Best Cruise to Alaska

[DragonMouse]

Ok...here's the deal we'd like to go to Alaska in 2012. It looks like there's going to be 5-7 of us. 4 of us totally Adults, 2 young adults (early 20's) and a 16 year old.

 

What would you recommend for a "game plan". I figure we'll be doing a 7 day tour...I don't know to fly into Seattle, Seward (or other Alaskan port) or Vancouver. I was "kinda" thinking maybe Seward (or other Alaskan port) a few days early so we could spend a little extra time exploring the land. I don't know enough about Vancouver or Seattle? Do they have some "interesting" sites to see? I kinda like scenery and wildlife.

 

Whichever cruiselines it is I would hope they have enough on board to interest the 16 year old and the young adults. (my son has cruised the carribean before and totally LOVES cruising and meeting kids his age...they have a BLAST hanging out).

 

I'm not sure I'm up for "Carnival" Spirit. We were on the Carnival Ectasy last year and the rooms were TERRIBLE for 3 people...I liked Carnival's Conquest...We're probably going to try Royal's Oasis.

 

Any info would be great.

[rdnpdx1]

Ok...here's the deal we'd like to go to Alaska in 2012. It looks like there's going to be 5-7 of us. 4 of us totally Adults, 2 young adults (early 20's) and a 16 year old.

 

What would you recommend for a "game plan". I figure we'll be doing a 7 day tour...I don't know to fly into Seattle, Seward (or other Alaskan port) or Vancouver. I was "kinda" thinking maybe Seward (or other Alaskan port) a few days early so we could spend a little extra time exploring the land. I don't know enough about Vancouver or Seattle? Do they have some "interesting" sites to see? I kinda like scenery and wildlife.

 

Whichever cruiselines it is I would hope they have enough on board to interest the 16 year old and the young adults. (my son has cruised the carribean before and totally LOVES cruising and meeting kids his age...they have a BLAST hanging out).

 

I'm not sure I'm up for "Carnival" Spirit. We were on the Carnival Ectasy last year and the rooms were TERRIBLE for 3 people...I liked Carnival's Conquest...We're probably going to try Royal's Oasis.

 

Any info would be great.

 

Sounds like you are considering a one way, rather than a round trip out of Seattle or Vancouver. I think that is a good choice. We are also going in 2012 and recently booked on Diamond Princess for the June 16, 2012 southbound sailing. We are doing a week or so of independent travel in Alaska beforehand - probably Denali and the Kenai peninsula mostly.

 

Here's what I told a similar poster a week or so ago who was trying to pick a line and ship. We are all adults, so I don't have any opinion as to the best line for your son, but, in general, there aren't as many children going to Alaska as in the Caribbean. I suspect he will be equally blown away by the scenery. If you choose a one way, there are four mainstream lines - Princess, HAL, RCCL, and Celebrity.:

 

As I said, we recently booked a SB Whittier to Vancouver on the Diamond Princess for mid-June 2012. We originally considered northbound but the attraction of the Hubbard and Glacier Bay in one cruise won the day. We chose the Diamond because it sailed on a weekend. The Island and Coral Princess sail on Monday and Wednesday. If day of the week is not an issue, all four have the same itineraries and, if you like slightly smaller ships, the Island and Coral are a bit smaller, about the same size as the Celebrity Millenium and the Radiance of the Seas from RCL. The Sapphire is a sister ship to Diamond and we saw no reason to pick one over the other except the dates we wanted to travel and the direction we wanted to sail meant Diamond was the preferred choice.

 

The various ships doing one way trips for the four mainstream companies are the four Princess ships mentioned, Radiance of the Seas from Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Millenium, and several Holland America ships which I did not investigate closely for the reasons below. For the other three lines, the ships all got good reviews and we would have been happy to sail on any of them. If all things were equal we would have done the Celebrity Millenium, but things weren't equal in ways that mattered most to us and we chose the Diamond Princess. Here were our considerations and our thought processes.

 

Celebrity has the best policies for non-smokers for whom that is a big deal, but their prices for comparable cruises were a bit higher than

Princess. And Celebrity does not go to Glacier Bay. If that is important to you, then that is a big negative.

 

Radiance's configuration made it difficult for us to get the types of cabins we wanted in close proximity to each other. My father-in-law will be going with us in a single cabin and cost was a significant concern for him. Princess' single supplement for an inside cabin kept the cost down for him and we were able to get a cabin right across the hall from our suite. If you don't have any of those issues, the Radiance looked like a good option also but, like Celebrity, Radiance does not go into Glacier Bay.

