LOST! Need advice

[babywewe]

I really want to cruise Alaska this summer but I just fell lost looking at all my options. I have sailed with Carnival and it was OK. I also sailed with NCL and I loved it. Of course I am open to other cruise line with a younger-ish crowd (we are 30).

 

Any suggestions?

 

What are you sailing and why did you pick it?

[shumdit1]

I am sailing Princess because I wanted to do Glacier Bay but it will probably be an older crowd. Alaska has a tendency to be an older crowd.

Summer does get some younger people.

[CruisingGoddess]

I think you need to figure out where you want to go on your cruise before picking a cruise line or a ship. The itineraries between different cruises are pretty varied. I would suggest reading about each port in CruiseCritic port section:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/

 

Also, you may want to pick up "Frommer's Alaska cruises & ports of call". (I found it at my local library.) You'll also get opinions here about the scenic cruising (Tracy Arm, Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay).

 

You need to consider if you care about roundtrip out of the same port or if a one-way cruise is fine with you too. One-way cruises tend to be higher airfare but you spend more time at each port since the ship doesn't need time to return to your original port.

 

Once you know where you want to go, then pick your cruise. We chose Princess (Island Princess to be exact) because their southbound (one-way) cruise goes through Glacier Bay AND Hubbard Glacier. Both are highly recommended here.

[alpal1993]

I agree that you have to do alot of research into what are your sightseeing preferences How much time you can take and when and where you want to cruise from .And of course Budget will play a big part in your selection/

My first Alaskan trip was a cruisetour on Celebrity 5 day land tour and 7 night southbound with stops in Ketchikan, Juneau ,Skagway and Icy Staits.cruising Hubbard Glacier

 

This year we will be doing a 14 Night R/T Seattle on Holland.We choose this cruise mainly for the ports Anchorage,Homer. Kodiak,and Sitka as well as returning to Skagway ,Juneau and Ketchikan.We will also cruise both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay.

 

What ever cruise you choose I am sure you will have a fabulous time.

[ellbon]

first cruise should be Glacier bay- princess- HAl will have an older group.

 

then when you go back do celebrity.

[Texas Tillie]

first cruise should be Glacier bay- princess- HAl will have an older group.

 

then when you go back do celebrity.

 

From my experience, this is not true. I've done 2 HAL and 1 Princess - all southbound to Vancouver - and the HAL passengers weren't any older than the Princess passengers. Preferred HAL as the ships carry fewer passengers and it's much easier to get around, get on/off the ship, etc. Of course, your mileage may vary!:)

[ellbon]

I have been told by many people that HAL gets an older crowd.. i found princess mixed but not a lot of children- to me that means the under 45 group.

 

Most 7 day cruises are well mixed

[Assateague Island Princes]

I agree w/Texas Tillie - on our 2 HAL cruises to AK (with our third coming up on May 31st) there was a very nice mix of age groups - from infants on up to the elderly. On both our Sept. 2006 sailing and our early June 2008 sailing, there were a bunch of kids totally enjoying the kid's club and having a ball. Nice mix of families, singles, couples, and the more mature! In our mid-40's, we didn't feel out of place or alone. Not predominantly "older" as rumor might have it. We never partied the night away or even cared all that much about shows, etc. because AK is so port intensive - we were exhausted by the time we'd have dinner, and retire to our balcony to scan the sea, adult beverage in hand, and then wander into bed for sweet dreams (excellent mattresses!) of things to come in the morning! On sea days, all our time was either spent on our balcony scanning for sealife (whale tails, blows, Dahl porpoise, etc.) or up on deck doing the same.

 

I think HAL often gets a "bad" rap about that. Now maybe on warm weather cruises, perhaps its true - I wouldn't know. Only ever sailed to Alaska, and probably only ever will. As much as I'm a beach person, I have no desire to cruise to the Carribean or other warm weather ports. The thought of hair chest contests or seeing the same old, same old gorgeous blue water and look-alike islands just doesn't appeal to us. If I want to go for the beaches, I'd do my research and rent a secluded house for a week - not much on crowds. To each his own! Sailing to Alaska has spoiled me forever, I'm afraid! And that is not a bad thing:D!

[admiral nelson]

I agree with those who say pick your destinations first...There'll be no shortage of things to do on board and w/anytime seating and specialty restaurants you don't have to be stuck with people you're not compatible with