Alaska Advice Needed

Hello Everyone,

We've decided to do 2 weeks in Alaska in Aug/Sept of this year. We know we're late to the party, yet we'd still like to do this. We are looking at Princess and HAL. We thought the 14 night on Star, Golden, or Island out of Vancouver would be best, yet cabin availibility is very limited (no minisuites with cover, a few balconies cabins that might work - they're so small though) and I am beginnning to look at a B2B (north and southbound) on HAL and the possibilty of a Vista Suite on a least one leg. For the last 5 years we've cruises Celebrity exclusivly. It's our first cruise to Alaska and Glacier Bay is non-negotiable. The one difference I see with the HAL itinerary is no Hubbard glacier on the southbound, which Princess has. Should this be a deal breaker? Would you do a small aft cabin baclony on Princess or peice together 2 - 7 day cruises in larger cabin on HAL if you could (considering Hubbard will be missed)? We are also concerned about sailing any new line, since we're so used to X. Not sure if Princess or HAL will fit us, but I keep hearing itinerary is everything.

We've also considered land touring for 7 days and then taking a southbound, but I'm seeing a lot of the hotels booked and we're not really intersted in a cruisetour. Not keen on spending much time in Fairbanks with cheesy excursions. I'd rather spend time in Denali, Seward, Homer and on the Kenai. Now we're thinking there's less hassle with 14 days of cruising (unpacking, longer flights, more expensive flights, etc.), but we're still staying open to a DIY land trip.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I feel I'm running out of time and should book something very soon. I've posted something similar on the Princess boards too. Thanks.

We chose the CORAL Princess, southbound...

Princess does Alaska very well!!!! I can't compare with HAL, but I can def. say that

However, I just looked at the late August sailing, and yes, only two, probably un-covered, mini suites showing????

You might know that the Coral Princess is often recommended over the Island, since all the changes to the Island in the major retrofit. The Coral is a smaller, and somewhat older ship. Space sometimes seemed a little tight in the Atrium, etc... It is a great ship for Alaska!!! Low key vibe... Especially on these Alaska sailings. The focus IS on Alaska. The entertainment was good!!! The MDR, both food and service, was EXCELLENT!!! The buffet was just bad. Hopefully somebody else in charge of that since we sailed a couple years ago.

I like the idea of a mixed land and sea, with a Southbound.

We did the 26 Glacier tour out of Whittier just before we boarded our cruise. That was really great! With that, you get to see College Fjord, as well as Hubbard, and Glacier Bay, and all other ports on the cruise.

You might want to compare the pre-post cruise tour opportunities on both HAL and Princess departures.

Hubbard Glacier can be amazing!!!! Or, I understand that it can often be fogged in. The day we were there, we saw the glacier, with a low ceiling of clouds and fog over the glacier. Which obscured the background mountains.

Good luck with your decisions!!!

Alaska is amazing!!!

Have you checked out the Zaandam's 14 day cruise out of Seattle to see what cabins are left?

It does both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier -- also Homer, Kodiak, Icy Straight Point and Anchorage.

Have you checked out the Zaandam's 14 day cruise out of Seattle to see what cabins are left?

It does both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier -- also Homer, Kodiak, Icy Straight Point and Anchorage.

It does not do Glacier Bay, from what I saw. We would do this in a heartbeat if it did. Not sure why they omit it.

We chose the CORAL Princess, southbound...

Princess does Alaska very well!!!! I can't compare with HAL, but I can def. say that

 

However, I just looked at the late August sailing, and yes, only two, probably un-covered, mini suites showing????

 

You might know that the Coral Princess is often recommended over the Island, since all the changes to the Island in the major retrofit. The Coral is a smaller, and somewhat older ship. Space sometimes seemed a little tight in the Atrium, etc... It is a great ship for Alaska!!! Low key vibe... Especially on these Alaska sailings. The focus IS on Alaska. The entertainment was good!!! The MDR, both food and service, was EXCELLENT!!! The buffet was just bad. Hopefully somebody else in charge of that since we sailed a couple years ago.

 

I like the idea of a mixed land and sea, with a Southbound.

