Celebrity or Princess Alaska?

[Nanny2Trey]

Getting ready to book an Alaska cruise with cruise tour. Was planning to do Celebrity but have heard one should go with Princess for Alaska. Can anyone help me with info regarding the difference between these two lines for Alaska?

 

Thanks

Linda

[koolforkatz]

Celebrity is my line of choice, but i think Princess does Alaska better, and I have sailed with both. Their itineraries are nicer, in my opinion. Whoever you choose, I would also recommend sailing out of Vancouver versus Seattle so you can experience the Inside Passage. It is gorgeous.

 

 

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[az_tchr]

Do the Summit out of Vancouver or Seward. Magnificent. Princess train is a waste of $$. Do that on your own.

[huskerc]

Princess can do glacier bay and IMO this is not to be missed--I say this as someone who is doing the Solstice Alaska cruise later this year.

[neverbeenhere]

Surveys say: Princess.

[Cruise Junky]

Definitely Princess with Glacier Bay for Alaska. Celebrity is a great line but Princess comes out on top for Alaska at least for your first time.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Coral Princess southbound from Whittier (Anchorage) to Vancouver -- includes both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, as well as all the usual port stops (with no tenders). This ship is perfect design for Alaska -- many many public viewing areas front and rear plus full promenade deck, much better than being stuck with the limited view from your balcony. I agree that the train is not a great way to see the interior, but Princess offers many choices of pre-cruise excursion to Denali -- or if you are willing to do the research (and driving) you can do this even better on your own (as we did). See the Alaska forum on Cruise Critic for lots of great advice about this [pay special attention to any advice from Budget Queen].

Here is my review for one person's experience:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1877302

[itzmered]

Coral Princess southbound from Whittier (Anchorage) to Vancouver -- includes both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, as well as all the usual port stops (with no tenders). This ship is perfect design for Alaska -- many many public viewing areas front and rear plus full promenade deck, much better than being stuck with the limited view from your balcony. I agree that the train is not a great way to see the interior, but Princess offers many choices of pre-cruise excursion to Denali -- or if you are willing to do the research (and driving) you can do this even better on your own (as we did). See the Alaska forum on Cruise Critic for lots of great advice about this [pay special attention to any advice from Budget Queen].

Here is my review for one person's experience:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1877302

 

We have done this one twice and it is so worth it! Glacier Bay is the highlight of the trip.

[Northern Aurora]

As someone who lives in Alaska I see folks on Princess cruisetours during the summer, and those folks looked very herded/controlled to me. For example, the McKinley View, Copper River and Cooper Landing Princess hotels are located such that folks are either stuck on the properties or need to purchase a Princess (versus using a private tour operator) excursion.

 

I also think that it is important to see a major glacier, but would point out that the glaciers in Glacier Bay are retreating (ie, becoming smaller) while Hubbard is advancing.

 

The Alaska Cruise Critic forum is filled with advice, with several Alaskans posting regularly. There is a definite prejudice toward DIY land tours on that forum, which I admit I share, as Alaska is very easy to navigate on your own.

[joetop2467]

Definitely Princess. Fly to Anchorage and tour it on your own. Rent s car a d drive to Kenai Peninsula and go on a tour there. Most beautiful place I have seen. Tons of wildlife. Then drive to Mt. McKinley also on your own. Then get on a Princess bus in Anchorage that will take you to the ship. End in Vancouver and spend another day there. This trip will give you everything at the best cost and be the trip of a lifetime. Princess owns most of the infrastructure in Alaska and will be your best bet because you will get into Glacier Bay with great naturalists onboard.

[Lois R]

Do the Summit out of Vancouver or Seward. Magnificent. Princess train is a waste of $$. Do that on your own.

 

Good morning:) Summit has not done Alaska for many, many years.

Millennium is the one that sails the Seward route. Infinty sails

Vancouver roundtrip and Solstice does Seattle roundtriip.

[LuAnn]

Different strokes for different folks right?

 

We have cruised to Alaska 4 or 5 times...on both lines. If you are including a land portion offered by the cruise line I would choose Princess..because they own their own lodges and trains and have the entire process down to a science. The train ride up to Denali and back down to Mt. McKinleyand then Whittier we enjoyed..each car has it's own personal guide and in the lower portion there is a place to have lunch and there is a bar in each car as well. One of our guides use to be Sarah Pallin's babysitter!! :eek: Personally I would also do the land tour first and then the cruise...but that is just my preference.

 

The Coral Princess is one of their older ships..so be sure you look at the pics and are prepared for the décor/look! And try and have Vancouver in the mix..it is such a beautiful city and the Inside Passage is great too!! Enjoy which ever you choose!! LuAnn

[zalusky]

We did the Princess Land Tour and Coral cruise last summer.

The Coral was OK but it is definitely old.

 

Our Tour guide definitely missed the boat so to speak. Our documents were not available when we arrived in Fairbanks. My wife felt sick when she arrived and we wanted to get to an ER to have her checked out before we got in the back country. The tour guide was not around the first night. The Hotel was great and paid for a taxi to and from the local ER.

 

My wife was is also immune suppressed and on the final night at McKinley lodge they had a get together. We asked about that as she needs to watch the sun and the tour guide said there would be umbrellas. Of course there were not. So she said you can stand in the shade by one of the buildings rather than try to do any accommodation. Princess also could have done a better job of communicating that you will not always get your queen bed as some of the lodges dont have enough.

