Booking for Alaska - stay with Carnival or ??

[ABQrobin]

My husband and I are planning to book a cruise to Alaska this summer. We had been waiting to book as we had a conflict in our schedules we were trying to resolve. So we have not YET booked. Will book next week.

 

We loved our 2 cruises on Carnival and had planned to book with them.... but... the Carnival cruise leaves from Seattle on a Tuesday. Another cruise line we looked at leaves on weekend, which would work easier with our schedules. I was leaning towards booking with one of those. BUT Now reading some of these awful reviews regarding comparison of Carnival to XYZ cruiseline.. we are second guessing. We liked Carnival! We don't want fancy, don't need a butler to wipe our ... you know, we don't want fru fru or sitting at a table with snooty people.

 

On our Magic cruise, we did share a table one night with a very snooty couple who spent the whole dinner complaining that XYZ cruiseline had better food. This couple sat there complaining yet ordered 2 of each course, including side orders of french fries and chicken fingers. Amazing! Real foodies, those two!

Do we really want to be on a ship FULL of people like this?

I would rather sit at a table (like we had many other nights) with loud, middle class happy people who love Carnival. Attitude is everything.

 

What should we do?

[Captain Carnival]

We sailed on Carnival to Alaska last September 2014 and it was awesome; our review is attached below for additional info.

[sailingwithfriends]

We are sailing to Alaska this summer. We decided on RCCL because it is a one-way trip. Several people in our group want to exit the ship and have a land tour of Denali National Park. They plan to stay three extra days. Carnival only has closed loop cruises, so that wouldn't work out.

I have sailed on both cruise lines. There are things I like about each line. I think the issue with your dinner tables mates was just poor luck. Some people are just snobs. Some people just complain a lot. I think you will find that on all the cruise lines. If that happens again, you can request a table change.

I would look at the dates, ports and cost to make my decision. I believe that a trip to Alaska will be great no matter what cruise line you select.

I am anxiously awaiting Carnival's 2016 schedule from Port Canaveral so I can plan my summer cruise for next year. I enjoy trying different ships.

[Missileer]

We have done Alaska a half dozen times. Four with Carnival and two on Princess. Our cruise line of choice is Carnival but we also enjoyed our Princess experiences. There are pros and cons but we think it is what you make it. We will go back this summer on the Legend.

Enjoy.

[crosstown1]

We sailed on Carnival to Alaska last September 2014 and it was awesome; our review is attached below for additional info.

 

We were also on this cruise with the Captain, although I don't recall meeting him, and it was AWESOME!!!! His review was spot-on, so I suggest reading it. I would say that the Alaska cruise was a bit more laid-back from a typical Carnival cruise, but we had a great time, and would do Carnival to Alaska again in a heartbeat!

[Miller_KC]

We had the same problem. Carnival is only scheduling Alaska Tuesday to Tuesday and that does not fit well with our work schedules. We have sailed Carnival a lot and enjoy it but we decided to try Princess for our Alaska cruise.

 

I personally do not worry about reviews since I don't find that my own experience matches many of the reviews. I always seem to have a much better time than people that write reviews.

 

Pick a time and price that works for you and the name on the ship probably won't matter much when all is said and done. Have a GREAT time!

[It's a Ship!!!]

Alaska in general tends to be more laid back and subdued, with a slightly older crowd. Mostly because people are there for Alaska itself more than they are for the ship.

 

Alaska is absolutely amazing, and any cruise line you go on will be great. This is also a great chance to try something new. With the way the prices are in Alaska, Carnival is usually on the more expensive side, so why not try something different for a similar or better price?

 

I've been on several different cruise lines, and I always find something I like better on one that I wish was on all of them. Don't worry about snootiness.

 

I would probably recommend Princess or Celebrity, since the prices are similar to Carnival, so you have an opportunity to try something that would normally be a lot more expensive.

[SadieN]

We liked our two Alaskan cruises on HAL.

[TamaLee]

We have done two Alaska cruises, both on Carnival. However our Alaska cruise next month is on Royal. The reason being that Carnival only offers closed loop cruises.

 

Our first Alaska cruise was NB to Anchorage. The second was a closed loop out of Seattle. I can tell you from experience that the one way, either NB or SB, is a much better cruise for scenery.

 

You will run into people you don't like on any cruise. We have had both on Royal and Carnival. We just make fun of them later. :D

[Georgie562]

I haven't done Alaska yet but when it is time, I would not chose Carnival as my go to line.

 

- because of the Tuesday to Tuesday itinerary. This means missing or using up to 8 work days as opposed to the traditional 5 when leaving on a weekend.

- and just mainly because I think other lines can do Alaska way better than Carnival. I would be interested in a land stay in Alaska so Carnival would not work for me.

[Budget Queen]

Has it already been determined you are choosing round trip Seattle? Have you done some research on Alaska? Is that of any importance to you?

