First Time Alaska- Which ship for our scenario?

[dlca1]

Hello CruiseCritic Experts

 

Am hoping to get some ship/trip advice based on our priorities below.

We are planning a multi-generational trip to Alaska for late July 2023.  This would be our first trip to Alaska.  My dad  (late 70's) doesn't travel much and has always wanted to visit Alaska.  We aren't big cruisers. Did Disney /Caribbean and everybody enjoyed that.

 

5 Cabins total. We will probably be paying for everybody as a thank you to our parents and siblings.

 

Cabin 1 (4 people): Two adults, 10, 11 year old

Cabin 2 (2 People): Grandparents 70ish and 80ish

Cabin 3 (1 person) Grandparent 70ish

Cabin 4 (1 person) Sister late 40's

Cabin 5 (2 people). Brother late 40's + 9 year old

 

 

I've done a ton of reading on Cruise Critic and enjoy the various trip reports.   Am hoping for some advice based on what is important to us.

 

What we care about:

- Want everybody to have a wonderful/stress-free/relaxing memorable trip. 

- I strongly prefer newer/modern amenities and decor. 

- Good food.

- Casual/comfortable (don't want to have to dress up) (I ended up ruling out Holland because of this)

- Frugal/Want good value for $$ spent (I love costco).

- Great Kids club space

- We spend considerable time in the cabin (my wife and I don't have FOMO)

- Enjoy enriching talks, etc

- Well organized + well-managed operation

- Friendly/welcoming service. 

 

Not Important

- Bars

- Alcohol selection

- Party scene

- Pool for alaska cruise

- Things like go-karts, VR Experiences that require extra $$.

- Shops

- the shows are nice bonus, but not critical. 

 

There are some candidate ships that visit Glacier bay during our time frame (mid to late July 2023, 7 day)

 

- Majestic Princess (sounds like ship is in good condition)?

- Norwegian Encore (ship is only a few years old, might be too big for Alaska?)

- Norwegian Jewel (don't know much about this one)

- Royal Princess 

- Sapphire Princess (reviews seem to indicate ship is showing its age)

- Grand Princess (reviews seem to indicate ship is showing its age)

- Adding Discovery Princess on here too. (Big pro: new.  Cons: Doesn't visit Glacier Bay. Goes to Dawes Glacier)

 

1) What ship would cruise-critic experts recommend for our scenario? Is Glacier Bay a must see for those not likely to visit again?

 

- Majestic -- seems like a relatively modern ship that visits Glacier Bay. Enjoyed @harryfat1's detailed review

- Discovery - brand new ship. Doesn't visit Glacier Bay

- Norwegian Encore-- newer ship that visits Glacier Bay. Came highly recommended by my friend

- Any other great ships to consider?

 

2) Since we will have one cabin with 2 adults/2 kids and two solo cabins (with single supplements),  is it permissible to book kids with the solo travelers but sleep all 4 in our cabin?

 

Thanks in advance for any tips.

dlca1

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 4, 2022 by dlca1

[Kay S]

If you can do Glacier Bay, base your choice on that.  It's a wondrous sight to behold!

[muffin]

Don’t know where you will be sailing from or where you live. Ships from Vancouver more likely to go through the waters on the EAST side of Vancouver island both up and back. This route is MUCH more scenic than ships leaving from Seattle as you go very close to beautiful scenery both up and back. . When you go outside Vancouver island on the west side you see nothing for a full extra day as you are out too far at sea in both directions. I would try to do glacier bay, but for us, the deciding factor is the route north immediately after leaving That counts most for us, and we live here! It’s just so nice to see the beauty up close and personal from the ship too. 
Have a great trip.

[san diego spartan]

So you have ruled out HAL - but I would put it back on your list and truly consider it as the best option.  I have only cruised Alaska 2x - one HAL and one just off the Discovery Princess and I would go back to HAL on the Alaska cruise.  Alaska is more laid back in terms of dinner wear on HAL.  I actually found many more people in tuxes and sequin gowns on Discovery than I did on HAL.  so I don't think that should be a deal breaker for you.

