Royal Princess - Alaska Cruise Questions

[Newbie333]

Hello,

 

I'm looking to book a cruise in 2025 (New to cruising) on the Royal Princess and have some questions below. Can you please give me your thoughts?

 

I've read that the Royal Princess doesn't have good viewing areas. When going through Glacier Bay where on the ship is the best viewing area? And 

 

If I decide to get a room with a balcony, which decks, aft, mid, or forward would be best to view Glacier Bay?

 

If I were to book early for the cruise on the Princess website and they have offers after I book, for example on board credit or anything else, would Princess be willing to adjust my reservation to include future offers since I'm booked early?

 

Is WIFI worth it or is the signal spotty on the ship?

 

When should I reserve excursions. Should I do third party or through Princess? Any good websites for excursions for third party excursions?    

[Donwoods123]

We have been to Alaska many times with Princess.  We love the Royal Princess.  It is one of our favorite ships.  I would not hesitate to sail on the Royal again in Alaska.

 

As for the viewing areas, you can always go up to the open deck (midship), where you can easily switch from the port to starboard side by just walking across.  As between port and starboard sides, it doesn't matter because, on major viewings, the captain will rotate the ship so all sides can see.  We always get a starboard balcony because we enter Glacier Bay in the early morning and I always get up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains from our balcony.  It is so beautiful and peaceful.

 

As for adjusting the fare because of later discounts or promotions, Princess used to adjust your fare.  Recently, it has been much harder to get them to do that.  Some on cruise critic have reported that they were able to get them to do that, but I have not been successful lately.  If you are before final payment and have a refundable deposit, you could cancel and rebook at the lower fare.  You would, of course, not protect your cabin or other benefits.  You would need to crunch the numbers to determine if it is worth it for you.

 

As for wifi, we have not had any problems with it.  However, we use it only for emails and some web searching.

 

We almost exclusively use Princess excursions.  They are a little more expensive than private excursions, but we  like them to take care of everything.  On the one excursion that we were unhappy with, Princess resolved the matter to my satisfaction.  I was able to resolve it on the ship and I didn't have to deal directly with the tour provider.  Also, if the Princess tour is running late, they will hold the ship for you or pay to get you to the next port.

 

Princess does a really good job in Alaska.  I am confident you will have a great time.

 

 

 

 

[nini]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

As a newbie, select an itinerary that appeals to you. We loved Hubbard Glacier and most people also love Glacier Bay.

We book excursions from companies onshore, typically not through Princess. However, be aware of Viator as they are brokers and we know many people who had there excursions cancelled basically the day before.

I know nothing about the Royal. Many love that ship and many don't.

 

Princess does not care when you book. It only benefits you because you can select your cabin.

The WiFi works great for us. We love booking an aft balcony with the larger balcony. Balconies are not created equal. The captain does a 360 so everyone gets great viewing, however, you will be wanting to move around on the ship and not need to stay in your cabin.

 

There is also a ton of information on the Alaska forum.

[PacnGoNow]

Welcome!  
In addition to the information given already, here’s a link to the Alaska forum.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/

 

[Cruise Raider]

Alaska was the itinerary that got us hooked on cruising and we try to return at least once a year.  
The Royal has plenty of viewing areas.  What is doesn’t have is a full wrap around deck and while some people don’t like that feature, I’m not one of them.  The Royal is still one of my favorite cruise ships.  
 

Be sure to go to the naturalist talks.  Some of the Rangers will be onboard in Glacier Bay to answer questions and point out must see sites.  So, any of the rangers and naturalists will tell you, the best side to be is OUTSIDE.  It’s so true.  Glacier Bay will take the better part of a the morning and afternoon.  So, dress in layers.  Twice, when we’ve been there, it’s been warm  and sunny and twice, it’s been cold, rainy and windy.  So, just be prepared. Be sure to have your camera charged for photos.  
 

