Which cruise line is good for first trip in alaska

Hi all , i am from thailand

I want to have alaska cruise , maybe in May 2018.

Which cruise you guys would recommend for me.. as i know there are princess , holland america and celebrity. Princess visit glacier bay but i am not able to book via agents in america except in my country which quite expensive. Celebrity won’t visit glacier bay but ship is good. I have no idea about holland america but holland america could visit glacier bay and hubbard glacier. These three cruises go to different places , slightly different. Also the beginning and the end of cruising are also different.

Which route and which cruise you guys recommend. I will take my mom 80 years of age going with me.

Now i cant decide yet. I have to plan for visa application too.

Thank you

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We have taken the Princess cruise to Alaska from Seattle round trip. Glacier Bay was on top of our list based on accounts of friends’ experiences. We enjoyed our trip. The port talks were very informative. We also did it on the month of May. Weather was like in the East Coast that we had to wear layers and also had to use rain gear as we had showers in the ports.

Which cruise line and itinerary would really depend on what you are looking forward to. I guess you would get tips and info on this board if you scroll down to the threads.

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We have taken the Princess cruise to Alaska from Seattle round trip. Glacier Bay was on top of our list based on accounts of friends’ experiences. We enjoyed our trip. The port talks were very informative. We also did it on the month of May. Weather was like in the East Coast that we had to wear layers and also had to use rain gear as we had showers in the ports.

Which cruise line and itinerary would really depend on what you are looking forward to. I guess you would get tips and info on this board if you scroll down to the threads.

 

 

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Thanks a lot, i now try to read the threads here. Im new comer here, so i m quite confused with the forum.

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Thanks a lot, i now try to read the threads here. Im new comer here, so i m quite confused with the forum.

 

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Being confused means you are taking an effort to learn. You are then doing it right. We were also in your position before. So just ask and many will be willing to help you out. Good luck!

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Being confused means you are taking an effort to learn. You are then doing it right. We were also in your position before. So just ask and many will be willing to help you out. Good luck!

 

 

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Thank you

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Have taken Celebrity three times to Alaska and going again in July. Highly recommend Celebrity- especially the Solstice ship. Great ship with fabulous amenities. Food is great, too. The tours are interesting. Good luck.

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Have taken Celebrity three times to Alaska and going again in July. Highly recommend Celebrity- especially the Solstice ship. Great ship with fabulous amenities. Food is great, too. The tours are interesting. Good luck.

 

 

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Thanks, im glad that people reply my thread.

Most tours in thailand also go with solstice and i saw people reviewed with pictures which food look great, i think even better than princess.

May i ask which route are you going in july? Different from previous three earlier?

The tours are interesting means tours buying from the ship?

This is my first time with elderly people, and very far journey from my country. Quite nervous about many things especially when have to speak and listen English.

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Holland America goes to Glacier Bay on most itineraries. Staff on Holland America is mostly from Indonesia, Philipines, and will soon include Thailand according to a recent report. Look at itineraries for a 7 day cruise round trip Vancouver.

Holland America goes to Glacier Bay on most itineraries. Staff on Holland America is mostly from Indonesia, Philipines, and will soon include Thailand according to a recent report. Look at itineraries for a 7 day cruise round trip Vancouver.

Thank you

Did you go on Holland america before? Good ship? Good food?

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We did a Princess cruise tour to Alaska and it was great! Also Glacier Bay. Highly recommend this trip with a balcony cabin. Princess is usually an older crowd also which will be nice for your mother but it’s not boring by any means. We also went in May and only had rain one day. Otherwise, layers are good as the day goes on you can adjust. I will post some pictures if you’d like. Good luck! I think you will enjoy no matter the cruise line to be honest.

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Look at Princess and Holland America. They both go to Glacier Bay and have great itineraries. Many of them you can visit multiple glaciers. I am not as impressed with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean in Alaska as their itineraries are weak. I would encourage you to get some books and do some research on Alaska before jumping in and booking a trip. Since you are coming from so far --- I am sure you want to see as much as you can. Princess does have employees from Thailand. There are a lot of different languages spoken on these ships -- I don't think your parents will have a problem. I would just ask to have wait staff from Thailand.

Look at Rcl, they are very good!! Always have enjoyed that line, or Princess.

