Alaska ~ NCL or Princess?

[jenseib]

I am going to post this on both boards to get a better range of opinions.

 

We plan to do an Alaskan Cruise out of Seattle this Aug. We are a family of 3 with a 10 year old girl.

 

We are huge Disney fans and prefer DCL, but the timing is not working for us to go with Disney as well as a few other factors. And Seattle is the port of choice right now. (husband had a DUI about 25 years ago and he doesn't want to mess with getting permission to get into Canada.)

 

So I am looking at these 2 lines. Price wise for what I want has Princess coming in less by a bit. But I really want to know how good the kids club and/or activities for the kids are on each line. My daughter is not excited about this trip because it is unknown to her. I need to be sure there are enough fun things and potentials to meet new friends as well.

 

My husband also worries about getting bored...not sure how you can with the gorgeous scenery, but he worries. We have sailed NCL before about 12 or so years ago and had a nice time but it was a short cruise. I also sailed ncl one other time before that. I have sailed Princess last fall and enjoyed it but our particular sailing did not seem to offer a lot of daily activities and not many kids on the ship, but it was Sept.

 

I would just like to hear opinions on your preferences and how you like the ships. The ships we are looking at with Princess is the Crown and Ruby...and with NCL the Jewel and Pearl.

 

Thanks

[4774Papa]

We are booked Sept 2017 on the Sun, Vancouver to Seward. Everyone tells us to book from either Vancouver or Seward, one way, that you see a lot more than going out of Seattle.

Can't comment on Princess, but NCL had a great special, third and fourth passengers were free, so our daughter is coming with us.

[jenseib]

We are booked Sept 2017 on the Sun, Vancouver to Seward. Everyone tells us to book from either Vancouver or Seward, one way, that you see a lot more than going out of Seattle.

Can't comment on Princess, but NCL had a great special, third and fourth passengers were free, so our daughter is coming with us.

 

Unfortunately we don't have the option of going out of those ports. And the dates we want only offer 50% off for our daughter so that makes the NCL cruise quite a bit more than the Princess. I do have one on hold with the free drink package but I need to decide fast or lose it.

[kessdarln]

Unfortunately we don't have the option of going out of those ports. And the dates we want only offer 50% off for our daughter so that makes the NCL cruise quite a bit more than the Princess. I do have one on hold with the free drink package but I need to decide fast or lose it.

 

I did NCL Pearl to Alaska and enjoyed it a lot.. great entertainment. A port side balcony is good if it is in your budget, otherwise out on the deck or even in the front lounge with windows on 3 sides is great for viewing in general but while cruising Glacier Bay, and the captain did a lot of commentary as we sailed the glaciers. While I don't have experience with Princess, a couple that sat with us at lunch in a Saloon were on Princess and said it was a much much older crowd. How old is your daughter? I know NCL has kids and teen clubs... here is an example of a ship from each.

 

http://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/pearl/whats-on-board/activities

 

http://www.princess.com/learn/ships/ru/amenities_publicrooms/

[bonvoyagie]

I would look into the Canadian Customs issues further because the ship must enter Canada before returning to Seattle. One of the reasons they want you onboard a couple of hours before sailing is so they can send the list to customs. NCL asks you for your passport information at their e-check in step. I am not sure how far in advance they run the list by customs. I have heard that boarding can be denied at the pier - either customs call or the cruise line's. Does not matter if it is NCL or Princess.

[mpk218]

We have sailed Both lines to Alaska as a family . The kids were 6/9 first time and 10/13 second time.. Without going into specifics , we all enjoyed the NCL

cruise more.. The kids really enjoyed the kids club on NCL far more than on Princess .. I feel NCL was a bit more relaxed for that type of cruise ( Alaska ).

When choosing an Itinerary keep it to the inside passage . When they venture out beyond the barrier "islands" the view becomes open water..

Shore excursions ,,, whale watching ,,salmon fishery ,, Rock climbing (my 10 year old did it ) loved it.. She's a rock spider tho.. And for gosh sakes , get at least a balcony .. ;)

[jenseib]

I would look into the Canadian Customs issues further because the ship must enter Canada before returning to Seattle. One of the reasons they want you onboard a couple of hours before sailing is so they can send the list to customs. NCL asks you for your passport information at their e-check in step. I am not sure how far in advance they run the list by customs. I have heard that boarding can be denied at the pier - either customs call or the cruise line's. Does not matter if it is NCL or Princess.

