too many choices....please help with alaskan cruise

i got two quotes so far. both princess ships leave from seattle, the emerald is about a thousand dollars cheaper than ruby but it looks like they go to the same ports. there is inner passage, glacier, land/sea. where do i begin to sort this out? it's my husband and i and all i really know is that i want a whale watching excursion. can someone lead me to where i can get information on this? and one more question. we have gone on a few caribbean cruises where you spend the day by the pool or in our case in the shade reading. what do you do on the ship all day?

hope someone can help me thank you in advance

i got two quotes so far. both princess ships leave from seattle, the emerald is about a thousand dollars cheaper than ruby but it looks like they go to the same ports. there is inner passage, glacier, land/sea. where do i begin to sort this out? it's my husband and i and all i really know is that i want a whale watching excursion. can someone lead me to where i can get information on this? and one more question. we have gone on a few caribbean cruises where you spend the day by the pool or in our case in the shade reading. what do you do on the ship all day?

hope someone can help me thank you in advance

The Emerald and the Ruby are sister ships...Identical except for different dining room names. I have been on both and you can’t go wrong on either one. As for whale watching....many tours available either by Princess or private. You can see Princess’s selection by reviewing excursions by port on the Princess site.

thank you. does it matter if you do inner passage or glacier bay cruise?

We have taken 2 Vancouver to Whittier cruises on Princess. This summer we are taking our 2 kids, their spouses and our granddaughter and decided to do a round trip Seattle cruise (easier flights with a 3 1/2 year old). We've been on the Emerald and the Ruby numerous times and they are sister ships so that didn't enter into our decision making. What made our decision easy was that the Ruby Princess includes Glacier Bay and the Emerald does not. It goes to Tracy Arm which while scenic supposedly isn't as impressive as Glacier Bay and can be choked with ice - and therefore impassable - until later in the season. We've been to Glacier Bay twice and loved the entire day of scenic cruising and are looking forward to sharing that beautiful part of Alaska with the family. Someday DH and I will take a cruise that includes Tracy Arm.

For information on what to do in port, check out the Alaska Ports of Call board: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55.

thank you. does it matter if you do inner passage or glacier bay cruise?

I'm biased (I live in Alaska) but do not miss the trip to Glacier Bay National Park. It is a must-see. It is not accessible by road. From what I see on the web site, both itineraries sail the Inside Passage too. It looks like the cruise which include Tracy Arm does not visit Skagway.

If time and money permit, I'd suggest you do the one-way voyage from Vancouver to Whittier or opposite. Spend part of your trip on a land vacation in AK prior to or after the cruise. Although the cruise is great (Princess is the way to go), you will see three small towns in a state more than twice the size of Texas. There is a lot more to see and do that you cannot access via ship.

Just my 2¢ worth

~Brian

Glacier Bay is the highlight of Alaska. You spend a wonderful day sailing thru the Bay stopping periodically to view the glaciers.

It might help to know that there is no bad choice. Some are more preferred by some people, but any cruise to Alaska is a good cruise!

My TA suggested going Southbound if we were including a land tour. She said that we would be happy to have a relaxing cruise after a hectic land tour.She was right.

If both itineraries go to Glacier Bay, I'd go for the one that is less expensive. We took two round-trip cruises to Alaska that went to Tracy Arm. The journey through the fjord is spectacular even if you don't get close to the glacier.

We are sailing on the Emerald May 27 round trip Seattle with our family. This will be our third Alaskan cruise, and they were all good. However, we were very disappointed in the land- cruise we did a few years ago. I say that to let you know there is nothing inferior about a round trip Seattle.

The best whale watching is in Juneau where we have always booked private tours. The cost is $20 - $40 less than a ship's tour, but the real difference is in the number of people on your boat. We are booked with Captain Terry on a boat that only holds 18 people so everyone can move around for the best pictures and views.

Hope you have fun planning your trip. There is a world of experience available to you on these boards.

Sailed Emerald last July; great ship and great itinerary. Below is a bear crossing the river in Ketchikan, A bald eagle hanging out in a tree, Tracey Arm Fijord, and glacier at end of fijord

We have gone both to Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm Fjord, and loved them both> We were on the Emerald last year in late May, and the small boat cruise in Tracy Arm, right from the ship, was a wonderful highlight of our cruise, allowing us to get into the fjord and close to the glaciers. Glacier Bay is wonderful because of the massive size of the bay, and the number of glaciers. As others have said, whatever you choose, you will enjoy it: it's Alaska!!

