1st time cruiser: How to chooose the right ship to Alaska.

[jefreddo]

I am taking my 23 year old daughter for her college graduation to Alaska in June. Meeting with a travel agent on Monday but feeling overwhelmed. Celebrity vs. Princess? Inner passageway, Glacier Bay and others? Where do I begin? Thank you in advance.

[cowbob]

Go with Royal Caribbean sawyer glacier cruise you can't go wrong royal is unbeatable

 

 

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[Cruisin'Christine]

I took a Celebrity cruise to Alaska last year and it was amazing. My cruise did not go to Glacier Bay, as it went to Tracy Arm Fjord instead. Tracy Arm Fjord was the most beautiful scenery I had ever seen in my life. That being said, most cruisers say to choose Glacier Bay. I would recommend that you and your daughter get a balcony room, as it really is a cruise where the scenery is beautiful and you have a chance of seeing whales, etc. I went whale watching in Juneau and saw many whales, which was so amazing. I also went fishing for halibut at Icy Strait Point and caught two halibut - a definite highlight for me! You cannot go wrong with an Alaskan cruise! Both Celebrity and Princess are great cruise lines.

[Mapleleaf14]

Make sure your cruise goes through the Inside Passage.

 

 

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[easyboy]

We took Princess Cruise and enjoyed the Glacier Bay. We saved money by booking an inside cabin. On passageway, we went to the topmost deck for a good 360 degree view. It's also beneficial to bring along binoculars.

 

 

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[paul929207]

We have been on four Alaskan Cruises. All were with Princess and all were wonderful. Princess offers a number of choices. There are 3 ships sailing one way between Vancouver and Whittier (Anchorage). Other cruises are round trip from Vancouver, Seattle and San Francisco. Except the SF cruise are 7 days. The one from SF is 10 days.

 

If you take one of the one-way cruises, Princess offers land tours before or after the cruise. These allow you to extend your trip and see some of the inland sights.

[cb at sea]

You pick the ship by where it's going...and what you want to see! Do your research on your ports. The ship is NOT the important thing on an Alaskan cruise...Alaska is the attraction!

[thinfool]

I suggest you avoid the brand cheerleaders and decide based on your interests.

 

For example, if you want to go to Glacier Bay your choices are HAL, Princess, NCL and Carnival (of the most common cruise lines.) Royal Caribbean and Celebrity do not have permits to enter the National Park.

 

If you have an affinity to a particular cruise line and like their ships, then that is a consideration, too.

 

Are there places that you have heard or read about and would like to see? That may influence your choice. However, you will find that with few exceptions, the itineraries are very similar, and the ports can generally be recited with four or five words. (Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau, Icy Strait and Sitka)

 

FWIW, Princess just announced that in 2018 they will have more ships than ever doing Alaskan itineraries. Obviously they are popular.

[spookwife]

general consensus is Inside Passage and/or Glacier Bay is a must do itinerary.

 

many people consider Princess to do these routes best ( most permits so can offer the most cruises)

 

many people equally suggest forgoing the balcony cabins since it will not necessarily be warm enough to enjoy it and better views can be had in an open environment( on a top deck)

 

I personably want to do the combo cruise and Train package that is offered. a few days on land at either end to really get to see the sites.

[Langley Cruisers]

Meeting with a travel agent on Monday but feeling overwhelmed.

 

Well hopefully if your TA is a good one, s/he will make you feel comfortable and give you good information. Hopefully it is a cruise specialist, but at the very least I hope s/he has taken an Alaskan cruise and can guide you.

 

There are several lines to choose from, more than Celebrity and Princess you mentioned.

[Roz]

To me Alaska is less about the ship and more about the itinerary. Do you want to leave from Seattle or Vancouver? Return to the same embarkation port or do a one-way? Any particular sites/ports you want to see or visit, such as Glacier Bay or Sitka for example. Answering these types of questions will help you narrow it down to a few cruise lines or ships.

 

You'll love Alaska. I've been there 4 times - 3 on HAL and 1 on Carnival.

 

Roz

[GeezerCouple]

To me Alaska is less about the ship and more about the itinerary. Do you want to leave from Seattle or Vancouver? Return to the same embarkation port or do a one-way? Any particular sites/ports you want to see or visit, such as Glacier Bay or Sitka for example. Answering these types of questions will help you narrow it down to a few cruise lines or ships.

 

You'll love Alaska. I've been there 4 times - 3 on HAL and 1 on Carnival.

 

Roz

 

This is probably your first question: Do you want a round trip (if so, from Seattle or Vancouver) or do you want "one way" to/from Alaska?

 

Doing one-way allows you to spend a bit more time (or lots more time, depending upon time and budget available) IN Alaska, where there are not any "short days" due to timing of ship in port, etc.

 

IF you choose a one-way, then we do suggest that you select a cabin or suite on the "land side" of the ship.

