Alaska Cruise: Disney vs. Princess

[dave_261]

Long-time lurker looking for some help for a Summer 2018 Alaska cruise. I originally posted this in one of the main forums, but was told there I'll likely get better feedback here.

 

Family of 4, with 2 kids ages 12 and 11. We've done a couple Disney Caribbean cruises and have really enjoyed them (clientele, # of kids and kid activities, entertainment, food, cabins, etc.). Without kids, we prefer Windstar given the small ships and laid-back vibe.

 

We've just started looking at cruise options for Alaska for next summer, and were stunned by the Disney costs- over $9k for an oceanview room, and $12k-$13k for a veranda.

 

Given that, we're looking at a few other options and wanted to get some advice. For example, I've priced out Princess (which also gets us to Glacier Bay, whereas Disney doesn't), and a Veranda room for the 4 of us is $6,500.

 

For us, most important is a solid itinerary which hits most of the hotspots as this will be our first Alaska trip. Beyond that:

- Activities or clubs geared towards kids (or if nothing else, a 'guarantee' that there will be enough similar-age kids on board for our kids to make some new friends)

- Good entertainment options (in a laid-back environment... we don't want to have to make reservations to see a show)

- Decent food and food options

- Family-friendly environment

- As little of the 'herding cattle' mentality as is possible for 2,000+ passenger ships

 

The print point on Princess is more appealing, but we want to ensure the kids and us have a memorable and positive experience.

 

Any thoughts or considerations would be most appreciated, especially for those who have done Disney and can compare and contrast. Thanks!

[joeyancho]

I have never been on Disney, (not my cup of tea) but I think princess meets most of your requirements. The food is good, with lots of variety, the shows are fun, no reservations needed. The demographic on Alaskan cruises is somewhat older, so it should be pretty relaxed. They have a good kids program. Don't think it measures up to Disney. But that is to be expected. Princess is known for doing Alaska well. I think you will be pleased.

[easyboy]

This thread is a comparison of an experience on Disney and Princess cruise lines.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2446633&highlight=disney%2C+princess

[tinybiny]

I've done 2 of the Disney Alaska cruises and am scheduled for doing one on Princess next year. Princess has several itineraries, so keep that in mind when comparing and the ships also differ. I've only done a weekend cruise on Princess at this point and there were plenty of kids on the ship. I don't know anything about the Kid's Clubs, but I saw a lot of happy kids in the covered pool area. Disney has no covered pool, so that is something to keep in mind for Alaska if you think your kids will want to use the pool.

 

I found the food overall much better on Princess. There are more choices and you can eat whenever you are hungry. The buffet seemed to be open all the time. Entertainment isn't as good as Disney, but it is laid back and I didn't see any issues with getting a seat at a show or anything else.

 

On my first Alaska cruise on Disney, it rained for our beginning sea days and the kids on board seemed very bored. They were laying on the stairs (not moving out of the way), trying to lock all the doors in the bathrooms, etc. Since kids are allowed to come and go as they please in the Clubs, I think the parents thought their kids were in the clubs and not running around creating mischief. At any rate, it seemed like a lot of kids were very bored on the Wonder when it was raining. There's essentially 3 sea days in a row on Disney. The glacier day is still basically a sea day for kids. Princess might have other itineraries where the kids won't be stuck on board for 3 days in a row, which might be more pleasant/entertaining for your kids.

[dforeigner]

Disney is geared more towards the little ones. Yes, Disney has an after hours adult area only. You cannot compare the Children clubs or the shows at the theaters with other cruise lines. Disney wins. If not mistaken, there are no fireworks on board Disney Cruise ships sailing to Alaska.

 

Princess is more laid back. They do have children activities but they do close for lunch and dinner. Our not so little ones prefer the clubs at Disney cruise ships but have not complained about the ones on board Princess.

 

Disney is a bit overpriced for what they offer as an overall package. Alaska is more about the destination rather than the activities onboard the ship in my opinion.

 

For adults, there is more to do on board Princess ships than Disney. Would I do another cruse with Disney? Yes, but only if the price is right.

 

Example: We were contemplating on taking a 7 day Disney cruise from Texas in December. It will be cheaper for us to take a 10 day cruise in a balcony with Princess, including hotels and food using Princess. So Royal Princess here we go.

[OCruisers]

Princess has had cruises to Alaska for a VERY long time and is known for providing great cruise experiences there.

Both of our grandchildren have been very happy with the Princess "Kids Program". :)

[xlxo]

Things to consider....

• Princess offers Glacier Bay and it's the #1 rated glacier viewing opportunity. DCL's pixie dust premium will exclude this site and give you a soda's instead.
  
• DCL offers a 7 day return from Vancouver. You need HAL for that option.
  
• when comparing prices across cruise lines.... remember to compare cruising for the same week.
  
• think about which month for Alaska.... May to July is statistically the driest months for sailing. August is transition to the September storm season.
  

