Rare GMIAC Posted July 21 #1 Share Posted July 21 I'm looking at the new 2026/7 itineraries, and am considering our first Alaska trip. I've heard the Big Three ports are Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. i don't like the idea of a 7-night, so I"m looking at the 14-night Vancouver round-trip (not B2B); it has 5 sea days (love sea days!) which are scenery-intensive as a bonus. Is there anything else I should be considering? Better side of the ship for balcony viewing? Favorite tours, either Regent tours or on our own? Maybe a Canadian Rockies train trip into Vancouver beforehand? Recommended trains? TIA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RELS Posted July 21 #2 Share Posted July 21 5 hours ago, GMIAC said: I'm looking at the new 2026/7 itineraries, and am considering our first Alaska trip. I've heard the Big Three ports are Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. i don't like the idea of a 7-night, so I"m looking at the 14-night Vancouver round-trip (not B2B); it has 5 sea days (love sea days!) which are scenery-intensive as a bonus. Is there anything else I should be considering? Better side of the ship for balcony viewing? Favorite tours, either Regent tours or on our own? Maybe a Canadian Rockies train trip into Vancouver beforehand? Recommended trains? TIA! We booked a 14-day cruise for May 2024. Regent turned it into two 7-day cruises, so we ended up B2B. This was a disappointment, since the atmosphere is different for two shorter cruises than for one longer one. We did get two reservations per specialty restaurant, though. And be aware that if you choose a trip during the summer, there will be kids, often lots of them, on board, especially if you end up on two 7-day cruises. As for excursions, our faves were the Saxman village excursion from Ketchikan and the White Pass railway in Skagway -- sit on the left side of the train. Take at least one whale watching excursion. We liked Icy Strait Point because they had so many excursions to pick from. We'd like to go back there! Klawock port was a bust because there were no real facilities. Maybe by 2026/27 there will be. With respect to the train, We've ridden the Empire Builder (runs between Chicago and Seattle/Portland) in the US a number of times, both ways, as well as The Canadian from Vancouver to Toronto. I highly recommend taking the train from West to East, no matter which you choose. That way you travel through all the best scenery during the day. And, honestly, we found the Amtrak Empire Builder roomettes to be significantly more comfortable than the Cabin for 2 on Via Rail (I suspect the Prestige car is nicer, but we weren't in it). Plus the Canadian trains don't own the tracks, so are frequently shunted to sidings for freight trains to go by, and are thus consistently late. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenzSailing Posted July 21 #3 Share Posted July 21 We haven't been on it but, as to trains, we are giving serious consideration to the Rocky Mountaineer. Might be worth a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labonnevie Posted July 21 #4 Share Posted July 21 One of my best excursions ever was the helicopter tour landing on Mendenhall Glacier with a hike on the glacier. Crampons and poles provided. Absolutely awesome! I took this tour through Regent, but it is available from a number of independent tour companies in Juneau. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mj_holiday Posted July 22 #5 Share Posted July 22 Really enjoyed the White Train in Skagway. I would also suggest you read James Michener's Alaska (if you haven't already), this makes many of the places you visit more meaningful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSOL1 Posted July 22 #6 Share Posted July 22 13 hours ago, labonnevie said: One of my best excursions ever was the helicopter tour landing on Mendenhall Glacier with a hike on the glacier. Crampons and poles provided. Absolutely awesome! I took this tour through Regent, but it is available from a number of independent tour companies in Juneau. We just got back from Alaska and have to agree that the Mendenhall glacier helicopter excursion was incredible! One of the best experiences we’ve had! We did the 7 day (we dislike short cruises as well) and added a few days in Vancouver which is an incredible city! Although 7 days is short and we had to fly cross country, it was probably right for this itinerary. The one down side is going from Anchorage to Seward-a long bus ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare coljack Posted July 24 #7 Share Posted July 24 The Canadian Rocky Mountaineer is an incredible first-class experience. The two day itinerary is a wonderful trip from Banff/Lake Louise to Vancouver or the reverse. This is a tourist train with pampered service that includes an overnight hotel stay on the night between the two days. To do it in connection with a Vancouver cruise, you can fly into Calgary, rent a car and make the two hour easy drive to Banff or Lake Louis (we prefer the gorgeous Lake Louise to the touristy Banff.). The rental car is handy for a 2 or 3 day exploration of Banff and the ice fields of Jasper Park. Obviously, one can do this the other way around. We recommend the first class ticket, through second class is hardly "second class.". The Canadian Rockies are more scenic than the American and this trip is almost 100% scenery. You can download a helpful brochure on line. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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