SEASON. TRADITIONAL PORTS The local population may be say 4,000. The main Cruise Company passenger count may be 2,000 or more per ship line AND there may several of these cruise lines in Port at the same time. Also the big ships do not go into some very interesting locations and in addition to that they usually have to reboard much earlier in the day.

The wanderingbear

fobbox

I have not taken an Alaska Cruise, but lived in Alaska for 8 years. I know a few people who worked in the Cruise industry. As I understand it there are basically 2 sets of cruise options, one being a round trip cruise that just does the inside passage. The other is basically a one way cruise, where you start in Seattle area, cruise up the inside passage and over to the Kenai Peninsula/Seward or to Whittier. From these locations you can take the train or bus to Anchorage as part of the cruise package. Both Holland America and Princess have land packages up to Talkeetna, Denali and normally on to Fairbanks. Travel is by train or bus. With the one way cruise you fly into or out of Anchorage or Fairbanks. Princess has their own train cars and lodges, and normally restricted to their cruise passengers. Holland America typically stays at commercial hotels, and leases train cars. Both also have bus options. Denali will likely have the most land based wild life variety. Inside passage will typically have a variety of wildlife as well, and will have possibility of whales and other marine mammals, but they sometimes are in the shallower areas away from where cruise ships can go. Weather can be rainy (normally light rain) at any time, and for days at a time. May frequently has a lot of clear days, but many people from outside Alaska consider the temperatures cold. Also, in early May, access to parts of Denali may still be restricted by snow. North of Anchorage can especially get light rain by mid August. Various wild flowers bloom throughout the summer, but fire weed is especially active by early August. Probably want to see what you most want to see/photograph and figure out what time of year is best for that animal/activity. I understand whales are most likely visible during May.

Ron Schillow

Although my Alaska experience was several years ago, here are my recommendations: 1) You want to maximize your experience for your dollar--Left Vancouver on the Noordam, cruising the Inland Passage Way. Made several stops along the way until we landed in Juneau and viewed Mendenhall Glaciers, 2) Disembarked Noordam for a trip up the Lynn canal to Skagway. After a night there, we bused up to Whitehorse in the Yukon. After time there, we flew back to Juneau and finished our cruise on Rotterdam back to Vancouver which included a sightseeing tour of this beautiful city. Did I see all towns I wanted--YES, weather was comfortable, I DID NOT see Dinali Park nor much wildlife. Got great photos and enjoyed the time in Alaska; however, I would strongly recommend planning an Alaskan Adventure on smaller ships that cater to photography buffs and carries a smaller group of people on their vessels and can get closer to picture subjects.

PaulB Loc: Alabama

I definitely recommend the smaller boats (Holland or Princess). I have been on the inside passage twice, both on larger ships and it is a hassle just to get on and off at the various stops. On our last trip, we actually elected to stay on board, rather then dis-embark at one stop because the process was so slow!

TBPJr Loc: South Carolina

All will give you the opportunity for landscape pictures (not including Denali, of course), but wildlife is much harder to get on the cruises and excursions. The best chances for wildlife on inside passage cruises were the National Park tours for whale watching that are usually coupled with a visit to the Mendenhall glacier out of Juneau (and the larger boats are better platforms--my last one was small and really bounced around). The group excursions just don't give you the time for finding wildlife--although there are some exciting encounters occasionally. If you are really hoping to photograph wildlife, a cruise is probably not your best bet.

As for which cruise line, you will have to check schedules. Vancouver is used by many of the cruise lines instead of Seattle. Good luck.

JohnH3 Loc: Auburn, AL

We went this past summer on Celebrity (Infinity). I think what was important was not so much the cruise line, but the excursions that I choose. I took over 1200 pictures to include spectacular scenery, bears, whales, otters, seals, eagles and other birds, etc. I did an excursion in Juneau that was perfect for photographs. I flew in an airplane to the Taku Lodge on the Taku River. The scenery and the photos I took were outstanding. I also did one to the Misty Fjords on a “clear” day and got great pictures. The bad part about the inside passage cruise is that you really don’t have enough time in any port to truly explore the possibilities. Your time is limited. However, it was a great experience. We want to go back and see more of Alaska. We will not do a cruise this time, but will just visit locations. You will enjoy taking pictures!

jnuss

If you go to the Holland America website, leave an email and snail mail address, indicate an interest in Alaska, you will soon be inundated with tons of brochures and email spam.
Holland is the largest tourist operator in Alaska. They've dumped many resources in this market. My wife and I have taken both the inside passage tour and the overland tour.
Both are very good. Holland sailings are designed more for the elderly crowd. If you're wanting something more active, shop around. As for photography, take plenty of cards
and a battery charger. Your camera will get a workout. You might consider a moderate zoom (50-200), particularly if you want wildlife. If your budget allows, request a cabin
with an outside balcony. You'll really enjoy it at Glacier Bay. Good luck!