Alaska - Times in Port wrong on DCL website?

[rusafee1183]

The all aboard times on DCL for most of the ports on the Alaska sailings are saying 12:30 pm. Is this right? Or do they mean 12:30 am?


If it's PM, that means that you get barely over 4 hours in almost all of the ports

 

[sayhello]

If you're talking about the itineraries for 2012, then yes, they are only in Juneau and Ketchikan until 12:30 pm (half an hour past noon). That's one of the reasons 2012's itinerary is so bad. Skagway is the only full day in port.

It's part of the effects of them sailing from Seattle vs. Vancouver. They have to leave Juneau early to get to Ketchikan early in the morning so that they can leave Ketchikan early to get to Victoria by 7:30pm on the last night. They have to hit Victoria to satisfy the foreign port requirement for a ship registered in a foreign country.

Sayhello

 

[joyride27]

im so glad in doing Alaska this year. It does not give you much time to do anything in port.

 

[jlwhitney]

im so glad in doing Alaska this year. It does not give you much time to do anything in port.

I agree with you! It is already taking some sacrifices (itinerary wise) to go to Alaska on DCL and I wouldn't want to have to make any more.

 

[joyride27]

I agree with you! It is already taking some sacrifices (itinerary wise) to go to Alaska on DCL and I wouldn't want to have to make any more.

you will have to let us know how it is when you get back. Im going july 5th

 

[sayhello]

I agree with you! It is already taking some sacrifices (itinerary wise) to go to Alaska on DCL and I wouldn't want to have to make any more.

Exactly! It already wasn't the best itinerary, and they've managed to make it much worse!

That said, have a MARVELOUS time on your cruise! Alaska is wonderful!

Sayhello

 

[shwarren70]

We are going this year, and I am so glad! I don't like the itinerary for 2012. The 2011 is not as good as other lines, but it is DCL, so we wanted to do this one. However, I wouldn't do it in 2012.

 

[jlwhitney]

Exactly! It already wasn't the best itinerary, and they've managed to make it much worse!

That said, have a MARVELOUS time on your cruise! Alaska is wonderful!

Sayhello

Thanks!

I can't wait to go. This is our first time to Alaska and we have made up for the weaker Itinerary by spending 3 nights in vancouver, with a day to whistler for ziplining a monkodo course (high ropes course) and then spending 4 nights in Disneyland after the cruise. All while being very thankful and blessed that DH and I have this opportunity to go this year.

 

[jlwhitney]

you will have to let us know how it is when you get back. Im going july 5th

I will, also I can report on our excursions. We booked everything on our own!

 

[engle]

you will have to let us know how it is when you get back. Im going july 5th

I leave on TUESDAY!!! I will report back with a full trip report...my first EVER!!

 

[kgsmith]

Thanks!

I can't wait to go. This is our first time to Alaska and we have made up for the weaker Itinerary by spending 3 nights in vancouver, with a day to whistler for ziplining a monkodo course (high ropes course) and then spending 4 nights in Disneyland after the cruise. All while being very thankful and blessed that DH and I have this opportunity to go this year.

I leave on TUESDAY!!! I will report back with a full trip report...my first EVER!!

Engle and jlwhitney -- Have a wonderful time on your cruise!

We're on the August 16 sailing and cannot wait!

 

[calmpets]

I'm not really sure why the port times would be so short on DCL. I'm looking at a 2012 Alaska cruise from Seattle on NCL, and the times in port are fine. The only short day is Ketchikan, but even that is 6am to 1:30pm. Here is their schedule: Sun Seattle 4:00 PM
Mon Cruise Alaska's Inside Passage
Tue Juneau 2:00 PM 10:00 PM
Wed Skagway 7:00 AM 8:15 PM
Thu Cruise Glacier Bay
Fri Ketchikan 6:00 AM 1:30 PM
Sat Victoria, BC, Canada 6:00 PM 11:59 PM
Sun Seattle 8:00 AM
Since they get 19 hours of daylight (in June anyway) the evening hours in port are still useful.

