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Help choosing Alaska cruise

12Lawman

By 12Lawman,
in Alaska

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12Lawman

12Lawman

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Have cruised before but not for many years..Wanting to plan an Alaskan cruise for no more than 7 nights leaving from either Seattle or Vancouver..We are a married couple in early 60's and think we want to do the Inside Passage....We think we prefer a larger ship with good on board show..Suggestions on ship, itineraries, best time to travel, things to do, things to see, things to avoid, and everything else really appreciated..Thanks..

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Have cruised before but not for many years..Wanting to plan an Alaskan cruise for no more than 7 nights leaving from either Seattle or Vancouver..We are a married couple in early 60's and think we want to do the Inside Passage....We think we prefer a larger ship with good on board show..Suggestions on ship, itineraries, best time to travel, things to do, things to see, things to avoid, and everything else really appreciated..Thanks..

 

It you want true Inside Passage, look for a round trip or one-way cruise out of Vancouver. Holland America Line has some fantastic options. May and September are generally less expensive than June, July, and August. Holland America Line's (HAL) ms Volendam does a mid week to mid week 7 day round trip our of Vancouver, but the ship isn't as big as say the HAL ms Nieuw Amsterdam, which sales weekend day to weekend day generally. Alaska is quite beautiful and some of the most scenic cruising is east of Vancouver Island.

 

What more would you like to know? I have cruised to Alaska with two cruise lines, Holland America Line and Celebrity. I have done just about every itinerary option out there so I am happy to share my experiences with you.

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xlxo

xlxo

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Thoughts...

.

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donaldsc

donaldsc

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Have cruised before but not for many years..Wanting to plan an Alaskan cruise for no more than 7 nights leaving from either Seattle or Vancouver..We are a married couple in early 60's and think we want to do the Inside Passage....We think we prefer a larger ship with good on board show..Suggestions on ship, itineraries, best time to travel, things to do, things to see, things to avoid, and everything else really appreciated..Thanks..

 

Too many people who go to AK focus on what is happening ON the ship. In AK, the important thing is what you see OFF the ship. In other words, the important things are itinerary, itinerary and port times.

 

DON

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oaktreerb

oaktreerb

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Looking at Holland America why are the cruises from Vancouver more expensive than cruises leaving from Seattle?

 

Round trip Vancouver cruises sailing between Vancouver Island and the mainland provide smoother seas and more scenic cruising.

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12Lawman

12Lawman

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Round trip Vancouver cruises sailing between Vancouver Island and the mainland provide smoother seas and more scenic cruising.

 

This may make more sense for us....Wondering which of those cruise lines that offer this option have good on board shows...

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epixx

epixx

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This may make more sense for us....Wondering which of those cruise lines that offer this option have good on board shows...

 

 

If your priority is for good shows and round trip from Vancouver, I recommend Disney. The Disney Wonder will sail round trip from Vancouver in 2019.

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Hoyaheel

Hoyaheel

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Too many people who go to AK focus on what is happening ON the ship. In AK, the important thing is what you see OFF the ship. In other words, the important things are itinerary, itinerary and port times.

 

An alternative view (and pretty much my opinion in a nutshell) is that ANY port in Alaska is going to be wonderful and that IF you go to Alaska for the "right" reasons (eg understanding it's not the same as a Caribbean cruise and how/why it varies ;-) why *not* pick the ship you'll enjoy the most? I personally wouldn't choose a 7day RT Seattle because I don't think I'd see as much as I'd want to, BUT I'm sure whatever I did see would be amazing:hearteyes:

 

My follow-up caveat is that I have never seen an evening show on a single cruise, clearly that's not my priority. But...ship & cabin are important to me and I book accordingly....

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12Lawman

12Lawman

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If your priority is for good shows and round trip from Vancouver, I recommend Disney. The Disney Wonder will sail round trip from Vancouver in 2019.

 

 

I notice the 7 night Disney Cruise from Vancouver does not go to Glacier Bay..I've been told Glacier Bay is a "must see"..Yes or no??

