Need some info on Alaska

[CruiseFan3035]

Hi all. So my family and I will be taking a cruise to Alaska in July and I'd like to get a little info. Im looking for suggestions on hotels in the Seattle area that are fairly reasonable, port transportation information and anything else.

 

Also, we have been on 10 cruises with Carnival but this is the first to Alaska. Can anyone also perhaps share their experiences with this particular cruise.

 

Thank you

[silvercrikhix]

Alaska is so beautiful it is like a Dream!

We went on Carnival Legend and enjoyed it immensely.

 

We stayed at the Holiday Inn, near everything and walkable.

The bellmen pointed us to a car service that hung out there and we ended up using them several times.

I don't recall their name, sorry.

They were inexpensive and prompt for all pickups.

 

Hopefully, you can see Seattle a few days, so much to do.

Lunch at the top of the Space Needle was fabulous.

We took the boat tour of the bay, a seaplane tour & had the funniest, best time on the Ducks Tour. (Who would have thought!)

 

There is lots of information on the Alaska boards here and tripadvisor is also invaluable for planning it all, too.

[evandbob]

Hi all. So my family and I will be taking a cruise to Alaska in July and I'd like to get a little info. Im looking for suggestions on hotels in the Seattle area that are fairly reasonable, port transportation information and anything else.

 

Also, we have been on 10 cruises with Carnival but this is the first to Alaska. Can anyone also perhaps share their experiences with this particular cruise.

 

Thank you

 

Bring binoculars, dress in layers and enjoy the salmon.

[Normal 1]

Hotel Suggestions - If you travel frequently, are you members of any hotel chain rewards club? I belong to the Holiday Inn (Intercontinental Hotel Group) rewards club and get points for all my stays. I even took out their credit card and after the first use, 'got' 50,000 points. That was enough to 'get' 4 nights free at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Seattle. The CP was a fabulous hotel centrally located and easily walkable to most sites. You can join most chains clubs on-line (and will then get emails, etc. to take out their credit cards)

 

The SeaTac airport is a ways from the City so you may consider taking their train to downtown (easy and inexpensive). Lots of information on doing this on the Home Ports portion of these pages. Seattle is a wonderful city with lots of things to do. Consider a couple days here if you can. We did:

 

2 different food tours at Pike Place Market (both were fabulous but the Booze and Bites Tour was EXCELLENT)

The Aquarium

Space Needle

Chihuly Glass Gardens - Excellent!

Boat Tour around Union Lake and out to the bay - Houseboats, floating houses, sea planes, etc.

 

Sailing in July, you will have Tracy Arm Fjord as opposed to Glacier Bay. Do seriously consider the Small Boat Excursion (Exclusive Carnival Tour) for this. The small boat does 2 trips and pulls along side the Ship. The first group gets on (it is a double decker boat) and off you go to get up close and personal to waterfalls, the Sawyer Glacier, etc.

 

We 'did' the last 2 cruises of the season in 2013 so we got Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay. Both are fabulous in their on way. The Glacier Bay day was a day long glide through smooth as glass waters with fabulous scenery along the way.

 

The Ship will get near the Sawyer Glacier on Tracy Arm day but the small boat gets much closer. I liked the Sawyer Glacier as it seems to have more of the 'blue' coloring than the glacier from Glacier Bay.

 

Be warned.... Alaska excursions are expensive. The excursion we enjoyed the most was at Skagway. We did the narrow gauge rail and hike to Laughton Glacier. It was an all day excursion and fabulous - Got to walk on the toe of the glacier. Requires hiking several miles some over rugged terrain. This was a Carnival excursion and does take the entire day.

 

Do plan your excursions in advance. Not like Caribbean where there are a large number of locals 'selling' excursions dock side. (Alaskan Port pages have a ton of information).

 

The dress on Alaskan cruises is more casual than Caribbean cruises. You will see a lot of jeans. And, my husband was always quick to point out those men wearing 'logo' t-shirts and jeans in the dining room. (I made him wear polos and dockers dinner)

 

You will want to have layers for the port days. Short sleeve t-shirt, light weight fleece, medium weight and/or water repellent jacket, hat/gloves. A warmer 'north face' with a dollar store or Disney type rain poncho works too.

 

It does tend to be rainy (southeast Alaska is considered a rain forest) so be prepared. Hiking boots are not necessary (unless you have them already) but 2 pairs of tennis shoes are a good idea in case one gets wet. Crumpled up newspapers stuffed in shoes helps tremendously if they get wet. Pack a few days papers and you are set.