 

I do have to say I enjoyed the inside passage much more on Discovery than I did on HAL.  It is smoother - so that is a consideration if you have some people in your group who might be concerned about the roughness of the sailing.  Also I loved Glacier Bay but Discovery captain got us so close to the Dawes Glacier and the fjord was amazing! I almost liked it better - hard to say they were both so cool.  I think the fjord depends more on your weather.  We were late September so I wasn't hoping for much - but they claimed we got the closest to the glacier from any of the other cruises this season. 

 

I think Skagway is a must - I have NOT made it there yet - as it was canceled on this cruise - but Sitka is just OK - so I would see who works that into the itinerary.  Yes, bigger ships  like the NCL Bliss, etc do not have great port positions.  I actually found that in Juneau, Ketchikan that HAL had a much better berth than Princess did - not a deal breaker, but something to consider if you have older people in your party (and we did with HAL). 

 

I also like that HAL has ships that can close their pool area so you can sit out there in relative comfort if the elements are bad plus they have that great lounge on the high deck forward that is enclosed and is so relaxing so sitting and viewing the beautiful scenary.  Also - not a decider, but my husband swears the pea soup HAL provided while we were at the Glacier was much better than Princess (who did not provide it on glacier day to my knowledge). 

 

I do have to say I enjoyed the naturalist on Princess much more than on HAL.

 

[Rick&Jeannie]

Don't dismiss the Discovery Princess solely due to not going to Glacier Bay.  Our very first Alaska cruise was the Endicott Arm / Dawes Glacier  itinerary. We did not have anything to compare ro being the first  but now that we have done 3 Alaskan cruises in looking back we were very pleased with Dawes. Our latest (2 months ago) was on Discovery...very nice and the newest ship that we have ever been on. You would not be disappointed (in my opinion) with the Discoverry. It is big enough that you should find something for everyone on board.

[Coral]

If it is your only cruise to Alaska - do Glacier Bay.

 

I like the Sapphire Princess. 4 people are in a cabin will be tight - look at a minisuite for that cabin. Disney has larger cabins than most other lines.

Edited October 4, 2022 by Coral

[dlca1]

Thank you for all the great tips and sharing your experiences.

 

The groups would be flying from San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.

 

@Kay S @Coral  @muffin  Don't miss Glacier Bay!

 

@Rick&Jeannie Discovery Princess is great new ship. 

 

@san diego spartan I have officially put HAL back on my list to consider thanks to your feedback. I started watching some of the youtube reviews on HAL. Your Discovery vs HAL comparison is helpful. 

 

@muffin  Thanks for sharing the insight about Vancouver views >> Seattle.  

 

Edited October 4, 2022 by dlca1

[skynight]

Cabin 1 (4 people): Two adults, 10, 11 year old

Cabin 2 (2 People): Grandparents 70ish and 80ish

Cabin 3 (1 person) Grandparent 70ish

Cabin 4 (1 person) Sister late 40's

Cabin 5 (2 people). Brother late 40's + 9 year old

The singles in a cabin will pay the single supplement which is paying for two passengers when only one in the cabin. You should look into moving the youth around so that two are in each cabin. You can change when on board. Note that there are limited cabins that sleep 4. Mini suites are best for this. Make sure you search the deck plans to find ones that do and then have that booking marked no upgrade.

If it is important to have your cabins near each other then you might want to have your bookings marked no upgrade. Otherwise Princess may move your cabin. Cabin categories marked "Premium" are the same as those not marked "premium". The difference is location. 

 Casual/comfortable (don't want to have to dress up)

Dress is casual all day. DR dress is smart casual in the evening. There will be two formal evenings in the DR. On an Alaska cruise many passengers still dress smart casual during formal evenings.

 We spend considerable time in the cabin

On all Princess ship balcony cat cabins and lesser cat. cabins do not have a seating area in the cabin. On the Grand Class ships, Sapphire & Grand, you have to book a mini suite or full suite to have a sofa. On Royal Class ships, Majestic, Royal and Discovery deluxe balcony cabins have a two seat sofa, mini suites and full suites also have a sofa. Balcony cat and below do not have a sofa or seating inside the cabin. On Grand Class ships mini suite balconies, deck 9, are 9ft x 6ft not covered, except for those on deck 8 aft which are covered. Balcony cat cabins on deck 10 have 9ft x 9ft balconies that are half covered. Balcony cat. cabins on other decks have 9ft x 5ft covered balconies. Stern facing cabins have various size balconies.

Royal class ships have small balconies. Most are 9ft x 4ft. By searching the deck plans you can locate those cabins that have larger balconies.