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Hoyaheel

Hoyaheel

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I haven't found a list for 2019, but in 2018, the only lines that have a concession for Glacier Bay access are Princess, HAL, and NCL.

 

I know in the past Crystal was able to get a few passes. Not sure I've ever seen Disney or RCI with access but I'm happy to be proven wrong on that. Access is VERY limited.

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12Lawman

12Lawman

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I haven't found a list for 2019, but in 2018, the only lines that have a concession for Glacier Bay access are Princess, HAL, and NCL.

 

I know in the past Crystal was able to get a few passes. Not sure I've ever seen Disney or RCI with access but I'm happy to be proven wrong on that. Access is VERY limited.

 

 

Looked at the Princess website..Looks like a lot of options and prices really seem to vary a lot between cruise lines and even with the same cruise lines..Gets very confusing..Lots of options with Princess..Just wondering if Princess is as nice as Holland America..

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emjayel56

emjayel56

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Too many people who go to AK focus on what is happening ON the ship. In AK, the important thing is what you see OFF the ship. In other words, the important things are itinerary, itinerary and port times.

 

DON

 

This is 100% correct.

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oaktreerb

oaktreerb

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This may make more sense for us....Wondering which of those cruise lines that offer this option have good on board shows...

 

I just did a search for 2019 cruises round trip Vancouver (June, July, Aug) with Glacier Bay as part of the itinerary. I came up with Nieuw Amsterdam and Volendam both Holland America ships not known for great shows and entertainment. Alaska is the entertainment.

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Hoyaheel

Hoyaheel

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Just wondering if Princess is as nice as Holland America..

 

Depends on what you're looking for. I love the R class ships on Princess but they're down to just one now - I won't sail on the larger ships. I love the smaller ships on HAL - we went on Westerdam through the Panama Canal and at 1900 or 2000 pax it's just larger than we want. We thoroughly enjoy both lines in general - as I noted earlier, I'm picky about ships, and size is VERY important to me. I've been on Princess and HAL in Alaska and would easily pick either again if the price, itinerary & ship were what I was looking for.

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oaktreerb

oaktreerb

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Round trip Vancouver cruises sailing between Vancouver Island and the mainland provide smoother seas and more scenic cruising.

 

Princess, Holland, Norwegian have 7 day cruises that begin in Vancouver and end in Seward or Whittier that go to Glacier Bay. You would have to fly back home from Anchorage which is ok if you can also spend some time seeing more of Alaska before you fly home.

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12Lawman

12Lawman

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Depends on what you're looking for. I love the R class ships on Princess but they're down to just one now - I won't sail on the larger ships. I love the smaller ships on HAL - we went on Westerdam through the Panama Canal and at 1900 or 2000 pax it's just larger than we want. We thoroughly enjoy both lines in general - as I noted earlier, I'm picky about ships, and size is VERY important to me. I've been on Princess and HAL in Alaska and would easily pick either again if the price, itinerary & ship were what I was looking for.

 

What is "R" class ? I'm thinking I would prefer a larger ship just because there would be more to see and just to simply enjoy the majesty of it..What do you like about smaller ships and dislike about larger ones?

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Dancing Shoes

Dancing Shoes

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I am going on the Volendam/HAL. I chose it for the R/T out of Vancouver. I know the entertainment is probably kinda blah. That's ok. I hear the food is decent and it only holds about 1400 passengers. Maybe you would like NCL for their entertainment if that is what is important to you. Be sure and save $$$ for the excursions. That is what Alaska is all about I have read.

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12Lawman

12Lawman

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I am going on the Volendam/HAL. I chose it for the R/T out of Vancouver. I know the entertainment is probably kinda blah. That's ok. I hear the food is decent and it only holds about 1400 passengers. Maybe you would like NCL for their entertainment if that is what is important to you. Be sure and save $$$ for the excursions. That is what Alaska is all about I have read.

 

I notice Princess offers all the excursions on line and they can be selected at the time of booking..Pros and cons?????

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