We did the 26 Glacier tour out of Whittier just before we boarded our cruise. That was really great! With that, you get to see College Fjord, as well as Hubbard, and Glacier Bay, and all other ports on the cruise.

 

You might want to compare the pre-post cruise tour opportunities on both HAL and Princess departures.

 

Hubbard Glacier can be amazing!!!! Or, I understand that it can often be fogged in. The day we were there, we saw the glacier, with a low ceiling of clouds and fog over the glacier. Which obscured the background mountains.

 

Good luck with your decisions!!!

Alaska is amazing!!!

KK,

What is 26 Glacier Tour? Who does this?

Phillipscruises.com

There are other operators out of Whittier, and Seward as well. So, there might be several types of tours and options available for before or after your Alaska Cruise!!!

KK,

 

What is 26 Glacier Tour? Who does this?

It was a HAL shore excursion on our Zaandam stop in Anchorage. Bus to Whittier after a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Preserve, and then to a triple decker boat around the Whittier bay area and fijords with a total of 26 possible glaciers. Quite spectacular, though crowded onboard. Then bus back to Anchorage. Dress for cold winds because you will want to be outdoors as much as possible.

Hello Everyone,

 

We've decided to do 2 weeks in Alaska in Aug/Sept of this year. We know we're late to the party, yet we'd still like to do this. We are looking at Princess and HAL. We thought the 14 night on Star, Golden, or Island out of Vancouver would be best, yet cabin availibility is very limited (no minisuites with cover, a few balconies cabins that might work - they're so small though) and I am beginnning to look at a B2B (north and southbound) on HAL and the possibilty of a Vista Suite on a least one leg. For the last 5 years we've cruises Celebrity exclusivly. It's our first cruise to Alaska and Glacier Bay is non-negotiable. The one difference I see with the HAL itinerary is no Hubbard glacier on the southbound, which Princess has. Should this be a deal breaker? Would you do a small aft cabin baclony on Princess or peice together 2 - 7 day cruises in larger cabin on HAL if you could (considering Hubbard will be missed)? We are also concerned about sailing any new line, since we're so used to X. Not sure if Princess or HAL will fit us, but I keep hearing itinerary is everything.

 

We've also considered land touring for 7 days and then taking a southbound, but I'm seeing a lot of the hotels booked and we're not really intersted in a cruisetour. Not keen on spending much time in Fairbanks with cheesy excursions. I'd rather spend time in Denali, Seward, Homer and on the Kenai. Now we're thinking there's less hassle with 14 days of cruising (unpacking, longer flights, more expensive flights, etc.), but we're still staying open to a DIY land trip.

 

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I feel I'm running out of time and should book something very soon. I've posted something similar on the Princess boards too. Thanks.

We did a 7 day land ,7 day cruise on HAL .We enjoyed every moment .

We've done 7 AK cruises: the 14-day Seattle one that goes all the way to Kodiak, Vancouver to Seward, Seward to Vancouver, did a 7 day Vancouver to Seward, rented a car for 3 days and hitched a ride back on a different HAL ship. (That one allowed us to go to see Kenai Fjords which was a great trip (but all day) to see a tidewater glacier up VERY close. Our favorite glacier is Hubbard...and by the end of the summer you usually can get to it (been there in fog several times couldn't get there), whereas Glacier Bay you can always get into, but IMO Margery Glacier is not quite as impressive...though if you've never seen one, it's amazing and Glacier Bay is a lovely sail.

Personally as much as I love Glacier Bay, I'd go for Hubbard (yes, I checked and can't see any itinerary that does both this year.) Sailing from Vancouver is gorgeous as is the sail in...but beware, you will find as so many of us, that this won't be your last AK cruise! TOOOOOO much to see. (We also flew to Fairbanks, rented a car, drove all over, flew to a private lodge, etc...and flew home from Anchorage...that was amazing.) It's addictive! Check out my smugmug photos of AK trips in my signature area if you want to decide.

Hi envirochick,

I saw your question on the Princess boards as well. I would highly recommend the 14-day on the Zaandam. The itinerary is wonderful and you see so many things. You don't go to Glacier Bay (which is nice) but you go to Hubbard Glacier which is, in my opinion, wonderful. You get so close that there are times I've felt like I could reach out and touch the glacier. You also get Tracy Arm which is a beautiful area as well. If there's too much ice you go up Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier.

