Freestyle ?s for Alaska Trip

[kmgl]

I am still trying to decide on which cruise line to use for a trip to Alaska. NCL caught my eye because of the freestyle dining (I think it would be nice not to have to pack extra clothes for formal dining). However, I have also heard that the food is not that good unless you eat at the places that have additional charges. I do not want to pay additional money to eat; are the places that are included really that bad?

 

We are interested in the 7 day round trip from Seattle. I noticed that the 7 day round trip from Vancouver is less expensive. Is there a reason for this?

 

Any other information you can give me would be appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[alderaniandad]

Here's my take. Only 2 lines in Alaska offer open dining aboard - NCL and Princess. I consider both equal in quality. Freestyle is a very good concept for the Alaska market as passengers are apt to book multiple tours at each port and get back to the ship a varying hours. We were on Dream for 11 days and found the food to be verrry good - some evenings -- outstanding. Le Bistro would be equal to Tavern On The Green in New York. The "free" restaurants would be a cut above some of the chain restaurants like Applebee's or Marie Callenders. Each ship is a bit different. I personally looked forward to dining aboard.

One of the big issues for me was the port scheduling. I found the NCL ships tended to spend more hours in port than the other lines. Some of the other ships arrived after us and turned around and left before we did. It is all about personal choice. Another consideration is how many other ships are in port with you. I can get crowded.

Be versitle in choosing clothing. Weather is unpredictable and can range from cold and wet to summerlike. We were fortunate to have summerlike weather for the whole trip. Only rain we got was after we left the ports and then again not that much. The trip after us was wetter. Dress in layers and be prepared for change.

Alaska is absolutely breathtaking in its beauty and abundant wildlife. There are lots of reviews on this board regarding ports of call and ships - Might be worthwhile looking them up.

Have fun.

We will be going back again but will wait for the 11 day itinerary to return. Fantastic trip!!

[Len3]

My husband and I sailed on the Sun Princess (Inside Passage) this past August and we wouldn't even consider another line for this one. Only Princess will take you to Glacier Bay (a true highlight) and only Princess offers a shore excursion to Neets Bay to watch the bears feeding on salmon - we must have seen 50 bears - remarkable. The food on Princess was just wonderful and their Personal Choice dining works just great. Princess seems to do Alaska better than anyone.

We are booked on the Norwegian Spirit for February, but that's doing the caribbean. For Alaska, I wouldn't give my $$$ to anyone other than Princess. Just my opinion.

[1cruiselvr]

My 2 cents is go with Princess too. NCL does Alaska ok but their food in the DR is about cafeteria quality. The only decent meals we had were in the alternative pay restaurants. Happy Sailing!

[SailAways]

We did the Spirit in September to Alaska.

The Spirit is a gorgeous ship, and should be better since the dry dock refurb.

We had absolutely no problem with the dining areas or the food.

What we liked about the food was, if you didn't like something in one place, you had many others to choose from.

We liked to sit in Raffles a little longer, by a window, sipping a cup of coffee and enjoying the scenery.

This was our one and only cruise, so we have no comparison. We would do NCL again in a heartbeat as we truly loved Freestyle.

We also loved the time spent in ports - we never felt rushed to get back to the ship; we had plenty of time.

Alaska is awesome - so choose the itinerary which suits you best.

Happy Cruising To You! :)

[zimmerjulie]

Only Princess will take you to Glacier Bay (a true highlight)

\

So true that Glacier Bay is a highlight, however, Princess is not the only line that will take you there. We sailied the Glacier Bay itinerary on the Norwegian Star in 04 and it was fantastic. We also sailed the Spirit on the Tracy Arm itinerary last summer and also had a great time. I considered the food in the main dining venues to be good to excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed each meal on these two ships and the other two NCL ships that I have sailed recently. I thought the food on Princess was similarly good.

 

My guesses on why the NCL cruises may be cheaper from Vancouver:

1) The Wind (from Vancouver) is an older ship

2) To offset extra expenses of international travel if they need to make these sailings more attractive

 

Good luck with your decision!

[electricron]

Princess isn't the only cruise line to sail into Glacier Bay. All the cruise lines do, just not with every ship. The Star cruises into Glacier Bay National Park, but it is the only Norwegian ship that does.

As for Neets Bay, you're probably correct. But one can see Bears in other Alaskan locales too. Also, the Star usually doesn't sail the Inside Passage.

