Alaska

scotgof, you might try asking over at the cruisecritic.com forum where there is a ton of info and reviews of cruises. That being said I know that there is at least one cruise line, Celebrity, has a seven-day (north bound) itinerary that starts in either Seattle or Vancouver, and ends in Seward, Alaska, so you would be on your own after that. Probably other lines as well, I just happened to be looking at that one recently.

Which cruise line is best? Don't know how you'd judge that without taking them all. Worth it? that's your call.

Currently, only four cruise lines (Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Cruise West and Norwegian Cruise Line NCL) have contracts to operate in Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park. So if Glacier Bay is your primary interest, you could narrow your choices and compare prices and itineraries. If you are a first time cruiser and you live near a cruise specialist travel agency, you might want to consult them - the price will be the same whether you book directly or through a travel agent. Yes, it is possible to cruise one way and fly back to Seattle, and vice versa.

The only way to get to Wasilla is to get off in Anchorage. You will need a car or your family will have to come get you at the port. You should be able to find a cruise that goes up there, but keep in mind that those ships have a different itinerary than the round trip ones. You can use the Alaska Marine Lines Ferry as noted previously, but that's somewhat slower and will not be "touring" anything. It's normally a 5 day trip from Seattle to Anchorage via that route. You'll spend a lot of time docking, loading, etc with commercial cargo.

Keep in mind that July is high season in Anchorage, with hotels running $400/night if you can find one. DO NOT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED YOU WILL FIND A ROOM! The city can and does run out of hotel spaces.

If your main reason to go is to visit family I suggest you fly in. If you want to take a cruise and see the glaciers you may not be going to Anchorage.

About 10 years ago I took my mother on a bucket list cruise up the inside passage in July. It rained half the time and that made for some very unhappy people on board not only our ship, but every other one that we docked near. I had prepped for that, I've been there before, but 10,000 pissed off tourists in a rainy city with a population of less than that is not something I'd ever want to pay money to experience.

If you do sail, on a cruise or the ferry, get up early. At 5am there will be no one on deck and that's the best time to take pictures and see wildlife. Also, if you have problems sleeping when it's light out, be prepared to have a miserable time.

I almost forgot, if you sail you must have a passport.

Wow! I really appreciate the info. The ferry sounds like quite an adventure. We'll make a decision in the next few days. This is a bucket list destination. We'll let you know how it goes! Thanks again!

We really enjoyed the Alaska state ferry and saw quite a lot of wildlife from the boat. We booked a room, which was similar in size and amenities to a non-first-class train compartment. My memory is that we even had a naturalist on board who gave occasional lectures. I don't know whether or not cruises normally stop at the island of Sitka, but that was our favorite stop. The only Russian-style city on American soil that I know of!

True, not all the cruise lines do Glacier Bay.

We did our Alaska cruise (one way from Vancouver to Seward) on Norwegian Cruise line that does go to Glacier Bay, as well as the Hubbard Glacier.

Princess also does Glacier Bay.

Celebrity (our favorite cruise line) does not.

There are more that do Glacier Bay.

Also, do a land trip to Denali after your cruise.

Such great information! The cruise is booked! Holland America was our choice. We will definitely explore on our own after the cruise. I cannot wait to see whales in their natural environment! Thank you all for the tips!

Hope you have a great cruise. We're going from Vancouver to Seward late in May on Norwegian, hoping for good weather.

I used the state ferry a long time ago and enjoyed the trip, my first time to Alaska, but there are a few caveats. First, as noted above, it leaves from Belingham not Seattle. Bellingham is a great place but a long drive from Seattle or SeaTac Airport, not especially convenient. Second, the run from Bellingham to Ketchikan is usually booked up far in advance, to get a cabin especially you have to be ready to sign up as soon as the season opens. Third, and especially worth noting, the schedule doesn't lend itself to sightseeing on the ground. Some port calls may be in the middle of the night. Sometimes the boat will stay just long enough to unload and load vehicles and passengers, other times it will stay longer because of tides. While much of the scenery is wonderful, and there may be a naturalist on board to talk about what you're seeing, it's a means of transportation rather than a sightseeing trip.

For all the grotesqueness of the multi-ship invasions of small towns along the Inside Passage, and the distortions they impose on locals and visitors alike, at least cruise passengers have a chance to do some actual sightseeing with stops lasting all or most of a day, time to explore towns or kayak or flightsee or look for whales or fish or whatever. None of that is possible with the ferry unless you have luck with the schedule or are willing to port-hop by putting different runs together.