Southern Itinerary from Anchorage - Which Ship?

[ultramax12]

Hello,

We are a family of four, two kids 22 and 25. We plan to fly to Anchorage and do land tours for a few days prior to boarding the ship and take a southern itinerary to Vancouver.

 

We are boxed in on available dates as our son graduates from college on 5/19/19 and starts his new job on 6/10/19.

 

I've been searching for cruise lines that have southern Itineraries from Anchorage within our dates.

 

So far I have found Princess Golden, Island and Royal all fit inside our dates.

 

I've read Island's redesign sucks for lack of a better word 8-), Royal is too big, pool is not covered and has limited outdoor viewing space. So I'm thinking Golden Princess is our best bet???

 

Are there any other cruise lines that I should be looking at that matches the itinerary and dates I have outlined? I have browsed RCCL, NCL, Celebrity, HAL and didn't see anything that matched...

 

So I guess my choices are either Royal Princess or Golden Princess? Which would you choose?

 

Thank you in advance!

 

 

[thegoaliegirl]

I haven't sailed on any of these yet but just putting my opinion out there. Based on my own window of availability for a vacation next August, I had the choice of the exact same 3 ships. In the end I went with the Royal because the dates matched best and I was able to get two connecting insides (5 of us). I decided to not worry about the limited outdoor space, plus we liked the additional dining choices on the Royal with Alfredos, larger buffet, etc. We almost went with the Golden but after all the reviews that mention leaks on the ship, I decided to not go that route. After all the negative regarding the Island, it was quickly rejected.

[mapleleaves]

as you compare cruises, be mindful of the port times.  You'll want to be in port long enough and at the right time of day for planned activities.  ie 7am - 1pm is pretty useless.

 

Are you including Anc- Vancouver as an option?  Vanc is only 3-4 hrs away from Seattle by bus, train, rental car.

 

Also, since you are travelling so early in the season be aware that for your land portion, some park Visitor Centers and vendors don't open until Memorial Day.  At Denali park road doesn't open to Eielson until June 1.  So check on dates if you have specific dates in mind.

[ultramax12]

30 minutes ago, mapleleaves said:

 

 

Edited November 20, 2018 by ultramax12
typo

[ultramax12]

33 minutes ago, mapleleaves said:

as you compare cruises, be mindful of the port times.  You'll want to be in port long enough and at the right time of day for planned activities.  ie 7am - 1pm is pretty useless.

 

Are you including Anc- Vancouver as an option?  Vanc is only 3-4 hrs away from Seattle by bus, train, rental car.

 

Also, since you are travelling so early in the season be aware that for your land portion, some park Visitor Centers and vendors don't open until Memorial Day.  At Denali park road doesn't open to Eielson until June 1.  So check on dates if you have specific dates in mind.

You raise very good points, I was not aware that the visitor center and Denali would not be open yet.So now you have me rethinking doing the Northern Itinerary so they'll be open and we'll do our land tours at the end of our trip.

 

I have looked at port times and of the ships I listed the port times are exactly the same.

 

"Are you including Anc- Vancouver as an option?  Vanc is only 3-4 hrs away from Seattle by bus, train, rental car."

Those are the two ports that I listed?

 

Now that I might change to a Northern Itinerary that brings Coral Princess into play.

 

So if the choices are Coral, Golden or Royal Princess which ship would you choose?

[ultramax12]

47 minutes ago, thegoaliegirl said:

I haven't sailed on any of these yet but just putting my opinion out there. Based on my own window of availability for a vacation next August, I had the choice of the exact same 3 ships. In the end I went with the Royal because the dates matched best and I was able to get two connecting insides (5 of us). I decided to not worry about the limited outdoor space, plus we liked the additional dining choices on the Royal with Alfredos, larger buffet, etc. We almost went with the Golden but after all the reviews that mention leaks on the ship, I decided to not go that route. After all the negative regarding the Island, it was quickly rejected.

 

[ultramax12]

Thank you for your feedback!

[AKStafford]

4 hours ago, ultramax12 said:

You raise very good points, I was not aware that the visitor center and Denali would not be open yet.

Denali National Park never "closes". They keep a Visitor Center open all year long. The full length of the park road is what will not be open that early.  You can see the shuttle bus schedule here: https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm

So, if you can flip it so you cruise Northbound and do the land portion on the back half of your trip, you'll be able to get deeper into the Park.

