Cruise Planning - Just Getting Started!

[phabric]

On 2/23/2019 at 1:26 PM, cabland said:

 

 

Enjoy, regardless!

Alaskan Cruise - v7 - de-identified.docx

 

I have done the Seattle return on Princess.  I am going with others doing the same cruise.

 

For Ketchikan, I took the ship’s Wildness Exploration and Crab Feast and really enjoyed it.  I plan on doing this excursion again with them.

 

We are in Ketchikan from 6am-3pm

 

The ship’s excursion is from 7am-11am.  The George Lodge site has 3 times, 7am, 8:45, 10:30am. The price is roughly the same.

 

Did you do this excursion through the ship or on your own?

 

Did some of your group just do the dinner?

[cabland]

1 hour ago, phabric said:

 

I have done the Seattle return on Princess.  I am going with others doing the same cruise.

 

For Ketchikan, I took the ship’s Wildness Exploration and Crab Feast and really enjoyed it.  I plan on doing this excursion again with them.

 

We are in Ketchikan from 6am-3pm

 

The ship’s excursion is from 7am-11am.  The George Lodge site has 3 times, 7am, 8:45, 10:30am. The price is roughly the same.

 

Did you do this excursion through the ship or on your own?

 

Did some of your group just do the dinner?

 

We booked most of our excursions through the ship (Holland America) well ahead of time.  It was definitely more expensive across the board, but not horrible.  As to Ketchikan,  it was a mix for our group as follows:

 

1. 2 people did the Wilderness Exploration & Crab Feast - Booked through HAL

2. 4 people did just the crab feast - Booked directly with St. George's Inlet

3.  2 people did the Bering Sea Crab Tour - Booked through HAL

 

Comparing our experiences afterward, I would say the Bering Sea Crab Tour came out on top.  The stories the crew told weren't quite as riveting as I hoped, but getting to see all of the Eagles (dozens of them) swoop down and pick up fish was awesome, and as a bonus, we got to see a whale and they stopped the boat for us to observe that (probably my best whale sighting of the trip).

[phabric]

Thanks for the information.

[Sashamcg]

Thank you Cabland for your thoughts as well.  Gives me lots more to consider.  My husband is very limited on vacation time so I don't think we will be doing a land tour too.  So it's sounding more like round trip is the way to go for us.  Flying in and out of Vancouver looks appealing and we can probably afford to spend a day there after the cruise checking out the sites there as well.  It's seeming more and more like May will probably be when we go and now I am reading a lot saying that Tracy Arm is sometimes not accessible during May because of ice.

 

Attached are the two itineraries I am considering.  Not sure why the one does not included Tracy Arm but maybe because it's earlier in May?

Alaska Iteneraries A.docx

[cabland]

6 hours ago, Sashamcg said:

Thank you Cabland for your thoughts as well.  Gives me lots more to consider.  My husband is very limited on vacation time so I don't think we will be doing a land tour too.  So it's sounding more like round trip is the way to go for us.  Flying in and out of Vancouver looks appealing and we can probably afford to spend a day there after the cruise checking out the sites there as well.  It's seeming more and more like May will probably be when we go and now I am reading a lot saying that Tracy Arm is sometimes not accessible during May because of ice.

 

Attached are the two itineraries I am considering.  Not sure why the one does not included Tracy Arm but maybe because it's earlier in May?

Alaska Iteneraries A.docx

 

The early May " too much ice" theory does make sense (heck there were ice bergs there in July).  It is important to note that the "Tracy Arm" in the Volendam itinerary is the EXCURSION to Tracy Arm (where they let folks off the ship onto a smaller boat) - that is, IMO, much better than cruises where they try to take the entire cruise ship into Tracy Arm (and end up far away from Sawyer Glacier and are at risk for having to turnaround sooner due to ice).

 

Pay attention to the time in ports which you can see for these two boats by going to the Holland America web page by finding the cruise, choosing it, selecting the Itinerary and then "list view" in the upper left of the itinerary.

 

Volendam - Volendam

 

Of course, I do see the Koningsdam DOES offer this same itinerary just a few days later: Koningsdam

 

Between those two boats on the same itinerary, I would go with the Koningsdam hands-down.  It is just so much newer, and we didn't find the Nieuw Amsterdam (which splits the difference in size between the Voledndam and Koningsdam) to be too large at all (and it is still smaller than a lot of boats).

 

If you forced me to pick between the two itineraries...well that gets tougher.  The Tracy Arm excursion is nice and I would hate to miss it...tough call (how's that for a "non-call"?).

 

[phabric]

9 minutes ago, cabland said:

 

The early May " too much ice" theory does make sense (heck there were ice bergs there in July).  It is important to note that the "Tracy Arm" in the Volendam itinerary is the EXCURSION to Tracy Arm (where they let folks off the ship onto a smaller boat) - that is, IMO, much better than cruises where they try to take the entire cruise ship into Tracy Arm (and end up far away from Sawyer Glacier and are at risk for having to turnaround sooner due to ice).

 

Pay attention to the time in ports which you can see for these two boats by going to the Holland America web page by finding the cruise, choosing it, selecting the Itinerary and then "list view" in the upper left of the itinerary.

 

Volendam - Volendam

 

Of course, I do see the Koningsdam DOES offer this same itinerary just a few days later: Koningsdam

 

Between those two boats on the same itinerary, I would go with the Koningsdam hands-down.  It is just so much newer, and we didn't find the Nieuw Amsterdam (which splits the difference in size between the Voledndam and Koningsdam) to be too large at all (and it is still smaller than a lot of boats).

 

If you forced me to pick between the two itineraries...well that gets tougher.  The Tracy Arm excursion is nice and I would hate to miss it...tough call (how's that for a "non-call"?).

 

I have done Princess Alaska return from Vancouver 2x with Glacier Bay and return from Seattle 1x with Tracey Arms.  I enjoyed seeing Glacier Bay from a distance but I really enjoyed the small boat excursion offered for Tracey Arms to see the glaciers up close.

 

I am going again out of Seattle doing Tracey Arms in 2020 with others that have not done Alaska before.

[Sashamcg]

I can't be off work on the first of the month so I think that's why I didn't consider the Koningsdam one a few days later because it gets back on the 30th and if I didn't want an overnight flight we would have to fly home on the 31st and then back to work on the 1st (I am in finance and we have to close the books for my company on the 1st).  So not ideal but could make it work if that ship is that much better.  It's also a cruise the week of Memorial Day so I wonder if it will be more packed than going on the earlier one.  Just more to add to my list of considerations.  Thanks again!

[cabland]

7 hours ago, Sashamcg said:

I can't be off work on the first of the month so I think that's why I didn't consider the Koningsdam one a few days later because it gets back on the 30th and if I didn't want an overnight flight we would have to fly home on the 31st and then back to work on the 1st (I am in finance and we have to close the books for my company on the 1st).  So not ideal but could make it work if that ship is that much better.  It's also a cruise the week of Memorial Day so I wonder if it will be more packed than going on the earlier one.  Just more to add to my list of considerations.  Thanks again!

Understood about work.  I ran this question by my wife (i.e. Newer Koningsdam w/o Tracy Arm vs. Older Volendam with it) and she leaned more toward the Koningsdam.  She felt Tracy Arm might be a bit cold.  So take it for what it is worth. 🙂 

 

I think either one will be a great time!

Edited March 6, 2019 by cabland

[Sashamcg]

Thanks cabland!