When will HAL have 2007 Alaska schedule?

[SanDiegoSue]

Has anyone heard when HAL will have its 2007 Alaska schedule?

[grannynurse]

HAL's Alaska schedules don't usually come out until summer.

GN

[kiwiKeith]

You can find a 2007 Alaska schedule on the eBrochures page of HAL site, under 2007 and "Cruise Planner".

http://www.hollandamerica.com/ebrochures/ebrochuresIndex.do

 

The "Cruise Planner" has routes, ships and dates. I have not seen 2007 Alaske schedule published anywhere else.

[SanDiegoSue]

I tried to open the Cruise Planner for 2007 on the HAL website, and it won't open. Does anyone else have this problem?

Sue

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I tried to open the Cruise Planner for 2007 on the HAL website, and it won't open. Does anyone else have this problem?

Sue

 

opened fine for me. Do you have adobe 7 installed on your computer??

 

Bill

[Dreamer04]

Thanks so much for posting this link.

[SanDiegoSue]

I finally got the eBrochure 2007 Cruise Planner to work on my computer and now I'm upset. We want to book the Glacier Discovery (with Glacier Bay, not Hubbard) 7-day SOUTHBOUND from Seward...but there are none listed, only northbound with Glacier Bay. The southbound they list only shows Hubbard Glacier.

I called HAL and the agent there said it wasn't necessarily a final cruise planner and that they wouldn't have one until late May/early June. But, I'm worried now and will start looking at Princess.

We plan to do a pre-cruise independent land travel and want to end up in Seward to take our relaxing southbound cruise. Glacier Bay is a MUST!

Sue

[S.S.Oceanlover]

SDSue,

Glad you got it working. Sorry they didn't have the route you were looking for. Hopefully when they officially release the itineraries and pricing they'll have the route you want.

 

While I have been to neither Hubbard Glacier or Glacier Bay, I am starting to lean towards Hubbard Glacier myself. I change my mind constantly though so who knows what I'll do when I finally book.:p

 

Coral Princess has a nice itinerary southbound with Glacier Bay and College Fjord.

Day

Port of Call

Arrival

Departure

1

Whittier

 

9:30 PM

2

Cruising College Fjord

6:00 AM

9:00 AM

3

Cruising Glacier Bay

10:30 AM

8:30 PM

4

Skagway

5:30 AM

8:15 PM

5

Juneau

6:30 AM

4:00 PM

6

Ketchikan

10:00 AM

6:00 PM

7

At Sea

 

 

8

Vancouver

7:30 AM

 

Bill

[the2ofus]

Thank you. Have been waiting for the brochure so I can plan a family holiday for next year. My sons need as much advance time as possible to get vacations scheduled. This at least gives me some dates to work with.

[SanDiegoSue]

Bill,

Why Hubbard instead of Glacier Bay??

 

Sue

[RuthC]

Why Hubbard instead of Glacier Bay??

I'm not Bill, but may I answer anyway? Good. :)

On my first cruise to Alaska we did both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier; and both were spectacular days, weather-wise. The day at Glacier Bay was (relatively) warm---around 70 at noon-time. It grew noticibly colder as we approached the first glacier (Johns Hopkins); we were able to see the baby seals and their mommas on the ice floes. Then we headed off to the other two glaciers (Margerie and Grand Pacific). The sun shone brightly and there was a fabulous barbeque on the aft deck.

I must have spent a full eight-hour "work" day in my deck chair enjoying what I thought couldn't have been better.

A couple of days later we headed up Yakutat Bay to Hubbard Glacier. My first view of the outdoors was of the sun sparkling off the ice and snow encrusted St. Elias Range. It was drop-dead gorgeous. The sail up the bay just got better and better. The glacier itself is about 5 miles across, quite high, and we got close. It was that deep blue you expect, with deeper blue in some crevasses. We would hear what sounded like gunshots and huge pieces of ice broke off, sending waves outward. In a few seconds the ship would rock.

We stayed there in awe for a long time; as we started to leave the ships PA system played Ave Maria. It wasn't hokey at all.

As grand as Glacier Bay was (and it certainly was grand), Hubbard was even better.

