Alaska cruise, Norwegian vs. Holland, Sitka Vs. Skagway

[cruiser1085]

I'm new to this, so I hope I'm posting in the right place. I'm planning a trip for August 2015 and have narrowed down my choices to two. I've read negative reviews about both ships, so am not sure which to choose.

 

My boyfriend and I are in our late 50's, are laid back, and love the outdoors. I've never been to Alaska, he's fished it, kayaked it, explored it and isn't really a "cruise type" person. I'd love some feedback on Norwegian Pearl versus Holland America Line Westerdam. We don't care to dress up and be "hoity-toity" (although I do enjoy wearing skirts occasionally).From what I've read, the Pearl seems to have more to do, and more restaurants, more entertainment, but is more crowded perhaps and the food not as good? The Westerdam is smaller (perhaps preferable for us) but maybe more upscale with less to do and food choices. The Pearl stops in Skagway, the Westerdam stops in Sitka, which I've heard is really cool and perhaps a "better" stop than Skagway? Both go to Ketchikan, Victoria, Juneau and Glacier Bay, which is why I've narrowed my choices to these two. Also, ideas on where to stay in Seattle? Thanks!

[dancinman66]

I would definitely go western am

Great service and good

Still a fair bit to do although smaller

 

A bit more upmarket yes but not gouty toity

Not bargain basement either

Nice level and usually nice cluentelle your sort of she and a bit older

 

I like both places but would do Sitka

 

 

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[Keith1010]

I would go HAL over NCL but I would check out Princess and Celebrity.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

We have quite a few sailing days on the Westerdam including Alaska.

If you do not wish to dress up on the formal nights, you can always go the Lido buffet for dinner or have dinner delivered to your cabin.

Sitka is still a small town not over taken by jewelry shops. Very quaint.

[Markanddonna]

We sailed the Pearl about four years ago and the Westerdam in 2013. The Pearl was by far our better experience. While Sitka is a cute little town, I believe that Skagway is a sensational stop with lots of history and the opportunity to get into the Yukon for you outdoorsy types. We took the train and then a shuttle van on our first trip to Skagway on the Sun and then rented a car and made the easy drive for the day when we were on the Pearl. Skagway is the highlight of Alaska for us with the gold rush history.

 

We were excited to try the Westerdam as we thought it might be a tad more of an upscale experience. HAL has some real fans who perhaps overstate their experience maybe because they are treated a bit differently as loyalty members. We enjoyed our balcony but black soot kept coming out of our ceiling heating/AC over our bed and fell on our white covers each day and that wasn't pleasant. Our dining service staff were perhaps some of the worst we ever experienced. The food choices were very good, but overall HAL and the Westerdam seemed very typical of mainstream cruises. I didn't find the passengers to be the stereotypical oldsters.

 

The Pearl was a very nice ship and I would not hesitate to book that sailing. When you read reviews, keep in mind that some people are very loyal fans. Some people say that Princess and HAL do Alaska better than the others because they have been there longer. The big difference is that these two lines DO get most of the limited access to Glacier Bay because of the seniority based system Alaska uses which I think is antiquated. The Pearl DOES go to Glacier Bay and the experience is identical except that HAL offers hot pea soup on deck as a tradition. So, that is the tipping point... pea soup. They both have the ranger program which was the same. Only two ships are allowed in Glacier Bay each day.

 

So, that is my take on it.

[Markanddonna]

We found the Pearl to be a pretty active ship and the entertainment was very good. HAL's nightlife ended a bit early and didn't have the same vitality. I remember feeling sorry for some of the bands because just one couple might be dancing.

 

We stayed downtown Seattle the first two times and the best deal was a great catch on Priceline- the Red Lion on 5th and went to the but we stayed closer to the airport last time at the Sleep Inn SeaTac. Their shuttle service was great and the hotel is highly recommended on another major site.

 

Of the major cruiselines, HAL is probably near the bottom for us. We would go on another if the itinerary and price was right, but it usually isn't.

