Summer 2026 Alaska Cruise
Have you ever wondered about a cruise to Alaska but didn't know where to start? The Pack Your Bags Travel, LLC team has your answer. You can live vicariously through us for a week!
Follow the merry band of travelers as we cruise the inside straight from Vancouver, BC to Steward, AK. Each day we will post some pictures and a little about our adventure.
If you then think that you would like to have a similar experience, just drop to the bottom of the page and reach out! I will be happy to plan this for you!
7-Night Cruise Itinerary
(Departing from Vancouver, British Columbia)
Click on day to jump to that day
Pre-Day 1: Flight from Detroit, MI to Vancouver, BC
Day 1: Depart Vancouver, British Columbia
Day 2: Fun Day at Sea
Day 3: Fun Day at Sea
Day 4: Ketchikan, Alaska
Day 5: Sitka, Alaska
Day 6: Skagway, Alaska
Day 7: Hubbard Glacier
Day 8: Seward, Alaska
Post Day 9: Flight from Anchorage, AK to Detroit, MI
Pre-Day 1: - Flight from Detroit, MI to Vancouver BC
The trip is already starting off with a bit of excitement!
We traveled on West Jet from Detroit to Vancouver. We were very glad to hear that the strike only lasted a day and that it had been settled.
Now for the packing. What do you pack for the expected weather? A little bit of everything.
- Shirts: Short sleeve, Long sleeve, a dress shirt, a couple collared shirts and a sweat shirt
- Pants: Shorts, Jeans, Dress, and water proof
- Rain Coat
- Shoes: Sneakers, dress shoes, hiking shoes, flip flops
Don't evan ask what in the wife's suit case!
Flight on West Jet was excellent. Staff was great and very helpfull. Line at airport was very short and we were at the far end of the terminal (where it seems all of flights leave) in no time.
Vancouver is a pretty neat city. We should have done a litle more research on what to do for the day. Part of the group went to the Gardens and had a great time. The other part of the group took naps. The 3:30 am wake up call took it's tole.
Day 1 - Embarkation Day from Vancouver
Vancouver - 75 degrees and sunny
After all of the planning and packing, it was finally here! The day to get on the ship and emark on the adventure.
First a shout out to the staff at the Holiday Inn Vancouver Airport and our Limo Service. Top notch people and service. Our driver navigated the Vancouver trafic like a pro (26 years experience) and dropped us off at the front door.
Boarding was a breeze. These folks have done this a few time. One thing that was a little different - We took our luggage all of the way in to the terminal building before dropping it off. Other cruises, the porters took it from us as soon as we arrived at the port. This wasn't bad, just different.
Once on board, we did our safety check in and we were free to head to lunch. We had the Key, so we went to the dinning room. See photo below for menu. The shimp coctail was one of the best that I have ever had - I may have had 2 of them.... They know how to put the Horseradish in the cocktail sauce! The Filet wasn't bad either.
Our rooms were ready shortly after after that. Our room is on deck 10, all of the way forward. We can see straight out of the front. Being in the front, our room is slightly larger, with a sitting area by the window. Other than that, it is a typical cruise ship room. The beds were combined which created a King size bed. The bathroom is the typical "spacious" bathroom.
For our "afternoon snack", we took a quick trip to the 270 Bistro. The Reuben was as good as remembered. Today was only a 1 Rueben day...tomorrow may be diferent.
Rather than doing the main dining for dinner, we purchased specialty dining at the Izumi Teppanyaki for Hibachi. WOW! It was excellent. Easily the best hibachi experience that I have had. Rafael was our server and he was busy. There was never a dry Sake cup at the table. Our end of cruise review will certainly give him a 10!
After dinner it was time for a walk around the desk to enjoy the sunset over British Columbia. Part of the crew broke off to see the comedian show. I will review that after we have all had a chance to catch up.
No cruise is complete without a few cocktails. The bar staff is top notch at every turn. You won't go without a drink for very long.
Stop back tomorrow for Day 2!
