Best Princess Ship to Alaska and Why?

[Coral]

5 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

Decks 10 and 11 (Caribe and Baja) go all the way to the end of the corridor - both fore and aft - and out through the heavy door there to the forward and aft viewing decks. The forward decks have no furniture but the aft viewing decks have loungers. We book an OV on Baja all the way aft. In the picture Keith posted above you can see the window right next to the door that goes to the aft viewing deck. It's like having a huge balcony that is (usually) unoccupied. Of course on Glacier Bay day it would likely have folks but it's still less known than the upper decks and such. I totally agree about the great, wide, Promenade deck as well.

Been there, done that. It is windy. I still like Deck 7. It is covered.

 

I think I was in Alaska the first year it was in Alaska. It was such a gorgeous trip, Princess sent helicopters to take pictures of us at College Fjords.

Edited January 30, 2020 by Coral

[Thrak]

1 minute ago, Coral said:

Been there, done that. It is windy. I still like Deck 7. It is covered.

 

I think I was in Alaska the first year it was in Alaska. It was such a gorgeous trip, Princess sent helicopters to take pictures of us at College Fjords.

 

The front viewing decks can be windy but I've never had an issue on the Baja aft viewing deck. It's covered.

[Coral]

27 minutes ago, Thrak said:

 

The front viewing decks can be windy but I've never had an issue on the Baja aft viewing deck. It's covered.

I know. I have been on the ship. 

Edited January 30, 2020 by Coral

[compozer]

What about the Pacific Princess?   Our first Alaskan cruise was on the Coral..   We loved it.

 

[Discus16]

The Coral Princess was great when we did our Alaskan cruise tour. I will say our balcony was great, spent a lot of time there going through the inside passage. Would love to do this cruise again

Edited January 30, 2020 by Discus16
Spelling

[gottagoacruzn]

Was looking to try the Grand in Alaska, it leaves out of Vancouver, I thinks it does the inside passage, any suggestions?

[DougH]

Actually the best by far is the small Pacific Princess. This year she is doing a 12 day route with 3 more ports than the usual 7 day cruise with better port times. Downside is she is RT Vancouver so no interior Alaska before or after. Small size means no lines anywhere, you are closer to water level for viewing and lots of good viewing areas. Princess only seems to do this longer route every 3 years or so  and I try to do it every chance I have.

 

My second choice is the Coral for the same reasons most have said already

Edited January 30, 2020 by DougH

[nini]

Thrak is absolutely right on for the show "On the Bayou", as well as the aft decks for viewing for the Coral.

But our favorite viewing is from Skywalker's (if you are on a shop that has it). We loved it because

we could be inside to warm up a bit and have beautiful views and then run outside again once we

were warmed up again. 

[Thrak]

3 hours ago, Coral said:

I know. I have been on the ship. 

 

Coral, I figured you had been on the ship. I just replied as I did for those who would have no idea that you were an extremely knowledgeable person in regard to Princess ships and cruises. I have a great deal of respect for you and your knowledge and hope I haven't offended you.

[imescaping]

I only have 5 Princess  cruises, 2 Alaska on Golden, Panama Canal on Coral, 4 night Repositioning on Star, and most recently (Jan11-18 202) Mexico on Royal.  I am with the Coral crowd.  It by far has been my favorite ship to date, and I think would be an excellent choice for Alaska. (least favorite would be Star). That said, to me they all have plenty of pros and I would sail any of them again. 

[Coral]

4 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

Coral, I figured you had been on the ship. I just replied as I did for those who would have no idea that you were an extremely knowledgeable person in regard to Princess ships and cruises. I have a great deal of respect for you and your knowledge and hope I haven't offended you.

That makes sense. Just don't quote me then.

[doone]

One other question, does any of the Princess ships do both the inside passage AND Glacier Bay????  Those are two musts for my group and I am not seeing a Princess ship with that itinerary so far, did I miss it????

 

Appreciate your help.

[Renmar]

7 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

Coral, I figured you had been on the ship. I just replied as I did for those who would have no idea that you were an extremely knowledgeable person in regard to Princess ships and cruises. I have a great deal of respect for you and your knowledge and hope I haven't offended you.

 

3 hours ago, Coral said:

That makes sense. Just don't quote me then.

I like it when posters quote other posters, it helps us who have those senior moments to stay on track (or is that Thrak)😉.

