Need Carnival Alaska help.....

[CRocks]

I see there are 2 basic Carnival 8 day cruises to Alaska. One from Seattle to Seattle (Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau, Ketichan) and another from Vancouver to Seattle (Tracy Arm, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan). Which one should I be considering? Big difference seems to be Glacier Bay, is that a must? Other question, I want a balcony for this trip. Which side of the ship do I want to be on to get the good views? I don't know much bout the Alaskan cruises. Never really wanted to go. But, my son has always dreamed of this + he's goin thru some tough times. Soooo, wife + I figure we'll take him + his wife while we can. TIA (posted here instead of Alaska board cuz I won't consider another cruise line)

[serene56]

I know flying from the east coast to Vancouver is extremely expensive. Much more then the cruise itself.

Plus you need passports

 

 

when i do alaska it will be in an aft balcony-- one across the back of the ship

so I can see both sides.

[thinfool]

I see there are 2 basic Carnival 8 day cruises to Alaska. One from Seattle to Seattle (Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau, Ketichan) and another from Vancouver to Seattle (Tracy Arm, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan). Which one should I be considering? Big difference seems to be Glacier Bay, is that a must? Other question, I want a balcony for this trip. Which side of the ship do I want to be on to get the good views? I don't know much bout the Alaskan cruises. Never really wanted to go. But, my son has always dreamed of this + he's goin thru some tough times. Soooo, wife + I figure we'll take him + his wife while we can. TIA (posted here instead of Alaska board cuz I won't consider another cruise line)

 

Strongly recommend the Vancouver itinerary. Glacier Bay is wonderful. The Vancouver itinerary avoids at least one day on the open sea and gives you an extra day cruising the Inside Passage.

 

If you buy right, flying to Vancouver is cost effective. Right now, rt, CLE>YVR shows $566. for mid-August trips.

[riffatsea]

I agree that Glacier Bay would be an important sight.

It doesn't matter which side of the ship you are on as all sides get to see the sights.

If you have more time this year there's also a 14 day cruise to Alaska from Long Beach,Ca on Carnival Miracle.

Not sure if there are still balconies left as that cruise sold very quickly!!

[ABQrobin]

By all means, get a balcony! Doesn't matter which side or which deck, just make sure you don't get an obstructed view. The views are AMAZING all day long.

 

We did the 7-day from Seattle last year and had a blast. We do plan to do Alaska again. The Glacier Bay sounds great but as others have mentioned, it is out of Vancouver, so it would require us an extra travel day (we can fly free on Southwest due to points).

 

Whichever one you choose, make sure you set aside the money for excursions.... DO NOT SKIMP on excursions. They are expensive but = Go for it. You go all the way to Alaska, you need to get off the ship and out into the culture and wilderness. Every port has something fun to do. In fact, some ports have so much to do that we had a hard time deciding... we might do the cruise again just so we can hit the same ports and do other excursions!

[xlxo]

Strongly recommend the Vancouver itinerary. Glacier Bay is wonderful. The Vancouver itinerary avoids at least one day on the open sea and gives you an extra day cruising the Inside Passage.

 

If you buy right, flying to Vancouver is cost effective. Right now, rt, CLE>YVR shows $566. for mid-August trips.

I'll add that Vancouver offers lots to a traveler as a bonus port. Plan an extra few days to take it all in.

[Cruiser933]

I would not lot airfare from Vancouver be a deciding factor. There are multiple ways to get back to Seattle for return flights. We rented a car, but there are also buses and Amtrak.

[Roz]

The best Alaskan cruise I ever did was an 8-day on Carnival - Seattle to Vancouver. Glacier Bay was spectacular. The weather was cold and clear that day, and the Captain was able to get us in close.

 

To save money on airfare, I did a Seattle round-trip on SW. When we got to Vancouver I took Quick Shuttle back down to Seattle.

