Newbie Here..Please critique my itinerary

[stephv710]

I am so grateful for all of the information that you have taken the time to post. It has helped a great deal so far!

 

Background: DH and I are late 40's, never been on a cruise and are planning Alaska in June 2006. Hubby is semi-reluctant, doesn't want to "play cheesy games" and thinks he may be bored. He is an outdoorsman and loves to fish so promised him a fishing excursion to talk him into it. Here is what we are tentatively talking about and would appreciate any and all input:

I think Princess may be our choice; they seem to have most of the experience. We are going for the balcony, but for southbound, should we choose one side of the ship vs. the other? Better scenery?

How far in advance should we book?

How do we know if we are getting a good deal?

1) Fly to Anchorage 4 days pre-cruise, rent a car and explore Kenai, Seward and that area. Possible stay at the Princess lodge in Kenai ? Any other suggestions?

2) Return car to Anchorage Airport - How do we get from the airport to the Docks? This is confusing to me.

3) Skagway - Thinking of renting the car and driving to Emerald lake. This sounds beautiful.

 

4) Juneau - Either whale watching with Capt. Larry or fly out fishing. Will either to that in Juneau or Ketchikan. Which would be better for this...Juneau or Ketchikan. Want to take a float plane to a lake or river.

5) Ketchikan - If we don't go on the float plane, then kayak to Orcas Cove and then rent fishing equipment and fish close to town. Are people still doing that? I have heard that you can rent a rod and fish right in town.

6) Depart Vancouver. How far is the dock to the airport? Should we just plan on staying over in Vancouver? I thing we may be too tired to fly out that day.

These are just my preliminary questions; I'm sure I'll be bugging all of you for the next year!

[jrask]

Tell him not to worry about cheesy games. They seem less prevalent on Alaskan cruises. This is a destination cruise and will primarily focus on excursions in the various ports (with outdoorsy being the focus) and for ship time a combo of relaxing (whether that be in the spa, covered pool area, gym, bar, etc) and watching scenery. For us, the only "activities" we did were the occasional show and lectures on history/culture/wildlife.

 

We went with Princess as well. Focus less on this "experience" than on the itinerary - which ports, amount of time in ports (based on where you plan on doing the most), and start/end. You sound like you're pretty set on ports and excursions with perhaps some additional excursions as add-ons. Glacier cruising preference is College Fjord + Glacier Bay. Start/Stop re: Whittier versus Seward is discussed below.

 

Southbound your preference will be for a port side balcony, which will give you views in the gulf as well as the arguably better side (although they're not much better) in the inside passage.

 

They book up pretty quickly for the top rooms. I would book before January for the most choice on rooms. You can go much later if you are very flexible and are shooting for a deal. Not my style though.

 

You'll probably enjoy the Kenai Penninsula, which has lots to offer the fisherman. If you're spending your time in Kenai, perhaps consider another line that departs from Seward (HAL for instance, which has been doing Alaska for a long time and gets many ships into Glacier Bay). Otherwise, you'll have the 3 hour return trip to Anchorage and then the 1.5 hour drive to Whittier, which is back along the same path to Seward. Options for getting to Seward are (1) Princess bus from Anchorage [called a "transfer"]; (2) train to Whittier; (3) make the rental a 1-way rental through Avis and you can drive yourself to Whittier.

 

Adding an extra day to the end is always nice. Otherwise, it will have to be a mid/late afternoon flight. The distance to the airport isn't that bad, but Vancouver airport requires quite a bit of time to deal with.

[Mike2131]

I am so grateful for all of the information that you have taken the time to post. It has helped a great deal so far!

 

Background: DH and I are late 40's, never been on a cruise and are planning Alaska in June 2006. Hubby is semi-reluctant, doesn't want to "play cheesy games" and thinks he may be bored. He is an outdoorsman and loves to fish so promised him a fishing excursion to talk him into it. Here is what we are tentatively talking about and would appreciate any and all input:

 

I think Princess may be our choice; they seem to have most of the experience. We are going for the balcony, but for southbound, should we choose one side of the ship vs. the other? Better scenery?

 

How far in advance should we book?

 

How do we know if we are getting a good deal?

