Brand new to cruising info and totally confused

[Lobella]

We are looking at Alaskan Cruises and are overwhelmed with it all.  Looking for a peaceful non-party cruise line, preferably geared more towards adults.

We were looking to go in and out of Seattle for ease of getting to.  Looking for any recommendations.  We've done some research and decided Glacier Bay was our best bet over the other choices, and what we've seen goes as far as Skagway.  Does this give a good representation of what Alaska is all about?

Again, we are so totally novice to this.  

[Sarnia 432]

Going out of Seattle, you will sail round the outside of Vancouver Island.  The sea can be rougher and no scenery to look at, compared to the calm waters of the inside passage with lovely island and mountain views.

 

Princess and Holland America both do Alaska very well, both non-party and adult orientated, but Alaska will get kids on both cruise lines.

[crzndeb]

If Glacier Bay is on your to see list, then Holland American and Princess will be the ones to pick. Now look at their itineraries on their website, and see which one fits your cost and time frame.

Alaska cruises aren’t known for their party cruises, and most are at least 7 nights. 

[SbbquilterUT]

We have also sailed Hubbard Glacier and it is spectacular.  We are able to take the time to sail from Vancouver to Seward and then the return sail - hopefully spend time at Hubbard Glacier both ways as well as do a fjord and  National Park sailing while in Seward.  Also consider if a particular type of wildlife is of interest and choose your month for sailing accordingly.

[shipgeeks]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!  I hope we will be helpful with any questions that come up for you.

I don't know if budget is a concern for you, but in any case, one of the things I've noticed over the years is that so many people say you must have a balcony cabin.  We do not agree with that. When we cruised to Alaska, we booked an inside cabin, for $$ reasons, but we ended up with a balcony.  We only used it for part of one afternoon, out of the entire 10 days, and it was not a comfortable experience.  We did spend virtually all of our waking hours up on the top deck, watching the scenery on all sides.  If we were to do AK again (it was a great cruise), we would book an oceanview, primarily to see the weather conditions and scenery from the cabin, but would still spend all free time on the open decks.

I agree that HAL and Princess are good choices.

[wcook]

Round trip Seattle is much easier logistics wise than other Alaska options. You’ll miss some time at more interesting locations, but you will get a good feel for what Alaska is all about. My big suggestion is to pay close attention to how much time a ship spends in port. Some itineraries cram in more stops by spending shorter time in port. 

[Toofarfromthesea]

1 hour ago, Lobella said:

We are looking at Alaskan Cruises and are overwhelmed with it all.  Looking for a peaceful non-party cruise line, preferably geared more towards adults.

We were looking to go in and out of Seattle for ease of getting to.  Looking for any recommendations.  We've done some research and decided Glacier Bay was our best bet over the other choices, and what we've seen goes as far as Skagway.  Does this give a good representation of what Alaska is all about?

Again, we are so totally novice to this.  

 

You've had good answers on some of your question but I'll throw in the thought that kid avoidance is largely a matter of length of cruise and time of cruise.  Cruises longer than 7 days tend to have fewer kids, as do cruises that are not in the July/August summer vacation period.

[Gunner 66]

How much time do you want to spend? Basic 7 day cruises are plentiful. If you are wanting a Cruise/Land combination you are looking at Holland and Princess. My Other and I are looking at the Combo for 2025. We feel if we are going that far we want to really see Alaska. Not just the coastline. Which means 9 or more days. We want to ride the train or bus from Anchorage to Faitbanks. To go up to Mt. Denali and Denali National Park. To be able to see Alaskan wildlife on tours. To us, other than being on the cruise ship,  the land part is more important to really see what Alaska is all about.

Edited March 20 by Gunner 66

[leaveitallbehind]

My one recommendation would be to talk with a live travel agent who specializes in cruises and review your overall plans, expectations, and budget with them as they would be in the best position to sort out all of the options and make the best recommendations that would work best with you.

[Lobella]

Thanks for great starting info.  I was looking at Princess but learned quickly that I need more knowledge regarding balcony rooms.  I cannot find anywhere that tells you what rooms have obstructed view other than stay off deck 8 Emerald because of lifeboats or the deck above.  

[leaveitallbehind]

1 hour ago, Lobella said:

Thanks for great starting info.  I was looking at Princess but learned quickly that I need more knowledge regarding balcony rooms.  I cannot find anywhere that tells you what rooms have obstructed view other than stay off deck 8 Emerald because of lifeboats or the deck above.  