I personally recommend doing the land portion DIY, versus booking a "cruisetour" with the cruise line. Book your rental car very soon though, prices will start going up soon.

[Northern Aurora]

Just to slightly expand on AKStafford's response, the Eielson Visitor Center is the center located at mile 66 (or so) of the park road.  As an Alaskan I feel that if at all possible visitors need to take a park shuttle into the park as far as Eielson.  I agree with AKStafford -- if Denali National Park is of interest consider flipping the order and do a northbound.

[JT1962]

9 hours ago, ultramax12 said:

Hello,

We are a family of four, two kids 22 and 25. We plan to fly to Anchorage and do land tours for a few days prior to boarding the ship and take a southern itinerary to Vancouver.

 

We are boxed in on available dates as our son graduates from college on 5/19/19 and starts his new job on 6/10/19.

 

I've been searching for cruise lines that have southern Itineraries from Anchorage within our dates.

 

So far I have found Princess Golden, Island and Royal all fit inside our dates.

 

I've read Island's redesign sucks for lack of a better word 8-), Royal is too big, pool is not covered and has limited outdoor viewing space. So I'm thinking Golden Princess is our best bet???

 

Are there any other cruise lines that I should be looking at that matches the itinerary and dates I have outlined? I have browsed RCCL, NCL, Celebrity, HAL and didn't see anything that matched...

 

So I guess my choices are either Royal Princess or Golden Princess? Which would you choose?

 

Thank you in advance!

 

 

I believe Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas has 2 dates that would fit your schedule. Southbound May 24 and Northbound May 31. The latter would not leave much, if any time for a land tour afterwards.

 

We were on the Radiance in May 2017 and loved it. We thought it was the perfect size for Alaska, the ports were great and we had a lot of time in most of the ports. They don’t visit Glacier Bay, but Hubbard is impressive and we had enough time to tour Tracy Arm and the North and South Sawyer Glaciers from Juneau with Adventure Bound. Some will mention the possibility of missing Hubbard or Sawyer due to ice / weather, but we had no issues and got very close to the glaciers.

[masterdrago]

We are booked on the Radiance of the Seas for the May 24th sailing from Seward. We are doing a DIY land tour prior to the sailing - flying into Anchorage. I have seen much advice to go after June 1 into Denali so that you can get the bus all the way to Eielson Visitors Center. Prior to June 1, you can only go to mile 53 (located at the confluence of the east and west forks of the Toklat River) not 66. I'm not sure why the extra 13 miles has been so advised, although it is. We decided to not let that 13 mile difference influence our complete Itinerary. But doing the land tour DIY makes not only $$$ sense but freedom to work your own spreadsheet of plans.

 

 

[masterdrago]

You did mention size of ship. I believe that Royal Ovation of the Seas is Quantum Class (4180 passengers, 1300 crew). They will be in several of the ports with us (Radiance) next May. I suspect that they are already booked though. A review on this board is at https://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=985

[RSLeesburg]

We just sailed on Radiance this past summer on the Southern route in Alaska.  I am not sure where the comment about lack of outdoor space is coming from - there is plenty of outdoor space.  You can even view outside from the elevators.  It is a beautiful ship, and the pool in the solarium is covered, plus they heat the mail pool, so kids can swim 😉.  Although my advice is to pick the ship with best price as you want as much money for excursions.  This is one trip where you want to get off the ship and see as much as possible in each port!  

[1threadshort]

On 11/20/2018 at 10:38 AM, mapleleaves said:

as you compare cruises, be mindful of the port times.  You'll want to be in port long enough and at the right time of day for planned activities.  ie 7am - 1pm is pretty useless.

 

Are you including Anc- Vancouver as an option?  Vanc is only 3-4 hrs away from Seattle by bus, train, rental car.

 

Also, since you are travelling so early in the season be aware that for your land portion, some park Visitor Centers and vendors don't open until Memorial Day.  At Denali park road doesn't open to Eielson until June 1.  So check on dates if you have specific dates in mind.

i dont understand why you say 7-1 is useless. isnt 4 hrs enough to do an excursion

[mapleleaves]

7 minutes ago, 1threadshort said:

i dont understand why you say 7-1 is useless. isnt 4 hrs enough to do an excursion

 

4 hrs  certainly wouldn't be enough for me !  I like to explore and see as much as possible.   What are YOUR plans for Ketchikan?  will 4 hrs be enough?

The actual port time is 6am-1pm.   Realistically what time do you expect to be off the ship ?  and then you'll need to be back onboard by 12:30.  