 

Here's the Star's 2006 Alaskan itinerary:

7-Day Glacier Bay - Norwegian Star 2006: May 7†, 21, 28; Jun 4, 18, 25; Jul 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; Aug 13, 20, 27; Sep 3, 10, 17

Day Port Arrive Depart

Sun. Seattle, Washington - - 5:00pm

Mon. Cruise The Inside Passage - - - -

Tue. Juneau, Alaska 2:00pm 10:00pm

Wed. Cruise Glacier Bay - - - -

Thu. Skagway, Alaska 7:00am 8:00pm

Fri. At sea - - - -

Sat. Victoria, British Columbia 3:00pm Midnight

Sun. Seattle, Washington 7:00am* - -

†Please note: The May 7 sailing will depart Seattle, Washington on Sunday at 10:00pm and continue as scheduled. It will arrive in Juneau, Alaska on Tuesday at 5:00pm.

7-day Glacier Bay - Norwegian Star 2006: May 14

Day Port Arrive Depart

Sun. Seattle, Washington - - 4:00pm†

Mon. Cruise The Inside Passage - - - -

Tue. Juneau, Alaska 2:00pm† 10:00pm

Wed. Skagway, Alaska 7:00am 8:00pm

Thu. Cruise Glacier Bay - - - -

Fri. Ketchikan, Alaska 6:00am 1:30pm

Sat. Victoria, British Columbia 6:00pm 12:00am

Sun. Seattle, Washington 7:00am* - -

7-day Glacier Bay - Norwegian Star 2006: Jun 11; Aug 6

Day Port Arrive Depart

Sun. Seattle, Washington - - 4:00pm

Mon. Cruise The Inside Passage - - - -

Tue. Juneau, Alaska 2:00pm 10:00pm

Wed. Skagway, Alaska 7:00am 8:00pm

Thu. Cruise Glacier Bay - - - -

Fri. Prince Rupert, British Columbia 9:00am 4:00pm

Sat. Victoria, British Columbia 6:00pm 12:00am

Sun. Seattle, Washington 7:00am - -

 

Here's the 2006 Dawn Princess itinerary (7 Days)

Day Port Arrival Departure

1 Seattle, Washington 4:00 PM

2 At Sea

3 Juneau, Alaska 1:00 PM 10:00 PM

4 Skagway, Alaska 6:00 AM 8:15 PM

5 Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska (Scenic Cruising) 9:00 AM 1:00 PM

6 Ketchikan, Alaska 5:30 AM 12:30 PM

7 Victoria, British Columbia 7:30 PM 11:59 PM

8 Seattle, Washington 7:00 AM

Here's the 2006 Sun Princess itinerary (7 Days)

Day Port Arrival Departure

1 Seattle, Washington 4:00 PM

2 At Sea

3 Ketchikan, Alaska 6:30 AM 4:30 PM

4 Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska (Scenic Cruising) 6:00 AM 10:00 AM

4 Juneau, Alaska 1:30 PM 10:00 PM

5 Skagway, Alaska 6:00 AM 5:00 PM

6 At Sea

7 Victoria, British Columbia 5:00 PM 11:59 PM

8 Seattle, Washington 7:00 AM

Here's the 2006 Regal Princess itinerary (10 Days)

Day Port Arrival Departure

1 San Francisco, California 4:00 PM

2 At Sea

3 At Sea

4 Sitka, Alaska 12:00 PM 7:00 PM

5 Juneau, Alaska 8:00 AM 11:00 PM

6 Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska (Scenic Cruising) 6:00 AM 4:30 PM

7 Ketchikan, Alaska 10:00 AM 7:00 PM

8 At Sea

9 Victoria, British Columbia 6:00 AM 2:00 PM

10 At Sea

11 San Francisco, California 6:00 AM

 

What's the major differences? To see Glacier Bay National Park on a Princess ship, you have to book a 10 day cruise from San Francisco, vice the 7 day cruise on the Star from Seattle. Even with three extra days of cruising, the Princess ships itinerary has 5 ports (including GBNP) while the Star has 4 to 5 ports, depending on which date you choose.

Now tell me which is the better deal?

[cruisingfromMN]

We love the food on the Star and all NCL ships. Please search further on this board and I think that you will find both positive, negative and everything in between for both Princess and NCL in regards to food. I have included a link to my review of our Alaska Cruise on the Star this past summer.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=221079

 

We've been on the Star three times and are thinking about booking her again for the Mexican Riviera!

