Alaska Cruise Questions

[Fairway Cruiser]

Considering an Alaska Cruise on the Legend in 2017. Needs to be round trip from Seattle. I need some advice / opinions from cruisers with Alaska experiences.

 

1. Port or Starboard side of the ship. Which will offer the best views from a balcony?

2. Tracy Arm Fjord vs. Glacier Bay. I've been told Glacier Bay is not to be missed. Most cruises from Seattle go to Tracy Arm Fjord and not Glacier Bay. Opinions?

3. The only Glacier Bay cruises are in May. The other 5 people I'm traveling with want to go in July for the warmers temps. July vs. May weather???

4. Any other "can't miss" advise?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

[xlxo]

Why Seattle... Vancouver is accessible with a $50 shuttle.

 

May trip into Tracy Arm? Ice congestion can limit how far you get into Tracy Arm. You might end up missing the Sawyer glacier 31 miles into the Fjord.

 

Some excursions don't operate in May.

[evandbob]

Considering an Alaska Cruise on the Legend in 2017. Needs to be round trip from Seattle. I need some advice / opinions from cruisers with Alaska experiences.

 

1. Port or Starboard side of the ship. Which will offer the best views from a balcony?

2. Tracy Arm Fjord vs. Glacier Bay. I've been told Glacier Bay is not to be missed. Most cruises from Seattle go to Tracy Arm Fjord and not Glacier Bay. Opinions?

3. The only Glacier Bay cruises are in May. The other 5 people I'm traveling with want to go in July for the warmers temps. July vs. May weather???

4. Any other "can't miss" advise?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

 

If the group wants to go in July or August and also wants to visit Glacier Bay, then check out Princess, HAL or Celebrity.

[papaflamingo]

We did Alaska in May on Royal Caribbean, Seattle round trip. We had fantastic weather. Went into Tracy Arm. It was fantastic! But the weather was perfect and we got right up to the glacier. The Capt. spun the ship slowly in circles 5 or 6 times so everyone had plenty of opportunity to see the glacier.

We had an Aft Balcony. If that's an option, this is one cruise I'd highly recommend it. That way you can see everything.

For me, a "must do" is whale watching. We did a ships tour out of Juneau that included a great whale watching boat tour, followed by a wonderful salmon bake, then a stop at the Mendenhall Glacier during the bus ride back. Very interesting and fun day.

Again, ths was on RCCL so may be different shore tours and itineraries.

And, again, we had wonderful weather which is really "luck of the draw."

Edited May 27, 2016 by papaflamingo

[Captain Carnival]

Sea Trek II below offers some good information in preparation for YOUR Alaska Cruise!

[Fairway Cruiser]

Thanks for the information, everyone.

 

No one directly addressed the "starboard vs. port" side question. Does it matter which one? I realize the "aft" balcony would be ideal, but not sure of availability, especially for 3 cabins.

 

Any thoughts on "starboard vs. port", so far as best for "balcony views"?

[Captain Carnival]

Thanks for the information, everyone.

 

No one directly addressed the "starboard vs. port" side question. Does it matter which one? I realize the "aft" balcony would be ideal, but not sure of availability, especially for 3 cabins.

 

Any thoughts on "starboard vs. port", so far as best for "balcony views"?

 

We found that starboard was awesome.

[Fairway Cruiser]

Thanks, Captain!

 

"Live Long and Prosper"!

[zdcatc12]

Thanks for the information, everyone.

 

No one directly addressed the "starboard vs. port" side question. Does it matter which one? I realize the "aft" balcony would be ideal, but not sure of availability, especially for 3 cabins.

 

Any thoughts on "starboard vs. port", so far as best for "balcony views"?

 

For a round trip, it doesn't really matter. If you did a one-way, you would want starboard if going north and port if going south.

[twokids0204]

We did Alaska last year on NCL, and we did Tracy Arm up to Sawyer Glacier... I can't compare it to glacier bay as I didn't do it, but we loved the day cruising. The ship went all the way up, and then did a 180° and returned. So it did not matter which side of the ship you were on. And both sides had breath taking scenery.

