PLEASE help decide between 2 itineraries!

[Meggie1129]

I could desperately use some help here. Due to my son's football schedule we are limited to only two potential weeks to do a land/sea tour for next summer. I want to get this booked soon as many of the balcony rooms are starting to book up. My husband and I are in our early 40's and our kids will be 16 and almost 13. We are torn between the northbound Sapphire Princess leaving from Vancouver Memorial Day weekend, or the Radiance of the Seas leaving from Vancouver right before 4th of July. There are a few major differences that I am torn by:

* Sapphire goes to Glacier Bay whereas Radiance goes only to Hubbard Glacier

* Sapphire has an extra cruising day whereas Radiance stops at Icy Strait Point

* Sapphire goes to Ketchikan whereas Radiance goes to Sitka

* Sapphire finishes at Anchorage whereas Radiance finishes at Seward (So, my question with this is, is it worth spending time in Seward to hit Kenai Fjords NP)

* Sapphire has longer port days at Juneau and Skagway, whereas Radiance has shorter days in Sitka and Skagway and only late afternoon/evening in Juneau

 

The Sapphire Princess seems to be a better ship with more offerings, but that extra day at sea viewing College Fjord seems like it could be kind of boring. I also have done a ton of research and am having trouble figuring out which ship is more "kid-friendly". Excursion wise, we want to hit Mendanahll glacier, go dog-sledding, hiking, maybe kayaking, etc. 

 

Any advice you can offer would be great. I don't know much about Icy Strait and if it is a worthwhile stop, or if Ketchikan is preferable to Sitka? Also, not sure if we are going to do a land portion after if we should prioritize perhaps spending time in Seward to do a boat tour in Kenai Fjiords. Any input you have is much appreciated! 

[1025cruise]

Sapphire Princess hands down.

[CruiserBruce]

Have never heard anyone sail a day at sea looking at glaciers was boring. But to each, their own.

 

You sure Sapphire actually finishes at Anchorage,  as opposed to Whittier? That would be unusual. 

 

We haven't been on either ship, but on 4 Alaska cruises. We would take Sapphire. 

[Meggie1129]

41 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

Sapphire Princess hands down.

Why would you choose that itinerary?

[Meggie1129]

25 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Have never heard anyone sail a day at sea looking at glaciers was boring. But to each, their own.

 

You sure Sapphire actually finishes at Anchorage,  as opposed to Whittier? That would be unusual. 

 

We haven't been on either ship, but on 4 Alaska cruises. We would take Sapphire. 

Well it’a more for the teens, being in the ship for a day or or exploring, does that make sense?

[1025cruise]

2 hours ago, Meggie1129 said:

Why would you choose that itinerary?

Glacier Bay. One doesn't book Alaska for the ship, but for the itinerary and the viewing.

[martincath]

I would say that as first-timers, Princess definitely brings some advantages - they have a more extensive and older presence here, so historically preferential deals with local providers, and their onboard exprience is genuinely different in AK than elsewhere, with sled dog puppies brought onto the ship perhaps enticing for the kids, talks from Iditarod champions quite fascinating, and not sure if it still happens now but you could even sign up for a free axe throwing contest onboard back in the day!

 

Glacier Bay is also a really big draw, especially for your first trip - the only guaranteed glacier viewing basically, and I'm with Bruce that a second glacier day is also a very good thing! I also prefer May for cruising, so another point toward Princess...

 

ISP is... tiny. Walking into Hoonah proper certainly gets away from 'typical cruise port shops and stuff' but there really isn't much too it. Unless you have a full day of activities in Juneau, so you can slide whale-watching to ISP, or you desperately want to ride the big zipline for buckets of cash, it's the most skippable port in AK if you ask me.

 

Actually this isn't at all tricky from where I'm standing - Sapphire late May for the win, by a landslide!

 

Note also that many of your activities are doable pre-cruise in Vancouver, in a weaker currency, with much more competition... whale-watching for example with 4 people you could save a couple of hundred bucks easily, for a longer trip with a much better chance of seeing Orcas (and the last few years, we have sooooo many humpies that hang around here instead of swimming all the way up to Alaska that the successful trip stats from May to September are running virtually 100% for every company - and you do get free rides for life until you see a whale!)

[new_cruiser]

I like Sitka more than Ketchikan, but in all other respects, the Princess itinerary seems better. 

 

You want to see a Mendenhall Glacier, like hiking and also are interested in dog sledding. All are available in Juneau and a full day would be better there. 

 

There are kayak excursions in Ketchikan.

 

I was just on Radiance of the Seas and there aren't a lot of teen activities there. The Alaska enrichment was just a couple of lectures. Food was so-so; I wouldn't hurry to do Royal Caribbean again (though service was great - I blame cost cutting measures, not the ship staff).

 

I do like the boat tour of Kenai Fjords and we had some excellent wildlife spotting from it this spring (including very active groups of humpbacks and orcas). But I don't think that outweighs the advantages of the Princess itinerary. Also, be aware that part of the Kenai Fjords boat trip can be very rough depending on sea conditions.

Edited June 24, 2023 by new_cruiser

[Meggie1129]

3 hours ago, new_cruiser said:

I like Sitka more than Ketchikan, but in all other respects, the Princess itinerary seems better. 

 

You want to see a Mendenhall Glacier, like hiking and also are interested in dog sledding. All are available in Juneau and a full day would be better there. 

 

There are kayak excursions in Ketchikan.

 

I was just on Radiance of the Seas and there aren't a lot of teen activities there. The Alaska enrichment was just a couple of lectures. Food was so-so; I wouldn't hurry to do Royal Caribbean again (though service was great - I blame cost cutting measures, not the ship staff).

 

I do like the boat tour of Kenai Fjords and we had some excellent wildlife spotting from it this spring (including very active groups of humpbacks and orcas). But I don't think that outweighs the advantages of the Princess itinerary. Also, be aware that part of the Kenai Fjords boat trip can be very rough depending on sea conditions.

Thanks for the tip about the rough seas on Kenai Fjords! I have been on a cruise before and did ok, but smaller boats and I are not really friends!

[new_cruiser]

17 hours ago, Meggie1129 said:

Thanks for the tip about the rough seas on Kenai Fjords! I have been on a cruise before and did ok, but smaller boats and I are not really friends!

Whale watching from Juneau or Icy Straight Point stays in the Inside Passage so easier for those less comfortable on smaller craft. Also, it is 2 hours or so instead of the 6 hours to get from Seward to Kenai Fjords and back. Much of that 6 hours is in Resurrection Bay and in the fjord, but in between the boat is out in the Gulf of Alaska which is where it can get rough. I've done the Kenai Fjords trip twice. Once the Gulf was fairly calm and once it was a pretty rough ride.