Itinerary choice is important!

[Xoe]

We have just returned from Sapphire Princess, and had a great time. I am writing to share thoughts on choosing an Alaska cruise.

 

We've been on 5 Alaska cruises: last week's Sapphire's R/T Seattle, 2004 back-to-back Vancouver - Whittier (7 days each way) on Coral Princess, 2003 5-day pre-season on HA's Amsterdam from Vancouver to Seattle, and several years ago an 11-day northbound out of Vancouver on the small "Love Boat" sister ship Island Princess, which stopped at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, and Seward, then on to Kodiak Island and Homer, ending by sailing into Anchorage (which big ships can't do).

 

Sapphire's glacier day is Sawyer Glacier, in Tracy Arm. Many passengers were very disappointed last week because conditions did not permit going all the way up Tracy Arm (which is narrow for big ships) to the glacier. In past years we've had splendid glacier viewing there, as well as Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier, and College Fjord, but for some of these folks, this glacier visit was expected to be their trip's high point. So --

 

Suggestion #1: If your heart is set on seeing glaciers and hearing the "white thunder" of their calving, choose an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay, College Fjord, and/or Hubbard Glacier. To me, Glacier Bay is THE BEST, a world apart, and I would choose my itinerary with that as the central focus. Hubbard and College Fjord are also wonderful, and also bigger bodies of water so the ship probably will safely be able to come close enough for good glacier viewing.

 

Suggestion #2: If you are planning your first, and perhaps only, Alaska cruise, study itineraries and select one that goes at least ONE WAY through the inside passage. Most ships going R/T from Seattle go OUTSIDE of Vancouver Island both ways, and OUTSIDE the Queen Charlottes also when coming back south. This is a faster route and ships out of Seattle have a long way to travel in a 7-day R/T. However, be aware that those "outside" sea days are days with no views (except open water) and rougher seas (we had seasick people on our ship). In contrast, the inside passage has glorious scenery and is smooth.

 

To the best of my knowledge, Norwegian Star is the only 7-day R/T Alaska cruise from Seattle showing an itinerary going one way (or perhaps both ways -- 2 different web sites give conflicting information) through the inside passage; the Star also visits Glacier Bay. Princess and Holland America itineraries seem all to go go outside.

 

I know some people have strong preferences for a particular line and ship, but for Alaska, itinerary choice is worth a lot of attention. Most ships go to the same towns -- all small, all interesting and fun, and also these days all visited by so many ships in high season that the cruise passengers can clog the small towns. I remember fondly our first cruise on the small now retired Island Princess -- we were the only ship in all of the ports, except for Skagway where there was one other.

 

On that subject, our 2004 northbound cruise on Coral Princess was the first of the season in early May, and we were the only ship in all but one port; the return southbound was very different. So if you like less crowded ports, schedule the first or last cruise of the season. You can check port schedules by going to http://alaska.nwcruiseship.org/port_schedules.cfm

and see who will be in port when you are.

 

Alaska is gorgeous -- and itinerary choice can make a huge difference! Enjoy!

[mii]

I can't begin to tell you how I totally agree with you. We are avid Princess cruisers and we usually take a 10-11 day out of S.F. but in the last few years their itiniery has been mostly outside passage, Tracy Arm(of which we did see Sawyer Glacier). With that said, this coming Sat. we are taking Celebrity r/t out of S.F. for 12 days because, we see Hubbard Glacer, Icy Strait Point, Vancouver and Victoria. Princess from S.F. just does Victoria. Yesrs ago the Sky Princess did the route that Celebrity now takes but like I said the last few years they have changed so for this trip we are going Celebrity. In the near future I do want to take b2b from Vancouver so that I can seel College Fiord and Glacier Bay.

 

So thanks for bringing this subject up. Well Done

 

Marilyn

[Host Caroline]

We have just returned from Sapphire Princess, and had a great time. I am writing to share thoughts on choosing an Alaska cruise.

 

We've been on 5 Alaska cruises: last week's Sapphire's R/T Seattle, 2004 back-to-back Vancouver - Whittier (7 days each way) on Coral Princess, 2003 5-day pre-season on HA's Amsterdam from Vancouver to Seattle, and several years ago an 11-day northbound out of Vancouver on the small "Love Boat" sister ship Island Princess, which stopped at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, and Seward, then on to Kodiak Island and Homer, ending by sailing into Anchorage (which big ships can't do).

.....

 

Alaska is gorgeous -- and itinerary choice can make a huge difference! Enjoy!

 

 

Heartily agree w/ you and curious when you were on Island Princess. We did that itinerary as well in early June 1998 and it was "the" best of our Alaska cruises.. Janet Edwards was CD and was wonderful, small ship.. Mario the maitre'd and the wonderful out of the way ports. The sail up Cook Inlet to Anchorage was amazing and it was just getting really dark when we docked at 12:30 a.m.! Headed to Alaska for #6 as well this year...

[Coral]

I also agree with you!

 

My first cruise (Radiance) to Alaska only had one day of glacier viewing (Hubbard Glacier) and we were iced out of seeing that (July cruise). I can't remember but we were something like 6-8 miles away from it. I was really disappointed I didn't see Hubbard. My only real viewing of a glacier that trip was Mendenhall in the rain with with some fog. Now I choose itineraries that include Glacier Bay and College Fiords. 2 chances to see glaciers!

[Mike2131]

I agree with what the other posters have said. Our rules of thumb:

 

1) Try to make sure you visit Glacier Bay. For us, Hubbard, even though it is impressive in size, is not as enjoyable as Glacier Bay. Having the ranger on board to narrate the cruise in the National Park adds a lot. Also, we saw quite a bit of calving in Glacier Bay and practically none at Hubbard.

 

2) Try to include Sitka and Skagway. They are very different and wonderful ports. My first Alaska cruise was a 12 night Inside Passage repo from San Francisco to Vancouver and visited Victoria, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Sitka, and Ketchikan. It also included Inside Passage cruising and some sea days. I think that is still my favorite itinerary. The second was a traditional southbound (after the land portion of a cruise tour) and included Hubbard Glacier, Sitka, Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan.

 

3) If you are sailing one way, try to include a land portion. The interior is very different and wonderful.

 

What ever you do, you will love Alaska!

[Xoe]

I agree that Sitka is wonderful, although far fewer ships go there -- partly because it is a tender port. Neat little town, a favorite.

 

And yes, Glacier Bay is THE BEST of the glacier choices; College Fjord and Hubbard next in line. I'd forgotten to mention the big PLUS of having park rangers on board in Glacier Bay; that is reason enough for making that choice, as they are very knowledgeable and personable and provide great hand-outs as well.

 

I also agree that it is so important to add a land portion before or after your cruise if you possibly can -- which steers you toward choosing a one-way cruise.

[Xoe]

Hey, I'm thinking we were on the same cruise! We left Vancouver on May 31, 11 days heading north on (small now retired) Island Princess, sailed into Anchorage after marvelous stops and glacier viewing along the way, then a land portion to Denali and Fairbanks, where it was almost summer solstice and I was out taking photos at midnight! We had a marvelous naturalist on board too, the best we've had.

 

Yes, that is our all-time favorite Alaska cruise, although we have enjoyed more recent ones as well. I wish they still had a ship small enough to do that itinerary and would resurrect it.