One way cruise

[woodmill100]

Morning everyone,

 

I am sorry if this is a very simple question but I have been unable to find an answer! I have been reading though several posts on these boards and many seasoned cruisers reply with "are you doing a one way cruise". I can only find one way cruises in brochures from the UK, ie Royal Carribean goes from Vancouver to Seattle or X goes from Vancouver to San Diego. Am I missing something very simple? Should I be reasearching more. We're thinking of doing Celebrity LA to Vancouver which takes in

 

San Fransisco

Seattle

Victoria

Ketchikan

Juneau

Skagway

Hubbard Glacier

Sitka

Vancouver over 14 days

 

It is a long way to travel from Scotland so this will be a once only trip with a fairly good budget but I just don't want to get it wrong!

[woodmill100]

Should I really be looking at a cruise that takes in Glacier bay which many seem to recommend?

[NancyIL]

One-way cruises to Alaska are between Vancouver and either Seward or Whittier and last 7 days. Holland America, Princess, Carnival, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean do those from about mid-May until mid to late September. The 13-14-day repositioning cruises you are describing are done in early-mid May and mid-late September on RCI and Celebrity. Since you will be traveling a long distance, consider spending additional time in Alaska before or after your cruise - either with a rental car, train/bus arrangements (http://www.alaskatourandtravel.com), or a land tour ("cruisetour") through the cruiseline.

 

Princess and Holland America go to Glacier Bay on their one-ways.

 

I do like the itineraries on the repositioning cruises, and if you've never been to those west coast cities, it's a nice introduction to them. However, I wanted to do a cruise + land trip for our first visit to Alaska, so one of those longer cruises will have to wait for a subsequent trip.

[woodmill100]

NancyIL

 

This is perfect information. Thanks so much. It is a Celebrity cruise that I am looking at but we also perhaps quite like the idea of a 7 day with NCL and then travelling ourselves though a bit of Alaska.

 

So many decisions. When I think I have made one, I read something else and completely change all our plans - again!

[NancyIL]

NancyIL

 

This is perfect information. Thanks so much. It is a Celebrity cruise that I am looking at but we also perhaps quite like the idea of a 7 day with NCL and then travelling ourselves though a bit of Alaska.

 

So many decisions. When I think I have made one, I read something else and completely change all our plans - again!

 

NCL does only round-trip cruises out of Vancouver and Seattle, so a land trip to the "mainland" is more difficult to do - requiring an additional flight.

[woodmill100]

Yes. Just been looking at that. Have also got a brochure for Princess so will look at them too.

[NancyIL]

Yes. Just been looking at that. Have also got a brochure for Princess so will look at them too.

 

We're on the northbound Coral Princess out of Vancouver - going to Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, College Fjord, and ending in Whittier. 4 other Princess ships have that same itinerary, although the Pacific Princess goes to Tracy Arm, Hubbard Glacier and College Fjord on the NB, and to Glacier Bay and College Fjord on the southbound.

 

Holland America's Ryndam and Statendam also go to Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway (substituting Haines on the southbound), Glacier Bay, and College Fjord, ending in Seward on the northbound.

[woodmill100]

Your cruise sounds great. We're particularly keen to do Glacier Bay. That way we could still see Vancouver for a couple of days and then have do our own thing from Whittier.

 

Thanks for your help.

[MercedMike]

All the major cruise lines offer cruise/tour packages for Alaska. Princess and Holland America are well known for good packages.

 

When I fly to Europe I try to get as much as I can for that long flight! I would seriously recommend you combine a 7 day cruise of Alaska with a tour of the interior. One very good way to do it is to take the tour, including Denali, first, then board the ship from Anchorage (Seward or Whittier) and sail south to Vancouver in 7 days. I too would seriously say that Glacier Bay is a MUST SEE.

 

On arriving in Vancouver, you could even extend your trip by going on down the coast with a land tour. Frankly cruising from Vancouver to San Francisco is not much to see and frequently rough water.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[woodmill100]

Mike. This is great. Thanks. If you had a choice would you do your own thing in Alaska and join the ship or do the organised tour with your chosen cruiseline?

