Alaska - better to leave from Seattle or Vancouver?

[Quencups]

Hi everyone....just curious what you Alaskan cruisers think.....better to cruise from Seattle or from Vancouver?....

 

Thanks!!!

[julig22]

Don't know if one is better than the other cruise wise, that would depend on the itinerary.  But you are flying to a foreign port so that could be a consideration.  For example, I just flew to Quebec and had to mask on the flight - Canada rules.

[TNCruiser72]

I’m not sure about itineraries , but having just done it, I would skip Vancouver all things being equal. 

[hallux]

Same itinerary - I'd pick Vancouver.  Gorgeous city, beautiful sail out of the harbor (ok, I only sailed IN but I got a good idea..), the SkyTrain is an EASY and inexpensive transportation option from the airport if you don't mind handling your bag yourself.  Probably not a concern for the OP but a passport WOULD be required for the flight, Seattle would not have that requirement as it's a domestic flight.

[ChiefMateJRK]

I've only done Seattle.  Transportation to and from the airport is easy and hotel options near the port are good.  Also, SeaTac has a lot of flight options.  If I wanted to see Vancouver, I would just stay an extra day or two and drive there.

[martincath]

Let's see...

• Vancouver is prettier, cleaner, friendlier, and just all-around much more awesome than Seattle for Pre- or Post-cruise stays;
• CAD means everything is discounted for folks used to using USD here;
• you can work on expanding your mind by learning a foreign language (Canadian eh, Cantonese, or Mandarin all come in useful - hardly anyone here speaks French!);
• cruising saves hours of Zero View sail time around the outside of Vancouver Island and replaces it with the actually-more-scenic-than-anywhere-in-Alaskan-waters lower reaches of the Inside Passage, including some parts so narrow it feels like you can reach out and high-five pax on ships passing the other direction;
• no need for a Victoria stop to comply with PVSA rules - and even if you want to visit Victoria, check the port times carefully on those Seattle RTs as odds are very high you'll only have a token, short, evening-only stop when a lot of stuff is close;
• one-way cruises are plentiful, so you can actually see some of the 99% of Alaska that isn't a coastal town

 

Of course there are some downsides:

• international travel means Passports are pretty much required (there are a few ways to weasel around it, but realistically if you get on a plane you need a passport...);
• even though our dollar is worth less, our higher-taxes-and-minimum-wages tends to mean that eating out, especially drinking booze, is just as pricey as Seattle or even more so on the lower end of things;
• fewer flight options - none of the really budget airlines come here, the fees to fly across the border make prices higher and the lower competion pushes them up even more;
• ArriveCAN is needed for any Canadian visit - but then since Seattle cruises all visit a Canadian port, you still have to do it anyway...;
• two different sets of Covid rules to worry about - although with our random testing suspended and the US no longer demanding a test to fly home, whether you cruise out of Seattle or Vancouver you'll need a pre-boarding Covid test regardless of whether it is cruiseline rules or Canadian government rules that make you take them so that's pretty much a wash... so really it's just the risk of being quarantined far from home if you test +ve that's different;
• you might get addicted to new flavours of chips, Kinder eggs, or other Canadian products that are very hard to find or actually illegal in the US 😉

[tallnthensome]

Try the Alaska forum.

[Quencups]

Thank you everyone....I appreciate it 🙂

[graphicguy]

Done both.  Both are great cities.  

 

I do like me some Vancouver, though.  That said, flying into a non-U.S. city to sail has a few more steps…namely customs.

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, martincath said:

Let's see...

