Alaska/Canada and back to aus

[SeaDog-46]

Stass1

Mercruiser has given you details of the voyages to Alaska from Vancouver & Seattle. I would prefer the Vancouver departures as the seas are calmer & the scenery is better even though some of the Inside Passage is done at night.

The best cruise for you is the one that best suits your timetable & budget.

Be aware that not all cruise lines go to Glacier Bay which is a highlight.

 

Bobhsv - The Jones Act is obviously complicated as far as cruise ships go - so continuing from LA via Vancouver may not be possible.

There is something about a "distant port" & Vancouver may not qualify.

It is the cruise line that would rule on any possible breach.

What I was saying is that some Aust. TA's don't know that you can b2b through Vancouver.

On Volendam with us were a couple from Caloundra QLD. They were told by their TA that they could not do the next cruise to Alaska & back to Vancouver in May last year. They were very upset when they found out that a large number of Aussies onboard were in fact staying on.

[catr13]

We went on a Alaskan cruise last year. We cruised out of Vancouver. We then followed it up with hiring a RV and touring around for a week (Denali, Anchorage, Seaward). We found the touring allowed greater flexibility and was cheaper than a package deal. Previous to the cruise we did the Rocky Mountains which I highly recommend in Summer time we saw so much wildlife actually more than we did in Alaska and got up much closer too!!

 

Its worth shopping around with flights. When we went to Vancouver on another occasion we found the cheapest was to fly to Hawaii with Jetstar and then get a flight from there to Vancouver. Coming back from Anchorge it was pretty cheap to LA. You might get a cheaper deal though doing a return to LA/Vancouver.

[catr13]

Hi John,

 

Thanks for your comments, it sounds like a fantastic trip you did last year. For us, 25, young first home owners, we really don't want to be spending huge amounts on the holiday, the fire and ice tour is at the top of our limit and see's us taking two cruises and experiences two areas we both want to see at the one time. My husband is very keen on the idea of having two days break in Vancouver inbetween the cruises as it would have been a bit much for him. We're also excited to be able to expereince two cruise lines we haven't been on before.

 

At this stage it's only a rough idea, I've sent the link to our TA to see what he can come up with for 2014 while we wait for that company to release there 2014 packages.

 

Is the cruise better vancouver to vancouver or seattle to seattle. I noted that celebrity has a new cruise iteniary which takes in 7 stops I believe which could be ideal.

 

The only thing we're really sad to miss out on is a trip to Denali which would have been the icing on the cake.

 

That fire and ice deal does sound good. When is it for? Guessing it will be in the non peak - end of May or Sept. Also this would prob be for the cheapest possible cabin an inside. Alaska is def worth paying the extra for a balcony but if you want to save some $$ than you can get some cheap deals with an inside.

For us Denali wasn't the icing on the cake. Whilst it was wonderful it was a bit of a let down when we had just been to the Rockies and were able to get up close to so much wildlife. We didnt get that at Denali!! We loved Glacier Bay which I am pretty sure the menitoned cruise wouldnt do since its a return to Vancouver and also Princess and Holland are the only ones allowed there! It blew us away!, the real icing on the cake for us was a float plane trip out to Brooks Falls to see the bears - expensive but well worth it!!

[bobhsv]

Stass1

 

 

Bobhsv - The Jones Act is obviously complicated as far as cruise ships go - so continuing from LA via Vancouver may not be possible.

There is something about a "distant port" & Vancouver may not qualify.

It is the cruise line that would rule on any possible breach.

What I was saying is that some Aust. TA's don't know that you can b2b through Vancouver.

On Volendam with us were a couple from Caloundra QLD. They were told by their TA that they could not do the next cruise to Alaska & back to Vancouver in May last year. They were very upset when they found out that a large number of Aussies onboard were in fact staying on.

 

Agreed. Complicated it is. I had to read this Act many times...and still don't properly understand it:) As you say, always a good idea to check on the TA. Only a good one will know the rulings re this insane Act.

 

btw, for the op.....our cruise on NCL does Glacier Bay (and Hubbard Glacier). I read where entry to Glacier Bay is based on an environmental issue, with only a certain number of ships allowed in per season. They have to 'tender' for the rights years in advance.

