Ship Selection, 1st Cruise, Alaska 2017, Husband Issues!

[GranJean]

Might I suggest you work with a travel agent. Someone local who has experience with the cruise industry. The agent should be able to provide you with what is available. The added expense, if any, should be negligible. And you might even save some money.

 

PS: I'm a bit like your husband; thank you PTSD. I hate lines, crowds, and am bit claustrophobic. I've found that if our cabin at least has a window I'm ok there. We schedule our embark / disembark times to avoid crowds. However, lines on cruise ships are inevitable as are crowded spaces. But, most of the time, the rewards from the cruise experience far out weigh the stress.

[mapleleaves]

are there any specific sightseeing priorities, like Glacier Bay or a bear watching excursion, or a Kenai Fjords trip to view sealife, Denali? If so, maybe you could accomplish this trip w/o the cruise. Do a DIY road trip and stay at nice lodges or a cabin.

ie fly into Juneau, do a whale watching trip, visit Mendenhall Glacier. Then take the ferry, Alaska Airlines or a small plane, to Gustavus near Glacier Bay . Stay at Glacier Bay Lodge for a few nights and do the small boat tour of Glacier Bay, kayak, hike, bike. Where to go after that will depend on your interests .... if bear viewing is a priority, fly to anchorage and do an overnight trip to Silver Salmon Lodge, or, fly to Ketchikan for a day excursion.

 

So many options depending on your priorities and interests.

[eandj]

 

We schedule our embark / disembark times to avoid crowds. However, lines on cruise ships are inevitable as are crowded spaces.

 

I have to disagree. Lines and crowded spaces are NOT inevitable. maybe when we have boarded, we sat or waited in a line. But as one who hates over crowded spaces or waiting for long periods of time, I have never been freaked out with those experiences. Or at least not often enough or awful enough for me to remember.

The only thing I'd warn is that if one books all their excursions with the ship, you WILL be with larger groups, have to "hurry up to wait" and feel like a sheep. Avoid all those minuses.... do the research and book your own tours with private companies. A small group of 12 or 16 will outdo a coach bus of 60 anywhere, anytime.

 

Oh yes...avoid anytime dining during peak hours on Princess. Now THAT's where I DO see large groups of cruisiers waiting. They run a terrible system.

Edited September 2, 2016 by eandj

[denatravels]

 

 

 

Oh yes...avoid anytime dining during peak hours on Princess. Now THAT's where I DO see large groups of cruisiers waiting. They run a terrible system.

 

 

I have to say that my experience was totally different-- I had read this and was very concerned. I never waited more than 5 minutes for a table for 2.

 

 

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[Coral]

Might I suggest you work with a travel agent. Someone local who has experience with the cruise industry. The agent should be able to provide you with what is available. The added expense, if any, should be negligible. And you might even save some money.

 

 

A good travel agent should SAVE you money! I agree, find one who knows cruising and Alaska.

[zqvol]

I know there are many cruise lines to choose from. I've read multiple reviews both good and bad.

 

I have a very difficult to please husband who wants a nice big room, good food, and drinks. Mid size ship. We are just going to do a one way voyage not sure which direction Anchorage to Vancouver or in reverse. Crystal Serenity fits the bill but there is only 1 voyage in 2017 and for a larger room it's like $12,000. Insane!!!! I would agree to half that for a suite on another cruise line. I have looked at the Coral Princess but review for food has not been good. I also have looked at Holland America.

 

Any suggestions on a ship (any line) would be appreciated. My husband is ADHD and cannot do long waits in lines or large group tours. I will have to schedule our own land tours and probably rent cars. Yeah, I know, I married him! As long as he has TV, Internet, and bourbon he will be good on the ship!

 

 

Look at Regent or Silversea

[Alaskanb]

Please keep in mind that food reviews are highly subjective. We have always been able to choose fine meals in the main dining rooms on Princess ships. If you do not like something the waiter will bring something different. I suggest you look at some of the menus.

We always chose a table for two at a set time for dining.

Independent small group tours are easy to arrange on Alaska cruises. Highly recommend Chilkoot Charters in Skagway and Harv and Marv whale watch in Juneau.

[denatravels]

Please keep in mind that food reviews are highly subjective. We have always been able to choose fine meals in the main dining rooms on Princess ships. If you do not like something the waiter will bring something different. I suggest you look at some of the menus.

We always chose a table for two at a set time for dining.

Independent small group tours are easy to arrange on Alaska cruises. Highly recommend Chilkoot Charters in Skagway and Harv and Marv whale watch in Juneau.

 

 

I was stuck between two entrees on my princess cruise-- I ordered one and asked for ONE lamb chop on the side-- the waiter brought me three and I ended up eating those instead!!

Chilkoot was great; Ketchikan deadliest catch tour was fun; and in Juneau I did a princess small group (18) whale watch with a scientific bend because Harv and Marv never responded to any of my three emails -- all tours were phenomenal!!!

 

 

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[eandj]

I have to say that my experience was totally different-- I had read this and was very concerned. I never waited more than 5 minutes for a table for 2.

