Eurodam vs Ruby Princess, Sitka vs Skagway

[Ashlotte]

Hi all,

We are booked on the Ruby Princess to Alaska on August 10th. It will be my husband and I, and our two teenagers, 16 and 14. We have only ever sailed on Disney with the kids and have never sailed to Alaska (dh and I also sailed on Carnival on our honeymoon).

 

I was just checking rates yesterday, and it looks like I could switch to sail on HAL's Eurodam for the same week with less out of pocket expense (but less OBC) and be in a proper ocean view room vs the obstructed view (next to elevators) that we have booked on the Ruby. The other main difference is that Eurodam goes to Sitka vs Skagway and goes through Stephens Passage on the way the Juneau. It would also put us in Victoria at 6 pm, vs Ruby at 7 pm. Otherwise they are the same versus ports and whatnot.

 

I keep reading that HAL is for elderly people. Will my kids be miserable? With Disney there is almost too much to do. Is there enough to entertain young people on HAL? Also, how is the food on both lines? I keep reading that the food on Ruby is bad.

 

I don't know what to do! I have to decide in the next six days to get a full refund from Princess.

 

Thanks.

[Coral]

I have been on Princess a lot and we have passed through Stephen's Passage. I am guessing HAL just advertises this and Princess doesn't.

 

I would look at the difference in the 2 ports (Skagway and Sitka) and see which your family would prefer. Also look at the times in port.

 

Honestly - I am guessing your family will love either trip. Just pick one and go with it and don't second guess yourself. People love both lines in Alaska. Most of what people do in Alaska is outside of the ship. Focus on this.

Edited May 21, 2019 by Coral

[hokiemike]

Cruised Princess (first time) last year from Seattle and was by far the best cruise yet!!!  Passengers were generally older than your typical Caribbean cruise, with a lot less children.  All of the cruise stops were good, with Juneau being the least favorite.  But to me they are "typical" cruise ports with the typical shops, stores, etc.  My suggestion would be, if you can swing it, is to book a cruise with Glacier Bay included.  Otherwise you just don't get close enough to the glaciers (Mendenhall, Takyu) without booking a smaller boat.  My other suggestions would be balcony room, because the scenery is mind blowing, and a one-way route from Vancouver to Seward.  Whatever you choose you can't go wrong.  Have a great time!

[karatemom2]

I would stick with the Ruby Princess. We have cruised many times to Alaska with our kids who are now 19 and 25 - mostly on Princess and once on the HAL on the Amsterdam. Based on that I would never choose HAL over Princess when traveling with kids or teens. It was way older demographic than Princess - even in the middle of the summer season and there was very little in the way of entertainment for our kids on the ship. Alaska is always beautiful and you can't go wrong with either itinerary - although my kids prefer Skagway over Sitka because it offers a little more in the way of family friendly activities like the White Pass/Yukon train, sled dog camp, Days of 98 show, gold panning etc. Sitka is beautiful and I actually love it more - the Russian history is fascinating and the town and surrounding area are gorgeous, but there is a little less that might interest teens.

 

But back to HAL - it is the least kid/teen friendly line on which we have cruised. It is quiet and low key which is great if that is what you are seeking, but we found very few families onboard. On Princess at the height of the summer season there are lots of families, there are pools, outdoor movies, teen activities, etc. My kids were teens when we cruised with HAL and it was their least favorite ship experience. On the other hand, they love Princess and never fail to have fun and make friends onboard.

[Coral]

1 hour ago, hokiemike said:

Cruised Princess (first time) last year from Seattle and was by far the best cruise yet!!!  Passengers were generally older than your typical Caribbean cruise, with a lot less children.  All of the cruise stops were good, with Juneau being the least favorite.  But to me they are "typical" cruise ports with the typical shops, stores, etc.  My suggestion would be, if you can swing it, is to book a cruise with Glacier Bay included. 

The goal in Alaska is to get out of the port towns and "see Alaska". Juneau is my favorite as I can do a small boat tour to Tracy Arm or whale watching. I don't stay in downtown Juneau on cruises.

[Ashlotte]

1 hour ago, hokiemike said:

Cruised Princess (first time) last year from Seattle and was by far the best cruise yet!!!  Passengers were generally older than your typical Caribbean cruise, with a lot less children.  All of the cruise stops were good, with Juneau being the least favorite.  But to me they are "typical" cruise ports with the typical shops, stores, etc.  My suggestion would be, if you can swing it, is to book a cruise with Glacier Bay included.  Otherwise you just don't get close enough to the glaciers (Mendenhall, Takyu) without booking a smaller boat.  My other suggestions would be balcony room, because the scenery is mind blowing, and a one-way route from Vancouver to Seward.  Whatever you choose you can't go wrong.  Have a great time!

