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Alaska and the Yukon
in Alaska
Anyone going on the May 23 -June 7 trip?? Really looking forward to it!
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Lynn_2024. We are going June 14-28. So excited. I would love some tips and tidbits from you as there is nothing posted since they change the trip.
Auburn,
Your timing is great. We were in Alaska many years ago in June. On the longest day of the year, the park rangers gave guided tours at 11PM. It was still light on the days when the sun barely sets.
Ladies, please tell us about your experiences in May and June 2026.
We also are thinking about Alaska in 2027, interested in any and all comments. We have taken many Tauck land tours but always hesitated on cruises due to concern about seasickness.
Our Inside Passage tour in June last summer was smooth sailing. A wonderful trip!
We took the combined land and sea Alaska tour with Tauck a few years ago. It was our first large cruise ship experience and we hated it. The ship held over 3000 passengers but was only about half full, there was a lot of Covid on the ship too. The tour itinerary was changed just before we went, one of the lodges was closed and Ketchikan was eliminated. A broken down ferry caused us to miss the scenic train ride. We had to contact Tauck to have any chance of reimbursement for the missed train ride which turned out to be $90 each. The land part of the tour was fine. We realized very quickly that big cruise ships are not for us. We have taken many Tauck land tours and about five small ship cruises. We would class this as our least favorite Tauck experience.
I did Alaska on one of those big ships and found that I just don't enjoy big ships. Maybe it was because of the big ship, but Alaska was not one of my favorite cruises.
We were a group of 40 Tauck travelers within the 600 passengers on the Silver Moon.
A very enjoyable experience.
The beauty of Alaska was just stunning.
Thank you for all the feedback! I don’t think we would enjoy a large ship,either.
Any suggestions for alternatives? We are open to any and all ideas! I should add we need to do an inside passage trip since I’m concerned about seasickness!
Even a 600-750 passengre ship doesn't rock and roll unless the seas get really bad. Cruise ships have staibilizers that conteract the rolling motion. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stabilizer_(ship)
Here's some more:
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Cruise ships prevent rocking and rolling primarily using active stabilizer fins, which are wing-like structures that extend from the hull beneath the water. Controlled by gyroscopes and computers, these fins twist in the water to counteract the motion of waves .
Ships also rely on internal anti-rolling tanks and sheer mass.The technology that makes cruising so smooth relies on a combination of active systems, passive features, and ship design:
Stabilizer Fins: These are the primary defense against rough seas. Resembling airplane wings, they protrude from the ship's sides below the waterline and adjust their pitch hundreds of times per minute to exert force against the waves, keeping the ship level. Most modern Cruise Critic cruisers and experts generally note how incredibly efficient these are at typical cruising speeds.
Anti-Rolling Tanks:When a ship is moving too slowly for the fins to work (like docking) or when the water is extremely rough, ships use internal tanks. Computers pump heavy water or air pressure from side to side inside the ship, counteracting the ocean's rocking motion .
Bilge Keels:These are fixed, fin-like metal plates welded to the very bottom curves of the hull. They are passive stabilizers that create friction against the water, dragging on the ocean to naturally slow down and reduce the ship's side-to-side roll .
Mass and Design: Modern cruise ships are massive. Because thousands of tons of heavy machinery and ballast water are kept low in the hull (giving the ship a low center of gravity), it takes an enormous amount of wave force to bully the vessel around.