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Best mini suite on Crown for Alaska


Gracie115

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Hi-

 

Have never been on Princess before and going to be sailing on the Crown Princess next August for our first Alaska trip. Anyone have any advice on what would be the best location for a mini suite on that ship for an Alaskan cruise. It is a northbound sailing beginning in Vancouver. Thanks for any help!:)

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If you haven't booked yet, I honestly would book any ship but the Crown. The Crown holds 500 more people and it felt incredibly crowded on my Canada/NE cruise (cooler weather cruise). I expect the same in Alaska. This would be my last choice for a ship in Alaska. I think it will have the worst space ratio of any ship in Alaska. I would choose any of the other ships if you have the choice.

 

To answer your original question - the best minisuites are on Emerald deck (covered) with the last one on each side to be better.

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Personally I would choose a reg cabin on the aft of the ship over a mini- suite. We sailed on the Damond on the same itenary to Alaska. We enjoyed the aft balcony , being you can see both sides while cruising. I never noticed a crowded feel on the ship. We spent more time in our cabin on this cruise then any cruise we ave been on.

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Personally I would choose a reg cabin on the aft of the ship over a mini- suite. We sailed on the Damond on the same itenary to Alaska. We enjoyed the aft balcony , being you can see both sides while cruising. I never noticed a crowded feel on the ship. We spent more time in our cabin on this cruise then any cruise we ave been on.

 

 

Thanks but we don't like aft cabins so that's not an option for us...

 

All mini suites on this sailing on Emerald Deck are taken...does anyone have any other suggestions for Mini Suites on another deck? Thanks!

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I prefer aft balcony cabins in Alaska too but if that doesn't work for you then starboard on a northbound sailing is preferred by most. I didn't check all categories but it looks like the remaining minis are on the Dolphin Deck though but I'm not sure about whether they are covered or not.

 

Regarding the Crown - we chose to sail on her again and picked her over the Coral (based on on sailing the Island to Alaska before). Enjoy your cruise and it sounds like you may be on the sailing after us :D

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All of the minisuites on Dolphin are going to be the same.

 

I am with Coral. I would never book the Crown Princess for Alaska. It will be the most crowded ship in Alaska. You still have time. Find a different ship.

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For a Northbound Cruise, I would choose a port side mini on Dolphin Deck. My personal preference is to be just forward of the mid-ship elevators, but that is purely a matter of where you end up spending most of your time. In my recent review, I spend a fair amount of time discussing the pros and cons of the port side versus the starboard. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1903541

 

On balance, for a Northbound itinerary, we found the port to be more favorable. Some of this had to do with the very predictable berths that the Sapphire was going to occupy in each port. I don't kow if the Crown will replicate those berths. But if it does, then I give the nod to port. We don't like aft cabins, and my family will not allow me to book any cabin that is past the aft elevators. So the covered minis on Emerald deck are out. Plus, they do not like the confining feeling of a fully covered balcony. Especially for Alaskan vistas, they want to be out in the open, though weather can always be an issue. For us, it was not.

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To the OP, I am sorry you have been responded with people on this board telling you that you shouldn't cruise the Crown and should choose a different category and/or aft view, rather than addressing your specific question.

 

The Crown Princess is a lovely ship and I'm expecting you will have a wonderful time in Alaska on Princess.

 

I cannot speak to the best mini suite, but would comment that it seems like the best views (as well as commentary) in Glacier Bay seems to be for the port side. They do turn the ship for the starboard side to see at Margerie glacier, but it didn't seem for that long a time compared to the port side view.

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To the OP, I am sorry you have been responded with people on this board telling you that you shouldn't cruise the Crown and should choose a different category and/or aft view, rather than addressing your specific question.

 

The Crown Princess is a lovely ship and I'm expecting you will have a wonderful time in Alaska on Princess.

 

I cannot speak to the best mini suite, but would comment that it seems like the best views (as well as commentary) in Glacier Bay seems to be for the port side. They do turn the ship for the starboard side to see at Margerie glacier, but it didn't seem for that long a time compared to the port side view.

 

 

Thanks for your advice... I don't get the "book a different ship" comments, I've never been on Princess but DID read many of the reviews of the Crown and never saw a one that said it was overcrowded so not sure I understand the issue. This is the date that works for us so opting for another doesn't work. Will take our chances and thanks for the "port side " advice.

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Thanks for your advice... I don't get the "book a different ship" comments, I've never been on Princess but DID read many of the reviews of the Crown and never saw a one that said it was overcrowded so not sure I understand the issue. This is the date that works for us so opting for another doesn't work. Will take our chances and thanks for the "port side " advice.

 

The "overcrowded" issue is a red herring. For people with starboard side or interior cabins (which is more than half the ship), they will all be outside scrambling for a rail-side spot on the port side when the ship gets to Glacier Bay. But if you are on the port side with an open mini-suite balcony on Dolphin deck, you won't have anyone to fight for rail space. When you are on your own balcony facing the preferred viewing side in Glacier Bay, it doesn't matter whether there are 35 or 3,500 other people on the ship. When the ship turns around to face the other direction, head out to the Promenade Deck on the starboard side or the bow or the stern. It's all good. Yes, the Crown does hold more people than other ships. But that issue is the same whether one is in the Caribbean or in Alaska.

 

This will be your view from a port side mini on Dolphin in Glacier Bay:



 

9620439066_6ba678c935_c.jpg

 

9620425858_8af29f36f5_c.jpg

 

9627298944_ea00abc4c8_c.jpg

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The "overcrowded" issue is a red herring. For people with starboard side or interior cabins (which is more than half the ship), they will all be outside scrambling for a rail-side spot on the port side when the ship gets to Glacier Bay. But if you are on the port side with an open mini-suite balcony on Dolphin deck, you won't have anyone to fight for rail space. When you are on your own balcony facing the preferred viewing side in Glacier Bay, it doesn't matter whether there are 35 or 3,500 other people on the ship. When the ship turns around to face the other direction, head out to the Promenade Deck on the starboard side or the bow or the stern. It's all good. Yes, the Crown does hold more people than other ships. But that issue is the same whether one is in the Caribbean or in Alaska.

 

This will be your view from a port side mini on Dolphin in Glacier Bay:

 

9620439066_6ba678c935_c.jpg

 

9620425858_8af29f36f5_c.jpg

 

 

9627298944_ea00abc4c8_c.jpg

 

 

ah....beautiful.....thanks for explaining...now I understand.....:) and so....since we are travelling with family...if one books on the port side and other on starboard then we have all our bases covered and don't have to worry about the other 3500 or 35,000 people..whatever it may be!!!

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I cruised to Canada and New England on the Crown Princess and wish someone had told me how crowded the ship was. It may not be crowded in the Caribbean but it was on our cruise. There are plenty of reviews that show this ship doesn't handle cooler climates well. I wish someone had told me as I would have picked a different ship. I personally would recommend switching ships.

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Agreed that you should not regret your pick of the Crown. We chose the Crown because just like you, we've sailed on the Island and didn't like it as much as the bigger ships. As for the mini suite, the Dolphin deck is completely exposed, so you'd be in the elements if it's raining. You might want to waitlist for an Emerald covered mini suite and in the meantime choose a Dolphin one. With the cruise being a year away, chances are good that someone will cancel. On the flip side, from what we've seen looking down from our Caribe balcony on Alaska cruises, the Dolphin deck pax sure seem to be happy with their balconies, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. Happy Alaska cruising!

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