First time cruise - Alaska

[rick1969]

Hi all,

 

Planning a family reunion for the summer of 2018 and 7 of the 10 family members have never been on a cruise. The youngest going will be almost 18 at the time of cruising. We have narrowed down our search to two similar but not identical itineraries. We are looking at the Celebrity Infinity cruise out of Vancouver or the HAL Eurodam cruise out of Seattle. We are good with either itinerary. The question is the ship experience. Between these two ships, given their recent renovations, which one will give the first time cruisers the best first time experience?

 

Thanks! I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to post in, so if it needs to be moved, no worries.

 

Rick

[easyboy]

Since it is ship related, a better response will be on each ship's forum.

[Sauer-kraut]

Alaska is about the ports!! Ship is secondary, make sure you are looking at the best itinerary you can get within your price range.

[rick1969]

Since it is ship related, a better response will be on each ship's forum.

 

Got it. Thanks!

[rick1969]

Alaska is about the ports!! Ship is secondary, make sure you are looking at the best itinerary you can get within your price range.

 

Thanks. The itineraries are virtually identical so now it's the deciding factor of the ships.

[Essiesmom]

Thanks. The itineraries are virtually identical so now it's the deciding factor of the ships.

 

I think you have some to learn about itineraries. Eurodam visits Glacier Bay. Infinity does Hubbard Glacier. Glacier Bay is the premier site in Alaska. Yes, Infinity does visit Hubbard. But while Glacier Bay is almost never missed for ice or fog, Hubbard is. Tracy Arm is even worse. Many ships miss Sawyer Glacier. You need to do some research over on the Alaska board here, under Ports of Call, and also read a guidebook on cruising Alaska - there are several out there. EM

[Krazy Kruizers]

Alaska is all about the ports!!

You all need to sit down and decide what you want to do in the ports -- look at the times the ships will be in port.

For a first timer doing Alaska I highly recommend that you book a cruise where the ship visits Glacier Bay. This is not a port -- but a day where you will have beautiful scenery and seeing calving of the glaciers from the ship.

[Travelcat2]

IMO, Celebrity is a better pick than HAL (based on years of reading reviews).

[cb at sea]

An Alaskan cruise is all about ALASKA..not the ship or amenities...pick according to where you want to go, and what you want to see. It's ALL about Alaska!

 

Caribbean cruises are totally different than Alaskan, or Hawaiian, or Med cruises.....

[Travelcat2]

Must disagree with last poster. If you are on a ship with lousy food and a noise level that will not permit you to sleep, you cannot enjoy Alaska*. Alaska itineraries tend to be very port intensive with loads of wonderful things to do. At the end of most days you are tired and want a good meal, a shower and to go to bed so that you can get up early the next day and start again. IMO, Celebrity delivers more than HAL.

 

*Not saying that HAL is noisy or has bad food -- just not as good as Celebrity or other cruise lines that sail in Alaska.

Edited December 17, 2016 by Travelcat2

[sherryf]

Must disagree with last poster. If you are on a ship with lousy food and a noise level that will not permit you to sleep, you cannot enjoy Alaska*. Alaska itineraries tend to be very port intensive with loads of wonderful things to do. At the end of most days you are tired and want a good meal, a shower and to go to bed so that you can get up early the next day and start again. IMO, Celebrity delivers more than HAL.

 

*Not saying that HAL is noisy or has bad food -- just not as good as Celebrity or other cruise lines that sail in Alaska.

 

Looking at your signature, it doesn't appear that you have ever been on HAL, so how do you know? I've been on Princess and HAL in Alaska and they both have good food and are not noisy. Also, they both go to Glacier Bay, which Celebrity does NOT.

 

As others have said, Alaska is all about the itinerary. Don't just look at which ports, but what time and now long you are in each port. Glaciers matter too. I've been to Hubbard, College Fjord, Tracy Arm, and Glacier Bay. While I did enjoy them all, Glacier Bay is definitely my favorite.

[Pierlesscruisers]

Looking at your signature, it doesn't appear that you have ever been on HAL, so how do you know?

 

I don't want to get into the discussion about which line to go on or any such subject, but I'm missing what the connection is between their signature and whether they've ever been on HAL. So, could you explain the logic behind that, as I'm wondering what I'm missing.

 

Tom

[crystalspin]

Rick:

I believe it's confusing to the new (or new to Alaska) cruiser to say that AK cruises are "about the ports" when you look and ~90% of them go to the same three ports.

 

It's the route you need to look at, with two important considerations: Glacier Bay (already mentioned) and the Inside Passage specifically referring to the channel between Vancouver ISLAND and the Canadian mainland.

 

Of the two you have specified, the Eurodam goes to Glacier Bay, and the Infinity does the Inside Passage. However, Holland America has two ships that cover BOTH of these scenic attractions roundtrip out of Vancouver: The Nieuw Amsterdam, which is the same "class" ship as and sails on all the same dates as the Eurodam, and the Volendam -- a smaller ship that has the advantage of staterooms on the same deck as the boardwalk that circles the entire ship (the Lower Promenade, deck 3). Pay for oceanview cabins and be steps away from the biggest balcony on the ship! The Volendam sails mid-week for less expensive flights... but may require an extra day or two of vacation for the working members of your group.

 

I organized a cruise for eight members of my family including my husband and myself, last June, on the Volendam. Four had never been on any cruise and one on a single small-ship cruise in Europe. All had a wonderful time!

 

All ships have more and less noisy cabins and all food is not to everyone's taste.

 

PS I have never sailed Celebrity. I am a HAL fangirl! My opinion of the Inside Passage and Glacier Bay, nonetheless, I believe to be objective!

[sherryf]

I don't want to get into the discussion about which line to go on or any such subject, but I'm missing what the connection is between their signature and whether they've ever been on HAL. So, could you explain the logic behind that, as I'm wondering what I'm missing.

 

Tom

 

They have a VERY lengthy signature listing all the ships and cruises they have been on. Nowhere does it mention a HAL ship. It doesn't seem right for them to claim that HAL is "not as good" as other lines if they have never been on HAL.

[Pierlesscruisers]

They have a VERY lengthy signature listing all the ships and cruises they have been on. Nowhere does it mention a HAL ship. It doesn't seem right for them to claim that HAL is "not as good" as other lines if they have never been on HAL.

 

AH! Okay, I was misinterpreting the term "signature" and thought that you meant their handle at the top of the message. DUHH!!!! I see what you meant now. Yep, agreed. Seems it would be really hard to judge something when you've never experienced the item being judged!

 

Thanks for explaining what should have been obvious to me. Another senior moment!

 

Tom