Have been on AK cruise twice. The first time we thought it would be a "once in a lifetime experience", but two summers later we were back. We were lucky to have outstanding weather both trips. Chose Princess ships, Sun and Dawn, both times because we prefered their itinerary. Wanted more nature and less ports.
Over the course of both trips we went flightseeing over Misty Fjords in a Beaver float plane and Salmon fishing in Ketchikan, whale watching and pilot's choice helicopter trips to land on glaciers in Juneau, took the train, hiked to upper and lower Dewey lakes, catamaraned to see sea lions and whales, canoed to the face of a glacier in Skagway. We took advantage of a cruise tour and rode the Alaska railroad from Seward to Fairbanks (Spending the night at the Captain Cook hotel in Anchorage and the Denali Princess in Denali National Park). We white water rafted down the Nenana River (a river created by the melting Nenana Glacier), took a naturalist tour of Denali National Park, visited Jeff King's kennels (several time Ididerod (sp) champ) -- all near Denali. In Fairbanks we did the river boat tour with all of its trappings, visited the Alaska Pipeline up close and personal, panned for gold and lastly flew over the Yukon River and Brooks Mountain Range to visit the town of Wiseman located north of the Arctic Circle. Alaska is for ALL AGES!
Alaska is my favorite destination (so far). We are heading to the Panama Canal next month. I may have a new favorite when I get back, but I doubt it.
:TX