 

I have been told no issues on that regards.

[jenseib]

We have sailed Both lines to Alaska as a family . The kids were 6/9 first time and 10/13 second time.. Without going into specifics , we all enjoyed the NCL

cruise more.. The kids really enjoyed the kids club on NCL far more than on Princess .. I feel NCL was a bit more relaxed for that type of cruise ( Alaska ).

When choosing an Itinerary keep it to the inside passage . When they venture out beyond the barrier "islands" the view becomes open water..

Shore excursions ,,, whale watching ,,salmon fishery ,, Rock climbing (my 10 year old did it ) loved it.. She's a rock spider tho.. And for gosh sakes , get at least a balcony .. ;)

 

Thanks so much..I am leaning towards NCL right now. I actually want a mini suite or suite!

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Unfortunately we don't have the option of going out of those ports. And the dates we want only offer 50% off for our daughter so that makes the NCL cruise quite a bit more than the Princess. I do have one on hold with the free drink package but I need to decide fast or lose it.

 

I just want to throw this out there.

 

When cruising to Alaska it is very port intensive and you are up early most days and tired and ready for bed a lot earlier than a Caribbean cruise.

 

I don't think the beverage package would get a lot of use seeing as you won't be on the ship a lot.

 

We did the Diamond princess to Alaska but it was September with not many kids onboard so I can't comment on the kids club.

 

Bill

[Cruizer27]

Been on both lines several times. Most recently Princess to Alaska. They are a fabulous line. Food is superior to Norwegian. Can't say about Kid's programs.

Going to Bermuda next month on Norwegian (for the 3rd time) due to proximity.

[newmexicoNita]

Everyone has his/her own view as to the better of the two lines for Alaska. The benefit you have with Princess is: they have been doing Alaska longer, so have it down pat. But I disagree with anyone that says the food is better. We did not particularly enjoy the food on our last Princess cruise. As for NCL,again food is so subjective, it is hard to rate the quality. We were very happy with our Pearl cruise food a few weeks ago. If you want the more formal experience, choose Princess. If you want to relax do NCL. I think the kids program on NCL is better. Someone mentioned the UBP, I don't care how port intensive the cruise is and yes, Alaska is port intensive the Beverage package for those who enjoy indulging is a good deal even if you just have wine with dinner and another drink or so a day. It really does depend on how much you enjoy your evening drinks and there are a couple of "at sea" days as well. For anyone who just has a single glass of wine at dinner and maybe one more drink, probably it isn't worth it.

[UPNYGuy]

Everyone has his/her own view as to the better of the two lines for Alaska. The benefit you have with Princess is: they have been doing Alaska longer, so have it down pat. But I disagree with anyone that says the food is better. We did not particularly enjoy the food on our last Princess cruise. As for NCL,again food is so subjective, it is hard to rate the quality. We were very happy with our Pearl cruise food a few weeks ago. If you want the more formal experience, choose Princess. If you want to relax do NCL. I think the kids program on NCL is better. Someone mentioned the UBP, I don't care how port intensive the cruise is and yes, Alaska is port intensive the Beverage package for those who enjoy indulging is a good deal even if you just have wine with dinner and another drink or so a day. It really does depend on how much you enjoy your evening drinks and there are a couple of "at sea" days as well. For anyone who just has a single glass of wine at dinner and maybe one more drink, probably it isn't worth it.

 

 

Exactly. We like to relax, so this is the reason why we have switched to Norwegian for *all* our cruises, as long as they port where we are going.

[jonathantravels]

I've been on both lines for Alaska cruises...the NCL Pearl round-trip out of Seattle, and the Diamond Princess one-way from Vancouver to Whittier. I much preferred the NCL cruise...it was a lot more fun, the food was better and more varied, and overall it was just a more memorable experience.

 

The only disadvantage of the Seattle round-trip is it makes one less stop in Alaska (in favor of a stop at Victoria) in order to qualify as an international cruise. But there's still lots to see and IMO that wouldn't be a deciding factor in a future cruise.

[mizLORInj]

I would go on any of the 4 ships you mentioned.

 

I like both NCL and Princess.

