Thread: Alaska Cruise 2011

Hello, I am searching for info on an Alaska Cruise. any and all info will be great!
Current plans are for May 2011, there will be only be 2 of us. The only thing I know for sure about the ship is we will want a balcony. Retiring this year so can travel anytime! FINALLY! LOL I have read many reviews and everytime I think thats a good cruise line I read another review saying negative things. We will prob fly to Seattle or Vancover, not sure yet so if anyone has a good cruise line and even the cabin # to suggest I will appreciate it.

Hi, Samantha. Welcome to CLF!

I am looking up some info now, so stick around.

Alright I think I might have found one...

Sapphire Princess
7 Nights Roundtrip from Seattle

The price of a balcony is $1,174, and it leaves May 15 2011.

You have to look at the negative reviews with a critical eye. Often the people have had a truly horrible experience, and it seems like the hand of fate has handed them all sorts of problems on that trip, from late flights, lost luggage, room stewards that seem non-existent, etc. But you have to weigh if their outlook on the cruise itself is jaded from the cumulative effect of bad experiences. If they only had to deal with the room steward issue, would they have enjoyed the trip? If you had the chance to interview the other 2,000 passengers on the ship, would they have the same opinion?

Other times they have an axe to grind, and exaggerate the reaction of crew, etc.

We have cruised quite a few times, 4 on Disney, 4 or 5 times on Princess, and once on NCL. We had great service, wonderful room stewards, good service in dining rooms, etc. We have also had to ask for a room steward to attend to something he should have done automatically, dealt with a misunderstanding over an excursion, and ran into some folks that were out of sorts that particular day. But on balance, each and every cruise has been wonderfully enjoyable. We are anticipating the same on our upcoming cruise.

Alaska! We cruised Alaska on Princess, and are going again on Disney next year. A balcony room is a must, in my opinion, because there is so much scenery during even your time "at sea". An itinerary that includes Glacier Bay is probably better than one that just goes to Tracey Arm Fjord, but I've heard both are beautiful (we went to Glacier Bay, and saw the glacier calving, which is not to be missed!)

Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the lines cruising Alaska. If you don't have strong preferences already, the minor differences "cruise veterans" sometimes argue about will probably not matter to you. Plan to be delighted!

Originally Posted by SamanthaH

Hello, I am searching for info on an Alaska Cruise. any and all info will be great!
Current plans are for May 2011, there will be only be 2 of us. The only thing I know for sure about the ship is we will want a balcony. Retiring this year so can travel anytime! FINALLY! LOL I have read many reviews and everytime I think thats a good cruise line I read another review saying negative things. We will prob fly to Seattle or Vancover, not sure yet so if anyone has a good cruise line and even the cabin # to suggest I will appreciate it.

OK make sure you have your passport... for the best options open jaw cruises require a passport..There are some outstanding deals right now with all the cruise-lines ..if you would like to contact me via my signature I would be glad to look into specific options for you...

Joseph

We have cruised to Alaska with Princess, Holland America, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and another line that is out of business. We enjoyed all of them! All of the lines cruising Alaska are good. There are some differences and that is why it is good to use an experienced travel agent to find the bust fit for you. Many people selling cruising have little actual cruise experience, particularly those answering the phone at the cruise line call centers.

I can tell you that cruising out of Seattle is easier than out of Vancouver unless you live somewhere that has decent air connections to Vancouver.

wow! Quick and to the point, just what I needed to know. Those of you who have cruised a lot=== one more question, are the balcony staterooms on all ships about the same size? When we crusised on the Carnival line we were upgraded to a penthouse suite ( it was nice and very large). I doubt luck would smile on us another time. I also have read that some balcony's are not private and can be seen from above, how do I know when I am booking which is which.? Thank you again! Sam

Samantha,

Sizes of balcony rooms vary depending on the cruise line, Carnival's stateroom are said to be larger than Royal Caribbean's, and Disney's are said to be larger than Carnival. I'm guessing it's the same for balcony rooms, so the sizes depend on the cruise line you are choosing.

Adding on to the previous post I made:

It is true, some balcony staterooms can be seen from above, and in some cases, below. I believe Coral Princess and Island Princess have cabins that extend from the others, and can be seen from above. And when booking, to know where your cabin is exactly, your best bet is to look at the deck plans and maybe photos of the cabin you are looking at.

Curtis

There is really a lot to consider regarding Alaska. Go for itinerary over ship. Cruising out of Seattle gives you possibly a choppier ride and shorter days in port. Cruising out of Vancouver usually smoother sailing and a little more time in port. For the most time in port and the most scenery go for a one way cruise and add a land portion.

There are three basic itineraries for Alaska. Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier and Tracy Arm. You need to decide which one you want to see the most then look at ships that do those itineraries, otherwise you will be overwhelmed by all the options.