Which ship for first time seniors?

[puppymama1]

We have finally decided to do an Alaskan cruise in July or August of 2014.. and I have been elected to plan it.. I've heard that first time cruisers should use a travel agent, but I'm not sure if that is a necessity.. I'm hoping my fellow Cruise Critic travelers will be able to help us.. :)

 

First question is what cruise line and which ship? We are a group of 2 couples in our 60s.. fairly active, would prefer a more "mature" crowd (translation - less children if possible). Looking for a 7 day cruise - not sure whether to do roundtrip or one way.. Prefer one that is more relaxed and less formal - no dressing up for dinner.. I was thinking of Princess, but not sure which ship -- whether to go with the smaller, older Golden Princess, or one of the newer, larger ships... Would like to do a bear viewing trip for sure, and could use recommendations on who to use for that, as well as other excursion recommendations.. This is the first cruise and first time to Alaska for all of us.. Could also use recommendations for where on the ship to get the rooms.. I am very prone to motion sickness, so would prefer a calmer location on the ship.. Thanks for any help you can give me!

[OCruisers]

 

We are a group of 2 couples in our 60s.. fairly active, would prefer a more "mature" crowd (translation - less children if possible). Looking for a 7 day cruise - not sure whether to do roundtrip or one way.. Prefer one that is more relaxed and less formal - no dressing up for dinner..

 

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

 

Normally, I'd recommend Princess or HAL for Alaska ... but, while there are other options for dining on either, you would need to dress for dinner on Formal Nights in the MDR.

 

If no dressing for dinner is extremely important to you, NCL could be a good choice for you.

 

Have fun planning your cruise to Alaska! :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

Edited December 17, 2013 by OCruisers

[YoHoHo]

I'd use a TA. A good agent can make suitable suggestions when discussing your needs, wants, likes, ability, money, etc

You pay the same fare whether through an Agent or direct with the cruise line. They likely have first-hand experience on various lines and various ships. If you don't like them then simply move on.

[pusywillow]

I am in your same age range and like Princess. Make sure your cruise includes Glacier Bay. You do not need to dress up on Formal night. You can eat at the buffet or a specialty restaurant that night.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

I agree with YoHoHo that you should use a travel agent for a first time cruise and trip to Alaska. They can answer your questions and help you choose the best experience for you. (No, I'm not a travel agent!) If you don't want to use a travel agent, then do the research by reading this cruise forum, and also look at Frommer's Alaska, Fodor's Alaska, etc to get some more ideas and info on excursions.

 

Here's my opinion for what might work for you, but bear in mind that I don't know you, your interests, or your preferences. This is what I would suggest:

 

I would advise a cruise out of Vancouver if you are prone to sea-sickness. There is more open sea cruising out of Seattle. I am about ten years younger than you, and my personal choice is Holland America, because of their outstanding open deck space for scenery viewing, and their itineraries. However, I've also investigated Princess and I think Princess also has good itineraries and would meet your requirements. I would choose the Coral Princess or Island Princess. Both Holland America and Princess have comprehensive infrastructure in the state of Alaska, if you're considering doing a land portion in addition to your cruise.

 

You might also want to check out Celebrity cruise line.

 

If you want to avoid formal night dressing on HAL, on formal nights you can eat in the Lido (buffet), the Italian restaurant Canaletto (located in the Lido), perhaps the Pinnacle Grill (although it's a little more upscale), or order room service. I have, however, seen many a gentleman permitted in the main dining room with just a jacket on formal night.

[Orlando Vic]

 

We are a group of 2 couples in our 60s.. fairly active, would prefer a more "mature" crowd (translation - less children if possible). Looking for a 7 day cruise - not sure whether to do roundtrip or one way.. Prefer one that is more relaxed and less formal - no dressing up for dinner..

 

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

 

Normally, I'd recommend Princess or HAL for Alaska ... but, while there are other options for dining on either, you would need to dress for dinner on Formal Nights in the MDR.