 

[Travelbee]

I'm not really sure why the port times would be so short on DCL. I'm looking at a 2012 Alaska cruise from Seattle on NCL, and the times in port are fine. The only short day is Ketchikan, but even that is 6am to 1:30pm. Here is their schedule: Sun Seattle 4:00 PM
Mon Cruise Alaska's Inside Passage
Tue Juneau 2:00 PM 10:00 PM
Wed Skagway 7:00 AM 8:15 PM
Thu Cruise Glacier Bay
Fri Ketchikan 6:00 AM 1:30 PM
Sat Victoria, BC, Canada 6:00 PM 11:59 PM
Sun Seattle 8:00 AM
Since they get 19 hours of daylight (in June anyway) the evening hours in port are still useful.

That's a very good point. I'm booked for 2012 and is worried that the short port times would make the trip not worth it. My dilemma is that my sister has never cruised and will only agree to do one for Alaska, so I don't want to cancel either. I am hoping that this will hook her onto DCL so DD will have her cousin along on future cruises. BTW - is the NCL prices for this itinerary comparable to DCL?

 

[Makayna]

Does anyone know WHY are they sailing out of Seattle instead of Vancouver?

Seems silly that they'd jeopardize their itinerary so severely (and therefore make people choose a different cruise line) just so that they can sail out of Seattle.

 

[Makayna]

I'm not really sure why the port times would be so short on DCL. I'm looking at a 2012 Alaska cruise from Seattle on NCL, and the times in port are fine. The only short day is Ketchikan, but even that is 6am to 1:30pm. Here is their schedule: Sun Seattle 4:00 PM
Mon Cruise Alaska's Inside Passage
Tue Juneau 2:00 PM 10:00 PM
Wed Skagway 7:00 AM 8:15 PM
Thu Cruise Glacier Bay
Fri Ketchikan 6:00 AM 1:30 PM
Sat Victoria, BC, Canada 6:00 PM 11:59 PM
Sun Seattle 8:00 AM
Since they get 19 hours of daylight (in June anyway) the evening hours in port are still useful.

That's pretty wonky! If you have kids and you're traveling that cruise on NCL, I hope you don't have your heart set on getting off the boat in Victoria!!!

And there's no way in HELL that you could get me up and off the boat by 6AM for Ketchikan!!! Not on my vacation!!!

So, that'd be 2 of the 4 ports that are somewhat un-doable for most people.

 

[sayhello]

I'm not really sure why the port times would be so short on DCL. I'm looking at a 2012 Alaska cruise from Seattle on NCL, and the times in port are fine. The only short day is Ketchikan, but even that is 6am to 1:30pm. Here is their schedule: Sun Seattle 4:00 PM
Mon Cruise Alaska's Inside Passage
Tue Juneau 2:00 PM 10:00 PM
Wed Skagway 7:00 AM 8:15 PM
Thu Cruise Glacier Bay
Fri Ketchikan 6:00 AM 1:30 PM
Sat Victoria, BC, Canada 6:00 PM 11:59 PM
Sun Seattle 8:00 AM
Since they get 19 hours of daylight (in June anyway) the evening hours in port are still useful.

If you notice, the ports are in a different order than DCL's itinerary. They do Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau, then Ketchikan. It's all about travel distance/times between the ports.

Here's DCL's 2012 itinerary:

1 Seattle, Washington — 4:00 p.m.
2 At Sea — —
3 Tracy Arm, Alaska Cruising Cruising
4 Skagway, Alaska 7:15 a.m. 7:30 p.m.
5 Juneau, Alaska 7:45 a.m. 12:30 p.m.
6 Ketchikan, Alaska 7:15 a.m. 12:30 p.m.
7 Victoria, Canada 7:30 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
8 Seattle, Washington 08:30 a.m. —

That's pretty wonky! If you have kids and you're traveling that cruise on NCL, I hope you don't have your heart set on getting off the boat in Victoria!!!

And there's no way in HELL that you could get me up and off the boat by 6AM for Ketchikan!!! Not on my vacation!!!

So, that'd be 2 of the 4 ports that are somewhat un-doable for most people.

DCL's timing is even wonkier! They are only in Victoria from 7:30pm to 10:30pm! And Ketchikan from 7:15am to 12:30pm!

Sayhello

 

[calmpets]

That's a very good point. I'm booked for 2012 and is worried that the short port times would make the trip not worth it. My dilemma is that my sister has never cruised and will only agree to do one for Alaska, so I don't want to cancel either. I am hoping that this will hook her onto DCL so DD will have her cousin along on future cruises. BTW - is the NCL prices for this itinerary comparable to DCL?

For the dates I'm looking at DCL is $1510pp for an cheap oceanview, and NCL is $1320pp for the same.