That would be "starboard if headed north" or "port if headed south".

 

For a lot of the trip, there is wonderful scenery on both sides of the ship.

And if you go to Glacier Bay (recommended), then the ship goes in and comes out the same way, so both sides get a view of the same land areas.

But keep in mind that any public broadcasting will be "matching" the initial sighting of something. That means that in Glacier Bay, the starboard side view will match the announcements.

 

We did this last May/June, and it was one of the most breathtaking trips we've ever taken.

We'd heard that lots of people "need" to return, but we didn't think that would happen to us.

 

Well... it did :D

We WILL go back, and we'll probably spend more time IN Alaska.

But we'll probably "get there" by ship again, because it was such a beautiful and peaceful trip. It doesn't get much better than that!

 

(We had perfect weather, despite lots of rain forecast. That mean no rain and also very little cloud cover to see the higher mountain peaks in the distance.)

 

ENJOY!

It's amazing! :)

[Aquahound]

I am taking my 23 year old daughter for her college graduation to Alaska in June. Meeting with a travel agent on Monday but feeling overwhelmed. Celebrity vs. Princess? Inner passageway, Glacier Bay and others? Where do I begin? Thank you in advance.

 

I'll give you my opinion. Hopefully it'll help in some small way. I am not cruise line loyal. I just look for the best suitable ship on the best suitable itinerary.

 

I've done 2 Alaska cruises. The first was on Celebrity Millennium. It was a one-way southbound cruise from Seward to Vancouver. The second was a round trip Vancouver cruise on Holland America Zuiderdam.

 

Zuiderdam was a great cruise. The highlight was certainly the day spent in Glacier Bay. The lowlight was the on board entertainment. HAL does not shine in this area.

 

If I had to choose 1 of these 2 cruises to do again, I'd pick Celebrity. It didn't go to Glacier Bay, but the day spent at Hubbard Glacier was right up there as an amazing experience. Plus, the ship was more lively in the evenings. But what was best about the itinerary was the fact it started in Seward. This allowed us to tour Alaska on our own for a few days before the cruise. It was the time of our life.

 

Princess seems to be a popular line for Alaska, but I find their ships to be very crowded, and I don't like how they lack an indoor, forward facing panoramic lounge.

 

Royal Caribbean is also a great line and does the same one-way route as Celebrity.

 

I recommend avoiding roundtrip Seattle cruises. They have an obligatory stop in Victoria, which means less Alaska, and they miss the best part of the Inside Passage.

Edited November 23, 2016 by Aquahound

[thinfool]

I don't like how they lack an indoor, forward facing panoramic lounge.

 

I am going to guess that you haven't sailed on any of the ships that Princess uses in Alaska.

 

Coral and Island both have what you say is lacking. I cannot remember about the others.

[Aquahound]

I am going to guess that you haven't sailed on any of the ships that Princess uses in Alaska.

 

Coral and Island both have what you say is lacking. I cannot remember about the others.

 

Sorry...didn't know about those 2. I've sailed Grand Class and Royal Class, and neither had one. Hopefully island and Coral aren't as crowded as the others.

[OCruisers]

If going to Glacier Bay is of importance, taking a Princess ship that includes Glacier Bay on the itinerary is the way to go. :)

Princess and HAL have been doing Alaska way longer than any of the other cruises lines and have a wonderful reputation of providing great cruise experiences there. :)

[Pierlesscruisers]

I am taking my 23 year old daughter for her college graduation to Alaska in June. Meeting with a travel agent on Monday but feeling overwhelmed. Celebrity vs. Princess? Inner passageway, Glacier Bay and others? Where do I begin? Thank you in advance.

 

As someone already said, don't be swayed by a die-hard fan of one cruise line or another, but do realize that each line does have it's own "personna" and even then everybody won't agree on what the "personna" is. Most people, I believe, will agree that Holland-America will tend to draw a crowd that is a bit older than average, Carnival will tend to draw a younger crowd that are more into drinking and partying. Disney, of course, will tend to draw families, especially those with younger children. At least this is how I would characterize them. That' not to say that you won't find drinkers on Disney, youngsters on Holland-America, and older, more sedate people on Carnival. Each ship will have a mix of all types. Heck, I've even seem Amish people and women wearing "booze bras" on Princess! The last 2 weren't on the same cruise though! :D

 

Whichever line you go on, I hope you have a great cruise and that it's the first of many for both of you!

 

Tom

[Roz]

I took a Carnival cruise to Alaska in 2014, and it was the best of my 4 Alaskan cruises. The passengers were mostly in the 40-70 yr. old age group, and was more typical of what you would find on Princess, Celebrity, or HAL cruise. People were there to see and enjoy Alaska, not party down.

 

My most recent Alaskan cruise on HAL was a pleasant surprise of a mixture of ages. Several groups of 20 -35 yr. olds, and again, there to see and enjoy Alaska, not party.

