Why so many Blue Cards on Alaska cruises - is it one-and-done?.

[Loreni]

I've got my third cruise to Alaska coming up next year. I've been to the Carribean several times, as well as the Mexican Riviera, plus a few other places in this side if the world.

As much as I'd love to, financially I can't swing the cost of a Mediterranean or Northern European cruise. Not on a Senior Citizen's fixed income. I guess if I only cruised every five years or so, and very diligent about saving up, I could probably do one of those "exotic" cruises.

 

Transatlantics as well as other European are very reasonable this year and we have seen remarkably low airfare from Princess on certain sailings. We just about need to fly no matter where we sail from. And Alaska has high port fees.

[4cats4me]

I believe that Princess has the best Alasaka itineraries, so why are there so few repeat cruisers on these voyages? I hear an Alaska voyage is one of the best chances to get invited to The Most Traveled lunch, because most passengers are first timers.

 

 

 

I know many people who have cruised to Alaska exactly once. I don't know anyone who has done so more than once. Most say once was either enough or more than enough. A few say it was fantastic (yet tellingly they have not repeated the experience). There will always be a few people who will insist that anything they have spent significant money on is great, otherwise they feel foolish. Keep in mind that many of the people I have spoken to are true nature lovers and most are also extremely well-traveled.

 

 

 

One person told us she preferred cruising Norway to Alaska for beauty. Another said she preferred circling South America for scenic beauty.

 

 

 

One would think that the major population centers around Seattle and Vancouver, combined with last minute discounting, would result in lots of locals that take repeat cruises to Alaska.

 

 

 

We have been considering Alaska for a long time. But there are so many other options for exploring new places as well as the option of returning to our favorite places instead. And only so much time. Would appreciate any advice or insights.

 

 

 

We've sailed to Alaska four or five times now

Never gets old

[misspuss]

We have been to Alaska six times on several different lines. We always say"no more Alaska, we have been there too many times"

We are booked in May again on the Ruby Princess...It's a disease!

Alaska really is different than Washington (more jewery stores per inch)

We are hooked!

[cattman]

Since our first cruise to Alaska in the late eighties we have logged over thirty three cruises, everywhere from the Panama Canal to the Norwegian Fjords. But we keep returning to Alaska, usually on Princess. We now have logged 15 cruises to the Great Land and will probably be back next season.

 

Living on the West Coast makes it very convenient and, as 4cats4me has already stated, it just never gets old. The glacial landscape is constantly changing making the always awesome Glacier Bay a new experience each time we are there.

[iceleven]

We love Alaska and would one day love to do a road trip but until husband retires, we make our way up there via a variety of cruise ships and cruise lines. We've cruised out of Seattle twice and twice again out of San Francisco varying the itineraries as much as we can.

 

We love going there for the wildlife and nature and spend more than half of our days outside on the decks with binoculars and cameras. We haven't gotten tired of it yet.

 

For those who swear by Norway for beauty, one does not have to fly all the way to Europe for that very similar landscape. There are parts of BC with many pristine glacier lakes surround by mountains that are jaw-dropping beautiful. And all can be driven to in your very own auto.

 

Off topic, but only a little, I've never noticed the color of people's cruise cards. It's just not something I've ever paid any attention to.

[susancruzs]

I'm the exception here. I cruised to Alaska in 1996, haven't been back. I might go again, and include a land portion but my cruise was so perfect just haven't done it.

 

I sailed with RCI, Song of Norway, positioning from California, Haines, Sitka, Wrangell, as well as Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. The weather was perfect, last week of April and first week of May, a far warmer Spring than they usually have.

 

We were the 1st ship of the season, everyone glad to see us, they rolled out the red carpet. The train ride was awesome with all the snow still visible, quite warm we could wear lightweight jackets. I did a helicopter ride, float plane, zodiac raft trip plus a train, covered every mode of transportation available!