[Hard-habit-to-break]

Last year I booked a b2b on Volendam ex Sydney - Vancouver - Vancouver. A fantstic 30 day cruise & we saw lots of snow & ice at Glacier Bay as we were only the second ship to start the season.

Ports were quiet with only Volendam in port.

As we were going to Canada we also did a Rockies coach tour of 12 days with a European company. What a great group - 2 US couples, 2 other couples & the rest Australians.

Hotels in Vancouver & Victoria I researched & booked online plus transport

back to the airport.

Also booked a one way fare Vancouver to Brisbane via Auckland with Air NZ Canadian office for just over $1000pp.

The whole 49 day tour worked out cheaper than friends 28 days cruise & Rockies tour advertised in the weekend papers.

Saw many animals from the coach / rail tour. Early in the season the bears are hungary.

Vancouver departures go via Inside Passage - where as Seattle departures go seaward of Vancouver Island - a rougher passage.

Can't mention any names here - email for more info.

 

John

 

 

Wow John, sounds like an awesome trip. We are looking at doing the same sort of thing next year, but at the end of the season, cruising back to Aus. Do you mind if I email you directly to ask some questions?

 

Thanks,

Kirrarne

[stass1]

That fire and ice deal does sound good. When is it for? Guessing it will be in the non peak - end of May or Sept. Also this would prob be for the cheapest possible cabin an inside. Alaska is def worth paying the extra for a balcony but if you want to save some $$ than you can get some cheap deals with an inside.

For us Denali wasn't the icing on the cake. Whilst it was wonderful it was a bit of a let down when we had just been to the Rockies and were able to get up close to so much wildlife. We didnt get that at Denali!! We loved Glacier Bay which I am pretty sure the menitoned cruise wouldnt do since its a return to Vancouver and also Princess and Holland are the only ones allowed there! It blew us away!, the real icing on the cake for us was a float plane trip out to Brooks Falls to see the bears - expensive but well worth it!!

 

Hi the price is for an outside, balcony was an extra $1200 each and we don't consider it worth the extra money, but we would never go an inside over a balcony. I believe it was May for that particular package, but we will be looking for June/July when we go in 2014. Our TA said they will beat any package/deal we find which is good.

 

From what I've read I prefer the iteniary of Celebrity over princess, particularly with their new super trip they have launched this year. We can always go back for Denali if we feel we miss out, but for us right now we can't see the sense in paying over $6k each and not doing the hawaii cruise.

[SeaDog-46]

Kirrarne - email away.

 

hayati88@bigpond.com

 

John

[bazzaw]

Also remember - flying into US can be a major pain in the A***. Security concerns in US these days do not make it a pleasant experience. Don't know how Canada is these days - been a long time since we went there last.

 

Barry

[bobhsv]

Also remember - flying into US can be a major pain in the A***. Security concerns in US these days do not make it a pleasant experience. Don't know how Canada is these days - been a long time since we went there last.

 

Barry

 

Esp when an airline alters your connection times wthin the States:eek:. We are going Qantas with codeshare AA to Miami....they have altered our AA connection time to just 2 hrs in Dallas. I plan on wearing my running shoes, as it will be a very tight connection:D Originally we had a 4 hr layover.

[cassamanda]

Also remember - flying into US can be a major pain in the A***. Security concerns in US these days do not make it a pleasant experience. Don't know how Canada is these days - been a long time since we went there last.

 

Barry

Is that experience the same if transitting through LAX for example Syd-LAX-VANCOUVER or does it not make any diff. Perhaps i would be better off going Air NZ SYD-AUK-VAN and they are slightly cheaper than Virgin or Qantas. They also have the new 777-300.

Another would be Syd-Hono then direct to Vancouver or Anchorage (if poss).

Comments appreciated.

Hugh

[Mercruiser]

Is that experience the same if transiting through LAX for example Syd-LAX-VANCOUVER or does it not make any diff. Perhaps i would be better off going Air NZ SYD-AUK-VAN and they are slightly cheaper than Virgin or Qantas. They also have the new 777-300.

