Help me pick between NCL - Sun, Star and Pearl for July '08

[jnmrlk]

I would appreciate all and any help!! We have sailed NCL before (Dawn) and loved NCL's easy going ways so we are opting to sail them again, we are going in June with a huge group from NY but my DH and I would like to go solo to Alaska in July, believe me this was like pulling teeth he is a sun and beach man!!

Any-way I see there are 3 - the Star leaving on July 12th from Seattle - the Pearl (most $$) leaving from Seattle on July 13th and the Sun leaving from Vancouver on the July 13th - dollar amount is not really an issue, though if I am going to pay a few hundred more then I want to know it is because the cruise is far superior than the "cheaper" one.

I really want to see whales and glaciers etc., I would also love to try and dog sled and maybe (maybe!!) take one of those small plane tours!

Please advise me here - and if you think I may be better picking another line then please let me know, we are not huge drinkers or partiers though we do like the shows but don't need allot of entertainment, I like to just spend time on deck enjoying the ship even in the evning - Thanks for any help!

[Budget Queen]

With your glacier priority, I would definately choose the Pearl with Glacier Bay. But going out of Seattle, is the least scenic. I was on both the Pearl and Sun this year, and on the Star in 2005 (was on the Wind in 2006).

 

IF you choose the Sun or Star, frankly, you STRONGLY need to consider, budgeting into the cost, NCL's add on jet boat tour in Tracy Arm for $175pp. Since it is LIKELY that you will not get a view, or if you do, won't get a close one of the glaciers from your cruise ship. As an example, I was on the 7-22 sailing of the Sun, that trip was the FIRST time this season, the cruiseship had the full view of the South Sawyer Glacier, several miles out. The jet boat sat right at the face for probably 30-45 minutes. BIG difference

 

For whales- I advise a whale watch out of Juneau. These have 99.999% chance of humpback sightings. There are orca watches out of Victoria- BUT you are stuck with a ship tour and these are an hour shorter than the regularly run whale watch tours, meaning, conditions have to be close to perfect and the whales in range. Myself, I would not consider it.

[jnmrlk]

The jet boat tour actually sounds pretty cool - is the jet boat tour a better experience than seeing the glaciers from the cruise ship (meaning the Pearl and Glacier Bay?).

When you say the tour from Juneau is that a cruise ship tour or a tour from an Alaksa based co. that you book yourself and not thru the ship?

Also - the Northern Lights - will we see them in July?

Sorry for all the ?'s but you sound like you really know what you are talking about and I am so excited about planning this (I will probably get all emotional on this trip - I love the sights of Mother Nature!!).

[RichardK]

We sailed the Sun this past June, principally for three (3) reasons:

 

1. We stayed in the beautiful city of Vancouver for 3 days pre-cruise;

2. Scenery was better; and

3. We figured the water to be calmer since we'd be sailing to the east of Vancouver Island.

 

We were not disappointed in our choice!

[Budget Queen]

The jet boat tour actually sounds pretty cool - is the jet boat tour a better experience than seeing the glaciers from the cruise ship (meaning the Pearl and Glacier Bay?).

When you say the tour from Juneau is that a cruise ship tour or a tour from an Alaksa based co. that you book yourself and not thru the ship?

Also - the Northern Lights - will we see them in July?

Sorry for all the ?'s but you sound like you really know what you are talking about and I am so excited about planning this (I will probably get all emotional on this trip - I love the sights of Mother Nature!!).

 

The jet boat tour is cruise contracted only and only available on the 2 NCL ships, Sun and Star, since you will reboard your cruiseship direct in Tracy Arm.

 

By far, there is no comparism to Glacier Bay- which is grossly superior for glacier viewing. You have NO chance of northern lights in July.

[Budget Queen]

As for the "jet boat" experience- you do have much more opportunity for wildlife stops- we had many, and get WAY closer to the Sawyer glaciers (one or both) compared to the cruise ship.

[ute_fan]

We've been to Alaska twice -- once on the NCL Sun in 6/2004, and again on the Pearl last May. When I booked our first trip on the Sun I hadn't really done my homework (it was only our 2nd cruise overall), and I didn't realize that seeing the glaciers was an iffy proposition. We did book the catamaran excursion (which was spectacular) and got to see both North and South Sawyer glaciers. The passengers who stayed on the Sun were iced out from North Sawyer, but did get to see South Sawyer. Since then, I've read several trip reports from people who didn't get close enough to see either glacier -- and I would have been very upset if that had been our experience!

 

If you're interested in glaciers and whales, I'd echo Budget Queen's recommendations and go for the Pearl. While Tracy Arm was beautiful, if seeing glaciers is important to you, it's not worth taking the risk that you might be iced out of the Sawyer Glaciers.

 

Now that we've seen Glacier Bay, I might be interested in doing the Sun again just for the "inside passage" experience as you sail up the east side of Vancouver Island (which was gorgeous), but for a first time cruiser, who may or may not make it back to Alaska if your DH is a sun/beach guy, I'd definitely recommend seeing Glacier Bay first.

 

By the way, we feel that freestyle works wonderful for Alaska, so as long as you liked NCL, I wouldn't hesitate staying with their Alaska itineraries.

[thawan]

Something else to consider between the Sun and Pearl. On the way back the Sun actually has two sea days at the end of the cruise. We did the Wind 06 (now the Sun route) and the Sun 07. The Wind was our first cruise and didn't notice (or mind) the 2 days. But in 07 DH got a cold on the Friday, so it made for a long Friday and Sat. coming home.

 

I'm now trying to convince DH, to drive down to Seattle to do the Peal. We really want to see Glacier Bay.

[ute_fan]

thawan -- that's a little different than our itinerary was in 2004. We had a Friday morning stop in Wrangell -- which was very much still a "real" Alaska town with no influx of the normal cruise ship stores. It's too bad they eliminated that stop -- but I hadn't considered that it would also mean an extra sea day.

[Budget Queen]

Something else to consider between the Sun and Pearl. On the way back the Sun actually has two sea days at the end of the cruise. We did the Wind 06 (now the Sun route) and the Sun 07. The Wind was our first cruise and didn't notice (or mind) the 2 days. But in 07 DH got a cold on the Friday, so it made for a long Friday and Sat. coming home.

 

I'm now trying to convince DH, to drive down to Seattle to do the Peal. We really want to see Glacier Bay.

 

However the big difference is "scenic" sea days, with traveling inside Vancouver Island. The sea days with the Pearl are open ocean.

[RichardK]

I liked those last two sea days on the Sun this past June. Great scenery, nowhere to go, no rush to get off the ship for an excursion, sit on the balcony and gaze out, visit the casino, sit on the balcony, eat, sit on the balcony, etc................great way to end a vacation before the stress of a long flight, and long travel day, to get back home. :)