Alaska Itinerary Choices

[Daleed77]

Hello,

We are thinking about taking my father on an Alaska cruise for his 70th birthday next year. Since the 1-2-3 promo is back on and we'll be on the Summit soon, I thought I should figure out which cruise to do and book it while onboard.

 

There will be 6 of us: me, my husband, my father, my sister, her husband, and my nephew (7 y.o.). The only person that hasn't been on a cruise is my father. No one has been to Alaska. I imagine that we will do three balcony cabins of some sort. I would love for all of us to Aqua, but I think people wouldn't care for my nephew in Blu.

 

So there seems to be four itineraries to choose from:

1. Seattle round trip on Solstice

2. Vancouver round trip on Infinity

3. Vancouver one way to Seward on the Millennium

4. Seward one way to Vancouver on the Millennium

 

What is the favorite choice?

 

I'm leaning toward the Solstice since it's newer and has better kids clubs for my nephew. Also, I feel like the airfare from the east coast would be better to Seattle, but I have nothing to base that on.

 

Also, anyone have any experiences on the Cruisetours?

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks!!!!

Dale

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Hello,

We are thinking about taking my father on an Alaska cruise for his 70th birthday next year. Since the 1-2-3 promo is back on and we'll be on the Summit soon, I thought I should figure out which cruise to do and book it while onboard.

 

There will be 6 of us: me, my husband, my father, my sister, her husband, and my nephew (7 y.o.). The only person that hasn't been on a cruise is my father. No one has been to Alaska. I imagine that we will do three balcony cabins of some sort. I would love for all of us to Aqua, but I think people wouldn't care for my nephew in Blu.

 

So there seems to be four itineraries to choose from:

1. Seattle round trip on Solstice

2. Vancouver round trip on Infinity

3. Vancouver one way to Seward on the Millennium

4. Seward one way to Vancouver on the Millennium

 

What is the favorite choice?

 

I'm leaning toward the Solstice since it's newer and has better kids clubs for my nephew. Also, I feel like the airfare from the east coast would be better to Seattle, but I have nothing to base that on.

 

Also, anyone have any experiences on the Cruisetours?

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks!!!!

Dale

 

Airfare to Seattle will definitely be cheaper than airfare to Vancouver. And round trip airfare is cheaper than open jaw airfares where you fly into one city and return from another.

 

My guess is that the kids clubs are pretty much the same on all the ships.

 

You can almost always put together a land portion cheaper than what Celebrity will offer.

 

The other argument for the Solstice is that you could get 3 balcony cabins next door to one another and have the cabin steward swing back the partitions between them. You don't get the 3 balconies completely connected as part of the wall remains fixed, but you can pass back and forth and you can slide chairs back and forth as well. This is not possible on M class ships (Infinity & Millennium). If you're going to do this, I would recommend three 1A cabins on the slant off the hump. The balconies are larger and they're close to the elevators, making it convenient to go just about anywhere.

 

Enjoy Alaska with your family! Whatever you choose, it will be a memorable cruise.

[neverbeenhere]

you are thinking correctly.

[alcpa1]

Just a couple of points from our experiences sailing to Alaska and sailing on the M class ships....

The ultimate Alaskan itinerary involves sailing either to or from Vancouver. When sailing from Seattle you sail in the Pacific Ocean to the ports. To or from Vancouver you sail in the Inside Passage and generally have one more port.

An alternative to flying via Vancouver if you have time is flying into or out of Seattle and taking the train or bus or even rent a van to make the scenic drive. Just allow time at the border if you plan on catching a flight or the ship the same day. The journey is very doable and may cut your costs to a more reasonable rate although our flights to Vancouver on land and cruise trips has only been marginally higher than doing the Seattle and transfer route without all the hassles involved in alternative transportation issues.

A southbound itinerary from Seward will provide a sail through the Hubbard Glacier later in the day when the likelihood of fog is diminished. You arrive in Vancouver 1,300 miles closer to home. After an active itinerary the shorter trip home is a blessing in disguise.

Aqua class cabins offer amenities like Blu Restaurant. You can check out the amenities on the X web site. While we have never seen a young child in Blu they can dine there. I presume that your nephew will share a cabin with your father as Aqua class cabins are restricted to two passengers. Price wise it is more affordable to book 3 cabins for 2 as opposed to 1 cabin for 2, 1 cabin for 1 and 1 cabin for 3 in every other class. There are connecting cabins but you lose the sofa for both cabins. They are also not quite as quiet.

Now to address the suggestion that you choose the Solstice because you can open the balcony dividers...This should be your least concern. On the M class ships you CAN open the dividers on the Aqua class cabins on deck 11.

Our last two cruises have been on the Infinity and I do like the Millie much better for some reason.

Alaska is all about the itinerary. Compare the times in port to get the most out of each day.

I hope your plans can be completed and you use the Ports of Call - Alaska boards for the ultimate excursion information. Have a wonderful cruise.

[shipfriend_max]

Hi,

 

We are in a relatively similar situation and we are likely to book Millennium the 14th of August, 2015, Vancouver to Seward.

It calls at 5 ports and includes Hubbard. IMHO the best itinerary.

 

 

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[Daleed77]

Thanks for the advice.