 

Juneau isn't a great port time either 2:30 - 11pm but workable.  If you're whale watching there are late afternoon and evening tours, and you'll have daylight.  The vendor could drop you at Mendenhall Glacier for the short hike to Nuggett Falls but the shuttle buses back to the dock end around 5 or 6pm tho so you would need to call a cab. 

 

 

 

 

 

[1threadshort]

absolutely right this isnt like planning a caribbean cruise. i found this very confusing. first i have a 16yo w/me. i was drawn to ncl joy because it has the go carts, lazer tag because of her. this trip is on my husband's bucket list. since planning he had triple by-pass. so now we are limited. before the sky was the limit. i know he would like fishing, helicopter/glacier walk, whale watching, zodiac ride/ dog sledding, bearing sea fishermans tour, limberjack, totum poles, of course seeing wildlife. i know my husband wanted to do white pass train, but thats not near where we are goin if im correct.  me, i dont care as long as they have a good time. if not ncl what other line/ship would you suggest.i know these ships are large and cant get into a lot of places. 

[mapleleaves]

fyi ....the White Pass train is out of Skagway which is on most itineraris.  Here's their web site:

https://wpyr.com/

 

Does your GD enjoy scenery and scenic viewing ?

 

Here's a thought ...... perhaps the Alaska cruise could be your husband's trip with a focus on his interests and scenery,  then take separate cruise for your GD that appeals to her interests? 

 

You might want to read past trip reports (near the top of this page) to see what past travelers have seen and enjoyed on their cruises.  Lots of useful information and great photos.

 

Visit your local library and borrow some Alaska travel books.  There are even a couple of books specific to Alaska cruises with info on cruiselines, ports, sights, activities, etc.

Town web sites are a good resource for local sight and activities and local vendors.  They also have Visitor Guides you can download.

https://www.experienceketchikan.com/

Visitor Guide :  https://www.experienceketchikan.com/support-files/ketchikan-trip-planner-2018.pdf

 

https://www.traveljuneau.com/things-to-do/

Visitors Guide   https://www.traveljuneau.com/plan-your-trip/maps-and-travel-tools/viewable/

 

http://skagway.com/

 

Edited November 27, 2018 by mapleleaves

[1threadshort]

Here's a thought ...... perhaps the Alaska cruise could be your husband's trip with a focus on his interests and scenery,  then take separate cruise for your GD that appeals to her interests? 

 

unfortunately i dont have unlimited funds that i can take 2 separate cruises. we're lucky to be able to do this one.

i thought i did look to see reviews. but now i see i dont have enough time in any one port. dont know how much time is enough?

as for gd i just wanted something for her while on ship. we have dancing, drinking, shows. not much for 16yo. so thats why i chose ncl. because of go cart and laser lites. 

i did like ha 9 day denali no times in port were posted

9 DAY DENALI   HOLLAND 
8/9-8/18              D8L

FAIRBANKS
DENALI
SEWARD
SEA
GLACIER BAY
6)HAINES/SKAGWAY
7)JUNEAU
8)KETCHIKAM
9)INSIDE PASSAGE
10) VANCOUVER
 

 

[mapleleaves]

I was thinking the GD cruise could be for high school graduation or a special ocassion in a yr or 2, giving time to save.   Not to trying to drain your account !!

As for the HAL schedule, I'd be concerned about the long ride from Denali to Seward.  That's almost 400 miles. A long time to be on a bus.  Plus one night in Denali doesn't usually provide enough time for a bus trip on the Park Road to enjoy the scenery and wildlife.  That bus trip is 8 hrs. Denali so you'd be following it up with a 10 hr bus ride the next.

Is Denali a priority for this trip?  If so, you will it much cheaper to plan the land portion DIY.  A rental car would be the most economical but if you don't want to drive, book the Alaska Railroad or Park Connection Bus.  And if you don't want to be bothered with accomodations, the Railroad and the bus company both offer pkg trips.  

Princess has some nice itineraries from Whittier to Vancouver.  You could fly home from Vanc , or if it's signifantly cheaper SeaTac is only 4 hrs away by train or bus. 

Just a few more options to consider.  Good luck with your plans !

 

 

[1threadshort]

every cruise line has something thats "off."  thats why i have such a hard time deciding. thank you for the comments and especially denali for one day. i didnt think that was enough time. but did like the ports.

