Alaska Cruise Newbies - couple questions

[rstackjd]

Greetings all.

 

We have cruised a lot to the Caribbean and even the pacific coast but are planning to broaden our horizons and look at Alaska.

 

First - we are interested in a stop in Sitka and so far the only line we see stopping in Sitka is Carnival - does anyone know if others stop there?

 

Looking at lines and pricing, we noticed a HUGE price difference between Carnival and, well, everyone else.Historically we've cruised Disney and Norwegian and did one Carnival cruise years ago. We felt the Carnival cruise was very nice in some respects and not great in others, but it was the Caribbean and it was a low cost "booze cruise." I'm also mindful of the bad press Carnival has received in recent years.

 

We are looking for some honest assessment of the Carnival Alaskan cruises. If you've done Alaska on Carnival were you satisfied? If you've done Carnival AND another line in Alaska, can you contrast them.

 

The sample dates we looked at, for a balcony for 2 people, the NCL cruise is about 70-80% more expensive. (say $1800 MORE for the two of us on NCL over Carnival). That's enough to make you sit up and take notice. BUT, Alaska is a dream cruise for us and I don't want to be disappointed because we "cheaped out" either.

 

Thanks!

 

Bob

[xlxo]

Carnival has one weakness... does it go into Glacier Bay? It's one of the top ports Alaskan choices for glacier experiences. Especially for someone making their first trip to Alaska.

 

Pay attention to the cruise dates..... prices in May and September are cheaper due to colder temperatures and end of season storms.

[rstackjd]

Carnival has one weakness... does it go into Glacier Bay? It's one of the top ports Alaskan choices for glacier experiences. Especially for someone making their first trip to Alaska.

 

Pay attention to the cruise dates..... prices in May and September are cheaper due to colder temperatures and end of season storms.

 

Thanks for the tips! I'll have to look at the ports more closely. We are thinking end of July, but I better make sure I was comparing apples to apples, the Carnival site seems to come back with different dates than I think I'm looking at.

[epixx]

First - we are interested in a stop in Sitka and so far the only line we see stopping in Sitka is Carnival - does anyone know if others stop there?

 

 

 

Bob

 

Holland America, Oceania, Regent, Seabourn, Silver Sea, Celebrity, Crystal (to name a few)

[xlxo]

I'll have to look at the ports more closely. We are thinking end of July, but I better make sure I was comparing apples to apples

agreed.... when making comparisons...

• are they the same ports? Some ports are more treasured more than others for a first timer. Other ports would be of interest to those making a second or additional trip to the region.
  
• Which Canadian port? Many like to include Vancouver as a bonus port with extra days to explore all the activities.
  
• one-ways, return, 5 day, 7 day, 9 day, 14 day and Holland America offers a Yukon Denali option that has you traveling some segments without a boat.
  
• is it the same week? I like mid to late July for the warm weather and before the August rain and September storms come.
  
• are they the same cabins? When I see an 80% price difference I wonder if one is an inside cabin vs a suite.
  

[billfish]

We were on the Carnival Legend two years ago in mid May. Had a great time and would do it again. We did get to go to Glacier Bay, Super, but does not go there all the time.

[RSF Cruiser]

Our first Alaskan cruise was one way from Vancouver on the Carnival Legend - we chose it because it went to Sitka. We did College Fjord and not Glacier Bay and had an incredible time. Loved it. We have since cruised to Alaska about five times on various Princess ships. All of these have gone to Glacier Bay, which is magnificent, but I don't know if going to Glacier Bay would be a deal breaker for me. Glaciers are beautiful, and seeing them calve is thrilling. And, you likely will go back to Alaska - it gets into your blood..., so if you don't see Glacier Bay this time, you will the next time. The key thing about Alaska is it's all about the itinerary, and not as much about the ship. That said, I would be hard pressed to say one ship or cruise experience was better than the other. I think Carnival gets a bad rap by a few stories being repeated by many people.

[marazul]

agreed.... when making comparisons...

• are they the same ports? Some ports are more treasured more than others for a first timer. Other ports would be of interest to those making a second or additional trip to the region.
  
• Which Canadian port? Many like to include Vancouver as a bonus port with extra days to explore all the activities.
  
• one-ways, return, 5 day, 7 day, 9 day, 14 day and Holland America offers a Yukon Denali option that has you traveling some segments without a boat.
  
• is it the same week? I like mid to late July for the warm weather and before the August rain and September storms come.
  
• are they the same cabins? When I see an 80% price difference I wonder if one is an inside cabin vs a suite.
  

 

And,

• how long in each port? 12, 10, 5 hours . . .?
  

[Sequim88]

In Sitka HAL has a lock on the dock and the rest tender if a HAL ship is in port that day. HAL 7nt R/T from Seattle stop there once a week but don't do Glacier Bay. We had a spectacular day in Sitka on NB one-way last time. Very pretty place if the sun is out. HAL is a bit more $$$ but prior Carnival cruise will get Mariner one-star status since Carnival owns HAL.

[TheCalicoCat]

 

First - we are interested in a stop in Sitka and so far the only line we see stopping in Sitka is Carnival - does anyone know if others stop there?

 

Bob

 

 

Congrats on knowing that you want to go to Sitka. It is easier to give advice when you have a glimmer of an idea.

 

Sitka is a limiting factor as you have found.

 

Holland America goes to Sitka on the 7-night round trips out of both Seattle or Vancouver & on my 14-night cruise as well.

