Please help me choose which Cruise!

[GatorMomInNC]

I've been thinking about this for a few hours :) There is no way anyone can tell you which is "better", especially since you are not yet sure about your mom joining you. Given THAT (your mom may or may not come with you) I think you need to find the option that works in both scenarios -- with mom and without mom. Which choice gives you the most flexibility to add her or subtract her as needed?

 

I think you also need to consider that if you book her, and then need to cancel her space after final payment date there will be penalties.

 

Yes, this is an issue with HAL. I don't think I can fit 4 of us in any one of the two rooms we booked. So if my mom decides not to come we will still need 2 rooms, which is pretty expensive...

[GatorMomInNC]

11 nights on a Celebrity Solstice Class ship...and with a balcony???!!! In my opinion, this one is a no-brainer.

 

Celebrity also has naturalists on board for these itineraries, and the bow heli-pad is opened for glacier viewing. The Lawn Club is also an excellent area for viewing, not to mention your BALCONY!!!!

 

Yes, Solstice is a larger ship but in my opinion, they are some of the most beautiful ships at sea. HAL has nothing to compare. Again, JMHO. :)

 

Oh, I didn't know they did that. One of the things I have heard about as a negative with Alaska cruising is the crowds on deck, which is why I was hoping for a balcony. I'm guessing that relieves the crowding quite a bit. And that cruise does stop in Victoria, which I've always wanted to go to.

 

Although Celebrity had the largest deposit - over $2k - I can cancel up until June 29th, which is AFTER the other 2 cruises are FINISHED! Maybe I should keep this and go on a 2nd cruise if we love the first :D

[GatorMomInNC]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to give me your advice. It is really helpful to hear from experienced Alaska cruisers. Right now Celebrity Solstice has a slim lead in the poll...

 

Okay, so here's the update. I booked a 2nd room on DCL, so now I have 2 adjoining OV rooms. Both sleep 4, so if my mother doesn't go with us we can go down to one room. The cost was $7300, but with $400 of on board credit (plus I can get another %2-%5 off that price using my Disney Visa or Target/Disney GCs). Also, we would be gold at that point on DCL, so I could book excursions early.

 

So all the cruises are roughly the same price, but Solstice has a longer cruise.

 

We love DCL and I would love to do an Alaska cruise on the Wonder (we've sailed her through the PC and down the California coast). BUT - I think it has the weakest itinerary of any of the cruises. From what I can tell it is only cruising to one glacier. It also has the final payment due first, by February of 2015.

 

I'm hoping that HAL might have some specials and I can get the price down before March 2015 when I have to do final payment. I know they have specials going on for this summer, I just don't know if booking later with a discount is a better deal than booking early. One of the other negatives to HAL for me is that I believe that the way the room is configured you can only see out the window if you stand on the bed, which is a real negative. On DCL you can sit in the window sill (kids) or in a chair (adults) and look out the giant porthole window. The rooms are much bigger on DCL also. And on Celebrity I would have a balcony.

 

Celebrity doesn't have final payment until June, so I can wait and decide on that for a while.

 

All the advice on here has been great - but I still can't decide!!! :confused:

 

I would do the Disney cruise no question if it had the HAL itinerary.

 

I would do the Celebrity cruise no question if it was in June.

 

I would probably do the HAL cruise if it had a balcony and/or a lower price and/or more to do in the evenings. IMHO, from our previous HAL cruise, the nighttime entertainment on HAL was very weak. I think my husband and oldest son are going to want a little more to do. On HAL My younger son would stay in the kids club until they close (I think at 9 or 10pm), but there really wasn't anything to do on the ship as a family after dinner. On DCL, we do things as a family until 11pm, or the kids can be in kids club until midnight while hubby and I can go off on our own. Of course, it could be the same on Celebrity, I am not sure because I have never cruised Celebrity with kids.

 

I think I am going to keep them all booked and wait a few months to decide, then I can just switch all the deposits to one cruise and it will be half paid for! I am also going to call HAL and see about changing to a balcony and an inside for the same price...I really would like to have a balcony, especially for my mom because it is hard for her to get around the ship and she loves to spend time on the balcony.

Edited April 10, 2014 by GatorMomInNC