Alaska dilemma: torn between two itineraries

[aligate]

Hi, I need some advice.

 

This will be my first cruise to Alaska. I'm considering two. The one-way is more expensive than the round-trip, especially because of the airfare.

 

Is the extra expense worth it to go one-way and see College Fjord? Any other considerations?

 

One-way itinerary:

1 Vancouver

2 At Sea

3 Ketchikan 6:30 AM to 02:00 PM

4 Juneau 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM

5 Skagway 7:00 AM to 8:30 PM

6 Glacier Bay National Park (Scenic Cruising)

7 College Fjord (Scenic Cruising)

8 Anchorage

 

Round-trip itinerary:

1 Seattle, Washington

2 At Sea

3 Juneau 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM

4 Skagway 6:00 AM to 8:15 PM

5 Glacier Bay National Park (Scenic Cruising)

6 Ketchikan 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM

7 Victoria 7:00 PM to 11:59 PM

8 Seattle

 

Thank you!

[CruiserBruce]

I would take the roundtrip out of Seattle.

[aligate]

Hi, Bruce. Because of the lower price?

[cherylandtk]

If you are not planning to do a land tour in Alaska, then the RT out of Seattle will be very similar to the one way trip as far as what you see on the cruise itself.

[paul929207]

I would take the one way. College fjord is beautiful and well worth the trip there.

 

I would also consider a land tour on the Alaskan end. We did a5 day tour last month after the 7 night northbound cruise on the Coral Princess. The tour and the cruise were fantastic.

[CruiserBruce]

Hi, Bruce. Because of the lower price?

 

College Fjord is very nice, having done both one ways and roundtrips, and considering this appears to be your first Alaska cruise, you will get plenty of bang for your buck doing the roundtrip.

[Glaciers]

You can’t go wrong with either. College Fjord is a gem that is frequently overlooked. The one way also allows you to travel on the east side of Vancouver Island. Much more scenic and less prone to motion like you would be traveling in the open ocean on the west side.

[Dayenu]

Hi, I need some advice.

 

This will be my first cruise to Alaska. I'm considering two. The one-way is more expensive than the round-trip, especially because of the airfare.

 

Is the extra expense worth it to go one-way and see College Fjord? Any other considerations?

 

One-way itinerary:

1 Vancouver

2 At Sea

3 Ketchikan 6:30 AM to 02:00 PM

4 Juneau 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM

5 Skagway 7:00 AM to 8:30 PM

6 Glacier Bay National Park (Scenic Cruising)

7 College Fjord (Scenic Cruising)

8 Anchorage

 

Round-trip itinerary:

1 Seattle, Washington

2 At Sea

3 Juneau 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM

4 Skagway 6:00 AM to 8:15 PM

5 Glacier Bay National Park (Scenic Cruising)

6 Ketchikan 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM

7 Victoria 7:00 PM to 11:59 PM

8 Seattle

 

Thank you!

 

Enough beautiful places to see on both, and sometimes fjord cruisings are not as expected when the ship cannot go all the way into a fjord as planned (happened to us). As the ports are similar, I would pick the round trip to save some money for the next vacation.

[Texas Tillie]

If you are not going to do a land trip after the one way (and you really should, at least one day), then the round trip is a good one for round trips.

 

P.S. I've been to Alaska 5 times including 2 times to the interior.

[Essiesmom]

As long as you are going to Glacier Bay, you don't need to see College Fjord. EM

[zqvol]

We prefer the one way trips, especially adding days at the end to go to Denali, or explore the Kenai. In addition on the one way you get to go through the true inside passage instead of being out at sea with no views the first day.

[SPacificbound]

My 2 cents. :)

 

If you only have time for the cruise the round trip will be fine and saves you some money.

 

If you have extra time of a few days, then one way and DIY with....

https://www.alaskarailroad.com/

[cheeseclan]

All of our cruises to AK, 6, have been the RT either out of Seattle or Vancouver. Have loved every one of them.

Next May we are doing the NB on the Coral and then a land tour for my son's HS graduation present.

 

Start with the RT to save money on the air and then you can go back again and again. SO much to see and do every time.

 

Paul929207,

What land tour did you just do after the Coral NB?

[Sequim88]

College Fjord beats the pants off Glacier Bay. Glacier after glacier after glacier culminating in massive Harvard glacier. If a smaller sized ship they can often get really close up.

 

Another difference between the cruises is the R/T will speed run outside Vancouver Is. and skip a lot of the Canadian part of the Inside Passage. Water can be (not always) a little rougher on the un-sheltered side. Speed limit in the IP means more leisurely cruising as well as closer views of shore

 

Another thought is the one-way has more a sense of "going TO" Alaska and the scenery just builds and builds. If the air fare difference is the only cost difference it is worth it. Disclosure: We would be doing a one-way next year except that on a new job my vacation time is limited. So we will save the airfare and do a one-way from Seattle which we can drive to.

[luv2camp04]

We have never done an Alaska cruise however we live I think the Seattle area and spend a lot of time camping on Whidbey Island. We watch the cruise ships coming and going. The views you have going through the San Juan Islands are spectacular. You would miss some of that sailing out of Vancouver. Just something to think about!

 

 

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[Midwestern Cruiser]

I agree with Sequim88...cruising the fjords are so much better than cruising the glaciers.

My ideal AK cruise would include Tracy Arm and Sitka (instead of Skagway) no matter where the embark/debark points are.

The good thing is that since it's your first cruise to Alaska, you won't be disappointed. It is just jaw-dropping gorgeous!!

[MCC retired]

If you look at both itineraries on an Alaska map , you will notice that on the R/T you barely visit the southern tip of the state before heading back south to Seattle .

The 1 way cruise gets you farther north , up to College Fjord , Seward and the land trip to Anchorage . Worth the extra $$ in IMO.

[kfkolonel]

We just got off a HAL cruise that included a land tour of Alaska. I would definitely include the land tour, and spend at least a full day at Denali.