Glacier Bay Northbound or Inside Passage Southbound

[Crazy planning mom]

Interested in taking the NCL Jewel.  They have a Northbound itinerary from Vancouver to Seward that includes Glacier Bay.   They also do a Southbound Inside Passage itinerary that goes to Sawyer Glacier instead of Glacier Bay and also goes to Sitka.  Which one would you choose?

[CruiserBruce]

A quick look around the board would see the many people who say Glacier Bay is a very high priority...we agree.

[martincath]

You'll see the true Inside Passage both ways (since one-ways always go to or from Vancouver, all ships on Alaska one-ways stick inside Vancouver Island except Royal Princess, which local coastal pilots barred from sailing the route). Therefore you're only comparing Sitka & Sawyer vs Glacier Bay and the other port (Skagway?)

 

Personally I think Sitka is the best port on most AK itineraries - but I'd still give Glacier Bay more weight in the decision...

 

 

Edited January 25, 2020 by martincath

[coastcat]

You might be mixing up your cruises? The NCL Jewel Seward->Vancouver route includes Hubbard Glacier, Icy Strait Point and Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier as well as Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan. The only NCL stopping at Sitka is NCL Sun.

 

If this is your first cruise to Alaska, I'd pick the northbound one so you can visit Glacier Bay. It's truly stunning. I'm taking the Jewel southbound in June, but it's not my first visit nor is it likely to be my last.