So many questions-can you help?

[Joby]

Hi, we are considering our 1st cruise to Alaska. I have just started skimming this board.

 

We have been on 2 recent Celebrity cruises with our 3rd coming up soon. We will be traveling with our 76 yr. old Mom who has health problems and is very slow getting around using a cane/wheelchair, but doesn't want to miss a thing.

 

We are on a pretty tight BUDGET, but also want to have a great experience in Alaska.

 

We love nature, wildlife and unique, personalized, private shore tours. We plan all of our excursions--never ship excursions (too many people, too expensive and very generic in our opinion)

 

Could I get all/any of you posters to give me specifics/opinions/past experiences just to get me jump started quickly:

 

--cruise line (food and service are important to Mom)

--which ship

--type of cabin--ocean view or balcony (and reason for choice)

--time to go (keeping in mind our fairly frail, but strong willed Mom)

--round trip or 1 way itinerary

(we can get air to Seattle for around $220 pp RT)

--budget (have champagne tastes on house wine budgets)

--best overall trip-- taking in the above for consideration

--experiences, words of wisdom, etc.

 

I know that lots of things are very subjective--just asking for advise and/or tips.

[gail811]

Hi Joby. I too am taking my mom to Alaska next year; she will be 73. I chose Carnival Spirit because we have sailed on Carnival before and I had a sizeable credit to apply from a credit card promotion. I think they are generally a little less than some of the other lines for the same itinerary.

We chose an aft balcony so we can view from the room if weather on deck is too inclimate. Besides that, I LOVE having a balcony!

We are doing Southbound in August. I chose August hoping the weather would be a little warmer; my mom is from FL and it does not take much to chill her!

SInce this will be a first for us I was not too choosy over our itinerary. I read the boards and realized it will take several cruises to see everything!

We are flying into Anchorage a few days early and doing our own tour to Denali. Budget Queen is very helpful on this board!

I am arranging all of our excursions in port. I agree on the ship excursions being overcrowded.

I imagine RT cruise may save some on airfare. I will be flying from Washington DC to Anchorage and then home from Vancouver and the airfares I am seeing are all in the $400-$500 range. I am hoping as it gets closer I can find something cheaper.

I would read these boards for suggestions....there are several very knowledgeable people posting here!

Enjoy planning your trip!

[Budget Queen]

My priority for Alaska is what's outside the ship. :) So you may want to consider that with this top destination. I am a big advocate of round trip Vancouver cruises, they pack a lot of great adventures into 7 days. :) Yes you will get opinions of one ways being better, I don't necessarily agree since they all have compromises. With your priority for wildlife, IF you have several extra days, Denali Park is the best and cheapest option for this. This would require a one way cruise and at least 4 extra days at the min. I would recommend.

 

If a round trip is your choice, wildlife requires tours in my opinion for close up extended viewing. Bear tours can be costly since the better ones involve fly ins. Marine wildlife is great out of Juneau. If you go with Celebrity consider an itinerary going to Hoonah- just excellent whale watching and in August/Sept- decent bear opportunities.

 

My favorite time is mid to late August, but this timeframe always involves up to a couple weeks interior traveling. May is just fantastic for Inside Passage. As you can see, tough choices all the way around. :)

 

Best would be to determine what time works the best for you and your budget.

[RetireeWannabee]

I think we're going to need a separate thread for "taking Mom to Alaska" as I'm doing that, too. LOL

 

I'm also new around here and share many of your same requirements.

 

One of our priorities is nature, also, and in these boards I found out about Naturalists that are on board ship, so you get someone telling you when and where to watch for this and that (assuming you don't luck into having Budget Queen on board!) This quickly became a top priority for me (I often call Mom Nature Girl and I know she will REALLY LOVE this). What I found out is that not every cruise line has these/has good ones, so look at NCL, Carnival and Princess if this is important to you (was HAL also one of them?). Carnival and Princess ended up being the affordable ones for us, at least for our Sept target. I think Sept is a crap shoot for weather, but we'll risk it (we're from Indiana, so chill is the norm). You might not want to go that late.

 

Because I don't expect to be in the cabin much, we'll go with inside, the cheapest choice, and use our savings on shore.

 

Good luck!!

[Cruisechick82]

As far as price goes, late May-early June and late August-September are the best times to book as they are in the beginning and end of the season and off-peak times.

 

I also noticed that the one-way cruises seemed to be cheaper than the r/t, but then you have the extra airfare costs because you have airfare from 2 different cities.

 

If you do a r/t Vancouver, you can still fly into Seattle and then take Amtrack, shuttle bus, or rented car between Seattle and Vancouver. While researching airfare prices, flying to Vancouver is about double the cost of flying in and out of Seattle.

