Phoogirl

On 6/3/2024 at 12:57 PM, zqvol said:

We have cruised both Silver Sea and Regent in Alaska. I would never sail a mass market line there. With the mass market lines port times are too short, and you miss the best stops. If you can afford it Silver sea is the way to go. 

Thank you very much, hearing others experience is incredibly helpful. I am strongly now considering silver seas. My Dad way back went with a very small family line whom was native to the area, wish I knew what it was. However I embarrassingly do like my nice amenities 😊 so not sure if I would enjoy that…

2 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

Regardless of the cruise line or ship class/category, DO seriously consider an itinerary that includes Hubbard Glacier.  I have no idea how frequently ships don't actually get in to see it up close and personal.  However, IF the rest of the itinerary is similar enough, choose one that does have that possibility.

 

We had no idea what a treat we were in for!  We had gone to Glacier Bay, and that was nowhere near as spectacular as Hubbard Glacier was... at least for our cruise.

We got quite close, much closer than to anything in Glacier Bay, and we were fortunate (no idea how much this part can differ from time to time) to experience incredible calving!  It was amazing!  Beyond amazing!  The ship stayed there for quite some time, and the Captain kept the ship slowly spinning so that the view from every part of the ship kept getting another view of Hubbard!  Obviously, it would be great to walk around and keep the Glacier in sight (!), but all of the scenery was beautiful there.

It was one of the high points of not just that cruise, but of all of our travels.

 

I'm sure some of our experience there was just pure luck, but that's what travel often is about... finding something unexpected and very special! 😁

 

If you have a balcony or ocean view, try to get a cabin on the "land side" if you are going on a one-way trip.  The scenery on the land side is wonderful.

We went in late May, and we wanted to see more of the "snow-capped mountains" (this was before our winter cruise along the coast of Norway 😉 ), and it was wonderful.
We also specifically wanted "northbound", as the scenery just keeps getting more and more wonderful. 🙂 

 

Enjoy!

 

GC

That sounds wonderful.  I always prefer starboard and that would be land-side going north I believe. Thank you for sharing about your awesome trip 🌼💕 I love hearing about travel experiences. May I ask what line you took for the Hubbard Glacier stop?

6 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

To be honest, I think the "better established" bit is overplayed.  

 

But that said, in my opinion, status should never outweigh a better cruise opportunity.  You clearly enjoy the RCI product, so I would suggest looking at Princess instead of HAL. 

 

If you stick with RCI, look at the one-way Radiance Class cruises between Vancouver and Seward that stops at Hubbard Glacier.  I've done that cruise it was spectacular.    

Thank you so much. I honestly did not look at Princess not knowing much about that line. It is bewildering how many options there are and I genuinely appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. I really am comfortable with RCI but think your right, don’t want to let that stop me for exploring other options. 

6 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

I am of the school that says for perhaps your only cruise to Alaska you should sail on an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay.  The major lines that visit there are Princess, HAL and NCL.  Why Glacier Bay, you ask?  The other glaciers that appear on itineraries are often missed due to ice, but I cannot remember hearing a ship missing Glacier Bay.  Hubbard Glacier is equally impressive, but it can be missed, primarily due to fog.  Alaska should be for the itinerary, cruise line perks secondary unless you are traveling with children.  
   You also need to decide if you want to sail round trip from Seattle or one way from Vancouver.  I would go to cruisetimetables.com and put in Glacier Bay in ‘cruises to…’.  It will tell you who calls there and their itineraries.  There is also lots of good advice and experience on the Alaska board here under Ports of Call.  EM

Thank you so much. I did tentatively book on HAL for next year with Glacier bay on the itinerary but I did not know how to use the search feature you mentioned. Just my hubby and I!  Excellent advice, I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out. 

Thank you so much for such useful information and advice. I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Now that RC is matching status I will now consider Silversea instead actually. A smaller ship seems more attractive to me anyway. I do have some challenges with my back however so need some solid amenities. As we live in Maine I know the beauty and thrill of seeing a moose in person. However the idea of being on a huge ship to do so was not super attractive. I was a little uneasy for some reason about switching to HAL. Thank you again much appreciated. 

I have not posted on the boards very much so please forgive me if I have posted in the wrong area. We are diamond members on Royal Caribbean and have cruised with them frequently, mostly in the Caribbean. I heard for Alaska that Holland American was better established there and has better ability to see the glaciers and spend more time in port. we have never sailed with Holland American. I’m wondering if the benefit of changing cruise lines outweighs our status with Royal Caribbean when visiting Alaska. Kind of a bucket list visit for my husband and I. I just need some guidance as to what opinions are out there. I would really appreciate any feedback. Anyone can give me. Thank you all for your time.🌼

Sorry to bug you again Robyn as a newbie but...desperately trying to get another cruise on the books. It has been hard coming back to reality without a future cruise on my horizon! We really enjoyed Freedom. Between Liberty, Freedom and Adventure do you have a favorite among them? I know it is a hard question, just wanted your opinion. Probably should have sent you a message but still figuring things out :)

I am enjoying the Tutti Salad Bar in the MDR today. I am sitting with a great family from Maine, here they are!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Robyn!

Thank you so much for taking this great photo of my family! It actually turned out to be the only family photo from the cruise! It was such a pleasure meeting you and your lovely daughter. I so appreciated all the time you took to post everything from the cruise, it was like reliving it again with all the great pictures. I am already trying to finagle another cruise, I loved Freedom so much it is hard to pick another ship to try! Thanks again for your great live report, after watching this board for years I finally joined! Wendy