Alaska: HAL v. Princess v. Celeb

[brightonguys]

I'm trying to plan our first Alaskan cruise, and I thought I would seek some help from you all as to which cruiselines and/or ships you all have experienced and recommend. I have heard that HAL and Princess have the longest history in AK and so get docking priority and things like that. I have also wanted to try Celebrity, though, and thought that this would be a good opportunity to do that. I should say that we are in our late 30s and will be traveling with my parents, who are in their early 60s. Thanks in advance for any input!

[Norcal Cruiser]

We are in our late forties and have cruised on celebrity to Bermuda with my parents who are in their 70's and a great time was had by all.We also cruised Celebrity on The Mercury Alaskan round trip out of San Francisco in September 2004.We always cruise Celebrity because we've never been disappointed.While researching your cruise choices one port that we enjoyed in particular was Icy Strait.There were humpback whales all over the place and we even saw a couple of pods of orcas!Happy Sailing!!!

[agabbymama]

I chose HAL for my Inside Passage Alaska cruise in 1999 on the "old" Noordam. Absolutely loved the ship, so much wood and brass, chimes to announce dinner, deck boys, wood deck chairs with wool blankets, teak wood promenade deck ALL the way around the ship. Just seemed so elegant like old time Ocean Liners. I looked at New England/Canada cruises, and was detoured away from HAL by the monetary advantages of Celebrity Constellation (less money for an 11 day cruise compared to HAL for a 10 day cruise). But never again, I was not overly impressed with Celebrity. That being said, I booked a HAL cruisetour in August 2007. Not sure if I will like the Zuiderdam (it's twice the size of the old Noordam), but

going to give it a try.

 

Princess was actually first to cruise Alaska, with HAL following close behind. They each have their own hotels, railcars, coaches, etc. SO I don't think you could go wrong with either one of them. I've not sailed Princess, so can't comment on their ships or itineraries.

 

I would be hesitant to book either Summit or Infinity to Alaska, as both have had numerous pod related breakdowns. Last year, there were a couple of cruises that didn't get their full itinerary, then followed by a cancelled cruise. If I were paying $3000 for a cruise, I don't want to start out knowing it's on a ship with numerous instances of pod failure. There are a lot of people that do cruise these two ships, but I wouldn't be one of them. I book for the itinerary and would have been amongst the upset when ports were missed.

 

I know you can't predict the weather, the other passengers health, or bearing problems in the pods. But why take a chance on a known problem, at least book a ship that hasn't had that problem to try and make the risk minimal. Just my opinion.:D

[negc]

We sailed Princess to Alaska when we were in our 50s and enjoyed the experience (both land and sea) very much. Princess' long history in Alaska was a significant influence in our decision. HAL's clientele appeared to be significantly older. Since then however, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have obtained their own train cars and heading up their Alaska operation is the person who was Princess person in Alaska for years. Their ships, IMHO, with all the glass are certainly better suited for Alaska than the Princess ship that we sailed on (Dawn Princess) which, while we enjoyed our time on her very much, was less well-suited to the Alasakan climate. The covered solariums on RCI ships allow you to enjoy the pool without sacrificing the spectacular views. Activities, foor and entertainment on Royal Caribbean are very similar to what you will experience on Princess, though the food may be somewhat better on HAL or Celebrity. The average age on Alaska cruises is reported to be lowering so you might find a good number of others in your age groups on any of the four lines, but RCI might have a slight edge in that regard. If you are taking a landtour along with your cruise, and if you can do so, I highly recommend it, you might note that both Celebrity and RCI's tours are fully escorted while Princess charges a premium for an escorted tour.

