Alaska 2012?

[island lady]

Forgive my ignorance, but I was wondering when RCI posts available cabins to book for the

Alaska cruises out of Vancouver for the 2012 season?

[Ashland]

Forgive my ignorance, but I was wondering when RCI posts available cabins to book for the

Alaska cruises out of Vancouver for the 2012 season?

No question is ever ignorant..always ask away..:)...I asked this question when recently onboard..The Alaska schedule comes out approx the end of March 2011..I was ready to book, knew the approx date and cabin I wanted..just settled for a Next Cruise Certificate instead..so I'll be ready...We love the Northbound on the Radiance out of Vancouver..Also if you'll be flying home out of Anchorage on a flight no earlier than 1:30pm, consider the RCI Train (Grand View Railroad) transfer option..This was one of the highlights of our last cruise...Enjoy !!!:D

[Cheryl H]

I asked the same question last year. End of March is correct, but this year it didn't actually happen until April 14. I believe that's the first day they started booking. That was my booking date for our cruise.

 

Have fun planning your trip!!

[island lady]

No question is ever ignorant..always ask away..:)...I asked this question when recently onboard..The Alaska schedule comes out approx the end of March 2011..I was ready to book, knew the approx date and cabin I wanted..just settled for a Next Cruise Certificate instead..so I'll be ready...We love the Northbound on the Radiance out of Vancouver..Also if you'll be flying home out of Anchorage on a flight no earlier than 1:30pm, consider the RCI Train (Grand View Railroad) transfer option..This was one of the highlights of our last cruise...Enjoy !!!:D

 

Thank you so much for your help! :)

 

Yes, it is the North bound Radiance that I want to book. Knew there was a train up there, but did not know it went all the way back down to Vancouver?? That would be a great trip! I was planning on a round trip flight to Vancouver, with a "puddle jumper" one way flight from Anchorage back to Vancouver to pick up our return flight. Also want to do some fishing and touring post cruise for a few days before we head back to Vancouver. So will delay that return flight for 4-5 days.

I hear some Salmon calling my name!! :D

[island lady]

I asked the same question last year. End of March is correct, but this year it didn't actually happen until April 14. I believe that's the first day they started booking. That was my booking date for our cruise.

 

Have fun planning your trip!!

 

Thanks! :)

 

We enjoyed a trip on HAL to Alaska a few years ago, but did not like leaving out of Seattle as the seas were so rough, and I really prefer RCI anyway. Want to enjoy the inside passage with the calm water and more sights to see along the way with the one way cruise.

 

I will be a humble "Platinum" by the time I disembark the Monarch, of which I will board that ship tomorrow, so will try for a cruise certificate this week. I am guessing that is how I can get my OBC for my future Alaska trip too? :)

[MJN]

Like Cheryl H we too were first able to book our Alaska cruise for July 8 2011 in April 2010. We were easily able to find the cabin we wanted and the itinerary for a cruise tour of Alaska. I would start watching in March 2011 and keep your eye on the RCI website until they open up the bookings for 2012.

[Cheryl H]

No question is ever ignorant..always ask away..:)...I asked this question when recently onboard..The Alaska schedule comes out approx the end of March 2011..I was ready to book, knew the approx date and cabin I wanted..just settled for a Next Cruise Certificate instead..so I'll be ready...We love the Northbound on the Radiance out of Vancouver..Also if you'll be flying home out of Anchorage on a flight no earlier than 1:30pm, consider the RCI Train (Grand View Railroad) transfer option..This was one of the highlights of our last cruise...Enjoy !!!:D

 

The train you are referring to is a transfer from Seward to Anchorage, right? I'm thinking the other poster might have thought you meant there's a train transfer all the way back to Vancouver.

[island lady]

Thanks to all for your help! I will be most anxiously watching the RCI website for the

posting, with future cruise certificate in hand that I will hope to purchase when I board

the Monarch tomorrow morning.

 

Do I need an appointment to sit with the loyalty ambassador? And if so, can I set that up now before I board?

[Cheryl H]

It just occurred to me, if you could afford it, just do a double cruise...do northbound up to Seward then stay on and sail a second week back down to Vancouver. Then you could do your round trip air in and out of Vancouver. I would love to do that!!

