Alaskan Cruise query

[OuiselG]

Hi everyone

We are looking into doing an Alaskan cruise next year.  I had previously booked the Vancouver to Seward Celebrity cruise pre-COVID and am now looking to re-book.  My question to you all is, do you think it is worth travelling up to Seward and seeing the Hubbard Glacier or should we just do Vancouver to Vancouver?  We are from Australia so the flight that we would need to take back home from Anchorage is very long (around 26 hours all up with flight changes etc).  I'm just not sure whether there is a need to go that far up or not but don't want to miss out as it will most likely be our only cruise up that way!

 

What do people think?

thanks,

Louise

[rotoal]

8 hours ago, OuiselG said:

Hi everyone

We are looking into doing an Alaskan cruise next year.  I had previously booked the Vancouver to Seward Celebrity cruise pre-COVID and am now looking to re-book.  My question to you all is, do you think it is worth travelling up to Seward and seeing the Hubbard Glacier or should we just do Vancouver to Vancouver?  We are from Australia so the flight that we would need to take back home from Anchorage is very long (around 26 hours all up with flight changes etc).  I'm just not sure whether there is a need to go that far up or not but don't want to miss out as it will most likely be our only cruise up that way!

 

What do people think?

thanks,

Louise

We are booked on a Vancouver Vancouver rt on Eclipse and it does go to Hubbard Glacier, if that was your question.

And flights in and out of Alaska are long even from the U.S. east coast.  We are planning a few days on land in Alaska before flying to Vancouver.

[BSinPNS]

While the cruise is very nice, the land tour including Denali is spectacular.  If you have the time available, I would encourage you to do both the cruise and land tour. As you indicated, it's a l o n g flight.  

[Ferry_Watcher]

I know that you are looking at Celebrity (which I also enjoy sailing on), but you might consider a 14 day cruise on Holland America round trip from Vancouver, BC.  There are two sailings, September 11, 2022 on the Nieuw Amsterdam; and September 18, 2022 on the Noordam.  Both cruises go to Glacier Bay, but the Noordam also goes to Tracy Arm glacier.  The Noordam sailing goes to all the traditional ports, including both Sitka and Skagway.  The Nieuw Amsterdam mixes it up with stops at Kodiak and Valdez.

 

If you have to wait a year, there is a May 2023 Celebrity Solstice 8 day cruise from Vancouver, BC, but ends in Seattle (which I am booked on).  From Seattle it would be an easy flight to San Francisco (?) for your long flight home.

[phoenix_dream]

I can't state highly enough that if you have never been to Alaska, you absolutely, positively have to start or end in Anchorage (Seward) and spend a few days going up to Denali.  You can do a Celebrity excursion, or if you want to save some $$ you can do what we did several years ago and contact an Alaska based travel agent and have them put together a land trip for you (we saved $300 USD per person on a 3 day trip!).  The Alaska Railroad is a must, as is going through Denali.  We saw all kinds of animals; many just several feel from the small tour bus they use to take you through the park - grizzly bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, bald eagles, and the list goes on.

[Bo1953]

The Dream is correct, IMO...

 

I recommend that you start in Alaska and tour, then sail to YVR, we were a group of seven and planned for a whole year our independent land tour and it was phenomenal!!!

 

That is, if you have the time to do it.

 

Our adrenaline was on high until after we returned home plus a week or two later...

 

What ever your decision bon voyage

Edited October 26, 2021 by Bo1953

[earlydiner]

We have done several Alaska cruises.  I would say whichever cruise you take make sure it includes Hubbard Glacier.  Have seen others and none can compare.

[DCPIV]

The Hubbard glacier is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen and will ever see. If you're lucky enough to get close, you will feel a level of awe you likely never have. 

 

I also recommend getting up to Denali and doing a land tour before the cruise. It's amazing. 

[cqtiger]

I was looking at the same thing but the covid requirements seem a nightmare coming from Australia with 2 countries involved.

[taylortime05]

8 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

The Dream is correct, IMO...

 

I recommend that you start in Alaska and tour, then sail to YVR, we were a group of seven and planned for a whole year our independent land tour and it was phenomenal!!!

 

That is, if you have the time to do it.

 

Our adrenaline was on high until after we returned home plus a week or two later...