[Cruzaholic41]

 

My boyfriend and I are in our late 50's, are laid back, and love the outdoors. I've never been to Alaska, he's fished it, kayaked it, explored it and isn't really a "cruise type" person. I'd love some feedback on Norwegian Pearl versus Holland America Line Westerdam. We don't care to dress up and be "hoity-toity" (although I do enjoy wearing skirts occasionally).From what I've read, the Pearl seems to have more to do, and more restaurants, more entertainment, but is more crowded perhaps and the food not as good? The Westerdam is smaller (perhaps preferable for us) but maybe more upscale with less to do and food choices. The Pearl stops in Skagway, the Westerdam stops in Sitka, which I've heard is really cool and perhaps a "better" stop than Skagway? Both go to Ketchikan, Victoria, Juneau and Glacier Bay, which is why I've narrowed my choices to these two. Also, ideas on where to stay in Seattle? Thanks!

 

I've been on both of these ships, and have done several Alaska cruises. First, the dressing up part. On the Westerdam formal nights, you will find the vast majority of people dressed up. In fact, if your boyfriend isn't in a black suit, he will feel out of place.

 

However, the service, food and ambiance on Westerdam is far better than on Pearl. Yes, Pearl does have many more options, but the overall feeling aboard NCL ships feels cheap to me.

 

About the itinerary, I'd say it's a toss up between Skagway and Sitka. If you catch Sitka on a sunny day, the view of the volcano is really cool, plus, going to see the bears at Fortress of the Bear is pretty amazing. Skagway, on the other hand, has one of the most popular excursions in Alaska - the White Pass railroad.

 

Overall, I would pick Westerdam between these 2 choices. I would probably lean the other way if the other option wasn't on NCL. NCL and Carnival are the 2 options I never recommend for Alaska.

[cruiserking]

We've sailed on several HAL ships and are think the ships are really beautiful. The service and food are first class. My preference would be the Westerdam for it's elegant surroundings and friendly crew. You will be busy running around in port during the day it's nice to come home to a lovely ship to relax on at night.

 

Jonathan

[Aquahound]

Having just done a HAL cruise to Alaska and having sailed NCL a few times, I recommend the Westerdam. Without getting in to all the specifics, I'll just say it's better. Enjoy. :)

[port msp]

I'm new to this, so I hope I'm posting in the right place. I'm planning a trip for August 2015 and have narrowed down my choices to two. I've read negative reviews about both ships, so am not sure which to choose.

 

My boyfriend and I are in our late 50's, are laid back, and love the outdoors. I've never been to Alaska, he's fished it, kayaked it, explored it and isn't really a "cruise type" person. I'd love some feedback on Norwegian Pearl versus Holland America Line Westerdam. We don't care to dress up and be "hoity-toity" (although I do enjoy wearing skirts occasionally).From what I've read, the Pearl seems to have more to do, and more restaurants, more entertainment, but is more crowded perhaps and the food not as good? The Westerdam is smaller (perhaps preferable for us) but maybe more upscale with less to do and food choices. The Pearl stops in Skagway, the Westerdam stops in Sitka, which I've heard is really cool and perhaps a "better" stop than Skagway? Both go to Ketchikan, Victoria, Juneau and Glacier Bay, which is why I've narrowed my choices to these two. Also, ideas on where to stay in Seattle? Thanks!

 

Welcome! First off, take the reviews with a grain of salt, both positive and negative. Some people are negative about everything, others are cheerleaders for their chosen cruiseline and won't hear a word against it.

Read a bunch of reviews on a particular topic and compute an average. For statistical purposes, we're about a decade your junior.

 

I've sailed NCL once and Holland twice, once to Alaska on the Westerdam. I prefer HAL over NCL. There are lots of restaurants on NCL ships, but everyone seemed to want to eat at the same time, so there was lots of waiting around. Or at least there was when we cruised with them. It has been a while.

