Okay ...new question

[tinkerbell1951]

You have one chance and one chance only to do an Alaska cruise for 7 days R/T Seattle. :(

Which itinerary do you take ? :confused:

The ship itself is not important as long as the bedding, food, shower & hairdryer are great. Remember we love flora and fauna, not shopping. ;)

Thanks for your help. :)

[bepsf]

Whichever itinerary takes you to Sitka instead of Skagway...

[tinkerbell1951]

Whichever itinerary takes you to Sitka instead of Skagway...

 

Thanks Brian. Appreciate your help :)

[Mary Ellen]

I vote for Skagway. We've been to both twice and it's Skagway hands down for us. Of course, we wouldn't do a Seattle r/t again. We MUCH prefer the Vancouver r/t for better scenery.

[Jade13]

Well, since I love train rides I would recommend one that stops in Skagway or Haines. If Haines you would take the Ferry over to Skagway (They sell a Rail & Sail). Haines was really beautiful. We took a Float trip and saw Eagles in the morning.

 

If you end up in Skagway, I definately recommend going in the morning to Haines and back in the afternoon for the Railway.

 

Since I have been there (Seward to Vancouver), I hope to one day go roundtrip from Seattle (big savings on Airfare) and stop in Sitka, plus Hubbad Glacier.

 

Btw, my number one port was actually Seward. So, if you could only take one triop I recommend going at least one day early to see Anchorage and then travel from Seward...

 

For Flua and Fauna check out Haines.

[tinkerbell1951]

I vote for Skagway. We've been to both twice and it's Skagway hands down for us. Of course, we wouldn't do a Seattle r/t again. We MUCH prefer the Vancouver r/t for better scenery.

 

Well, for all the options and plethora of opinion ... so far it's hands down Vancouver either R/T or southbound from Seward.

 

Skagway:Sitka 2:1

 

Thanks all of you. :)

[jtl513]

The ship itself is not important as long as the bedding, food, shower & hairdryer are great. Remember we love flora and fauna, not shopping. ;)

Any HAL ship fits that first sentence ... except maybe in the hairdryer department. :) The most shopping-intensive port in AK is Ketchikan, and I think everything stops there.:( We saw some pretty good flora/fauna around Juneau.

 

As I said on your other thread, for a once-in-a-lifetime AK cruise, go to Yakutat/Hubbard. This year the only ship going there r/t Seattle is the Oosterdam. However, if you're talking about 2008, having been on both Vistas and R/S ships, I would choose one of the smaller classes for AK. I'm sorry to say that I don't yet know which one(s) will be doing the Seattle r/t next year.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Well, the itinerary we did last summer was Seattle-Glacier Bay-Juneau-Sitka-Ketchikan-Victoria-Seattle, which we liked a lot. In fact, I'm doing the same itinerary this year on Noordam, simply because there were so many excursion choices on our first cruise that I couldn't do them all! I'm going back to the same ports just to do some of the things that I wasn't able to the first time. Also, our weather in Glacier Bay last year was kind of drizzly/foggy (this was August), so I'm going back this time in June, and hopefully our weather will be a little clearer. Our port time in Victoria is longer this time around too, six hours instead of four, so that gives us more time to enjoy that beautiful little city.

 

Karin

[minitor]

About 3 years ago we took the Oosterdam to Hubbard Glacier RT from Seattle. We enjoyed it very much. At the time, we knew that it would not be our only trip to Alaska since we have always wanted to see Denali and this cruise came no where near. With that in mind, if that were to be my one and only trip to Alaska, I would take a cruise that allowed some 'land time". Now, if this is your only cruise planned but you hope to take a land trip one day, then I would vote the trip that goes to Hubbard. It is really a large Glacier. Plan a few excursions of either Helicopter to Glacier or Mendenhal Glacier Rafting. I also would go mid to late summer so that the bay is clear enough for the ship to get close.