 

Take plenty of SD cards or such. I took more than 3000 pictures. Simply amazing scenery.

 

Holler if you have specific questions. You are sure to get lots on input.

[VacationCharlene]

I highly recommend SeaTac Towncar Services while in Seattle. AJ is so nice, I know, because we have used him a few times for transportation needs while in Seattle. His number is (206) 697-5577. He is happy to give you a quote over the phone, he has a towncar that seats 4 comfortably that I think is $55 from the airport to Pier 91 or $45 to Pier 66 downtown...also hotels downtown. He has a SUV Chevy Suburban that is $65 from airport to Pier 91. I also think he has a 10 passenger van that is $12 per person (minimum 7 people). We have had him pick us up from Pioneer Square and also downtown Seattle for about $25 and was ALWAYS on time, friendly, and great competitive prices. Here is his website that I just looked up. www.seatactowncar.com You will be happy you gave him your business :) Hope this helps you and others looking for transportation reviews. Hello from San Diego!

[SadieN]

Look on the West Coast Departure, Alaska and Canada (Pacific) Boards.

Edited October 30, 2015 by SadieN

[Anyislandwilldo]

We are planning Alaska in 2017. Check out this thread with lots of reviews and you can customize your cruise from these reports. I've read through 5 pages that have reviews on them and I am learning a lot!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2046395

Edited October 30, 2015 by Anyislandwilldo

[Tapi]

Here's my review from our cruise to Alaska. We didn't sail on Carnival simply because it was much cheaper to sail on Holland America, and because we wanted to make sure that we visited Glacier Bay (which was beyond a doubt, the absolute highlight of our cruise).

 

Yes, it's true that excursions in Alaska can be VERY expensive, and I'm sure they are worth the money, but we managed to have an amazing time by spending a minimal amount of money ashore. Hope this review is helpful.

 

Enjoy!

 

Glaciers, Eagles, Lost Bags and Food Poisoning - A pictorial review of our 1st Holland America cruise

 

I have just returned from my 25th cruise. This one, however, was our first visit to Alaska and our first time aboard Holland America. We traveled with other family members, 14 total, ranging from 74 years old to 15 months old. We started planning this cruise back in 2010, but the plans had to be placed on hold because of my father's health issues, followed by two new babies in the family. But after a lot of planning, we finally picked a ship and a date. Several family members would be first time cruisers, one who visualized cruising as a worse experience than medieval torture. Would this cruise change his mind? We'd soon find out.

 

My most recent cruises had been on the 225,000 ton Allure of the Seas and the 130,000 ton Carnival Dream, so I will start by saying that I was a bit skeptical about sailing aboard the comparatively small 82,000 ton Westerdam.

 

I learned VERY quickly that a cruise to Alaska would be mostly about the destination and not so much about the ship.

 

PRE CRUISE:

 

We flew to Seattle the day before the cruise on Souhwest Airlines. This was our 1st time flying on them and while their fares are great and the free bags are a nice perk, this airline is not for me. The flight was late, the whole cattle boarding with no seat assignment is not how I want to start my vacation, with people trampling each other and throwing bags to secure a seat. To top it all, they lost one of our checked bags (the BIG one, with most of our clothes). Just for the record, we are back home and the bag is still missing. How an airline looses a bag indefinitely, flying nonstop between two cities, is beyond me.

 

Instead of exploring Seattle, we spent the morning of the cruise shopping for 7 days worth of clothes for the whole family. The good news is that we did our best to laugh it off and tried to forget about it (at least until we got home). By the way, gym pants and a dinner jacket can look good on a 3 year old on formal night!

 

We stayed at the Westin downtown, which proved to be an ideal location for our shopping marathon as well as the bit of sightseeing we were able to squeeze in.

 

THE SHIP:

 

As mentioned before, I was a bit skeptical about sailing on the Westerdam. But I must admit that, as I got to know my way around, I warmed up to her and truly enjoyed sailing aboard this ship.

 

Built in 2004, she's not brand new, but she's definitely not an old gal. She does feel just a bit tired in some places though (nothing major, just little cosmetic issues that can easily be fixed wit new carpeting or wall covers).

