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Though road tripping is still one of my preferred methods to travel, some places however, are simply impossible to drive through. Juneau, the capital city of Alaska is such an example. To get to Juneau, there’s only three methods. By airplane, by boat, and by birth canal 😛 Since I can not be born again physically, I chose to visit the southern part of Alaska through a 7-day Alaskan cruise on the Celebrity Solstice by Celebrity Cruises. 

As a first time cruiser, I won’t able to give you a comprehensive comparison report about each Alaska cruise line. I will just share a few things I learned on this trip.

So here’s some things I learned:

1. Study the deck plan of your ship. After you select your ship based on your travel companion and itinerary, you should study the deck plan before purchasing your tickets. If you are concerned about motion sickness, you should select your room somewhere midships and lower deck. If you are a light sleeper, you should pick your room away from most activities that take place. Lastly, you should pick a room with balcony, and not on the same level as the life boat, that way you can enjoy the scenic ride in the comfort of your room with an unobstructed view.

2. Book shore excursions in advance. The town area near each port is extremely touristy and filled with one jewelry shop after another. So unless you love shopping, I highly recommend booking some shore excursions to get away from the town and enjoy the natural beauty Alaska has to offer.

3. Skip the buffet. We all know the first thing most people do when getting on the ship is heading straight to the buffet. However, I suggest you try the main dining room. It’s less crowded and the food tastes much better. Remember, you can always order more than one entree, even better, order as much from the menu as you like without any additional charge 🙂

4. Pack a personal bag. If you prefer the staff to help you carry the suitcase on and off the ship, you should prepare a personal bag containing toiletries and change of clothes you will need for a day since your suitcase won’t be delivered at least for a few hours on the first day and will be carried away the night before disembarking.

5. Turn off data roaming during sea days. If you don’t want to see a high cell phone bill when you return from the trip, you should turn off data roaming during sea days. 

If you are a first time cruiser like me, I hope this post is helpful when preparing your trip. Happy traveling 🙂