Alaska Cruise out of Seattle?

Question

So I'm trying to book a 6-8 day cruise cruise out of Seattle to Alaska for a group of six people (4 people ages 20-25, and 2 people ages 49-52) just had a few questions (currently working with different travel agents for options but just wanted to get more opinions):

1) suggested cruise line for our budget (around 2,000 per person) and age group..any cruise lines that may have family suites that could possibly hold all six (rather than just 4)?
2) What's the best area of alaska to cruise if we want to see glaciers, whales, etc...(i.e. inside passage?)
3) How will the weather be in the first week of July as opposed to the first week of August?
4) Any must do's / must sees on an alaska cruise?
5) for those who did this cruise and had a balcony, i heard most people don't use them at all, because it's pretty cold..is that true? (I live in Seattle so i'm used to Seattle weather).
6) any additional info, recommendations, questions?

Answer 1

First of all, I cruise ALOT - 3-4 times a year! So, I'm speaking from experience. We cruised to Alaska in April 2002, and that was the first cruise of the season. It was chilly and crisp, but not freezing. We're taking another Alaska trip in mid September, and we expect it to be much warmer. Now, I'll answer your questions.

1. $2,000 per person is MUCH more than you'll need to spend on a cruise. We booked ours from Celebrity and I paid $869 for an outside cabin w/o balcony. If you had a balcony it would have been about $1300. Be sure you budget for tips (10 pp per day), day trips, liquor, and the casino. The family suites tend to go quick, and they're pretty pricey. Your best bet would be to get two ccabins right next to each other. This gives you more space, plus an extra bathroom (you'll need it). They give you a nice price break for the 3rd and 4th passenger in the room. Most cabins have a maximum of 4 passengers per room.

2. I'd go with Inside Passage - but you'll see glaciers and whales on any of the Alaska cruises.

3. The weather in July vs August is basicly the same. July Highs 65; Lows 52, and August Highs 63, Lows 49 (according to Yahoo weather)

4. Don't miss the train ride in Skagway! Don't miss the trek to Mendalson Glacier! Don't miss Glacier Bay!

5. If I could afford a balcony, I would do it! It's not that cold in July and August! You will see a lot more whales, and really see a whole lot more glaciers sitting out on your balcony (even if you're covered up in a blanket). One idea is to get one of rooms with a balcony...and the other one without.

More of the round trip cruises from Seattle are Holland America. But, get onto Yahoo travel and you'll get a lot more information.

Have fun!

Answer 2

1) suggested cruise line for our budget (around 2,000 per person) and age group..any cruise lines that may have family suites that could possibly hold all six (rather than just 4)? I would go with Princess or Celebrity. I think Celebrity may be out of the budget, but NCL is not worth the money. 2) What's the best area of alaska to cruise if we want to see glaciers, whales, etc...(i.e. inside passage?) You don't need inside passage, plus you most likely will not get that out of Seattle. It's better to leave from Vancouver for that, but Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Ketchikan are good to see. 3) How will the weather be in the first week of July as opposed to the first week of August? Much warmer. It's always gold near the glaciers, but it's much warmer and less rain. 4) Any must do's / must sees on an alaska cruise? Umm...Glacier walks, Dog sleding camps, Heli rides, sport fishing. 5) for those who did this cruise and had a balcony, i heard most people don't use them at all, because it's pretty cold..is that true? (I live in Seattle so i'm used to Seattle weather). Since you live here and you know the weather, it is pretty much the same weather in AK, but say 5 - 10 degree cooler in the glacier areas. Balconies are ok and fun in warm destinations, but weather it is cold outside or not you don't use it that much. 6) any additional info, recommendations, questions? Have fun!

Answer 3

I did a lot of research, mostly by asking for brochures from all the big companies. I chose Holland America, because they has a "round trip" cruise, where we left from and returned to Seattle without having to fly.

We went in August and it was fine. By the way, I'm used to the Seattle weather too. We had an inside cabin, so I can't speak specifically to the issue of a balcony.

I started my research at this website:
http://www.cruisealaska.com/

Happy cruising!

Answer 4

We went out of Seattle on the inside passage. We particularly wanted to see Sitka since our son had died there as a member of the USCG. It was cold out on the decks of the ship and this was in May. There were many magnificent sites to see from the ship as we traveled. Sitka was a great place to see and it was a stop over for the ship. It was cold for an old southern boy.

Answer 5

try
http://www.cruisealaska.com/

it's a great site and should give you lots of information