Day 2 - Fun Day at Sea
At Sea - AM: 57 degrees, a bit of rain. PM: 65 degres and sunny
Our day began by looking out our front window and seeing a pod of Orca's. There were water spouts every few seconds with them rolling across the surface and a few tails sticking up in the air. What a way to start the day and our first full day at sea.
From there we went to the Solarium Bistro for breakfast. It is much quieter than the Windjammer buffet. You can still get made to order omlettes, oatmeal, eggs, bacon, potatoes and fresh fruit. You can't miss the pastry island, especially if you need your daily chocolate crossiant, cinnamon doughnut and/or cinnamon roll.
After1st breakfast, it was time for me to grab a mamosa and update our blog!
The rest of the morning was exploring the ship, participating in many activities like Who Am I trivia, Cartoon Theme Song Trivia, and Origami. Part of the group was even thinking about all that we ate and particpated in the morning water aerobics. Of cource, many of these activites are located in one of the many bars on board. There may have been a few morning coctails to go with the fun.
After stopping off for a pre-lunch of a griled rueben, it was time to head to the Windjammer buffet for lunch. If you want it, you can find it to eat at the Windjamer. Meat and potatoes - no problem. Sea Food - got you covered. Vegan - We got that. Salad - not sure why, but we have that too! Looking around our group table, we had a little bit of everything.
For the afternoon, the group split up to participate in all that the ship has to offer. Some went to the Casino, some to the pool and some to the pubs. There is always plenty to do...sometimes there are multiple things at the same time. That is where the calendar in the phone app comes in handy. We also went to the Whales of Alaska presentation. I had no idea that there were so many different types of whales in the water around us.
Before getting ready for dinner, it was time for the pre-dinner, afternoon snack. We swung through the coffee shop that is NOT Starbucks, but I had a Frappichino. After ordering, I noticed the bottles of additional flavorings. Maybe tomorrow it will be a Jameson Frappichino. No snack is complete with swinging through Sorrentos for a couple slices of pepperoni pizza.
The night was Dress Your Best Night, so we went back to the room to get ready. Waiting for us on the bed was a cute towel elephant, which is now watching over us for the day...or maybe the week.
Dinner was great. We all had something different. Escargot, calamari and wedge salads were favoriate appitizers. Main courses consisited of steak with a pepper sauce, chicken cordon bleu and seafood pasta. It was a multiple dessert night also. You can never go wrong with creme brulee and /or warm apple cobbler with ice cream. Why choose which one, get both! You will walk enough from end to end of the ship to burn off those calories.
We ended the evening by going to the 270 lounge for a few drinks and the 270 Experience multi-media show. WOW! Royal spent 32 million dollars for this theater with 6 industrial robots flipping, spinning and positioning 6 huge TV\Monitors. It is a show that you must see to believe.
Day 3 - Fun Day at Sea
At Sea - AM: 57 degrees, sunny. PM: 65 degres and sunny
Another fun day at sea. Weather has been perfect. Seas have been smooth. This has made it excellent for whale watching. Everyone in our group as spotted whales today. Some have been far away and some have been close by. What an experience!
The day started with a great breakfast in the Solarium Bistro. Plenty of hot food, fresh fruit and, of course, chocolate crossiants.
The highlight of the morning was the Gally Tour and champagne brunch. We toured the hardest working part of the that never sleeps. What this team does is simply amazing. Fun Fact: The most popular food item on board is Cookies. They make 8,000 - 9,000 cookies every day! After the tour, we had brunch. Our group had the Seafood Linguine, Lemon Pepper Chicken, and Waffles, with plenty of mimosa's to quench our thirst.
In the afternoon, we attended a presentation on the Bears of Alaska. Now that we know who is who out there in the wild, we can't wait to spot them! The rest of the day was just relaxing and watching for whales. And snacking. No afternoon is complete without a "fun" coffee and a slice of pepperoni pizza.
