Frequently Asked Questions

The Cruise Tour is a land tour of interior destinations before or after a cruise. In conjunction with seven-night Alaska cruises, three- to eight-night land programs extend each trip with visits to interior destinations, such as Anchorage, Denali National Park, Talkeetna, Fairbanks and the Kenai Peninsula.

The biggest impression you can come away with is that Alaska is a beautiful and interesting state and well worth exploring — and that we at ACS have expertly put together a variety of tours to showcase the state at its best.

Alaska is so immense, it's a place that even most Alaskans don't see, in its entirety, in a lifetime. This is why when you have the chance to visit such a vast and spectacular part of the United States, it's important to make the most of your time there. One of the best ways is with a pre- or post-cruise land tour, which we call Cruise Tours.

Think about why you're going to Alaska in the first place: to see and experience the destination. Although a cruise will take you to ports where you have time to get off your ship, the true beauty of Alaska is being able to be immersed in the vast wilderness. In order to do this, you need to travel within its interior. Mainly, Denali National Park.

Alaska is only operational for tourism and cruising from May to September. That means there are very limited months when it is accessible, making it high in demand for tour operators. The tour operators in Alaska are some of the best in the world, and are truly there because of their respect and love for what they do.

Denali is filled with wilderness and wildlife that may very well change your perspective on what it means to be in “nature”. It is truly the “wild” and the “last frontier”. Denali is a must-see if you want to experience the best that Alaska has to offer.

Since Alaska is so vast, one the best things you can do to experience it is to be above it all, on a plane. There is simply no other way to appreciate the scale and beauty of Alaska without seeing it from above.

Both are great, but if you start your trip with a northbound cruise, you’ll be able to see the Alaskan wilderness unwind as you travel north through the inside passage. You’ll be able to relax at the start of your trip.

Cruise Tours tend to favor Alaskan lodges over chain hotels. The lodges typically feature a carefully created rustic look with exposed-log exteriors and blond-wood interiors. Lobbies are homey with cozy seating, fireplaces and "dead animal chic" decor -- lopped off noggins of moose and bear locked in eternal staring contests over the heads of visitors (or life-size dioramas).

Even in remote areas, Wi-Fi is often available.

Accessories for any themed nights No matter what cruise ship you book, there will be a theme night or two. Be prepared by checking with your cruise line in advance to see what type of parties will be thrown during your voyage. Then, pack a few items accordingly.

Download your cruise line’s app This is an easy item to “pack” — just download your cruise line, or ship’s, app to your smartphone before you set sail. The app will show you things like the daily schedule, deck plans, dining reservations, shore excursion options and more. Many apps, like the one from Celebrity Cruises, will even allow you to chat with other passengers while you’re connected to the ship’s Wi-Fi.

Key card lanyard You’ll need to keep your cabin key card — that also acts as your ship ID and conduit to your onboard cruise account — at the ready. You need to swipe it as you leave the ship for the day, upon your return, as well as when making a purchase in the ship’s boutique or buying a drink at the bar (unless you’re cruising on a true all-inclusive line like Regent Seven Seas or Silversea). It may even be what unlocks your room, so you’ll want it handy.

Power strip Newer cruise ships are designed so every cabin has enough electrical outlets and USB ports conveniently located throughout the room. However, older ships may be a bit skimpy when it comes to the number of outlets in the stateroom — especially if you’re a family or a group of friends sharing one room.

It’s wise to bring a power strip so you can turn one outlet into several. Just be sure that your power strip doesn’t include a surge protector — they are banned from most cruise ships, as are extension cords.

Wet and Dry bags Having the right bag to use at the right time is super-important on a cruise. A waterproof wet bag comes in handy if you’re visiting beach destinations or going on shore excursions that include time for a dip. (For example, a kayak trip with some beach time.)

A good waterproof, leakproof wet bag is ideal after you change out of your wet layers and are carrying your bathing suit back onto the ship.

A dry bag seals tight so you can stow your camera gear, smartphone and other electronics. Even if the bag falls into the water, the contents will stay dry for a good amount of time — long enough for you to rescue them.

Lightweight backpack There are some itineraries, like transatlantic voyages, with very few ports of call. But your cruise is probably a nice mix of sea days and port visits. You’ll want a strong but lightweight backpack to stow everything you want to take off the ship with you as you explore destinations or join shore excursions or independent tours. It holds snacks, sunscreen, a hat and more.

