Alaska cruise-Seattle or Vancouver rountrip?

[ATLgirl15]

I'm doing all the research to book a 7 day Alaska cruise for next summer and the more I read the more unsure I am about what is the best choice. A one way north or south would be ideal but for various reasons I don't think it will be possible. There are round trips from either Seattle or Vancouver and I can find advantages to either but would like some input from prior cruisers.

 

We typically cruise the Carribean and choose based on ship since the ports are are pretty similar. We prefer the big ships with lots of amenities. But I'm not sure that is the best way to cruise Alaska. Seattle departures offer the bigger ships we are acustomed to but it seems like there are a lot of sea days. We enjoy sea days in the Carribean in the warm weather lounging out at the pool, etc. which would not apply here. The Vancouver departures seem to spend longer in port and the sea days are not listed as sea days since they are in the inside passage. My question is, does that mean the ships are close enough for viewing during that passage? And is that worth it? I'd be willing to sail a smaller ship if it will be more rewarding overall. We can't fly nonstop to Vancouver from atlanta so Seattle wiould be easier. But if the experience will be better from Vancouver then I'd rather do that.

 

Any feedback is welcome. Thanks.

[Eurodeva]

We booked for this summer (and are leaving in 14 days!!) and did the research. Non-stop flights and CHEAPER flights meant we chose Seattle for embarkation. I looked at the various itineraries and chose the cruise which stopped in the places I wanted to be most. I can't yet tell you how amazing it is, but I'm expecting it will be wonderful. We chose Holland America Line, after reading many reviews, and are looking forward to this. The one sea day we have also has a Gala dinner night, and I plan on spending that day in the spa and wandering around the ship getting my bearings. :D

 

I understand the Vancouver departures are more interesting as you should have SOME view of the land going through the inside passage, but binoculars would certainly help this, too. We really wanted a SMALL boat trip (no more than 80 people) but that turned out to be truly cost prohibitive, even for a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and the flights to Vancouver were also much more expensive.

 

Figure out what your budget is, and then look into flight costs and what cabin type you are interested in. Then shop around. Have fun planning!!

[Coral]

Look very close at the itineraries and times in port. Also research the glaciers that you want to visit. For example, I don't know of any ships that have made it to Tracy Arm this year. Tracy Arm is missed frequently anyway but this year seems really unusual. Hubbard glacier is missed or only seen from a long distance many times also. Glacier Bay is the sure thing as far as glaciers are concerned in Alaska but only a few companies have permits. My first cruise on RCCL missed my only glacier day in Alaska - it was huge and disappointing IMO. I did my research and had College Fiords and Glacier Bay (2 glacier days) on my next cruise.

 

It looks like you are a very strong RCCL fan. This years Explorer of the Seas had IMO the worst itinerary in Alaska. I would not recommend going all the way to Alaska and being on a ship with the worst itinerary, even if it is a big ship or a class of ship that you like.

[ATLgirl15]

Thanks for the feedback. I didn't realize Hubbard was so far away for viewing-thanks for that info. I've been primarily looking at Celebrity. Yes, we are Royal fans but explorer does not appeal to me at all and now it's for sure out after your itinerary comment. Really wanted to do Radiance southbound but we cruise in suites and they are sold out for the entire summer 2017 already! I'm sure some of the reservations will cancel before final payment is due but I don't want to wait until last minute and then be stuck with sold out excursions or high flight costs/inconvenient times. Or wait until 2018. Celebrity ships seem to have a good amount of suites available. Which cruise line does Glacier Bay? We're looking at late July for sailing so hopefully the icy conditions they are having at Tracy Arm this year would not be an issue that late in the season. Yes, I would be very disappointed to come all the way out and miss a glacier.

 

Spa day sounds like a perfect way to spend the day at sea! I read a lot of reviews where people go to the gym which would also be good to flight against all the extra calories I'll be eating :)

 

Yes the flights to Vancouver require a connection AND are way more expensive. But the cruise price is cheaper from Vancouver...maybe due to smaller ship....at least with Celebrity it is. I'll keep plowing away with my research.

