R.t. Seattle Or Vancouver To Anchorage?

[CALMOM]

Which is better the roundtrip seattle or vancouver to anchorage cruise? I would like to see Glaciers and have as much time in ports as I can. What would be the difference of the Vancouver to Anchorage or Anchorage to Vancouver? Is it the exact cruise or is one preferred over the other. I only have a week so I am trying to get in as much of Alaska as I can but I really want to see Glaciers. Thank you.

[NancyIL]

In my opinion, roundtrips out of Vancouver have better itineraries than most out of Seattle, because the latter have to make a stop in a "foreign" port - and usually stop in Victoria or Prince Rupert Island for only a few hours. They usually have more open ocean sailing on the outside of Vancouver Island than do cruises that originate in Vancouver.

 

For a one week roundtrip cruise, I think the best itinerary is found on Holland America's Zaandam (Wednesday departures) and Zuiderdam (Saturday departures) out of Vancouver. Those ships have the same itinerary: Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord & Juneau (same day), Skagway, and Glacier Bay: http://hollandamerica.com/dest/itinerary.do?selectedItin=20070602:U729:AZU007&dest=A

 

My husband and I will be on the northbound Pacific Princess next June out of Vancouver. That ship sails to Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord & Juneau (same day), Skagway, Hubbard Glacier, College Fjord, and ends in Whittier. We will spend a week afterwards on an independent land trip. Many people prefer to tour first and then take a southbound cruise - thus they are more expensive than northbound cruises. I wanted the "wow factor" of going north, plus the 3-glacier itinerary on our ship is only available on the northbound cruise. Since you won't have any extra time for a land trip - compare the itineraries of the northbound vs. the southbound cruises that interest you, to see which ones spend the most time in the ports.