When heading north, the starboard side will be more scenic, heading south the port side. But really at night, you can't see alot anyways.

Things to keep your eyes open for are whales... there are lots of them, you just need to know where to look. Look everywhere including way in the distance. You will notice spouts of water shooting up, sometimes you will see 3 or 4 together. Those are the whale blowholes. Keep focused on that area, and you will likely see the tails as the dive through the water.

[Cr2zCr8zy]

Thanks for posting this Fairway Cruiser! My sister and I are looking at a May cruise from Seattle as well! :p

[Fairway Cruiser]

You're welcome Cr2zCr8zy! After 13 Caribbean Cruises and 1 Hawaii cruise, planning an Alaska Cruise makes me feel like a rookie again.

[PatchesPal]

Just returned on Legend this week, on it's first Alaska cruise of the season. We were scheduled to do both Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay. Tracy Arm was too icy, so we "GOT" to go to Endicott Arm (a right hand turn once you get to Tracy Arm area, rather than a left hand turn!). We have seen Tracy Arm twice (not impressed!), however once you experience Glacier Bay....you will never go back to just Tracy Arm!

 

Realizing that Legend only cruises Glacier Bay in May and September, one never knows what the weather will be like anytime of the season! I've known people cruising in June, July and August who have had rainy weather there. We've only been in May and September (4 cruises) and it's only been rainy one time in September. This past week, we had rain coming out of Vancouver for the first day and a half, but from Endicott Arm until our last port in Ketchikan, the weather was beautiful!!! It was cold in Endicott Arm, but beautiful. On Alaska cruises, it's always best to pack to LAYER clothing! No real need to bring a big, heavy parka, just layers, and something on the outside that could be rain proof, in the event of rain.

 

As for side of ship, we have been on both, but prefer starboard, and will book that next time. As others have said, there is really not a BEST side, but that's our plan for next time.

 

We saw sea otters, sea lions, seals, puffins, bald eagles, humpback whales, orca whales, bald eagles and mountain goats from the ship. Our friends who took the Yukon railroad up and bus back down, saw a bear on the side of the road and their tour bus stopped for photos.

 

If it's clear or not too overcast in Juneau, highly recommend doing the Mt Roberts Tram ~ $33 pp and unlimited rides all day long. There are amazing viewpoints up on the mountain and you can walk/hike as much or little as you'd like. Also, Juneau Tours whale watching in Juneau was fabulous, but really recommend their jet boat, as opposed to the catamaran.

 

I realize this is more than you asked about, but since we just returned, wanted to share some of our experience. Whenever you decide to go, hoping the weather will be great and that you will have a fabulous time. Part of the reason we had such a great time is the friends we cruised with, as well ~ that's part of the experience!

 

Happy Cruising!:)

[mikayla73]

Considering an Alaska Cruise on the Legend in 2017. Needs to be round trip from Seattle. I need some advice / opinions from cruisers with Alaska experiences.

 

1. Port or Starboard side of the ship. Which will offer the best views from a balcony?

2. Tracy Arm Fjord vs. Glacier Bay. I've been told Glacier Bay is not to be missed. Most cruises from Seattle go to Tracy Arm Fjord and not Glacier Bay. Opinions?

3. The only Glacier Bay cruises are in May. The other 5 people I'm traveling with want to go in July for the warmers temps. July vs. May weather???

4. Any other "can't miss" advise?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

 

We did AK on CCL from Seattle in May, it was the 2nd cruise of the season. The weather was beautiful and we had almost no rain. A little misting in Juneau and light rain in Ketchikan, that's it. Most of the time I didn't even wear a jacket, just a long sleeve shirt with a pullover hoodie over it and that was plenty during the day. Though the weather can't be guaranteed, I would definitely sail to AK again in May.

 

We were on the starboard side. Though starboard/port didn't matter much, especially when cruising in Tracy Arm because the scenery is on both sides.

 

DH did some crab fishing and loved it. I spent time with the sled dogs, so cute and lots of fun!