Dinner was a Taste of Italy. Our group was divided in our orders. One half ordered the Chicken Parm, the other half all ordered Steaks. Appetizers mostly included Minestrone soup, Ceasar Salads and Polenta Fries. Desserts included Lemon Tartlets, Hazel-Nut Cakes and Coffee Pot De Creme. Nobody left hungry.
The eveing concluded by first stopping in the Royal Theater to listen to Daryl J. Williams. It was a great show. After that we ventored into the Sound Cellar to listen to a band and some Karaoke. The karaoke singers were backed up by the live band. That was different.
Day 4 - Ketchikan
Weather: 60 - 65 Degrees, Cloudy to Sunny
Our ship arrived in Ketchikan around 6:00 am. It was a beautiful cruise into the port with the sun rising. The sunrise starts at about 5:00 am. It is worth the early wake up to experience it. If you are from the Eastern time zone, it is not really that early.....4 hour time difference. First breakfast by the windows was the best way to start the day.
The highlight of the morning was the trip into town in order to catch our boat for the Whale Watching tour. The benefit of working with a travel advisor is that we booked directly with the tour company, which eliminated the "up charge" associated with booking on the cruise.
Our whale watching tour chased "Splash" around the waters surrounding Ketchikan. We also saw several seals hanging out on the rocks under the watchful eye of a bald eagle. The tour company was great. We learned a lot about the area, wild life, and the people of the area. We also had some light snacks on board. A big shout out to the staff at Eagle One Tours for making this a great experience.
After the whale watching, what would any stop be without a little shopping. You can find exactly what you are looking for (just ask them) at the many shops in town and at the cruise port. We picked out our customary refridgerator magnet as we do at most stops.
We returned to the ship for lunch at the Windjammer. The food is excelent as always. Our room was being guarded the day by our towel animal...I think that is a dinosaur.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent hanging out watching some more Karaoke and some trivia...and of course some cocktails. Thumbs up for the chocolate martini in the Sound Stage.
The group wasn't really in the mood for the dining room experience, we we just went back up to the Windjammer. It was Mexican night, we we made some tacos, fajitas, and other goodies. Of course we had to eat our quota of cookies.
Before heading back to the room, we stopped in the theater to watch the Royal version of the Price is Right.
The benefit of a front facing room is the view. This night did not disappoint. As we made our way to our next destination, the sunset and the calm waters was something that needs to be experienced to be believed.
Stop back tomorrow to see our adventures in Sitka and a rain forest hike.
Day 5 - Sitka
Weather: AM: 55 degrees partly cloudy \ PM: 65 Sunny
I think that Sitka is my happy place. We pulled into port with the sunrise. It was absolutely breathtaking.
We opted for room service for first breakfast since it was a self guided tour day. As we ate breakfast a bald eagle landed in the tree outside of our window. Nothing seemed to bother him. He just kept a watchful eye on what was going on. We then met other members of our group for second breakfast and to start the day.
As we got off the ship, they were grilling reindeer hot dogs at the bottom of the ramp. Since it hard to find them at home, we needed to try a little snack to keep us going. After all, we hadn't eaten in minutes. We then proceeded on to the Sitka National Historical Center. A great shout out to Theresa and her husband at Baranof Taxi & Tours. Theresa picked us up and took us to the center. Her husband picked us up and took us back.
The Sitka National Historical Center was great. Part of the center focuses on the local history of the Tlingit people and their traditional totem poles. The other section of the center is a rain forest with easy to walk trails. Besides the natural beauty was the streams full of Salmon as they returned home lay their eggs. Trees in this forest could be thousands of years old and the Salmon have been coming here far longer than that. A little hint, have your Google Lens handy. There are many interesting plants and trees. You can find out anything that you need to know.
We returned to the ship thanks to the Baranof Taxi, who dropped us off right at the ship. The drive back with the coast in site was stunning. One of the best aspects was no school bus shuttle required to get us back.
The other half of the group took an excursion from the ship to drive ATV's on Sitka. A boat whisked them away to the other side of the island where they drove trails up to and around volcano on the island. They stopped many time for photo opportunities and to experience the landscape around them.
