Lousy Choice for Alaskan Cruises

[karenh1127]

Thank you for all the advice! I am going to check out HAL but I have to tell y'all that my boys LOVE Carnival and protest every time I suggest a different cruise line! We are platinum and it is nice to have the perks. Thanks again!

[Terre]

Agree...we sailed Princess on our Alaska cruise a few years ago and loved it. We were on the Golden Princess. Anyway we went the first week of June and had perfect weather. I would love to go again, it's a place you shouldn't miss. Princess is a very good line and you will like it as much as Carnival.

 

Here's a link to my photos:

Here is a link to my review: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=84624

Edited July 20, 2014 by Terre

[golfb4cruzing]

princess has 5 or 6 ships there this year.

[caribsun]

My Princess cruise was less then CCL and received 200.00 OBC. Call a few TA's. :)

[elliair]

I agree, Carnival does not do Alaska well, go with another cruise line. Pay less and go to the South if you want to go with Carnival otherwise it will probably cost you more.

 

I agree. the first time we went to Alaska it was on Carnival. It was breathtaking and our first Alaskan cruise. Then we cruised on Princess and the itinerary was even more spectacular. We went into a Fjord that most ships don't get to go into. The cost is a little bit more, but I believe it's worth it. We left out of San Francisco which is a plus for us, we drove to the pier.

[GatorGirl57]

Any way you can cruise in May? Carnival has one itinerary with Glacier Bay at the beginning of the season.

[tinyrose]

When I was planning my trip to Alaska, I chose NCL Pearl. Partly because I liked flying into Seattle a day early and exploring a city that I had never visited before. Partly because I wanted to cruise on the Pearl---and fell in love with it! (shhhhh) Partly because airfare was cheaper than flying into/from the other cities. Partly because that was the choice of my traveling companions (two of my employees).

 

I would love to do that trip again. But, alas, DH says that he is only a warm weather cruiser. There is so much to see and do in each port that doing the exact same cruise would not be a problem.

[jonbgd]

Any way you can cruise in May? Carnival has one itinerary with Glacier Bay at the beginning of the season.

 

We did Alaska in May

while it doesn't have all the wild life that the summer does.

we had an awesome cruise

It has a lot more calving on the glaciers and the prices are usually a lot lower :D

 

While doing the RT out of SEA saves money on air faire

Doing a one way on any cruiseline is the best non rushed experience.

 

BTW..... Victoria is a not to be missed port for those that have to go there:rolleyes:

[Rock712]

We've been to AK twice now , our first trip was on Princess with a landtour , and our recently completed cruise was on Carnival. Honestly , we had a great time on both Having said that I might give Princess the slight edge due to itinerary. Granted , this year Carnival did the shortened itinerary due to ship issues , but doing the landtour and then one way sailing thru the inside passage on Princess was spectacular versus the two " sea days" on Carnival.

 

But again , it's a very slight edge. As a matter of fact we are considering going again on Carnival next year on their first sailing in May which is an 8 day that includes more of the inside passage and both Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm.

 

Also , remember , no matter who you choose , a lot of your experience is going to depend on the weather , no matter which line you choose. On our cruise last month we were blessed with fantastic weather at every port. Clear & sunny days , not a drop of rain. So we had a great time with Carnival.

Pre-cruise , on a tour in Seattle , we talked with some folks that had just returned from a Princess cruise , and they had terrible weather , cold and rainy the whole time , and they were not happy with Princess.

 

So , in the end , I agree with most people in that Carnival might not be the "best" option , but if you take everything into account like possible cheaper flights into and out of Seattle , can you handle Tue-Tue- itinerary , Platinum perks , Carnival's better price , etc. , etc. they are in my opinion not in any way shape or form a " bad" option.

 

One last thing , here's another vote for Victoria. We had a great time there. We did a tour of the city and Butchart Gardens and we really enjoyed it. having seen it , would have been sorry if we had just stayed on the ship.

[PAPERBKWRITER]

I disagree with the negative posts.. Carnival Alaska is amazing especially with the naturalist narrating the scenery. (did same cruise with NCL) and I liked Tracy Arm better than Glacier Bay. My view like others is just opinion.

[Socref124]

I want to book an Alaskan cruise for June 2015 to celebrate my twins high school graduation and our 25th anniversary, but the choices are terrible. Only one ship is cruising and only one itinerary, which is not the Glacier Bay route. I heard that is better. Any chance Carnival will add more in the next few months? I'd like to book soon before prices go up. I checked other cruise lines and although they have more choices, they are way more expensive! Feeling frustrated...:(

 

 

Carnival only sends one ship per year to Alaska. We are going this Sept and chose the last cruise of the season since it goes to Sitka, however, we lose Victoria, B. C. I looked at next years last cruise and it doesn't stop in Sitka.

 

You have plenty of time to shop around if price is a concern.We just had a price drop to $899 pp for a balcony. This is $300 lower than when we booked back in March.