 

It was nice being in those towns, without the crowds. I see the huge ships going now and don't want to do it plus RCI wasn't charging double for solo, only 15%. I was on a Fall cruise where we missed several ports, had to stay in San Juan overnight due to weather so they gave us a coupon for 20% off our next cruise! :) :D

Edited March 31, 2016 by susancruzs

[CatsareCool]

Alaska cruise season is somewhat short - May to September. During the shoulder season (May and September) you see a lot more gold/platinum/elite cruisers when the rate is cheaper. The other months are more 'family' months so that's when you see a lot of first time cruisers. It's on their bucket list and you hear more stories of people having wanted to do it forever and have saved and saved to be able to do so. Alaska cruises tend to be a bit more pricey. Plus some just want to go to a cooler climate for a week just to escape the summer heat that hits some areas. I've been to Alaska 7 times, but since I live in the Seattle area I can take a cruise and not have to deal with air travel.

[sunsetbeachgal]

I loved our one and only Alaska cruisetour on Princess, and if we were to go back I think we will rent a car and do it on our own. While we enjoyed the land portion there is so much more to see.

[Loreni]

We love Alaska and would one day love to do a road trip but until husband retires, we make our way up there via a variety of cruise ships and cruise lines. We've cruised out of Seattle twice and twice again out of San Francisco varying the itineraries as much as we can.

 

We love going there for the wildlife and nature and spend more than half of our days outside on the decks with binoculars and cameras. We haven't gotten tired of it yet.

 

For those who swear by Norway for beauty, one does not have to fly all the way to Europe for that very similar landscape. There are parts of BC with many pristine glacier lakes surround by mountains that are jaw-dropping beautiful. And all can be driven to in your very own auto.

 

Off topic, but only a little, I've never noticed the color of people's cruise cards. It's just not something I've ever paid any attention to.

 

I never look at cruise cards either, but I read C.C. and it has been stated on C.C. that Alaska cruises have the highest number of blue cards and Alasaka is your best bet for being invited to the most traveled luncheon because the number of days required is sometimes as low as 180. I thought this was a very interesting observation. It looks like there may be many factors that contribute to it.

 

As far as driving to B.C., that is not a great option for us. It would take days of driving to get there. And flying is about the same as flying the Europe in terms of time and cost.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Loreni

[DentoAlaska]

I want to thank all of you for your answers. It is very helpful to me. I am surprised that, except for Sandy, all replies are from those of you who have been to Alaska more than once. The insights from those who have been to Alaska multiple times are very valuable to me. I also hope more people who have only gone once will share their reasons.

 

Thank you all!

 

We took our first and last Alaska cruise last year. We decided it would be a "once a lifetime" trip for us so, we went all out. We selected an Off the Beaten Path cruisetour with Princess. This tour was 7 days on land and then the 7 day cruise. We added time both in Anchorage and Vancouver before and after the Princess schedule. We did all we could and didn't "scrimp" on excursion expenses. The best excursions we did were: Flew in a "bush" plane to Kennicott/McCarthy and helicoptered onto Mendenhall Glacier for a walk on the glacier.

 

Our trip was amazing and we loved it but due to choices we made it was a very expensive trip. We experienced almost everything that we wanted to and will not return.

 

It bears repeating to say once again that this was and is our once in a lifetime trip to Alaska.

 

I hope you enjoy your trip and is everything that you thought it would be.

[Loreni]

 

Alaska cruise season is somewhat short.

 

It's on their bucket list.

 

Alaska cruises tend to be a bit more pricey.

 

some just want to go to a cooler climate for a week.

 

I wonder if these are the four key factors that combine to explain both the high number of Blue Cards and relatively low number of days for the most-traveled luncheon.

 

It would also seem that people who cruise the most are more likely to visit Alaska early in their cruising careers and not as likely to repeat. Otherwise, why the low number of days to qualify for the most traveled luncheon. By the way, I am not interested in going to this lunch, I am trying to decide if we should go Alaska or maybe someplace else this year.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Loreni

[Loreni]

We took our first and last Alaska cruise last year. We decided it would be a "once a lifetime" trip for us so, we went all out. We selected an Off the Beaten Path cruisetour with Princess. This tour was 7 days on land and then the 7 day cruise. We added time both in Anchorage and Vancouver before and after the Princess schedule. We did all we could and didn't "scrimp" on excursion expenses. The best excursions we did were: Flew in a "bush" plane to Kennicott/McCarthy and helicoptered onto Mendenhall Glacier for a walk on the glacier.

