Alaska Cruise

[snowrider]

Anyone is interested in taking a cruise trip to Alaska next year? I
am thinking about getting more friends to go together like last time
we went to South Caribbean.

[snowrider]

A lots of people expressed their interest of joining this Alaska
trip. I did some research the past few days about the trip. We first
need to determine the traval dates and then find the cruiseship that
fits our needs. Once we decide the dates and ship, we need to make
reservation right away - with a small deposit. Almost all cruise
lines have the policy of canceling before 3 months without penalty.
The thing is that a stateroom takes at least two. If you are a
single, you need to find a partner to share a room with you.

How much it would cost totally for the trip? There are serveral ways
of arranging the trip. Pre-cruise, post-cruise, one way, round trip,
# of nights, the types of rooms, and the types of cruise ships. The
total cost (everything) ranges from $3,000 to $4/5/6,000... per
person.

The travel dates - I am thinking about avoiding summer break when the
cruise fare is the most expensive. Therefore, the travel dates will
be mid-May, end-August, or early-Septemer. Please let me know how you
think.

Note - So far we have at least 10 people are going!

[Devilsponge]

I did my trip this year with NCL Jewel in May. I think they do weekly trip from Seattle. As it was the early season, the fare was cheap, 800 all inclusive. the ship leaves dock at 4p so you can fly in early morning. on the way back it docks at around 9 or 10, so if your flight is 12 you should be able to make it but booking at 2p will be plenty of time.

[snowrider]

Thanks for sharing the information! $800 all inclusive is a very good
price for 7-day cruise. Did it also include the gratuity (service
charge)? I'll need to take a look the NCL website. BTW, is the
temperature in May there still cold or mild?

I am wondering if I want to take pre-cruise trip to Victoria in
Vancouver and post-cruise trip to Denali. If I skip Victoria, I can
still visit there next time when I ski Whistler. However, I don't
know if I will go back to Alaska again if I miss out Denali.

[Devilsponge]

800 including tips (I think) but not airfare. it was a triple room though. I think it was pretty mild, low to mid 10s. There is one tirp from Vancouver, so if you want to visit around, that could be your starting point at the end of the pre cruise trip. it is a nice city. I am not sure about Denali.

[snowrider]

I am done with the research! This trip will be a once-in-a-lifetime
trip! It will include:
1. 7 nights at sea cruise focusing on glacier watch.
2. 3 nights post-cruise tour to Denali National Park in glass train,
and...
3. Aurora (northern light) seeing in Fairbanks.
We have 10 people going. I'll book the trip tonight.

[snowrider]

Plan update:

The trip will consist of:
1. Pre-cruise tour - Vancouver 1 night.
2. Cruise - At sea focusing on glacier seeing for 7 nights.
3. Post-cruise tour - Anchorage 1 night.
4. Post-cruise tour - Glass-domed train to Denali National Park and
tours, for 2 nights.
5. Post-cruise tour - Glass-domed train to Fairbanks for aurora
(northern light) seeing and tours, for 2 nights.

You don't have to take the whole trip, for the pre-/post-cruise tours
are optional. We will have a great opportunity to see northern light
in this trip along the way or in Fairbanks because:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Northern_Lights
According to WikiTravel, 2013 will be the year having the maximum
solar activity in its 11-year cycle. IMHO, if you miss it, your next
best opportunity will be another 11 years.

[CHAMONIX]

Can I join for the post-tour portion? Meet you guya at Anchroage?

When is the trip?

 

On Saturday, September 15, 2012 2:47:40 PM UTC-4, snowrider wrote:

[snowrider]

Welcome! I'll add you to this trip's mailing list.

[snowrider]

Q&A:

Q - Can we see Aurora at the end of August at Fairbank?
The "Northern Lights", at their most dazzling from December to March
when nights are longest and the sky darkest, can usually be seen even
as far south as Juneau.
But it is very cold during those months.

