Grand Princess

[colinstuart28]

I am about to book an Alaskan cruise from San Francisco onboard Grand Princess, has anyone done this itinerary and if so could you share anything with me?

[tcdcruiser]

The Grand is a fine ship, and I have sailed on her many times out of San Francisco. If this is your first Alaskan cruise IMHO I'd suggest you pick a voyage that visits Glacier Bay National Park. I think it's the crown gem of Alaskan cruise adventures.

 

If instead, you pick the voyage to Tracy Arm, consider seriously the excursion that leaves the ship while in Tracy Arm, and once in the small boat you proceed farther into the arm. The excursion boat then meets the Grand in Juneau later that same day. This excursion is only offered on voyages to Tracy Arm that arrive in the AM, and then visits Juneau later that same day so check the schedules carefully if interested.

 

Balconies are really nice for these alaskan voyages as the views are non-stop once you reach the inside passage.

[dchip]

We have just finished our 4th cruise to Alaska. 3 on the Grand out of SF. She has a crew that is fantastic. Yes, the ship is older but holds a special place in our hearts. We sailed her brand new in 1998.

 

As far as Glacier Bay goes, our trip this June was the first to Glacier Bay. After hearing it was THE place you had to see in Alaska, we were totally underwhelmed. Tracy Arm is a much prettier. The water colors, the water falls. Do you not make it to the glacier....sometimes you don’t. But we still prefer Tracy Arm. The small ship excursion is fabulous.

 

Whatever you do Alaska is a lovely cruise. Enjoy.

 

Cheers, Denise

[cdngrl]

welcome to cruise critic!

i agree with choosing a cruise that visits glacier bay. if a balcony is not in the budget (like me), there are lots of places inside and outside to see the scenery.

these boards also have a 'roll call'. these are cruise critic members who are on the same sailing as you.

when you decide on your cruise, here are the grand princess roll calls:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=303

and here is the alaska board with a ton of information:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

happy planning!

[colinstuart28]

Unfortunately the cruise itinerary does not take in the ports as you mentioned, will it still be an amazing Alaskan experience though as the later cruise itinerary is no doable for us

[Coral]

I am about to book an Alaskan cruise from San Francisco onboard Grand Princess, has anyone done this itinerary and if so could you share anything with me?

 

The ship out of SFO does multiple itineraries. You may want to post what port you go to and times.

[colinstuart28]

Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Arm and Victoria. I want to see quaint villages, wildlife, whales etc. Do dog sleighing and see snow and ice and I would be happy

[Coral]

Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Arm and Victoria. I want to see quaint villages, wildlife, whales etc. Do dog sleighing and see snow and ice and I would be happy

 

What month are you going? Are you from the US?

[pris993]

Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Arm and Victoria. I want to see quaint villages, wildlife, whales etc. Do dog sleighing and see snow and ice and I would be happy

 

It has been a while since I did the Grand to Alaska, believe you will see what you want on it, wildlife always unpredictable, same with whales, check tours for dog sleighing do not recall that, you will see snow and ice in Tracy Arms, Jueanu, Skagway are small and enjoyable, Victoria is also a very nice place to visit.

 

Hope others will let you know if your desires with be met as well.

 

Everyone's expectations are different. Ref you must do this or that in recommendations. A year or so ago we did a cruise on the Queen Mary 2, because many say one needs to experience this ocean liner, we were on the ship for 14 days, we were not impressed, so sometimes following others recommendations does not pan out. We loved the Queen Victoria same cruise line but not the QM2.

[TheSuperintendent]

Skagway has dog sled tours. Do a Google search . We did the one in Carcross, Yukon and the kids loved it . They got to feed the puppies and learn how the mushers train the dogs.

 

Leaving out of SF is great, especially for those of us within driving distance of the port, but if I had to fly in I would go to Seattle and spend more days up north (JMHO).

[Murray's Pop]

We are on the Grand next year (Sept) out of SF. We have never been to Alaska and our cruise includes Glacier Bay. Really looking forward to this cruise!

[XBGuy]

We've taken four AK cruises, and we have two booked for 2019. Twice we have taken the 10-day cruise on the Grand Princess out of San Francisco. I will vouch for that cruise. It is outstanding. Of course, Mrs. XBGuy and I love the "Sea Days." You will get more Sea Days on the 10-day cruise.

 

This is going to sound heretical, but I am of the opinion that the itinerary for an Alaska cruise, is, pretty much, inconsequential. You will see magnificent natural beauty on any itinerary. You will see wildlife on any itinerary--dolphins, eagles, seals and whales are, pretty much, guaranteed, bears and otters are, certainly. possible.

