10-Day NCL Cruise to Alaska

Being a local to the greater Seattle area, this trip did not involve any pre-cruise flights. However, I enjoy spending the night downtown and waking up to see our ship dock in the morning. There is no better pier/hotel proximity pair than Pier 66 to the Edgewater Hotel. This hotel is situated on Pier 67 (hence the name six-seven for their on-property restaurant) and a short walk for check-in the next morning. Ask if a hotel porter is available and they will gladly help you with your luggage in the morning as well. The rooms are classic PNW style with my favorites of course, overlooking Pier 66 (NCL pier in downtown Seattle).

Embarkation for the smaller Norwegian Sun was much easier than previous experiences on the larger ships since there were almost half the number of people to deal with. While we have primarily cruised on larger ships in the Breakaway Plus Class (Bliss and Encore), we did not feel lacking in the quantity of activities found on this ship. I was even selected as a contestant on the popular gameshow Deal or No Deal! All of the restaurants (complimentary and specialty) were just as good as the new, larger ships though the Garden Café (Buffet Area) had a congested layout that could be mostly avoided at Breakfast and Lunch by heading to the Great Outdoors where there was a slightly more limited buffet that begged for you to dine al fresco (not an issue for our cruise as it was amazing weather).

As previously noted, the length of port stops on this cruise were much longer than during previous cruises. First up was Juneau, where our excursion was a rafting trip down the Mendenhall River and a quick stop at the Alaskan Brewing Company Taproom for a pint of my favorite Alaskan Amber. My recommendation to first time visitors is to find a combo tour that allows for a visit to Mendenhall Glacier and another activity such as whale watching. Next up is Skagway where we took the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway up into British Columbia and then proceeded by bus to Carcross, Yukon. This was our longest excursion at over eight hours, but is packed with fantastic views of mountains, valleys and lakes. I should note that on a previous visit to Skagway, instead of an excursion, we hiked to Lower Dewey Lake. This has an initial steep grade, but reveals spectacular views and a quieter setting than the hustle and bustle of town proper.

Next up was a visit to Dawes Glacier. Although we had fantastic weather, the balance of the trip, this day was our one exception and the base of the glacier was covered in a thick fog. Almost as if compensation for the earlier part of the day, the evening was filled with hundreds of whale spouts in the distance as we made our way to Sitka! Sitka is easily our favorite town to visit as the shops are still owned by locals and the storefronts have not yet been purchased by the cruise lines. Here, we had a bike and hike excursion where we biked along Sawmill Cove and learned about the native flora of the area. After Sitka, we made our way to Icy Strait Point, which is near Hoonah. Instead of booking a formal excursion here, we simply purchased day passes for the Gondola which gave us access to the views and nature hikes high above the destination. Here we had a low key day exploring the old cannery, eating dungeness crab, walking the shoreline, and keeping an eye out for bears as we hiked.

Our last port in Alaska was Ketchikan. Here we opted for an excursion on some e-bikes which did not even require pedaling if you so choose. Later, we went into town to check out Creek Street and do some shopping. The last port of the cruise was Victoria, BC. To maximize our exploration of this larger Oceanside city, we rented bikes from a local vendor at the pier. Victoria has many great bike trails and with a whole day there, we certainly saw more of the city than most.

A bucket list cruise to Alaska is not a one-size fits all. People have different tastes and preferences when it comes to amenities and activities available in addition to the ports and glaciers visited. If an Alaska cruise is an adventure you have in mind, let me help you plan the perfect bucket list trip!

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Alaska. In need of further inspiration? Check out Desirée Aguirre’s guide, Carnival’s Alaska Cruise: 7-Day Itinerary.