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Which would you pick: Celebrity, Princess, or HAL


limace
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We are tentatively planning a small group cruise for a friend's birthday in June of 2019. We will have two parties of two adults, and one party of four (with 2 children, then 9 and 13). First cruise for the kids. We live in Oregon. Preference would be roundtrip from Vancouver, though Seattle is also an option. Preference is the week of June 15, which is right after kids get out of school, though we could go later in the summer (my guess is it gets more expensive in July and August?).

 

I've sailed both Celebrity and HAL before and had good experiences with both; I preferred the food on HAL but my Celebrity cruise was a charger (Blues Cruise) and so the food was secondary to some extent. It looks like a balcony on any of these lines will run us about 6 grand. I've heard Princess is the ideal ship to Alaska; unfortunately, their itinerary at this time is one way (better for ports, I'm sure, but more expensive when you add in flights).

 

Ships are:

HAL Noordam (I've been on this ship and loved the size)

Celebrity Eclipse

Royal or Golden Princess (depending on whether we do North or Southbound)

 

So, those of you who've done Alaska before, especially with a mixed-age group (two of our friends are in their 60s); which would you choose?

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I would suggest researching things that interest you in each of the main ports in Alaska. Once you have identified excursions that you want to do, then find an itinerary that spends the most time in those ports. For many, me included, the itinerary is more important than the ship. One way usually gives you more time in ports, but as mentioned, can significantly increase airfare.

 

 

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I am doing the research now for next May. I have narrowed it down to

NA - holland America

RP - princess

And yes

NCL - bliss - it leaves and returns to Seattle, includes glacier bay and the entertainment is supposed to be terrific.

 

 

As someone already pointed out .... look closely at port times.

The Bliss is in Ketchikan from 6am to 1pm. Realistically, what time do you think you'll be showered, dressed, fed and ready to disembark ? Then you'll need to re-board around noon. So 3 or 4 hours to sightsee and explore.

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OP, if you look at past trip reports there are few complaints about any of the lines or ships. The ships/lines are more alike than different.

However are there some features that are a must for your group .... a great spa, covered pool, kids clubs. Those features can be different from ship to ship, so maybe concentrate your research on those things.

And be mindful of port times. Ensure that you are in port long enough and at the right time of day for planned activities.

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As someone already pointed out .... look closely at port times.

The Bliss is in Ketchikan from 6am to 1pm. Realistically, what time do you think you'll be showered, dressed, fed and ready to disembark ? Then you'll need to re-board around noon. So 3 or 4 hours to sightsee and explore.

 

Good point to consider! Thank you!

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What's wrong with RCCL? Why do people not recommend them? I don't get it. They have one way itineraries, long port times, go to Icy Strait Point (which is like a retreat and mellow but with amazing whale watching), and they go to Hubbard Glacier. Just because a cruise line has "being doing Alaska the longest" doesn't make it the best. Same for going to Glacier Bay. Best is relative.

 

We really enjoyed our cruise on Radiance OTS and had no complaints. If I was able to do Alaska again, I would go on a longer cruise so I could sail farther north than Seward, and do a DIY land tour.

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What's wrong with RCCL? Why do people not recommend them? I don't get it. They have one way itineraries, long port times, go to Icy Strait Point (which is like a retreat and mellow but with amazing whale watching), and they go to Hubbard Glacier. Just because a cruise line has "being doing Alaska the longest" doesn't make it the best. Same for going to Glacier Bay. Best is relative.

 

We really enjoyed our cruise on Radiance OTS and had no complaints. If I was able to do Alaska again, I would go on a longer cruise so I could sail farther north than Seward, and do a DIY land tour.

 

They don't have enrichment programs compared to some of the other lines which adds quite a bit to the Alaskan experience. Have you looked at what programs Princess provides? They also can't go to Glacier Bay. I have done Radiance and several Princess cruises and there is no competition - Princess provided a better "Alaskan experience".

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What's wrong with RCCL? Why do people not recommend them? I don't get it. They have one way itineraries, long port times, go to Icy Strait Point (which is like a retreat and mellow but with amazing whale watching), and they go to Hubbard Glacier. Just because a cruise line has "being doing Alaska the longest" doesn't make it the best. Same for going to Glacier Bay. Best is relative.

