Advice please: Coral, Island, or Diamond for Alaska

[cruz guy]

Looking for advice.

 

We were on the Golden a year ago to Alaska before the Golden started doing Glacier Bay. At that time it was doing Tracey Arm.

 

Loved it and now am planning a b2b. I am looking at the Island, Coral, and Diamond Princess. I would love to hear any feedback on any of these ships for Alaska.

 

My original idea was to go on one ship up to Whittier and then go back on a different ship just to get the experience of 2 different ships. I'm still considering this, but it looks like lining up dates to be able to go northbound on one ship and southbound on another might be difficult.

 

The only way it might work is to take a Princess ship up and a HAL ship or Celebrity ship back. Do you think its worth the hassle...or should we just stick with one ship?

[Colo Cruiser]

Looking for advice.

 

We were on the Golden a year ago to Alaska before the Golden started doing Glacier Bay. At that time it was doing Tracey Arm.

 

Loved it and now am planning a b2b. I am looking at the Island, Coral, and Diamond Princess. I would love to hear any feedback on any of these ships for Alaska.

 

My original idea was to go on one ship up to Whittier and then go back on a different ship just to get the experience of 2 different ships. I'm still considering this, but it looks like lining up dates to be able to go northbound on one ship and southbound on another might be difficult.

 

The only way it might work is to take a Princess ship up and a HAL ship or Celebrity ship back. Do you think its worth the hassle...or should we just stick with one ship?

 

Have you checked into a back to back cruise on the same ship between van-Anc?

The Island/Coral are the best. ;)

[cruz guy]

Have you checked into a back to back cruise on the same ship between van-Anc?

The Island/Coral are the best. ;)

 

Was thinking of that since it might be easier to stay on the ship. I was going to price out the difference between booking this as 2 separate 7 day cruises vs a 14 day cruise. Seems like sometimes its cheaper to book it as 2 cruises.

 

I just thought it would be fun to go on two different ships since exploring the ships are part of the fun of cruising. Also two different ships would offer 2 different entertainment options during the week.

 

Also, if I book as 2 cruises, we would get 2 cruise credits rather than one. I also want to check out the difference in OBC since I would be using FCC.

 

On the Coral/Island, do you miss the IC?

[bobalink]

We did a cruise tour on the Coral and it was wonderful!

 

We flew up to Fairbanks and started the cruise tour, staying at Princess Lodges in Fairbanks, Denali and Mt. McKinley. The glass dome train cars make the trek so enjoyable. We boarded the ship in Anchorage, southbound to Vancouver. We highly recommend the cruise tour, especially if you do the land part first. You need the energy at the front end of the trip and then you can relax when you get on the Coral.

 

I have not done a b2b, but I would not want to change ships. Part of what makes cruising so carefree is unpacking ONE time.

 

Have a fabulous time in Alaska, whichever ship or itinerary you choose.

[Colo Cruiser]

Was thinking of that since it might be easier to stay on the ship. I was going to price out the difference between booking this as 2 separate 7 day cruises vs a 14 day cruise. Seems like sometimes its cheaper to book it as 2 cruises.

 

I just thought it would be fun to go on two different ships since exploring the ships are part of the fun of cruising. Also two different ships would offer 2 different entertainment options during the week.

 

Also, if I book as 2 cruises, we would get 2 cruise credits rather than one. I also want to check out the difference in OBC since I would be using FCC.

 

On the Coral/Island, do you miss the IC?

 

 

Two different ships would be good.

Do the dates require you to stay a day or 2 in a hotel between sailings?

 

We miss the IC a little on the Coral/Island but the ship itself makes up for it I think.

[cruz guy]

Two different ships would be good.

Do the dates require you to stay a day or 2 in a hotel between sailings?

 

We miss the IC a little on the Coral/Island but the ship itself makes up for it I think.

 

Can't coordinate 2 different Princess ships, but can coordinate a HAL ship and Princess ship. Hal goes into Seward and Princess goes into Whitier. How far apart are those? Could they be traveled in a short time to get off one ship and get onto the other?

 

We love Princess but am wondering how we would like HAL. I have read that HAL and Princess are the only 2 lines that can get into Glacier Bay.

