Please compare rccl to princess--Alaska

[hotrock]

I've been told that since Princess has been going to Alaska longer, it provides the best experience. RCCL is my favorite line and I am always inclined toward it if I can find my desired itnerary. Should I make an exception this time just because I want to see Alaska?

[Loonbeam]

Are you looking at a cruise only or cruise tour? If you are doing a land portion, I think Princess has the best operation there. (Disclaimer, I have not done RCCL Alaska, but I don't think they have their own lodges and train cars, Princess does.)

 

 

 

If just a cruise, less of a difference, just look for an itinerary that includes glacier bay on either line.

 

I've been told that since Princess has been going to Alaska longer, it provides the best experience. RCCL is my favorite line and I am always inclined toward it if I can find my desired itnerary. Should I make an exception this time just because I want to see Alaska?

[hotrock]

Thanks for the inof. I only have 7 days so can't do the cruisetour. We really hope to see glacier bay either way, but can't decide on which line offers the most "Bang for our Buck". Unless someone can give me a reason to switch to Princess, I guess I'll just stay with Royal. It's always worked for me in the Caribbean.

[chipmaster]

IMHO longer is not better, but if you miss Glacier Bay or get it say really early or late in the day it would be missing the highlight.

 

Pay special attention to scencic cruising time and port time. HAL/Princess do seem to have the lock on the best slots due to their larger presence in this location.

 

Lots is made about onboard naturalists etc. Perhaps others can chime in but I believe every ship that sails it do have some sort of narration and I doubt an cruiseline has a lock on the best, unless they are paying a lot more.

 

I've been told that since Princess has been going to Alaska longer, it provides the best experience. RCCL is my favorite line and I am always inclined toward it if I can find my desired itnerary. Should I make an exception this time just because I want to see Alaska?

[hotrock]

IMHO longer is not better, but if you miss Glacier Bay or get it say really early or late in the day it would be missing the highlight.

 

Pay special attention to scencic cruising time and port time. HAL/Princess do seem to have the lock on the best slots due to their larger presence in this location.

 

Lots is made about onboard naturalists etc. Perhaps others can chime in but I believe every ship that sails it do have some sort of narration and I doubt an cruiseline has a lock on the best, unless they are paying a lot more.

 

Thanks for your help. Alaska is one itinerary we have been wanting to experience for quite a while. I'll be searching the boards for what to expect once I get my cruise booked. :)

[billsgal]

We have done both Princess and RCI cruisetours, and loved them both. However, we preferrred the Royal Caribbean one to Princess, for a number of reasons.

 

Royal does have it's own buses and train cars and we stayed at beautiful lodges. All of the cruiselines rail cars are attached to the Alaskan Railroad locomotive.

 

I prefer the Royal Caribbean ships to Princess ships, but either one will provide a wonderful trip for you. Take whatever itinerary bests suits you. If you can do a one way northbound or southbound trip, you will see more than you'd see with a roundtrip from Seattle. The Radiance is a wonderful ship for viewing all of ALaska......it has so much glass and you can always see the scenery going by.

 

Alaska is a wonderful trip, enjoy!

 

Rita

[negc]

Among the reasons we preferred our RCI Alaska cruise tour to the one we experienced with Princess (although we were pleased with our Princess tour), were: 1) the inclusion of a dedicated tour guide and bus driver who added considerably to our enjoyment of the trip; 2) the provision of the superior Tundra Wilderness tour in Denali in place of the shorter and less appealing Natural History tour provided by Princess, and the ability to add a rail transfer from Anchorage to the ship in Seward (IMO the best rail portion of the entire trip) for $25 a person. Princess' lodges while adequate were, again in my opinion, more bare bones facilities than the lodging offered by Royal Caribbean and having been to both Glacier Bay (on Princess) and Hubbard Glacier (on Royal Caribbean) I am hard pressed to state that one is significantly better than the other. You should have a great time whichever you choose, but I would compare the costs and if most other things are pretty much equal, I would strongly recommend Radiance of the Seas, especially since it has undergone such an extensive revitalization only last Spring.:)

[klingoncruiser]

I have done both (several times). I give the edge to RCI on ship design. I just don't like Princess food. It is too European for me. (HOWEVER... food is so subjective, you might find you like Princess food. Princess buffet area is a joke on design.)