We did a Princess cruise tour to Alaska and it was great! Also Glacier Bay. Highly recommend this trip with a balcony cabin. Princess is usually an older crowd also which will be nice for your mother but it’s not boring by any means. We also went in May and only had rain one day. Otherwise, layers are good as the day goes on you can adjust. I will post some pictures if you’d like. Good luck! I think you will enjoy no matter the cruise line to be honest.

 

 

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Thank you. I hope my mom and i will enjoy. Even now i see youtube clip i feel enjoyed already ^^ . I also heard that princess is suitable with elderly people. I went on sapphire princess going to japan before but view was not so nice like Europe or alaska. Agree with you no matter the cruise line. This would be the only first and the last for my mom to go that far from our country. She is too old. That’s why i want her to see the great thing which we can’t find anywhere else.

We’ve just got U.S. visa yesterday, we have Canada visa to apply after this.

Any think you can post here i would love to see^^

Thank you again

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Look at Rcl, they are very good!! Always have enjoyed that line, or Princess.

Thank you. I think i have got lots of info now.

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Look at Princess and Holland America. They both go to Glacier Bay and have great itineraries. Many of them you can visit multiple glaciers. I am not as impressed with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean in Alaska as their itineraries are weak. I would encourage you to get some books and do some research on Alaska before jumping in and booking a trip. Since you are coming from so far --- I am sure you want to see as much as you can. Princess does have employees from Thailand. There are a lot of different languages spoken on these ships -- I don't think your parents will have a problem. I would just ask to have wait staff from Thailand.

Thank you for good advice. A tour here would go with Ruby princess because he is sole agent of princess here but i think it’s too expensive. Or otherwise i will only buy cruise package. I cannot buy Princess ticket from other agents.

You are so right that I want to see as much as i can^^. That’s why i now can’t decide yet. I try to read information as much as I can where I should not miss.

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I have taken all the major lines to Alaska, multiple times. IF you think about it "Alaska" is fixed, with numerous opportunities. I'll never make any claims of "best'- Alaska is the "best" in my opinion. :) Every experience will offer you something. I'll firmly discourage some "must" claims" as there simply are too many.

You might want to take some time and read a number of trip reports and get a feel for what people enjoy- I'd suggest you figure out what touring you are going to do, what you want to see and work out your selection in that direction.

Thank you

Did you go on Holland america before? Good ship? Good food?

 

 

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I have cruised many times on Holland America in Alaska. The food is good. The ships are very nice.

Do you want to have more time in Vancouver or Seattle? Do you want to spend more time on land in Alaska? You have many choices. Some ships carry more passengers and require more walking. Do you want a balcony?

I have cruised many times on Holland America in Alaska. The food is good. The ships are very nice.

 

Do you want to have more time in Vancouver or Seattle? Do you want to spend more time on land in Alaska? You have many choices. Some ships carry more passengers and require more walking. Do you want a balcony?

I read that people also like Holland america but i just never see review in Thai. I want to spend time in vancouver or seattle depending on where i would get on the ship which is still in decision process. I will choose balcony cabin. Which city do you recommend vancouver or seattle?

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I have taken all the major lines to Alaska, multiple times. IF you think about it "Alaska" is fixed, with numerous opportunities. I'll never make any claims of "best'- Alaska is the "best" in my opinion. :) Every experience will offer you something. I'll firmly discourage some "must" claims" as there simply are too many.

 

You might want to take some time and read a number of trip reports and get a feel for what people enjoy- I'd suggest you figure out what touring you are going to do, what you want to see and work out your selection in that direction.

Thank you for your comment. I understand what you mean. USA is very far from my country and this would be the only one chance that my mom could go there. So I think a lot. I just want to find the the best one even if the is no the best. I now have some info in my mind but want more to make decision. I know there are many people here have so many experiences so they can provide me more information. I now kind of if you have only one chance what will you choose.

For me now would be Inside passage route with Glacier bay which only princess and holland america go there. I search some more information about holland america if ship is ok for us. As i know celebrity and princess are good but celebrity does not go to glacier bay.

I now try to read more information.

Thank you again

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The sailing out of Vancouver really hugs the Inside Passage, where the sailing out of Seattle will be more in the open ocean. If you go out of Seattle, it has to stop at Victoria on the way back due to some rule. It tends to get in real late with not much time.

