Any clear winner?

[mattR]

Looking at Alaska 2024 any clear winners between these ships?

NCL Bliss

RCL Brilliance of the Seas

Celebrity Edge

Celebrity Solstice

Majestic Princess

 

Looking for good food good main show entertainment and activities

[BirdTravels]

If you are going to Alaska, you're not going for the main show entertainment,,, unless you mean what is outside.

 

You want a cruise that calls in Glacier Bay (not Dawes or Hubbard),,, regardless of cruise line. 

 

For Norwegian, you'll want to look at the Norwegian Encore (Bliss does a few trips early/late season to Glacier Bay, but Encore does the bulk of those cruises). 

[mattR]

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

If you are going to Alaska, you're not going for the main show entertainment,,, unless you mean what is outside.

 

You want a cruise that calls in Glacier Bay (not Dawes or Hubbard),,, regardless of cruise line. 

 

For Norwegian, you'll want to look at the Norwegian Encore (Bliss does a few trips early/late season to Glacier Bay, but Encore does the bulk of those cruises). 

The problem with Encore is the rest of the itinerary sucks only 2 days in port. 

[RD64]

For Alaska -I would recommend Holland America for a plethora of reasons.

[trivia addict]

I also would recommend Holland for Alaska. I’ve had 3 cruises to Alaska. Two on Holland and one on Royal. None on Celebrity, but of the other two, Holland was much better. Only warning here tho, is if you are traveling with children to Alaska, I would not chose Holland. This cruise is more geared for an older crowd. The focus is on the itinerary not the bells and whistles of the other two.

[graphicguy]

I’d go with the Bliss for the Observation Lounge (OL) alone.  The OL offers a 270º panoramic view  in a comfortable environment of the amazing views of Alaska.  Plus, it’s a newer ship.

 

If you’re looking for activities, you’d be hard pressed not to find something to do every minute of every day on the Bliss.

 

Jersey Boys is the main show and is excellent.  But, while you have to wait in line, the band in Syd Norman’s offers some of the best entertainment I’ve ever witnessed at sea.

 

I’ve sailed the Solstice and The Edge.  Like both of them.  Probably give the “edge” to the EDGE as it has the huge windows aft of the ship and has the “Magic Carpet” would be ideal to see Alaska while in the ship.

[Twocoasts]

5 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

I’d go with the Bliss for the Observation Lounge (OL) alone.  The OL offers a 270º panoramic view  in a comfortable environment of the amazing views of Alaska.  Plus, it’s a newer ship.

 

If you’re looking for activities, you’d be hard pressed not to find something to do every minute of every day on the Bliss.

 

Jersey Boys is the main show and is excellent.  But, while you have to wait in line, the band in Syd Norman’s offers some of the best entertainment I’ve ever witnessed at sea.

 

I’ve sailed the Solstice and The Edge.  Like both of them.  Probably give the “edge” to the EDGE as it has the huge windows aft of the ship and has the “Magic Carpet” would be ideal to see Alaska while in the ship.

The problem with the Bliss is that you can't get a seat in the Observation Lounge--it's filled with the people who normally hog pool chairs who camp out for the day. We were on the Bliss in August and found it to be poorly designed to handle the number of people. There were crowds everywhere. I've never seen anything like it on other NCL ships. 

[graphicguy]

4 minutes ago, Twocoasts said:

The problem with the Bliss is that you can't get a seat in the Observation Lounge--it's filled with the people who normally hog pool chairs who camp out for the day. We were on the Bliss in August and found it to be poorly designed to handle the number of people. There were crowds everywhere. I've never seen anything like it on other NCL ships. 

Flip side to that, I’ve never had an issue getting a seat in the OL.  Just have to know when to go.  I went for breakfast, early in the day.  I’d also go after returning from an excursion, before most were back on board.

 

If I observed a book or clothing on a chair or couch, I’d observe for 20 minutes or so, and gave it to the wait staff stating it was left behind and appeared someone forgot it.

[fredflint]

I would look for a smaller ship and you did not mention the dates, too early you can still have too much ice.

[cruiseny4life]

4 hours ago, RD64 said:

For Alaska -I would recommend Holland America for a plethora of reasons.

For the old music, lame shows, and nursing home food? I have a friend that cruises Holland America. He's significantly older than me and still among the youngest onboard. I think that's why he keeps going back so he can be the youngest somewhere. When I was a kid, I wanted to cruise Holland America, because it went to Alaska and the commercials focused only on the scenery (not the ship). I'm so glad we never went. I would have been bored to tears.

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, fredflint said:

I would look for a smaller ship and you did not mention the dates, too early you can still have too much ice.

Uncruise and Maple Leaf Adventures come to mind. I'm hoping when I get to Alaska I'm on one of these company's ships.

[UKstages]

 

1 hour ago, Twocoasts said:

There were crowds everywhere. I've never seen anything like it on other NCL ships. 