 

I agree with others when they say check other lines to do what is best for you. We stayed with Carnival because we are platinum and we like the perks and the price is much lower that the other lines.

 

I thought about NCL but decided not to go with them because of the poor service we received on the NCL Star. I know that was a long time ago, but I was afraid to take the chance.

 

I hope this helps a little. Go with your gut. If it says Carnival is not the right fit then go with whoever you are comfortable with.

 

Oh, one last thing. We were on the Legend for my wife's 50yh birthday and had a great time. The ship is fantastic and very easy to maneuver around.:D

[surfone]

Uh, Victoria was one of the highlights of our cruise, even though we were there for only 5 hours. The ship arrived at 6pm, but during the summer time, it's daytime until amost 11pm. Victoria is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL city. Just walking along the waterfront and the Parliament, visiting the Fairmont, and browsing the various, shops and dining venues is a fantastic experience.

 

I'm glad that nobody recommended to us that we stay on the ship, as we would've missed out on one of those ports that makes you return some day for a longer stay!

 

Here are some photos from Victoria:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I agree, Victoria was one of the most beautiful places I've seen. It was a highlight of our cruise, too. I would love to visit there for a few days.

[vols_159]

Try ncl I think they have 3 ships there with one doing a 10 day land vacation also

 

 

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[isaiahsnana]

NCL is also an excellent choice for Alaska. Having sailed Carnival and NCL to Alaska id choose NCL every time. Tracy Arm is no comparison to Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier imho.

 

Just took my second trip to Alaska on NCL (13 years apart) and I will not go on another NCL ship until I can be assured of better food and general feel around the ship. I thought the food ranged from mediocre to poor, the ship had only about 2 areas to congregate that were not used as restaurants throughout the day. Two "for pay restaurants" were walkways to other parts of the ship. I am Carnival spoiled - my food on carnival has always been great with some dishes very memorable. And the ships seem to be much more leisure area friendly as well as having a general feeling of friendliness. Not so on the NCL Pearl.

[tallyho8]

I've cruised to Alaska 3 times in the last 6 years on Norwegian Star and Pearl and HAL Zaandam. I enjoyed the Pearl the most.

 

The 4 places I found not to be missed are:

1. Skagway, because the train excursion is my favorite excursion anywhere.

2. Glacier Bay

3. Inside Passage

4. Sitka, the semi-sub is great.

 

Unfortunately, no ship goes to all 4 of these places so to see them all you have to go to Alaska at least twice.

[tracyvansmith]

I've cruised to Alaska 3 times in the last 6 years on Norwegian Star and Pearl and HAL Zaandam. I enjoyed the Pearl the most.

 

The 4 places I found not to be missed are:

1. Skagway, because the train excursion is my favorite excursion anywhere.

2. Glacier Bay

3. Inside Passage

4. Sitka, the semi-sub is great.

 

Unfortunately, no ship goes to all 4 of these places so to see them all you have to go to Alaska at least twice.

 

I guess I lucked out because Carnival sep. 10, 2014 cruises does all four of these. This will be my 5th time going to Alaska but first time going to Sitka.

[Tapi]

I guess I lucked out because Carnival sep. 10, 2014 cruises does all four of these. This will be my 5th time going to Alaska but first time going to Sitka.

 

 

Your sailing is an end of the season, extended one way itinerary finishing in Vancouver. Yes, that's a nice itinerary and I would love it (except for the Wednesday-Thursday departure which would make it hard. That means taking 2 weeks off work. For people that can only take one week of vacation at a time, it's not feasible).

 

Unfortunately, the majority of Carnival's schedule for the rest of the season doesn't go to Glacier Bay or Sitka, the mid-week departure is not practical, and because it's a roundtrip from Seattle, that means that you "waste" the first 2 days sailing west of Vancouver Island, out on the open sea, and not through the inside passage. I didn't realize how much we'd missed until we actually got in the inside passage and started enjoying the amazing scenery.

 

 

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[JWGrayson]

Next month, I sail on a Princess Crown Cruisetour, starting in Fairbanks and working through Denali, Talkeetna and then down to Whittier to embark on the ship - first two days are "sea days", sailing through Glacier and Hubbard Bays.....then porting 4 days down to Vancouver.

 

These cruisetours give you the time to see the land and experience Alaska through different lenses. I think teenagers would enjoy this as much as the adults do. I also think that HAL has an older demographic, and maybe more smokers than Princess. JMO that Princess would be better suited for a family.

 

I agree wholeheartedly that Carnival is not the way to go see Alaska.

 

This is the way to see Alaska! We took it even farther and got off the HAL ship in Skagway and spent 8 days going through the Yukon Territory, then into Alaska to see Fairbanks, Denali and Anchorage. We even added a few day to see the Kenai Fjords and Alyeska. It was a magical trip.