 

Holland America would not book verandah or deluxe verandah cabins for those not doing cruise tours and this was a deal breaker for us. We wanted a balcony at a minimum. So if you want higher category than oceanview on HAL for sailings in 2012, you can't book them yet. And HAL could not tell me when they would open up.

 

The bottom line for us was the itinerary ultimately, outhweighing Princess' more liberal smoking policies. We chose a stateroom that minimized that concern and got the itinerary we preferred.

 

The only downside we saw in the Princess southbound itinerary is the short port time in Juneau southbound. It did not leave time for a private excursion to Tracy Arm with Adventure Bound. But there was still plenty to choose from - whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier, plus the town itself. We thought the port times southbound on Princess were better than northbound, with the exception of Juneau.

 

Hope this helps you through the process a bit.

[bqkali]

The prior poster gave you a lot of information for a great start.

 

First, I'd suggest you do some reading about Alaska. Even 30-60 minutes of reading can give you a great overview of what this state has to offer. After your initial research, you'll have an idea of what appeals to you most. Maybe you just want a glimpse of the state on a one-week cruise hitting the major ports of call. Maybe you want to spend an extra week touring places like Denali, which you can't access by sea. You'll also get an idea of which places sound most interesting to you and which activities sound the most interesting.

 

Next, look carefully at itineraries! Every cruiseline, every ship is different. On one-way cruises, even the northbound sailing is different from the southbound sailing. There is NO shortcut to digging through them, but it is well worth it. Make notes of which itineraries sound best to you. You'll see 3-4 port stops and 0-2 glacier viewing days on each itinerary. Everyone values different ports/glaciers differently, so there is not necessarily a right answer.

 

And be sure to keep in the back of your head you absolutely cannot see all of Alaska in a week - or even two weeks! The state is HUGE with thousands of activities and millions of square miles to cover. For your first trip, you'll have to prioritize on what is most important to you, and maybe you'll come back for another trip in the future.

 

Some other, more specific, things to consider.

• What do you want out of a trip to Alaska?
  
  • Is scenery the most important? Look for ships with 2 glacier viewing days, a sailing inside Vancouver Island, and highly consider adding time to interior Alaska on one-way sailings.
    
  • Are activities the most important? If so, which types of activities? Check each port to see what they offer - some things like whale watching are only offered in some ports, so if you want a very specific experience, you'll want to make sure you are going somewhere that offers that. If you want to be off the ship and exploring, you might want an itinerary with 4 days in Alaska rather than 3.
    

  [*]Do you want to see Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay? I'd suggest you definitely want to see at least one! Hubbard Glacier is one MASSIVE glacier with lots of calving activity. Glacier Bay is a bay with many smaller glaciers. Both are beautiful in their own way, and you'll find fans of both on these boards.

  [*]Do you to sail round-trip or one-way)?

  • An advantage to a one-way cruise is that you have time to explore interior Alaska either before or after the cruise - with the most popular destinations including the Kenai Peninsula, Prince William Sound, Turnagain Arm, Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali, and Fairbanks.
    
  • An advantage to a round-trip cruise is cheaper airfare - the exact cost difference will be based on your home airport and dates of travel, but you'll typically save $200-300pp in airfare. If you don't have the time/budget to spend more than a week on a vacation anyway, this is still a great option.
    

  [*]If you choose a round-trip cruise, do you want to sail from Seattle or Vancouver?

  • An advantage to sailing from Seattle is ease of access to the port - typically non-stop or 1-stop flights from home that are (relatively) affordable. Flying to Vancouver will usually cost $100-200pp more that Seattle and may require an extra change of planes along the way. You can always still fly to Seattle and shuttle/drive/train to Vancouver (about $50pp and 4+ hours of your time each way).
    
  • An advantage to sailing from Vancouver is typically more scenic sailing and chancers for calmer crossings.
    
  • Both Seattle and Vancouver have enough attractions to keep you busy for a few days pre- or post-cruise if you are interested in spending a few extra days in town.
    

  [*]If you choose a round-trip cruise, you have tons of options for sailings. Typically, these have 3-4 port stops, and 0-2 scenic glacier viewing days.

  • Look carefully at the ports on your itinerary. Sometimes you'll only have 2 days in Alaska, and your 3rd port stop will be in Victoria, British Columbia and not actually in Alaska.
    