[island lady]

It just occurred to me, if you could afford it, just do a double cruise...do northbound up to Seward then stay on and sail a second week back down to Vancouver. Then you could do your round trip air in and out of Vancouver. I would love to do that!!

 

Gosh yes...I would love to do that too! :)

Thanks for the advice and I had indeed thought about it, but the DH and myself have our hearts set on renting a vehicle for 4-5 days, setting up a float plane trip to fish for salmon, and also driving up to Denali park for a tour after we disembark the ship.

 

Unfortunately the ship will not wait for us....imagine that!! :rolleyes: ;)

[borg1of2]

Thank you so much for your help! :)

 

Yes, it is the North bound Radiance that I want to book. Knew there was a train up there, but did not know it went all the way back down to Vancouver?? That would be a great trip! I was planning on a round trip flight to Vancouver, with a "puddle jumper" one way flight from Anchorage back to Vancouver to pick up our return flight. Also want to do some fishing and touring post cruise for a few days before we head back to Vancouver. So will delay that return flight for 4-5 days.

I hear some Salmon calling my name!! :D

 

No expert here, but is Radiance going to be doing Alaska in 2012. She goes to Australia/New Zealand after the Alaska season in 2011. Are they going to bring her back, or will it be a different ship. I saw a post some time ago that it might be Jewel. She will finish up doing Carribean out of Tampa and then might head to Alaska.

 

Jewel would be better IMHO.

 

Scott

[island lady]

No expert here, but is Radiance going to be doing Alaska in 2012. She goes to Australia/New Zealand after the Alaska season in 2011. Are they going to bring her back, or will it be a different ship. I saw a post some time ago that it might be Jewel. She will finish up doing Carribean out of Tampa and then might head to Alaska.

 

Jewel would be better IMHO.

 

Scott

 

Radiance or Jewel....both cool! pun intended..... ;)

I will be on the Jewel for the first time in January. I will ask them then. As I believe they

are both identical ships, I would love either one.

 

Interesting information, however, and thanks! :) And actually I am leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale for the Caribbean cruise in January. Not sure about the Tampa thing??

[ClipperMiami]

No expert here, but is Radiance going to be doing Alaska in 2012. She goes to Australia/New Zealand after the Alaska season in 2011. Are they going to bring her back, or will it be a different ship. I saw a post some time ago that it might be Jewel. She will finish up doing Carribean out of Tampa and then might head to Alaska.

 

Jewel would be better IMHO.

 

Scott

Radiance is going to OZ at the end of the 2011 Alaska season and returning Sydney-Honolulu-Vancouver in April 2012. We're booked B2B ending in Vancouver and I'm waiting to see what the 2012 Alaska schedule looks like also.

[MJN]

I saw a thread that has Radiance going into drydock in May and then going to Alaska, at least for the summer, not sure where she goes after that.

I would be interested in learning if there IS a train that goes from Anchorage to Vancouver.....is there?

[Ashland]

The train you are referring to is a transfer from Seward to Anchorage, right? I'm thinking the other poster might have thought you meant there's a train transfer all the way back to Vancouver.

That's right Cheryl..one way from Seward into the Anchorage airport for a return flight , that's what we did and are going to do again in May 2012 !!!!

[Ashland]

Radiance or Jewel in Alaska..have been on both..so it doesn't matter..Love the GS or JS #1100...

[Albert Ross]

Radiance or Jewel in Alaska..have been on both..so it doesn't matter..Love the GS or JS #1100...

 

Hands off #1100 -= that one is mine !!!!:D

Plan on booking a June southbound itinerary the day it goes on sale in 2012

[Cheryl H]

Yes, I wanted 1100 also. That's why I booked it on the very first day available.....however, then panic struck!!

 

They decided to put the ship in dry dock for the 7 immediate days before our cruise, so all those cruisers got their pick of other sailings. Then the cruise after ours was cancelled and all those people got their pick of other sailings. And all my calls kept resulting in RCCL telling me that our sailing was still on. Something was fishy....so I hurried up and plunked a deposit down on 1100 on another sailing just in case. And sure enough eventually they finally cancelled our cruise too. I was about to panic thinking 1100 was going to be gone and we booked so early to be able to get it.

