TexBear Posted June 5, 2009 #1 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I'm considering an Alaska cruise in Aug, 2010 on either of these ships. The sole issue for me is whether to spend more time in Juneau (Golden) or more time cruising Tracy Arm fjord (Spirit). Any advice? Thanks in advance, James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wa Cruiser Posted June 5, 2009 #2 Share Posted June 5, 2009 If you like or need more time in Juneau, go for the Golden, as I don't think you will lose out on a nice cruising experience of Tracy Arm Fjord with the 5 hours Golden is spending there. We cruised this itinerary when Princess was sailing with Sun/Dawn back in 2006, and Tracy Arm cruising was the highlight of our cruise. Specifically, it is 2-hour scenic cruising up to the view point of the Sawyer Glacier, a brief stop followed by a slow turn-around and cruising back out. Along the way, on-board naturalist was very helpful pointing out various aspects of the fjord. You said that Spirit spends more time cruising Tracy Arm. I checked the itinerary of the Spirit and it states Tracy Arm cruising on Thursday without specifying the time. Unless Carnival is offering some kink of special excursions using small boats to get closer to the glacier (not listed under Shore Excursions), I don't think it is likely nor it is beneficial to spend more time in the fjord. Since this is a new itinerary for the Spirit when it is repositioned from Vancouver to Seattle next year, Carnival may modify its itinerary to maximize the cruising experience. Either way, have a wonderful Alaska cruise in 2010. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegs222 Posted June 5, 2009 #3 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I'm considering an Alaska cruise in Aug, 2010 on either of these ships. The sole issue for me is whether to spend more time in Juneau (Golden) or more time cruising Tracy Arm fjord (Spirit). Any advice? Thanks in advance, James If it is feasible for you, you should look into the Alaska cruises now. They have some incredible rates. We were going to go to Alaska in 2010, but found the August 5th cruise on the Spirit we are now booked on. We received a great rate for the cruise and post land trip. The 2010 Alaska cruises are a new route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexBear Posted June 6, 2009 Author #4 Share Posted June 6, 2009 If it is feasible for you, you should look into the Alaska cruises now. They have some incredible rates. We were going to go to Alaska in 2010, but found the August 5th cruise on the Spirit we are now booked on. We received a great rate for the cruise and post land trip. The 2010 Alaska cruises are a new route. Thanks, but I can't swing a cruise this year. I'm really hoping I can do this AK one. I've had bad luck booking cruises since my first one and not being able to go for one reason or another. Even if the 2010 cruises were leaving from Vancouver, I'd fly into Seattle and take a shuttle over the border as I understand flights into Vancouver are a bit of a pain. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drjpreston Posted June 6, 2009 #5 Share Posted June 6, 2009 I am not sure what has been said about Vancouver flights but I fly in and out of Vancouver a couple times a year. I have never had any problem. It is one of the most beautiful and well designed airports anywhere. It is extremely clean. They have a great free playground for children waiting to fly if you are taking family with you. Just a personal opinion, but unless it is considerably cheaper to fly into Seattle and to take the shuttle, I would not hesitate to fly directly into Vancouver and save time and possible trouble crossing the border. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexBear Posted June 6, 2009 Author #6 Share Posted June 6, 2009 I am not sure what has been said about Vancouver flights but I fly in and out of Vancouver a couple times a year. I have never had any problem. It is one of the most beautiful and well designed airports anywhere. It is extremely clean. They have a great free playground for children waiting to fly if you are taking family with you. Just a personal opinion, but unless it is considerably cheaper to fly into Seattle and to take the shuttle, I would not hesitate to fly directly into Vancouver and save time and possible trouble crossing the border. I did a quick check on expedia.com and flights to Seattle from Austin are considerably cheaper: approximately $250-280 to SEA versus $500-550 to YVR. I checked the equivalent dates for this year as my cruise would be next year: 8/10 - 8/19 (I'm planning to stay an extra day in Seattle after the cruise). There's a La Quinta hotel near Sea-Tac for about $70 a night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.