Too much ice in the Inside Passage ?

[frogsgirl]

We were also on this cruise & had an amazing time, great weather & lovely ports of call.

The itinerary we were supplied with advised Juneau, Cruising Inside Passage, at Sea...after we left Juneau we were at sea, the very rough day but then we were at sea the day after also...I know because I was looking for the sanctuary of the "inside Passage".

Looking at the map on the stateroom tv I assumed after Juneau we would go down the inside of Queen Charlotte Islands but we did in fact go out to sea, boy was I sick :o

 

I was very confused and thought I had imagined the Inside Passage on our itinerary and at one point convinced myself I had missed it. It was only when I was in guest relations topping up my supply of seasick medication I overheard a gentleman discussing the alteration to the route with an officer that I knew I was in fact sane.

 

I would be interested to know the real reason as they shouldn't really advertise that they will be cruising the inside passage if they know they had no intention of doing so, this only leads to confusion & frustration.

 

Still had an amazing time though :):)

[constantcruiser]

I know what you mean about getting lots of different answers for every question. Can you imagine what you might have been told if you had called X's 800 number to ask?

 

We were once on a repositioning cruise that was scheduled to port in Tortola, BWI...but instead that morning we work up in St. Thomas! At the Captain's Corner, a passenger asked why the itinerary was changed and the Captain answered "The harbor in Tortola is too shallow for this ship...and we didn't know that until we tried!"

[c-legs]

I know what you mean about getting lots of different answers for every question. Can you imagine what you might have been told if you had called X's 800 number to ask?

 

We were once on a repositioning cruise that was scheduled to port in Tortola, BWI...but instead that morning we work up in St. Thomas! At the Captain's Corner, a passenger asked why the itinerary was changed and the Captain answered "The harbor in Tortola is too shallow for this ship...and we didn't know that until we tried!"

 

Hi,

The Captain said THAT ???? Unbeleivable....:(

Draft fluctuations, beam & ''above the water line'' height hull to mast, as well as lenght are the most fundamental datas various port authorities and cruise lines itinerary planners & officers ALWAYS know about before any call is allowed anywhere. I find it inconceivable a cruise line would adopt a''try to see if we fit'' approach ...and if the captain himself said that, he must have a lot of disdain for the basic minimum level of his guests' intelligence.

Some dude in Wichita ...maybe...but the Master ? Hmmmm....

 

BTW, I'm not doubting what you were told...I'm just dumbfounded .

 

My opinion.

Cheers

 

 

[Cardiff Cruisers]

I'm amazed no one has mentioned it but the best way to avoid too much Ice in the Inside Passage is to stop putting ice cubes in your tub and if you must use them enter the tub very slowly.

:p

[Christine Frances]

We were also on this cruise & had an amazing time, great weather & lovely ports of call.

 

The itinerary we were supplied with advised Juneau, Cruising Inside Passage, at Sea...after we left Juneau we were at sea, the very rough day but then we were at sea the day after also...I know because I was looking for the sanctuary of the "inside Passage".

 

Looking at the map on the stateroom tv I assumed after Juneau we would go down the inside of Queen Charlotte Islands but we did in fact go out to sea, boy was I sick :o

 

 

 

I.

Still had an amazing time though :):)

 

 

But you did cruise the "inside passage" as it extends all the way up to Alaska. So in a sense the itinerary was correct as you stated. From Juneau you would have sailed the inside passage until you reached the open ocean I think if you were doing the lower BC portion, "cruising the inside passage" would have been listed as your last day before you reached Vancouver. I think the confusion is due to the incorrect map of the itinerary as well.

 

I lived in the Charlotte's for 10 years and believe me, if the West Coast of Haida Gwaii was rough you wouldn't want to go through Hecate Straight (east side between the island and Prince Rupert. Hecate Straight is much shallower and therefore the seas are much rougher.

 

 

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[Cruise Junky]

But you did cruise the "inside passage" as it extends all the way up to Alaska. So in a sense the itinerary was correct as you stated. From Juneau you would have sailed the inside passage until you reached the open ocean I think if you were doing the lower BC portion, "cruising the inside passage" would have been listed as your last day before you reached Vancouver. I think the confusion is due to the incorrect map of the itinerary as well.

 

I lived in the Charlotte's for 10 years and believe me, if the West Coast of Haida Gwaii was rough you wouldn't want to go through Hecate Straight (east side between the island and Prince Rupert. Hecate Straight is much shallower and therefore the seas are much rougher.

