RCCL Alaskan Itinerary Change

[CruizinCupcake]

We have just been notified that our 7 night Hubbard Glacier itinerary on the Serenade of the Seas will not be doing the Misty Fjords, they as extending our stay in Ketchikan by 2 hours instead. As we have never been on an alaskan cruise, it this something that we should be upset about?

[Sea-hawk]

Very close friends of mine will be having a family reunion on the July 16 cruise, and I was thinking of joining them. Did RCCL say that the change was just for your departure, or for all?

 

Thanks, Sea-hawk

[CruizinCupcake]

They state that the reason for the change is due to "berthing conflicts". The dates effected are 5-28, 6-18, 7-2, 7-16, 8-6, 8-13, 8-20, 8-27, 9-10 and 9-17. Do you think we should look at some other options? This cruise is a gift to my Mom and Aunt (twins) for their 70th birthday and I want them to have the best cruise we can afford

[tommoore1]

Misty Fjords was a pleasant surprize for us on our cruise back in September. That being said, I wouldn't change my entire cruise just to see it. I understand that sometimes that particular leg of the cruise is skipped due to bad weather anyway.

I hope you enjoy your Alaskan adventure.

--Tom

[BJane]

I wouldn't change it. I've seen Misty Fiords several times, and while I enjoyed it, I don't think I'd feel cheated if I missed it. We always have early dinner and that is the time they go through the fiords so I had to keep either keep running outside during dinner or eat in the Windjammer on a formal night in order to see it. Now, Hubbard Glacier is another story. It is absolutely spectacular.

[wrp96]

If Hubbard Glacier is still on the itinerary, I would not change my cruise because you aren't going to Misty Fjords.

[kenandlaura06]

This cruise is a gift to my Mom and Aunt (twins) for their 70th birthday and I want them to have the best cruise we can afford

 

I just wanted to say what a nice gift this is!

[mbisson]

They state that the reason for the change is due to "berthing conflicts".

 

I don't buy the explanation they gave you (if I understand it correctly). How can cruising through Misty be a berthing conflict? When they're in the Fjord, they're not berthed.

 

There must be something here I'm missing.

 

-Monte

[Kylie]

Our 6/4/06 Serenade cruise wasn't going to Misty Fjords at first, then said they were and now they aren't again. Guess I'll wait until closer to cruise date to check for sure but I'm not changing my cruise because of it. We have made plans to do a flightseeing excursion of Misty Fjords while we are in Ketchikan instead.

[phoenixlady]

I just got registered for the Alaskan cruise on the Serenade, July 16th. I'm looking forward to a great cruise. I took NCL's Spirit to Alaska last year and loved it. Can anyone tell me the cost of Royal Caribbean's post-cruise stay in Vancouver?

[yj2cute]

RCCL made a similar change to all of the sailings on the Vision this year. However, they cancelled the ONLY glacier, Tracy Arm. Now they're doing the same thing to the Serenade? Hard to believe there are "berthing conflicts" in both places. I cancelled my Vision cruise as a result and booked the Sun Princess instead.

[phoenixlady]

Can anyone tell me how to set the clock and countdown. I tried to do it the way I used to (over a year ago) and now I can't seem to do it. Any help will be appreciated.

[Tucker in Texas]

Like yj2cute, we bailed out of the Vision also when they dropped Tracy Arms. How can you take an Alaskan cruise and not see a glacier? Oh, I forgot-they were going to BUS us to Mendenhall Glacier. That's like selling a harbor tour to see the NY skyline and then saying they will bus you to the Empire State Building instead--look up. We are now going on Princess Dawn. The reason they gave us to drop Tracy Arms was "conflict in planned call times" Again, they aren't docking so what is the "call time conflict?" Someone on the board actually called the powers to be in Alaska that control the waterways and asked them if the reason it was dropped was a permit problem or what. The person said there was no official reason he knew about. Then he ventured an opinion that maybe they didn't want to spend the money on fuel to deadhead up and back Tracy Arm. BINGO. Guess they didn't want to burn fuel going to Misty Fjords either. I have been on three Royal Caribbean cruises, that one would have been my fourth. Only the first one stuck to the brochure itinerary. The second one changed our port in San Juan to a container port which required a $15 cab ride into town. The third (a two-week Panama Canal one) made numerous changes "due to port congestion." I think that is their all purpose excuse now when they can use it. They seem to make these changes when it is too late to change to another ship without taking a financial hit and that's assuming you can find availability that fits into your schedule. Once, shame on them, twice shame on me. I won't be shamed any more because I won't be booking RCI any more since there seems to be little correlation between what they print in the brochure and what they actually do. And, yes I know the passenger contract says all they owe me is three hots and a cot. I am the first to understand that it is necessary to change itineraries due to mechanical problems, weather, medical evacuations, etc. But these changes seem to be on a whim rather than a concrete reason.

 

Tucker in Texas

[Budget Queen]

As for the orginal poster, continue with your cruise choice. And have a good time. Every line has their negatives. And it is easy to get glacier access in Alaska via flights, which are the top tour choice in my opinion.

 

The Vision is a very poor ship for deck viewing, but the round trip Princess ships aren't any better on routing and do way too much open ocean for my preference. Hubbard will always have more access than Tracy Arm, which, most people going there don't even know there are two glaicers, the twin Sawyers since the big ships just don't get all the way in on a regular basis. NCL has the add on option for Tracy Arm which is the way to go in my opinion.

 

So, go with your plans and make some great touring choices, budget fully, you get only half a trip without them. And realize Alaska is not a one time trip. Enjoy what you get and go back for more. :)