Tried Search, not working, HELP choosing Embarktion/Ship PLZ

[232271]

We are planning a possilbe Alaska Cruise July 2008. We would us AA FF miles

to fly to the Embarktion port, so we have to decide in the next few weeks.

 

I have a few questions:

 

1. Which port is best to fly into to? Seattle or Vancouver?

and if you do fly into Vancouver is it more difficult being from the USA?

 

2. Is one cruise better than the other? as far as Ports, they all seem to stop in same places.

 

3. How do you pick a ship? They have 6 different ships, too!!

 

 

Any advice would help as I tried searching and the search engine wouldnt work for me.

 

TIA

[Red Rox]

You need to do more research about the various cruise lines and ships and itineraries. You can do all of that here, but I think you're going about it in a backwards way.

Don't use an airport near a port as your primary qualifier for which trip to take. Our cruise mates on our upcoming cruise insisted on using their airline points to get to Anchorage, instead of booking outright as we did. They got to use their points, but they have to take 3 different planes that take 12 hours to get there, instead of the 2 planes and 7 hours that we will take, AND they have to fly in a day early and stay in a hotel for an extra night. (They are actually spending more $, but they got to use their points;) )

There are too many far more important aspects to consider when choosing your Alaska vacation. If you can use your points, that's nice, but don't make that your primary focus.

[tcdcruiser]

1. Which port is best to fly into to? Seattle or Vancouver?

and if you do fly into Vancouver is it more difficult being from the USA?

From the states - Seattle is easier to fly into. The Seattle port is just north of downtown Seattle. I assume since you mention Seattle or Vancouver you are considering a RT and a north bound and fly home from Anchorage.

 

2. Is one cruise better than the other? as far as Ports, they all seem to stop in same places.

It's personal preference. Having cruised Royal Caribbean and Princess extensively - I really prefer Princess. Royal seems to attract the family and children crown. Yes they all (mostly) stop in the same place, but remember this is Alaska - half the state's population lives in Anchorage. The ports along the inside passage, even Juneau, are quite small.

 

3. How do you pick a ship? They have 6 different ships, too!!

Again personal preference. Some like the big ships will all the attractions. Some like the smaller ships for a more intimate experience. My advise is be sure to book a balcony no matter what ship. That said - check out the Golden Princess or the Diamond Princess, both are large, newer ships but never seem to "feel" too crowded

 

 

Any advice would help as I tried searching and the search engine wouldnt work for me.

[gg3]

We are planning a possilbe Alaska Cruise July 2008. We would us AA FF miles

to fly to the Embarktion port, so we have to decide in the next few weeks.

 

I have a few questions:

 

1. Which port is best to fly into to? Seattle or Vancouver?

and if you do fly into Vancouver is it more difficult being from the USA?

 

Seattle will use less FF miles, as it is not International. But Vancouver is by far a better port (to me) to sail out of and if you will look at the map of the Seattle/Vancouver area you will see. Cruises out of Vancouver go on the East side of Vancouver Island - the true Inside passage. Cruises out of Seattle cruise the West side of Vancouver Island - hello, that is the Pacific Ocean. Less scenery and the possibility of rougher water. Many folks fly into Seattle, then take Amtrak, a shuttle bus, or rent a car to cruise out of Vancouver. Both are beautiful, friendly cities. Just remember, that FF miles are on AA terms.......so book early and be flexible. We always fly at least one day ahead......don't ever chance flying in same day as your cruise starts.........too many variables with flying. You also might want to consider flying out the day after the cruise, or at least later in the afternoon, so you don't have to feel rushed getting off the ship.

 

2. Is one cruise better than the other? as far as Ports, they all seem to stop in same places.

 

 

We love going the Inside Passage route, roundtrip out of Vancouver, and the ports are generally Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan.

3. How do you pick a ship? They have 6 different ships, too!!

 

Just depends on what you want.....a more casual or a more formal, lots of kids, etc. We love Holland America (HAL) because while it does cater to families, it also caters to a population that loves their attention to detail. In fact, when we were planning our first cruise, our Travel Agent told us, that she would recommend HAL for Alaska because they just do it right. We have also cruise Princess to Alaska and that was fine as well.

 

 

Any advice would help as I tried searching and the search engine wouldnt work for me.

 

 

I agree with the previous posters re: you must research, A LOT to know what you want and what fits your needs and desires. Stay on the Alaska board and look through the past 3 or 4 pages and you will get so much information. Then you might go to the library or local book store and read a travel book on Alaska, or the Inside Passage. There is so much you need to decide before we can answer questions very specifically, but I hope this helps. gg

[Budget Queen]

It is easy to get between Seattle and Vancouver, via, cruise contracted bus, independent bus, Amtrak, one way rental cars. You need to allow about 4 hours.

 

Scenery is significantly more on Vancouver sailings.

 

Things to consider in a selection, ports, time in ports, itinerary, route, glacier, price. :)