Alaskan Cruise

[buckirj1]

Another point in favor of the Jewel is the daytime stop in Victoria, the only real city on the cruise. I've always heard Victoria is much better experienced during the day, than in the short evening stop. I'd love an itinerary that included both Glacier Bay and Victoria in the daytime.

[Sequim88]

Is there anything you can tell me that can make me "excited" for Alaska?

 

My wife felt the same way. Thinking "all rocks and snow and ice". We still have a chunk of glacier in our driveway if we want to walk on ice. She was very pleasantly surprised by the lush greenness of the mountains and hills on the Inside Passage. Even around the glaciers there was lots of vegetation reclaiming formerly glaciated ground. Also a pleasant surprise were the waterfalls and wildlife. The treeline is realtively low that far north so even small mountains become spectacular and the huge ones (like St. Elias range) amazing.

 

Other surprise factor was a feeling of glimpsing the "old west" or frontier. Really, the closest you can get to the last frontier. Everything a little rougher around the edges and less refined that what most people are used to. Very different lifestyle.

[Kirasha]

I'd love an itinerary that included both Glacier Bay and Victoria in the daytime.

 

That would be the first Pearl sailing in Alaska for May 10th 2014 leaves from Vancouver and ends in Seattle. Includes Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay and stopping at Victoria during the day. I love this choice because you get the scenery of leaving from Vancouver, more time in all ports and avoid flying home from YVR airport.

[Cruise_More_Often]

Would you happen to know who does the catamaran excursion? Or is that the name of the company?

I believe it is Allen Marine; here is a link to their Juneau tours. Looks like they offer tours for the ships and one for independent tourists.

 

This tour was one of the highlights of our cruises to Alaska.

[Cruise_More_Often]

My family is planning a family cruise to Alaska in 2014. I just can't get excited about going to Alaska, maybe because I was born and raised in the snowy country of Canada (but now live in Florida).

 

Is there anything you can tell me that can make me "excited" for Alaska?

 

My typical cruise is usually the Carribean!!:)

There usually isn't a lot of snow still on the ground during the cruise season, but you will see it on the mountaintops. It is all about the magnificent mountains that come right down to the ocean, the glaciers, the forests. It's also about the flightseeing, the whale watching, just the killer beauty of it! Just thinking about it gets me excited. :D

[Aurora2143]

I believe it is Allen Marine; here is a link to their Juneau tours. Looks like they offer tours for the ships and one for independent tourists.

 

This tour was one of the highlights of our cruises to Alaska.

 

Thank you so much!

[sdmike]

I just read your review. We'll be on the Jewel following the same itinerary. We are so excited.

Do you mind if I ask what kind of camera you were using? Your photos are amazing!

 

Sure. Those were shot with a Canon t2i, mostly with a 70-300 USM lens (although some might be with my 18-135 lens)

[sdmike]

My family is planning a family cruise to Alaska in 2014. I just can't get excited about going to Alaska, maybe because I was born and raised in the snowy country of Canada (but now live in Florida).

 

Is there anything you can tell me that can make me "excited" for Alaska?

 

My typical cruise is usually the Carribean!!:)

 

Probably not, but I will tell you that my sister-in-law felt the same way and LOVED Alaska for the scenery. If you check out my review and the pictures don't do anything for you, stick with the caribbean. :)

[Aurora2143]

Sure. Those were shot with a Canon t2i, mostly with a 70-300 USM lens (although some might be with my 18-135 lens)

 

Thanks! :)

[sdmike]

I believe it is Allen Marine; here is a link to their Juneau tours. Looks like they offer tours for the ships and one for independent tourists.

 

This tour was one of the highlights of our cruises to Alaska.

 

Yep, that's them. All their boats are named after saints.

[2Oregonians]

I've never done Glacier Bay, but we did Tracy Arm (Sawyer Glacier) 5 years ago on Princess, and we're doing it again this year on NCL Jewel.

