Am I going to be disappointed by not cruising inside passage?

[misskitty123]

We are considering one of the Disney Wonder Alaska cruises next year. It's our first time to Alaska and my mom who I travel with is partial to Disney (I am too, but am understand that sometimes other lines are better). I know we can do Alaska cheaper if we went with someone other than Disney but since I'm traveling with my mom, I have to take her opinions into consideration as well.

 

The itinerary is:

 

Day Port Ashore Onboard

Tuesday Vancouver, Canada — 3:00 p.m.

Wednesday At Sea — —

Thursday Tracy Arm, Alaska — —

Friday Skagway, Alaska 7:15 a.m. 7:30 p.m.

Saturday Juneau, Alaska 7:45 a.m. 4:30 p.m.

Sunday Ketchikan, Alaska ** 7:30 p.m.

Monday At Sea — —

Tuesday Vancouver, Canada 8:00 a.m.

 

Are we going to be sorely disappointed in not cruising the inside passage? Has anyone done both types of cruises and can compare?

 

We are just in the planning stages and I'm searching through the forums for info but if there is anything else we should consider, please let me know.

 

Mom is happy just being on a cruise, I'm really interested in seeing animals and glaciers etc.

 

Thanks so much,

 

Randi

[Texas Tillie]

We are considering one of the Disney Wonder Alaska cruises next year. It's our first time to Alaska and my mom who I travel with is partial to Disney (I am too, but am understand that sometimes other lines are better). I know we can do Alaska cheaper if we went with someone other than Disney but since I'm traveling with my mom, I have to take her opinions into consideration as well.

 

The itinerary is:

 

Day Port Ashore Onboard

Tuesday Vancouver, Canada — 3:00 p.m.

Wednesday At Sea — —

Thursday Tracy Arm, Alaska — —

Friday Skagway, Alaska 7:15 a.m. 7:30 p.m.

Saturday Juneau, Alaska 7:45 a.m. 4:30 p.m.

Sunday Ketchikan, Alaska ** 7:30 p.m.

Monday At Sea — —

Tuesday Vancouver, Canada 8:00 a.m.

 

Are we going to be sorely disappointed in not cruising the inside passage? Has anyone done both types of cruises and can compare?

 

We are just in the planning stages and I'm searching through the forums for info but if there is anything else we should consider, please let me know.

 

Mom is happy just being on a cruise, I'm really interested in seeing animals and glaciers etc.

 

Thanks so much,

 

Randi

 

This IS an inside passage cruise. Leaving from Vancouver, you will almost certainly (but not 100%) sail to the east of Vancouver Island. Juneau and Skagway are on the inside passage. What you are missing is a "better" glacier experience. Many who've been to Alaska prefer either Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier to Tracy Arm where you might not get close to a glacier at all.

[CowPrincess]

As Texas Tillie said, this cruise is most likely to do the Inside Passage, so the "sea day" leaving from Vancouver (and returning) will be scenic. You will most likely be between the mainland and Vancouver Island. The "real" or "historic" Inside Passage is generally not offered by cruise lines. (There are exceptions to this, very high priced IMHO, on small ships.)

 

We just got back and did Tracy Arm. It was a spectacular experience but we were not able to get close to the glacier due to ice. We saw it in the distance. If calving glaciers and being up close to glaciers is important to you, you probably need to investigate other cruise itineraries. (I, however, would do the Tracy Arm trip again and again, having already experienced other glaciers up close, doing major calving.)

[Putterdude]

You are sailing in the Inside Passage on your itinerary as you will be sailing in the sheltered waters on the east side of Vancouver Island and you will be rewarded with some wonderful scenery on the first and last day of your cruise. The above poster is correct the route plyed these days is not quite the route that we used when I crewed in the early '60's however if tides, currents and traffic is right some ships will still sail portions of it ...HAL most notably. Just 2 weeks ago the Zuderdam sailed in a number of different channels than we did on the Diamond.

[Jen1000]

Looking on the DCL site it shows the route and it looks to be the Inside Passage both ways.