 

There were some areas which I absolutely loved, and spent a generous amount of time in:

 

- Crow's Nest and Explorations Lounge: easily the best spot on the entire ship. Tastefully decorated, wonderful views, and great ambiance.

- Greenhouse Spa: We signed up for the Spa Retreat week pass which gave us access to the Thermal Suite and the Hydro pool. A little slice of Heaven, specially after a long day of sightseeing.

- The Pinnacle Grill: We have enjoyed alternative dining on other cruise lines, and the Pinnacle Grill did not disappoint. The cuisine was great, the service polished, and we enjoyed having the option to eat here for lunch as well as dinner.

- Lido Pool: Nice layout. The glass roof was perfect for Alaska cruising, and since we were blessed with beautiful clear skies, the roof was retracted a few times. There's something to be said about taking a dip in a hot tub while enjoying the amazing Alaska scenery!

 

I didn't love everything about the Westerdam though. The decor is truly not to my taste and I found it to be a bit inconsistent. One moment I'd find myself walking by an elegant and tasteful venue or by a fine piece of art, only to be met by the most hideous and tacky decor at another. Some may say that some areas of the ship are "cozy". I'd call them dark and gloomy.

 

Please do note that even though the decor was not to my liking, it truly didn't affect our enjoyment of an otherwise absolutely wonderful cruise.

 

THE STATEROOM:

 

We had initially booked an oceanview stateroom on the Main Deck (1) but just a few days before the cruise, prices dropped and we upgraded to a balcony stateroom on Verandah Deck (5) for free, plus we received $150 onboard credit!

 

The stateroom was wonderful, the bed very comfortable, and we were very glad about having a balcony. Although we found ourselves out on deck for "serious" scenery watching, it was nice to have a balcony where to sit and enjoy some fresh air. The DVD player was a nice and useful touch, specially for people like us with small children and an arsenal of DVD's for kids.

 

The other family members traveling with us booked cabins ranging from Oceanview Staterooms to Signature Suites. All were very happy with their accommodations.

 

THE FOOD:

 

- Lido Restaurant: We ate at the Lido more than we would've liked because we were traveling with small children. the selections were varied and tasteful, but I had an issue with cleanliness (more on that below).

 

- The Vista Dining Room: Very nice (on the few nights we did make it there). One word of caution for families: waiters don't seem to be as used to small children as on other cruise lines, so service is more "adult" and less "family friendly".

 

- Pinnacle Grill: I already mentioned it before, but I'll do it again. This venue is a definite highlight on this ship. My wife and I left our kids with the grandparents while we went to eat there and enjoyed every minute of it. Well worth the upcharge.

 

- Room Service: Nice selection. Definitely wider than on other cruise lines we've taken. It was nice to enjoy a full breakfast in cabin instead of just a continental breakfast. The only thing that was amusing (and a bit annoying at the same time) was the fact that they kept delivering burnt toast. We kept ordering it hoping that the next day they'd get it right but they never did. No biggie. As I said, more amusing than anything else. The use of china instead of hard plastic plates like on other cruise lines we've sailed on was a welcome touch.

 

FELLOW CRUISERS:

 

One of the things that I had read extensively about Holland America was that they cater heavily to a well traveled, older, more affluent, and polished clientele.

 

I will assume that, because this was a 7 night itinerary during the summer departing from a US port, the demographics were different. While there were many fellow cruisers that did fit the description that I had read, there were also many younger cruisers, several families, first timers, etc. Basically, there was a bit of everything, very similar to what we've experienced on more budget conscious cruise lines. Ironically, I had read on the Holland America board that I would never see people walking around the ship in their bathrobes. Well, I think that not everybody received that memo because I saw several throughout the week. It didn't bother me. I just found it a bit entertaining.

 

KIDS PROGRAM:

 

There were many families with kids on our cruise and Club HAL and The Loft are the programs geared towards them. While our kids only attended a few times (we chose to let them play with their older cousins instead), the staff was wonderful and the activities were plentiful. The actual facilities pale in comparison to more "family friendly" cruise lines, but at least they are offered.

 

ITINERARY:

 

We choose this itinerary specifically because it sailed from Seattle, on a Saturday, and visited Glacier Bay.

 

The convenience of sailing roundtrip from Seattle was priceless. The main drawback though was that we sailed along the west side of Vancouver Island (instead of the inside passage) so we didn't start enjoying the scenery until day 3 going into Juneau. Not only was it less scenic, but the seas were very rough on the first night. Thankfully, after that, we were blessed with blue skies and calm seas.