 

I do give Princess some real high marks at times on ports and ect. However... I have found that Hubbard Glacier is much more impressive than Glacier Bay. Glacier does have the edge on wildlife.

 

Past that, there is not much difference. You will not go wrong on either one. This summer will be our 23 year in a row there. Be careful, this can become an addiction as you will quickly realize that there is NO way to see Alaska (even with a cruise tour that you can't take this year) in 7 or even 14 days.

[tiggypooo]

For those that have stayed in both Princess's Lodge and Royal's Alaskan Lodge, is the Royal Caribbean Lodge not hard to get to.

I heard complaining that it was on the top of a hill.

How would that be for senior (Near 80) guests?

Thanks

[negc]

For those that have stayed in both Princess's Lodge and Royal's Alaskan Lodge, is the Royal Caribbean Lodge not hard to get to.

I heard complaining that it was on the top of a hill.

How would that be for senior (Near 80) guests?

Thanks

 

I assume that you are asking about the Grande Denali Lodge where we stayed last year when we were on an RCI southbound cruise tour. The Royal Caribbean bus will take you up that hill and deliver you right to the lodge. Not hard to get to at all and the views from the top of the hill are spectacular. Transportation for any expeditions would be included as well. We went directly from the train to Denali for the Tundra Wilderness tour and when it was over, the RCI motorcoach met us and took us to the lodge where we stayed overnight. The following morning the motor coach picked us up and took us back to the train and met us again when we reached Talkeetna. Our luggage traveled on the motor coach the entire trip and was delivered to and picked up from our room at each stop along the way.:)

[Familygoboston]

We took Princess even though we are more Royal cruisers because of the Glacier Bay National Park and the on board Park Rangers while in the park. I've heard Hubbard Glacier gives you a very similar experience with out the Rangers, and I'm sure there must be a Naturalist on board!

Beware the Princess kids program if that matters to you- we were told that the kids would do JR Ranger activities and watch the glaciers calve in GB, in fact no Ranger was there and some kids whined about being bored and the whole group was herded to an interior play area. My daughters were very disappointed.

Otherwise, I think it's just what you prefer, whether you must see the National Park but if you have a comfort level with Royal- you might enjoy it more!

[skandls]

Princess does College Fjiord (bad spelling). And that was so spectacular. I was dressing for dinner and looked out and saw the glacier after glacier passing by. Not to be missed. We did a land tour with them - and it was great. Make sure to read the Alaska boards so you know what to expect and what to book.

[tiggypooo]

Thanks so much negc. That's exactly the information that I was looking for... :)

[PINEVIEW01]

If just a cruise, less of a difference, just look for an itinerary that includes glacier bay on either line.

I tell every one the same thing. I had two cruises held at the same time and was watching prices when someone from the Princes told me this. It was the best advise I was every given.

 

I believe Princess is the only way to go. I will be doing another on as soon as I can get the DH to leave the animals that long.

[Ashland]

We compared and the northbound on RCI Radiance was the one for us and the one we'll do again...We also found that the ship offered train transfers from Seward to the Anchorage airport ended up to be one of the highlights..Enjoy what ever you decide..it's ALASKA !!!

[Miss Fig]

We compared and the northbound on RCI Radiance was the one for us and the one we'll do again...We also found that the ship offered train transfers from Seward to the Anchorage airport ended up to be one of the highlights..Enjoy what ever you decide..it's ALASKA !!!

 

Northbound is definitely the way to go - we did it on the Radiance 2 years ago, just beautiful. We did luck out & have 80 degree sunny weather, so I'll have to wait til that memory fades before I repeat it.

 

I didn't care for Princess b/c I saw them have to tender in a few ports. Radiance never tendered, except ISP.

 

And I agree the AK Railroad transfer from Seward to Anchorage was one of our highlights but we booked it private "Goldstar" level and it was awesome. Guide on board, open cars for sightseeing & photos & glass roofs /windows for incredible visibility in the cars. IT was way nicer than the private cars RCI offered and my TA tried to book me on. Go private, it's better!