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Alaska: Trying to Decide Whether to Change My Sailing


Katy

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We are a family of four who are booked on Ovation of the Seas August 21, 2020. My two boys will be 15 and 13 at the time. Alaska has been on my bucket list since I was a kid. We have previously only cruised DCL, but decided to try Royal for Alaska because of the huge price differential and because my kids seemed to be aging out of DCL, although we all loved the service and enjoyed a lot of things about the line.  Our goal in Alaska is to hike and spend time in the wilderness, enjoy the beauty, and see the glaciers.

I booked Ovation last year during the Black Friday sale, so I'm very happy with the price we got.  We also were able to get one of the junior suites that has a pull-down bed, which is important for us -- kids will be much happier if they are not sharing a bed. However, I'm now debating whether to keep this itinerary or try to change it for something else.  My concerns now:

  • Glacier Bay -- now that Royal is going to Glacier Bay, having an itinerary that goes there is very appealing to me. I was hoping our itinerary would change to include Glacier Bay when they announced the news earlier this summer, but so far no changes have been made.
  • Seattle -- I am wondering if we'd be happier with a round-trip cruise that departed/returned from Vancouver because it would allow more time in Alaska. The Victoria port seems nice but unmemorable. An extra stop in Alaska sounds appealing.
  • Huge ship -- There definitely seems like a lot of fun things to do on the ship itself, but I think in Alaska I'm more interested in the destination than the ports. Is the size of the ship going to hinder what we're able to see on the glacier cruising days?

There are some advantages to staying with what we have:

  • We have a stateroom we like at a price we are very happy with and there is some appeal to getting to do this in 2020 -- carpe diem, why postpone for another year? This does not have to be the only trip I take to Alaska in my life. If we enjoy it and wish we could see more, we could always go back.
  • Ship may be fun for the kids. We are kind of a bookish/nerdy family--our favorite thing to do on ships is usually trivia sessions -- but I can see the kids having a lot of fun with things like the rock climbing/IFly/escape room on the ship. On our DCL cruises, my younger son liked exploring the ship a lot and the older one liked finding a cozy porthole where he could sit and read and look out at the sea.

If we changed itineraries, I think I would try to book something as soon as 2021 itineraries were released, probably a roundtrip out of Vancouver but maybe a northbound/southbound starting in/ending in Vancouver.  But maybe I'm overthinking?!?!  Thoughts/advice is welcome!

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You're not wrong by thinking that the Radiance itineraries are superior, because they are. The issue with Radiance is you have to fly to Vancouver (international flight versus Seattle), plus of course the cost/extra time to fly to/from Alaska. Not to mention for your kids, Ovation will offer so much more.

If it makes you feel better, the Seattle itinerary is still awesome. It's not like you're visiting Hoboken, New Jersey or something.

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So if you cancel and re-book would you be moving from 2020 to 2021.  I am sure that would be a big consideration for you.  Curious as to why you chose August 21?  Based on recommendations we received the beginning of July offers the possibility of the best weather.  We were actually in Juno on the 4th once and were able to walk off the ship and see the parade right in front of us.  It was awesome, complete with native dress.  The ships that I have sailed have been smaller than the Ovation for sure.  But I must say I love it's sister Anthem.  I would bet the covered Solarium would provide a lot of security on an Alaska cruise.  We cruised from Seattle once and Vancouver once.  I see your point about Vancouver if all other things you consider are equal.  What I wonder is will you be able to find that same deal again?  For me the cost is important, I would love the Ovation, but also wonder about getting into tight spaces like Hubbard Glacier or Misty Fjords (sorry, I did not check your itinerary, but maybe you can share it).  Let us know what you are thinking...

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Since you are pleased with the price and it is easy to go RT out of Seattle, I would stick with it this time and make your next trip more focused on the itinerary and less about the ship. 

Your kids are at the age where the active activities on Ovation are going to appeal to them.  It gives them other activities to enjoy outside of the trivia and other more limited activities of on a smaller ship.  There is likely to be more kids their age to hang out with on the larger ship.

If your oldest son really ends up enjoying Alaska, perhaps an extended return visit can serve as a graduation present.  I would even suggest you look into combined land/cruise tours as that's a nice way to experience a bit of interior Alaska as well.  Think about when you would like to go and then book when they first open the itineraries to land the best prices.  You will also be "experienced" on the next one and have an idea of what Alaska is like.  You will find the second go around is much easier to prepare for as well!

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3 hours ago, Matt said:

It's not like you're visiting Hoboken, New Jersey or something.

@Matt Ha, despite having moved to northern New Jersey in 2010, I actually have never been to Hoboken!

@YOLO The reason we chose the August 21 date originally was that I was in a job where my busiest time of year was in the summer, and I was not able to take vacation time until the end of August. I have since changed jobs and no longer have the same summer travel restrictions. However, due to my kids' summer camp schedules, the beginning of August or end of July might be better than the beginning of July, but we certainly don't have to wait until the end of August anymore.

