14 night alaskan cruise

[emliss]

I would like to "hear" from those of you who have taken the 14 day Alaskan cruise. Both Princess and Holland America had that itinerary for 2010 and we were planning to take one of them in 2010. Stuff happened and we are now looking at 2011. Was hoping to get some input regarding those cruises and compare. Input please!

[mutzy]

i want to do the same thing- i am leaning toward princess- but i can't find it listed- rumor has it they are no longer doing the 14 day cruise- i hope not.

[Yukon]

i want to do the same thing- i am leaning toward princess- but i can't find it listed- rumor has it they are no longer doing the 14 day cruise- i hope not.

 

Princess is not doing the 14 day itineraries in 2011 - except as 7-day b2bs of course. The Royal Princess has been pulled from Alaska.

[Texas Tillie]

i want to do the same thing- i am leaning toward princess- but i can't find it listed- rumor has it they are no longer doing the 14 day cruise- i hope not.

 

Yes, that's correct - Princess has not scheduled the 14 day for 2011. So, I'd think that booking sooner rather than later would be the way to go for HAL. Unless the economy totally flushes down the toilet :eek:, I'll bet that HAL sells out all of there 14 days next year.

[vbmom87]

I would like to "hear" from those of you who have taken the 14 day Alaskan cruise. Both Princess and Holland America had that itinerary for 2010 and we were planning to take one of them in 2010. Stuff happened and we are now looking at 2011. Was hoping to get some input regarding those cruises and compare. Input please!

 

Here is a blog from someone who did the HAL interary for 2010. The 2011 intinerary subsitutes Icy Strait for Skagway. Currently Tracy Arm is listed, but that might change like it did last year.

 

http://www.chris-n-cheryl.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=21694

 

Here is another thread for this cruise:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1243256&highlight=amsterdam+alaska

 

One more:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=68046

[whale-watcher]

The 14 day princess itinerary (we went in 2008 RT out of Vancouver) was wonderful...the HAL itinerary is on our short list for next season. Great to visit smaller ports; we especailly like the small princess ships, but look forward to sailing on HAL.

[FurryPetMom]

We went on the 14 day cruise with HAL on May 31st. This was also our first cruise and first time to Alaska so not a lot to compare for me. I wrote a review somewhere here on Cruise Critic.

Overall we loved the cruise, we fell in love with Homer, Kodiak, and Juneau. Next year we are doing a 7 day nb cruise to Alaska followed by a 7-10day land portion on our own. We are planning on spending several days in Homer and some time at Denali.

 

If you have any questions please ask.

[vbmom87]

I wrote a review somewhere here on Cruise Critic.

 

Here it is:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1224404&highlight=

[Assateague Island Princes]

We sailed with Furry Pet Mom on the May 31st cruise, and it was spectacular! Cannot recommend it highly enough! And yes, its true, Princess will not be doing their 14 day next year - too bad, because I would have liked to give Princess a shot, having sailed three times to AK on HAL. HAL's 14 day itinerary on the Amsterdam was darn near perfect....except we would have liked more time in Homer and LOTS more time in Kodiak. But seeing both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier was so nice! The Amsterdam is a beautiful, elegant smaller ship - very easy to navigate, with plenty of outdoor and indoor viewing spaces. Hint for the secret decks on aft 7 and 6 - no one was ever there except us who had an aft outside cabin on 7, and our friends. It was like having a HUGE private verandah all to ourselves. Loved this cruise, loved all the great folks we met on our Roll Call and spent time with in port and on excursions, and just plain loved HAL!

[NancyIL]

You can read quite a few reviews of the HAL Amsterdam cruise here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=173

[vbmom87]

You can read quite a few reviews of the HAL Amsterdam cruise here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/getreviews.cfm?action=ship&ShipID=173

 

Great link!!! After three years, I am still learning how to find things on this site. Thanks!!

[Queenk2]

I love the princess small ships, this summer we were on the pacific princess and did the Holy Land. We wanted to do Royal, but she has been sold to another company. We are doing a 12 day on Oceania, the exact same ship as princess, wy not consider that for 2011?

