1st timers - Alaska - HAL or Princess or NCL- beyond overwhelmed!

[d4sunrise]

Hello all.

My husband and I are looking to take our first cruise and Alaska is the choice.

Late 40s and no party animals here.

I was set to book Princess when I started reading reviews and got cold feet.

The 3 lines that will work for the dates we can go and our budget would most likely be Princess/HAL/NCL - after reading some terrible reviews on all, I just have become overwhelmed with it all.

Any recommendations on the biggest differences between these lines as far as pros and cons would be greatly appreciated.

We like to do stuff but we also like a laid back atmosphere. I am worried about the size and amount of people on the Princess as standing in line to eat for a long time holds no appeal.

Budgetwise HAL would be the best choice.

Our dates are for the end of July so we are doing close to last minute.

Thanks for any help!

[Sauer-kraut]

I don't of any of those lines where you have to stand in line for a long time to eat.

 

You need to do a cost analysis to see which line if offering which perks and the price point. Remember there is an approx. $13.00 per day per person daily service charge that will be added to your onboard account so that is another cost you might not be aware of.

 

If you do a search for BudgetQueen her Alaska knowledge is extensive and you need to figure out if one line is going to a rarely visited place to go with that one. Tracy Arm comes to mind but there are other ports/sights that are also special and not every sailing will get to see them.

 

So, forget about the ship Alaska is all about the itinerary, then look at cost.

[Sauer-kraut]

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Edited June 20, 2016 by Sauer-kraut

[Roz]

Since you've never cruised and have never been to Alaska, any of those lines will work for you. If a lot of people is a negative for you, compare how many passengers each ship carries. I just back from an Alaskan cruise on the Amsterdam, and we were dwarfed by the Ruby Princess. I've never cruised on one of the larger Princess ships, so I have no idea if there are long lines or not. You will be amazed at how well the cruise lines handle hundreds and thousands of passengers.

 

Don't be put off by bad reviews - all ships and lines have them. Concentrate on your destination - Alaska.

 

Roz

[paul929207]

We were worried when we first cruised the larger Princess ships (we had been used to the 700 passenger ships), but it worked great. We now have 100 or 150 nights on the big Princess ships. We always get Anytime Dining. Once we have had to wait more than 10 minutes to be seated for dinner. (We go 7 to 7:30 and ask to share a table for 6.) There is sometimes more of a wait for people wanting a table for two.

[paul929207]

P.S. We may be sailing with you. We will be on the Coral Princess, Vancouver to Whittier sailing July 9 and the Star Princess coming back sailing on July 23.

[cb at sea]

This cruise is about ALASKA....not the ship. Pick the itinerary, then see what ship has the best cabin to suit you...and book it.

ALL of the lines are quite similar...and you're going for ALASKA...not the ship or activities!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Princess and HAL have been in the Alaskan business the longest time and both cruise lines have more permits for Glacier Bay.

Check out these cruise lines a little closer and compare how long you are in the ports -- that is important to us.

[Aquahound]

ALL of the lines are quite similar...and you're going for ALASKA...not the ship or activities!

 

HAL and NCL are about as dissimilar as you can get in the cruise industry.

 

Hello all.

My husband and I are looking to take our first cruise and Alaska is the choice.

Late 40s and no party animals here.

I was set to book Princess when I started reading reviews and got cold feet.

The 3 lines that will work for the dates we can go and our budget would most likely be Princess/HAL/NCL - after reading some terrible reviews on all, I just have become overwhelmed with it all.

Any recommendations on the biggest differences between these lines as far as pros and cons would be greatly appreciated.

We like to do stuff but we also like a laid back atmosphere. I am worried about the size and amount of people on the Princess as standing in line to eat for a long time holds no appeal.

Budgetwise HAL would be the best choice.

Our dates are for the end of July so we are doing close to last minute.

Thanks for any help!

 

Like the others said, itinerary is key for an Alaskan cruise. Second is the ship. The ship does matter somewhat because you do spend every morning and every evening on board with 1 or 2 sea days included.

 

Between these 3, I would first recommend HAL. The relaxing, traditional feel of HAL ships adds a nice touch to an Alaskan cruise. There's only one major flaw with HAL...unlike the others, they still allow balcony smoking. I find Princess' big ships to be terribly crowded, and I rank NCL dead last regarding the ship, food and service.

 

How long a particular line has been in Alaska makes no difference whatsoever.

Edited June 20, 2016 by Aquahound

[Cruzaholic41]

The 3 lines that will work for the dates we can go and our budget would most likely be Princess/HAL/NCL - after reading some terrible reviews on all, I just have become overwhelmed with it all.

 

What ships? :confused:

[Ms. Cruiser]

Hi,

I am going on my third Alaskan cruise with Royal. My first was with Princess, second with Carnival and now Royal. I have also been on 45 cruise in the past nine years- please pick a cruise for the adventure.

