Which ship to Alaska and when?

We have been on one cruise, ever. We went this past May on RCCL Enchantment of the Seas on a 4 day Bahamas cruise. We had a blast but want to look into maybe a 7 day Alaskan cruise at some point and from what i read, Celebrity is the line to go with. Some things i would like to be factored in if possible to be included on/with cruise.

-calmer water (husband gets sea sick and had bad side effects with patch on last cruise. Sea bands are great on flights but i don't know about on rougher water)

-chance to see northern lights

-see whales

-good/multiple ports with good scenery/hiking.

We don't care at all about partying and we don't care if we shop much. i'm sure i'll have more questions later but want a good advised place to get started.

We have been on one cruise, ever. We went this past May on RCCL Enchantment of the Seas on a 4 day Bahamas cruise. We had a blast but want to look into maybe a 7 day Alaskan cruise at some point and from what i read, Celebrity is the line to go with. Some things i would like to be factored in if possible to be included on/with cruise.

-calmer water (husband gets sea sick and had bad side effects with patch on last cruise. Sea bands are great on flights but i don't know about on rougher water)

-chance to see northern lights

-see whales

-good/multiple ports with good scenery/hiking.

 

We don't care at all about partying and we don't care if we shop much. i'm sure i'll have more questions later but want a good advised place to get started.

Hi:)....just to ease your mind, there won't be alot (if any) partying

on an Alaskan Cruise (on Celebrity).

There is usually good scenery and whales are not guaranteed but

I went to Alaska in May and saw quite a few of them:D I sailed

on Solstice out of Seattle and had a fantastic week.....other folks

will recommend the Vancouver itinerary....so you do have

choices.;)

Hi:)....just to ease your mind, there won't be alot (if any) partying

on an Alaskan Cruise (on Celebrity).

There is usually good scenery and whales are not guaranteed but

I went to Alaska in May and saw quite a few of them:D I sailed

on Solstice out of Seattle and had a fantastic week.....other folks

will recommend the Vancouver itinerary....so you do have

choices.;)

We booked Solstice for May 16 for our anniversary - we have been waiting on a good flight deal - (air was coming in at over £1400GBP each with celebrity) - yesterday - managed to get one of us an avios flight and paid for the other - so can now get fully excited - Alaska baby - cannot wait! This is a dream to us - but like USAers heading to Europe - this one is a bucket list tick!

Hope you have a great time:)...so you are sailing in May 2016?

Ironically, I am changing things up and after all these years of

Ocean Cruising, I am going on a River Cruise next year out of

Amsterdam:D.......going in April and will hopefully be seeing all

the TULIPS in bloom:)......I can't wait either;)

My only issue is the prices of flights....yikes!

We booked Solstice for May 16 for our anniversary - we have been waiting on a good flight deal - (air was coming in at over £1400GBP each with celebrity) - yesterday - managed to get one of us an avios flight and paid for the other - so can now get fully excited - Alaska baby - cannot wait! This is a dream to us - but like USAers heading to Europe - this one is a bucket list tick!

Blondie,

Are you on the May 13th Alaska sailing on Solstice round trip Seattle? If so, my wife and I are also on that cruise. It will be our 12th cruise to that part of the world.

Bob

Hope you have a great time:)...so you are sailing in May 2016?

Ironically, I am changing things up and after all these years of

Ocean Cruising, I am going on a River Cruise next year out of

Amsterdam:D.......going in April and will hopefully be seeing all

the TULIPS in bloom:)......I can't wait either;)

My only issue is the prices of flights....yikes!

Hi Lois,

I have read and have very much enjoyed your posts over the years.

The only river cruise we have been on is the American Queen (luxurious paddlewheel) down the Mississippi round trip New Orleans and it was absolutely wonderful. I know you will enjoy your River Cruise on one of those magnificent boats in Europe. Yap, flying these days is grossly expensive. I am sure glad we did Europe, British Isles, twice some years ago when prices were more reasonable for both the cruise and the air.

Bob

HI Bob,thanks for the kind words:). I appreciate them very much.

Another vote for Solstice which has the hot glass blowing show onboard - simply phenomenal!

We have been on one cruise, ever. We went this past May on RCCL Enchantment of the Seas on a 4 day Bahamas cruise. We had a blast but want to look into maybe a 7 day Alaskan cruise at some point and from what i read, Celebrity is the line to go with. Some things i would like to be factored in if possible to be included on/with cruise.

