Better ship or better itinerary??

[doolfan]

I’m trying to plan a once in a lifetime Alaskan cruise. The other day I asked about heaven vs 2 aft facing balconies on Bliss for Alaska. The response was all haven so I booked it. But then I’ve continued reading and it sounds like overall Norwegian is not recommended so much for Alaska. So I decided to look into HAL or Princess but I just kept coming back to Norwegian. I have now found a trip on Norwegian Jade that has all the things I want for Alaska (inside passage, glacier bay and Skagway, ALL places Bliss was not going to). But Jade does not have all the things I wanted in a ship. I don’t care at all about slides, racetracks, VR etc. but I was looking forward to the very fancy Haven (Jades Haven looks lame in comparison) or at least Vibe (which Jade doesn’t have at all) so I figured I’d pay extra for spa passes, but Jade’s spa doesn’t have all the cool new things either and also looks kinda lame in comparison. Just looking for nice places to relax really!  And hot tubs!!  I’m probably spoiled because I have my first ever cruise coming up and it just happens to be on Viva. I fell in love with that itinerary and then found out it was the newest ship. Which would you choose for Alaska great luxury ship or itinerary?  Is the scenery that much better in the inside passage and glacier bay?  Would we miss out if we knew nothing else? Or if it’s a one and done for Alaska should we make sure to see the best??

[KforKitty]

For me, the itinerary would be my priority every time.  As long as I am comfortable in my cabin, I’m really not bothered about all the glitzy stuff.  In fact this is probably why I’ve not booked a cruise on a newer ship yet.

 

Everyone’s priorities are different though and you really need to weigh up the pros and cons for yourself.

 

Catherine

 

[complawyer]

itinerary, every time, wins hands down. we've been on the jade at least 3 Xs. i dont know about the bliss (which by the way is a beautiful ship) but on most other ncl ships that have both haven and suites (not club balcony suites) the rooms are almost identical, you still get the butler and concierge services, clean up twice day, breakfast and lunch at moderno  and cagneys, you just dont get access to the haven lounge and pool area. also the suites are a lit less $$$$

[fmrlkr]

Itinerary!  Alaska is such a port intensive cruise the ship fades to the background.

[graphicguy]

Sounds like you want all the features of the new ships.  So, you’ e answered your own question.

 

Not sure where you got the impression that NCL is not “recommended” for Alaska.  I’ve failed the Bliss on an Alaska Cruise.  i wholeheartedly recommend NCL for Alaska.  The Observation Lounge alone makes it worth it for Alaska.

 

Alaska is beautiful.  If you’ve never been, any of the ports will be amazing and just one cruise there will not be enough, regardless of itinerary!

Edited November 11, 2023 by graphicguy

[www3traveler]

For me no question: The Jade  But I do not care about the Haven, the Spa or all the bells and whistles on the newer bigger ships.

 

The Garden Villa suites are very nice-- private pool area and private upper level Sun Deck perfect for the Inside Passage portion of the cruise and Glacier Bay.  Get out a map and look at the body of water between Vancouver Island and the mainland of Canada-- for the most part somewhat protected from the possible wild weather sailing in the Pacific Ocean (Encore, Bliss).

 

If you can add a couple of days to tour Vancouver, British Columbia or Seattle, Washington.

 

I said 14 years ago, I was only sailing to Alaska ONCE.  In May of 2024, I will be heading out for my 9th Alaskan cruise this time on The Bliss out of Seattle.

 

Whatever cruise and ship you pick, ENJOY

[1025cruise]

I never book for the ship first. Itinerary first always, then ship based on itinerary.

[ChiefMateJRK]

5 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Not sure where you got the impression that NCL is not “recommended” for Alaska.  I’ve failed the Bliss on an Alaska Cruise.  i wholeheartedly recommend NCL for Alaska.  The Observation Lounge alone makes it worth it for Alaska.

 

Alaska is beautiful.  If you’ve never been, any of the ports will be amazing.