 

Theo

[Jnsplace1]

56 minutes ago, doone said:

One other question, does any of the Princess ships do both the inside passage AND Glacier Bay????  Those are two musts for my group and I am not seeing a Princess ship with that itinerary so far, did I miss it????

 

Appreciate your help.

The Coral does both?   At least the one I'm on in August does?   For my NB, the first day at sea from Vancouver is Inside passage, after Skagaway it does Glacier bay and College Fjord cruising before stopping at Whitter and turning around to go SB.

[Coral]

3 hours ago, doone said:

One other question, does any of the Princess ships do both the inside passage AND Glacier Bay????  Those are two musts for my group and I am not seeing a Princess ship with that itinerary so far, did I miss it????

 

Appreciate your help.

The term "inside passage" is very vague.

[nini]

6 hours ago, Coral said:

That makes sense. Just don't quote me then.

Wow... I think of Thrak as a  Teddy Bear and he meant no harm. I have learned a TON from him.

The quotes are for reference purposes, especially in a long thread.

[fishin' musician]

7 hours ago, doone said:

One other question, does any of the Princess ships do both the inside passage AND Glacier Bay????  Those are two musts for my group and I am not seeing a Princess ship with that itinerary so far, did I miss it????

 

Appreciate your help.

More ships departing Vancouver/Whittier do both than do not. 

[mrkjones61]

We are currently on the Royal for the third time and we just booked our Alaska cruise on the Coral. We have only cruised on the Royal class ships and are looking forward to a smaller ship.

[AVCruzers]

For us, ships embarking/disembarking in Los Angeles and cruise dates are most important to us since we don't enjoy flying. So--the GOLDEN PRINCESS will be our choice this year to Alaska (cruise dates include our 60th wedding anniversary)..  Our first Alaskan cruise was on PACIFIC  PRINCESS which really introduced us to the joys of cruising.  

[wolfie11]

First Choice - Pacific Princess (my favorite ship)

Second choice - Coral Princess

Third choice - Golden Princess

Wild card - Queen Elizabeth

[fuzzychop1]

What about Emerald?

[compozer]

 

 

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Edited January 31, 2020 by compozer
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[AlanF65]

On 1/30/2020 at 9:52 AM, Coral said:

The term "inside passage" is very vague.

There are 3 segments to the inside passage

Washington portion

British Columbia portion

Alaska portion

Cruise ships out of Seattle generally bypass the first two portions are in the "Alaskan inside passage" when they go to Juneau and Skagway and Endicott Arms.

 

Ships out of Vancouver that are small enough to go East of Vancouver island are on the British Columbia portion of the inside passage before getting to the "Alaskan" portion.

 

The problem is the cruise lines use the generic "Inside Passage".  Last May on the Ovation of the Seas first sailing that left out of Vancouver was advertised as Inside Passage with a map east of Vancouver as the route. We went west of Vancouver Island. Once they learned they couldn't go east of Vancouver island the cruise description changed to Alaskan Inside Passage. That was the only time Ovation of the Seas  sailed from Vancouver to Alaska. We returned to Seattle and that's her home-port when doing Alaskan voyages.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Passage

[Coral]

4 minutes ago, AlanF65 said:

There are 3 segments to the inside passage

Washington portion

British Columbia portion

Alaska portion

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_Passage

I should have provided the link you did. Thanks for providing that. When lines say they cruise the inside passage, one really doesn't know how they are defining it. 

[AlanF65]

23 minutes ago, Coral said:

I should have provided the link you did. Thanks for providing that. When lines say they cruise the inside passage, one really doesn't know how they are defining it. 

It looks like they are all using different definitions and words. The Maps help.

 

 

Royal Caribbean uses Alaskan Inside Passage except for ships that go east of Vancouver Island.

From Vancouver:

From Seattle

 

I think too many people complained last year, but part of the problem was Travel Agents using the map east of Vancouver Island.

 

 

Princess uses a variety of maps but the itinerary doesn't list "Inside Passage"; they just list sea days.

5 day

 

 

 

 

 

I am booked on this one at the end of the year.

 

 

 

 

HAL lists it in the cruise name

7-Day Alaskan Inside Passage

 

 

But this cruise doesn't list it but its the first and 3rd leg

 

This one lists scenic cruising the inside passage on the Itinerary ( I am booked on this one)

14-Day Great Alaskan Explorer