Another would be Syd-Hono then direct to Vancouver or Anchorage (if poss).

Comments appreciated.

Hugh

 

I've been doing quite a bit of international business travel the last year. Of the ones I've been though, LAX is the worst airport of entry into the USA. The security staff there (TSA as they are known), all seem to be a very unhappy bunch of people who wish to inflict their unhappiness on the traveling public. I don't think transiting through LAX will spare you this ordeal. The problem is that LAX has multiple terminals. You may be required to exit the secure area of the terminal, walk to another terminal, and then go through security again.

 

In my experience, the best airport for entry into the US is Seattle. From Seattle, it is very easy to get to Vancouver (air, bus, rail). Seattle is also the air hub of the northwest US for flights to Alaska. The largest airline in the western US is Alaska Air, based in Seattle. They have flights to everywhere mentioned (Seattle, Honolulu, Anchorage, Vancouver. . .) Alaska is a Qantas partner.

 

The Air New Zealand flight, direct from AKL to Vancouver looks very good. Also check out the Air Canada flight from SYD to Vancouver.

 

You also mentioned entering the US in HNL. Alaska Airlines has a direct flight from HNL to Anchorage (ANC). Air Canada has flights to Vancouver. And here is an interesting one to check out. Alaska Air has Honolulu flights to Bellingham (BLI) in the USA, just south of Vancouver. The Bellingham flights are marketed to Canadians as a lower cost alternative to flying to/from Vancouver.

[stass1]

The package is flights to Hawaii and the return is Seattle to Hawaii, so no trip to LAX there :confused:

[cassamanda]

I've been doing quite a bit of international business travel the last year. Of the ones I've been though, LAX is the worst airport of entry into the USA. The security staff there (TSA as they are known), all seem to be a very unhappy bunch of people who wish to inflict their unhappiness on the traveling public. I don't think transiting through LAX will spare you this ordeal. The problem is that LAX has multiple terminals. You may be required to exit the secure area of the terminal, walk to another terminal, and then go through security again.

 

In my experience, the best airport for entry into the US is Seattle. From Seattle, it is very easy to get to Vancouver (air, bus, rail). Seattle is also the air hub of the northwest US for flights to Alaska. The largest airline in the western US is Alaska Air, based in Seattle. They have flights to everywhere mentioned (Seattle, Honolulu, Anchorage, Vancouver. . .) Alaska is a Qantas partner.

 

The Air New Zealand flight, direct from AKL to Vancouver looks very good. Also check out the Air Canada flight from SYD to Vancouver.

 

You also mentioned entering the US in HNL. Alaska Airlines has a direct flight from HNL to Anchorage (ANC). Air Canada has flights to Vancouver. And here is an interesting one to check out. Alaska Air has Honolulu flights to Bellingham (BLI) in the USA, just south of Vancouver. The Bellingham flights are marketed to Canadians as a lower cost alternative to flying to/from Vancouver.

Thank you for your advice. I will be pricing 2 plans. Plan A would be return Syd to Seattle or Vancouver by best carrier then Alaska Air to ANC. Travel Alaska then Southbound cruise to VAncouver and return to Syd by air. Plan B would be return air SYD-HNL with Qan/Jetstar, Virgin or Air NZ. Then Alaska Air direct to ANC (arrive very early:eek:), tour Alaska, cruise south, tour Vancouver etc 1 week, cruise to Hawaii and fly home.

Plan is to try an avoid the double priced one way fares as best we can. The Alaska Air direct flt HNL-ANC seems reasonably priced. The early 5am arrival is a bit nasty though.

Hugh

[Mercruiser]

Thank you for your advice. I will be pricing 2 plans. Plan A would be return Syd to Seattle or Vancouver by best carrier then Alaska Air to ANC. Travel Alaska then Southbound cruise to VAncouver and return to Syd by air. Plan B would be return air SYD-HNL with Qan/Jetstar, Virgin or Air NZ. Then Alaska Air direct to ANC (arrive very early:eek:), tour Alaska, cruise south, tour Vancouver etc 1 week, cruise to Hawaii and fly home.

Plan is to try an avoid the double priced one way fares as best we can. The Alaska Air direct flt HNL-ANC seems reasonably priced. The early 5am arrival is a bit nasty though.