Beautiful photo! Both cruises include Glacier Bay, which is why I'm torn. We have an obstructed ocean view cabin. The balconies were a little too pricey for us, but I am crossing my fingers that we get upgraded (it's never happened to us on a cruise, but one can dream!). We are going round-trip from Seattle because we are in Oregon and can drive there. 

[Ashlotte]

1 hour ago, karatemom2 said:

I would stick with the Ruby Princess. We have cruised many times to Alaska with our kids who are now 19 and 25 - mostly on Princess and once on the HAL on the Amsterdam. Based on that I would never choose HAL over Princess when traveling with kids or teens. It was way older demographic than Princess - even in the middle of the summer season and there was very little in the way of entertainment for our kids on the ship. Alaska is always beautiful and you can't go wrong with either itinerary - although my kids prefer Skagway over Sitka because it offers a little more in the way of family friendly activities like the White Pass/Yukon train, sled dog camp, Days of 98 show, gold panning etc. Sitka is beautiful and I actually love it more - the Russian history is fascinating and the town and surrounding area are gorgeous, but there is a little less that might interest teens.

 

But back to HAL - it is the least kid/teen friendly line on which we have cruised. It is quiet and low key which is great if that is what you are seeking, but we found very few families onboard. On Princess at the height of the summer season there are lots of families, there are pools, outdoor movies, teen activities, etc. My kids were teens when we cruised with HAL and it was their least favorite ship experience. On the other hand, they love Princess and never fail to have fun and make friends onboard.

Thank you! That is really helpful information and kind of confirming what direction I am leaning. 

 

About the sled dogs... do you think that will still interest teens, or is that mainly geared towards the little ones? I don't want to do any of the sled dog tours that require float planes or helicopters, but some of the ports have drive-to sled dogs. Is one port better to do this than another? Thanks!

[karatemom2]

6 minutes ago, Ashlotte said:

Thank you! That is really helpful information and kind of confirming what direction I am leaning. 

 

About the sled dogs... do you think that will still interest teens, or is that mainly geared towards the little ones? I don't want to do any of the sled dog tours that require float planes or helicopters, but some of the ports have drive-to sled dogs. Is one port better to do this than another? Thanks!

 

We don't do panes or helicopters either - too scary and too expensive for us! But in Skagway there are a couple of different places where you can see sled dogs, do the cart ride if you like and learn about the dogs and sled racing. My kids loved it even as teens - who doesn't love puppies! In Skagway if you rent a car and do the drive on the Yukon highway there you can stop at Caribou Crossing and they had puppies there. I believe the train still stops there too on certain excursions. Also, there is a place within the town as well - but we did it on a ship excursion. I think it was called Sled Dog Camp or something like that. Here is the link for Caribou Crossing.

 

https://www.cariboucrossing.ca/

Edited May 21, 2019 by karatemom2

[Ashlotte]

Thank you! 

[luvteaching]

I guess I'm in a unique situation in that last year we sailed a week on the Ruby Princess then crossed the pier and did a week on the Eurodam. We've sailed the Ruby twice and this was the first time on the Eurodam. We are HAL fans over Ruby. The only reason we do Princess is that DH gets a hankering to go to Skagway and ride the train every few years. I find the food better on HAL (that's totally subjective) and the atmosphere is more relaxing. There are about 1000 less people on the Eurodam which makes for less crowding. We love going to Sitka - there's so much more to do and see there than in Skagway. Sitka is more of an authentic Alaskan town as compared to the other ports. There's not a single Diamonds International or Tanzanite International in sight! Once you've done Juneau and Ketchikan you'll know what I mean. Sitka has a lot of history going for it and has nice trails and a great totem pole park. I'd take the Eurodam over the Ruby any day! 

Karen

[MommyCPA]

We did the Ruby Princess in June 2017.  It was my parents (in their 70's), my daughter, son, and daughter in law (all 20 somethings), and me, 50's.  We found that so many of the passengers were multigenerational families with grandparents, parents, and kids.  The families ranged from all ages, but we didn't see many little kids.  There were tons of elementary schoolers, teens, and young adults on up to 70's and 80's. 

 

I found the food just fine.  We all had some onboard credit and we ate in the steakhouse one night.  Make your reservation right away after boarding for one of the sea days.  It was delicious.  The buffet was average, and we didn't have it a whole lot, but sometimes it was most convenient.  The dining room was good and when it fit out plans, we ate there, a few times as a group and a few times separately.  We ate at the International Café quite often.  Our port schedule often meant that we were not onboard when the dining room was open.  It was nice to grab a sandwich, salad, or pasta and a coffee or hot chocolate when we got back on port.  It was busy because lots of folks did this, but the line wasn't awful. 

