Alaska- Sapphire princess or statendam HAL
 

Author: insearchofheaven
Date: 06/17/2007, 03:12 pm

Hi..Thanks to all the help on the forum.(special thanks to Budgetqueen)I am in final stages of booking my cruise...got the flight booked tody..

Now the choice is either
1)take HAL statendam from seward to vancouver and have 2 days in alaska(reaching at night in anchorage on Friday night and take the cruise from Seward on Sunday night ) OR

2) Take the Sapphire princess from whittier to Vancouver( have only 1 day in alaska,reaching friday night and taking the cruise Saturday night)

Both have College Fjord and Glacier Bay in itinerary...the differ is HAL goes to haines and Sapphire princess goes to Skagway..

Also the cruise population..HAL is known to cater to older population..will we feel out of place (31 and 34)..we are not really party ppl but like good shows etc..

I feel that with 2 days I might be able to do a train trip to Talkeetna or go to seward which might be difficult in one day..

Plz advise
Thanks

For what it's worth, we disliked Sapphire Princess very much. The anytime dining was filled from 5:30 to 8:30, so you had to eat either before 5:30 or after 8:30 every nite. The ship was crowded to death. Felt like one of a very large herd of cattle. At every turn, someone was trying to take your picture or sell you something. Ship was huge & it took forever to get anywhere. Heaven help you if you forgot something in your cabin! Took us a couple years to get the courage to cruise again. This time we're going on HAL.

HAL gives you far more. Frankly, both demographics are going to be middle aged and above.

With the Sunday cruise, you do have time for a car rental and Talkeetna drive. Plenty of other sighseeing potential along the way too. Next day, then train to Seward and consider a Kenai Fjords boat tour that leaves at 11:30pm. www.kenaifjords.com shuttles you, stores your luggage. Far Far superior all the way around for close up glacier look and varied wildlife. A do not miss. :)

I'm tagging on to this post because I'm trying make the exact same decision. Should I book HAL Statendam or Sapphire Princess. The key consideration for me is how good the ship stabilizer system is because my wife is quite susceptible to sea sickness.

My initial thought was the sapphire being a newer ship would have better equipment. Does anyone have experience with Statendam in this regard.

Hi BQ..thanks for the reply...
Unfortunately by the time I got the reply..the HAL was full..looks like somebody else was making the same decision..anyhow Now I made the reservations with sapphire princess..
Leaving 23 june from whittier to vancouver cruising both college Fjord and Glacier bay

And obviously now have a difficulty finding transfer from seward to whittier after finishing my kenai fjord tour at 5:30(I will take alaska railroad from anchorage to seward from 6:45 to 11:00 and then do the kenai tour..)

the ship departs at 9:30 ,to finish boarding by 8 pm..There is no train/bus that comes from weard o whittier that evening ...so am in afix..

The only option is to forget the kenai tour...and just go to whittier directly and take the Prince william sund tour or 26 glacier tour from whitier..

could you plz tell me the difference between kenai fjord tour and other tours from whitier..

thanks
Rishi

Sorry, you will have to leave Seward for another trip. You can not make the transfer- Seward/Whittier in time to get on your ship.

I suggest you take the Alaska RR to Whittier, and take a glacier cruise of Prince William sound. Excellent close up scenic glacier viewing.