Princess or Celebrity Alaska cruise ???

[nodan]

Trying to decide between Celebrity and Princess for our 7 day Alaska cruise.

Ships/cruises seem so similar.

Princess goes to Glacier Bay National Park while Celebrity does the Inside Passage.

Princess is a bit more $ but is the Glacier bay National Park worth the extra $.

Your input please.

[Pam in CA]

Yes, Glacier Bay is worth it. That's the primary reason to cruise in Alaska. Princess is one of the few cruiselines permitted to sail there. Princess and HAL are probably the best two cruiselines in Alaska as they get/have the best itineraries, naturalists, park rangers, shore facilities, etc. Taking another cruiseline is just that: taking a ship to Alaska.

[mr green]

Yes, Glacier Bay is worth it. That's the primary reason to cruise in Alaska. Princess is one of the few cruiselines permitted to sail there. Princess and HAL are probably the best two cruiselines in Alaska as they get/have the best itineraries, naturalists, park rangers, shore facilities, etc. Taking another cruiseline is just that: taking a ship to Alaska.

 

Agreed.

 

john

[JJPacer]

Because the S/B goes to Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay. That interested us. I don't recall any other line doing both in the same cruise. Princess does the inside passage. Many of the cruiselines do the inside passage. It was worth the extra $ to us to see both Glaciers.

[jackretired]

Do both. Make it a B2B.

OR

Ship: ms Amsterdam

Embark Port: Seattle, Washington, US Disembark Port: Seattle, Washington, US

 

14 days

 

Seattle, Washington, US

Vancouver Island - Cruising CO

Ketchikan, Alaska, US

Tracy Arm, Alaska, US CO

Juneau, Alaska, US

Icy Strait Point, Alaska, US TR

At Sea

Anchorage, Alaska, US

Homer, Alaska, US

Kodiak, Alaska, US

Hubbard Glacier CO

Sitka, Alaska, US TR

At Sea

Victoria, British Columbia, CA

Seattle, Washington, US

[nodan]

thank you for your reply. what does " Make it a B2B." mean?

Are you suggesting that we take the amsterdam...it doesn't seem to go to glacier bay nationall park which was our concern...whether to book for it or not. we have already been to seattle and victoria and we'd like to go someplace we haven't been before. please clarify.

thank you.

[Tweedy]

thank you for your reply. what does " Make it a B2B." mean?

Are you suggesting that we take the amsterdam...it doesn't seem to go to glacier bay nationall park which was our concern...whether to book for it or not. we have already been to seattle and victoria and we'd like to go someplace we haven't been before. please clarify.

thank you.

 

B2B = back to back = take a northbound, stay on the ship, return southbound :D

[dmwnc1959]

I've done five cruises to Alaska; two on Princess (N/B and S/B), one each on HAL, Celebrity, and Cruise West. Find a ship you are comfortable with. I enjoyed each cruise for different reasons, all we're great in their own right, but Alaska was the dominant reason for the cruise, NOT the ship.

 

Pick the ship whose ports of call suit your desires. Glacier Bay, College Fjord, Hubbard Glacier, and Tracy Arm are the biggest differences in most ship itineraries. Some visit these scenic sights, some don't. Choose the one most important to your adventure. Each one if these natural wonders are amazing and unique, and opinions on which to see, and which one is best/better varies just like opinions on which cruise line is best/better. But it's just that, an opinion.

 

Do some research, use Google and Wikipedia, and look at pictures of these wonders. Make an informed choice based on what you want to see and do, based on research YOU have done. Don't always rely on someone else's opinion.

 

Another aspect to consider is the amount of time you are spending in each port. A half day visit to Juneau may not be enough, and an all day visit in Skagway or Ketchikan may be too much. Balance the port time with what Shore Excursions you expect to do. And don't skimp on these either, as they are the single biggest experiences you will take away from your Alaska cruise.

 

Remember that all cruise ships that do cruises to Alaska cruise the Inside Passage which stretches from Puget Sound to Skagway and Glacier Bay and encompasses tens of thousand of coastline miles in the US and Canada.

