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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

45 minutes ago, NothingBeatsBaseball said:

I did the Sapphire Princess inside passage with Glacier Bay last June. I think if you had a balcony you'd be happy with what you can see from the balcony if you couldn't move to other spots on the ship the easiest. My only suggestion would be to get a balcony that has cover above it so if it is raining, it feels like you can still use the balcony. I traveled with someone who couldn't walk long distances and we found Princess' help getting them on and off the ship in a wheelchair was very considerate and helpful. 

 

I will add this, Princess' port locations in Ketchikan and Skagway were great. I can't speak to what they are for cruises you are looking at. But in Ketchikan, we were right in the city steps off the ship. Skagway.... not as much... BUT if you book the train through them, the train nearly pulls up to the ship. 

Excellent info!

Great info all,thanks for sharing! DH is still able to walk, albeit slowly. At this point the main issue is stamina so I will look at all the suggestions carefully.

While money isn’t “no object”, and we are willing to pay for the perfect (for us) experience,  it also seems some of the smaller and more expensive cruises might be for more active participants. We might stick out too much, if you know what I mean.

25 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

If you read around the board, you will see many discussions of the true Inside Passage as being extremely scenic, would mean sailing to, or from Vancouver. And that many glacier opportunities are sailing only, like Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier and Tracy Arm.  

 

You will be on a ship, by the way.

True inside passage? I tried googling that but didn’t come up with anything. I am wondering if the smaller the boat the more “inside” it gets?

My 66 year old husband has Glioblastoma. He is still somewhat mobile but even an hour going to the grocery store exhausts him.

He has always wanted to go to Alaska and has been to the remaining 49 US states so if possible I would like to make this happen for him on one of the first Alaska cruises this season.

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. 
 

Obviously at this point it would also have to be a last minute booking, but I need to concentrate on which cruises would show the best views of Alaska without leaving the ship.

Food and beverage :)

"Delicious" review, Lori! Thank you for the descriptions and pictures. I am taking my mom on the 3/19 cruise and neither of us have ever cruised before. I just randomly booked this cruise a couple of weeks ago. :DBetween your review and the one from Norris last year I think I have a handle on the ship and F&B outlets. I am looking forward to this!

Norris,

This review was the cat's meow! 🐱

It has taken me a few days to get through it, but I cannot tell you enough how helpful it has been to me.

I have been wanting to take my mom on a vacation and rather randomly picked and booked the Silhouette a couple of weeks ago for a cruise next month because the dates worked. Neither of us have ever been on a cruise.

I came upon your thread when I was doing a little "after the fact" research and I feel now that we will enjoy the whole experience. We are in Aqua Class and I am happy that you didn't have anything bad to say about Blu. I also got a good idea about ship layout and the basics of how it all worked thanks to you.

I am going to start the Reflection review now since they are similar ships,

Thanks again!

Lynn