Book with map of coast

[pizzalady1]

SO what are the areas recommended for wildlife viewing:)

 

All this info came from CC boards and the Alaska Cruise Companion:

 

marker, where, what

100 Vancouver, embark

195 Seymour Nattows, scenic

235 Johnstone Strait, whales

264 Robson Bight, whales

264 Queen Charlotte Sound, whales

279 Alert Bay, tallest totem/trumpeter

599 US Border

647 Saxman

650 Ketchikan, port

723 Snow Passage, whales (2-3 hrs after Ketchkan)

745 Point Baker, whales

773 Helm Point, thousands of sea birds

830 Frederick Sound, whales

870 Stephens Passage, whales

930 Juneau, port

1000 Point Adolphus, whales

1000 Skagway, port

1010 Glacier Coast

1036 Cape Spencer Light, end of inside passage, rugged coastline

1060 La Perouse Glacier, only glacier to reach open ocean

1510 College Fjords, scenic

1600 Whittier, disembark

[CruisingGoddess]

Hi Lazaruu-

The link for the Booklet Charts Catalog:

http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/AlaskaBookletCharts.htm

 

Number: 503 (Gulf of Alaska Strait of Juan de Fuca to Kodiak Island) good overview of area Anchorage to north of Vancouver Island. (I plan to use this one for our 14 day cruise this summer). (It’s going on our wall with poster putty and I plan to make a "DR" track on it where we are.)

http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/531_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf

 

These are recommendations for your trip: You may want to take a more indepth look at the chart locator and determine if there are others you want. (YMMV):D

 

Day 1- Sailing from Whittier: Chart 16706 (Prince William Sound-Valdez Arm and Port Valdez;Valdez Narrows;Valdez and Valdez Marine Terminal)

For Detail 16706 (While it is reasonably light out): http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/16706_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf

Larger scale: PWS 16700 http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/16700_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf

Day 2- Hubbard Glacier

Detail 16761 Yakutat Bay;Yakutat Harbor (for the trip into the harbor) http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/16761_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf

The coastal section on way to Glacier Bay and INCLUDES Glacier Bay- (Cross Sound to Yakutat Bay)

http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/16760_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf

Day 3- Glacier Bay

For trip in toward GB, use Chart 17302 (Icy Strait and Cross Sound;Inian Cove;Elfin Cove). You will be amazed what detail you can see and the additional glaciers you will spot using the chart. http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/17302_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf

It looks like 17318 is Glacier Bay- and it looks like they have re-scanned it recently. (The Tarr Inlet section was blank when we made our copies). But it was well worth taking a copy- or do what we did and buy a Pocket Chart version (which is intact) for only $5.95. There are lots of named peaks in that quadrant.

http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/17318_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf

Chart 17300- use for Day 3,4 and 5 (a good, large scale chart) http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/17300_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf

Day 4 Skagway (be sure to be on deck for the trip up the Lynn Canal)

North Section- Lynn Canal-Point Sherman to Skagway;Lutak Inlet;Skagway and Nahku Bay;Portage Cove, Chilkoot Inlet

http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/17317_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf

 

Southern Section- Lynn Canal-Icy Str. to Point Sherman;Funter Bay;Chatham Strait

http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/17316_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf

 

Day 5 Juneau area

http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/17320_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf

For the trip from Juneau to Ketchikan:

Chattham Straight (don’t miss is- its grand!) http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/17400_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf

Hecate Strait to Etolin Island, including Behm and Portland Canals

http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/17420_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf

Day 5 Ketchikan (last 2 charts above probably will be used on the way into Ketchikan)

http://ocsdata.ncd.noaa.gov/BookletChart/17428_BookletChart_HomeEd.pdf

I printed my set of charts and taped them together before we left. Some of those I knew we would use a lot I “laminated” with clear wide tape. (It did make them heavy- but mist proof). I wrote on the charts and made photo notes as we sailed along. (Cool souvenier). I made myself a grid for the trip that showed me which charts I wanted each day, then filed them in a small folder with pockets. It made it easy to pull out what I needed each day.

Hope this helps!

~TC

 

Just wanted to thank you for this as well since I'm on the same cruise as lazarru!

[NPSfan]

What kind of putty/tape did you use so that it didn't mark the wall when you removed it? I want to hang ours on our cabin wall next month for our 14 day cruise on the Amsterdam.

Aren't some walls metal? You may be able to use magnets.

[diverearl]

Check out the books on e bay, just watch the descriptions for condition of book - publication year - and make sure the book has the map if it is supposed to. Most books with shipping will be under $10.00.

 

I just put the key words - alaska and cruise . Got over 250 adds

[CruisingGoddess]

Can someone with a copy of "The Alaska Cruise Companion" book tell me what the retail price is? I think this is usually printed on the back of a book near the UPC barcode. I just want to know how much to expect to pay if I bought it onboard.

 

Thanks in advance!

