Alaska Cruise

[gtmerc]

Which cruise would you recommend for a first and maybe last Alaska Cruise?

Like Princess but would consider another line if board had some good reviews.

Going end of May with four other people.

[catmand]

hi, first and last?..it would really help if you posted some things that you are interested in seeing/doing also how much time you have to cruise, if you don't like to fly etc. also, have you cruised? if so what type of style do you like, traditional, casual, also what are the ages of the people going and what are some of the things you may like to do while onboard or shore trips? I will tell you why....There are several cruise lines that sail Alaska, you can sail round trips 7 days from seattle or Vancover, you can sail 7 day one ways either north or south usually from Seward to Vancover there are also 10 day round trips from San Franciso as well as 12 day round trips from San Francisco. There are also land tours you can take as part of a one way.....whatever you do Alaska is beautiful, hope we can help you out here.

[Big Al B.]

One thing that I would seriously consider for a first and last experience would be the land/cruise tours. I believe both Princess and HAl offer them for sure. We did one several years ago with HAL that went Anchorage-Denali-Fairbanks-Tok-Eagle-Dawson City-Whitehorse-Skagway-cruise to Vancouver and it was the best trip I have ever taken. We traveled by bus, train, jetboat, and the White Pass railroad. The three day cruise south included Glacier Bay and a stop at Ketchikan. I believe it was about 12-13 days. A tip: if you opt for this type of experience, go for the cruise part at the end of the land tour (usually have choice). We were ready for the relaxation at the end :).

[FIREMAN'S LADY]

Last June took land/sea Princess tour - SPECTACULAR. We flew into Fairbanks, took the train from there to Denali, toured the park and stayed at Princess Denali Hotel, then on the train to Talkeetna and on to Mt McKinley Princess hotel. Took a motor coach to Anchorage and at Seward caught a 7 day cruise to Vancouver, Everyone and everything was the best. Would highly recommend Princess for their service and everything running smoothly.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You have to decide if you are going to cruise only - then you will want to do a round trip from Vancouver.

If you want to do a land tour and a cruise, I would recommend doing the land tour first and then the cruise so that you can rest on the ship after the land tour.

You also have to decide which glacier you want to see from the ship - Glacier Bay or Hubburd.

And not all cruise ships go to the same ports. So which ports do you want to visit?

What kind of tours are you interested in? Flight seeing? Whale watching? Etc.

First and Last???

We have been to Alaska quite a few times and there is always something more for us to see.

[Folgy]

I have cruised Aslaska 3 times and going to many more. Best by far cruise in the world . I know.

[catmand]

I just thought I would stop back by, see the op has not been back? Oh well at least I can say this: In 6 days and 5 minutes we will be sailing away on Sapphire, then start the countdowns to Alaska..........again.

[Boo's Mom]

gtmerc....

 

I have been to Alaska twice on Celebrity Cruiselines. Mercury and Summit.

I highly recommend the Mercury.

[critterchick]

As others have said, it all depends on what you want to do. We just got back from the Radiance 7-day Hubbard Glacier trip (RT Vancouver) & it was the best cruise we've ever been on. It was cold, rainy & windy, causing a lot of tour cancellations, but we took a 5-mile hike, rode the train, petted the sled dogs & went on a wild boat ride to see eagles, lighthouses & local waterfront real estate. And the ship is just amazing. I wrote a review, but they are "backed up", so it hasn't posted yet. I posted it in 2 parts on the Royal Caribbean threads.

[Shirley and Les]

Our TA likes Celebrity and Royal Caribbean for the Alaskan cruisetour packages. She claims their service is superior to the other cruise lines. They have their own land guides, motorcoaches and observation train cars. Our TA claims their baggage handling and attention is superior. You show them your bags at the airport and then only handle the luggage from the hallway of your hotel into your room and back. I did a spot check on the land accommodations and they all are first-class hotels and lodges.

We are on a 13 day land and sea tour of Alaska on Celebrity next June with a group from our church.

Les