Alaska vs. Canada/New England

[jennbill]

We've sailed before in the early fall to Alaska and loved it. For the fall of '08 we're considering going back to Alaska or maybe doing Canada/New England. How about do they compare? I've been to Maine before and loved it. Jennifer's never been. The prospect of two nights pre-cruise in Vancouver, Seattle or New York is awesome. Any ideas would be great.

[dizbuster]

We've sailed before in the early fall to Alaska and loved it. For the fall of '08 we're considering going back to Alaska or maybe doing Canada/New England. How about do they compare? I've been to Maine before and loved it. Jennifer's never been. The prospect of two nights pre-cruise in Vancouver, Seattle or New York is awesome. Any ideas would be great.

 

Cruised Alaska last year and will be cruising Canada/New England for the first time at the end of this upcoming Sept. I'll make a point of letting you know what I thought when I get back :) I anticipate that while shore excursions on the Canada/New England cruise will make for spectacular sights, nothing will really compare to the constant beauty you see from a cruise ship sailing the Inside Passage.

[mii]

This is just a suggestion but since you have been to Alaska in the fall try the next cruise to Canada/New England in oct. Now we have been to Alaska in Sept. Beautiful weather, crisp air, some rain but then we have also been to Canada/New England twice and while love both areas, in your case since you have done Alaska now try Canada/New England. It cannot be beat. It is beautiful time of the year there.

 

Marilyn

[Terpnut]

We actually enjoyed our Canada/NE cruise this July much more than our Alaska cruise last August! And the entire trip was HALF the average daily cost to boot!!:p

[Wilbo]

Difficult to compare. Very different geography. Both are great.

The Fall Eastern N.A. trip is second to none. The multi Colours of the Maples are a $1,000,000 view.

The colours in the north are golden only.

[agabbymama]

I did New England/Canada Sept/Oct '06 and it was fantastic. We started in New York, to Boston, to Portland Maine, to Bar Harbor Maine, to Saint John, New Brunswick, to Halifax to Quebec, then back to New York City. Not only was the Fall Foliage awesome, but the history, and quaintness of all the towns added to the trip. We were on Celebrity Constellation and had a thoroughly fantastic time.

 

My husband and I did the Inside Passage cruise on HAL in '99 and enjoyed it immensely as well. We flew LAX to Anchorage and cruised South to Glacier Bay, Sitka, Juneau, Ketchikan to Vancouver and flew home. Really loved HAL, so booked Yukon Wilderndess Cruisetour # 1 this year. Absolutely loved the Yukon and interior Alaska. Not to take away from the port towns, but the small towns interior aren't so overcrowded with cruisers and you see/experience the towns and townspeople.

 

They are two totally different landscapes, type of lifestyle. I don't cruise for the ship, I cruise for the ports. Can't really say I enjoyed one better than the other. They were both excellent, just totally different. We didn't see all the wildlife in New England/Canada that we saw in Alaska, but we didn't see the beautiful Fall Foliage in Alaska that we saw in New England/Canada.

[sinfonian87]

Hello! We leave for our first cruise on Thursday to Canada/NE for 10 days on the Norwegian Dawn. This trip is for our 10 year anniversary and we researched long and hard about where to go. We have not been to either geographical area. Money was an issue for us and time away from work was also a factor.

 

What we found was that we could get 10 days (with 3 sea days to relax) in Canada/NE for the price of 7 days in Alaska. We have also found that outside of the whale watching excursion we have booked in Bar Harbor, we are going to be able to do all of the other ports on our own without pricey ship excursions. We decided that if we went to Alaska, we wanted to do it right and see the glaciers, maybe a helicopter trip, go to a dog sled excursion... all added significant cost to the trip.

 

Airfare was also more expensive for us from Des Moines to Seattle or Vancouver. We are SO excited for this trip and we feel like we are getting the most bang for our buck at this time in our life. Hope this helps.

[jennbill]

Thanks for all the replies. Can't wait to see your trip reports.

 

Sinfonian, do you live in Des Moines? We think Iowa is a really great state. I love the Iowa State Fair and the "butter cow". We used to come up anually for the Knoxville Nationals sprint car races and stay in Pella.

 

Bill and Jenn in Oklahoma.

[sinfonian87]

Bill and Jenn-

 

Yes, we live in Ankeny just north of Des Moines, but I grew up in Southeast Iowa. We love it here and returned to stay after moving out of state for a few years.

 

Just an FYI- they opened the new Iowa Speedway in Newton this year so we have had many more racefans coming through!

 

Thanks for the kind words about Iowa!

 

Beth

[jennbill]

Ankeny, the home of Karl Chevrolet I believe. Had the pleasure of meeting Karl Moyer and he was a great guy.

 

We had planned on attending the Indy Car Series event at Iowa Speedway this summer but circumstances kept us from coming up. We had already found a really neat bed and breakfast in the area. Sad we didn't make it.