Now, to be truthful, I've been back to Hubbard Glacier in other weather conditions and it didn't match the first time (wonder if it ever could?), but comparing good day to good day, Hubbard had it all over Glacier Bay.

[bepsf]

Why Hubbard instead of Glacier Bay??

 

Hubbard is bigger: At six miles across it's so big that you can only see half of it.

 

Hubbard is an advancing glacier: That means that it's sliding down to the water and calves much more often. The glaciers at Glacier Bay are receeding and therefore less active.

 

Hubbard looks like a glacier: Becasue its advancing, it's incredibly blue. Glacier bay glaciers are melting in place, therefore much of what you see is quite dirty.

[eldercruser]

We received the 2007 HAL Cruise Planner form our TA this week. All the Alaska cruises and itineraries are shown.

[cheetah]

As a National Park, the government issues a limited number of permits to the cruise lines to enter Glacier Bay, and the cost is pretty pricey. The Marjerie glacier is receding at an alarming rate. the Johns Hopkins is more difficult to approach because of frequent fog and is an area where you will find many nursing seal pups which are not to be approached. Hubbard is spectacular and if you are visiting Juneau you can visit the Mendenhall Glacier just outside of town.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Thank you RuthC for answering exactly my reasons for leaning toward Hubbard.

 

I just keep reading about the enormous size of Hubbard and the amount of calving that it does.

I am certain no matter which Glacier we decide to do we won't be the least dissapointed.:)

 

Bill

[Budget Queen]

I'm not Bill, but may I answer anyway? Good. :)

On my first cruise to Alaska we did both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier; and both were spectacular days, weather-wise. The day at Glacier Bay was (relatively) warm---around 70 at noon-time. It grew noticibly colder as we approached the first glacier (Johns Hopkins); we were able to see the baby seals and their mommas on the ice floes. Then we headed off to the other two glaciers (Margerie and Grand Pacific). The sun shone brightly and there was a fabulous barbeque on the aft deck.

I must have spent a full eight-hour "work" day in my deck chair enjoying what I thought couldn't have been better.

A couple of days later we headed up Yakutat Bay to Hubbard Glacier. My first view of the outdoors was of the sun sparkling off the ice and snow encrusted St. Elias Range. It was drop-dead gorgeous. The sail up the bay just got better and better. The glacier itself is about 5 miles across, quite high, and we got close. It was that deep blue you expect, with deeper blue in some crevasses. We would hear what sounded like gunshots and huge pieces of ice broke off, sending waves outward. In a few seconds the ship would rock.

We stayed there in awe for a long time; as we started to leave the ships PA system played Ave Maria. It wasn't hokey at all.

As grand as Glacier Bay was (and it certainly was grand), Hubbard was even better.

Now, to be truthful, I've been back to Hubbard Glacier in other weather conditions and it didn't match the first time (wonder if it ever could?), but comparing good day to good day, Hubbard had it all over Glacier Bay.

 

 

What cruiseline was this on??? None of the majors include both Hubbard and Glacier Bay in a single sailing, HAL and Princess adds College Fjords in some of their one ways.

 

But having sailed Alaska 12 times and all glacier areas, Glacier Bay is always my top pick.

 

For clairfication The John Hopkins inlet in Glacier Bay is only open in May and Sept. is a seal sanctuary rest of the time.

[Himself]

I haver always loved Glacier Bay and the Marjorie Glacier. I was on the Oosterdam last sping and was disappointed we were not going to the Majorie Glacier. My dissappointment vanished when we got to Hubbard Glacier. It was awesome and I would go back there in a minute. I will probably try and get there if we go in 2007. The Hubbard Glacier put on a show for two hours that I don't think I will ever forget.

[RuthC]

What cruiseline was this on???

It was on the late, lamented Royal Viking Line. It was a 14-day round-trip out of Vancouver; we went as far up as Homer.

For clairfication The John Hopkins inlet in Glacier Bay is only open in May and Sept. is a seal sanctuary rest of the time.

I won't dispute that may be true now; I don't know. When I was there it was the last two weeks of July.