 

 

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The itinerary map shows the BC inside passage, it's false advertising which Celebrity needs to stop

[LeftcoastBC]

The itinerary map shows the BC inside passage, it's false advertising which Celebrity needs to stop

 

Couldn't agree more. But this has always been an issue with X even before the days of RCL.

 

Info is printed in brochures and maps are rigged to account for the majority of scheduled cruises for online consumption.

I suppose it works for most of the passengers but it really is frustrating when changes happen, to me anyways....and there is that great contract that says basically. "We go where we want."

This cruise terminating in Vancouver was a one off first. Could we expect them to tell us or change the map? No would be my answer. But they should have.

 

I suspect that those of us locally that are on the board knew that the ship would not venture through BC's Inside and had I been on that cruise I would have not been surprised. They actually used to travel a lot more of our Inside passage than they do now with the Horizon and M class ships. Inside stretches at Banks and Arisatzabal Islands for example. Whales and other wildlife were frequently seen. But never for quite a few years now.

 

The inside that they (M class) do now can not match up at all. Sadly! And the S class never.

 

Amazing that the Solstice can dock in Naniamo though isn't it! They went big on their new dock several yrs ago. Cudo's it's a great small town stop.

[RDC1]

The part of the Inside Passage in question is the part East of Vancouver Island as shown on the map of this cruise on the Celebrity site.

 

That portion is hardly ever taken. I have taken 5 celebrity Alaska cruises. Sometimes the ones from Vancouver might take it. On the cruises we have been on only 1 out of 3 that we went on out of Vancouver did it and that time the Captain said that it was a real treat because most cruises do not take that route. I don't think the cruises out of Seattle do that route at all.

[Cruise Junky]

That portion is hardly ever taken. I have taken 5 celebrity Alaska cruises. Sometimes the ones from Vancouver might take it. On the cruises we have been on only 1 out of 3 that we went on out of Vancouver did it and that time the Captain said that it was a real treat because most cruises do not take that route. I don't think the cruises out of Seattle do that route at all.

 

It's usually on all of the ones starting or ending Vancouver. Its the Seattle route that stays on the outside of Vancouver Island

[fleckle]

It's usually on all of the ones starting or ending Vancouver. Its the Seattle route that stays on the outside of Vancouver Island

Right, (as usual). :)

The Millennium, which does the Vancouver - Seward northbound and southbound itineraries, routinely travels the Inside Passage east of Vancouver Island in both directions.

 

I believe that the confusion with the statement

"the Captain said that it was a real treat because most cruises do not take that route"

could likely have been in reference to the Grenville Channel, where those words are typically heard since most Alaska cruise ships do not go that way.

 

 

Just want to add that we consider ourselves very lucky when we get a captain who takes us up that way.

 

 

Edited October 5, 2014 by fleckle

[Cruise Raider]

I think what we were all expecting, according to the itinerary, was the inside passage down from Juneau to Ketchikan and not between BC and Vancouver Island. I think what others are stating is that from Juneau, it seems as though we hit open ocean instead. It was quite rough....and while I hadn't gotten sick (and I usually do when the seas are this rough) it was touch and go for a good portion of the day. I simply thought maybe we hit it at night as that is what I was told. In looking at the map, I can see my error.

We were on the Infinity sailing through the inside passage 3 years ago and the winds were so bad the captain had to ask all women to wear flat shoes and everyone was to stay off the open decks....I think he may have used the word, 'prohibited'. I think in a sympathetic move, he did sail through the BC inside passage on the way back to Seattle. Wow...was that gorgeous.

I don't think the Solstice was ever scheduled for this passage in the original itinerary as yes, the Solstice is way too big for this.

 

Nonetheless, the cruise was spectacular and we did have the most awesome weather!! The Solstice is such a gorgeous ship and except for a couple of minor issue, it was a great cruise....with or without the inside passage.

[RDC1]

It's usually on all of the ones starting or ending Vancouver. Its the Seattle route that stays on the outside of Vancouver Island

 

 

Only 1 out of the 3 that I took from Vancouver took the route inside of Vancouver island and that was the first one on the Infinity. The others also on M Class ships out of Vancouver (same itinerary) went outside of Vancouver Island.

 

As I mentioned earlier the Captain on that indicated that they rarely took that route. Among other reasons he mentioned that the timing had to work, conflicts with other ships scheduled in the passage, it takes longer to do that then go around, issues with getting pilots( though this also fits with the conflicts with other ships). So even from Vancouver I suspect more go around then through.

