Recommendations Please

[shipitsyna]

My dear fiance and I are planning our honeymoon. He really wants to do a cruise to Alaska. So, I've begun the long process of researching this and I would really appreciate any recommendations/advice you all could give. Here are the pertinent details:

 

Our ages: 26 & 31

Time: After June 9, 2009, but still in June.

We live in LA, so flying to Seattle is super cheap for us to fly to.

I really want to see Sitka. My fiance is Russian, from the Far East of Siberia, and I think it would be cool to through in something that feels a little like home for him. He really wants to see/walk on Glaciers.

He wants a big ship. I prefer smaller...but too much rocking around will make him sea sick.

There should be good onboard activities (his preference). I would like the cheese factor to be low. I've cruised once before, when I was 13 or so, on Carnival in the Caribbean. Even at 13 I thought a lot of the activities were lame. We managed to keep ourselves entertained on a 5-day trip on the Trans-Siberian last summer, so it isn't like we are easy to bore.

Our budget limit is $1500 per person for the cabin.

 

My parents did a round trip HAL cruise out of Seattle a couple of years ago. So that is all I really have to compare. But their trip was company sponsored, so they had a suite and all sorts of free stuff. So their take might be a little skewed.

 

Thanks in advance!

[eh2zed]

Princess and HAL have been in Alaska the longest and have the most permits for the limited permit glaciers scenic cruising areas. Other lines do a good job as well. It really gets down to itinerary (Sitka - not everyone goes there), and type of overall experience you are looking for.

[tee_harbor]

I really want to see Sitka. My fiance is Russian, from the Far East of Siberia, and I think it would be cool to through in something that feels a little like home for him.

 

I'd recommend Sitka to anyone, but if he's got the connections, I'd really recommend the stop. The Russian Orthodox church is right in town, there's also shops selling Russian items across the street, and the visitor's center at the National Historical Park has displays about the Russian years.

 

Juneau also has a tiny Russian Orthodox church within walking distance of the cruise ships. The State Museum fills in more information.

 

If he suffers from sea sickness, your finance should come prepared. For example, all the large cruise ships tender passengers to shore in Sitka, so he can't completely avoid the experience.

[NancyIL]

If I were cruising out of Seattle, I would probably choose HAL Westerdam. It goes to Glacier Bay and Sitka, as well as Ketchikan, Juneau, and Victoria: http://www.hollandamerica.com/find-cruise-vacation/CruiseDetails.action?webItineraryIdForAudit=AW9007&durationCode=&noOfFlexibleMonths=1&portCode=&shipCodeSearch=WE&flexibleMonths=false&pageNumber=1&voyageCode=W938&destCode=A&dateCode=6_2009

[Budget Queen]

With your Sitka priority, HAL offers an excellent itinerary. However, be well prepared, since you have chosen the roughest sailing potential of round trip Seattle. With the major cruiselines the ship size will be insignificant unless you are looking at much smaller. like 100 passengers??

 

Key is prevention with motion sickness, there are excellent products available, consult your health care professional.

[shipitsyna]

Thanks. I think he'll be fine on a big ship. He only got sea sick once, on a deep sea fishing outing he took with my Dad in the Gulf of Mexico a few years ago. That was a real small boat.

 

Another question: what is a good price for this kind of trip? The HAL Westerdam prices seem to be between $900-1000 for an oceanview and $1400-1500 for a veranda. Should we expect to be able to find better prices? How do you get the best deals? Go through a TA? Online?

[Budget Queen]

Thanks. I think he'll be fine on a big ship. He only got sea sick once, on a deep sea fishing outing he took with my Dad in the Gulf of Mexico a few years ago. That was a real small boat.

 

Another question: what is a good price for this kind of trip? The HAL Westerdam prices seem to be between $900-1000 for an oceanview and $1400-1500 for a veranda. Should we expect to be able to find better prices? How do you get the best deals? Go through a TA? Online?

 

Key for better pricing is to compare several sites, and after booking keep track of pricing trends yourself. Immediately contact your booking agent if you see a price drop.

[NancyIL]

Another question: what is a good price for this kind of trip? The HAL Westerdam prices seem to be between $900-1000 for an oceanview and $1400-1500 for a veranda. Should we expect to be able to find better prices? How do you get the best deals? Go through a TA? Online?

 

You can usually get lower prices through a discount travel agency than by booking directly with HAL. At the top of the page where it says "Talk Ship" - click on "Cruise Agencies" for starters.

[shipitsyna]

So, I booked our cruise today. We decided to pass on Sitka, and instead go further North. We're going to do the Coral Princess Northbound on June 15.

 

I don't know that I got a stellar deal, but we have C310.

[NancyIL]

So, I booked our cruise today. We decided to pass on Sitka, and instead go further North. We're going to do the Coral Princess Northbound on June 15.

 

I don't know that I got a stellar deal, but we have C310.

 

The Coral Princess is a beautiful ship, and Princess does a nice job in Alaska. BUT it sounded like going to Sitka was pretty important to you. Do you plan to spend extra time in Alaska after the cruise? I hope you'll stay there at least a few days and not be in a hurry to fly home.

 

As an FYI - HAL Ryndam also goes to Sitka.

[shipitsyna]

We wanted to see sitka. But we talked about it abd decided it was more important to us to have the best overall cruise possible. For both of us that means glaciers. The princess cruise fit that. Also I have an old friend in anchorage we may be able to see. Basically this cruise will be more alaska. And that is the whole point.

 

I suspect it won't be our last trip up there. ;-)

[Budget Queen]

We wanted to see sitka. But we talked about it abd decided it was more important to us to have the best overall cruise possible. For both of us that means glaciers. The princess cruise fit that. Also I have an old friend in anchorage we may be able to see. Basically this cruise will be more alaska. And that is the whole point.

 

I suspect it won't be our last trip up there. ;-)

 

With your glacier priority I highly recommend you book at Prince William Sound boat tour out of Whittier. WAY superior glacier viewing compared to your cruise ship. With the longest, going to Esther Passage, the best. Then can easily hook up with the Alaska RR for the transfer to Anchorage.