[tinkerbell1951]

About 3 years ago we took the Oosterdam to Hubbard Glacier RT from Seattle. We enjoyed it very much. At the time, we knew that it would not be our only trip to Alaska since we have always wanted to see Denali and this cruise came no where near. With that in mind, if that were to be my one and only trip to Alaska, I would take a cruise that allowed some 'land time". Now, if this is your only cruise planned but you hope to take a land trip one day, then I would vote the trip that goes to Hubbard. It is really a large Glacier. Plan a few excursions of either Helicopter to Glacier or Mendenhal Glacier Rafting. I also would go mid to late summer so that the bay is clear enough for the ship to get close.

 

Hi, thanks for responding...we are opting for last week in August, 1st week in September ..is that okay weather-wise?

[Atomica]

I think you'll find the opinions on each of the ports will be pretty varied. For example, I've always really enjoyed Skagway, but my girlfriend didn't. We both loved Ketchikan...once you get past the first block of shops.

 

I've done the R/T Vancouver three times now and loved every one of them. I think the next thing on my list will be to do a North/Southbound or possibly a back-to-back.

 

However, if you can only leave from Seattle (and are talking about going this year) you can't go wrong with the Noordam, Oosterdam and Amsterdam. My advice would be to go to a photo-site like Flickr and search for pictures of the different ports; that way you can get an idea of the ports you'd most like to visit.

 

Good luck!

[tinkerbell1951]

Well, the itinerary we did last summer was Seattle-Glacier Bay-Juneau-Sitka-Ketchikan-Victoria-Seattle, which we liked a lot. In fact, I'm doing the same itinerary this year on Noordam, simply because there were so many excursion choices on our first cruise that I couldn't do them all! I'm going back to the same ports just to do some of the things that I wasn't able to the first time. Also, our weather in Glacier Bay last year was kind of drizzly/foggy (this was August), so I'm going back this time in June, and hopefully our weather will be a little clearer. Our port time in Victoria is longer this time around too, six hours instead of four, so that gives us more time to enjoy that beautiful little city.

 

Karin

 

I hear that the weather can be a problem but summers in CT are beautiful so DSO has made it clear ...

[bepsf]

"Hi, thanks for responding...we are opting for last week in August, 1st week in September ..is that okay weather-wise?"

 

Loved going later in the season: The salmon are running and the whales are starting their migration south...

[Old As Dirt Mom]

"Hi, thanks for responding...we are opting for last week in August, 1st week in September ..is that okay weather-wise?"

 

Loved going later in the season: The salmon are running and the whales are starting their migration south...

 

 

.....and where the salmon are, there are the bears and the eagles:)

[jtl513]

My advice would be to go to a photo-site like Flickr and search for pictures of the different ports; that way you can get an idea of the ports you'd most like to visit.

Also webshots.com

[tinkerbell1951]

.....and where the salmon are, there are the bears and the eagles:)

woohoo ... lions and tigers and bears (and salmon) :D

 

Okay ... so investigating '07 cruises the only ship that does Hubbard is a one way :( and only Volendam doing it and they don't have aft verandahs:( .

 

I am to presume that it is absolutely imperative that I have a verandah, yes ? Or, is a large interior feasible for there is nothing to see from my verandah during dark hours AND there is a lovely public viewing area for us poor folk ? :o

[tinkerbell1951]

Oh, and Karin ... you will give me a detailed opined review of your Noordam experience as I will be following you but to the Caribbean ... won't you ? ;)

[Old As Dirt Mom]

woohoo ... lions and tigers and bears (and salmon) :D

 

Okay ... so investigating '07 cruises the only ship that does Hubbard is a one way :( and only Volendam doing it and they don't have aft verandahs:( .