 

Our deciding factor this time around was the fact that the Jewel leaves and returns on Saturday, and the Pearl on Sunday. We drive up (3 hours), so a Saturday departure is fine, and we would MUCH rather return on Saturday and have Sunday to recuperate before going back to work.

 

I'm sure you can't miss either way, but Sawyer Glacier was lovely. SDMike's pictures accurately reflect the beautiful blue of the ice. The naturalist aboard Princess talked on the PA system while we navigated Tracy Arm, and he called it "Windex Blue", which is spot on for how the color looked. Beautiful! We saw mountain goats climbing precariously on the steep rocky mountainsides that make up the fjord. Just an overall beautiful day trip.

[spacepotatoes]

My family is planning a family cruise to Alaska in 2014. I just can't get excited about going to Alaska, maybe because I was born and raised in the snowy country of Canada (but now live in Florida).

 

Is there anything you can tell me that can make me "excited" for Alaska?

 

My typical cruise is usually the Carribean!!:)

 

My husband felt the same before our cruise. In Skagway, we booked an excursion that took us into the Yukon and he was pretty excited about that. Just to be able to say that he went to the Yukon :) The pictures I showed him from reviews of Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay helped too. It wasn't until we were in Alaska, and actually surrounded by all of that beauty, that he really got excited and said he was glad we did it.

[buckirj1]

That would be the first Pearl sailing in Alaska for May 10th 2014 leaves from Vancouver and ends in Seattle. Includes Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay and stopping at Victoria during the day. I love this choice because you get the scenery of leaving from Vancouver, more time in all ports and avoid flying home from YVR airport.

 

I need to look into that---thanks!

[audreybella]

Thanks for your posts. After reading a few reviews and looking at many pictures that were breathtaking.

 

Like I say "A day on a cruise is better than a day at work" ;)

[carmie3377]

For our 40th anniversary we did Alaska on the Pearl. We were lucky enough to get an upsell to bow penthouse which was wonderful for Glacier Bay Day. Caps are intentional - Glacier Bay is just gorgeous.

 

In June we are doing the northbound Alaska cruise on the Sun. Have a bow stateroom again but no penthouse this time. Sailing again with our best friends for their first Alaska cruise.

If you can do a Monday to Monday cruise and don't have to fly round trip Seattle the Sun itinerary is really wonderful.

 

Mon Vancouver, Canada 4:00 PM Tue Cruising the Inside Passage Wed Ketchikan 7:00 AM 4:00 PM Thu Juneau 10:00 AM 8:00 PM Fri Skagway 7:00 AM 8:00 PM Sat Glacier Bay Sun Hubbard Glacier Mon Whittier 8:00 AM

You have both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier. You lose one port day (Victoria BC) but gain two beautiful glacier sailing days with -0- excursion costs. The port times are better/longer than the Pearl/Jewel cruises.

 

We're driving to Seattle, taking light rail to the Amtrak station, taking Amtrak to Vancouver BC. Amtrak $55 pp senior business class. We're flying from Anchorage (about an hour from Whittier) to Seattle. Got killer airfare Anchorage to Seattle for $117 pp. The one way car rental Whittier to Anchorage is $369 :eek: but we're doing an redeye flight and will spend the day/evening sightseeing. There are less expensive transfer options.

 

Our very first Norwegian cruise was on the Sun - had wonderful stern penthouse 9076. We're very happy to be back on her and looking forward to another great cruise.

 

We're doing the Sun one way north bound next year in a forward penthouse. We are so excited about it and really looking forward to trying out NCL!

 

I just hope airfare doesn't kill us. Airfare in/out of Jackson, MS is usually high but the flights this year that we will need next year are very reasonable. JAckson to Vancouver then Anchorage to Jackson is $650 person. Using Dallas instead of Jackson trims $200/person and if same holds true next year, we'd probably do that as most of our family lives there. Anyway, I'd be thrilled if the four of us could fly there and back for $1800-2600! We'd pay that much or more just to fly to Florida!

 

Have a great trip :-)