Longer round trip cruise or land and sea combo?

[tinyvioletabroad]

This will be a bucket list trip for my husband and I. We have cruised twice in the Caribbean but first time for Alaska. We are trying to decide between a 14 day round trip on Princess from Vancouver or a 12-14 day land and sea vacation from Vancouver with Princess. Either trip would start the end of May 2024. Which do you recommend and why? Are any of the destinations non-negotiable (don’t miss) or anticlimactic (not worth the hype)? 

We are not typically early risers. Also, we are light sleepers so most recently cruised with an inside cabin (which was cooler, darker and quieter).  For our honeymoon, we had a balcony mini suite on Princess and didn’t use balcony. We didn’t spend time out on our balcony and found the room to be hotter due to the sliding glass doors. I doubt that would be an issue for a late May/early June Alaska cruise.  I was leaning toward either an obstructed view or even inside cabin to save money and maybe reduce the ambient light but everyone keeps insisting that Alaska cruises are all about being on your balcony and to definitely get a balcony. What are your thoughts and recommendations? How important is a balcony? 
 

Any other tips for a first Alaska cruise are greatly appreciated! 
 

Thanks! 🙂 

[NWA395]

Since no one has replied I will give you our experience.  We did an 11 night RT Alaska cruise out of Vancouver with Princess, late April to Early May 2023 and stayed in a mini suite with balcony.  

 

We flew in to YVR two days early and enjoyed the site(s) and food of Vancouver.  We took an Uber for the airport to our hotel, the Blue Horizon.  Very clean and while not waterfront, we stayed 2 nights for less than one night at other hotels.  Depending on your mobility levels, very walkable.  Embarkation day was an Uber to Canada Place and went smoothly.  

 

As Alaska is about scenery we absolutely enjoyed having the mini suite.  The curtains were more than ample for keeping the light out and after spending the majority of each day in port(s) on the go followed by excellent meals and adult beverages, sleep came without issue.

 

For us, the balcony was absolutely worth the cost, especially for 11 nights.  During the days we did Hubbard and Glacier bay, after spending hours on deck, we could enjoy the views from the balcony while relaxing in comfort of the room.  On the Hubbard glacier day it rained a lot and the ability to move from the balcony, take pictures and retreat to the room and dry equipment was very convenient.  When in port, it was nice to have the scenery of the port area while relaxing in the room.

 

As far as ports/sea days, we had the following in no particular order and I will list the excursion and our opinion.

3 days at sea: Enjoyed getting to know the ship and activities.  Saw whales from the balcony

Hubbard Glacier: Glacier viewing from the upper decks and room balcony (rained most of the day)

Glacier Bay: Glacier viewing and got sunburn.  Spent the majority of the time on the upper deck but enjoyed the balcony late afternoon and evening.

Icy Straight Point:  No excursion, walked and explored on our own.  Saw many whales, seals eagles and otters within 100 yards for the ship while enjoying the balcony.

Skagway:  White Pass/Yukon railroad.  Explored afterwards.  Enjoyed this a bunch

Juneau: Whale watching with Harv and Marv.  15 pax boat but only six of us on board.  Countless whales, sea lions, seals and otter.  Absolutely would book with them again.  I would also consider renting a car for exploring on own.

Ketchikan: Lumberjack show and explore the town on our own.

Sitka:  Explored on own, Fortress of the Bear, totem park and general walking.

 

We are currently planning our August 2024 trip which will include a 7 day northbound cruise (booked) followed by 11 to 14 day land tour (DIY) on our own and a potential 7 day southbound cruise.  For the northbound portion we booked an interior room ONLY for the cost savings which will equate to 4 to 5 days on land.  We will likely book a balcony southbound or whatever is available.

Rental car is already reserved for the DIY land portion.

 

YMMV on if the cost of a balcony or mini suite is worth the it.  To us, it was on our last cruise.  On our upcoming trip, for the shorter duration, we are applying the saving to the land portion.

 

 

[AKStafford]

On 9/9/2023 at 5:27 PM, tinyvioletabroad said:

We are not typically early risers.

Then you might want to steer clear of the cruise line's land tour packages. They often require some very early mornings. My preference is to rent a car for the land portion and put together your own great trip.

For the land portion, you can get some great advice over at the TripAdvisor forum for Alaska travel. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html

[cruiser2015]

On 9/9/2023 at 9:27 PM, tinyvioletabroad said:

This will be a bucket list trip for my husband and I. We have cruised twice in the Caribbean but first time for Alaska. We are trying to decide between a 14 day round trip on Princess from Vancouver or a 12-14 day land and sea vacation from Vancouver with Princess. Either trip would start the end of May 2024. Which do you recommend and why? Are any of the destinations non-negotiable (don’t miss) or anticlimactic (not worth the hype)? 