 

The only other time I have been on a cruise ship to take the inside route was on a Holland America ship out of Vancouver.

Edited October 5, 2014 by RDC1

[RDC1]

Right, (as usual). :)

The Millennium, which does the Vancouver - Seward northbound and southbound itineraries, routinely travels the Inside Passage east of Vancouver Island in both directions.

 

I believe that the confusion with the statement

"the Captain said that it was a real treat because most cruises do not take that route"

could likely have been in reference to the Grenville Channel, where those words are typically heard since most Alaska cruise ships do not go that way.

 

 

Just want to add that we consider ourselves very lucky when we get a captain who takes us up that way.

 

 

 

It makes sense that it might be more frequent with the one way trips, the ones I referenced were all out and back 7 day trips.

[Cruise Junky]

It makes sense that it might be more frequent with the one way trips, the ones I referenced were all out and back 7 day trips.

 

Might be a celebrity thing. The two 7 day return Vancouver that I've done ...1 HAL 1 Princess it took the inside route.

 

Regardless of if they usually dont do it, can't do it, too much fuel, can't fit or too much ice..LOL, change the freaking itinerary map so people know what they're buying

[RDC1]

Might be a celebrity thing. The two 7 day return Vancouver that I've done ...1 HAL 1 Princess it took the inside route.

 

Regardless of if they usually dont do it, can't do it, too much fuel, can't fit or too much ice..LOL, change the freaking itinerary map so people know what they're buying

 

The one way Princess cruise that I took from Whittier to Vancouver last year did not take it.

[Cruise Junky]

The one way Princess cruise that I took from Whittier to Vancouver last year did not take it.

 

Maybe they're all starting to cheapen up. Regardless, they need to stop advertising something that they're not doing. It's false advertising.

[LeftcoastBC]

Only one of my trips to Ak went outside Vancouver Island. And that was the Infinity out of Seattle.

All the others over the years went through Seymour Narrows and the Inside of Vancouver island.. Hal & X

[Cruise Raider]

Hey, this is funny. Over on the Princess Forum, there is a thread stating the Grand (smaller than the Solstice) -- Sept 14th - 21st, couldn't go to view the Sawyer Glacier or go up through the Tracy Arm because of the size of the ship ....and wait for it....too much ice!!

OMG -- are they all trained to say this? I was laughing when I read this. It had to be right around the same time we were there maybe even the same day...hey, maybe no room because we were there. There was some ice up close to the glacier but geez, not so much in the water within the fjord. While I know the captain has a tricky path to make it into the fjord itself, I think maybe someone (captain or pilot) may have had too much to drink and just didn't feel like dealing with it that day. :D

This made me laugh....hope you got the same from it.

[c-legs]

Hey, this is funny. Over on the Princess Forum, there is a thread stating the Grand (smaller than the Solstice) -- Sept 14th - 21st, couldn't go to view the Sawyer Glacier or go up through the Tracy Arm because of the size of the ship ....and wait for it....too much ice!!

OMG -- are they all trained to say this? I was laughing when I read this. It had to be right around the same time we were there maybe even the same day...hey, maybe no room because we were there. There was some ice up close to the glacier but geez, not so much in the water within the fjord. While I know the captain has a tricky path to make it into the fjord itself, I think maybe someone (captain or pilot) may have had too much to drink and just didn't feel like dealing with it that day. :D

This made me laugh....hope you got the same from it.

 

This ''excuse '' used by ship's employees ( hopefully NOT an officer or the Master himself...!!!) is getting ridiculous. Grand and her sisters Golden & Star ( 935') have been in&out of Tracy Arms Fjord all season, as well as Disney Wonder, NCL Jewel,Carnival Miracle ( all at 964').and Solstice at 1033' !! '' size of ship prevented navigating Tracy Arm'' ? HA!

As regards ''ice'' ...well, there are two Glaciers at the end of the Fjord...DUH...you can expect ''ice'' somewhere....but ''too much'' ?

Once you make it past June, the chance of ''too much ice'' to compromise navigation is about 0.001%:(

We were on Solly 12-23Sept...and did we ever navigate the Fjord...Wow ! to the very end, very close to the Glacier's face. Were there ''bergs'' ? Yes, lots....but not big or deep enough to endanger navigation.

The responses sometimes given guests who are merely querying the ''why'' of a certain move reek of disdain for these guests' basic intelligence, otherwise sharp enough to make the choice they made to sail on the particular ship in question. Get real, crew members: we are not THAT intellectually challenged....but welcome a good valid response to our curiosity-induced questions.

Cheers