Cruising Alaska – Caveat Emptor

The Internet makes researching travel substantially easier than ever before, but you’d never know it from some people’s experiences. A comment from a very experienced Alaska cruiser who arrived home yesterday from another trip North sums it up nicely:

…some highlights for future visitors – be well prepared in your attire. This cruise had the worst weather of my entire Alaska touring. Rained, sleeted, powerful winds, snow – 6 of the 7 days. Plenty of VERY unhappy and some angry passengers for not getting to the Sawyers. I knew this when I booked, but most people fully expected to sail there. Cruiseships NEVER have made it in that early, with May a very “iffy” month for any success. The bulk of passengers did not research anything about the sailing, “quoting” their travel agents and some claiming they were going to make a stink to get refunds – good luck. Most passengers had very unrealistic ideas on wildlife opportunities, and more disappointment, since a large percentage did not see anything. My advice – research FULLY the benefits of the time you are going, look at weather, wildlife, dusk, tour availability etc – anything important for your priority in Alaska touring.

While trying to forecast the weather on the coast of Alaska is almost a waste of time, nobody boarding a ship (or coming up the highway in an RV) should have any major surprises. Not everybody has Internet access, but I’m willing to bet that the vast majority of people who can afford an Alaska-Yukon holiday do, and there are a lot of sites like ExploreNorth, CruiseCritic and TripAdvisor to answer your questions, from when to see bears to what to pack. All you have to do is read what’s posted and ask any question that isn’t answered. For those who rely on a travel agent, you need to be aware that most have never been here, or have been on a single “fam trip” (familiarization trip) in July – they have only the vaguest idea of what really happens.