 

[Northern Aurora]

On 11/20/2018 at 5:47 PM, masterdrago said:

We are booked on the Radiance of the Seas for the May 24th sailing from Seward. We are doing a DIY land tour prior to the sailing - flying into Anchorage. I have seen much advice to go after June 1 into Denali so that you can get the bus all the way to Eielson Visitors Center. Prior to June 1, you can only go to mile 53 (located at the confluence of the east and west forks of the Toklat River) not 66. I'm not sure why the extra 13 miles has been so advised, although it is. We decided to not let that 13 mile difference influence our complete Itinerary. But doing the land tour DIY makes not only $$$ sense but freedom to work your own spreadsheet of plans.

 

 

 

The Eielson Visitor Center is located on a long ridge looking toward the base of the mountain across a wide open valley.  It is above the tree line so the open vista is spectacular.  Given that it is above the tree line makes it easier to spot wildlife.  Additionally it is located just past (as you go into the park) the highest elevation of Polychrome Pass, and the scenery in that part of Polychrome is simply spectacular if you like wide open vistas.  I have encountered visitors who assume that Denali itself is readily visible a number of locations in the park (one person was surprised that it wasn't visible everywhere in the park given its elevation), and if the mountain is "out" the view from EVC is incredible.

 

The center itself is different than the visitor center at the park entrance offering slightly different programs.  There are both simple walking paths and more difficult hiking trails around EVC.  NPS rangers lead hikes from EVC daily.  

[masterdrago]

After reading your post, it is a shame that we will not be able to make it as far as Polychrome Pass. I'm all in favor of wide expansive views. We had other criteria that sort of scheduled our trip. We are spending 2 days exploring the Talkeetna area, and 2 days at Grand Denali Lodge. Both of those rooms (for 4 days) claim to have views of Denali. We have scheduled an ATV tour very close to Denali Park, a jeep tour out east of the park on the road that goes to Paxson, a grand Denali air tour, and an extra day of no tours. May try the transit bus to Taklat for sure. Just seeing Mt. McKinley will be nice if the weather allows. I hiked near Anchorage in the mid 90s and several times we were treated to a view of the mountain and range. It was spectacular then and I'm hoping to share with my wife a closer view.

[capriccio]

On 11/20/2018 at 11:16 AM, ultramax12 said:

So if the choices are Coral, Golden or Royal Princess which ship would you choose?

I've done the Vancouver to Anchorage (Whittier) itinerary on the Coral Princess twice and the roundtrip Seattle itinerary on the Ruby Princess once.  The Coral is one of our favorite Princess ships.  At capacity it holds slightly less than 2,000 passengers, the Golden holds 2,600 the Royal holds 3,500.  The Coral also has a covered pool.  Glacier Bay is also on that itinerary which to us is a must see.  We really enjoyed the northbound route because the scenery gets better and better every day - it's quite unbelievable the first time!

 

Whichever ship and itinerary you chose I hope your all have a wonderful cruise!

[ultramax12]

Thank you for the replies.

 

Due to our boxed in dates I've decided on and booked the Coral Princess May 29th, Vancouver to Anchorage. The plan is to fly into Vancouver on Monday, head to Victoria, BC for two days, back to Vancouver and board the ship on Weds. Then at the end in Anchorage, head to Denali for three days / two nights.

 

I agree with the comment this isn't like booking a Caribbean cruise like I've done many times. 

 

Next I'll work on excursions and lodging.

 

Thank you for the help!

 

[Budget Queen]

29 minutes ago, ultramax12 said:

Thank you for the replies.

 

Due to our boxed in dates I've decided on and booked the Coral Princess May 29th, Vancouver to Anchorage. The plan is to fly into Vancouver on Monday, head to Victoria, BC for two days, back to Vancouver and board the ship on Weds. Then at the end in Anchorage, head to Denali for three days / two nights.

 

I agree with the comment this isn't like booking a Caribbean cruise like I've done many times. 

 

Next I'll work on excursions and lodging.

 

Thank you for the help!

 

This is an ideal date for Denali.    I'd suggest you also consider a PWS boat tour,  to take advantage of  being in Whittier.   Extremely scenic  your time of year   with snow caps.   And far superior sightseeing than anything you will see from your cruise ship.   

Keep reworking your plans,  and don't jump into reservations.    fine tuning gives superior itineraries.   :)    I suggest having the entire itinerary planned-  on paper first.   It's a big mistake to be boxed in with reservations that don't quite fit.  :)