Alaska info desired

[LakeWinniMom]

I am looking to book a 2018 Alaskan Cruise. I am interested in the one-ways as opposed to the roundtrips because we would like to do a pre or post at Danali.

 

Here are some of my questions:

 

Is the Northern or Southern cruise most desired? What are he main differences?

 

Ships: Is there a preference between the Jewel and the Sun?

 

When does NCL usually release the next yrs schedule for Alaska, 2018 is not available yet? I would like to book early to be able to get a balcony land-side room. I expect these rooms to be most desirable, but any comments are welcome.

 

Do the pools get used for the Alaska cruises, if so are they heated?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Dunfer]

I can only answer your first question with my personal preference-- I am from Central Florida, and it is a long, long, way to Alaska. Therefore, I prefer to fly into Anchorage, spend the night in Anchorage, then 2 nights in Seward. The flight from Vancouver to Florida is shorter, less plane changes, and better choice of flights.

 

If I lived on the west coast, or mid-America, I don't think it would make much difference. I do understand that a lot of people prefer the northbound, because the scenery only gets better throughout the cruise going north.

 

Sorry I can't answer your other questions, as I have only cruised with RCI. August, 2017 I will be taking my first NCL cruise on the Sun, from Seward to Vancouver.

[Sauer-kraut]

The SUN's standard balcony rooms are the largest in the fleet (but still fairly small) Her mini suites are really great so if you can spring for one of those I would plan for one of those. Deck 8 is a good location.

 

The SUN has the forward Observation Lounge, and deck outside. No big spa though. Pools won't be heated.

[GeezerCouple]

I am looking to book a 2018 Alaskan Cruise. I am interested in the one-ways as opposed to the roundtrips because we would like to do a pre or post at Danali.

 

Here are some of my questions:

 

Is the Northern or Southern cruise most desired? What are he main differences?

 

Ships: Is there a preference between the Jewel and the Sun?

 

When does NCL usually release the next yrs schedule for Alaska, 2018 is not available yet? I would like to book early to be able to get a balcony land-side room. I expect these rooms to be most desirable, but any comments are welcome.

 

Do the pools get used for the Alaska cruises, if so are they heated?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Of NCL ships, only the Sun does "one way" trips.

The Jewel and Pearl do roundtrip, one out of Seattle, one out of Vancouver.

 

We are heading NB in a few weeks.

We chose that, figuring that we'd rather see "more wintery scenery" as we headed north, and spend a couple of days in the Seward area (taking an excursion into the Kenai Fjords).

Especially since we've been to Vancouver a few times on business (and will be going there again), that's "less special", so we'd rather start there than end there.

 

But yes, getting home will be more tedious from Anchorage than from Vancouver.

 

We hope we are pleased with the choice of direction.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

It's really just personal preference. As mentioned, some feel it's a better cruise going north because the scenery gets more beautiful as you go. I've done both NB and SB and enjoyed both. If the time in ports of call is the same, then I don't think it really matters. But, if one direction allows you more time in any of the ports, then that's what I'd go for. I'd also consider whether I want to spend time inland before or after the cruise.

[cruisnpat]

If you are doing the northbound cruise the starbird side will be toward the land, port will be toward the water. Last summer we did a land/cruise tour and it was great. We had a 7 day cruise with Princess cruise line and then a 3 day land tour. Loved it!

 

Pat

[zqvol]

I am looking to book a 2018 Alaskan Cruise. I am interested in the one-ways as opposed to the roundtrips because we would like to do a pre or post at Danali.

 

Here are some of my questions:

 

Is the Northern or Southern cruise most desired? What are he main differences?

 

Ships: Is there a preference between the Jewel and the Sun?

 

When does NCL usually release the next yrs schedule for Alaska, 2018 is not available yet? I would like to book early to be able to get a balcony land-side room. I expect these rooms to be most desirable, but any comments are welcome.

 

Do the pools get used for the Alaska cruises, if so are they heated?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

We prefer to cruise southbound, because it give you some time to unwind after the extensive travel that it takes to get up and back from Denali and then back down to Seward or Whittier. As far as getting home either from Vancouver or Anchorage, it is typically a one stop flight to the east coast with a connection in Atlanta, so that doesn't really weigh into our decision. It really doesn't matter which side of the ship you are on because in the inside passage both side face land. Pools can be used, at times it can be quite warm on Alaskan voyages. I assume that they are heated but we never use them so I can't really say for sure.

Edited May 13, 2016 by zqvol

[BirdTravels]

We have done northbound twice. Since your doing the inside passage, the one ways are better than the r/t Seattle. We spent hours on our balcony each day watching the whales and dolphin.

 

The pools are heated and there were a few takers, primarily kids.

 

Few adults in he hot tubs.