[kessdarln]

I would look into the Canadian Customs issues further because the ship must enter Canada before returning to Seattle. One of the reasons they want you onboard a couple of hours before sailing is so they can send the list to customs. NCL asks you for your passport information at their e-check in step. I am not sure how far in advance they run the list by customs. I have heard that boarding can be denied at the pier - either customs call or the cruise line's. Does not matter if it is NCL or Princess.

 

 

My sister didn't have a passport or EDL so she stayed on the ship in Victoria. They didn't ask for anything but the ship key when I got back on but that doesn't mean policy is the same this year.

[jenseib]

Thanks everyone.I think i am going to go with the jewel. My husband likes to be informal so that will make him happy.

We don't drink much these days normally, but on vacation my husband does like to have a few. And the soft drink package for my daughter is a big hit and I will enjoy soft drinks as well as an occasional drink.

I have actually upgraded my hold to suite so we will get the dining package, tips and shore Exc. credit as well.

We haven't made the decision 100% yet, but I really think for our family the NCL one might be better at this point in time.

[kessdarln]

Thanks everyone.I think i am going to go with the jewel. My husband likes to be informal so that will make him happy.

We don't drink much these days normally, but on vacation my husband does like to have a few. And the soft drink package for my daughter is a big hit and I will enjoy soft drinks as well as an occasional drink.

I have actually upgraded my hold to suite so we will get the dining package, tips and shore Exc. credit as well.

We haven't made the decision 100% yet, but I really think for our family the NCL one might be better at this point in time.

 

 

Good choice! Enjoy your cruise and your suite!

[bonvoyagie]

Please check out this http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/canada.html

 

open the tab on Local Laws

 

Alcohol-related driving offenses, such as driving while intoxicated (DWI), driving while ability-impaired, and driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol, are criminal offenses in Canada. Penalties are heavy, and any prior conviction (no matter how old or how minor the infraction) is grounds for exclusion from Canada. U.S. citizens with a DWI record must seek approval for rehabilitation from Canadian authorities before traveling to Canada, which requires several weeks or months to process. Please see the CBSA website for details on this program.

 

There have been many threads on this subject here on this board.

 

There have been many first hand accounts of "no problems" when crossing the border - we know that the cruise line is responsible to make sure that all of it's passengers can legally enter any port on the itinerary - the manifest is sent to the Canadian authorities - and if you give the cruise line your passport number during a pre cruise check in process they can run the number through customs well ahead of time.

 

In this case, if the Canadian Customs did not catch the DUI there would be no problems.

 

Going into the Yukon in Skagway seems to be hit an miss - I know on the train at Fraser - they only took a quick glance at the passport - mostly checking the photo against the person holding it :D. I fact we were all instructed to keep quiet and hold the passport next to our face and don't cover the photo.

 

Going through the US side on the way back with Chilkoot was a breeze - the driver simply stated how many US Citizens he was bringing back.

 

Being in a rental car may be a better target for inspection ;)

 

BTW I did the NCL Pearl to AK in 2012 and loved it.

[TATraveler]

Are you reading the threads about Norwegian Cruise Line's constant fee changes? The company changes fees and those who can't cancel are not grandfathered out of those changes. Thus, the fees you think you're paying today may not be the ones you pay when you board the cruise. Full disclosure: I am a victim of some of these changes.

 

Also Norwegian is no longer allowing people to bring even dessert back to their staterooms -- starting this month! Speaking as someone who sails tomorrow:eek:, one of my desires was the ability to take snacks to my balcony. Now my vacation has become Catholic school!

 

I don't have any experience with Princess at all but I haven't heard the same horror stories about them. It's in your best interests to avoid Norwegian. Don't fall for the perks they're offering. Those perks could have the charges tweaked at any time. They could even potentially rescind them altogether. They have the right. You've signed your rights away when you book. Trust me over Norwegian customer service. They are uninformed, or worse yet, trained to lie.

 

Go with Princess.

[pokerpro5]

I was a loyal Princess cruiser through 2011. I had several bad experiences on a Hawaii cruise that year, and I gave up on them. Their onboard customer service is pretty bad, and in some cases, downright hostile. This is coming from a former fanboy of Princess who loyally cruised on them since the mid-1990s, and I had never complained to them once about anything, prior to the 2011 fiasco I had.