A few thoughts for you:

Is there a reason you are restricted to RT Seattle? I think you’d see more if you went RT Vancouver or did a one way so you may wish to price out those options. If RT Seattle is what you can do then go for it. It’s all good.

Alaska is all about the ports, but on sea days I went to all the naturalist presentations and spent the rest of time on our balcony watching the scenery. Binoculars are a must. Lots of comfy places on the ship to watch the scenery if you don’t have a balcony.

Regarding land tours, if you have the time I would do it. You may never get back to Alaska. It is fairly easy to plan your own pre or post cruise tour and manage your budget.

For the ports or land tour info read the trip reviews on the Alaska board, so much great information. You will be able to determine what fits your vacation style and interests and narrow down the options.

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I agree with the post that said Glacier Bay is the highlight when going to Alaska, and it would be a shame to miss it.

You might want to check the Ports of Call board, Alaska for more info.

Both Tracey Arm and Glacier Bay are spectacular... You will likely be going back (because Alaska is simply amazing!), so whichever one you miss you can catch on your return visit.

To the original poster: Alaska is entirely different than the Caribbean which I find entirely a waste of time after one cruise. It is the beauty & spirit of Alaska, inside passage, Glacier Bay. Our first Alaska cruise went to Tracey Arm & it was a lovely 7 day. Been back twice & going to third/ Glacier Bay.

Go for the experience & do not worry about filling time.

i got two quotes so far. both princess ships leave from seattle, the emerald is about a thousand dollars cheaper than ruby but it looks like they go to the same ports. there is inner passage, glacier, land/sea. where do i begin to sort this out? it's my husband and i and all i really know is that i want a whale watching excursion. can someone lead me to where i can get information on this? and one more question. we have gone on a few caribbean cruises where you spend the day by the pool or in our case in the shade reading. what do you do on the ship all day?

hope someone can help me thank you in advance

I personally like the Emerald better than the star.....if the are the same, go with the emerald. if one goes to Glacier bay as opposed see to glaciers- choose that one

Whale watching is great in Juneau.......I've been on private tours and Princess...........saw more with Princess however there were 50 people on the boat pushing and shoving- not a pleasant.......there were 4 of us on the private tour

We are sailing on the Emerald May 27 round trip Seattle with our family. This will be our third Alaskan cruise, and they were all good. However, we were very disappointed in the land- cruise we did a few years ago. I say that to let you know there is nothing inferior about a round trip Seattle.

The best whale watching is in Juneau where we have always booked private tours. The cost is $20 - $40 less than a ship's tour, but the real difference is in the number of people on your boat. We are booked with Captain Terry on a boat that only holds 18 people so everyone can move around for the best pictures and views.

Hope you have fun planning your trip. There is a world of experience available to you on these boards.

A word of caution on the small boat whale watching excursions. A couple of years ago we has a 3-generation family cruise to Alaska (16 of us). I booked a private tour on a small boat with a local provider. It was to be the highlight of the cruise.

On the morning we arrived in Juneau, I got a call on my cell phone telling me they had to cancel the tour due to bad weather on Auke Bay. ALL of the other tours were fully booked and ALL of them went anyway because they were on bigger boats that could handle the waves. I got a full refund and I don't blame Harv&Marv but it's just something to be aware of.

We had a great experience with our small boat tour. Google the MV Scania the guide was awesome with great stories about loving in Alaska

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We had a great experience with our small boat tour. Google the MV Scania the guide was awesome with great stories about loving in Alaska

What happens in Alaska is supposed to stay in Alaska. :evilsmile::evilsmile::evilsmile::evilsmile:;-)

If you have never been to Alaska, go to Glacier Bay. Tracy Arm is often iced out and not very accessible sometimes in the summer.

A word of caution on the small boat whale watching excursions. A couple of years ago we has a 3-generation family cruise to Alaska (16 of us). I booked a private tour on a small boat with a local provider. It was to be the highlight of the cruise.

On the morning we arrived in Juneau, I got a call on my cell phone telling me they had to cancel the tour due to bad weather on Auke Bay. ALL of the other tours were fully booked and ALL of them went anyway because they were on bigger boats that could handle the waves. I got a full refund and I don't blame Harv&Marv but it's just something to be aware of.

This happened to us, too. We were also booked with Harv and Marv. I was so disappointed.