 

1) Fly to Anchorage 4 days pre-cruise, rent a car and explore Kenai, Seward and that area. Possible stay at the Princess lodge in Kenai ? Any other suggestions?

 

2) Return car to Anchorage Airport - How do we get from the airport to the Docks? This is confusing to me.

 

3) Skagway - Thinking of renting the car and driving to Emerald lake. This sounds beautiful.

 

4) Juneau - Either whale watching with Capt. Larry or fly out fishing. Will either to that in Juneau or Ketchikan. Which would be better for this...Juneau or Ketchikan. Want to take a float plane to a lake or river.

 

5) Ketchikan - If we don't go on the float plane, then kayak to Orcas Cove and then rent fishing equipment and fish close to town. Are people still doing that? I have heard that you can rent a rod and fish right in town.

 

6) Depart Vancouver. How far is the dock to the airport? Should we just plan on staying over in Vancouver? I thing we may be too tired to fly out that day.

 

These are just my preliminary questions; I'm sure I'll be bugging all of you for the next year!

 

Hi!

OK, here we go!

Don't worry about "cheesy games". There is so much to do that sea days will be very enjoyable. Otherwise, you will be on the go ashore. Use every single minute in port!

We have always gone with Celebrity but Princess has their own lodges in Alaska. You might want to consider a cruisetour instead of independent travel before the cruise. Independent will certainly work, but you will need to do even more homework. I'd rather let someone else do the work of driving and handling the bags when on vacation. Princess is also a good choice since they visit Glacier Bay. Not every cruise company has permits and Hubbard Glacier is not nearly as impressive.

Southbound? Opt for the port side (toward land). Balcony? We definitely enjoyed it.

 

You are certainly not too late, but you should be getting ready to book now! In light of 9/11, Alaska is even more popular than ever. Get a TA who really knows Alaska and the ships. Are you getting a good deal? Check out the on line quotes, call the cruise line directly, and above all make sure the prices are apples-to-apples. Are all taxes and fees included? Is air included? Is there an onboard credit included? Are the staterooms the same? Well, you get the picture.

If you are going to the interior, I stongly suggest not missing Denali and Mt. McKinley. I know your husband wants to fish so, depending on when you go, Denali, Kenai, and Copper River are certainly possibilities. Look at the cruise tours, guide books, and other resources to establish your priorities and itinerary. You can't see it all so you need to plan what is most important.

Skagway - We loved the White Pass RR and the last time took the excursion into the Yukon. Don't miss time in the town.

Juneau - Whale watching was excellent. The Mt. Roberts tram is also right on the dock. Also the Taku Lodge excursion was outstanding.

 

Ketchikan - The Neet's Bay Bear Watching is amazing. Your husband might like watching about 2 dozen of nature's best fishermen at work!

Vancouver - We stayed overnight after the last cruise. The Pan Pacific is right at the dock with wonderful rooms and great dining. It also is a pick up point for tours if you want to see some of that beautiful city!

Have a great cruise!

 

 

 

 

 

[stephv710]

Excellent suggestions! I'm going to print out your replys and give DH some reading material tonight.

[Budget Queen]

For a southbound sailing you will want a port side cabin. For the best deal, keep track of Pricing trends YOURSELF and immediately notify your booking agent if you note a price drop. 4 days is enough for your plans. The Cooper Landing is excellent for fishing. Seward has plenty to do. My top recommendation is the Kenai Fjords boat tours- just excellent!! You have the option of rail or bus to Whittier, cruise contracted or independent. Fishing is superior out of Ketchikan, so don't limit yourself to Princess for their short port times usually here. If a priority consider a line with all day here. Yes you can fish from the marina but you will want peak fishing which is usually August. From Downtown Vancouver, you need to allow 30 mins. for an airport transfer and a 2 hour window for internation flights. Vancouver is certainly worthwhile to visit so indeed yes, add extra days.

 

My opinion only- but I strongly disagree on considering a cruisetour for this option- way too costly, and restrictive. This itinerary is extremely SIMPLE to book on your own.

[stephv710]

Thanks BudgetQueen,

 

Of all the posts I've read, you have given me the most advise and you seem to think like me; I would prefer to do things on our own or with independent companies. Thanks and I'm sure I'll be picking your brain over the next year!