Hugh

 

It sounds like you have plenty of good options to explore. Alaska Airlines prices their one-ways at half the price of a return. So you shouldn't have any problem with double priced one ways with them. That red-eye flight from HNL to ANC is going to make for a poor night's sleep. At least you'd save on the cost of a hotel. You can avoid the red-eye flight by running your trip in the opposite direction: SYD-HNL-Vancouver, Cruise to Alaska, fly ANC-HNL-SYD. The ANC to HNL direction is a daytime flight.

 

Other then the red-eye flight, using HNL as your stopover airport seems ideal. If your time and budget allow, you could spend some time in Hawaii to break up the trip.

 

Here a couple of web sites that may be of interest for travel planning:

Gcmap: Shows any flight route you specify. Here is you Plan B route

 

Quick Shuttle: This is the bus service between the Vancouver cruise terminals and the Seattle airport. It also stops at the Bellingham airport. This bus is very popular because is often a lot cheaper to fly to Seattle than to Vancouver (YVR).

 

Alaska Cruise Companion: This is my favorite book to take on an Alaska Cruise. It has lots of interesting history and local stories about the Indians (or First Nations people as they are called in Canada), early explorers, fishing fleets, etc. The map that's included is the best one available. Also check out the free videos on Videos page.

 

Cheers and happy cruise planning

[socreader]

Hi Stass1,

 

We are booked with Royal on Radiance of the Seas late August to do a 12 day Cruise/Tour in Alaska (5 day tour followed by 7 day cruise Southbound Seward to Vancouver.

Disembark in Vancouver for a week in Canada on land, (whilst we wait for the ship to finish her last Alaska cruise for the season) then pick up the ship again out of Vancouver for a B2B (back to back) on her 10 day Hawaiin cruise, followed by the 17 day trans Pacific Honolulu back to Sydney via Tahiti & NZ.

 

Prices for the trans Pacific dropped $600pp 2 weeks ago for an early bird special. No change on the Alaskan or Hawaiian cruises.

 

We will fly Air Canada to Vancouver then Air Alaska to Anchorage, approx cost pp is $2000.

 

You can fly via Seattle but it's another couple of air flights that I don't want to do, less flights is better as far as I'm concerned.

 

I prefer to fly there & get the flights over so I can relax & cruise all the way home, also means no baggage weight issues.:)

 

We sailed on Radiance last year so know we love her & she was actually designed to sail in Alaska & has more glass floor to ceiling walls for great views than most other ships. Also has a closed in Solarium pool area for colder weather as well as the outdoor pool.

 

My advice is to book your cruises now if you want to go later this year as they are sell out fast months ahead.

 

The Alaska & Hawaii cruises will book fast as they are popular with many of the American cruise lovers.

 

Repositioning cruises from either Hawaii or Singapore back to Sydney only happen once a year.

 

I did extensive research into this trip so am happy to answer any questions I can that may help you.

 

I chose to stick with Royal because I wanted to be on a ship for this longer cruising that I knew I liked & also I'm a Crown & Anchor member so want to get my level up for future benefits.:D

 

There are also active roll calls for each of those cruises. Due to the Jones act you will need to disembark the Solstice in San Diego and catch the Celebrity transfer to Ensenada. American think it is odd, also. We will be doing the Ensenada to Sydney legs but many on the roll call are starting on the Solstice in Alaska. Celeb rity is having a 321 promotion now.

[cassamanda]

Thank you Mercruiser. Your advice is really appreciated. Lots of planning to do. Think we will be doing the HNL stopover but spending a fair bit of time RVing out of Anchorage and Vancouver. I also like the Air NZ flt direct to Vancouver as most carriers ex SYD seem to go via the dreaded LAX.

We will have a week in Hawaii (Oahu and MAui) in May this year following the TP cruise so will probably have just the 1 or 2 day stopover.

[Mercruiser]

Thank you Mercruiser. Your advice is really appreciated. Lots of planning to do. Think we will be doing the HNL stopover but spending a fair bit of time RVing out of Anchorage and Vancouver. I also like the Air NZ flt direct to Vancouver as most carriers ex SYD seem to go via the dreaded LAX.

