Six-day Alaska cruise on the Noordam/Vancouver departure

[Nghthawke]

Anyone out there want to venture a guess why HAL has a short six-day roundtrip cruise sailing out of Vancouver on May 6, 2018? This cruise will have an overnight in Juneau. This is an odd cruise and I was wondering why it wasn't the usual seven days. The ship is also skipping Skagway.

 

The next Noordam cruise for the Noordam is a longer eight-day Alaska cruise but this one skips Tracy Arm altogether. I would love to do another Tracy Arm (or Endicott) cruise but not if I have to spend an overnight in Juneau AND miss Skagway. Juneau has never been a favourite port and I can't imagine being there overnight. What would you do overnight and two days in Juneau?

[VennDiagram]

I'd do a late-afternoon whale watch, stop in at the Alaskan Hotel, and then sit outdoors enjoying the uncluttered-by-other-ships views, until it was too dark to see anything. But that's just me ;)

 

http://www.thealaskanhotel.com/locate-us

[Kamloops50]

Probably to get into the correct time slots in Vancouver and Seward.

[VennDiagram]

Probably to get into the correct time slots in Vancouver and Seward.

 

It is R/T Vancouver.

[DAMshipscruiser]

Don't know why they're offering those particular cruises, probably capacity problems in ports they would usually do a 7 day RT itinerary with.

 

However, I wouldn't trust those departure dates. HAL ships on the Vancouver/Seward run are on Sunday departures each direction. The HAL website is showing Saturday departures, but the Seward cruise ship schedule is showing Sundays:

 

http://crew-center.com/seward-alaska-cruise-ship-schedule-2018

 

Vancouver ship schedule is too:

 

http://crew-center.com/seward-alaska-cruise-ship-schedule-2018

 

Everything seems to be off by a day on HAL's website, might be worth a call to verify your dates if you're looking at booking.

[Kamloops50]

HAL does 7 day RT cruises mid week.

 

 

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[tkwbear]

Anyone out there want to venture a guess why HAL has a short six-day roundtrip cruise sailing out of Vancouver on May 6, 2018? This cruise will have an overnight in Juneau. This is an odd cruise and I was wondering why it wasn't the usual seven days. The ship is also skipping Skagway.

 

The next Noordam cruise for the Noordam is a longer eight-day Alaska cruise but this one skips Tracy Arm altogether. I would love to do another Tracy Arm (or Endicott) cruise but not if I have to spend an overnight in Juneau AND miss Skagway. Juneau has never been a favourite port and I can't imagine being there overnight. What would you do overnight and two days in Juneau?

 

Whale watching in Juneau is always fun. I have also enjoyed the city tour (booked locally), hiking out to Mendenhall (via shuttle bus), going up the tram to the top of the mountain, doing the gold panning, and just walking around. Personally I don't like Skagway, though once was okay.

 

 

I see the 8 day cruise goes to Icy Strait Point which, like Skagway is okay the first time, but barely.

 

I was up that way a couple of times last summer, and enjoyed sitting outside near the ships in Juneau. Some weirdos came rolling in late. One of them was so drunk he stumbled and passed out in front of me. I asked him if he was okay but he didn't respond. I waved security over and they got him up. He made it to the next bench before crashing again.

Edited January 10, 2018 by tkwbear

[Sage]

I'm on this cruise. I don't mind a night in Juneau, as there are things to do at night. It could be that they are waiting on crew. I love the ship, and we are doing the whale watching and glacier in Juneau. Also the fare and perks were wonderful on this cruise.

[Straitlover]

Why they did them as 6 day and 8 day I can't say for sure. What I can say is this timeframe was supposed to be their dry dock that was cancelled, and these were replacements, so maybe that's the only way they could get the timeframes filled???

[Kamloops50]

Why they did them as 6 day and 8 day I can't say for sure. What I can say is this timeframe was supposed to be their dry dock that was cancelled, and these were replacements, so maybe that's the only way they could get the timeframes filled???

 

If a dry dock was cancelled. This probably are the only time slots that where available in the different ports on short notice.