Solstice vs Koningsdam RT inside passage

[LJanet]

We are researching several cruise lines to Alaska.  Our pririorty is better food, nicer ship, itinerary.  We narrowed down to Solstice and K’dam.  K’dam offers far better itinerary.  Glacier Bay( is it really a must? And Tracy Arm excursion.  Celebrity goes to Hubbard.  I read Celebrity Persian Garden is far superior than HA Greenhouse Spa.  Food also far superior than HA.  Is Aqua class offered by celebrity worth extra cost

[Ferry_Watcher]

If this is your first cruise to Alaska, I would go with HAL.  As you said, the itineraries are somewhat similar, but HAL has Glacier Bay and Skagway,, and Celebrity has Icy Strait Point & Hubbard.

 

As for the Persian Gardens, that is only available for free with a booked Aqua Class stateroom.  Alaska cruises are very port intensive, so you don't have a lot of time to take advantage of it.  A day pass may be available (but limited availability).  If you did book Aqua Class, your dining room is Blu, and that is a plus.  Also, Icy Strait Point is a favorite port-of-call for me, but I still would recommend HAL because of the glacier viewing in Glacier Bay. 

 

If you cruise with HAL, the train ride in Skagway is fun (we did train up and shuttle down with Chilkoot tours  - and I highly recommend them).  If you do go with Celebrity and visit ISP, I highly recommend Glacier Winds for whale watching.

[bigbenboys]

We have done many Alaska cruises on Celebrity, Princess, Royal, and HAL. We are booked on the Solstice out of Vancouver BC in Sept going to Icy Strait Point and Hubbard Glacier. 

Icy Strait Point I do the 2 trams to get to the Ziprider, great fun. I also eat some raw oyster if the month has a R in it at a café in the shop area. 

 

https://icystraitpoint.com/tour/worlds-largest-ziprider-and-scenic-mountain-ascent/

 

As to what glacier to see. I just dont see what people see in Glacier Bay over Hubbard Glacier. That is when it comes to seeing frozen ice. The scenery going into Glacier bay is nice.

The following photo of Hubbard Glacier. We were on Millie 2 or 3 years ago, Seward to Vancouver BC.

[Arizona Wildcat]

2 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

If this is your first cruise to Alaska, I would go with HAL.  As you said, the itineraries are somewhat similar, but HAL has Glacier Bay and Skagway,, and Celebrity has Icy Strait Point & Hubbard.

 

As for the Persian Gardens, that is only available for free with a booked Aqua Class stateroom.  Alaska cruises are very port intensive, so you don't have a lot of time to take advantage of it.  A day pass may be available (but limited availability).  If you did book Aqua Class, your dining room is Blu, and that is a plus.  Also, Icy Strait Point is a favorite port-of-call for me, but I still would recommend HAL because of the glacier viewing in Glacier Bay. 

 

If you cruise with HAL, the train ride in Skagway is fun (we did train up and shuttle down with Chilkoot tours  - and I highly recommend them).  If you do go with Celebrity and visit ISP, I highly recommend Glacier Winds for whale watching.

Glacier Bay is absolutely the best scenery on a cruise ship.

In Skagway rent a car from Sourdough Renrals(rent early as only a dozen vehicles) and drive parallel to the train to Carcross.  Then visit Dyea and all the Skagway sights.. The best!

 

Aqua on Celebrity is nice but only because of Blu.  A bit like Orange on HAL.  Food good on both, but wasclots better pre covid.  Entertainment better on X.

 

Despite 30 cruises on X would go with HAL for their itinerary. 

[jwlane]

2 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 but HAL has ... Skagway

Almost all (all?) Celebrity ships call at Skagway.

[LJanet]

1 hour ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Glacier Bay is absolutely the best scenery on a cruise ship.

In Skagway rent a car from Sourdough Renrals(rent early as only a dozen vehicles) and drive parallel to the train to Carcross.  Then visit Dyea and all the Skagway sights.. The best!

 

Aqua on Celebrity is nice but only because of Blu.  A bit like Orange on HAL.  Food good on both, but wasclots better pre covid.  Entertainment better on X.

 

Despite 30 cruises on X would go with HAL for their itinerary. 

From what i gather, food on HAL club orange is no different than MDR.  Club Orange is private dining but same food as main dining room.  So, it boils down to Glacier Bay vs Hubbard glacier, dining options and better ship layout for viewing scenery. 

[Cruise Junky]

I love solstice, she’s my favourite ship…but Alaska ..go with Glacier Bay for your first time.  

[bEwAbG]

21 hours ago, LJanet said:

I read Celebrity Persian Garden is far superior than HA Greenhouse Spa.  Food also far

superior than HA. 

 

I might agree on Persian Garden, though I think they are very similar products so not sure what Celebrity's would have over HAL's.  I would not say Celebrity's food is "far superior" than HAL.  That may have been true at one time but Celebrity's food standards have slipped a great deal from when that was true.  I find them more similar than different and have had some terrific meals on HAL. 

 

I too would vote for Glacier Bay and HAL as the itinerary unless you plan to do this route regularly.  If it's a one-and-done (which I think it is, though I know many who would disagree), I would choose to see Glacier Bay.

 

[Essiesmom]

23 hours ago, LJanet said:

We are researching several cruise lines to Alaska.  Our pririorty is better food, nicer ship, itinerary.  We narrowed down to Solstice and K’dam.  K’dam offers far better itinerary.  Glacier Bay( is it really a must? And Tracy Arm excursion.  Celebrity goes to Hubbard.  I read Celebrity Persian Garden is far superior than HA Greenhouse Spa.  Food also far superior than HA.  Is Aqua class offered by celebrity worth extra cost

The importance of Glacier Bay is that I have not yet heard of a cruise missing it because of too much ice or fog.  My first Alaska cruise was a B2B that visited  college Fjord, Hubband, and Glacier Bay x2 in early June.  The second was also a B2B but this time in July, and we missed Hubbard due to pea soup fog.  EM

[Edinburghgirl1]

I’m Elite Plus with Celebrity and just came off my first cruise with HAL a 35 night on the Koningsdam. I can categorically say the food was much better than Celebrity. More choice in the MDR, great quality and much better and more food venues throughout the ship which there is no charge for. The entertainment in the Theatre is better on Celebrity however BB Kings Blues club was fantastic and they also have the Rolling Stone Rock Room. I would go with the best itinerary, 

[montythecat]

We are also Elite Plus but no X cruises currently booked

because we have discovered the many advantages of 

Holland America. Four cruises in the last two years and

two booked for 2024. I agree with Edinburghgirl1 about

the quality of the food compared to Celebrity  The theatre 

entertainment doesn’t interest us because we are very

happy with The Rolling Stone Rock Room, the two 

pianos and BB Kings Blues Club which give us all the

variety we could possibly wish for. Of the two ships

under consideration on this thread Koningsdam is a 

much newer ship which is usually an advantage.