 

Our trip was amazing and we loved it but due to choices we made it was a very expensive trip. We experienced almost everything that we wanted to and will not return.

 

It bears repeating to say once again that this was and is our once in a lifetime trip to Alaska.

 

I hope you enjoy your trip and is everything that you thought it would be.

 

This does kind of fit the theory that is emerging. I expect we will visit Alaska some day as it is one of the very few states we haven't visited. I don't know if it will be this year. I have always been very interested in Alaska, but not quite to the extent of viewing it as a bucket list place.

[land lover]

OP who r u talking to?????? Everyone I have spoken to loves Alaska...

Whenever anyone asked me my recommendation for Alaska I always say Princess.

 

Our first cruise with Princess was in 1998 and it was Alaska.......at that time our excursions cost more than our air and ship fare ........we have yet to return.

Edited March 31, 2016 by land lover

[Loreni]

OP who r u talking to?????? Everyone I have spoken to loves Alaska...

Whenever anyone asked me my recommendation for Alaska I always say Princess.

 

Our first cruise with Princess was in 1998 and it was Alaska.......at that time our excursions cost more than our air and ship fare ........we have yet to return.

 

So far I have spoken to scientists, artists, professors, administrators, doctors, nurses, engineers, homemakers, accountants, lawyers, small business owners, school teachers, world cruisers, and one architect. Few have said they disliked it, yet none have done it more than once nor expressed a desire to.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Loreni

[land lover]

We love Alaska and would one day love to do a road trip but until husband retires, we make our way up there via a variety of cruise ships and cruise lines. We've cruised out of Seattle twice and twice again out of San Francisco varying the itineraries as much as we can.

 

We love going there for the wildlife and nature and spend more than half of our days outside on the decks with binoculars and cameras. We haven't gotten tired of it yet.

 

For those who swear by Norway for beauty, one does not have to fly all the way to Europe for that very similar landscape. There are parts of BC with many pristine glacier lakes surround by mountains that are jaw-dropping beautiful. And all can be driven to in your very own auto.

 

Off topic, but only a little, I've never noticed the color of people's cruise cards. It's just not something I've ever paid any attention to.

 

I seldom look at cruise cards but I do notice plates by the cabin rooms and on a recent cruise I noticed only one black name plate down our hall, most were blue.....

[calisilent]

If you check out the Alaska Ports Of Call Board you will see many people who sail Alaska not only on Princess Voyages but on others and who have sailed Alaska many times.

 

We have sailed Alaska several times and love it so much we are returning again this Summer.

 

 

How many places might look like this on the right day?

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KORRZnyp__Y/T4ieS9jsJbI/AAAAAAAAQso/N8_e1pw9Gm0/s1600/DSC_4244.jpg

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6SmSbcsSSBg/T4ieZN5u8HI/AAAAAAAAQsw/2Cnk9KhuC1g/s1600/DSC_4249.jpg

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wT0SyaF3u6o/T4iee1NPtwI/AAAAAAAAQs4/lvmqnlin5lQ/s1600/DSC_4250.jpg

 

Keith

 

Hi Keith! Your photos are stunning. What time of year did you take the photos of the calving? My husband and I are going in Sept this year. Would we see that, do you think?

 

Cathy

[land lover]

So far I have spoken to scientists, artists, professors, administrators, doctors, nurses, engineers, homemakers, accountants, lawyers, small business owners, school teachers and world cruisers. Few have said they disliked it, yet none have done it more than once nor expressed a desire to.

 

 

I have no idea the professions of the people I am talking too.......but I am always on a cruise and usually I ask them what has been their favorite itinerary and Alaska by far wins out and probably half have gone on the cruise 3 or more times.

