Alaska 2018 - thoughts and predictions?

Alaska 2018 seems to be shaping up as 7 ship season - Star, Golden, Coral, Island, Emerald and Ruby all appear to be headed to Vancouver/Seattle, and the Grand seems poised to continue out of San Fransico.

Do we think it will be a 4 ship season from Vancouver and 2 from Seattle, or will it split 3 and 3? If 4 from Vancouver would they all do the North/South runs to coordinate with land tours, or would they offer 1 round trip 7 day Vancouver ship and stay with 3 North/South ships? If 3/3 would all 3 from Seattle offer 7 day itineraries, or could Princess try and compete with HAL and offer a true 14 day itinerary from Seattle?

My Prediction - Star, Golden and Coral do 7 day North/South from Vancouver, Island does 7 day round trip Vancouver, and Emerald & Ruby do 7 day round trip Seattle

Speculation is always fun, so let's armchair quarterback this one :D

Alaska 2018 seems to be shaping up as 7 ship season - Star, Golden, Coral, Island, Emerald and Ruby all appear to be headed to Vancouver/Seattle, and the Grand seems poised to continue out of San Fransico.

 

Do we think it will be a 4 ship season from Vancouver and 2 from Seattle, or will it split 3 and 3? If 4 from Vancouver would they all do the North/South runs to coordinate with land tours, or would they offer 1 round trip 7 day Vancouver ship and stay with 3 North/South ships? If 3/3 would all 3 from Seattle offer 7 day itineraries, or could Princess try and compete with HAL and offer a true 14 day itinerary from Seattle?

 

My Prediction - Star, Golden and Coral do 7 day North/South from Vancouver, Island does 7 day round trip Vancouver, and Emerald & Ruby do 7 day round trip Seattle

 

Speculation is always fun, so let's armchair quarterback this one :D

The Ruby and the Emerald are cruising out of Seattle (on Saturday and Sunday respectively) and will be doing the standard 7-day Alaska cruise. Although I haven't checked the cruise schedule out of Vancouver, I would assume that the 3 ships you mentioned will be going out of Vancouver on their normal runs. One of the Ruby cruises in May will be a charter and will consist of an all-Chinese passenger manifest which may turn out to be an interesting day at Pier 91.

Tom

Alaska 2018 seems to be shaping up as 7 ship season - Star, Golden, Coral, Island, Emerald and Ruby all appear to be headed to Vancouver/Seattle, and the Grand seems poised to continue out of San Fransico.

 

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My Prediction - Star, Golden and Coral do 7 day North/South from Vancouver, Island does 7 day round trip Vancouver, and Emerald & Ruby do 7 day round trip Seattle

 

Speculation is always fun, so let's armchair quarterback this one :D

I would predict that your prediction is in need of a revision. The Golden appears to be doing a one-off in Alaska as part of their Circle Pacific tour. They appear to be doing the same thing in 2017. Then they are back in the Australia/Asia/South Pacific area.

I would predict that your prediction is in need of a revision. The Golden appears to be doing a one-off in Alaska as part of their Circle Pacific tour. They appear to be doing the same thing in 2017. Then they are back in the Australia/Asia/South Pacific area.

A few points that lead me to think the Golden will not do a full 75 day Circle Pacific in 2018 and will instead summer in Alaskan waters. First the 2018 segments and itinerary names that are currently for sale are shorter and have more options that end in Vancouver or Whittier than the 2017 schedule offers. Second the repo is almost a full month earlier which ties in more in with the start of the Alaska season. Third, if a full 75 day Circle Pacific itinerary were to be on offer for 2018 it would not make sense to sell the shorter segments prior to the full itinerary being available. Fourth, Golden Princess last call on Syndey port schedule is 4/9/18, then returns to schedule on 10/15/18, a typical absence for a ship repositioning from Australia to Alaska for a summer season. Fifth, the Diamond Princess has slots on the Sydney port schedule April-Novemeber 2018 that fit in with the Golden summer 2017 season, indicating that Princess will be moving Diamond "Down Under" for the season, which would not surprise me.

Looking at these indications I'm more likely to bet on Golden for Alaska summer 2018. Time will tell which of us is right :D

A few points that lead me to think the Golden will not do a full 75 day Circle Pacific in 2018 and will instead summer in Alaskan waters. First the 2018 segments and itinerary names that are currently for sale are shorter and have more options that end in Vancouver or Whittier than the 2017 schedule offers. Second the repo is almost a full month earlier which ties in more in with the start of the Alaska season. Third, if a full 75 day Circle Pacific itinerary were to be on offer for 2018 it would not make sense to sell the shorter segments prior to the full itinerary being available. Fourth, Golden Princess last call on Syndey port schedule is 4/9/18, then returns to schedule on 10/15/18, a typical absence for a ship repositioning from Australia to Alaska for a summer season. Fifth, the Diamond Princess has slots on the Sydney port schedule April-Novemeber 2018 that fit in with the Golden summer 2017 season, indicating that Princess will be moving Diamond "Down Under" for the season, which would not surprise me.