The ports are the main draw - Ketchikan for pretty much a full day, a long stay in Juneau, and a good stay at Icy Strait Point. Your day in Anchorage is really long and you are in the harbor at the city of Anchorage not out at Seward. Homer is walking distance to the spit and they have good transportation into town. Kodiak is a short walk to town (less than a mile). Sitka is now a docking port and not tender and you are bused to town. You are in Victoria just after noon and leave close to midnight.

We've done the itinerary numerous times and are already looking at next year!

Karen

I'd also vote for the 14 day on Zaandam. No glacier bay but especially if you take the 26 glacier tour in Anchorage mentioned earlier, you'll see plenty of glacier action on that cruise (that excursion was pricey but awesome). Hubbard is amazing. We didn't get to do Tracy Arm but went up Endicott Arm instead (right next door) and Dawes Glacier was pretty nifty and lots of interesting wildlife on the way. Whatever you decide, enjoy your trip!

I toss my hat into the 14-day Zaandam out of Seattle. I did it in 2016 and will be doing it again next month. Can’t wait.

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Hi envirochick,

 

I saw your question on the Princess boards as well. I would highly recommend the 14-day on the Zaandam. The itinerary is wonderful and you see so many things. You don't go to Glacier Bay (which is nice) but you go to Hubbard Glacier which is, in my opinion, wonderful. You get so close that there are times I've felt like I could reach out and touch the glacier. You also get Tracy Arm which is a beautiful area as well. If there's too much ice you go up Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier.

 

The ports are the main draw - Ketchikan for pretty much a full day, a long stay in Juneau, and a good stay at Icy Strait Point. Your day in Anchorage is really long and you are in the harbor at the city of Anchorage not out at Seward. Homer is walking distance to the spit and they have good transportation into town. Kodiak is a short walk to town (less than a mile). Sitka is now a docking port and not tender and you are bused to town. You are in Victoria just after noon and leave close to midnight.

 

We've done the itinerary numerous times and are already looking at next year!

 

Karen

Don't forget the 14 Day Zaandam goes to Tracy Arm, or Endicott Arm if it can't get into Tracy arm = Endicott was very impressive, more open and full of history too. Lots of calving when we were in Endicott. Agree, Hubbard was spectacular from beginning to end. Also did Glacier Bay on an earlier Alaska Inside Passage and I would not put it on a must see over these other options.

I agree with most of the others, go for the longest and most remote itinerary and stay as far away as you can from the over-inpacted ports when choosing a total package. You will get some, but as long as you are up this way, keep heading more north and more west.

Would 100% reccomend a sailing that includes stops at the lesser stopped at ports, like Haines, Sitka, Glacier Bay, Homer or Kodiak. These ports can be found on the Zaandam, Noordam and Westerdam and allow you to see the real Alaska before it became a tourist trap. In my opinion, it would be a waste of time/money to do a cruise round trip Seattle that only goes to the big three (Skagway, Ketchikan, Juneau) plus Victoria for half a day or Tracy’s arm. I just got off Noordam so I’m happy to answer any questions!

We have been to glacier bay twice and while impressive, I actually enjoyed Tracy arm more. We took a 6 hour tour from Juneau on a smaller vessel to Tracy arm so we were able to get much closer. The glacier is smaller but you could see so much. Also seals were sun bathing on icebergs. It was so amazing. We also saw whales on the boat ride from Juneau to Tracy arm.

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Would 100% reccomend a sailing that includes stops at the lesser stopped at ports, like Haines, Sitka, Glacier Bay, Homer or Kodiak. These ports can be found on the Zaandam, Noordam and Westerdam and allow you to see the real Alaska before it became a tourist trap. In my opinion, it would be a waste of time/money to do a cruise round trip Seattle that only goes to the big three (Skagway, Ketchikan, Juneau) plus Victoria for half a day or Tracy’s arm. I just got off Noordam so I’m happy to answer any questions!

Hi there. I appreciate the advice. So, Noordam has a few sales. I’m able to score an SY suite for 1k pp. This a really nice deal and would allow us to do suites NB and SB, however, I see your other post talking about how old and tired this ship is. Should that deter me?