[Coral]

Thanks for the feedback. I didn't realize Hubbard was so far away for viewing-thanks for that info. I've been primarily looking at Celebrity. Yes, we are Royal fans but explorer does not appeal to me at all and now it's for sure out after your itinerary comment. Really wanted to do Radiance southbound but we cruise in suites and they are sold out for the entire summer 2017 already! I'm sure some of the reservations will cancel before final payment is due but I don't want to wait until last minute and then be stuck with sold out excursions or high flight costs/inconvenient times. Or wait until 2018. Celebrity ships seem to have a good amount of suites available. Which cruise line does Glacier Bay? We're looking at late July for sailing so hopefully the icy conditions they are having at Tracy Arm this year would not be an issue that late in the season. Yes, I would be very disappointed to come all the way out and miss a glacier.

 

Spa day sounds like a perfect way to spend the day at sea! I read a lot of reviews where people go to the gym which would also be good to flight against all the extra calories I'll be eating :)

 

Yes the flights to Vancouver require a connection AND are way more expensive. But the cruise price is cheaper from Vancouver...maybe due to smaller ship....at least with Celebrity it is. I'll keep plowing away with my research.

 

HAL, Princess and NCL are the primary owners of permits to GB. Carnival will get a few at the beginning and end of the season. RCCL and Celebrity were banned from getting permits at one time and since then, the permits seem to go to those with historical history getting them and they are reserved pretty far in advance. There are other, more speciality lines (and expensive) such as Un-Cruise that also gets permits.

 

Hubbard glacier is pretty unpredictable. We were 9 miles from it on my first cruise which was worthless. Hubbard is a great glacier if you do get close. My last time there was amazing. I do one ways solely so I can get 2 glacier days which Princess does on one ways.

 

Brent Nixon who usually does Seattle RT with Celebrity is one of the best naturalists out there. He speaks on sea days and through out the cruise. Definitely not to be missed.

 

I see in the Caribbean most look for ships - In Alaska, it is itineraries.

 

Good luck researching. Alaska by Cruiseship by Anne Vipond was a great book the last time I looked at it.

Edited July 9, 2016 by Coral

[donaldsc]

You could fly to Seattle and get to Vancouver by land - train, bus, car are options. If you want to see AK, you do not want to waste time on sea days getting there. Also, I believe that if you go from Seattle you take the outside passage which is less scenic the more scenic inside passage route from Vancouver.

 

DON

[xlxo]

Also consider which month..... I think late July is best for you with warm weather and statistically dry excursion days. However the cruise season prices also peak around then.

[Coral]

Also consider which month..... I think late July is best for you with warm weather and statistically dry excursion days. However the cruise season prices also peak around then.

 

Some of us try to escape "warmer weather". I cruised once in July and it was downright hot - in the high 80's and maybe hit 90 (probably unusual). I like to go in May or June when it is cooler in Alaska and hot back home.

 

End of May and June are statistically dryer compared to July. July is always going to be the most traveled month for most vacations in most places due to school holidays or those who are employed at schools. I avoid July due to this. Rather cruise not on the most expensive months.

Edited July 9, 2016 by Coral

[ATLgirl15]

I was thinking along the same lines as you Coral-trying to escape the hottest weather back home which for me is July/August. August is cheaper but I was afraid of rainy season. End July seemed to be in the downward side of peak pricing so it seemed to be a compromise.

 

Don, we once did a combined Vancouver/Seattle trip (non cruise) and took the bus between. It took forever to cross the border and we ending up losing practically a whole day. This was a long time ago so it might be different now but I don't have fond memories.

 

I looked at HAL and the itinerary looks good and suite pricing seems very reasonable. But i forgot why I was looking at Royal and celebrity in the first place-my husbands casino comps! If they don't have a good offer, then maybe we'll try HAL...new casino relationships have to start somewhere. More reading to do...