I like the port choices for Vancouver. Check out Holland America round trip out of Vancouver. There are two ships that do this trip.

The sailing out of Vancouver really hugs the Inside Passage, where the sailing out of Seattle will be more in the open ocean. If you go out of Seattle, it has to stop at Victoria on the way back due to some rule. It tends to get in real late with not much time.

 

 

 

I like the port choices for Vancouver. Check out Holland America round trip out of Vancouver. There are two ships that do this trip.

Thank you. I heard about that from my reading. If sailing from vancouver there would be more chance to see animals too. But i will have no chance to visit Seattle. I feel i see some route start at Vancouver but end at Seattle, not sure but other ports are also different. I gotta weigh out.

Now would be Holland america or princess. But i tends to go with Holland america as its itineraries are more various. Gotta find out more information.

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Welcome to Alaska. The two cruise lines with the longest history in Alaska are HAL and Princess. Both have made considerable investments up here in the way of excursion transportation (buses and dome railroad coaches) and hotel chains (Westmark Hotels for HAL and 5 wilderness lodges for Princess). Both lines now operate under the Holland America Group of Carnival Corp which includes the combined land holdings of both. Both have grandfather rights from the NPS into Glacier Bay, meaning they have more ships visiting there than others do. We only cruise on Princess, HAL and Regent so I can't attest to the quality of service and type of cruise others offer except I've lived in Alaska all my life and being involved in the airplane game throughout my professional career have quite a familiarity with all these enterprises.

Most major cruise lines offer excellent cruises to Alaska, NCL also being one of the largest players although none have the land based holdings that the HAG has.

About 65% of cruisers to Alaska only do the Southeast (Panhandle) portion of the State. Assuming you are on a typical 7 day (round robin) cruise you probably won't be crossing the Gulf of Alaska and traveling further north to South Central Alaska or going on into the interior on a land tour, but most likely doing a cruise of Southeast Alaska, originating and ending in either Vancouver or Seattle. Almost all of these cruises do the "Alaska Inside Passage". My favorite glacier calving viewing on the cruise line haunts is Hubbard Glacier up by Yakutat ,off the Gulf, not Glacier Bay

My personal preference for these round robins is to get on a cruise that voyages through the "Canadian Inside Passage" as well as the "Alaska Inside Passage". Meaning, they travel to the east of Vancouver Island as opposed to the west of the island, west of the island places the vessel out into the North Pacific where scenic voyaging is limited to non-existent, rougher water there too, sometimes. Vancouver is the best originating port for this and it appears to me that HAL has the most departures from there, if crossing the gulf HAL uses Seward for their ANC port, while Princess uses Whittier.

Beware when the line or your agent simply says you are going to be in the "Inside Passage". We have taken only one cruise to Alaska, which was on Regent, a two weeker, originating in San Francisco and ending in Vancouver, around the end of May and first of June. Hot weather even, 72 F, for Alaska that is. We sailed as far north as Valdez in Prince William Sound and hit every obligatory port in Southeast. Excellent cruise; the only downer was, both north and south, we skipped the Canadian Inside Passage and traveled to the west of Vancouver Island. Some Canadians on board weren't very happy in that they had been led to believe they would be cruising on the east side of Vancouver island.

I've cruised the Canadian Inside Passage a number of times. But it was so long ago I can't remember much, except for the scenic wonders of it all. You see, when I was a kid the only way to get to the "States" was via Alaska Steamship Company who also carried a lot of seasonal visitors back and forth. They quit carrying passengers in 1954 though.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2558910

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2544536&page=2

Welcome to Alaska. The two cruise lines with the longest history in Alaska are HAL and Princess. Both have made considerable investments up here in the way of excursion transportation (buses and dome railroad coaches) and hotel chains (Westmark Hotels for HAL and 5 wilderness lodges for Princess). Both lines now operate under the Holland America Group of Carnival Corp which includes the combined land holdings of both. Both have grandfather rights from the NPS into Glacier Bay, meaning they have more ships visiting there than others do. We only cruise on Princess, HAL and Regent so I can't attest to the quality of service and type of cruise others offer except I've lived in Alaska all my life and being involved in the airplane game throughout my professional career have quite a familiarity with all these enterprises.

