12Lawman Posted July 29, 2018 #1 Share Posted July 29, 2018 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.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKStafford Posted July 30, 2018 #2 Share Posted July 30, 2018 A cruise from Seattle would be round trip. A cruise from Vancouver would be one way ending in Seward or Whittier. Would you have any time after your cruise to spend seeing Southcentral Alaska? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Click.Write.Post. Posted July 30, 2018 #3 Share Posted July 30, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12Lawman Posted July 30, 2018 Author #4 Share Posted July 30, 2018 I only have one week but that week could be any time..We prefer round trip from Vancouver but don't know which lines offer that option..I will check out Holland America..Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12Lawman Posted July 30, 2018 Author #5 Share Posted July 30, 2018 Looking at Holland America why are the cruises from Vancouver more expensive than cruises leaving from Seattle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyaheel Posted July 30, 2018 #6 Share Posted July 30, 2018 Looking at Holland America why are the cruises from Vancouver more expensive than cruises leaving from Seattle? They're probably one way and you see more? They're more popular? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xlxo Posted July 30, 2018 #7 Share Posted July 30, 2018 Thoughts... there are TWO inside passages. Only cruise ships that include Vancouver will allow you to see the Southern passage just outside Vancouver. The Southern passage means more of your cruise has calmer waters. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Passage#British_Columbia_portion look for a cruise ship that includes Glacier Bay for the better glacier experience. Think which month. Savings vs daylight vs warmth vs wildlife vs rain. Cruise prices vary each month for a reason.https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2667 Vancouver deserves extra days for the tourist activities. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donaldsc Posted July 30, 2018 #8 Share Posted July 30, 2018 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oaktreerb Posted July 30, 2018 #9 Share Posted July 30, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12Lawman Posted July 30, 2018 Author #10 Share Posted July 30, 2018 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... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epixx Posted July 30, 2018 #11 Share Posted July 30, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyaheel Posted July 30, 2018 #12 Share Posted July 30, 2018 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.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12Lawman Posted July 30, 2018 Author #13 Share Posted July 30, 2018 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. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12Lawman Posted July 30, 2018 Author #14 Share Posted July 30, 2018 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?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyaheel Posted July 30, 2018 #15 Share Posted July 30, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12Lawman Posted July 30, 2018 Author #16 Share Posted July 30, 2018 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.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emjayel56 Posted July 30, 2018 #17 Share Posted July 30, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oaktreerb Posted July 30, 2018 #18 Share Posted July 30, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyaheel Posted July 30, 2018 #19 Share Posted July 30, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oaktreerb Posted July 31, 2018 #20 Share Posted July 31, 2018 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12Lawman Posted July 31, 2018 Author #21 Share Posted July 31, 2018 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyaheel Posted July 31, 2018 #22 Share Posted July 31, 2018 ..What do you like about smaller ships and dislike about larger ones? People. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancing Shoes Posted July 31, 2018 #23 Share Posted July 31, 2018 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 $$$ for the excursions. That is what Alaska is all about I have read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12Lawman Posted July 31, 2018 Author #24 Share Posted July 31, 2018 I am going on the Volendam/HAL. I chose it for the R/T out of Vancouver. I know the entertainment is probably kinda blah. That's ok. I hear the food is decent and it only holds about 1400 passengers. Maybe you would like NCL for their entertainment if that is what is important to you. Be sure and save $$$ 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????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pugmadkate Posted July 31, 2018 #25 Share Posted July 31, 2018 I..I've been told Glacier Bay is a "must see"..Yes or no?? Yes! And it’s why we picked Holland America. Absolutely wonderful time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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