 

We really enjoyed our cruise on Radiance OTS and had no complaints. If I was able to do Alaska again, I would go on a longer cruise so I could sail farther north than Seward, and do a DIY land tour.

 

 

I agree. We were on the Radiance in May last year and loved it. We thought the size of the ship was perfect for Alaska, the ports and port times were great and the food and entertainment were good.

 

I’ve done Princess in Alaska as well and enjoyed it also. Glacier Bay was nice, but so was Hubbard, Kenai Fjords and Tracy Arm. Any trip to Alaska is great, but I do feel many overlook Royal Caribbean and over emphasize Glacier Bay.

 

 

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We did the southbound cruise on Celebrity (Millenium) in June and loved it! The cost was very reasonable compared to Princess and we chose an oceanview cabin instead of a balcony. The savings enabled us to splurge on our excursions - a floatplane trip to Anan Creek to watch bears fish for salmon and a helicopter ride to a glacier to go dogsledding. It really depends on how you want to spend your money.

 

We agonized over the fact that we wouldn't go to Glacier Bay since everyone says you must take a cruise that goes there. I'm sure it's beautiful, but Hubbard Glacier was also incredible and we got within 4/10 of a mile to watch the calving! We had a naturalist onboard, who was very informative and enthusiastic!

 

Our port times were ideal; we thought the food and service was very good; the size of the ship and the number of other ships in port were perfect for us. We loved everything about our experience! I do wish people would stop insisting on a Glacier Bay itinerary!

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Probably the main reason we went with HAL was that it was a total package deal - 7-day cruise and 12-day land tour...fully escorted. At the time, we were not really into much cruising and so would have never even thought of RCCL as an option - it was another 5 years after our Alaska trip that we did our first cruise with RCCL. Also, my parents had gone to Alaska with HAL and so recommended it.

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I do wish people would stop insisting on a Glacier Bay itinerary!

 

This is a reason - Hubbard and Tracy Arm are not always accessible. The first year I went, Hubbard Glacier was not accessible to ships all year. It was disappointing to miss it on my first cruise to Alaska. It took me about 15 years to get my Mom back to Alaska to see it and her eye sight was almost gone by the time we got her back. Last year, it wasn't accessible for the first half of the season. With only one glacier day and most people only go to Alaska once, it is important to see a glacier. And Glacier Bay is amazing, I prefer it to Hubbard Glacier. I know several who have made several attempts to see Hubbard and have still not seen it. Consider yourself lucky you did see it on your trip. This has been a good year for Hubbard but that doesn't mean next year will be. I like itineraries with 2 glacier days so that if you miss one, hopefully you see the other. Plus, Glacier Bay never seems to be missed.

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This is a reason - Hubbard and Tracy Arm are not always accessible. The first year I went, Hubbard Glacier was not accessible to ships all year. It was disappointing to miss it on my first cruise to Alaska. It took me about 15 years to get my Mom back to Alaska to see it and her eye sight was almost gone by the time we got her back. Last year, it wasn't accessible for the first half of the season. With only one glacier day and most people only go to Alaska once, it is important to see a glacier. And Glacier Bay is amazing, I prefer it to Hubbard Glacier. I know several who have made several attempts to see Hubbard and have still not seen it. Consider yourself lucky you did see it on your trip. This has been a good year for Hubbard but that doesn't mean next year will be. I like itineraries with 2 glacier days so that if you miss one, hopefully you see the other. Plus, Glacier Bay never seems to be missed.

 

 

I guess we were lucky. We went in May last year (2017) and made it very close to Hubbard on Radiance of the Seas and all the way to North and South Sawyer Glaciers in Tracy Arm with Adventure Bound.

 

 

 

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I would go with the best times in port. Let that decide.

