Thank you for your thoughts and sharing your experiences. I think we are leaning towards the Jewel Seward-Vancouver route. The flights are going to be brutal from Upstate NY, there is just no way to get around that, there are no non-stop flights, sadly.
Any tips for where to stay and what not to miss in Anchorage or Seward as we will be flying in 2 days early to help get acclimated before the cruise, it would be much appreciated.