[Coral]

Just to add one more dimension to things when figuring out when to go - what will you want to do when in Alaska?

 

Bear watching excursions - July - August. Salmon running is mid July or so and after.

 

If you want to take a helicopter, land on a glacier and go dog mushing. Go before the first or second week in August. Once things melt, the dogs can no longer mush on the glaciers. This date changes every year but often happens the 2nd week of August.

 

Fishing - don't go in May or early June.

 

So just to complicate your lives - take a look at excursions and when is the best time to do that. Feel free to ask on this board if unsure.

Edited July 9, 2016 by Coral

[mickeysgal]

This is our second cruise to Alaska. I listened to these boards the first time and made sure we picked an itinerary that went into Glacier Bay. Like others have said, only certain cruise lines have the permits to enter this national park...Princess, HAL, NCL.

 

For this upcoming trip, as much as we love Celebrity's S Class ships, they have to take a back seat due to their itinerary. We are currently looking once again at NCL (I've got my elderly aunt and mother with us this time, we need casual and easy going). Tracy Arm from what I understand is hit or miss so we are going to sign up for an excursion from Juneau on a small boat for Tracy Arm. So we get the best of both worlds...Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay. Princess also has a small boat excursion into Tracy Arm, don't know about HAL.

 

Wanted to go before the prices climbed too high, wanted to see snow capped mountains, wanted to make sure ice isn't too much of an issue, so we are choosing late May as our cruise time.

 

Seattle seems to be the easiest and cheapest for us all as well.

[ATLgirl15]

What about best times for whale watching?

[Coral]

What about best times for whale watching?

 

Pretty much all summer - no worries here.

 

Some whales don't make it to Juneau until Mid-May or so from Hawaii. They get hungry :)

[Eurodeva]

I think Whale watching is pretty good the entire time the Alaska cruises are available. We have booked a private whale watching tour (there are six of us going, so it ended up costing us the same to buy our own trip as it would have to do the excursion on a larger tour boat) and are hoping for some spectacular viewing. They have a good record for finding bubble feeding and orcas as well as the normal humpback viewing.

[Budget Queen]

There are many excellent choices indeed. :)

 

What is often assumed, is "repeats" of previous cruises, which is never the case. Your trip will be unique in Alaska, full of surprises. ;) Every single trip is different.

 

The OP has the priority of the ship, next I would suggest picking your top choices. Next, look at the differences of the itinerary of each, and list those. Determine- IF you have any interest in port activities (a lot of people don't). But, if there are selections of interest, be certain to have the right dates and port times to include them.

 

You are going to see rave reviews about all the Alaska cruises.

[Lisichka]

I did RT from Seattle 2 years ago and am doing RT Vancouver in 2 weeks. I doubt I will ever do a RT Seattle again. I hate spending time in Victoria as to me that should not be part of an Alaskan cruise (boring to me). That is a personal opinion though, and some people actually like stopping there. Not sure if all Seattle cruises have to stop there or not.

 

We are flying in to Seattle and are taking the train to Vancouver. Easy and fun with beautiful scenery. I love train rides!

 

The drawback seems that cruises from Vancouver seem to be quite a bit more expensive than those leaving from Seattle. I think I spent twice what I spent on my last cruise for a cabin (though this time we are taking Celebrity and last time Carnival).

[Coral]

I did RT from Seattle 2 years ago and am doing RT Vancouver in 2 weeks. I doubt I will ever do a RT Seattle again. I hate spending time in Victoria as to me that should not be part of an Alaskan cruise (boring to me). That is a personal opinion though, and some people actually like stopping there. Not sure if all Seattle cruises have to stop there or not.

 

.

 

The main stream lines are required to visit a foreign port (Victoria). So unless you are on an American flagged ship that is very expensive (Un-Cruise) - you are required to stop somewhere and Victoria makes the most sense.