 

The Grand Princess is a fine ship. One of our favorite features of the ship is Alfredo's Pizzaria. This is a no-charge restaurant on Deck 5 off the central Piazza. It is open for lunch and dinner. We like the very casual atmosphere, and the fact that you can look out the windows and watch the ocean. The pizzas are pretty good, also.

 

It is not clear where you live. If you do not live in the San Francisco area, that is, of course, a great town to spend a couple days before or after your cruise.

 

Bon voyage.

[Prettay128]

So very thankful to finally hear some nice compliments about the Grand Princess. I will be sailing on her in 30 days and I am soooooo excited:D

[srpilo]

I've sailed the Grand a half a dozen times over the last 15 years, most recently last August on the OP's exact itinerary from SFO, and the Grand IMO is still a fine ship, I found none of the issues associated with being a older ship affected the quality or enjoyment of my cruise last August

 

OP, book it Dano ! :cool:

Srpilo

[villauk]

We are completing this itinerary in less than 2 weeks. Not been on the Grand before, but we are looking forward to experiencing a different ship (realise it is one of the older ones in the fleet ;)). Several times on this board, I have read that the staff are wonderful and the service they provide is outstanding.

 

We’ve previously cruised to Alaska and our kids asked if we could do it again prior to them going off and doing their own thing at university etc. The wildlife is spectacular, so we hope to see as much as we can this time too ;).

 

The flights over are obviously going to be long and tiresome, but it’s a means to an end - if the cruise is fantastic, then it’s definitely worth the long journey. Additionally, we are extending our trip with stopovers in Las Vegas and San Francisco - can’t wait :cool:.

[Cruise Raider]

We sail on the Grand often as she is pretty much right in our backyard. She is old and does need some TLC but the crew / staff just cannot be beat!!

Alaska is our favorite itinerary and we are booked to go on the Grand again in about 3 weeks. This will be our twelfth time to Alaska on a cruise. The itineraries that stop in Icy Strait Point and even Sitka will offer you the biggest chance to see wildlife but you can still experience some in your ports of call. Glacier Bay is superior to Tracy Arm but both Tracy Arm and the Endicott Fjord (which they will sometimes substitute for Tracy Arm) are also quite amazing.

You will probably see whales right from the side of the ship, especially when leaving the glacier.

Be sure to go to the nature talks in the theater ... they time them so you know what you are looking at when you get to the main events. Unless you are interested, skip the shopping talks.

Skagway has the sled dogs and pups. There are bald eagles everywhere, too. There is some beautiful scenery if you take the Train up to the top of the mountain ... that is, if it's not fogged in, which is sometimes the case.

Ketchikan is a small but charming town. There is a hike to the top of the hill (via Married Man's Trail) where you will find a hotel with a small totem pole park there. There is also a tram you can take but oftentimes, it is not running. The hike is not very treacherous, though ... so that would be my recommendation. The Lumberjack show is very entertaining and definitely within walking distance of the ship. It's not filled with scenery or wildlife, though, unless you consider the lumberjacks wildlife.

Juneau would be the place to go see whales on your itinerary but there is also plenty to do not far from the ship. If your trip to Alaska is a one and done, I recommend going to the Mendenhall Glacier and it should include a trip to the visitor's center there. The salmon hatchery is also very interesting. A stop at the Red Dog Saloon is a must in my opinion. If you like good beer, a tour to the brewery is better than you'd think. This can be found on your own in the Alaskan Brewery Company shop just across from the Red Dog Saloon. $20 pp includes transportation there and back as well as a tour of the brewery, generous tastings and good conservation.

 

If you are sailing out of SF, be aware that accommodations and such are quite expensive there. But, do stay in the City. Don't stay out by the airport (which is actually not in SF) and by all means, don't stay in Oakland on the other side of the bay. The pier in SF is right in town so that is where you'll want to be. There are plenty of free things to do there and plenty of discounts you can get on Groupon / Living Social sites, as well. Although you won't find discounts, if SF is also a one and done (not sure where you are coming from), Alcatraz is a must do. Just go to their official sites for buying tickets ahead of time. Tickets become available 90 days out and you will not be able to just walk up and expect to get on the ferry over there, as they will be sold out.

[villauk]

We sail on the Grand often as she is pretty much right in our backyard. She is old and does need some TLC but the crew / staff just cannot be beat!!

Alaska is our favorite itinerary and we are booked to go on the Grand again in about 3 weeks. This will be our twelfth time to Alaska on a cruise. The itineraries that stop in Icy Strait Point and even Sitka will offer you the biggest chance to see wildlife but you can still experience some in your ports of call. Glacier Bay is superior to Tracy Arm but both Tracy Arm and the Endicott Fjord (which they will sometimes substitute for Tracy Arm) are also quite amazing.

