Tips and Advice for Cruising Alaska

Based on our voyage aboard Queen Elizabeth

 
Cruising Alaska is unlike most other voyages. The experience is shaped less by cities and ports than by wilderness, weather, and the immense scale of the landscape itself. Forested mountains rise directly from the sea, glaciers sit in mountains along the coastline, and marine life appears suddenly and unpredictably along the ship’s path.

 
We don’t consider ourselves cruise experts, nor do we approach Alaska as a checklist destination. These reflections are drawn from our own experience sailing to Alaska aboard Queen Elizabeth, following a long year of walking, travel, and time spent in northern landscapes. What follows is not prescriptive advice, but practical guidance shaped by lived experience - including what surprised us, what challenged us, and what ultimately deepened our appreciation of the journey.
 
Rather than strict advice, think of these as observations that may help shape expectations before sailing through one of the most remarkable coastlines in the world.
 
1. Alaska is Vast
 
One of the first things to appreciate about cruising Alaska is its scale.  The coastline is immense and sparsely settled, with long stretches of the voyage unfolding through open water, wide channels, and remote wilderness. Days can pass where the ship moves through landscapes of forested mountains, deep fjords, and distant glaciers without encountering a port of call or other vessels.

 
This sense of vastness is central to the experience. Alaska is not simply a sequence of ports - it is a journey through an environment defined by distance and natural wonder. The Pacific coastline, the Inside Passage, the glacier-carved fjords, and the mountains all reinforce the feeling that the landscape remains far larger than our presence within it.
 
2. Ports Are Gateways to the Landscape
 
Some of these ports have clearly adapted to the rhythms of cruise tourism, with excursions and visitor facilities designed to accommodate large numbers of passengers arriving at once. That said, the ports themselves are rarely the primary focus of the voyage.

 
More often, they function as gateways to the surrounding landscape - places from which travellers head outward toward glaciers, wildlife habitats, forest trails, and mountain valleys.  Approaching Alaska with that understanding helps shape expectations. The towns can be interesting and enjoyable, but the real character of the voyage often lies beyond them.
 
3. Excursions Matter and Provide Access to the Interior
 
Because much of Alaska’s wilderness lies beyond immediate walking distance from port, excursions often play an important role in accessing the landscapes that shape the region. Glacier viewing, whale watching, rail journeys into the interior, and wildlife excursions can provide perspectives that are otherwise difficult to reach independently. In some ports, it is certainly possible to explore on your own - walking along the waterfronts, following local trails, or simply wandering through town - but many of the most dramatic environments require organized transport.

 
Excursions can be expensive, and the costs can accumulate quickly. It is worth researching carefully in advance and choosing experiences that genuinely interest you rather than feeling pressure to fill every available hour.  

 

4. Wildlife Is Central - But Not Guaranteed
 
Wildlife is one of the great draws of Alaska.  Whales, bald eagles, sea otters, seals, seabirds, bears, and moose are all part of the allure and appeal of an Alaskan voyage. Yet wildlife encounters are never staged, and sightings often occur unexpectedly. 

 
Wildlife appears on its own terms, often fleetingly, and sometimes not at all. As such, being out on deck matters. So does patience.   Many of the most memorable sightings happen when passengers are simply watching the water or scanning the shoreline for long stretches of time. A seal resting on a drifting ice floe, seabirds diving suddenly for fish, or a distant whale surfacing briefly can appear and vanish in moments.
 
This is not a landscape that rewards constant distraction.
 
5. Outdoor Deck Space and Venues with Windows are Key
 
With the previous point noted, Alaska is experienced visually.
 
Glacier days, fjord transits, and wildlife sightings take place across wide landscapes and open seascapes.  As such, much of the experience happens outdoors. Ships with generous deck space and unobstructed views offer a significant advantage.

 
Balconies can certainly be valuable, but shared outdoor decks often provide the best vantage points for watching the ship move through the landscape. During scenic cruising days, we found ourselves spending many hours outside, standing at the railings as the scenery slowly shifted around us.
 
Knowing where the best viewing areas are - and being willing to remain there - can shape the experience in unexpected and wonderful ways.
 
6. Weather Is Part of the Experience
 
Alaska’s weather changes quickly.  Sometimes very quickly.
 