-calmer water (husband gets sea sick and had bad side effects with patch on last cruise. Sea bands are great on flights but i don't know about on rougher water)

-chance to see northern lights Practically an impossibility since the best viewing is in the winter months.

-see whales There be whales, we saw more and better than our whale excursion right from our balcony!

-good/multiple ports with good scenery/hiking. IMHO there are no bad ports in Alaska, all have both

 

We don't care at all about partying and we don't care if we shop much. i'm sure i'll have more questions later but want a good advised place to get started.

We went the last cruise of the season Sept. 11th 2014 Radiance of the Seas...weather was stupendous.

Only rained briefly, not much fog, sun almost every day (even Ketchikan was sunny)...with the added perk that since all the bay ice from the glacier had melted and cleared we were able to get much closer than many earlier cruises, or so the Capt said. We are repeating same trip on Solstice Sept 2, 2016 to Tracy Arm hoping for the same situation as most early cruises cannot go all the way in to the glacier.

We've been fortunate to have sailed several times to Alaska.

If you wish to sail the smoothest seas then take an Inland Passage cruise from/to Vancouver, not Seattle.

The best itinerary sails from Seward south to Vancouver. You will visit Hubbard Glacier in the afternoon when the likelihood of fog is diminished. Sailing north you arrive in the early morning and fog is a possibility. Another valid reason to travel southbound is distance - Vancouver is 1,300 miles SOUTH of Anchorage making your trip home that much closer.

Most itineraries include Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway. Other stops could be Sitka or Icy Straits Point (Hoonah). All have so many wonderful experiences.

May will be the coolest month to cruise. Sailings at the end of September, depending on scheduling may be a little damper but with the proper outerwear that's not a problem at all.

You can find more information about Alaska on the Ports of Call boards. And when you select your sailing join the Roll Call.

I hope this has helped define your options. The Vancouver sailings have been on M class ships which are medium sized and very easy and comfortable to sail. If you can swing for an ocean view or balcony cabin, especially sailing from Icy Straits, you will really have an Alaskan experience.

Hope you have a great time:)...so you are sailing in May 2016?

Ironically, I am changing things up and after all these years of

Ocean Cruising, I am going on a River Cruise next year out of

Amsterdam:D.......going in April and will hopefully be seeing all

the TULIPS in bloom:)......I can't wait either;)

My only issue is the prices of flights....yikes!

Oh lovely - we have cruised ex Amsterdam before - not a river cruise but out of the canal in Amsterdam on to the Baltics - beautiful

It will be a bit nippy though - take some warm layers :)

Blondie,

 

Are you on the May 13th Alaska sailing on Solstice round trip Seattle? If so, my wife and I are also on that cruise. It will be our 12th cruise to that part of the world.

 

Bob

No - wee bit later than you Bob - you are on before me -

We are so excited now - initially although we had the cruise booked we were waiting for a better flight price - getting one flight with part avios made all the difference - all booked and sorted

Lovely way to spend our 20th wedding anniversary :)

You have a great cruise!

I was on the Solstice to Alaska in July. It was a wonderful trip. We had good weather and that makes all the difference. Looking forward to being back on the Solstice to Hawaii next month !

We have been on one cruise, ever. We went this past May on RCCL Enchantment of the Seas on a 4 day Bahamas cruise. We had a blast but want to look into maybe a 7 day Alaskan cruise at some point and from what i read, Celebrity is the line to go with. Some things i would like to be factored in if possible to be included on/with cruise.

-calmer water (husband gets sea sick and had bad side effects with patch on last cruise. Sea bands are great on flights but i don't know about on rougher water)

-chance to see northern lights

-see whales

-good/multiple ports with good scenery/hiking.

 

We don't care at all about partying and we don't care if we shop much. i'm sure i'll have more questions later but want a good advised place to get started.

To answer Q's in order (when you say 7 day cruise, I assume a Round trip cruise)

- sailing from Vancouver, there is only a few hours of open water sailing at Cape Decision. From Seatle, you sail West of Vancouver Island, much more open water.

- no northern lights in the summer, days are too long, not dark enough. We take eye shades for sleeping. The only place we have seen them in AK is in Tok.

- hiking is limited. IMHO, best is around Mendenhall Glacier. Mostly short and steep in Juneau. Nice short hike at Bennett if you take the Lake Bennett Explorer to Carcross at Skagway. Helicopter hikes and hikes from the WP & YR are available, but I have no personal experience.

