West Coast ready to spring into new cruise season
Princess, Holland America, Celebrity gearing up with 2017 Alaska itineraries
It’s the time of year I look forward to most. In just under two months’ time, the first cruise ship of the year will sail into Vancouver, marking the start of cruise season on the West Coast. And it’s shaping up to be a mighty good one.
Things kick off on April 11, when Princess Cruises (cruise. center/princess) 2,600-guest Star Princess becomes the first cruise ship of the year to tie up at Canada Place, right in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Star Princess also has the honour of being the last ship to dock in Vancouver, too: she’ll sail a special Pacific Coastal voyage on — get ready — Dec. 16, ending in Los Angeles. It’s the perfect voyage for those who want a very unique experience.
With cruise departures between April and December, it’s shaping up to be one of the best years to cruise out of Vancouver to Alaska, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, or even over to Asia. But the time to book is now. June, July and August are prime-time for Alaska cruises out of Vancouver, and sailings are already filling up.
For a better deal, look for a cruise that leaves in May or September. Yes, the weather can be unpredictable, but that’s Alaska in any month. I’ve cruised to Alaska in May when temperatures were in the high 20s C, and I’ve been rained out in the middle of July. Given that, departures in May and September (the so-called “shoulder season”) are a great value, typically running hundreds of dollars less per person than mid-July itineraries on the same ship.
And there’s plenty to like out of Vancouver this year. Princess is bringing all of its favourites back to the city, including sisters Island and Coral Princess. Of the two, I’d give the edge to Coral Princess: she carries fewer guests than her sister, and still has an unobstructed promenade deck that Island lacks thanks to a refit a few years back that added extra cabins and increased her overall capacity.
Holland America Line (cruise. center/ holland) comes back to Vancouver in a big way this year, with the 1,432-guest Zaandam being the first to arrive on April 26. Zaandam, along with her larger fleetmate Noordam, are going to be primarily operating “one-way” Glacier Discovery cruises between Vancouver and Seward (for Anchorage), Alaska, or reverse. These are great for guests who intend to pair their cruise with an overland tour of cities like Anchorage and Fairbanks, or a visit to Denali National Park.
If you prefer to sail roundtrip from Vancouver, Holland America’s beautiful Nieuw Amsterdam sails seven-day Inside Passage cruises weekly from April 29 to Sept. 23. These visit Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, and include scenic cruising in Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Bay National Park. The smaller Volendam also operates this route, sailing from Vancouver on Wednesdays between May 10 and Sept. 20.
Celebrity Cruises (cruise. center/celebrity) is bringing two of its favourite ships — Celebrity Infinity and Celebrity Millennium — back to Vancouver once again. These are perfectly suited for cruising Alaska and the coast of B.C., thanks to their abundance of glass-lined public rooms and their spectacular dining rooms that feature a two-storey wall of glass overlooking the stern.
Celebrity Infinity will sail round-trip voyages that call on Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka, while Celebrity Millennium will run between Vancouver and Whittier (for Anchorage) with stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Icy Strait Point. The larger Celebrity Solstice will offer one nine-day voyage from Vancouver to Seattle on May 17, and seven days from Seattle to Vancouver on Sept. 15.
Other lines returning to Vancouver this year include Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Royal Caribbean. All of the luxury lines will once again call Vancouver home, with departures aboard Crystal Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Silversea, and — for the first time in a long time — Seabourn.
Are last-minute Alaska deals still out there for 2017? Maybe — but you’re going to have to be really flexible with your choice of cabins and departure dates. Booking well in advance is the best thing to do this year if you’re set on sailing on a specific date, itinerary or ship.
Happy cruising.