The Ovation sailing we are booked on has ports of call at Juneau, Skagway, and Victoria, with one day sailing through Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier.

@AshleyDillo Awesome points about the extra activities available on Ovation. That's originally why we chose the ship.  I do love the idea of, if we love it, doing another trip with a land and sea component. I am very interested in going to Denali!

@Flacruiser99 and @carlosalonsor Good to know that I shouldn't write off Victoria.  I should know better. Last summer we went on a cruise around the Baltic and initially were least excited about our stop in Tallinn, Estonia. However, for most members of my family, it ended up being their favorite port, and we thoroughly enjoyed our day there.

 

 

 

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We came from a background of cruising with DCL but started with Royal recently and were very happy with sailing the Ovation this past May.  Price was a factor but we have also grown to enjoy some of the things that Royal can offer.  There are some differences between the lines and one may edge out the other on specific items but things are more similar than expected.  

There are so many things to do on the ship It should not be an issue in finding thing even they don’t join trivia.  There are also some great spots just to relax and chill.  Some of the art displays can be fun also.  (There is a sequence in the butterfly pic to make them react.). Our son is 11 and enjoyed many of the activities, especially the bumper cars.  The specialty dining won me over.  We have not done Alaska on any other ship but we did have good views of the glaciers and the trip up the fjord to Dawes glacier is nice and at times seems like you can reach out and touch the shore.  The chance to go in the NorthStar is also a bonus on Ovation.  

If you have any specific questions between the lines fell free to ask.

Happy planning!

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We sailed Ovation to Alaska in May in a Junior Suite. We loved it and you will love the suite benefit of eating Dinner at Voastal Kitchen instead of the Large Main Dining room. It’s superb. When you board go by Coastal Kitchen and make reservations for your evening dinners. You will love the smaller size and more personal dining. Only Quantum and Oasis class have this special dinning venue and we will miss it when we sail on Explorer next year. 

 

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We are loyal to Royal somewhat.  Did Alaska 4 years ago on Princess due to many recommendations.  Absolutely worth the change of companies.  Will use them when we go back.  July 4th time frame is best as that is when salmon season gets into high gear.  Copper River Salmon is by far the best salmon you will ever eat.  And the weather is also good.  We went out of Vancouver and loved the city.  The scenery is amazing and walking on a glacier is a unique experience.  Got some absolutely amazing wildlife pictures.  Do Harv and Marv`s whale watching trips.  That was an amazing trip as well.  Small boats with only a dozen people on our boat. Not those boats that carry 200 plus people and can`t get close to the whales.  And not price prohibitive either. Nothing like hiking one morning and around the bend we came upon a moose and her calf.  Backwards we went very slowly and took a different route.  

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14 hours ago, Katy said:

 

  • We have a stateroom we like at a price we are very happy with and there is some appeal to getting to do this in 2020 -- carpe diem, why postpone for another year? This does not have to be the only trip I take to Alaska in my life. If we enjoy it and wish we could see more, we could always go back.

 

^^^ This!

Personally I would say your advantages far outweigh your disadvantages. I have cruised Alaska 3 times, twice with HAL and once with Royal. While I enjoyed the smaller ship (HAL) very much for this particular itinerary, I was NOT trying to entertain teens. And absolutely don't put it off. You never know what life will throw your way!

 

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My wife and I just got off this exact cruise today. A few thoughts from our experience: 

I also cruised Alaska in 2011 in late June/early July and it rained for 7 days straight. We didn’t have a single day we didn’t have raincoats on. This time, we cruised Aug 16-23 and didn’t see a single drop of rain the entire trip. It was 45-60 all week so the time of year it hit or miss, no matter when you go, just cross your fingers!

Victoria and Seattle are both great places to visit. We’re actually staying in Seattle a few days to end the trip and I think both of your sons would enjoy both ports as well. Victoria is gorgeous! 

They will definitely be entertained on the Ovation! It’s a huge ship with a surprising amount of kids for an Alaskan cruise, they said around 800, so your boys will be able to entertain themselves. The arcades, bumper cars, basketball courts, and pools were packed all week. Not to mention the trivia, game shows, etc.

You will get plenty of opportunities to hike/see the glaciers during excursions, but as far as seeing them while cruising, it’s few and far between. We spent one morning cruising Dawes Glacier, but that’s about it while on board. 

We had a great experience on the same itinerary during the same time you’ve booked, I’d be happy to answer any questions you have!  

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I think Matt nailed it.  Ovation looks great and round trip from Seattle & junior suite are big benefits.    We did the South bound Radiance with a land tour at the beginning (July).  This maximized the experience.  When I do it again, I would book a similar itinerary. 

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