We will have a week in Hawaii (Oahu and MAui) in May this year following the TP cruise so will probably have just the 1 or 2 day stopover.

 

That sounds wonderful. RVing is a great way to see both areas. I grew up in a RVing family and have spent most of my summers, as a kid, and now as an adult, exploring the National Parks, forests, lakes, seaside towns, etc in our RV. You could spend several summers exploring these places. Our last RV trip to Vancouver was a few years ago. We went to Vancouver Island (the island, not the city) via the San Juan ferry from Anacortes to Sydney. The ferry ride itself is one of my favorites.

 

If you make it to Victoria on Vancouver Island, our favorite urban RV park is Westbay Marine Village. You will need a reservation for this popular spot. The RV park is right in the middle of the inner harbor, surrounded by boats. Its fun to watch the boat traffic and floatplanes go buy. The downtown tourist area is within walking distance. This allows you to park the RV for a few days and explore the area by foot and water taxi.

 

This summer, we are planning an RV trip to Banff National Park.

 

Cheers

 

 

[sydney cruiser]

Jen you are quite right. We ran into the Jones act on our upcoming cruise on radiance of the Seas and could not cruise Honolulu to Vancouver and stay on and continue to Seward. This info came from Royal Caribbean. We are fetting around it by cruising from Sydney.

[sydney cruiser]

When looking at flights. a one way flight is very expensive. We looked at flying Vancouver to Sydney with Air Canada which is the only carrier providing a direct flight. Instead we are now flying vancouver to Honolulu, staying 3 days and then flying Jetstar to Sydney. We booked when Jetstar was having a special deal and even after adding 40 kg of baggage and paying for extra leg room, the cost is less than half the Air Canada flight.

[UPGrandma]

I've been doing quite a bit of international business travel the last year. Of the ones I've been though, LAX is the worst airport of entry into the USA. The security staff there (TSA as they are known), all seem to be a very unhappy bunch of people who wish to inflict their unhappiness on the traveling public. I don't think transiting through LAX will spare you this ordeal. The problem is that LAX has multiple terminals. You may be required to exit the secure area of the terminal, walk to another terminal, and then go through security again.

 

In my experience, the best airport for entry into the US is Seattle. From Seattle, it is very easy to get to Vancouver (air, bus, rail). Seattle is also the air hub of the northwest US for flights to Alaska. The largest airline in the western US is Alaska Air, based in Seattle. They have flights to everywhere mentioned (Seattle, Honolulu, Anchorage, Vancouver. . .) Alaska is a Qantas partner.

 

The Air New Zealand flight, direct from AKL to Vancouver looks very good. Also check out the Air Canada flight from SYD to Vancouver.

 

You also mentioned entering the US in HNL. Alaska Airlines has a direct flight from HNL to Anchorage (ANC). Air Canada has flights to Vancouver. And here is an interesting one to check out. Alaska Air has Honolulu flights to Bellingham (BLI) in the USA, just south of Vancouver. The Bellingham flights are marketed to Canadians as a lower cost alternative to flying to/from Vancouver.

 

Thanks for the information. Starting to check out Inside Passage cruise to Alaska 2014 & This will be very helpful. :D

[UPGrandma]

The only downside I have heard that if you arrive for the first cruises of the season some of the Bays may still be iced up and you cant enter. Conversly if you wait till the very end of the season a lot of the snow has melted.

We went on the second to last cruise of the season and found it really great.Be prepared for a lot of fog and rain in Alaska.I have heard of some cruises where they were in fog all week.

When we went , we chose a fly crusie deal that was at a really super price. This meant we just flew there ,had a day in Vancouver , did a 7 day Vancouver rtn cruise , then jumped on a plane and flew home. In hindsight it would have been better to spend a bit extra and do a Rockies tour as well.....mind you they are not cheap........but then they dont take credit cards in heaven..

 

 

 

Problem with end of season is also that due to early winter they could close Glacier Bay & you wouldn't get to see that.