 

Yes! It always amazes me that the NCL ships seem to spend only half a day in Juneau. The Bliss is there by 6:30am and leaves around 1pm. I see many people walking back up the hill to their dock (over a mile from the shops downtown) by 9am while I’m out for a run. Most of the businesses aren’t even open by then. Choose your must-do sites first, then find the ship that best accommodates them and maximizes your time. Alaska is just such a vast place, you can’t see much in a couple of hours. Most of the excursions are not near the cruise docks.

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They don't have enrichment programs compared to some of the other lines which adds quite a bit to the Alaskan experience. Have you looked at what programs Princess provides? They also can't go to Glacier Bay. I have done Radiance and several Princess cruises and there is no competition - Princess provided a better "Alaskan experience".

 

Those programs don't interest our family. We prefer to do and see things ourselves. To each their own.

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Those programs don't interest our family. We prefer to do and see things ourselves. To each their own.

 

The enrichment programs shouldn't hamper seeing things yourself. It gives you a frame of reference for what you will/are seeing. If you haven't examined 'those programs' (or for the interest of others reading this thread) check out: https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/alaska-cruise-tips/. Take a look at the enrichment program video, and the other sections. Even if you don't cruise on Princess there is lots of useful information that might be helpful when determining what you want to see and do.

 

I posted this before our 3rd Alaska cruise this summer and the attachment may be helpful to anyone trying to determine what to do in Alaska. The videos are marvelous!

We are leaving on our cruise 4 weeks from tomorrow and today I received one of the most informative and interesting Princess emails ever. It was pushing Princess excursions and I almost deleted it without reading since all our excursions are reserved.

 

I'm glad I didn't. "Learn About the Alaska that Awaits You" is a series of 9 excellent videos (each 3 to 5 minutes long and having nothing to do with Princess) and a couple of short articles that cover bubble netting, sea otters, grizzly bears salmon fishing, eagles, sled dogs, etc.

 

If you are already scheduled to visit Alaska this summer or are considering a cruise (and, as I said, on any cruise line) in the future you might want to take a look at them. We are taking our 2 kids, spouses and 3 1/2 year old granddaughter and they were all enthralled as were my DH and I even though it will be our 3rd Alaska cruise.

 

 

 

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We were there last week (I can't believe it's already been a week). I literally did a spreadsheet that compared the ports and the time the different ships spend in the ports that I wanted. We cruised southbound on the Coral Princess, but there was a Holland ship with us in every port (except Whittier, where we departed). Remember this is YOUR trip. You should decide what things (ship size, time in port, activities on the ship, etc) are important to you and your family, and make your decision. You will have a wonderful time (I was skeptical).

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Those programs don't interest our family. We prefer to do and see things ourselves. To each their own.

 

So a Naturalist that points out whales and bears while sailing is not of interest?

 

I was surprised to go from RCCL with out any enrichment programs to Princess with a ton on how much it "added to my Alaskan experience". RCCL had just "shopping tips" while Princess had Naturalists that educated people on wildlife, glaciers, Alaskan culture, etc....

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So a Naturalist that points out whales and bears while sailing is not of interest?

 

I was surprised to go from RCCL with out any enrichment programs to Princess with a ton on how much it "added to my Alaskan experience". RCCL had just "shopping tips" while Princess had Naturalists that educated people on wildlife, glaciers, Alaskan culture, etc....

After 2 Alaska cruises each on Princess and HAL - I did b2b cruises on Radiance of the Seas in May 2017. We had a wonderful woman who lectured about the ports, and gave commentary when we were at Hubbard Glacier. Whether or not she was a "naturalist" - she was every bit as good as the speakers on my previous Alaska cruises.

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After 2 Alaska cruises each on Princess and HAL - I did b2b cruises on Radiance of the Seas in May 2017. We had a wonderful woman who lectured about the ports, and gave commentary when we were at Hubbard Glacier. Whether or not she was a "naturalist" - she was every bit as good as the speakers on my previous Alaska cruises.

 

The thing is with RCCL - it is hit or miss if they have them. They are not consistent. A gal at work went this summer and they didn't have any speakers. None. They were incredibly envious when speaking with another coworker who had a ton of enrichment programs on their ship.

 

I agree - the term naturalist is very vague but I consider who you had a naturalist.

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