  • Look carefully at the time you spend in port. You may find yourself with only short days in port (i.e. 7am-1pm in Ketchikan, 7pm-11pm in Victoria)
    
  • Look carefully at where you go for glacier viewing. Some round-trip cruises don't have any! Others go to Tracy Arm or College Fjord, which are considered "less impressive" or less chances of success getting into the sailing areas. If you only have one glacier day, make the most of it and stick with Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier.
    

  • Out of Seattle, cruiselines include Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America, Norwegian, and Carnival - or in other words, all the mass-market cruiselines. Out of Vancouver, you'll only find Celebrity, Holland America, and Princess.

    
    

  [*]If you choose a one-way cruise, you have fewer choices for cruiselines, but overall still a moderate selection of ships/itineraries. You'll find cruises on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America, and Princess. Typically, you'll have 3-4 port days and 1-2 scenic glacier days.

  • Do you want to cruise northbound or southbound?
    
    • An advantage to cruising northbound is (many people claim) that the scenery becomes more and more spectacular as you go.
      
    • An advantage to cruising southbound is that you can be busy on land touring before the cruise and then relax and be pampered onboard.
      

    [*]Do you want to have your Alaskan embarkation/disembarkation port in Seward or Whittier? Maybe this won't matter if you aren't planning on staying in either town to take advantage of sightseeing opportunities.

    • An advantage to Whittier is the opportunity to take a Prince William Sound cruise.
      
    • An advantage to Seward is more varied sightseeing opportunities, including a Kenai Fjords cruise (among others).
      

    [*]Would you rather have 4 port days & 1 glacier viewing day OR 3 port days & 2 glacier viewing days? If you like to be moving and active, you might choose more time in port. If you want to enjoy the scenery from the comfort of the ship, you might choose extra glacier days.

    [*]Do you want to stick to the "Big 3" ports (Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau) or would you like to try a lesser-traveled port (Icy Strait Point, Sitka, Haines)? Look at what's offered as excursions, but also sightseeing on your own in town afterwards, and the potential to be in port with thousands of other passengers.

I don't know a whole lot about the "Teens Clubs" on any of the cruiselines, so you'll have to ask someone else about that, but he'll find plenty to do in any of the ports. During summer months, he'll probably find plenty of other people his age onboard who are also on family vacation. I wouldn't worry about your young adult companions - they too will find plenty to do onboard and in port - and if they are anything like me, will be mesmerized by the scenery :)

 

I know this didn't answer your question on which cruise is best for you, but that's not a decision anyone can make for you. Hopefully these things will help you figure out what works best for you!

[DragonMouse]

WOW...that's a LOT to take in. Actually I was thinking more along the lines of a round trip cruise. I can't imagine dealing with two ONE way fares but then...I guess depending on where they end up it could be advantageous (we should be due a couple of free flights on Southwest IF they end up or start in Seattle...then I guess we can suffer with another airlines). I might need to get a travel agent for this one.

 

I would LOVE to see a whale off my balcony. That would just put me in heaven. I would also like to choose one that might have the largest number of teens and young adults on board. I also want a room that's at LEAST about Carnival Conquest size...(this would give me a separate "sofa").

[rdnpdx1]

WOW...that's a LOT to take in. Actually I was thinking more along the lines of a round trip cruise. I can't imagine dealing with two ONE way fares but then...I guess depending on where they end up it could be advantageous (we should be due a couple of free flights on Southwest IF they end up or start in Seattle...then I guess we can suffer with another airlines). I might need to get a travel agent for this one.

 

I would LOVE to see a whale off my balcony. That would just put me in heaven. I would also like to choose one that might have the largest number of teens and young adults on board. I also want a room that's at LEAST about Carnival Conquest size...(this would give me a separate "sofa").

 

From your mention of time in Alaska pre-cruise and embarking at Seward I thought you wanted a one way cruise. As the Gilda Radner character on Rowan and Martin Laugh In said way back in the 1960s, "Never mind."

 

I am less tuned in to R/T sailings because my research has mostly been one way sailings, but I do know that the NCL Pearl sails R/T out of Seattle and goes to Glacier Bay, one of the highlights of an Alaska cruise. I have sailed on the Pearl and it is a nice ship and the balcony cabins are decent size with sofas, I think. We were in a suite, and the suite was great.

 

I think the HAL R/T "Alaskan Explorer"cruises go to Sitka out of Seattle, which I would really want to see. HAL's "Inside Passage" cruises out of Vancouver generally go to Glacier Bay, another big highlight.