 

Juneau: Unfortunately, I got sick this day (more on that later) so I didn't get off the ship. But my wife and kids took the Glacier Express to Mendenhall Glacier and had a nice time, although they said they were packed like sardines on the bus. So a different method of transportation may be a better option even if its more expensive.

 

Other family members did the helicopter / dog sledding tour and they said that it was the most amazing experience of their lives and well worth the price.

 

Glacier Bay: First of all, we were blessed with amazingly clear blue skies and temperatures hovering in the 60's. Arriving in Glacier Bay and seeing the beauty of this place with my own eyes was the moment when I realized that the last 3 years of planning, and all the bumps along the way, had been completely worth it. Pictures and videos will NEVER recreate what your senses feel in this place. Pulling up to Margerie Glacier, and enjoying the views, breathing the pure air, listening to the sound of glaciers calving, and feeling the crisp breeze, was an absolutely wonderful experience.

 

Sitka: A little hidden gem on another beautiful clear day. Originally, I had been a bit bummed out because I wanted to visit Skagway and do the White Pass and Yukon Railroad, but this itinerary visited Sitka instead. Now I'm glad I had a chance to see this place.

 

We were tendered ashore on the ship's own lifeboats. Sitka is (thankfully) not as developed for cruise ship passengers as many other Alaskan destinations (they only receive an average of 1 ship twice a week). It doesn't have a cruise ship dock and you are not greeted by chain stores like Diamonds International or fancy Welcome Centers. Instead, there's a sign that says "Welcome to Sitka" next to a visitors booth.

 

We opted to walk along the waterfront to the Sitka National Park, cut through the forest, and visit the Alaska Raptor Center where we got to see up close many rescued eagles as well as other birds.

 

On our way back, we walked along Lincoln Street through the downtown area, visited St. Michael's Cathedral, and browsed the shops before going back to the ship.

 

Other family members did a Kayaking tour and loved it.

 

Ketchikan: The only time during the week where the skies were overcast and chilly. Since we had small children in the group, we opted for the Ketchikan Duck Tour. Very cheesy but very informative. We started the tour asking ourselves what we had gotten ourselves into, but finished laughing along with the other passengers. It was nice to get a perspective from both land and sea. After the tour was over, we walked to Creek Street and browsed the stores. If I have to pick a least favorite port of call in this itinerary, Ketchikan would be it. With 4 cruise ships in port at the same time, it felt a bit too crowded (like Nassau or Cozumel on a busy day). Don't get me wrong, I'd go back in a heartbeat since we had a great time. We just liked the other ports more.

 

Victoria: Back to clear, beautiful days. What we originally thought would be a technical stop to fulfill law requirements turned out to be one of our favorite ports of call. The ship arrived at 6:00pm and we had to be back onboard by 11:15pm so time was very limited.

 

We took a taxi and were dropped off near the Parliament. From there we walked to the Fairmont Empress hotel. We took one of the side streets and had dinner at Nautical Nellie's before returning to the ship. Victoria is one of those cities that makes you want to return for a longer stay.

 

We used our balcony one final time to watch the ship sail away from Victoria while, making a mental note to come back some day.

 

And just like that, 7 days of one of the most amazing cruises I've ever taken were over. We arrived back in Seattle under blue skies and 77 degrees.

 

Debarkation was an absolute breeze. The silent method was extremely efficient and we were in our taxi to the hotel in minutes. We enjoyed one more day in Seattle (visiting the Space Needle and Chihully Gardens) before catching a 6:00am flight back to Atlanta the next day. Just for the record, the return flight went smoothly and no bags were lost. Yay!

 

SUMMARY:

 

Would I do an Alaska cruise again? ABSOLUTELY, 100% yes! If I didn't use the word wonderful enough times, I'll use it one more time. It was a wonderful and truly amazing experience! I'm thinking that next time, we'll opt for a one way from Vancouver, spend a few days doing Denali, and enjoy all the great tours (like the helicopter, dog sledding, floatplane, etc) that we didn't get to do this time because we were traveling with small children. But the purpose of this trip was to get the family together so I couldn't just leave the kids behind. Next time may be a completely different story.