 

Our first cruise to AK was also our first HAL cruise when we were 30-somethings with a 4.5 year old child. It is not a senior center on water. (In general, the demographics on all of the lines in AK are similar & skew to family units - grandparents down to kids.)

 

I have sailed on Carnival a few times out of Baltimore on 7-night or longer cruises & was able to avoid the parts that I did not care for & none of my cruises with Carnival was negatively impacted by any other cruisers. So I would not let that influence your decision.

[snowmc]

There are a few Celebrity cruises....roundtrip Vancouver...that stop there. Late May is fine for Alaska....typically one of the driest months. June and July will be fine also...August can start to get iffy weather. September will be colder and potentially rougher seas.

 

I have written several posts about Alaska on my travel blog....http://www.zest4travel.wordpress.com We have been on 10 Alaska cruises....Celebrity, HollandAmerica and Princess. Most important thing I can suggest when booking is get a balcony/verandah if at all possible. The scenery is amazing!

 

Have a great time! Alaska is clearly my favorite destination! :)

[momof4boys]

We have only cruised Carnival Cruise Lines to the Caribbean. We enjoy the large size of the suite rooms for a cheaper price than on the other lines. We don't care about the extras in suites on other lines. The food is good and entertainment is what is expected (although both food and entertainment is not as good as it was 5 years ago)

 

We chose NCL for Alaska for several reasons. If I am only going to visit Alaska once (or maybe twice...) I want to see as much as I can. CCL only has round trip...no cruises deep into Alaska. Every book on cruises reports that Glacier Bay is a MUST. So we booked the Northbound cruise....on NCL : The Sun. We are excited to try NCL.

 

Good Luck and no matter what....have fun!!

[MSUcruisers]

On June 19, my DH and I will take our second trip to Alaska, this time on a 14-day cruise aboard Holland America Amsterdam. This is a round trip cruise from Seattle, with port stops in the Alaskan cities of Ketchikan, Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Anchorage, Homer, Kodiak,and Sitka as well as Victoria in British Columbia.

We picked this cruise because of the itinerary and the ease of flying between Seattle and Michigan. This will be our first time on Holland America. We normally cruise with NCL and Princess. In earlier years, we did several cruises with Carnival.

[rstackjd]

Thanks everyone! Those are really helpful comments!

 

Seeing Alaska has been a dream since I was a kid (suffice it to say, I'm not a kid anymore! lol)

 

Will definately be doing much more research before we book!

[darwinsrule]

Like you we have only done DCL and NCL to date. We have Carnival Legend booked for August 15th of this year (one of the few Glacier Bay sailings). We had NCL Jewel booked last year but had to cancel. Spent a bunch of time researching and reading before booking Legend. Reality is it is Alaska, not a booze cruise. From everything we have read Alaska just attracts a different crowd. Thankfully.

 

We booked an extended balcony for the cruise. The price difference, especially compared to DCL, will cover the excursion, airfare, hotel, etc, etc, etc.

[Budget Queen]

I have sailed Carnival multiple times in Alaska. They do a good job, but do check the itineraries again? Carnival is not known to have Sitka on it's regular season itineraries. It may be the shoulder May/Sept?

 

As noted, HAL does Sitka the most. Other lines infrequently.

 

I have sailed all the regular cruise lines in Alaska with the exception of Disney. Carnival, NCL, Princess, HAL, RCI and Celebrity. over 50 trips. Demographics are a mix with overall fewer kids compared to the Caribbean.

 

Carnival does have one of who I consider- the top 3 naturalists on board.. A big enhancement especially for infrequent Alaska visitors.

[vegasneon]

We took The Carnival Spirit to Alaska in 2011 and it was a really wonderful cruise. The naturalist was up early and reporting on whale and eagle sightings. She had various informative lectures in the showroom while we were sailing. She really added a lot to our first Alaska trip. We didn't go to Sitka that time but we will be on our upcoming HAL cruise.

[cruisincdns]

Greetings all.

 

We have cruised a lot to the Caribbean and even the pacific coast but are planning to broaden our horizons and look at Alaska.

 

First - we are interested in a stop in Sitka and so far the only line we see stopping in Sitka is Carnival - does anyone know if others stop there?

 

Thanks!

 

Bob

 

 

My DW and I are booked on the Emerald Princess return out of Vancouver on May 13, 2017 on a 7-night Alaska Inside passage including Glacier Bay. The first port on this itinerary is Sitka, which we are really looking forward to seeing. This is our 2nd Alaskan cruise but first time to Sitka.

 

Also, I would highly recommend purchasing the book called "The Alaska Cruise Handbook: A Mile-by-Mile Guide" which details all ports of call on the Alaskan itineraries, including excursions and details maps. We used this book on our 2008 Alaskan cruise and we were able to refer to it while the on-board Naturalist spoke over the ships PA system, which you can listen to on your stateroom TV if you have a balcony to take in the views. Here is the link to Amazon:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Alaska-Cruise-Handbook-Mile-Mile/dp/0979491576/ref=pd_sim_14_2/155-7725188-4583327?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0979491576&pd_rd_r=Q2H9K31GXDVJKADCGRG9&pd_rd_w=Nfd8E&pd_rd_wg=pZUJe&psc=1&refRID=Q2H9K31GXDVJKADCGRG9

 

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Paul

[gkacky]

Emerald Princess goes to Sitka in May. The May 13th sailing includes Glacier Bay National Park.

[ckb104]

Princess' round-trips from San Francisco (10 days) also hit both Glacier Bay and Sitka.