Larry, are you sure the itineraries are the same? Most Alsakan cruises stop at Juneau, Ketchinkan (and maybe Skagway) But Icy Straight Point or Tracy Arm are not the same as Glacier National Park. For Alaska, soemtimes it is more than just the ship. Look into Celebrity or HAL and see what the offerings are.

The timing makes a big difference too. One week would mean 30 to 40% off. The last Alaskan trip we took, we paid $800 pp for balcony on Celebrity. We booked 3 weeks prior to departure. The time before that was on Diamond Princess. We paid $700 pp for outside. Booked one week prior to departure. Both trip were in late Augsut.

New for 2012 is San Francisco inside passage round trip.

The itins. are the same but when I actually put a date in for RCI the $2119.00 price for a balcony all of a sudden was more like $2500.00. Magic I suppose. . So now that the real price is about the same I think we are leaning for the Sapphire as we do like this ship a lot. I looked a X BTW and the ship they use, the Millineum is in the same class as the Connie which we were just on. And she said she didn't like it so you know what that means. . Don't even ask. BTW we met Sassafras and of course the Dogster who my wife has rechristened "hotdog." With affection of course.

Your DW didn't like the "Connie"? What a surprise! If the nick name would be more like a guy name, like "Constantine", would she liked it better?

I can't belief the itins are the same. RCL ships don't make the same stops (except for ports) and RLC ships don't go to Glacier National Park.

Between Princess and HAL, they bidded on (and received) the majority of the Glacier National Park quotas. They have to pay dearly for those quotas.

The Park Rangers actiually board the ship and set up shop at the pool deck for the day, wandering around and talk to people.

I am surprised at the absence of any trip report from the 3 of you. This silence is errily strange. We just got back from our trip as well and let me tell you, it was an adventure, not a holiday.

Things that had happended on our last journey:
(1) the door to our small plane blew open (not wide open) while we were in the air, the pilot get out of his seat, went to the back, put it shut again and said not to worry.
(2) 6.9 scale earthquake
(3) I had a tumble at Ollantaytambo
(4) Swam into a shark while snokelling at the Galapagos :-
(5) 6:30 am wake up calls, and it is on a "slow day", some days are as early as 5:30 am
(6) DW needed oxygen at Cuzco ... now she is hooked on chewing coco leaves and drinking coco tea (you know what they make with coco leaves, right?)
(7) Should I go on? I will post a TR for Peru in the SA forum and a separate TR for the Galapagos cruise here when I get around to it ...

Well Eschew I will be eagerly awaiting your Trip Report.

Cuzco is at a much higher elevation than Michu Picchu.

How did you stumble at the town of Ollantaytambo !?

Anxious to hear what you did and saw in the Galapagos.

I was there in the month of August ( it was bird egg laying and hatching time.)

Let me know when it is on the South America Forum.

Yep, I think it is time jacketwatch gave a "little" trip report.

Eschew,
We stayed in Istanbul a few days after the cruise, so have not been home quite two weeks even. What with jet lag, catching up on stuff and getting ready for Thanksgiving, I hadn't felt ready to write a "readable" trip report, but will do it soon. However, meeting Jacket and his wife, and Dogster was a highlight of the cruise!

Have done the Star Princess a similar Grand Class vessel

www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=300

would not be worth an extra $1200 pp for a balcony for me.

RCL is nice cruisecritic.com bit more of a party ship

Have been on RCL not Radiance though.

Princess has the best Denali lodges when I did this though.

Might check both reviews carefully try for better deals

on comp sites but RCL for me to save if itineraires the same

Good luck!

crucon.com
priceline.com
vacationstogo.com

yield best deals for me rrarely

mpraete@cruiseone.com

Well Sassafrass.... we will wait for the report.

I understand what it is like gettinbg back from¸a loooong trip and flight!

Was Dogster really and Old Lady, like she,(he) said !!!!

What!!!!, meeting Jacket was the highlite!!!, I can understand meeting his wife ....but Jacket , ..Hmmm!!!!!

Oops, I am getting out of here now .

I think I am in deep trouble, and my Delete key is stuck .

Frankly, I was pretty taken with the Dogster. He (for sure not an old lady) is charming and intelligent (as you already know from his trip stories) with a sharp, witty sense of humor. OK, Dogster, I've blown your cover.

Ha ha. I know Percy, you are on cloud 9 after your Oilers thrashed my Hawks. And yes it really was meeting my better half that was it for Sass but as she is soooo nice she mentioned me too. thanks Sass.
Actually I will get to a TR asap but we sort of got caught up in doing a ton of stuff after we got back as our kitchen was remodeled while we were gone so we had to put all the pots, pans etc. back and shop for a few new things and on and on it went.
We had dinner with Sass, her hubby and the Dogster and I must say it was a blast. We carried on like old friends and we enjoyed their company a great deal. Sass is a very nice lady.
I will say this about meeting the Dogster. I saw a guy on the ship by the elevators and just had a hunch it was him. Well I had mentioned we would have a martini on the ship as I had never in my life had one B4 so we went by the elevator and I sort of dropped a hint by saying to Sue that we should head to the martini bar. Well then he asked if I was jacket and bingo! So I had I very first martini, dirty, with Dogster and we just had a great time. He is one cool, talented dude. TR to come. Stay tuned.

Sounds like you all had a great trip. Glad to hear that.

Waiting for the trip report. No rush as I know what it is like to come back home from a long trip.

Thanks for clearing up the highlight comment !!

Nothing from Dogster yet ... it is still errily quiet ....

Percy, highest point on our trip was at Lake Titicaca, almost 13,000 feet. Cusco was about 12,000 and Machu Picchu was less than 9,000.

It was pouring rain at the old Ollantaytambo ruins. A lady stepped off the bus, slipped and hurt herself. Ambulance was called and she ended up in a hospital back in Cusco with a separated shoulder.

As to me, I was going all the the way to the top of the ruins, in full rain gear and all. It was raining pretty hard. Even the market below was closing up shop. On the way down, a little mis-step and that was it. I landed hard on my rear end (on the rocks) and slid down teh steps. I tried to break my slide with my right hand and I probably "jammed" or "jolted" something all the way through my right arm and into the shoulder and back (spine?). I could hardly lift my head or turn my head sideways (to the left). My back and shoulder are "knotty" all over. I can turn my head up to 15 degrees now so it is getting better but a way to go yet to the 45.

I took lots of Advils and Ty#1s. I lived with the pain through the trip, I even made it all the way to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu. Swam/snokelled with only my left arm mobile in the water (deep water snokerlling) and I am paying the price now. You only live once. I am not going to go all the way there and sit on the side line. DW said I should have sat out and I deserved what I am getting ... ouch!

We were in the Galapagos on the first week of November, just at the start of the rainy season. It was the mating season so we got to see the mating dance of the blue footed boobies up close (and I have it on tape!). We also saw the puffed up red chest (pouch) of the male Frigate birds, among other things.

We came across snakes too, and on different islands. We were told that they are quite rare. One fellow from the mainland said he's been on the islands 10 times and he only saw a snake once.

TR will be forth coming, slowly but surly.