Above all, however, check out the itineraries and the times in port to make sure that you are getting the most out of your cruise. You might also check out the Alaska board for suggestions and recommendations that will maximize your Alaska experience. When you return, please post your thoughts and let us know your experiences, whichever line you end up sailing.:)

[Rev22:17]

brightonguys,

 

I'm trying to plan our first Alaskan cruise, and I thought I would seek some help from you all as to which cruiselines and/or ships you all have experienced and recommend. I have heard that HAL and Princess have the longest history in AK and so get docking priority and things like that. I have also wanted to try Celebrity, though, and thought that this would be a good opportunity to do that. I should say that we are in our late 30s and will be traveling with my parents, who are in their early 60s. Thanks in advance for any input!

 

As far as Alaska is concerned, all of the cruise lines offer generally similar itineraries with generally similar destinations and attractions. One cruise line may visit a different glacier from another, but they are very similar -- ice, perhaps with more or less moraine. Unless you are a scientist studying the formation, structure, motion, etc., of glacial system and the consequent subtle differences in the glaciers themsleves, it's not going to matter too much whether your ship visits one glacier or another. All three lines also offer full cruise-tour packages with their own tour operations and their own private railcars on the Alaska Railroad.

 

Fundamentally, there are significant differences between cruise lines that do not vary from one destination to another. For example, Princess Cruises offers both "Traditional Dining" and "Anytime Dining," but "Traditional Dining" is often ovesubscribed on Princess's ships, whereas Celebrity Cruises and Holland America Lines offer only what Princess calls "Traditional Dining." If you have a strong preference for one or the other, that's far more important than which glacier the ship happens to visit. If you have found a cruise line that's a good fit, I strongly recommend sticking with that line for your cruise to Alaska.

 

As to itineraries, I strongly recommend a "one way" itinerary between Vancouver and Seward with the "Grandview Rail Transfer" between Seward and Anchorage. If you opt not to take a cruise-tour, rent a car at the Anchorage Internatoinal Airport and reserve a hotel room for in Anchorage for a few nights, either before or after your cruise. Anchorage is a fantastic city with a lot of great restaurants, special events, and points of interest. There are also several attractions accessible by easy day trips from Anchorage, including the Mount Alyeska Resort and the view of Mount McKinley, the world's tallest mountain, from Talkeetna -- which is quite impressive on a clear day. If you take the day trip up to Talkeetna, the Latitude 62 Inn just beyond the scenic overlook is a great place to stop for lunch.

 

Have a great cruise, whatever you decide!

 

Norm.

[Coral]

Just a clarification - the Coral, Island, Sapphire, Diamond and Golden Princess are all Princess ships going to Alaska that have pools with a retractable roof. So you can swim in any of these in Alaska.

[brightonguys]

Wow, such good information and tips already -- I really appreciate it. I have been reading on these boards about the Celebrity pod problems, so that's certainly a factor if they can't get those straightened out. I had forgotten that RCI goes to Alaska and we really loved a recent cruise on the Freedom (before the norovirus hit), so maybe I replace Celebrity with RCI among the choices. We're actually going to be on the Diamond Princess in Feb. for the Mexican Riviera cruise, so we'll get a chance to evaluate Princess and the DP in particular in advance.

 

Thanks, too, for the recommendations to do a land tour add-on and the one-way trip. I had thought we would just do a Seattle or Vancouver r/t, but may need to rethink that. I haven't been to Alaska in my first 39 years, so who knows when I'll go back. :)

[YD66]

 

There are also several attractions accessible by easy day trips from Anchorage, including the Mount Alyeska Resort and the view of Mount McKinley, the world's tallest mountain, from Talkeetna -- which is quite impressive on a clear day. If you take the day trip up to Talkeetna, the Latitude 62 Inn just beyond the scenic overlook is a great place to stop for lunch.

 

Have a great cruise, whatever you decide!

 

Norm.

 

Mt. McKinley is beautiful, but i thought Mt. Everest was still the world's tallest at 29,035 feet (8850 meters) above sea level.