With the Ocean Now App you can order food and beverage to you cabin or anywhere on the ship you happen to be. Many of the food items are no charge. Beverages are whatever they cost + the 18% service charge. There is no delivery charge.

 

Can't comment on other cruise lines. 

 

[Wishing on a star]

For me,  Majestic.  Easy decision.

Discovery as a second - But would def. recommend Glacier Bay as a first Alaskan cruise.  We would do the other Fjord and try to book the small boat excursion that actually gets to the glacier on a future Alaska cruise.  (check the excursions for that, it would actually tender onto the smaller boat right here in the Fjord.

 

You would be going with the right choice with Princess.

Princess does Alaska well.   There will be a naturalist onboard as well as other presentations/

 

I think with your preferences and the fact that Majestic is a larger ship (and newer) you will have more of everything you want, but can choose to avoid/not partake in the things that you do!

 

With as many as 4 in the one cabin, and with three Tweens,  if they would all get along great, would def. consider an additional inside or adjoining cabin for them.

 

NOTE:  the standard balconies on these ships are small.  Look for the larger 'premium' balconies, as I notice that your cabin and balcony are a priority for you!

 

Edited October 4, 2022 by Wishing on a star

[mtnesterz]

The answer for which ship is the smallest. The disembarking passengers can equal the population of a port town. Try to avoid that. So, absolutely stay off the Royal, Majestic and Discovery. Also no wraparound Promenade deck on these three.

Since you posted on the Princess board, you're looking for a Princess ship, yes?

The Sapphire is the best of given choices of the Princess fleet for Alaska, as it has an intact Skywalkers for viewing scenery. Grand had it removed.

Can't speak to kids programs, but there is a kids area. Very few kids on Princess. Last cruise, none, zero!

[skynight]

31 minutes ago, Wishing on a star said:

 

NOTE:  the standard balconies on these ships are small.  Look for the larger 'premium' balconies, as I notice that your cabin and balcony are a priority for you!

 

"Premium" does not mean larger balcony. You have to search the deck plans to find which cabins have larger balconies. 

[dlca1]

delete-- didn't see all the new posts while I was writing up my post.

Edited October 4, 2022 by dlca1

[sunviking90]

Firstly, I agree to go from Vancouver. I may be biased, but we have cruised Alaska many times and from Seattle 2 times and it can be rough, as mentioned very little to see the first days, etc. From where you are all coming from, Vancouver is easy to get to.
I used to say make sure to see Glacier Bay, BUT on our last cruise (Celebrity) we went up Tracy Arm and saw the glacier there and it was breathtaking! We enjoyed this so much more I think.

I have cruised on the Majestic 4 times this year (not to Alaska) and she is a beautiful ship, but if this was my only Alaska cruise, I would never choose this class of ship. I don’t think they are well suited to Alaska. There are limited outdoor areas for viewing without having a wrap around promenade. Sapphire and Grand both have this.

Reconsider Holland America. It’s not what it used to be as far as formality. Pretty much anything goes now and  Alaska tends to be more casual anyway. Their ships are really well suited to Alaska with the retractable roof on the pool deck, lots of promenade deck area, etc. You will also find the staterooms to be a little roomier for a family.

Whichever you choose, there will be LOTS of kids in July in Alaska.

 

 

Edited October 4, 2022 by sunviking90

[Oakman58]

I would rule out any ship that didn't visit Glacier Bay National Park.  IMO the best choice in your list is the NCl Encore.  Also the Encore has studio cabins for singles, so no supplement.  Just my opinion

[Wishing on a star]

Okay,  I will bite.   There is too much confusion for 'premium'....  I would love it somebody could give me an example of a stateroom that is 'premium' balcony that does not have a balcony that is larger than standard. 

And, yes, there might be some balconies, premium or not, are larger than others in the category.   So, looking over the deck plans is a must.

[minabruuke]

What would be very easy for me would be to eliminate the NCL ships you are considering. I don't think they will check as many boxes on your list of the things you care about. In my opinion, it would only check the decor and kids club boxes on your preference list. We found the included food (main dining room & buffet) on NCL to be terrible. Their upcharge restaurants are excellent but as you mentioned being frugal, those don't seem like a good option. I also don't find NCL to be great for someone who wants a relaxing trip (perhaps this would be different for those who can book suites in the Haven). On my last NCL cruise, the ship was filthy. Service on all of the Princess cruises we've sailed has felt more genuinely helpful, friendly and personal than what we experienced on NCL. 