[KristyMisty14]

 

For us, most important is a solid itinerary which hits most of the hotspots as this will be our first Alaska trip. Beyond that:

- Activities or clubs geared towards kids (or if nothing else, a 'guarantee' that there will be enough similar-age kids on board for our kids to make some new friends)

- Good entertainment options (in a laid-back environment... we don't want to have to make reservations to see a show)

- Decent food and food options

- Family-friendly environment

- As little of the 'herding cattle' mentality as is possible for 2,000+ passenger ships

 

Thanks!

 

I've done both Disney and Princess - there is no comparison for the shows on Disney to Princess. I wouldn't miss a Disney evening show, however the Princess ones I can take or leave. We often don't go, or if we do sometimes I struggle to stay awake (38 years old LOL) on Princess. You do not have to make reservations on Princess for the shows so that's a plus. They do have lots of other great evening things like sing along piano and dancing.

I'm going to say I think the food is a bit better on the Disney but there is great choices on Princess and not sure if have you have done the alternate restaurants on Disney - we did the Italian Palo and loved it and Princess has a few nice extra options. There should be lots of kids on board with the Princess though. Alaska draws a lot of first time cruisers, so you may get a little herding, as people seem to not know what to do LOL, but I love Princess, they are a great great cruise lines.

 

This is just not comparing apples to apples for me, having traveled both, Disney is definitely in a category of their own (hense why their pricing is so much higher)

 

I haven't all the responses from the other posters in depth (although I read the one where it said you need a covered pool to be able to swim, I have done Alaska 3 times and totally think that is untrue. Sometimes you can get 80+ degree days in the ports and totally to fine to swim, in Vancouver and surrounding area right now we have been between 80 -100 degrees for the last few weeks) anyways I am sure you will get tons of other great opinions and be able to make a great choice!

[Steelers0854]

This thread is a comparison of an experience on Disney and Princess cruise lines.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2446633&highlight=disney%2C+princess

 

 

 

Thanks for remembering my post!

 

I have actually been on DCL and Windstar (even though it's been a while).

 

I think you and your family will enjoy Princess. Between DCL and Princess, Princess is more closely aligned with Windstar in atmosphere and mentality.

 

You will not be disappointed with Princess in Alaska. With the Alaska season being closely aligned with summer vacation you will find a fair amount of kids on board for your kids to make friends with. I really like Princess' focus on the Alaska experience with bringing on board Park Rangers and Naturalists to do a number of presentations.

 

As previously mentioned the entertainment is no comparison, Disney is a clear winner here, but Princess isn't bad, the shows are entertaining and the other acts in various venues onboard are good if not better than the main shows.

 

Given the cost difference I would encourage you to look at one of the cruises that includes a land add-on as well, DW and I wish we had done this vs the round trip from Seattle.

 

I found the food comparable between the lines, the Pizza on Princess is so much better it's not even close, plus Princess has buffet hours all day long and a great offering in the International Cafe (on most ships) that is open 24/7.

 

In all my Princess cruises I have never felt like the ship was crowded, and the environment to me has always been family friendly.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[Thrak]

We've cruised Alaska 2 times with Princess. Once was a 10 day SF round trip, the other was a southbound after a land tour. On neither ship did we seem many children at all. Perhaps we just didn't notice? I've heard great things about the Princess kids clubs but, possibly because we tend to take 10 day or longer cruises, we really haven't seem many kids on any of our 7 previous Princess cruises.

[easyboy]

Thanks for remembering my post!

Of course! Learned a lot from your review.

[A&Jfamily]

We chose Princess in 2014 for our Alaska cruise and our sons were 10 and 16 at the time. We booked a Caribe deck balcony for us, (it's double the size and all 4 of us could be on it comfortably - think it is about 9'x9' and half covered and half open) and we booked the boys in an inside across the hall. This is our MO when cruising because DH and I just want our space and to not be in the middle of our boys mess!

 

We have not done Disney because the price has been a turn-off; as you can see, you can do 2 vacations for what they charge for one. We have been to the parks on several trips, and with boys, they just aren't enthralled with the shows. Most of our cruises have been on Carnival because we have focused on the Caribbean and they offer the widest array of itineraries and the most bang for the buck. So sorry, can't offer a comparison per se.

 

I will tell you that my youngest prefers Princess to Carnival. I think it is a more active kids program and because he is an athlete he enjoys all the sports and games. The pool on the ship was also covered and heated (almost made like a solarium) so he made friends in camp and they would meet to swim. My oldest is a likely biology major and so he was on cloud 9 with the naturalist and being on the upper decks seeking wildlife. Neither had any issue meeting other kids to spend time with in the kids club and out of it. And we were cruising the week of Memorial Day so many schools had not let out...that is as close a "guarantee" that I can give you!

 

I would say that the vibe on Princess is classic, yet not stuffy, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We found it far from the cattle-herding mentality and felt that our fellow passengers were polite and relaxed. We thought the food was good on the Grand and actually enjoy the formal evenings where the men were in jackets and ties and women in cocktail dresses or gowns. It is a lovely atmosphere, and really isn't a big deal to pack for these nights - and well worth the family photos. Except for these two nights my boys could easily wear jeans or shorts and tshirt during the day and on casual evenings showered and went a pair of kakhis and a polo for dinner.