 

Will I ever cruise Holland America again? For the right itinerary, absolutely (and looking at the brochure that we picked up onboard, there are plenty of itineraries worldwide that I would be very interested in). But I don't think they'd be my cruise line of choice for a vacation where the destination is not the main focus. While part of me craves a more traditional cruise experience like what we enjoyed on Holland, I'm very interested in newer, larger, and more innovative ships just for the mere fact that they may be a better option at this stage of my life (raising a young family).

 

Was there anything that I did NOT enjoy about this cruise? Mostly minor things not even worth mentioning (or already mentioned). But there's ONE thing that wasn't so minor. On the morning we were scheduled to arrive in Juneau, I became violently ill with constant vomiting and diarrhea. I found out that my niece had also woken up with similar symptoms, so needless to say, the first thing that crossed my mind was a Norovirus outbreak. Thankfully, we were traveling with 3 doctors in our family who brought an arsenal of medicines with them, diagnosed us, and brought us back to health by the afternoon. Our symptoms and length of illness pointed to food poisoning. Upon comparing what my niece and I had to eat the day before, we pinpointed the source of our illness to one thing: PIZZA

 

Obviously, after this experience, I became hyper vigilant of anything that I ate the rest of the week, avoiding items that were at a higher risk of spoiling or cross contamination. And I also became more aware of how food was being handled. And that's when I noticed some food workers, wearing gloves, but touching surfaces, taking trash out and then handling the food. I watched as one worker put too much rice on someone's plate and then grabbed the excess rice with her hands and dumped it back in the original container. I lost my appetite fast and walked away. I also walked by the pizza station and noticed slices of pizza sitting under the heat lamp and made me wonder if someone else would also get sick. Amazing the things you notice after you get food poisoning! I did report what happened and included it in my guest survey.

 

So, taking the lost bag and the food poisoning incident out of the equation, we had an amazing vacation and I would do it again in a heartbeat. This is one cruise that everybody, cruise enthusiast or not, should experience.

 

Which brings me to my brother in law who considered cruising to be comparable to medieval torture before this vacation. Initially, he tried to focus on the negatives but by the time we got to Juneau and he hopped on the glacier helicopter tour, he became a believer. I don't think he'll become a cruise enthusiast like I am, but he enjoyed the experience tremendously and might even consider taking another cruise some day (gasp!)

Edited October 30, 2015 by Tapi

[Roz]

Great review, Tapi! I've done Alaska twice on HAL and once on Carnival.

 

Roz

[Budget Queen]

I used Seattle Shuttle Express. Probably the most reasonable. I always stay out by Seatac and either take the Light Rail in or city buses. I've stayed at Super 8 the most, but also at Holiday Inn Express, Sleep Inn, Days Inn, Red Roof. All basic lodging which is my preference.

 

As for Carnival and Alaska- head over to the Alaska board. :)

 

But- do realize that round trip Seattle cruises have the roughest sailing potential, so if anyone could be prone to motion sickness, have precautions in place. Also it's the least scenic. With the Tracy Arm- itinerary- IF you want a glacier viewing- you really need to book the add on Tracy Arm ship shore excursion. Otherwise, be accepting of not getting much of a glacier view- at a long distance. Carnival does have on board one of the top ship naturalists- which will offer informative Alaska programs.

 

Contrary to some of the above- there is a very limited selection of tours available on the dock. You are FAR better off having your plans and reservations in place long prior to getting there. This is only a good option- if you don't care what you happen to see or do.

 

I am a frequent Alaska cruiser, over 50 trips. I never skimp on tours, they are half my trip- with the cruise merely, being cheap lodging, meals and transportation. I go for what is outside the ship. I have taken Carnival multiple times, including this year. They do a good job.

[silvercrikhix]

More on weather/clothing:

For our cruise it snizzled for the entire week!

We will come back someday to hopefully experience all that glory in sunlight.

I researched a lot and was so happy our foursome all planned for the wet.

You might get rain, snizzled or sunlight any time of the cruise season.

A dusting of snow is not unheard of in earlier spring or later fall.

 

Our clothing:

Wear layers, to make peeling them off when needed easy.

We all had good, hooded rain jackets.

A baseball type hat with it being coated with waterproofing spray 3-4 times.

We wore this with the hood up when snizzling harder.

Rain just rolled right off the bill. Fabulous!

Gloves. Warm socks. Waterproof, comfortable shoes/boots.

I got a pair of very comfy black, leather Clark brand ankle wedge boots.

Waterproof & still a favorite 3 yrs later.

