Alaska or Baltic Cruise

[Down Under]

I would like some opinions on whether to take an Alaskan or Baltic cruise.

 

I realise they are very different cruises but have to make a choice as I can only take one next year. It will boil down to personal opinion of course but the more information I receive, the better the chance of me making the right decision. I have been to the Canadian Rockies and loved them but have also seen some of Europe and loved it too.

 

The Alaskan cruise is 7 nights on the Mariner in August and the Baltic is 12 nights on the Voyager on 19 June.

 

For those who would prefer the Baltic cruise, apart from spending a couple of days in London to recover from the flight, what would you suggest to extend the trip to about four weeks? We have thought of taking an 'around the world' flight which will give us lots of options.

 

I've been told that you don't see as much on a cruise as you would taking a coach tour - any comments on that? We took a coach tour of Europe last year but found it quite tiring and managed to nod off at various times during the day, missing lots anyway. The thought of all that packing and unpacking led me to think of cruising.

 

All opinions will be greatfully received.

[LHT28]

Take the Baltic!

You can choose how much sightseeing you want or if you just want to relax on the ship that is Ok too.

No packing and on the bus at dawn! Usually the ships departs port around 6pm so you have time to rest up fior the next day.

[Iamboatman]

Wow, those are two totally different experiences!

 

The Alaska cruise is much less formal (in fact there are no formal nights) and is focused on nature and many times the views from the ship...in addition to the ports. The weather is different and you will be experiencing essentially one "new" culture, so there is somewhat (if you want it) an immersion into it.

 

The Baltic cruise is longer (and that is always a good thing!) and focuses more (but not exclusively) on European cultures, art, etc. which are fairly varied. There is more emphasis on organized cultural tours rather than nature experiences and is generally a more formal cruise.

 

As to your comment about missing things taking a coach tour, as the other poster mentioned, because you actually have the opportunity to be well rested (traveling while you dine and then sleep - waking to a new adventure) you probably see as much in quality -if not more- though possibily less in quantity (if you keep you eyes open while on the coach!).

 

BTW, we have opted to take the RSSC Alaska cruise over another European one this summer, so we can enjoy nature and have a "different" experience than a European cruise. (We are booked for a RSSC European cruise (Dover to Barcelona for Summer 2006, though!)

[PaulaJK]

I appreciate that this decision is influenced by preference and the plans for ongoing travel. Considering packing & exhaustion vs comfort and comfortable pace, why not plan to 'extend' your trip somewhere in your locale be it

Alaska/Rockies or Europe. Around the world is a separate challenge!

[LHT28]

If you prefer less formal attire try Oceania cruise lines ...you can always do a back -back cruise in the Baltic. spend a few days in London, Copenhagen, Stockholm prior to cruise.

Most of their cruises are 14 days.

We sailed her last year on the British cruise and it was the best experience .

we were well rested and you can eat when & where you want.

;)No tux required.

[Call me Ishmael]

It does somewhat depend on whether you prefer large cities or "nature." We did an Alaskan cruise and most of the views were of ice and/or trees. I was underwhelmed but I grew up in a very snowy climate so the sight of cold white stuff didn't really thrill me after the first 2 minutes. We did see some eagles while kayaking, but the other wildlife was not close enough to appreciate. This is a personal opinion and is probably tainted by the fact that we were there over 9/11.

 

The Baltic cruise you refer to is a nice one and somewhat more leisurely than many. We'll be on a similar one this June on the Voyager that covers the same territory (LeHavre instead of Dover) but in ten nights.

 

The idea of a back to back is worth considering; if your pocket allows, you could add the June 9 Monte Carlo to Dover segment.

 

Are you actually Down Under? If you are flying from the US, I see that RSSC is offering free air on the June 19 segment. For that reason, and the fact that I don't like airports, security lines and being confined in planes, I would not do the around the world trip unless you feel is your last chance to get to some parts of the world.

 

I would opt to stay in Europe. I'm sure there are massive areas there which you did not see on your coach tour and things of interest to you that you could use to plan the rest of the trip. For ideas, you might want to look at the book "1000 places to see before you die" (or some such catchy name).

[NCCruzQueen]

You got the title correct, Ishmael. The author is Patricia Schultz. It's a great read for the traveler.