 

I dislike formal nights myself and we usually go instead to one of the Princess specialty restaurants or the buffet at the Horizon Court. This issue should not be a Princess deal breaker for you.

[YoHoHo]

middle-aged mom has a good point about sailing out of vancouver. They go up the Inside Passage and can have spectacular scenary sailing close to land the first day (coming down through the Inside Passage I have read can be better because might be sailing more in daylight hours.

 

For a more mature crowd and no formal nights Oceania sails from Seattle and Vancouver. During summer months there is always a better chance of more children but last August there were only a handful I saw (and all well behaved). Dress is country Club casual at all times. They are more expensive than many but there are certainly higher ones too. Their prices include airfare but be prepared to pay an extra $150 to be able to arrange flights that don't arrive on embarkation day. A visit to all the Specialty restaurants is also included and that too is not fancy dress.

 

If you do go up the Inside Passage check out the book " The Alaska Cruise Handbook: A Mile-By-Mile Guide" by Joe Upton. It includes a great map with 'mile markers ' that apparently Princess has also marked on the on-board ship's route map so you can easily follow along

Lots to consider. have a great time planning

[Eaglecw]

We’ve been on 7 Alaskan cruises out of Seattle, we live just South of Seattle. We’ve never used a travel agent, we’ve done it all ourselves. We’ve never gotten sea sick. If you’re worried about getting sea sick book a room low and mid-ships, like the Emerald deck on the Golden Princess. We’ve been on all the cruise lines and prefer Princess over the rest. We eat all of our meals in the main dining room, casual attire. Formal night isn’t a big deal, some think it is but I don’t, I don’t like to get dressed up and pretend to be someone I’m not. We might hit the buffet once or twice on the cruise, we’ve found the buffet to be too crowded. Even on embarkation day we go to the main dining room for lunch, one of them will be open till about 1 pm. Princess has the International Café that is a great place to grab a snack 24/7. Seattle is an easy place to get around, lots of public transportation, cabs, shuttle vans and light rail from Sea-Tac airport to downtown. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.

[travelbug11]

I've been very happy with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean for my Alaska cruises.

 

The Radiance has glass all over the ship which gives you wonderful views of Alaska.

 

Dressing for dinner in Alaska is much more casual than other itineraries. I always wear black pants and a nice top. A little nicer top for formal nights. Also, with the luggage restrictions these days, many men are leaving their formal wear at home.

 

As someone mention before, the round trip from Vancouver is through the inside passage, so you will not have as much motion as being out in the ocean, saying coming from Seattle. The best cabins would be on the lower decks in the middle of the ship.

[Keith1010]

I would use a TA.

 

If you want less children, I would go in May or September.

 

I too would have said HAL or Princess.

 

Personally, I would put more emphasis on the itinerary first and see what ships/lines provide the itinerary that both couples would enjoy.

 

Again, these are details that you can talk through with a TA.

 

Keith

[thepoint]

Normally, I'd recommend Princess or HAL for Alaska ... but, while there are other options for dining on either, you would need to dress for dinner on Formal Nights in the MDR.

 