Don't sweat the dress code issue on HAL too much. I wouldn't let it be the deciding factor in your choice. Cruising has become a pretty casual, mid-market vacation choice. Cruises are a great value, which is why the number of cruisers goes up every year. What other vacation takes you to beautiful, interesting places, feeds you constantly, provides nice accommodations in beautifully maintained surroundings, and assures your enjoyment, for about $150/day? As much as some want you to believe that you'll feel out of place without a gown /tux/suit/dressy clothes on formal night, that hasn't been our experience on HAL, or any other line. Especially in Alaska. (you'll find that formal night dress code issues are the most contentious topics on CC,along with smoking and tipping, and it seems that HAL devotees have particularly strong opinions on how everyone else should dress. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/images/smilies/tongue.gif Some want to preserve the elegance of the bygone era of the ocean liner in the movie An Affair to Remember, others see formal night as an anachronism of times long past). Which probably tells you where I fall on the spectrum. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

While we have "done" formal night in the past, on two cruises, we're "over" the middle aged prom at sea. We dress well, but casually. It has never been a problem on the 8 cruises we haven't packed the glad rags. We've never been turned away from the dining room.

 

HAL ships tend to be pretty sedate, especially at night. Alaska is a port and activity intensive cruise, so most people tended to turn in early. I'm a night owl and I pretty much had the ship to myself after 11p on Westerdam and Celebrity Infinity. Alaska cruises also attract multi-generation families. You'll see lots of grandparents with their adult children and grandchildren on board whichever ship you choose.

As someone else posted, give Celebrity a look. We did a Celebrity Alaska cruise and had a great time. I've heard good things about Princess cruises to Alaska as well.

Sitka v Skagway? I liked Sitka. There were interesting sites within walking distance of the pier. But Skagway may be my favorite cruise port, Alaska or otherwise. The Gold Rush history is fascinating. The White Pass train may be my favorite excursion in cruising. The scenery is spectacular. Sailing in and out of Skagway provides for great scenery and photo ops.

 

As far as Seattle goes, I like staying downtown. Pick your price range and read reviews on TripAdvisor/Travelocity/Orbitz/CruiseCritic. There's lots to see and do in downtown and it's fairly walkable. If you're interested in Gold Rush history, there's a great Klondike National Park Historic Park in downtown Seattle. It's a small museum and it has a sister site in Skagway.

 

As far as your other ports, this is my unsolicited opinion:

Ketchikan- walk the Fish Creek boardwalk and don't miss Soho Coho gallery

Juneau- whale watch!

Victoria- Butchart Gardens, or just wander downtown and the harbor area

Glacier Bay- a good camera with lots of memory cards. Our first trip to Alaska, we just had point and shoot cameras. We bought a DSLR specifically for our second trip. Instead of a photo of a splash, which is all I got with a point and shoot, I was able to get an action sequence of a baby humpback coming out of the water and splashing down with the DSLR. And make sure you're up and watching during the approach into Glacier Bay. The scenery is breathtaking.

 

Free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it.

[DesertPesce7751]

I'm new to this, so I hope I'm posting in the right place. I'm planning a trip for August 2015 and have narrowed down my choices to two. I've read negative reviews about both ships, so am not sure which to choose.

 

My boyfriend and I are in our late 50's, are laid back, and love the outdoors. I've never been to Alaska, he's fished it, kayaked it, explored it and isn't really a "cruise type" person. I'd love some feedback on Norwegian Pearl versus Holland America Line Westerdam. We don't care to dress up and be "hoity-toity" (although I do enjoy wearing skirts occasionally).From what I've read, the Pearl seems to have more to do, and more restaurants, more entertainment, but is more crowded perhaps and the food not as good? The Westerdam is smaller (perhaps preferable for us) but maybe more upscale with less to do and food choices. The Pearl stops in Skagway, the Westerdam stops in Sitka, which I've heard is really cool and perhaps a "better" stop than Skagway? Both go to Ketchikan, Victoria, Juneau and Glacier Bay, which is why I've narrowed my choices to these two. Also, ideas on where to stay in Seattle? Thanks!

 

Having been to Skagway and Sitka 3 times each, I'd pick Sitka over Skagway any day, hands down. The raptor rescue center is in Sitka and it (along with the small free trail alongside) is not to be missed. There's also a bear cub rescue where orphaned bears are taken in and cared for--you'll get to see them playing, lounging about and eating snacks as you hear about the project. Take the shuttle up to the raptor center and then walk the rest, going through the forest trail and totem park and then meander along and explore the town. Skip the Russian dancers, though. They're very sweet moms who do it as a hobby but it's not really worth taking the time.