I'll second my friend's recommendations.  At this point, I would be happy to sail only NCL Alaska cruises for the rest of my life.  I have to toss in a Winter Caribbean cruise every year as well, because I'm not going to wait from October to April for my next cruise. 😎  New England and Hawaii every few years is nice as well.  Yes, I tend to stay close to home.

[wilmingtech]

Definitely Itinerary.  We just booked a 10 day Alaskan on the SUN.  It has everything we wanted to see except Glacier Bay.  No Haven though 😞.  

 

That being said, we have done Haven on both the Jewel (Jade is the same / sister ship) and on the Joy.  And quite honestly we enjoyed the Haven on the Jewel just as much as the Joy.  While the Joy had a fantastic Haven Horizon lounge which would be baller on an Alaskan cruise, I think you would miss out on some of the best things Alaska has to offer.

 

And if you could swing the Garden Villa you won't be dissapointed.

 

 

[Candy Apple 12]

Depending on the weather, you might not get a lot of use out of the Vibe on an Alaska cruise. 
 

If you think this will be your only chance to sail to Alaska, go for the itinerary you want. 

[ontheweb]

For Alaska, itinerary should always come first. And I would check if the ship you are choosing has a naturalist aboard.

[SomewhereGirl]

Encore sails to Glacier Bay and Skagway.  Encore is the younger (newer) sister of Bliss.

 

As for NCL not being recommended for Alaska, that usually comes from HAL and Princess fans who have never sailed NCL, and say that HAL and Princess "know how to do Alaska" because they've been there longer, even though NCL has been sailing to Alaska for over 20 years.  NCL will also have a park ranger on board for Glacier Bay so that's a non-factor.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

We have done 6 Alaska cruises with RCL, Princess and NCL, and have found them all comparable.  Princess and HAL have seniority in most ports there so they will have preferable docking space, but that’s not really a big deal.  I would sail NCL to AK again in a heartbeat.  It is always the itinerary, but as this is a once in a lifetime cruise, be sure to pick an itinerary with Glacier Bay.

Edited November 11, 2023 by MagnoliaBlossom

[SoloAlaska]

I want a ship with a full time naturalist onboard for Alaska which won’t happen with NCL. It’s all about port time in Alaska and all the amazing adventures your going to go on. Personally that means I get up in the morning, get ready for the day and have breakfast before going ashore. I come back after a big day and might have a nice latte before starting to get ready for dinner. I don’t know when I would even have the time to enjoy the spa other than maybe twice. I prefer a smaller ship with less children. NCL wouldn’t make my short list for Alaska. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

21 minutes ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

We have done 6 Alaska cruises with RCL, Princess and NCL, and have found them all comparable.  

Seven for us.  All NCL.  Pearl, Encore, Bliss and Sun.  All but the Sun were Glacier Bay.  The Sun was Hubbard Glacier, which was spectacular.  Many times, it is foggy/icy and the ships can't get close.  Ours in July was sunny and clear.  I think that the fiord walls are more interesting than the glacier itself.  We have five visits to AK planned for next year. 😎

[graphicguy]

Frankly, I found excursion guides to be the most helpful in Alaskan ports.  Most are locals who know the area well.  Quite a few work for municipal or State agencies who are quite knowledgeable!

 

So, a naturalist on board isn’t a draw, at least not for me. I can find local experts at each port who speak more to the specific ports than in generalities.

 

While I’ve been fortunate with weather on my 2 Alaskan cruises, at least one port day was rainy.  dDepending on time of year, it can be wet on an Alaskan cruise.  A Spa pass can be quite nice when the weather is poor!

[davencl]

Is there such a thing as a "bad" alaskan cruie?  I've never been one. 🙂 

[Langham1865]

I say for "trip of a lifetime" or bucket list cruises, go for itinerary.  I've been loyal to NCL first, but did my Alaska bucket list cruise on HAL, as they had the itinerary I wanted if I never get the chance to go back.  I also think that Alaska cruises are ones where the ship is much less important than Caribbean cruises.  I spent much less time on the ship and taking advantage of the ships offerings than I ever did on a Caribbean cruise.  Although I have only done Alaska once, people I have spoken with who did multiple Alaska cruises likes the smaller ships, as they can usually get closer to the glaciers and other natural resources than the larger ships can under the same conditions.  So this maybe the biggest factor the ship can be for a consideration.  Well, that's my 2 cents worth....