 

HAL Zaandam - Jun 2007 Alaska Cruisetour 12+2 days Alaska CruiseTour Pics for a trip review in pictures.

 

If you can't afford the time, then you might as well do the Carnival cruise. You will see most of what there is to see cruise wise and save some money. Enjoy, John

Edited July 21, 2014 by JWGrayson

[Tapi]

I also think that HAL has an older demographic, and maybe more smokers than Princess.

 

That was one of the things that I was concerned about since I'd always envisioned HAL as being for people with one foot in the grave. :o

 

Thankfully, our fears didn't materialize. Our fellow cruisers were a bit of everything. Young, old, married couples, singles, families, frequent cruisers, first timers, polished and well traveled to not so polished. In a nutshell, very similar to what we've found on past Carnival cruises.

 

We had no issues with smoke smell (which has been an issue on past Carnival cruises). Besides the casino, we weren't bothered by cigarette smell, even in our balcony.

 

The one thing that I didn't like much about our HAL ship is that it felt a bit enclosed and gloomy. The Westerdam is structurally similar to Carnival's Spirit class, but its public areas are decorated in dark colors. It had some wonderful areas, like the Crow's Nest and the glass covered pool deck, but the rest was just dark. Some may call the decor "understated elegance". I call it "depressing and claustrophobic". :(

[jonbgd]

The one thing that I didn't like much about our HAL ship is that it felt a bit enclosed and gloomy. The Westerdam is structurally similar to Carnival's Spirit class, but its public areas are decorated in dark colors. It had some wonderful areas, like the Crow's Nest and the glass covered pool deck, but the rest was just dark. Some may call the decor "understated elegance". I call it "depressing and claustrophobic". :(

 

We have sailed on the Westerdam Our one and only HAL cruise:eek:

I have to agree

The Spirit class is my favorite class of ship but the Westerdam did feel dark.

Even compared to Radiance class ships of RCCl it was dark

[cruizinator]

 

Unfortunately, no ship goes to all 4 of these places so to see them all you have to go to Alaska at least twice.

 

Unless...you go on the 10 day NCL Pearl in May out of Vancouver. You cruise the 4 mentioned ..plus Ketchikan. Juneau, Icy Strait and Victoria.

Edited July 21, 2014 by cruizinator

[jazm2011]

I think that Carnival only does Glacier Bay on the 1st and last cruise of the Alaska season. Or at least that's what i remember when we cruised it a couple years ago. If you are committed to June, than Glacier Bay wouldn't be a possibility on Carnival. (providing my memory is correct, which it may not be lol).

 

In any case, the one factor I would strongly recommend on an Alaskan cruise, is a balcony. If no other time, this would be the time to have one. Regardless of how cold it was, and it was!, the scenery is constant and having it literally right outside your door was one of the most spectacular parts of the cruise. We would have missed a LOT if we had to depend on running upstairs to the decks in order to see everything there was to see.

 

For us personally, Alaska was not our favorite cruise destination, so I'm not sure if we will ever cruise it again or not. So having no other cruise line or Alaskan itinerary to compare to, we thought Carnival was excellent. However, for those who may love Alaska and whom will (or have) cruised it many times, choosing Carnival and it's itinerary may play more into the equation.

Edited July 21, 2014 by jazm2011

[Socref124]

Just took my second trip to Alaska on NCL (13 years apart) and I will not go on another NCL ship until I can be assured of better food and general feel around the ship. I thought the food ranged from mediocre to poor, the ship had only about 2 areas to congregate that were not used as restaurants throughout the day. Two "for pay restaurants" were walkways to other parts of the ship. I am Carnival spoiled - my food on carnival has always been great with some dishes very memorable. And the ships seem to be much more leisure area friendly as well as having a general feeling of friendliness. Not so on the NCL Pearl.

 

When we were on NCL the food was fabulous. The best part of the ship. :D

[travelinggrandma]

I Won a Carnival cruise and opted for Alaska. My son and I went on the Spirit so you know it was some time ago. We had a fabulous time, going north to Whittier. We spent time in Sitka where I got up close and personal to a teen age grizzly and was too stupid to be afraid, making it the highlight of my trip. That is, second to the Hubbard Glacier, which we parked so close to that the calving sounded like an explosion and was the most beautiful sight I've seen before or since.

 

Our naturalist pointed out all interesting sightings and held lectures. In addition to all this I befriended a family with little children and they were kept very busy decorating wooden horses which we bet on and playing fun games with other children.

 

We couldn't have asked for more out of our Alaska cruise.

[laprof]

We did Alaska on Carnival in 2008, Vancouver to Whittier. Obviously they don't do that route anymore, but it was unbelievable! When we debarked in Whittier, we rented a car. We wanted to visit Denali, Anchorage and surrounding areas, so we rented a cabin. We spent 4 days on land and doing it ourselves was much, much cheaper than Carnival's (or any line's) land package.