[stired]

Mike. This is great. Thanks. If you had a choice would you do your own thing in Alaska and join the ship or do the organised tour with your chosen cruiseline?

 

I will take a stab at this question. I will be a 1st time visitor to Alaska this June. When I began researching what I wanted to do, I booked a "cruisetour" (land and cruise arranged by the cruise line) thru Princess. But the more I read on these boards and in books, the more I became convinced that I could do my own land tour portion that would go where I wanted to go for less money and without being herded on trains and buses. So I canceled the land tour portion of the cruise tour and have made the arrangements myself. It has been a little work and a lot of fun doing my own planning!

 

But I think this is very much a matter of personal preference. Do you like making your own arrangements or would you rather have everything arranged for you? Do you mind sitting in buses with a bunch of other folks for several days, or are you more independent-minded and would rather go your own way?

 

If you decide to go with a cruisetour, just make sure you know what you are getting. The cruisetour descriptions don't really tell you about getting up at 6:00 am to get on a bus or the amount of time you will spend in transit to places. So make sure you investigate your options thoroughly!

[Cachecara]

I will take a stab at this question. I will be a 1st time visitor to Alaska this June. When I began researching what I wanted to do, I booked a "cruisetour" (land and cruise arranged by the cruise line) thru Princess. But the more I read on these boards and in books, the more I became convinced that I could do my own land tour portion that would go where I wanted to go for less money and without being herded on trains and buses. So I canceled the land tour portion of the cruise tour and have made the arrangements myself. It has been a little work and a lot of fun doing my own planning!

 

But I think this is very much a matter of personal preference. Do you like making your own arrangements or would you rather have everything arranged for you? Do you mind sitting in buses with a bunch of other folks for several days, or are you more independent-minded and would rather go your own way?

 

If you decide to go with a cruisetour, just make sure you know what you are getting. The cruisetour descriptions don't really tell you about getting up at 6:00 am to get on a bus or the amount of time you will spend in transit to places. So make sure you investigate your options thoroughly!

 

You have made some excellent points!! :)

We currently have a SB with Coral Princess and landtour planned for Sept and are rapidly coming to see what you posted.

Would you or could you post what you changed your plans to on your "landtour"? I would love to have a reference point to see what else is out there on my own. (ie, hotels, tours and transportation)

Thanks!

[NancyIL]

We're also planning our own land trip after a northbound cruise in June. You can see a number of people's land trip plans here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=465998

 

Since the OP is from the UK and drives on the "other" side of the road - renting a car and driving around Alaska might not be as desirable as it is for those of us who live in the US and Canada. (I know I wouldn't be driving in the UK!) The link I posted above for Alaska Tour and Travel can help arrange train/bus transportation if you want something that's a bit more structured than a trip by car, but less so than a cruisetour.

[agabbymama]

I'm 60 and my husband is 64. We are travelling with a male friend (single) and a female friend (single). I started out trying to do the independent land touring, but ran into trouble trying to find hotels that could accommodate with four beds, so ended up having to get two beds in two rooms which put the price out of sight. The car rental wasn't cheap, and who knows what fuel prices will be in August. I finally decided to look at cruisetours. Going independent was going to be $2500 pp and I ended up getting the cruisetour for $2720 then Alaska added that $50 pp tax, so now it's $2770 pp.

 

We did the Inside Passage in '99 and really liked Alaska. I was so disappointed that Denali wasn't open. We sailed on May 12th and Denali opened on May 13th. Darn! We have wanted to return to Alaska, so this time I wanted to see the Yukon as well interior Alaska.

