Picking cruise line for Alaska

[Mare10]

Hi am so very confused. Have been reading the boards for awhile and am hoping for some help. My DH and I are trying to plan a 7 day Alaska cruise for next summer. Having never been there I understand we should really try to make sure that either Glacier Bay or Hubbard is on the itinerary.

 

Can I get some advice on which cruise line to use? We would ideally like one that's moderately priced and not too terribly dressy.

 

We're celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary and are new to cruising.

 

Any suggestions would be so appreciated! :confused:

[Assateague Island Princes]

I'm a big HAL fan - sailed three times to Alaska with them. Two 7-day roundtrip Seattle on the Oosterdam (Sept. 2006 and late May 2008) and then just this year on the Amsterdam, on their new 14 day itinerary (May 31st), which was totally the perfect itinerary and perfect AK cruise! HAL is very laid back, quietly elegant, and has the most amazing, friendly, and helpful Indonesian and Phillipino crew! And oh, those comfy beds!!! Food has always been top notch for us, plus HAL goes to Sitka, which is by far tied for our favorite Alaskan port (ever since we had the opportunity to experience Homer this year!).

 

We love the mighty Hubbard Glacier! The first time we saw it in mid-Sept. the calving was unbelievable, non-stop! Then when we went there in late May in 2008, not so much. We couldn't get as close due to the amount of ice, but still very impressive! Experienced Glacier Bay for the first time this year - wow! Quite a different experience from Hubbard though - not better...or worse, just different! Sailing into and thru Glacier Bay is almost magical - the scenery is to die for, and you see several different glaciers but they just aren't as massive as Hubbard. Either one would be a great experience for a newcomer.

 

Let me tell you about our experience with casual dining on HAL ships. On our first cruise in 2006, we sailed with several other couples who very much enjoyed dressing up on formal nights and heading to the MDR. We found it just was not our thing! After two nights there, we happily changed our formal duds for comfy, and headed to the Lido for almost every meal (except breakfast, which we luxiously enjoyed on our balcony, watching the spectacular scenery glide by or ordered room service). Nothing more decadent than having lobster on your balcony, snuggly wrapped in HAL's wonderfully warm and comfortable robes!

 

Then on our second AK cruise on the lovely Oosterdam, we traveled with my SIL and BIL, brought one smart casual outfit and ate in the MDR only one night so they could experience it. The rest of the time, Lido for us! Now on this 14 day itinerary, we ate only once in the MDR, on boarding day so we could go casual, and the rest of the time ate in the Lido. Next cruise to AK? No smart casual or formal wear for us, we'll eat in the Lido or Canteletto (HAL's no fee Italian restaurant) every single night and be extremely happy with that! Many of the same dishes are offered in the Lido, and you can also order room service (free of charge) form the MDR menu every single night if you'd like.

 

Please don't be swayed by the folks who tell you HAL is for the over-the-hill side of 60 - not true! Particually not in Alaska! There were folks anywhere from infants up to 90 on each of our cruises, many young families or 20 somethings finding plenty to do to keep themselves entertained. While we are by no means "party people," Alaska was just so darn port intensive with so much to do at each and every stop, we'd often come back aboard, grab a quick shower, head to the Lido or order room service, maybe have a cocktail up in the Crows Nest with those amazing views, then head out on the aft deck, binoculars in hand to participate in our favorite activity of watching for whales from the ship. Then it was light's out so we'd get a good night's sleep to be up to do it all over again the next morning!:D

 

HAL has a covered swimming pool with a retractable roof that will be open on days when its nice and warm, and also has an aft outdoor pool for the adventurous. We took great advantage of the outdoor hot tubs on the Oosterdam - nothing finer than watching calving glaciers from the warmth of a hot tub with those spectacular mountains all around you. Ah, heaven! the Crows Nest is a great place to enjoy the scenery and search for sea life. For us, alaska is all about the scenery and the wildlife, so spending as much time on deck or on our balcony when we had one was a priority for us. There is plenty to keep you busy though - the gym, bingo, the shows, ship tours, computer classes, and the wonderful thermal suites. Who'd have thunk a heated ceramic lounger looking out over the ocean could be so darn relaxing?:p

