ashish6499

Thank you to everyone who responded. We are going with Celebrity Millennium! 

53 minutes ago, Coral said:

I would define what you consider superior. Quality of food, times in port as far as seeing Alaska, ports, glaciers, viewing areas, shows, etc....

 

I rank times in port, ports and which glaciers first.

 

I would consider reading more about Alaska. Alaska by Cruiseship (Anne Vipond) has a great book.

time in port, quality of food would top my list

57 minutes ago, Coral said:

I honestly think you need to relook at things. Going to Juneau, then to Gustavus and then getting to Denali somehow - are you flying from Juneau to Anchorage? Once in Anchorage driving to Denali and then back to catch the ship? I think you are under estimating distances in Alaska. Also, Denali's road is partially closed due to rock slide this year. So you can't get that far into the park.

 

I think the part that I am struggling with is flying to Juneau to do Glacier Bay and then doing Denali and then a cruise. If you were going to do a land trip from Anchorage to Denali and then back to Anchorage to catch a ship (Whittier or Seward) then that makes sense. 

 

It would make much more sense to fly to Anchorage - do the land portion you want to do (Denali, etc...) and then catch a ship in Whittier or Seward. I would plan your land portion in advance due to distances and having to reserve hotels, etc... I think you are underestimating what it is like to get around in Alaska, that is unless you have access to a private plane.

 

I would give up going to Glacier Bay from Juneau and just pick an itinerary with it on the ship.

thank you, this makes sense!

We are planning to spend a couple of days in Juneau and then in Denali before the cruise. Assuming we fly into Juneau from NYC, spend some time there (go to Glacier Bay) and then head on to Denali.

So ideally I would like a cruise that leaves from Anchorage / Seward. 

Tracy Arm fjord also looks incredible. Thanks for the suggestion! 

So after reading all your comments (thank you so much!) it really comes down to choosing between:

1. Princess Sapphire

2. Norwegian Jewel

3. Celebrity Millenium

4. HAL Nieuw Amsterdam

Do you think one of these would offer a significantly superior experience to the others (assuming we get the 2nd highest cabin class)

Thanks!

3 hours ago, Coral said:

How are you doing Glacier Bay from Juneau?

planning to use them
Glacier Bay Day Tour | Great Alaska Vacation Idea | Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve AK (visitglacierbay.com)

will have to be in juneau the night before

3 hours ago, Coral said:

This is a great itinerary on HAL.

 

I would also add Sapphire Princess itinerary that does Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay.

thanks! i'll check it out

12 hours ago, disneyochem said:

If you’re in the Haven than that addresses a number of things we don’t like about NCL—poor MDR food, crowded pools/hot tubs, unruly/drunk guests.  Of course, on an Alaska cruise, there will be a lot more kids in the Haven which may or may not be a problem.  After our last two non-Haven cruises on NCL, we swore we would only cruise in the Haven!

 

We also didn’t like the lack of Alaskan programming on board.  No enrichment lectures on wildlife and indigenous people.  No Alaskan specialty food or drink—salmon, crab, craft beers, spirits.  No Libby Riddles, no sled dog puppies brought on board, etc.
 

We love to cruise in Alaska (5 cruises booked this summer).  In addition to visiting the ports and doing land tours, we enjoy the onboard experience that tells us we’re in Alaska.

thank you. I am leaning towards celebrity over ncl haven

33 minutes ago, disneyochem said:

I have 20 Alaska cruises on Disney, NCL, Princess and HAL as well as numerous land vacations in Alaska.  Haven’t been on Seabourne or Celebrity so my comments are based on the lines I’m familiar with.  Just a couple of comments.

 

Activities/enrichment programs are pretty good on Princess.  There will be special food, drinks, music, lectures, etc focused on Alaska.  NCL does not—we could have been in the Caribbean on our cruise on the Jewel last year.  HAL also does a nice job with Alaska enrichment.
 

It sounds like you would enjoy cruising in the Haven on NCL.  Just a nice, elevated cruising experience on NCL.  Otherwise, NCL would be my last choice.  If you do pick NCL, then be sure to eat at the specialty restaurants—the MDR has terrible food!  Sailing in the suites on the other lines will give you access to some finer dining options and priority seating.  We like to add Club Orange to our cruises on HAL.

 

The voyage is more scenic and calmer through the Inside Passage.  Larger cruise ships have to go west of Vancouver Island which is less scenic and rougher.  

 

You say that you’re doing a day trip to Glacier Bay from Anchorage??  That’s a long trek!  I’d suggest you still go to GB on the cruise.  It’s an amazing visit that would compliment your later visit.  I would recommend that you look into a Matanuska glacier trek while in Anchorage.  Or spend some time in Seward.  The nine hour Kenai Fjord cruise is fantastic for wildlife viewing.  Last summer we saw three different whale species, Orcas, Seals, otters, sea lions, puffins and lots of birds!