 

 

 

Most major cruise lines offer excellent cruises to Alaska, NCL also being one of the largest players although none have the land based holdings that the HAG has.

 

About 65% of cruisers to Alaska only do the Southeast (Panhandle) portion of the State. Assuming you are on a typical 7 day (round robin) cruise you probably won't be crossing the Gulf of Alaska and traveling further north to South Central Alaska or going on into the interior on a land tour, but most likely doing a cruise of Southeast Alaska, originating and ending in either Vancouver or Seattle. Almost all of these cruises do the "Alaska Inside Passage". My favorite glacier calving viewing on the cruise line haunts is Hubbard Glacier up by Yakutat ,off the Gulf, not Glacier Bay

 

 

 

My personal preference for these round robins is to get on a cruise that voyages through the "Canadian Inside Passage" as well as the "Alaska Inside Passage". Meaning, they travel to the east of Vancouver Island as opposed to the west of the island, west of the island places the vessel out into the North Pacific where scenic voyaging is limited to non-existent, rougher water there too, sometimes. Vancouver is the best originating port for this and it appears to me that HAL has the most departures from there, if crossing the gulf HAL uses Seward for their ANC port, while Princess uses Whittier.

 

 

 

Beware when the line or your agent simply says you are going to be in the "Inside Passage". We have taken only one cruise to Alaska, which was on Regent, a two weeker, originating in San Francisco and ending in Vancouver, around the end of May and first of June. Hot weather even, 72 F, for Alaska that is. We sailed as far north as Valdez in Prince William Sound and hit every obligatory port in Southeast. Excellent cruise; the only downer was, both north and south, we skipped the Canadian Inside Passage and traveled to the west of Vancouver Island. Some Canadians on board weren't very happy in that they had been led to believe they would be cruising on the east side of Vancouver island.

 

 

I've cruised the Canadian Inside Passage a number of times. But it was so long ago I can't remember much, except for the scenic wonders of it all. You see, when I was a kid the only way to get to the "States" was via Alaska Steamship Company who also carried a lot of seasonal visitors back and forth. They quit carrying passengers in 1954 though.

 

 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2558910

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2544536&page=2

Thank you for your advice and lots of info.

I think i understand but not all as limited my english skill.

I think i would visit glacier bay and hubbard glacier which only HAL provides this and start at Vancouver.

I don’t know much about anchorage, seward, or Whittier. Most itineraries i see are about 7 or 8 days cruising for inside passage.

I want to see nice view, big nature.

I understand you guys all what you really mean.

Thanks a lot for good advice and help. I will go through it.

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Thank you for your advice and lots of info.

I think i understand but not all as limited my english skill.

I think i would visit glacier bay and hubbard glacier which only HAL provides this and start at Vancouver.

I don’t know much about anchorage, seward, or Whittier. Most itineraries i see are about 7 or 8 days cruising for inside passage.

I want to see nice view, big nature.

 

I understand you guys all what you really mean.

Thanks a lot for good advice and help. I will go through it.

 

 

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You are coming from very far away. Maybe you should consider the 14-day round trip itinerary out of Seattle. It is on HAL Zaandam and goes all the way to Anchorage and Kodiak. You would see more “real” Alaska. I live near Seattle and think it is nice to visit. It visits two glaciers including the Hubbard. A truly impressive glacier!

You are coming from very far away. Maybe you should consider the 14-day round trip itinerary out of Seattle. It is on HAL Zaandam and goes all the way to Anchorage and Kodiak. You would see more “real” Alaska. I live near Seattle and think it is nice to visit. It visits two glaciers including the Hubbard. A truly impressive glacier!

What itinerary would you please suggest? Honestly I have no idea about anchorage or Kodiak or elsewhere. First information I have are only about skagway, ketchikan, juneau as Thai people review about them. When I should go there to still see ice and animals? May or June is ok? Actually i want to go on helicopter but not sure if my mom could go on it as it is hard to walk on ice ( i read and found there are some limitations) i try to narrow down by gathering all information you guys provide to me. I really appreciate them.

I will go back to see all itineraries and find some suit my interesting.

Now i try to read from other web but i read it slowly.

Thank you very much.

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