What to expect while doing the inside passage.

[JaniceB]

Looks like you had a beautiful day in Glacier Bay.

[dancerwith4kids]

I just about always see orcas. Vancouver Island has 6 resident pods. I am up and out forward viewing 1/2 hour prior to the posted dawn time. Usually the only one out. :) A good pair of wide angle binoculars are necessary.

 

Humpbacks are sometimes seen around Dixon Passage, which is later the same day.

 

This does require a big investment of time, forward viewing. Not for everyone, but I am always greatly rewarded with multiple wildlife sightings. :)

 

This is great! I was reading that July and August were more likely to see Orcas so I was afraid we wouldn't see any. We will definitely be out looking for them. That will be a highlight for us. So forward viewing is best, thanks for the tips! I am marking these on my Alaska Cruise Handbook map! :)

[dancerwith4kids]

You are never too early for whales leaving Vancouver but they are elusive. 6 JUN you will have daylight on the water until fairly late in the evening (11PM) and depending on the tide at Seymour Narrows (Just North of Campbell River) the ship will either be dogging it or going as fast as it can to make it at slack tide. So your viewing to darkness & sunrise position will depend on the tides at the Narrows and where your first Port is up north. Kinda complicated for timing ..sorry.

 

Through the Johnston Strait to the Northern tip of Vancouver Island is fairly narrow and whales could be visible at anytime there is daylight (5 AM ish) on your Journey.... this is the best overall viewing area of your trip in a large cruise ship these days as few venture off the "Safest" track now.

I refer to Orca's only in this area.

 

Thanks for the info! I really hope we get to see whales. :)

[Jasperdo]

 

Your photos are amazing:)

Thank you. But seeing Glacier Bay in person is way better than any picture can show. The scope and majesty of the place is amazing, and pictures just can't do it justice.

[Jasperdo]

Looks like you had a beautiful day in Glacier Bay.

Yes we did. The Cruise Director later that day said it was the first sunny day they had in Glacier Bay that season. And this was in the last half of June.

[SheriNtexas]

Thank you. But seeing Glacier Bay in person is way better than any picture can show. The scope and majesty of the place is amazing, and pictures just can't do it justice.

 

Kind of like when I visited the Grand Canyon years ago...no picture I had seen even came CLOSE to how beautiful seeing it in person was!

[dmwnc1959]

Yes we did. The Cruise Director later that day said it was the first sunny day they had in Glacier Bay that season. And this was in the last half of June.

 

Your photographs are simply stunning. Of my three visits to Glacier Bay I was never so fortunate enough to have a post-card perfect day like that!

[Tenn4ever]

Here's a link to the photos I took in Glacier Bay National Park. It will give you some idea what the cruise through there is like:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytravelphotos/sets/72157626946710855/with/5892244985/

 

Wow, these are great pictures - can't wait. We like wildlife but having lived where we see bears on the way to work and wolfs, foxes and coyotes in our back yard we're not quite as enthusiastic about wildlife - sometimes it's been too close.:D

[Tenn4ever]

Kind of like when I visited the Grand Canyon years ago...no picture I had seen even came CLOSE to how beautiful seeing it in person was!

 

That is such a true statement. The first time we saw it I almost fell down in awe.

[jailer19]

The pictures are truely amazing, I can't wait to see it in real life. It looks so beautiful!!

[jtsbusiness]

Hi

 

We are on Celebrity middle of May and going from Vancouver via Inside Passage to Icy Strait and on way back from Ketchican through Inside Passage to Vancouver. My question is, do we go through Glacier Bay or do we miss this? We are going to Hubbard Glacier after Icy Strait.

 

As the original question was what to do while cruising Inside Passage and a lot of the answers relate to Glacier Bay, I wondered whether we would be privileged to see this area also.

 

We leave Vancouver at 4.00 pm Are we likely to see any Ocras?

[Budget Queen]

Hi

 

We are on Celebrity middle of May and going from Vancouver via Inside Passage to Icy Strait and on way back from Ketchican through Inside Passage to Vancouver. My question is, do we go through Glacier Bay or do we miss this? We are going to Hubbard Glacier after Icy Strait.

 

As the original question was what to do while cruising Inside Passage and a lot of the answers relate to Glacier Bay, I wondered whether we would be privileged to see this area also.

 

We leave Vancouver at 4.00 pm Are we likely to see any Ocras?

 

Nope, your route does not go to Glacier Bay. Upon leaving Hoonah, you will be passing by the entrance- as well as a superb humpback feeding area just prior. You may want to stay out on deck for a couple hours after leaving, perhaps depending on your direction. ("back from Ketchikan???)

[SheriNtexas]

Here's a link to the photos I took in Glacier Bay National Park. It will give you some idea what the cruise through there is like:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mytravelphotos/sets/72157626946710855/with/5892244985/

 

 

I've just looked at some of your photos....beautiful! I have a question about the camera you used....i mostly take pictures of my grandkids, lol, and i use a Sony camera...nothing fancy....do you like the camera you used? I just looked it up on Amazon and it's not expensive at all....i don't mind buying a camera for the trip, but i thought to get a camera good enough to use in Alaska, i would have to spend $500, which i didn't want to do! Did your camera work well, especially when taking pics from the ship? Is 12x zoom good?

[jtsbusiness]

Sorry, not made myself very clear. Our itinerary will start at Vancouver, sail Inside Passage to Icy Strait Point, then Hubbards Glacier, Juneau, Ketchican, Inside Passage, Vancouver.

 

We will be on the Port side of the ship and hope to see some fantastic scenary.

