If I only have, give or take a day or 2, just 7 days vacation, what should I choose to do in Alaska ?

If you only have estimate 7 days of vacation and want to venture to Alaska, ultimately choose a 7 night cruise !

Why Choose to Cruise ?

* It’s laid back
* Meals, entertainment, and daily activities onboard are included
* No driving or figuring out how to get to another area of destination
* Where you go next is all planned for you
* Day time focus on the destination and night time do something different

Why not just choose to be solely on the land and take the Alaska Railroad ?
You can !

What type of opportunities will I adventure only on a land package that would not be available by Choosing just the cruise ?

Fishing ? Fishing is available in the ports of your cruise, such as Ketchikan or Juneau.
Can I pan for gold ? Yes, you can opt do this in Juneau.
Visit a dog sled camp ? Yes, @ $ 129 in Skagway.
Opportunity for a Salmon Bake ? Yes, this is available in Juneau
Take a train ride ? Yes, this is available in Skagway.
Can you go bear watching ? Yes, tour available in Icy Straight of on Royal Caribbean
Can you see Mt McKinley from the cruise ship ? No.
Can you go into a National Park such as Denali ? No.

Will I feel that I truly saw Alaska when Choosing to Cruise ?
Most definitely !

* Mountains (possibly with snow)
* Glaciers

* Salmon running
* Wildlife (birds, eagles, whales, etc)
* Towns
* History

Again, if I do not have time to do the land portion in Alaska, what advice can you give, in helping me feel that I have not missed some of the more simple yet explicite opportunities ?

Many folks want to at least touch Anchorage ! If you do a round trip cruise from Seattle or Vancouver, you do not get this chance at all. If you choose at least a North or Southbound cruise in Alaska, you will at least get to go to Anchorage, even if it’s only to fly in or out (airfare cost more). You then have that spectacular view of the sugar coated mountains coming into Anchorage (as long as not dark or cloudy), which is truly a plus.

Also, even if you do not have much more than a week for your vacation, you could opt to stay at least 2 nights in Anchorage before or after the cruise. If cruising in or out of Seward, you could opt for the fabulous train ride on Alaska Railroad to or from Anchorage. Then take another day, rent a car, and ride down to the Wildlife Refuge and go over and take a cruise to Portage Glacier. From jagged peaks and alpine meadows to breathtaking fjords and crystal lakes, this tour of the Seward Highway offers a concentrated series of diverse landscapes and experiences found together nowhere else in the nation. These are my 4 most favorite things, however, they are actually outside of Anchorage (south).