 

What ever your decision bon voyage

 

We are planning our 1st cruise / land tour to Alaska for summer o 2022 or 2023.  Could you share some of the highlights of your independent land tour?  Thank you!

[Dancing Shoes]

I would not want to go middle to end of September.  Hubbard Glacier is mentioned often and we will see this next year.   Glacier Bay is pretty amazing.  You may want to check out Holland America R/T out of Vancouver.  Many of their sailings include Glacier Bay, and also an add on to go up Tracy Arm on a small boat tour while the rest of the ship sails to Juneau.  

I know everyone says, you got to go to Denali.  In that case, you would have to do a one way.  You are coming a long way.  

[Northern Aurora]

Just a quick comment for those recommending a trip to Denali National Park -- the National Park Service has an ongoing issue with the one road into the park at an area named "Pretty Rocks."  Permafrost below the road surface is melting and the road has been sliding off the mountain side.  So in late August this year the road was closed at mile 42.  There are federal funds to build a bridge over the area, but that construction was scheduled to happen in the year 2023.  The NPS has started their public comment sessions, and there is hope that the funding can be moved forward so that the bridge project can be started in 2022, but who knows.  

 

As someone who lives in interior Alaska I've always thought that park visitors who do not go into the park as far as Eielson Visitor's Center (mile 66) have cheated themselves.  The question now is whether folks will be satisfied with limited park access.

[Bo1953]

1 hour ago, taylortime05 said:

 

We are planning our 1st cruise / land tour to Alaska for summer o 2022 or 2023.  Could you share some of the highlights of your independent land tour?  Thank you!

Congrats!!!

 

We were fortunate to be able to go out six (6) days before the sailing, three (3) days in Anchorage seeing and waiting for friends who were joining us.

 

Then on to Denali stopping at a few towns along the way, we stayed at a motel for two (2) nights with one (1) full day in Denali on a tour and the second day just local site-seeing (not necessary IMO). When I say a 'full day' it was a full six (6) hours plus and I think that is the reason we spent an extra day as it is exhausting and can be grueling pending the weather and road conditions which are rocky along with stops to see sights and take photos.There is a shorter tour, though.

 

Returned to Anchorage, spent the night and the next day took the train to Seward (other options to get to Seward as well).

 

Dropped luggage off ship side, toured a few hours in Seward, checked in around 4p and sailed away around 7p or so.

 

Arrived in YVR seven (7) days later spent two (2) nights there, first day was exploring and second day took in a few museums and shopping, next day our check in for flight back to PHL was 5a, so we were at the airport 3.30a.

 

I do recommend that you peruse the Alaska board here for some real great input and suggestions as well... we used it extensively, as a few Alaska tour pros there ready to assist and help and provide insight. That, in addition to Trip Advisor and a few online sites which will provide input on what to do and see.

 

That way you can put together everything you want to see and then decide your time frame and the best way to see a lot of what you want!!!

 

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to let me know.

 

bon voyage

Edited October 27, 2021 by Bo1953

[ScottC4746]

On 10/25/2021 at 8:44 PM, OuiselG said:

Hi everyone

We are looking into doing an Alaskan cruise next year.  I had previously booked the Vancouver to Seward Celebrity cruise pre-COVID and am now looking to re-book.  My question to you all is, do you think it is worth travelling up to Seward and seeing the Hubbard Glacier or should we just do Vancouver to Vancouver?  We are from Australia so the flight that we would need to take back home from Anchorage is very long (around 26 hours all up with flight changes etc).  I'm just not sure whether there is a need to go that far up or not but don't want to miss out as it will most likely be our only cruise up that way!

 

What do people think?

thanks,

Louise

My thought would be the return home.  I just did a quick search from Anchorage (closest airport to Seward) to Sydney and no matter what you have to connect back in mainland North America either Canada or USA.  It appears you might have a nonstop from Vancouver.

[OuiselG]

Thanks for your input everyone.  Although I would love to go up to Alaska, we won't have a lot of time after our Canadian bus tour and the cruise....only a couple of days before we would need to be starting to fly back home to Perth.  Therefore, I think I will leave the Hubbard Glacier for another trip at a later time.  It might also make things a bit easier with the Australian Government COVID rules if I am only doing the one country!