[Colo Cruiser]

Can't coordinate 2 different Princess ships, but can coordinate a HAL ship and Princess ship. Hal goes into Seward and Princess goes into Whitier. How far apart are those? Could they be traveled in a short time to get off one ship and get onto the other?

 

We love Princess but am wondering how we would like HAL. I have read that HAL and Princess are the only 2 lines that can get into Glacier Bay.

 

 

Not sure how far they are from one another but there is several options online for transportation.

[bobalink]

The distance between Seward and Whittier is 32 miles, according to:

 

http://www.geobytes.com/CityDistanceTool.htm?loadpage

 

I have recently sailed on HAL. You will find many similarities between Princess and HAL.

[Druke I]

I think the Island/Coral design and size is far superior to the Diamond's size and passenger load.

[Raamo]

The distance between Seward and Whittier is 32 miles, according to:

 

http://www.geobytes.com/CityDistanceTool.htm?loadpage

 

I have recently sailed on HAL. You will find many similarities between Princess and HAL.

 

That site has a note :) Please note: The distance is calculated "as the crow flies". It uses the latitude and longitude of the cities to calculate the distance, so this may vary from the driving distances.

 

According to Google directions it's 89 mi via the roads.

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=whittier,+AK&daddr=Seward,+Kenai+Peninsula,+Alaska&hl=en&geocode=FcBSnwMdj0Mj9ylTlZKe2Rq4VjHiLl2ODxvX9g%3BFecdlQMdUrEX9ynF_yrybpvHVjG_EdI2wmDhWw&mra=pd&mrcr=0&sll=60.439499,-149.059957&sspn=0.930888,2.469177&ie=UTF8&ll=60.474818,-149.133911&spn=0.929879,2.469177&z=9

 

There is a tunnel you have to transit through just north of Whittier to get to Seward - it's not a two way tunnel and can impact travel times. (up to 2 hour delays) There's very little in Whittier, that being said I know it's possible to rent a car in Whittier but we didn't because the cost was quite a bit higher then getting a car in Anchorage.

 

Best of luck.

[Colo Cruiser]

That site has a note :) Please note: The distance is calculated "as the crow flies". It uses the latitude and longitude of the cities to calculate the distance, so this may vary from the driving distances.

 

According to Google directions it's 89 mi via the roads.

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=whittier,+AK&daddr=Seward,+Kenai+Peninsula,+Alaska&hl=en&geocode=FcBSnwMdj0Mj9ylTlZKe2Rq4VjHiLl2ODxvX9g%3BFecdlQMdUrEX9ynF_yrybpvHVjG_EdI2wmDhWw&mra=pd&mrcr=0&sll=60.439499,-149.059957&sspn=0.930888,2.469177&ie=UTF8&ll=60.474818,-149.133911&spn=0.929879,2.469177&z=9

 

There is a tunnel you have to transit through just north of Whittier to get to Seward - it's not a two way tunnel and can impact travel times. (up to 2 hour delays) There's very little in Whittier, that being said I know it's possible to rent a car in Whittier but we didn't because the cost was quite a bit higher then getting a car in Anchorage.

 

Best of luck.

 

Might be actual distance versus road miles.

[bluemoon2009]

Was thinking of that since it might be easier to stay on the ship. I was going to price out the difference between booking this as 2 separate 7 day cruises vs a 14 day cruise. Seems like sometimes its cheaper to book it as 2 cruises.

 

I just thought it would be fun to go on two different ships since exploring the ships are part of the fun of cruising. Also two different ships would offer 2 different entertainment options during the week.

 

Also, if I book as 2 cruises, we would get 2 cruise credits rather than one. I also want to check out the difference in OBC since I would be using FCC.

 

On the Coral/Island, do you miss the IC?

 

What does IC stand for?? a little new to all of this and am looking at all three ships as well.

[Colo Cruiser]

What does IC stand for?? a little new to all of this and am looking at all three ships as well.

 

International Cafe.

Only on certain ships.

[gertz]

Can't coordinate 2 different Princess ships, but can coordinate a HAL ship and Princess ship. Hal goes into Seward and Princess goes into Whitier. How far apart are those? Could they be traveled in a short time to get off one ship and get onto the other?

 

We love Princess but am wondering how we would like HAL. I have read that HAL and Princess are the only 2 lines that can get into Glacier Bay.