 

An Alaska cruise is really about Alaska, and not the ship. The balcony is a must IMHO to that you can be out breathing the clean air and enjoying the scenery from the moment you wake. Our shore excursions were very simple, but very memorable. In Ketchican, we opted ride the local bus to go to Totem Bight and Potlach Park, then have a local lunch, walk Creek street, and the town; we all loved learning about the native american culture, being in the midst of these enormous totem poles, as well as walking Creek street. In Juneau we used Harv and Marv for a private whale watching tour with a stop at Mendenhall glacier - one of the best tours we have ever done. In Skagway, we rented a car and drove to Emerald Lake in the Yukon - amazing scenery from the still partially frozen lakes, to the worlds smallest desert to the truly emerald lake, and the tiny lake-front town with an enormous beach, Carcross. We stopped at Cariboo crossing, had lunch, played with the sled dog pups, panned for gold, etc. And on the way back we discovered a female black bear just waking from hibernation and drunk on dandelions. We watched her for 30 minutes from the safety of our car. We didn't have to spend $1000s on excursions and really feel like we experienced Alaska. The one thing I wish I had discovered in time was the small boat tour from the ship to the glacier in Tracy Arm; by the time I learned of it, it was sold out.

 

I would not hesitate to book Princess again with family of any age for Alaska.

[CMHCruiseCouple]

From my perspective A&Jfamily pretty much nails it. I love DCL (even when not taking grandkids), but the price make my innards spasm.

 

As others say well, Alaska is about what happens off the ship. Seeing glaciers, 800 ft water falls, orcas, seals, eagles and whales from your balcony as you drift by gives me good chills. You can get that on Disney, too, but if the kids are engaged/interested in what is outside the cabin, the wonderful Disney extras are not needed (and maybe ignored). Enjoy your cruise!

[CMHCruiseCouple]

We've cruised Alaska 2 times with Princess. Once was a 10 day SF round trip, the other was a southbound after a land tour. On neither ship did we seem many children at all. Perhaps we just didn't notice? I've heard great things about the Princess kids clubs but, possibly because we tend to take 10 day or longer cruises, we really haven't seem many kids on any of our 7 previous Princess cruises.

 

The early July SFO-Alaska-SFO (10-day) on the Grand had a reported 550 children, and I believe the ship was sold out. So 18% of the head count = kids. The covered pool got lots of use. For the most part the young ones were pretty well behaved, except in the Anytime DR. (A different story, but let's say a Princess ship MDR should not be treated like a school cafeteria ... but I digress.)

 

So plenty of kiddos to meet and play with, along with the Princess programs ... all should have a good time.

[nini]

We have LOVED our three Alaskan cruises with Princess! Three times on the Golden, once on the Crown. We did not have young children with us, but they have a wide variety of itineraries and the prices you have found certainly are MUCH better!

[Nightowl11]

My daughter has been on 2 Disney cruises and 3 Princess cruises. My daughter liked the clubs on the Disney Magic and the Disney Fantasy. She really liked the clubs on the Princess ships, Grand, Star and Golden. We've done 3 Alaska cruises out of San Francisco (10-11 days each). There were plenty of kids for my daughter to meet.

[JimmyVWine]

I have sailed on both DCL and Princess. I can no longer justify the added cost that DCL charges. They put out a very nice product, but not so nice as to get me to fall for their 50%-100% markup over what I pay on Princess. And that is just an overview comment. Specific to Alaska, there is no way, no how, nuh-uh, not even on a dare, that I would pay extra for a DCL cruise to Alaska. As noted above, Alaska is all about Alaska. Unless you are doing a R/T out of California, it will be a port-intensive trip where you will be off the ship from just after breakfast until dinner time. Once you get off the ship in, say, Juneau and head out on a Whale Watching excursion boat, whatever difference there may be between cruise lines evaporates. You are likely to book a private excursion and can do so from either ship. And even if you book a ship's excursion, the cruise lines all partner with the same shoreside providers. So why pay thousands more for the Disney cruise?

 

On an Alaskan cruise, there will probably be almost as many kids on a Princess ship as on the Disney ship. Once you get to a certain critical mass, the number is largely unimportant. 600 kids on Princess. 800 kids on Disney. Your kids will never notice the difference and will make many new friends.

 

My personal experience is that I prefer the food on Princess. Disney has gotten better over time. (But it had a high mountain to climb since it started out so poorly). But it has now gotten itself back into the realm of most other mass market cruise lines. Still, when you pay so much more, "just as good" doesn't cut it for me.

 

Entertainment on the ships will be....different. No one can match Disney's theater shows. But we aren't really theater show people. We much prefer lounge singers, piano players, quartets, rock bands and "game shows". Princess beats Disney in every one of these categories except theater shows.

 

And, of course, there is Glacier Bay. If you are taking your family on a bucket list trip, you really want to try to include GB in your itinerary.

 

Again, not dissing DCL. They hold a chunk of my money. But for us, the extra cost is not worth it. And in Alaska, Princess holds higher cards. My daughter is now 19 and she has been sailing on Princess since she was 13, and since that first cruise has never once pleaded to take a Disney cruise.