• Vancouver is prettier, cleaner, friendlier, and just all-around much more awesome than Seattle for Pre- or Post-cruise stays;
• CAD means everything is discounted for folks used to using USD here;
• you can work on expanding your mind by learning a foreign language (Canadian eh, Cantonese, or Mandarin all come in useful - hardly anyone here speaks French!);
• cruising saves hours of Zero View sail time around the outside of Vancouver Island and replaces it with the actually-more-scenic-than-anywhere-in-Alaskan-waters lower reaches of the Inside Passage, including some parts so narrow it feels like you can reach out and high-five pax on ships passing the other direction;
• no need for a Victoria stop to comply with PVSA rules - and even if you want to visit Victoria, check the port times carefully on those Seattle RTs as odds are very high you'll only have a token, short, evening-only stop when a lot of stuff is close;
• one-way cruises are plentiful, so you can actually see some of the 99% of Alaska that isn't a coastal town

 

Of course there are some downsides:

• international travel means Passports are pretty much required (there are a few ways to weasel around it, but realistically if you get on a plane you need a passport...);
• even though our dollar is worth less, our higher-taxes-and-minimum-wages tends to mean that eating out, especially drinking booze, is just as pricey as Seattle or even more so on the lower end of things;
• fewer flight options - none of the really budget airlines come here, the fees to fly across the border make prices higher and the lower competion pushes them up even more;
• ArriveCAN is needed for any Canadian visit - but then since Seattle cruises all visit a Canadian port, you still have to do it anyway...;
• two different sets of Covid rules to worry about - although with our random testing suspended and the US no longer demanding a test to fly home, whether you cruise out of Seattle or Vancouver you'll need a pre-boarding Covid test regardless of whether it is cruiseline rules or Canadian government rules that make you take them so that's pretty much a wash... so really it's just the risk of being quarantined far from home if you test +ve that's different;
• you might get addicted to new flavours of chips, Kinder eggs, or other Canadian products that are very hard to find or actually illegal in the US 😉

• Vancouver is prettier, cleaner, friendlier, and just all-around much more awesome than Seattle for Pre- or Post-cruise stays;  Except when one gets mugged in broad daylight like my sister did 3 years ago when visiting.

[BirdTravels]

3 hours ago, Quencups said:

Hi everyone....just curious what you Alaskan cruisers think.....better to cruise from Seattle or from Vancouver?.... Thanks!!!

For most of the Seattle cruises, you will get one of the new, mega-ships which would make the onboard experience superior. And it will be a round-trip from Seattle to Seattle.  

 

The Vancouver cruises are one-way northbound to Seward (or the corresponding southbound from Seward to Vancouver). That would be on a smaller, older ship. It is more scenic and you should pick the itinerary that goes to Glacier Bay. With that trip, you would need to arrange air into Vancouver, and a scenic domed train from Seward to Anchorage (order early from the cruise line) and a flight from Anchorage back to NJ. 

 

When we take the Vancouver to Seward cruises, we like to book the land tour after going up to Denali national park. That would probably terminate (fly home) from Fairbanks.  

[TashaB]

The principal difference is that Alaska sailings from Vancouver take the Inside Passage of Vancouver Island and the Seattle sailings are on the Pacific (outside) of Vancouver Island where it is somewhat windier and less scenic.     There are other cruise lines which sail from Vancouver roundtrip in 7 days including Celebrity, Princess and Holland America.  

 

As for budget airlines I understand that Jet Blue now has a daily flight to Vancouver from JFK.

[martincath]

36 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

• Vancouver is prettier, cleaner, friendlier, and just all-around much more awesome than Seattle for Pre- or Post-cruise stays;  Except when one gets mugged in broad daylight like my sister did 3 years ago when visiting.

Sorry your sister had that happen to her - and not to make light of it, but statistically it's a helluvalot safer in terms of violent crimes here than Seattle or indeed any large US city.

 

Property theft is the meat & potatoes crime here, from vehicles and homes, rather than 'crimes against persons' especially not violent ones. Seattle rates usually run 3-4x higher than us for violent crimes, homicides even higher than that (although last year seems to have been really bad for them so is skewing the rates unusually badly), so if personal safety is genuinely a concern Canadian vacations look even better in comparison.

[5waldos]

The trip up from Vancouver is lovely and far more interesting than the open ocean cruising from Seattle. The scenery is amazing. Also much less rough. So I would strongly vote for the Vancouver trip. In fact have- 5th trip next month-only 1 out of Seattle. 

