Alaska Summer 2013

[nyyhoneybee]

I'm possibly looking to book an Alaska cruise for summer 2013. Alaska by cruise has always been part of my bucket list to do.

 

- What ship is better for Alaska?

- What one lets me see Glacier Bay?

- Is end of August/early Sept to late to go? What about end of May/early June, is it to early? I'd like to avoid middle of the summer if I could.

- Would you book a land tour through RCI or do it yourself? (I'd love to hear from people who have done both)

- Any preference on Northbound vs. Southbound?

 

Thanks!

[klingoncruiser]

This will be out 22nd year of the addiction called Alaska.

 

- What ship is better for Alaska?

 

Make sure you look at other lines. I reccomend Princess as well as RCI and Celebrity.

 

- What one lets me see Glacier Bay?

RCI and X do not go to Glacier Bay. However... (JMHO) Hubbard is better anyway.

 

- Is end of August/early Sept to late to go? What about end of May/early June, is it to early? I'd like to avoid middle of the summer if I could.

 

Early is not good. For one main reason, there is still a lot of ice in the water around the glaciers and you will not be able to get very close. Late summer is better if you really want to see glaciers up close.

 

- Would you book a land tour through RCI or do it yourself? (I'd love to hear from people who have done both)

 

First trip, I would go with the cruise line. Let them do the "driving" and use it as a recon mission to Alaska. If you want to fly in and do a trip on your own, the Alaska port board is a great help. I will be happy to help if you want more specifics. Both Princess and RCI do a great job of land tours.

 

 

- Any preference on Northbound vs. Southbound?

 

Definitely south bound. Take the land tour and you will need the rest on the way back. BTW... Princess has a tour this year that hits both Hubbard and Glacier bay. While I am no fan of Princess, do NOT count them out when it comes to Alaska.

If I can be of any further help, let me know. However.... DO go to the Alaska port board. (This summer we are riding the ferries and doing a vacation rental out on Prince of Wales island out of Ketchikan. As I said, it is an addiction.) We have done RCI, X, Princess and Carnivore cruises in Alaska over the years.

[nyyhoneybee]

Thabks Klingon!

 

My TA suggested either RCI or X. X has one cruise that jumped out at me when looking but its an 11 day one which probably won't give us time for a lantour as well. I will take a look at Princess.

 

DH has been to Alaska and said for my first time he woukd prefer to do end of June/early July so I guess that is what I am looking at time wise. Most baloncy csabins have already been sold out on that time frame.

[klingoncruiser]

O.K. I found that X cruise. At first I was thinking... wow, hits our favorite port of Sika. Then on second look it went to two Canada ports. (Prince Rupert is where we will be leaving out of, and while it is a quaint little place, it is not much of a place. (Unless you are in to taking a tour out somewhere.) The big reason to quickly can that one is .... wait for it.... it hits NO glaciers at all. Tracy Arm, while a stunning Fjord, it NOT a glacier visit. Sorry, but try again.

 

Late June/early July is a great time to be in Alaska. The wildflowers are stunning. Days are long.

[klingoncruiser]

If you want that much time. Fly into Anchorage and rent a car for a few days.(Even if for only a couple of days) There is SOOOOOO much to do if you do that. Then catch the cruise back. When you are in a car, you can stop when you want to and go where you want to.

[nyyhoneybee]

If you want that much time. Fly into Anchorage and rent a car for a few days.(Even if for only a couple of days) There is SOOOOOO much to do if you do that. Then catch the cruise back. When you are in a car, you can stop when you want to and go where you want to.

 

 

 

That is what I am thinking esp becaus ehe has a cousin and I have a friend who live an Anchorage. I just found s cruise on Princess a 7 day that looks good leaving from Anchorage going south bound.

 

Time to learn about Princess I guess!

[klingoncruiser]

If it is the one that hits both Hubbard and Glacier bay..... that is a real winner. The 3 Alaska ports they hit are just fine and the normal ones. Princess made this market and continue to get a lot of respect there.

 

My beefs are.... I don't like the food. (Subjective as it is too European for me.)

 

I don't like the ships. They are chopped up and hard to just run a floor to get anywhere. No real wow factor. However... you are not going to Alaska for the ship.......