Thank you for you reply. Why would you rank ncl last? We do plan to get the haven package. 
 

the plan is to go to glacier bay from Juneau and not anchorage! Will check out the anchorage options you suggested as well 

43 minutes ago, Panhandle Couple said:

I would recommend the Jewel.  Yes, I am a big NCL fan.

But looking at the itineraries, Jewel has Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, Princess does not.  Yes, it is impressive enough to be able to make that choice.  I have done 3 Alaska cruises, and my first was on the Jewel.  Last Aug I was on Discovery Princess.  A larger ship than Jewel, but still w/o a promenade deck.  The available outdoor areas for watching (upper decks) seemed less than on the Jewel.

Discovery Princess is similar in size to the Bliss, which we used in 2019 Alaska cruise.  No comparison there, Bliss has far more outdoor areas to watch the scenery, and the observation lounge inside as well.

 

I haven't used Seaborn or Celebrity, so can't compare.

 

I would get the drink package.  You tend to drink more than usual on a cruise (especially at sea days), and the pay as you go prices are similar to airport bar prices, plus 20% gratuity.  Drinks will be $10-$15.  So 2 drinks a day (or that extra glass of wine) is the break even point, if you get the NCL free at sea (where you still have to pay a set amount for gratuities) .  It also includes sodas as well, but not Starbucks.  Princess drink package is similar.

 

 

Thanks, I do like the ncl itinerary. Did you get the haven package? Did you like the jewel? 

2 hours ago, Coral said:

I would not recommend the Majestic Princess. It can not sail "inside passage" from Vancouver because of the size and it doesn't have great outside viewing areas on the ship (not a good promenade deck). It has to go outside Vancouver island which makes it similar to sailing from Seattle and will have more motion on that route.

 

A friend is going on NCL Spirit and her ship is not sailing inside passage from Vancouver either - I believe this is due to emissions but am not fully sure. They got a notice about this.

 

IMO - smaller is better in Alaska. A lot of the newer ships don't have a promenade deck and are just massive in size.

Thanks Coral. Is there a Princess ship that you would recommend? 

Thanks GTJ. Any you would recommend between celebrity, ncl, princess or hal? 

Hi!

We are a mid-30s couple looking to book our first cruise to Alaska. We are first-time cruisers and it’s our first time to Alaska!

We have narrowed it down to the below cruises and would like some help picking one. We are quite adventurous and will take part in a bunch of shore activities.

The cruises are not exactly comparable (Seabourn vs Princess e.g.) but we are planning to get the basic (Ocean View Suite) on Seabourn and the 2^nd to highest cabin on others (e.g., Mini Suite on Princess or Signature Suite on Holland America)

We would spend a few days in Anchorage visiting Denali and Katmai (either before or after the cruise) and a do a daytrip to Glacier Bay NP as well. So, we don’t mind missing out on Glacier Bay on the itinerary.

Some concerns we have:

1.       Would be significantly younger than the clientele of these cruises? Is so, which would be the closest to our age group?

2.       How formal is Seabourn? Do we need suits/tuxes and evening gowns?

3.       We are not big drinkers, so we don’t particularly care for the drinks’ packages. We do like to enjoy good food.

4.       On-board entertainment is welcome but not a deal breaker. We are happy reading a book.

5.       Is one of these itineraries significantly better than the others? E.g., Seabourn has kayaking and zodiac options with the chance to visit the Inian Islands. That sounds like something we would like.

6.       We want to prioritize wildlife viewing.

7.       Our budget does not stretch to Uncruise / Lindblad.

Cruise Options:

1.       4338 7-DAY ALASKA FJORDS & CANADIAN INSIDE PASSAGE (seabourn.com)

2.       4341 7-DAY GLACIERS & ALASKA INSIDE PASSAGE (seabourn.com)

3.       7-day Cruise to Alaska: Hubbard Glacier & Skagway from Seward, Alaska on Norwegian Jewel (ncl.com)

4.       7-day Cruise to Alaska: Hubbard Glacier & Skagway to Vancouver from Seward, Alaska on Norwegian Spirit (ncl.com)

5.       7 Nights Southbound Glacier from Seward, Alaska | Celebrity Cruises

6.       I352 7-DAY GLACIER DISCOVERY SOUTHBOUND (hollandamerica.com)

7.       Cruise Details - 7-Day Voyage of the Glaciers with Glacier Bay (Southbound) - Princess Cruises

8.       Cruise Details - 7-Day Voyage of the Glaciers (Northbound) - Princess Cruises

Thanks for reading!

Ashish