NCL 4 times .... What cruise line next???

[AmyinVail]

I've been looking around a little on Carnival myself. I can't imagine that it's that different from NCL.

 

IMHO: Carnival is much different than NCL. You couldn't PAY me to go on another Carnival cruise....ugh. Gawdy and cheap.

[zqvol]

I was wanting to do an Alaska cruise next year. Have done four prior with NCL and am thinking about trying another line-- Mainly for comparison. We don't want to have to sit with anyone at dinner and my husband does't want to have to dress up beyond Dockers. What lines would you recommend?

 

Carnival - They have really minimized the dress requirements and they have moved to anytime dining if that is the option you want, which allows you to eat when you want and to sit with who you want to at each meal. For what it is worth, IMO Carnival's anytime dining works much more smoothly than does NCL's freestyle.

[doodlesinkentucky]

I was wanting to do an Alaska cruise next year. Have done four prior with NCL and am thinking about trying another line-- Mainly for comparison. We don't want to have to sit with anyone at dinner and my husband does't want to have to dress up beyond Dockers. What lines would you recommend?

 

 

We love Princess! They have "anytime dining" and you can sit alone. NCL is more relaxed in dress but as long as your hubby does not wear jeans,shorts- he will be okay. I have enjoyed my NCL cruises but Princess is really nice!!;)

[BobT172]

We have done Alaska with Princess 3 times now and have loved it. What is mentioned above about dress and dining is true for Princess. While it has a dressup night, there are alternatives for those who don't care to.

 

One thing I recommend considering is the details of the itinerary. Princess gets into both Glacier Bay and College Fjord. I know that some others, such as Celebrity, do not. The National Parks Service apparently limits access of cruise ships into some areas. So compare them all.

 

Check the details... there is alot to see up there. It is beautiful no matter which line you select. For what may be a once in a lifetime trip, consider adding on a land package at Denali. I think all lines offer them.

[flashdog_1]

I was wanting to do an Alaska cruise next year. Have done four prior with NCL and am thinking about trying another line-- Mainly for comparison. We don't want to have to sit with anyone at dinner and my husband does't want to have to dress up beyond Dockers. What lines would you recommend?

 

For what you want, not having to dress up beyond Dockers, NCL is your way to go unless you want to spend a lot more on Cruise West. As you know, you can always get a table for 2 on NCL. On the other lines you'd have to do either their version of any time dining, or ask for a table for 2 for formal, specific dining times.

 

On all the other lines, on formal night your husband would probably have to wear a jacket or risk being turned away, but there will be people who tell you they just wore a long sleeved white shirt and no jacket. Yes, most of the lines now offer the freestyle dining concept as far as time goes, but they still have formal nights.

 

If you really want to try another line, convince your DH that he can wear a sports coat on the plane and then use it for the 2 formal nights on board.

 

if you want to talk about what are good cruiselines for the specific Alaska itinerary, that is another story.

 

Holland America and Princess have the most experience, and they along with Celebrity have naturalists that will give lectures/slide shows throughout the week. I am unfamiliar with whether RCCL and Carnival have them.

 

Did you want just a cruise, or do you want a land tour as well? If so, did you want to fly in early, rent a car and do it yourself, or take a high priced cruise tour with one of the cruiselines?

 

Have you done research on Alaska to know which ports appeal most to you, and which glacier(s) you'd like to see? There's a choice of itineraries, as you probably know. And you can go round trip from Seattle or Vancouver, or one way N or Southbound out of a port near Anchorage or from Vancouver.

 

Some lines have an origination or debarkation point in California at the beginning and end of the season if you want a little more than Alaska.

 

I wish Budget Queen would chime in. She's been on all the lines.

[boozencruisen]

I have done 3 Carnival, 2 NCL, 1 HAL, and 1 Princess. I would say carnival is "most" like NCL, minus the freestyle part. Princess dining is the same open type, but if people think NCL will nickel and dime you try Princess. That cruise was about 5 years ago so a lot could have changed but almost everything on board cost money. The seminar of how to make towel animals? $15. Chef's show (he is on stage and shows how he cooks a meal), $10... you get the idea.

 

HAL was good except the food. It tasted alright but it was the exact same food in the buffet as the MDR. If the menu didn't look good, too bad you have to eat it anyways, or pay for one of the upcharge restaurants. Which did not happen often, it was a 14 day cruise and I think we came across 3 nights we didn't want to eat the food.

 

As for Carnival, in my mind it has always been Carnival is more Vegas and NCL is more... Reno. It really depends on if you like the bright neons or not, people say it's a "party cruise line" but you kind find people to party on any cruise, it's mostly the decor that stands out.

[stegosaurus1]

Carnival - They have really minimized the dress requirements and they have moved to anytime dining if that is the option you want, which allows you to eat when you want and to sit with who you want to at each meal. For what it is worth, IMO Carnival's anytime dining works much more smoothly than does NCL's freestyle.

did not work with anytime dining, we had to wait up to 20 minutes every night,:( that has never happened on NCL:)Barb

[gemsm]

I was wanting to do an Alaska cruise next year. Have done four prior with NCL and am thinking about trying another line-- Mainly for comparison. We don't want to have to sit with anyone at dinner and my husband does't want to have to dress up beyond Dockers. What lines would you recommend?

 

Well My TA who is a HUGE NCL fan...Said the best line to go to Alaska on is Princess based on the ships that they sail there, the itinerary's and the prices for balcony cabins.

 

Since I base my cruise decisions on itinerary and price then I am going with Princess for Alaska unless things change a lot before I get to that cruise

[flashdog_1]

One thing I recommend considering is the details of the itinerary. Princess gets into both Glacier Bay and College Fjord. I know that some others, such as Celebrity, do not. The National Parks Service apparently limits access of cruise ships into some areas. So compare them all.

.

 

True, X does not go to Glacier Bay. But I just saw an ad today where Millenium does go to two glaciers on a 14 nighter. They also have an indoor free Thalossotherapy pool.

 

Itinerary

Day Date (2010) Port Arrive Depart

1 Fri, Apr 30 San Diego 4:30 P

2 Sat, May 1 At Sea

3 Sun, May 2 At Sea

4 Mon, May 3 Seattle 9:00 A 5:00 P

5 Tue, May 4 At Sea

6 Wed, May 5 Sitka 12:00 P 7:00 P

7 Thu, May 6 Hubbard Glacier 10:00 A 2:00 P

8 Fri, May 7 Skagway 7:00 A 8:30 P

9 Sat, May 8 Juneau 7:00 A 8:00 P

10 Sun, May 9 Icy Strait 8:00 A 8:00 P

11 Mon, May 10 Tracy Arm 9:00 A 3:00 P

12 Tue, May 11 Ketchikan 8:00 A 6:00 P

13 Wed, May 12 At Sea

14 Thu, May 13 Victoria 9:00 A 9:00 P

15 Fri, May 14 Vancouver 7:00 A