If you go to the deck plans for the Princess ship(s) you are interested in and hover over the staterooms, a description appears that will include identifying any that are obstructed.

 

But while I completely understand wanting to learn as much as possible about cruising, my suggestion to you, as new to cruising, to talk with a travel agent will be of great assistance in distinguishing the differences between the cruise lines, itineraries, fare structures, etc., and will help clear the path for what would work best for you. JMO. 

 

BTW, we have been cruising for 32 years with 50+ cruises and still use a TA.  We find their service to be very beneficial, which is why I always suggest this to new cruisers in particular.

Edited March 21 by leaveitallbehind

[CruiserBruce]

I don't believe you will be able to do a Seattle trip that also has a land/cruise tour portion in Alaska. I think those can only be out of Vancouver, per the relevant laws.

[AKJonesy]

Save money if you choose Holland and go with an Oceanview Room.  Holland has those big promenade decks that go around the entire ship and have chairs with blankets (if needed).  To me, a balcony, which I have booked many times is a waste of money for Alaska.  You are going to want to get out on the deck (s) and have a 360 degree look at things.  I think some of the difference other than what has been mentioned from other CCers, is that Seattle is usually more convenient than Vancouver, but it is true about sailing outside of the island and that water can get a little rough. 

Edited March 21 by AKJonesy

[XBGuy]

 

@Lobella, let me add my welcome to Cruise Critic.

I am going to repeat what some of the previous posters have said, but I will, of course, put my own spin on it.

 

Let me start with the suggestion that you engage a travel agent.  When we started cruising that was the only option for booking a cruise.  We found the experience to be easy, and we were able to book our first cruise in less than an hour.  That being said, gathering as much information as you can—like you’re doing here on Cruise Critic—will help provide some guidance to your selected travel agent.  

We have taken six Alaska cruises.  The worst one was wonderful.  I feel that the itinerary for any AK cruise is not that important.  (Many will disagree with that sentiment.)  AK cruises are all about seeing wildlife an natural beauty,  Mission accomplished on all our cruises.  You seem to have your heart set on visiting Glacier Bay.  That is good.  The more you have decided early in your quest, the easier it is to learn about and make decisions about other options.

Cruising out of Seattle makes a lot of sense for logistical reasons.  I think that most cruises out of Seattle are round trips.  That should make airline arrangements to and from the port a bit easier.  Other than that, I don't see much difference between Seattle or any other port.

 

Somebody has mentioned that July/August are peak times for families because kids are on summer vacation.  I agree that Alaska is a great cruise itinerary for families.  If you cruise early or late in the season while schools are mostly in session, you will minimize the number of families on your ship.

 

There have been some opinions expressed, here, on cabin selection.  Mrs. XBGuy will no longer cruise in a cabin that does not have a balcony.  So, five of our six AK cruises have been in cabins with balconies.  The weather does not deter her.  She bundles up and can spend hours on the balcony during sea days or "scenic cruising" days such as Glacier Bay or Tracy Arm Fjord or College Bay.  If she does get too cold, she steps back into the cabin and warms up, but she is usually, then, still parked next to the slider watching outside.  I am the kind of person who wanders all over the ship.  So, pick the cabin you want.

 

In your second post you seem to allude to the Emerald Princess.  We have, in fact, cruised on the Emerald Princess to Alaska--cabin A201.  If you spend some more time here on Cruise Critic, you will learn that the common wisdom is that people who are sensitive to the motion of the ship should book cabins as close as possible to the waterline and as close to the center of the ship as possible.  Cabin A201 is on Deck 12 (relatively high) and is the most forward cabin on the deck.  Mrs. XBGuy loves feeling the motion of the sea, and, so, we usually book as far forward or as far aft as possible.  That may or may not work for you.

 

I might also mention that the balconies on the C Deck of the Emerald Princess are noticeably larger that those on the A or B decks.  I have to say, the extra "real estate" on those larger balconies is pretty nice.