A cruise is what you make it - some people may complain about the food, and others on the same ship will say it was wonderful. Everything is an opinion. I love Princess even though on my last cruise my cabin didn't have hot water for two days, I could complain about the Royal Princess, but why? The issue was resolved, I received a free dinner and a $300.00 credit on my account- they took care of the issue best they could as fast as they could. On Carnival, I wasn't too happy about how lacks the staff was on the dress code in the dining room (cut off shorts?!?), but why complain? I wasn't on my cruise to judge how people dress, I was on my cruise to enjoy time with my hubby and to relax. Whatever cruise line you choose, make the trip about you- not about what other people think. Just my opinion.

[zookiebird]

I couldn't agree more with those who advised that itinerary should be your over riding consideration. Since its your first cruise, I'd go with NCL if their itinerary, excursions and port times suit you. However, I'd get some kind of specialty restaurant package from them to add to your enjoyment.

[donaldsc]

In AK, the itinerary is way more important than the ship. Better to do a great itinerary on am inferior ship than the opposite. Check ports, port arrival times, port departure times, departure port, etc.

 

DON

[Flatbush Flyer]

Hello all.

 

My husband and I are looking to take our first cruise and Alaska is the choice.

 

Late 40s and no party animals here.

 

I was set to book Princess when I started reading reviews and got cold feet.

 

The 3 lines that will work for the dates we can go and our budget would most likely be Princess/HAL/NCL - after reading some terrible reviews on all, I just have become overwhelmed with it all.

 

Any recommendations on the biggest differences between these lines as far as pros and cons would be greatly appreciated.

 

We like to do stuff but we also like a laid back atmosphere. I am worried about the size and amount of people on the Princess as standing in line to eat for a long time holds no appeal.

 

Budgetwise HAL would be the best choice.

 

Our dates are for the end of July so we are doing close to last minute.

 

Thanks for any help!

 

 

I bet you compared cabin costs instead of "net daily rate." Assuming you're flying to/from your cruise, there's airfare to consider. Want beverages, excursions, internet, specialty resraurants, etc? None of the lines you mention include those items in the cabin price. Check out Oceania, whose cabin price does include those "extras" and more (excellent food and service, ships with under 700 passengers, very restrictive smoking policy, etc.

[Cruzaholic41]

I bet you compared cabin costs instead of "net daily rate." Assuming you're flying to/from your cruise, there's airfare to consider. Want beverages, excursions, internet, specialty resraurants, etc? None of the lines you mention include those items in the cabin price. Check out Oceania, whose cabin price does include those "extras" and more (excellent food and service, ships with under 700 passengers, very restrictive smoking policy, etc.

 

With all the unsolicited Oceania advice you give, I sure hope you're on their payroll.

[GoVikes]

Our first cruise was also an Alaskan. We chose the Golden Princess based on advise from family members that have cruised before. We had assigned seating for dinner, so the only waiting for meals was at the buffet. The lines weren't terribly long. We loved this cruise--it remains our favorite of all the cruises we've been on. That being said, NCL is my preferred cruise line. I feel that they are less stuffy than Princess, which suits me better. My husband prefers Princess.

 

I agree with previous posters that the itinerary is key. Also, keep in mind some people always will find things to complain about. I wouldn't worry too much about a couple negative reviews.

[Flatbush Flyer]

With all the unsolicited Oceania advice you give, I sure hope you're on their payroll.

 

 

Not on the payroll. Rather, on the bandwagon of folks trying to help newer cruisers understand that there's more to "value" than cheap cabin prices. Apart from any brand loyalty, the plain fact remains that O's flexible mix of included items (not the least of which is airfare or credit) fits the needs of a population of savvy travelers who have done the research and also choose the "O Life."

 

How did I arrive at Oceania?

Years ago, after multiple mass market cruises (and enduring their many shortcomings), I started looking at "net daily rate" as a prime factor in selecting a cruise (in addition to other qualitative factors- particularly food quality). What got me interested in Oceania was the advice of a very well respected TA in Seattle (a former HAL cruise director) who suggested we consider O when we were looking at an Alaska cruise on HAL, Princess or Celebrity. When we projected out that net daily cost (incl. airfare et al.), O's bottom line was very close to the others. And, when that TA explained the qualitative differences that set O a "cut above" (e.g., food, smoking restriction, crew ratio, etc.), the choice was obvious.

After a few O cruises, we had found a very comfortable niche for our cruise dollars.

 

Of course, we are open to other options where it makes sense. We're big fans of crewed yacht charter in certain situations. And we always look at net daily rate comparisons with lines like Azamara and those luxury lines that restrict smoking and offer occasional deals that may approach the O net daily rate. We also look at exploration cruises on smaller ships but have yet to find one that checks all our boxes. In the not-too-distant future, we'll do a Disney cruise with pre-school granddaughter and we're looking at an American riverboat cruise as well.

 

But, for regular cruising, as long as O keeps offering interesting itineraries and maintains it's current culture or product quality, you will hear me sing their praises. And, if I just get the newer folks to do their homework (even if what works best for them is something like Celebrity), I'll be a "happy camper."