Where to start?

[webecruzin2]

I'm trying to put together an Alaskan cruise for next June/July 2017 for at least 3 couples, maybe more.

None of us have been there before so we're pretty clueless on where to even start at this point, lol.

We're not nailed down to any one cruise line, but our preferences would be Celebrity, HAL, Princess - in that order.

We'd like to stay away from NCL and RCCL.

Leaving from Seattle since one of the couples lives in WA and it would be easier for everyone to meet up there flight-wise.

We'd like it to be at least 7 days and one of the stops should be Sitka.

Also one couple is interested in Denali but I haven't a clue on where to start for that.

Are there day trips to Denali from any of the ports along the way?

Would we need to book a cruise/tour to fit it all in?

Would appreciate any advice from you experienced Alaska cruisers.

Thanks in advance!:)

[gpb11]

Generally the first place to start is deciding what places you want to visit / what things you want to see. Then narrow down your options to those which include those.

 

Leaving from Seattle may limit your options; keep a Vancouver departure as a possibility at least for the initial selection of potential itineraries.

 

Denali National Park Service Website: https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/index.htm

Denali is not a "day trip" as most people would think of it. 4-5 hours by car between Denali NP and Anchorage each way. See http://www.alaska.org/advice/mileage-chart

 

To be worthwhile IMHO I'd plan for at least two nights if at all possible so you can do the Tundra Wilderness Tour or take the shuttle to Eielson Visitor Center. Either essentially takes all day. Others may have different thoughts.

 

Some people will do a cruise then do their own land-tour, others prefer to book both through the cruiseline. Which is better depends on the individuals and what they wish to do/achieve.

[Bimmie Girl]

Denali is a land tour. I would find out the places that you or everyone want to go to (like Sitka) and look up the itinerary of the 3 cruise lines to see which one is the most appealing to you leaving out of Seattle. You can always call each cruise line and ask the rep, questions/concerns about the itineraries. I find them very friendly to talk to and they think of things that you may not be familiar with. Have a list of questions ready for them when you call. Good luck and happy planning.

[sherryf]

A few things:

 

Very few of the round-trip Seattle cruises go to Sitka. I think HAL may be your only option there. Princess definitely doesn't go there from Seattle. I've been a Princess cruiser for years, but I'm taking HAL to get to Sitka this year.

 

Denali is not even close to any of the port stops. You should start by looking at a map and noting distances. Denali would be part of a land tour before/after your cruise, so requires a one-way cruise, either starting or ending in Vancouver. You cannot visit Denali if you take a round-trip Seattle cruise, and there are no one-way cruises from Seattle due to PVSA.

 

I highly suggest you find a good book on Alaska travel. Learn about the ports and what there is do in each. Read about the differences between one-way and round-trip cruises, and about land tours. Once you have a better idea of what you want to see and do, it is easier to narrow down the choice of cruise line & ship based on the itinerary that suits your needs.

[geoherb]

I'm another Princess cruiser who's going on HAL this year so we can go to Sitka. (Actually, it's the only way I could talk DH into taking another cruise to Alaska. He did not want to do one that went only to the same ports we've been to already.)

 

A round-trip cruise from Seattle can be very enjoyable. If possible, look at the ones that go to Glacier Bay instead of Tracy Arm. People say that's important. (Although we took two cruises that went to Tracy Arm and had a great time on them.)

 

Denali is definitely out on any round-trip cruises. When we went there, we flew to Fairbanks to start and made our way down, spending just one night at Denali. Fortunately we knew to upgrade to the Tundra Wilderness Tour rather than the Natural History Tour that Princess included in our cruise tour. Because of the timeframe we were there, the shuttles would not work for us. When we take another cruise tour, I'll be sure to look for ones that spend at least two nights at Denali so we will have time to take a shuttle farther into the park than we got to go last time.

[Budget Queen]

You really need to back up and find out more about Alaska. Head to your library and look for Fodor's Alaska and Frommer's Alaska, along with their Port of Call books, as a suggestion.

 

You need to know what you are looking with itineraries in order to make the right choices. A lot of people, otherwise, make assumptions that simply aren't what is reality.

 

A factor, it's an easy transfer between Seattle and Vancouver- if of interest. But, if you want to cruise and see Denali- then doing a one way works very well, but only involves Vancouver, not Seattle. Otherwise, you'll need to fly to Anchorage from Seattle. If you include Denali- my opinion, it is best to add another week. No, Denali isn't any "day trip". You need at least 2 nights there, and minimum distance for me, is Eielson.

 

For the cruise, find out about EACH port and determine WHAT you are going to occupy your time with, what shore excursions you are going to do- BEFORE you choose any cruise. A cruise selection can involve several factors, ports, time in ports, price, glacier, route. KNOW, what you are looking at and know the details.

[Budget Queen]

You can always call each cruise line and ask the rep, questions/concerns about the itineraries. I find them very friendly to talk to and they think of things that you may not be familiar with. Have a list of questions ready for them when you call. Good luck and happy planning.

 

I don't find this good advice. You are just as likely to get wrong information, and most probably haven't even been to Alaska. It's pitiful the information you can get about the mainland add on tours.

[cvpends]

I am another one taking HAL this summer to visit Sitka. One thing to consider is that if your seven day cruise visits Sitka, it misses another port-- such as Skagway. Might you consider one of HAL's 14 day cruises? Ours this summer round trips from Seattle and is in Anchorage from early morning to late night and offers a flight tour to Denali that day. Or a cruise tour. If you want to include Denali before or after a seven day you will need a one-way from Vancouver.

 

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[xlxo]

Leaving from Seattle since one of the couples lives in WA and it would be easier for everyone to meet up there flight-wise.

fyi....

• $50 Quick shuttle to Vancouver from the Seattle Airport.
  
• The Seattle party can go even cheaper with Bolt bus.
  

[Coral]

I would order some brochures and pick up some Alaska books (Alaska by Cruise Ship is a good one).

 

You do need to figure out a few things. If you go out of Seattle, your friends who want to do Denali will then need to fly back to Alaska to do the land portion of Alaska as the ships out of Seattle will return to Seattle.

 

It actually sounds like you want to start in Vancouver and do a one way and then a land trip.

 

I would also look at glaciers and figure out which glacier you want to see. I like Glacier Bay.

[Gardyloo]

If you go out of Seattle, your friends who want to do Denali will then need to fly back to Alaska to do the land portion of Alaska as the ships out of Seattle will return to Seattle.

This is very important. Due to US maritime law Seattle departures are all round-trips. Also, the Seattle departures sail on open ocean to the west of Vancouver Island, while Vancouver departures (both round trip and one-way) sail to the east of Vancouver Island on sheltered "inside passage" waters - calmer and better views.

[Coral]

This is very important. Due to US maritime law Seattle departures are all round-trips. Also, the Seattle departures sail on open ocean to the west of Vancouver Island, while Vancouver departures (both round trip and one-way) sail to the east of Vancouver Island on sheltered "inside passage" waters - calmer and better views.

 

Just clarification - there are some US owned cruise lines that can do Seattle to Juneau but it is going to cost 4x the amount and I doubt the OP is interested in this:

 

https://www.un-cruise.com/destinations/alaska-cruises

 

and this would create more problems for those flying home who are not doing the land vacation. These cruise lines would be my dream cruise but are not affordable in my income yet.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Coral