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Thank you all for your advice. As I stated above there is a nice sale currently, making a B2B in suites quite affordable That said, I am considering the 14 day out of Seattle. So much for glacier bay being a must do, right?

I’m concerned about Noordam’s condition. In all my sailings with celebrity I’ve never needed to look at dry dock dates, etc... This is new to me. I always know what to expect with X.

Anyway Zaandam seems to get very good reviews, and except for the absence of GB, I love the unique itinerary. It would be about 2k more for a vista suite vs. the cost for the signature suite on the B2B for our preferred dates and perhaps it’s worth it. Feel free to weigh in.

Another question: Does the 14 day sail the inside passage?

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The 14-day does sail both the inside passage and “out to sea”.

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We just returned from a cruisetour with HAL and the land was my favorite part. I would recommend getting on land if you can to see Denali and maybe Anchorage. Seeing the wildlife and Denali/Mt McKinley in person is amazing. Alaska RR offers land tours that may be of interest and go right to Denali.

Hi there. I appreciate the advice. So, Noordam has a few sales. I’m able to score an SY suite for 1k pp. This a really nice deal and would allow us to do suites NB and SB, however, I see your other post talking about how old and tired this ship is. Should that deter me?

 

 

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I'm one of the people who feels the Noordam is overdue for drydock. It is tired! We went on Noordam again this Alaska season, specifically for the itinerary. It is still tired ;) but the itinerary, price, and timing all worked for us. There's little that is outrageously wrong with the Noordam, but it feels out of date. The crew were great, as usual.

If you can manage it, do the 14-day RT Seattle, it will take you to places that are not on the standard Alaska itineraries. If that isn't doable, then Noordam B2B is a fine choice, since the price, timing, and itinerary all work for you (y)

"There's little that is outrageously wrong with the Noordam, but it feels out of date. The crew were great, as usual."

Venn, appreciate the honesty. When you say out of date do you mean carpets, furnishings, etc? Worn and dirty? I can't imagine not being able to replace clunky TV's with interactive flat screens.

Yes, if we were to cruise/visit Alaska again, that cruise of Tracy Arm thru Adventure Bound is def. on our bucket list!

We really liked our itinerary when we sailed, but not enough time at Juneau to do that.

I don't know if HAL does this, but I believe that there are have/been a few select Princess cruises that have the option/excursion, to board Adventure Bound at Tracy Arm fjord, and then meet up with Princess at the dock in Juneau later that day. That would be awesome!

I don't know if HAL does this, but I believe that there are have/been a few select Princess cruises that have the option/excursion, to board Adventure Bound at Tracy Arm fjord, and then meet up with Princess at the dock in Juneau later that day. That would be awesome!

Yes, HAL does do this. There are two HAL ships that have that exact excursion on their itinerary every week.

I once booked an Alaska cruise for the sole purpose of taking that excursion. Not the best-weather day, but still worth the experience. I would do it again.

Yes, HAL does do this. There are two HAL ships that have that exact excursion on their itinerary every week.

I once booked an Alaska cruise for the sole purpose of taking that excursion. Not the best-weather day, but still worth the experience. I would do it again.

We did this marvelous excursion on Volendam in 2013. One of our Alaska highlights for sure. I think it's still Volendam, as well as Nieuw Amsterdam, that offer this excursion?

https://twocruisingsisters.wordpress.com/2013/06/21/tracy-arm-juneau-glorious/

"There's little that is outrageously wrong with the Noordam, but it feels out of date. The crew were great, as usual."

Venn, appreciate the honesty. When you say out of date do you mean carpets, furnishings, etc? Worn and dirty? I can't imagine not being able to replace clunky TV's with interactive flat screens.

Worn down and outdated imho. I didn't go looking for dirt .... I noticed a few minor things that needed repair at the start of the cruise, that still needed repair at the end of the cruise. The TVs were very old school. We are not much into technology (one 32" tv in the family room, basic cable service) but I sure noticed the old school TVs.

As I said, it isn't ghastly, we felt no need to rush ashore at the end of the cruise :) But know before you board that it isn't the most modern ship sailing.