[vacationfool]

Hi! we just returned from Alaska, NCL Star, we sailed from Seattle, and came back into Vancouver port. Seattle is a great city to spend a day in! NCL Star did a wonderful job! We loved the free style cruising for food choices. I felt the chance of weather in Sept. was worth the price we received for an inside cabin. This cruise is so wonderful for sightseeing that we were hardly in our room at all! There were many people who were elderly as you mentioned you will be taking your mother along. The ship is wheel chair accessable and the crew are very helpful in assisting, I saw crew helping people with their plates as they went through the line at the buffet, and also with drinks. We had super weather! it only rained one day, and another morning it did lightly rain off and on, but very bearable. If you book the train from NCL in Skagway, the train is loaded right as you get off the ship. very easy, and again wheel chair accessable. There are bathrooms on the train also, but no snacks. In Juneau, you must board a bus to get into town, not far away at all, just about a mile maybe, many people walked, but since this was the day of rain, we took the free bus. The Mt.Robets Tram is right in town and is very easy to reach, it is beautiful to travel up the tram and see the beauty. The charge is around $21 I believe. There are trails and a gift shop at the top, as well as a bald eagle 'pet'. we wore our rain jackets daily, the tempertures were around 50 degrees each day. The ship was not cold, just comfortable. They offered bingo, casino, shows, and there is a movie theatre showing movies twice a day. there are nice seating areas with huge windows for viewing all the wildlife/sea mammels you may see. if interested, there is a nice sauna, massage room with pool, but cost is high unless you go on a day they are offering specials'.

[vacationfool]

we rented a car one day and did our own tours, it was alot of fun and much quicker then waiting in lines to hear some of the 'talks'. We flew into Seattle round trip, so when we arrived back in Vancouver at the end of our trip, we took a shuttle to Seattle, it is about a 3 hour trip, so if you plan a flight in late afternoon, you will be fine. We were off the ship by 9am, and our flight was at 4:30pm, so it worked fine for us. we used cheapflights.com for airfare, and the shuttle from Vancouver to Seattle airport was Quick Shuttle', it can be booked in advance online also. the cost is $42 per person. hope this helps a bit. It was such a wonderful trip, I am ready to go back asap! :)

[Joby]

I'm taking all of this in and trying to process it all!!!

 

We are also from Indiana, RetireeWannabee.

 

I have a degree in Biology and Natural Resources so that should help out.

 

Alaska is foreign to me. We always go diving in Mexico each summer, so that's the area I know best!

 

PLEASE, continue giving advise. I am trying to work out an excellant trip for Mom and our budget. As I said, we have champagne taste on a house wine budget.

[fsdj1097]

Hi Joby,

 

We completed our first Alaska Cruise in May. We chose HAL r/t Vancouver for the extended Inside Passage cruising. Plus, you get the opportunity of 2 glacier days: Glacier Bay, and Sawyer Glacier.

 

We chose to fly into Seattle, take AmTrak to Vancouver both ways. With what we saved on the airfare, we were able to do a pre and post night stay in Seattle.

 

I would highly recommend a balcony cabin beause of the wildlife and scenery viewing opportunities. We had a family member who needed a wheelchair, and having the balcony really made it nice. I would recommend renting a scooter if it fits in your budget. It will be waiting in your cabin when you arrive.

 

The White Pass & Yukon railway in Skagway is totally handicap accessible and a favorite tour for most.

 

Orca Enterprises in Juneau has a whale watching tour that is also handicap accessible. Ask for Captain Larry's boat.

 

Best wishes for a wonderful Alaska Cruise. We loved ours so much, we've re-booked for '06!

 

Sam

[Joby]

Which looks better and why:

 

Celebrity Infinity:

 

Sun, Jun 11 Vancouver, British Columbia Departure Depart 5:45 PM

Mon, Jun 12 Inside Passage (Cruising) Cruising

Tue, Jun 13 Ketchikan, Alaska Docked Arrive 7:00 AMDepart 4:00 PM

Wed, Jun 14 Hubbard Glacier (Cruising) CruisingArrive 3:00 PMDepart 5:00 PM

Thu, Jun 15 Juneau, Alaska Docked Arrive 8:00 AMDepart 9:00 PM

Fri, Jun 16 Sitka, Alaska Tendered Arrive 8:00 AMDepart 4:00 PM

Sat, Jun 17 Inside Passage (Cruising) Cruising

Sun, Jun 18 Vancouver, British Columbia Arrival Arrive 7:00 AM

 

OR Celebrity Mercury:

