Decisions, Decisions

[Sillyjilly]

NCL. Scratch them off. IMHO

[LatinaInTexas]

5 hours ago, Sillyjilly said:

NCL. Scratch them off. IMHO

Scratch NCL as a whole or just for going to Alaska? Was doing a little pricing research yesterday and if I was picking based on price they would prob be hard to beat. Doing the math with the all in promo, the 10% off military offer and one other offer where you buy $250 they match it so you get $500, I guess it's like FCC?

Today's research will be focused on the different ships and reviews of the different cruise lines. Trying to get a feel how things are done on other lines.

After that then I will start looking into the different Alaska itineraries. Good thing it's slow at work this month because I got a lot to do.

[firefly333]

47 minutes ago, LatinaInTexas said:

Scratch NCL as a whole or just for going to Alaska? Was doing a little pricing research yesterday and if I was picking based on price they would prob be hard to beat. Doing the math with the all in promo, the 10% off military offer and one other offer where you buy $250 they match it so you get $500, I guess it's like FCC?

Today's research will be focused on the different ships and reviews of the different cruise lines. Trying to get a feel how things are done on other lines.

After that then I will start looking into the different Alaska itineraries. Good thing it's slow at work this month because I got a lot to do.

Maybe I was burned out on carnival and rcl food but I enjoyed ncl food a lot. Thought it was better. ..though could be just because I needed a change. 

[cw2go]

21 hours ago, cruisinqt said:

I was in the same situation as you a few months ago. I prefer the bigger ships but Carnival only had the Spirit class going to Alaska at the time. So I started looking at other lines. I considered Princess but on our last cruise with them everything shutdown by 10 pm and I’m a night owl. I’d prefer to have a younger crowd with a little more nightlife on the ship. So I started checking out what Royal had to offer and we settled on Quantam of the Seas. The price wasn’t bad at all, their ships tend to have younger crowds and lots to do after 10 pm. Plus this ship has lots of specialty restaurants, bumper cars, laser tag, a skydiving simulator, the flowrider, an escape room, and a rock climbing wall. We are really excited about this cruise, you should check them out and see if your dates fit. 

 

Younger crowds and nightlife may not happen in Alaska. I am sure you'll have a great time but keep an open mind about the ship vibe regardless of cruise line. Alaska sailings are about scenery and adventure.

 

 

Patty  

[cw2go]

23 hours ago, jsglow said:

Princess to Alaska.  Do the one way Glaciers cruise out of either Whittier or Vancouver.  You won't be disappointed.

 

Have done this sailing multiple times ~ AMAZING! 

[jsglow]

Just now, cw2go said:

 

Have done this sailing multiple times ~ AMAZING! 

Have you ever done the land portion? I HIGHLY recommend.

[cw2go]

5 minutes ago, jsglow said:

Have you ever done the land portion? I HIGHLY recommend.

 

Not yet! We have plans to do a land based trip to Denali independently. We can't get enough of Alaska. Funny enough, my husband and sons picked Alaska as a family vacation almost 20 years ago, I went along reluctantly and now I am the one who keeps planning the return trips! My DH likes to tease me about this often but he's grateful that he gets to go back and that his DW wasn't grumpy the entire trip. 😉

Edited January 2, 2023 by cw2go

[jsglow]

Just now, cw2go said:

 

Not yet! We have plans to do a land based trip to Denali independently. We can't get enough of Alaska. Funny enough, my husband and sons picked Alaska as a family vacation almost 20 years ago, I went along reluctantly and now I am the one who keeps planning the return trips! My DH likes to tease me about this often but he's grateful that he gets to go back and that his DW wasn't grumpy the entire trip. 😉

We did the 'Off the Beaten Track' 6 day. We were blessed to do Denali on a clear day.  That happens only a handful of times a year. Stunning.

[Gardyloo]

2 hours ago, LatinaInTexas said:

Today's research will be focused on the different ships and reviews of the different cruise lines. Trying to get a feel how things are done on other lines.

