Who would like different itineraries?

[LindaKE]

We are planning our second Alaskan cruise and are hoping to see things we missed the first time around. I keep wishing for an itinerary that would include ports and glaciers that we didn't see last time. All itineraries seem to include Juneau and Ketchikan and most include Skagway, and there are definitely some things to do at those ports that will be different from what we did the first time. But I'm dreaming of a longer trip (other than the first or last of the season) that would include ports like Haines, Sitka, and Icy Strait and would also include cruising areas like Tracy Arm, Glacier Bay, College Fjord and Hubbard Glacier. A totally different itinerary that could be worked into a b2b making a 2 week itinerary or 2 different 1 week itineraries would also work. Would anyone else like to see something like that?

[Yukon]

It's easy to find b2b itineraries that include most of the places you're asking about.

[2Canucks]

We are planning our second Alaskan cruise and are hoping to see things we missed the first time around. I keep wishing for an itinerary that would include ports and glaciers that we didn't see last time. All itineraries seem to include Juneau and Ketchikan and most include Skagway, and there are definitely some things to do at those ports that will be different from what we did the first time. But I'm dreaming of a longer trip (other than the first or last of the season) that would include ports like Haines, Sitka, and Icy Strait and would also include cruising areas like Tracy Arm, Glacier Bay, College Fjord and Hubbard Glacier. A totally different itinerary that could be worked into a b2b making a 2 week itinerary or 2 different 1 week itineraries would also work. Would anyone else like to see something like that?

 

 

 

Linda...

 

I agree! A 14 night Alaska with all the different ports would be great! :D

 

We are always looking for a B2B situation but want the itinerary to be different for the 2nd cruise. Celebrity should line up "all" their ship's itineraries with an "alternating" schedule...I'm sure they'd get more B2Ber's if they put more thought into their cruise itineraries! There are a few ship's that have a different itinerary option so doing a B2B is a good option but most of their ship's just repeat the same itinerary for some reason?

 

 

Come on Celebrity...please change up your ship itineraries and provide us with more "different" B2B options.

 

Pat :)

[fann1sh]

Sometimes the key to seeing different ports is to change your cruise line.

 

I have a favorite website for searching for cruise itineraries by port of call. Unfortunately, it's a travel agency, so I can't give a link here. However if you want to go on a different cruise vacations itineraries, Google for agencies with search functions.

[LindaKE]

Pat,

You caught on to what I was trying to say. DH suggested that you might get more variation if you did one way on 1 cruise line and change cruise lines for the return leg. But you would still have to repeat at least 2 if not 3 ports. Maybe if enough of us join in we can get a cruise line's attention.

[fann1sh]

Linda, I do get what you're saying, but some cruise lines are trying. Holland America has a brand new 14 day return Seattle itinerary for 2010 on Amsterdam:

 

Day Port Arrive Depart 0 Seattle, Washington

04:00 PM 1 Inside Passage Scenic Cruising CO

 

2 Ketchikan, Alaska 07:00 AM 05:00 PM 3 Tracy Arm, Alaska, USA CO 08:00 AM 05:00 PM 4 Skagway, Alaska 07:00 AM 06:00 PM 5 Sitka, Alaska TR 08:00 AM 03:00 PM 6 At Sea

 

7 Anchorage, Alaska 07:00 AM 11:00 PM 8 Homer, Alaska, U.S. TR 10:00 AM 06:00 PM 9 Kodiak, Alaska TR 07:00 AM 01:00 PM 10 Hubbard Glacier Cruising CO Noon 04:00 PM 11 Juneau, Alaska 08:00 AM 05:00 PM 12 At Sea

 

13 Victoria Canada 02:00 PM 08:00 PM 14 Seattle, Washington 07:00 AM

[ggarlene]

I think one reason that ships stop at the same ports north and southbound is the entertainment. An entertainer can get off at a port and then hop the next ship, perform for a couple nights, and repeat.

[LindaKE]

fnn1sh,

I did it the hard way. I went to every major cruise line's web site and made a spread sheet lisiting each port visited by every ship. So if you want to get to a certain port, I can tell you who will get you there. But I would love to see many of the ports and special cruising areas without having to repeat the ones that are on all the itineraries.

 

"Linda, I do get what you're saying, but some cruise lines are trying. Holland America has a brand new 14 day return Seattle itinerary for 2010 on Amsterdam:

 

Day Port Arrive Depart 0 Seattle, Washington

04:00 PM 1 Inside Passage Scenic Cruising CO

 

2 Ketchikan, Alaska 07:00 AM 05:00 PM 3 Tracy Arm, Alaska, USA CO 08:00 AM 05:00 PM 4 Skagway, Alaska 07:00 AM 06:00 PM 5 Sitka, Alaska TR 08:00 AM 03:00 PM 6 At Sea

 

7 Anchorage, Alaska 07:00 AM 11:00 PM 8 Homer, Alaska, U.S. TR 10:00 AM 06:00 PM 9 Kodiak, Alaska TR 07:00 AM 01:00 PM 10 Hubbard Glacier Cruising CO Noon 04:00 PM 11 Juneau, Alaska 08:00 AM 05:00 PM 12 At Sea

 

13 Victoria Canada 02:00 PM 08:00 PM 14 Seattle, Washington 07:00 AM "

 

I just did a refresh and saw your last post. I guess I just thought I got every port listed. I didn't see the one you mentioned for HAL. That sounds like just what I was talking about.