 

Fri, May 19 Seattle, Washington Departure Depart 5:00 PM

Sat, May 20 At Sea

Sun, May 21 Juneau, Alaska Docked Arrive 1:00 PM Depart 11:00 PM

Mon, May 22 Skagway, Alaska Docked Arrive 7:00 AM Depart 3:00 PM

Tue, May 23 Hubbard Glacier (Cruising) Cruising Arrive 6:30 AM Depart 11:00 AM

Wed, May 24 Ketchikan, Alaska Docked Arrive 9:00 AM Depart 3:00 PM

Wed, May 24 Prince Rupert, B.C. Docked Arrive 9:00 PM Depart 11:59 PM

Thu, May 25 Inside Passage (Cruising) Cruising

Fri, May 26 Seattle, Washington Arrival Arrive 7:00 AM

 

Also, a ballpark figure on smaller more private excursions (not ship's excursions) for the week's ports?

Thanks!

[wanda1213]

Since you have been on Celebrity before, you cannot go wrong with the Infinity. My husband and I went to ALaska on this ship and it has been our best vacation in 15 years. The food was good, not great, but good. The service is beyond any I have experienced before. I would definately go for a balcony cabin. It is so nice to sit on and watch the beautiful scenery. It is nice, not to have to fight for rail space up top also. I just loved this ship and the beautiful views. There were many seniors on this trip and I saw how wonderful the staff was with all of them, very good with all of them. I hope you have a great time

[Budget Queen]

My opinion only, all the way around the Infinity is better, more scenic sailing and more time in ports. :)

 

For clairfication, NCL does not have ship naturalists.

 

As for "ball park" excursion prices??? You are asking a question that can't be answered without more specific information. What tours are you looking at??? Figure if you do the top choices, flights, whale watching, etc., you are looking at $500pp min.

[Joby]

As for excursions--

fly ins probably NO,

whales YES,

other wildlife watching that could accomodate Mom (she uses a wheelchair for longer distances and a cane for everyday activities) YES,

small sized excursions that drive us around (she can't walk trails, hills) YES

fishing probably NO

boat trips YES

 

Does that help clarify close enough without having specific tours in mind?

 

Just looking for a ballpark figure to see what we might need to have to enjoy Alaska as much as possible with Mom's limitations and our budget (which by the way is a work in progress).

 

Appreciate all of the help!

[Island Gem]

Hi Gail811, we are planning a southbound Alaska trip on Princess next August, and out TA just informed us that the prices for air are now out. Most of us will originate in the DC/MD area and the fares are coming up between 600-680 going into Anchorage and out of Vancouver; I think most of the flights connect through Chicago (which I hate because of delays). I think many of us plan on staying on in Vancouver for a few days after.

[frostypenguin]

We came back from Princess Diamond via Round Trip Seattle.

 

Seattle was great, very easy to get around and Mom & Dad (both 80) loved it. We took the tram to the space needle, walked around downtown.

 

As for the boat, the cruise couldn't have been better. Everything was top notch from the crew, food, cabins and service. We never encountered an unplesant face.

 

The food was delicious and we went with a balcony room (not a mini suite) and we had plenty of room. The beauty of the balcony was that when we cruised Tracy Arm it was very windy and cold, but it allowed Mom & Dad to sit with blankets on them and sip hot coffee or have the leisure of going inside and still being able to see everything from the comfort of their room.

 

We recommend the Scenic Railroad trip since it's pretty much sitting for 3 hours. There were lots of horse/trolley trips in each port which seemed to be worth it as well if you didn't want to walk.

 

Enjoy !

[flashdog_1]

Joby,

You haven't told us if the three of you will be staying in one cabin. If so, there are handicapped cabins which are larger, and have a pull out sofa instead of the pull down bed.

 

Budget Queen has stated that she always takes an inside cabin at a lower fare so that she'll be able to use the difference in cabin categories for excursions. I had had a balcony on my first Celebrity cruise and loved it. On my second, to Alaska, I chose an inside cabin for a couple of reasons: cost, and since it's daylight 20 hours a day in Alaska, the guarantee of getting a good night's rest since I am light sensitive. The service you will receive from your stateroom attendants will be the same as if you had a balcony: great!

