Alaska help

[golfer1903]

First Alaska in cruise. 4 people on jewel aft balcony, from what I was told it's a larger balcony then a regular one on the side? But jewel does not go to glacier bay which I hear is the best part of Alaska

 

Or

 

Pearl same at of people but a side facing mini suite room

 

Don't know which room is better for Alaska and if aft is really bigger bacony or if the glacier bay is really much better then sawyer.

Really having a hard time deciding. Please give me your input

 

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[roger001]

Glacier seems to be the preferred. However, they are both beautiful. You will love the Jewel also reference what you will see. Mini suite cabins are slightly bigger than standard balcony rooms. I don't know about the aft balcony room. So can't help you there.

[bonvoyagie]

Both Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier and Glacier Bay are must sees - for different reasons.

 

Glacier Bay is great as you have a National Park Ranger onboard to explain the landscape and how it was created. You will also get to see several glaciers and spent some time turning a slow circle in front of one or two.

 

In Tracy Arm, the add on Explorer tour is a must do. Here you leave Juneau early and travel to Sawyer Glacier in a smaller boat. You will be able to get up close to the various waterfalls, and BOTH glaciers. Cruise ships only get a peek at South Sawyer Glacier. The small boat meets up with the Jewel in front of the glacier and you re board her for the transit out.

 

The only caveat to this trip is the time of year you go. In both the early and late season the fjord can become choked with ice and the ships have to transit an alternate route and see a different glacier. If you go between late May and late Aug you should be fine.

 

IMHO the Jewel has some of the better port times being able to stay longer in Ketchikan and being in Juneau during the morning. She also spends more quality time in Victoria, she does spend a bit less time in Skagway.

 

As far as the balconies go I like the Aft ones - and yes the aft balconies on the Pearl and Jewel are bigger than the side ones. However the best ones are on deck 10 - followed by 9 and 8 ( avoid deck 8 on the Pearl as the lounge is on deck 7 - the Jewel has their shopping stores there - much quieter)

 

My suggestion is to do one ship now and the other on your next AK cruise :D

[triptolemus]

It's not as if Tracy Arm / Sawyer Glacier is the back alley dumpster of Alaska. It's a miraculous place.

 

Here, check it out, round trip in 12 minutes and sorry about the music:

 

[YOUTUBE]7OBNlm7FeoM[/YOUTUBE]

[Budget Queen]

What do you want out of your Alaska trip? It sounds like it's your first? Do you want to see glaciers? IF you do, then it is going to be "necessary", you purchase the add on Tracy Arm ship shore excursion on the Jewel. Very very slim chance of anything but a distant partial view of the South Sawyer glacier if you don't.

[roger001]

And if ice blocks Tracy Arm and Sawyer Glacier, you will instead go up to Dawes Glacier, a beautiful ride up that arm and back. Here's about 16 minutes of that. You can't go wrong whatever you decide.

 

[Manbo]

We had a mid ship balcony on the Pearl and after about 20 minutes on deck in Glacier Bay, we went to our cabin, made a pot of coffee and enjoyed the glaciers from our room.

It was great!

I would strongly recommend it!!