Conference abbott::cruise_travel

    Hi Jo Ann,
    
    I'll have more info for you later in August.  My wife and I will be
    taking our first Alaska cruise aboard the new Crystal Harmony on a
    twelve day San. Francisco/Alaska cruise.
    
    We looked into all the cruise offerings for Alaska.  The types of
    cruises as well as the prices vary widely and it can be a difficult
    choice to make.  When choosing any cruise consider the following...
    
    	1) Price
    	2) Itinerary
    	3) Type of ship (party vs. sophisticated)
    	4) Length of cruise
    	5) Small or large ship
    	6) Reputation of cruise line
    
    Hope this info helps.
    
    Joe
    

    I went on the Inside Passage cruise in July last year on the Holland
    line.  Everything about it was wonderful.  We paid about $950 each
    double occupancy.  Booked thru White Cruise Travel Service in Hartford.
    They saved us a lot of $.  If you want the tel. no., send me a note
    on regular E-Mail.  I seldom access the notes file - was just playing
    around for a couple minutes today and saw your note.
    
    Beth
    MODEL::FITZ
    

    I just returned from cruise of the Inside Passage with stops at Sitka,
    Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan on the Regent Sea.  It was my first
    cruise so I have no basis of comparison with other lines, but I was
    very pleased with the service on the ship.  The accomodations were
    larger than I expected in an inside cabin with two lowers. I figured
    two people wouldn't be able to walk around at the same time, and we
    could!
    
    The food was very good, (and you could have eaten all day long if that
    was what you wanted to do) entertainment was enjoyable and there were
    enough activities on the ship so on those days we were just cruising
    we were kept busy.
    
    The scenery along the Inside Passage is spectacular.  Alaska is truly a
    beautiful state.  
    
    I booked through Amex Travel and dealt with Marissa who was very
    helpful.
    
    

    My husband and I decided 'last minute' to book on the Rotterdam,
    leaving the first week in Sept (1990).  We booked an inside cabin for
    the Glacier route (Anchorage to Vancouver) and got a rate of $900 per
    person (plus the $89/per person port charge).  We booked through
    Crimson; per a call to Holland American directly, they wanted $1150 for
    the same cabin.
    
    We haven't gone on the cruise yet, but I've been avidly reading the
    Alaska and cruise notes files, looking for any and everything about the
    cruises. Hope this helps -
    
    

    Wanted to add a second note ... we just returned from our cruise in
    Alaska, and it was WONDERFUL!  My only comment was that I wish we had
    gone in August, as by September it was raining for most of the trip.
    
    However, in talking to folks on the cruise, it seemed as though very
    few people had paid the full list price.  Most had booked either months
    earlier or last minute (as we did) and received some sort of discount.
    The few folks that did book full price received little "extras", like a
    free night in Victoria.
    
    When we booked, we told the travel agent that we were honeymooners. 
    Of course, compared to many of the folks on the ship, we were ... some
    were married 30-40-50 years.  However, we were upgraded 2 levels, so 
    we ended up with a $1650 room.
    
    Just something to think about ... the folks who booked even earlier
    were upgraded even higher.  good luck!
    Robin

    Just want to get some feedback to this-I spoke with a travel agent a
    couple of weeks ago about a cruise from Vancouver all the way up to
    Anchorage,followed by 3 or 4 days of inland sightseeing which would
    include Danali National Park.Return would mean flying from Fairbanks
    back to Boston.The whole trip would be about 2 weeks and if we booked
    before 12/31,we could save about $800.Nevertheless,the tab would still
    come to about $5K.Does this seem out of line? Keep in mind,the price
    includes EVERYTHING even food when not  on the ship.We plan to go
    sometime in Summer,'91.
                           Jonathan

RE .6 --

>    Just want to get some feedback to this-I spoke with a travel agent a
>    couple of weeks ago about a cruise from Vancouver all the way up to
>    Anchorage,followed by 3 or 4 days of inland sightseeing which would
>    include Danali National Park.Return would mean flying from Fairbanks
>    back to Boston.The whole trip would be about 2 weeks and if we booked
>    before 12/31,we could save about $800.Nevertheless,the tab would still
>    come to about $5K.Does this seem out of line? Keep in mind,the price
>    includes EVERYTHING even food when not  on the ship.We plan to go
>    sometime in Summer,'91.

