We are going to Alaska!
**Update – Check out how we picked our cruise for Alaska here!**
I have been dreaming of our Alaskan cruise for over 10 years and everything finally aligned and we booked our Alaskan cruise for 2023 a couple of months ago. Cruising is a vacation style that I really love, there is something about going to different locations and never having to pack your things. The ocean is pretty amazing as well, I could spend hours on the balcony just relaxing, listening to the ocean as we go by.
I really can’t think of cruising now without thinking of my dad, who was the one to introduce me to the idea of cruising – when we first started dreaming about cruising, we talked about taking a Big Red Boat vacation someday. We eventually went on a few cruises together and I did do a couple of Disney cruise and vacation combos but not before the Big Red Boat went out of business. Since he passed in 2020 and Covid-19 locked down the world, I haven’t really cruised, just 1 last year, we have been travelling in other ways for the last couple of years but I am so ready for an awesome cruise now to a location that has been on my bucket list for at least a decade.
Why I Choose Norwegian for Our Alaskan Cruise in 2023
After many cruises to the Caribbean, on a few different lines – Disney, Carnival, and Virgin Voyages, I knew I should do some research on what line we should choose for this cruise. Everyone says Alaska is about the ports and a big must see is Glacier Bay. After comparing multiple lines, port times, ships in port, ports, and ship amenities, I came up with a Northbound Alaska on the Norwegian Jewel. I choose it for a couple of reasons – it had good port times, went to Glacier Bay and because it starts in Vancouver, we could get there a few days early and go to Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island again and do some exploring on in Kenai Fjords after the cruise.
I did waiver between Norwegian, Princess and Holland America but ultimately, Norwegian had a better end port in Seward. This makes it easier to spend some time in the Kenai peninsula, instead of having to try to get from Whitter (where Princess and Holland America Stop). We also decided that we will go farther inland on another trip. A bridge in Denali National Park has washed out and the bus can only go to mile 43 instead of mile 93 right now, cutting out half of the park-bummed to have to plan a second trip 🙂
We did get a balcony room because I get horrible seasickness and location and balcony really help make the seasickness less. I do find that middle of the ship on a lower deck with access to fresh air help me feel less sick, so if you know you are prone to seasickness, I hope you can use those tips! Should I buy one of those motion sickness bracelets ? Have you tried using anything to prevent sea sickness? I would love to hear about anything that works! Here are some products I am looking at, I will let you know what I decide to go with.
Seasickness Relief Options
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Reliefband Premier Anti-Nausea Wristband
Motion Sickness Patches & Sea Sickness Bands
Bonine for Motion Sickness
Current Plans so Far for our Alaskan Cruise in 2023
Sooo….so far this is what I have planned!! I do know we are interested in trying out some kayaking and even bought an inflatable one to try out this summer to see if we would like it. We also want to go whale watching and hiking. It really is overwhelming the amount of choices there are in Alaska! The original plan was to take a Princess cruise but their cruise ends in Whitter and we really wanted to spend some time in Seward. It is kind of crazy how hard it is to get from Whitter to Seward, looking at a $400 taxi ride, so we decided to switch to a Norwegian Cruise since they end in Seward. Here is a list of our thoughts so far:
We will keep you updated as we make more plans for our Alaskan cruise in 2023 and hopefully it will help you plan your next cruise as well. What activities should we participate in? Are there any specific places we should not miss? Any places we have to eat at? Let us know in the comments any suggestions or questions!
Related Posts
Want to see how to best plan your Alaskan cruise or see some other trips we have already taken? Check out some of our other posts to discover more.
Plan the Best Alaskan Cruise for 2023
There are so many Alaskan cruises to choose from it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Too many options to choose from with dozens of locations you’ve never been to? See how to plan an epic adventure to Alaska in 2023.
Puget Sound Adventures
We spent few days in Washington State and instead of spending time in Seattle, we wanted to do something new. So we went island hopping and dipped our toe into the Olympic National Park.