Best cruise for scenery if you can’t leave the boat

[karatemom2]

First I’d like to say how very sorry I am about your husband. I think it’s wonderful that you are doing this for him to make his Alaska dream come true. My recommendation would be to look for cruises that are round trip out of Vancouver. It will make flying in and out much easier for you. Both Princess and Holland America do a good job in Alaska and the ships they have going on these round trip itineraries will traverse the very scenic true Inside Passage each way. Another great option I noted if you can devote longer than a week is an 11 day cruise on the Queen Elizabeth by Cunard. All of the itineraries include two full days of scenic cruising in places like Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, so you might get more opportunity on a cruise like that to see a great deal from the ship. I would also encourage you to review the shore excursions to see your options for things that might be very low key - mostly on a tour bus. A good travel agent might be the best person to help advise you. Wishing you and your husband the best!

Edited January 14 by karatemom2

[Coral]

35 minutes ago, karatemom2 said:

 Another great option I noted if you can devote longer than a week is an 11 day cruise on the Queen Elizabeth by Cunard. All of the itineraries include two full days of scenic cruising in places like Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, so you might get more opportunity on a cruise like that to see a great deal from the ship.

Cunard has one of the best Naturalists speakers in Alaska.

[wolfie11]

13 hours ago, Coral said:

Cunard has one of the best Naturalists speakers in Alaska.

I love Cunard!

[Coral]

5 minutes ago, wolfie11 said:

I love Cunard!

I assume they have Rachel Cartwright again this year. We had her on our early Princess cruise last year before she joined Cunard. I think she has been on Cunard for years now. She is amazing. Definitely one of the most knowledgeable about whales. Her team filmed the first birth of a whale that was shown on National Geographic channel this year.

[mslaabs]

Some cruise lines offer an excursion when you are visiting glaciers, a smaller boat picks you up from the ship and takes you closer to the glacier.  We've done this a couple of times and both times the ship dropped us off at the Glacier (via smaller boat) then the smaller boat caught up with the ship again in Juneau.  Not the cheapest excursion, but we felt it was well worth it. The smaller boat has inside seating as well as outside viewing decks. We got a lot closer to the glacier than the ship could, plus we saw seals and whales on our journey to Juneau.  The only  walking required was a rocky gangway to board the smaller boat, so not sure if that would be an issue.

Edited January 21 by mslaabs

[Editrix]

On 1/11/2024 at 5:27 AM, HomeIsWhereIParkIt said:

My question is what cruise might offer the best scenery and views of Alaska from the boat itself. We would get off at one port (at least) to say we were on Alaskan soil, but adventure or day long tours would be out of the question. 

 

If your husband is mobile enough to get off the ship in Skagway, please look into the White Pass Railroad Luxury Car. It is very expensive, currently $429 per person on Princess, and can only be booked through a cruise line (Princess, HAL, Celebrity, Disney, and maybe some others), but it would be an excellent option for you and your husband to participate in a popular excursion and see some sights beyond the ship.

 

The parlor car is limited to 12 adults and includes leather chairs, personal guide, private bathroom, and food and drinks. It is the same 3.5-hour trip as the standard excursion except in a first-class parlor car with comfortable seating.

 

Unfortunately, since seating is limited, tickets for the luxury car sell out fast and you would need to book ASAP if there is availability.

 

https://www.princess.com/ports-excursions/skagway-alaska-excursions/white-pass-scenic-railway-luxury-class/

 

[wolfie11]

2 hours ago, Editrix said:

 

If your husband is mobile enough to get off the ship in Skagway, please look into the White Pass Railroad Luxury Car. It is very expensive, currently $429 per person on Princess, and can only be booked through a cruise line (Princess, HAL, Celebrity, Disney, and maybe some others), but it would be an excellent option for you and your husband to participate in a popular excursion and see some sights beyond the ship.

 

The parlor car is limited to 12 adults and includes leather chairs, personal guide, private bathroom, and food and drinks. It is the same 3.5-hour trip as the standard excursion except in a first-class parlor car with comfortable seating.