 

Princess only had one tour that went to Dawson City for 15 days (I think 7 ship + 8 land)) and it was $4400 pp. HAL has a number of them so settled on cruisetour #1 Northbound from Vancouver. We are only on the ship for 3 days sailing to Tracey Arm, Juneau and Skagway. We leave the ship in Skagway, take the Whitepass Yukon RR/coach up to Whitehorse, coach to Dawson City, riverboat to Eagle, coach to TOK, coach to Fairbanks, dome railcar to Denali, and finish with dome railcar to Anchorage. We'll see more of remote Alaska. It's 3 days on ship + 8 days on land for 11 days for $2770 pp including air. And another concern is that most meals are not included on the land portion. They wanted $300 for a meal plan for 12 meals. That's $25 pp for a meal, I hope I can find someplace cheaper than that to eat. And yes, as "stired" says some of the days are up at 6:00 am to get on that bus. I like the idea that it's HAL's responsibility to get me from point A to point B and make all the arrangements. I can just sit on the train/coach/boat and watch the beautiful scenery of Alaska go by. I really believe travelling indepedently you miss a lot. You might see 1 thing in an area when there are actually 4 things to see in that area. I think a tour will make sure you see what there is of interest to see. When my husband and I toured Italy independently (30 days by car) , we passed a lot of things on the road that we didn't even know was there.

 

So do your research and pick what is best for you. For some like Budget Queen, she prefers independent travel. For me, I like the set routine of a formal tour. Tell me where to be and what time to be there, and I'm good to go! Have fun planning, and then actually taking your trip to our beautiful state of Alaska.:p

[Chat Noir]

Yes. Just been looking at that. Have also got a brochure for Princess so will look at them too.

 

Princess has nice itineraries for one-way Alaska. As does HAL.

My preference is for independent touring, and I started out planning a cruisetour. This site changed my mind, and I'm not sorry. Our land tour was fabulous, and well planned with help from fellow CC'rs.

The only cruisetour I'd consider would be out of Vancouver to the Canadian Rockies (we toured this independently YEARS ago) and I think they're nicely structured... otherwise, I'd do nothing but independent interior Alaska.

However, if you do choose a cruisetour, post it prior to booking and perhaps a few recommendations will come your way for small changes which will better your time there.:)

[stired]

You have made some excellent points!! :)

We currently have a SB with Coral Princess and landtour planned for Sept and are rapidly coming to see what you posted.

Would you or could you post what you changed your plans to on your "landtour"? I would love to have a reference point to see what else is out there on my own. (ie, hotels, tours and transportation)

Thanks!

 

We also are doing a SB cruise on the Coral. Like I said earlier, we started out with a Princess Cruisetour and changed the land portion to independent. If you are interested to see what I have planned for our pre-cruise land tour, I have it posted on this thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=465925

[NancyIL]

I'm 60 and my husband is 64. We are travelling with a male friend (single) and a female friend (single). I started out trying to do the independent land touring, but ran into trouble trying to find hotels that could accommodate with four beds, so ended up having to get two beds in two rooms which put the price out of sight. The car rental wasn't cheap, and who knows what fuel prices will be in August. I finally decided to look at cruisetours. Going independent was going to be $2500 pp and I ended up getting the cruisetour for $2720 then Alaska added that $50 pp tax, so now it's $2770 pp.

 

 

It needs to be noted that yours isn't the typical 3 to 5-day cruisetour from Seward or Whittier to Denali! You have 3 nights on the ship, and then 7 nights traveling through the Yukon back into Alaska and ending in Anchorage: http://hollandamerica.com/dest/itinerary.do?selectedItin=20070804:T7A01:AGB00301&dest=010020 I have yet to read a trip report from someone who did that trip independently by car or RV. As much as I like planning my own trips, I would be interested in that particular cruisetour, too!

[MercedMike]

Mike. This is great. Thanks. If you had a choice would you do your own thing in Alaska and join the ship or do the organised tour with your chosen cruiseline?

 

Well, when we toured England and Scotland, we did it on an escorted tour!!;)

 

For anybody coming from overseas, it is just so much simpler and easier to join an organized cruise/tour. Both Princess and HAL offer all sorts of choices. If you do want to try driving on the "wrong" side of the road, why not do it down the West Coast after your cruise?

