Alaska Southbound - Inside Passage??

[shipfriend_max]

Hi,

 

for 2015, we consider Alaska.

With Princess we would book Star or Coral Princess from Whittier to Vancouver.

In comparison to other lines, the schedule lists "day at sea" the day between ketchikan and Vancouver, while others show "crusing Inside Passage" (e. G. Celebr. Millennium, Radiance otS or Oosterdam).

Does Princess sail the Inside Passage or the Pacific Ocean?

 

Thank you!!

[aarrcc2]

Does inside passage but at night. Northbound gives an incredible scenery day in inside passage.

[AE_Collector]

In the last week or two there was much discussion on here sbout what is and is not the inside passage. I would suggest searching inside passage to get a lot if good info. Cruises to/from Vancouver do go between the mainland and Vancouver island where as Seattle Alaska cruises do not but there is more to the inside passage than that.

 

Terry

[San Diego Ellie]

Just my two cents.....if you cannot do both ways, northbound is much better. College Fjord is the most awesome of the round trip itinerary, and it is only in the northbound portion.

[yyjguy]

This summer Holland, Celebrity and Disney all travel the inside passage route between northern Vancouver Island and Prince Rupert NORTHBOUND only. Southbound they sail Hecate Strait to northern Vancouver Island, and then sail the inside eastern coast of the Island down to Vancouver. Holland's Volendam and Zaandam do sail both sections of the inside in both directions but they are 7 day round trips out of Vancouver.

[westcoaster]

So just to clarify, Princess ships sailing round trip from Seattle do not sail any of the Canadian part of the Inside Passage, while the Princess ships sailing from Vancouver (round trip or one way) only sail the part to the northern end of Vancouver Island, then they go out to open sea until they get to Ketchikan. If you want to see the Inside Passage between the northern end of Vancouver Island and Ketchikan, you would need to sail on one of the itineraries on Holland America, Celebrity, or Disney noted in the post above.

[Jim Avery]

So just to clarify, Princess ships sailing round trip from Seattle do not sail any of the Canadian part of the Inside Passage, while the Princess ships sailing from Vancouver (round trip or one way) only sail the part to the northern end of Vancouver Island, then they go out to open sea until they get to Ketchikan. If you want to see the Inside Passage between the northern end of Vancouver Island and Ketchikan, you would need to sail on one of the itineraries on Holland America, Celebrity, or Disney noted in the post above.

 

That is the way it was done on Pacific Princess a couple of weeks ago.

[yyjguy]

westcoaster: as a local you might like to know the following!! Rare for the northbounds to go in at Milbanke Sound, most often Laredo Sound or Caamano Sound depending on the currents and hours of daylight before the pilot boarding station at Triple Island. Volendam and Zaandam southbound usually head in at Browning Entrance come back out at Laredo.