 

Roz

[sailingwithfriends]

I sailed to Alaska in 2015. We wanted to experience as much as possible when in ports, so we decided to go with an ocean view room. That was the best decision. When you are in Alaska in the Inside Passage, you will want to be able to experience the 360 degrees of beauty, not just what you can see from your balcony. If you had an aft wrap, that would allow you to see more, but the cost is much higher. We ended up waking up each day and looking out the window. Then we got dressed and rarely returned to our room. We were outside on one of the observation decks. Alaska is very different that a cruise in the middle of the ocean. There is something to see on both sides of the ship. If you are in your stateroom on a balcony, you would not know what you are missing. With the money we saved, we did get to experience more of Alaska. Another thing we felt differently about cruising in Alaska is we wished we didn't bother to eat in the dining room. We would be sitting at the table and could see the beautiful scenery outside. It made us want to hurry up the meal so we could go outside. If we go again, we will probably have dinner in the buffet. That would also save room in our suitcases because we wouldn't need to bring the fancier clothes for the dining room.

[CRocks]

Thanx much, this has been VERY helpful!

[springs741]

We have cruised Alaska twice and have number 3 booked for September.

 

I loved the Vancouver, BC to Seattle 8 day. There is so much to see in Vancouver. We spent 3 days there pre cruise. Glacier Bay was incredible.

 

Don't worry about what side of the ship. In Glacier Bay the ship will slowly turn 360 so everyone gets a good view.

 

I would suggest booking two balcony rooms so that you can open the divider. Makes for some great family time but still allows privacy.

 

Look at multiple travel options. Combinations of flight and train can make it more affordable and allows for an extended vacation.

 

You are going to love Alaska regardless of which itinerary you pick.

[SmoothFlying]

Strongly recommend the Vancouver itinerary. Glacier Bay is wonderful. The Vancouver itinerary avoids at least one day on the open sea and gives you an extra day cruising the Inside Passage.

 

If you buy right, flying to Vancouver is cost effective. Right now, rt, CLE>YVR shows $566. for mid-August trips.

 

My wife and I did the first tour you're talking about (Seattle/Inland/Juneau/Skagway/Ketchikan/Seattle) on the Carnival Spirit in June 2010). First and foremost, you are so lucky you knew about this website. I had no clue it existed, so my wife and I had NO clue what (in the way of clothing) to pack. The June temps in ATL that June, w/humidity, was 102 degrees. :( So, my wife reasoned, shorts, short sleeves were appropriate. :( We always book a balcony, but sometimes in Alaska, that can be a bit challenging. With the temps in the low forties AND a twenty knot speed it can make any long stays outside ( unless you're dressed for it) very, very BRIEF. But the weather was crystal clear (with one rainy day in Skagway) and the views ARE breath taking, so another word of advice do NOT forget a camera and extra batteries. We've done 14 cruises (Alaska, was our fifth) and to this day, we still gasp at the beauty when we look at the pictures. And believe me, pictures do NOT do it justice. I have read here that Glacier Bay is definitely worth seeing, but regardless of which trip you take, be prepare to be WOWED. I know we were.

 

Mac

[serene56]

I would not lot airfare from Vancouver be a deciding factor. There are multiple ways to get back to Seattle for return flights. We rented a car, but there are also buses and Amtrak.

 

how far is vancouver from Seattle?

[Roz]

142 miles - time depends on how busy the border crossing is.

 

Roz

[3redheads]

We are going in August 2018 from Seattle. They changed our itinerary and now we are cruising Glacier Bay. We booked early enough that we were able to get an aft balcony. It will be our first Alaska cruise!

 

8/28/2018 Seattle, WA

8/29/2018 Fun Day At Sea

8/30/2018 Juneau, AK

8/31/2018 Skagway, AK

9/1/2018 Cruise Glacier Bay

9/2/2018 Ketchikan, AK

9/3/2018 Fun Day At Sea

9/4/2018 Victoria, BC, Canada

9/5/2018 Seattle, WA

[princesstiffany]

For an Alaskan cruise I recommend an aft facing balcony. Also, if you really are interested in seeing the wildlife while cruising you will probably want to be on the public decks so you can move around to see things on both sides of the ship as they are announcing any wildlife in the area. We actually spent less time on our balcony during our Alaska cruises.

 

Glacier Bay is beautiful, but the small boat excursion into Tracy Arm is an incredible experience as well.

 

Have fun!!!