This is for 2 people, I assume?  If so, then no, it doesn't seem out of line,
at least not compared to what my S.O. and I paid for our Alaskan cruise/tour
last summer ('89, that is).  We paid at least $5,000 total, if I remember 
correctly; probably more, now that I think about it.  Ours did not include
food when we weren't on the ship, but otherwise the package sounds similar.
We flew Boston to Seattle, then Seattle to Anchorage (we stayed with friends
in Seattle for a couple days), stayed 2 nights in Anchorage, took a train from
Anchorage to Denali, stayed a night in Denali, took a train from Denali to
Fairbanks, stayed 2 nights in Fairbanks, flew from Fairbanks back to Anchorage,
took a bus from Anchorage to Seward, and then a week-long cruise from Seward
to Vancouver.  The total days of our tour package was 13.

Is the tour you mentioned with Westours/Holland America?

						-- Nina
  

    Nina-
    Don't have the details on the trip-specific cruise line,etc.yet but
    maybe I need to talk with you first.Are you still at ZKO? 
    Talk with you soon.
                              Best Regards,
                                    Jonathan

RE .8 - Hi, yes, I'm still at ZKO.  Feel free to call (DTN 381-2316) or send
mail to BOOKIE::EPPES.
						-- Nina

Hi,

3 friends and I are planning an Alaskan cruise for July 91.  We have narrowed it 
down to either Princess cruise lines, or Royal Caribbean.  The RCCL ship that
will be sailing Alaska is the Song of Norway.  This is a great ship, but the
problem is 3 of us sailed that one aleady to the Caribbean 2 years ago.  We'd kind
of like a diffrent ship.  The prices seem similar.  Has anyone sailed either of these
lines to Alaska (I think this is only RCCLs second year to Alaska)?  Will RCCLs
shipboard activities be the same as they were 2 years ago?  We don't want a repeat
of the same exact thing (as good as that was).  Any comments?  Thanks!

Sharon

Hi,

We did it.  We just booked a weeklong Alaskan cruise on Princess Cruise Line's
Dawn Princess.  We leave July 20, after a 3 day pre-cruise stay in Vancouver.
I can't wait.


Sharon

    Hi gang-
    Well,after much soul searching,my wife and i have taken THE BIG PLUNGE
    into cruise travel-doing great damage to our VISA balance in the
    process I might add! We booked onto a Princess 12 day cruise/inland 
    travel package:fly Boston to Seattle(4 days in Seattle visiting my
    brother)then fly Seattle to Anchorage,2 nights over there then the
    train to Denali,1 night there,on to Fairbanks,a night there,fly back to
    Anchorage to Whittier for debarkation,7 days on the ship ending up in
    Vancouver.We'll be doing all this the last 2 weeks in August and have
    saved $$$$ by A)booking early and B)traveling during the "Value Period"
    (early June,late August).
    WE CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Any suggestions???
                                   Jonathan

RE: .14

>    Any suggestions???

Yes, my experience in Alaska last summer tells me to encourage you to bring
lots more MONEY!  You think the trip has cost you, just wait until you book
a couple of shore excursions!

Even though it is expensive it is worth EVERY penny.  I can't wait to go again.

Joe

    Joe-
    What kind of onshore excursions? The only one I have in mind is the
    helicopter ride over Mendenhall Glacier when we drop anchor in Jeuneau.
    I figure that'll probably set us back by about $3-400.
                                 Cheers,
                                  Jonathan

Hi Johnatan (RE: .-1)

We did three excusions on our trip, each one was expensive in my book compared
to what you pay in the Caribbean.  I forget the exact prices but will try to get
that information for you.

The three we did, and I'd do them again were...

	1) Mendenhall glacier white water rafting (great fun)

	2) Zodiac boat wildlife tour in Sitka (fantastic, awe inspiring)

	3) Wrangle - Airplane ride over glaciers (my wife did this, I stayed in
             town and on the ship.  She tells me it was super.)

Like I said in my previous reply, it is worth every penny.