Warm clothes In terms of clothing for an Alaska Cruise, definitely bring warm items and most importantly a windbreaker jacket. Even when the sun is shining and warm (which we were lucky enough to have through the week), the wind on the upper decks can be chilly. One of the best parts of an Alaskan cruise is that there is usually a beautiful landscape to enjoy as you sail so you will want to be on deck for most of it.

Liquor or (often) beer If you’ve never been on a cruise before, you’ve probably never heard of the “naughty room.” This is the room in which the crew quarantines luggage that contains an item that the cruise line has banned. That could be an electric kettle, a weapon of some kind or liquor/beer. You’ll be called to this room to have a discussion with the crew about these no-no items.

Most cruise lines have strict rules about the type of beverages you can bring aboard at embarkation and throughout the voyage. Some mainstream cruise lines let you bring some bottled water and soda, or a bottle or two of wine, but you generally aren’t allowed hard liquor or beer. Before stopping off at the packy on the way to the port, check the rules with your cruise line.

Candles and electrical appliances that create heat When you’re aboard a cruise ship, safety comes first. That’s why things like candles with a real flame and electrical appliances that produce heat should stay at home. Forget about bringing your clothes iron and steamer, or electric tea kettle. These are often banned for onboard use. (Ladies: Some cruise lines allow curling or straight irons and some don’t, so consult your cruise line’s online FAQ, call to ask or inquire with your travel agent.) Instead of an iron, you can bring a product like Downy’s Wrinkle Release that comes in a travel size with a pump spray.

Drones and kites You might want that perfect aerial shot from above the ship but you can’t bring a drone on board. Same goes for kites and other similar items that are meant to be deployed in the air around the ship.

Guns and knives Guns aren’t allowed on cruise ships and although some cruise lines allow knives up to a certain blade length, others ban them altogether. Check your cruise line’s online FAQs or check with your travel agent for the rules that apply to your ship.

Jet lag won't ruin your cruise. Imagine spending thousands of dollars on cruise fares and flights to end up sleepy and miserable the whole time. Instead, you can bust that jet lag on land and be fresh for the big adventure.

You'll be ready to depart on time. The ship will not wait for you so make sure you know your ship departure time and have flights that arrive in plenty of time to get you through the airport, to the dock and through the boarding process. Personally I would advise arriving a night before so that you do not have to worry about this.

Cruise season in Alaska runs from mid-May to mid-September—but within that time frame, is one time better than another to book your cruise?

For a lot of cruisers, mid-June through mid-July is the peak season, because of optimum weather and daylight.

Dress codes do exist for the main dining room, although they are far less regimented as you might think.

Each evening, the dining room will have a dress code. Usually it is either casual or formal. On some longer sailings, they can work in smart casual, a subtle difference from regular casual.

First and foremost, respect the fact there are dress codes and as a courtesy to your fellow guests, observe the spirit of the dress code.

On casual nights, a collared shirt and slacks/jeans for men will suffice. Ladies can wear jeans and a blouse, dress, skirt, or pretty much anything else you might wear to somewhere that is not the beach or pool.

When it's formal night, you want to step it up just a little bit. While there will be some people wearing tuxedos and ball gowns, most guests wear something a little nicer than the other nights. Jackets and ties for men are optional.

The major things to avoid are swim wear, tank tops, or bare feet.

If you are seated with other guests, you should feel free to strike up a conversation, but avoid the "third rail" of discussion: religion and politics.

Everyone has different viewpoints, and the last thing you want to do is get into a heated debate with people you don't know just to pass the time.

Instead, talk about what you did onboard that day, plans for the next day, the weather, favorite sport teams, and pretty much anything else that steers clear of an issue that could lead to yelling, anger, and awkward silences.

If you just want to try something you're not sure about, just let the waiter know and they will bring you a smaller serving than usual to prevent waste. If you love the new food they will always be happy to bring you more!

Given the complexity of booking a cruise — there are a lot of decisions to make during the booking process, trust us — we recommend that you use a seasoned travel advisor who specializes in cruises to help you arrange things. A good travel advisor will quiz you about your particular interests, travel style and preferences, and steer you to the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. They also can help you if something goes wrong just before, during or after your voyage.

In addition, travel advisors often can you extra onboard credit and other perks that you might not be able to get by booking directly with a line.

These are exactly the types of services you can expect from our team of Alaska experts here at ACS. Give us a call if you'd like our help: 1-866-442-3679

Start with an advisor who is part of a major travel consortium such as Virtuoso, Travel Leaders Network, Ensemble Travel Group or Signature Travel Network (Us). Each of these networks provides a suite of benefits to travelers who book with them. If you’re familiar with the perks of the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program or the Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, you’ll know what we mean. Extra benefits for booking can include space-available upgrades, free breakfast and other amenities like an additional food and beverage credit or a free spa treatment or round of golf.