[tango55]

go from Vancouver.the u.s. dollar is worth about 35 cents more than our dollar.glacier bay is beautiful but if it's foggy the ship may not go to g.b

[bingomamma19]

I see there are 2 basic Carnival 8 day cruises to Alaska. One from Seattle to Seattle (Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau, Ketichan) and another from Vancouver to Seattle (Tracy Arm, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan). Which one should I be considering? Big difference seems to be Glacier Bay, is that a must? Other question, I want a balcony for this trip. Which side of the ship do I want to be on to get the good views? I don't know much bout the Alaskan cruises. Never really wanted to go. But, my son has always dreamed of this + he's goin thru some tough times. Soooo, wife + I figure we'll take him + his wife while we can. TIA (posted here instead of Alaska board cuz I won't consider another cruise line)

 

 

 

Ha ha, I read your post and it inspired me to book my 1st Alaskan cruise---august 2018 in a premium balcony!!!...so excited. THank you for posting this :)

[xlxo]

how far is vancouver from Seattle?

 

• 2.5 hrs by vehicle, plus border crossing time. Weekends, especially long weekends are long.
  
• 5 hrs by train
  
• 4 hrs by bus
  

 

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Seattle+Amtrak+King+St+Station,+Seattle,+WA,+United+States/Cruise+Ship+Terminal,+Canada+Place,+Vancouver,+BC/@48.4377609,-123.7780921,8z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x54906abb53fb79bb:0x7e2d05dc2d508926!2m2!1d-122.3302461!2d47.5984815!1m5!1m1!1s0x54867182d1b1ee03:0x586bef2fc335e218!2m2!1d-123.1130521!2d49.2879402

[Cr2zCr8zy]

Thanks for the info all! Seriously looking at an Alaska cruise.

 

Sent from my SM-G900T using Forums mobile app

[kcbbq]

I know flying from the east coast to Vancouver is extremely expensive. Much more then the cruise itself.

Plus you need passports

 

 

when i do alaska it will be in an aft balcony-- one across the back of the ship

so I can see both sides.

 

You can fly round-trip Seattle and depart Vancouver by taking the Quick

Shuttle (about 4 hours, appx. $60/pp) or Amtrak (about the same amount of time, may be cheaper) and you will most likely still save money over taking an open jaw flight. Going to Glacier Bay is absolutely worth it. If you won't consider another cruise line, then the Vancouver-Seattle itinerary is the the one I recommend.

[mikayla73]

We did Alaska on the Spirit a few years ago. We had an oceanview room. We found we spent most of our outside time on deck 3. We enjoyed being closer to the water and having space to spread out and walk around. So while a balcony would be nice, I don't think I'd spend all my time out there anyway because I liked walking around or walking toward the aft on deck 3 while following something sitting on a piece of ice floating by. I couldn't do that from my balcony. Also there weren't many people who came down to deck 3 on our cruise so we practically had the whole thing to ourselves.

 

It also made it nice when it was chilly to be able to move out of the shade and into the sun while we were out there.

 

We did go up to the upper decks sometimes, the view is beautiful from up there too, but I enjoyed our time on deck 3.

[imluvncruzn]

You don't have to leave out of Vancouver to do the Glacier Bay cruise. Carnival has a few sailings that offer Glacier Bay. Our upcoming August 15th cruise is RT from Seattle and includes Glacier Bay.

[xlxo]

You can fly round-trip Seattle and depart Vancouver by taking the Quick

Shuttle (about 4 hours, appx. $60/pp) or Amtrak (about the same amount of time, may be cheaper) and you will most likely still save money over taking an open jaw flight. Going to Glacier Bay is absolutely worth it. If you won't consider another cruise line, then the Vancouver-Seattle itinerary is the the one I recommend.

 

Quick Shuttle is

• $59 from the SeaTac
  
• $43 from downtown Seattle
  

http://www.quickcoach.com/fares.htm

 

Additional thoughts...

• Amtrak is $42... you are saving $1 compared to Quick Shuttle. The $16 extra that Quick Shuttle includes transfers from the SeaTac and to downtown Vancouver. Something the buses and other buses exclude.
  
• Quick Shuttle offers 6 to 7 daily one way trips, there are two one-way trains.
  
• Bolt bus offers additional savings and bus frequency between Seattle and Vancouver.

Edited January 7, 2017 by xlxo