 

Beth

[Island Cruiser]

We've done 11 days in the Baltics on Voyager and 7 days in Alaska on Princess. We plan to revisit Alaska next year for 7 days on Mariner. I'd suggest you take the Baltics option (1) because it gives you so many wonderful options for extending your trip to four weeks and, most important, (2) you will so love cruising on Radisson you will find a 7 day cruise too short. And don't write off booking B2B in the Baltics. You'll find three days in SP isn't enough. On our Baltics trip we dined frequently with a couple who were B2B cruisers. We envied thier experience. And they were very happy they had booked B2B--all kinds of flexibility. They never felt rushed to make the most of land options as we did. And we have put our money where my mouth is on the issue of B2B. We leave Thursday for B2B trips on the PG in Tahiti.

[cruisincarly]

Now, I'm going to Alaska for the first time this August, so I can't comment on that (except based on my research!), but I have seen a bit of the Baltics, having lived in Finland & Sweden, and I have some nice recommendations for extending your vacation there! If you have 4 weeks, there's a lot you can see.

 

I recommend visiting Riga, Latvia. I ended up there on a whim, expecting very little, but it turned out to be one of my favorite cities in all of Europe. It's still relatively untouched by Western tourism, but I can see it becoming a big destination soon, its so charming. There are somethings to see: the Open Air Ethnographic Museum is good, the Occupation Museum. There are millions of cafes in this city, one of the great joys to me, as they're wonderful places to sit, drink coffee, and watch the locals, who, are, by the way some of the friendliest and sunniest I've met, though most don't speak much English (having my Russian-speaking then-boyfriend along was a help!). Food is good & cheap (pelmeni -- Russian dumplings -- sold by weight, are fabulous!).

 

I also recommend a trip up the Eastern coast of Sweden, to the "high coast" a place of real natural beauty. You could then take the ferry from Umeå (where I lived...but I wouldn't recommend for a visit, mostly a university town) to Vaasa, Finland, and head up to Rovaniemi & North to Lappland. Again, absolutely stunning natural scenery. These aren't big tourist spots for non-Scandinavians, but they do draw a lot of domestic tourism.

 

As far as some things that probably are on the itinerary, I positively *love* both Helsinki & Stockholm, although Helsinki I had to learn to love over time, and the things I love about it, well, are not always things people want to spend their vacation doing (lounging in the park, eating fresh wild strawberries, and watching people, mostly!). But if you have any questions abuot things to do in those cities, you can email me at ceschall [at] uwalumni.com.

[Down Under]

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I've printed it off as there was too much for my 'senior' brain to comprehend at once.

 

I am from Down Under and that was one of the reasons I was thinking of considering an around the world ticket. The thought of actually flying around the world terrifies me but in mileage, there probably isn't a lot in it in comparison to flying to London and back. Please feel free to correct me. The free air mentioned wouldn't apply to me but they have a discount in lieu of.

 

The back to back cruises sound an excellent idea, although I don't think the bank balance will allow it! I've reached the stage in life when I need to be looked after - doing it all without help doesn't appeal. I envy those who are still young enough to do it. I think there are probably more than 1,000 places out there that I won't get to see but I'll look out for the book as it sounds worth reading.

 

To Island Cruiser - how did the Voyager and Princess compare - both in price and experience? Have a great trip to Tahiti - that's one of the 1,000 places I'll never get to see.

[Island Cruiser]

The two are totally different leagues.

 

The Princess cruise was our first. About ten years ago. Even though the ship was tired and the crew unhappy, we had a marvelous time. Alaska is Alaska regardless of the ship. And we didn't know the difference between cruising mass market vs. luxury. Nor could we have afforded the latter at that time. Even now, I wouldn't hesitate to cruise Princess or the other mid-range mass market lines if that is all the budget would permit.

 

But the difference between Princess and Voyager is huge. The Voyager experience is class: high space to passenger ratio so no lines, low passenger-crew ratio so superb service, open dining, vastly better food, no tipping, alcoholic beverages included with dinner and your cabin is pre-stocked with your favorite liquor without charge, only one announcement per day on the ship's speaker system, etc. etc. I could go on and on. And when you compare cabin size, the price difference between lines is not huge. The smallest cabin on Voyager is 375 square feet including balcony. The smallest on Princess is under 200 square feet.

 

The first time I boarded Voyager I went to the Observation Lounge and ordered a manhattan after unpacking. After dinner that evening, I went back. As I walked by the bar the bartender asked "Will that be a manhattan, sir?" That felt good! That is the Voyager experience.