 

There are some very BIG differences, you really need to be aware of with an Alaska cruise selection. In my opinion, 50% of the trip is tours. I suggest you first, find out about the ports that would be of the most interest to you. There are only 6 possible Alaska ports on the inside passage. the glacier sailing is another feature, you may want to be educated with.

 

Some basics- round trip Seattle are the least scenic Alaska cruises, 2 open ocean sea days.

 

Round trip Vancouver can be the most scenic depending on the route.

 

One way, I never recommend unless you are adding time for mainland Alaska touring, with my minium being another week.

 

If you continue with Carnival, know the details about Tracy Arm, with my "necessary" recommendation of a ship add on tour. Otherwise, be accepting of only a partial, distant glacier view. The add on tour is grossly superior to the cruise ship transit.

 

Perhaps, head to your library and get the Alaska travel books, but at the least go to the Alaska port board and read some reviews in the sticky.

 

Know what you are looking at with itineraries and educate yourself on the various options. Then the right choice can be made for you. ;)

[Purvis1231]

We used Holland America and love it. From everything I have read and everyone I have talked to, Carnival is not the best cruise line for Alaska although I am sure you would have a great time but look into Holland and Princess.

[lido deck larry]

The foodies should have realized you don't get Gordon Ramsay at Golden Corral prices. Hope you switched tables.

 

As for Alaska, Carnival is great. If you like them, stick with them.

[katiel53]

We sailed to Alaska twice and both times on NCL. I wanted to go to Glacier Bay and both our cruises did that. If I were to go to Alaska again, I'd definitely sail on NCL.

 

Having said that, there are things to consider if booking them. We normally book a balcony and on NCl we booked a junior suite which in reality was the same size as a standard balcony cabin on Carnival or Royal Caribbean.

 

I thought the food in the MDR was cheap. Too many meals that included hamburger of some sort. The specialty restaurants though were wonderful. Not all were pricey, but if we were to go on NCL again, I'd just plan on the specialty ones as part of the expense of the cruise.

 

The Alaska cruises were our favs and I would do it again in a NY minute. NCL had a lot of things that we liked, so that would be our choice.

[theriac]

I'm booked on the Legend this June. I love Carnival cruises but they were not my first choice when picking a cruise to Alaska. Having said thag, Carnival made the choice very easy when they gave me a pack and play offer for a 4k room in between lifeboats. It was $50 pp and then they're giving us $100 OBC so the cabin was basically free which is giving me the option of going all out on tours.

Like BudgetQueen said I would look at ports first and see which itineraries interest you and if you want to go to Tracy Arm or Glacier Bay. So much research has to go into really picking and then enjoying your cruise. When I eventually go back I will probably do a OW cruise with a land tour added on.

For my first time though I'm happy to be sailing what I know and also for a significantly reduced price then most other cruisers.

[familycruzinnewbie]

We have only cruised twice and both times at the end of April in the Caribbean with Carnival. I tend to book a fair ways in advance as we travel with kids and I was considering cruising NCL late August 2016 to Alaska but decided to go back on the Breeze once more before she moves, which will be quite hot in August. Still poking around checking into Alaska though.

 

So problems I have with Carnival is they only do round trip, they only do Glacier Bay at the beginning and end of season when kiddos are in school and they don't have the best 3rd/4th person rates. I have noticed that the one way trips get quite cheap sometimes closer to sailing but of course air fare would be crazy then. Also wonder about cruise tour options if you do a one way as if you book that option with the ship it is crazy expensive. As for the cruise itself what do you see while cruising versus on your excursions.

[hughdm]

Princess is really in their element in Alaska. Glacier Bay is one of the most awesome experiences one can have on a cruise ship. Check out Princess cruises from Vancouver that do Glacier Bay.

[sillychicky]

Sailing on Legend June 30th. My brother is going with a different cruise line and paid waaaay more than you will with CCL. I got a casino pack n play offer for $120 for a balcony that I couldn't pass up. My mother-in-law went with Celeb cruises and said she hated it other than the scenery of course, because of the snooty people and hoity toity atmosphere. I like nice things but not for a much higher price and not when it comes with poor attitudes. If you can make it work, I say stay with what you know. If you can't make it work find a great price and go with whatever line fits. :)

[pusywillow]

I did Alaska in June on Princess and went to Glacier Bay. It was the best!

[xeroxme]

We did Princess Diamond southbound from Whittier to Vancouver. It is still our favorite of all cruises. We even had the Declaration of Independence on board while docked in Juneau. The nicest people ever on any cruise and I believe that is due to how Alaska effects you. In place like Glacier National Park park rangers come on board and answer questions etc. Truly a unique experience.

