1stime88

So, how was your weather in Alaska? :)

It was actually good! It only drizzled on Glacier bay day! The rest of the days were cold but dry!

There was a little bit of fog that covered some peaks, but we were still able to see a lot and it was beautiful!

Thanks everyone! Sounds like it will still be beautiful.

I am bringing warm clothes, gloves, rain ponchos, and an umbrella so hopefully that will work.

I am scheduled to go to Alaska soon. I didn't realize it was going to be so rainy! Is Hubbard glacier and glacier bay still beautiful and scenic in rainy weather?

I think it is great that you are doing this for your mother in law. I am guessing that they are older and it is nice of you to fulfill the wishes of an elderly lady. People at that age do not want to go on vacation alone, they want their kids and grand kids with them, so they are even willing to pay to get that! That is their love for you guys. I wish my in laws would do that for me!

Anyways, it is her wish to specifically go on a cruise to Alaska? If not, simply flying to an all inclusive caribbean resort would be easier. If she wants to go on a cruise only, then you should do it; it will be so much fun for all of you! Do not hesitate and worry that it won't be worth it.. it will! It is good to go on vacation with your young children. You will love it.

As others have said, a travel agent will be able to advise you on which ship will be most accommodating.

You can have dinner at 5:30 on princess ships and I am sure on others as well.

I always wondered if the auto gratuities really go to the staff? It is not another way for cruise line to make more money is it?

Our situation is a little different, but I sure do feel your pain. We cancelled our "BIG" 20th Anniversary trip to Europe with a Med cruise because we simply weren't comfortable once the costs ticked into 5 figures. We made a very poor, knee-jerk decision to book Alaska because the deposit we'd already paid on the "good" trip more than covered the cruise fare and flights for our upcoming Alaska Southbound. What we failed to realize was how ridiculously costly the excursions were going to be, made even more gut-wrenching by the woeful state of our CDN currency.

 

We could easily be spending $1,000/day on the better excursions, which would quickly negate any savings on this trip compared to the one we really wanted to take. :( Coupled with the fact that we already live in an environment relatively similar to Alaska and much of it holds no great allure, we're really having to keep our wits about us while booking excursions. We've practically eliminated flight-seeing as an option in any port unless we can find something that strikes us as a very good value on offer at the pier. We're not counting on it.

 

This may end up being our CTN, during which we may spend a LOT of time on-board; buy a drink package, get spa treatments and take quite a few naps. We'll enjoy our time together and celebrate our anniversary regardless but as cruises go, this one is likely to be very different for us. I wish you well and hope you have a great trip, whatever you decide!

Hello, my husband and I also wanted to go to Europe, but decided on a cruise to Alaska because of finances. The trip to Alaska is going to cost more than expected but less than Europe! I just wanted to share that with you. I hope you love your trip to Alaska and also get to to go to Europe soon!

I have been on the Star twice, both times on long cruises. I LOVE that ship. Ever since the Sapphire went to the Asian market, the Star has been my favorite ship. Love Skywalkers and the whole layout of the ship. Skywalkers lounge has the best views of anywhere on the ship except being outside. On a recent trip to Hawaii going under the Golden Gate bridge, Everyone was outside freezing while I sat comfortable in Skywalkers watching everything. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks! I do want to view the glaciers from outside though, I wonder if anyone has advice on where to go during the glacier cruising days.

We just got off the Star and had an absolute awesome time! Alaska is beautiful and Princess was super organized. We could not believe how many whales we saw in Juneau. Skagway was super warm - thank goodness we packed short sleeve shirts! Ketchikan was an amazing little town. Be sure to walk back to Creek Street and watch the salmon in the river. We had 20 hours of light, super weather, awesome staff and a great time! It's a hassle to get a table for 2 on anytime dining. I would recommend reservations and bypassing the lines or joining others. I think you will have a blast. Take binoculars and lots of memory cards, maybe a high powered lens. The glaciers are breathtaking as well as the scenery and wildlife! Have a blast!

Thank you!

I had to laugh. Starting out with positive expectations......:cool:

More like: I am afraid My expectations are really high for the cruise!

How is the star princess? I have already booked it for my first cruise, Alaska to Vancouver. I hope I am not disappointed!

I see that whale watching is so popular so I am sure it is fun.. I just don't want to waste money so that is why I was asking. I looked at all the options and from all of them I want to see the glacier and I was curious about whale watching. Dog sledding on ice would be cool but it is more than 300 per person. The one on land doesn't seem worth it to me.

Your priority is speed getting to the ship and cost? Have you been to this area numerous times? Some may want to take advantage of being there instead of just passing through. A car rental can offer you significantly more touring opportunities- if of interest, with the price spread over several hour- is a darn good deal- IF anyone wants to take advantage.

 

As for the train- NO the train is NOT going to wait for you. Sorry, but not a good idea. Simple adding up the time, is confirmation, it won't work.

 

There are several shuttle services, listings http://www.anchorage.net

Good points

I had a cab driver who dropped me off at the train station earlier this month who claimed he would have gone all the way to Whittier for $100 (plus toll, I assume). That seemed too low to be true, but you might be able to negotiate a reasonable cab price if you are inclined.

 

Private (non-princess) buses are as low as $30- google is your friend.

I did see the $30 shuttle but it leaves airport at 3pm. We would be waiting for many hours. I am thinking about the tour shuttle that leaves at 1pm and stops at the conservation center.

Do a one way car rental with Avis.

I just looked it up and it would cost more than the princess shuttle.