After that then I will start looking into the different Alaska itineraries. Good thing it's slow at work this month because I got a lot to do.

I think you might want to consider some additional factors in deciding on a cruise line, ship, and itinerary.  I'm not sure some of these have been mentioned, so I might be re-emphasizing a couple of items for you to evaluate.

 

One way vs. round trip.  All the Seattle departures are for round trip itineraries - up to Southeast Alaska then back, due to the terms of the Passenger Vessel Services Act (sometimes wrongly referred to as the "Jones Act.")  Departures from Vancouver BC can be either round trips or one-way sailings, as they're between ports in different countries.  So if you want to include any time in Alaska before or after the cruise, one of your ports - departure or arrival - will have to be Vancouver.  You'll also need more time than a week if you plan to see more of Alaska than what you'll see on the cruise.  Generally at least five to seven days would be a minimum add-on to the week's cruise, and more is better.

 

Seattle v. Vancouver routes.  Ships sailing from Seattle travel to the west of Vancouver Island (generally in both directions.)  This is on open ocean and can be considerably rougher than the "inside passage" waters used by ships departing/arriving from/to Vancouver.   With most cruises lasting seven days, having two of them on open ocean is a sizable fraction.  Needless to say, the scenery on the Vancouver sailings is superior.

 

Port calls and port times.  Which ports of call, and how long you're there, is a big factor.  Almost all the cruises, either one way or round trip, from Seattle or Vancouver, will stop in most of the same towns in SE Alaska - typically Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, with possibly one more such as Hoonah (Icy Strait Point,) Sitka or Haines.  These are interesting but relatively small towns and having four or five 2000+ passenger ships visiting, say, Skagway, population 800 counting dogs, makes for a pretty touristy scene, as you can imagine.  In addition, how long you're in port is also important to consider.  Many potential excursions - either those sponsored by the cruise line or independent ones - might require more time than you can make (comfortably) given your ship's time in port.  So knowing in advance what sorts of things you'd like to do on shore can help you sort through the options for ports and port times.

 

Seasons.  Spring (May to early June) can offer decent weather in SE Alaska.  However, one possible downside is that some of the most spectacular "drive-by" glaciers, such as the awesome Hubbard Glacier, are located in bays that might have a lot of icebergs or floe ice, keeping the ships farther away from the face of the glaciers than will be the case later in the cruise season.  On the other hand, May/June can be too early for many destinations in Southcentral and Interior Alaska (e.g. Denali National Park) as access can be limited, mosquitoes incredibly annoying, etc.

 

Land touring options and limitations.  If you want to add some time on land before or after the cruise, a whole new set of logistical challenges present themselves.  In addition to transportation and lodging choices, you have more options regarding where and how you want to spend your "land" times.  For example, many travelers choose to visit Denali National Park for its incredible scenery and wildlife.  Unfortunately, however, the interior of Denali NP is inaccessible at present, and through 2023, due to roadworks closing the only road into the park's core.  The repairs are hoped to be complete by 2024, but there are no guarantees.  Other factors to consider are eye-watering rates for rental cars, and increased costs for air travel.  

 

So these are some (not all) of the additional factors to consider in choosing an Alaska cruise.  I'm sorry if this complicates your decision-making, but we're talking about a lot of money, so the work needed to decide on a multi-thousand dollar cruise is probably worth it.  

Edited January 2, 2023 by Gardyloo

[jsglow]

21 minutes ago, Gardyloo said:

I think you might want to consider some additional factors in deciding on a cruise line, ship, and itinerary.  I'm not sure some of these have been mentioned, so I might be re-emphasizing a couple of items for you to evaluate.

 

One way vs. round trip.  All the Seattle departures are for round trip itineraries - up to Southeast Alaska then back, due to the terms of the Passenger Vessel Services Act (sometimes wrongly referred to as the "Jones Act.")  Departures from Vancouver BC can be either round trips or one-way sailings, as they're between ports in different countries.  So if you want to include any time in Alaska before or after the cruise, one of your ports - departure or arrival - will have to be Vancouver.  You'll also need more time than a week if you plan to see more of Alaska than what you'll see on the cruise.  Generally at least five to seven days would be a minimum add-on to the week's cruise, and more is better.