LuLu

~~~~

 

 

Could you please explain in more detail why you would recommend HAL for Alaska. I am more interested in the excursions, than the food and dress. Did you do an extended land trip? Did you do private excursions? Thank you.

[puppymama1]

Eagle CW - which Princess ship do you recommend? From the small amount of research I have done, I think the Golden is smaller but older and I've read some reviews saying it is badly in need of a remodel.. so while we might prefer the smaller ship (less people) we don't want one that is like a 2* hotel... Also.. which is better - the roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver cruise, or the one way from Seattle or Vancouver to Anchorage? We definitely want to do Glacier Bay, since I have heard that is nicer than Tracy Arm.. And what is the best time of year to go for the bear watching tours? I think it is supposed to be best in July and August, but not sure what time frame in those months.. thanks for your help!

[peety3]

First question is what cruise line and which ship? We are a group of 2 couples in our 60s.. fairly active, would prefer a more "mature" crowd (translation - less children if possible). Looking for a 7 day cruise - not sure whether to do roundtrip or one way.. Prefer one that is more relaxed and less formal - no dressing up for dinner. I am very prone to motion sickness, so would prefer a calmer location on the ship.. Thanks for any help you can give me!

Be aware that cruising when school is out will most likely shift the average age downwards by 10-20 years. Our first was September '10 and I'd generalize to say the only folks under 55-ish were the newlyweds, the first-time-preggos, the early-start empty-nesters, and the "no-kids we-invested-well" folks.

 

Round-trip makes some of your travel logistics easier. Flying to/from Anchorage can be a real challenge from a time zones/flying time perspective. It's an hour west of Pacific Time, and the ships dock 1.5+ hours away from ANC, so even if you're off the ship by 8am, you won't make it to the airport until ~10am, and it's already 2pm on the East Coast.

[SilkySal]

We have finally decided to do an Alaskan cruise in July or August of 2014.. and I have been elected to plan it.. I've heard that first time cruisers should use a travel agent, but I'm not sure if that is a necessity.. I'm hoping my fellow Cruise Critic travelers will be able to help us.. :)

 

First question is what cruise line and which ship? We are a group of 2 couples in our 60s.. fairly active, would prefer a more "mature" crowd (translation - less children if possible). Looking for a 7 day cruise - not sure whether to do roundtrip or one way.. Prefer one that is more relaxed and less formal - no dressing up for dinner.. I was thinking of Princess, but not sure which ship -- whether to go with the smaller, older Golden Princess, or one of the newer, larger ships... Would like to do a bear viewing trip for sure, and could use recommendations on who to use for that, as well as other excursion recommendations.. This is the first cruise and first time to Alaska for all of us.. Could also use recommendations for where on the ship to get the rooms.. I am very prone to motion sickness, so would prefer a calmer location on the ship.. Thanks for any help you can give me!

 

DH in late 50's and I am 60! Come join us on the RCCL Radiance of the Seas on July 18, 2014 (taking 3-day land tour from Fairbanks on July 15th). Our whole group of 8 are in your age group and we are all first-timers too! We have chosen RCCL's Radiance of the Seas, leaving from Fairbanks (farthest north for 3-day land tour), heading southbound to ship in Seward, including Anchorage and Denali park, then sailing southbound from Seward, ending in Vancouver for overnight post-cruise, then taking train to Seattle for another overnight, then fly home to Indy (cheaper flights from Seattle). Chose the Radiance because the ship has glass windows everywhere, so you can see the outside from most places on board!:cool: Definitely sail from Seward to Vancouver or vice-versa vs. Seattle to Seattle in order to sail the inside passage instead of the open ocean, farther away from the beautiful scenery on land!;) We also love the RCCL line for the excellent service on and off the ships!:D Whatever you choose, enjoy your Alaskan cruise! I did all of this through RCI's web site - first got brochure from travel agent, picked our land/cruise package, then called RCI to book! Easy peasy - all transfers included!! If you book through RCI, you have the ability to make changes to your reservation preferences; if you go through a TA, you will need to call them to make any changes. Check out these latest pics from a Radiance cruiser!

 

http://www.ctbobcruisesite.com/AlaskaMain.html

 

 

__________________

Edited December 19, 2013 by SilkySal
Added info

[donaldsc]

. And what is the best time of year to go for the bear watching tours? I think it is supposed to be best in July and August, but not sure what time frame in those months.. thanks for your help!

 