If there is one itinerary to splurge on a balcony, Alaska is that one.  They have some great so called obstructed balcony cabins midship on deck 8, some with much larger balconies.  The deck plan will be key.  If it is within your travel budget, those forward mini suites on the ‘wings’ on marina and lido decks have incredible balconies.  Those would offer you the best views as you see what they see on the bridge.  The ride can be a bit rocky up there in rough seas so, if you suffer from motion sickness in any way, shape or form, that might not be the best cabin choice.  We also love aft facing cabins but some have tiny balconies so we choose one on the Baja deck.  The only thing about spending your time on an aft balcony during glacier viewing is that when the naturalist points something out to see on one side or the other, you may miss it completely.  I actually prefer to get out onto the top deck or on deck 7 when at one of the glaciers so I can see everything.  The crew will be selling morning drinks out on deck.  
 

If you book a refundable fare, you can always call in to have your booking refared.  While Princess has stated they are no longer going to reduce prices, there are promos that will give you a better fare or better perks.  Be sure to book either through a good Princess Cruise Vacation Planner (CVP or PVP) or a good travel agent.  Unfortunately, we can’t recommend anybody here for you.  But Facebook might give you a good idea of the more popular ones.  
 

We’ve booked excursions through both Princess and on our own and have had great experiences on both.  Tours in Alaska can get very pricey.  
In Skagway, the train ride is phenomenal.  They usually offer a bus ride excursion that pretty much follows the same path up the mountain.  It won’t be the same experience as the train but is much cheaper. 
In Juneau, they will have a lot of kiosks set up offering excursions.  Or you can catch a bus or ride up to the Mendenhall Glacier and hike down to Nugget Falls.  Or whale watching is usually great at this port.  But, many times, you can see whales right off the side of the ship.  
If you stop at Icy Strait Point, this is where you will want to do your whale watching.  
In Ketchikan, starting at Creek Street and then a hike up Married Man’s Trail will offer you some spectacular views.  The Lumberjack Show is also very fun for all ages.  You can buy your own tickets either online or at the little shop right outside the arena.  

 

Lastly, the WiFi has much improved onboard.  We even got a signal the whole time when we were in Glacier Bay last year.  
 

[Cruise Raider]

I almost forgot to mention, if they have Alaskan events, such as Puppies in the Piazza, totem pole carvers, Libby Riddles, who won the Iditarod race, etc, don’t miss them.  They are ever so interesting and fun!  

[Sailin Gal]

Welcome to cruising and Cruise Critic! 

 

We have done 2 AK cruises on the Royal, and loved it.  Completely agree with what others have said above about using a good PVP or TA, checking out the Alaska board, and booking early and watching for price drops. Our cabins on the Royal were forward facing deluxe obstructed, which I loved, but it was very cold and windy out there when the ship was  underway.  To see the view from inside, I had to be standing because the obstruction is that the lower part of the balcony rail is steel instead of plexiglass.  We've also had a standard balcony on the Royal, and it was wonderful as well, and protected from the wind.  I have also done AK on an interior cabin.  IMO, go; go with whatever cabin you can afford. 

 

If you can get a sailing that includes both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay, to me, that is ideal, but it usually means a one way northbound or southbound and flights can be expensive.  That said, those sailings are often less than a RT from Seattle, so it may balance out.  

 

Whatever excursions you want, book them early as they can sell out, especially things like the Hubbard Glacier excursion which is a single excursion vessel with limited capacity (loved that excursion). AK excursions are very expensive, and you always have options of doing independent excursions from the pier in ports like Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan.  We watched a lot of YT videos of different excursions we considered to see how they looked to us; that helped us make some choices. Last year, we rented a car for the day in Skagway, and took the highway up (same basic route as the train) to Bennet Lake, Carcross, and Emerald Lake, and it was incredible and much cheaper than the excursion would have been. If you do that, get off the ship ASAP so you can beat the buses up the mountain roads! 

 

As far as the folks who say the Royal doesn't have good viewing areas, I think they must mean interior viewing.  If you can put your coat on and get outside, the views are amazing.   Here are views from one of the upper outside decks, and from L102. Both in Glacier Bay NP.

 

Happy planning!!

[nini]

When in Skagway one of the times, we took the White Pass Train up and then we took the bus/ coach back down. This provided some variety of scenery. Both were very worthwhile.

[XBGuy]

@Newbie333, welcome to Cruise Critic.  I am going to offer some opinions, but I should admit that I am not a planner.  From that bit of information, you will understand much of my decision-making process.

