We're starting to look at an Alaska trip for next summer, and were thinking we'd combine a week on Mariner with about a week of land travel either on our own or as a cruise add-on. From the comments I've read here, I think we'd be comfortable doing the ground portion on our own. The one question I have (for now!) is Glacier Bay National Park. Regent apparently does Hubbard Glacier but skips Glacier Bay; several of the other cruise lines spend a full day cruising in the national park, which sounds spectacular. So I'm wondering how much we miss by sticking with Regent's itinerary that bypasses Glacier Bay. Is it worth flying there from Anchorage? I'd love to hear from anyone who has visited Glacier Bay, either before or after a Regent cruise, or onboard another cruise. Thanks!

-- Eric

It's a long story on why we did Glacier Bay not on our small-boat cruise (actually, the boat sank), but as a land tour, taking a tour boat through and staying at the lodge at the park. Anyway, it was a very nice comfortable lodge, we enjoyed it and the ranger talks and walks and the kayaking. This is a fairly quiet remote area, not hard to get to but not the easiest. We ferried over from Juneau, and flew back to Juneau 3 days later. Now, you'd be coming from Anchorage, a lot longer away. I would imagine there are a lot of beautiful places closer to Anchorage (like the Kenai Peninsula), and maybe that would be the way to go this time. Yes, GNP is pristine and spectacular and we're very glad we got to visit it, but my neighbors were blown away by Hubbard glacier, and there's no shortage of beauty in that neck of the woods. If you're flying back home through Juneau, then that's another story. Whatever you choose to do, I'm sure you'll love Alaska!

Thanks! After I posted my original questions, I did a quick look at flights to Glacier Bay from Anchorage and found it was more complicated than I expected (for commercial flights, we'd have to fly from Anchorage to Juneau, then over to Glacier Bay), so it does seem difficult to do in a two week trip if we want to do Denali and Kenai during our week off the cruise.

Has anyone cruised Alaska on both Regent and one of the other cruise lines which do Glacier Bay instead of Hubbard? Are there any other significant differences in the routes covered which might not be apparent from a daily port itinerary. Or put another way, do any of the other lines offer something Regent doesn't. (Other than lower prices, bigger ships, longer lines, etc.!) Thanks.

-- Eric

I don't think Regent does Glacier bay. You will have to do more research on this, but I think it is limited to other lines who came in earlier.

Yes, I understand Regent doesn't go to Glacier Bay. I'm asking if anyone has gone to Glacier Bay on another cruise line, and if you think it's different and special enough to be worth us trying to plan to get there, either by cruising on another line (shudder!) or by flying to Juneau to get to Glacier Bay. Thanks.

-- Eric