 

Seattle v. Vancouver routes.  Ships sailing from Seattle travel to the west of Vancouver Island (generally in both directions.)  This is on open ocean and can be considerably rougher than the "inside passage" waters used by ships departing/arriving from/to Vancouver.   With most cruises lasting seven days, having two of them on open ocean is a sizable fraction.  Needless to say, the scenery on the Vancouver sailings is superior.

 

Port calls and port times.  Which ports of call, and how long you're there, is a big factor.  Almost all the cruises, either one way or round trip, from Seattle or Vancouver, will stop in most of the same towns in SE Alaska - typically Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, with possibly one more such as Hoonah (Icy Strait Point,) Sitka or Haines.  These are interesting but relatively small towns and having four or five 2000+ passenger ships visiting, say, Skagway, population 800 counting dogs, makes for a pretty touristy scene, as you can imagine.  In addition, how long you're in port is also important to consider.  Many potential excursions - either those sponsored by the cruise line or independent ones - might require more time than you can make (comfortably) given your ship's time in port.  So knowing in advance what sorts of things you'd like to do on shore can help you sort through the options for ports and port times.

 

Seasons.  Spring (May to early June) can offer decent weather in SE Alaska.  However, one possible downside is that some of the most spectacular "drive-by" glaciers, such as the awesome Hubbard Glacier, are located in bays that might have a lot of icebergs or floe ice, keeping the ships farther away from the face of the glaciers than will be the case later in the cruise season.  On the other hand, May/June can be too early for many destinations in Southcentral and Interior Alaska (e.g. Denali National Park) as access can be limited, mosquitoes incredibly annoying, etc.

 

Land touring options and limitations.  If you want to add some time on land before or after the cruise, a whole new set of logistical challenges present themselves.  In addition to transportation and lodging choices, you have more options regarding where and how you want to spend your "land" times.  For example, many travelers choose to visit Denali National Park for its incredible scenery and wildlife.  Unfortunately, however, the interior of Denali NP is inaccessible at present, and through 2023, due to roadworks closing the only road into the park's core.  The repairs are hoped to be complete by 2024, but there are no guarantees.  Other factors to consider are eye-watering rates for rental cars, and increased costs for air travel.  

 

So these are some (not all) of the additional factors to consider in choosing an Alaska cruise.  I'm sorry if this complicates your decision-making, but we're talking about a lot of money, so the work needed to decide on a multi-thousand dollar cruise is probably worth it.  

Outstanding post.  Agree completely.

 

Couple add ons.

1) the largest ships out of Vancouver do the 'outside' route.  Say anything 140,000 tons and up. We were on Royal Princess and she has to go the long way. 100% agree that the Inside Passage is magnificent having done that previously. That might impact my ship choice.

2) Skeeter season ends by mid-August. That's not insignificant. June/July cruises are certainly impacted.

3) We saw more wildlife (excluding whales) in late May and somewhat less in late August. Not sure if our experience typical. 

[cruisinqt]

1 hour ago, cw2go said:

 

Younger crowds and nightlife may not happen in Alaska. I am sure you'll have a great time but keep an open mind about the ship vibe regardless of cruise line. Alaska sailings are about scenery and adventure.

 

 

Patty  

Yeah I’m hearing a lot of that. I’ve never been on a Carnival or Royal cruise that was all older folks but I’m prepared. We will enjoy ourselves either way. At least this is a bigger ship with more amenities to enjoy so that will keep me busy. 

[LatinaInTexas]

1 hour ago, Gardyloo said:

I think you might want to consider some additional factors in deciding on a cruise line, ship, and itinerary.  I'm not sure some of these have been mentioned, so I might be re-emphasizing a couple of items for you to evaluate.