 

I took my first NCL cruise in 2013 and have since learned a TON about them.

 

While NCL has its flaws, I choose them over Princess now.

 

The poster above is correct that NCL's phone reps are TOTALLY clueless, and you can't trust a word they say. That's one of NCL's many idiosyncrasies, but you just have to take the good with the bad. Once you're onboard, I have found the NCL customer service to be great, and their officers very accessible if you need them.

 

I do wish NCL had self-serve laundry. Princess has that (last I heard), and that's a huge plus.

 

Also, Princess has a good pizzeria onboard which is free (and fast), and a grill that is open much more often than that on the NCL ships I've taken.

 

Those are some advantages of Princess, but I still prefer NCL overall because their onboard customer service is just soooo much better.

[Aquahound]

I would just like to hear opinions on your preferences and how you like the ships. The ships we are looking at with Princess is the Crown and Ruby...and with NCL the Jewel and Pearl.

 

I'll admit, I'm not usually one to suggest NCL over other cruise lines. However, in this case, I think NCL is your better option. One, I think your little one will enjoy NCL more. Two, I've been on the Ruby and a sister ship of Crown. Staterooms on Princess are terribly small, the dining rooms on those ships are extremely cramped, and those were the most crowded ships on which I've ever sailed. I think the 3 of you will enjoy the Jewel/Pearl more.

[Cauzneffct]

Princess was great for Alaska. My now-wife and I went with my sister, my mom, and one of her friends and had a really good time. There were only a couple days at sea, so I wouldn't figure you'd get too bored. We also tacked on a land-trip through Princess which went up to Fairbanks, and it was great as well.

[dexddd]

I am going to post this on both boards to get a better range of opinions.

 

We plan to do an Alaskan Cruise out of Seattle this Aug. We are a family of 3 with a 10 year old girl.

 

We are huge Disney fans and prefer DCL, but the timing is not working for us to go with Disney as well as a few other factors. And Seattle is the port of choice right now. (husband had a DUI about 25 years ago and he doesn't want to mess with getting permission to get into Canada.)

 

So I am looking at these 2 lines. Price wise for what I want has Princess coming in less by a bit. But I really want to know how good the kids club and/or activities for the kids are on each line. My daughter is not excited about this trip because it is unknown to her. I need to be sure there are enough fun things and potentials to meet new friends as well.

 

My husband also worries about getting bored...not sure how you can with the gorgeous scenery, but he worries. We have sailed NCL before about 12 or so years ago and had a nice time but it was a short cruise. I also sailed ncl one other time before that. I have sailed Princess last fall and enjoyed it but our particular sailing did not seem to offer a lot of daily activities and not many kids on the ship, but it was Sept.

 

I would just like to hear opinions on your preferences and how you like the ships. The ships we are looking at with Princess is the Crown and Ruby...and with NCL the Jewel and Pearl.

 

Thanks

 

Seen your reviews over on the DCL boards so I recognized your name. Just an FYI on the kids half off pricing promo on NCL - they seemed to have the pricing now as 1/2 off a "brochure" rate which is now higher in some cases than what they would have traditionally run. For Alaska a 3rd+ passenger would "typically" run around $599 plus fees in August. Obviously much less than what DCL "typically" charges for pax 3+ though.

 

Also, realize a mini-suite on NCL gets you nothing more than a slightly larger room. A suite will start with an "S" and a room with "H" is a suite with Haven privileges in case it wasn't pointed out earlier.

[jenseib]

Seen your reviews over on the DCL boards so I recognized your name. Just an FYI on the kids half off pricing promo on NCL - they seemed to have the pricing now as 1/2 off a "brochure" rate which is now higher in some cases than what they would have traditionally run. For Alaska a 3rd+ passenger would "typically" run around $599 plus fees in August. Obviously much less than what DCL "typically" charges for pax 3+ though.

 

Also, realize a mini-suite on NCL gets you nothing more than a slightly larger room. A suite will start with an "S" and a room with "H" is a suite with Haven privileges in case it wasn't pointed out earlier.

 

Yep very well aware of it.

And yes Mini suites are more like a balcony room on DCL. I actually upgraded to a suite. The perks with it were better and still less than what we would have paid for on DCL.