Alaska is a bucket list destination for many – including my family. We had been discussing taking an Alaska cruise before COVID, and finally made the trip the first week of June. The stunning beauty of the 49th state is indescribable. From the magnificent glaciers to the expansive and untouched wilderness, Alaska is a dream destination.
Our adventure lasted 14 days with a 7 night Alaskan cruise included in our itinerary. Our cruise was the 7-Day Alaska cruise from Seward to Vancouver: Glaciers, Skagway & Juneau on the Norwegian Jewel. This included the popular Alaska Inside Passage cruise where we spent a day leisurely weaving through the islands on the Pacific Northwest coast – absolutely stunning!
Instead of taking an Alaska land and sea cruise with a ship sponsored land tour, we decided to explore some of the cities for a few extra days on our own. Next time we’ll likely include a visit to Denali National Park and possibly add in a road trip. My parents and in-laws previously took an Alaska land and sea cruise and enjoyed the ship organized train rides and accommodation. However, we prefer doing things at our own pace, so we created our own land tour.
Don’t miss What to Wear on an Alaska Cruise: Printable Packing List
Off to Alaska We Go:
We flew United Airlines first class from Norfolk, VA to Anchorage, AK. The 2nd leg of our journey was 7 hours, so I wanted to be comfortable. Luckily, we had plenty of Ultimate Reward points to transfer to United. We only paid $22.40 total in taxes for our flight! The Chase Sapphire and the Sapphire Reserve are two great credit card options to earn UR’s – We used the Reserve.
Arriving around 8pm, we ended up taking a cab from the airport to our hotel for $21 plus tip. Uber prices had doubled by the time our luggage came out. Surprise, surprise! There were plenty of taxis lined up, so that was a better option to get on the road quickly .
We chose the Marriott Anchorage Downtown for our 2 night stay in Anchorage. The hotel is a bit dated, but the staff were all friendly and the room was clean. The location was great, and we had a lot of Marriott points and free nights available from credit card bonus offers. Derrick and I both have the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless which gives you a free night award every card year anniversary. I also have the AMEX business credit card for another annual free night award.
We were upgraded to the Concierge Level due to having Gold status from my credit card. This gave us access to the Concierge lounge. Breakfast was complementary in the lounge along with a happy hour, bottled water and sodas. However, the lounge was closed on the weekend. I’m always disappointed how these perks aren’t available for weekend travelers.
First Full Day in Alaska:
After breakfast in the Concierge lounge, we finally made it out to explore Anchorage around 10am. K had a bit of work for his summer class to complete before we could start our day. First, we walked all around the downtown area. I would skip that and just focus on wandering “Main Street” 4th Ave. and the Mushing District for some shopping, good restaurants and learning about the history of dog mushing.
The Alaska Mint is a cool store if you want locally handcrafted jewelry, knives, painted ivory, coins, gold nuggets, and more. While most items are made in Alaska, they will tell you if something is made elsewhere. K purchased a fillet knife made with Oosik – a bone that only the male Walrus has…. You might want to explore that on your own.