 

Looking at these indications I'm more likely to bet on Golden for Alaska summer 2018. Time will tell which of us is right :D

A quick check of the Princess website shows that the Golden Princess will be sailing during the May-Sept period in and around Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Japan. They will make one trip from Osaka through some Alaskan ports and on to Los Angeles where it will then back to the Australia and New Zealand area.

Tom

A quick check of the Princess website shows that the Golden Princess will be sailing during the May-Sept period in and around Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Japan. They will make one trip from Osaka through some Alaskan ports and on to Los Angeles where it will then back to the Australia and New Zealand area.

 

Tom

For 2017 yes.

However the 2018 schedule for Golden ends on May 19th with her arrival in Vancouver, nothing beyond that yet that I have seen published. I'm speculating on her 2018 deployment, not the 2017 deployment which has been available for some time.

For 2017 yes.

 

However the 2018 schedule for Golden ends on May 19th with her arrival in Vancouver, nothing beyond that yet that I have seen published. I'm speculating on her 2018 deployment, not the 2017 deployment which has been available for some time.

Sorry. I missed noting that. Shows you should never do things when you're in a hurry! :(

Tom

There is an online TA site (there was an indirect reference to it in another topic) that is showing schedules although not bookable yet (of course). They have Coral, Island, Star, and Golden doing the one ways with the first NB of the season as follows (you can extrapolate from there for the dates for the rest of the season): Coral - Wed 5/9/18, Star - Sat 5/12, Island - Wed 5/16, and Golden - Sat 5/19. But that site is not showing cruisetours yet which is my interest for that season.

I'm also watching for the 2018 cruise tours to open up, and am hoping that the Coral will be offered on some of the Southbound Connoisseur Escorted Tours in 2018 that were not available in 2017 :D.

I really want tour OB6 which does two nights Fairbanks, 2 nights Denali and 2 nights McKinley. In 2017 this tour was only available on the Star and Island, so hopefully for 2018 the Coral will offer it!

I'm also watching for the 2018 cruise tours to open up, and am hoping that the Coral will be offered on some of the Southbound Connoisseur Escorted Tours in 2018 that were not available in 2017 :D.

 

 

 

I really want tour OB6 which does two nights Fairbanks, 2 nights Denali and 2 nights McKinley. In 2017 this tour was only available on the Star and Island, so hopefully for 2018 the Coral will offer it!

I'm looking for OB6 as well to line into what should be Corals's 7/11/18 SB cruise. We should know in a couple of weeks.

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I'm also watching for the 2018 cruise tours to open up, and am hoping that the Coral will be offered on some of the Southbound Connoisseur Escorted Tours in 2018 that were not available in 2017 :D.

 

I really want tour OB6 which does two nights Fairbanks, 2 nights Denali and 2 nights McKinley. In 2017 this tour was only available on the Star and Island, so hopefully for 2018 the Coral will offer it!

Here is your answer.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2425278

I am surprised to see the Golden back on this side of the Pacific for the summer season in 2018. Guess the new Majestic is filling the Asian market needs.

Edit: I see that you already found that thread. :D

I'm looking for OB6 as well to line into what should be Corals's 7/11/18 SB cruise. We should know in a couple of weeks.

So, it's PB6 for 2018 rather than OB6 but same tour and it will line into the Coral's 7/11/18 cruise so on 12/1, I will be on the phone with my TA.

So, it's PB6 for 2018 rather than OB6 but same tour and it will line into the Coral's 7/11/18 cruise so on 12/1, I will be on the phone with my TA.

I'm targeting the 8/2/18 departure of the same Cruisetour on the Coral. Mums birthday is on the 7th of August so want her to celebrate as we travel :D. Looking forward to booking on 12/1 as well!

Now what would be really great is if the launch fares were combineable with the 3 for free promo, which I doubt...... But one can hope!

The article on the news board says Golden will make a R/T L.A. to Alaska in 2018. This is great. Not showing on Princess schedule yet.

I predict:

- it will rain in Ketchikan

- the glaciers will retreat

- salmon and halibut will be on the menu

- a cruise ship will hit a whale.

I predict:

- it will rain in Ketchikan

- the glaciers will retreat

- salmon and halibut will be on the menu

- a cruise ship will hit a whale.

I'm ok with predictions 1-3, but let's hope #4 doesn't happen. We don't need cruise lines running over their own passengers :eek:

Taking advantage of Alaska's legalization of the retail sale and consumption of marijuana, cruise lines will be offering 'Baked' Alaska Tours.