fishin' musician

I've done both multiple times, and they are both excellent.  Tracy Arm is a beautifully haunting fjord unlike anything I'd ever experienced.  Lots of seals on little icebergs.  It is fed by the Twin Sawyer Glaciers.  Total duration is 3-4 hours.  Glacier National Park gets you up close to several glaciers and you'll typically see an abundance of sea and terrestrial critters.  The National Park Ranger crew boards around 7am and get off around 4.

I emailed it over a month ago, how can I tell if it's been applied to my account?

THANKS!

Approaching 40 cruises with no real brand loyalty, although we've done more Princess than others.  Done HAL, Princess and Norwegian to Alaska.  Princess is simply the best cruise experience, but NCL has the better experience on land / tour packages.  This due to them using a prominant Alaska operator that utilizes native guides and drivers.  Princess has a huge operation in Alaska that HAL also uses, however they employ college kids as guides and drivers.  HAL has the reputation as having the largest morgues at sea, and is warranted.  They do cater to the older clientele, Princess and X average 10 years younger while NCL, RCL and CCL go straight for the family.  HAL does have BB King's blues club which has been fantastic!  Enjoy!

Kevin Sheehan brought NCL from what was the lowest regarded cruise line to one that after his magic fared favorably with other mainstream lines.  Leave Frank with the luxury brands and get Sheehan back at the helm of NCL.

I wonder if it has to do with how much water the ship drafts?  The mega Princess ships have to sail out around Vancouver Island because of this.  It's too bad as this is a huge highlight.

Took the Sun southbound in 2014.  A great cruise and that ship is the right size for Alaska.  Hopefully your itinerary includes Glacier Bay.  I've also done Alaska on Pricess and HAL.

It depends on what your cruise expectation is.  If you want a louder, let's get this party started vibe, then Carnival is it.  If you want a quieter, more serene vibe with far fewer announcements, Princess would be the choice.

We stayed in them a bunch of times until my wife had issues with rough seas.  Now we find other staterooms with large balconies.  I will not travel on a Royal class ship in a standard size balcony.

16 hours ago, tcdcruiser said:

I have cruised Princess to Alaska 6 or 8 times.  
 

IMHO

 

Glacier Bay National Park is the crown jewel of Alaskan glacier cruising.  Not all cruises visit GBNP, so check the itinerary. 

 

Anchorage is our least favorite Alaskan port.  However, a day trip to the mendenhall glacier outside of anchorage is quite good.  Also, anchorage is a good location if you desire a helicopter glacier tour.  The helicopter tour that lands on the glacier for a walk or dog adventure rivals Machu Picchu. I think you can also do the helicopter tour from Skagway. 

 

The Vancouver/ Whittier departure advantage is you can sometimes visit College Fjord which is located near Whittier, Alaska. The cruise from San Francisco, my home port, only goes as far north as Glacier Bay. However, cruising under the Golden Gate from SF is maybe the best sail way view in the world. 
 

If you visit the  Hubbard glacier, consider the one and only excursion.  Hubbard Glacier is technically a sea and scenic cruise day, but sometimes they offer a special tour. The Princess ship enters the fjord as far as possible, then a tour will transfer you directly from the ship to a small tour vessel.  The Princess ship then leaves.  You sail much, much further into the fjord and you later catch up with the ship that is already in port.  Quite spectacular. Reserve with Princess as soon as it is made available as it will be sold out soon 
 

Lots of short and non stop flights from LV to SF multiple times per day. Flight from LV to Anchorage, as I recall, all require a plane change in Seattle.   Check Alaska Airlines for the Anchorage flights. 
 

Weather is always like Las Vegas.  It is a gamble. We have had 75 degree weather in Anchorage in May and 45 degree weather in May. 
 

If you visit SF consider a day trip to Muir Woods National Park about one hour from downtown SF.  Reservations are a must.  
 

 

Mendenhall Glacier is just outside Juneau.  Anchorage is the terminus on northbound cruises.

For me, the inside passage east of Vancouver Island is also a must.  Without this you have essentially 2 sea days.  The Royal Class ships all go west of Vancouver Island and don't enter the Inside Passage until they are almost to Ketchikan. Glacier is Bay is also a highlight.  So the dilemma is newer ship vs incredibly scenic route.  Personally, I'd take an older ship with larger balconies on a northbound (the scenery gets more spectacular each day) out of Vancouver in June, July or early August (for the longer days).