 

Since you seem to be thinking about Celebrity and you are a past Celebrity cruiser (Captain's Club member), you can book & pay for, say a category 11 and actually get a cat 10 on the Plaza deck where the information desks are located, & which is convenient for disembarking (no elevator needed). There is a handicapped cabin cat 10, 3018 I believe, which is larger, and is right at the forward elevator, and has a sofa bed. The amount you would save on this cabin as opposed to a balcony is almost $2000, which goes a long way toward shore excursions. That elevator also takes you straight up to the Thelosotherapy pool which might be nice for your mother. (I've also read that some people use the showers there instead of in their stateroom to save the congestion of everyone in one room). Also that elevator goes to the Aqua spa cafeteria as well, and the gym. The elevator also will take you up one floor to the promenade deck where time could be spent outdoors, virtually alone, to read or do whale watching, since not many people use it at all! That deck is also the location for the show room.Going in the other direction to the center of the ship, take the elevator to the 10th floor for the buffet or early morning whale watching from the aft area. I found the location superior!

 

Remember that your Captain's club status does not give you a discount on a balcony or above cabin, just on inside and ocean view.

 

There is a 12 night cruise on Infinity out of Seattle on two dates in May which give you all the ports the 7 day cruise does, plus Icy Strait Point (Hoonah which Budget Queen mentioned to you as a great nature watching location), Skagway, and two Canadian ports on the inside passage, so two days of inside passage viewing as well, not to mention 5 more days of that wonderful food! You would then not have to take Amtrak to Vancouver. So that's a savings right there, plus the hassle and time of going from Seattle, where your plane lands, to Vancouver. That is tiring for an older person. I am 65 and would prefer getting on the ship in the same town I flew into because of the relative ease. Cruises to Alaska are so port intensive that the extra days are welcome with a longer cruise.

 

Also I found that having the ship's transfer from the airport to ship made it easier, no hassle of bargaining with a cab driver, plus the fact that the ship would know you had made your connection. You can purchase those separately from Celebrity without having to buy their airfare.

 

Go to the Celebrity website (celebrity.com) and do a search for Alaska for the time of year you want to go. It's already been mentioned that May and September are a little less costly. Every date may have a slightly different cost from the week before or after. If the 3 of you are in one room, it will show the price for the 3rd person separately so you'll be able to see your savings.

 

Please read my review, and others for Summit, Mercury and Infinity to Alaska on the Cruise Critic Review section. Click at the top blue banner on Cruise Critic Review, put in the name of the ship, and then click "member reviews" and read the ones that pertain to Alaska. if you have any questions particular the the millenium class ships (Infinity, Summit, Costellation and Millenium are all alike), please don't hesitate to email. Email is shown in the review. ;)

[RetireeWannabee]

Joby, my fellow Hoosier,

 

I don't know about Celebrity, but when I was on the Princess site, they have a listing of shore excursions. While they would be Princess excursions, at least it could give you an idea of what's available where, and at what cost. I'm guessing that if it's available thru one line, you can get pretty much the same kinda stuff either thru another line or the independents.

 

They also include valuable info, such as intensity of activity, whether a meal is included, etc. Look on Celebrity for Excursions to see if you can find the same thing, or, just grab from Princess to get a feel for it.

[Budget Queen]

As for excursions--

fly ins probably NO,

whales YES,

other wildlife watching that could accomodate Mom (she uses a wheelchair for longer distances and a cane for everyday activities) YES,

small sized excursions that drive us around (she can't walk trails, hills) YES

fishing probably NO

boat trips YES

 

Does that help clarify close enough without having specific tours in mind?

 

Just looking for a ballpark figure to see what we might need to have to enjoy Alaska as much as possible with Mom's limitations and our budget (which by the way is a work in progress).

 

Appreciate all of the help!

 

 

 

Whale watching will run about $120pp. For bears, you really need a fly in for the best possible, but probably not doable with the mobility limitations as all require walking. Other possible, are the bus trips in Hoonah in August for bears, have pretty good sighting records. I do have to say however, my top Alaska excursion is probably a glacier helicopter landing. Just superb and nothing quite like it, it can be doable with very little walking. One trip had a father and son who's father had significant limitations. But they were both in tears at the beauty and the special experience they shared together. My mother was very conserned about her abilities, but she clearly accepted my and the pilots help upon seeing the struggles needed for the father and son. Everyone had a truely wonderful time. :)

 

So with your list, I would budget about $250pp without flights. As suggested look over some shore excursion lists. Most all cruise lines have them.

[Joby]

Flashdog 1, thanks for all of the suggestions. There seem to be so many options and with a tight budget plus other considerations, it's hard to make decisions.

 

My sister and Mom are very claustrophobic--they wouldn't/couldn't do an inside. I on the other hand could do lots of things to save money!

 

Budget Queen, I think you and I may have a common thread. It seems that we both love adventures, travelling and are very close with our money. I love to save and then use it for something special.

 

This is such a helpful board with lots of different ideas and suggestions. Thanks so much!