Alaska cruise hacks

Hacks are all the rage these days. Life hacks. Kitchen hacks. Camping hacks. You name it! Most of the time these articles are pretty stupid, but we are going to reverse that trend with some very useful hacks for cruise ship travelers. When you come to Alaska, you may be unprepared for every twist and turn that you may encounter. These Alaska cruise hacks are the answer to your prayers.

What the heck is a hack?

Well, I guess a hack refers to “hacking” into a computer. Hackers break into computers to steal your credit card information or identity. I also saw that movie Wargames where the hacker stops World War III because of a chess game or something. I can’t say for sure because I fell asleep. Anyway, I have no idea why they call them hacks because it really doesn’t make any sense when you think about it. Maybe it refers to hacking up firewood. I wish there were a hack for hacking firewood because that’s a hard job.

Get on with it!

Right. So we are talking about Alaska cruise hacks to make your trip to Skagway even better. Let’s get rolling, shall we?

Alaska cruise hacks # 1 – Bring a portable phone charger

Phones have become an extension of our body. Most tourists spend more time staring at their phone than they do looking at the incredible Alaskan scenery. If your phone runs out of power, you may have to engage in a conversation or miss a selfie opportunity. To avoid these terrifying possibilities, bring along one of those fancy portable cell phone chargers. When you’re out in the wilderness, there won’t be any charging stations, but you will be prepared. What a great hack idea!

Alaska cruise hacks #2 – Book your tours independently

This is a no-brainer. Tours are way more expensive on the ship. You can save money when you book independently. We recommend searching for authentic local businesses that employ real year-round Alaskan residents. This is responsible shopping and you will save a pile of money. Oh hey! We are a locally owned Skagway tour company! What a coincidence!

Alaska cruise hacks #3 – Find local libraries for free wifi

What’s the point of taking a picture of a mountain if you can’t share it immediately with friends back home and make them really jealous. They’re miserable at work, and you’re watching a bald eagle dive bombing a humpback whale. Local libraries in Alaska have all sorts of money so they usually provide free wifi to total strangers. Local residents still have to pay top dollar for wifi but you get it for free! Pretty amazing!

Alaska cruise hacks #4 – Offset your schedule

Everyone on your cruise ship is going to take a tour at 8 am in the morning, eat lunch at noon, do some shopping in the afternoon, and eat supper at 6 pm. To avoid the crowds, offset your schedule and enjoy some elbow room. In Skagway, you can visit a mostly deserted downtown in the morning, eat lunch at 11 am or 2 pm, and then take your tour in the afternoon. Eat supper at 9 pm. Go crazy! You should also ask for tour departures before 8 am because there are often fewer people on them. We can arrange that for you. What a coincidence!

Hack your way to a great cruise

There just isn’t enough space on this page for all of the hacks, so we will probably do another Alaska cruise hacks blog in the future. Until then, enjoy your cruise to Alaska.