 

If a newer more modern feel is really important to you than Majestic would probably be a good fit for your family. I have been on  Sapphire's sister, the Diamond, for a New Zealand cruise and I was very happy with that ship for the scenic cruising  so I expect that Sapphire would be a great option for an Alaska cruise. I would say the advantages of the Sapphire over the Majestic for Alaska would be viewing points and the size but it is older. 

 

If I were to be planning an Alaska cruise with my family on my husband's side (I use this comparison because demographically the group would be similar to yours and they are not "cruisers"), my choice would be the Majestic. Glacier Bay is worth a visit (otherwise I would also consider the Discovery) and I would expect them to be more impressed with a newer ship. 

 

Someone mentioned Princess not having a lot of kids. But that is not my experience, nor the experience of my friends who traveled Princess to Alaska with children. On an Alaska cruise in July you will likely find lots of multigenerational family groups and a good number of children.

[Wishing on a star]

I will also say that smaller is a preference, that might not be the preference of this family.

In this case, smaller also equals older, and limited inside open space, and perhaps lessor/smaller other amenities.

 

We cruised Alaska on CORAL. and we loved it.   But, would choose a larger and newer ship now, for sure.

The buffet was limited in choices and in food quality.  (Main Dining Rooms were great!).  When everyone was out at peak times like dinner and shows...  good luck navigating thru the crowds in those areas.  No large Piazza.  etc.    Just be aware that people have different. expectations and preferences.  I am quite sure that this poster can look at the options and decide on what is best for their family group cruise.

[KKB]

Just got off the Discovery week before last.

Really loved it.

It is our 8th Princess cruise, 1st AK.

Aunt & uncle in 70s & us in 50s.

 

Dawes glacier was GORGEOUS.

Discovery ticks all your boxes, imo--tho I CANNOT attest to kids club. VERY few kids on our cruise. If you go in the summer I'm sure you will see many more.

We found it very very casual--a few dressed up at night but most did not.

 

We did Inside Passage, Ketchikan, Dawes glacier, Juneau & Sitka. (Skagway got cancelled & Sitka subbed). We loved them all! Aunt & Uncle just wanted to wander towns--so many wonderful local shops. 

Next time we want to hike or do some wildlife viewing, tho we did see whales, otters & seals from the ship.

 

 

[skynight]

56 minutes ago, Wishing on a star said:

Okay,  I will bite.   There is too much confusion for 'premium'....  I would love it somebody could give me an example of a stateroom that is 'premium' balcony that does not have a balcony that is larger than standard. 

And, yes, there might be some balconies, premium or not, are larger than others in the category.   So, looking over the deck plans is a must.

Here you go. Some examples of balcony cabins that are not 'premium' that have large balconies. There are other examples.

Sapphire Princess- C110 to C243, C618 to C747. Other Grand Class ships are similar

Discovery Princess - E101 to E117, E403 to E437, D407 to D429.

Emerald Princess - in addition to those on deck 10, R746/7

Emerald Princess C752 & 3 are two examples of 'premium' balcony cabins with regular size balconies.

You have to search the deck plans ship by ship and deck by deck

Edited October 4, 2022 by skynight

[Coral]

1 hour ago, sunviking90 said:

I used to say make sure to see Glacier Bay, BUT on our last cruise (Celebrity) we went up Tracy Arm and saw the glacier there and it was breathtaking! We enjoyed this so much more I think.

 

The only negative is that Tracy Arm is the most skipped glacier. If this is a once in a lifetime cruise - depending on Tracy Arm is very iffy!

[dlca1]

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but huge thank you for the outpouring of helpful advice!  I'm going to try to pay it forward by summing up tips so far.

