Tips please for Alaska choice

[janecambridge]

What would be the best ship,time of year and itinerary to do Alaska in 2015.?

Edited July 24, 2014 by janecambridge

[geoherb]

We've sailed in late July and early August on our three cruises to Alaska. The weather was good for most of the time. We only had three really rainy days out of the three trips.

 

The first thing to decide is how much time you have. I don't see the point of doing a one-way cruise from Vancouver to Alaska (or vice versa) without the time to spend touring the land as well. If you only have a week, I'd go with one of the round-trip cruises from Seattle. There's now an itinerary from Seattle that includes sailing into Glacier Bay. On our two cruises from Seattle, the ship went into Tracy Arm. That's also can be spectacular. I think the cruises later in the season have greater success at getting far enough into Tracy Arm to see the glaciers.

[cruzsnooze]

Any Princess cruise to Alaska will be fabulous. The weather in 2015 is not predictable but all cruise lines only sail during the best season which is summer. You can't go wrong on any ship you choose.

[DougH]

I like early in the season better, late May to June. Main reason is the longer daylight hours, the Aug/Sept cruises miss lots of scenic sailing as the days get shorter and nightfall earlier. I also think the best scenery is the farther North you go, sailing to Whittier or Seward. The Round trips all miss this area. Earlier in the season also has generally a better chance at being drier but you do miss the Salmon runs. Early season has more snow on the mountains and the locals aren't tired of all the tourists yet.

 

While I think Tracy Arm has one of the best Glaciers your chance of getting really close is very small. A much better choice is one that visits Glacier Bay with Hubbard the next choice. Southbound Princess cruises visit both of these. My first choice is a B2B from Vancouver or a 14 day itinerary on the smallest ship I can find that fits my schedule/budget

 

I've done Alaska 20+ times in every month and still go very year. It can be spectacular but the weather and how close your Captain gets to the glaciers has a big effect on your overall experience.

[Northender]

We went mid-June and did a b2b starting in Vancouver, BC. Our ship was the Sapphire Princess and we had a wonderful time.:):)

 

Weather can never be predicted far enough in advance to book a trip. From Vancouver to Whittier was sunny, warm and bright. From Whittier back to Vancouver, it was like someone flipped a switch as it was foggy, rainy, etc. One thing the overcast sky gives you is a beautiful look at the Glaciers.:)

[crush on cruises]

We've done five Alaska cruises. We had better weather at the beginning of August than the beginning of July. Who knows if that is just coincidence. It is very variable. 35 degrees to 75. Vancouver is a beautiful city and worth spending time in. I would make sure my itinerary went through the inland passage, not around it, just cutting into the three port towns. The water will be very smooth with scenery on both sides of the ship. If this is your one and only trip to Alaska try to do the cruise tour and get up to Denali National Park. Inland Alaska is a whole different experience but really worth doing. What ship? The Island, the Coral or the Pacific. Smaller is better when you're trying to see the Glaciers. I would go for Glacier Bay and Hubbard or College Fiord. Independent tours are readily available, safe and much more individualized in Alaska. If you are interested in Whales, Juneau is amazing. Catch a tour at the pier or book online. Some flight tours are really affected by low clouds. We like to see how the weather looks before laying down our $$$ for seaplanes or helicopters. Have a great time.