Two options for first time Alaskan cruise

[rcha]

I have been narrowing down my options for a cruise in June 2018. From all that I have read the ports of call is the crucial issue. Any comments on the two options below. This will probably be my only Alaskan cruise as flying in from the UK. Also any suggestions for a couple of not to miss excursions.

Is June the best month or is September. Those are my two options for travelling?

 

Any comments gratefully received:)

 

Option 1 – Holland America

2nd June 2018

Nieuw Amsterdam

7 nights from Vancouver

Stern facing Balcony VC grade £1645pp

This is an advantage fare.

 

Date

Port

2nd Jun 2018

Vancouver

3rd Jun 2018

Scenic Cruising the Insidepassage

4th Jun 2018

Tracy Arm Inlet

4th Jun 2018

Juneau

5th Jun 2018

Skagway

6th Jun 2018

Glacier Bay

7th Jun 2018

Ketchikan

8th Jun 2018

Scenic Cruising the Insidepassage

9th Jun 2018

Vancouver

 

Option 2 – Celebrity Cruises

27th May 2018

Celebrity Infinity

7 nights from Vancouver

C1 Concierge Class £1639pp – You get extra benefits with the Concierge Class – priority embarkation, daily canopes plus many others

Comes with Free drinks package (includes the coffees) and also $150pp OBC

.

Sailing Itinerary

Date

Ports of Call

Arrival

Departure

Activity

Sun 03Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Vancouver, British Columbia

-

4:30 PM

Boarding

 

Mon 04Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Inside Passage

-

-

Cruising

 

Tue 05Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Icy Strait Point, Alaska

3:30 PM

10:00 PM

Docked

 

Wed 06Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Hubbard Glacier (Cruising)

10:30 AM

2:30 PM

Cruising

 

Thu 07Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Juneau, Alaska

7:30 AM

8:00 PM

Docked

 

Fri 08Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Ketchikan, Alaska

2:00 PM

8:30 PM

Docked

 

Sat 09Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Inside Passage

-

-

Cruising

 

Sun 10Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Vancouver, British Columbia

7:00 AM

-

Departure

[Budget Queen]

Have you looked at Hoonah and IF you want to go there. Determined, what touring you want to include, and if the port times allow what you want to do? Interest in Tracy Arm- this will require an extra cost.

Either of these could be the right cruise for you. Depends what you want to do in ports??

 

Look more into differences and determine- YOUR priority for your trip.

[shadowmeboy]

I have been narrowing down my options for a cruise in June 2018. From all that I have read the ports of call is the crucial issue. Any comments on the two options below. This will probably be my only Alaskan cruise as flying in from the UK. Also any suggestions for a couple of not to miss excursions.

Is June the best month or is September. Those are my two options for travelling?

 

Any comments gratefully received:)

 

Option 1 – Holland America

2nd June 2018

Nieuw Amsterdam

7 nights from Vancouver

Stern facing Balcony VC grade £1645pp

This is an advantage fare.

 

Date

Port

 

2nd Jun 2018

Vancouver

 

3rd Jun 2018

Scenic Cruising the Insidepassage

 

4th Jun 2018

Tracy Arm Inlet

 

4th Jun 2018

Juneau

 

5th Jun 2018

Skagway

 

6th Jun 2018

Glacier Bay

 

7th Jun 2018

Ketchikan

 

8th Jun 2018

Scenic Cruising the Insidepassage

 

9th Jun 2018

Vancouver

 

Option 2 – Celebrity Cruises

27th May 2018

Celebrity Infinity

7 nights from Vancouver

C1 Concierge Class £1639pp – You get extra benefits with the Concierge Class – priority embarkation, daily canopes plus many others

Comes with Free drinks package (includes the coffees) and also $150pp OBC

.

Sailing Itinerary

 

Date

Ports of Call

Arrival

Departure

Activity

Sun 03Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Vancouver, British Columbia

-

4:30 PM

Boarding

 

Mon 04Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Inside Passage

-

-

Cruising

 

Tue 05Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Icy Strait Point, Alaska

3:30 PM

10:00 PM

Docked

 

Wed 06Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Hubbard Glacier (Cruising)

10:30 AM

2:30 PM

Cruising

 

Thu 07Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Juneau, Alaska

7:30 AM

8:00 PM

Docked

 

Fri 08Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Ketchikan, Alaska

2:00 PM

8:30 PM

Docked

 

Sat 09Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Inside Passage

-

-

Cruising

 

Sun 10Jun2018

 

 

 

 

Vancouver, British Columbia

7:00 AM

-

Departure

 

Look at my review from last year to see more about Icy Strait Point and Hubbard Glacier. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2376089&page=9

 

Both look good. But option one does have Glacier Bay.

[Sequim88]

Glacier Bay over Hubbard and Skagway over Icy Strait alone would seal the deal for HAL for me. Way too much history and scenery at Skagway and far more likely to get better views of glaciers at Glacier Bay. Some people like Icy Strait & Hoonah but to me it looks too much like a tourist trap or contrived port stop. Not a "value add" to me.

[SuperCrewBear]

Glacier Bay over Hubbard and Skagway over Icy Strait alone would seal the deal for HAL for me. Way too much history and scenery at Skagway and far more likely to get better views of glaciers at Glacier Bay. Some people like Icy Strait & Hoonah but to me it looks too much like a tourist trap or contrived port stop. Not a "value add" to me.