 

Service and everything else is just fine.

[nyyhoneybee]

Yup that is the one!

 

I have never done Princess. Part of my reason for staing away is I heard they usually cater towards an older crowd. I love RCI but haven't been able to find anything that excites me or falls into the price I want for both Europe and now it loons like Alaska as well. I would give X a try but it seems to be all similar to the RCI ports.

[klingoncruiser]

Everything in Alaska will be older, even Carnival. NO one will be older than HAL. You will find that Princess, RCI both line up closely on demographics. X will be a tad older but still nothing like HAL. Don't worry about it. It is GOOD to try other lines... I have been on Princess 6 times. X is owned by RCI, so they just follow the leader.

[nyyhoneybee]

I like sticking with what I know but there are times it pays to try something new. For Europe this summer, RC wanted the same price for abalacony that we are paying for a spa suite. Easy choice to go with something new. I really like what I am seeing on Princess and think I have the ship picked out now just need to shop arond to see if any TA are oferring anythingspecial before we book

[klingoncruiser]

Great! If you need anymore help, let me know. :D You will find out why I call Alaska an addiction. ;)

[nyyhoneybee]

Great! If you need anymore help, let me know. :D You will find out why I call Alaska an addiction. ;)

 

Everythng and anything you want to share would be great!

[klingoncruiser]

Everythng and anything you want to share would be great!

 

 

LOL.... that could take a while. You will need to decide what you want most on your first trip. (There is NO way on earth to do it all. I am still trying after all these years.) Most people want whales, wildlife, glaciers and stunning views. Those are everywhere. Some want shopping and that has become a bit problematic over the years as the cruise ship stores ran off many of the Alaska stores. Some are still are still there though. Flight seeing, though expensive is almost an eventual do. (Not so much on your first trip)

[mikechass]

Feeling like a creeper but I found all the info soooo great.

We are planning on a cruise with my kids for summer 2013.

The in laws are going to come, so we are going to sail out of Seattle I believe... they won't fly. Thanks for all the insight.

My kids picked an Alaska cruise over Disney World... They have also both said their favourite trip so far was to Mount Rushmore, and we are Canadian so that says a lot.

We want to see as much wildlife as possible, whales, salmon, bears... we are hoping to go around the end of August.

Does that sound like a good time to go Klingoncruiser?

[klingoncruiser]

Feeling like a creeper but I found all the info soooo great.

We are planning on a cruise with my kids for summer 2013.

The in laws are going to come, so we are going to sail out of Seattle I believe... they won't fly. Thanks for all the insight.

My kids picked an Alaska cruise over Disney World... They have also both said their favourite trip so far was to Mount Rushmore, and we are Canadian so that says a lot.

We want to see as much wildlife as possible, whales, salmon, bears... we are hoping to go around the end of August.

Does that sound like a good time to go Klingoncruiser?

 

First off... nix the start from Seattle and go to Vancouver for a round trip. You are forced to stop at a Canadian port on those runs and many go out to sea instead of behind Vancouver island. No big deal to go the extra 3 hours to Vancouver. You get a better port lineup out of Vancouver. As an added treat... what a wonderful city Vancouver is. Stanley Park there is a MUST see.

 

End of August is interesting. Many of the wildflowers have faded. (not all) However the Salmon runs for silvers are in full swing and the bears are easier to see at some of the ports. (Early on bears can be hard to find) Whales are plentiful every month of summer in Alaska. One added advantage is the stores are now winding down for the summer and some put a lot of stuff up for sale. :D Also, many of the berries are coming ripe as I munch my way through Alaska. (I love wild blueberries and Salmonberries!)

[nyyhoneybee]

Would you suggestbAugust over mid June/early July? The salmon run and berries sound really neat

[BecciBoo]

We are doing the roundtrip in Sept. I read the weather is perfect then. My main on our first trip is kayaking with Orcas. And F.I.S.H.E.S. whale watch. Saving the plane or copter rides till the next time. I'm soooooo excited!

 

 

Watch this!!!!! Kayaking with Orcas

[klingoncruiser]

Mid August is better for some things and not as much for others. Reasons for mid August would be....