[skrufy]

6 hours ago, Quencups said:

Hi everyone....just curious what you Alaskan cruisers think.....better to cruise from Seattle or from Vancouver?....

 

Thanks!!!

Vancouver hands down. The harbor is beautiful the city is beautiful. A little more scenic entering the inside passage a little earlier than Seattle. Two cruises stopped in Vancouver, looking forward to my next visit.

[Dancing Shoes]

Vancouver gets my vote.  Did a R/T 2018, going again 2022.  This time Seward to Vancouver.  

[Quencups]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I really appreciate it!! 😊

[Heidi13]

20 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

For most of the Seattle cruises, you will get one of the new, mega-ships which would make the onboard experience superior. And it will be a round-trip from Seattle to Seattle.  

 

The Vancouver cruises are one-way northbound to Seward (or the corresponding southbound from Seward to Vancouver). That would be on a smaller, older ship. It is more scenic and you should pick the itinerary that goes to Glacier Bay. With that trip, you would need to arrange air into Vancouver, and a scenic domed train from Seward to Anchorage (order early from the cruise line) and a flight from Anchorage back to NJ. 

 

When we take the Vancouver to Seward cruises, we like to book the land tour after going up to Denali national park. That would probably terminate (fly home) from Fairbanks.  

 

Many experienced cruisers to Alaska, myself included, always state the ship is simply an asset to transport you around Alaska. Alaska is all about the scenery and the wildlife. If your primary reason for cruising is to be aboard a new glitzy floating gin palace, I suggest you can get the same experience in the Caribbean for less money.

 

Seattle cruises must be round trip, and must stop at a Canadian port, as this is a requirement of the US Cabotage Law. However, Vancouver is not constrained by similar laws and you can find both 1-way cruises, to both Seward and Whittier and round-trip cruises.

 

I spent 2 entire seasons in Alaska as a navigator and sailed R/T from Vancouver.

 

 

[Heidi13]

On 6/21/2022 at 9:56 AM, Quencups said:

Hi everyone....just curious what you Alaskan cruisers think.....better to cruise from Seattle or from Vancouver?....

 

Thanks!!!

 

Prior to deciding on Seattle or Vancouver, I suggest determining what you want to see in Alaska. Many of the ships only sail throughout SE Alaska, visiting the busy ports of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. Do you want to experience some of the smaller ports, or even Prince William Sound, which is spectacular?

 

Glaciers are also a key desirable of many pax cruising to Alaska. With well over a couple dozen trips into Glacier Bay, I have never failed to see at least 1one glacier. As an additional bonus, the Park Rangers board the ship and provide commentary. Hubbard Glacier is huge and impressive, but at times the access can be blocked by floating ice. I have missed Hubbard a few times due to ice. Dawes Glacier has the highest chance of being missed due to ice. I have only made it to the glacier once.

 

Therefore, I suggest researching and determining what ports and/or glaciers you want to see, before starting with determining an embarkation/disembarkation port.

 

Vancouver and Seattle are both great cities and have pros/cons for travel. However, I will focus on the Alaska cruise experience from both ports.

 

Vancouver - is 100 miles closer to Alaska and does not require a port stop outside Alaska to comply with Cabotage Laws. Therefore, the Vancouver based ships have more time available in Alaska than the ships based in Seattle. In addition to selecting the preferred ports, it is critical to check the time and number of hours in port.

 

Departing Vancouver, the ships take the scenic Inside Passage, East of Vancouver Island, which is sheltered waters. On a R/T from Vancouver, you sail through these waters again on the last day.

 

You can book 1-way cruises to Seward/Whittier, so you can experience Prince William Sound and also book Denali extensions, or R/T SE Alaska cruises.