 

Gosh, I guess this sounds like I'm a HAL cheerleader, and if so, I accept that title happily! But you can find a wonderful, affordable Alaska cruise that will give you just what you're looking for on all the major lines - Princess, Celebrity, RCCL or Carnival. Most important is itinerary and times in port! As for time of year, we prefer late May into early June because of the long hours of daylight. But in no way were we disappointed by the September trip - we LOVED it! It was rainier, colder, and got darker much sooner, but it was Alaska - whats not to love???;)

 

Do your homework, read the Ports of Call - Alaska boards on this website and ask questions! You'll find the perfect cruise for you. And trust me, you'll go back....again and again. It gets into your soul! Happy sailing!

[Essiesmom]

I did Alaska this year on Princess...because I got a bargain and was working on getting up in the Princess Captain's Circle levels. Airfare and air travel was a killer from the east coast...But I see you are already on the west coast so not so much of a problem. HAL, Princess, and NCL are allowed into Glacier Bay, so I would pick the one that suits your calendar and pocket book. EM

[Mare10]

Thank you so much for all the information. I kind of assumed Holland would be too formal for us but it doens't sound like that's the case. I'll look at itineraries and prices. Some folks tell me to steer away fjrom Princess but I read alot of good reviews. We'll keep researching and reading all the posts that apply.

 

Appreciate the replies!

[AZNative2000]

Can I get some advice on which cruise line to use? We would ideally like one that's moderately priced and not too terribly dressy.

 

We're celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary and are new to cruising.

 

Any suggestions would be so appreciated! :confused:

 

We are HAL fans. But no matter which line you pick,(HAL or Princess) do the Vancouver departure(arrival). Cruising through the Strait of Georgia and along the inland waterway is so much better than going in/out of Seattle. (MHO)

 

Congratulations on 40 years!!:)

[Mare10]

Thank you for your congrats! So, it sounds like we should pick either Princess or Holland? Any thoughts on RCCL? I've had people tell me it's easier and less expensive to fly in and out of Seattle.

[Assateague Island Princes]

Mare - the only problem I see with RCCL is their port times aren't so great, and they also can't go to Glacier Bay, so just keep that in mind. Other than that, RCCL would give you a great Alaskan cruise, as will all the other lines. Decisions, decisions! But what fun!;)

[Texas Tillie]

Thank you for your congrats! So, it sounds like we should pick either Princess or Holland? Any thoughts on RCCL? I've had people tell me it's easier and less expensive to fly in and out of Seattle.

 

The "problem" with Seattle round trips is that they sail west of Vancouver Island. Two full days on a 7 day cruise you are in the Pacific Ocean and you can't see anything but water, water and more water.

 

Also, I'd say that having done Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay twice each, that either is far superior to just doing Tracy Arm. Most ships just don't get that far into Tracy Arm and you really don't get a glacier experience. I've done the 10 hour excursion with Adventure Bound on a 48 passenger boat to Tracy Arm....now that's a glacier experience!

 

You can fly to Seattle and still do a Vancouver cruise - there's the bus, the train and rental cars between the 2 cities.

[LindaKE]

Ditto sailing into/from Vancouver. Princess Southbound does both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier. We first went on Princess and thought it couldn't get any better. Now we're booked for HAL - celebrating our 40th also!

[lcmslady]

I did Alaska with Princess and did a south-bound that left Seward and sailed to Vancouver.

 

If you have the time and $$ I would seriously consider taking a land-tour on the front-end. The interior of Alaska is very different than what you'll see on the cruise.

[Shifra]

Princess and HAL have been doing Alaska longer than anyone. I think both lines are very similar, either one would be good. Not sure what you heard about Princess but you can hear bad things about any line or ship.

[AZNative2000]

I've had people tell me it's easier and less expensive to fly in and out of Seattle.

 

Don't know where you are flying from but from Phoenix the difference in air cost wasn't that much ($150 or so) but, as others have posted, there are ways to get to/from Seattle/Vancouver.