[LindaKE]

Can someone with a copy of "The Alaska Cruise Companion" book tell me what the retail price is? I think this is usually printed on the back of a book near the UPC barcode. I just want to know how much to expect to pay if I bought it onboard.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

We got ours before we left. That gave us the chance to read up ahead of time and on the plane. Try this:

http://www.princess.com/learn/onboard/gifts_services/Gifts&Services_final.pdf

[CruisingGoddess]

We got ours before we left. That gave us the chance to read up ahead of time and on the plane. Try this:

http://www.princess.com/learn/onboard/gifts_services/Gifts&Services_final.pdf

 

Perfect! Thank you!

[mimii]

I see that many of you are very familiar with these books, so I would like to ask another question, if you don't mind:

 

I just purchased the Princess version of this book from an online seller. It was used but in "very good condition." When I received the book this week, I found it did not have the big map with it. (The seller was extemely honorable and generous - refunded me and told me to keep the book too.)

 

I feel blessed that it was resolved this way, but I wanted the mile-by-mile. I've seen that the text includes references to this, and each chapter has a small map with markers. For any of you who have purchased the book new, and therefore also had the big map, can you tell me if the big map was simply a compilation of all the little maps in the chapters, or does it have additional info? If there is more info, then I will try to download those maps/charts that the other person so kindly posted the links for us. The itinerary posted matches the one I'll take this summer.

 

Thank you in advance for all your help.

Mimii

[TiogaCruiser]

Hi Mimi

 

I just compared page 58 with the map. The map is more detailed. The map give you the main routes the cruise ships take and basically shows them as two strips of coast. It had me confused on our first cruise. We have the version of the book sold on HAL so your page numbers may differ.

 

I just took a snapshot of the map and can't figure out how (if it is even possible) to post using my cell phone. I'll put the pic up on this thread tomorrow when I'm at my REAL computer.

 

~TC

[LindaKE]

Mine is as older edition, but it has lots of extra info like pictues, history, etc. It also includes on the map the whole area, not just the ship's route. The book has some different pictures, and different details, so having both would be more beneficial.

[mimii]

Thank you both! TC, I will look here later to see if you are able to post the photo of the map - that was so kind of you to take it.

Mimii

[TiogaCruiser]

Hope this thumbnail gives you an idea of what the map looks like. IT is just one side of the map.

[LindaKE]

I just clicked on the thumbnail and couldn't really see much, so I'll add a little narrative. What you are seeing is the majority of the cruise route (of a one-way) displayed in 2 columns. You see up to mile 600 (approx.) on the left column, then the right column picks up there and continues to Anchorage. The little rectangles are the pictures I mentioned. The writing you can't read is historical or geographical comments. On the reverse side the map is Anchorage and north. It really is interesting reading as you progress on your cruise.

[mimii]

Oh, you two are GREAT! I think I'm going to be OK with just my book.

 

I'm also not able to see the .jpg photo well, but I'm still so grateful to you T.C. for taking it, and I saved the file, because the big map appears to be just like the sectional maps in the chapters of the book, except all laid out together so you can get a broader perspective.

 

I can see enough from your photo to know that 1) the photos come from the book - I recognize the large photo of the totem carver, which is in my book on p.97; and 2) there is commentary all along the map in small black font - described well by Linda, and exactly like on the sectional maps in each chapter of the book! Although I cannot be certain, it really seems to me like the big map is a large conglomeration of all the book's sectional maps. If that's the case, my book will work fine, because I have other full maps of Alaska that I will be taking.

 

The most important thing to me was to be able to follow the mile-by-mile. I thought the book had specific CODES that Princess would use to advise us of the ship's location, but if the ship only announces the mile markers, then I have those in the book! For example, if the ship were to announce that we were at marker 800, then I would know that we were en route from Juneau to Ketchikan, and precisely between Port Alexander and Cape Decision.

 

Is this the way it works, or is there something on your big maps that reference the ship's location in a different way? You see, the marketing for this book was that it allowed you to track the ship's position from some kind of announcements or postings by the ship's crew. I actually called the publisher, to see if I could purchase a map, but they told me they no longer print the book. I find that odd, since Princess is selling it on their website. My copy is from 2007.

 

Thanks again all, for your help. You've been great, and I appreciate it.

[CruisingGoddess]

I just ordered the book too. Can't wait to get it! Thanks so much to everyone for their recommendations!

[CruisingGoddess]

For those of you with the large map, did it rip out of the book or was it attached to the book somehow?

 

I also bought a used copy and cannot find the large map but it does not appear anything was ripped out or missing.

[TiogaCruiser]

For those of you with the large map, did it rip out of the book or was it attached to the book somehow?

 

I also bought a used copy and cannot find the large map but it does not appear anything was ripped out or missing.

 

Mine was inserted in the book loosely and the whole package was shrink wrapped when I purchased from HAL.

~TC

[Assateague Island Princes]

Yup, me too, Tiogacruiser.

[CruisingGoddess]

Thanks! Since the map is not attached, it's easy to see why it gets separated from a used book then.

[CruisingGoddess]

I just started reading the Alaska Cruise Companion book and realized it is written for a northbound cruise (starting in Canada and goes up to Whittier/Anchorage). Is there a version for southboard cruises or is there only this version?

[Jenbo57]

I used this map more than the one that came with Joe Upton's book:

 

 

It's a great map; I got mine through Amazon.