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Here are my thoughts and recommendations on making a 7-Night Alaska one of your best vacations!
My daughter and I recently took a 7-night Alaska Cruise on Serenade of the Seas. When I started researching, there was a lot of information on the internet to help me make decisions about port excursions on then 7-night cruise. We picked some through the ship and did some exploring on our own. We enjoyed Sitka and Ketchikan on our own and did excursions through the ship in Juneau and Icy Strait Point.
Excursions through the ship are worth it in some ports and exploring on your own are worth it in others, it is all about what interests you.
We were traveling somewhat on a budget, so did not do the extravagant excursions like helicopters to glaciers, though I wish we could have! We are also somewhat outdoorsy and like a bit of adventure, with also seeing the local sites and visiting local establishments.
We definitely had some lessons learned too along the way. Here are three things to keep in mind:
- Your Ability: Royal Caribbean is pretty good about telling you in the excursion description what the level of difficulty is for their excursions. Definitely read that information and take it into consideration. We had people canoeing with us that did not know they would actually have to row.
- Weather, Weather, Weather: I cannot emphasize this enough, keep an eye on the weather and pick an excursion you will not mind doing in rain or cold. I went into my planning assuming for rain, and feeling blessed if we got a little sun.
- Budget and Pre-Plan: By booking some of the excursions through the ship, I was able to spread them out and help with my budget. I also pre-arranged other items in advanced, so I did not have to worry about having enough when arriving in the port.
Our Port by Port Excursions:
Sitka
Sitka was our first port. This was a town I was eager to explore, and wanted to get a stamp in my U.S. National Parks Passport! We rented E-bikes in Sitka. Best decision! We used Kings E-bikes to rent the bikes. We were not arriving until around Noon, but I did not want to be without a bike, so I reserved it well in advance and got them for the entire day. They are located right at the port and the pick up and return was SUPER easy!
Juneau
Juneau was our second port. In Juneau, we did an excursion through Royal Caribbean. Our ship did not offer the special excursion on the glacier viewing day to get closer, so I really wanted to get closer. We initially booked the Canoe and Trek at Mendenhall Glacier. The day before, the excursion was cancelled. Luckily, we were able to re-book quickly to do the Canoeing. We canoed across Lake Mendenhall, getting close to the glacier. Then, over to Nugget Falls and got off for a break and snack they provided. We then canoed back across the lake. We had a great time! But be prepared for a workout!
Icy Strait Point
This is another place that we did a Royal Caribbean excursion. My daughter REALLY wanted to see bears, so off searching for bears we went. We did the Bear Search and Whale Watching. This excursion was SO cool! We saw bears in the wild, even witnessed one running through the river and catching a salmon. We were also lucky enough to see some whales. Over all, this was a good experience, and a fairly small group, with 15 on the bus for the bear searching and about 30 on the whale watching boat. I highly recommend this one.
Ketchikan
We had no firm plans for Ketchikan, just walking and exploring. It rained most of the day, but we had a great time checking out the town. Visited the local book store and local restaurant, and hit the Totem Pole museum. Even with the rain, I think this was one of my favorite places!
If you are headed to Alaska later this season or in 2026, definitely check things out in advance and be flexible with your plans!
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