First time to Alaska

[Paradisefound619]

Which cruise ship would you recommend for an Alaskan cruise? I have never been and would love to go with my husband and mother. Looking for a week long, round-trip cruise. Please share your opinions!

Thanks!

[azlove2cruise]

I noticed that no one else had replied yet, and I only have my one experience to share, but here goes...

 

I booked the NCL Pearl last year for our first ever Alaska cruise. We are actually Diamond members on RCCL but I wanted to take a larger and newer ship instead of the older ones that RCCL sails in Alaska (I like big new ships...just got off the Oasis and love her) so decided on the NCL's Pearl for Alaska. Others will have different opinions, but I've personally been spoiled now with the newest stuff on these newer bigger ships. Anyway, we had previously sailed on the Jade (when she was sailing Hawaii) and the Gem for a special "Cruising with the NY Giants" themed cruise. These 2 ships are the Pearl's sister ships, and we happen to like the layout of these ships and NCL's "Freestyle" approach. We weren't into the whole formal-thing so again we landed on NCL. All this being said, I am actullly trolling CC now looking for opinions on other ships myself. Nothing wrong with our cruise on the Pearl at all, but wanted to look into a different ship for a differerent experience. I actually just paid a deposit on the Saphire Princess a few minutes ago, but looking at the itinerary, I think I might be better off on the Pearl again. Anyway, that's my 2 cents based on my one and only experience...NCL Pearl. Nice newer ship. I am completely sold on Alaska after hubby finally convinced me (it was his birthday wish) and now I want to go back every single year. That and the Caribbean. I now need to do both :-)

[vbmom87]

Which cruise ship would you recommend for an Alaskan cruise? I have never been and would love to go with my husband and mother. Looking for a week long, round-trip cruise. Please share your opinions!

Thanks!

 

I have only cruised once and that was to Alaska with Holland America. In general the round trips out of Vancouver are more scenic with less chance for rough waters. If your mother is older, she may like the HAL ships as they are not as large, so you don't have as far to walk.

 

You need to decide if you prefer ports or scenic sailings. Your typical cruise to Alaska will have either 3 ports and 2 scenic sailings or 4 ports and 1 scenic sailing.

 

I like the HAL roundtrips out of Vancouver that go to Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm Fjord. If scenery is your priority, this would be a great choice. Personally, I would not go on a cruise that just went to Tracy Arm Fjord. Although Tracy Arm fjord is an especially scenic area (we did it on a small boat excursion from Juneau and it was our favorite excursion), the cruise ships often do not get to the glaciers at the end because of significant icing in the fjord. If you booked a cruise going ONLY to Tracy Arm and glaciers were a priority, you could be disappointed if your ship didn't make it to the glaciers. However, if Tracy Arm is offered on a cruise that also goes to Glacier Bay, you would have one beautiful day of seeing glaciers at Glacier Bay and then another beautiful cruising day in Tracy Arm Fjord.

 

So, you need to do a little reading about the ports and glaciers in ALaska and then pick a cruise that goes to the places you are most interested in. There is no "perfect" cruise that everyone will enjoy equally. Some people really have to have that "perfect" ship. Others want that "perfect itinerary." Some frankly don't give much thought to anything and just want to go on vacation and pick a cruise without knowing anything about the ship or itinerary. You are in a good place here on CC. There are many posters who have been to Alaska many times and can give you great help with your planning. Just keep focused on what you like. Don't get persuaded by everyone else's "must dos." With some good background information, you should be able to find a good trip for the three of you. Best of luck and enjoy your planning and the cruise you choose.

[Budget Queen]

Your round trip decision, has cut down your "list". But I do strongly, suggest, you DO your homework, before getting into any ship selection. There are many differences, you are not aware of, and may impact an uninformed decision.

 

No bad Alaska cruises. :)

 

There are only 6 Alaska ports, I suggest you find out about each of them, and determine your touring preferences. Find out about routing differences, which are significant, and about glacier selections. Head to your library, Alaska By Cruiseship, is very informative, Fodor's Alaska, Frommer's Alaska have good port descriptions. Look over brochures and online.

 

 

As only my opinion, I find HAL round trip itineraries, some of the absolute best out of Vancouver- for the most scenic sailing.

[Tricia724]

How are you looking at this trip? Primarily as a cruise with a new destination....or as a trip to Alaska that you wish to do on a cruise ship? There is a big difference. You have already decided that you wish to do a one-week, round trip cruise....good start. Next decision....will you sail out of Seattle or Vancouver? It is generally agreed that Vancouver offers the most scenic opportunities and better port times, but that is your decision to make.

 

Now you need to decide just what you want out of this trip. Each of the Alaskan ports has much to offer a first timer, and everyone doesn't enjoy the same type of activities. A lot depends upon your individual interests, physical condition, and budget....Alaskan excursions can be expensive for some of the most popular ones. So, as Budget Queen recommended, do a little reading about the various ports and determine which of them holds the most interest for you.

 

Juneau and Ketchican are pretty much a given on all of the round trippers, but after that there is some variety. One of my favorite ports is Skagway because of the historical aspects and the fact that you can rent a car and drive into the Yukon. Sitka is also another favorite, a pretty town with a rich Russian heritage. But those are my choices.....you need to decide what you would like to see. And every good cruise has a glacier sailing.....either Glacier Bay or Hubbard....everyone has their own preferences but both are spectacular.

 

Once you have an idea of what you wish to see and do on this trip, then start looking at the major cruiselines that offer Alaskan sailings and check out their itineraries. The ports are a major consideration, but the port times are also very important. Some of the cruiselines have limited port times at some of the stops and will affect your choices of activities.

 

But.....and this is a big but.....if the cruise itself is the priority and you are more concerned about the ship and the amenities it offers rather than the stops and sightseeing opportunities, then you will be looking at an entirely different set of criteria.

 

There is a wealth of information on this board if you can spend a little time and go back and review some of the older posts. You'll find many reviews, personal experiences, and recommendations that may give you some ideas. Also, you can just type the port names into your search engine and get a lot of information about what is available in those ports.

 

Good luck.

[LindaKE]

One point that was important to us is that HAL and Princess have been in Alaska the longest, and therefore have access to some spots, like Glacier Bay, that other cruise lines may not have and, also, have more in the way of naturalists who are highly qualified. All the lines have something going for them though. We're having a hard time choosing for a second trip, and we've been there before, so know some of what to expect. One thing we learned, though, is that, even though we thought our 2003 cruise would be a once in a lifetime trip, Alaska is so beautiful that we just have to go back again.

 

If you have the option of doing a one way, there is so much to be seen that you would be missing doing a round trip. We're leaning toward a round trip this time around, but I'm so glad we did a one way the first time.