The only places in AK that you can almost be guaranteed to see bears is at one of the streams where the salmon are running. If you take a bus tour where they say that you will see wildlife such as bears, be aware that it is a crap shoot. You do not have time to do a real bear viewing trip as it usually takes a whole day.

 

That said, if you can find the time, July and August are good months.

 

DON

[Cruise a holic]

We have finally decided to do an Alaskan cruise in July or August of 2014.. and I have been elected to plan it.. I've heard that first time cruisers should use a travel agent, but I'm not sure if that is a necessity.. I'm hoping my fellow Cruise Critic travelers will be able to help us.. :)

 

First question is what cruise line and which ship? We are a group of 2 couples in our 60s.. fairly active, would prefer a more "mature" crowd (translation - less children if possible). Looking for a 7 day cruise - not sure whether to do roundtrip or one way.. Prefer one that is more relaxed and less formal - no dressing up for dinner.. I was thinking of Princess, but not sure which ship -- whether to go with the smaller, older Golden Princess, or one of the newer, larger ships... Would like to do a bear viewing trip for sure, and could use recommendations on who to use for that, as well as other excursion recommendations.. This is the first cruise and first time to Alaska for all of us.. Could also use recommendations for where on the ship to get the rooms.. I am very prone to motion sickness, so would prefer a calmer location on the ship.. Thanks for any help you can give me!

 

I would recommend Celebrity above Princess. The food is much better as is the entertainment. Celebrity has a no announcement policy, so with the exception of one announcement per day, it is nice and quiet.

 

I went to Alaska on the Infinity and loved it! With regards to a good location on the ship, would recommend middle of the ship middle deck with cabins above and below. Balcony or above is the ideal for cabin type. If you decide on Princess, yes that a newer larger ship. With the exception of a couple of formal nights, you do not need to dress up for dinner. I would say business casual works.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[Budget Queen]

A lot can go into the selection of an Alaskan cruise. Being you are on this site and doing "homework", I do not agree that a TA is necessary- or going to "help" you with planning any more than - if you invest the time, you could find out. I get emails from TA's frequently asking me, some of the most pitiful basic questions you can imagine. Some times, they aren't going to offer you any more, than the cruise line, information.

 

So, if you are interested in going to Alaska for Alaska, you can see, from the above "recommendations" that people do great enjoy this itinerary, and "report" that their cruise was a great choice. :)

 

I instead suggest, you back up. Find out about EACH port visited on inside passage cruises, there are only 6. Rank what is of most interest for YOU and how you want to spend your limited port time. Do this for the glacier choices as well. With that "list", find an itinerary that best fits those priorities of YOURS. :) There are not "bad" Alaska cruises, and with the information, a good match can be made.

 

I give no issue to the "kids" or "age" comments. I have sailed ALL the major cruise lines in Alaska, with the exception of Disney, and find the demographics similar on ALL the lines. There are NO party ships sailing. I find food, pretty similar. All the lines have cut back. I certain do admit, I couldn't care less. :)

 

Find your direction and make the best selection for your preferences. You are on the right track with your information seeking- the more you know the better your selection will be. :)

[Cruise a holic]

A lot can go into the selection of an Alaskan cruise. Being you are on this site and doing "homework", I do not agree that a TA is necessary- or going to "help" you with planning any more than - if you invest the time, you could find out. I get emails from TA's frequently asking me, some of the most pitiful basic questions you can imagine. Some times, they aren't going to offer you any more, than the cruise line, information.

 

So, if you are interested in going to Alaska for Alaska, you can see, from the above "recommendations" that people do great enjoy this itinerary, and "report" that their cruise was a great choice. :)

 

I instead suggest, you back up. Find out about EACH port visited on inside passage cruises, there are only 6. Rank what is of most interest for YOU and how you want to spend your limited port time. Do this for the glacier choices as well. With that "list", find an itinerary that best fits those priorities of YOURS. :) There are not "bad" Alaska cruises, and with the information, a good match can be made.

 