We also waterproofed well some heavier duty string packs/bags which also made life uncomplicated with keeping day use things dry in ports.

We still use them for cruise day packs, too.

 

Other ideas for excursions:

 

Skagway - We took the ferry to Haines and took a tour through Rainbow Glacier Adventures to Gold Rush famed Big Nugget Mine.

That operator dropped us at the local airport where we met, Fly Drake pilot for a plane tour. This was the most fantastic moments in our lives thus far......Drake flew us by the glaciers in the clouds, saw Mtn Goats, etc.....the best ever!!!

He dropped us back at the Skagway airport and we then took a rental jeep for the afternoon and did our own sightseeing.

We tried to do some shopping after that and to our dismay the shops in Skagway close up earlier, despite there still being a ship in port---rather strange.

 

Juneau - Whale watching tour. Very fun and amazing.

 

Ketchikan - It rained pretty hard here.

Rented a Harley and hired a guide for the day, again amazing.

We loved the Potlach Totem Pole place here, so interesting to talk to a craftsman while he's working on one.

They take years to make. Great staff here too!

 

Victoria, BC - It's short but do go into town...Tapi is right....we will also return for longer some day. The architecture alone is stunning. We hired one of the horse & carriage companies for a couple hour tour. We reserved ahead of time and arranged for port pickup, too!

Different sized carriages are available and the passenger limits are way true!

4 peeps in a 4 person carriage is very very cozy. It absolutely poured here and our uniformed stoic driver continued his oral tour like it wasn't even raining!

Yeah, he got a big tip!

 

Not sure if they are still on the web somewhere anymore but we used Alaska Toursaver and Seattle Toursavers coupon books and saved hundreds of dollars $$$

 

Definitely plan ahead, there are only so many rental cars, tour spots, etc....

Edited October 30, 2015 by silvercrikhix

[CruiseFan3035]

I used Seattle Shuttle Express. Probably the most reasonable. I always stay out by Seatac and either take the Light Rail in or city buses. I've stayed at Super 8 the most, but also at Holiday Inn Express, Sleep Inn, Days Inn, Red Roof. All basic lodging which is my preference.

 

 

 

As for Carnival and Alaska- head over to the Alaska board. :)

 

 

 

But- do realize that round trip Seattle cruises have the roughest sailing potential, so if anyone could be prone to motion sickness, have precautions in place. Also it's the least scenic. With the Tracy Arm- itinerary- IF you want a glacier viewing- you really need to book the add on Tracy Arm ship shore excursion. Otherwise, be accepting of not getting much of a glacier view- at a long distance. Carnival does have on board one of the top ship naturalists- which will offer informative Alaska programs.

 

 

 

Contrary to some of the above- there is a very limited selection of tours available on the dock. You are FAR better off having your plans and reservations in place long prior to getting there. This is only a good option- if you don't care what you happen to see or do.

 

 

 

I am a frequent Alaska cruiser, over 50 trips. I never skimp on tours, they are half my trip- with the cruise merely, being cheap lodging, meals and transportation. I go for what is outside the ship. I have taken Carnival multiple times, including this year. They do a good job.

 

 

Our itinerary is that of Tracy Arm Fjord, Skagway, Jeneau, Ketchikan & Victoria BC. Are you saying that you don't get to see great glacier views? I would be so disappointed. Do you have any pics you could share perhaps?

[WPTNGirl]

We had the same itenerary and loved it. The trip up the Tracy Arms was fantastic. We saw bears, eagles, whales, mountain goats, and seals. We got close enough to the glacier to get some fabulous pics from the front of the ship. You won't go right up to it without the excursion but you can still get a great view. Be sure and take binoculars to see the wildlife. The naturalist was great.

 

In Skagway we took a Carnival excursion to the Yukon ( on bus) and came back on the train. Juneau was Menendhall Glacier and whale watch (lots of Orcas). Ketchikan we walked around town and Victoria we took double decker bus on city tour.

 

Hope you all have as great a cruise as we did.

[Tapi]

Our itinerary is that of Tracy Arm Fjord, Skagway, Jeneau, Ketchikan & Victoria BC. Are you saying that you don't get to see great glacier views??

