Sun, Dawn Or Regal ?????

[mtaylor04]

We are planning another trip to Alaska next June. I was very disappointed that the Diamond is no longer making round trips from Seattle as we loved the trip we took on her last year. This board is such a wealth of information that I wanted to ask your opinion on which ship you would suggest and why.

 

We are in our fortys and will be traveling with our 19 year old daughter and her boyfriend. This will be their first cruise and we want their experience to be as wonderful as ours has been.

 

Any thoughts on the best ship?

 

Mary

[DesertDaisy]

I think the Sun or Dawn would be a better fit with two young people. We have never sailed the Sun, but both the Regal and Dawn. The Regal is a ten-day and as you have heard before it tends to be an older crowd. It also doesn't have personal choice. I loved the Dawn, it is still a smaller ship, but it does have more bells and whistles than the Regal. I would not take our daughters & husbands on the Regal. I have sailed on her twice, but I liked her more in 1993 than in 2004. I do like the larger ships, my personal favorite is the Grand, 2005, there was so much to do! Phyllis

[bdjam]

The 10 day trip that I did on Regal Princess last year had a mixed crowd – we were at a capacity of 160 kids on board, which is 10 percent of the passenger complement. While Regal Princess doesn’t have Anytime Dining, it does have Personal Choice options such as a no-tariff full serve bistro, 24 hour buffet, sit-down (not counter serve) pizzeria and of course room service.

 

Sun and Dawn are brilliant ships, but of the three I would pick Regal based on superior quality and service – however if a teen-aged ship is an issue, Regal might not be right.

 

I would recommend Diamond/Sapphire or Island/Coral. Do you have to do round trip from Seattle? A one-way would get you more glacier time and be something different. And these ships have more up to date amenities for kids than do the smaller ships. I guess it depends on whether the amenities for the kids or the Seattle departure is more important to you.

[Budget Queen]

I too would suggest you consider a different routing. Glacier Bay is way superior to Tracy Arm. :) AND Vancouver is way more inside passage sailing if you are going to Alaska for Alaska? :) But I have sailed the Sun 3 times to Alaska, it is the best ship around for front deck viewing (especially in Glacier Bay) as there are no wind screens and a couple lower front decks that get essentially no wind below the bridge. Of course this is for those who spend time out. :)

 

 

Alaska overall has middle aged and above the norm of passengers.

 

As a side- it is a simple transfer Seattle/Vancouver if of interest.

[Druke I]

Pretty hard to beat Regal's itinerary - sailing from San Francisco under the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge is a real thrill.

 

For me, it is a way of avoiding flights and airports - a huge plus!

[bdjam]

My recommendation was really based on the ship alone – if it were a choice between Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm, I’d choose the latter.

[spongerob]

For a first cruise, I might suggest the 7-day cruises on the Sun or Dawn. I'm personally giving some thought to planning a 10-day cruise on Regal Princess, but the extra sea days might be off-putting to first-timers who might be looking for something a little more active. Just something to consider.

[calikak]

We've been on all 3 ships, including the Regal in Alaska back when Princess was still doing roundtrip Vancouver sailings. For someone in their teens/early 20's, I'd recommend either the Sun or the Dawn, because the extra sea days on a 10-night sailing might not offer enough to entertain someone in that age group, especially since there tend not to be as many people in that age group on 10-night sailings. Although, the Regal does have a movie theater, which is nice on the sea days.

 

In terms of the cabins, the inside/oceanview/balcony cabins on the Regal are bigger than on the Sun/Dawn and have a bathtub-sized shower. But the minisuites on the Sun/Dawn are really fabulous, much better than what you would have had on the Diamond (they're like the full suites on the Diamond) and nicer than on the Regal.

[Coral]

I can see how the Regal would appeal to those who live in the San Francisco area but personally, I don't want to fly to California and spend several extra days at sea (vacation days) on a cruise when the intention is to see Alaska. If I am going to spend extra vacation days - I want it to be in Alaska.

 

I like the Sea and Dawn Princess but don't like the itineraries out of Seattle. I would either do the one ways (itinearies are great and they go to Glacier Bay) or look at another line and go out of Vancouver for RT out of Vancouver.

 

A sailing out of San Francisco would be my last choice for an Alaskan sailing. Just my opinion.

[mtaylor04]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. I wanted to do the Vancouver to Whittier on the Diamond but the multi-destination flight from Arkansas is around 1000 per person. It is only 300 to fly to seattle. A huge difference to my pocket book.

 

I would love the extra sea days that you get on the Regal but I don't want the kids to be board.

 

Thanks again,

Mary