Alaska - Celebrity versus Princess?

[cangelmd]

Another vote for Princess, although I really enjoy Celebrity too.

Did a week pre-cruise in Princess lodges, great way to see the land. They shuttle you lodge to lodge on a bus, but you can then arrange most of your activities on your own or as an excursion, we did some of both. We ate a number of meals in the lodges out of convenience, but did a lot of walking and found some local spots, too.

We did the Copper River/Denali trip, which is one of the less popular itineraries, and there were no more than 25-30 people tops on our bus. That includes the cross country drive from just outside of Anchorage over to Copper River (about 120 miles on a dirt road) which was a fascinating trip.

If you are planning on a land leg, I would look hard at Princess.

[Driveshaft]

I assume on the land part of a Cruise line cruise-tour meals are not included? So meals and excursions have to be figured into the vacation budget. right?

[jwindham]

Just to break the mold.................. I have done Alaska 4 times and the last one was to get the land/cruise package. I chose Celebrity and would do so again. First they used updated places to stay and there were 3 of us and it was wonderful to stay in different places that could accommodate 3 in a room. We had dinner one night during the land portion and ended up talking with some people staying at the Princess lodge as the shuttle to and from the place we chose to eat stopped for us and them. They said that some of the lodges were really showing their age. Having been to Glacier Bay twice I can say that Hubbard was just as good or better as it did not have the fog that I encountered both times at Glacier Bay and fog is very normal there, not the rare thing. We had a bus for our 5 day land part that was the usual size but we only had 30 on it so were able to spread out for our riding time. They even stopped us at the Armed Forces Memorial built so that on a clear day you can see Denali.

 

But the best thing for us was the chartered/rented domed rail car that Celebrity used. All of the Princess people were in the regular cars that Alaskan RR uses. This car was attached to the end of the train and was so much nicer than the other cars. We were told that this is all Celebrity uses.

 

I have cruised on NCL, HAL, RCCL, Princess, and Celebrity. I did my research on the itinerary and it was almost identical to what Princess was using. So I got what they got and had a much better cruise ship as the last part of my vacation. I would definitely chose Celebrity again.

[Cruzin&Snuzin]

Just to break the mold.................. I have done Alaska 4 times and the last one was to get the land/cruise package. I chose Celebrity and would do so again. First they used updated places to stay and there were 3 of us and it was wonderful to stay in different places that could accommodate 3 in a room. We had dinner one night during the land portion and ended up talking with some people staying at the Princess lodge as the shuttle to and from the place we chose to eat stopped for us and them. They said that some of the lodges were really showing their age. Having been to Glacier Bay twice I can say that Hubbard was just as good or better as it did not have the fog that I encountered both times at Glacier Bay and fog is very normal there, not the rare thing. We had a bus for our 5 day land part that was the usual size but we only had 30 on it so were able to spread out for our riding time. They even stopped us at the Armed Forces Memorial built so that on a clear day you can see Denali.

 

 

 

But the best thing for us was the chartered/rented domed rail car that Celebrity used. All of the Princess people were in the regular cars that Alaskan RR uses. This car was attached to the end of the train and was so much nicer than the other cars. We were told that this is all Celebrity uses.

 

 

 

I have cruised on NCL, HAL, RCCL, Princess, and Celebrity. I did my research on the itinerary and it was almost identical to what Princess was using. So I got what they got and had a much better cruise ship as the last part of my vacation. I would definitely chose Celebrity again.

 

 

 

This is likely confirmation bias on my part since I’ve got an Alaskan cruise booked with X, but I appreciate your taking the time to share your experiences. I found this - and other posts - very informative.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cruise Raider]

I think you should try each different line out and see which one you like the best! ;)

Alaska is our favorite itinerary .... looking to booking our 11th sailing up there. I can only tell you we've had a great time on each and every cruise to Alaska ... Celebrity's sailings have been tops in our book.

[philpcruiser]

Princess goes into Glacier Bay, in addition to Hubbard Glacier. Celebrity can't do Glacier Bay.

Why can Princess go in but Celebrity cannot??

[sippican]

 

But the best thing for us was the chartered/rented domed rail car that Celebrity used. All of the Princess people were in the regular cars that Alaskan RR uses. This car was attached to the end of the train and was so much nicer than the other cars. We were told that this is all Celebrity uses.

 

Thanks for the update. Am I understanding that none of your trips were with Princess or were you able to compare the two?

