Help needed with itinerary choice

[meadowlander]

I am thinking about a cruise to Alaska this summer. It will be my first cruise there and I have 4 choices to select from and do not know which would be the best for me. The natural beauty is most important to me.

 

All are on HAL. Two depart from Seattle and the other 2 from Vancouver

 

 

 

From Seattle....

option 1

sea day

Juneau 1-10pm

Glacier Bay 7am-4pm

Sitka 7am-3pm

Ketchikan 7am-1pm

Victoria 6pm-midnight

 

 

option 2

sea day

Tracy Arm noon-6pm

Juneau 7am-6pm

Sitka 8am-4pm

Ketchikan 7am-1pm

Victoria 6pm-midnight

 

 

From Vancouver...

option 1

sea day

Glacier Bay 1130am-8pm

Skagway 7am-9pm

Juneau 8am-6pm

Ketchikan noon-8pm

sea day

 

 

option2

inside passage cruising

Tracy Arm 10-1030am & Juneau 1pm-1030pm

Skagway 7am-9pm

Glacier Bay 7am-4pm

Ketchikan 10am-6pm

inside passage cruising

 

 

 

Prices are similiar except for Vancouver option 1 which is much cheaper. Is the inside passage cruising better than sea days or is it the same route for all the choices?

 

All opinions would be helpful.:D

[biker1972]

The Vancouver options offer Glacier Bay (a national park for a reason) and better times and ports.

[bonvoyagie]

All four would be good. I would prefer either Vancouver option but option 2 gives you a chance to take the small excursion boat into Tracy Arm and see Sawyer Glacier and still do an afternoon whale watch in Juneau plus see Glacier Bay - a real win-win.

 

If you want to compare what is in each port see http://cruiseportinsider.com/index.html

[meadowlander]

The Vancouver options offer Glacier Bay (a national park for a reason) and better times and ports.

 

The first Seattle choice also has Glacier Bay but docks at 7 am. I am leaning towards Vancouver. Thanks for your help

[meadowlander]

All four would be good. I would prefer either Vancouver option but option 2 gives you a chance to take the small excursion boat into Tracy Arm and see Sawyer Glacier and still do an afternoon whale watch in Juneau plus see Glacier Bay - a real win-win.

 

If you want to compare what is in each port see http://cruiseportinsider.com/index.html

 

Thank you for your answer. Could I take the excursion in Tracy Arm even though the ship is there for just half an hour?

 

Is the inside passage something not to be missed, in comparsion to the sea days on the 3 other choices?

[JustThinking23]

The first Seattle choice also has Glacier Bay but docks at 7 am. I am leaning towards Vancouver. Thanks for your help

 

 

Glacier Bay is not a port, it is scenic cruising, so no docking. Just enjoy the scenery. A Park ranger will come aboard to provide commentary.

 

For Tracey Arm, again the ship will not dock there. The small boat excursions sometimes will transfer passengers from the ship to a smaller boat that goes further in and closer the the glaciers. Then the small boat will bring the passengers back to meet the ship in Juneau. This is booked through the cruise line if it is available.

[mapleleaves]

GBNP is a must for me. And Vancouver sailings over Seattle.

 

I'd choose Option 1 from Vanc. The port times for Juneau and Ketchikan are much better for planning activies (in option 2 the times are too late, especially in Juneau).

I haven't been to Tracy Arm but it's often not accessible and even if it is, 30 minutes?

[bonvoyagie]

The stop at Tracy Arm is to off load the people for the small boat tour. The ship continues on to Juneau while the small boat tours Tracy Arm. The small boat returns to Juneau around 2:00 so there is still time to book a whale watching tour with Harv and Marv.

 

Yes at Glacier Bay you enter the bay around 7:00 and get to the glaciers at the end of the bay around 10:00, you spent a hour or two around the glaciers and then head out - all the while you have two park rangers onboard talking about the wildlife and geology of the area - they leave the boat as you exit the bay around 4:00PM - the ship will not dock until the next port - either Ketchikan or Skagway (or Sitka).

[jillo9]

It sounds like Tracy Arm is interesting since you are in a little boat...Who prefers this the Glacier Bay???

[bonvoyagie]

For those of you who are not regulars here - both Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay are the two main events on the RT AK cruises. It has taken me three times but I have seen both of them and Tracy Arm from both cruise ship and small boat.

 

Tracy Arm is a narrow fjord carved by the retreating Sawyer Glacier, it has many twists and turns that make you wonder how that big cruise ship is going to make it through. At the end is Sawyer Glacier - most of the cruise ships can not get that close - the small boats can get directly in front (some get within a few feet-and have paid the price). The fjord takes about an hour each direction for the cruise ship to transit - the small boat can make it much faster. The small boat also has a naturalist on board so you can learn more about the geology and wildlife of the area.

 

Glacier Bay is Tracy Arm on steroids - it is a huge body of water with several smaller inlets (like mini Tracy Arms) each have glaciers at the end of them. It takes 3+ hours to travel from the inlet to the upper glaciers. In Glacier Bay the cruise ships can easily get directly in front of the glaciers there and usually sit and slowly spin around allowing all on board to view the glaciers. There are NP Rangers who explain the geology and wildlife.

 

Tracy Arm is often iced in during the early part of the season and tours are detoured to Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier. Endicott Arm is just below Tracy Arm is wider and streighter.