 

 

- Don't miss Glacier Bay! @Kay S @Coral @Oakman58 @muffin

- Other glaciers have potential to be really amazing too. @sunviking90 @san diego spartan @Rick&Jeannie

- Sapphire is a great ship for Alaska-- smaller, better viewing areas @Coral @mtnesterz

- Sail out of Vancouver instead of Seattle- Scenery much more beautiful  @muffin @sunviking90

- Consider HAL ships @san diego spartan : prefers HAL over Discovery @sunviking90

- Discovery Princess is a great ship @Rick&Jeannie @KKB

- Majestic is great ship @Wishing on a star @sunviking90 (but maybe not for Alaska) @minabruuke (if newer/modern is important)

- NCI Encore is best option for our needs @Oakman58

- Search deck plans for best cabins + mark no upgrade @skynight

 

My Current Ranking: 

 

1) Majestic is probably my leading contender out of the Princess ships.  Is relatively new, sails out of Vancouver for our date and goes to Glacier Bay. 

2) Discovery Princess

3) Norwegian Encore-- Nice and modern. Might be too big of ship for tweens and older folks to get around.  

TBD) Need to investigate HAL ships. 

 

Sapphire - It sounds like Sapphire has many loyal fans and might be an ideal size and layout for Alaska. However, there seem to be multiple recent reports of Sapphire showing signs of wear and tear after the shutdown. 

 

[san diego spartan]

3 hours ago, skynight said:

"Premium" does not mean larger balcony. You have to search the deck plans to find which cabins have larger balconies. 

Agree the standard balcony we had was small/tight.  Our friends had a mini suite and they found a cabin that had a decent sized balcony. 

[NownZen]

45 minutes ago, dlca1 said:

 

Sapphire - It sounds like Sapphire has many loyal fans and might be an ideal size and layout for Alaska. However, there seem to be multiple recent reports of Sapphire showing signs of wear and tear after the shutdown. 

 

Sapphire is a lovely ship. There are reports of some issues but it is on its first cruise in two years so it is not surprising that there are some rough edges.  It is not wear and tear it is lack of wear and tear.

One thing to consider is that the Royal class ships and all the newer ships are much more inward oriented. There is a report on CC with pictures of the promenade deck of the Discovery which is a narrow path around a part of the ship. On the outside are the lifeboats so there is no view there. The Grand class ships (Sapphire is one of those) has a full proper promenade deck with a good view. We spend a lot of time there. In general the balconies on the newer ships are narrower so if there are four in a room everyone would have to take turns.

[JeffT237]

1 hour ago, dlca1 said:

1) Majestic is probably my leading contender out of the Princess ships.  Is relatively new, sails out of Vancouver for our date and goes to Glacier Bay. 

 

1 hour ago, dlca1 said:

Sapphire - It sounds like Sapphire has many loyal fans and might be an ideal size and layout for Alaska. However, there seem to be multiple recent reports of Sapphire showing signs of wear and tear after the shutdown. 

 

Keep in mind the Majestic I believe does not sail east of Vancouver Island, which many experienced Alaska cruisers says is the far superior route.  It is more of the true inside passage experience.  From my understanding the cruise lines older smaller ships are the ones that sail this route.  We are facing the same dilemma for our next Alaska cruise, we always book the newer ships over older ships so it comes down to do we want the nicer ship or the nicer views?  

 

Our only Alaska experience was last May on the Crown Princess which is similar in age to the Sapphire.  The ship that was definitely showing her age.  You can read the reviews, we had mechanical and maintenance issues which led to many disappointments, most of all we had very little time in Alaska and a lot of open ocean sailing.  We're very hesitant to book an older Princess ship because of this.  Our day in Glacier Bay was beautiful, the highlight of the cruise.  This was round trip out of Seattle and our next Alaska cruise will definitely be a northbound out of Vancouver.  Too much open ocean sailing on the Seattle roundtrips in my opinion.  Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

Edited October 4, 2022 by JeffT237

[Cruise Raider]

I’m such a sucker for the Royal class ships and there are some decent sized balcony cabins available if you book early.  They are in the middle bump out sections and the aft facing cabins.  Otherwise the balconies are tiny on these ships.  I would suggest at least one of you get at least a deluxe balcony on this ship as it has a small couch in the cabin…the ones that are aft facing one that Baja deck are fabulous.  Of all the places to get a balcony, Alaska is the place.  
We went on the Majestic in late July once and it was nearly 80° is one port so, don’t necessarily  count out the pools. 
I am also a huge fan of Glacier Bay although last time we went there, we only went to one glacier .. still amazing but every fjord and glacier is very spectacular.  

Everyone has a different opinion but Norwegian may be more family friendly than Princess or Holland.