This infomation about the rail portion of the cruise is contrary to what Pincess advertises in print and photos. They are quite proud of their "Direct to the Wilderness" service featuring ultra-dome railcars. Here's a link to another article. https://www.alaskatrain.com/service/midnight-sun-express.html

I wonder why it was different on your trip?

[lvz2cruz]

Why can Princess go in but Celebrity cannot??

The cruise lines negotiate for permits that allow them in. It is capacity controlled and contracts last about 5 years.

[Cruise Junky]

Why can Princess go in but Celebrity cannot??

 

Lot of history there. RCI lost the ability to bid on them after being found guilty of dumping in Glacier Bay a while back. Since RCL lost their permits, I'm not sure they've applied since. And Celebrity of course form part of the umbrella group.

[RDC1]

Lot of history there. RCI lost the ability to bid on them after being found guilty of dumping in Glacier Bay a while back. Since RCL lost their permits, I'm not sure they've applied since. And Celebrity of course form part of the umbrella group.

 

They were banned for 5 years due to a felony environmental conviction. They were able to participate in the last contract renewal in 2014 (i think that is when the current contract started), but chose not to bid.

 

Will be interesting to see if Princess is impacted during the next renewal due to their recent felony, environmental conviction.

[Cruise Junky]

They were banned for 5 years due to a felony environmental conviction. They were able to participate in the last contract renewal in 2014 (i think that is when the current contract started), but chose not to bid.

 

Will be interesting to see if Princess is impacted during the next renewal due to their recent felony, environmental conviction.

 

Yes, it will be interesting if Princess gets to keep their permits. Didn't do it in Glacier Bay, but they may not care.

[srdancer]

We were on HAL in 2011. Glacier Bay was wonderful , no fog or other issues. Was chilly!!

We did a 5 day land tour after the cruise. Sister did 7 day. HAL used the domed cars on the train. I highly recommend a land tour. Denali is a must see

[hubofhockey]

We chose Celebrity and Hubbard Glacier and there are some pluses, including ending in Seward, which is a great port where you do a Kenai Glacier National Park cruise which some say is better than Glacier Bay. I soured on Princess a few years ago after being a regular. Much of it related to the food, but some to the entertainment and the tiny balconies on the new class of ships. The Royal Princess (the new class) does Hubbard and Glacier Bay on its 7-day itineraries next year. That will be a big draw. The ships are nice too and better for colder weather itineraries. They should be very popular. We paid a good $1K less on the Millennium for our AK cruise. Looking forward to it.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

I chose Celebrity for our 2019 Alaska cruisetours for several reasons.

 

First - on the land portion the tour we are doing has 6 nights, 2 Fairbanks, 2 Denali, 1 Talkeetna and 1 Anchorage. We wanted more travel via rail vs busses. The Celebrity tour offered that as we travel Fairbanks-Denali, Denali-Talkeetna and Talkeetna- Anchorgae via rail. 3 segments total. Only the Anchorage-Seward leg is motorcoach. This was important to us as it allows us to get up, walk around, enjoy the scenery from the viewing platforms and use the restroom whenever we wish. By comparison Princess' closest comparable option only had rail travel from Talkeetna-Whittier and that segment uses the single level Alaska railroad cars from what I understand. While Princess may have a slight edge in Fairbanks with their lodge, in Denali and Talkeetna the properties Celebrity use are smaller and less people coming and going, so less crowded in general.

 

Second - the ship itself. I truly love the layout and features of the Millennium class vessels. The forward facing observation lounge and a fully enclosed pool area (with that great thalassotherapy pool) are a big plus in a region like Alaska, along with the outdoor seating area at the Sunset Bar and the beautiful views from the main dining room. Additionally the Millennium with be getting a multi-million $ facelift prior to her 2019 Alaska season.

 

Third - itinerary. While we debated heavily Glacier Bay vs Hubbard, the fact that the Millennium goes to Icy Straight Point, along with Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan (all with decent port timings) was the deciding factor. I have been to both Glacier Bay and Hubbard before, so the glacier viewing isn't quite as important to us as the ports. With Princess the only way to get the 4th port is to do the Island Princess (which is a no starter since she was chopped up and ruined).

 

For us Celebrity was just the better fit, based on our preferences and priorities for this trip. I feel that Princess has a lot of marketing hype built around their Alaska program, some of it well deserved. Being the largest operator in the region may not always be the best.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Just to break the mold.................. I have done Alaska 4 times and the last one was to get the land/cruise package. I chose Celebrity and would do so again. First they used updated places to stay and there were 3 of us and it was wonderful to stay in different places that could accommodate 3 in a room. We had dinner one night during the land portion and ended up talking with some people staying at the Princess lodge as the shuttle to and from the place we chose to eat stopped for us and them. They said that some of the lodges were really showing their age. Having been to Glacier Bay twice I can say that Hubbard was just as good or better as it did not have the fog that I encountered both times at Glacier Bay and fog is very normal there, not the rare thing...