It sounds like we need to go to Alaska sometime and spend a couple of weeks touring around.  I will have to plan another trip!!  What a shame 😉

We are planning on the Canadian bus tour for the end of May and maybe a Holland America cruise at the beginning of June 2022....hopefully this is a good time to travel there!!  I am very limited with the months that I can travel due to work commitments from 1st July to the end of October.  I'd like to have gone a bit later but this is the best time for me to travel.

[GottaKnowWhen]

On 10/25/2021 at 11:44 PM, OuiselG said:

Hi everyone

We are looking into doing an Alaskan cruise next year.  I had previously booked the Vancouver to Seward Celebrity cruise pre-COVID and am now looking to re-book.  My question to you all is, do you think it is worth travelling up to Seward and seeing the Hubbard Glacier or should we just do Vancouver to Vancouver?  We are from Australia so the flight that we would need to take back home from Anchorage is very long (around 26 hours all up with flight changes etc).  I'm just not sure whether there is a need to go that far up or not but don't want to miss out as it will most likely be our only cruise up that way!

 

What do people think?

thanks,

Louise

I will echo some other’s comments. First, for us, long flight is too much hassle, not worth it for a short cruise. If we need to go a distance, we’ll spend enough time at the destination to make the trip worthwhile. When we did an Alaska trip we flew to Anchorage, after a few days we boarded a Celebrity ship to Vancouver, and then B2B back up to Seward and Anchorage and Denali… The b2b gave us more choice in what to do in the coastal ports. The extra time based out of Anchorage was priceless.

An alternative I had booked pre-COVID was to do the 7-day from Vancouver to Seward, then proceed with two weeks ashore (Denali, Kenai, etc.) and then back on the ship back to Vancouver. Hopefully some day I’ll be able to do that one…

Note that all of my ashore time I booked myself, no need for travel agents or special “packages”.

But whatever you do, Alaska is magical. Go beyond the coastal regions, spend as long as you can.

 

Stan

[taylortime05]

On 10/26/2021 at 9:27 PM, Bo1953 said:

Congrats!!!

 

We were fortunate to be able to go out six (6) days before the sailing, three (3) days in Anchorage seeing and waiting for friends who were joining us.

 

Then on to Denali stopping at a few towns along the way, we stayed at a motel for two (2) nights with one (1) full day in Denali on a tour and the second day just local site-seeing (not necessary IMO). When I say a 'full day' it was a full six (6) hours plus and I think that is the reason we spent an extra day as it is exhausting and can be grueling pending the weather and road conditions which are rocky along with stops to see sights and take photos.There is a shorter tour, though.

 

Returned to Anchorage, spent the night and the next day took the train to Seward (other options to get to Seward as well).

 

Dropped luggage off ship side, toured a few hours in Seward, checked in around 4p and sailed away around 7p or so.

 

Arrived in YVR seven (7) days later spent two (2) nights there, first day was exploring and second day took in a few museums and shopping, next day our check in for flight back to PHL was 5a, so we were at the airport 3.30a.

 

I do recommend that you peruse the Alaska board here for some real great input and suggestions as well... we used it extensively, as a few Alaska tour pros there ready to assist and help and provide insight. That, in addition to Trip Advisor and a few online sites which will provide input on what to do and see.

 

That way you can put together everything you want to see and then decide your time frame and the best way to see a lot of what you want!!!

 

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to let me know.

 

bon voyage

Thank you so much for all the information.  I do think we are going to wait until 2023 for our Alaska cruise so I have plenty of time to plan. I'll let you know if I think of any other questions.  Thanks again!

[Bo1953]

3 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

Thank you so much for all the information.  I do think we are going to wait until 2023 for our Alaska cruise so I have plenty of time to plan. I'll let you know if I think of any other questions.  Thanks again!

I would recommend that you subscribe to the Alaska Ports of Call Forum here while you are waiting and thinking and dreaming of that trip...

 

bon voyage

[Roger88]

On 10/27/2021 at 2:10 AM, cqtiger said:

I was looking at the same thing but the covid requirements seem a nightmare coming from Australia with 2 countries involved.

As long as you are vaccinated with one of the certified WHO vaccines, you should be just fine. Yes, you will have to go through a little trouble with all those PCR tests in the beggining, but then you won't have problems with it. In any case, hope everything will go fine with you