Final Choice between 2 Itineraries , please help

[EeyoreFan1967]

Thanks to all Cruise Critics who have helped me so far to identify my needs and wants in narrowing down the incredibly overwhelming number of choices in cruises to Alaska!

 

 

With your tremendous help, we have finally narrowed our choices down to these 2 HAL cruises that have some major differences, though both are RT from same port. I list them below (in no particular order). I have highlighted the differences that I consider major.

 

 

Choice #1

Holland America EurodamRT Seattle May 26-June2, 2018

Approximate Cost $5,000

Saturday Seattle 4pm

Sunday At Sea

Monday Juneau 1pm-10pm

Tuesday Glacier Bay 7am-4pm

Wednesday Sitka 8am-5pm

Thursday Ketchikan 7am-1pm

Friday Victoria 6pm-11:30pm

 

Saturday Seattle 7am

 

 

Choice #2

Holland America NieuwAmsterdam RT Vancouver May 26-June2, 2018

Approximate Cost $6,100

Saturday Vancouver 4:30pm

Sunday At Sea (Sails Inside Passage)

Monday Tracy Arm Inlet 10a-10:30a?? What is this half hour?

Monday Juneau 1pm-10pm

Tuesday Skagway 7am-9pm

Wednesday GlacierBay 7am-4pm

Thursday Ketchikan 10am-6pm

Friday At Sea

 

Saturday Vancouver 7am

 

 

So basically, one is RT Seattle and does Sitka instead if Skagway, and the other is RT Vancouver and does Skagway instead of Sitka. And one is about $1100 more? Worth it? IDK which is the more important choice, the Sitka/Skagway or the Seattle/Vancouver. Also, I have no idea what that Tracy Arm Inlet is indicated on the itinerary for 30 minutes? Is it something amazing one needs to be on deck for?

 

 

I would love to hear what all you cruise critics would say about this choice.

 

 

Also, aside...the New York Times Crossword Puzzle, which I do every day, TODAY had a clue "Former capital of Alaska." The answer, of course, was "Sitka." Is that a sign, Cruise Critics? Or would you recommend some therapy for me? Yes, this is where all this research has gotten me. Feel free to comment...or NOT... on that aspect of my question!;p

[Coral]

I would do 2. I prefer RT Vancouver to Seattle

 

Tracy Arm is probably a Service Stop for those who want to do a small ship excursion (do this). If you are not planning on doing this excursion, this service stop won't do anything for you and you will not see Tracy Arm. If you are not going to do this, I would save the money and do #1.

 

Whichever cruise you book, watch prices. They can change frequently and you can possibly refare the cruise.

[EeyoreFan1967]

I would do 2. I prefer RT Vancouver to Seattle

 

Tracy Arm is probably a Service Stop for those who want to do a small ship excursion (do this). If you are not planning on doing this excursion, this service stop won't do anything for you and you will not see Tracy Arm. If you are not going to do this, I would save the money and do #1.

 

Whichever cruise you book, watch prices. They can change frequently and you can possibly refare the cruise.

 

Thank you so much for your response, but now I am more confused than before LOL. Are you saying you'd pick #2 because of Vancouver or the Tracy Arm service stop/probable available excursion? And also, would you recommend this small ship excursion you think will be available over all other choices in Juneau? Or do you think there will still be time for Juneau after this excursion? Thanks again!:cool:

[Coral]

Thank you so much for your response, but now I am more confused than before LOL. Are you saying you'd pick #2 because of Vancouver or the Tracy Arm service stop/probable available excursion? And also, would you recommend this small ship excursion you think will be available over all other choices in Juneau? Or do you think there will still be time for Juneau after this excursion? Thanks again!:cool:

 

Both - I prefer to sail out of Vancouver (often more scenic). And I do like the small boat experience to Tracy Arm. I have not done this with HAL so you will need to do a search for more information but I believe it will get you to Juneau and you will be able to do some excursions in Juneau. Just not sure what time you will dock in Juneau.

 

Good luck researching.

[xlxo]

To maximize your Juneau time, the ship will not enter the 31 mile Tracy Fjord to seek out Sawyer. The ship makes a 30 stop at the entrance to Tracy Arm for those signed up for the small boat excursion. The ship then continues to Juneau for the afternoon 50 miles away. Those on the excursion will enter Tracy Arm and seek out the glacier. After finding the glacier, it will chase after the mothership with an 80 mile head start to meet up with Juneau.

• https://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-destinations/ExcursionDetails.action?excursionCode=100030935
  
• of all the excursions.... this is the first to sell out as the boat is small. Try to book the excursion at the same time as your cruise.
  
• this tour will maximize your Juneau time as you don't need to retrace 50 miles of water for those round tripping from Juneau.
  
• also research the Volendam... it departs mid-week a few days earlier and may offer savings.
  https://www.hollandamerica.com/details?webItineraryIdForAudit=A6G70S&fromSearchVacation=true&guestsCount=2&voyageCode=V828&selectedMeta=Interior
  
• The Tracy Arm excursion doubles your glacier experience as you also get to see Glacier Bay.
  

[EeyoreFan1967]

Both - I prefer to sail out of Vancouver (often more scenic). And I do like the small boat experience to Tracy Arm. I have not done this with HAL so you will need to do a search for more information but I believe it will get you to Juneau and you will be able to do some excursions in Juneau. Just not sure what time you will dock in Juneau.

 

Good luck researching.

