volcanic beaches or majestic iceburgs?

[ilovecraig929]

i know this is apples to oranges but im thinking about vacation 2009 and i want to do something really spectacular so im thinking either hawaii or alaska. so far i've only been on bahama and caribbean cruises so i really want to go all out!

 

it will be me, my husband and our then barely 1 year old and hopefully my parents. we have all cruised before (except for the baby who technically isnt even here yet) :p and we're all a fan except for my dad who did one cruise and wasnt sold on it. one reason im looking at hawaii or alaska is because it would be totally new terroitory where we've never been and i really want to try out a radiance class ship. (im hoping i can tempt my dad with the self leveling pool tables and the seaview cafe)!

 

so...does anyone have any opinions on which they preferred or which one they want to do one day?

[cb at sea]

While I'd love to see Alaska, I really prefer "beach" locations! I'm all about hot weather and sunshine! Of course, if you do Alaska in the summer, there's a decent chance of warm weather there, as well!

You don't say where you'll be coming from--that would play a factor for me, as far as airline prices go!

[ilovecraig929]

oh okay we live in georgia so we're basically about as far away from either one as we could be and still considered in the u.s.!

 

thanks for the comment!

[Mydnite]

I read somewhere on these boards where someone did a B2B cruise which started with Alaska and then repositioned to Hawaii, that sounds ideal!

[bigeagle12]

We are in GA too .. if you are looking for something different .. you will find Alaska will provide a more drastic change from the Caribbean. Beautiful scenery, wildlife, excursions, etc.

 

However, you will not be disappointed with Hawaii. From GA to fly to west coast and cruise is not cheap .. plus half the cruise are days at sea .. which we love .. but we still prefer flying to Hawaii and staying on the islands.

[sea-cruise]

It isn't a hard choice for me...I'll take Hawaii (over and over again). :p

[driftychick]

I have done both cruises on a Radiance Class Ship, Serenade of the Seas, and, I would say, if you have done the Caribbean and Bahamas the doe Alaska for something different. Think about the excursions you want to take in Alaska and make sure to go at the correct time of the year. The season runs from May thru September. September is just starteing to get colder and have a light dusting of snow in some areas. Wildlife viewing is better earlier in the season. Enjoy!

[FunCruiser56]

While I am sure Alaska is beautiful, I just can't seem to wrap myself around the idea of having to pack cold weather clothing- I hate the cold!!

We were looking at the same as you Alaska (because our friends want to) or Hawaii .

We picked Hawaii, the sea days will be so relaxing and we know Hawaii is beautiful (we lived there as children) and a little taste of several islands sounds wonderful. We can still see plenty of sea life and beautiful views but while still enjoying nice warm weather...

LOVE the radiance class ships!! Our Brilliance cruise to the Panama Canal was one of our best cruises, we would repeat that cruise just to sail on this ship again.

The friends chose to go to Alaska this May with family and will cruise with us next year to Hawaii!

Have fun making the choice- either way you will have a good vacation.

 

Happy Sailing

Bev

[ilovecraig929]

thank you all so much for the responses! however it seems pretty split down the middle! lol! i guess truthfully i am leaning more toward alaska since thats the one ive reseached more...so for those who have done the radiance class ships-were they okay? i've done sovereign, majesty and mariner and i know that radiance is in between as far as size but just reading about them they seem really neat and like a unique class of ship!

[rclcruzer]

We did Alaska on Serenade last year in July and it was breathtaking! I think everyone should try to cruise AK at least once in their life. It was truly awesome, and despite what some people say or think, it's not that cold. Layering is the key, and we were not bothered by the temps.

Hawaii is warm, like the Caribbean, so if you truly want different, go for AK, you won't be sorry! Just don't forget your camera and binochulars ;)

[PhoenixCruiser]

I'd like to do both Hawaii and Alaska - we would have to flip a coin to see which one came first :D

 

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