Vancouver or Seattle departure?

[roblox84]

I am looking at two round trip itineraries, one from Vancouver and the other from Seattle. The one from Seattle is Princess and goes only to glacier bay and the one from Vancouver is Holland America and goes to Glacier bay and Tracy Arm, the rest of the itinerary is the same.

 

In your opinions what would be the better departure port?

[CruiserBruce]

The one from Seattle likely is not an Inside Passage route, so would take the Holland America out of Vancouver, which should be an Inside Passage.

[Putterdude]

Getting to Vancouver is generally more expensive than Seattle and if you don't fly to Vancouver then you are faced with a transfer, a shuttle or Amtrak to get from Seattle to Vancouver and return. Then you have the need of a passport (or other WHTI approved documentation) to re-enter the US.

All that aside, the itinerary out of Vancouver is a superior product as you sail the whole route in the Inside Passage, are seldom out of the sight of land, the scenery is magnificent and the waters are generally smoother. An itinerary out of Seattle will have you out on the west side of Vancouver Island for the better part of a day in either direction, out of the sight of land and subject to the sea conditions of the open Pacific.

While I happen to have a personal "mad on" for HAL and have sailed a lot with Princess if I had to choose strictly on an itinerary basis, I would go with HAL.

[roblox84]

Great, thanks. I already have plane tickets to Seattle because of a Southwest promotion so I will be taking the Amtrak to Vancouver.

 

If the cruise departs at 5pm from Vancouver and the Amtrak from Seattle departs at 7am and arrives in Vancouver at approx. 11am will that gives us enough time to get to the docks for boarding? Or should we leave Seattle the day before?

 

On another note, the same cruise but departing on June 8 is $499 and the one we're planning to take on June 22 is $599, do you think our cruise price will eventually go down since there is still a lot of empty cabins? Or is late June more of a peak time then early June?

[DaveOKC]

Great, thanks. I already have plane tickets to Seattle because of a Southwest promotion so I will be taking the Amtrak to Vancouver.

 

If the cruise departs at 5pm from Vancouver and the Amtrak from Seattle departs at 7am and arrives in Vancouver at approx. 11am will that gives us enough time to get to the docks for boarding? Or should we leave Seattle the day before?

 

On another note, the same cruise but departing on June 8 is $499 and the one we're planning to take on June 22 is $599, do you think our cruise price will eventually go down since there is still a lot of empty cabins? Or is late June more of a peak time then early June?

 

As to Amtrak, I have heard that the morning train usually gets you to the pier in plenty of time. If you arrive the night before, it will be very late in the evening as I recall and you will have to get a hotel room in/near downtown Vancouver (fairly expensive). Of course if you are taking the train out of Seattle at 7 am, I assume you will be in a downtown Seattle hotel.

 

If I can offer another suggestion (to save money), how about taking Quick Shuttle from the Seattle airport to the Vancouver airport and overnighting there. Then take the Skytrain to the pier in the morning. You save a couple of ways: first, you save the taxi fare from Seattle airport to the train station (or downtown hotel) and this should cost about $40-45 with the tip. Second, the hotels around the Vancouver airport are fairly reasonably priced (much cheaper than downtown). The Skytrain will only cost you $5-10 from your hotel to the pier (for two of you). Plus, you will in Vancouver with plenty of time to board the ship early (we like to do this).

 

Just a thought.

 

DaveOKC

[Budget Queen]

Great, thanks. I already have plane tickets to Seattle because of a Southwest promotion so I will be taking the Amtrak to Vancouver.

 

If the cruise departs at 5pm from Vancouver and the Amtrak from Seattle departs at 7am and arrives in Vancouver at approx. 11am will that gives us enough time to get to the docks for boarding? Or should we leave Seattle the day before?

 

On another note, the same cruise but departing on June 8 is $499 and the one we're planning to take on June 22 is $599, do you think our cruise price will eventually go down since there is still a lot of empty cabins? Or is late June more of a peak time then early June?

 

Amtrak is a full train of cruise passengers. You have more than enough time to board your ship.

 

No don't count on the rate going down. $599 is an excellent rate for a round trip Vancouver cruise. And correct, you are more peak than the earlier sailing.

 

Be advised you are going to have to PURCHASE a ship shore excursion, in the $200 range for Tracy Arm. HAL no longer brings their cruise ship there.

 

So, although you state these two cruises are the same- you may want to look at the port times and determine what you are going to occupy your port time with, budget fully, tours are 1/2 of these adventures in Alaska.