 

Generally people here recommend R/T out of Vancouver rather than Seattle because most of the Seattle trips sail to the west of Vancouver Island, which is less scenic and has the potential for rougher seas than the Inside Passage to the east of the island.

 

You could easily fly into Seattle and transfer by Amtrak to Vancouver if you want to sail from there. They are only a few hours apart by rail. Of course you can also fly directly into Vancouver. It all depends on cost and your needs.

 

From these boards I have learned that the demographics in Alaska are far different than the Caribbean. The crowds tend to be older and there isn't a huge difference in demographics one line to the next. Maybe someone with teens will help you out there.

 

As far as whales, folks on the boards recommend several excursions out of Juneau for whale watching. These trips are on smaller boats which can get much closer than the cruise ships.

[bqkali]

WOW...that's a LOT to take in. Actually I was thinking more along the lines of a round trip cruise. I can't imagine dealing with two ONE way fares but then...I guess depending on where they end up it could be advantageous (we should be due a couple of free flights on Southwest IF they end up or start in Seattle...then I guess we can suffer with another airlines). I might need to get a travel agent for this one.

 

I would LOVE to see a whale off my balcony. That would just put me in heaven. I would also like to choose one that might have the largest number of teens and young adults on board. I also want a room that's at LEAST about Carnival Conquest size...(this would give me a separate "sofa").

 

If you're looking for an easy to book round-trip from Seattle, I like the Norwegian Pearl the best because it goes to Glacier Bay and has (relatively) long days in port compared to other ships on round-trip Seattle cruises. You'll find cruisers of all ages onboard, and a wide variety of activities.

 

Sunday - Seattle - Departing 4pm

Monday - At Sea

Tuesday - Juneau - 2-10pm

Wednesday - Skagway - 7am-8pm

Thursday - Scenic Cruising - Glacier Bay National Park

Friday - Ketchikan - 6am-1:30pm

Saturday - Victoria - 6pm-Midnight

Sunday - Seattle - Arriving 8am

 

Of course, as mentioned in prior posts, there are a million criteria on picking a cruise that YOU will find enjoyable...and you shouldn't necessarily default to whichever cruise would be best for me. :rolleyes:

[DragonMouse]

That ounds really cool. I'd like to spend plenty of time in Port. I'll have to check into Norwegian. I didn't realize Alaska could be so complicated. :eek:

 

I'd LIKE to fly into Alaska just so I could spend some extra time on shore before the cruise...but...a LOT of the trips seem to require flying in to one place and out of another. I'm not sure I like that much.:rolleyes:

 

Also I could fly to Seattle on Southwest. (I think).

[caripoo]

You do not need to do 2 one way fares. When you search for air, check the multi city option for a round trip price even though you fly in and out of 2 cities.

 

There is alot of investigating to do before you decide and book your trip.

 

Hopefully you will get an opportunity to go back because Alaska is AMAZING. We are headed back for out 3rd trip In August.

 

Good luck and happy planning!!!

[AlanAllyn]

Now that your plate is rather full, let me add one other idea. Last summer, we did the HAL Amsterdam 14-day cruise round trip Seattle. Since you are considering a longer vacation, that is another one to look at.

 

I believe that itinerary is the thing for Alaska, whereas I choose Caribbean cruises based more heavily on the cruise line and ship.

[chipmaster]

IMHO I'd look long and hard outside of Carnival. HAL and Princess have the most sailings and offer many different options; roundtrips and one ways. I'd pick whichever gives you the extra time you seek, but get one that gets Glacier Bay!

 

Unless you are really really really pick I found the differences between ship lines to be small and more of theme than real differences, YMMV. On any of the large ships during the summer there should be many things to keep real adults, young adults and teens occupied and entertained.

 

If you really feel like doing something extra I'd do a one way 7 day and add another week of land tour in Alaska if you can afford the $ and time.

 

Ok...here's the deal we'd like to go to Alaska in 2012. It looks like there's going to be 5-7 of us. 4 of us totally Adults, 2 young adults (early 20's) and a 16 year old.

 

What would you recommend for a "game plan". I figure we'll be doing a 7 day tour...I don't know to fly into Seattle, Seward (or other Alaskan port) or Vancouver. I was "kinda" thinking maybe Seward (or other Alaskan port) a few days early so we could spend a little extra time exploring the land. I don't know enough about Vancouver or Seattle? Do they have some "interesting" sites to see? I kinda like scenery and wildlife.

 

Whichever cruiselines it is I would hope they have enough on board to interest the 16 year old and the young adults. (my son has cruised the carribean before and totally LOVES cruising and meeting kids his age...they have a BLAST hanging out).

