What the best Alaska cruise

[pcorwin]

Looking to go oa an Alaskan cruise in June or July of 2017 and want to know what is the best cruise lines at an afordable price. We are going with other couples and they are not fans of Carnival. We have cruised on Carnival, Royal & Disney have liked them all DH not a fan of Disney due to the fact there is no gambling. So what are your thoughts?

[ProfessorandtheGeek]

The best and affordable cruise line is a personal perspective. You have to look at what lines sail to Alaska, and then decide what line you want to sail.

 

Royal Caribbean, Princess, Disney, Celebrity are all cruise lines that sail to Alaska. Other luxury lines sail to Alaska as well. Princess has been doing Alaska longer than any other lines.

 

I was a loyal RCCL cruiser but for Alaska, I chose Celebrity, again it is a personal choice.

 

Hope I was of some help.

Edited March 6, 2016 by ProfessorandtheGeek

[Keith1010]

There is really no best.

 

My advice is to begin with the itinerary and figure out which one you are more interested in. If you want to stay in Alaska and visit areas on land before or after the cruise then consider a land program and there are some cruise lines that do excel in this area such as Princess, Holland and Celebrity. If you do not plan to do a land program then consider a R/T cruise such as one out of Vancouver and Seattle. In that situation I recommend a R/T Vancouver cruise. Consider if seeing Glacier Bay (which we like to cruise) is important to you.

 

Once you figure out itinerary then look at the cruise lines that match up with that and then from there figure out which cruise line(s) interest you the most because at that point there are differences between the lines.

 

But start with itinerary.

 

Keith

[Turtle05]

I will second what Keith said. I'm planning a 2017 Alaskan cruise (can't book yet because I don't have locked in vacation days) so I have a spreadsheet (oh I do love a good spreadsheet ;) ) of all the itineraries I like and multiple price points by room type. Pick what appeals to you most. Some like the ease of a round trip, others like the more robust itinerary of a one-way. Note how much time is spent at each port. Research the ports to decide which ones you want to go to. Most go to Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, but some stop at Icy Strait Point, Victoria, or Sitka. I'm not sure if you are locked in to a certain time, but be aware of the differences in when you go. Shoulder months (May and Sept) are cheaper, so if cost is a concern, consider going during one of those months. Even if money isn't an issue, I'd rather save when I can. It's all up to what you want to see and what kind of experience you want to have. Happy planning!

Edited March 6, 2016 by Turtle05

[Budget Queen]

FIRST- find out what sailing and visiting Alaska is about. Many people have no clue, or worse, wrong assumptions. Determine- what touring and how you wish to occupy your time, another big surprise for the unprepared with the range of touring, and the costs.

 

Alaska By Cruiseship by Viapond- is a small time investment.

 

Those who jump into reservations, can find some very wrong decisions made.

 

I do not agree that Princess is a stand out with their land tours- they have way too many that are too short on time, waste time at their "holding" tank at McKinley Princess, and do NOT get into Denali Park- with their worthless Natural History. Never mind the Direct to Denali from Whittier, that people don't realize is 10 hours.

 

Knowledge is important.

[xlxo]

Additional thoughts...

• think what's important to you for a "best experience".
  
• casino?
  
  
• Glacier Bay?
  
  
• Vancouver?
  
  
• dry weather?
  
  
• photo packages?
  
  
• sunlight?
  
  
• schedule?
  
  
• fireworks?
  
  
• wildlife sightings? what wildlife?
  
  
• number of ports? I find excursions improve on the port experience.
  
  

  
  

• what may not be important for savings...
  
• balcony?
  
  
• 5 star hotel adjacent to cruise terminal for pre/post-cruise?

  
  

[YOUTUBE]LyOFAKRjcpo[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]NHqJf6Un5-U[/YOUTUBE][YOUTUBE]CZzl0LOjRvY[/YOUTUBE]

[Mitch2016]

We are also traveling to Alaska June 2017. All the cruise lines generally go to the same ports. The factors I used when choosing which cruise line was the time in each port, whether the cruise line went to Glacier Bay (not all of them do), the cost difference (big difference for same itineraries), and how comfortable we will feel on the trip (we aren't suits/dresses to eat kind of people). As far as activities to do while onboard at night...honestly, I think we'll be so worn out after a full day in port we'll be too tired to stay up late!