 

One way vs. round trip.  All the Seattle departures are for round trip itineraries - up to Southeast Alaska then back, due to the terms of the Passenger Vessel Services Act (sometimes wrongly referred to as the "Jones Act.")  Departures from Vancouver BC can be either round trips or one-way sailings, as they're between ports in different countries.  So if you want to include any time in Alaska before or after the cruise, one of your ports - departure or arrival - will have to be Vancouver.  You'll also need more time than a week if you plan to see more of Alaska than what you'll see on the cruise.  Generally at least five to seven days would be a minimum add-on to the week's cruise, and more is better.

 

Seattle v. Vancouver routes.  Ships sailing from Seattle travel to the west of Vancouver Island (generally in both directions.)  This is on open ocean and can be considerably rougher than the "inside passage" waters used by ships departing/arriving from/to Vancouver.   With most cruises lasting seven days, having two of them on open ocean is a sizable fraction.  Needless to say, the scenery on the Vancouver sailings is superior.

 

Port calls and port times.  Which ports of call, and how long you're there, is a big factor.  Almost all the cruises, either one way or round trip, from Seattle or Vancouver, will stop in most of the same towns in SE Alaska - typically Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway, with possibly one more such as Hoonah (Icy Strait Point,) Sitka or Haines.  These are interesting but relatively small towns and having four or five 2000+ passenger ships visiting, say, Skagway, population 800 counting dogs, makes for a pretty touristy scene, as you can imagine.  In addition, how long you're in port is also important to consider.  Many potential excursions - either those sponsored by the cruise line or independent ones - might require more time than you can make (comfortably) given your ship's time in port.  So knowing in advance what sorts of things you'd like to do on shore can help you sort through the options for ports and port times.

 

Seasons.  Spring (May to early June) can offer decent weather in SE Alaska.  However, one possible downside is that some of the most spectacular "drive-by" glaciers, such as the awesome Hubbard Glacier, are located in bays that might have a lot of icebergs or floe ice, keeping the ships farther away from the face of the glaciers than will be the case later in the cruise season.  On the other hand, May/June can be too early for many destinations in Southcentral and Interior Alaska (e.g. Denali National Park) as access can be limited, mosquitoes incredibly annoying, etc.

 

Land touring options and limitations.  If you want to add some time on land before or after the cruise, a whole new set of logistical challenges present themselves.  In addition to transportation and lodging choices, you have more options regarding where and how you want to spend your "land" times.  For example, many travelers choose to visit Denali National Park for its incredible scenery and wildlife.  Unfortunately, however, the interior of Denali NP is inaccessible at present, and through 2023, due to roadworks closing the only road into the park's core.  The repairs are hoped to be complete by 2024, but there are no guarantees.  Other factors to consider are eye-watering rates for rental cars, and increased costs for air travel.  

 

So these are some (not all) of the additional factors to consider in choosing an Alaska cruise.  I'm sorry if this complicates your decision-making, but we're talking about a lot of money, so the work needed to decide on a multi-thousand dollar cruise is probably worth it.  

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain things, so VERY helpful. I know I'm doing it all wrong trying to figure it out basically last minute. I'm starting to realize this is something not to rush into. I just got excited with money burning a hole in my pocket and threw logic out the window🙄 So many things I know nothing about, just figured get on ship, get off ship at new places, go home like a typical Caribbean cruise. But as you have pointed out that's just not the case. I need to think twice and probably set my sights on next year. By that time my casino winning fund will have hopefully grown big enough to look past just having a 7 day trip😁

 

[jsglow]

4 minutes ago, LatinaInTexas said:

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain things, so VERY helpful. I know I'm doing it all wrong trying to figure it out basically last minute. I'm starting to realize this is something not to rush into. I just got excited with money burning a hole in my pocket and threw logic out the window🙄 So many things I know nothing about, just figured get on ship, get off ship at new places, go home like a typical Caribbean cruise. But as you have pointed out that's just not the case. I need to think twice and probably set my sights on next year. By that time my casino winning fund will have hopefully grown big enough to look past just having a 7 day trip😁

 

@LatinaInTexasyou still have plenty of time to plan for this year.  But as others have said, an Alaskan cruise is 180 degrees different than the Caribbean. One goes for a completely different reason.  But it's absolutely a bucket list trip.