 

Jeffrey

[bbornino]

Although I generally prefer Celebrity, For cold weather cruises, I would prefer a ship with a sliding cover over the pool deck. Without that, the facilities there like hot tubs and pools are useless and the area is not comfortable to spread into at meal times. Been on Coral Princess and WEsterdam to Alaska and THe cover was really appreciated. Took the Millie around the horn and that feature was dearly missed. I think the Coral had better nature education. Whittier was just a dot on the map. You can rent Avis Cars there now, So I would advise doing that instead of paying $55.00 per person for a train ride to the airport. Hal has the sharpst steak knives of all 3. All ships discussed are of the same Pannamax class and of the same vintage. The Buffett area on the Coral is logistical Disaster, but food better than Westerdam.

[ocngypz]

First, look at the itinerary. The better itineraries include Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier. I received numerous complaints last year about Tracy Arm (Princess's rt Seattle ships).

 

Mercury sailing rt from Vancouver goes to Hubbard Glacier and has an aft pool area with a retractable dome. Truth be known, most people use the hot tubs in Alaska.

 

If you elect to do a cruisetour, you tour first, then cruise. The tours are tiring, this way you get to relax on the ship.

 

Second, the hotels each cruiseline uses. As much as I love Celebrity, I didn't care much for their hotels. mostly location.. and overnighting in Talkeetna is a waste of time.

 

Ideally, you want two nights in Fairbanks, two nights in Denali, possible night in Mt McKinley. Don't let anybody talk you into only one night in Denali!

You need two. I prefer booking my passengers for two nights in Fairbanks because flights arrive so late in the day, all you really have time for is a walk, dinner and bed. The following day day is full of sightseeing, then back to the hotel for dinner.. then you leave the following day.

 

Much has been ballyhooed about the placement of traincars. Well,, I've sat in all of them. Doesn't make a hill of beans difference. I've been forward in the Celebrity car, middle with HAL and end of the train with Princess. As soon as the animals FEEL the locomotive, they skeedaddle .. even before they see it. As far as the cars themselves, I do prefer Celebrity's seating.

 

Overall, I rank the Alaska cruisetours: Princess, HAL, Celebrity

[Keith1010]

Brightonguys, you are correct that Princess and HAL have been in Alaska longer than cruise lines such as Celebrity. I think their advantage over Celebrity is if you are going to combine a cruise with a land tour. While Celebrity also offers a land tour, I do think that Princess and HAL have a leg up on Celebrity in this area.

 

But, do keep in mind that Celebrity has been cruising in Alaska for some time. I've been on two Alaska cruises with Celebrity, I believe the first was around 1995.

 

In general, I prefer Celebrity over HAL and Princess, with my second choice being Princess.

 

If it was me I would look at the three lines in terms of the itinerary that they offer, the accommodations and the pricing as a starting point to see if based on this I could narrow this down to one line or from three to two lines. And, then I would do a little more research.

 

If I wasn't planning to do a land tour then for me I would go on Celebrity but if I wanted to do a land tour I likely would select Princess.

 

Keith

[bbornino]

Although I generally prefer Celebrity, For cold weather cruises, I would prefer a ship with a sliding cover over the pool deck. Without that, the facilities there like hot tubs and pools are useless and the area is not comfortable to spread into at meal times. Been on Coral Princess and WEsterdam to Alaska and THe cover was really appreciated. Took the Millie around the horn and that feature was dearly missed. I think the Coral had better nature education. Whittier was just a dot on the map. You can rent Avis Cars there now, So I would advise doing that instead of paying $55.00 per person for a train ride to the airport. Hal has the sharpest steak knives of all 3. All ships discussed are of the same Pannamax class and of the same vintage. The Buffett area on the Coral is logistical Disaster, but food better than Westerdam.

[nlvc12]

We took the Celebrity Summit northbound from Vancouver in August 2003. We had a great time, and no pod problems at that time. I might take it into consideration if I were cruising today, though.

 

A couple of thoughts and observations:

 

As someone else said, do the Land portion first. We regretted doing the land tour last - we were quite exhausted then faced an 10 hour flight. But the Land portion is a must - you haven't seen Alaska without it. I might agree that the other lines have better itineraries here. Definitely 2 nights in Denali. I have heard some Princess lodges are quite far from Denali, so do your homework.

