I could desperately use some help here. Due to my son's football schedule we are limited to only two potential weeks to do a land/sea tour for next summer. I want to get this booked soon as many of the balcony rooms are starting to book up. My husband and I are in our early 40's and our kids will be 16 and almost 13. We are torn between the northbound Sapphire Princess leaving from Vancouver Memorial Day weekend, or the Radiance of the Seas leaving from Vancouver right before 4th of July. There are a few major differences that I am torn by:
* Sapphire goes to Glacier Bay whereas Radiance goes only to Hubbard Glacier
* Sapphire has an extra cruising day whereas Radiance stops at Icy Strait Point
* Sapphire goes to Ketchikan whereas Radiance goes to Sitka
* Sapphire finishes at Anchorage whereas Radiance finishes at Seward (So, my question with this is, is it worth spending time in Seward to hit Kenai Fjords NP)
* Sapphire has longer port days at Juneau and Skagway, whereas Radiance has shorter days in Sitka and Skagway and only late afternoon/evening in Juneau
The Sapphire Princess seems to be a better ship with more offerings, but that extra day at sea viewing College Fjord seems like it could be kind of boring. I also have done a ton of research and am having trouble figuring out which ship is more "kid-friendly". Excursion wise, we want to hit Mendanahll glacier, go dog-sledding, hiking, maybe kayaking, etc.
Any advice you can offer would be great. I don't know much about Icy Strait and if it is a worthwhile stop, or if Ketchikan is preferable to Sitka? Also, not sure if we are going to do a land portion after if we should prioritize perhaps spending time in Seward to do a boat tour in Kenai Fjiords. Any input you have is much appreciated!