We have been on one cruise, ever. We went this past May on RCCL Enchantment of the Seas on a 4 day Bahamas cruise. We had a blast but want to look into maybe a 7 day Alaskan cruise at some point and from what i read, Celebrity is the line to go with. Some things i would like to be factored in if possible to be included on/with cruise.

-calmer water (husband gets sea sick and had bad side effects with patch on last cruise. Sea bands are great on flights but i don't know about on rougher water)

-chance to see northern lights

-see whales

-good/multiple ports with good scenery/hiking.

 

We don't care at all about partying and we don't care if we shop much. i'm sure i'll have more questions later but want a good advised place to get started.

No matter when you go on a cruise to Alaska, it's always going to be gorgeous. The weather will be unpredictable. It could be raining and in the 40's in the morning and sunny and in the upper 60's in the afternoon. July/August are your best bets for temps in the 70's, but, again, not a guarantee. My last trip there the temps rarely rose above 65, with only one day hitting 70.

If you want calmer waters, take a smaller ship. Especially if you're leaving from Vancouver. Millennium and Infinity will sail the inside passage the entire time. Solstice is bigger and will be sailing around Vancouver Island to open ocean until it heads back in towards the inside passage. It's a brief trip, but for those who are sensitive it may feel very long!

If your biggest goal is to see whales, make sure your room is facing out toward the water. (Port side if you're heading north one way. Starboard if you're heading south. If it's a round trip, it doesn't matter then.) If you want to see more land, then it's the opposite of what I said. :) OR just get an aft cabin and you're going to see everything.

Unfortunately, there is no chance to see the Northern Lights. Daylight is 18-19 hours in May/June and nearly 20 hours July/August. It just does not get dark enough.

As for the ports, they're all good. Some are better than others (IMO, I'm not a huge fan of Ketchikan as its the most tourist-y of them all, but it's still a good port). Overall you will probably find good hiking in all of them. And the scenery is outstanding no matter where you go.

And as for the partying, not a chance on these cruises. Of the two I took with Carnival, they were the calmest and quietest cruises I have ever taken.

-calmer water (husband gets sea sick and had bad side effects with patch on last cruise. Sea bands are great on flights but i don't know about on rougher water).

I have had terrible motion sickness my whole life, and found that the only thing that works for me on ships/cruises is Bonine. Have your husband try it, it has no side effects, and has allowed me to take 5 cruises over the past 6 years with no problems.

I would like to add this to all of this great advice: if you can work out your budget, do a cruise/tour southbound cruise. The land portion was even more incredible than our cruise portion. We did five days on land, and saw so many highlights. Want to see whales, do the Mendenhall Glacier whale watch excursion in Junneau (this was July). We saw dozens, including a pod of 13 Humpbacks bubble feeding, in the word so overused today- AWESOME!

If you want calmer waters, you want to cruise to/from Vancouver rather than Seattle. That said, two of my three Alaska cruises have been from Seattle and we had calm seas each time. On our one-way from Vancouver to Seward (near Anchorage) the only day we had rocky water was the day you travel over the open sea on the way to Seward. On the other days I swear I didn't even notice the ship was moving if I didn't look out the window.

There are many ideas to help with seasickness - I would advise doing a search on these boards and reading up on them. I am focusing on this point because it is something I have always struggled with (although I have taken 30 cruises total so obviously there is hope to deal with it, and cruises are worth it!). One key - when you book go for the lowest floor in the category you want, as close to mid-ship as possible. It makes a big, big difference. Before we got hooked on balconies, we stayed a few times in outside cabins on Deck 3 on M class ships near the center, and it was by far the smoothest location we have ever sailed, and we have sailed both fully aft, fully forward, and many in-between.

I would like to add this to all of this great advice: if you can work out your budget, do a cruise/tour southbound cruise. The land portion was even more incredible than our cruise portion. We did five days on land, and saw so many highlights. Want to see whales, do the Mendenhall Glacier whale watch excursion in Junneau (this was July). We saw dozens, including a pod of 13 Humpbacks bubble feeding, in the word so overused today- AWESOME!

We did a 7-day southbound this June on Millennium. Did 5b cruisetour first. I do recommend flying to anchorage and doing whatever time and money allow pre cruise before heading southbound. We loved our tour and millennium!