When you are ready to take that bucket list vacation and set sail in Alaska, there is one question you will undoubtedly ask:
Which cabin should I choose?
As someone who often cruises six times a year and spends over 30 days at sea most years, I get asked a lot about my thoughts on what stateroom to select when booking a cruise. While, in general, I truly believe you can have a wonderful cruise experience in any stateroom given the amount of time you typically spend inside those walls, there are two destinations where I personally feel that the expense is well worth the cost for a balcony stateroom, and those two destinations are the Panama Canal and Alaska.
Let's talk about Alaska cruises.
As part of every single Alaska cruise, you will have the opportunity for glacier viewing. Whether that is in Glacier Bay, or Icy Strait, or cruising by Dawes or Hubbard Glacier (my favorite, the diva of all glaciers!), you will want to have your own space to sit and marvel at the wonder that is the glaciers, without having to stand elbow-to-elbow with people you don't know or stand two or three rows deep trying to get a decent look. With your own balcony attached to your stateroom, you can sit with a warm blanket, warm beverage, and your binoculars (don't forget to pack them!) and truly enjoy the experience of glacier viewing in Alaska.
For cruises that travel the Inside Passage, as many do, you can also sit on your balcony and watch the world slowly pass you by. I've seen everything from whales to seals to amazing, secluded log cabins on the beaches of islands as you cruise past. And don't forget that in Alaska, the sun doesn't set in the summer until well after 9:00pm in that area, which means that even after the kids are in bed you will have a lot of time to sit on the balcony and take in the views while you watch the sun go down behind the mountains.
While for some people Alaska is a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, I am lucky to be heading to Alaska for the sixth time in August and on my third cruise. The scenery is simply second to none, and I cannot wait to sit on my balcony and enjoy a hot cocoa with my 8-year-old as we make more memories together in the last frontier.
Ready to plan your next Alaska vacation by land or sea? Contact us at info@uponastartravel.com or visit our website to get started!
All pictures shared in this blog belong to Star Agent, Donna DeGiacomo, from her June 2022 Cruise on the Norwegian Jewel