You will probably see whales right from the side of the ship, especially when leaving the glacier.

Be sure to go to the nature talks in the theater ... they time them so you know what you are looking at when you get to the main events. Unless you are interested, skip the shopping talks.

Skagway has the sled dogs and pups. There are bald eagles everywhere, too. There is some beautiful scenery if you take the Train up to the top of the mountain ... that is, if it's not fogged in, which is sometimes the case.

Ketchikan is a small but charming town. There is a hike to the top of the hill (via Married Man's Trail) where you will find a hotel with a small totem pole park there. There is also a tram you can take but oftentimes, it is not running. The hike is not very treacherous, though ... so that would be my recommendation. The Lumberjack show is very entertaining and definitely within walking distance of the ship. It's not filled with scenery or wildlife, though, unless you consider the lumberjacks wildlife.

Juneau would be the place to go see whales on your itinerary but there is also plenty to do not far from the ship. If your trip to Alaska is a one and done, I recommend going to the Mendenhall Glacier and it should include a trip to the visitor's center there. The salmon hatchery is also very interesting. A stop at the Red Dog Saloon is a must in my opinion. If you like good beer, a tour to the brewery is better than you'd think. This can be found on your own in the Alaskan Brewery Company shop just across from the Red Dog Saloon. $20 pp includes transportation there and back as well as a tour of the brewery, generous tastings and good conservation.

 

If you are sailing out of SF, be aware that accommodations and such are quite expensive there. But, do stay in the City. Don't stay out by the airport (which is actually not in SF) and by all means, don't stay in Oakland on the other side of the bay. The pier in SF is right in town so that is where you'll want to be. There are plenty of free things to do there and plenty of discounts you can get on Groupon / Living Social sites, as well. Although you won't find discounts, if SF is also a one and done (not sure where you are coming from), Alcatraz is a must do. Just go to their official sites for buying tickets ahead of time. Tickets become available 90 days out and you will not be able to just walk up and expect to get on the ferry over there, as they will be sold out.

 

You must be embarking as we are disembarking.

[Yosef42]

I agree with most of what I've read here, but wanted to add that they have the dogsled tours in Juneau, as well. That was the highlight of our multi-highlight visit last year. It will also (barring cancellation for weather) guarantee you the snow you're looking for, being on top of a glacier and all.

 

 

Here's a small tip: If you're driving to the port, plan to get there early. The Embarcadero (the only way in) was backed up crazily when we got there, to the point where we were sitting through 3 and 4 light cycles without moving an inch. I was genuinely concerned about missing our cruise, but once we got off the street and into the port everything went fine.

[Cruise Raider]

You must be embarking as we are disembarking.

 

We go in three weeks ... Labor Day, I think.

[need2cruisesoon]

We go in three weeks ... Labor Day, I think.

 

Enjoy your cruise CR!

[gatorguy56]

We’ve been to Alaska four times in the last six years, twice on the Grand. We went to Glacier Bay twice and Tracy Arm twice. We loved both for different reasons. Our first time we didn’t see much calving in Glacier Bay but we saw a lot last year. September is late in the season so you won’t see salmon running which could affect how many bears you see. We’ve seen big horn sheep, dall’s porpoises, salmon, seals, bears, eagles (but not each on every trip). We’ve seen whales every trip.

 

We drive about 3 hours to SF and park our car two blocks away (pre-reserved and pre-paid on Parking Panda). You can pull into the pier and drop off your luggage before parking. I always check online to see what is going on that day in SF to see if I need to avoid any areas. We usually arrive at the pier about 10:30 and have checked in and eating in the main dining room by lunch. Let me know if you have any questions.

[gatorguy56]

Forgot to tell you, the Embaradero isn’t the only way to the pier. A native to SF gave me instructions and what to do off the bay bridge. I think I have them saved on my computer if you need them.

[Cruise Raider]

Enjoy your cruise CR!

 

Thanks neighbor!! We just love sailing out of SF ... and Alaska is our favorite itinerary. We used to claim we wanted a newer ship in our home port but that was before we experienced the window suites. Wow!! Now, I'd be sorry to see her go. :)

[Yosef42]

Forgot to tell you, the Embaradero isn’t the only way to the pier. A native to SF gave me instructions and what to do off the bay bridge. I think I have them saved on my computer if you need them.

If there's a better way to go, I'd love to hear it! As far as I could tell, you can go around a ways, but at the end you still need to merge onto the Embarcadero.

 

Also, we're coming up the Peninsula, so that may affect our approach, as well.

[Vineyard View]

Would love to pick your brain about Alaska sometime Cruise Raider! I cannot imagine going so many times. What a gift.