 

Jen in SoCal

 

We are considering one of the Disney Wonder Alaska cruises next year. It's our first time to Alaska and my mom who I travel with is partial to Disney (I am too, but am understand that sometimes other lines are better). I know we can do Alaska cheaper if we went with someone other than Disney but since I'm traveling with my mom, I have to take her opinions into consideration as well.

 

The itinerary is:

 

Day Port Ashore Onboard

Tuesday Vancouver, Canada — 3:00 p.m.

Wednesday At Sea — —

Thursday Tracy Arm, Alaska — —

Friday Skagway, Alaska 7:15 a.m. 7:30 p.m.

Saturday Juneau, Alaska 7:45 a.m. 4:30 p.m.

Sunday Ketchikan, Alaska ** 7:30 p.m.

Monday At Sea — —

Tuesday Vancouver, Canada 8:00 a.m.

 

Are we going to be sorely disappointed in not cruising the inside passage? Has anyone done both types of cruises and can compare?

 

We are just in the planning stages and I'm searching through the forums for info but if there is anything else we should consider, please let me know.

 

Mom is happy just being on a cruise, I'm really interested in seeing animals and glaciers etc.

 

Thanks so much,

 

Randi

[MercedMike]

All the major Alaskan ports are in the "Inside Passage" which classically extends from Prince Rupert to Glacier Bay, being an area of many small islands lying along the coast. So your trip is definitely an Inside Passage cruise.

 

There is some confusion about whether the Straits leading North out of Vancouver constitute part of the "Inside Passage". In some instances ships leaving Seattle will go outside Vancouver Island, and therefore some people claim they are not doing the Inside Passage. This is nonsense as these ships also enter the Inside Passage to go to their ports. However some people do consider the straits inside Vancouver Island to be more scenic. Your cruise appears to do this area too. (Any sailing route is ALWAYS at the discretion of the Captain and may change due to many factors.)

 

I wonder if you are confusing "Inside Passage" with a one-way trip as opposed to the round trip you are considering? This would more properly be called a "Gulf of Alaska" route. It would still go into the Inside Passage to visit the usual ports, but then sails across the Gulf to Seward or Whittier, usually by way of College Fjord.

 

Both one way and round trip cruises are very popular. In most instances, a cruise/tour combination will utilize a one way trip. If you are not on a cruise/tour, then the round trip Inside Passage cruise you are considering would be a great one!

 

HTH. It can be confusing, and many people trying to be helpful confuse it more!

[chipmaster]

Disney is a wonderful line, damm I missed them again by a year.

 

IMHO as wonderful as the inside passage is up and back, once you are in "Alaska" you do a lot of beautiful sailing in narrow water ways and fjords and the Tracy Arm gets almost as narrow as it gets.

 

IMHO you should consider if you will be dissapointed that you get Disney and Tracy Arm versus another cruiseline and say Glacier Bay. I would almost choose the second as Glacier bay is really the jewel of glacier sailing for Alaska not Tracy Arm, yes its beautiful but can't compare. I have been wanting to sail Disney again even with their sky high prices, but this past summer picked Tracy Arm, for schedule considerations. It was wonderful but sorry couldn't compare to Glacier Bay. Loved it, but having been to Glacier didn't miss not getting it again, but if this maybe your only time think thru what you really want from the cruise, Disney or Glacier Bay.

 

We are considering one of the Disney Wonder Alaska cruises next year. It's our first time to Alaska and my mom who I travel with is partial to Disney (I am too, but am understand that sometimes other lines are better). I know we can do Alaska cheaper if we went with someone other than Disney but since I'm traveling with my mom, I have to take her opinions into consideration as well.

 

The itinerary is:

 

Day Port Ashore Onboard

Tuesday Vancouver, Canada — 3:00 p.m.

Wednesday At Sea — —

Thursday Tracy Arm, Alaska — —

Friday Skagway, Alaska 7:15 a.m. 7:30 p.m.

Saturday Juneau, Alaska 7:45 a.m. 4:30 p.m.