Joe

    I have been told that the plane/chopper rides over/onto the Mendenhall
    glacier are unreal although very expensive and not really too
    worthwhile if the weather's not great. On the otherhand, if you just
    want to see Juneau and the glacier and some of the surrounding
    landscape, your ship will no doubt offer some sort of excursion that
    includes that. I discovered that if I just went ashore and booked
    something off the dock, not only was it significantly cheaper, I got
    significantly more for my money (saw more of the city, surrounding
    towns + history, flora, fauna, etc). This is almost always true on
    any cruise, i.e., if you can do something on your own, you get more
    for your money than if you do one of the things organized by the
    cruise line. Unfortunately, its not always possible to know if you
    can arrange something on your own and you can wind up missing out
    altogether. Well, in Juneau, you can do on your own.
    

    
    My Husband and I are thinking about taking a cruise sometime in the
    June/July/August time frame.  We're trying to decide between a cruise
    to Alaska and a cruise to the Carribean.  We're leaning towards Alaska
    right now since we're more "sightseeing" type of people than "laying
    around the pool/beach" type of people.  So far we have gotten
    information on the Costa Cruise to Alaska.  I have read some not so
    favorable notes regaring the Costa Cruise line, but most of them are
    fairly old.  Does anyone have any new information?  I'm not sure which
    ship it is we'd be sailing.    
    
    Also, what is there to "do" on-board ship?  I know generally what there 
    is to do on a Carribean cruise....but nothing about the Alaska cruise.  
    
    Thanks for any information you can give.
    
    Patty Leone

I know people who recently did a Costa cruise from San Juan to the Southern 
Carribean.  They really enjoyed it and said that the food and service were
first rate.

For Alaska, however, please consider Holland America.  They have been doing 
Alaska for a long time and have the best land tours around.  The excursions they
offer are exciting and cover an incredible variety of activities.  (Besides,
the  Westerdam is one of the most beatiful ships I have ever been on!)

-jer

    The things you do on an Alaska cruise are pretty much the same as what
    you do on a Carribean cruise except for the shore excursions of course.
    All of the lines offer about the same shore excursions depending on the
    itinerary so its really the ports of call that should figure into your
    selection if the land part is the most important aspect of your choice.
    Otherwise, select a ship that you've heard good things about.
    
    Another thing that might influence your choice is its my personal
    belief that you don't see much of Alaska by taking a cruise that makes
    a round trip up and back in 7 days. I'd much rather opt for a longer
    cruise (10 days or 2 weeks) or one of the 7 day ones that cruises up
    one week and the back down the next. You can also consider combining
    whatever you choose with a land tour.
    
    I'd suggest you do your research in a hurry and book soon since 1)
    Alaska cruises fill up early, and 2) if you book in the next few days,
    you can get a fairly significant early booking discount.
    
    Just a few things to factor into your planning.

    I just got a brochure from our Travel Agent on the Princess Line Alaska
    Cruises.  They offer something like 30 cruise packages to Alaska.  Some
    were all Cruise itineraries (embarking and disembarking at all different
    locations) and others had a cruise and land package (river rafting,
    fishing, hiking etc. with a host or guide).  I haven't had time to sit
    down and digest all the options, but it looks like a wonderful trip.
    
    We have cruised three times in the Caribbean and we are looking forward
    to something different.  We hope to get a group together for the Summer
    of 1993, but who knows with the economy, etc.
    
    Keep us posted on what you decide to do.
    
    Pam
       
    
    

    About 4 years ago I took a 15 day Alaska cruise on the Explorer Line's
    SS Universe.  This is a small ship, only hold either 250 or 500
    passengers.  When it isn't sailing Alaska from June - Sept., it's a
    floating university in the Carribbean.  Because of the general use of
    the ship, it isn't like the larger cruise ships -- no casino, big floor
    shows, etc.  The cabins are adequate but nothing spectacular, but the
    cruise is one I'll never forget.  
    
    The activities director always had something going on.... bingo, dance
    lessons, etc. and the entertainment in the evening was top rate --
    Shirley Jones entertained on the second half of the trip.
    
    Because of the size of the ship we were able to go places that the
    others couldn't get to thru the Inland Passage, and most days, you
    didn't care what the activities were that were planned, you just wanted
    to stay on deck and watch the scenery.  The ship goes to ports that the
    others pass up and that was great too.... we visited Wrangell, Juneau,
    Skagway, Glacier Bay, Valdez, Whittier (with side trip to Anchorage
    available), Sitka, Ketchican, Victoria, etc.  For the money and the
    places we went, this was the best bargain we found.  The food was great
    and the officers and crew friendly and very eager to please.
    