 

My experience with Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier are exactly opposite to yours: on our Princess cruise, Glacier Bay was clear and a wonderful day of viewing. Hubbard Bay was foggy and the channel was choked with icebergs so the ship was unable to go in at all. Relying on only one means you may not get any! That's why the Princess itinerary with both is always the better bet.

 

We chose Celebrity and Hubbard Glacier and there are some pluses, including ending in Seward, which is a great port where you do a Kenai Glacier National Park cruise which some say is better than Glacier Bay.

 

Princess starts from Whittier, which allows you to do a pre-cruise day trip in Prince William Sound -- which has excellent glaciers and the small boats used for these tours get really close to the glacier walls. We did Major Marine's Blackstone Glacier Cruise which goes to a small number of glaciers and stays a long time at each one to wait for glacial calving. [Another cruise goes to 26 glaciers so it seemed like a fly-by.]

 

Finally: we did not take a Princess cruise-tour because my research showed that the Princess lodges are huge operations and the Talkeetna lodge is located deep in the woods and not at all convenient to Talkeetna [the best place for flight-seeing trips to Denali]. I used the Cruise Critic Alaska forum for great advice about how to put together a DIY trip from Anchorage that allowed us more flexibility on timing and location, and on lodging and meals. Driving from Anchorage to Denali and back was easy, and the views were terrific – and we could pull over anytime we wanted to soak in the views and take pictures.

[hughdm]

I didn't read all of these, but I read enough to agree with what I DID read. Princess does Alaska very well. This is true if you are taking a cruisetour and going inland. Princess owns their own lodges and rail cars and they are wonderful for the price. They are very organized in hauling you around, handling your luggage, etc. We are going again late this summer. And Glacier Bay is a bucket list place to go.

[hughdm]

Having never been to Alaska, but planning to go one day down the road, could you (and others) comment on what the experience of Glacier Bay is like, and how it is different from other parts of an Alaska cruise. Of course I will spend much more time researching, but it would be really nice to have comments from cruisers' who have "experienced" Glacier Bay. [i am seeing many comments on how it shouldn't be missed, so I would just like to have more opinions on "Why not?"...]

 

Thank you....

Free sample:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_Ex-QEV2bH3WE5oeU1qaEVWdkk?usp=sharing

The otter picture was taken while sitting on our balcony.

[mek]

I've done Alaska on Princess two times, on X once, and then one many years ago on a line that no longer exists. Our last Princess cruise included a 5 night land tour.

 

Personally, I think Princess does Alaska best and we loved our land trip - Anchorage to Fairbanks. We got lucky and were seated in one of the HAL domed cars on our way up to Talkeetna. They were much nicer than the Princess cars. at least IMO.

 

To me, Princess just seemed to get into the Alaska "vibe" better than X.

[Northern Aurora]

Just skimmed this thread. Actually, this Alaskan gal may stun some folks, but I think Glacier Bay is overrated. All of the GB glaciers are retreating dramatically (i.e. getting smaller). In contrast Hubbard is one of the few tidewater glaciers actually advancing. My geologist husband (who has spent months on McCall Glacier in the Brooks Range in his younger days) is always fascinated with Hubbard. And for those who want to get close and personal with a tide water glacier Major Marine does day trips out of Seward to both Holgate and Aialik glaciers.

 

I've stayed in several of the Princess Lodges including the Denali Princess, Mt. McKinley Princess (which one poster described as their Talkeetna Lodge) and the Copper River Princess. I've been inside the Fairbanks Princess a number of times, but to attend functions. I've driven by the Cooper River Princess, but we've never stayed there. The Fairbanks property meeting room definitely need an update, but it is the McKinley Princess where we have encountered rooms with problems (i.e., broken lamps, dresser drawers which won't close, very little sound proofing between the rooms). The McKinley Princess is the lodge where we consistently have dining room problems, and the only reason we stay there is because they are located right off the Parks Highway (not in the woods) and it is a great location when we are on a driving trip and returning home to Fairbanks. Through the years we have stayed at the Denali property so many times, and never have these dining room issues. Nor have we had these issues at the Copper River property. So I would suggest that anyone considering a Princess cruise-tour try to avoid two nights at the McKinley property.