 

please allow me to introduce you to the prima and viva, designed specifically to promote crowding indoors when sailing cold weather regions or when traveling through inclement weather.

[OrcaGirl]

I've sailed the Bliss to Alaska, and I love the ship. But of the ships you listed, I'd go with the Celebrity Edge (sailed it in the Caribbean and it was amazing.)

 

But, as others have mentioned, Alaska is all about the itinerary. One thing I didn't like about the Bliss in Alaska is that the port shops were either too short or awkwardly timed. So I'd pick whichever cruise gives you the most active hours in the ports and at the glaciers that interest you most.

[Pitzel]

We have done Alaska on RCCL Serenade of the Seas (2008) and on RCCL Quantum of the Seas (2022). A couple of reasons why we picked those ships/itineraries:

- The Serenade was going to Glacier Bay at the time and, as a smaller ship, it can get REALLY CLOSE to the glacier. Amazing day.

- The Quantum is designed for cold weather cruises. The 270 has massive glass windows, the North Star provides an amazing view from high above the ship, and there is an enclosed pool and solarium. Also, indoor skydiving was amazing!

While we didn't go to Glacier Bay on our sailing, we did get to Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria. I greatly prefer those ports to Skagway (which is a one-and-done port for me...especially now that there are issues with the Yukon railway) or Ice Straight Point (which was essentially built for the tourists.

Also, RCCL docks in downtown Juneau, whereas some other cruise lines dock outside of downtown. This location makes it much more convenient to walk around or go to the Roberts Tramway, plus it is closer to many of the excursion sites, minimizing travel time.

Edited September 26, 2023 by Pitzel

[horseboarder]

We are just off the Bliss in Alaska and I do not recommend for the rainy season of September. The weather forced everyone into the indoor spaces and NCL did nothing about the multitudes of people and children stretched out and sleeping on the couches all day long. There was no getting a seat in the buffet at any time of the day. Port stops were short putting people back on the ship at lunch time and the waits were 45 minutes unless the venue closed sooner. The rough sea one night cancelled Six. Those reservations were pushed to another day which meant the Beatles full three set performance was cancelled. We could not get off in Victoria because of mechanical problems with gangway. It happens but only one bar was allowed to be open on each level while sitting there. 
 

We sailed on Bliss through Panama Canal and loved it. This trip was a total miss. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

13 hours ago, mattR said:

The problem with Encore is the rest of the itinerary sucks only 2 days in port. 

Please post a link.  This is hard to believe. 

[PATRLR]

3 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

 

please allow me to introduce you to the prima and viva, designed specifically to promote crowding indoors when sailing cold weather regions or when traveling through inclement weather.

OMG, am I glad I read this.  I am currently struggling through planning a northern European cruise next summer and Prima is in the lead.  I'd completely forgotten about its significant outdoor spaces and reports of not being a good cold-weather ship.  That changes everything.

Edited September 26, 2023 by PATRLR

[PATRLR]

16 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

You want a cruise that calls in Glacier Bay (not Dawes or Hubbard),,, regardless of cruise line.

Bird, I am curious why you wrote this.  My only trip to Alaska was the 2018 Bliss trip that you were also on. I was also on the smaller ship excursion "TRACY ARM FJORD & GLACIER EXPLORER" which you were also on - I think we went up Endicott Arm to Dawes but now I honestly don't remember for sure.  Regardless, I thought that was fantastic glacier viewing.  

So please tell me what makes Glacier Bay better or a "must do" compared to Dawes or Hubbard?  I'm not being argumentative, I suppose I'm trying to build the case for going back 😉

Thank you. 

[The Traveling Man]

17 hours ago, mattR said:

Looking at Alaska 2024 any clear winners between these ships?

NCL Bliss

RCL Brilliance of the Seas

Celebrity Edge

Celebrity Solstice

Majestic Princess

 

Looking for good food good main show entertainment and activities

We have been to Alaska on three different NCL ships, the Sun, Jewel, and Joy.  The next time we go, it almost certainly will not be with NCL.  Maybe Celebrity, maybe even Holland, but not NCL.  NCL ships usually dock well outside of town at several ports in Alaska, meaning a sometimes long bus ride to get where you're going.  It's disheartening to get off the bus in Ketchikan or Juneau, only to find several ships from other cruise lines docked right in town. 

 

You're going to have a couple of sea days traveling to or from either Seattle or Vancouver, so you may want to look for an itinerary of more than a week.  That way you may be able to have a greater percentage of your time in port rather than at sea. 

 

I have sailed on the Bliss and the Edge and loved both of those ships, but have no knowledge of the others you mentioned.  For me, though, the driving factor would be the itinerary.  Look carefully at the arrival and departure times for each port stop, where your ship is slated to dock, and which glaciers you will visit.  As others have advised here, avoid any ship which is not well suited to cold weather cruising, e.g. the Pr1ma, V!va, Sun, and Sky.  Also keep in mind that Alaskan ports are rather small, so sailing on a mega-ship with 4000 of your closest friends may overwhelm the port facilities at several of your stops.  The smaller ships also may be able to sail closer to the glaciers.

