B2B AK cruise....

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Karry

Guest
I am going nuts...I really have NO IDEA what to do for the AK cruise that we really want to go on....the only thing I am certain of is that we will *probably* (did I say certain! =headscratch) go on CCL Spirit. We love the ship and we get a very good deal with military discount and we have our "own aft wraparound balcony cabin. :) I WANT to go to Glacier Bay...I have just read too much about it to NOT go there. Spirit does the RT there in May and Sept. Can't go in May and I have too many bbq's to host to go over Labor Day :dizzy So I figured 9/9/09. Lucky # cruise...Then I kept thinking and thinking (DH hides when I tell him I am *thinking!*) and I figured, heck, we are flying ALL THE WAY OUT THERE to go for a ONE WEEK VACATION? We are "not really interested" in a land portion. Have read so many great things about this (Denali, etc) but we really are CRUISERS and just want to be on a ship to see what we see. So I thought, the heck with it, I'll leave hamburgers and hot dogs and salads in the fridge for the bbq'ers and we'll do a B2B, 9/2-9/9 and 9/9-9/16 :idea. But THEN....I figured if we're not going to be here for Labor Day anyway...why not do 8/26 which is southbound with a different itin (Sitka, College Fjord, Prince Wm. Sound, Lynn Canal would replace Skagway and Glacier Bay) stay on the ship in Vancouver and do the RT 9/2-9/9???
I have no idea how far Vancouver airport is from terminal, but thought it would be fun to stay there 1-2 days pre cruise. Now we would have to fly to Anchorage and "find our way" to Whittier and the ship. I am very spoiled and used to leaving from my house and being at a cruise terminal in 20 minutes. So I am kind of "agonizing" about flying to Anchorage. But if you twist my arm...again, there wouldn't be ANY TIME to do land excursions if we did the B2B. To make a long story short (=cuckoo-now you see what DH has to put up with :lol) does anyone have any thoughts about this? I am hoping bseaBob answers cuz he is the only one I trust on here :lol If Suer reads this she is going to say HUH? What R U talking about. Jetblue will offer me blue potato chips if he can trial run this! We will be in debt for a long time since we are already triple stacked, but this is something that has really got me going. I just want to make sure I am doing the "right thing." A friend told me I should do a north/south or south/north bound B2B, but for some reason Glacier Bay is just "calling me" and I just can't seem to shake my instincts! The cruise is a long way off, but I want to book it NOW because I want "my cabin." And I am one of those nauseating people who believe "you have only one life to live" so I want to cruise AK sooner rather than later. Thoughts/comments/information? Straight jacket???
 
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BSeabob

Guest
Huh !! :)

#1. Do do a post/pre Vancouver. Everyone loves our area and you should be no different.

#2. Don't get hung up on Glacier bay. Yes it's great but so are the other options and weather and ice conditions play on this so much that you can be disappointed regardless of who you cruise with or which glacier you visit. Your timing of late August or early Sept should put you at peak time for success.

#3. The airport is a 30-50 min ride away from downtown Vancouver and both terminals. Most ships use Canada Place some use Ballantyne. Think same hotels for both as Ballantyne is industrial area although it's actually not that far from Canada Place.

#4. I can feel your pain about getting aboard and flying. We do that of course when we go south. AK is our easy button. We are off again this summer in late August.

Hey enjoy your planning and if I can help with anything give me a shout.
 
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Karry

Guest
Thanks for the info. Unfortunately "this trip" we will be leaving from Whittier, so our pre cruise would have to be "around" Anchorage. Someone suggested at least a day in Seward. Have you ever been? After the cruise we would have to fly home, so that means we can't spend post cruise time in Vancouver. The 2nd part of the B2B doesn't leave from Vancouver until 5:30, so I would like to get off the ship and find some things to do there that day. Another idea I was toying with was to go to Whittier very early the day of the cruise and do the PWS cruise tour on our own. Supposedly they will take care of your bags. The ship doesn't leave until 9pm. We cruise PWS, but this is more up close and personal :) Just so many things to think about!!!
 
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BSeabob

Guest
Ok I see. You will be treating Vancouver as a Port day and then going back North right? If the weather is nice you will be able to get to quite a few places in that time period.

We have never done the one way trips so have never been to Whittier. Not sure what you mean by the PWS tour.
 
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Karry

Guest
BSeabob, PWS is Prince William Sound. We cruise it, but the "experts" say it's best viewed on a private excursion, small boat. First part of the trip: Whittier, Cruise Prince Wm. Sound, Cruise College Fjord, Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, cruise Lynn Canal, Ketchikan, cruise inside passage, Vancouver. Stay on the ship in Vancouver, leave 5:30 (so time to see Vancouver :thumb) inside passage, Juneau, Glacier Bay, Skagway, Ketchikan, inside passage, Vancouver. Depending on what our airline schedule is, we could always do some things in Vancouver the day we leave also, but have to worry about the dang luggage....=shrug
 
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BSeabob

Guest
Ah now I got it figured out. A one way with a Inside thrown in as the B2B. A Little slow up here the weather still hasn't gotten me warmed up just yet. Sounds like a grreat trip. Like said I have never done the one way so havne't really been "North" Skagway and those other places are just even with Northern BC so there's lot of space above that where I haven't been yet. I don't like flying enough to go al the way but likely will do it someday..... or maybe a B2B and something like your doing/

Let me know when you get down to some serious plannng and I hope I can help you out..

Bob
 
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Karry

Guest
Just booked :thumb :thumb :grin I'll have to work on a countdown clock now! X(
 
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wave runner

Guest
[quote Karry]Just booked :thumb :thumb :grin I'll have to work on a countdown clock now! X([/quote]

Karry: You are in for a great cruise!!!!! I think you were very wise to book a cruise that does go to Glacier Bay. Last year many of the other glaciers were blocked by ice in the water. Last year many ships could not get near Hubbard Glacier until July. Glacier Bay is the highlight of any cruise to Alaska. Hope you will post a review when you return.

Have a great cruise.
 
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