 

This is the time to use your miles to bump up to First Class. I booked the flights nearly a year out.

 

The train ride is great but I agree, you don't see too many animals from the train. I did hear that HAL & Princess sell empty seats to non-Cruise line passengers. I felt comfortable on the Celebrity car leaving my $500 camera on the seat, knowing all the other passengers were fellow cruisemates.

 

If you aren't doing the land portion first, Leave from Vancouver, you get to see more Alaska that way, instead of leaving from CA or Seattle (though Seattle isn't a bad second choice).

 

Bring warm & cold weather gear. We went in August and the temperatures were mostly in the 70's, even 80. But when you are at the glaciers, even from the ship, it gets down to the 30's.

 

If you go to the Alyeska Resort (which was kindof a waste of a stop to me), the best part is the mountain top restaurant (7 Glaciers??). Make a reservation way ahead of time. It was booked full when we got there, but I snagged a 9pm dinner cancellation - with a 10pm sunset, it was perfect timing!

 

Have a great time!

[caviargal]

Wow, such good information and tips already -- I really appreciate it. I have been reading on these boards about the Celebrity pod problems, so that's certainly a factor if they can't get those straightened out. I had forgotten that RCI goes to Alaska and we really loved a recent cruise on the Freedom (before the norovirus hit), so maybe I replace Celebrity with RCI among the choices. We're actually going to be on the Diamond Princess in Feb. for the Mexican Riviera cruise, so we'll get a chance to evaluate Princess and the DP in particular in advance.

 

Thanks, too, for the recommendations to do a land tour add-on and the one-way trip. I had thought we would just do a Seattle or Vancouver r/t, but may need to rethink that. I haven't been to Alaska in my first 39 years, so who knows when I'll go back. :)

 

The pod problems cannot be straightened out so please do not book with that expectation. You can bet that if a realistic fix was available, Celebrity would have already taken that route.

 

RCI's big ships do not go to Alaska. If you liked Freedom - I did not - IMO you should stick to the big Princess ships.

 

Personally, I would choose HAL on the one way itinerary ending in Vancouver and spend a days there post cruise.

 

HAL is everything FOS is not, however, so if she was really to your liking, I would hesitate to recommend a smaller, more traditional and formal experience.

[Nurse Bambi]

I chose HAL for my Inside Passage Alaska cruise in 1999 on the "old" Noordam. Absolutely loved the ship, so much wood and brass, chimes to announce dinner, deck boys, wood deck chairs with wool blankets, teak wood promenade deck ALL the way around the ship. Just seemed so elegant like old time Ocean Liners. I looked at New England/Canada cruises, and was detoured away from HAL by the monetary advantages of Celebrity Constellation (less money for an 11 day cruise compared to HAL for a 10 day cruise). But never again, I was not overly impressed with Celebrity. That being said, I booked a HAL cruisetour in August 2007. Not sure if I will like the Zuiderdam (it's twice the size of the old Noordam), but

going to give it a try.

 

Princess was actually first to cruise Alaska, with HAL following close behind. They each have their own hotels, railcars, coaches, etc. SO I don't think you could go wrong with either one of them. I've not sailed Princess, so can't comment on their ships or itineraries.

 

I would be hesitant to book either Summit or Infinity to Alaska, as both have had numerous pod related breakdowns. Last year, there were a couple of cruises that didn't get their full itinerary, then followed by a cancelled cruise. If I were paying $3000 for a cruise, I don't want to start out knowing it's on a ship with numerous instances of pod failure. There are a lot of people that do cruise these two ships, but I wouldn't be one of them. I book for the itinerary and would have been amongst the upset when ports were missed.

