Alaska?????

[Jim Avery]

Any rumors about one of the new ships doing Alaska in the future? Thanks.

J.

[johnnycruise]

Any rumors about one of the new ships doing Alaska in the future? Thanks.

J.

 

Are you asking because of the "interesting" day-by-day your buddies are posting on the Regent board?:D

 

It made for a good read.

[Jim Avery]

Are you asking because of the "interesting" day-by-day your buddies are posting on the Regent board?:D

 

It made for a good read.

 

Yes, that is part of it for sure. We can count on Frequent Traveler to be very detailed when she gets home. Just heard they had an earthquake today. She is getting the full Alaska treatment. I know Seabourn did AK in the past and I would love to try one of the new ships there, having had such a great time on the Spirit last fall. I really don't see spending that kind of $ for the service issues she has had. Have been a serial SeaDreamer before our Spirit trip but SeaDream would not be good for AK IMHo.

[JaneBP]

The little sisters can't pass the sanitation muster, but the big ones surely would. I would love to go back to Alaska. Did it several years ago on Cruise West, one of the best itineraries and experiences I ever had. Celebrated July 4th in a little Alaskan village with a tiny parade and handed out watermelon to the residents. They reciprocated with wonderful costumed dances.

[jpver]

Well, having done the "other side" of the world, Buenos Aires via Falklands and Ushuaia, Beagle canal, Chilean Fjords etc I wud not choose Seabourn for this destination, although I prefer the less as 700 pax ships!

 

The major player for Alaska with adapted Ice class vessels and inland facilities is Holland America Line and this since I believe more are half a century.

 

Weather circumstances even in summer period can be heavy in these regions aswell in the south as in the north, and this even as "surprises". When you have passed (Falkland ->Ushuaia) 12 beaufort (= hurricane force) winds with a impressive swell over 30 meters, I can assure you I was glad to be on ms Veendam (look at pictures in the relevant article) and not on Seabourn, Compagnie du Ponant etc.

[wripro]

I couldn't disagree more. I wouldn't choose a Holland America ship for anything over a Seabourn ship. I just came back from Alaska on Oceania and in Juneau we were docked next to a Holland America ship and a Princess ship. Watching the passengers on those two ships line up for an hour just to get back on at lunch time was enough to keep me away from them forever.

[johnsfo]

wripro--I could not agree with you more. I absolutely have no interest in a ship which carries some 2000 passengers. I am a Crystal fan who would be happily be on Seabourn any day. Certainly not the so-called 2000 or larger mega passenger ships. I cannot believe that passengers have to line up in any port for one hour to get back on the ship. Good grief!

[jpver]

I couldn't disagree more. I wouldn't choose a Holland America ship for anything over a Seabourn ship. I just came back from Alaska on Oceania and in Juneau we were docked next to a Holland America ship and a Princess ship. Watching the passengers on those two ships line up for an hour just to get back on at lunch time was enough to keep me away from them forever.

 

Seems we are on another wave lenght.

I'm certainly NOT a fan of big ships. Windstar with 168 and the Seabourn of 208 (not the 450 ones) next month and Oceania 680 max are in my line also.

However I did talk of extreme weather circumstances in South Atlantic.

I believe that some geographical areas are better with certain types of vessel which are not the size but the structure.

The big ones are certainly worse due to wind sensibility. (... and I don't even think to be on a ship over 1500 pax!)

 

Note the Veendam is only around the 1200 pax. There were nowhere any lines as you describe in the different ports of call we made.

[wripro]

To each his own. I'd rather stay home.

[socalguy2010]

A number of years ago (25?), DW and I took our first cruise on HAL's Rotterdam from Vancouver to Juneau and back. After that cruise, DW swore she would never go on another cruise again; the food, decor, and passengers were all over-cooked, she said. (In fairness, Rotterdam was old at the time and was decommissioned a couple of years later.) :(The scenery, however, was great.:)

 

About 3 years ago, after contracting MS (which severely limits my walking), I convinced her to go on the Seabourn Pride cruise of the Baltic, and we had a wonderful time. (It's a good thing Seabourn was so great; otherwise, I'd never have another chance to get DW on a cruise.) We also cruised the Greek Isles on the Odyssey last September, which led to booking the Sojourn's TA crossing this September. Again, a wonderful time.

 

So now, I, too, would love Seabourn cruise to Alaska, to try to combine Seabourn's size, service, and food, with Alaska's scenery. Here's a vote from me, Seabourn!:)

[freddie]

jpver - With all due respect, if you are suggesting that it is necessary to make an Alaska cruise in a large ship because of the weather and seas, then I would guess that you have not made an Alaska cruise. Much of the cruise between Seattle or Vancouver and Alaska is in the relatively protected Inside Passage. During the summer months when Alaska cruises are done, the seas are normally quite reasonable. In fact, during the summer, many private boats of less than 50 ft. cruise all or parts of the Inside Passage. We have done the Alaska trip twice, on ships of 500 and 700 passengers, with no issues whatever of difficult seas.

 

It appears that you were analogizing the seas of the South Atlantic to those on the Alaska cruises. That analogy is not apt. The seas from Ushuaia to the Falklands, as well as other cruise passages in that region, such as the passage from the Falklands to South Georgia, and, of course, the notorious Drake Passage, are dramatically different from the Inside Passage to Alaska. Even so, we traveled those South Atlantic regions in a fairly small expedition vessel, the "Hanseatic", and felt both safe and comfortable even in several very heavy seas.

 

In any event, ships the size of the new SB ships, along with our favorite SS and Regent ships, are, in my opinion, vastly better options for cruising to Alaska than the larger ships of HAL or any other line.

[SusanNJ]

Another vote for Seabourn to Alaska. We will not go on the mega ships. I love the Med but, it is time for a change. Hopefully, Seabourn will get to ports that Holland America etc. are too big to navigate.