[Yukon]

Princess also does a 14-day with a unique port mix - http://www.princess.com/pb/itineraryDetails.do?voyageCode=K919

[LindaKE]

O.K. my bad. I guess when I started the spread sheet I was looking at shorter cruises and when I went back to include longer ones, I glanced at the itinerary and didn't catch the different ports.

 

I just checked out HALs and am undecided about whether I would like the ports to the far west (Homer & Kodiak). They don't have much listed for shore excursions. Princess doesn't have much choice in dates. When I started the thread, I was thinking of keeping the loop in the same inside passage just with more places to go and see.

[whale-watcher]

O.K. my bad. I guess when I started the spread sheet I was looking at shorter cruises and when I went back to include longer ones, I glanced at the itinerary and didn't catch the different ports.

 

I just checked out HALs and am undecided about whether I would like the ports to the far west (Homer & Kodiak). They don't have much listed for shore excursions. Princess doesn't have much choice in dates. When I started the thread, I was thinking of keeping the loop in the same inside passage just with more places to go and see.

None of the smaller ports will have the same variety of shore excursions...but they offer a chance get off the beaten track a bit. Some of these ports (Kodiak, for example) are excellent places to rent a car and explore on your own. Just because they lack the tourist infrastructure of some of the more traditional ports does not make them less worthwhile destinations.:)

[Yukon]

None of the smaller ports will have the same variety of shore excursions...but they offer a chance get off the beaten track a bit. ... Just because they lack the tourist infrastructure of some of the more traditional ports does not make them less worthwhile destinations.:)

 

In fact to some of us that makes them much more worthwhile.

[Assateague Island Princes]

Getting away from it all, with lesser known ports, is exactly why we booked the HAL 14 day round trip from Seattle for May 31st of 2010. This will be our third time back cruising in AK. And exactly as Yukon or others suggested, we intend to rent cars and do our own thing in the ports of Kodiak, Homer, Anchorage, and even Skagway (using Murray's guide, natch). We've been to Hubbard twice - loved it (though it was much more active on our Sept. cruise in 2006 than our June cruise in 2008), but haven't cruised Tracy Arm, and didn't stop in Skagway on our first two cruises. So this 14 day itinerary really does give us four "new" ports and a day of sailing in Tracy Arm, as well as daytime stop in Victoria, which previously we only experienced from 6PM to midnight. All in all, the HAL 14 day itinerary is perfect for us. After this one though, DH gets his way and we're doing a 14 day land tour exclusively, hopefully renting an RV and seeing not only Denali, but spending quality time in Seward and Homer as well.

[LEtue]

As mentioned some of us really like the smaller - lesser known ports. Kodiak and Homer offer a lot of excursion options and the list for 2010 hasn't been updated yet by Holland America. You may want to look at this itinerary again and better yet join us on the Cruise Critic Group Cruise leaving on May 31, 2010. :D

[LindaKE]

Wow! You are getting great prices, and the itinerary does sound good. I wish DH would set his retirement date by then so we could go with you! I finally managed to talk him in to 10 or so days if we'd get to see some extra ports, but he refuses to take off more than that until he retires. Two weeks plus travel and arriving a day or two early will have to wait until he retires. He can retire any time now, but he just keeps putting off setting a date.

[vbmom87]

We are planning our second Alaskan cruise and are hoping to see things we missed the first time around. I keep wishing for an itinerary that would include ports and glaciers that we didn't see last time. All itineraries seem to include Juneau and Ketchikan and most include Skagway, and there are definitely some things to do at those ports that will be different from what we did the first time. But I'm dreaming of a longer trip (other than the first or last of the season) that would include ports like Haines, Sitka, and Icy Strait and would also include cruising areas like Tracy Arm, Glacier Bay, College Fjord and Hubbard Glacier. A totally different itinerary that could be worked into a b2b making a 2 week itinerary or 2 different 1 week itineraries would also work. Would anyone else like to see something like that?

 

I do agree that I would like to see a seven day cruise that includes new ports. The Haines, Sitka and Icy Strait option would definitely attract me. Too bad at least one cruiseline doesn't do this option. Seems like it would be worth an experiment, at least in one direction. They could do a more traditional itinerary in the other direction. For those wanting to go back to back, they could get a nice variety of ports. I would love this option!!!