Which cruiseline does best Alaska cruises????

[Tarheelbelle]

Planning an Alaska cruise for next spring. Which cruiseline does Alaska best and has the best excursions? Thanks in advance for your candid opinions!

[jrask]

Your going to really hate this answer. I sure did. You'll find this is a planning-intensive trip based a lot on your own likes, so there will be research at every stage, including which line to go with. The best I can do is to tell you that HAL and Princess have been doing it the longest and then to provide considerations so that you start researching with some insight.

1. There is very minimal difference when it comes to excursions. For the most part, all lines have the same excursions with the same providers. There are price differences across the lines and there are a couple of things that are offered under 1 line but not the other. For instance, I seem to remember that few lines offered snorkeling in Ketchikan. While excursions should be a major decision in Alaska (expensive, but you really don't get the experience you were likely looking for without them ... otherwise, lots of crowds and shops). This place is great for helping you make decisions on excursions and suggesting independent providers as well. At this point, you can get a feel for the excursions by looking at any of the major line's web sites and then assuming that your line has it as well.

2. Everyone comes looking for different things (food, size of cabins, ship-based activities). Many here focus on events off the ship and thus recommend you look at the itinerary and determine what works best for you: (1) start/stop ports; (2) ports of call; (3) time in ports (particularly in those you want to do a lot in). With regard to #1: Vancouver is generally preferrable over Seattle for the route/time spent in Alaskan waters, but tends to be more expensive/less convenient flight-wise. Going 1-way, Seward is preferred if you will take advantage of touring options there. Otherwise, Whittier gets you into Anchorage/Denali a bit quicker. With regard to #2: There will be choices between Skagway (gold rush history) and Sitka (russian history). Some lines just started to offer a stop at Icy Strait, which is a new port, is less commercial, and is getting raves. Also factor in what glacier viewing you want: preferences tend to favor the Glacier Bay-College Fjord combo. [If Glacier Bay is a must, your choices will be significantly reduced because the US gov restricts access.] With regard to #3: look over excursion lists and decide what you would be interested in doing and at tour books to decide other things you would be interested in seeing on your own. This will guide you in determining where having bonus time would be advantageous. For us, this meant squeaking a bit more time out of our Juneau stop. This doesn't mean final decisions on excursions or explorations of town, but it does mean getting a sense of things. I'd also prioritize the presence/quality of the shipboard naturalist.

3. From here, you should factor in other things: Cost (particularly since excursions are expensive); Availability of balconies; Some ships have blue glass on deck that plays with the color of the scenery (you should notice this on your upcoming trip on the Coral, which I assume shares this feature that I experienced on the Island); etc. But I consider all of these (except cost) secondary issues. I'm a big advocate of doing a land component on your own rather than with the cruise (better quality, more flexibility, less expensive), so I don't believe in factoring land-tour issues (ie. the better train car, Princess owning its own hotels, etc.)

I should add, you stated that you were looking at next Spring. The Alaska cruise season runs May-Sept. I have no idea when the official divide between spring and summer falls (I'm from S.Cal.) or if you were referring to Alaska's spring versus that in the lower 48, but I'd consider this a summer cruise. To the degree you are looking at May, please note that there are distinct advantages to this, but that there are disadvantages as well - of significance, you won't be able to get into Denali (or won't get very far) with a trip during most of May.

[Tarheelbelle]

Thanks for your informative response, jrask.

Lynn
Chapel Hill, NC

[Budget Queen]

There is no best. :) Look at several factors- ports, time in port, glaicer , route, price. Excursions are PORT based so the line doesn't matter- book what you wish if you go to that port. :)

[Host Caroline]

[quote name='Tarheelbelle']Planning an Alaska cruise for next spring. Which cruiseline does Alaska best and has the best excursions? Thanks in advance for your candid opinions![/QUOTE]
We usually cruise Alaska in late May/Early June -- is that what you are considering "spring" or the very early cruises that some lines do in early May... if you are going to the interior, heed the post above re Denali. I agree that no cruise line is "best" but esp. if this may be your only Alaska cruise, would look at port time and also going to Glacier Bay, which IMHO only, is the most spectacular of the glacier viewing experiences. We've done just about all of the intineraries but Glacier Bay on our first in 1990 (before there were so many ships and more cruised there) and got "hooked"...

We are also from NC - outside Charlotte -- and I went to Carolina.. were you a student who never left or a transplant???

[Tarheelbelle]

[quote name='Host Caroline']We usually cruise Alaska in late May/Early June -- is that what you are considering "spring" or the very early cruises that some lines do in early May... if you are going to the interior, heed the post above re Denali. I agree that no cruise line is "best" but esp. if this may be your only Alaska cruise, would look at port time and also going to Glacier Bay, which IMHO only, is the most spectacular of the glacier viewing experiences. We've done just about all of the intineraries but Glacier Bay on our first in 1990 (before there were so many ships and more cruised there) and got "hooked"...

We are also from NC - outside Charlotte -- and I went to Carolina.. were you a student who never left or a transplant???[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the info, Caroline.
I went to UNC for both undergrad and med school. I have lived elsewhere but have been back in the Triangle area about 11 years. Was in Charlotte before that for about 4 years. Born in Shelby, grew up in High Point!

Lynn