 

Since the early 1990s we have been on six Alaska cruises.  The worst one was wonderful.  We have cruised on five different ships for those Alaska cruises--including the Royal Princess.  I can't say there is anything about any of the ships that we found disappointing.

 

Our first AK cruise was in an what I will describe as an ocean view cabin,  In the last 20 years, or so, Mrs, XBGuy will not cruise in a cabin that does not have a balcony,  I will heartily endorse your strategy of booking a balcony cabin.  Many feel that it is silly to book a balcony for an AK cruise, because the best viewing is on the open areas on the upper decks.  There is some truth to that,  However, I can tell you that Mrs. XBGuy loves to bundle up on the balcony and watch the scenery pass by.  When she gets chilled, she just steps inside the slider and watches from the much warmer cabin.  I get antsy pretty quickly and like to wonder around the open decks.  If you are cruising Glacier Bay, one of the rangers will be on the bridge providing narration which you can hear on your cabin TV.

 

Regarding the view from different cabin positions, every cabin has it's compromises.  Do not be disappointed if you are in your port-side cabin and you hear a PA announcement there are whales on the starboard side.  You'll get your chance when the next announce advises of the bald eagles in the trees off the port side.  As several contributors have already mentioned, the captain will rotate the ship near glaciers to provide a good view to all the cabins on the ship.

 

Many people who are susceptible to motion sickness feel that it is best to pick a cabin that is closer to the water and amidship.  We don't suffer from motions sickness.  So, we are always on one of the upper decks and, generally, as far forward as possible. 

 

We do not partake in many excursions, but the ones we have taken have always been through the cruise line;  This, of course, goes back to my "I am not a planner" mentality.  I am more interested in ease that I am in perfection.  I certainly understand the rationale of others' preferences, though.

 

Mrs. XBGuy likes to have Wi-Fi.  So, we usually have shipboard capability for a single device, and it works adequately for her need, but she's not streaming or Zooming or anything that requires lots of bandwidth.  Every three or four days on a cruise I will log on and check my email.  It is not clear where you live, but if you have a U.S. cell phone plan, remember that Alaska is U.S.  If you would just like to have occasional internet access, you can use the 5G capability of your cell phone to do so at any of the ports.

 

You don't mention what time of the season you are considering.  Most of our AK cruises have been early or late in the season.  Mrs. XBGuy is always hoping for big storms, but we have only hit one, and that one was in early August.  It is, generally, warmer during the mid-summer months.  A friend was disappointed on her AK cruise around the 4th of July one year when they encountered what she described as "sweltering heat."  Keep in mind, also, that the odds are quite good that you might encounter some rain somewhere, but that us usually transitory.  Heck, Ketchikan, which I imagine is on every itinerary, is in a rain forest.  On the other hand, I have experienced 80 degrees of sunshine in September in Ketchikan.

 

Your going to have a wonderful cruise, @Newbie333.

[Newbie333]

Thank you all for your replies and valuable experiences. I'm going to digest everybody's advice and do additional research. I may have some follow up questions and I greatly appreciate your thoughts and time. 

[cwms]

Wife and I are considering an Alaska cruise this summer and Royal has the itinerary we like.  
my question, Royal is A LOT cheaper than the other Princess ships making the same trip.  For a balcony cabin, it’s like 1/2 the price.  WHY?

[karatemom2]

30 minutes ago, cwms said:

Wife and I are considering an Alaska cruise this summer and Royal has the itinerary we like.  
my question, Royal is A LOT cheaper than the other Princess ships making the same trip.  For a balcony cabin, it’s like 1/2 the price.  WHY?

Well, likely for a few reasons. First the Royal holds a lot more people than the older Princess ships doing the similar itinerary and a lot more balcony cabins - so more capacity to fill probably equates to lower prices. 
 

Also, many prefer the Grand class style ships for Alaska in particular because they are small enough to do the true inside route out of Vancouver while the Royal has to go outside on the less scenic route, they have much more and much better outdoor public viewing areas which is important on a scenic cruise, and in the case of the Grand and Sapphire which are doing the same itinerary - both have indoor covered pool areas which is very nice on an Alaskan cruise. 
 

So, for all these reasons, the Royal may actually be a harder sell with more space to fill - hence the better pricing.