HAL vs Princess Suites & LandCruise Alaska 2018 (1st timer)

Hello! I'm planning our first cruise (me, husband, 8yo son). This is a dream trip! We don't get enough quality time together so when we do get away, we like some pampering. We do spend a decent amount of time relaxing in our hotel (even at Disney). We usually book rooms that are at least 700sqft in land hotels. Hence I'm looking into ship suites. Not a lot of choices this late in the game (so maybe I should wait till 2019?). And we'd like to do an organized land tour. After much research (including reading these boards!), bouncing off our preferences and work schedule, I'm left with the following dilemma of which plan to go with (both are land first then SB cruise--makes flights easier from NJ, both starboard):

Golden Princess about 16K C421 Penthouse (hoping there is in fact a privacy curtain) on OB5 Connoisseur tour 1xAnchorage, 2xDenali lodge, 2xMcKinley lodge (most meals included) in early August

OR

HAL Westerdam about 18K mid-August Pinnacle 7045 on D6L 1xAnchorage, 2xDenali (no meals)

My questions:

1. If we do spend a decent amount of time in-room, which room is more enjoyable for relaxing and seeing sights off our balcony? Still plenty to see on starboard? Or should we do C751 on Golden aft but with obstruction? Will aft be too choppy this first time for my son?

2. Is the 2K difference worth it? I know we'll have to spring more for meals on the land portion with HAL. But when we are there and when we look back, will we regret the smaller space on the Golden? Funds aren't unlimited and I haven't even tallied excursions yet.

3. More land portion on Princess. Is that a good thing or will it be overwhelming? When my son is older, we will likely do a non-cruise trip to Alaska. Should we instead do a round-trip cruise without land portion?

4. What is the difference in perks between the suites? We aren't heavy drinkers other than water, and Princess says daily bottled water in suite.

Thanks SO much for your advice!

For an 8 year old I recommend you avoid the organized land portion because (1) there's a substantial chance he'll be the only child on the tour, (2) the travel distances and times are long, and (3) the itinerary is fixed and rigid, both of which are undesirable for a boy of that age. Go on the land tour on your own, with more flexibility, when he's older.

He'll probably enjoy just the cruise which will offer more freedom and flexibility.

My wife and I cruised Alaska on the Grand Princess in the same suite you are looking at so I can provide some insight. The balcony on this room is very big with table, 4 chairs and 2 lounge chairs. Lots of room to get outside and enjoy the view and it is half open / half covered so you can go outside even in the rain. The room itself is also good sized and there is a privacy curtain separating the bed area from the living area (with the fold out bed).

The Princess website has a good listing of all the suite perks - although you do get a mini bar setup at the start of the cruise, you can trade it in for non-alcoholic beverages if you would like. We particularly enjoyed Club Class dining, the ability to order off the main dining room menu for room service and the daily suite-holders breakfast in the Crown Grill (some ships do it in Sabatini's).

Hope this helps,

Happy Cruising.

Bob

So...we couldn't resist the Pinnacle Suite! Not able to vacation often due to work, school etc, we tend to go big before we go home :-) The Princess cruises during our available dates didn't have any suites left, and if they did, there was an obstruction on the balcony.

My husband and son are both very much interested in doing the land portion--we're going to start in Fairbanks for 2 nights (we added one night to the existing one included with the land portion just to give us additional time to settle in), then Denali National Park for 2 nights, 1 quick night in Anchorage, then on to Seward for 7 nights southbound on the Noordam. Fortunately, my son is great about scheduled things, and he has some experience on busier vacations like Disney. I'll be sure to pack lots of activities for the long rides in between hotels in the land portion.

Next time, I definitely need to book Princess, but now I know I need to plan way ahead to get the room type we want. :-)