 

I know you can't predict the weather, the other passengers health, or bearing problems in the pods. But why take a chance on a known problem, at least book a ship that hasn't had that problem to try and make the risk minimal. Just my opinion.:D

 

I agree 100% that the pod problems, for me, on Celebrity M-class ships for an itinerary such as Alaska where it is important to actually get to all of the ports would be a deal breaker as far as Celebrity is concerned. I know one cruise this spring to Alaska where 2 ports were missed, Hubbard Glacier (the highlight of the cruise) was seen from six or seven miles away and most of the Inside Passage were also missed. My first choice would be Princess followed by Hal. I would consider Celebrity for a cruise in the Caribbean, where for myself missing a port or two, due to possible pod problems, would not be as big of a deal.

[brightonguys]

I really appreciate hearing everyone's various experiences -- these boards are great! I think I have heard enough to try Celebrity on another cruise, probably in the Caribbean, and stick with Princess and HAL in Alaska. And the tips about land tours and when do them are really appreciated as we hadn't even thought about doing that with this cruise. From what I'm reading, that's something not to be missed, too.

[ghouck2532]

Rev22:17 is using tallest as a synonym for rise in elevation. Everest's summit is 29,035 feet above sea level. However, its base sits on the Tibetan Plateau which is at approximately 17,000 feet giving Everest a vertical rise of about 12,000 feet. Denali's south peak is 20,320 feet above sea level. Its base is approximately 2,000 feet giving it a vertical rise of just over 18,000 feet.

[YD66]

makes sense. i found that same info on wikipedia, and thanks for the correction.

 

Jeffrey

[Rev22:17]

Jeffrey,

 

Mt. McKinley is beautiful, but i thought Mt. Everest was still the world's tallest at 29,035 feet (8850 meters) above sea level.

 

No. This may seem like splitting hairs, but you are confusing the words "high" and "tall." Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain. The base of Mount Everest is more than 17,000 feet above sea level, so it's less than 12,000 feet tall. Mount McKinley's peak is just above 20,000 feet, but its base is less than 1,000 feet above sea level. Thus, Mount McKinley is over 19,000 feet tall -- and more than 7,000 feet taller tnan Mount Everest.

 

Norm.

[Rev22:17]

bbornino,

 

Although I generally prefer Celebrity, For cold weather cruises, I would prefer a ship with a sliding cover over the pool deck. Without that, the facilities there like hot tubs and pools are useless and the area is not comfortable to spread into at meal times. Been on Coral Princess and WEsterdam to Alaska and THe cover was really appreciated. Took the Millie around the horn and that feature was dearly missed.

 

Then you obviously did not look very hard because GTS Millennium and all three of her sisters have a pool and two hot tubs in the Magrodome.

 

Whittier was just a dot on the map. You can rent Avis Cars there now, So I would advise doing that instead of paying $55.00 per person for a train ride to the airport.

 

It's better to go into Seward than Whittier, and I highly recommend the Alaska Railroad's "Grandview Rail Transfer" for those who do. The scenery along the segment of the Alaska Railroad between Seward and the Whittier cutoff is absolutely magnificent, and you'll be a lot more comfortable on a train, which has bigger seats, room to get up and walk around, and full meal and beverage service en route, than on a "motorcoach." The train now picks passengers up right at the cruise ship piers in Seward and takes them to a new rail station connected to the main passenger terminal at Anchorage International Airport, where it's very easy either to to to your flight home or to pick up a rental car for independent exploration of some of Alaska's interior.

 

Norm.

[ocngypz]

A couple of thoughts and observations:

 

As someone else said, do the Land portion first. We regretted doing the land tour last - we were quite exhausted then faced an 10 hour flight. But the Land portion is a must - you haven't seen Alaska without it. I might agree that the other lines have better itineraries here. Definitely 2 nights in Denali. I have heard some Princess lodges are quite far from Denali, so do your homework.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

There are no lodges in Denali National Park. Those on the main drag at the entrance to the park are pretty much equi-distant from the park entrance.

Of the three hotels, RoyalCelebrity's is the most non-accessible by foot as it is up a couple of switchbacks from the main road. From the HAL and Princess properties you can walk to shopping and some cafes across the street.