[alderaniandad]

Regarding Glacier Bay. When we were there in July, Seven Seas Mariner was pulling out followed by Oosterdam. We (Dream) were in along with Serenade Of The Seas. So, bottom line, Princess is not exclusive to Glacier Bay. My issue with Princess is short port calls. I considered Regal Princess out of SFO but the intinerary was not nearly as good as NCL from Seattle. Also, I am not sure, but I think you would have customs in both Vancouver and then again coming back into the States. We had customs in Prince Rupert (very cursory check) and in Seattle.

[Buford T Justiice]

Following up on zimmerjulie's comment on price difference between Seattle and Vancouver.. Our airfare is approx. $180 p/p more expensive to fly to Vancouver

[kmgl]

THANKS to all of you for your responses! I do want to go to Glacier Bay National Park and a 10 day is out; I must stick with 7, so it looks like NCL wins out over Princess for that reason for sure. I also like the idea of longer times in the ports. From reading these and other posts, it looks like there is such a wide difference in opinions on the food that I really won't know until I try it.

 

Thanks again.

[alderaniandad]

Have fun and enjoy. It is a week you will never forget. Bring lots of film - you will need it.

[brunolvr]

THANKS to all of you for your responses! I do want to go to Glacier Bay National Park and a 10 day is out; I must stick with 7, so it looks like NCL wins out over Princess for that reason for sure. I also like the idea of longer times in the ports. From reading these and other posts, it looks like there is such a wide difference in opinions on the food that I really won't know until I try it.

 

Thanks again.

We cruised the NCL Star to Alaska in early June and have booked her once again for May 28, 2006 to Alaska.

 

Some people are more "picky" than others but we have found the food in both Versailles & Aqua, the main dining rooms, to be good most of the time and even GREAT some of the time. We never did eat at any of the "extra charge" restaurants. Although we didn't care much for the buffet, it was okay. And, take advantage of room service!

 

Take a look at my pictures, http://community.webshots.com/user/cruiselvr100. The ones of the Star mini-suite, http://community.webshots.com/album/388448205oerIWn, even have a couple of the great (and eyecatching) food.

 

The crew was great, the Star was beautiful and I'm sure you'll have a great time on the Star.

 

Just ask if you have any questions. Oh, and if at all possible, try to get a balcony so you don't have to miss any of the fantastic scenery!

[mbisson]

Only Princess will take you to Glacier Bay (a true highlight) and

 

I'm blowing my whistle-"personal foul, bad information, 15 yards from point of infraction". Several lines go to GB. Others have commented about the food. All I can say is we've cruised 4 different mass market lines and I personally haven't found a large difference between them (speaking for the main dining rooms) and I've enjoyed them all. But heck, I like food.

 

jmo

-Monte

[kmgl]

Thanks again everyone. I am getting excited about this trip now that I have started planning.

 

We will probably have to stay in an inside stateroom because of our budget. What are the sleeping arrangements for 4 people in a room? The travel agent said two twin beds that can make into one queen, plus 2 beds that come out of a wall. Are these similar to bunk beds? Will four people in a room be way too crowded?

 

The agent also said the freestyle dining pertains to choosing the time you eat, but you still have to dress nicely to go to the restaurants. They advertise it like you don't need to being any extra clothes for dressing up. Which is correct?

 

Any suggestions on airfare? Should we book it with the cruise or wait a few months and see if the prices go down as fuel prices go down? We are planning the trip for June or July 2006. Also, they say it is less expensive to book airfare through NCL because it includes transfers from airport to ship, whereas if you book your own airfare, you must also book transfers. Is this correct, or in your experience can you book your own airfare and transfers for less expense?

 

Thanks.

[Don Haynes]

Resort casual is all you will need to wear to enjoy the restaurants for dinner. This means for a man slacks (dockers), and a collared shirt (polo shirt). Women dress accordingly, no jeans are allowed in the main restaurants for dinner, but jeans and t-shirts are allowed in the buffet for dinner. There is no need to wear a suit, sport coat, or tux for men, unless you want to on the optional formal nights.

 

You can book the airline tickets separately for probably less than NCL can book them. While NCL gets a good price from the airlines, NCL tends to book with around 2 weeks to go, whereas you could book a month in advance and get a slightly cheaper flight. As far as a shuttle is concerned, I always book the NCL shuttle whenever possible, its usually cheaper than a taxi, and I don't mind waiting for a while and riding with other cruisers to the ship.

 

Four people to a cabin is tight, but doable. I wouldn't, but have seen others do so. There is usually two twin beds, one bunk bed from the wall, and another bed pulled out from underneath one of the twin beds....leaving very little walking space as you sleep....

[kmgl]

Thanks for the info.