 

I'll give you one more quick hint; a 'joke' I've told before. (I'm old. I don't have new jokes!)

If you're going with a spouse or significant other DON'T get matching coats. 🧥  We northerners chuckle under our breath. 😁

[Gardyloo]

6 minutes ago, LatinaInTexas said:

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain things, so VERY helpful. I know I'm doing it all wrong trying to figure it out basically last minute. I'm starting to realize this is something not to rush into. I just got excited with money burning a hole in my pocket and threw logic out the window🙄 So many things I know nothing about, just figured get on ship, get off ship at new places, go home like a typical Caribbean cruise. But as you have pointed out that's just not the case. I need to think twice and probably set my sights on next year. By that time my casino winning fund will have hopefully grown big enough to look past just having a 7 day trip😁

 

Of course it's your call.  I was looking at some pricing for Vancouver round trips in May and found a couple with pretty decent itineraries and good pricing, e.g. a Royal Caribbean departure from Vancouver on May 28 that includes Sitka (my favorite town in SE Alaska - historic, beautiful, lots to see.)  A balcony cabin (worth it for Alaska) is priced at under $1000 which is pretty good value.  We cruised on RC to Seward a few years ago (to go to our god-daughter's wedding in Anchorage, where we used to live) and thought the onboard experience was fine.  It's NOT a Caribbean experience, not even close, but very enjoyable.  

 

So maybe you cruise this year and see SE Alaska, which will probably whet your appetite to return, maybe next time for a non-cruise exploration of the state.  Trust me, there's a LOT more to see than you'll get on a cruise.  

[jsglow]

@Gardyloo again totally agree.  We've done 7 day one way, and 7 day plus land. Honestly we feel like we've had enough of the SE coast.  Next time for us it will likely be a fly-in followed by a 2-3 week RV rental. We're lifetime Wisconsin campers so that's right in our wheelhouse.

[Sillyjilly]

7 hours ago, LatinaInTexas said:

Scratch NCL as a whole or just for going to Alaska? Was doing a little pricing research yesterday and if I was picking based on price they would prob be hard to beat. Doing the math with the all in promo, the 10% off military offer and one other offer where you buy $250 they match it so you get $500, I guess it's like FCC?

Today's research will be focused on the different ships and reviews of the different cruise lines. Trying to get a feel how things are done on other lines.

After that then I will start looking into the different Alaska itineraries. Good thing it's slow at work this month because I got a lot to do.

Not a fan of NCL. Tried her twice and I will never cruise on her again. (Not even for free)

Hopefully your experience will be better if you try NCL.

 

[Coral]

9 hours ago, LatinaInTexas said:

Scratch NCL as a whole or just for going to Alaska? Was doing a little pricing research yesterday and if I was picking based on price they would prob be hard to beat. Doing the math with the all in promo, the 10% off military offer and one other offer where you buy $250 they match it so you get $500, I guess it's like FCC?

Today's research will be focused on the different ships and reviews of the different cruise lines. Trying to get a feel how things are done on other lines.

After that then I will start looking into the different Alaska itineraries. Good thing it's slow at work this month because I got a lot to do.

I personally would never do NCL. Call me a snob or whatever. Everyone I know who goes on NCL - unless they are in the top suite, hate it. It may seem cheap upfront but they are known for nickel and dimming everyone (even more so than the other lines which seem to do it more than previously).

[eileeshb]

21 minutes ago, Coral said:

I personally would never do NCL. Call me a snob or whatever. Everyone I know who goes on NCL - unless they are in the top suite, hate it. It may seem cheap upfront but they are known for nickel and dimming everyone (even more so than the other lines which seem to do it more than previously).

All of my cruises have been with NCL, originally because they are so highly rated for solo’s and after that because I enjoyed the cruises so much.