 

I am to presume that it is absolutely imperative that I have a verandah, yes ? Or, is a large interior feasible for there is nothing to see from my verandah during dark hours AND there is a lovely public viewing area for us poor folk ? :o

 

 

Tink, I'm seeing Oosterdam doing Hubbard Glacier round trip out of Seattle with still plenty of availability for late August, 2007. (I didn't look up September.) Whether or not to have a verandah is entirely up to you. Some folks swear by a verandah, others prefer their viewing from the public decks. If budget is a consideration, then I wouldn't get a verandah. Save your money for the exciting excursions on shore!

 

And yes, I will review my Noordam Alaska cruise for those who care to read it. (One of my shortcomings is that it's hard to shut me up....:eek: )

 

Karin

[tinkerbell1951]

Tink, I'm seeing Oosterdam doing Hubbard Glacier round trip out of Seattle with still plenty of availability for late August, 2007. (I didn't look up September.) Whether or not to have a verandah is entirely up to you. Some folks swear by a verandah, others prefer their viewing from the public decks. If budget is a consideration, then I wouldn't get a verandah. Save your money for the exciting excursions on shore!

 

And yes, I will review my Noordam Alaska cruise for those who care to read it. (One of my shortcomings is that it's hard to shut me up....:eek: )

 

Karin

 

LOLOL Karin ... I just got off the phone with my PERSONAL cruise consultant. Not sure, I'll remember everything she said because I was imbibing in my first glass of wine ... however ... she did reiterate what you said re: Oosterdam :)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I will be on the the Noordam with Karin and plan to bring my Lap Top so I can report "Live" Three years ago we did our first Alaska on the Oosterdam and loved it. Since that time Oosterdam has become our favorite ship but we are looking forward to trying the Noordam. We actually liked Galcier bay a bit better than Hubbard Glacier and in all honestly I prefer the quaintness of Sitka over Skagway which felt a lot like Ketchikan to me. So Noordam's itinerary seems ideal for us. I personally think you cannot go wrong with either the Oosterdam or the Noordam.:)

[jtl513]

If budget is a consideration, then I wouldn't get a verandah. Save your money for the exciting excursions on shore!

Even if budget is not a consideration I wouldn't go for the verandah in AK because often cool/cold/wet weather can prevent you from getting much use of it anyway. I'm rarely in my cabin during daylight hours anyplace, but especially in AK.

 

For our upcoming AK cruise in Sep on the Statendam we've booked a cabin on the Lower Promenade not far from a doorway, so we can quickly pop out to either side if we happen to be in our cabin when the on-board naturalist announces something to see out there. Of course on the Vistas that strategy can't be used exactly because there's no cabins on deck 3 with the promenade, but you can get one near the center stairs on deck 4 and still get outside pretty quickly.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Even if budget is not a consideration I wouldn't go for the verandah in AK because often cool/cold/wet weather can prevent you from getting much use of it anyway. I'm rarely in my cabin during daylight hours anyplace, but especially in AK.

 

For our upcoming AK cruise in Sep on the Statendam we've booked a cabin on the Lower Promenade not far from a doorway, so we can quickly pop out to either side if we happen to be in our cabin when the on-board naturalist announces something to see out there. Of course on the Vistas that strategy can't be used exactly because there's no cabins on deck 3 with the promenade, but you can get one near the center stairs on deck 4 and still get outside pretty quickly.

 

Very good point/observation/information:)

[tinkerbell1951]

Very good point/observation/information:)

 

WOW and I thought I just HAD to get an aft balcony !:confused:

[Old As Dirt Mom]

WOW and I thought I just HAD to get an aft balcony !:confused:

 

No, only if you want one; it's not a necessity. And while I think Jtl's observation is a very good one, I myself have always booked verandahs. But that's my preference, and I wanted to give you as objective an answer as I could. (A prime example of "do what I say, not what I do" :rolleyes: ).

[tinkerbell1951]

No, only if you want one; it's not a necessity. And while I think Jtl's observation is a very good one, I myself have always booked verandahs. But that's my preference, and I wanted to give you as objective an answer as I could. (A prime example of "do what I say, not what I do" :rolleyes: ).

 

ROFLMAO :D