Repositioning Cruise -> Alaska-Florida

[indigosails]

My cousin lives in Anchorage. He'd love to do that inside passage cruise everyone talks about. We talked about it when we were up there a couple weeks ago. He said he'd fly to see his son in South Carolina after the cruise. I suggested he take the last cruise of the season and then take the ship all the way around and through the Panama Canal (he just about jumped through the roof at this idea), ending up in FLL where his son could meet him.

 

He's 75 and has nothing but time on his hands, and he's jazzed about the idea. How do I find such a cruise for him? Outside of directing him to a TA, I'd like to at least try to find something he could look at.

 

Many thanks.

[Suitcasefull]

It would seem very possible to put together what he wants. Look at the NCL sailings for the Pearl in September. Tnk that's when they do W to E repositioning.

When we did the Panama Canal transit in April on NCL Pearl, there were some people who had put together the back-to-back cruises and ending up in Alaska.....So, some started in NY and ended up in AK.

We got on in Miami and off in LA; some went on up to WA and others were staying to AK and then doing an inland tour there! Wish we had had the time and money to do all of those.

This sounds like a wonderful trip for your cousin!

[Keith1010]

I would see a TA and see what they can put together.

 

Keith

[Suitcasefull]

I suggested he take the last cruise of the season and then take the ship all the way around and through the Panama Canal (he just about jumped through the roof at this idea), ending up in FLL where his son could meet him.

 

He's 75 and has nothing but time on his hands, and he's jazzed about the idea. How do I find such a cruise for him? Outside of directing him to a TA, I'd like to at least try to find something he could look at.

 

Many thanks.

 

Oh, and since he has all the time........after you get the cruise(s) found, have him read a couple of the books about the building of the PC. Great background info for the transit.

[CruiserBruce]

Many, if not most, cruise lines do a 7 day cruise in Alaska, followed by a repo cruise to elsewhere. This will be in September, and may arrive in Florida as late as mid October. Try Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Norweigan, just to name a few.

[indigosails]

Thanks, and September is the perfect time for him to go because winter starts to set in and the days get short in Alaska. Thanks for the hint about the P.Canal.

[Essiesmom]

Go to cruisetimetables.com and look for cruises leaving from Seward in Sept. Choose the lines that end in Vancouver, then choose Vancouver as departure port and you will get the segment going to Californial. From San Diego or LA you will get the canal segment. EM

[MandD]

I suggested he take the last cruise of the season and then take the ship all the way around and through the Panama Canal (he just about jumped through the roof at this idea), ending up in FLL where his son could meet him.

 

Coral Princess sails from Anchorage to Vancouver and continues through the canal to FLL leaving on 9/10, and Island Princess does the same leaving on 9/19. I realize this isn't really inside passage.

[michmike]

can recommend "The Path Between the Seas" by David McCullough. A tad long ( I listened to it on CD during my commute - 26 CDs) but there won't be much that you don't know about the canal by the time you are done.

 

We have yet to do the canal (saving that for a repositioning trip ourselves, once retired) but I know we will enjoy it more having read the book and having a better feel for what an unbelievable undertaking it was at the time.

[Starbright]

We did a repositioning cruise on HAL Zuiderdam. We didn't do the Alaska trip, but boarded the ship in Vancouver once her last Alaska cruise of the season ended there. We were on board for 22 nights and arrived in Fort Lauderdale after a full transit of the Panama Canal. Wish I could do it again. It was wonderful! :)

[momoftwinteens]

I checked on NCL's website and found the following. A Pacific Coastal cruise for 6 days from Vancouver to Los Angelas followed by a trans-canal cruise for, I believe, 15 days that ends in Miami. That might work for your Cousin.

[indigosails]

Thanks Mom. Twin tweens? Cool!