Alaska in May 09
Mar 7th, 2009, 02:21 AM
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Alaska in May 09
Our group of 6 friends intends to fly in to either Seattle or Vancouver and to board a return cruise to Alaska. Can someone advise us the length and line o take? We are Singaporeans. After which we will spend 3 to 5 days seeing the city!
Mar 7th, 2009, 02:30 AM
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No recommendation on the cruise line (we went on the Alaska Ferry) but you should research Alaska on this board to see how others have planned their after-cruise itinerary. 3 days is probably too much for Anchorage but too little if you want to see a little more such as an overnight or two in Seward and all the beautiful scenery between Anchorage and Seward.
Mar 7th, 2009, 02:47 AM
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I am not sure I completely understand your question, but I will try to answer. Alaska cruises are of 2 types - either round-trip where you return to the same city you left from or one-way. Cruises take 6-10 days usually.
Princess and Holland America are 2 popular cruiselines to Alaska. (Princess.com or HAL.com). We took a one-way cruise in June 2009 from Whittier, Alaska (near Anchorage) to Vancouver. We flew into Anchorage, spent about a week on-land in Alaska in a car, and then took the 7 day cruise.
Do you plan on spending extra time before or after the cruise on-land in Alaska? If so, then obviously you want a one-way cruise.
I hope that give you a start in your planning.
Princess and Holland America are 2 popular cruiselines to Alaska. (Princess.com or HAL.com). We took a one-way cruise in June 2009 from Whittier, Alaska (near Anchorage) to Vancouver. We flew into Anchorage, spent about a week on-land in Alaska in a car, and then took the 7 day cruise.
Do you plan on spending extra time before or after the cruise on-land in Alaska? If so, then obviously you want a one-way cruise.
I hope that give you a start in your planning.
Mar 7th, 2009, 06:14 AM
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If you are looking for an Alaska cruise they are about all 7 days, except Princess has one ship sailing 14. Flying in either city will get you on Alaska ships, it's simple to get between the two, if needed. Find out which has the most convenient flights and cost perhaps??
Mar 7th, 2009, 06:16 AM
#5
If you're deciding on which city to visit, you should be advised that return ("round trip") cruises from Seattle travel on the Pacific side of Vancouver and other islands in one direction (typically on the northbound portion) thus exposing the ships to heavier seas and not much if any scenery. Cruises originating in Vancouver transit the "Inside Passage" - the channels between Vancouver and other islands and the mainland - in both directions, making for a smoother and more scenic itinerary.
As for which city to spend time in, both are extremely attractive cities, and you can spend all 3 or 5 days touring either. Do a search on Seattle on this board, or Vancouver on the Canada board, and sort through the many posts regarding highlights of both.
If you can come a day or two before the cruise, then 3-5 days after, I'd see if you could spend some time in both cities. There is easy and relatively inexpensive transportation (road, rail, air) between Seattle and Vancouver.
Alternatively, you might consider taking a one-way cruise from Vancouver to Seward or Whittier, Alaska (near Anchorage) and then flying one-way back to Seattle, which will be considerably cheaper than one-way to Vancouver. That way you could visit Vancouver before the cruise, enjoy the Inside Passage northbound, see more of Alaska (rather than re-tracing your steps in a round-trip cruise) and then enjoy Seattle after.
As for which city to spend time in, both are extremely attractive cities, and you can spend all 3 or 5 days touring either. Do a search on Seattle on this board, or Vancouver on the Canada board, and sort through the many posts regarding highlights of both.
If you can come a day or two before the cruise, then 3-5 days after, I'd see if you could spend some time in both cities. There is easy and relatively inexpensive transportation (road, rail, air) between Seattle and Vancouver.
Alternatively, you might consider taking a one-way cruise from Vancouver to Seward or Whittier, Alaska (near Anchorage) and then flying one-way back to Seattle, which will be considerably cheaper than one-way to Vancouver. That way you could visit Vancouver before the cruise, enjoy the Inside Passage northbound, see more of Alaska (rather than re-tracing your steps in a round-trip cruise) and then enjoy Seattle after.
