NCL Alaska via Star - 2 itineraries, need advice

[kmie]

Hello. This will be my first time cruising, and I am going with friends to Alaska. I am the 'trip planner'.

 

We have narrowed down our choices to NCL, due to freestyle cruising, and the choices then are the Sun (Sawyer Glacier) vs the Star (Glacier Bay). From reading the posts, the Star / Glacier Bay seem to be the way to go

 

However, our optimal date to cruise is August 6, and during the ONE week (of course) the Star is skipping Ketchikan for Prince Rupert, which I've heard isn't a great port.

 

We could

1) Take the cruise on August 5 on the Sun

2) Stick to the August 6 Star / Prince Rupert itinenerary

3) I could try to get everyone to push back or forward the cruise one week, which could be tricky due to the various schedules.

 

I'd reallly appreciate any advice in making this decision.

[electricron]

In your situation, the easiest choice is pick the cruise ship you would rather sail on, and choose which itinerary you like the best.

If I were you, I'd stick with the Star. Prince Rupert isn't all as bad as many suggest. I'll agree it isn't as nice as Ketchikan nor does it have as many choices for activities. Ketchikan is much like Skagway, a real tourist town, with plenty of tourist attractions. Prince Rupert isn't a tourist town. The only thing tourist flock to is a small tourist village called Cow Bay. But there is plenty of other things to do in Prince Rupert if you wish to experience the real wilderness. The excursion I enjoyed in Prince Rupert was the kayak tour of the port. The kayak was large enough to carry at least 20 passengers and everyone had a lots of fun.

[mbisson]

I'd probably stick with the Star due to Glacier Bay if the price is comparable. However, both ships are great and Sawyer is also makes a great glacier day. Personally, Glacier Bay isn't a deal breaker for me, so if the Sun were substantially cheaper, I'd pick that cruise instead.

 

jmo

-Monte

[Hikini]

We have gone on 3 AK cruises. The first was on the Sky and it went to Sawyer Glacier. Due to lots of ice floes, we weren't able to get all the way up to the glacier, but got close enough to get a good look. (I was secretly disappointed that we didn't get closer.)

 

Then we went on the Star, which is a bigger ship and really, really beautiful. The Star went to Glacier Bay, and instead of a quick look at the glacier, we were in Glacier Bay almost an entire day and saw several glaciers and plenty of wildlife. This was an amazing experience and I look forward to doing that again. The Star went to Victoria, BC on its way back to Seattle.

 

On our 3rd cruise were on the Spirit which was supposed to go to Sawyer Glacier, however there was too much ice in the water and the captain chose not to go into Tracy Arm and risk any danger. That was a big disappointment because Tracy Arm itself is really a beautiful journey. However, the captain and his crew found another glacier to take us to and it was EASILY a better glacier for viewing AND there was a ton of wildlife in the water for us to see. That was a real treat, and I'm so glad we had this unplanned adventure!

 

Our last stop was Prince Rupert, BC. Coming into the area was really nice to see. We had a beautiful, warm day and the area is very picturesque. Yes, they are right when they say that Prince Rupert is not really set up for tourists, but that's part of its charm, in my opinion. They do have some shops and by the time you would actually get there, they will probably have quite a few more. I enjoyed our time there and found a really great internet cafe with a nice cup of coffee as I spent an hour sending out emails.

 

So, to honestly answer your question....you really can't go wrong with either itinerary choice, or with either ship. I haven't been on the Sun but I was on the Sky which is a sister to the Sun and laid out just about exactly the same.

 

Now, having said all that - if you were to force me to pick one over the other, I would pick the Star, because it is a bigger, even grander ship, and because of Glacier Bay. I would be only mildly disappointed in not making it to Ketchikan, but would be pleased to go to Prince Rupert again, even though it may not be full of touristy things to do.

 

While I have LOVED the 3 NCL ships we've been on to AK (Sky, Star and Spirit) I would have to give the edge slightly to the Star. Each one has its own beauty and charm.