Before this trip, I wrote about how I chose my Azamara Alaska cruise. I had compared the itinerary, ship, cabin, transportation, complete trip cost, and the compromises that came with the choice. At that point, however, all I could evaluate was whether the decision made sense on paper.
Now I have taken the cruise. That does not make every question easy to answer. A cruise can work well without every part of it being worth repeating, and something I enjoyed because of unusual pricing may not make sense at its normal cost. Looking back at the trip that way is more useful than deciding whether Azamara is simply an enjoyable cruise line or whether everyone should choose the same kind of Alaska cruise.
What I wanted to know was much narrower: Did this cruise deliver the kind of Alaska trip I was trying to create?
The Cruise Planning Got the Most Important Things Right
The strongest part of the original decision was not any individual feature of the ship. It was the combination of the ship and itinerary with the way I wanted to experience Alaska.
I already knew that I liked smaller ships, so this cruise was never a test of whether I would prefer fewer passengers to a large resort-style ship. What I learned was how well that preference worked with this particular destination. I did not need the ship to fill every hour with entertainment because there was so much reason to look outside, slow down, or simply stay where I was for a while.
The itinerary also gave me the kind of pace I had hoped for. Alaska can become a trip built around maximizing ports and excursions, but that was not what I wanted from this cruise. I wanted enough activity to experience the destination without feeling as though every day needed to become a project.
This was particularly evident at Icy Strait Point, where I chose not to book an excursion. Instead, a fellow traveler and I walked off the ship to explore on our own. It was a little rainy, but we took the free gondola from our berth to the other side of the port area, where we found museums, shops, restaurants, and extended shoreline paths. Other ships were in port, but the area never felt particularly crowded. After walking for a while, we took the gondola back and had a late lunch onboard.
The day worked precisely because I did not feel obligated to turn every port into an excursion. That distinction is worth remembering when comparing cruises. The better choice depends on more than which sailing has the longest port list.
Alaska Made Unscheduled Time More Valuable Than I Expected
Some of my favorite parts of the cruise were not things I could have selected in advance. Scenery is an obvious part of an Alaska cruise, but I underestimated how often it would affect what I chose to do. There were times when watching what was outside was enough. I did not need to add an activity simply because something was happening elsewhere on the ship.
That also changed the way I thought about downtime. Reading, having coffee, sitting on the balcony, taking photographs, or doing very little did not feel like time between the “real” parts of the cruise. Those periods became part of the Alaska experience.
We had a couple of afternoons with temperatures in the 60s, and I spent part of one of them on the balcony crocheting while the scenery passed by. At one point, a house along the shoreline caught my attention. A little research later revealed that it was the caretaker’s cottage for the abandoned Butedale Cannery.
I have always valued quiet space on a cruise ship, but this trip reinforced the difference between having somewhere quiet to retreat and deliberately choosing a quieter way to experience part of the trip. That is something I would factor into another Alaska cruise from the beginning.
Solo Travel Did Not Mean Doing Everything Alone
One of the most useful things I learned had less to do with Alaska than with traveling solo on a ship where it was relatively easy to connect with other passengers. I travel alone because I value the independence, not because I want to avoid other people. There is a considerable difference between the two. I want to be able to decide how I spend my day without negotiating every choice, while still having opportunities to share dinner, an excursion, an activity, or a conversation when I want company.
This cruise gave me more of that balance than I expected. There were several other solo travelers on this sailing, and some already knew one another from previous cruises. The group was fluid rather than fixed. I organized a couple of specialty-restaurant dinners for a small group, usually making the plans only a day in advance. Other days, I joined an existing planned activity or simply went my own way.
What worked particularly well was that joining did not create an obligation to stay joined. I could have dinner with people one evening, participate in something together the next day, and still decide later that I wanted to spend a few hours alone. Nobody had to coordinate the entire trip around everyone else’s preferences.
For me, that may be one of the better definitions of a cruise line or sailing that works well for solo travel. It is not simply a matter of offering a solo gathering or being willing to seat one person at dinner. The environment makes it easy enough to connect that I do not have to work at creating a social life, while leaving me free to step away whenever I want.
Traveling solo did not require choosing between being alone and traveling with a group. I could move between the two.