 

It is not difficult to get to Seward but not exactly cheap either. We did it last year after getting off the Island. We used PJ's taxi which is located in Seward. We prearranged times with her and she was there right on time and then we waited no more than 10 min at the tunnel which is in Whittier. The tunnel it's self is an experience. We then marveled at the scenery as we traveled to Seward. We saw Moose, Bears, Fish, Eagles, etc, etc. on the way. We thought it was well worth the price.

[cruz guy]

It is not difficult to get to Seward but not exactly cheap either. We did it last year after getting off the Island. We used PJ's taxi which is located in Seward. We prearranged times with her and she was there right on time and then we waited no more than 10 min at the tunnel which is in Whittier. The tunnel it's self is an experience. We then marveled at the scenery as we traveled to Seward. We saw Moose, Bears, Fish, Eagles, etc, etc. on the way. We thought it was well worth the price.

 

Thanks for the info. If you don't mind my asking, about what is the price for PJ's taxi approximately.

 

Trying to figure out if its worth it to switch ships 1/2 way through.

[Assateague Island Princes]

How about considering HAL's 14 day Alaska itinerary on the Amsterdam? We took this cruise on May 31st this year - was our third time to Alaska and we LOVED it! No repeat ports, which you would most likely have on any northbound, then southbound sailing, PLUS you get both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, along with the new ports of Anchorage (right up Cook Inlet to the city itself - not Whittier or Seward!), Kodiak, and our new favorite AK port - Homer! You get the usual suspects as well - Ketchikan, Sitka, Icy Straight Point (it was Skagway this year), and Juneau, and then Victoria, BC. Its a roundtrip Seattle itinerary, so less cost for flying. As I said, spectacular itinerary, great port times (except for Kodiak, would have loved some extra time there!), and a beautiful, smaller ship. Give it a look see - who knows? It might fit the bill for you! Though we've only sailed HAL to Alaska, I understand Princess is very similar and I don't think you'd be disappointed. Good luck in your planning and have a wonderful trip to the Great Land!

[cruz guy]

How about considering HAL's 14 day Alaska itinerary on the Amsterdam? We took this cruise on May 31st this year - was our third time to Alaska and we LOVED it! No repeat ports, which you would most likely have on any northbound, then southbound sailing, PLUS you get both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, along with the new ports of Anchorage (right up Cook Inlet to the city itself - not Whittier or Seward!), Kodiak, and our new favorite AK port - Homer! You get the usual suspects as well - Ketchikan, Sitka, Icy Straight Point (it was Skagway this year), and Juneau, and then Victoria, BC. Its a roundtrip Seattle itinerary, so less cost for flying. As I said, spectacular itinerary, great port times (except for Kodiak, would have loved some extra time there!), and a beautiful, smaller ship. Give it a look see - who knows? It might fit the bill for you! Though we've only sailed HAL to Alaska, I understand Princess is very similar and I don't think you'd be disappointed. Good luck in your planning and have a wonderful trip to the Great Land!

 

Thanks for the suggestion! Although I am a huge Princess fan, this itinerary looks great.

[K8sMom]

We did a B-to-B on the Island to Alaska a couple of years ago. Would do it again in a minute, and probably will. Even though it went to the same ports on the Southbound return trip, it gave us an opportunity to do things on the second stop that we did not have time to do in one day on the northbound trip. So it was like going to a different port.

[cruz guy]

We did a B-to-B on the Island to Alaska a couple of years ago. Would do it again in a minute, and probably will. Even though it went to the same ports on the Southbound return trip, it gave us an opportunity to do things on the second stop that we did not have time to do in one day on the northbound trip. So it was like going to a different port.

 

What about the entertainment and activities...did you find the repetition from one week to the next boring?

[gertz]

Thanks for the info. If you don't mind my asking, about what is the price for PJ's taxi approximately.

 

Trying to figure out if its worth it to switch ships 1/2 way through.

 

About $150.00. Unless there has been a change you can't rent a car either for a one way.

I'm not in favor of switching ships and I'm also not turned on to B to B on this itinerary. But on the other hand there is so much to see and do out of Seward. Kenai National park absolute must do. The train to Anchorage one of the top 10 scenic train rides in the world by AAA. But in any event what ever you decide in Alaska you will have a great time.