 

The only part I have no frame of reference on is Hubbard Glacier - otherwise I agree with this 100%. One can never predict the weather but our day at Glacier Bay was absolutely crystal clear and the scenery was *SPECTACULAR*! It would be difficult for me to pass it up.

[Coral]

Glacier Bay over Hubbard and Skagway over Icy Strait alone would seal the deal for HAL for me. Way too much history and scenery at Skagway and far more likely to get better views of glaciers at Glacier Bay. Some people like Icy Strait & Hoonah but to me it looks too much like a tourist trap or contrived port stop. Not a "value add" to me.

 

I would agree that the HAL cruise is a better itinerary. One of the better RT cruises.

 

Is Tracy Arm a service stop - if so, plan on the add on for the small boat excursion here.

[Beachiekeen]

I love that HAL itinerary and if we had done a round trip, that would have been the one. To have Glacier Bay and maybe get to see Tracy Arm on one cruise sounds awesome! We had to eliminate HAL during our search because they allowed smoking on balconies but I believe they have changed that policy since we booked. Otherwise, we would have probably done that cruise.

 

I really haven't researched the other cruise -- if it's one thing I've learned from reading, it's that there really isn't a bad cruise to Alaska. :)

 

September is the end of Alaska season but hopefully someone can answer your question on June v. September.

[Coral]

I would go in June! September has the potential for the worst weather of the season, especially mid-September and later.

 

I do believe HAL did change their smoking policy to be more restrictive.

[Budget Queen]

Especially past the first week of Sept, you have the worse weather potential of the cruise season. A significant disadvantage is the lack of daylight, if at all interested in the scenery. I pick up these cruises, when they are on a good discount, but always would have taken an earlier Alaska cruise that season. No longer are they the deals they used to be.

 

I still suggest you consider looking at the different details. And if you are going to pay for the Tracy Arm add on tour?

[xlxo]

Another vote for HAL with Glacier Bay. As mentioned, if Tracy Arm is important.... need to book the excursion before it's sold out!

 

September is cheap for storm chasers. Get June if dry port weather is desired.

[cruisincdns]

Another vote for HAL with Glacier Bay. As mentioned, if Tracy Arm is important.... need to book the excursion before it's sold out!

 

September is cheap for storm chasers. Get June if dry port weather is desired.

 

Glacier Bay is a MUST. Tracy Arm was a disappointment as you do not get close to it but in Glacier Bay you do especially the Grand Pacific Glacier. Have you checked out the itineraries from Princess as most of their itineraries include Glacier Bay. Here is the link to the Glacier Bay National Park website . There are some nice maps you can download from the maps link.

 

https://www.nps.gov/glba/index.htm

 

 

Paul

[4774Papa]

We did Alaska on the NCL Sun and it was a great cruise, the $$$ were the great for the cruise. That cruise did Glacier Bay, which was awesome.

 

Not sure why you picked a round trip, you missed going to the main part of Alaska. Check out a one way cruise and visit Denali.

 

We love, Celebrity, but the cruise you listed doesn't go to Skagway or Glacier Bay.

 

We have avoided HAL because of its awful smoking policy. HAL has changed that policy, that is good.

[portiemom]

Definitely option 1. I like the itinerary with Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay. Love the stern-facing balcony. June is better - more daylight. And apparently June has better weather, but that is the least important consideration for me. I go prepared for any weather.

[Crew News]

You will enjoy the Nieuw Amsterdam cruise. My favorite excursions include any whale watching tour in Juneau, Crab Fishing on the Aleutian Ballad in Ketchikan for amazing eagle feeding pictures, and the train-ride excursion to Caribou Crossing in Skagway.

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/place/alaska-2/skagway-2/white-pass-yukon-railroad/

 

The ultimate Skagway tour is dogsledding in the snow:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/place/alaska-2/skagway-2/dog-sledding/

 

Here is a link to my photo review of the Nieuw Amsterdam:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/photo-reviews/ms-nieuw-amsterdam-on-board-images/

 

Good luck in your cruise planning.

[TheCalicoCat]

Glacier Bay over Hubbard and Skagway over Icy Strait alone would seal the deal for HAL for me. Way too much history and scenery at Skagway and far more likely to get better views of glaciers at Glacier Bay. Some people like Icy Strait & Hoonah but to me it looks too much like a tourist trap or contrived port stop. Not a "value add" to me.

 

Ditto. When we are in Icy Strait Point, beyond just a quick look around & walk on the beach, we will probably be enjoying the "empty" ship while in this port. (Also we are taking 2 flights while on our cruise, so we needed to minimize expenses somewhere & this port was an easy choice for that.)

 

I would also choose June out of your two dates, because it get dark earlier in September. No sense being in port - when you can see anything because it is dusk or dark. (IMHO)

[Budget Queen]

I will continue to find positives in both these cruises. I find it very "interesting', some of the strong opinions above haven't even been to these places, yet make loud claims one choice is so superior to the others. I feel this is a gross disservice. There is no perfect cruise and Alaska offers so much unexpected. I find all these areas very worthwhile to experience, from a first had perspective.

 

Today, I just booked another cruise with Hubbard and Hoonah. I certainly WILL have a fantastic time. I already made my Hoonah contact for my preferred tour and so looking forward to it. It wasn't a compromised booking. Who I'm going with and I find this a perfect fit for what we are doing.

 

Alaska offers so much, and each day will bring a wonderful adventure. There is more than one direction to take.