Not in that order, I have begun in BC and worked south (and then continued through the Panama Canal). Once on Holland America and next month on Princess.

515 days (in early October) of cruising since autumn of 1995.

Chi......it sounds awesome!

Nope, but I cycled from Seattle north, took a ferry to Victoria, toured Butchard Gardens, back to the US and all along the pacific to Santa Monica Pier.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/waterletmeseewater

I want to invite my in-laws but I don't think they like crowds, and I don't think there are many smaller boat options for this one.

"I don't think there are many smaller boat options for this one."

I doubt it. Most of the cruise ships that dock in Seattle are massive big things - 4,000+ passengers!! I avoid downtown Seattle like the plague when one of those mothers is in dock! Even the Alaska cruise ships are monsters.

My parents did the reverse trip - Vancouver down and through the Panama Canal, with various ports of call along the way (like jim's) - also on Holland America.

Sounds wonderful!

Chi just and FYI you need to check with your inlaws to see if they have passports as they will be required.

Maybe look at repositioning cruises during spring or fall.

Chi, American Cruise Lines doesn't do cruises down the western coast, but they do do cruises of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. These are riverboat cruises, and the ships generally aren't larger than 150 passengers. They have 5-, 8-, 11-, and 15-day cruises. They do have shore excursions, but this type of cruise would fit your request for "more for the boat experience and less for the ports."

Lindsey, we've actually been looking at those! I'd like to do the Mississippi one as well.

Remember that the Pacific can be rough and the prevailing "weather" is typically wind and swells from north to south. I suspect for that reason a trip on the coast south of Seattle would be smoother in the southerly direction. We once took a cruise (with friends, that seems to be a common story for us) from LA to (I think ) Acapulco and back. The trip down was smooth, the trip up was pretty rough. I have no problem with rough weather but there were a lot of seasick passengers.

We've taken an Alaskan cruise (Seward to Vancouver) and it was smooth. Much of those trips are in placid protected waters - inlets between islands, not out in the ocean.

We've taken maybe 10 cruises in our adult lives. The most recent one was in Europe a few months ago, occasioned by a matter with a friend that doesn't matter for your question. We stay away from large ships anyway (try to avoid anything over 1000 passengers) and this was on one quite small (<200 passengers). What that insures is better service, no inconvenience from shipboard crowds, much better food and drink, and much higher prices.

For me, the "shipboard experience" is boredom. I love the ocean but the "sea days" can be torture. Land days can be too, it can be like being on the Bus Tour from Hell with novice travelers and a lot of lame people and too long bus rides. If you're even a slightly energetic and active person, and have traveled, even though the ships all have reasonable gyms, there can be a lot of monotony. And a lot of passengers much older than you are (in your thirties).

You might want to look at cruises marketed by your university's alumni association. Those can help you find ones with like-minded people to travel with.

What time of year?