 

I've also always favored cruises that were roundtrip Vancouver, or a N/B or S/B cruise that began or ended in Vancouver. The route east of the large Vancouver Island is more scenic, and ships that leave from Seattle typically go to the west of Vancouver Island into open ocean to get to Alaska. The Seattle cruises also often spend a half day (late evening) in Victoria (6pm-?) and this is right over dinner and a wasted stop. Victoria is best seen during the day to enjoy the grand sights and Butchart Gardens.

 

And don't be stuck on thinking you HAVE to have a balcony. I've had suites, inside cabins, and ocean view cabins. Pick a price you are comfortable with an splurge on shore excursions. Spend lots of time topside where the views are 360 degrees and free of charge.

 

Most of all expect to have a great time and expect the weather to be just as unpredictble with rain, sunshine, fog, mist, cold temps in the glacier areas, and 70 degrees in town.*

 

Have a great cruise!

[nodan]

Thank you so very much for your detailed reply. I am still doing the legwork. ..just hoping to find out if Hubbard and Glacier Bay are the same or very much alike. if we see Hubbard is glacier bay going to look the same. i would sill like input on this part of my question.

thank you.

[Assateague Island Princes]

No, Hubbard and GB will not look the same. Hubbard is a huge, massive glacier that spans the entire bay. If your ship can get close without ice conditions being a problem, the calving you'll see is like a 2 hour "show" - with people on all decks oohing and aahing and clapping! I personally prefer Hubbard (even tho I'm probably in the minority). In my four visits there, have only been disappointed with more distant views once. Still, I find it thrilling to see and the sail in and out to the glacier is lovely.

 

GB is a more scenic, tranquil sail in and out - with lots of waterfalls, opportunities to see marine life or bears and/or goats, and the land on either side of the ship close enough that sometimes you think you can touch it! Yes, there are several glaciers there, and they are spectacular as well. If you're lucky you may see (and hear!) some calving as well. It is a National Park and rightly so - truly magnificent.

 

So different experiences and viewing opportunities, certainly. But both, IMHO are gorgeous in their own right and both very much well worth seeing and experiencing! Pick one if you can't find an itinerary with both - and go for it! You'll love it either way!;)

[mickeysgal]

With Princess, only the SB route has Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier. On it's NB route, it has Glacier Bay and College Fjord.

 

We were thinking of a trip out of Vancover since my husband will be there for business.

 

Is College Fjord just as nice as Hubbard?

[dmwnc1959]

Is College Fjord just as nice as Hubbard?

 

I think the word I would use is 'different'.

 

All the glacier areas are really nice; some have much bigger and wider glaciers, more active glaciers, more scenic cruising in the glacier fjord and park, prettier or uglier glaciers, and more dramatic looking glaciers.

 

Like I said before, each area (College Fjord, Hubbard Glacier, Tracy Arm, and Glacier Bay) is wonderful in it's own right. Focus just as much on the port times as you are on the glacier cruising. You'll see glaciers, don't worry. Heck, you can actually drive over in a bus and see a beautiful glacier while docked in Juneau. You can also see the glaciers from a helicopter or float plane (Juneau has the best excursions), land on them, and walk around on them, a dramatic and highly recommended way to see them.

 

Here is a thread with lots of advice and some wonderful pictures I took.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1235054

 

Enjoy!

[mr green]

With Princess, only the SB route has Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier. On it's NB route, it has Glacier Bay and College Fjord.

 

We were thinking of a trip out of Vancover since my husband will be there for business.

 

Is College Fjord just as nice as Hubbard?

 

IMO Collage Fjord is nothing like as good as Hubbard Glacier.

 

john

[bookmama22]

My husband also has a business trip to Vancouver in June and so I have been researching the cruise options. Pretty much have decided on Princess and there are two departures, one on the Coral Princess and one on the Diamond Princess that work around our dates and allowing my husband to spend some time seeing Vancouver. I have done two cruises before, one Western Caribbean on Celebrity in 2002 with entire family and one on HAL to Panama Canal in 2009 and didn't fall in love with cruising either time... but I do want to take the opportunity since in Vancouver anyway although the Costa accident off the coast of Italy has given me second thoughts.... so undecided at this point although I suspect that the cruise ship companies will be emphasizing all safety information on their websites or at least stepping up. I do a lot of research and hard to find specific details beyond all the fluff on the cruise line company websites. Worked with a travel agent for 2002 cruise and did ask alot of questions about security, post 2001.