    When my mom and I started looking at Alaska cruises we went to a couple
    of the "shows".  We had been looking at the cruise/rail/fly type
    cruises, but after talking to the people involved in selling them,
    decided that they weren't for us.  Because you "dress up" on the ship,
    you need one type of clothing for the days on board.  Then, when you
    board the buses or trains for the next part of the trip, you need other
    clothing.  Their suggestion was to take with you the clothes you need
    for the first part of the trip and ship those for the second to your
    "transfer point".  There, repack and ship home the clothing you'd
    already used.  This wasn't something we wanted to worry about, but they
    say that it's the only way to do it, so we scrapped those types of
    trips and found the SS Universe.  Their first two cruises and last two
    cruises of the season have had reduced fares and special entertainment,
    etc.  We booked in January and traveled the last week of May and first
    week of June. The weather was great although we did have a couple of
    days of rain here and there, but that didn't seem to bother anyone on
    board.
    
    Hope this helps you decide who to go with.....
    
    Pat
    

    I went on an Alaskan cruise quite a while back that I think was with
    Princess CL in which the cruise took us from Vancouver to Skagway stopping
    along the way in Juneau.  Then from Skagway we took a train to
    Whitehorse and from Whitehorse we took a motor coach (the driver
    insisted we didn't call it a bus because it had a bathroom in the
    back) to Fairbanks stopping at Mt. McKinley on the way.  From there or
    maybe it was Anchorage, we took a flight to the Pribilof Islands and
    back.  We returned by plane from Anchorage.
    
    I was just a kid then and I no longer have any of the literature so I
    can't give you anything in the way of details but it was a fun trip.
    I agree that you might get more out of a cruise/land/air package than
    just a cruise package.
    
    BTW: The Pribilof islands trip was really interesting.  There were lots
    of sea lions and cliff-dwelling birds there and the people there were
    really nice.  I don't think they have much tourism up there.  The plane
    ride over was on an old not-quite-refurbished army plane that landed
    on a very small airport on the island.
    
    
    	John
    

    My fianc�e and I will be cruising to Alaska on our honeymoon in August
    of this year.  We decided on the Holland America line (Rotterdam)
    sailing one-way to Alaska from Vancouver.
    
    I went crazy gathering info before I made a decision (including reading
    a lot of notes in this conference - thanks folks!), and, for what it's
    worth, I decided Holland America had what we wanted (hope I'm right ;-)
    
    I just wanted to reiterate a point that has already been made and that
    is the sail/land idea.  In my research, this was a recurring theme and
    everyone agreed that you should spend some time enjoying Alaska other
    than just the coastline (although that SS Universe sounds like you get
    to spend a lot of time in port, too!).
    
    We are going to tack on 4 days at the end of our cruise staying on the
    Kenai Peninsula.  This area is supposedly very beautiful with lots of
    outdoor activities, if that is your thing.
    
    Booking early saved us several hundred dollars, but I think you are
    rapidly running out of time to take advantage of this for the '92
    season.  While our travel agent was knowledgable on the various cruise
    lines, they were practical worthless when it came to the land options. 
    They got me a copy of the 1992 Alaska Guide and Vacation Planner and I
    went to work on the rest.  This book was very useful and it gave me the
    number for what I consider to be a very friendly and knowledgeable
    travel agency in Alaska - Homer Vacations & Conventions.  They took the
    time to listen to everything I wanted and came back with several
    options for me to choose from.  Don't know their number, but I could dig
    it up.  If you're interested, send me mail.
    
    After our cruise, I'll post a trip report in hopes of helping out
    others like the help I got here.
    
    Tom
      
                       

    
    I would like to thank you all for the great information. 
    Unfortunately, we're finding that we just can't afford Alaska right
    now.  Actually, we probably could if we just did the 7 day cruise...but
    I don't think 7 days would give it justice, plus we'd like to do, as
    most suggested, the sea/land trip and that just puts it out of our
    budget.   
    
    So, it looks like we'll probably be going to the Carribean.  But I've
    saved all these great notes for when we can afford Alaska.
    
    Thanks again!
    
    Patty