[NancyIL]

I love the princess small ships, this summer we were on the pacific princess and did the Holy Land. We wanted to do Royal, but she has been sold to another company. We are doing a 12 day on Oceania, the exact same ship as princess, wy not consider that for 2011?

 

Your Oceania itinerary is great, but their prices are about double what Princess charges for the same size ship.

 

Our first Princess Alaska cruise was originally booked on the Pacific Princess (2007), and the 7-night itinerary had 3 glacier sailing days. However, after I obsessed about our post-cruise land itinerary, I decided it was more important to have 2 more days for the land trip than go to a 3rd glacier, so we "jumped ship" to the Coral Princess leaving 2 days earlier. Our 9-day land trip was fabulous, and I have no regrets about not sailing on the Pacific Princess.

 

HAL Amsterdam isn't a small ship, but it's smaller than many of the ships that sail in Alaska. I'll be on the Amsterdam's 14-night cruise next August with 2 friends, and I expect to enjoy it as much as my Alaska cruise on the Veendam 2 years ago.

[NancyIL]

Great link!!! After three years, I am still learning how to find things on this site. Thanks!!

 

You're welcome. I like reading both the Cruise Critic ship reviews and individual reviews of people's cruises.

[Travalot]

We loved the 14 night HAL cruise this summer. We've done a back to back in Alaska, but this was superior with no repeated ports, Hubbard & Glacier Bay, and the novelty of Kodiak, Homer & Anchorage (as a port of call). The Amsterdam is ideal for Alaska with a large, wrap around promenade, and the bow that is opened for the Glacier cruising days.

[travelguy509]

I too am planning a cruise to Alaska next June. I was thinking of Princess and flying to Fairbanks and then doing a land tour for 4-6 days and then the southward bound inland to Vancouver. I did the inland passage years ago, but my parents did the long one and said they loved it. Any suggestions on land tours?

[pavteam]

We went on the Coral Princess this July. WE had an amazing time - but I'd really suggest doing a land/crusie package through Princess - or even Holland America. To go into Denali National Park and see Mt McKinley and all the animals we saw on our tundra tour was AMAZING. You don't get to do that when you just do the cruise. We did an 11 night package - 4 on land and 4 at sea. Now I'm trying to figure when I can go again!

[TiogaCruiser]

We loved the 14 night HAL cruise this summer. We've done a back to back in Alaska, but this was superior with no repeated ports, Hubbard & Glacier Bay, and the novelty of Kodiak, Homer & Anchorage (as a port of call). The Amsterdam is ideal for Alaska with a large, wrap around promenade, and the bow that is opened for the Glacier cruising days.

 

Just got back last week and had a fabulous cruise. The bow was open a great deal of the time for us, not just for the glaciers. I was a "bow and deck 6 forward rat".

 

~TC

[tjcox9]

We did the 14 day Princess agenda both last year and this and would consider it again if it was offered. Oh well.

 

Oceania is also doing some 14 day trips next year that you may want to take a look at in addition to the HAL one.

 

We too, really enjoyed the smaller ports. We particularly enjoy Icy Strait and Seward for the wildlife watching that they offer.

[Krazy Kruizers]

How did I ever miss this absolutely wonderful review!!

 

Thank you for taking the time to write it and with such great detail!!

[Old As Dirt Mom]

My sister and I did the HAL Amsterdam 14-day itinerary this past May, and we enjoyed it so much, we're doing it again next year (May 27-June 10). As mentioned above, the itinerary will be a little different in 2011. Here is a youtube photo/video montage of our trip that my sister put together. Some of you may have already seen it.

 

[countrygal52]

If Icy Strait is on your intinerary, there are lots of excursions you can book yourselves and I HIGHLY recommend a whale watch for this area! We had booked one with Floyd from FISHES 3 yrs ago and I STILL talk about it! We had a pod of Humpbacks that we kept watching and they kept coming towards our boat - one surfaced right NEXT to us as another slightly bumped us as it swam under. What a thrill THAT was! Floyd's boat only holds 6 passengers and usually fills up quite fast; there are a few more private companies there also in case he is filled.

 

Also, if you like crab (depending on when you are going there) stop at "The Office" bar in the town of Hoonah for lunch. Fresh caught whole crab cooked only when you order it. :D