 

 

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Timing is everything.;) You picked the perfect time for your cruise itinerary. Glad it worked for you.

We have seen big crowds gathered at 7-7:30, sometimes earlier. Each cruise has its peak dining hours. After a few days, you can figure it out.

Edited September 3, 2016 by eandj

[TheCalicoCat]

You may want to look into Un-Cruise, Lindblad, or American Cruise lines...

[donaldsc]

You may want to look into Un-Cruise, Lindblad, or American Cruise lines...

 

But DH wants a big room. I do not believe that these lines have cabins with big rooms. Also, there may not be as many computers available for internet. Finally based on how she describes her husband, I am not sure the client on these ships is what he wants.

 

DON

[TheCalicoCat]

But DH wants a big room. I do not believe that these lines have cabins with big rooms. Also, there may not be as many computers available for internet. Finally based on how she describes her husband, I am not sure the client on these ships is what he wants.

 

DON

 

I was keyed in on limiting the crowds. ;)

[marazul]

Look at Seabourn. They are going back to Alaska next year. They have some great itineraries. Large suites, great food, all inclusive, no crowds, no lines ever.

Also look at Regent and Crystal.

[ChristyS]

My DH and I are booked sept 17 on Hal eurodamn leaving 9/2/17. We have a Neptune suite and are leaving from Seattle. He enjoys the pampering of being a suite passenger. He feels the food is fine although he enjoys the pinnacle more than MDR. Hates lido because he hates self serve. We decided on the Neptune suite because it cost much less than a lower category on other lines

Hope this helps

[Hdnwaters]

We booked the Coral Princess SB from Whittier-Vancouver! Sept 9, 2017!

 

Thanks for all your input! We got the last suite stateroom on the Dolphin Deck. Boy they book up quickly. Husband is excited, he knows he can buy liquor by the bottle and have it in the room!

 

I'm excited for my first cruise and keeping fingers crossed everything will flow smoothly. This is our 30th anniversary trip. I just want to go now instead of waiting a whole year!

 

Glad I found Cruise Critic to help with my planning!

 

~Sally~

[Coral]

We booked the Coral Princess SB from Whittier-Vancouver! Sept 9, 2017!

 

Thanks for all your input! We got the last suite stateroom on the Dolphin Deck. Boy they book up quickly. Husband is excited, he knows he can buy liquor by the bottle and have it in the room!

 

I'm excited for my first cruise and keeping fingers crossed everything will flow smoothly. This is our 30th anniversary trip. I just want to go now instead of waiting a whole year!

 

Glad I found Cruise Critic to help with my planning!

 

~Sally~

 

I actually love the Coral Princess and think the route is great.

 

I hope you have researched the weather in Alaska in September. It has the potential to be very wet and temperamental. I would hate to have weather ruin your first cruise and 30th anniversary trip.

[seadancer]

I know there are many cruise lines to choose from. I've read multiple reviews both good and bad.

 

 

 

I have a very difficult to please husband who wants a nice big room, good food, and drinks. Mid size ship. We are just going to do a one way voyage not sure which direction Anchorage to Vancouver or in reverse. Crystal Serenity fits the bill but there is only 1 voyage in 2017 and for a larger room it's like $12,000. Insane!!!! I would agree to half that for a suite on another cruise line. I have looked at the Coral Princess but review for food has not been good. I also have looked at Holland America.

 

 

 

Any suggestions on a ship (any line) would be appreciated. My husband is ADHD and cannot do long waits in lines or large group tours. I will have to schedule our own land tours and probably rent cars. Yeah, I know, I married him! As long as he has TV, Internet, and bourbon he will be good on the ship!

 

 

 

For a midsize ship, I would suggest Celebrity. The Infinity is doing a round trip from Vancouver and we have it booked for next year. You have a choice between Veranda, Concierge, Aqua class and suites of different sizes. It depends on how big he wants the cabin to be. Bathrooms are always small on cruise lines (unless you "pay for it") but my DH who is 6'3" and 240 lb feels comfortable in the Concierge level cabins. We have only been on the Silhouette (Solstice class) and the Summit (Millennium class). The Summit is the same size as the Infinity.

 

We have sailed on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Disney, Norwegian and Celebrity. In our opinion (we know other people might disagree), Celebrity has the best food, friendly and attentive staff, great ship layout (ample room for not feeling crowded) and I've read that on the Infinity, "Mickey live" is amazing! He is the person that talks to you about the ports you'll be going to, helps you with photo information and where to go for what you're looking for. It also seems to have more good mannered passengers. We can't afford Crystal or any other fancier lines so we really like Celebrity. It's elegant and has many different bars with different music to enjoy (I know, you can find this on other lines).

