Coral Princess versus NCL Pearl

[huskerc]

We are trying to squeeze in an Alaska cruise towards the end of this year's season and have narrowed it down to two that we think we can work our schedules around.

 

One is the 8/28 sailing of the Coral Princess, Vancouver to Whittier (Vancouver, British Columbia | Ketchikan, Alaska | Juneau, Alaska | Skagway, Alaska | Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska (Scenic Cruising) | College Fjord, Alaska (Scenic Cruising) | Anchorage (Whittier), Alaska).

 

The other is the 9/22 sailing of the NCL Pearl, Seattle to Vancouver (Seattle; Juneau; Skagway; Glacier Bay; Ketchikan; Victoria, BC, Canada; Vancouver, Canada).

 

In no real order, here are the factors we are considering:

 

• Both ships go to Glacier Bay, which was something we wanted (we typically cruise Celebrity but obviously we need to look elsewhere with this condition).
  
• We have sailed on NCL before and liked it, but never on Princess.
  
• We won't really have time for cruise tours so the fact that the Coral Princess ends in Whittier is less advantageous than it might seem. We'll be spending a day or less before or after either cruise.
  
• This won't be our only trip to Alaska, so we don't feel obligated to squeeze in everything possible.
  

 

At this point I would say we are leaning towards the NCL ship, because it's a bit more convenient--start/end on a weekend gives a bit more flexibility with time, while the Coral's schedule means we probably need another weekday off of work due to the fact that it seems like redeyes are the only way out of Anchorage. Seattle and Vancouver have many more flight options.

 

Any thoughts on the itineraries? I'd love to hear from people who have done the open-ended cruises beginning or ending north and how the scenery and sightseeing compare with the ones that begin and end in the south.

[Host Jazzbeau]

We just got off Coral Princess southbound, same itinerary you list except Hubbard Glacier [which we didn't see because of fog] instead of College Fjord. It was a great cruise, but there really isn't anything earthshattering you'll miss north of Glacier Bay if you aren't doing a land tour after Whittier.

 

The NCL itinerary looks great. You get all the highpoints of a one-way trip plus Victoria (although with an evening call you probably can't see Butchart Gardens).

 

Coral Princess is the best ship we've cruised on, but I would let the itinerary and convenience trump in this case.

[capriccio]

I don't have a basis for comparison of the ships but we've done the northbound Vancouver to Whittier cruise on the Coral Princess twice (2007 and 2012). Love the ship and love the itinerary (northbound includes Glacier Bay and College Fjord but not Hubbard Glacier)!

 

Not related to the ship or the itinerary - I would chose the August departure. Compared with late September the days are longer and the weather most likely will be better (possibly much better). You might ask for opinions on late August versus late September cruising on the Alaska boards.

[fishin' musician]

DW and I sailed the Coral a few weeks ago from Vancouver to Whittier; in 2010 we took the Sapphire round trip from Seattle. We've sailed the Pearl in the Caribbean once or twice. As far as shipboard experience goes, all were great. The Pearl had the best buffet at sea I've experienced. NCL's production shows are typically a few notches above the Princess offerings. As for decor, NCL is a bit more flamboyant and whimsical whereas the the Princess decor is understated, maybe "vintage chic" if there is such a term? And, I really liked the overall design/layout of the Coral.

 

As for itineraries, I'd do either again in a hearbeat and if forced to choose, would have to flip a coin to decide.

 

If all things were equal (which in this case they're not) I'd choose Princess solely because of the Elite perks.

 

IMO, no matter which way you decide, you can't lose.

[Pamster]

We're doing the North-South B2B this August, so can't compare it for you. But we have done NCL Alaska twice and really did enjoy it. I think that Princess has priority at the glaciers, so you might get better views with Princess. However, NCL has all the dining options - which I do miss when I'm on another cruise line.

 

We've done that last cruise of the season, and have run into a lot of fog and cancelled excursions - but the towns were all preparing to shut down for the winter, so we got lots of really good deals on just about anything we wanted to buy.

 

If it were me, I would probably do NCL, for the convenience of getting in and out of Seattle/Vancouver. Save the northern route for when you have more time to either do a B2B or do a land cruise before the cruise.

[northwestbear]

We sail both lines regularly. Both have good and less good. We've sailed on the Pearl twice. The decor is a bit over the top in some places, but overall a very nice ship. We really enjoy the specialty restaurants on NCL, but they do come with an extra cost. The Pearl has a very nice buffet area on the back of the ship which was a great gathering place for breakfast in the morning and to see the sights in Glacier bay. The cabins on NCL are slightly smaller than Princess, but the bathrooms are much nicer on NCL. No nasty shower curtain! We have only been on the Coral once. Best food of any Princess ship we've been on. My big complaint about Coral is that the Casino is wide open to the atrium and the cigarette smoke can be smelled anywhere even close to the atrium. No matter which ship, I think you will have a great time. Honestly I'd pick the one with the best itinerary.

 

 

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