We are not typically early risers. Also, we are light sleepers so most recently cruised with an inside cabin (which was cooler, darker and quieter).  For our honeymoon, we had a balcony mini suite on Princess and didn’t use balcony. We didn’t spend time out on our balcony and found the room to be hotter due to the sliding glass doors. I doubt that would be an issue for a late May/early June Alaska cruise.  I was leaning toward either an obstructed view or even inside cabin to save money and maybe reduce the ambient light but everyone keeps insisting that Alaska cruises are all about being on your balcony and to definitely get a balcony. What are your thoughts and recommendations? How important is a balcony? 
 

Any other tips for a first Alaska cruise are greatly appreciated! 
 

Thanks! 🙂 

I just wandered onto this board because one of my (adult) kids mentioned she is thinking about doing Alaska next year. Thought I'd see what sort of posts were here and spotted yours due to the recent reply. So, I decided to give you my take.

 

About 10 years ago, we did a one-way, northbound 7 day on Royal Carib., plus a 4 day land tour with 2 nights at Denali, 2 nights in Fairbanks. As for doing the BTB cruises, generally you're looking at the exact same itinerary, but in reverse. Do you want to repeat all of the ports? Many cruisers do do this. You will get another shot at the glaciers. That could be a plus if one of the voyages has bad weather those days. As for shore ports, peruse the tour options and see if there are multiple activities that appeal to you in some of them. If you find positives in that analysis, then a R/T could be for you.

 

Princess has a great reputation in Alaska. We sailed them once, in Europe. It is true that on our land tour, there was a lot of cross country travel. We did do one leg by train, from Denali to Fairbanks. It is reportedly not the most scenic rail section that's out there (trains run from farther south). I happen to like trains, generally. Speaking of, I think the White Pass ride is great. Overall, we enjoyed what we saw on the land tour. Certainly not perfect. I don't recall any exceptionally early activities, but ours is a limited example.

 

So, do some more research, think about what type of trip appeals to you. If you're up to planning your own ground tour, fine. I've down many ground trips in the lower 48. Most likely you'll save a bundle (the cruise line tours are pricy). Otherwise, go for the guided tour if you choose to do a land portion.

 

Good luck and safe travels!

[LeeW]

Agree with posters that trains require early rise.  For example, our northbound interior train tour left the ship at 6 AM.  You also spend a lot of time waiting around for the train to show up in Talkeetna and Denali.  But Princess, at least, is very well organized for this.

 

May is VERY early for an interior trip.  Roads into Denali are not open yet (and the main road will still be closed for another couple of years due to landslide).  I would do a back-to-back from Vancouver at that time of year.  There will be lots of ice in the fjords and you may not get all the way to the end. 

 

Any time of year weather can be an issue.  On our last northbound Hubbard Glacier stop in September (Radiance of the Seas) we never got close the the glacier - solid fog and rain.  A few days later we did get to see the glacier southbound, although still lots of rain.  On a different September B2B our stops in Glacier Bay (Island Princess) were three days apart.  Massive changes in Margerie Glacier in just 3 days.

 

Another advantage of B2B on Princess is the Phillips 26 glacier cruise you can do on turnaround day in Whittier.  Lots of wildlife, good food and closeup viewing of glaciers on a small boat.  Gets back around dinner time on the ship.  Book direct with them.

[edinburgher]

On 9/10/2023 at 2:27 AM, tinyvioletabroad said:

but everyone keeps insisting that Alaska cruises are all about being on your balcony and to definitely get a balcony. What are your thoughts and recommendations? How important is a balcony? 

FWIW, this is a copy of my reply to a similar question asked earlier this month. Helpful or not, your decision.

 

 

There are many who swear that a balcony is the only way to go, but it really depends on the price points and a couple of other factors such as weather, including colder and perhaps some rain too, also the scenery and if someone is a keen photographer who would prefer a more open view.

 

But on our Alaska itineraries, we actually spent much more time on the open decks  and covered or semi covered Promenade Decks, with the occasional seat in poorer weather in a forward Observation Lounge for better views than we could get from our room. 

 

Alaska is all about the scenery and the wildlife,and a balcony restricts you to one side only. And on sunny days you might find yourself on the shaded side. On open decks you can move easily from one side to the other and can often have a forward view in addition (and the stern can also be good).  We find the ability to move from one side to the other much more convenient, and quite often other passengers will spot whales or otters or something else of interest and give a shout out which you would be unaware of sitting on your balcony. And very occasionally, a Captain will announce a "sighting" which is broadcast on open decks but not always inside the ship so as not to disrupt pax during a meal service or  having a rest.

I am sure others will disagree, but open decks worked well for us so the actual room is not that important to us for viewing purposes.

 

Ours were with HAL and we were very happy with the ships.

Edited November 4, 2023 by edinburgher

[GTJ]

5 hours ago, edinburgher said:

[W]e actually spent much more time on the open decks  and covered or semi covered Promenade Decks, with the occasional seat in poorer weather in a forward Observation Lounge for better views than we could get from our room.