 

Regarding tours, we decided to do 2 whale watching tours and a float plane tour. We did NOT book them through the cruise line because it's more expensive and has a huge amount of people on the excursions. Glacier Wind charters in Icy Straight Point has 6 people max for whale watching. There are other choices if you want more people on the boat. Harv and Marv in Juneau - also whale watching and you might have to check your junk mail. Some of their responses went there at first. They also have a boat for 6 people- max. Both companies show you the boats and explain what you should expect. Great customer service!! The float plane is in Ketchikan: Island Wings. We can't wait!!![emoji38][emoji41]

 

The way you avoid crowds on a ship is easy: they tell you boarding time is 12:00, you arrive Early! Yes they will check you in and then IF you have to wait, there are chairs, etc. If you don't want crowds, select Aqua class so you can dine in Blu (Smaller restaurant for Aqua class cabins). I'm not sure if the Infinity has a restaurant for the suite cabins (I haven't been able to book one yet) but I'm sure others on the forum could tell you. The buffet wasn't even really crowded when we went. It's really big and opens to an area in the back of the ship that you can eat in the open air. We ate early though.

 

Internet: we usually don't get packages or anything like that because we are trying to unplug but I've heard it's really SLOW. I'd your husband has ADHD, I'm not sure how patient he will be with slow internet.

 

From what I gathered, your main concerns are cabin size, food (it will be better than Applebee's or Olive Garden), lines, and crowds. If you arrive when the buffet opens (if that's where you decide to go for a meal) it's usually pretty deserted. For breakfast, it usually opens at 7ish. Like I said though, you have ample room! The MDR is usually busy, that's why I suggested Blu (Aqua class cabins) and in Blu, you can request a table, explain situation to maitre d, get great food and if he wants anything fixed in a certain way, he can ask for it.

 

I think the only lines he'd have to deal with is disembarkation at the end and at each port. I don't think that you'll need a car since everything is close to the dock.

 

I hope this helps. Sorry if I'm long winded [emoji38]!

[Coral]

For a midsize ship, I would suggest Celebrity. The Infinity is doing a round trip from Vancouver and we have it booked for next year.

 

I hope this helps. Sorry if I'm long winded [emoji38]!

 

They have already chosen the ship if you read the last few posts.

 

Plus, Celebrity doesn't do Glacier Bay. I think this is a must for first time cruisers (as it is guaranteed).

 

Infinity and Coral Princess are about the same size and carry around the same amount of passengers. I have been on Millennium (sister of Infinity) and can verify they both are not crowded ships compared to some of the other ships in Alaska.

Edited September 5, 2016 by Coral

[Hdnwaters]

 

I hope you have researched the weather in Alaska in September.

 

My husband does trade shows and has multiple sales meetings. September is best for travel. We are actually looking into May to see if maybe the end of May might work. I know the rain chance would be better odds then!

[Coral]

My husband does trade shows and has multiple sales meetings. September is best for travel. We are actually looking into May to see if maybe the end of May might work. I know the rain chance would be better odds then!

 

Statistically - the end of May should have quite a bit better weather. Good luck!

 

Though - Alaska is unpredictable weather wise.

Edited September 5, 2016 by Coral

[TheCalicoCat]

We booked the Coral Princess SB from Whittier-Vancouver! Sept 9, 2017!

 

Thanks for all your input! We got the last suite stateroom on the Dolphin Deck. Boy they book up quickly. Husband is excited, he knows he can buy liquor by the bottle and have it in the room!

 

I'm excited for my first cruise and keeping fingers crossed everything will flow smoothly. This is our 30th anniversary trip. I just want to go now instead of waiting a whole year!

 

Glad I found Cruise Critic to help with my planning!

 

~Sally~

 

Thanks for letting us know, I hope you enjoy your cruise.

[Hdnwaters]

Statistically - the end of May should have quite a bit .

 

After reading all about historical forecasts.....we did switch to May and got a better rate too! Plus picked up the current perks from Princess! I know the weather in AK is pretty much like FL (we go to FL a lot) .....you never know from day to day what to expect. :)

[seadancer]

I hope you have a fantastic time! [emoji41][emoji4]

[4774Papa]

I know there are many cruise lines to choose from. I've read multiple reviews both good and bad.

 

I have a very difficult to please husband who wants a nice big room, good food, and drinks. Mid size ship. We are just going to do a one way voyage not sure which direction Anchorage to Vancouver or in reverse. Crystal Serenity fits the bill but there is only 1 voyage in 2017 and for a larger room it's like $12,000. Insane!!!! I would agree to half that for a suite on another cruise line. I have looked at the Coral Princess but review for food has not been good. I also have looked at Holland America.

 

Any suggestions on a ship (any line) would be appreciated. My husband is ADHD and cannot do long waits in lines or large group tours. I will have to schedule our own land tours and probably rent cars. Yeah, I know, I married him! As long as he has TV, Internet, and bourbon he will be good on the ship!

 

Several cruise lines do Alaska well.

 

We had a great cruise on the NCL Sun in an Aft balcony. In my opinion an aft is the best way to do for Alaska. You avoid the cold winds that would keep you from using your balcony. You can book a mini suite at a reasonable price if a regular balcony is not big enough.

 

We also cruise on Celebrity and I am sure they do Alaska well. I know Princess does Alaska very well. HAL is an option if you are a smoker. We don't do HAL due to its liberal smoking policy.

 

Compare itineraries and prices. Be sure to book the one way inside package instead of RT.

[Hdnwaters]

Update! Just back from the Coral! We had an awesome time and my husband loved it!

 

 

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