 

That being said, the hotel people were great and I thought the train ride was very pretty. If I did the tour again I would skip the 8 hour "Tundra Wilderness Tour" and pay for a flight in and out of the mountain. Those that did it raved about it and you wind up having more time for other stuff in the park.

 

If we did Alaska again I would try Celebrity Solstice or a round trip out of my home port of San Francisco.

[Host Jazzbeau]

If I did the tour again I would skip the 8 hour "Tundra Wilderness Tour" and pay for a flight in and out of the mountain. Those that did it raved about it and you wind up having more time for other stuff in the park.

 

This is why the advice on the Alaska forum is so strongly against doing ANY ship's Land Tours -- the itineraries force you to choose between things like this. If you DIY you can do the even-better Park bus deep into the park (while staying in Healy) AND do a flight seeing tour from Talkeetna (which is a much more interesting town to stay in than either "Glittler Gulch" or the inconveniently-located Princess McKinley Lodge. Also the viewpoints from the road are at least as good as on the train, and you can pull over at many View Points and take all the pictures you want (with you in the them!).

[Shake]

A year ago my wife told me that compared to Celebrity to please not book future cruises with Princess, she was done sailing with the dated Princess ships.

 

Overall reason was the older and very dated Princess ships. I would agree with her, the lounges, specialty restaurants, casino, MDR, internet café, theater, sky walkers, room features, pretty much you name it, etc. are beyond dated.

 

Going to stay away from Princess unless one of their new boats, and I doubt this will happen anytime soon, arrives on the west coast for Alaska. :cool:

[Stateroom_Sailor]

If I could only cruise Alaska once, I would probably do it on Holland America. I don't find the atmosphere on Princess all that appealing to me personally, at least from watching videos. HAL goes to Glacier Bay and has fantastic land tours as well.

[wallie5446]

Getting ready to book an Alaska cruise with cruise tour. Was planning to do Celebrity but have heard one should go with Princess for Alaska. Can anyone help me with info regarding the difference between these two lines for Alaska?

 

Thanks

Linda

 

For a cruise/tour, Princess land portion is hard to beat as they have their own facilities.

[kelmac]

Linda,

 

We did a 23 day Alaskan adventure!

 

I would take a Princess or Holland America ship northbound; spend 3 -- 7 days in mainland Alaska (we did Kenai, Anchorage and ocean areas off the coast); then take a Celebrity ship southbound. One night pre/post cruise in Vancouver.

 

No open jaw flights and our trip cost less than a 12 day Land/Cruise offered by Princess or Celebrity. We stayed at three different hotels in Alaska, including a Princess Lodge. The car rental was a bit expensive, but one way cruises north and south are less expensive compared to the R/T's out of Seattle.

 

You can do the train, shore excursions, Denali…, all on your own for less money.

 

I thought Hubbard Glacier was better than Glacier Bay. (IMHO)

 

Enjoy!

Kel

[vulcan1971]

Linda,

 

 

 

We did a 23 day Alaskan adventure!

 

 

 

I would take a Princess or Holland America ship northbound; spend 3 -- 7 days in mainland Alaska (we did Kenai, Anchorage and ocean areas off the coast); then take a Celebrity ship southbound. One night pre/post cruise in Vancouver.

 

 

 

No open jaw flights and our trip cost less than a 12 day Land/Cruise offered by Princess or Celebrity. We stayed at three different hotels in Alaska, including a Princess Lodge. The car rental was a bit expensive, but one way cruises north and south are less expensive compared to the R/T's out of Seattle.

 

 

 

You can do the train, shore excursions, Denali…, all on your own for less money.

 

 

 

I thought Hubbard Glacier was better than Glacier Bay. (IMHO)

 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Kel

 

 

Great advice, thanks!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6 Plus on the T-Mobile 4G LTE Network using Tapatalk Pro

[zalusky]

FYI, Celebrity will book in Princess lodges for some of their land tours.

[fleckle]

I would take a Princess or Holland America ship northbound; spend 3 -- 7 days in mainland Alaska (we did Kenai, Anchorage and ocean areas off the coast); then take a Celebrity ship southbound. One night pre/post cruise in Vancouver.

 

No open jaw flights and our trip cost less than a 12 day Land/Cruise offered by Princess or Celebrity. We stayed at three different hotels in Alaska, including a Princess Lodge. The car rental was a bit expensive, but one way cruises north and south are less expensive compared to the R/T's out of Seattle.

 

You can do the train, shore excursions, Denali…, all on your own for less money.

 

I thought Hubbard Glacier was better than Glacier Bay. (IMHO)

 

Enjoy!

That's a great way to do it.

 

Even better, taking a Princess cruise northbound you can include a Prince William Sound tour at Whittier, and then additionally enjoy a wonderful Kenai Fjords tour at Seward before boarding the Celebrity ship for the southbound cruise.

(Or do them in reverse.)

 

We also prefer cruising Hubbard Glacier to cruising Glacier Bay on a day when the captain gets your ship in close to Hubbard Glacier and it is actively calving, putting on a spectacular show complete with booming sound effects.

That can be much more impressive and entertaining than any of the glaciers at Glacier Bay.

 

But if your ship is scheduled to visit Hubbard Glacier on a day when it does not get in close to the glacier, for whatever reason, it can be very disappointing.

 

 

On Celebrity cruises that go to Hubbard Glacier, passengers who also want to see Glacier Bay can do so by booking a flightseeing excursion over Glacier Bay from any of the nearby ports.

If you are lucky and the weather cooperates, you can have the best of both that way and you get to see much more of Glacier Bay from the air than can be seen from a cruise ship.