[olemissreb]

Since I wasn't sure when I'd get back to Alaska, itinerary and port times were the most important for me...then I went with the cruise line that fit our vacation times. We didn't go to Glacier Bay, but we did get to Hubbard Glacier and it was spectacular.

 

Hoping that in the next few years I'll be able to talk my boyfriend into a couple weeks in AK. He says he's not a cruise person, but I guess he'll find out in 2025 when we cruise Viva in the Caribbean.

[Russiamomm]

I agree with going for the itinerary for Alaska.  It’s a port intensive trip and you’re there for the scenery.  I also agree about the Vibe.  I don’t see that as important for an Alaska trip.  Most of the time it will likely be unusable.  A ship with an observation lounge or nice spa is nice for Alaska.  We just did the Encore with a spa pass.  Beautiful views of Glacier Bay from a warm space in your swimsuit!  
 

All that being said, I’m of the opinion that you really can’t see all of any port from a cruise ship. It’s more of a way to get a taste of a place to see where you want to return to.  Many years ago we did Alaska with the kids - Southbound from Anchorage to Vancouver on Princess.   But we planned an additional week on land before the cruise.  That week was the most memorable part of the trip.  We saw so much more than you’d ever see from a ship.  We used the cruise more of a “wind down” from the full week we had on land.  Not to say we didn’t love the ports and scenery on the ship, but the land piece was simply spectacular.  My kids still haven’t forgiven me for putting them on a school bus through Denali for 8 hours, but it was great.  Nothing like having a traffic jam caused by mountain goats blocking the road.  😂. If you can possibly swing the money and time off, do a CruiseTour or book it yourself.  That’s what we did.  Took a lot of planning, but saved a lot of money and gave us much more flexibility than doing a land tour through the cruise line.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

 

[MagnoliaBlossom]

I wish the misty fjords was still part of this inside passage, it was magical.  Favorite picture of my husband was taken with him looking out at the scenery in the fjord.

[dancingfish]

For me I look at the itinerary. If the cruise is port heavy- Then I really don't need the ship to entertain me. I know we will be exhausted and want dinner, a drink and bed!

 

I did Alaska 20 years ago (wow that hurts saying it out loud lol) and it was a trip of a lifetime. For alaska you must have a balcony! We sat on ours each night and watched the shore, the sealife and waves each night! Many times not realizing it was past midnight (daylight all the time!) with 8am tours. The cruise provided blankets for sitting outside! 

 

You have to realize that you will not be in the pool! 

 

We booked all our own excursions. Went on a whale sightseeing trip with only 4 people. Again a trip of a lifetime!

 

So to answer your question.. look at the stops and book based on that!

[ChiefMateJRK]

11 minutes ago, dancingfish said:

For alaska you must have a balcony!

I've had a balcony twice for AK (both Encore sailings).  I never used it, because either the waterfront or the OL were much more comfortable (depending upon weather).  They also each have bars and servers that come around, and much more comfortable seating.  I did step out on the balcony once or twice a day just to take a look.  So why did I book a balcony?  I didn't until price drops allowed me upgrades for close to nothing.  We did enjoy the bigger room though.

[graphicguy]

Did this one where I was fortunate to meet @ChiefMateJRK and his beautiful wife this past Spring.  Hope you find it helpful....

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2925605-live-alaska-ncl-bliss-04-22-2023-to-04-29-2023-review/

Edited November 11, 2023 by graphicguy

[cruiser2015]

Another vote for itinerary.

Also, the cruise is likely port intensive - you're not going to spend huge amounts of time in your suite. You would enjoy some of the luxuries, like the restaurant.

The destination is the prize.

And, unless you book a high end suite on the Jade, you can save a bunch of bucks.