Alaska Cruise

My gf asked me if I wanted to do an Alaskan cruise this summer. It's 7 nights and goes through Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and back to Seattle.  It's a huge amount of money ($1000) which I normally would not spend on pretty much anything but also seems like a unique experience. Probably would not bother bringing climbing gear. We both have all of summer off and live in my van (heavy on time, light on budget) so I'm thinking it's a no-go but nevertheless curious since I know a lot of these places are only accessible by sea or air. 

I'll probably get trolled for merely posting this subject on MP but interested to get the community's take so please fire away. 

You couldn't pay me $1000 to take that cruise.  All those places are the Disneyland version of Alaska.   

If you want to see the same places with more adventure and less $, I've heard good things about the alaska marine highway system - state-run ferries that travel the whole inside passage & allow you to roll out a sleeping bag on the deck/solarium. I think you could also bring a car on the ferry and continue the adventure inland if you wanted. Also, alaska's forest service cabin rentals are very cool and worth it if you have the chance.

Richard Randallwrote:

If you want to see the same places with more adventure and less $, I've heard good things about the alaska marine highway system - state-run ferries that travel the whole inside passage & allow you to roll out a sleeping bag on the deck/solarium. I think you could also bring a car on the ferry and continue the adventure inland if you wanted. Also, alaska's forest service cabin rentals are very cool and worth it if you have the chance.

This.  I've taken the Alaska Ferry up and down, years apart.  It's a neat experience.  If you're living in your van, take the ferry up, camp on the deck, drive around Alaska, and drive back home (or take the ferry back home).  The food's decent, views wonderful, and it'll be way cheaper than a cruise. One option is to head to the Tombstone Range in the Yukon to climb some remote stuff since you'd be driving through YT anyway getting to Alaska from Haines, where the ferry ends.

Skibowrote:

This.  I've taken the Alaska Ferry up and down, years apart.  It's a neat experience.  If you're living in your van, take the ferry up, camp on the deck, drive around Alaska, and drive back home (or take the ferry back home).  The food's decent, views wonderful, and it'll be way cheaper than a cruise. One option is to head to the Tombstone Range in the Yukon to climb some remote stuff since you'd be driving through YT anyway getting to Alaska from Haines, where the ferry ends.

Eh, I'm not sure when you last checked the price for bringing a vehicle on the ferry from Bellingham to Skagway/Haines, but it is actually about twice as expensive as the cruise.

Which ship the SS Salmonella, SS Dysentery, SS. E Coli, or the newest SS COVID19? You could not get me on a cruise ship, err floating petri dish. Spend the money on something else.

Allen Sandersonwrote:

Which ship the SS Salmonella, SS Dysentery, SS. E Coli, or the newest SS COVID19? You could not get me on a cruise ship, err floating petri dish. Spend the money on something else.

Don’t forget the classic elegance of SS Norovirus & SS Clostridium Difícil.