Destiny or Spirit? First Balcony! Flying into SJ,VC,AK

[charyoung]

Well, I'm at it again, trying to book our next cruise. DW and I decided to book our first balcony on this trip. We don't know if we should go on the Destiny to the southern carribean or the Spirit to Alaska. Any ideas, suggestions on balconies, condition of ships would be most appreciated! I hear about balconies "on the Hump" or the coveted wrap around balconies. Where would they be on these ships? How about flying into San Juan, Ankorage, or Vancover? Advice please! Thanks in advance!

[cruisevers]

We had an aft balcony on the Spirit last year to Alaska. We have traveled the world and this is one of the most memorable trips ever! It was wonderful. We went RT out of Vancouver. The ship was beautiful and service could not have been better. Even had dinner with the Captain! We have done the Carribean and it just does not compare to the Alasakan experience. We spent 2 days in Vancouver and it was not enough. Could have stayed a week. Our balcony was next to the wrap around balcony and it looked very nice. Being aft we were able to see right, left and aft. We saw whales, dolphins, etc. What a sight!

[cherylandtk]

I personally think the balcony is worth it for the view in Alaska, for the Caribbean it tends to be a lot of flat water in between stops, maybe not worth the cost. Of course, for the same reason, the cost of a balcony is always a much higher cost bump in Alaska than it is in the Caribbean, and even so, tend to sellout more quickly.

 

I might be wrong, and I am sure it will be corrected if I am, but the true wrap balconies on both ships are at the suite level and up (9A and 11A), costing quite a bit more than a balcony cabin. Aft balconies are nice in the Caribbean, but the east side is best in Alaska.

 

Destiny is an older ship, I'm not sure when it has been refurbed, and does not have bumpouts. Spirit is 4 or 5 years newer and will undergo a 2 week refurb in early Feb of 2006. Spirit has bumpouts, but the extended balconies are not on those sections.

 

Flight wise, you will need to check the cruise air against what you can book yourself. From Corpus, it is probably a better price to SJU, than the Alaska choices, but check for deals. For us, out of ABQ, SJU was nearly the cost of the cruise fare. Also, do check for flights into and out of Seattle (instead of Vancouver) if you have the time to make the transfer yourself.

 

Choosing north vs. south in Alaska, you should consider several things. Port times at each stop, flight times home (it is farther from Anchorage, and you have to allow min 3 hours for the bus trip from port to airport), whether you want to spend time before or after your trip and if so, in which city (Vancouver has more to do, but Anchorage has Alaska)

 

Given your cruise history, I would say it is time to take an Alaska trip. But you will get lots of comments, and in the end, it is your opinion and your choice that really counts.

[charyoung]

Wow, I am excited to book an Alaskan cruise! This might seem like a funny question, but are the pools heated or in a solarium? We usually cruise in August, so what is the weather like? Seems like aft balconies are the way to go here? Are there outside activities outdoors? I did check flights to SJU and they are about $740pp. Seems they would be less from Texas. If you go from Vancover to ANK, how do you get a round trip ticket or is that the 3 hour bus ride? Many thanks again!

[charyoung]

Come on! Where are you Alaska cruisers?

[cherylandtk]

Was away for a few days, so did not get back to you, sorry. The pools are not as busy when the outdoor weather is cooler, but they are warm enough to swim in. The cover will be closed if the weather warrants it, assuming you are on a ship with one. August is prime wiather time-but Alaska is still not the Caribbean. You could get all sunny days, or you could get a lot of clouds and drizzle. Just depends.

 

Some outdoor activities, many indoor ones. They don't have the same pool games as in warmer climates. Lots of wildlife and glacier viewing.

 

The flight from Corpus to SJU you quote sounds like what we paid in 2004. Not sure if they do much in the way of sales for that route.

 

For the Alaska air, you woud do what is called an open jaws ticket. If you are booking online, click on the multi-city options. It is similar to two one-way tickets, but is priced all together, as a round trip. The port used in Alaska is in Seward, a 3 hr bus ride from Anchorage, where the closest airport is. Vancouver is a LOT farther away, as in days, if not weeks, by road.

 

I love aft balconies, but for Alaska, I would get one on the side facing east (starboard for northbound, port for southbound). Just more to see in my mind, although the aft has lovely views too, to both sides and where you came from.

 

ALaska is a different kind of cruise from Caribbean-different weather, different focus, different sights from the ship, different clothing, etc. But it is awsome, and you will really appreciate the balcony and what you can see from it.

[CruiseIsGood]

Carnival Southbound is out of Whittier now instead of Seward. It's closer to Anchorage so no more 3 hour busrides. I've been SB, NB and round trip, and liked SB the best.

 

I had a wrap-around aft this year and wouldn't do it again. The afts except for deck 4 aren't covered, and you never know when it's going to rain in Alaska, making it useless.

 

Carnival Spirit is a lovely ship. :)

[TamaLee]

We are booked on the Carnival Spirit for May 2006. We are in one of the aft wrap balconies on deck 8. Best rooms on the ship rain or shine! The actual aft wrap Cat 11 rooms are three small rooms in one. A "living room" with TV sofa chairs and a table, a dressing area with vanity and the bedroom. The balcony is 42 feet long! To me this room is worth every penny!FYI on the air fare that I learned last week. If you miss the ship on the first day you can NOT rejoin the ship in the first port, so make sure you fly in a day early. This is true even if Carnival arranges your air fare. There is something called the Jones Act that will not allow passengers to rejoin a cruise that does not stop in another international port. On the Spirit Alaska cruise you only stop in US ports. So we are using the air deviation and going in a few days early to enjoy Vancouver.

[charyoung]

Wow, thanks for such great advice! Okay, we'll get an east bound balcony. Will probably take the southbound. I'll try on the cpu tonight to see about the airfare. Now about the pool, is there a covered one on the Spirit? If not, does anyone know what Alaskan cruise ships have one? This is all starting to come together now!

[wrp96]

I don't know if the Spirit has a covered pool, but I know RCI's Serenade, Radiance, and Vision all have one.

[JimnAZ]

The Spirt roof can be closed over the pool