Does anyone recommend 10 nighter out of san fran to alaska????

[portcbob]

Thanks thrak.

That is definitely in our plans to visit Alcatraz.

Just 2 questions if I may.

Can anyone recommend a good hotel mid priced in a great location in San Francisco please.

Does anyone know when the 2020 Alaskan cruises are loaded on by princess??.

Thanks so much.

[Cruiser411]

I read that the grand may be relocated to LA in April of 2020. Does anyone have knowledge of which ship may replace her on the Alaskan run out of San Fran please.

Thankyou.

 

Well, by process of elimination, it seems that they have been keeping the super-Grand-class vessels in Seattle (Ruby and Emerald), the Island/Coral always seem to do the North/South voyages, Royal will be doing those voyages too most likely in 2020. So that leaves, Star or Golden sailing out of San Francisco if Grand is going to LA. Swan songs for those ships before they leave the fleet.

 

Yes' date=' Alaska is great in September! The salmon are running in the rivers, so there are good chances of seeing bears. Another good thing, already mentioned, is that there are far fewer teens onboard in September. Poorly behaved and foul mouthed teens almost ruined one of our July cruises to Alaska.

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Dunno, we sailed a couple of years ago in late August and the salmon run was over. Lots of dead fish in the rivers.

[oskidunker]

Have sailed out of SF many times. Water is usually rough the first day going out and coming in. Take some patches, especially if new cruisers. My sons girlfriend was bothered by the rough water.

[muggo11]

Thanks thrak.

 

That is definitely in our plans to visit Alcatraz.

 

Just 2 questions if I may.

 

Can anyone recommend a good hotel mid priced in a great location in San Francisco please.

 

Does anyone know when the 2020 Alaskan cruises are loaded on by princess??.

 

Thanks so much.

 

 

 

Moderate is a relative term, my friend. SF hotels are expensive, rarely anything decent under $200.

Holiday Inn Fisherman’s wharf is great location. Also check the cruise critic port threads.

 

 

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[Cruise Raider]

We just completed our 12th sailing up to Alaska last month on the Grand, the majority of those being out of San Francisco and mostly in September.

Of our Sept sailings, the best weather we've experienced was when we went in early Sept (Labor Day Weekend to start). Our weather on our last sailing was fantastic (think shorts and t-shirts for a couple of the days) and only had a little morning drizzle in Ketchikan ... all the other ports were very pleasant if not outright warm. I would say hot but that is a relative term near San Francisco.... so I will say in the 70's. We used our sunscreen more than we used our jackets.

 

The seas were a little rough a couple of the days onboard but some days were so smooth, you would hardly know it was moving. Just north of SF and then up the coast, there is well known rough patch which they call the 'Potato Patch'.

We saw a ton of wildlife just from our balcony (humpbacks, orcas, dolpins, sea otters, seals, bald eagles). This is one itinerary I would suggest splurging for a balcony. I would also recommend making sure your itinerary included Glacier Bay. This last time was the one and only time we sailed into Glacier Bay on our many cruises up there .... it did not disappoint one bit....it was quite spectacular!

 

Another nice feature of sailing in Sept is it is during the school year so is usually cheaper and not so many children onboard. Also, you are more likely to get good weather in San Francisco in Sept than even during June-August....but no guarantees.

 

The Grand is an older ship and is showing her age but does have some nice features, such as Alfredos and window suites. I understand that she was scheduled to leave her homeport of SF to go to LA, but they've recently switched that up again and she is scheduled for SF to Vancouver once again in May 2020. Still don't know if she will be coming back to SF as that is a one way sailing. On the ship, the captain had mentioned he wasn't aware of where the Grand is going to be stationed or if any ship would be home porting in SF after that. :(

 

I would also recommend at least 3 or 4 days in SF to take in the sights. It is not an inexpensive vacation spot, though. Just don't make the mistake of trying to stay outside the City (like in Oakland or by the airport). There is a reason those hotels can be a lot cheaper ... they are nowhere near the heart of downtown or the waterfront.

 

If I only had one day to spend in the City, I would choose a tour over at Alcatraz. It's a very unique experience. As some will suggest, get your tickets online ahead of time. You could follow this by walking around down by Fisherman's Wharf, Hyde Street Pier, Pier 39 or Ghirardelli Square, etc .... and take a cable car up to Union Square. I also highly recommend Muir Woods and if you are up to it, a hike over to Stinson Beach from there. Or maybe even a day trip to Napa Valley or Monterey / Carmel. There are a lot of great things to do both inside and outside of SF.

 

It can and does get pretty chilly at night or when you are on the water just past the Golden Gate so you may want to plan your wardrobe accordingly. And mostly .. have a great cruise!!

[portcbob]

Thanks guys for all great info. It is invaluable regarding my research.

 

CHEERS Bob.:D

[riclop]

Go for it.

[Coral]

While I love Alaska - the SFO sailings are popular amongst those in CA who don't want to fly to Vancouver or Anchorage. I personally prefer to spend more time in Alaska than in getting there from CA to Alaska. Since I still work, those 3 extra sea days don't do anything for me - I would rather spend 3 extra days in Alaska.

