*Help please*Question, re Alaska Itinerary 7 night vs 11 night

[JEDIKNIGHT]

I've been on two Alaska cruises but I'm going to ask this and play dumb. (Easy part for me to play ;) Truth is that I remember all the beauty, but not in a port specific way. Sending someone on an Alaska cruise and wondering if the 11 night is really worth it, based on quality of itinerary:

 

7 night.... RoundTrip Seattle.

 

*Ketchikan

 

*Tracy Arm cruising (8:30 PM....is that too dark?)

 

*Juneau

 

*Inside Passage Cruising

 

*Victoria

*****************************

 

11 night.... San Fran to Vancouver

 

*Ketchikan

 

*Juneau

 

*Skagway

 

*Icy Strait Point

 

*Hubbard Glacier Cruising

 

*Sitka

 

*Victoria

 

 

When you compare the two itineraries, are there things on the 11 night you'd consider a "gotta see"? Or is it fair to say the 7 day provides the same depth of Alaska exposure?

 

 

Thank you for any input....!!

[Jill SC]

Personally, I always go for the longer cruise, but one of the highlights of Alaska is the train excursion in Skagway missing in 7 day trip.

[Phxazzcruisers]

I would definately go fo rthe longer cruise. I loved both Skagway and Sitka, as well as the impressive Hubbard Glacier

[fernem]

Hard to turn down Hubbard Glacier. The slow entry into the bay that houses the Hubbard Glacier ... and the glacier itself ... makes for a magical ... mystical ... day.

 

Skagway is fun. The train up into Canada and back is sweet, really nice vistas as you go way up and over trestle bridges and through tunnels.

 

And then there's the short seven day ... omg it's almost over ... experience versus the longer, more leisurely sense of following the coast at the end of a continent.

 

If time and $$ aren't issues ... well ... I, for one, would go visit the Hubbard Glacier. (I have been there twice now. Could easily imagine that day in my life again.)

 

fern

[KAYEF]

I've been on two Alaska cruises but I'm going to ask this and play dumb. (Easy part for me to play ;) Truth is that I remember all the beauty, but not in a port specific way. Sending someone on an Alaska cruise and wondering if the 11 night is really worth it, based on quality of itinerary:

 

7 night.... RoundTrip Seattle.

 

*Ketchikan

 

*Tracy Arm cruising (8:30 PM....is that too dark?)

 

*Juneau

 

*Inside Passage Cruising

 

*Victoria

*****************************

 

11 night.... San Fran to Vancouver

 

*Ketchikan

 

*Juneau

 

*Skagway

 

*Icy Strait Point

 

*Hubbard Glacier Cruising

 

*Sitka

 

*Victoria

 

 

When you compare the two itineraries, are there things on the 11 night you'd consider a "gotta see"? Or is it fair to say the 7 day provides the same depth of Alaska exposure?

 

 

Thank you for any input....!!

I would NEVER advise someone to take THIS 7 day cruise. There ARE some that go to a couple more ports............this is all just in SE Alaska.................sort of like coming to Oregon or Washington State.

The 11 day itinerary looks wonderful.

To get the best 7 day itineraries, you need to begin in Vancouver, BC.

;)

[oldmanbob]

We have done both cruises you reference.. the 7 day on Princess out of Seattle on 2009 and the Celebrity 11 day out of San Fran in 2008. It also depends on the time of the year.

We preferred the 11 day vs. the 7 day, mainly for the sites and ports, even though the 11 day had two ports we did not care for (Prince Rupert and Nanaimo). We liked Hubbard more so than Tracy Arm. Both are amazing, and Tracy Arm was equally beautiful, (the walls are so very high)but I heard that during high cruise season, there are so many ships that sometimes they do not make it to the glacier at the end due to crowding, or, they are unable to spend as much time at the glacier due to crowding. Both times we went in May, so while a little cooler, there were not as much cruise ship traffic. 11 days also seem to have fewer kids on board.

The train in Skagway is great, but rent a car instead and drive up the Yukon highway and go see Emerald Lake….and make sure to stop and watch the mountain sheep along the way. What memories and pictures we have. What a enjoyable drive as well. There is an AVIS in Skagway.

Either cruise will be wonderful and unforgettable, but the Celebrity 11 day won out by a long shot.

[retiring soon]

Hi all!

I haven't been on either but did choose to go on the 11 day Infinity next month as it starts from San Francisco (imagine sailing under the GG bridge!), goes to Sitka,(the Russian heritage/history), Skagway (can't miss the train & trip to the Yukon), Juneau (great whalewatching) plus spends quite a while in beautiful Victoria. I have read that the Infinity is a beautiful ship & Celebrity a great cruiseline..

Hope this helps.

~Jo~ :)

[JEDIKNIGHT]

Thanks all for the responses. Would love 11, but looks like someone's schedule won't permit those dates so I'm back to the "7"...which DOES include Skagway.

 

One weird thing....the X website say that Inside Passage Cruising is between 8:30PM-11:59PM. Wouldn't it be too dark to matter?

 

Also, this would be June 18. I realize the kid factor is there, but do you think it'll still be nice scenery and the cruisers can enjoy it? Or would the higher cruise ship traffic mess it all up? Thanks

[KAYEF]

If it's June 18th, believe me, it will be VERY light at midnight; not like during high noon, but light!;)