 

Really hope you enjoy your cruise and can't wait to read your trip report. We sail to the Caribbean in less than two months and are now thinking about the Crown Princess in February. Still undecided about next fall. Alaska or New England/Canada. Tough choice.

[searaven]

Jenn and Bill,

 

I also would suggest a Canada/NE cruise, especially since you have already been to

Alaska. I live in the area (near Boston) and have been to many of the ports of call.

All interesting and the fall is always a beautiful time of the year.

 

Also, I think I may have been on your Alaskan Cruise (Summit, 2005)?

 

Joan

[Kbears]

We've sailed before in the early fall to Alaska and loved it. For the fall of '08 we're considering going back to Alaska or maybe doing Canada/New England. How about do they compare? I've been to Maine before and loved it. Jennifer's never been. The prospect of two nights pre-cruise in Vancouver, Seattle or New York is awesome. Any ideas would be great.

 

Which cruise are you looking at? We have done Alaska twice and Canada/NE once. I would diffently do Canada/NE again. Ours was on the Jewel of the Seas. 10 day r/t from Boston. We added 2 nights before and went to New Hampshire and 1 night after in Boston. The trip made it all the way up to Quebec. When I do this trip again, I will try and end in Quebec or Montreal and spend some extra time.

 

One thing that we learned is that the Canadian Thanksgiving is in October. We were in Sydney on that day and everything was closed. So just be aware of the day and what stop you are in.

[sept10dsm]

We've done both once. We will be cruising to Canada/New England next Sat on the Crown (2nd time) We do live in the NY area so that cruise is very easy for us plus a great price 499 pp!! If I have to pick I would choose Alaska. I have to say very breathtaking views and sights quite different from any other. I loved our Alaska cruise and we had the calmest waters there too!!

[dizbuster]

Well, just got back from the Canada/New England cruise and now having done both it and Alaska, I can say I'd much rather cruise Alaska. I'm thinking fall in Canada/New England is bet experienced by staying at a good hotel in Bar Harbor or some other location for a week or so instead of by cruise ship. There just wasn't enough time in the ports and very few worthwhile (to me) excursions.

[Nanatravel]

My vote is to try the Canada/New England cruise by the last week in September, so it isn't too cool but foliage in ME will be blooming. Boston is so historic; just take the Old Bean Town Trolley tour - hop on & off. Newport, visit a few mansions and walk along the shore; Portland rent a car and drive along the coast to Damascota or Oguinquit; Bar Harbor - take the bus into Arcadia National park; Halifax take a tour to Peggy's Cove, etc.

 

Bon Voyage

[cruisefreak13]

We will be taking a New England/Canada cruise in October 2008 - October 4th to be exact. Will this be too late for the colors? From what I read this year the colors were not even out in September but I assume the weather is the deciding factor to this. Also, would love some suggestions for things to do. We are somewhat adventurous people so we are open to things like white water rafting, etc. I found something called Tidal Bore Rafting in Halifax but the day we are there they are not running because the high tides are at night. I have also looked into a hot air balloon ride but their times do not sync with the times we are in port.

 

As far as which cruise is better, Alaska or New England, I can only say that I have been to Alaska (but that will change next year) and the scenery is spectacular but I would assume it is great on a New England cruise too.

 

Thanks!

[Terpnut]

We will be taking a New England/Canada cruise in October 2008 - October 4th to be exact. Will this be too late for the colors? From what I read this year the colors were not even out in September but I assume the weather is the deciding factor to this.

You really can't predict, or even count on, the timing of the fall colors -- it changes year to year. Based on recent history however, your timing should be pretty good. If anything, you might be early. This year, for example, Maine's coastal and Nova Scotia's fall foliage didn't peak until around last week!

[sept10dsm]

We were just on the Canada/New England cruise last week on the Crown Princess and the colors were just starting to show in Halifax, St John and Bar Harbor. We took this same cruise 3 years ago the same week and it was the very end of the season. We live in NJ and by this time most leaves have changed and most fallen. This year I am looking out my window at green leaves. It's the latest I can remember. We really didn't take any ship tours on either cruise. In Halifax, Saint John, Bar Harbor and Newport the ship docks/tenders right near the town. In Boston they run a shuttle for 12 round trip to Quincy Market. We did request info from each port of call from the visitors centers of each location to make us familiar with what was out there to do.

 

Halifax - we walked to the Citadel and visited the Maritime museum. The city also has a free bus called FRED. There is much info on the website for Halifax as well as all the locations.

 

Saint John - Walked around the lovely town, visited the Loyalist house and cemetary as well as the market.

 

Bar Harbor - We took Oli's Trolley to Acadia NP. The NP service also runs a similar trip (saw it on the way back to the dock) for a few dollars less (25 pp 2 1/2 hr. tour). Oli's was 29 pp for the 2 1/2 and I think 15 for a 1 hour. Bar Harbour also runs a free shuttle around the island but it stopped 2 days before we arrived. I think it's called Island Explorer. YOu should check out the website.