Part of the afternoon was spent relaxing in the rooms and around the ship. Our eagle friend returned to his tree to watch the seals playing in the harbor. Not a view that I can get at home.
As the ship departed Sitka, we headed for dinner in the main dining room. The theme of the day was Taste of the Caribbean. Highlights included Coconut Shrimp, Bao Tacos, Tiger Shrimp, Jerk Chicken, Pineapple Cake and Blueberry Cobbler. Once again, no one left hungry.
We concluded the evening visiting a few of our favorite places on the ship for some cool, refreshing beverages. It was pretty cloudy, so no great sunsets....we will have to wait for sunrise to get the next opportunity.
Stop back tomorrow to see what Skagway is like and experience a photography excurson.
Day 6 - Skagway
Weather: AM: 65 Sunny \ PM: 75 Sunny (Heat Advisory for the area)
Our day began like most others. Room service delivering breakfast so that we can watch our entry into port. As we cruised in through the fjord, we watched the sunrise between the mountains until we arrived at port.
It was a early out day because we booked a photography excursion from Royal Caribbean and it began at 8:00 am. Our guide was Mike from Rainbow Glacier Adventures. He was awesome! It didn't matter what kind of camera you had or what your experience was, he knew the best way to get the photo that you were looking for. Many people just had the camera on their phones. We went by a couple lakes that were so smooth, they reflected the mountains behind them. He also took us by a couple of waterfalls, a glacier view, and to the overlook of town.
He dropped most of the group off in downtown Skagway for some site seeing. Part of group got off there. They had a great time in town. It is much the same as in the 1800's during the gold rush time. There are several small shops owned by the people of town. That is where we like to shop when in port. There may have even been one or two shops where a tee shirt could be purchased.
Another part of our group decided on a self guided day. They hiked on both sides of town. One side has a pretty flat hike out to the point to look back into town. The other side of town is a bit more rugged hike of about 3 miles up about 500 feet to Lower Dewey Lake, which overlooks the town. It was a spectacular view.
The rest of us made our way back to the ship to have lunch at the 270 bistro (yes, another rueben or two) and enjoy the view from the back of the ship. The remainder of the afternoon was spent relaxing with another cocktail or two, some trivia games, and music at many of the ships venues.
It was lobster night for dinner in the main dinning room. The food was great as always and everyone ordered the lobster for at least 1 of their entrees.
As the ship pulled out and went exited the fjord, we were treated to another glorious Alaskan sunset. Another day of wonderful memories.
Day 7 - Hubbard Glacier \ Day at Sea
Weather: At Glacier: 43 Sunny \ At Sea: 65 Sunny
The day began as our ship entered the fjord to Hubbard Glacier. What better way to watch the granite mountain sides go by than with breakfast at the window! It took about an hour to reach the glacier. We viewed the glacier for a while from our window then went out on deck to feel the cool, crisp air was the ship spun so that everyone could enjoy the view. We also enjoyed some hot chocolate while standing out on deck viewing the glacier. The ship within a couple of miles of the glacier due to the ice fields out in front of it. The scenery around the glacier is almost beyond explanation. There are snow capped mountains, mini icebergs and more of that clear air that makes Alaska so wonderful.
It was our last full day on the ship, so we had to experience the last of our favorite snack foods for the afternoon. It was off to the 270 for some more cocktails and ruebens, and what would the afternoon be without a slice from Sorrento's!
The afternoon was filled with some activities. There was general knowledge trivia and Michael Jackson Name That Tune, just to name a couple. There was also the Love and Marriage Game show in the Theater. That is always fun to watch.
It was also our last night in the dining room. There were many good options again. It was our last chance to have a couple appetizers, an entrée, and a couple deserts.
As we returned to our room to enjoy the sunset, we noticed that room attendant had been busy again as a towel turkey was waiting for us to return. Our last Alaskan sunset did not disappoint. It was just disappointing that it was our last sunset. (for now).