 

Called HAL and spoke with their land excursions expert. If you book the excursion for approx $240 pp, you get off the ship onto a small boat at 10:00, sail into Tracy Arm with a naturalist for about 5-6 hours, arriving in Juneau around 4pm. So that would give us time for another excursion and/or to explore Juneau. Do you think whales will be seen on this excursion? I was going to book whale watching in Juneau, and I have heard all about Tracy Arm being so disappointing compared to Glacier Bay...but that's from a cruise ship. Is it better on a smaller boat?

[EeyoreFan1967]

To maximize your Juneau time, the ship will not enter the 31 mile Tracy Fjord to seek out Sawyer. The ship makes a 30 stop at the entrance to Tracy Arm for those signed up for the small boat excursion. The ship then continues to Juneau for the afternoon 50 miles away. Those on the excursion will enter Tracy Arm and seek out the glacier. After finding the glacier, it will chase after the mothership with an 80 mile head start to meet up with Juneau.

• https://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-destinations/ExcursionDetails.action?excursionCode=100030935
  
• of all the excursions.... this is the first to sell out as the boat is small. Try to book the excursion at the same time as your cruise.
  
• this tour will maximize your Juneau time as you don't need to retrace 50 miles of water for those round tripping from Juneau.
  
• also research the Volendam... it departs mid-week a few days earlier and may offer savings.
  https://www.hollandamerica.com/details?webItineraryIdForAudit=A6G70S&fromSearchVacation=true&guestsCount=2&voyageCode=V828&selectedMeta=Interior
  
• The Tracy Arm excursion doubles your glacier experience as you also get to see Glacier Bay.
  

 

Thanks for the tip on Volendam. I did see it, but because of the mid-week departure, it doesn't really work for us...more work missed by DD and DH (not a big deal for me). It's a little cheaper, but not enough to change our timing.

 

 

As I mentioned in my post above, I hadn't really considered a Tracy Arm excursion, as all I have read is that Tracy Arm is not great (compared to GB). Is it better from a smaller boat? Any chance of seeing whales? I was going to book whale watching in Juneau. Thanks!

[TheCalicoCat]

 

 

Choice #1

Holland America EurodamRT Seattle May 26-June2, 2018

Approximate Cost $5,000

Saturday Seattle 4pm

Sunday At Sea

Monday Juneau 1pm-10pm

Tuesday Glacier Bay 7am-4pm

Wednesday Sitka 8am-5pm

Thursday Ketchikan 7am-1pm

Friday Victoria 6pm-11:30pm

 

Saturday Seattle 7am

 

 

Choice #2

Holland America NieuwAmsterdam RT Vancouver May 26-June2, 2018

Approximate Cost $6,100

Saturday Vancouver 4:30pm

Sunday At Sea (Sails Inside Passage)

Monday Tracy Arm Inlet 10a-10:30a?? What is this half hour?

Monday Juneau 1pm-10pm

Tuesday Skagway 7am-9pm

Wednesday GlacierBay 7am-4pm

Thursday Ketchikan 10am-6pm

Friday At Sea

 

Saturday Vancouver 7am

 

 

One way to decided is to determine if you want to do something in Skagway or Sitka.

 

The Tracy Arm 10 to 10:30 is a stop for the very highly recommended Tracy Arm excursion on the small boat. You are let off the ship on to the small boat like a tender.

 

We did it & loved it, it was my most favorite excursion of all time & I would do it again in a heart beat.

 

We got to see both Sawyer Glacier at sea level. From the photos that I have seen & reviews read, on the ship you only get to see the top of one of the Sawyer glaciers. Since the small boat is lower in the water the perspective is better & it felt like we got closer to the glacier than in Glacier Bay.

 

We did not see much wildlife, but I've seen CC reviews where other people were far more lucky with the wildlife that saw while on the Tracy Arm Excursion.

 

This excursion does limit your time in Juneau - the ship goes on to Juneau while you are on your excursion. (We were able to catch the last "blue bus" to Mendenhall, but we had a very short amount of time there as we had to catch the last bus back to the dock.)

Edited April 19, 2017 by TheCalicoCat

[EeyoreFan1967]

One way to decided is to determine if you want to do something in Skagway or Sitka.

 

The Tracy Arm 10 to 10:30 is a stop for the very highly recommended Tracy Arm excursion on the small boat. You are let off the ship on to the small boat like a tender.

 

We did it & loved it, it was my most favorite excursion of all time & I would do it again in a heart beat.

 

This excursion does limit your time in Juneau - the ship goes on to Juneau while you are on your excursion.

 

HaHa yes, we want to do stuff in BOTH Skagway and Sitka! ;p The problem is, we want it ALL! Doesn't everyone? If the Vancouver itinerary were 8 days and included Sitka, this discussion would be over. But it doesn't, so here we are...

 

 

Your perspective is interesting about time in Juneau being limited by this excursion. A previous poster thought it maximized time in Juneau (you arrive a few hours later than the ship, but you've already done your excursion). It's great to hear you loved the small boat excursion...did you happen to see whales?

[TheCalicoCat]

HaHa yes, we want to do stuff in BOTH Skagway and Sitka! ;p The problem is, we want it ALL! Doesn't everyone? If the Vancouver itinerary were 8 days and included Sitka, this discussion would be over. But it doesn't, so here we are...

 

 

Your perspective is interesting about time in Juneau being limited by this excursion. A previous poster thought it maximized time in Juneau (you arrive a few hours later than the ship, but you've already done your excursion). It's great to hear you loved the small boat excursion...did you happen to see whales?

 

I edited my previous post...

 

We saw one whale briefly.

 

(We also only saw 1 bear briefly while driving to the Yukon out of Skagway - we just didn't have much luck with animal sightings on that trip.)