 

We loved Juneau.  We did whale watching with Jayleen's Alaska, a small boat.  We then took a cab (since there are more of you, it will be cheaper than the shuttle bus) to Mendenhall Glacier and hiked to Nugget Falls and saw the glacier.  We called for a cab back and then went to the Red Dog Saloon for a bit. 

 

In Skagway, my mom and dad did the train combined with a van back (Dyea Dave's, but Chilkoot is also good) that stopped at Emerald Lake.  But you could rent a car or do other excursions.  My kids and I did Glacier Point Wilderness Safari where you travel by boat, hike, canoe, and hike again to Davidson Glacier and see it up close.  We really enjoyed it!  There isn't a lot to see in Skagway itself.  It's a tiny town with a bunch of tourist shops.  We walked around a bit there after our excursions. 

 

All those who say it's about the ports are correct!  My parents cruise HAL, though.  I think it's a little too laid back for me.

[donaldsc]

I think that one difference is that Sitka is  real town with a history that would still exist if the tourists stopped coming.  Skagway also has a history but it now exists only because tourists come.  If the tourists stopped coming to Skagway, the town would disappear.  Skagway has a permanent population of 968 and I am not sure I believe that number.  Sitka has a permanent population of almost 9000.

 

DON

Edited May 22, 2019 by donaldsc

[luvteaching]

 I totally agree with donaldsc! Sitka is a real town that is totally unlike the other ports that the standard 7 day cruises do. Skagway is much more tourist-like and it's existence, now, is due to tourism. Sitka exists for the fishing and tourism isn't it's main claim to fame. It's so refreshing to walk around Sitka and the people are so friendly. It's also not overrun with tourists. Skagway may have 10,000 cruise passengers in at one time where Sitka half that on a really busy day. 

Karen

[jennaja]

I agree with donaldsc and luvteaching.  On a sunny day, Sitka is amazingly beautiful.  They have a raptor center that may be of interest to your teens.

[Coral]

Skagway is beautiful when you get out of town! I don't recommend anyone spend their entire day there. I strongly recommend those who go into the beautiful Yukon.

[Cruizer Bill]

Having cruised on both ships, I would recommend the Eurodam every time to Alaska.  The top reason is the Eurodam has a retractable roof over their swimming pool.  This allows this area to be used while the ship is in motion and on cold days in Alaska.  The Ruby does not have a covered swimming pool and all the people that would be using this area have to move back down below, causing congestion problems.  Holland America invented the sliding pool roof for their Alaska cruises and have kept them on all their ships ever since.

[AlanF65]

In Skagway if you have time to take one of the tours that goes to Emerald lake and stops at a dog training site  you get lots of scenery and at least the chance to see the dogs if its too hot to "sled".

 

In Sitka there is the Raptor center and a bear refuge "Fortress of the Bear". The raptor center is where they heal hurt birds and the bear refuge has bears that can't go back to the wild. There are also bear and whale watching, bears may be sparse early in the season.

 

 

[epanchenko]

I just came back from the Oosterdam yesterday.  I had a balcony cabin, I never went out on it, it was either raining, a little cold, or just not necessary to me.  It is not a necessity to have a balcony cabin if you are able to go on deck to see the glaciers.  The deck was crowded, but not to the point of not being able to enjoy the glaciers.  I thought I was missing Skagway when we went to Sitka instead, glad I was wrong...I went on a nice hike in Sitka, along with the totem pole park afterwards.

Edited August 27, 2019 by epanchenko

[mawvkysc]

Thanks everyone for posting. My family is making the same decision right now. We are all 45 or older though. We’re definitely leaning towards Eurodam even though on the date we need it visits Hubbard instead of Glacier Bay. Sitka is a big draw for me and an hour earlier in Victoria is as well. Plus Eurodam’s deck space, especially aft seems nicer. And the observation lounge looks great too. 

[latebuyer]

Just curious does princess have good naturalists on board? For those who have done both - is one ship better than the other for alaska history/nature talks?

[Coral]

6 hours ago, christinand said:

Just curious does princess have good naturalists on board? For those who have done both - is one ship better than the other for alaska history/nature talks?

Yes - Princess has good naturalists onboard (most of the time). I have had 1 bad one amongst a ton of cruises.

 

If the ships go to Glacier Bay, the National Park Service sends Park Rangers onboard. They choose who is working that day. Most of the time, their talks are excellent.

 

I have not done HAL in Alaska so can't compare. Princess has a ton of enrichment speakers:

 

https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/onboard-experience/

 

Also click on "Meet Real Alaskans" on that link.

Edited September 21, 2019 by Coral