 

Boston - You must get some type of transportation from the dock. It is in a kind of industrial type area. Once in town we walked the Freedom Trail, visited all the history along it including the USS Constitution - free tour, Paul Revere's house 3pp, Cheers, Quincey Market, the North Church, the Italian district to name a few. Very easy to follow with a red line on the sidewalk.

 

Newport - tendered port for us. We just walked around the small shops. There are many harbor tours and mansion tours available off the ship. They also have a trolley that circles the area 1.50 each time on or I think 5 for the day pp.

 

Hope this helps a little. Any questions, please ask. (I would pick Alaska of the 2) I have done both and the New England twice - once with perfect weather , this year and the last time with 25 ft seas and 70 knot winds!! Alaska had the best waters and scenery for me!!

[battybabe]

People are stunned when I tell them the scenery in New England and Canada put Alaska to shame! We did the 7 night Alaska last year, in Sept., and NE/Can this Sept. Extremely calm waters this year, but leaving from Seattle gave us a lot of "motion of the ocean". Were blown away by our Boston day, and Acadia Park in Maine is a wow! Always enjoy Canada, and the Maritimes were no exception. One caveat: HAL does both itineraries extremely well, but RCCL could be improved. Our best meals were onshore with RC, and service was sketchy, at best. Maasdam is an older ship, but her staff and crew go out of their way to please. And, you get to spend time pre or post cruise in Boston or Quebec, both terrific cities. Enjoy!

[whale-watcher]

We love both itineraries. We actually saw more whales from the ship on our Canada/New England cruise than we did in Alaska! We also love all the fresh local seafood available in port for lunch (although fresh halibut and salmon are pretty good as well...). Plan to return again on HAL for a Quebec to Boston cruise one day

[KandCsailing]

We are also trying to decide between Alaska or an East Coast cruise. I lean towards Alaska for us because we did a driving road trip to Boston, Portland and Freeport two summers ago. Boston is a fabulous city to explore by walking and taking their subway system, the "T". We paid for a tour of fenway park ($10 or $12), walked through the market where there are no cars, in parks, and down to the waterfront. I didn't get to the aquarium that time, so I do have to go back. If we took a cruise that ended in Quebec City, my DH would like to take the train back to Toronto for a change from flying.

[Cruisechic470]

We are also trying to decide between Alaska or an East Coast cruise. I lean towards Alaska for us because we did a driving road trip to Boston, Portland and Freeport two summers ago. Boston is a fabulous city to explore by walking and taking their subway system, the "T". We paid for a tour of fenway park ($10 or $12), walked through the market where there are no cars, in parks, and down to the waterfront. I didn't get to the aquarium that time, so I do have to go back. If we took a cruise that ended in Quebec City, my DH would like to take the train back to Toronto for a change from flying.

 

Is that 10 to 12 dollars per person?

[Host Caroline]

Have done both of this itineraries and they are two of my favorite but Alaska is definitely one of those places (IMHO) that you definitely have to see once your lifetime! Do it once at least even if you decide on Canada/New England this year!

[Redsoxfan11]

Is that 10 to 12 dollars per person?

 

 

Yes, per person and well worth it. Here's a little info on my favorite place!

 

Boston Red Sox - Fenway Park Tours

Visit Fenway Park, America's most beloved ballpark, and take a behind the scenes look at the oldest Major League baseball park in the country. Visit the park where the Babe pitched, The Kid hit, Yaz dazzled, and the 2004 & 2007 World Champions thrill fans today. Visit the original home plate and have your picture taken with baseball great - Ty Cobb - the statue, of course. This is a chance to be part of the team, see the Green Monster, and tour baseball history.

 

Tours: Tours leave from the Souvenir Store across Yawkey Way. Guided tours last one hour; arrive 15 minutes prior to tour.

For more information call 617-226-6666.

 

Tours are Daily year-round (except Thankgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day) every hour on the hour from 9am - 4pm. *Please note that on game days the last tour leaves 3 hours prior to game time.

 

Tickets: Adults $12; Seniors (60+) $11

Children Under (ages 2 to 15) $10

 

Groups - 50+ by reservation only.

 

For more information and group reservations, call the Fenway Park Tours Hotline at 617-236-6666 or e-mail tours@redsox.com.

 

Tickets can only be purchased in-person, weekdays at the Red Sox Box Office, Gate A.

 

 

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Fenway Park

Four Yawkey Way

Boston, MA 02215

Phone: 617-267-1700

Tollfree: 877-REDSOX9

Fax: 617-375-0944

Email: redsox@redsox.com

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Url: http://www.redsox.com

[Cruisechic470]

Redsoxfan11 - Thank you!! :D