Absolutly no idea which ship to Alaska

[maja]

Friends of mine are considering an Alaska cruise & have no idea how to decide which ship to take. Since I don't have any experience with Alaska, I was hoping to get some input here.

They are looking for a great rate, and will probably book an inside cabin.

Princess has some good rates out there on the Coral, Dawn, & Sun for 2005.

Which of the above ships do you recommend?

How important is it where the ship departs from & returns? They are flying from NJ. What about the time of year? Rates are lower in the Spring & then the Fall.

Does each season have its positives & negatives? HELP!

[Deb in Cali]

Maja,

 

You forgot one cruise ship. The Regal. It is a 10 cruise the leaves out of SF and returns to SF. The advantage is that you can simplify your flight plans. The disadvantage is that your don't get to add on a land tour in Alaska at the begining or end of your cruise.

 

Deb

[prophotogirl]

I cruised Alaska on the Dawn and loved it.

[Host Caroline]

If you are only considering the cruise to Alaska and don't have time/finances to do any touring in Alaska (and many just do the cruise -- a wonderful vacation) I would recommend taking a cruise that goes roundtrip from Vancouver or Seattle or San Francisco... saves on airfare. From the east coast flights into Seattle or San Francisco are usually less expensive than Vancouver and you can fly into Seattle and then take Quick Shuttle bus, train or rent car to Vancouver.

 

The Diamond and Sapphire Princess ships sail roundtrip from Seattle and IMHO Diamond has better port times and cruising in Tracy Arm.. They take a more "outside" route past Vancouver Island etc than those departing from Vancouver. The Regal has several sea days - love that ship but if you are pressed for time, I'd do the 7-day cruise and maximize time in Alaska.

[Cruisin' Chick]

There's a choice of the one-way (the ships you mentioned) and the round trip (the above mentioned Regal SF to SF as well as the Diamond and Sapphire which went roundtrip from Seattle -- at least those were the ships that went last summer). We took the Sapphire last August and enjoyed it (as we enjoyed all of our cruises). And stayed a day before and a few days after in Seattle which was great.

 

The one-way ones (as seen in the brochure and Princess.com) go further north while the roundtrip go as far as Skagway or Haines. The one-way require a flight to or from the Anchorage area (or thereabouts) and to or from Vancouver. But you can add on a cruisetour.

[twocats]

Nothing like the Regal, elegant little ship. Terrific places on board to just sit and watch the world go by. We just pulled up chairs for our group in the front of the casino and spent hours looking out. It is a big circular domed observations deck (inside). Also a secret deck to get outside to watch the calving and beautiful scenery. What a trip that was!!! :D

[garycarla]

You will find an extensive discussion on ships, one way and round trip on the Alaska boards. Good luck.

 

( and get your friends to log in and read, and read, and read......)

[catdancers]

The Island Princess (sister ship to the Coral) also does north and southbound Alaskan cruises.

[dodieh]

We will be on the Coral Princess, Vancouver to Whittier (Anchorage) leaving July 9. THis is a lovely ship with great reviews and the one way goes further north so allows more viewing of the glaciers. Come join us!! :D

[bellebaby]

If it was my first cruise to Alaska, I would choose a ship with an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay.

[Coral]

If you are only going to Alaska once - definitely choose a ship that goes to Glacier Bay and College Fiords.I have done the Coral and Dawn to Alaska and loved both for different reasons.

 

Pros on the Coral/Island - retractable roof on pool, the balconies are larger and have a clear bottom on the balcony, minisuites are affordable.

 

Negative on Coral/Island - blue windshields on viewing deck. This wasn't a big deal for me. I had an outside cabin (no balcony) on this cruise and I watched the glaciers from Deck 7 but I can see why some people think the blue windshields on deck to be annoying.

 

Pros on Sun/Dawn - fewer windshields on deck and great open front deck viewing. Balconies are all fully covered.

 

Negative on Sun/Dawn - balconies are small and they are cut from the hull. No large covered pool. The minisuites are very large on this class of ship but they are very $$$.

 

---------

 

The Coral Princess is my all time favorite ship and is the most beautiful ship I have been on. It has all the great features of a big ship in a smaller size ship. That being said, I went with the Dawn Princess last year and still had a great cruise.

 

I agree with those who said "look at the Alaska board" - there is some great information on that board!

 

Here are some pics of the ships:

 

dawn princess

 

Coral Princess

[Budget Queen]

Before even choosing a line, the route needs to be chosen. :) Myself, I never do one ways without at least another week to travel interior- take advantage of being all the way there. :) I also give a great preference to round trip Vancouver for more inside passage sailing. Actually the 2 are way more similar than different and some sail way outside the gulf and no College Fjords so no big bonus over the round trips. With any choice- consider ports, time in ports, glacier, route, price. Budget fully for costly excursions.

[Casey12]

I have done roundtrips and one ways to Alaska. For me it is worth the extra hour flight to do the one way trips. The combination of College Fiords and Glacier Bay is a trip of a lifetime. Have fun planning your trip.

[bellebaby]

Most of the ships that sail from Seattle do not include a true Inside Passage. They sail around it. I would not like this. The Inside Passage is a must see. Further, most of the ships sailing from Seattle substitute Tracy Arm or Hubbard Glacier for Glacier Bay. The substitution is not that great. They don't compare to Glacier Bay. I would choose itinerary first, cruise line and ship next.

[Deloresgardella]

I cruised to Alaska from S.F. last year in May, on the Regal.:D It was a wonderful cruise. The ship is just the right size for me not so big you have trouble finding your way around. Since you have to fly from the east coast I might suggest going a couple days early and enjoying S.F. It is a beautiful city and has hotels fairly close to the pier. There is also a lot to do.:) On our cruise we went through Tracey Arms which I thought was great. It was also my first time to Alaska, and the best part we didn't have to fly.:cool: Delores