Edited May 13, 2016 by BirdTravels

[LakeWinniMom]

Thanks for the great info, now I just have to wait for the 2018 itineraries to come out :)

[atomax]

Regardless of which direction you decide to take, make sure to check the weather forecast the week before. We went to Alaska in May a couple of years ago, and thought it would be cold. Luckily, we checked the weather forecast before we left for Seattle and saw that it would be in the 60s, so we didn't pack the cold weather gear.

 

Long story short, it was 90+ degrees every day we were in Alaska; it was warmer than the Mexican cruise we had done earlier that year! We ended up wearing our workout clothes almost the entire time.

[pieshops]

absolutely do one way. Unless you have been there before or plan on going back I feel this is really the only way to go. You will certainly see beautiful scenery in the south but you really need to get into the interior and see Denali, it is absolutely amazing. We have gone as far north as Fairbanks and next time (if there is one) we want to head all the way north to the sea.

 

You will love Alaska

[deladypilot]

We loved our Sun 1 way cruise. More port time than on the R/Ts.

 

The NB cruise does Glacier Bay and the South Bound does Hubbard Glacier & Sawyer Glacier. So if you have a preference on Glaciers you might chose the one that fits your desires. Of course if you do the Glacier Bay then the National Park Service climbs on-board and gives and awesome talk about the history of the glacier as well as the wild life there

 

On all of our Alaskan cruises, the pools were heated. They kept them around 84 degrees if I remember what the TV was reporting. As mentioned mostly kids got in them but I did see a few adults.

[BirdTravels]

Plan for warm weather in port.

 

Plan for rain (Ketechan brags about th number of rainy days it gets).

 

Plan for cold for the glacier watching. It was very windy on our glacier days making it exceptionally cold. Easily fixed with some hot red wine.

[triptolemus]

The Jewel and Pearl do roundtrip, one out of Seattle, one out of Vancouver.

 

 

The Jewel and the Pearl both do round trips out of Seattle for most of the season. The Jewel goes to Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier and the Pearl goes to Glacier Bay. The four ports of call are otherwise identical.

 

Each ship does a trip out of Vancouver at the beginning and end of the season for repositioning, maintaining compliance with PVSA. Remember, the ship cannot reposition with passengers from Seattle to Los Angeles for example. It must depart from Vancouver.

[bonvoyagie]

Hi Lake Wini Mom, I am heading your direction for a cruise in about 140 days.

 

Currently Alaska Airlines offers a true non stop flight between Logan and SeaTac with reasonable fares. From Seattle it is a short 4hr hop to Vancouver BC via car, bus or train. Seattle is also the jumping off point for flights to Anchorage AK. This combo of flights and land travel would work well for either a NB or SB cruise.

 

As far as the land portion of your trip - you need to ask how much time do you have. AK is huge and travel times are long plus the scenery is fantastic. All cruise ships dock in either Whittier or Seward - both are several hours away from Anchorage where the main airport is. Anchorage is also about a day's drive from Denali so plan on at least three days to see Denali NP from Anchorage. There is also a lot to see around both Seward and Whittier, you could easily spend a day or two at either place. I believe the Sun now docks in Seward, so it would be interesting to visit Whittier and take a tour of the Valdez area. Again you can easily spend three to four days here.

 

Now we have spent a week and seen only two areas of interior AK. We have not even touched Fairbanks (which is just a few hours drive above Denali).

 

Here are a couple of web sites that can help you with your trip planning both for the cruise ports and the interior.

 

http://www.cruiseportinsider.com

http://www.travelalaska.com

http://www.alaskatravel.com

 

Enjoy you planning.

 

BTW we started planning our Canada and New England cruise on our last AK cruise in 12. We booked the cruise in 14 and started excursion planning last fall. Finally have all the pieces put together :)

[tammyjw305]

We did Denali first and then cruised southbound. The Sun was the only NCL ship that did one way. If you want to see our experience, check out the review at http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=517804&et_cid=2531924&et_rid=16181689&et_referrer=NULL

[Dramamamahil]

We used the pool on our Alaska trip on the Jewel. We had a coupe days where it was in the 70's and humid, so the pool felt nice!

[GeezerCouple]

The Jewel and the Pearl both do round trips out of Seattle for most of the season. The Jewel goes to Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier and the Pearl goes to Glacier Bay. The four ports of call are otherwise identical.

 

Each ship does a trip out of Vancouver at the beginning and end of the season for repositioning, maintaining compliance with PVSA. Remember, the ship cannot reposition with passengers from Seattle to Los Angeles for example. It must depart from Vancouver.

 

Thanks for the correction.

 

I saw the comments (elsewhere) about the Jewel in Vancouver, and didn't realize that wasn't the regular itinerary.

