Big vs smaller ships

Dear all

Thanks for all the great info, I am a cruise newbie. We plan to take a cruise through the inside passage to Alaska next year. I have a question regarding big vs smaller cruise ships. A friend told me she is going with Holland cruises because there ships can actually get into the ports - Ketchikan, Juneau, etc. Whereas larger ships cannot get into the port and they ferry people back and forth, which my not be so ideal, but is this a reality? Which cruise liners park offshore and ferry people to the dock? This might gobble up precious time ? Thanks

Craig

We have sailed to Alaska twice on Princess. (Diamond and Grand). These are both large ships. We have never had to tender. My advice re: Alaska is look at prices and itineraries. But, go with Princess or HAL as they are the big players in Alaska. You won't be disappointed.

Your friend gave you incorrect information. For starters, Holland's ships are big ships. Secondly, the specific ports you mentioned have docks that can accommodate ships of all sizes. The only time I have heard of tenders being used in Juneau was when there were more ships scheduled than there was docking space.

Can't help with Alaska, never been there - but it looks like you've already got your answers.

HAL's ships are mid-size, I can think of some ports they can make that larger ships can't, but I can also think of other ports where HAL can't & smaller ships can.

But apparently not relevant to Alaska.

The main krunch is elsewhere in the world where small ships (smaller than HAL) can berth in the city but larger ships have to berth miles away - places like Saigon or Bangkok or Da Nang.

Different cultures on small ships too. Lacking the facilities & often the glitz of larger ships, but made up for in the friendly & intimate atmosphere - a village rather than a city.

Diff'rent folks, diff'rent strokes.

JB :)

Sitka -- tender port.

Juneau -- once we had to tender -- Ryndam -- a smaller HAL ship -- because there were so many ships in port that day.

Other than that, we have always docked and we have done quite a few Alaskan cruises.

Choose a cruise that goes to Glacier Bay if at all possible. Not all cruise lines have permits to go there.

Oceania Regatta - under 700 passengers. You can almost reach out and touch the Hubbard Glacier while you dine on the best food at sea. After all perks (including airfare) are figured in, daily rate is comparable to Celebrity, HAL, Princess.

On an Alaskan cruise we tendered in Sitka only, and it was not a problem - a short ride from the ship to the shore.

HAL has some smallER ships, not small, and some big ones. We were on a smaller HAL ship Maasdam in a different part of the World, and felt it had less food and entertainment choices and we didn't like it. It's a personal choice, we don't complain.

Re tendering in Alaska no idea.

General cruising small ship every time for me.

Oceania Regatta - under 700 passengers. You can almost reach out and touch the Hubbard Glacier while you dine on the best food at sea. After all perks (including airfare) are figured in, daily rate is comparable to Celebrity, HAL, Princess.

I agree.

Re tendering in Alaska no idea.

 

General cruising small ship every time for me.

Really? Every ship in your countdown is a large one.

Dear all

Thanks for all the great info, I am a cruise newbie. We plan to take a cruise through the inside passage to Alaska next year. I have a question regarding big vs smaller cruise ships. A friend told me she is going with Holland cruises because there ships can actually get into the ports - Ketchikan, Juneau, etc. Whereas larger ships cannot get into the port and they ferry people back and forth, which my not be so ideal, but is this a reality? Which cruise liners park offshore and ferry people to the dock? This might gobble up precious time ? Thanks

Craig

All of the ship that cruise in AK are small enough to dock at every port except Sitka (and they may be able to dock at the new pier there too). The only time you could expect to tender is when there are too many ships in port for the available dock space.

BTW we prefer small ships but there are no mass market cruise lines using small ships in AK, the closest you will find to a small ship will be RSSC Navigator with about 350 passengers, but it is still a rather large ship (and it is not considered a mass market line).

............ will be RSSC Navigator with about 350 passengers, but it is still a rather large ship (and it is not considered a mass market line).

Yikes.

350 passengers is "a rather large ship"

I'd better revise my opinion of what constitutes a small ship :D

JB :)

Yikes.

350 passengers is "a rather large ship"

I'd better revise my opinion of what constitutes a small ship :D

 

JB :)

Given this context, I would appreciate your passing along the names of ANY "small ships" you might come across.

Here's one that I'm fairly certain carries less than 350 :D

http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/12/63/2126315_91058286.jpg

JB :)

Here's one that I'm fairly certain carries less than 350 :D

http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/12/63/2126315_91058286.jpg

 

JB :)

I thought we were talking ships rather than boats; but since the field has been broadened, take a look at chappyferry.com for my earliest regular "cruise" line (short, but frequent, itineraries).

Really? Every ship in your countdown is a large one.

Yep.

Because there are no small ships here anymore.

Depends on a person's definition of a small ship ;)

I prefer one under 1500 pax it may not fit someone else's idea of a small ship

Depends on a person's definition of a small ship ;)

 

I prefer one under 1500 pax it may not fit someone else's idea of a small ship

So true, to me your small is a medium, my small is under 750 those sweet little R class.

Friends thing small is under 50.

Others think small is under 2500.

So true, to me your small is a medium, my small is under 750 those sweet little R class.

 

Friends thing small is under 50.

 

Others think small is under 2500.

Yes love the R ships

Also some of the ships under 100 are unique ;)

Given the wide range, and number of ships (let's not consider boats) and today's realities, small is probably anything 1250 or less (HAL's R and S ships), mid would be 1250 to be something under 3000, and large would be beyond that.

Unfortunately, given those realities, there is likely to be ever fewer small and ever more large - approaching huge.