Question about one-way to or from Vancouver

[bluedevil72]

We are comtemplating our next trip to Alaska and though it won't be this summer, I want to do a little planning for hopefully 2007. We cruised out of Vancouver in 2001 on Carnival and loved the first full day of sailing up the Inside Passage. We cruised out of Seattle this past summer and didn't exactly feel the same way about the first day of almost total at-sea sailing. So the next trip we take we will almost certainly sail out of Vancouver. If at all possible we are going to add a few days either pre or post cruise to the interior. My question is this; Will the scenery be about the same the first full day NB out of Vancouver as the last full day of sailing SB to Vancouver? I realize we will be in the dark the last few hours before we get to Vancouver, but when we sailed out of Vancouver in 2001, it was late evening when we left so it wasn't long before it got dark then either. One of the main reasons I want to do SB is so we can end up in Vancouver and not have to fly a red-eye home to DFW. Everything from Anchorage to DFW that I can find leaves late in the evening or at night and arrives the next morning. The other way around we can fly into Anchorage evening or night and out of Vancouver just about anytime.

[Yukon]

>>Will the scenery be about the same the first full day NB out of Vancouver as the last full day of sailing SB to Vancouver?<<

 

Of course - there's only one main channel to sail through.

[bluedevil72]

After re-reading my question and Yukon's response I realized I didn't word that very well. Let me try again. I know the scenery would be the same, but will it be pretty much all day viewing SB like it was NB.

[Paulmj]

The scenery in the passage east of Vancouver Island is OK, but nothing as impressive as you see further north. A few towns here and there, and the possibility of a fog bank along the way. The Vancouver R/T generally goes as far north as Hubbard Glacier and then winds it's way down through the three principal ports. If you go one way to or from Anchorage you see some additional scenery you didn't see before: Sitka, Icy Point Strait, Seward, etc.

 

We did the Vancouver R/T 2 years ago on RCI and this summer we're doing the one-way on Celebrity.

 

This aft-cabin panorama that I took should give you some representation of what the passage east of Vancouver looks like.

 

http://www.pbase.com/paulmj/image/32635662

[Budget Queen]

If you go one way to or from Anchorage you see some additional scenery you didn't see before: Sitka, Icy Point Strait, Seward, etc.

 

We did the Vancouver R/T 2 years ago on RCI and this summer we're doing the one-way on Celebrity.

 

This aft-cabin panorama that I took should give you some representation of what the passage east of Vancouver looks like.

 

http://www.pbase.com/paulmj/image/32635662

 

 

Key for scenery on a one way is to definately have College fjords included. It isn't on a lot of cruises. Without it, it is basically a sea day sailing across the Gulf of Alaska. Celebrity doesn't do College fjords, open ocean from after Hubbard. Be certain to spend the day and at least get your "scenery" bonus in Seward.

[Budget Queen]

After re-reading my question and Yukon's response I realized I didn't word that very well. Let me try again. I know the scenery would be the same, but will it be pretty much all day viewing SB like it was NB.

 

 

 

Actually better southbound, as most of the northbound is at night inside Vancouver Island. But all sailings have to potential for open ocean and more and more ships are spending less time inside sailing.