Pearl Itinerary Question

[jeauix]

My husband and I are going to Alaska on NCL Pearl 7/13. The itinerary says Inside Passage but the map shows the ship going outside the island. Can anyone share their experience?

 

Thanks!

[chrisbd1]

The Inside Passage of the Alaska Panhandle and coastal British Columbia is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a series of passages between the mainland and the coastal islands. About half of the tourists who come to Alaska arrive or depart on cruise ships that make their way through the islands of the Inside Passage to Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and other destinations.

[salty dingo]

The ship does have about a day at sea leaving Seattle, when she is in the Pacific ocean. Other than that, the ship does cruise fairly calm waters.

 

There is a route on the east side of Vancouver Island, but the ships almost never take that route because it uses more fuel. Pity, because it would be a lot more scenic than the open ocean.

 

I have heard that some ships take the inside route when the Pacific is acting really bad, but that is very rare.

[odblnt]

As a general rule (subject to weather conditions as stated above), ships departing Seattle go around the outside (ocean side) of Vancouver Island while ships departing Vancouver stay on the inside.

 

At least that's what I've been able to discern.

 

We were on the Pearl last year and it was a wonderful cruise.

[jeauix]

Thanks everyone for the info! It helped a lot!