 

But thankfully, all is okay. They grabbed our new reservation and moved it over to our old reservation. So we have 1100 on a different week. Yippee!!

 

Now I just need June 24 to hurry up and get here.

[Ashland]

We did the Baltics 12 nights just this past August on Jewel in #1100..WOW :D..Love that cabin !!!! Best of luck to everyone trying to get it :) !!!

[island lady]

Awww....ok...now I want 1100! We won't be going until late August or September of

2012. Or will pick a date that does not interfere with your dates!! ;)

 

Actually I would just be happy to have ANY aft cabin on the Alaska cruise! :)

[reney313]

I don't even know what cabin 1100 is....but I want it too :=

[island lady]

I don't even know what cabin 1100 is....but I want it too :=

 

As I understand, it is a beautiful wrap around deck 10 JS aft cabin.

 

But then again, there are a lot of 1100 fans that would probably shoot me for telling you that....shhhhhhhhh...... ;)

 

I just want ANY aft cabin on my next cruise!! :D

 

All packed now and leaving in the morning to board the Monarch. :)

[will work to cruise]

That's right Cheryl..one way from Seward into the Anchorage airport for a return flight , that's what we did and are going to do again in May 2012 !!!!

 

We will be looking at an Alaska Northbound for June 2012. This is the first I've heard about the train. Do you book it through RCI? What's the cost per person? When does it leave to head to Anchorage? Does it take you to the airport? Sorry about all the question, but any and all info would be graetly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

[Ashland]

We will be looking at an Alaska Northbound for June 2012. This is the first I've heard about the train. Do you book it through RCI? What's the cost per person? When does it leave to head to Anchorage? Does it take you to the airport? Sorry about all the question, but any and all info would be graetly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

Hi Mike,

 

Yes, you or your TA book it through RCI..We flew into Vancouver BC, had the prebooked roundtrip transfers with RCI, bus picked us up took us to the ship (didn't have to claim our luggage as we were "cruise direct" and it was delivered to our cabin)..At the end of our cruise in Seward we had chosen the train transfers (google Grand View Train Alaska for pics). The train was literally right next to our ship (again no luggage worries, didn't see ours until we landed at our home airport). It left approx 8-8:30am (you're given a train boarding pass as you exit the ship so first come first on, try to sit facing forward,speakup as their handing you the boarding pass and we were lucky to be in the first train car and saw many moose before they would run from the train) and arrived at the door to the Anchorage airport approx 11-11:30am. That is why you can't have a flight any earlier than 1:30pm. I believe the cost for the roundtrip was about $135pp, but you can do either as a oneway if you choose to..The train ride was amazing, a wonderful guide is in each train car, serving refreshments (great hot chocolate) while giving details on what you were seeing and going to be seeing up ahead, and a lot of history.The Train engineer slowed many times to almost a crawl so everyone could see the glaciers and beautiful sights..This was one of the highlights of our cruise..Enjoy beautiful Alaska from the Train instead of the customary bus transfer...:)

[will work to cruise]

Hi Mike,

 

Yes, you or your TA book it through RCI..We flew into Vancouver BC, had the prebooked roundtrip transfers with RCI, bus picked us up took us to the ship (didn't have to claim our luggage as we were "cruise direct" and it was delivered to our cabin)..At the end of our cruise in Seward we had chosen the train transfers (google Grand View Train Alaska for pics). The train was literally right next to our ship (again no luggage worries, didn't see ours until we landed at our home airport). It left approx 8-8:30am (you're given a train boarding pass as you exit the ship so first come first on, try to sit facing forward,speakup as their handing you the boarding pass and we were lucky to be in the first train car and saw many moose before they would run from the train) and arrived at the door to the Anchorage airport approx 11-11:30am. That is why you can't have a flight any earlier than 1:30pm. I believe the cost for the roundtrip was about $135pp, but you can do either as a oneway if you choose to..The train ride was amazing, a wonderful guide is in each train car, serving refreshments (great hot chocolate) while giving details on what you were seeing and going to be seeing up ahead, and a lot of history.The Train engineer slowed many times to almost a crawl so everyone could see the glaciers and beautiful sights..This was one of the highlights of our cruise..Enjoy beautiful Alaska from the Train instead of the customary bus transfer...:)

 

Thanks Ashland!

 

The info is much appreciated.