North to Alaska! Which itinerary?

[PartyAllDaTyme]

We're planning on cruising to Alaska with Celebrity in 2012, just waiting for the itineraries to come out. Assuming it's the same itineraries as in the past, we're debating the 7 night RT out of Seattle or the 7 night RT out of Vancouver. Seattle gets us Tracy Arm Fjord, Skagway, and Victoria BC, and looks like it does the Inside Passage only on the southbound leg, making a starboard cabin more desirable. Vancouver does Icy Strait Point, Hubbard Glacier, and Inside Passage going both ways. Both stop at Juneau and Ketchikan. Time would be either mid June or mid August. We're comfortable with using a private tour operator.

 

We'll be traveling with DW's older parents, and the cruise is more for them than for us. DMIL wants to see bears! She has some mobility issues, but can usually get around okay. I'm torn between wanting to do WP&Y railroad in Skagway or seeing Hubbard Glacier, but we'll be back again someday so I could skip either. As I understand it, Hubbard is more spectacular than Tracy Arm Fjord, but would it be considered a must-see?

 

Overall cost is important, but not necessarily the determining factor. (Is it cheaper to fly into Seattle or Vancouver from the midwest, BTW?) Any thoughts on which itinerary is preferable would be welcome.

[Yukon]

Life is full of trade-offs, isn't it? :) I love the WP&YR so probably wouldn't trade the railway for Hubbard Glacier if that was the only consideration. BUT - I would trade Icy Strait Point (one of my favourite ports) and Hubbard Glacier for Skagway and Tracy Arm, and the extra-scenic sailing out of Vancouver make that sailing a fairly easy choice for me. Mid June gives you better odds of getting dry weather, and you get to experience The Midnight Sun (well, almost).

[Budget Queen]

Of your two choices, there is more scenic sailing on round trip Vancouver. Which ever you choose, it's a compromise. IF glaciers are of any interest- then Hubbard wins hands down. Not sure if Celebrity has one, but in my opinion, Tracy Arm is FAR superior via a cruiselines add on excursion, so another expense to consider if available.

 

IF bears are the priority, then you would be better going during the timeframe of the bear tours, which is into July through begining of Sept. With a top recommendation of Anan out of Ketchikan, if earlier in August, otherwise Neets Bay or Traitor's Cove. Also look into the peak timeframes for Pack Creek out of Juneau. Hoonah, also is possible for bear tours, again, verify the peak times.

[Putterdude]

Celebrity does this all the time in the their brochures, but they do not sail southbound in the Inside Passage out of Seattle . They did try do this a few years ago with the Infinity but with the timing of the tides in Seymour Narrows they couldn't make Victoria on a timely basis and gave up.

[Krazy Kruizers]

having sailed out of both seattlr and vancouver

jmo -- i would choose the cruise out of vancouver

also -- we like hubbard glacier much better than tracy arm

[PartyAllDaTyme]

Thank you all (so far) for your responses so far-- everything was helpful! It sounds like Vancouver is the choice here, and in August if we want to see bears. I'll continue to see if others have anything to add.

 

Putterdude, does that mean that Celebrity skips the Inside Passage altogether on the Seattle itineraries?

[Yukon]

... does that mean that Celebrity skips the Inside Passage altogether on the Seattle itineraries?

 

EVERY Alaska cruise is an Inside Passage cruise because that's where most of the ports are. Almost all Seattle departures sail west of Vancouver Island, though, so miss the particularly fine part of the Inside Passage to the east of the island.

[Putterdude]

Putterdude, does that mean that Celebrity skips the Inside Passage altogether on the Seattle itineraries?

 

What is means is out of Seattle, Celebrity sails on the west side of Vancouver Island both going north and south, so for the best part of a day in either direction you are out of sight of land and can be subject to rougher waters of the Pacific.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

EVERY Alaska cruise is an Inside Passage cruise because that's where most of the ports are. Almost all Seattle departures sail west of Vancouver Island, though, so miss the particularly fine part of the Inside Passage to the east of the island.

 

Thanks, Yukon. I had assumed that they would sail east of Vancouver Island, the "particularly fine part", when they refer to "Inside Passage (Sailing)" in the itinerary.

 

What is means is out of Seattle, Celebrity sails on the west side of Vancouver Island both going north and south, so for the best part of a day in either direction you are out of sight of land and can be subject to rougher waters of the Pacific.

 

Understood, thanks Putterdude. Nothing east of Vancouver Island either way. Makes sailing out of Vancouver all the more appealing.

[Yukon]

Makes sailing out of Vancouver all the more appealing.

 

If ya "PartyAllDaTyme", though, you'll miss most of the scenery anyway :D

[Putterdude]

 

Understood, thanks Putterdude. Nothing east of Vancouver Island either way. Makes sailing out of Vancouver all the more appealing.

 

To be clear (I hope), the ships from Seattle enter the Inside Passage north of Vancouver Island northbound and exit the Inside Passage north of Vancouver Island southbound. Vancouver Island is some 290 miles long and constitutes about 25% to 30% of the distance traveled on during a 7 day return voyage.

[CowPrincess]

You most likely will find that flying to Seattle is MUCH LESS expensive than flying to Vancouver. There are many threads on this forum about various ways of getting from Seattle to Vancouver (and back) :) If mobility and stamina are a concern for your in-laws, you may want to consider an overnight in Seattle pre- and post-Vancouver. Or an extra day in Vancouver.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

You most likely will find that flying to Seattle is MUCH LESS expensive than flying to Vancouver. There are many threads on this forum about various ways of getting from Seattle to Vancouver (and back) :) If mobility and stamina are a concern for your in-laws, you may want to consider an overnight in Seattle pre- and post-Vancouver. Or an extra day in Vancouver.

 

Thanks-- DMIL doesn't like to fly, DFIL doesn't like to drive the RV that far, so we are considering putting them on Amtrak and meeting them there. We might all fly to Seattle (if we can talk DMIL into it) and then take the train or rent a car to Vancouver. Overnight precruise stay is mandatory. If Vancouver, we might travel to Seattle the day of the return, stay overnight, fly home the next day. We'll figure it out.