The Continent Suite Taught Me More About What I Actually Value in a Cabin
My experience with the Continent Suite needs some context because this was not a normal decision to spend substantially more for a suite. The cruise was repriced more than once, and the changes eventually allowed me to move into the Continent Suite while still improving the overall economics of the booking. I therefore cannot finish the trip and say that everyone taking an Alaska cruise should pay the usual difference for the same category. What I can do is identify what I used.
The balcony is the clearest example. On an itinerary where scenery continues between ports, private outdoor space had more value than it would on some of my other cruises. The additional indoor space also gave me room to work, sit somewhere other than the bed, and spend meaningful time in the cabin without feeling as though I should leave simply to have somewhere comfortable to be.
Because I am not particularly interested in dealing with a crowd before I have had coffee, I appreciated having coffee and a light breakfast delivered at 6:30 each morning. I could start the day slowly without getting ready simply to find my first cup of coffee.
There were also suite benefits that need to be separated into different categories. Some made the trip noticeably easier or more comfortable. Others were pleasant because they were included but would not necessarily persuade me to pay a large premium on another sailing.
The suite included a couple of benefits I likely would have paid for separately. I used the included specialty dining on four of the eight nights, and the internet access was important for work and trip-related communication.
The crew throughout the ship was excellent, including the butler service that came with the suite. Because I tend to handle most things myself, however, having a butler would not influence my cabin choice. It was convenient to arrange specialty dining through him and know who would be delivering room service, but I would not pay substantially more for a cabin simply to have that service.
I also left some included benefits unused, including access to the Thalassotherapy Pool and breakfast in Aqualina. Neither fit the way I wanted to spend my time on this cruise.
That is much more useful to me than asking whether the suite was “worth it.” If I compare another cruise with a large price difference between cabin categories, I now have better information about what I would actually be buying.
Service Was Most Valuable When It Removed Friction
Premium cruise lines often describe service in broad terms, but the examples I remember from this trip are smaller and more practical. I am less interested in whether someone knew my name than in what happened when I needed something. Did a problem get handled? Was it easy to get an answer? Did the service save time or make the cabin, dining experience, or day ashore easier?
I have found that most “problems” are just a question that hasn’t been answered yet. On this cruise, I ran into an issue opening the balcony door. A call to the butler brought him right to the cabin. There was a mechanical issue, and he showed me a simple way to work around it. I had to call him again when the same problem returned later in the cruise, but the second time we figured out the cause and I had no further trouble with the door.
Those interactions are also helping me distinguish between service I appreciate and service I would pay significantly more to receive. There is value in both, but they are not the same thing. I would rather make that distinction than use a general description such as “excellent service.” Specific examples tell another traveler much more about what the experience was actually like.
Some Concerns Mattered Less Once I Was Onboard
Every cruise decision includes factors that seem important during planning and become almost irrelevant once the trip begins. Those are just as useful to identify as the things that worked particularly well.
Before the cruise, I had seen several posts about changes to Azamara’s entertainment lineup and wondered whether the evening options would feel too limited. That concern turned out to be unnecessary. I went to most of the main shows and enjoyed them, even though entertainment was never one of the main reasons I chose this sailing.
It is also possible for something to matter less on this trip and more on another. I did not need a large entertainment schedule when Alaska itself occupied so much of my attention. That does not mean entertainment has stopped being relevant when I compare a different itinerary.
The trip still has to determine the priorities.
The Complete Cost Looks Different From the Cruise Fare
The final value of this trip cannot be judged from the cruise price alone.
I had to fly to Vancouver, stay overnight before sailing, pay for transportation, arrange pet care, carry travel insurance, and account for the other costs that came with taking the trip. Some expenses were reduced with points or travel benefits, which changed the amount of cash required without making those components of the trip disappear.
My Vancouver hotel is a good example. The 51,000 Marriott points replaced the $450 cash rate for the room. My hotel stay also included lounge access, which covered an evening snack when I arrived, bottled water, and a quick breakfast before I repacked and headed to the ship.
