justletmecruiseok

Thank you all @Coral @TPgal @Heidi13 @GTJ @quack2 @Oakman58 @tetleytea @Aquahound for such thoughtful feedback! Here's what I've learned from your comments and additional research: For Alaska, port times/itinerary matter more than ship amenities Vancouver departures tend to have better itineraries and longer port times than Seattle I should think more critically about what dad's experience will be like with a disability (e.g. I thought he'd love an aft view, but it didn't occur to me that an aft cabin would make getting around more onerous on a daily basis) Some additional info/ answers to your questions: The core goal for this trip is to spend time together trying something new. As such, dad's needs come before ours. We can only do roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver. Flying is challenging for dad due to his disability; anything non-direct would be too much for him. Unfortunately, there are no direct flights from dad's city to the Alaska ports one-way itineraries arrive to/ depart from. Due to work, we're limited to weekend departures So given all this, I no longer think NCL is a great fit. When I looked at the docks in detail, I realized we'd have to take shuttles in all the ports: Skagway (in order to pass the rock slide area), Ketchikan (Ward Cove is 5 miles away), and Juneau (the tram, as AJ dock is a mile away). The thought of trying to help dad onto a shuttle while thousands of others do the same sounds stressful (please correct me if I'm blowing this out of proportion). Additionally, NCL's short/awkward port times would limit some of our port activities, which should theoretically be among the trip's highlights. And there is no inside passage. All of which is to say, I went back to the drawing board and after comparing many lines, itineraries, port times, docks etc, I found two that might fit better: Discovery Princess - RT from Seattle visiting Juneau (1-10), Skagway (7-830), Glacier Bay (6-3), Ketchikan (7-1) and Victoria (7-midnight, meaning we could squeeze the garden in) HAL Koningsdam - RT from Vancouver visiting the same ports (minus Victoria) with almost identical port times (except Ketchikan is 11am-7pm) Main differences are: Departure city - Seattle is a shorter travel day since it's domestic, it's also more convenient as we have friends there Size - K'dam is 2650 guests vs 3660 on Discovery Ports - The Ketchikan & Victoria differences above Inside passage - K'dam cruises the inside passage both ways, while Discovery takes the ocean one way and the inside passage the other. Docks - K'dam docks are almost all closer to the center of town than Discovery. Discovery also has a shuttle in Skagway Between the two itineraries, I think K'dam may be the better fit. It's smaller, has better port times, closer docks (I don't think any would require a shuttle), and it spends more time in the Inside Passage. Of course, Discovery's Seattle departure would be logistically easier for dad that K'dam's Vancover, but it seems like the benefits of K'dam would be greater. What do you all think? Also, what other smaller ships might I consider? (new to cruising, so just don't know!) Again, a massive thank you to you all for helping me problem solve this!

Dad (elderly and disabled), brother (30s) and I (30s) are booked on a surprise (for them) 7-day Alaskan cruise on NCL Encore next June. It's the round trip Seattle itinerary visiting Glacier Bay, Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan with balconies. It's both our first ever cruise and first Alaskan cruise, so should be exciting! I'm having some second thoughts about the itinerary, though, and wondering if we should book on Princess or HAL instead? Here's why I chose the Encore: The ship looks modern and upscale with lots of amenities, which is our vibe Given dad's disability, round trip has shorter flights than north or southbound, and Seattle is slightly easier than Vancouver, since domestic flights mean shorter travel days NCL's laid back, do what you want when you want attitude mirrors our approach to vacations Attractions like laser tag, VR, go karts, water slides etc would appeal to my brother and I (in some ways, we're big kids 😁) Everyone will enjoy Choir of Man, dad will enjoy the Beatles cover band and live music. The specialty restaurants look exciting (we have free at sea and are amateur foodies) In reviewing the dailies, it was easy to find things each of us would enjoy So NCL seemed like a great fit, but now I'm seeing a few potential drawbacks: First, port times aren't great. Juneau is 2:30-11, but most everything except restaurants/bars are closed by 5 or 6; Ketchikan is actually ward cove, so 6 hours in port is probably closer to 3 useable hours. Victoria is a wash since its 3 hours at night. I've heard Alaska cruises are about the ports, but only Skagway has substantial port time. Granted, I found excursions for each port, but I'm concerned it'll feel rushed. Second, the highlight of the cruise for dad will be the scenery. If I'm understanding correctly, the inside passage shouldn't be missed if scenery is a priority, but this isn't part of the Encore's itinerary. It seems the only way to get inside passage, glacier bay and full-day port times is to take a Vancouver based itinerary on Princess or HAL. Thing is, I'm worried we'll be bored on those ships. It's easy to find things each of us would like on Encore dailies, but notably harder on Ruby Princess/ HAL Koningsdam, where entertainment is less varied and more traditional. But maybe the longer port times make this concern irrelevant? Given the above, do you think our party would be better served sticking with the Encore or switching to Princess or HAL? Two other smaller considerations: 1. The pricing is comparable across all 3 lines so thats a non-issue, and 2. The Encore has accessible aft balconies (better for scenic viewing?), but the Ruby and Koningsdam do not. Appreciate any and all feedback!