 

I have just re-read the original question, and see that they said Glacier Bay. Hopefully Hubbards Glacier will be just as fantastic:confused::)

 

Thanks for your response. Hopefully the next one will be reassuring as we are coming a long long way for this cruise :)

[rayliang]

Do they offer you throw blankets while sitting and viewing outside or should I bring my own from home?

 

~Marilyn

 

there was plenty of blankets you can check out on the Diamond Princess, and so by extension I think all Princess ships will have blankets on deck.

 

don't know about other cruiselines.

[LeftcoastBC]

Sorry, not made myself very clear. Our itinerary will start at Vancouver, sail Inside Passage to Icy Strait Point, then Hubbards Glacier, Juneau, Ketchican, Inside Passage, Vancouver.

 

We will be on the Port side of the ship and hope to see some fantastic scenary.

 

I have just re-read the original question, and see that they said Glacier Bay. Hopefully Hubbards Glacier will be just as fantastic:confused::)

 

Thanks for your response. Hopefully the next one will be reassuring as we are coming a long long way for this cruise :)

 

Hubbard = just as fantastic ..only different.;) You will enjoy that route.

[Jasperdo]

I've just looked at some of your photos....beautiful! I have a question about the camera you used....i mostly take pictures of my grandkids, lol, and i use a Sony camera...nothing fancy....do you like the camera you used? I just looked it up on Amazon and it's not expensive at all....i don't mind buying a camera for the trip, but i thought to get a camera good enough to use in Alaska, i would have to spend $500, which i didn't want to do! Did your camera work well, especially when taking pics from the ship? Is 12x zoom good?

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but to answer your question...I just use a Point and Shoot camera to take all my photos. It's a Canon SX 130IS, and I am very happy with it. It fits in my pocket, and I just whip it out to get a quick picture. The 12X zoom works well, very few Point and Shoots have that big of a zoom lens.I never photoshop any of my photos. But I do shoot on the "P" setting, and I have it set for Vivid with the exposure at -1/3.

[Jasperdo]

Another great viewing area along the Inside Passage is the Lynn Canal. It is a narrow fjord with towering mountains on both sides of the ship. Very scenic. If your ship leaves Skagway early enough, be sure and be out on deck. The Lynn Canal begins immediately after leaving port, and the first 3 hours after leaving Skagway are incredibly scenic. Try and stay out on deck at least until you pass Eldred Rock Lighthouse, which will be on the Starboard side of the ship, not long after passing Haines.

[Wavesprite]

You can certainly do your glacier viewing from your balcony but if you do so you are only going to see half of what Glacier Bay offers up in the way of scenery...my advice is to get out on deck and walk around.

 

We were worried about "seeing half" as well, but when we were in Glacier Bay (on HAL) they spun the ship for about 2 hours......a very slow slow slow spin. It was AMAZING!

[Teacher_91]

One of the most impressive days I have ever had cruising the Inside Passage was when we went through the Grenville Channel in British Columbia south of Prince Rupert on Celebrity Cruises. It was like driving a cruise ship down a mountain alleyway. I'm not sure how many cruise lines do this?

 

Southbound heading toward Vancouver, depending on the time of year and when you hit that stretch of the Inside Passage, the north side of Vancouver Island is very scenic all the way down to Port Neville but it usually gets dark around then mid-Summer.

 

A 'Day at Sea' cruising the Inside Passage north of Vancouver Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even sitting at my computer in far-away TX, I get a huge lump in my throat viewing this MAJESTIC scenery. Thanks so much for sharing!

[jonbgd]

Another great viewing area along the Inside Passage is the Lynn Canal. It is a narrow fjord with towering mountains on both sides of the ship. Very scenic. If your ship leaves Skagway early enough, be sure and be out on deck. The Lynn Canal begins immediately after leaving port, and the first 3 hours after leaving Skagway are incredibly scenic. Try and stay out on deck at least until you pass Eldred Rock Lighthouse, which will be on the Starboard side of the ship, not long after passing Haines.

Is this leaving Skagway and traveling towards Seward/Whittier or is this going back towards Vancouver?

[Jasperdo]

Is this leaving Skagway and traveling towards Seward/Whittier or is this going back towards Vancouver?

Either one. Skagway is located at the north end of the Lynn Canal, and all ships going to Skagway have to travel through the Lynn Canal coming and going. Since most ships arrive in Skagway early in the morning, it's usually best to be out on deck when you leave port.

[dmwnc1959]

Is this leaving Skagway and traveling towards Seward/Whittier or is this going back towards Vancouver?

 

Think of it this way; Skagway is located at the end of a dead-end 'street'. That 'street' is a magnificent narrow waterway called Lynn Canal. If you are lucky enough to be on deck at first light the scenery is simply amazing.

 

Alaska is one itinerary I always made it a point to try and be in bed by 10pm so I could be up on deck at 4am and marvel at all the wonders of nature as the sun came up. It is so breathtakingly quiet that early in the morning.

 

Needless to say I never get a lot of sleep during an Alaska cruise but it is soooo worth it. ;)

[Budget Queen]

Is this leaving Skagway and traveling towards Seward/Whittier or is this going back towards Vancouver?

 

Skagway is a dead end. You transit the Lynn Canal, in and out. It is of great benefit to stay out your day before as well as after leaving Skagway. This is one of the most scenic areas of the inside passage that ships sail.

[billyelliot]

We arrive in Skagway at 7am and leave at 9pm. We shall still be in dinner at 9pm, so what time do we need to be up and out on deck to see this beautiful scenery?