Im sure you will like Carnival or any of the cruises that go there. The itinerary is what will be more important than the cruise line. If you can afford it Alaska is the one cruise you want to have a balcony stateroom. DW and i had an aft stateroom on the corner giving us spectacular views from our stateroom and when at the glaciers you will hear and see the glaciers calve ice into the Ocean. If you can't do Balcony try to at least get an ocean view. There is something to see almost all the time.

 

Alaska is not for everyone; it's not a beach vacation. But for us it has been the most memorable and enjoyable cruise we have ever been on and we hope to do it again soon! Have a great time!

[Lerin]

Snobs are everywhere, including Carnival.

It sounds like the other line fits your schedule better, may want to give them a try. Who is it?

[Tapi]

We liked Carnival! We don't want fancy, don't need a butler to wipe our ... you know, we don't want fru fru or sitting at a table with snooty people.

 

Do we really want to be on a ship FULL of people like this?

 

I would rather sit at a table (like we had many other nights) with loud, middle class happy people who love Carnival. Attitude is everything.

 

What should we do?

 

 

You're right. Attitude is everything. And IMHO, limiting yourself to one cruise line because you think that every other one is snooty is NOT the right attitude. Just like its FAR from the truth to label every person that sails on Carnival as "loud and happy middle class", it's very short sighted to label every person that sails on other cruise lines as "snooty and uptight".

 

By sailing to Alaska you're showing an interest to visit new places and try new things. That means that it may be time to get out of your "Carnival" comfort zone. This won't be a Caribbean cruise with a bunch of "average middle class" people on a budget who drive to the port, even if you sail on Carnival.

 

Try new cruise lines, meet new people. You may find that people that are not quite like you can be truly fascinating. When we sailed on Princess for our last cruise, we sat at a table with a young and fun couple from Australia on a month long honeymoon, a hilarious globe trotting retired couple from Canada, and 2 friends on their 4th cruise for the year who were getting ready to head to Venice, Italy for their 5th cruise aboard the Regal Princess' inaugural sailing. And then there was us, whose most recent travel experience was driving the kids to Legoland! Everybody's life stories were all so interesting, and yes, we laughed a lot even though we were all so different. Nobody sat there with a chip on their shoulder or a stick up their bottom. Having the right attitude made us truly enjoy the experience.

 

We chose Holland America for our first cruise to Alaska in big part because of the weekend departure and because of the visits to Glacier Bay and Sitka. It was an absolutely wonderful experience and we don't regret one minute of it. And even though Holland markets itself as being a more sophisticated and upscale cruise line (and they are), fellow cruisers were young, old, couples, singles, families, traveled, not so traveled, polished a bit rough around the edges, and everything in between. A little bit of everything, JUST like Carnival!

 

Go with the right attitude and you'll have an awesome time. Go with an uptight and short sighted attitude and you won't.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Tapi

[MCFTJCH2V]

Please note this is second hand input.everyone I know that have done both have always said to do Alaska with anyone but Carnival.

 

Those that have only done Carnival there however do not know the difference.

[sprint180]

I thought I already posted but don't see it. So sorry if this is a repeat.

 

I sailed to Alaska twice once in 2013 on Princess with my husband. We are 44 and 45. And once last summer with my kids on NCL.

I preferred Princess with my husband, More relaxing. NCL with my kids, a bit more active. My kids said they couldn't tell the difference between NCL and Carnival. I also thought they were alike.

I doesn't matter which line you choose I really don't think you can have a bad cruise to Alaska. Find one that fits your schedule and enjoy!!!! If you can afford I'd go with a balcony. But, there are plenty of places to watch from deck if you have an inside.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2082479

 

Here is my review of NCL trip. There are a few Princess pics on there too. Maybe this would help a bit.

Edited April 3, 2015 by sprint180

[kicia]

Although we're Diamond on Carnival we chose Holland America for our Alaska cruise this July. This will be our first HAL cruise and we're looking forward to it. The primary reason for choosing HAL, with Princess as our second choice, was because of the one way itinerary with optional land tours. We debated between the two cruise lines because they are the premier cruise lines in Alaska. We finally chose HAL because we will be considered past guests even though we have never sailed them, because we have sailed on other Carnival owned lines. We did not want to sail from/to Seattle even though the air would be a lot cheaper. The water is smoother sailing to/from Vancouver and we're sailing with four other couples.

 

Both of those cruise lines would be good and we'll see how we like HAL. We have sailed on Princess one other time and that would have been good too.

 

Carnival sticks with Seattle because of the cheaper airfare and not needing passports. We have been to Alaska strictly on land vacations three times and think the land portion is just as important as the water portion.

 

We're doing the land portion from Fairbanks first and we're flying in two days early and sailing from Seward. We're staying in Vancouver for three nights after the cruise and flying home from there.

 

Whatever you choose, make sure you take advantage of excursions to see more of this beautiful state.