 

I have done RT Seattle, RT Vancouver and One ways. I like Victoria but I am not a fan of RT Seattle cruises. I actually prefer one ways and you see more IMO. Otherwise, it is a sea day back to Seattle or Vancouver.

[NancyIL]

Choose the ship that has the itinerary you like best - even if it's a one-way cruise and it requires a flight to or from Anchorage. Southbound Princess cruises go to both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay.

 

Personally - if I were willing to pay for a suite, I wouldn't be quibbling about higher airfare to/from Vancouver compared to Seattle.

[ATLgirl15]

Thanks for all the information!

 

Lisichka, I will be anxious to hear about your experience since i am looking at the infinity cruise with about the same timing next year. Mickeysgal, I agree, I love the s class but it probably does not make sense in Alaska-lots of idle time on itinerary and from the reviews I have read in general it seems too windy to hang out on the top deck anyway. I think I will also do some research on NCL since it goes to Glacier Bay. We were not impressed with our one NCL cruise last year (not bad by any means, just not special) so I hadn't even considered it. But the consensus seems to be that Alaska is different on any cruise line.

[Coral]

Choose the ship that has the itinerary you like best - even if it's a one-way cruise and it requires a flight to or from Anchorage. Southbound Princess cruises go to both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay.

 

Personally - if I were willing to pay for a suite, I wouldn't be quibbling about higher airfare to/from Vancouver compared to Seattle.

 

I would agree.

[ATLgirl15]

My original question had nothing to do with price. I posted to see if the actual cruise would be better (more scenic) out of Vancouver. So far it sounds like it really varies by cruise line. I didn't realize how much the itineraries vary from ship to ship. Even though I've been researching for weeks I still have so much more to learn.

Edited July 10, 2016 by ATLgirl15

[Coral]

My original question had nothing to do with price. I posted to see if the actual cruise would be better (more scenic) out of Vancouver. So far it sounds like it really varies by cruise line. I didn't realize how much the itineraries vary from ship to ship. Even though I've been researching for weeks I still have so much more to learn.

 

Overall, yes, cruises out of Vancouver are more scenic as they don't have to go as far out to quickly get back to Seattle. They also don't have to dock in Victoria.

Edited July 10, 2016 by Coral

[Gardyloo]

Seattle departures travel to the west of Vancouver Island on open ocean before turning into the Inside Passage once past the northern end of the island. Passing through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and on the Pacific proper can be bouncy at times, and there isn't much view (if any) while west of the island.

 

Vancouver departures stay to the east of Vancouver Island, on sheltered "inside passage" waters for a much longer period.

 

View looking west from the BC "Sunshine Coast" with a cruise ship and Vancouver Island in the background -

 

Edited July 10, 2016 by Gardyloo

[need2cruisesoon]

Thanks for all the information!

 

Lisichka, I will be anxious to hear about your experience since i am looking at the infinity cruise with about the same timing next year. Mickeysgal, I agree, I love the s class but it probably does not make sense in Alaska-lots of idle time on itinerary and from the reviews I have read in general it seems too windy to hang out on the top deck anyway. I think I will also do some research on NCL since it goes to Glacier Bay. We were not impressed with our one NCL cruise last year (not bad by any means, just not special) so I hadn't even considered it. But the consensus seems to be that Alaska is different on any cruise line.

 

Don't sell yourself short on considering Solstice out of Seattle.

We did her in June and had a blast, to me half the experience of any cruise is the ship itself. My 2 cents.

 

 

[Lisichka]

Don't sell yourself short on considering Solstice out of Seattle.

We did her in June and had a blast, to me half the experience of any cruise is the ship itself. My 2 cents.

 

 

I think that is true for some itineraries, but not for Alaska. I would pick itinerary over ship any day when going to Alaska.

Edited July 10, 2016 by Lisichka