 

I'm not sure I'm up for "Carnival" Spirit. We were on the Carnival Ectasy last year and the rooms were TERRIBLE for 3 people...I liked Carnival's Conquest...We're probably going to try Royal's Oasis.

 

Any info would be great.

[vbmom87]

I think you understand now that Seattle sailings are only round trips. Vancouver sailings are either one way or round trip. One way cruises begin in either Vancouver, Seward or Whittier.

 

So, if you want to spend some time on land, which is highly advisable if you have the time and money, you need to look at the one ways. That 14 day Amsterdam trip that was mentioned is a great way to see some less visited ports.

 

As mentioned, price the airline tickets using the multi-city option. I haven't looked lately, but back in 2008 there was no significant difference flying round trip Vancouver or into Vancouver and out of Anchorage. Seattle was cheaper, but by the time you added in transfers, the extra hotel night, inconvenience, it didn't seem worth it to us.

 

Doing a land tour gives you more complete package. Yes, Alaska is complicated. Do your homework before you book anything. Make sure you pick up a few books to get a nice overview. Frommer's and Fodor's are good to start with and your local library should have copies. You don't need the most recent edition to get the general idea of what Alaska is all about.

[vmom]

Just to confuse you more. I just booked a southbound cruise one way flying into Anchorage and arriving in Vancouver.

 

I have been wanting to do this itinery for years but never did because I thought the airfare would be cost prohibitive.

 

I checked out the airfare this year and for our trip its not much more than doing a round trip airfare in and out of Seatle. Airfare in and out of Vancouver is really high, but most or at least many of the cruise lines offer a shuttle from the Seatle aiport to the port in Vancouver or vice versa. There is also a quick shuttle that offers transport from the Vancouver port to the Seatle airport.

 

Just to give you an idea, we're flying from Chicago to Anchorage for $300 and then at the end of the cruise, arriving in Vancouver and taking the cruise line shuttle from the port in Vancouver to Seatle. Our airfare out of Seatle to Chicago is $200. So our total airfare for this trip will be about $500 per person, not cheap, but not that much different than round trip to and from Seatle and much cheaper than any round trip to and from Vancouver.

 

We are doing Princess. My cousin did RCCL 3 years ago with her 4 school age and high school age children and said that the kids found quite a bit to do on board and were never bored. Plus there are alot of shore excursion activities that would appeal to a 16 year old such as zip lining and hiking. Just a side note tho, I have been told that as a general rule the Alaska cruises in general for all lines tends to attract an older passenger as compared to Caribbean cruises. I don't know that for fact, just what I was told by a CD from one of our past cruises.

[nwwinelady]

You have received excellent feedback and food for thought. As far as the younger people in your party are concerned, it will be Summer with young people out of school and Alaska attracts all age groups. Alaska is fabulous and breathtaking. I also suggest that whatever you decide on, make sure that Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay is on the itinerary.

We ar biased to Princess and Celebrity.

Enloy! :D

[Budget Queen]

If you are looking to "fly into Alaska" then you are looking at a one way cruise. :)

 

I think breaking down the portions of choice may be easier to understand. On regular 7 day cruises there are only 6 different ports the cruiselines use. Find out about each one, look over shore excursion lists and rank your priorities for touring. With glaciers, read up on the 4 different glacier areas. Look at port times, look at routing, look at price. Budget for costly excursions, in my opinion, you get only half a trip without them.

 

 

IF you go one way, then consider adding all the extra time you can. Don't underestimate this. A major important factor. :)

 

Reading trip reports from first hand visitors, can be very informative. Plenty available.

[DragonMouse]

Boy this is tough. I'm finding some deals that may be around $1000 less than others. That's a lot of excursion money. I want to do ALL the itinerary. OBVIOUSLY it looks like there's just no way to make a SINGLE trip to Alaska.

 

I really

[DragonMouse]

Boy this is tough. I'm finding some deals that may be around $1000 less than others. That's a lot of excursion money. I want to do ALL the itinerary. OBVIOUSLY it looks like there's just no way to make a SINGLE trip to Alaska.

 

I really appreciate EVERY response.

[vbmom87]

Boy this is tough. I'm finding some deals that may be around $1000 less than others.

 

When you begin to narrow it down, post some of the itineraries for feedback. Be sure to start by telling what your priorities are for the trip. Many of the cheaper cruises do not go to the most scenic glacier areas, or go at a less desirable time.