 

You did not ask, but, regarding the weather, it does rain in Alaska.  In fact, Ketchikan is in a rain forest.  However, rain has never caused us any disappointment.  OK, that is a lie.  On our very first AK cruise I learned about the De Havilland Beaver.  One one of our subsequent cruises I booked a flightseeing excursion on a De Haviland Beaver in Ketchikan.  There were very low clouds and a light misty rain that day and all float plane tours were cancelled.  However, a year later I was able get my trip on a Beaver.  So, I guess my life is now complete.  😉

 

I have seen posters insist that there is a "less wet" season in Alaska.  That may or may not be true.  Most of our cruises have been early (April/May) or late (September), using the family cruisers avoidance strategy.  Mrs. XBGuy (the person who loves the motion) keeps hoping for big storms, but, generally all we have hit have been fog and light rains.  The biggest storm we ever hit was our very first one which was in the first week of August--a one-way southbound cruise.  We hit a monster in the Gulf of Alaska.  At about 2:00 am I found myself rolling out of the bed.  The only reason I didn't was I was able to stick my arm out, and, when my hand touched the floor, I was able to stop.  Mrs. XBGuy was smashed up against me.  It was great.

 

By contrast a friend once took an Alaska cruise the first week of July, and, afterward, she complained that it was "too hot."  I guess you pays or money, and you takes your chances.

 

I see that a previous poster mentions a wraparound promenade deck on the Holland America ships.  I can advise that the Emerald Princess also has such a wraparound promenade.  Being a walker, I've put many miles on that promenade. and I have seen some terrific sights from there.

 

I'll close with this.  Do not be overtaken by FOMO--fear of missing out.  You cannot see everything on one cruise.  Every cruise is a compromise.  I have stated that I don't think itinerary is that important.  Any itinerary will give you an excellent, memorable experience.  If you didn't get to see Hubbard Bay, you did get to see Glacier Bay.  If you didn't get to see Icy Strait Point, you did get to see Skagway.  If you didn't get to see bears, you did get to see whales (probably, lots of them) and otters and eagles.  Don't listen to anybody who implies that if you don't do what they liked, then your cruise is incomplete.

 

You're going to have a great cruise @Lobella.  Please feel free to come back with more questions.  We love to show off.

[mamafun]

@XBGuy Thank you for this great, informative comment.  We are planning ahead for an Alaska cruise in 2025 or 26 and you've made me feel like I can take a breath and stop overthinking things.

[lynncarol]

Although my husband and I have Elite/Diamond status on RCCL and Celebrity, we chose to forgo all those perks and sailed with Princess for our Alaska cruise, solely because we wanted to see Glacier Bay National Park and those formerly mentioned cruise-lines don't have the permits to go there.  Glacier Bay is not to be missed, so whatever line you chose, I strongly suggest it is included on the itinerary. 

[Hlitner]

Adult oriented, round trip from Seattle, etc. all screams (to me) Holland America (HAL).  No longer one of my favorite lines (we are 5* Mariners with about 550 days on HAL) but it does tick the boxes required by the OP.  

 

Personally, having done AK on several different cruise lines, we prefer much smaller ship lines (luxury cruise lines).  Arriving at a port like Icy Strait Point on a 450 passenger Seabourn vessel is a completely different experience with being on a 2-4000 passenger ship.

 

Hank

[9tee2Sea]

On 3/20/2024 at 11:59 AM, Lobella said:

We are looking at Alaskan Cruises and are overwhelmed with it all.  Looking for a peaceful non-party cruise line, preferably geared more towards adults.

We were looking to go in and out of Seattle for ease of getting to.  Looking for any recommendations.  We've done some research and decided Glacier Bay was our best bet over the other choices, and what we've seen goes as far as Skagway.  Does this give a good representation of what Alaska is all about?

Again, we are so totally novice to this.  

remember to take a good pair of Binoculars.  Can see much wildlife up close ( whales, eagles, seals,bears, waterfalls, the bright blue colors of the glaciers)

[navybankerteacher]

17 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Adult oriented, round trip from Seattle, etc. all screams (to me) Holland America (HAL).  No longer one of my favorite lines (we are 5* Mariners with about 550 days on HAL) but it does tick the boxes required by the OP.  

 

Personally, having done AK on several different cruise lines, we prefer much smaller ship lines (luxury cruise lines).  Arriving at a port like Icy Strait Point on a 450 passenger Seabourn vessel is a completely different experience with being on a 2-4000 passenger ship.

 

Hank

This smaller ship port experience applies to virtually all ports (let alone the more comfortable on board experience).  Especially noticeable when the only ship in port that day.  
 

While HAL quality has certainly slid over the past two decades, their ships remain “small” when compared with those of their sister lines.

Edited March 24 by navybankerteacher