[MMDown Under]

Hello everyone,

 

I am planning a NZ-Australia cruise next November and have been monitoring this board (and the Australia-NZ Ports board) for ideas and information on my upcoming cruise. This particular thread got my attention because I am familiar with the Alaska cruises and most attractions in the Western USA and Canada. Here is a link to the blog I wrote about our Alaska cruise last summer:

http://goldenalaska.wordpress.com/

 

Have a look and see if this gives you any ideas for your Alaska cruise plans. This one was a 7-day round trip out of Seattle. Our very first cruise was a 7-day Vancouver to Seward Alaska cruise.

 

I'm not familiar with the package tours being discussed. So I cannot evaluate if they are a good deal. But let me ignore those and provide some ideas on how to do an Alaska cruise on your own.

 

I'll assume you have at least two weeks to work with. Weather-wise, mid June through August are the best months for this trip. I'm also assuming you can drive a car. You will be able to see a lot more if you drive yourself. If you don't want to drive, there are lots of companies that have bus tours covering the same route.

 

1) Book a return flight to LAX, SFO, SEA (Seattle) or Vancouver (YVR). YVR flights tend to be more expensive so a lot of people fly to SEA and take a bus to/from the Vancouver cruise wharf. Spend a night or more at your first North American city to break up the trip.

 

2) Fly on Alaska Airlines (or other airline) to Fairbanks, Alaska (FAI). Hire a car one way to Seward or Whittier (depending on where your cruise departs). Alaska will be a great place to practice right-lane driving. There is very little traffic in Alaska.

 

3) Spend a week seeing all the sights between Fairbanks and Seward/Whittier. These include Fairbanks, Denali, Anchorage, and the Kenai Peninsula. You will see lots of wildlife. It will be light out almost 24 hours a day if you go in June-July. Here are some ideas on what to see: http://www.travelalaska.com/Experience%20Alaska/Sample%20Excursions.aspx

 

4) Take a 7-day Inside Passage cruise from Seward or Whittier to Vancouver. My favorite cruise lines for this route are Celebrity and Princess. But I wouldn't turn down a cruise on any of the others (Norwegian, HAL, Carnival, Royal Caribbean.) You don't need a balcony on this cruise. If you can afford one fine. But I usually get an inside for Alaska and save my balcony budget for warm weather cruises.

 

4a) If you have another week or two available, hire a car and visit one of the great National Parks: Banff-Jasper, Glacier, or Yellowstone (in Montana); or spend a week exploring the Vancouver-Seattle area. In my humble opinion, the best parts of North America are found in Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

 

5) Fly home. Of course, you can do this trip in the reverse direction.

 

Other thoughts:

 

a) Avoid early or late season Alaska cruises. The weather is more likely to be very cold and rainy in Alaska and Canada. This means most repositioning cruises to/from Hawaii or Australia will put you in Alaska when its too cold.

 

b) Personally, I wouldn't do a package tour (cruise tour) on a bus or train (unless you don't drive or have mobility issues.) This part of the world is very safe and easy to visit on your own. There are plenty of hotels and tourist infrastructure. Some of the best wildlife are seen by the side of the road. If you are on a bus/train, you zoom right past the bears, elk, moose, caribou, eagles, etc because the tour has to stay on a schedule. With your own car, you just pull over and take your photographs at your own pace. Ask yourself, would I take a bus tour in Australia or New Zealand or would I travel independently? If you would travel independently in Australia or New Zealand, then why would you take a bus tour in Alaska? (Sorry if I am being to pushy on this issue.)

 

c) If this is your only Alaska cruise, avoid Seattle round trips. They miss out on some of the best scenic cruising up the inside passage between Vancouver and Alaska.

 

Cheers,

 

 

Thank you for providing such excellent advice on alternative ways to really see Alaska.

 

Our trip to Alaska, via Alaskan Marine Highway ferries, Alaska Airlines airpass, car hire, and truck camper hire, remains an all time favourite travel experience.

[Mercruiser]

Thank you for providing such excellent advice on alternative ways to really see Alaska.

 

Our trip to Alaska, via Alaskan Marine Highway ferries, Alaska Airlines airpass, car hire, and truck camper hire, remains an all time favourite travel experience.

Thanks for your kind comments.