Sunday Ketchikan, Alaska ** 7:30 p.m.

Monday At Sea — —

Tuesday Vancouver, Canada 8:00 a.m.

 

Are we going to be sorely disappointed in not cruising the inside passage? Has anyone done both types of cruises and can compare?

 

We are just in the planning stages and I'm searching through the forums for info but if there is anything else we should consider, please let me know.

 

Mom is happy just being on a cruise, I'm really interested in seeing animals and glaciers etc.

 

Thanks so much,

 

Randi

[Putterdude]

There is some confusion about whether the Straits leading North out of Vancouver constitute part of the "Inside Passage".

 

There is no confusion on this at all, these waters form part of the "Inside Passage". The confusion has only came about in recent years when the cruise lines started marketing itineraries out of Seattle as "Inside Passage" sailings when truly they only enter the Inside Passage through Queen Charlotte Sound which is north of Vancouver Island. Vancouver Island is some 290 miles in length and constitutes almost 1/3 of the distance cruised to Skagway. Also, reference to a map or chart will show that the routing through these waters is more west then north.

[NancyIL]

Until recently, Disney's itinerary map showed it sailing to the west of Vancouver Island in both directions. Now the map shows them sailing to the east of Vancouver Island, as one would expect from a Vancouver sailing.

[Putterdude]

Until recently, Disney's itinerary map showed it sailing to the west of Vancouver Island in both directions. Now the map shows them sailing to the east of Vancouver Island, as one would expect from a Vancouver sailing.

 

Celebrity often shows this routing as well, at least one way out of Vancouver...we just kind of put it down as "artistic license" :) but it does confuse some people.

[Texas Tillie]

All the major Alaskan ports are in the "Inside Passage" which classically extends from Prince Rupert to Glacier Bay,

 

Well, not exactly. I certainly consider Sitka to be on the Pacific side of Baranof Island.

[chipmaster]

I will say again!!!

 

Glacier Bay whether by inside or outside is better than "inside" with Tracy Arm.

 

Since Disney is only doing Tracy Arm on the classical inside East of the Island the original poster has a decison to make

 

In this case I think she is missing the forest and seeing only the trees by focusing too much on a marketing term "inside" What is most important is does she get the crown jewel which IMHO isn't Tracy Arm.

[vbmom87]

In this case I think she is missing the forest and seeing only the trees by focusing too much on a marketing term "inside" What is most important is does she get the crown jewel which IMHO isn't Tracy Arm.

 

Well said Chip.

[misskitty123]

Thank you all for the info, it definatly gives us a lot to think about. I think I may price out some cruisetour / other cruises to see what our options are....

[MercedMike]

I will say again!!!

 

Glacier Bay whether by inside or outside is better than "inside" with Tracy Arm.

 

Since Disney is only doing Tracy Arm on the classical inside East of the Island the original poster has a decison to make

 

In this case I think she is missing the forest and seeing only the trees by focusing too much on a marketing term "inside" What is most important is does she get the crown jewel which IMHO isn't Tracy Arm.

 

Well said.

 

This question is so often asked that I made up a page of comparisons.

 

Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/alaskaglaciers.html

 

I definitely suggest Glacier Bay for a first time Alaska cruiser.

[MercedMike]

There is no confusion on this at all, these waters form part of the "Inside Passage". The confusion has only came about in recent years when the cruise lines started marketing itineraries out of Seattle as "Inside Passage" sailings when truly they only enter the Inside Passage through Queen Charlotte Sound which is north of Vancouver Island. Vancouver Island is some 290 miles in length and constitutes almost 1/3 of the distance cruised to Skagway. Also, reference to a map or chart will show that the routing through these waters is more west then north.

 

Well, yeah, there is LOTS of confusion about it, as your post and others show. When Alaskans think of the Inside Passage they think, of course, of the Alaskan portion of it, which is what essentially ALL cruise ships cover.