[frugaltravel]

The one from Seattle likely is not an Inside Passage route, so would take the Holland America out of Vancouver, which should be an Inside Passage.

 

I guess it depends on one's definition of "Inside Passage." The most common definition encompasses the British Columbia or the Alaska portion. Either cruise will do the Alaska portion of the Inside Passage. Impossible to avoid it on any Alaskan cruise.

 

http://www.alaska.com/inside-passage/

[roblox84]

As to Amtrak, I have heard that the morning train usually gets you to the pier in plenty of time. If you arrive the night before, it will be very late in the evening as I recall and you will have to get a hotel room in/near downtown Vancouver (fairly expensive). Of course if you are taking the train out of Seattle at 7 am, I assume you will be in a downtown Seattle hotel.

 

If I can offer another suggestion (to save money), how about taking Quick Shuttle from the Seattle airport to the Vancouver airport and overnighting there. Then take the Skytrain to the pier in the morning. You save a couple of ways: first, you save the taxi fare from Seattle airport to the train station (or downtown hotel) and this should cost about $40-45 with the tip. Second, the hotels around the Vancouver airport are fairly reasonably priced (much cheaper than downtown). The Skytrain will only cost you $5-10 from your hotel to the pier (for two of you). Plus, you will in Vancouver with plenty of time to board the ship early (we like to do this).

 

Just a thought.

 

DaveOKC

 

I had no idea there was a airport shuttle that takes you to a completely different airport. I will definitely look into this. As a dual citizen with Canada I never got a chance to see anything on the west side side of Canada so I would love to spend a day or two to see Vancouver.

 

Be advised you are going to have to PURCHASE a ship shore excursion, in the $200 range for Tracy Arm. HAL no longer brings their cruise ship there.

 

 

What does this ship usually do for this part of the itinerary, it doesn't go up close to the Glacier? The itinerary states 10am-10:30am at Tracy Arm for a service call. Is the 30 minutes provided just for people that want to take that $200 excursion? By the way thanks for the warning, I would have definitely missed that "service call" part of the itinerary.

[roblox84]

I have one more itinerary for you to compare. I just noticed there is a one way from Fairbanks to Vancouver. How would this voyage compare to the previously stated ones?

 

So instead of taking a train to Vancouver from Seattle we would take a plane to Fairbanks. This trip is cheaper then the other two so with the extra airfare to Alaska it comes to the same price as the round trips from Seattle or Vancouver.

[Kirasha]

The itinerary states 10am-10:30am at Tracy Arm for a service call. Is the 30 minutes provided just for people that want to take that $200 excursion?

 

Yes.

[sherryf]

I

What does this ship usually do for this part of the itinerary, it doesn't go up close to the Glacier? The itinerary states 10am-10:30am at Tracy Arm for a service call. Is the 30 minutes provided just for people that want to take that $200 excursion? By the way thanks for the warning, I would have definitely missed that "service call" part of the itinerary.

 

Yes, it just stops long enough for people on the excursion to Tracy Arm to transfer to the smaller boat. Don't base your choice of itineraries on this service call, unless you specifically want to do the Tracy Arm excursion. Other factors, such as port times and scenic sailing should be more relevant.

 

As for the one-way sailing, I personally wouldn't bother unless I had time for a land tour while I was up there. But I live near Seattle and choose to sail from here to avoid transportation costs. I keep my cruises as cheap as possible, but that's a priority for ME at this point in my life.

[roblox84]

Yes, it just stops long enough for people on the excursion to Tracy Arm to transfer to the smaller boat. Don't base your choice of itineraries on this service call, unless you specifically want to do the Tracy Arm excursion. Other factors, such as port times and scenic sailing should be more relevant.

 

As for the one-way sailing, I personally wouldn't bother unless I had time for a land tour while I was up there. But I live near Seattle and choose to sail from here to avoid transportation costs. I keep my cruises as cheap as possible, but that's a priority for ME at this point in my life.

 

Since we're going to Glacier Bay I probably wouldn't opt for the $200pp Tracy Arm excursion so in that case the Vancouver and Seattle itineraries are basically the same to me.

 

I am going to book tonight or tomorrow and so far the quotes i've gotten from cruise compete are $1450 from Seattle round trip and $1000 from Anchorage to Vancouver. With flight to Alaska and train back to Seattle i'm looking at $1467 for the one way trip. The only difference in that itinerary is that it goes to Hubbard Glacier along with Glacier bay.

 

Just wondering if it's worth it to get the one way to see the second Glacier and spend a few day's in Fairbanks instead of Seattle?

