Transpacific cruises
 

In potentially one of the least appropriate topics for FT, I am planning on doing a 'Round the Northern hemisphere' without flying, likely to be in 2017. I will obviously need to cross the Pacific, either from China or Japan to Canada/US. (QM for the Atlantic)

Do the learned denizens of this forum have a view on the best cruise company to look at? I'm more of a quiet traveller than a wild party animal.

Thanks in advance

For cruises like transatlantics and transpacifics, because they are longer and usually at times when kids are in school, they tend to be less rowdy or party filled, even on lines that might typically be a bit more lively. For example my first transatlantic was on Royal Caribbean, a mass market line that markets heavily to families. I would say the average age on the ship that cruise was in the low 70s, and that is not atypical for a long, one-way cruise.

Because transpacifics are not as common as transatlantics, especially northern transpacifics (which is what you want), your selection may be limited.

At that point it comes down to amenities on ships, size of ships, and cost.

Instead of choosing a cruiseline first, I would take a look at what is available in your desired time period, then ask about specific cruises and ships.

For time periods to look at, you are most likely to see a transpacific in the direction you want in April-June.

I could only come up with Celebrity and Princess. I've sailed on Celebrity and enjoyed it! I would go to cruisecritic.com and see if there are any reviews for these sailings to get an idea of what to expect.

Would you be averse to taking a cruise on a container ship?

https://www.freightercruises.com/voy...p#transpacific

If you haven't already, you might just try a simple search on "transpacific cruises".

I see all sorts of interesting options there.

Romelle

you might try Holland America...IIRC...

Most people's mindset is for big cruise ships - over 1500 passengers and lots to do on board. That isn't what I like at all. I go for luxury expedition ships with about 100 passengers. There is no organised entertainment but you do get to meet all your like-minded, well-travelled fellow passengers and you also get to visit some extraordinary places, the sort of remote locations that big ships just cannot reach. The expedition ships have an expert team aboard as well as a fleet of zodiac landing craft so you can get ashore without the need for any kind of pier or jetty.

There are a few ships in this admittedly expensive, niche market which regularly cross the Pacific. There is, for instance, a tried and tested route from Japan up through the Kamchatka Peninsula, across to the Aleutian Islands and then to Alaska and ending usually in Vancouver. Other trips run across from Japan to Micronesia, Polynesia and all the way to Pitcairn and Easter Island.

Companies to look for are Silversea Expeditions, Zegrahm Expeditions, Lindblad, Hapag-Lloyd (Germany) and Noble Caledonia (UK).

Here's a link to a typical expedition cruise:

http://www.noble-caledonia.co.uk/voy...earch_url_id=4

Friends have done this and regarded it as the best trip they have ever done. I've crossed the Pacific - from PNG to Easter Island - on this ship when it was called the Clipper Odyssey.

need more yachts that take individual cabin reservations :(

re silversea, their "personalized voyages" allow you to pick any embark/disembark, as long as 2 countries or round trip and 5 nights, that kind of thing can be especially useful for transoceanic and other 'transit' type trips

We did this some years ago (Auckland to SF) and had a marvelous time. It is, however, utterly different from the cruise experience. We were the only paid passengers, had the run of the ship including the bridge and engine room, ate with the officers (good but rather plain - but hearty - food) and had to rely on our own resources for the 22 days we spent at sea. We stopped in Fiji for three days (was supposed to be one) but otherwise didn't see another vessel except once (and it was close to the horizon) until we approached the Golden Gate Bridge. Watched movies, read, listened to the shortwave, walked around the deck. They let my wife drive the boat for an hour or so until she had us heading to Mexico instead of California, so they took back the wheel. Around US$90 per day per person, would do it again in a minute.

Ship arriving at Auckland -

http://gardyloo.us/colcalatakl.jpg

At port in Suva -

http://gardyloo.us/suvaport1.jpg

Public market at the Suva docks -

http://gardyloo.us/suvamkt.jpg

Sunset on the equator -

http://gardyloo.us/colcalsunset1.jpg

SF Bay pilot approaching, last night -

http://gardyloo.us/colcalsunset2.jpg

Gardyloo: Thanks for post and pics. Can you provide information about the cabins? Private bathrooms? Bunk beds vs Queen? Laundry? Are the rooms serviced? Any fitness facility? Alcohol on board? Thanks!

Our cabin had an L-shaped sofa and table, a full size desk, a single bed in the main room, and a double bed in a separate bedroom, along with a 3/4 bath (shower, not tub.) Also a fridge. We had windows facing out to sea and forward (thus blocked by containers for the most part.) It was probably twice the size of "veranda" cabins we've occupied on conventional cruise ships. We had a steward who made the beds daily and changed linens every few days. Laundry was available - can't remember the cost but cheap - and you bought alcohol from the ship (at duty free prices) and they would provide setups. There was a stationary bike, a plunge pool (which we didn't use as it was unheated and prone to sloshing quite a bit) and a ping pong table. (The officers were German and Polish, the crew mostly Pacific islanders from Kiribati, where evidently ping pong is quite the pastime - they were good as well as able to balance on a moving deck.)

Great story, pics. You forgot to mention no wi-fi. Important to know nationality of ships officers if you care about food. You were fortunate.

Thanks for the info. Any pix?

Not easily come by, but not too different from the cabin pictured here.

Our ship was older (built in the 70s) and had, shall I say, a more "mid-century modern?" feel to it. :rolleyes: But clean and shipshape.

Right, and your phone is pretty useless too. Not a lot of cell towers in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

I think that you need a travel agent. That way you can get someone who will find the right ship for you. I'm partial to Silversea and will do our first Seabourn cruise next summer. If you need the name of a TA that specializes in cruises, please let me know and I'll refer you.