 

BTW...I would actually say we did not enjoy it.....but I am open mined to try it again after all a lot probably has changed.

Edited March 31, 2016 by land lover

[Loreni]

I have no idea the professions of the people I am talking too.......but I am always on a cruise and usually I ask them what has been their favorite itinerary and Alaska by far wins out and probably half have gone on the cruise 3 or more times.

 

BTW...I would actually say we did not enjoy it.....but I am open mined to try it again after all a lot probably has changed.

 

Well, most of the people that I have spoken to about this are not people that I met on a cruise ship, and most of these people do not cruise as their primary form of vacation.

 

Yet, I have to be honest, even when talking to new people that I have just met aboard a ship, nobody had ever told me that Alaska was their favorite destination or that they have sailed (or plan to sail) there multiple times. This would be consistent with the reports on C.C. that Alaska has so many blue cards and is the easiest itinerary on which to qualify for the most-traveled lunch. I am still trying to understand why this is true, but many of the replies here are helpful in developing a theory. I appreciate everyone's input and I don't doubt that Alaska is beautiful and well worth seeing.

[Blondilu]

Going my 3rd time in August. I live in Northern California so the embarkation ports are relatively close. It's 12 hours to Seattle so I can drive if I want to eliminate flying. And relatively inexpensive. Especially if you don't fly.

 

It's only 1 hour to pier 27 in San Francisco. But, it's 10 days vs. 7 so it's not in the budget this time. Maybe next time.

 

I'm pretty sure there will be a next time. I really like Alaska. Mostly I really like to go. Mostly anywhere is OK. But it has to fit into the budget and available time.

 

Last year I went to the UK and that was a huge trip, time and money wise. Next year is New England, also costly. So as things are right now, in between bigger trips it's either Alaska or Mexico for me. Now Mexico is somewhere I don't really care if I go again. Though I wouldn't turn down a free trip. LOL. Dream on, right?

 

Hawaii out of San Francisco would be awesome. So, maybe that's my next time. But, I would go to Alaska again in heartbeat. I'm not sure why people don't repeat.

[Loreni]

Going my 3rd time in August. I live in Northern California so the embarkation ports are relatively close. It's 12 hours to Seattle so I can drive if I want to eliminate flying. And relatively inexpensive. Especially if you don't fly.

 

It's only 1 hour to pier 27 in San Francisco. But, it's 10 days vs. 7 so it's not in the budget this time. Maybe next time.

 

I'm pretty sure there will be a next time. I really like Alaska. Mostly I really like to go. Mostly anywhere is OK. But it has to fit into the budget and available time.

 

Last year I went to the UK and that was a huge trip, time and money wise. Next year is New England, also costly. So as things are right now, in between bigger trips it's either Alaska or Mexico for me. Now Mexico is somewhere I don't really care if I go again. Though I wouldn't turn down a free trip. LOL. Dream on, right?

 

Hawaii out of San Francisco would be awesome. So, maybe that's my next time. But, I would go to Alaska again in heartbeat. I'm not sure why people don't repeat.

 

I think there is clearly a minority who do repeat this itinerary. If we had the opportunity to experience Alaska without flying, we might be among them. Those of you within driving distance of a port are very lucky. Airfare does change the cost/benefit analysis for us and also reduces the number of cruises we can take. Also, people on the west coast enjoy pretty nice weather and may not be as eager to plan a cruise vacation to escape winter. Most (but not all) of the people I talk to about this live in regions with harsh winters, so this could skew the responses I get. That is one reason why I posted.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Loreni

[Kinkacruiser]

I believe that Princess has the best Alasaka itineraries, so why are there so few repeat cruisers on these voyages? I hear an Alaska voyage is one of the best chances to get invited to The Most Traveled lunch, because most passengers are first timers.