 

Bears- much better chance at bears as salmon runs are going strong or nearing the end for some. Either way, bears are getting active preparing for winter. They have to close off part of Mendenhall glacier in Juneau because of the bears, but keep a nice trail open where you can usually get VERY close to the bears as they chance the salmon in the stream right below you. (I have had to stop on the trail a couple of times to let a bear cross in front of me.)

 

Berries are coming ripe (er). I love to munch on the local bushes as I go. However with so many years, I know where to look and when.

 

You can get the closest to the glaciers at that time. In the early spring, the front of the glaciers are choked with ice. Later on, it clears out and the ships can get withing two miles to 1-1/2 of the front of the glacier. (That will seem like 500 ft. You will not believe that you are really that far away!) They will tower over you.

 

I like the early June/July because of all of the wildflowers. Berries are not ripe yet, but there are many other things to munch on anyway. Dall sheep are more active that time of year, but you will need a REALLY strong set of binocs to see much of the wild life. (Dall sheep, dall spots or Dall specs. Dall sheep are visible beside the road just outside of Anchorage. Dall spots are way up on the mountain tops.... and Dall specs are REALLY way up on the mountains. :D) I would not obsess over the time that much. You will just be stunned by what you are about to see and experience. :)

 

Oh and each person will need there own binocs to keep matrimonial bliss. (Been there and done that....:rolleyes: )

[klingoncruiser]

We are doing the roundtrip in Sept. I read the weather is perfect then. My main on our first trip is kayaking with Orcas. And F.I.S.H.E.S. whale watch. Saving the plane or copter rides till the next time. I'm soooooo excited!

 

 

Watch this!!!!! Kayaking with Orcas

 

Don't count on weather in Alaska. Take what you can and move on. If you can prog the weather in Alaska.... you need to take that skill to Vegas. :D

 

In general... Sept can be quite lovely, especially if the first snows are dusting the very tip tops of the mountains that are not already snow packed.

[nyyhoneybee]

See now I am turn between mid June/early July and mid August! Price wise isn't enough to make a difference. I am wondering if we can manage to get enough time off to do it as a land/cruise vacation also. Hm.

[BecciBoo]

Yes, I know, no one can predict the weather there, but all the great info on the ports threads indicate the first week in Sept. has been very favorable to a lot of people. The one YouTube review that I love is a CC members and you can't believe what he saw that week. Here is his video review:

There are 5 parts to this but it is phenominal.

[klingoncruiser]

I will check out that video. :)

[dancersp119]

we are thinking of going at the end of May, 2013...any comments or suggestions???

[klingoncruiser]

May can be a bit cool, but biggest problem is that Hubbard Glacier will be choked with ice and you may not be able to get very close to it. Other than that things will be pretty much moving and shaking.

[narsibvl]

I'm possibly looking to book an Alaska cruise for summer 2013. Alaska by cruise has always been part of my bucket list to do.

 

- What ship is better for Alaska?

- What one lets me see Glacier Bay?

- Is end of August/early Sept to late to go? What about end of May/early June, is it to early? I'd like to avoid middle of the summer if I could.

- Would you book a land tour through RCI or do it yourself? (I'd love to hear from people who have done both)

- Any preference on Northbound vs. Southbound?

 

Thanks!

 

We are booked on the Radiance for June 2013(17 to 27). Land tour first and southbound cruise.

We started off by shortlisting to two cruise lines RCL and Princess (so does everybody else, I guess).

 

Between RCL and Princess, our TA advised us to go with RCL as it is more kid friendly. We have a 6 and a 3 year old. They had a WOW sale going on then, 50% off deposits and 200$ onboard credit. Was difficult to pass it up. Got ourselves a aft balcony cabin. Heard nothing but good things about the Radiance ship. Also July prices were a easy 200$ more than June, so we booked for late June.

 

The downside is we will be doing only hubbard glacier and not glacier bay.

 

We liked what we heard about the cruise tours of both RCL and princess. We ahead and booked Cruise tour 1 of RCL, that way we get to do the Tundra wilderness tour in Denali as we have two nights there. Of course like everybody else we wanted to do the land tour first.

 

Now we are waiting to book for excursion. Need to do the necessary research for it.