 

But I also am curious as to why the OP wants to add only a three day land experience. This state is massive in size, and to see much of anything on either the Kenai Peninsula or in the interior you really need more time.

 

I also suggest that if the OP hasn't already done so that they read the trip reports located at the top of the Alaska cruise critic forum (under "Ports of Call). Read all of those reports -- even on the lines you aren't considering. This won't take that much time as you can just skip over all the comments about the stateroom attendant, photos of their meals, and so forth. Not only will you find information on cruise tours, what folks did in various ports, but information on DIY land trips.

[OCruisers]

Princess or HAL are the only ones we would consider for Alaska.

Both have been doing Alaska for a long time and have a great reputation of provinding GREAT cruises to Alaska. (y)

[ShakeDaddy]

Absolutely objective.

 

All around best package between the two, Celebrity for sure.

 

My next Alaskan cruise would will be neither one.

[Shadow9612]

Free sample:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_Ex-QEV2bH3WE5oeU1qaEVWdkk?usp=sharing

The otter picture was taken while sitting on our balcony.

Thank you for sharing! :)

[villauk]

Thank you for sharing! :)

 

We booked Alaska for this summer (second visit) on Princess. Hope you are well?

[shofer]

Just skimmed this thread. Actually, this Alaskan gal may stun some folks, but I think Glacier Bay is overrated. All of the GB glaciers are retreating dramatically (i.e. getting smaller). In contrast Hubbard is one of the few tidewater glaciers actually advancing. My geologist husband (who has spent months on McCall Glacier in the Brooks Range in his younger days) is always fascinated with Hubbard. And for those who want to get close and personal with a tide water glacier Major Marine does day trips out of Seward to both Holgate and Aialik glaciers.

 

I've stayed in several of the Princess Lodges including the Denali Princess, Mt. McKinley Princess (which one poster described as their Talkeetna Lodge) and the Copper River Princess. I've been inside the Fairbanks Princess a number of times, but to attend functions. I've driven by the Cooper River Princess, but we've never stayed there. The Fairbanks property meeting room definitely need an update, but it is the McKinley Princess where we have encountered rooms with problems (i.e., broken lamps, dresser drawers which won't close, very little sound proofing between the rooms). The McKinley Princess is the lodge where we consistently have dining room problems, and the only reason we stay there is because they are located right off the Parks Highway (not in the woods) and it is a great location when we are on a driving trip and returning home to Fairbanks. Through the years we have stayed at the Denali property so many times, and never have these dining room issues. Nor have we had these issues at the Copper River property. So I would suggest that anyone considering a Princess cruise-tour try to avoid two nights at the McKinley property.

 

Have done Alaska with Celebrity (cruise only)-2003 and Princess (cruise tour)-2013 and found a 3 day pre-cruise land tour was plenty for me. Do not like living out of the suitcase.

 

Contrary to Alaska Gal, I found the McKinley lodge much newer and our accommodations superior to the Denali lodge. The Denali rooms were like an old-fashioned motel with the rooms opening directly to the outside. We were there from the middle of May and there was lots of snow/cold. They were handing out extra blankets since the rooms couldn't get warm enough. The restaurants were decent but nothing outstanding. Skip the Dinner/Theater, it was a waste of time and money.

 

McKinley's rooms were an enclosed building with the rooms opening to a central, heated corridor. The food in McKinley was less than mediocre. Eat in Talkeetna, Ask the staff where they go on their day off.

 

We spent one day in McKinley and 2 in Denali. The Wildlife tour was a 6 hour snooze. The park is so vast but so barren it can hardly support the small amount of animals that inhabit it. We did see the mountain, both peaks, which puts us in the top 10%. Don't miss the sled dog tour, it was incredible.

 

Check out the Alaska reviews for more info. Princess does have it down to a science with moving people from place to place and go out of their way to track down clue-less people (like us!) to make sure you make your bus/train.

 

Honestly, I didn't feel I was really on vacation until I boarded the ship. Both lines have good/not-so-good points and have done several trips on each. IMHO, how can it be bad when you are on a cruise?

 

Sue

[Shadow9612]

We booked Alaska for this summer (second visit) on Princess. Hope you are well?

 

Hi! I'm well. I hope you are too!

 

That's so exciting for you about Alaska -which ship (or is that the princess cruise you told me about last year?). I've never been to Alaska so starting to think about it for the future.

 

Any plans for the holidays 2018? :)