Simple question, really....

[US&BVI]

We need to make a decision:  Do a 1 way either northbound/southbound OR Do a round trip from Vancouver or Seattle??   

[oaktreerb]

The best will give time on land in Alaska with a one way cruise either way including a minimum  of two or three nights  in Denali.  If you only have 7 days do rt Vancouver.  If you have 14 days do HAL 14 day round trip.

[Glaciers]

It’s really not that simple. If you don’t plan on touring the Alaska interior then the roundtrips are good, particularly from Vancouver. If you want some extra time in the interior than the one ways are great but what you’ll see is dependent on what time of the cruising season you’ll be going.  Snow capped mountains? Wildlife? Denali? Potentially better weather? Are you flexible with your dates?

[US&BVI]

Thank you for the input!!   We’re looking at the 3rd week in June, 2020....

[US&BVI]

Anyone else want to weigh in????

[mapleleaves]

I agree with oaktreeb and glaciers .

[CruiserBruce]

Its not simple at all, because it depends on your time, budget, interests. We have both one ways and roundtrips, and I can't say one is better than the other.

 

I do agree with the 14 day HAL roundtrip...out of Vancouver next year...for the extra exposure to Alaska. We did it this last June (then out of Seattle) and it was a great exposure to parts of Alaska not typically seen on the 7 days routes.

[nicoleinwi]

We are doing our first AK cruise (and first time in AK) next summer.  We chose RT from Seattle.  We would love to see Denali, Anchorage and Fairbanks.  If we just did a one-way cruise we really aren't saving that much money vs just going back to AK at another time.  The price of two one tickets is almost as much as a RT into Fairbanks or AK for a later time and our RT into Seattle for this cruise.  We also want to cruise late May and we'd want to see the other sights later summer. 

 

We thought of doing the cruise extension that did the land based, but again the cruise time vs land time of year didn't pan out.  Plus for the cost of the land excursion through the line, we could do it on our own for the same cost but be gone for a week vs the few days they give you (and be on our own schedule). 

 

Disclaimer though:  We travel about 5 weeks a year (as much vacation time we're given at work).  These types of trips aren't unrealistic for us to do each year so going back to land in 2021 is a very viable option.  If you don't travel like this normally I'd say just go all out and do cruise/land tour now as you never know if you will be back.  

[lynncarol]

Have you considered a one-way northbound trip from Vancouver to Whittier? Then take a self-drive on your own? We did that, took the ship shuttle from Whittier to Anchorage, picked up a rental car (at a great rate), spent 3 nights in Healy (Denali NP is close by and when we were there, the mountain was out in its full glory with nary a cloud in sight). Followed by one night at a b&b near Alyeska resort, one night at Sheep Mountain Lodge near Matanuska Glacier, then returned the car in Anchorage, and spent the night there before taking the train to Seward for an overnight where we  had a Kenai Fjords cruise. The next day, back by train to Anchorage, another overnight there then flew home the following day. All for little more expense than the cruise-line's 3 day experience at their lodge near Denali. (Especially as we split the cost with another couple).

Edited October 8, 2019 by lynncarol

[KG2019]

What cruise line does the round trip from Vancouver or Seattle?  Thanks

[nicoleinwi]

1 hour ago, KG2019 said:

What cruise line does the round trip from Vancouver or Seattle?  Thanks

We’re doimg Norwegian Bliss, which goes into a Glacier Bay.  This is out of Seattle.

[AlanF65]

2 hours ago, KG2019 said:

What cruise line does the round trip from Vancouver or Seattle?  Thanks

Royal does serenade out of Vancouver. When you leave from Seattle you have two sea days getting to Alaska and two getting back on a 7 night so you get 1 more port out of Vancouver plus you can explore Vancouver if you want before or after.

 

I think American, Carnival, Celebrity, HAL, NCL, Princess, Royal, Uncruise, Linbad and more leave from Seattle.

All of the above plus Seaborne, Disney, Oceania, Regent,  Silversea, leave from Vancouver

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

8 hours ago, KG2019 said:

What cruise line does the round trip from Vancouver or Seattle?  Thanks

Almost all of them...just takes a little research. 

[Heidi13]

On 10/7/2019 at 4:31 PM, US&BVI said:

Anyone else want to weigh in????

Suggest checking my post and some of the others in this thread.

[peety3]

We've done two NB, two Seattle RT/Tracy Arm Fjord, and one Seattle RT/Glacier Bay (we moved to the Seattle area between the first NB and the second NB, then did all the others from Seattle). NB is the most relaxing of the three if you look at just the cruise, but the travel logistics on either end make it a little rougher. GB is in the middle if you ask me, but TAF is usually cheaper.

[kmerlin14]

On 10/9/2019 at 7:07 PM, nicoleinwi said:

We’re doimg Norwegian Bliss, which goes into a Glacier Bay.  This is out of Seattle.

 

On 10/9/2019 at 5:24 PM, KG2019 said:

What cruise line does the round trip from Vancouver or Seattle?  Thanks

Cunard does a ten day round trip from Vancouver and I think they have a 12 day round trip that goes almost all the way up.