Have done 2 cruises to Alaska from Vancouver. Am considering one out of Seattle. Can anyone advise the advantages to leaving from Seattle over Vancouver? Is the trip much rougher?
Thanks for any input. Still in the talking-about-it stage, not sure of dates or itineraries.
Have done 2 cruises to Alaska from Vancouver. Am considering one out of Seattle. Can anyone advise the advantages to leaving from Seattle over Vancouver? Is the trip much rougher?
If you are going to do a round trip itinerary, it's pretty much "six of one or a half dozen of the other."
But the real problem with cruising from Seattle is that you are stuck with a "round trip" itinerary that never gets as far as Anchorage, which is the gateway to Alaska's interior and the main part of the state.
>> Anchorage is a magnificent city with an imminently walkable downtown area. There's one street festival or another and an open air market practically every weekend in the summer, and there's also a lot to see right in the downtown area.
>> If you rent a car, there are several great day trips that you can do from Anchorage. To the south, it's quite easy to go to the Mount Alyeska Resort, and you also can take a day cruise to College Fjord from Whittier. Heading northward, you also can drive to Talkeetna and back where a scenic overlook offers spectacular views of the world's tallest mountain on a clear day (but be sure to check the forecast for the valley before setting out on this trek, as the view is lacking if it's foggy!).
>> And if you have more time, you can spend a couple nights in the port of Seward or head north to Denali National Park and Fairbanks, opting either to drive if you have a rental car or to take the Alaska Railroad. (I strongly recommend reserving overnight accommodations in advance, as the summer is the peak season and it's a long way to the next destination if you run into "no vacancy" signs.)
BTW, most of the major alrines treat an "open jaw" itinerary as a round trip for fare purposes. Thus, there's no penalty for flying to Vancouver and returning from either Anchorage or Fairbanks, or vice versa.
I would recommend a cruise out of Vancouver over one out of Seattle. The cruise from Seattle tends to be farther from shore and prone to more wave action than the one out of Vancouver. On a cruise from Seattle you will spend more time at sea and less time in Alaska.
If time permits, There are several one way cruises that go to Glacier Bay National Park. If time permits take a one way cruise to or from Whittier and then spend some time on land in Alaska before or after your cruise. The advantage of sailing to Whittier is that you are a lot closer to Anchorage which is the main jumping off point for a land tour of Alaska.
Have a great cruise.
Debra
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I think you may be disappointed going out of Seattle like I was, after cruising from Vancouver...Yes, you can save $ by the airfare, but you can still fly into Seattle and go by land to Vancouver...Next time it will be Vancouver again, never Seattle, even though it was called inside, it was anything but....so far away from land, you may as well be in the middle of the ocean....JMHO.
Thank you all for your comments. It would be round-trip and 7 days. Lots to think about. Thought Seattle would be a nice change of pace for departure. It will be next year, so we can think and research.
Round trip Seattle cruises, 7 days, are the least scenic of the Alaska routings, with the roughest sailing potential. Some lines do sail inside Vancouver Island, this needs current verification however.
It is ALL about compromise, you CAN NOT get it all in a single trip. A bonus of Seattle, is HAL and Sitka itineraries, which is a superb port to consider.
I suggest, you do your homework, determine what YOUR priority is?? Research ports and glaciers. THEN look at the itineraries that will offer the best sailings for you.
looks like the common thread here is "one cannot do it 'all' " in one trip....darn I guess I will have to book multiple trips...oh the dread of having to do more than one or two cruises to see everything!!!???
Alaska cruise from Seattle
A bonus of Seattle, is HAL and Sitka itineraries, which is a superb port to consider.
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