 

Seattle - the ships steam out Juan de Fuca and up the Pacific Ocean, west of Vancouver Island. You may experience heavy weather in the Pacific, even in the summer months. On return to Seattle, you again sail west of Vancouver Island and have to stop in Victoria. Most ETA's are 16:00 to 18:00, but is they experience weather delays, the arrival can be later, only getting a couple of hours ashore, late at night.

 

Victoria is also a challenging arrival when the wind blows.

 

You can only book R/T cruises, most of which only visit SE Alaska.

[mpk]

22 hours ago, LGW59 said:

• Vancouver is prettier, cleaner, friendlier, and just all-around much more awesome than Seattle for Pre- or Post-cruise stays;  Except when one gets mugged in broad daylight like my sister did 3 years ago when visiting.

 

Sorry to hear that.  What part of Vancouver was that, so we can all be more careful there...   😧

[Suetravel]

Hi

i am wondering if I should purchase my Seattle’s ticket for 700.00 roundtrip from newark for my September 21, 2022 cruise to Alaska or wait for end of July.

 

Any thoughts would very appreciated.
Thank you. 

[Quencups]

8 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Prior to deciding on Seattle or Vancouver, I suggest determining what you want to see in Alaska. Many of the ships only sail throughout SE Alaska, visiting the busy ports of Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway. Do you want to experience some of the smaller ports, or even Prince William Sound, which is spectacular?

 

Glaciers are also a key desirable of many pax cruising to Alaska. With well over a couple dozen trips into Glacier Bay, I have never failed to see at least 1one glacier. As an additional bonus, the Park Rangers board the ship and provide commentary. Hubbard Glacier is huge and impressive, but at times the access can be blocked by floating ice. I have missed Hubbard a few times due to ice. Dawes Glacier has the highest chance of being missed due to ice. I have only made it to the glacier once.

 

Therefore, I suggest researching and determining what ports and/or glaciers you want to see, before starting with determining an embarkation/disembarkation port.

 

Vancouver and Seattle are both great cities and have pros/cons for travel. However, I will focus on the Alaska cruise experience from both ports.

 

Vancouver - is 100 miles closer to Alaska and does not require a port stop outside Alaska to comply with Cabotage Laws. Therefore, the Vancouver based ships have more time available in Alaska than the ships based in Seattle. In addition to selecting the preferred ports, it is critical to check the time and number of hours in port.

 

Departing Vancouver, the ships take the scenic Inside Passage, East of Vancouver Island, which is sheltered waters. On a R/T from Vancouver, you sail through these waters again on the last day.

 

You can book 1-way cruises to Seward/Whittier, so you can experience Prince William Sound and also book Denali extensions, or R/T SE Alaska cruises.

 

Seattle - the ships steam out Juan de Fuca and up the Pacific Ocean, west of Vancouver Island. You may experience heavy weather in the Pacific, even in the summer months. On return to Seattle, you again sail west of Vancouver Island and have to stop in Victoria. Most ETA's are 16:00 to 18:00, but is they experience weather delays, the arrival can be later, only getting a couple of hours ashore, late at night.

 

Victoria is also a challenging arrival when the wind blows.

 

You can only book R/T cruises, most of which only visit SE Alaska.

Wow!  Thank you sooo much for all your info. Much appreciated!!!

[Dancing Shoes]

4 hours ago, Suetravel said:

Hi

i am wondering if I should purchase my Seattle’s ticket for 700.00 roundtrip from newark for my September 21, 2022 cruise to Alaska or wait for end of July.

 

Any thoughts would very appreciated.
Thank you. 

I tend to buy as soon as the tickets are released.  As I watch, the price goes up.  Do a mock booking, are there a lot of empty seats?  If not, I would book asap.

[PACD_JG]

Which city has more homeless people?  Just kidding...sorta.

[SueMo]

14 hours ago, Suetravel said:

Hi

i am wondering if I should purchase my Seattle’s ticket for 700.00 roundtrip from newark for my September 21, 2022 cruise to Alaska or wait for end of July.

 

Any thoughts would very appreciated.
Thank you. 

I think that's a good price.  Buy it!