 

HAL has a backcountry Denali lodge which is at the end of the 95 mile Park Road, but honestly, it's out of the way and not on the normal tour.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

The train ride is great but I agree, you don't see too many animals from the train. I did hear that HAL & Princess sell empty seats to non-Cruise line passengers. I felt comfortable on the Celebrity car leaving my $500 camera on the seat, knowing all the other passengers were fellow cruisemates.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

No. Not so. The cars are for cruiseline passengers. The Alaska RR has their own cars, space on which is sold to anybody.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

If you aren't doing the land portion first, Leave from Vancouver, you get to see more Alaska that way, instead of leaving from CA or Seattle (though Seattle isn't a bad second choice).

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Problem with Seattle, you will only get as far as Tracy Arm, which doesn't impress nearly as much as Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier.

[negc]

The pod problems cannot be straightened out so please do not book with that expectation. You can bet that if a realistic fix was available, Celebrity would have already taken that route.

 

RCI's big ships do not go to Alaska. If you liked Freedom - I did not - IMO you should stick to the big Princess ships.

 

You are correct that the Freedom and Voyager class ships do not go to Alaska. However, they are really ill-suited to a cruise where the outside scenery is one of the biggest attractions. Radiance and Vision class ships are very well-designed for someone who wants to enjoy the scenic vistas available on an Alaskan cruise and they have solariums with retractable roofs, something we missed tremendously when we did Alaska on the Dawn Princess. Neither RCI's Vision class nor their Radiance class ships qualify as "small" ships except when compared to the Voyager and Freedom ships, and in our experience, the outside rooms with verandahs on RCI are larger and better laid out than their equivalent room on Princess Grand class ships. Whichever ship you choose, you should have a marvelous experience, especially if you do a land tour in conjunction with your cruise.

[Rev22:17]

ocngypz,

 

No. Not so. The cars are for cruiseline passengers. The Alaska RR has their own cars, space on which is sold to anybody.

 

Both Westours and Princess Tours also sell land tours in Alaska without a cruise. It's possible to book passage on their private railcars directly with the land tour units. I honestly don't know whether Royal Celebrity Tours also sells land tours alone or not, but I'm not sure why they would not.

 

Norm.

[baylor06]

We did our Alaska Cruise with Princess and can not praise it enough. Granted a lot can change since we went in 2002. We have only cruised Princess and Celebrity. A few observations from our cruise and I would imagine these would be similar regardless of who you choose.

Cruise South to North. Each day was more beautiful and awe inspiring than the previous.

Spend the extra for a balcony if at all possible. The Glaciers from your own Private balcony away from the crowds is Priceless.

Our Highlight was a float plane ride in Ketchican to see bears. We only saw a Mother and cub, but the flight over the Mountains was breathtaking.

We had perfect weather with temps ranging from 40 in the wee hours (actually got up at 4:00 am to watch for sea life) to 75 mid afternoon. The week before it rained every day. Be prepared for anything.

Truely an Amazing Adventure.

[Nurse Bambi]

We did our Alaska Cruise with Princess and can not praise it enough. Granted a lot can change since we went in 2002. We have only cruised Princess and Celebrity. A few observations from our cruise and I would imagine these would be similar regardless of who you choose.

Cruise South to North. Each day was more beautiful and awe inspiring than the previous.

Spend the extra for a balcony if at all possible. The Glaciers from your own Private balcony away from the crowds is Priceless.

Our Highlight was a float plane ride in Ketchican to see bears. We only saw a Mother and cub, but the flight over the Mountains was breathtaking.

We had perfect weather with temps ranging from 40 in the wee hours (actually got up at 4:00 am to watch for sea life) to 75 mid afternoon. The week before it rained every day. Be prepared for anything.

Truely an Amazing Adventure.

 

baylor06,

Good post. Another thing that we like to do is order lunch from room service when in Glacier Bay and to just sit on the balcony and enjoy the fantastic scenery and especially getting close to the glacier.

For Alaska, you can't go wrong with Princess.