[BirdTravels]

Just now, PATRLR said:

So please tell me what makes Glacier Bay better or a "must do" compared to Dawes or Hubbard?  I'm not being argumentative, I suppose I'm trying to build the case for going back 😉

Yes. We were on inaugural Bliss. 

 

If it an Alaska bucket list trip, then spending the day in Glacier Bay give you more time to enjoy Alaska. Early in the trip, there will be multiple presentation on Alaska. On Glacier Bay Day, the US Park Service boards the ship early and starts narration around 7:30 am. On the Dawes cruises, you're lucky if the cruise director makes one or two announcements. 

 

The ranger narration starts with a live video broadcast from the Observation Lounge. Then transitions to a ranger on the bridge giving an overview of glaciers and Glacier Bay.  The rangers will be talking about the two main glaciers (Margerie and John Hopkins) and the minor glaciers during the transit. And the fjord is wider, so there is a greater chance of getting the ship close to the glaciers (if you remember our trip, the ship was about 5 miles back from the glacier face while we got up close and personal). 

 

We sail Alaska every year. We were in Glacier Bay about 3 weeks ago and it was great. A bit foggy and drizzly early in the morning, but nice when we got to the glacier.  

[PATRLR]

11 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

(if you remember our trip, the ship was about 5 miles back from the glacier face while we got up close and personal)

I do remember that and I was quite surprised.  So glad we did that excursion and I strongly encourage anyone on similar itineraries to do that excursion if offered.

 

[vswan]

7 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

For the old music, lame shows, and nursing home food? I have a friend that cruises Holland America. He's significantly older than me and still among the youngest onboard. I think that's why he keeps going back so he can be the youngest somewhere. When I was a kid, I wanted to cruise Holland America, because it went to Alaska and the commercials focused only on the scenery (not the ship). I'm so glad we never went. I would have been bored to tears.

I have to defend HAL on this. The music walk is wonderful with full jazz bands and other great bands playing, not old music. Although I was never a fan of the classical, but think that is gone. Food can be subjective, but have always had quite good food on HAL, better than many other lines. Where they excel is the naturalists that come onboard and the itineraries. If you are looking for go karts and water slides this is probably not your line.

 

Have done Alaska on HAL (twice), Princess, Celebrity and NCL (on Bliss). I will say that you can't go wrong with any of them. Look at the ports/times, the embark/debark ports, and be sure you have a glacier stop.

[Ixtoras]

18 hours ago, mattR said:

The problem with Encore is the rest of the itinerary sucks only 2 days in port. 

You might want to take a look at that again.  On the NCL site, the cruise may be titled "Alaska: Glacier Bay, Skagway & Juneau" but it actually visits 4 ports plus a day cruising Glacier Bay.  The itinerary includes Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and Victoria BC.

 

Encore and Bliss are very similar, both have a great observation lounge area and if the weather is good, the waterfront areas are a good area to hang out outdoors.   We cruised Alaska on Encore last May and found it to be a great experience.

 

Assuming they haven't cut them, the main stage entertainment on Encore is Choir of Man and on the Bliss is Jersey Boys.

 

As for the others - radiance of the seas is quite old, and had some propulsion issues that caused it to cancel some cruises earlier this month.

 

Personally, Celebrity Edge and Solstice would be my next choices.

 

 

[RD64]

8 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

For the old music, lame shows, and nursing home food? I have a friend that cruises Holland America. He's significantly older than me and still among the youngest onboard. I think that's why he keeps going back so he can be the youngest somewhere. When I was a kid, I wanted to cruise Holland America, because it went to Alaska and the commercials focused only on the scenery (not the ship). I'm so glad we never went. I would have been bored to tears.

And when was the last time you cruised on Holland America? HAL to Alaska is multi-generational with some very large family groups. This past August there were many groups of 15-20 people travelling.

 

As for the nursing home food - which I am going to assume you never tried - or if you have,  - not really sure how many American nursing homes serve such geriatric dishes such as Bami Goreng, Nasi Goreng, authentic Singapore noodles etc. with authentic sambal (again assuming this is a geriatric specialty served in American nursing homes) that will destroy the roof of your mouth. The Sambal is made on board.

 

Then there are the Dutch specialties such as bitterballen, poffertjes, etc that according to you are also the types of geriatric foods served in nursing homes.

 

Thanks but I will stick with the geriatric sambal any day.

[IAcruising]

10 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

For the old music, lame shows, and nursing home food? 

 

 

I can only assume your tongue is firmly implanted in your cheek. I know this is an NCL board, but c'mon. HAL exceeds NCL in nearly every possible category -- except maybe go-carts, if you're into that. 😉