[jillo9]

So...if you had to pick one itinerary for mid-late August it would be...?

[Assateague Island Princes]

Option one from Vancouver would be my pick. Longer port times, and Glacier Bay. Win-win.

[Coral]

Tracy Arm is often missed, can even be missed in a small boat (I have missed it 2x in a small boat).

 

For your first cruise, I wold choose an itinerary with Glacier Bay, most likely from Vancouver. It is possible out of Vancouver with Glacier Bay that you can do a small boat trip to Tracy Arm if that is what you desire.

 

All I can say is that on my first cruise to Alaska, we missed our glacier (Hubbard) and it was incredibly disappointing. Glacier Bay is rarely missed. I have only heard of one case a decade ago.

[agabbymama]

My first cruise we did Sitka and Glacier Bay. Second cruise we did Skagway and Tracy Arm. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO COMPARISON.

 

Glacier Bay is a National Park/UNESCO Heritage Site for a reason. And Sitka is a small town with a small bay (that a lot of ships can't go to) so the commercialism hasn't hit there yet. The Russian History is very prominent, as well as Baranof Hill being the site of the first U.S. flag raised over Alaska. Raptor Center, totems & native dancers in the Sitka National Historical Park. I would say Sitka has been my absolute favorite port town.

 

I would choose Seattle departure choice 1, but everyone is different. Make a graph chart with the ships/cruise choices across the top. List the things of importance to you (size of ship, cost, cabin type, excursions offered, etc. down the side). As you research put an "x" in the conjoining box. As you near the end of your research, one cruise should have more x's than the others.

 

You will enjoy Alaska, no matter which one you choose.

[sherryf]

I don't like the late Glacier Bay sailing of the Vancouver #1 option. I always stay out on deck as we leave Glacier Bay (the 2 times we've done it) and have seen tons of whales and dolphins then. With that late GB sailing, you'd have to skip dinner and stay out to see the whales. I know some people would gladly do so, but if I had a choice, I'd rather be up early in the morning for Glacier Bay and be done by late afternoon.

 

If I were picking one of these, it would be one with Sitka, because I've been to Skagway 5 times and never Sitka. For someone who has never been to either one, it would be a good idea to look at the excursions available for each and decide which you'd rather do.

[newcruiser80]

Hi all,

 

Just in the preliminary planning phase for a last minute decision to book Alaska this summer. Obviously a balcony is something that would be ideal to cruise Alaska, but given budget, oceanview is really the only thing we can afford.

 

I'd love to hear from people who have cruised oceanview and calm me about the idea that we won't miss out too much. Thinking of the Radiance of the Seas southbound. Using airline miles to get to Anchorage.

 

Also, want to keep excursion costs down. I know Alaska is a once in a lifetime, but I also want to remember I'm on a cruise and just take in scenery from the boat. What are some not-to-miss items that would fit into a reasonable budget?

[mapleleaves]

Hi all,

 

Just in the preliminary planning phase for a last minute decision to book Alaska this summer. Obviously a balcony is something that would be ideal to cruise Alaska, but given budget, oceanview is really the only thing we can afford.

 

Go with what you can afford. Heck go with an inside cabin in order to afford a special, memorable excursion. The best viewing is from public viewing areas on your ship where you'll have a view of BOTH sides, not just the side where your cabin is located. JMHO.

 

You didn't indicate your ports, but there are budget friendly DIY options at each. ie in Ketchikan you can take the public bus to the totem park, and pick up a a free map from the visitor booth for a great walking tour of the town. Buy or borrow an Alaska travel book from your library, and learn about the ports. Each town has a web site to promote tourism; send for the free visitor guide. RESEARCH.

[meadowlander]

Thanks to everyone for their input. I learned alot but I think I may be just as confused as when I originally posted.:D

 

Can anyone help me with this question...only 1 cruise lists the inside passage while the other 3 have sea days, is the inside passage a different course and is it something worth seeing?

 

Thanks again!

[mapleleaves]

you might want to get an Alaska cruise book (buy, or borrrow from your library.) I recommend Ann Vipond's "Alaska by cruiseship". She discusses cruiselines, ships, itineraries, ports, excursions, DIY options, etc. I think Frommers or Fodors has an Alaska cruisebook also. Great resource.

[bonvoyagie]

I also suggest that you take a look at Google Maps - search for the various ports and take a look at the water's around them. I think you will quickly see that the inside passage is what interconnects all of the ports.

 

Ketchikan is reached from the open ocean through Dixon Entrance (near Prince Rupert). Juneau is usually reached from the next entrance up - the island where Sitka is located. Skagway is way above Juneau in a dead end fjord.

 

Now for the other half of the inside passage - the lower half that runs through Johnstone Strait and Seymour Narrows and then down between Vancouver Island and the BC mainland. Cruises that depart from Vancouver use this route to reach the Dixon entrance et al. If you google these two locations you will find pictures that include cruise ships in the strait during the day - I wonder how they got them as most of the traffic - esp in the narrows is done at night - both directions.

 

Seattle based cruises head out the Strait of Juan DeFuca and around the outside of Vancouver Island - this is open ocean - but you sail within the sight of land. Still it is possible to have rough waters out there - you will also travel this same route on the return trip - however you will stop at Victoria.

 

Getting some books is also a good idea however when I looked at some of them a Barnes & Noble I thought they were a bit dated.