 

Alaskan cruises often don't reflect the stereotypes.

 

Roz

[Pierlesscruisers]

I took a Carnival cruise to Alaska in 2014, and it was the best of my 4 Alaskan cruises. The passengers were mostly in the 40-70 yr. old age group, and was more typical of what you would find on Princess, Celebrity, or HAL cruise. People were there to see and enjoy Alaska, not party down.

 

My most recent Alaskan cruise on HAL was a pleasant surprise of a mixture of ages. Several groups of 20 -35 yr. olds, and again, there to see and enjoy Alaska, not party.

 

Alaskan cruises often don't reflect the stereotypes.

 

Roz

 

I agree. There are all kinds of people on each and every cruise. I would guess that you'll probably find big party people on Disney and I know that you'll find lots of families with small children on Holland-America and Carnival also. And, hopefully, they'll all have a great time and enjoy their time on their cruise.

 

Tom

[MicCanberra]

I am taking my 23 year old daughter for her college graduation to Alaska in June. Meeting with a travel agent on Monday but feeling overwhelmed. Celebrity vs. Princess? Inner passageway, Glacier Bay and others? Where do I begin? Thank you in advance.

 

Welcome to Cruise critic. I would recommend any itinerary that takes you into Glacier Bay.

as for cruise lines, my preference would be Celebrity and then Princess but the itinerary, timing and price is more important..

Edited November 26, 2016 by MicCanberra

[MicCanberra]

I suggest you avoid the brand cheerleaders and decide based on your interests.

 

For example, if you want to go to Glacier Bay your choices are HAL, Princess, NCL and Carnival (of the most common cruise lines.) Royal Caribbean and Celebrity do not have permits to enter the National Park.

 

If you have an affinity to a particular cruise line and like their ships, then that is a consideration, too.

 

Are there places that you have heard or read about and would like to see? That may influence your choice. However, you will find that with few exceptions, the itineraries are very similar, and the ports can generally be recited with four or five words. (Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau, Icy Strait and Sitka)

 

FWIW, Princess just announced that in 2018 they will have more ships than ever doing Alaskan itineraries. Obviously they are popular.

 

Agreed.

[SmoothFlying]

I am taking my 23 year old daughter for her college graduation to Alaska in June. Meeting with a travel agent on Monday but feeling overwhelmed. Celebrity vs. Princess? Inner passageway, Glacier Bay and others? Where do I begin? Thank you in advance.

 

Please don't feel alone by saying you feel overwhelmed. There are SO many choices of cruise lines to chose from, it's difficult to know where to turn or choose. Everybody seems to have a 'favorite' OR if you read the cruise line reviews a totally critical dislike for THE cruise you might take. :( All I can say is, check out the weather, look at all the stops and decide what you want either an inland or Bay cruise and talk it over with your TA. My wife and I did the Inland cruise ( Juanea\Skagway\Ketechan on the Carnival Spirit; June 2011 and had a wonderful time. I did not know about this site so I had no idea where to go to ask questions. Just check the weather and pack accordingly remember weather in Alaska can change at the drop of a hat. We had beautiful weather with a rainy day only once in Skagway. And if you remember only ONE THING , from my post DO, repeat DO NOT forget your camera. You will see scenry you will never forget and it's great to have photos to always remind even years later.

 

Mac

[MicCanberra]

Please don't feel alone by saying you feel overwhelmed. There are SO many choices of cruise lines to chose from, it's difficult to know where to turn or choose. Everybody seems to have a 'favorite' OR if you read the cruise line reviews a totally critical dislike for THE cruise you might take. :( All I can say is, check out the weather, look at all the stops and decide what you want either an inland or Bay cruise and talk it over with your TA. My wife and I did the Inland cruise ( Juanea\Skagway\Ketechan on the Carnival Spirit; June 2011 and had a wonderful time. I did not know about this site so I had no idea where to go to ask questions. Just check the weather and pack accordingly remember weather in Alaska can change at the drop of a hat. We had beautiful weather with a rainy day only once in Skagway. And if you remember only ONE THING , from my post DO, repeat DO NOT forget your camera. You will see scenry you will never forget and it's great to have photos to always remind even years later.

 

Mac

 

In regards to your Camera, take extra batteries as the cold temperatures drain them much quicker than in normal temps.:D

[denatravels]

Here is what I did last year for Alaska:

3 nights Vancouver

7 day princess NB thru Glacier Bay

10 day land tour using Globus

 

I HIGHLY recommend spending some time in interior Alaska, whether escorted or independently. Glacier bay was spectacular-- you also cannot go wrong here.

 

 

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[luddite]

I am taking my 23 year old daughter for her college graduation to Alaska in June. Meeting with a travel agent on Monday but feeling overwhelmed. Celebrity vs. Princess? Inner passageway, Glacier Bay and others? Where do I begin? Thank you in advance.

 

Don't choose a ship that is going to Bermuda.