I give no issue to the "kids" or "age" comments.d I have sailed ALL the major cruise lines in Alaska, with the exception of Disney, and find the demographics similar on ALL the lines. There are NO party ships sailing. I find food, pretty similar. All the lines have cut back. I certain do admit, I couldn't care less. :)

 

Find your direction and make the best selection for your preferences. You are on the right track with your information seeking- the more you know the better your selection will be. :)

Also if you have the time and $$, do the land tour with the cruise gives you the opportunity of seeing beautiful Alaska

[agabbymama]

I like to start a graph chart whenever I'm going to cruise. I put the cruiselines/ships (if more than one per cruiseline) across the top. Go to the library and check out Frommer's, Fodor's Alaska guide. See what interests YOU (or the folks you are traveling with). Once you know some of the things you want to see and do, list those down the side of the graph chart (size of ship, cabin type, cost, ports, time in ports, excursions, etc). As you research each cruiseline/ship put an "X" in the conjoining box if it applies. As you near the end of your research one should have more x's than the others.

 

We had done the 7 night cruise on HAL, so for our second trip I knew I wanted to include a land trip to the Yukon and interior Alaska so that helped narrow it down for me. I ended up going with a HAL 11 day cruisetour (3 days on the ship and 8 days on land). We hit White Horse and Dawson City Yukon (think GOLDRUSH DAYS). It was AWESOME!

 

You are on the right track here on CC. Keep up the research and I don't think a TA is necssary either. A lot of them have never cruised or been to Alaska. So you are in the right place to ask your questions and learn lots about Alaska!

[Watson's aunt]

Hi

 

I would do Holland America. It has wonderful cruise one special once a month to Alaska. a 14 day cruise. I am 67 and this will be my 3rd. You will not be sorry. I like june-july because the day light is longer. It gets dark at 10 or 11 pm.

 

Mary

[Budget Queen]

Also if you have the time and $$, do the land tour with the cruise gives you the opportunity of seeing beautiful Alaska

 

Be VERY informed, even more than for the cruise with any "land" (mainland Alaska) traveling. Especially if purchasing a cruisetour. There are many- poor choices in my opinion. Basic, is to go for as long as you can afford, avoid short cruise tours. If of interest, you see way more going independent. Simple to do. :)

[Great Sky Girl]

I am so excited for you! I live in your town and did a first time cruise to Alaska in 2007 and was in my mid 60's. We studied, but used an online TA. Not too good. We reported in when we got back and received a partial reimbursement. Went two years ago again without a TA and had a wonderful time. You do NOT need an agent. Just look at all the possibilities here. I honestly do not think there is a bad cruise to Alaska. It is so wonderful I can not see anyone having a bad time! But there are a lot of choices and it is hard to make up your mind. Just do your homework...it's a lot of fun!:D

[puppymama1]

Hi, GreatSky Girl... we live right across from you in Soleil! Which cruise line and ship did you go on? We don't have the time (or money) to add on a land portion.. Had originally looked at just doing a land portion with no cruise.. had it all planned out a few years back.. but now that we are finally going to do it, neither of us can handle long driving days and that's how I had it planned.. The other couple just wants to do the cruise part.. so that should be less tiring for all of us! Thanks.

[Great Sky Girl]

Hi! I might be able to see your house! :D

We went on Princess, actually Diamond Princess. My husband really did not want to cruise, but after we did that he loved it! We did a land tour with them on the first trip. Took advice we found on Cruise Critic and it was very good. The second time we went north and did a week on our own mainly on the Kenai Peninsula. Had such a wonderful week!! You really need the cruise as you get into the ports that you can not do well on your own. Alaska is so big! There is so much to do and see one time is not enough! I would love to go again. My neighbor used to live there and told me a lot before we went. Actually, we saw places she had never been!

[UPGrandma]

We are early 60's and are going in Aug 2014 on the Island Princess out of Vancouver. Mid ship would be my recommendation also. Buy your own airline tickets, but because of logistics from Whittier to Anchorage or reverse if you are doing southbound, would recommend "transfers" from the line you choose. fly in at least a day before. It takes most of the day to get from Whittier to Anchorage so make the flight home for the day after you dock in Whittier. Have a great cruise -- as others have said if you don't want to dress up, other restaurants don't have the dress code.