glaciers, passages & daunting alaska

[ilovecraig929]

(I also posted this on the Alaska board but since I frequent this board almost everyday I was going to see if you guys had some expertise to share :D )

 

Planning a cruise to alaska is daunting! So many choices!!!!! Okay I have no experience whatsoever but I have tried to research what I can! I'm kind of hung up on this: I've read wonderful things about Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage. I thought I had found the perfect cruise on Princess because it had both glacier bay and hubbard on the itenerary and it *looked* like it sailed through the inside passage but that's not listed (as it is on royal caribbean where they put "inside passage" as a "destination/feature/", etc website) and for princess it just says "At Sea" SO could anyone enlighten me, do they actually NOT sail through the inside passage (here is a pic of what it shows and then what it says:

 

http://www.princess.com/find/itinera...r+to+Vancouver

 

 

So if this means no inside passage on princess, I know this is totally subjectable but if you had to choose would you pick Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier OR Hubbard Glacier and Inside Passage?

[bigeagle12]

Last sea day is the Inside Passage. From what I have heard and read, Glacier Bay is superior to Hubbard.

[pcur]

(I also posted this on the Alaska board but since I frequent this board almost everyday I was going to see if you guys had some expertise to share :D )

 

Planning a cruise to alaska is daunting! So many choices!!!!! Okay I have no experience whatsoever but I have tried to research what I can! I'm kind of hung up on this: I've read wonderful things about Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage. I thought I had found the perfect cruise on Princess because it had both glacier bay and hubbard on the itenerary and it *looked* like it sailed through the inside passage but that's not listed (as it is on royal caribbean where they put "inside passage" as a "destination/feature/", etc website) and for princess it just says "At Sea" SO could anyone enlighten me, do they actually NOT sail through the inside passage (here is a pic of what it shows and then what it says:

 

http://www.princess.com/find/itinera...r+to+Vancouver

 

 

So if this means no inside passage on princess, I know this is totally subjectable but if you had to choose would you pick Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier OR Hubbard Glacier and Inside Passage?

 

The map is showing Inside Passage, and it looks like the route we took, only we didn't go as far north. You will be AMAZED by the scenery!!

 

June will probably be pretty cold, so take layers to wear. My avatar pic is me on board the Rhapsody with Sawyer Glacier behind me last September!!!

[negc]

Last sea day is the Inside Passage. From what I have heard and read, Glacier Bay is superior to Hubbard.

We have been to both and I would be hard pressed to claim that either one is superior to the other. On last year's Radiance cruise we were able to get quite close to Hubbard Glacier and saw some extraordinary calving.

We had a very good Alaskan cruise tour with Princess but, IMO, an even better one on Royal Caribbean.:)

[negc]

Last sea day is the Inside Passage. From what I have heard and read, Glacier Bay is superior to Hubbard.

We have been to both and I would be hard pressed to claim that either one is superior to the other. On last year's Radiance cruise we were able to get quite close to Hubbard Glacier and saw some extraordinary calving.

We had a very good Alaskan cruise tour with Princess but, IMO, an even better one on Royal Caribbean.:)

[negc]

sorry duplicate post.

[ilovecraig929]

you guys are amazing! thank you for the input so far! :)

[bob123]

We have been on two Princess cruises to Alaska in the last five years and are going again next year. Princess definitely sails the inside passage so no worries there. They also go to Hubbard glacier and Glacier Bay on the southbound itinerary from Whittier to Vancouver. On the northbound cruise, they go to Glacier Bay and College Fjord.

 

Good Luck

 

bob123

[TonyFred]

Easy to tell if a itinerary is actually an "inside passage" or not. If you travel inside of Vancouver island, it is an inside passage cruise. If the route is to the outside of Vancouver, it is not a true inside passage cruise. Looks like the one you posted is definitely an inside passage. Most ships that depart Seattle go to the outside while Vancouver departures follow the inside.

Regardless, you are going to LOVE the scenery either way.

[jmf123]

We have been to both and I would be hard pressed to claim that either one is superior to the other. On last year's Radiance cruise we were able to get quite close to Hubbard Glacier and saw some extraordinary calving.

We had a very good Alaskan cruise tour with Princess but, IMO, an even better one on Royal Caribbean.:)

 

Glacier Bay with HAL was an amazing day, but our Serenade of the Seas captain got us up close to Hubbard and it too was awesome. Your glacier day will likely be your coldest day, bring gloves and a mug of hot chocolate! Our helicopter ride up to Mendenhall Glacier (in Juneau) was worth every penny, getting out to walk on the glacier was incredible. When cruising the Inside Passage, take advantage of the many hours of daylight and get out to the rail early in the morning, so peaceful.

[cruisingram1]

Easy to tell if a itinerary is actually an "inside passage" or not. If you travel inside of Vancouver island, it is an inside passage cruise. If the route is to the outside of Vancouver, it is not a true inside passage cruise. Looks like the one you posted is definitely an inside passage. Most ships that depart Seattle go to the outside while Vancouver departures follow the inside.

Regardless, you are going to LOVE the scenery either way.

 

We left from Seattle on Celebrity Infinity and it went through the Inside Passage. It was round trip/Seattle if that makes a difference. The scenery is breathtaking. I thought we'd miss the sunbathing aspect of the cruise since all of our previous cruises were in warmer climes, but this was one of our best cruises to date!

[ilovecraig929]

thanks guys! i was just so confused as to why one cruise line seems to advertise the Inside Passage specifically and another cruise line doesn't mention it? but this clears up a lot, thanks!