 

If you are making the long flight - might as well do some land touring in Alaska.

[lbfluffy]

We went to Alaska on the Grand a couple years ago. It was amazing. The staff was the best. We went at the end of June. The weather was perfect. Oh and i tried the fish and I loved it. I don’t care for fish, but what I had did not taste fishy. I had the salmon.

[dfields1814]

We sailed SF to Alaska three times, Our first time was on the very last cruise of the year in late Sept. It was fine. The weather was OK that is until the very last Alaska port. Then the captain said we were skipping Tracy Arm to outrun a storm. The storm was huge. He posted the image of it. The storm was almost as big as Alaska. One benefit of the last cruise is that the shops are closing and have sales. I hate to shop. But I got a good deal on jewelry for my wife's Christmas present. I also bought a jacket for $20 that would over a $100 normally.

 

As for SF figure the first day would be to recover from jet lag. That gives you two days. If you go to Alcatraz that will take most of a day (Buy the ferry tickets on line ASAP.) So you really don't have much time. I would add a couple of days if you can.

 

We stay at the Marriott Courtyard at Fisherman's Wharf. It is next door to a California institution: In and Out Burgers. You are also close to the restaurants on the wharf. We like Scoma's. But there is better fine dining elsewhere. However, if you have tons of money and want to really splurge I would stay at the St Francis on Union Square.

 

Some of my SF favorites: Fishermans Wharf and surrounding area, Alcatraz, the harbor cruise, The SF Love Tour (Hippie Tour of Haigh Asbury) Union Square, Chinatown, fine dining at least one night, Ride a cable car (Touristy but you gotta to do it.) Beach Blanket Babylon, Midnight Bookstore and North Beach, if time cross the Golden Gate into Marin County, Golden Gate Park, check out the fancy classic hotels like the St Francis, Mark Hopkins and Fairmont . There are a lot of other places as well. It might be wise if you are short on time to take a professional full day tour.

Edited October 6, 2018 by dfields1814

[villauk]

Sailed on The Grand this August to Alaska - had a ball. We’d previously been on a southbound cruise from Seward to Vancouver, so decided sailing from San Francisco would give us an opportunity to spend a few days there before the cruise, We enjoyed our couple of sea days prior to the port stops as it gave us a few rest days out of a very busy schedule (we’d also completed a stopover in Las Vegas for 3 days before joining the cruise ;)).

 

Btw, the wildlife was super on our sailing: orca, humpbacks, salmon, bears, eagles - we saw them all :).

[Sea Hag]

I do recommend it! It hits the sweet spots for me: Alaska, no flying to port, and 10 days. 10 days is about the right length for us. Hubby gets restless if it's longer, and 7 days just seems too short. If you decide on this one, make sure and book a sailing that goes to Glacier Bay instead of Tracy Arm.

[skennedy25]

Seeing Alaska is special. I have always said that if a person could only do one cruise in their life, it should be an Alaskan cruise.

One thing I can state with certainty is that once you see any part of Alaska, you will want to experience more of it. For that reason I recommend booking the Princess Cruises 15 day Connoisseur Escorted cruise tour starting in Fairbanks, Alaska with the 8 day land tour followed by the 7 day cruise portion.

 

 

I couldn't agree more. Also, a balcony is a MUST!!!!!!

[Cruiserkenn]

Well, by process of elimination, it seems that they have been keeping the super-Grand-class vessels in Seattle (Ruby and Emerald), the Island/Coral always seem to do the North/South voyages, Royal will be doing those voyages too most likely in 2020. So that leaves, Star or Golden sailing out of San Francisco if Grand is going to LA. Swan songs for those ships before they leave the fleet.

 

 

 

Dunno, we sailed a couple of years ago in late August and the salmon run was over. Lots of dead fish in the rivers.

On September 20th, on the shore excursion hike in Haines, from Skagway, we saw a big brown bear and her cubs feeding on salmon in the river. The hike's naturalist said that 84,000 salmon had been counted on the weir, this season.

 

We saw literally thousands of salmon in the river, just outside of Ketchikan. It is easy to find the spot... Just following the sidewalk, along the river, a short distance out of town. Fantastic!

[Cruiser411]

On September 20th' date=' on the shore excursion hike in Haines, from Skagway, we saw a big brown bear and her cubs feeding on salmon in the river. The hike's naturalist said that 84,000 salmon had been counted on the weir, this season.

 

We saw literally thousands of salmon in the river, just outside of Ketchikan. It is easy to find the spot... Just following the sidewalk, along the river, a short distance out of town. Fantastic![/quote']

 

Well, it must have been an early run that year. We were at the spot you mention, right above the salmon ladder. Dead, rotting fish everywhere...:confused:

[PJ_Travels]

I live near San Francisco and it is my dream to one day sail in and/or out of there. September and October are (by FAR in a way!) the best months in San Francisco, but I don't know about the Alaska part of it.

[Whirlybird]

I highly recommend this cruise. San Francisco is a fabulous walkable city, you’ll love it. We took this cruise about 3 years ago on the Grand. It’s an older vessel but in good condition and had one of the best crew I’ve encountered on a Princess cruise.

 

 

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