Alaska cruise

[beloum]

Am looking at 2 different cruise itineraries on Miracle out of SF for next summer.  Hopefully all will be ok by then.   Both itineraries are almost identical except one stops at Sitka and the other at Icy Strait Point.    Anyone have opinions on which is better?   

[ULCajunCruiser]

5 minutes ago, beloum said:

Am looking at 2 different cruise itineraries on Miracle out of SF for next summer.  Hopefully all will be ok by then.   Both itineraries are almost identical except one stops at Sitka and the other at Icy Strait Point.    Anyone have opinions on which is better?   

I've never been to Sitka so can't give you a comparison.   But I've been to Icy Strait (Hoonah) twice.   Did whale watching both times, and saw whales, lots of them.   Plenty of other wildlife too.   Went on a bear seeing excursion also, and saw a momma bear with 3 cubs.   From our platform, we watched them for almost an hour as they walked with 30 yds of us!!!   If you're interested, I'd highly recommend Icy Strait Brewery!!!

[rkacruiser]

Sitka is an interesting port because of its Russian heritage.  Icy Point Strait is interesting because of its native Alaskan heritage.  This is a difficult call because both are very good ports.  

 

Twist my arm:  I'll choose Icy Point Strait.  When that port was on my itinerary, I was unimpressed.  (I'll stay on the ship, I thought, that day.)  When the time came, I got off, took an excellent tour through their rain forest and attended an interesting cultural presentation.  Toured a former salmon canning factory/combined with shops featuring local vendors.  There were small cafes/bars available that looked inviting if one is so interested.  Returning to the ship it began to rain and I had no umbrella, etc.  Was drenched to my underwear when I got back aboard, but it was a very good day!

[Ashland]

Personally I'd choose Sitka...ISP been there so many times...it now holds the least interest JMHO.

I'm sure whatever you choose will end up being the best for you...next time you can opt for the other port.

[Heidi13]

Between the 2 ports, I would opt for Sitka, as it really highlights Alaska's Russian heritage.

 

However, I would question leaving from SF with the extra sea days required to reach Alaska. No possibility of heading to Seattle or even Vancouver.

[beloum]

9 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Between the 2 ports, I would opt for Sitka, as it really highlights Alaska's Russian heritage.

 

However, I would question leaving from SF with the extra sea days required to reach Alaska. No possibility of heading to Seattle or even Vancouver.

Was a tossup.   Chose SF for departure, because we plan on adding a few days at the end for Yosemite and Napa.    Thanks for the response.   

[rkacruiser]

7 hours ago, beloum said:

Was a tossup.   Chose SF for departure, because we plan on adding a few days at the end for Yosemite and Napa.    Thanks for the response.   

 

If you enjoy some days at sea with no ports, that would also be a good reason--at least for me--to sail from San Francisco.