Day 8 - Seward to Anchorage
Weather: AM: 55 Sunny \ PM: 75 Sunny
Even though it was the last of the cruise, our adventure was not over. Part of the group extended their vacation with extra days through Denali National Forest and days in Anchorage and Homer. More will come when we get reports in from them.
Our part of the group began the trek home. There is no room service on the last day but we were still able to enjoy the sunrise as we came into Seward. We were not the only ones to enjoy the sunrise (see picture below). Since we purchased the Key, we had a special breakfast before we left the ship. Steak and eggs is always a great way to start the day.
The ship docked in Seward but our flight home was from Anchorage, since there is no airport in Seward. We decided a multi-stop tour was a great way to spend the day before out 10:30 pm flight left Anchorage. Our driver Alan from Anchorage Cruise Transportation was absolutely great. He has a wealth of knowledge and knows how to tell a great story. Between stops we heard about history of Seward, the life and times of William H. Seward and about the Iditarod. All tales that you will need to hear in order to believe.
Our first stop was at the Exit Glacier National Park. There were 3 different trails to take in order to see the glacier. Since we were only there for a short time, only 2 were recommended. The other was a multi-day trail. The river and the view of the glacier was incredible.
On the road, we made an impromptu stop by Kenai Lake just because it was a beautiful day and an awesome view.
Our second (scheduled) stop was at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Here we were finally able to see the bear, moose and other animals that we had been looking for at all of our stops. Besides bear and moose, the center also has musk ox, wolves, caribou, and reindeer.
Our final stop before the airport was in Girdwood. Here we stopped at the Alyeska Resort where our tour included tickets to ride the tram to the top of the mountain. The tram ride takes you up over 2,000 feet in 7 minutes. During the winter, this is a world class ski resort. During the summer, it is home to some of the best views in the area, where you can see up to 30 miles down the fjord to the pacific ocean.
From there, we boarded our bus (deluxe motor coach) and headed the remaining way to Anchorage. We were looking for beluga whales out in the fjord, but didn't see any. We did see some sheep walking on the shear side of the mountain. That was interesting.
Our Delta fight took us home on a "red eye" flight, which made for one LONG day.
Wrap Up \ Reflection
Alaska is one of my favorite places on earth. This was our second time there and it was just as spectacular the second time as it was the first.
Here is my refection about this adventure.
We travelled as a group, but we didn't do everything as a group. We all had individual styles and ways to enjoy ourselves. We met up for dinner on most nights and encountered each other during the day to share our daily adventures. Overall, a great group experience.
Positive Aspects of the trip
- Alaska. The people of Alaska are great. Everyone we met was friendly and helpful. The air is clean and pure. The majesty. You need to see it to believe it.
- The Ovation of the Sea felt like a new ship. It was recently redone and new venues added.
- Room in the front of the ship offered extra space and great views. A great alternative to a balcony room.
- Weather - Perfect days. Warm and sunny.
Not so Positive Aspects of the trip
- Weather - The August dates felt like summer. (To Me) Alaska should be chilly and brisk, maybe even a little rainy.
- Some venues in the ship felt crowded. Some activities were held in the bar area's and many people wanted to participate.
- Main dining room food was a little inconsistent and not quite what I have experienced on my other Alaskan cruise or other Royal Caribbean cruises.
Things that I would do different
- Much sea life can be seen from the ship. We saw orca's, whales, otter's and seals from the ship or pier. I would consider more land based excursions to see the land based animals (bears, moose, etc.).
- The "Red Eye" flight. I would consider either staying the night in Anchorage and catching an early flight out, do a "round trip" cruise or (if time allows) do back to back cruising where you stay on the ship and take the next sailing back.
- Early Season Cruise - I like my Alaska cold - or at least chilly. It also brings snow capped mountains, waterfalls from snow melt and active animals. May and June would be that time.
It was a great trip and I would go back in an instant.
If this trip is something that you think you would like to experience, then let me know. Next year is already booking up. I can help you experience this awesome adventure for yourself.
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