 

Skagway is much more commercialized and Sitka will be a pleasant reprieve for you. If you do go to Skagway, though, skip the guided history tours and opt for the nature instead--it is absolutely majestic!

[sail7seas]

Sitka....... wonderful.

 

HAL and Princess are the leaders for Alaska cruises. They have been doing them for so much longer than other lines they have the connections and support staff and infrastructure so in place. They are way ahead of the others IMO for Alaska cruises.

 

[Markanddonna]

One thing to consider is the amount of time you are given in the ports. In Sitka, which is a tender port, you have between 7-3:30. We did the town and the Raptor center which is lovely with the walk. In Skagway, you have between 7 Am to 8 or 8:30. We took the train and the van shuttle the first trip and then the rented car the second. The railroad is amazing if you have never been on one of the old tressel bridges before. Either experience was grand with lots of outdoor adventures. So, Skagway: more options for outdoors people and you are docked right there. I agree that the town isn't the feature but OUTSIDE of the town in the Yukon is fantastic!

 

The Westerdam seemed to have a hard time getting into the port of Victoria and we were delayed, as were the previous sailing in the 2013 season. The captain announced at dinner that we would be arriving 90 minutes late. We had decided that Butchart Gardens wasn't practical based on lots of advice because by the time you get there, it starts getting dark. The folks who went were really disappointed. It is not a short distance from the port. The city itself is lovely.

 

You are very wise to be checking out all aspects of your trip. Comparing times in ports and docking versus tendering (which takes more time) are something new cruisers don't consider.

 

I would like to know the specifics of what advantages Princess and HAL have in Alaska and how that translates into a better experience. I know they have a lock on permits to Glacier Bay and maybe their ships get a slightly better placement on the docks, but that is all I can see from the passengers' point of view. "Knowing more" is relative and varies from person to person.

[Aquahound]

I would like to know the specifics of what advantages Princess and HAL have in Alaska and how that translates into a better experience. I know they have a lock on permits to Glacier Bay and maybe their ships get a slightly better placement on the docks, but that is all I can see from the passengers' point of view. "Knowing more" is relative and varies from person to person.

 

Good question...and thanks for asking. I've never understood that line either. :confused: I can say first hand Princess and HAL do not get better dock space. In fact, having just spent a couple weeks in Juneau, I saw the ships rotating dock locations. In fact, on my recent HAL cruise, we had to tender in Juneau while Celebrity and RCI were at the dock.

 

The permits thing at Glacier Bay is something often mis-stated on these boards. Glacier Bay is a National Park, so it would be illegal for one cruise line to be granted privilege over others. Why other lines haven't added GB to their itineraries is beside me but I can promise you, Princess and HAL don't get the permits because they've been in Alaska longer.

 

In the past 2 years, I cruised Celebrity and HAL to Alaska and frankly, the Millennium had better naturalists on board than the Zuiderdam. There is no other support or infrastructure in place that favors Princess and HAL over any other cruise line.

[Markanddonna]

I had researched this before and wanted to be certain I was correct. HAL and Princess have historical (seniority) rights to the Glacier Bay passes which allows only two ships per day. I think all the ships would want the Glacier Bay passes if it was truly competitive. I think this policy is unfair and continues for a ten year agreement. Sounds like politics to me..

 

I cut and pasted this from the NPS website:

 

Cruise Ship Concession Authorizations

Cruise ship services are authorized under concession contracts. A specific number of entries/use days are allocated to specific Cruise ship concessioners to operate in Glacier Bay during the prime season, June - August. These concessioners then coordinate their scheduling to insure compliance with the daily and seasonal limits. Two Concessioners (Holland/America and Princess Cruises) are currently historical operators, as defined by ANILCA section 1307, which entitles them to non-competitively continue their historic use (seventy-one entries), 36CFR, Sec. 13.305. The remaining entries have been competitively allocated. If you are interested in providing cruiseship services in Glacier Bay during the shoulder season, please contact the concession staff below for information on submitting a proposal.

 

There are currently five companies listed below are authorizationed to provide cruise ship services in Glacier Bay (click on the link to view their concession contracts):

Princess Cruiselines

Holland America, Inc.

Norwegian Cruiselines

Carnival Cruise Lines

Crystal Cruises