I’ve hung out with folks in their early 20s through to folks in their 90s, there’s always been a wide variety of ages on the cruises I’ve done even though I don’t go at peak season. 
Yes there is resentment building about NCLs ever increasing prices along with shrinkflation in what you get for those prices. But in the current climate that is happening across multiple cruise lines and other industries too. 
I’m not a foodie but I am somewhat picky and weird in my food preferences but haven’t had to go off-menu at any restaurant on the ships and worst case I can always go to the buffet and grab a slice of pizza. I’m actually more warey of some of the high end lines for food options as going high end/fancy on food is less appealing to me. Heck I haven’t been to the steakhouse on NCL ships cos I simply don’t like steak.

[Coral]

9 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

All of my cruises have been with NCL, originally because they are so highly rated for solo’s and after that because I enjoyed the cruises so much.

I’ve hung out with folks in their early 20s through to folks in their 90s, there’s always been a wide variety of ages on the cruises I’ve done even though I don’t go at peak season. 
Yes there is resentment building about NCLs ever increasing prices along with shrinkflation in what you get for those prices. But in the current climate that is happening across multiple cruise lines and other industries too. 
I’m not a foodie but I am somewhat picky and weird in my food preferences but haven’t had to go off-menu at any restaurant on the ships and worst case I can always go to the buffet and grab a slice of pizza. I’m actually more warey of some of the high end lines for food options as going high end/fancy on food is less appealing to me. Heck I haven’t been to the steakhouse on NCL ships cos I simply don’t like steak.

I would then stick with NCL. You know exactly what you are getting. They have decent itineraries.

 

I cruise solo also and just don't think it would be a good fit for me. I agree all the lines are cutting costs, etc...

 

On the other hand - I tried all the main stream lines (except for NCL) when I started cruising to see what the others offer. I am not tied to any line but also go with the one I am familiar with most. Though would definitely jump on a different line for the right itinerary, etc...

Edited January 3, 2023 by Coral

[Nola26]

On 1/2/2023 at 7:05 PM, Coral said:

I would then stick with NCL. You know exactly what you are getting. They have decent itineraries.

 

I cruise solo also and just don't think it would be a good fit for me. I agree all the lines are cutting costs, etc...

 

On the other hand - I tried all the main stream lines (except for NCL) when I started cruising to see what the others offer. I am not tied to any line but also go with the one I am familiar with most. Though would definitely jump on a different line for the right itinerary, etc...

I sail on NCL and have been really pleased with them. I sail solo as well as a 3 generation family, we all find our niche. Main Dining room meals are good, on occasion if I didn't like my first choice and made a swap, but that's probably been once or twice in 11 cruises. Solo meet up has been nightly and the host will even make a dinner reservation for the group so you can choose to do your own thing for dinner or join the group. I have cruise buddies from each of those experiences.

 

I recently sailed on Celebrity, lovely cabin but ship not as well kept, crew not as friendly as with NCL. Food was good, but I would give NCL the nod for both variety and quality in MDR and buffet. Only specialty meal was Sushi, outstanding food and experience. Overall I thought NCL had better entertainment, especially the musical talent. The string duo was different than I experienced on NCL and they were quite good. I also appreciated the Solarium: indoor and all adult was quite a treat!

 

I am looking for an Alaska cruise: RT Seattle so NCL is Bliss, Princess is Discovery and HAL is Westerdam or Eurodam, so quite a range. Probably targeting late May. Happy to listen to any advice on those three ships, timing, etc.

Edited January 4, 2023 by Nola26

[jdk4asu]

We have only been on one cruise to Alaska and two overall. However I have been traveling for most of my nearly 60 years and did find the the Royal Caribbean cruise we took out of Vancouver, to Seward, was excellent! I think there were about 2,500 passengers so it was small and a bit tight but small enough. 

 

I cannot express my opinion enough to go on the one-way out of or back to Vancouver, though. I think you will find that probably 90% or more posts on this subject here on CC will say the same. Vancouver is worth the trip alone with it being a wonderful city. 

 

Hope this helps!