[GORDONCHICK]

Last year, we did the northbound aboard the Sun, then spent 9 days riding around on our own. We aren't ones for group tours, so we opted to do our own thing, which is really easy in AK. We spent 3 nights up around Denali with 2 full days in the park, plus white water rafting. We saw tons of wildlife everywhere. We also spent time around Eagle River/Chugiak, we did a glacier cruise out of Whittier. The Native American Cultural Center is not to be missed! We also made a stop at the Iditarod HQ, which was pretty cool. Easy trip to do on your own.

[Budget Queen]

I have sailed the Sun 4 times in Alaska. Their itinerary is excellent, the northbound does Glacier Bay and Hubbard. Hoonah is added to the southbound.

 

In the inside passage you do get scenery on both sides. for Glacier Bay- IF you are only going to stay in your cabin, the commentary will match up with the port side.

 

I have done one way cruises in both directions, multiple times, equally excellent.

 

I do not agree with the "priority" of sailing south to "relax" from mainland touring. My travels are even. I see some pretty bad itineraries made with some travelers. I suggest they be avoided at all costs. TIME is your best friend in Alaska, go for as long as you can afford. Less is more. A common mistake is to underestimate time and distances. Have at least 2 nights at Denali .

[don't-use-real-name]

Making a Land Tour pre or post cruise consider taking the Alaska Railroad between

Anchorage and Fairbanks an almost full day trip 12 hours covering 350

some miles. High Bridges (Hurricane) - swift current rivers - passage at the

edge of Denali Park - perhaps the mountain will be out for your viewing -

gorgeous views of gorges - some tunnels - wild life moose bear etc.

I am out of breath.

Airline flights to and from the lower 48 - either city - at that time of the year

the night flights are in the day time (well almost - you would not want to

visit during the winter time with little or no daylight) !

 

Put this visit to Alaska on your bucket list - there is so much to see that you

will never see it all in one trip let alone two three or more - BUT DO IT !

The season is about 4 months of prime time viewing Mid May to Mid September.

 

Pre & Post cruises can be part of ship positioning involving more than Alaska

touring - Pacific coast Astoria OR San Francisco Los Angeles San Diego CA

with embarking and disembarking at Vancouver Seattle with a port call at

Victoria.

Notable port calls varies by cruise line - Ketchikan - Juneau - Sitka - Icy Strait Point -

Skagway - Whittier or Seward - GLACIERS - Glacier Bay - College -

Hubbard - Sawyer these seen from the deck of the ship others viewed by

helicopter (Mendenhall etc.) or other means !

 

Alaska the "Last Frontier" but it should not be your Last Cruise !

[jmele999]

We did the SB cruise from Seward because we wanted to visit Denali before the cruise and relax during the cruise. Here is my review on our visit to Denali and the cruise from Seward to Vancouver.

 

It is a great cruise.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2231881

[LakeWinniMom]

Hi Lake Wini Mom, I am heading your direction for a cruise in about 140 days.

 

Currently Alaska Airlines offers a true non stop flight between Logan and SeaTac with reasonable fares. From Seattle it is a short 4hr hop to Vancouver BC via car, bus or train. Seattle is also the jumping off point for flights to Anchorage AK. This combo of flights and land travel would work well for either a NB or SB cruise.

 

As far as the land portion of your trip - you need to ask how much time do you have. AK is huge and travel times are long plus the scenery is fantastic. All cruise ships dock in either Whittier or Seward - both are several hours away from Anchorage where the main airport is. Anchorage is also about a day's drive from Denali so plan on at least three days to see Denali NP from Anchorage. There is also a lot to see around both Seward and Whittier, you could easily spend a day or two at either place. I believe the Sun now docks in Seward, so it would be interesting to visit Whittier and take a tour of the Valdez area. Again you can easily spend three to four days here.

 

Now we have spent a week and seen only two areas of interior AK. We have not even touched Fairbanks (which is just a few hours drive above Denali).

 

Here are a couple of web sites that can help you with your trip planning both for the cruise ports and the interior.

 

http://www.cruiseportinsider.com

http://www.travelalaska.com

http://www.alaskatravel.com

 

Enjoy you planning.

 

BTW we started planning our Canada and New England cruise on our last AK cruise in 12. We booked the cruise in 14 and started excursion planning last fall. Finally have all the pieces put together :)

 

Thanks for all of the great info! You will love New England, it really is beautiful here. Will you have time in Boston before or after your cruise? PM me and I can try to steer you in the right direction for some good sight-seeing. Have a great trip!

[LakeWinniMom]

We did Denali first and then cruised southbound. The Sun was the only NCL ship that did one way. If you want to see our experience, check out the review at http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=517804&et_cid=2531924&et_rid=16181689&et_referrer=NULL

 

I will check it out! Thanks!

[LakeWinniMom]

We used the pool on our Alaska trip on the Jewel. We had a coupe days where it was in the 70's and humid, so the pool felt nice!

 

Great Pictures! I am glad the pools can get some use, my 8 and 13 yr old they will definitely want them!