 

Could we argue that round trip cruises are not truly cruises to Alaska since they cover only PART of Alaska? Or that Columbia River cruises are not Columbia River cruises since they do only PART of the Columbia River? Or that Santiago to Buenos Aires is not truly a South American cruise because it does only PART of South America? A cruise that does the Alaskan PART of the Inside Passage is clearly truly and properly an Inside Passage cruise. So much foolishness is dispensed on worrying about a matter of semantics that is, basically, pointless.

 

Now personally on that first day at sea I enjoy the wonderful facilities of the ship. I might spend half an hour or so on deck watching scenery, and glance out the windows of the public rooms now and then. It makes no difference whatsoever to me whether we are East or West of Vancouver Island. OTOH someone who plans to spend the entire time sitting in the bow well bundled up with their binoculars looking for wildlife might be very concerned with the exact route. Realizing that the Captain may change things at his discretion, it is not hard to find out exactly what the planned route of any cruise is. Your TA can get the information.

 

So confusion continues to reign about the meaning of an "Inside Passage Cruise" and I am not really sure we have answered the OP's question.

[chipmaster]

You hit it spot on Mike!

 

I do admit that on our first Alaskan cruise we were in awe of the inside passage at its narrowest point, but again that was about 10' of awe versus taking in the rest of the ship. And as you mentioend most forget most of the scenic sailing fron ketchickan on is spectacular and has coastline to see and sunsets and rises to die for :D

 

Well, yeah, there is LOTS of confusion about it, as your post and others show. When Alaskans think of the Inside Passage they think, of course, of the Alaskan portion of it, which is what essentially ALL cruise ships cover.

 

Could we argue that round trip cruises are not truly cruises to Alaska since they cover only PART of Alaska? Or that Columbia River cruises are not Columbia River cruises since they do only PART of the Columbia River? Or that Santiago to Buenos Aires is not truly a South American cruise because it does only PART of South America? A cruise that does the Alaskan PART of the Inside Passage is clearly truly and properly an Inside Passage cruise. So much foolishness is dispensed on worrying about a matter of semantics that is, basically, pointless.

 

Now personally on that first day at sea I enjoy the wonderful facilities of the ship. I might spend half an hour or so on deck watching scenery, and glance out the windows of the public rooms now and then. It makes no difference whatsoever to me whether we are East or West of Vancouver Island. OTOH someone who plans to spend the entire time sitting in the bow well bundled up with their binoculars looking for wildlife might be very concerned with the exact route. Realizing that the Captain may change things at his discretion, it is not hard to find out exactly what the planned route of any cruise is. Your TA can get the information.

 

So confusion continues to reign about the meaning of an "Inside Passage Cruise" and I am not really sure we have answered the OP's question.

[hansolosmom]

just wanted to pop in & say thanks for the info - especially your link with the explanations Mike. All the terminology is very confusing to me about AK. I had no idea the DCL trip would be considered doing the 'inside passage'

 

I've just started looking into AK -we considered DCL, almost booked while on our Baltic trip with them, but we really want to see glacier bay so I'm looking at other lines.

[popcan]

I would say that Tracy Arm is more of a scenic tour of Fjord-type scenery, while Glacier Bay is, well, viewing tidal glaciers. (Glaciers that enter into the ocean.)

 

I have to agree, especially as I live in BC and see the coast line scenery a lot... Glacier Bay is the main attraction!

[bearbait]

I can't believe the cruise lines have moved the inside passage. Maybe that means they will quit stopping at Ketchikan and we can have our summers back. Oh! The joys of being free of tourists!!!

[Smokeyham]

Well said.

 

This question is so often asked that I made up a page of comparisons.

 

Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/alaskaglaciers.html

 

I definitely suggest Glacier Bay for a first time Alaska cruiser.

 

Mike,

 

Thanks for posting this comparison of the different glaciers. Having the pictures and the explanation really helps to show what the different choices are. I especially appreciated learning more about Tracy Arm.

[misskitty123]

Mike,

 

Thanks for posting this comparison of the different glaciers. Having the pictures and the explanation really helps to show what the different choices are. I especially appreciated learning more about Tracy Arm.

 

Yes Mike, that was great info. Thanks so much :)