I also own OBC qualifying NCL and RCL stock.  If CCL OBC went away the competition would become a stronger option for my vacation $$$$.

The finest meal I've ever had on a ship!  We were sailing out of Athens on our anniverary, surprised the Mrs.  Almost as much as the Alaska trip in the youtube vid in my signature (snuck the kids onboard).

1 hour ago, JimmyVWine said:

I think this is a matter of perspective. What does one want their 8 year old to get out of a cruise?  On a port intensive cruise, are go-carts and rock walls important?  We took our kid on a cruise to climb Mayan pyramids and zip line in the Honduran rainforest. Not climb a cruise ship wall and zip line over the pool deck. Off the ship at 8:00 a.m., back by 5:00. Dinner at 6:30. It’s now 7:30-8:00 p.m.  What is the cruise ship supposed to provide from 8:00-9:00 (bed time) that is so important that Princess can’t deliver?  As for a Sea Day, the club for 8 year olds will do just fine in July. People can’t assume that all cruise are Caribbean cruises with 4 Sea Days.  Consider how much free time there will actually be on a cruise before concluding that Princess isn’t a good choice. Destination, port activities and excursion options are far more important than what a kid’s club offers. Kid’s clubs are vastly overrated on cruise ships. If you want your child to have an amusement park vacation, take them to an amusement park. 

Did I say anything that was not accurate?

Compared to RCL, Carnival and NCL; Princess offers very few family/children activities.

These are my favorite rooms on Royal Class ships.  Even going 20+ kts the wind is only bad in the very front of the balcony, move back a few steps and it goes over you.  You could likely fit 20 people on the balcony for a sailaway party!  And the views coming into ports are fantastic!  Just don't open the cabin door with the balcony door open while you are cruising... you'll be chasing papers down the hall!

If you want a secluded spot rent a car and go to Smugglers Cove.  We love Tortola and after a cruise ship visit we spent 8 days there a few years ago.  We got around on our thumbs, hitch hiking all around the island.  No chain anything... restaurants,  hotels, stores, etc..  The island is mountains separated by beaches... or is it beaches separated by mountains?

I really enjoy those huge forward facing balconies.  When ship is doing 20kts it will be breezy on the front of the deck but the back of the deck is OK.  Do be careful opening the cabin door when the balcony door is open.  I've not stayed on those Emerald deck rooms.  The reason all these rooms are obstructed is due to the rail being constructed of steel rather than plexiglass.

If you are elite and you move auntie into your room and hubby books single room you'll get 2 mini bars.   We've done similar things with family; once on board they simply made new keys for those switching rooms.  Not sure how it will work with the medallion doohickey... but I'd think they could be reprogrammed for new rooms.

Thanks for the great, honest review.  The entertainment on Princess is meh compared to other lines.  How was the on-board naturalist?  If you decide to go on another Alaska cruise I suggest taking a smaller ship that actually does the Inside Passage north of Vancouver.  It is a full day of spectacular scenery and lots of critters.  As you experienced there is little to see when you are 20 miles off shore.

... and lots of puffins... they got close to their cliff nests.  Being birders you likely have good optics which should be considered requisite on any Alaska trip... or any trip anywhere...  or, just keep them in the car as I do.

I'd almost say it's a don't miss!  I've also done the one in Seward.  One serves prime rib and silver salmon for lunch and the other serves frozen battered cod;  not certain which is which, but not of huge consequence. 

To miss the inside passage on the east side of Vancouver Island is a huge loss.  The bigger (Royal class) ships sail west of Vancouver Island, 20 miles off shore... so you get 2 sea days vs 2 days of amazing scenery and critters.   Both cruises are titled "Inside Passage", but the big ships don't enter the inside passage until they are almost to Ketchikan.  Also, my preference is for northbound as the scenery gets more spectacular each day!  I'd also opt for early season rather than late due to length of days... 

I wonder if smaller ships will continue to use the downtown docks?

7 hours ago, JeffT237 said:

"On our Alaska redo cruise we are planning on the Northbound one way route from Vancouver to see more of the "inside passage". 

FWIW the big newer ships departing Vancouver follow the routing of the Seattle departures.  But, for me the the full day in the inside passage north of Vancouver is a big part of an Alaska cruise!