Thread: Hi fellow cruisers

Hello, I'm back after a long absence. I've been put in charge of planning an Alaskan Cruise for approx. 32 people. The group wants to travel in the Summer of 2011 (prices have not been posted yet), and sort of favor Royal Caribbean.

Most have no preferences as to the date, we have to weigh the price to weather, any ideas? Personally I'm leaning toward September.

Some want to do CruiseTour, some just Cruise. I'm thinking if we cruise out of Seward we should be able to accommodate all. If most opt for cruise only, how would we get to Seward from Anchorage?

Ideas for excursions would be welcome, but I don't have itinerary yet

I'll probably have a million question, please be patient

Welcome back Paul.

I only have an opinion on the weather. June, July, August or early September. Any one of those would work for me.
Oops, another opinion, do the cruise tour! You may never get back there and would miss out on something that I hear is fabulous. I still kick myself because we didn't do it.

Royal Caribbean will release the 2011 Alaska material on Mar 22 and Celebrity the same week. Princess should releaase theirs soon. Those are the lines I would look at especailly for those wanting the cruisetour option. Great tour programs! Costs will be lower for the May/ Sept sailings. Last time I went it was in July and we never had a day when we were not pretty well bundled up due to the chill/cold but weather there can always be a toss up.

You will also find that costs tend to be higher on South bound sailings, with or without the tour. The tours are very busy so taking the cruise afterwards gives you a chance to wind down and relax before going home to the rat race.

You've already received some great information and I would like to reiterate that the Southbound cruises are usually a bit more than the Northbound cruises for reasons already stated. This is a good/bad situation - it's great to have the cruise after the tour so you can unwind, but going northbound tends to build the excitement. Plus, check your flight times as this may also impact your decision on which direction to cruise.

Also, depending on the age of your group, keep in mind that Holland America has the biggest presence in Alaska, with Princess second, and RCCI third. Check the itineraries and it may help you decide since they can be quite different. Depending on where you want to go and what you want to see may have an impact on which cruise line you choose.

As for timeframe, there are more whales migrating in the Spring, if that's the most interest to you, while early September affords nice whether and the best pricing, which is when we went for 2 weeks.

But most of all, work with an agent who can help you with all the options since there are many to choose from. And while recommentations can offer good information, remember that what one person loves another will hate, so don't think that recommendations are the way for you to go. You need to find what works best for you and your group based on your requirements, timeframe, budget, and lifestyle.

Pete

Hi Paul!

I've cruised Alaska twice already and will be going on another this July. I've also done a cruisetour and a roundtrip from Seattle. This July will be another cruisetour.

Time of year I prefer is late Aug to September. Not as much kids running around and the weather is very different from here in TX. I highly suggest a cruisetour. Think about it if you do only a cruise you only see the tail of the state. With cruisetours you see soooo much more.

If some some want to do just the cruise you can book the same cruise as the people who will be doing the land portion. You just all will not be traveling together at first. For those people not do the land portion to get to Seward or Whittier you can take the train from Anchorage.

Cruiselines - RCI is good but they don't go into Glacier Bay, which personally is a big must see in Alaska. Princess & HAL have the permits to go into Glacier Bay.

The driest part of the summer is, on average, late May through mid June. While some people may get good weather in September, the odds are against it.

Having been to Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm and Hubbard Glacier, we've had the best experiences at Hubbard, and are booked for our 3rd visit there (on the Infinity) in May.

Although my wife's favourite Alaska ship so far was the Amsterdam, mine is the Radiance.

Originally Posted by GreatEscapes

Royal Caribbean will release the 2011 Alaska material on Mar 22 and Celebrity the same week. Princess should releaase theirs soon. Those are the lines I would look at especailly for those wanting the cruisetour option. Great tour programs! Costs will be lower for the May/ Sept sailings. Last time I went it was in July and we never had a day when we were not pretty well bundled up due to the chill/cold but weather there can always be a toss up.

You will also find that costs tend to be higher on South bound sailings, with or without the tour. The tours are very busy so taking the cruise afterwards gives you a chance to wind down and relax before going home to the rat race.

Here it is March 25 and no prices...Man I'm jones'en... I waiting, I need to get 32 people to agree on a sailing

Originally Posted by Spence

Here it is March 25 and no prices...Man I'm jones'en... I waiting, I need to get 32 people to agree on a sailing

Now it's April 6th and still no prices

Is Royal Caribbean not cruising to Alaska next year?
I'm trying to be loyal to RC, but other cruise lines have post their prices and I
may have to go with somebody else.

I've got clients waiting to book next year as well and everyone else has released their prices with the exception of Princess and Royal Caribbean, which hopefully will be released soon.

One thing you can do is to look at what is being offered this year as far as itineraries, ships, sail dates, pricing, etc. This will give you a very good idea of what will be offered next year. While the prices will be a little higher, for the most part everything else will be very similar. This will help you narrow down the multitude of choices now so when the prices are finally posted, you'll be ready to book.

Pete

Hi Spence! So happy you're back!

I've sent your some "Welcome Back Frubals"!