 

Tracy Arm:

 

Skagway:

 

Juneau

 

Ketchikan

[tamirpr]

We did Seattle RT on the Legend last summer during July. It was perfect. The entire cruise was just perfect. Alaska is truly stunning. We had to do Seattle because of hubby's worthless check felony years ago. :rolleyes:

 

Anyway, don't let a RT from Seattle scare you. I remember being nervous after booking it and hearing everyone who had done Alaska and Glacier Bay say that the RT Seattle is a subpar cruise, GB is better than TA, etc. I'm of the opinion that what I don't know don't hurt me. I've never seen GB, so TA was absolutely stunning to me. Breathtaking.

 

My advice is do the TA excursion. It is worth every penny to be up close to the waterfalls and the glaciers. We saw far more than the cruise ship did. July was perfect weather. We had one day of drizzle in Skagway but the rest was gorgeous.

 

My parents were in the 8th deck aft wrap and we were next door in an extended balcony. We spent a ton of time on our balcony and we saw so much. It really didn't matter which side of the ship you're on. You will see it all. It's just incredible.

Edited May 27, 2016 by tamirpr

[coevan]

A felony conviction does not preclude you from getting a passport. I have a friend who obtained a passport on an old drug conviction.

 

How to Obtain a Passport for Convicted Felons | USA Today sorry the link did not show up, just Google it there are many threads

Edited May 27, 2016 by coevan

[jazm2011]

I agree with those that said it doesn't matter which side of the ship you are on - both sides have amazing views the entire cruise! I believe we were port on our Alaskan cruise.

 

We purposely booked the 1st sailing so we could see Glacier Bay. And although awesome, and the weather was actually quite cooperative for most of our cruise (we only had rain in Ketchikan) and all the locals commented how lucky we were - next time we will plan to go in the summer. For no other reason than to see what we missed when things thaw out a bit and the skies are sunnier.

 

Definitely pack in layers and definitely have something rainproof as well as super warm (if you are a whimp like me!). I didn't regret bringing my full length wool peacoat, hat, gloves, scarf. I wore it (and needed it!) on the balcony. And then when I froze myself to death, I stepped back inside for a few minutes to warm up. Before heading back out again. :-)

[xlxo]

No one directly addressed the "starboard vs. port" side question. Does it matter which one? I realize the "aft" balcony would be ideal, but not sure of availability, especially for 3 cabins.

 

Any thoughts on "starboard vs. port", so far as best for "balcony views"?

during the cruise it makes little difference. I prefer port side in ketchikan to see the town. I prefer starboard in Vancouver for privacy from that elevated public walkway.

[Fairway Cruiser]

Thanks everyone for the useful information.

 

Not that it should matter, but I/we are going out of Seattle because Southwest Airlines airfare is far cheaper than anything else from my part of the country (not because of felony convictions).:eek: I do have a passport, along with all the rest of my party.

[figureskater]

I use Verizon as my cell Phone carrier......Will I be able to use it in Alaska with out extra charge?

[cocacola86]

Were booked on the Magic, for April 2017 thinking about Alaska instead can you do Alaska w/o spending a lot on excursions? Reason for this question is right now in Ontario it's been 31C everyday and I would rather be cool than super hot in the Caribbean?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Fairway Cruiser]

I, too, would be interested in hearing about the "don't miss" excursions in the ports of call.

[mumtopugs]

We did Glacier Bay in September. It was in the high 50's pretty much daily. I loved the cool weather. It felt authentic and didn't stop us from doing anything. I've never done Tracy Arm but Glacier Bay was the most incredible site I've ever seen. Port and starboard do not matter. Great sites on both sides. When in GB, the captain moves the ship both sides.

Edited May 28, 2016 by mumtopugs

[Missileer]

Several years ago we took a helicopter tour in Skagway that was just superb. Cost about $180.00 as I recall and was worth every penny of it! For a lot less $$$ the train ride in Skagway is a wonderful way to see the country.

Enjoy

[brutusmom]

3 words... Tracy's Crab Shack!!! It is in Juneau. Oh I can close my eyes and still remember the sweetest taste ever! Be sure to go there. You won't regret it!!