Once everything is added together, I can compare the original budget with what I actually spent.
| Trip cost | Amount paid | Notes |
| Azamara cruise | $2,069 | 8-night Azamara Pursuit Alaska cruise |
| Taxes and Fees | $50 | Other trip charges |
| Airfare | $1,500 | Transportation to/from Vancouver |
| Ground transportation | $334 | Parking and transportation |
| Pet care | $950 | Cost of care at home during the trip |
| Pre-cruise hotel | $0 cash | 51,000 Marriott Bonvoy points |
| Travel insurance | — | Covered by annual policy; annual premium $550 |
| Cash trip cost | $4,903 | Excludes the value of points and annual insurance premium |
| Average cost per trip day | $490 | Door-to-door costs for 10 days |
A note about the total: The $4,903 reflects the cash costs I assigned directly to this trip. My Vancouver hotel was covered with 51,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, and travel insurance was provided through an annual policy rather than purchased specifically for this cruise. The hotel stay also included food and beverage benefits that reduced some of my pre-cruise spending.
This is the reason I use complete trip cost when comparing cruises. A sailing that looks inexpensive can become considerably more expensive once the transportation and surrounding travel are included. A higher cruise fare may occasionally produce the better overall value if it reduces other expenses or fits the trip well enough that fewer add-ons are needed.
The Cruise Cost Planner is the tool I use to put those numbers beside one another before booking rather than discovering the complete cost after the trip is over.
What I Would Choose Again
There are several parts of this trip I would carry into another cruise decision. It starts with arriving at least a day before boarding and taking a direct flight whenever possible. I arrived late in the evening the night before, took a short shuttle ride to the hotel and was able to get a good night’s sleep before heading to the port.
The ship size and focus on casual, comfortable surroundings were important. Though I was able to eat dinner in specialty restaurants every day, I did not choose to do that. For future cruises, I would most likely buy a three- or four-meal specialty dining package and be satisfied with that.
The solo social environment was also well-suited to my style. Meeting other solo travelers, sharing dinner, or going ashore together were all easy possibilities. I ate a few meals alone and that was fine as well. Having those options is what is important to me.
The important qualification is that I would not necessarily reproduce the whole trip. Good travel planning is not about finding one successful combination and repeating it indefinitely. It is about understanding why something worked well enough to know when it makes sense again.
For example, I can value the Continent Suite and still decide that I would book a veranda on another sailing if the suite price were substantially higher. I can prefer a smaller ship for this Alaska experience and still choose a large ship when entertainment or onboard variety is more important to the trip.
That is why the individual conclusions matter more than whether I would simply repeat the reservation.
What I Would Change
A useful post-trip review also has to include the choices I would make differently. Some changes may be specific to Alaska, while others may change how I compare cruises more generally. The distinction matters. A decision can be wrong for one trip without becoming a permanent travel rule.
For this particular trip, I would likely choose at least one more extensive excursion to see the area. Since it was my first trip to Alaska, I was not sure what I would want to do other than see some wildlife. My excursion went out into the bay where we saw sea otters, whales, eagles, and Steller sea lions. On my next Alaska trip, I would choose a longer or more extensive wildlife excursion.
This is also where actual cost becomes particularly useful. Something I enjoyed may still fall into the category of “not at that price,” while something I barely considered during booking may deserve more of the budget next time.
So, Did I Choose the Right Cruise for Alaska?
Yes. The more complete answer is why.
The cruise worked when the parts I had compared before booking came together in practice: the pace of the itinerary, a ship environment that did not compete with Alaska for my attention, enough private and public space to slow down when I wanted, and the flexibility to travel independently without spending the entire cruise alone.
My previous Azamara cruises had already shown me that the Living Room could be a comfortable place to read, work, or crochet. On this sailing, I often spent part of the mid-morning there while keeping an eye out for whales or other wildlife.
Not every feature was equally important, and I would not pay any price to recreate the same experience. That is part of the answer too. For instance, I would not pay the usual premium for the Continent Suite, even though I enjoyed having it on this trip.
When I started this cruise-choice series, I argued that comparing cruises should begin with the trip you are trying to create rather than with the ship that has the most features or the fare that looks cheapest. After taking this one, I would make the same argument more strongly.
The useful question was never whether Azamara was the best Alaska cruise.
It was whether this Azamara cruise was the right one for the Alaska trip I wanted to take.
If you are comparing cruises and want help sorting through the itinerary, ship, cabin, transportation, and tradeoffs before you book, visit Book with Me to learn more about cruise-planning assistance.
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