 

 

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[olemissreb]

We did Alaska last year on the Millie Southbound from Seward. If you are planning on doing a land based trip either before or after your cruise, then I would strongly suggest a DIY trip- especially with your nephew. You will definitely want the flexibility to stop when/where you want to give your nephew a chance to maybe run around a little. Alaska is HUGE and getting from point A to point B could take several hours without stopping - add a bus in the mix that is on a fixed schedule and you could have a 7yo that gets cranky really fast.

 

Assuming you take a one way Southbound and coming from Connecticut, you may want to get your longest flight out of the way first and fly into Anchorage. At the end of your cruise, you could take the Amtrak Cascades into Seattle and then fly home from there. Price it all out and book the cheaper way. You might find a deal where booking an open jaw actually turns out cheaper than a round trip.

 

As someone else said, Alaska really is about the ports. Book the best cruise you can afford that allows you the longest time in port. For us that turned out to be the one way cruise. The inside passage really is beautiful and you don't get a whole lot of it on a Seattle round trip cruise.

 

What's important for you to see/do? Get Alaska guide/tour books and do lots of research. That will also help you narrow down which cruise is best. Talk to everyone you are traveling with. Your dad may really want to see Denali and the only way to do that would be a land based vacation either before or after your one way cruise.

 

My mother (now 77) was with us for the cruise portion of our trip. She flew in to Anchorage 2 days before the cruise. We took the train to Seward the day before and then did a Kenai Fjords cruise. The morning of embarkation, we toured the Alaska Sea Life Center and did a Marine Mammal Encounter. Then we boarded the ship around 2ish. Mom decided she didn't want to join us for the first week we were there - too much "going" for her taste. But for the cruise, she LOVED everything we planned & did. I talked to her about all my research and told her she was welcome to join us or I could book her on something else if she preferred. She chose to do what we were doing. With essentially 3 families in your group, you may want to consider doing 3 different things or you may all want to do things together - totally up to you, but do your research so you know what all the options are.

[lovetotraveltx]

We did Alaska last year on the Millie Southbound from Seward. If you are planning on doing a land based trip either before or after your cruise, then I would strongly suggest a DIY trip- especially with your nephew. You will definitely want the flexibility to stop when/where you want to give your nephew a chance to maybe run around a little. Alaska is HUGE and getting from point A to point B could take several hours without stopping - add a bus in the mix that is on a fixed schedule and you could have a 7yo that gets cranky really fast.

 

Assuming you take a one way Southbound and coming from Connecticut, you may want to get your longest flight out of the way first and fly into Anchorage. At the end of your cruise, you could take the Amtrak Cascades into Seattle and then fly home from there. Price it all out and book the cheaper way. You might find a deal where booking an open jaw actually turns out cheaper than a round trip.

 

As someone else said, Alaska really is about the ports. Book the best cruise you can afford that allows you the longest time in port. For us that turned out to be the one way cruise. The inside passage really is beautiful and you don't get a whole lot of it on a Seattle round trip cruise.

 

What's important for you to see/do? Get Alaska guide/tour books and do lots of research. That will also help you narrow down which cruise is best. Talk to everyone you are traveling with. Your dad may really want to see Denali and the only way to do that would be a land based vacation either before or after your one way cruise.

 

My mother (now 77) was with us for the cruise portion of our trip. She flew in to Anchorage 2 days before the cruise. We took the train to Seward the day before and then did a Kenai Fjords cruise. The morning of embarkation, we toured the Alaska Sea Life Center and did a Marine Mammal Encounter. Then we boarded the ship around 2ish. Mom decided she didn't want to join us for the first week we were there - too much "going" for her taste. But for the cruise, she LOVED everything we planned & did. I talked to her about all my research and told her she was welcome to join us or I could book her on something else if she preferred. She chose to do what we were doing. With essentially 3 families in your group, you may want to consider doing 3 different things or you may all want to do things together - totally up to you, but do your research so you know what all the options are.[/quot

 

Got Livid downloaded. How do I add a countdown clock to my posts now?

 

Thanks!

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Now to address the suggestion that you choose the Solstice because you can open the balcony dividers...This should be your least concern. On the M class ships you CAN open the dividers on the Aqua class cabins on deck 11.

 

Yes, you can open the dividers on those cabins, but the balconies are teeny and have no cover. Based on my experience of cruising to Alaska, you will be grateful for a covered balcony. And these people are traveling with a young child who will likely appreciate more room on the 1A balconies. Those deck 11 balconies are so small, that there is no opportunity for the whole family to gather on 1 balcony. That is a possibility on the 1A balconies.

 

[olemissreb]

 

Got Livid downloaded. How do I add a countdown clock to my posts now?

 

Thanks!

 

I know you have to go into your User CP and there is a place for you to update your signature. From there, I can't remember. I know you have to copy the link somewhere for it to show up. Sorry I can't help - it usually takes me several tries before I find it and get it right.

[Daleed77]

Thanks again!

 

We do like our big balconies. Last time my sister and I cruised together, we had aft cabins on the Summit next to one another.

 

I guess I need to explore the transpiration issues of the one-way cruise.

 

Dale

 

 

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[neverbeenhere]

Easy if you travel on the USS Enterprise.