[B Russo]

I am looking at two round trip itineraries, one from Vancouver and the other from Seattle. The one from Seattle is Princess and goes only to glacier bay and the one from Vancouver is Holland America and goes to Glacier bay and Tracy Arm, the rest of the itinerary is the same.

 

In your opinions what would be the better departure port?

We prefer the HAL ships over the other ones. Just our opinion and what we like. Bill

[Budget Queen]

Since we're going to Glacier Bay I probably wouldn't opt for the $200pp Tracy Arm excursion so in that case the Vancouver and Seattle itineraries are basically the same to me.

 

I am going to book tonight or tomorrow and so far the quotes i've gotten from cruise compete are $1450 from Seattle round trip and $1000 from Anchorage to Vancouver. With flight to Alaska and train back to Seattle i'm looking at $1467 for the one way trip. The only difference in that itinerary is that it goes to Hubbard Glacier along with Glacier bay.

 

Just wondering if it's worth it to get the one way to see the second Glacier and spend a few day's in Fairbanks instead of Seattle?

 

I think you are ahead of yourself with any booking. You mention "Fairbanks", BUT, that would have a lot more attached to it, that you seemed to have missed? There aren't any cruises that just do a one way, and go to Fairbanks. This would include additional days and a "cruise tour", you don't know, at this point, the important details in this planning yet.

 

Your glacier reference, as "only difference" and your choice not to include Tracy Arm, perhaps, needs further thinking. These are important significant differences, and may be of interest to you, once you find out about these highlight areas.

[roblox84]

I think you are ahead of yourself with any booking. You mention "Fairbanks", BUT, that would have a lot more attached to it, that you seemed to have missed? There aren't any cruises that just do a one way, and go to Fairbanks. This would include additional days and a "cruise tour", you don't know, at this point, the important details in this planning yet.

 

Your glacier reference, as "only difference" and your choice not to include Tracy Arm, perhaps, needs further thinking. These are important significant differences, and may be of interest to you, once you find out about these highlight areas.

 

Sorry I meant Anchorage, I don't know why I mentioned Fairbanks. Currently I'm leaning a little more toward the one way southbound, but we'll see. The one way cruise seems much more relaxed. All the port times on the roundtrip cruise are at the crack of dawn while the one way you dock a lot later.

 

I shouldn't have said there's no differences I guess, the main difference in doing the one way cruise is that I'll have an 8-9 hour layover to Alaska in Seattle which might be too much to handle.

 

It's basically down to do we want to deal with the layover hassle or do we want to deal with getting up at 6am every day.

[Budget Queen]

Sorry I meant Anchorage, I don't know why I mentioned Fairbanks. Currently I'm leaning a little more toward the one way southbound, but we'll see. The one way cruise seems much more relaxed. All the port times on the roundtrip cruise are at the crack of dawn while the one way you dock a lot later.

 

I shouldn't have said there's no differences I guess, the main difference in doing the one way cruise is that I'll have an 8-9 hour layover to Alaska in Seattle which might be too much to handle.

 

It's basically down to do we want to deal with the layover hassle or do we want to deal with getting up at 6am every day.

 

Being from the east coast, I have no issue with any 6a Alaska time, you should have at least an extra hour, depending on where you live. The other side, early is magical in Alaska- well it's all "magical", never mind. :)

 

At the least, if you do the one way, consider staying at least an overnight. Take advantage of being there. Budget in a one way rental car and enjoy your short time, IF you happen to get the Seward port, with RCI/HAL/Celebrity, really a lot to see and do. With Whittier, do consider the Prince William Sound boat tour, a BIG highlight, BUT if still leaving the same day, you would need a flight after 1am the next day.

[roblox84]

Being from the east coast, I have no issue with any 6a Alaska time, you should have at least an extra hour, depending on where you live. The other side, early is magical in Alaska- well it's all "magical", never mind. :)

 

At the least, if you do the one way, consider staying at least an overnight. Take advantage of being there. Budget in a one way rental car and enjoy your short time, IF you happen to get the Seward port, with RCI/HAL/Celebrity, really a lot to see and do. With Whittier, do consider the Prince William Sound boat tour, a BIG highlight, BUT if still leaving the same day, you would need a flight after 1am the next day.

 

Yes if we did the one way we'd stay in Anchorage for 2 1/2 nights and the ship would be leaving out of Whittier. I noticed that you can also rent a motor boat for $100 for the day, that might be pretty cool to be able to stop the boat and see whatever you want.