Does anyone have advice on how we should get to Whittier cruise port from ANC airport. We arrive at 8:41am at the ANC airport. (Is it too late to take the train that leaves at 9:45am? Would we need to take a taxi to the train station). If I make a reservation for the train will they wait for me?

I was just wondering if there was a way we could leave soon after we get to airport and arrive earlier to the cruise port without paying 100pp for princess shuttle.

You will find far more "two-legged" than "multi-legged" bugs. :eek:

Lol took a lil bit to get that

Ok, it looks like I can't do this excursion.

How do we book this excursion? I am going on star princess

What is the cheapest way to get from the ANC airport to the Whittier cruise port? We arrive at ANC around 9am on the day the cruise leaves (around 8pm).

Cool! Who did you book it with?

Ziplining is 70 dollars cheaper in skagway than in Juneau and Ketchikan. Why is that? Has anyone done the ziplining? I don't know if I want to do it. I only want to do it if it is absolutely amazing. I have gone para sailing before.

I cannot decide what to do in Juneau? I am looking at Mendenhall Galcier, Whale Watching ( I feel like this would be boring and hence a waste of money for me). I also considered dog sledding (the one without the helicopter ride). Is that worth it since they only ride for 1 mile?

This looked appealing to me- it is offered through Princess but I am sure through other parties as well. Has anyone done it? is it worth it?

You could try yelp or trip advisor for TA recommendations. But take their recommendations with "a grain of salt."

 

Though only a few select travel agencies "make the cut," you may want to look at Conde Nast Traveler's past "best of..." lists, which have included cruise travel agents. That's how we found one of the two we use.

 

Even if the O price you found is after an "air credit" has been applied (O cruises include "free" airfare, which you can opt out of for $ credit), look for sail dates that are included in "Your World On Sale." Those cruises will also have all or some combo of free gratuities, free unlimited internet and O's own OBC of several hundred dollars per cabin. Any good "cruise specialist" TA will add 7-10% of the total cabin cost as their own OBC. And top O producers occasionally have "partner" specials with O for new O cruisers (as much as another 10% discount).

 

Then remember that you're not paying for any non-alcoholic beverages, room service or specialty restaurants. And then there's what you don't get: cafeteria food, nickel/dimed to death, uncomfortable bedding, crowds of people, obnoxious photogs, "formal" nights, "broadway wannabe" entertainment, etc.

 

Just for fun, we compared the bottom line daily rate (I.e., cabin + air + specialty restaurants + cost/value of extras and both cruise line and TA OBC, etc.) for O, HAL, and Celebrity to Alaska in June 2014. O ended up being only a few dollars more for a far better quality experience.

 

We just gave our TA the go ahead on an 18 day South Pacific O cruise this winter. Between O and him, we got a published price drop of $500/person, an unadvertised cabin price reduction of $200/person, approx $1000 in total OBC and free gratuities and internet valued at more than $1000.

 

I always chuckle when some CC posters boast about their $100/day cruise find and then complain about the rubber chicken. There's an old saying: "you get what you pay for," which is certainly the case when it comes to cruising. However, I grew up in Brooklyn where it was pounded into your head from day 1 to "never pay retail."

 

Ergo, O can be somewhat of a bargain under the right circumstances. So, do your homework, even if it only consists of googling "cruise specialists" or checking with your college alumni association about what TA they use for their group travel or getting your contact info to premium line cruises who can further assist you with TA recommendations. And grill perspective TAs to weed our the mediocre ones.

 

Best wishes to you!

Oh gosh, reading your post is making me feel really sad. Naturally, I would love that. If you could refer me to your travel agent that would be lovely. I looked up cn ta's and left some voicemails but I am sure they have a waiting list or need a referral.

Not all of us do repetitive cruises to the same place. And what works for us, of course, doesn't work for a whole lot of other folks.

 

We use cruises primarily to "scout" locations for possible future land vacations of a longer duration in a specific area (e.g., a stop at Taormina merits consideration of a month to explore Sicily). So, a port would have to be a really "special" place for us to return on another cruise. And IMO Alaska and the Caribbean are worth only one cruise ship visit each. But, personal circumstances contribute to that opinion.

 

We're from Northern California. So, the only real allure of Alaska for us is to see a glacier calving in real time or to ride in a dehavilland float plane (before they all disappear) . Don't need salmon, bears, gold panning, fishing, snow capped mountains, Dungeness crab, pristine forests, whales, oceanfront,

mountain lakes, etc. we've got all that. As for the Carribbean, we've got beaches too and, if we need to enjoy them year 'round, we can head to SoCal or Hawaii (far more beautiful than anything in the Caribbean).

 

Many years ago, we cruised the Carribean. Went on RCI when our daughter was very young (kid's program) and there were no Disney ships yet. We've returned once (a decade ago) though it was a yacht charter with another family- very different experience and out-of-the-way locations without cruise ship hordes. But, now, "been there - done that." So, we have no reason to head back. There are too many other places to see and new things to do.

 

We did the one-and-only Alaska cruise last year. As expected, getting "up close and personal" with the Hubbard glacier on Oceania's less-than-700-passenger Regatta made the decision to go worthwhile. But, admittedly, the quality of food, service and amenities on that ship also added to the special experience. Alaska again? No. Oceania again? Of course!

 

Our upcoming Oceania cruises include the western Med (next week) and the South Pacific this winter.

 

As you consider where to go, think about Oceania. Find one of their top producer TAs and, with the right itinerary and both "O" And TA perks, you'll find that premium cruise lines can be quite affordable.

I did consider Oceania because I know it is good but the cheapest Oceania cruise is 1900 per person from what I could find. I don't have any connections to any TA to get a lower price