 

I know many people who have cruised to Alaska exactly once. I don't know anyone who has done so more than once. Most say once was either enough or more than enough. A few say it was fantastic (yet tellingly they have not repeated the experience). There will always be a few people who will insist that anything they have spent significant money on is great, otherwise they feel foolish. Keep in mind that many of the people I have spoken to are true nature lovers and most are also extremely well-traveled.

 

One person told us she preferred cruising Norway to Alaska for beauty. Another said she preferred circling South America for scenic beauty.

 

One would think that the major population centers around Seattle and Vancouver, combined with last minute discounting, would result in lots of locals that take repeat cruises to Alaska.

 

We have been considering Alaska for a long time. But there are so many other options for exploring new places as well as the option of returning to our favorite places instead. And only so much time. Would appreciate any advice or insights.

 

It was our first experience at the Captain's Cocktail party last year....what a treat that was!

 

Alaska is so amazing in its splendor, that the novelty of seeing amazing sights and vistas wouldn't be there. One of the best aspects of cruising is you can choose to visit new places and experience new cultures. The cruising world is vast and when one has exhausted it, there are river cruises.

[Thrak]

Alaska was our first cruise. 10 day round trip from SF. I only went to make my wife happy as I absolutely knew I wouldn't like cruising. Wow. Rarely have I been soooooooooo wrong. I was hooked.

 

We've done a number of other cruises since but we are going back to Alaska in June for a 6 day land tour followed by a 7 day southbound to Vancouver. I sincerely doubt this will be our last Alaska cruise. We are also talking about taking 8 weeks next year to drive to Glacier National Park in Montana and then up through Canada into Alaska up to the end of the Alaska Highway along the Rocky Mountain Route and then back home to California via the Gold Rush route. It will be a different way to see Alaska and should be fantastic.

 

As for the blue cards... I kind of envy them. I remember that first cruise to Alaska with great fondness. :)

Edited March 31, 2016 by Thrak

[Kartgv]

We have our 4th trip to Alaska planned for next year, out of 26 total cruises. We're also among those who have never noticed the color of anyone's card or door sign .

 

I can think of many reasons for repeat visits:

 

* The scenery is spectacular, with the quality of light being different from anywhere else we've been.

* Who can ever see too many whales?

* If you want to see icebergs, you'd better hurry - they're melting at an alarming rate.

* It's easy to reach for the West Coast population which doesn't have all the close-by options that those on the East Coast have.

* It's easy to combine with Pacific Coast repositioning cruises for a B2B experience.

* Did I mention the scenery and the quality of the light?

 

I have no idea why there would be a higher proportion of first-timers, if that's really the case. Just because someone reports that it's easier to get into the "most traveled' luncheon, doesn't necessarily mean that there are fewer repeat visitors. Maybe the 'most traveled' are also those who have enough money to spend that they can afford to go anywhere in the world anytime they please. Also keep in mind that many 'most traveled' cruisers live in Florida where they can do a lot of last minute cruises without air travel, so they might be less likely to cruise repeatedly to Alaska.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Kartgv

[WisCruiser2]

We did Alaska (Cruisetour) 14 years ago and I've said many times I'd go back in a heartbeat -- just can't afford it! We have to "make do" with the Caribbean...

[land lover]

Well, most of the people that I have spoken to about this are not people that I met on a cruise ship, and most of these people do not cruise as their primary form of vacation.

 

Yet, I have to be honest, even when talking to new people that I have just met aboard a ship, nobody had ever told me that Alaska was their favorite destination or that they have sailed (or plan to sail) there multiple times. This would be consistent with the reports on C.C. that Alaska has so many blue cards and is the easiest itinerary on which to qualify for the most-traveled lunch. I am still trying to understand why this is true, but many of the replies here are helpful in developing a theory. I appreciate everyone's input and I don't doubt that Alaska is beautiful and well worth seeing.

 

If ur trying for the luncheon I heard the short Asia trips r ur best bet....

 

To develop a theory, I think ur title is bias......as u have already made an assumption.

 

On this thread I just looked 1,035 views only 47 respones.....WHY?

Edited March 31, 2016 by land lover