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[fti]

If you choose a cruisetour from the cruise line and want to include Denali National Park, be sure of what you are getting. Many tours only have one night at Denali. That is VERY bad in my opinion. You need two nights there and at least the Tundra Wilderness Tour. If they only offer the Natural History Tour, avoid it - in my opinion of course. Actually, if I were taking a cruisetour and they offered the Tundra Wilderness Tour, I would still try to get a refund for that and take the shuttle bus even further into the park.

 

But look at several threads regarding the tours into the park. Some are only going 17 miles into the park which is not very far - a free shuttle bus brings you almost that far.

 

Re: driving on the right side of the road, when the driver is sitting on the left side of the car and driving on the right (as here in the US) it is not too big of a switch for you. Sitting on the "inside" of the lane while driving makes it easier. Plus, you are probably used to a manual transmission and 99% of cars here in the US are automatic so you don't have to worry about that. I don't think renting a car for you would be hard at all.

[woodmill100]

WOW!! So many helpful posts. I really can't thank you all enough. The 2008 cruises won't be released I think until the end of April so I think I am going to look at independent travel in the first instance to see how I get on. We've gone independently in Australia and managed!

[woodmill100]

For anyone interested the organised cruisetour I have seen starts in Calgary and then a day in banff, a day in lake louise, a day in Jasper, train to Kamloops and kamloops to Vancouver. The tour covers 7 days.

 

It does sound a good trip but I'd hate to be stuck on a bus for hours with a guide telling me to look at this tree and that rabbit etc. On the otherhand, it would be nice to know that someone is doing all the driving - my husband drives for a living and I don't know if I would be brave enough on the "wrong side of the road". Plus another advantage is knowing we can have a bottle of red at night with dinner and be safe to drive the next day.

 

I am definitely going to look into all the possibilities though.

[Yukon]

It needs to be noted that yours isn't the typical 3 to 5-day cruisetour from Seward or Whittier to Denali! You have 3 nights on the ship, and then 7 nights traveling through the Yukon back into Alaska and ending in Anchorage: http://hollandamerica.com/dest/itinerary.do?selectedItin=20070804:T7A01:AGB00301&dest=010020 I have yet to read a trip report from someone who did that trip independently by car or RV. As much as I like planning my own trips, I would be interested in that particular cruisetour, too!

 

You'll find lots of reviews of both independent and "caravanning" RV trips on that route at http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/listings/forum/65

 

Murray

[NancyIL]

You'll find lots of reviews of both independent and "caravanning" RV trips on that route at http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/listings/forum/65

 

Murray

 

Thanks, Murray. RVing is something I did as a kid and wouldn't do again - so I'd do that trip with my good buddy HAL! ;)

[agabbymama]

You'll find lots of reviews of both independent and "caravanning" RV trips on that route at http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/listings/forum/65

 

Murray

 

Yukon,

 

I see lots of folks planning an RV trip, but I don't see any trip reports on this website.

 

I will definitely do a trip report once we return from our cruisetour. I'm anxious to see if it's as bad being on the coach/train/boat organized cruisetour as Budget Queen and NancyIL state. I have done an organized tour of England/Wales/Scotland and loved it. Of course we didn't have to be at the coach until usually 8:30 am, so with the early departure of 7:15 am it will mean getting up early. I just figured with the distances in the Yukon and Alaska that have to be covered in a day, you would have to start early even if you were driving yourself.:p

[NancyIL]

Yukon,

 

I see lots of folks planning an RV trip, but I don't see any trip reports on this website.

 

I will definitely do a trip report once we return from our cruisetour. I'm anxious to see if it's as bad being on the coach/train/boat organized cruisetour as Budget Queen and NancyIL state. I have done an organized tour of England/Wales/Scotland and loved it. Of course we didn't have to be at the coach until usually 8:30 am, so with the early departure of 7:15 am it will mean getting up early. I just figured with the distances in the Yukon and Alaska that have to be covered in a day, you would have to start early even if you were driving yourself.:p

 

Correction!!!! I have never stated a cruisetour would be bad! If you read what I've said about your cruisetour, I've said several times it's one I would like to do!