> I am thinking about an Alaskan cruise for my husband's birthday. The
> plan is to leave from Seattle.
No Seattle round trip uses all of the Inside passage, they spend a day or
more 'at sea'. Leave from Vancouver if you want to enjoy the most
wonderful, placid experience of a true 'Inside Passage' transit. You have
to search a little, but there are wonderful round trips out of Vancouver.
(ex: HAL)
> I would be interested to hear your thoughts on who the best cruiseline
> for this trip would be and which type of room is best for an Alaskan
> cruise.
Princess (no round trips), or HAL, hands down. They have been in the Alaska
cruise business longer than anyone. Both have permits for Glacier Bay
(Royal Caribbean and Celebrity do not).
Book a suite, a balcony or oceanview, in that order.
> Are there other things a newbie might want to know about an Alaskan
> cruise?
There are no "deals" or last minute bookings for Alaska. It is so popular
that the ships sail full....and are booked well ahead of time.
> I haven't decided the time of year to go. When is best? I have noticed
> that July and August are more expensive. Is this due to better weather
> and peak season?
Prices are high in 'high' season for a reason. Mainly the best weather. I
recommend late July or anything in August. Bite the bullet. You won't be
sorry. Having said that, with global warming, a really late August or really
early September might be a good second choice.
> I appreciate any help and advice offered.
Any Alaska trip will give you a lifetime of memories. There is little that
you can do that would be 'wrong'. I would suggest that you research as much
as possible, including all options.
We were on the Diamond Princess this last August (2007), 7 days, one-way
northbound out of Vancouver. We saw whales, bald eagles, whales, dolphin,
whales, otters, whales, glaciers,whales, mountains, beautiful scenery,
grizzlies, moose, caribou, and wonderful places. When we left the ship in
Whittier, we boarded a train that took us to 2 nights in Denali and then
another night at the McKinley Princess lodge in country that is largely wild
and unspoiled. (well, we did have color TV in our rooms) This is what the
cruise lines call a Cruisetour. They are not cheap, but if you can only go
once, go for the gold!! Interesting fact, most of the 'balcony' rooms on
the ship were occupied by folks who were also doing the 'land' portion of
the trip. Princess finally brought us back to the Anchorage Hilton and
provided transportation to the airport for our return home.
Personally, I did not get enough of Alaska (danger, danger!!). Someday, not
next year, but someday, we will go again. Our cruise was like an
appetizer....now we want more!
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