Hubbard's Glacier, College Fjord or Victoria, BC

[eeyore81]

We are trying to narrow down our cruise options. We want to do Glacier Bay since that seems to be a must do. That leaves 3 cruises with the options of either doing Hubbard's Glacier, College Fjord or Victoria, BC. Can anyone tell me if any of these are a must do over the others? I'm trying my best to educate myself on Alaska. Every time I think I have it figured out, I do not :) Thanks for any suggestions. We are experienced cruisers. However, we have never been to Alaska. We are pretty much RCCL people, but are looking at Princess to get Glacier Bay. Any thoughts on Princess over the other lines that go to Glacier Bay. We are a party of 6... ranging in age from 67 to 1 year.

[sherryf]

These are vastly different cruises. The ones with Hubbard and College Fjord would have to be one-way cruises, while the one with Victoria would most likely be a round-trip from Seattle. There's a lot more to consider here than just which other glacier/port you see.

 

While Victoria is nice, it is usually a very short, evening stop to fulfill PVSA requirements. Don't base your decision about the cruise on Victoria. First decide if you want a one-way or round-trip cruise.

[eeyore81]

It really does not matter to us whether it is one way or round trip. We would fly in day before cruise and fly right back as we do not have the time to spend after the cruise. Other than time, is there another reason why one way vs round trip is a different cruise.

[paylady]

We are trying to narrow down our cruise options. We want to do Glacier Bay since that seems to be a must do. That leaves 3 cruises with the options of either doing Hubbard's Glacier, College Fjord or Victoria, BC. Can anyone tell me if any of these are a must do over the others? I'm trying my best to educate myself on Alaska. Every time I think I have it figured out, I do not :) Thanks for any suggestions. We are experienced cruisers. However, we have never been to Alaska. We are pretty much RCCL people, but are looking at Princess to get Glacier Bay. Any thoughts on Princess over the other lines that go to Glacier Bay. We are a party of 6... ranging in age from 67 to 1 year.

 

With Glacier Bay, I would recommend a one way cruise. I'm not fond of Alaska RT cruises from Seattle. The ones from Vancouver are more scenic since they follow Canada's Inside Passage.

 

As for the Hubbard Glacier, College Fjord and Victoria question ......

Hubbard is huge an usually calves which is a sight to see, College Fjord on a large cruise ship is not the same as the sights one can see from a smaller Prince William Sound boat tour, and Victoria is lovely but not a must do for a first timer to Alaska. JMO.

 

Think about whether some of your group will be spending time in Alaska on a one way cruise. I wouldn't recommend this with a one year old, but the empty nesters would really benefit from land time in Alaska.

[UPGrandma]

I chose Princess one way for our upcoming Aug cruise because of the naturalists that come onboard during the day in Glacier Bay... And the fact that they do the Inside Passage although the cruise is titled "Voyage of the Glaciers". Another thing that I liked was the length of time in the ports (well, except Katichikan which is about 6 hrs). You will enjoy any you pick and with the ages you mentioned, each port will have something for everyone. Was fun our first cruise to talk with others I. The group to hear what they did differently than we did each night.

[Budget Queen]

I chose Princess one way for our upcoming Aug cruise because of the naturalists that come onboard during the day in Glacier Bay... And the fact that they do the Inside Passage although the cruise is titled "Voyage of the Glaciers". Another thing that I liked was the length of time in the ports (well, except Katichikan which is about 6 hrs). You will enjoy any you pick and with the ages you mentioned, each port will have something for everyone. Was fun our first cruise to talk with others I. The group to hear what they did differently than we did each night.

 

ALL ships sailing Glacier Bay, will have Park service Rangers board the ship. All ships have to be escorted in. So this feature is also available to HAL and NCL.

 

Good point about the port times. I also recommend finding out about each Alaska port, each is very different from the others, unlike the Caribbean. :)

[Budget Queen]

We are trying to narrow down our cruise options. We want to do Glacier Bay since that seems to be a must do. That leaves 3 cruises with the options of either doing Hubbard's Glacier, College Fjord or Victoria, BC. Can anyone tell me if any of these are a must do over the others? I'm trying my best to educate myself on Alaska. Every time I think I have it figured out, I do not :) Thanks for any suggestions. We are experienced cruisers. However, we have never been to Alaska. We are pretty much RCCL people, but are looking at Princess to get Glacier Bay. Any thoughts on Princess over the other lines that go to Glacier Bay. We are a party of 6... ranging in age from 67 to 1 year.

 

Do YOU have an interest in Glacier Bay? That is the ONLY reason to make that a priority choice. IF you don't know, then you may want to look more for details about each of the glacier sailing areas. In my opinion, every one of them is worthwhile and enjoyable. What are your port interests? How are you going to spend your time?

 

Round trip Vancouver sailings can also be great options. HAL may still have their Glacier Bay/Tracy Arm itinerary?

 

Every cruise is a compromise. Key is to know the details, so you'll know what you are reading and comparing.