Rain, fog, mist, and low cloud are common, and these conditions are not inconveniences so much as defining elements of the environment. Fog can transform the mountains into layered silhouettes, while low clouds drifting through forested slopes often give the landscape a quiet, atmospheric beauty.

 
Packing layers is essential. Waterproof outerwear matters more than heavy insulation, and comfortable shoes suitable for wet conditions are invaluable.
 
Rather than resisting the weather, it helps to accept it as part of the place and part of the journey.
 
7. Scenic Cruising Days Are Highlights of the Voyage
 
For many travellers, the most powerful moments of an Alaskan cruise occur during scenic cruising days.  Entering glacier fjords such as Endicott Arm, approaching massive ice faces like Dawes Glacier, or navigating through narrow passages between forested mountains can become the most memorable parts of the journey.
 
These are days when the landscapes, seascapes and life beyond the railings become the destination.

 
Shipboard lectures, activities, and entertainment continue as usual, but it can be difficult to justify spending much time indoors while the scenery outside is constantly shifting and wondrous.    Be prepared to stand, watch, wait, and simply be there - and in return, you will be deeply rewarded for being in those moments.
 
8. Photography Helps – But Presence Matters More
 
Alaska can be and feel visually overwhelming. Glaciers, light, wildlife, and scale can feel relentless, presenting endless photographic opportunities.  Preparing in advance - understanding your camera equipment and being ready for sudden moments - can certainly help.

 
Yet it is equally important to recognize when to lower the camera and put away the phone. Some moments are better lived and absorbed than captured.
 
Wonderful moments and small details like fog moving through the trees, the changing colours of glacial waters, or the drift of ice through a fjord often leave a deeper impression than any photograph.
 
9. Spend Time on Deck - Even When Nothing Seems to Be Happening
 
Some of the most memorable moments of our voyage occurred when very little seemed to be happening at all.
 
Standing quietly along the railings for extended periods often revealed subtle details that might otherwise have been missed: a distant whale surfacing briefly, seabirds diving suddenly into the water, or seals resting quietly on drifting ice. Even the movement of fog through the mountains or the changing colours of glacial water became part of the experience.

 
These moments rarely appear on schedules or excursion lists. You likely won’t get a ship-wide announcement for them.   They are simply and wonderfully moments that emerge gradually for those willing to linger outside and watch carefully.
 
10. Alaska Rewards Patience
 
Following the last point, Alaska rewards patience and those willing to wait.
 
In many destinations, travel is fast-paced, moving from site to site in search of highlights.  Alaska works differently.  Wildlife sightings are unpredictable, weather changes constantly, and the landscapes reveal themselves slowly (often through clouds and fog) as the ship navigates through narrow channels and fjords. Often, the most rewarding approach is simply to allow the experience to develop at its own pace.

 
Patience becomes part of the journey. The longer you watch, the more nature reveals.
 
11. The Voyage Is the Experience
 
Perhaps the most important realization during our time sailing in Alaska was that the voyage itself is the destination.
 
While the ports offer fascinating glimpses of life along the Alaskan coast, the defining moments of the journey often occur between them - while the ship moves through open waters, alongside northern landscapes, glaciers that appear around distant bends, or wildlife emerges unexpectedly along the shoreline.

 
In that sense, an Alaskan cruise is less about where the ship stops and more about the landscapes it passes through along the way.
 
Final Thoughts
 
Cruising Alaska is not about efficiency or completion. It is about attention and presence.
 
The landscape is vast, the wildlife unpredictable, and the rewards unevenly distributed – with the most memorable moments often arriving quietly rather than dramatically. But those willing to slow down, remain observant, and accept the journey as it is will likely find the experience richer than they ever expected.  

 
During our own voyage aboard Queen Elizabeth, some of the most powerful memories came not from excursions or schedules, but from long stretches spent standing quietly on deck as the ship moved through the water, surrounded by wilderness - watching fog drift through the forests, glaciers emerge around distant bends in the fjord, or seals resting on small pieces of drifting ice.
 
In the end, Alaska reminds us that travel is not always about what we manage to see.  Sometimes it is about learning how to be exactly where you are and look.
 
See you on board!