 

It's just a lot of what you personally want. I will say, prices go up so book early, or wait until last minute. I went ahead and turned in my vacation request for 2 weeks, booked my cruise and purchased travelers insurance that includes coverage if I don't get the time off work. Remember, you can always put deposit down which is 100% refundable until final payment due date which is 75 days before you sail.

 

Have a wonderful time and enjoy all Alaska has to offer and experience things you won't normally get to do!

[cruiser64093]

The first question you need to ask yourself: Does this cruise go to Glacier Bay? If yes, then proceed. Going all that way and not seeing GB is like going to the Vatican and choosing not to see the Sistine Chapel.

 

My first time there, I was reminded of the line Jodie Foster says in the movie 'Contact'. "They should have sent a poet". Words, videos, pictures, all fail to describe the wonder of Glacier Bay.

[thinfool]

The first question you need to ask yourself: Does this cruise go to Glacier Bay? If yes, then proceed. Going all that way and not seeing GB is like going to the Vatican and choosing not to see the Sistine Chapel.

 

My first time there, I was reminded of the line Jodie Foster says in the movie 'Contact'. "They should have sent a poet". Words, videos, pictures, all fail to describe the wonder of Glacier Bay.

 

Many feel that Glacier Bay is a must see. If the OP comes to that point he/she can cross off Royal Caribbean and Celebrity as they have no permits to enter the Bay.

 

Princess and HAL have the most, Norwegian then, finally, Carnival has a few. (not sure about Disney, but I doubt it.)

 

Also, I would add that early and especially late season sailings (Sept) can be iffy. That means greatly diminished daylight hours and rainy, foggy weather. Not all the time, but there is a reason they are cheaper. Conversely, June, July, August sailings cost more for several reasons.

Edited March 6, 2016 by thinfool

[Turtle05]

Many feel that Glacier Bay is a must see. If the OP comes to that point he/she can cross off Royal Caribbean and Celebrity as they have no permits to enter the Bay.

 

Princess and HAL have the most, Norwegian then, finally, Carnival has a few. (not sure about Disney, but I doubt it.)

 

Also, I would add that early and especially late season sailings (Sept) can be iffy. That means greatly diminished daylight hours and rainy, foggy weather. Not all the time, but there is a reason they are cheaper. Conversely, June, July, August sailings cost more for several reasons.

 

Agreed, especially if the OP thinks they are likely to go back to Alaska in the future. My first cruise did not go to GB, and I don't feel cheated. To each their own I suppose. It is a must-see on my next Alaskan cruise, though.

[TheCalicoCat]

Looking to go oa an Alaskan cruise in June or July of 2017 and want to know what is the best cruise lines at an afordable price. We are going with other couples and they are not fans of Carnival. We have cruised on Carnival, Royal & Disney have liked them all DH not a fan of Disney due to the fact there is no gambling. So what are your thoughts?

 

I would do a table with all of the possible cruise lines on the top & the ports/prices/what interests you on the side - maybe by process of elimination you will find the best for you.

 

We did this & ended up with HAL as 30-something year olds for the first time. (Vancouver, round trip, Glacier Bay - were important to us.)

 

Our next AK cruise will be July/Aug 2017 on HAL - 14-nights was the reason for us this time. (& bear season.)

[zqvol]

I would only go on Regent or Silversea, I find even the smallest mass market ships are too large.

[donaldsc]

I would only go on Regent or Silversea, I find even the smallest mass market ships are too large.

 

You are not correct. Even the Regent or Silversea ships are hopelessly over-sized and bloated. There are lots of AK cruises available on ships that hold less than 50 people (I did one on this ship - http://akcruises.com/akndrmdeckplan.htm) and I would love to do an AK cruise on this 6 passenger ship - http://akcruises.com/northerndream-deckplan.html.

 

DON

[zqvol]

You are not correct. Even the Regent or Silversea ships are hopelessly over-sized and bloated. There are lots of AK cruises available on ships that hold less than 50 people (I did one on this ship - http://akcruises.com/akndrmdeckplan.htm) and I would love to do an AK cruise on this 6 passenger ship - http://akcruises.com/northerndream-deckplan.html.

 

DON

 

 

You are right and I prefer the small ships but most people consider Regent and Silversea to be tiny.