A - Yes, I agree with you that the best time to see Aurora is mid
winter, while there will be nothing else to visit/see and nothing else
to do at that time. Why is this trip so special? It combines in one
trip everything that you can do and you want to do in Alaska. If you
go there in June and July, you won't be able to see aurora. If yo go
there in a full moon night, you won't see aurora. I have checked the
moon phase schedule and found the best shot is the time of this tour!
I even called some Alasaka's tour companies and confirmed that we
would have a great opportunity to see the aurora because of the total
days that we cover there. One more important thing is that next year
is the best year (11-year cycle) to see aurora.

[snowrider]

Plan update:

 

1. Pre-cruise tour - Vancouver/Victoria 1 night.
- Victoria, Butchart Gardens

 

2. Cruise - At sea focusing on glacier seeing for 7 nights.

- Cruise Ports:  Vancouver, Inside Passage, Ketchikan, Icy Strait, Juneau, Skagway, Hubbard Glacier, Seward

             

 

 

3. Post-cruise tour - Anchorage 1 night.

- Seward, Anchorage, Alyeska Mountain Tram

  

 

4. Post-cruise tour - Glass-domed train to Denali National Park and tours, for 2 nights.

- Mount McKinley, Denali NP

         

 

5. Post-cruise tour - Glass-domed train to Fairbanks, for 2 nights.
- Alaska Riverboat Discovery, Chena Hot Springs, aurora (northern light) seeing

   

 

[snowrider]

I talked to AlaskaTours.com and got a discounted price for the post-cruise tour package.  The upgraded package for "Greatland Discoverer Tour - 160CTA" normally costs $1169 per person.  Now they offer our group for $1129 per person.  That price is for 4-night package.  If you want to add one more night in Fairbanks (like we do), the price is $1224 per person.  If you also want to add a riverboat tour (like we do), the total price is $1284 per person.  Please contact Melinda Jones (907-272-8687 or 907-277-3000) and reference my name when you make the reservation in order to get the discount.

 

Tour information update:

 

====== Alaska Pre-Cruise Tour (1 Nights) ======
08/29/2013 Butchart Gardens, Victoria

 

====== Celebrity Cruises :: Celebrity Millennium (7 Nights Vancouver - Seward) ======

08/30/2013 Vancouver -- 4:30 PM
08/31/2013 Cruise Inside Passage -- --
09/01/2013 Ketchikan 7:00 AM 3:00 PM
09/02/2013 Icy Strait 8:00 AM 6:00 PM
09/03/2013 Juneau 7:00 AM 8:30 PM
09/04/2013 Skagway 7:00 AM 4:00 PM
09/05/2013 Hubbard Glacier 7:00 AM 11:00 AM
09/06/2013 Seward 5:00 AM --

====== Disembark Date ======

09/06/2013 TBD

 

====== Alaska Post-Cruise Tour (4 + 1 Nights) ======

http://www.alaskatours.com/alaska_railroad_packages/greatland_discoverer.htm#
09/06/2013 Anchorage Arrival
- Sheraton Anchorage Hotel
09/07/2013 Anchorage to Denali by Rail
- Dome Rail Car (McKinley Explorer or Midnight Sun Express)
- Grande Denali Lodge
09/08/2013 Denali National Park
- Tundra Wilderness/Teklanika Tour
- Grande Denali Lodge
09/09/2013 Denali to Fairbanks by Rail
- Dome Rail Car (McKinley Explorer or Midnight Sun Express)
- Pike's Waterfront Lodge
09/10/2013 Chena River on the Riverboat Discovery
- Sternwheeler Riverboat
- Pike's Waterfront Lodge
09/11/2013 Fairbanks Departure

[snowrider]

I forgot to mention that this discount would be valid only thru 12/31, so please book your package ASAP if you are planning to join the trip together.

[snowrider]

Today's bing.com photo is an aurora video - amazing!  That is what we are looking to watch in Fairbanks!

 

[snowrider]

這次 trip 的最大收獲是在 Alaska 的 Fairbanks 捕捉到的畫面 ...
北極光與北斗七星的合影