Alaskan cruise recomendations
 

My siblings and I are getting our parents a cruise to alaska this summer for their 25th anniversary. I'd like any recommendations that anyone might have for what cruise line, ship, itinerary, and day trips to take.

My parents are infrequent vacationers in their late 50s. Our main concerns are keeping the on ship expenses down and finding a good fishing day excursion for my dad. We are planning for probably a week trip or so.

I've never been on a cruise so I have no background knowledge to speak of...so I;m sure any comments will be helpful.

Thank you.

We sailed in Alaska on Princess and loved it. Princess is one of our favorite lines, pricing is good, service was excellent on all of our Princess cruises.

I would select a Vancouver to Seward route rather then a couthbound route, we have been told many of the supplies are loaded in Vancouver and they sometimes run out of some stuff on the return trip.

If youc an afford it, Alaska is one of the few places I'd recommend a balcony cabin.

We went the first week of August, it was excellent weather, though don't plan on that.

If you have any specific questions you don't want to post here, don't hesitate to e-mail.

Princess is the best of the inexpensive cruise lines, and they invented Alaska cruises. The best prices I've found come from Cruise Connection in Boston, www.crucon.com - but call them, don't depend on the web site. If you sign up for their newsletter they will send you specials weekly.

You can also browse on Orbitz for good fares, which will be a bit higher than CruCon but still pretty good. Then call CruCon for the best price.

Avoid going after about August 20 as the weather quickly deteriorates.

QL

Celebrity is by FAR the best of the medium-priced cruise lines operating ships in Alaskan waters.

I worked for two cruise lines, and over the past 30 years have sailed on more than 50 passenger vessels; great transatlantic liners such as the FRANCE and RAFFAELLO... ultra-luxury cruise yachts, such as those operated by Seabourn (with $1000.00 per-person, per-day tariffs)...and plenty of budget ships as well.

Unfortunately, deep discounting and cost-cutting, caused by over-capacity and a weak economy, is so rampant in the cruise industry today that the whole experience of going to sea is quite unlike what it was just 10 or 15 years ago. Popular lines such as Princess, Royal Caribbean and Holland-America are simply unable to maintain the service levels passengers once enjoyed. Mass-market cruising today is much like mass-market flying; you're jammed-in with WAY too many people who don't know how to behave. And onboard the new, 100,000 ton, floating shopping malls, you're served by staff who are overwhelmed, underpaid and living what is surely the closest thing we have in our western society to indentured servitude. (The steward who cleans your cabin was very likely a doctor back home in Latvia. The waiter who serves you dinner may well have practiced law in the former Yugoslavia.) These people are recruited overseas in countries whose economies have collapsed and where people are desperate to make ends meet. They sign with a cruise line and leave their homes, spouses and children for up to a year at a time to earn money they can save or send to loved ones. (I'm reminded of an eastern European stewardess who smiled wanly as we rode a cruise ship elevator together last year. "How is your day going?" I asked. With a tired sigh she replied "Just like every other day...")

Once standard amenities such as fresh flowers and inexpensive drinks have disappeared as lines have dropped fares to ridiculous levels. Does anyone really think it's possible to experience a week of sea-going LUXURY for $499???

That said: The well-managed Celebrity Cruise Line, whose Greek owners began operating passenger ships in 1915, simply does things better than their competition. But don't take my word for it. Ask your travel agent, look through books on cruising at the library or in a book store. I think you'll find the experts agree with me.

Just as you're able to fly award-winning Singapore Airlines to Asia for the same fare you'd pay to fly United, you can sail on the ships of Celebrity for the same price you'd pay to board lesser-quality Princess or Holland-America. It's your money.

Holland America and Princess offer the most for Alaska. Holland has larger cabins and smaller ships. Princess offers more balconies.

The new Island Princess offers both Glacier Bay and College Fjord, which appeals to us glacier lovers.