 

 

Tracy Arm is a narrow fjord and the Sawyer Glaciers are located all the way at the end. Depending on how much ice there is floating in the water, your ship may make it all the way to the glacier, or it may go in the fjord but stop far from the glaciers, or not even make it into the fjord at all. From the hundreds of reviews that I read before selecting an itinerary, it seemed like NOT making it to the Sawyer Glacier is a very common occurrence, and while the fjord is beautiful, those wanting to see glaciers may be disappointed, unless they pay extra to take a small boat excursion that will take you straight to the glacier.

 

Other glacier viewing areas like Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier and College Fjord are not as narrow and also have many more glaciers. We were amazed at Glacier Bay. We saw several glaciers and pulled up right to Margerie Glacier and sailed along its face. We were so close that we could see, hear and feel the sheer power of the glacier calving several times, to the amazement of everyone watching, right from the deck of our ship.

 

While I'm sure that we would've enjoyed Tracy Arm as first timers not having anything to compare it to, I don't regret for one moment selecting an itinerary that included Glacier Bay. As mentioned in my review, words, photos and video can't describe how amazing this place is.

Edited October 30, 2015 by Tapi

[Budget Queen]

FACT- MOST of the ships sailing Tracy Arm do NOT make it past Sawyer Island- which allows only a distant partial view of the South Sawyer Glacier. It really has little to do with the "ice" claim. Ships can and do sail in ice all the time. (think about it- how many ships do you read about sinking :) ). The "too much ice" "safety" mentions sure do sound good, and are readily accepted. The culprit is simply- TIME. The cruise ships are on very tight time schedules, they go half their time allowance, make the "announcement" then turn back.

 

 

Tracy Arm is a 30 mile dead end. If glaciers are your priority, then you need to consider booking other glacier tours, as this sailing is not "glacier priority" It's scenic sailing priority.

Edited October 31, 2015 by Budget Queen

[Normal 1]

Our itinerary is that of Tracy Arm Fjord, Skagway, Jeneau, Ketchikan & Victoria BC. Are you saying that you don't get to see great glacier views? I would be so disappointed. Do you have any pics you could share perhaps?

 

I did a review of our back to back with several pictures. Search this forum for Miracle alaskan B2B to see it. I am on my IPad so copy/paste is difficult. As others have said, head to the Alaska port pages and you will find a lot of info. Weather will be a crap shoot. Check out your roll call also. Chances are good that there will be veterans there who can answer questions.

 

You have plenty of time to research. I used the Carnival excursions to get an idea of what was most popular at each port then used trip advisor and Google searches to see what independent operators were available. i would suggest reserving excursions sooner rather than later as many book up quickly.

[picomullet]

Hotel Suggestions - If you travel frequently, are you members of any hotel chain rewards club? I belong to the Holiday Inn (Intercontinental Hotel Group) rewards club and get points for all my stays. I even took out their credit card and after the first use, 'got' 50,000 points. That was enough to 'get' 4 nights free at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Seattle. The CP was a fabulous hotel centrally located and easily walkable to most sites. You can join most chains clubs on-line (and will then get emails, etc. to take out their credit cards)

 

The SeaTac airport is a ways from the City so you may consider taking their train to downtown (easy and inexpensive). Lots of information on doing this on the Home Ports portion of these pages. Seattle is a wonderful city with lots of things to do. Consider a couple days here if you can. We did:

 

2 different food tours at Pike Place Market (both were fabulous but the Booze and Bites Tour was EXCELLENT)

The Aquarium

Space Needle

Chihuly Glass Gardens - Excellent!

Boat Tour around Union Lake and out to the bay - Houseboats, floating houses, sea planes, etc.

 

Sailing in July, you will have Tracy Arm Fjord as opposed to Glacier Bay. Do seriously consider the Small Boat Excursion (Exclusive Carnival Tour) for this. The small boat does 2 trips and pulls along side the Ship. The first group gets on (it is a double decker boat) and off you go to get up close and personal to waterfalls, the Sawyer Glacier, etc.

We 'did' the last 2 cruises of the season in 2013 so we got Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay. Both are fabulous in their on way. The Glacier Bay day was a day long glide through smooth as glass waters with fabulous scenery along the way.

 

The Ship will get near the Sawyer Glacier on Tracy Arm day but the small boat gets much closer. I liked the Sawyer Glacier as it seems to have more of the 'blue' coloring than the glacier from Glacier Bay.

