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About a year ago I read an article about restricting the large cruise ships into Glacier Bay or possibly banning them all together. I'm sure it was written about extreme measures in the future but is anyone aware of anything like this or heard of similar talk? Trying to decide if Glacier Bay is a "do it now before you can't" location or not.

What was your absolute favorite part of your Alaskan cruise? If there is one thing you would suggest that could not be missed what would it be?

Would anyone be willing to post some pics of the Inside Passage or more specifically what we would be missing if we take a cruise from Seattle? My husband & I have two very different mental pictures of what the scenery will be like on sea days & I'm hoping to see some examples. We can upgrade both our cabin & excursions if we leave from Seattle so we need to decide which will provide the best experience.

Wow! Thanks for all the awesome replies!!! We have a lot to think about!

We like both actually but enjoy something different. We've never been to Europe but have never gone to Alaska either.

Looking at options for our 10 year anniversary. If you have been on both which did you prefer and why? I know they are apples & oranges but I'm curious what others have to say about their experiences.

Does anyone ever eat off the ship for dinner? We would love to eat most of our meals in port if possible. Thanks!

We plan to do a private tour in Sitka. It's 2.5 hours. We will do the Misty Fjords flight and I have no idea yet in Juneau.

Ok. Both are HAL cruises. We are planning mid-June with our two top criteria are Glacier Bay & flights to Seattle (2 free). The itineraries are below:

R/T Seattle

Juneau 1-10pm

Glacier Bay 7-4pm

Sitka 7-3pm

Ketchikan 7-1pm

R/T Vancouver

Juneau 1-10pm

Skagway 7-9pm

Glacier Bay 7-4pm

Ketchikan 10-6pm

Hope to get some more input! Thanks!

Back at looking for an Alaskan Cruise in June 2015. This will be our first time to Alaska and are looking at these two options. Both appeal to us for different reasons.

1. R/T Seattle - this includes Sitka which I have heard great things about and it's easy for us to get to.

2. R/T Vancouver - can take a smaller vessel to Tracy Arm

As I said, both have their positives. Sitka really appeals to us but not sure giving up the inside passage is worth it. Both include Glacier Bay, Juneau, & Ketchikan. Any suggestions for those who have been? Thanks

Thanks for all the advice! Any idea on where to find what other ships are in port each day?

Yo Adrienne. We will be flying in a couple days ahead of time but seeing Vancouver doesn't not matter much as we have been there before. But we have never been to Seattle which is another draw to us. It is our 1st time to Alaska and as mentioned we do have a few extra days, but not long enough to do a land tour this time. Our biggest concern are those 2 sea days and not being on the inside passage. Are we missing one of the best parts of the cruise by leaving from Seattle?

Okie have you done R/T Seattle? Did you feel like you were missing anything not going from Vancouver?

I have a question for you. We have never been to Alaska before and are considering a R/T Seattle cruise in 2015 mostly because we want to visit Sitka. Seems like a very neat town. How "scenic" is the inside passage and if the itinerary is right and the price is right are we giving up to much to go R/T Seattle vs Vancouver? Thanks!!! And beautiful review. I loved reading about your adventure!

Anyone else? We are looking at Holland America R/T Seattle. Thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

We are all over the board with so many options for Alaska! I am leaning for a R/T Seattle with Sitka simply because I really want to visit Sitka and this is the only itinerary with both Sitka and Glacier Bay that we can fit in our schedule. Being our first cruise to Alaska are we making a mistake doing a R/T Seattle and should I give up Sitka for a Vancouver departure?

Quick question.... We are sailing on the Star next year to Alaska. Do the specialty restaurants require formal attire on formal nights? Do they require advanced reservations? If they require reservations to we do that prior to sailing or once we board? Thank you!

How much are Tracy Arm and Misty Fjords alike, other than the glacier at Tracy Arm? Which is better & why?

We had the Tracy Arm excursion all picked through Allen Marine.....now we are completely undecided. The Helicopter & Glacier Trek looks awesome too!! Please give me some advice!

What about the Taku Glacier Lodge Flight & Feast? How would you rate that against the Tracy Arm excursion? It would allow us more time in Juneau to experience whale watching or the town itself? It does look pretty amazing. Also, how does Tracy Arm compare to Lynn Fjord or Misty Fjord? We are looking at those tours also in other parts. Trying to get a well rounded experience. Thanks

We are back and forth between Holland and Princess for a 2015 Alaskan cruise. We like the Holland itinerary better but Princess looks good too. My biggest concern is a bunch of bad reviews I have read on the Noordam. I know people who are unhappy write reviews more often than those who had a great experience but can some of you shed some good light on the Noordam and the experience we'll have on Holland in Alaska. Put my mind at ease please!

I am sure many of you have sailed this itinerary and know there are several early morning ports. What time do they start serving breakfast on these early mornings? Ketchikan is a 6:30am arrival so I am especially curious about a day like this. Thank you.

This is our first and possibly only cruise to Alaska. Our early July itinerary includes Glacier Bay and we have pretty much decided on what to do in Ketchikan (Misty Fjord Flight Plane) and Skagway (White Pass Rail) but are struggling with Juneau. One option is a very long 10 hour excursion into Tracy Arm with Adventure Bound, the second option is a whale watch tour with Harv & Marv. Both have space on the day we are in port. We really want to see Tracy Arm but it leaves us no time to see the rest of Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier, Nugget Falls, etc. If we think of it as our one and only trip what would you suggest and why? I am overwhelmed by this decision and my husband is no help on this one :) He is equally excited about both prospects.

Hello all. Does anyone know of a reasonably priced $250 to $300 per night hotel in Vancouver that will store our luggage post cruise? We will be staying an extra night but want to get out and explore after leaving the ship, not worrying about our luggage until check in time. Thank you.

Has anyone done this excursion and what was your experience? We are hoping to do an early afternoon excursion prior to whale watching and this is our only option. Otherwise we would probably choose Harv & Marv.