Seattle or San Fransico

[KathieS]

We are planning on a cruise to Alaska in 05 and wanted to know if anybody could tell me their opinion of a Princess Cruise leaving from San Fransico on a 10 day trip and the Seattle trip for 7 days. Which is the best? We have only been on 2 cruises and both to the Caribbean. I really had to talk my husband into this cruise, he thinks it will be too cold. Thanks for any info you have.

 

[BEAV]

If you prefer the newer, glitzy ships, you might want to sail from Seattle.

 

This year, Princess is using the Regal on the 10-nighter from San Francisco. She's one of the oldest Princess ships in the current fleet. I'm not saying she's 'bad' by any means, but doesn't offer Personal Choice dining and some of the other amenities the newer ships have.

 

If the newness of the ship isn't an issue to you, I'd go with the 10-nighter from SF. 7 day cruises always seem to end just as you were getting all settled in and into a nice routine! And sailing from SF is always a thrill!

 

Good luck!

 

Crystal - 6/11/04 Harmony to Alaska

Disney Magic - 5/14/05 "Kingdom to Kingdom" Inaugural Sailing FL to CA

Celebrity (6)

NCL (5)

Princess (4)

Disney (2)

Royal Caribbean (2)

HAL (1)

 

[ndepaz]

I recommend sailing from San Francisco, just because that's such a great city, plus, you get a couple extra days at sea! I am booked on the Mercury for the 9/12/04 sailing out of San Francisco and am doing some pre-cruise sightseeing!

 

I am looking forward to sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge on my way to Alaska!

 

Nancy

[LynnObie]

Another idea would be a 12 nighter RT out of San Francisco on the Celebrity Infinity starting May, 2005. Just as Nancy mentioned, we too are looking forward to sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge. We opted for the repositioning cruise on Celebrity Summit which should be 14 great days from San Diego to Alaska.

 

Lynn Obie

 

Until 14 day Summit - San Diego to Alaska

 

 

8/1995 HAL Noordam, 6/2000 Carnival Ecstasy, 2/2002 HAL Maasdam, 3/2003 HAL Statendam, 1/2004 HAL Oosterdam, 5/2004 Celebrity Summit, 5/2005 Celebrity Infinity

[mbisson]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ndepaz:

I recommend sailing from San Francisco, just because that's such a great city, <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Please tell me you've been to Seattle and have something to compare SF to.

 

-Monte

 

some of my cruising photos:

http://community.webshots.com/user/m1bisson

A bad day cruising is better than a good day at work.

 

The worst cruise I ever took was pretty damned good.

 

Platinum with RCI, a couple cruises with NCL and 1 with CCL

 

Clock remove but cruise in Dec

[ndepaz]

Seattle is SPECTACULAR City and one I would love to go visit again. My "ideal" Alaska cruise would include RT San Francisco with a stop in Seattle along the way!

 

Nancy

[JohnQ]

While I live near SF and they have had some great deals, I would choose Seattle or better yet, Vancouever, for two reasons: more time in Alaska, and less time in open rough water going up the coast. My wife is not an open water, rough water kind of girl, and while a day or two at sea are ok, we have never tried one with four or five sea days. Second, we want to maximize our time in Alaska and Inside passage or gulf of Alaska. The SF tours stop at Victoria for their foreign port, which is a nice stop but one that we have been to on our own. There is so much to see in Alaska and if you only have three port days on most cruises, it takes several trips to see enough. Just one opinion. If you are there for the sea days or best price, SF or Seattle could be your option.

[KathieS]

Thanks to everyone for your replys they are very much appreciated and have given us some things to think about.

 

Kathy

 

[Genessa]

Kathy,

 

we haven't sailed out of SF, but have sailed from Mexico into SF and the last 1/4 day was some of the coldest and roughest weather we hit (although it was May, not summer). That said, we'd sail north to Alaska from SF, but the ship would make me think twice. In Alaska, we chose a ship with a covered pool, just in case we wanted to go swimming.

[CruiseIsGood]

Itinerary, Itinerary, Itinerary.

 

I don't think it matters where you sail from, but where you sail to.

 

I just booked Celebrity Infinity from SF in May 2005, 12 nights, because the itinerary was spectacular.

 

Full (very full) days in Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Ketchikan, Victoria (yes, FULL day) and full day in Icy Strait, plus Hubbard Glacier. From Icy Strait, I can fly to Glacier Bay, making it the vacation of a lifetime. I don't get seasick, but that may be a problem for some sailing out of SF.

 

Choose itinerary, then port. And sailing on the much-loved Celebrity Infinity doesn't hurt.

 

Join us, we may get a Cruise Critic group going!

 

DAY DESTINATION ARR. DEP.

Mon san francisco, california 5:00 pm

Tue at sea

Wed victoria, british columbia 8:00 am 5:00 pm

Thu at sea

Fri juneau, alaska 11:00 am 10:00 pm

Sat skagway, alaska 7:00 am 9:00 pm

Sun icy strait, alaska 7:00 am 5:00 pm

Mon hubbard glacier (cruising) 12:00 pm 2:00 pm

Tue sitka, alaska 8:00 am 4:00 pm

Wed ketchikan, alaska 8:00 am 5:00 pm

Thu inside passage (cruising)

Fri at sea

Sat san francisco, california 7:00 am

 

Spectacular.

 

Denise

 

[This message was edited by CruiseIsGood on 05-12-04 at 02:54 AM.]

[CruiseIsGood]

ps., I don't feel Victoria is a wasted port, but the ships that take only 3 hours are wasted. People come from all over the world to see Butchard Gardens, and my friends just saw the butterfly garden next to it and raved, so a full day there is a very special treat on this itinerary.