 

Unfortunately, since seating is limited, tickets for the luxury car sell out fast and you would need to book ASAP if there is availability.

 

https://www.princess.com/ports-excursions/skagway-alaska-excursions/white-pass-scenic-railway-luxury-class/

 

If mobility is an issue they may not be able to climb up the steep steps to the rail car.  

[HomeIsWhereIParkIt]

On 1/11/2024 at 3:26 PM, martincath said:

The smaller the better to an extent OP - if your budget can handle it (lacking casinos and the like to subsidise costs, more staff to passenger ratios etc.) and you don't need the sheer variety of amenities on a Monstrosity of the Seas type beast - and a longer duration cruise with more ports means at the very least more time close to shore entering and leaving those ports.

 

Likely the most 'close to shore' time would be on the US-flagged cruises of Uncruise or American Cruise Lines - or maybe Lindblad/NatGeo 'exploration' trips? There are indeed layers of 'even more inside' up the coast, which other than deliveries and ferries only the teeniest and longest cruises visit - just fire up Google maps and zoom in and you'll see the AK and BC ferries routes which hit up a lot of places never seen on cruises... although actually using ferries, even with cabins, might be a step too far!

I looked at the above and while we are definitely not into casinos, shops or artwork but those ships look a little too small for us. DH would stick out like a sore thumb. We would like to be a bit more anonymous. Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions.

[HomeIsWhereIParkIt]

On 1/11/2024 at 4:50 PM, Northern Aurora said:

Given the mobility issues our OP's husband is experiencing they need to be very aware of the ship itself. Some of the small vessels, such as UnCruise, American Cruise Lines or Lindblad are not the most friendly to those with mobility issues.  For example, in the UnCruise fleet only the Wilderness Legacy has an elevator for guests and even then stairs are necessary to get to the top deck.  And I am trying to remember if any of the Alaska ferries in the Alaska Marine Highway system have elevators for guest use.  

 

For the best option regarding scenery our OP needs to consider a cruise out of Vancouver.  There are nice round trip options out of Vancouver.  The one-way trips are between Vancouver or either Seward or Whittier (Alaska).  While the RTs out of Seattle might initially be appealing our OP needs be aware that portions of the first and last day in and out of Seattle are sea views.  Also try to find a ship which has a forward observation lounge.

Good info. At this point we have ruled out the Seattle cruises.

[HomeIsWhereIParkIt]

On 1/12/2024 at 6:58 PM, oaktreerb said:

You may want to book a cruise that goes into Glacier Bay National Park.  The park rangers will come onboard and you will probably experience the calving of the glaciers.  If you have a balcony, you can sit on your balcony for a close up view as the ship rotates from port to starboard.  Warm clothing, gloves, and ear warming head covering will be necessary.  A warm blanket is provided in each stateroom.

I have made this a priority- thank you!

[HomeIsWhereIParkIt]

On 1/14/2024 at 1:34 AM, wolfie11 said:

 

For real, blow-your-mind scenery look at Hurtigruten. .

Looking and it looks amazing. Shortlisted! The only negative is length of cruise. They are longer than the standard 7 days so it might tire him out too much. OTOH,  there is room for a down day or two if needed.

[HomeIsWhereIParkIt]

On 1/21/2024 at 5:52 PM, Editrix said:

 

Unfortunately, since seating is limited, tickets for the luxury car sell out fast and you would need to book ASAP if there is availability.

 

https://www.princess.com/ports-excursions/skagway-alaska-excursions/white-pass-scenic-railway-luxury-class/

 

You hit on one of the issues that I may have. Brain cancer is so unpredictable and I will have to book a trip shortly before we actually take it. I imagine the really great excursions will be already booked.

[Editrix]

21 hours ago, HomeIsWhereIParkIt said:

You hit on one of the issues that I may have. Brain cancer is so unpredictable and I will have to book a trip shortly before we actually take it. I imagine the really great excursions will be already booked.

 

You are on a difficult path and I wish you every blessing as you muster the strength to plan and take this cruise. Your husband deserves to achieve his goal of visiting all 50 states and I pray that he does.