Alaska Cruise from Seattle

[Rambler5678]

Would love to hear from anyone that's been on this cruise? Did you enjoy it. Kids Clubs? Food? Port Excursions? What time of year did you go? Room type etc.

[thecruiserofships]

Would love to hear from anyone that's been on this cruise? Did you enjoy it. Kids Clubs? Food? Port Excursions? What time of year did you go? Room type etc.

 

I took the Miracle out of Seattle last year and had a great time! The Miracle is one of my favorite ships. The food was great and make sure you arrive at main dining dinner early (lines get long).

I had a balcony stateroom and went in June.

 

This is my full review on my personal blog:

http://www.embarkandaway.com/carnival-miracle-7day-alaska-cruise-review-2013.html

Edited May 29, 2014 by thecruiserofships

[joy21]

We just returned from our Alaskan cruise out of Seattle. It was fantastic! We went on May 6. The weather couldn't have been better. Most days we only wore jackets. The only time we needed our winter coats was in Glacier Bay. We could see whales, otters, seals, and eagles right from our balcony. We would definitely do this again.

[springs741]

We sailed out of Vancouver on Monday the 28th. Good weather. Tuesday rained. All you could see was gray. Tuesday night we had 60 MPH wind. This was my 7th cruise in the last 2 1/2 years and I never get sea sick. I was feeling queasy that night. Woke up on Wednesday to the most glorious weather. The rest of the cruise was bright sunshine and blue skies! Temps varied most days were in the mid 60's and mid 40's at night. Juneau was warmer and we changed into shorts for the afternoon. Remember that on the water it feels much cooler and the breeze also adds a chill. We dressed in layers so we could peel off during the day. Backpacks helped to have a place to stash clothing.

 

Excursions! We did "Adventure Karts" in Ketchikan. I can't begin to tell you how much fun they were. Well run operation with good equipment and unbelievable sights to see.

 

Since we were in Alaska last July we were looking for a more relaxing cruise so the other two adventures were more sedentary. This trip we did the "to the summit" in Skagway. You basically ride a small tour bus to the US/Canada border. They stop several places along the way for photos and give you the history. Last year we took the train to the summit and then did the gold panning on the return trip. Almost did it again this year when we saw how beautiful the weather was. We had fog last year.

 

Juneau was the Mendenhall Glacier. Tour bus out and self walking tour. Please be aware you don't get to walk on the Glacier. I think the only way that happens is if you fly to the Glacier and that was out of budget. Last year we did the whale watching tour with Carnival. I have heard hear on CC over and over to book with Harv and Marv as they take out small craft and get much closer to the wildlife.

 

I would like to recommend you look into the Tracy Arm Fiord Excursion. You board a small boat from the cruise ship and get an up-close view of the scenery. I saw people transferring last year and made up my mind to do it this trip but it was not offered on our cruise as we did Glacier Bay not Tracy Arm.

I can't help you with Kids Club. Sorry.

When we go again, and yes we will sail again to Alaska, I think mid May. From reports I have gotten from friends cruising on May 6th and 13th there was more wildlife sightings. There are less kids on the May sail dates too. You didn't say what ages you kids are but if they are not school age there will be lots of their age.

What ever you choose to do I know you will have a wonderful and memorable trip. Thanks for letting me share with you.

[Rambler5678]

Thank you all for your great reports. My kids are 3 and 10 so we could not go until the end of May or the First of June. What cruise line did everyone take?

[JimAOk1945]

We took the round trip Seattle itinerary on the Star Princess in mid August. We were in a mini-suite. The food was excellent. We enjoyed everything about the cruise and shore excursions!

 

Which cruise line are you thinking about booking with?

 

If you're interested in seeing pictures, you might enjoy viewing the slide show my wife made for her website with pictures she took on that cruise. You can see it by clicking on the link below

 

Alaska Inside Passage ~ Round trip from Seattle on the Star Princess

 

Happy Sailing!

Edited May 30, 2014 by JimAOk1945

[mapleleaves]

if you want to read about people's cruises, go to the STICKY above, called '2013 Alaska cruise review list'. Lots of trip reports! Go to reply #45 where the reports are sorted by cruiseline and ship. The reports are very detailed with info on excursions, activities, sights, and many have photos.

Edited May 30, 2014 by mapleleaves

[stewartmamone1]

We took the round trip Seattle itinerary on the Star Princess in mid August. We were in a mini-suite. The food was excellent. We enjoyed everything about the cruise and shore excursions!

 

Which cruise line are you thinking about booking with?

 

If you're interested in seeing pictures, you might enjoy viewing the slide show my wife made for her website with pictures she took on that cruise. You can see it by clicking on the link below

 

Alaska Inside Passage ~ Round trip from Seattle on the Star Princess

 

Happy Sailing!

 

Beautiful pictures. What camera did you use?

[sherryf]

I've been on five Alaskan cruises from Seattle and have another one booked for July. Many of your questions, such as food and kids clubs, are dependent on which cruise line you are on. You can find tons of information about excursions by reading a few pages on these boards. Do a bit of reading and come back with more specific questions and you'll get much better responses.

[JimAOk1945]

Beautiful pictures. What camera did you use?

My wife is the photographer in our family. She uses a Nikon D5100 with a Tamron 18-270 lens. She has 3 other lens but she prefers her Tamron due to its flexibility for various types of photo opportunities. Thanks for visiting her website. Happy cruising!

[Rambler5678]

Anyone ever cruise NCL?

[mapleleaves]

of course people have cruised NCL ... otherwise the company wouldn't be in Alaska.

 

There are at least 20 trip reports in the 2013 List. Here's the link. Go to reply#45 where the reports are sorted by cruiseline.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1879117&page=3

 

or look on the REVIEW forum to read recent reports.