 

Be warned.... Alaska excursions are expensive. The excursion we enjoyed the most was at Skagway. We did the narrow gauge rail and hike to Laughton Glacier. It was an all day excursion and fabulous - Got to walk on the toe of the glacier. Requires hiking several miles some over rugged terrain. This was a Carnival excursion and does take the entire day.

 

Do plan your excursions in advance. Not like Caribbean where there are a large number of locals 'selling' excursions dock side. (Alaskan Port pages have a ton of information).

 

The dress on Alaskan cruises is more casual than Caribbean cruises. You will see a lot of jeans. And, my husband was always quick to point out those men wearing 'logo' t-shirts and jeans in the dining room. (I made him wear polos and dockers dinner)

 

You will want to have layers for the port days. Short sleeve t-shirt, light weight fleece, medium weight and/or water repellent jacket, hat/gloves. A warmer 'north face' with a dollar store or Disney type rain poncho works too.

 

It does tend to be rainy (southeast Alaska is considered a rain forest) so be prepared. Hiking boots are not necessary (unless you have them already) but 2 pairs of tennis shoes are a good idea in case one gets wet. Crumpled up newspapers stuffed in shoes helps tremendously if they get wet. Pack a few days papers and you are set.

 

Take plenty of SD cards or such. I took more than 3000 pictures. Simply amazing scenery.

 

Holler if you have specific questions. You are sure to get lots on input.

 

You MUST book this excursion early if you choose to go. It is limited and fills up fast. It was one of the highlights of our cruise. We had the early group and by the 2nd group the weather had changed, more rainy, cloudy.

Edited October 31, 2015 by picomullet

[Tapi]

It really has little to do with the "ice" claim. Ships can and do sail in ice all the time. (think about it- how many ships do you read about sinking :) ). The "too much ice" "safety" mentions sure do sound good, and are readily accepted. The culprit is simply- TIME. The cruise ships are on very tight time schedules, they go half their time allowance, make the "announcement" then turn back.

 

 

Budget Queen, you provide a wealth of information on these boards about Alaska, and I thank you for it.

 

Ice does play a very important role in the decision to go into Tracy Arm, and if so, how deeply in . While it's true that cruise ships can maneuver around ice, they are not ice breakers so if there's a significant amount of ice, the ships will either need to maneuver more slowly around it, or not go at all. Slowing down for ice or other ships (who may also be slowing down) will definitely limit the amount of time that the ship will have in Tracy Arm, so your observation about time being the culprit definitely carries merit.

[Budget Queen]

 

Ice does play a very important role in the decision to go into Tracy Arm, and if so, how deeply in . While it's true that cruise ships can maneuver around ice, they are not ice breakers so if there's a significant amount of ice, the ships will either need to maneuver more slowly around it, or not go at all. Slowing down for ice or other ships (who may also be slowing down) will definitely limit the amount of time that the ship will have in Tracy Arm, so your observation about time being the culprit definitely carries merit.

 

The bottom line point- is - time. With cruise ships being on a schedule, and not having any extra time.

[Tapi]

The bottom line point- is - time. With cruise ships being on a schedule, and not having any extra time.

 

 

As posted above, I gave merit to your statement about time being a contributing factor. But bottom line, it's NOT "simply" time, specially when the fjord is completely iced over and going in is completely impossible, regardless of the amount of time available. I'm not saying that you're wrong. Just expanding on your observation.

 

Thanks again for all your contributions to the Alaska board.

Edited October 31, 2015 by Tapi

[CruiseFan3035]

We had the same itenerary and loved it. The trip up the Tracy Arms was fantastic. We saw bears, eagles, whales, mountain goats, and seals. We got close enough to the glacier to get some fabulous pics from the front of the ship. You won't go right up to it without the excursion but you can still get a great view. Be sure and take binoculars to see the wildlife. The naturalist was great.

 

 

 

In Skagway we took a Carnival excursion to the Yukon ( on bus) and came back on the train. Juneau was Menendhall Glacier and whale watch (lots of Orcas). Ketchikan we walked around town and Victoria we took double decker bus on city tour.

 

 

 

Hope you all have as great a cruise as we did.

 

 

Thanks so much for the review. I was getting worried that we picked the wrong itinerary but with work and school, the summer months are really the only good time for us. Also, do you recommend any type/brand of binocular?

[Budget Queen]

Also, do you recommend any type/brand of binocular?

 

I suggest you try them out. Go to a sporting goods store which should have them.

 

 

IF you have a priority for marine wildlife, then you need wide angle.