I think that you hit upon most all of the relevant points for a critical review of the balcony debate for Alaska itineraries. There seems to be among many people the thought that their only access to the surrounding landscape is from the privacy and seclusion of their individual stateroom. Yet there is so much public space throughout the vessel that puts to shame the tiny balcony from which some observe. That is, such a constrained perception is purposefully wearing horse blinders, with a narrow field of vision and inability to see the broader landscape or seascape.

 

When I traveled to Alaska I was on deck, not in a stateroom that I viewed largely as a place reserved for sleeping. I went back-and-forth, between port and starboard, as the changing scenery demands. It was quite similar to traveling the Panama Canal--especially when going through the locks and watching the ground activity on both sides--as well as when traveling by railroad either in an observation car or standing in the vestibule switching from one set of dutch doors to the other.

 

I suppose if one is frail or disabled, unable to stand on deck or move from one side of the vessel to the other, that sitting on a stateroom's balcony is best. But otherwise, the public spaces are better than any individual balcony. Those with inside staterooms who are out on deck get so much value than those with balcony staterooms and confined therein.

[GTJ]

17 hours ago, LeeW said:

Agree with posters that trains require early rise. For example, our northbound interior train tour left the ship at 6 AM. You also spend a lot of time waiting around for the train to show up in Talkeetna and Denali. But Princess, at least, is very well organized for this.

It is true that sometimes there are some early morning departures. However, such is not universally the case, and it really depends on the railroad schedule for each route. Unlike planning a bus schedule, which is fairly free of constraints (other than taking into account the timetable of the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel), planning a railroad schedule is greatly constrained by track capacity and location of sidings used for passing on single track segments. Additionally, unlike buses that typically can wait for passengers to board, etc., without interfering with other highway traffic, trains cannot remain stationary on a main line, waiting for passengers. Even the station in downtown Anchorage has limited track capacity for boarding and alighting passengers, so individual trains have to be carefully scheduled and dispatched timely so as not to have a cascading effect on all the other trains. Thus, Holland America-Princess has to ensure that they are very organized in moving their clients onto, and off from, trains. And from their perspective, better for them to have passengers waiting around for the train to show up, than for the train to wait around for the passengers to show up. Holland America-Princess is a well-oiled machine that has demonstrated its ability to handle the operational constraints imposed by railroad operations. But it can impose some concomitant inconveniences on passengers . . . including, at times, early morning departures.

[edinburgher]

20 hours ago, GTJ said:

When I traveled to Alaska I was on deck, not in a stateroom that I viewed largely as a place reserved for sleeping. I went back-and-forth, between port and starboard, as the changing scenery demands. It was quite similar to traveling the Panama Canal--especially when going through the locks and watching the ground activity on both sides

Totally agree.  IMHO  It is the same in other scenic areas such as the Norwegian fjords where the ability to move from side to side with the bonus of bow views is far better than the restricted view from a balcony.

[Cruisin Kay D]

For our 2nd trip to Alaska (actually 2nd & 3rd cruises to AK), I booked us on Holland America northbound, then we spent several days in and around Anchorage & Kenai Peninsula, and sailed on Princess southbound......different itinerary, different entertainment, different menus!!!

[Paula_MacFan]

12 hours ago, Cruisin Kay D said:

For our 2nd trip to Alaska (actually 2nd & 3rd cruises to AK), I booked us on Holland America northbound, then we spent several days in and around Anchorage & Kenai Peninsula, and sailed on Princess southbound......different itinerary, different entertainment, different menus!!!

That's a great idea -- love it!

[KruisinKath]

On 11/4/2023 at 12:41 PM, GTJ said:

I think that you hit upon most all of the relevant points for a critical review of the balcony debate for Alaska itineraries. There seems to be among many people the thought that their only access to the surrounding landscape is from the privacy and seclusion of their individual stateroom. Yet there is so much public space throughout the vessel that puts to shame the tiny balcony from which some observe. That is, such a constrained perception is purposefully wearing horse blinders, with a narrow field of vision and inability to see the broader landscape or seascape.

 

When I traveled to Alaska I was on deck, not in a stateroom that I viewed largely as a place reserved for sleeping. I went back-and-forth, between port and starboard, as the changing scenery demands. It was quite similar to traveling the Panama Canal--especially when going through the locks and watching the ground activity on both sides--as well as when traveling by railroad either in an observation car or standing in the vestibule switching from one set of dutch doors to the other.

 

I suppose if one is frail or disabled, unable to stand on deck or move from one side of the vessel to the other, that sitting on a stateroom's balcony is best. But otherwise, the public spaces are better than any individual balcony. Those with inside staterooms who are out on deck get so much value than those with balcony staterooms and confined therein.

What you fail to recognize is that one can do both.  We enjoyed both the public spaces AND our aft balcony on our first cruise to Alaska.  Different people have different preferences; doesn’t make those choices any less intelligent than others.