Remember that travel advisors often have access to room rates and cruise fares that aren’t available to the general public. We sure do! This is especially true of advisors who specialize in certain cruise lines- we specialize in Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania, Regent, Silversea, and can assist with any cruise booked to Alaska. When a cruise line needs to fill a sailing, it will reach out to our top advisors to extend special fares for our customers. You will only hear about these offers if you have a top advisor/agency who sells cruises on the lines you love.

Here's a tip for you: if you tip your room attendant the first night of the cruise, there's a good chance you will be taken care of. Of course we can't guarantee this, but we all know first impressions matter a lot.

Also, you can bring a handful of supply bags for the room attendant, the dining room waiter and assist waiter with things like gift cards, cup of noodle, shavers etc. Crew members may have been away from home for a really long time so are likely to appreciate some home comforts.

They will tell others who work on the cruise and then you will always get heavy hand bartenders. Treating staff well or tipping crew members can put passengers in their good books for the whole trip.

Aft balconies are located at the very back of a cruise ship and are an increasingly popular room choice.

Packable hammocks on aft balconies are a game changer. Hammock straps are helpful so the paint doesn't get messed up. As long as you pick a balcony with significant overhang from the deck above there is more than enough piping and railing to secure it to.

Doing this on a cruise to Alaska is incredible.

The first thing you should do once on-board is not to head straight to your cabin, but to take a tour of the entire boat and get yourself acquainted with everything on-board. When you arrive in any new travel destination we always take a walk and familiarize ourselves with the area, and on-board a cruise is no different.

Also, depending on the cruise you are taking this gives you an opportunity to get ahead of the other guests and book yourself into your preferred restaurant or pick the excursions before everyone else does.

On-board, you can see orcas, humpback whales, dolphins, sea otters, eagles and even bears if you are lucky! When you are in your cabin, check the TV channel schedule and tune into the naturalist channel so that you hear when something has been spotted from the side of the boat and you can either quickly head to your balcony or, if it’s on another side of the ship, run up to the main deck.

You will be in your cruise ship cabin for several days, a week or more. So go ahead and bring your favorite pillow, a picture of your kids/dog/cat, a teddy bear, a throw blanket or any other comfort objects you cherish at home – keeping in mind luggage space if you are flying to reach the ship.

When traveling with kids, let them bring a few of their favorite toys, along with a pillow and blanket.

A fun touch is to bring an erasable, magnetic-backed whiteboard (which will easily attach to the cabin’s metal door) and washable markers so you can draw pictures and leave messages – whether you’re with kids or being flirty with your soulmate.

While real candles are banned on cruise ships, battery-operated flameless candles can add a touch of romance.

A hanging makeup or toiletry kit that you can attach to the bathroom door will allow you to free up space around the sink and more easily keep track of your own supplies. The sink may or may not have a drawer or shelves.

The switch for bathroom lights often is outside the door, meaning you will beam light into the whole cabin as you enter the bathroom in the middle of the night. Bring a plug-in nightlight for navigating around the bathroom without waking your cabinmates.

Yes! Standard cabins have twin beds that can be combined into a queen bed and two side tables. There’s maybe a sofa or upholstered chair, a vanity or desk and a coffee table. If you have a balcony, it will be equipped with a pair of chairs or loungers and a drinks table. Don’t be afraid to move the furniture around – you can ask the crew to help – into a configuration that works for you.

Ask that any objects in your way be removed – for instance, if you keep bumping into the coffee table, get it out of the room. Clearing away the ice bucket and wine glasses and anything else you’re not using will add additional counter space.

Furniture may also be added – for instance, a stool can be replaced with a chair that may be more comfortable for your back. Ask your cabin steward for assistance.

If the mini-fridge is filled with soda and booze that you have no intention of buying, have it cleared away. You can use the space for any soda or water you brought from home and for snacks gathered at on-board restaurants (which will also save you any room service charges).

You and your family likely will bring along a selection of electronics – tablets, phones, cameras, an electric shaver, and maybe even a curling iron or other gizmos. That’s a lot of stuff to plug into what may be a very limited number of outlets. Bringing an outlet extender is recommended (though make sure it is not one with a surge protector, as these are banned by cruise lines).

If you’re a light sleeper, you might want to put a sound machine app on your phone. Cruise ships have lots of creaks, rattling and other noises.

If you plan to sleep in, pack some binder clips or even paper clips to keep the curtains drawn tight, which is especially useful in the very sunny Caribbean.