Alaska 2024

[deliver42]

I was looking at and Alaska cruise for Sept, 2024 and compared the itineraries with HAL What a disappointment from Princess. No Sitka, no Icy Strait Point, just the regu;lar Ketchikan, Skagway, Glacier, <juneau, and Victoria.Nicer ship for sure, but no thanks.

[jeromep]

Is this post a question or a statement?

 

Sitka is not a typical Princess destination in Alaska.  It isn't totally unheard of, and I think they use it as a backup port should another port become unavailable due to weather or whatever, however it is my understanding that Sitka is a tender port, and Princess seems to lean away from tendering (at least in Alaska) if they don't have to.  Traditionally Sitka has always been a HAL port.

 

I do see Icy Strait Point on the 14-day RT Vancouver itinerary.  Looks like they visit that location on the southbound leg.

 

I haven't looked at other months, but September would not be my first choice for visiting Alaska.  While September is late summer and the weather tends to remain very pleasant in most places, it is quickly turning to fall, almost winter, in Alaska.  Day times may be nice, but nights will probably get very chilly.

[deliver42]

Sitka is not a tender port. We were there on the Ovation of the Seas. We've been to Alaska three times and was just hoping Princess would expand their 7 day cruises. No luck. We'll look at HAL or back on Royal instead. Been to Glacier Nat'l park, so that isn't a necessity for us.

[jeromep]

I stand corrected about Sitka.

 

https://www.kcaw.org/2021/09/05/he-built-it-and-now-theyre-coming-sitkas-private-cruise-dock-spurs-twofold-increase-in-passengers-in-22/

 

However, my impression about Princess' relationship with Sitka was based upon ongoing conversations with an old friend who has more experience with Princess than I.  That dock has been there a while, I suppose things may change for Princess... maybe.

[MileHighAko]

1 hour ago, deliver42 said:

I was looking at and Alaska cruise for Sept, 2024 and compared the itineraries with HAL What a disappointment from Princess. No Sitka, no Icy Strait Point, just the regu;lar Ketchikan, Skagway, Glacier, <juneau, and Victoria.Nicer ship for sure, but no thanks.

 

Why change what has proven to be incredibly popular for them? They keep doing it because we keep booking it!

[Thrak]

Our Alaska cruise in May visited both Icy Point Strait and Sitka. Sitka was a disaster. There was another huge ship there and the excursions were a total mess. Huge lines of people from the other ship and no Princess reps in sight. Finally were told by the rep for the other ship that there were no Princess reps and to go to the back of the long line. (We were at the right place at the listed time.) Eventually a Princess rep strolled by and we snagged her. She moved us past the line but said things were a total mess and she would "try" to get us to the tour. We finally made it to the group as the tour was almost finished and the bus driver wasn't sure what to do about the next stop and had to pull over and yak on the phone to find out.

 

When we went to go back to the ship there was a line that essentially went all the way around a block to get a bus back. No dedicated Princess transportation. It was likely the worst port stop we have ever had. It was a bummer because my wife really wanted to visit Sitka.

 

Icy Strait Point was fine.

[nini]

Sitka and Icy Strait are on the longer than 7 day itineraries. I am sorry Thrak had a rough time in Sitka. Our stop there was really good. (Last September).