 

Ditto sailing into/from Vancouver. Princess Southbound does both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier. We first went on Princess and thought it couldn't get any better. Now we're booked for HAL - celebrating our 40th also!

 

Congrats to you too Linda! I see you are sailing on the exact cruise we took this past June. Same day even:) ... lucky you!

 

Photo below is cruising in the Strait of Georgia ... out of Vancouver.

 

[Mare10]

I think this site will help me alot. It already is! It sounds like we should consider a one way cruise and not necessarily round trip. I'll keep reading and really do appreciate all of your help.

 

Linda, you're going HAL this time rather than Princess? Is that because of the itinerary?

 

Beautiful picture that someone shared too. I'm getting excited! :)

 

Marilyn

[LindaKE]

Linda, you're going HAL this time rather than Princess? Is that because of the itinerary? Marilyn

 

We chose to do a round trip this time because, for us, the trip to/from Anchorage is brutal. But you're on the west coast, so it shouldn't be as bad for you. We've done a one way, so are content this time to go round trip. We think HAL has the best round trip itinerary, especially since it sails out of Vancouver and includes both Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay.

[chipmaster]

You have the right priority make sure to get Glacier Bay and/or Hubbard!

 

IMHO the highlight of the cruise is the scenic cruising and ports, all ships do these if you pick the right stops.

 

Each cruise line markets to a certain cruise experience, but actually quality and activities are 90% similar. As a stereo type HAL is more formal, Princess understated elegance, Carnival/NCL the lighter more relaxed and "fun" focus. All except NCL do have "formal" nights but even there you can get away with only slacks and nice shirt ( clothing police aside ). Other days the dining room or the ship in general you can be comfortable in jeans and nice shirt.

 

Happy planning

 

Hi am so very confused. Have been reading the boards for awhile and am hoping for some help. My DH and I are trying to plan a 7 day Alaska cruise for next summer. Having never been there I understand we should really try to make sure that either Glacier Bay or Hubbard is on the itinerary.

 

Can I get some advice on which cruise line to use? We would ideally like one that's moderately priced and not too terribly dressy.

 

We're celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary and are new to cruising.

 

Any suggestions would be so appreciated! :confused:

[zookiebird]

We cruised to AK 2 years ago on the NCL Pearl and had a fantastic time. Last month we sailed on HAL for the first time. For us, HAL is a better fit but like so many have said you really can't go wrong with any of the lines.

[Mare10]

Great advice from everyone. I think I'll research cruising in and out of Vancouver. Sounds like we'd be happy with either HAL or Princess. We'll have our available dates figured out soon so hope it to book it soon too!

[LindaKE]

You should check out the Alaska forum under Ports of Call (down 3 groups). You'll find lots of info there relevant to Alaska. This forum is mostly general cruise questions.

[5326jan]

I did Alaska with Princess and did a south-bound that left Seward and sailed to Vancouver.

 

If you have the time and $$ I would seriously consider taking a land-tour on the front-end. The interior of Alaska is very different than what you'll see on the cruise.

 

 

Princess is awesome! You can read many positive reports about Princess on the Alaska port of call board, but I am one to sing it's praises! We celebrated our 31st anniversary this summer on the land/sea tour on Coral.

 

There are many other options for formal night. We didn't want to dress up either, so we went to the Horizon's Buffet. The seating for the buffet on the coral is at the front of the ship and it's like being in a huge theater in the round. Eat and watch the beautiful scenery glide by. Amazing!:D

[elbodans]

my husband and i did a celebrity cruise out of vancouver 4 years ago (for our honeymoon) and it was hands down the best trip we've ever taken. ever. i'd go back in a heartbeat, and sail with celebrity again. we also LOVED vancouver--i don't know about the difference in airfare, but we spent three days there before leaving on the cruise, and vancouver still is my favorite city in the world. as for the 'formal' thing, i've found you have two options on a cruise--formal and party. we don't do party (even though it was our honeymoon--we're old souls!) and felt that celebrity was not over the top formal but didn't have the party vibe we were trying to avoid.