"Alaska Here We Come"

[Robocop42385]

We did the Ultimate 14-Night Alaska cruise in 2009 on the Radiance and I would do it again in a heartbeat. We went in September and despite everything that I read about Alaskan weather, it was nice and sunny. So yes, September was a great month for us. The glass of the Radiance is perfect for all the beauties Alaska offers. Even saw porpoises from the glass elevator.

In Skagway we did the train too. Drove to Emerald Lake by bus and returned to Skagway by train. It was an amazing trip. But if you're in one of the cars in the front and want to stand outside, the smoke of the train really hurts they eyes ;)

Whatever you chose to do, you will love it. It was the best 14 days of my life

 

Cindy

 

Sg

I'm so glad to hear that you had a wonderful experience in September. That has been one of the months that we have been considering but my concern was that the ports would be winding down for the season and maybe the excursions available would be trimmed back. Of course the weather was also a concern but from your post it sounds like you had a fabulous time all around. It must have been heaven being on the cruise for 14 days.

 

I see that you are from Belgium. One of our friends going on the cruise is also from Belgium. She has lived in the states for 20 plus years now but her whole family is still in Belgium.

 

Cyndee

[Robocop42385]

I will be cruising Sept 2 and I will be writing a full review when I get back home (which will be on Sept 13) ... So keep an eye out for it around the 14th or 15th.

 

I am doing the Northbound (Vancouver to Seward) and will be spending 2 nights in Seward and 2 in Anchorage. I also will have my first Aft cabin (1104)

 

I hope to include information on Vancouver(Spending 4 nights)' date=' Seward and Anchorage along with reviews of the ship and my time spent in port. (This will of course contain LOTS of pics!)

 

Is there anything specific you want me to find out about for you?

 

(BTW, I did a roundtrip from Seattle May of last year on Carnival Spirit and LOVED it ... but I heard so many people say you get much better scenery if you DON'T do roundtrip)[/quote']

 

Oscar

I will be waiting anxiously for your review in mid September. We are going on Freedom 11/13 to the Caribbean and planned on booking onboard for Alaska. We also have noticed this year that any of the C & A balcony discounts have been for the September saillings. I haven't seen any for other months but could have missed them. Maybe its because September is not very popular as a cruise month to Alaska. We will be looking forward to your reveiw.

Cyndee

[Robocop42385]

We have done the RCI Alaska cruise in May.Luckily had great weather and all the ports were well stocked and were very happy for the cruise season to start (given the choice I would opt for this "shoulder season" again)..We did the North bound out of Vancouver and had a portside balcony..What an amazing way to start a cruise with the sailout under Lionsgate Bridge and past Stanley Park....We used the ship arranged train transfers on the Grandview Alaska Railroad from Seward right into the Anchorage Airport and it was one of the highlights of our cruise...Enjoy !!

 

Ashland

Do you have any photos of the sail away under the bridge and the train ride to Anchorage? Would love to see those.

Cyndee

[sg1phileshipper]

Sg

I'm so glad to hear that you had a wonderful experience in September. That has been one of the months that we have been considering but my concern was that the ports would be winding down for the season and maybe the excursions available would be trimmed back. Of course the weather was also a concern but from your post it sounds like you had a fabulous time all around. It must have been heaven being on the cruise for 14 days.

 

I see that you are from Belgium. One of our friends going on the cruise is also from Belgium. She has lived in the states for 20 plus years now but her whole family is still in Belgium.

 

Cyndee

 

There was still a good choice in excursions in September. And yes, they were indeed winding down for the season in all ports of call, but that meant one thing: Sales!!!! In all ports-of-calls non-ship excursions were widely offered.

 

I bet your Belgian friend living the States for so long must really miss two things: her family of course and our wonderful chocolate :D

 

Cindy

[Robocop42385]

There was still a good choice in excursions in September. And yes, they were indeed winding down for the season in all ports of call, but that meant one thing: Sales!!!! In all ports-of-calls non-ship excursions were widely offered.

 

I bet your Belgian friend living the States for so long must really miss two things: her family of course and our wonderful chocolate :D

 

Cindy

 

Spot on with that....They just spent 4 years in Germany (about 50 miles from her parents in Belgium) so I'm sure it was hard to leave the family again but there's always cruising to relieve some of the sadness. Thanks for the info on the ports in September.

[Ashland]

Ashland

Do you have any photos of the sail away under the bridge and the train ride to Anchorage? Would love to see those.

Cyndee

Yes I do ..but have no idea how to post them..Sorry :o

[sg1phileshipper]

Spot on with that....They just spent 4 years in Germany (about 50 miles from her parents in Belgium) so I'm sure it was hard to leave the family again but there's always cruising to relieve some of the sadness. Thanks for the info on the ports in September.

 

You're very welcome. Glad I could help you a little :)

 

Cindy

[Disneygirl78]

Weather is entirely a crap shoot, as others have said. We picked July 22-29 this year as a good intersection of wildlife spotting and weather, but the salmon were running late, so the wildlife cycle was kind of off, and the weather was actually awful in Ketchikan, Icy Strait, and Juneau. Rain, cold, and fog so thick that no float planes or helicopters could fly all day when we were in Ketchikan and again in Juneau. We did some kayaking and hiking in the rainforest along a glacier, which was actually fantastic, but I'm still mourning the lost Misty Fjord float plane trip and our planned heli glacier trek. Just be prepared for that to happen on any date you pick.

 

On the other hand, in Skagway it was clear enough for views from the train, and we had perfect weather for Hubbard Glacier and for Seward after the trip. And on that note, I would definitely recommend making time for Seward. If your friends like the White Pass train, they will love the glass-domed train from Seward to Anchorage. It's spectacular. And you should definitely consider a long day-cruise into Kenai Fjord (tours of 6 hours or longer are best) - it is the best wildlife viewing you can imagine.

[Robocop42385]

Weather is entirely a crap shoot, as others have said. We picked July 22-29 this year as a good intersection of wildlife spotting and weather, but the salmon were running late, so the wildlife cycle was kind of off, and the weather was actually awful in Ketchikan, Icy Strait, and Juneau. Rain, cold, and fog so thick that no float planes or helicopters could fly all day when we were in Ketchikan and again in Juneau. We did some kayaking and hiking in the rainforest along a glacier, which was actually fantastic, but I'm still mourning the lost Misty Fjord float plane trip and our planned heli glacier trek. Just be prepared for that to happen on any date you pick.

 

On the other hand, in Skagway it was clear enough for views from the train, and we had perfect weather for Hubbard Glacier and for Seward after the trip. And on that note, I would definitely recommend making time for Seward. If your friends like the White Pass train, they will love the glass-domed train from Seward to Anchorage. It's spectacular. And you should definitely consider a long day-cruise into Kenai Fjord (tours of 6 hours or longer are best) - it is the best wildlife viewing you can imagine.

 

Disney....I feel like I should say "I'm sorry for your loss" I can see how you would be mourning not being able to do the Misty Fjord float plane trip and the heli glacier trek. Those would be absolutely amazing and I'm sure you were looking forward to the excursions for a long time. Someone else had mentioned about the train from Seward to Anchorage and how fantastic it was. Thanks so much for sharing.

 

Would your suggestion be to book a lot of the excursions thru the ship just in case they had to be cancelled for weather reasons?

 

How does everyone feel about booking excursions thru the ship or using locals...Let me know some of your experiences.

 

Thanks again everyone you are really giving us a lot of great suggestions.

 

Cyndee