Thinking about trying something different...

[sgttami]

I’ve also heard, and I’m not sure if it’s true, that other lines have better excursion’s than Carnival as per their contracts with the vendors. Anyone have experience with this? We will definitely look for Glacier Bay in the itinerary. That is #1 on my list. Thanks for the advice so far!

 

My favorite cruise EVER was Alaska on RCL, Serenade of the Seas.

 

The excursions were great and lots to choose from but we were the only ship in port at all stops. Don't know if the other lines used the same vendors on other days.

 

I'd love to see Alaska again but don't know if that first time could ever be duplicated! It was that perfect:):)

[jetta8300]

I am not the kind of person who really likes change. We want to do Alaska cruise in 2020 and I've been looking at NCL. (Carnival hasn't listed Alaska yet) ncl has a special right now where you can get the drinks for free and $50 a day towards excursions. Looking at carnivals 2019 rates for a balcony room is pretty comparable even with the extras . Not sure why I want to stick with carnival for this cruise other than getting closer to platinum, and I'm curious where people will say on this board. all of our cruises have been on Carnival, and we live close enough to Seattle so will actually be able to drive, which will make it nice. I guess I'm really not sure what I'm asking other than any input someone might have. ( or to be convinced to just book with NCL)

 

I don't understand sticking with one cruise line at all. However There are things we like better with Norwegian and things that are better with Carnival. I personally would choose the cruise based on the itinerary, and features on the ship.

 

On Norwegian you will be blown away by the entertainment compared to carnival. It's phenomenal. If you like balcony cabins, Carnival has TINY balconies compared to other lines. Norwegian and RCI balconies are like extended balcony cabins on Carnival.

 

However the "free" drink package with Norwegian we didn't like. It was a joke. The drinks were like all inclusive drinks in Mexico. "Martini's" out of JUGS. everything was pre-made in dispensers and poor quality. They also stick a pre paid gratuity fee on the "free" drink package. Ours was $250+ for my husband and I. So we paid still $250 when we booked the cruise for the free drinks, and that $250 would have been better spent on out of pocket drinks of better quality. We were extremely disappointed in the drinks compared to Carnival and Royal.

 

We also thought the MDR food was better with Carnival. However Specialty dining on Norwegian was phenomenal. The free food was so bad on Norwegian, that's when we began our love affair with specialty restaurants on ships :) We never saw the need before.

 

In our opinion, RCI blows all of the other lines out of the water...but we have not been to Alaska.

Edited October 5, 2018 by jetta8300

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I’ve also heard, and I’m not sure if it’s true, that other lines have better excursion’s than Carnival as per their contracts with the vendors. Anyone have experience with this? We will definitely look for Glacier Bay in the itinerary. That is #1 on my list. Thanks for the advice so far!

I would definitely do independent tours in Alaska.

 

The White pass excursion in skagway is one of the most memorable we have taken in our 30+ cruises.

 

Bill

 

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[Lottacruises]

You don't owe carnival anything as far as loyalty goes. So what about platinum, people really don't care.

 

The person you owe is yourself. Make the best decision based on what YOU want to do. Consider your time, your money you will spend, and the convenience.

It's a good problem to have, deciding on the two. I would probably go with the other line if other things were equal, just for a new experience.

[searoses]

Whichever line you choose be sure to get an AFT cabin....180 degree view many,many hours per day...our first aft on a last minute cruise with extended family...we got picked off the waiting list and were the envy of our group...happened to be carnival spirit....our only carnival cruise ......i would go princess if i was making plans for this trip on my own...

[cruisemom67]

We've done several on NCL, several on RCI, and lots on Carnival. My favorite is Carnival, but the others are close. They are all very similar. Go on the itinerary you want at the price you want. Beware NCL sometimes with free drinks. In Alaska it shouldn't be a problem.

[bakersdozen12]

The 2019 rates you are seeing for Carnival are not really comparable to the 2020 rates for Norwegian. The prices go up because the demand for Alaska is high. When the 2020 rates are first released, I am sure you will see some great rates on Carnival.

 

Also, just be aware that Norwegians “freebies”’are not free. You are paying for them in the price of the cruise. This is one of the many things I prefer about Carnival. That they keep things a la carte so that you are not paying for something that you don’t want.

 

That said, you really should be basing your decision on what the best itinerary is for the price you can afford. This is especially so for Alaska. We ended up doing an 8-day that went to both Glacier Bay and the Fjords. There aren’t many that do both. Luckily for us, that cruise just happened to be on Carnival.

 

 

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[bakersdozen12]

I’ve also heard, and I’m not sure if it’s true, that other lines have better excursion’s than Carnival as per their contracts with the vendors. Anyone have experience with this? We will definitely look for Glacier Bay in the itinerary. That is #1 on my list. Thanks for the advice so far!

 

 

 

Honestly, you will find much better excursions outside of the cruise line anyway. For example, we did the train/bus/dog sled excursion in Skagway, and our tour company had a whole train car reserved for just their passengers (we didn’t fill the train car). And it was the one in the very back, too, so we were able to step out on the back platform and get awesome views for pictures. I’ve read reviews about them and people have said the same, so I’m guessing it’s always the case. Maybe because they get there first since they don’t have to wait for people to fill up a whole huge tour bus before heading to the train. We got there at least 30 mins before the ship excursions arrived.

 

 

 

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[A&Jfamily]

Whichever line you choose be sure to get an AFT cabin....180 degree view many,many hours per day...our first aft on a last minute cruise with extended family...we got picked off the waiting list and were the envy of our group...happened to be carnival spirit....our only carnival cruise ......i would go princess if i was making plans for this trip on my own...

 

 

 

You do know that the side balconies have 180 degree view too - just of the side instead of the aft?

 

Personally I don’t like the aft as much because they are far less private.

 

 

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[Tx2Ia]

You do know that the side balconies have 180 degree view too - just of the side instead of the aft?

 

Personally I don’t like the aft as much because they are far less private.

 

 

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I booked a Carnival Cruise today, but I returned from a phenomenal Alaska HAL cruise in September. It wasn't a party ship but it was a very happy ship. We loved the food and service. And Glacier Bay was amazing. The only reason I booked another line was because i needed a port we could drive to. We also rode the Coastal Classic train on Alaska Railroad and it was fantastic. It wasn't an excursion but how we got to our port. I highly recommend incorporating a train ride regardless of the line you choose.

 

 

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[kona_wahine]

Thanks everyone. My plan is to wait until the other lines release their 2020 Alaska cruises and do some comparing. Lots to think about! Thanks!

[The7Harrisons]

I’ve also heard, and I’m not sure if it’s true, that other lines have better excursion’s than Carnival as per their contracts with the vendors. Anyone have experience with this? We will definitely look for Glacier Bay in the itinerary. That is #1 on my list. Thanks for the advice so far!

 

we just returned from cruising Alaska on CCL (September), loved it, cruised Glacier bay, rode helicopters, trains, bicycles, saw butt-loads of whales, salmon, dolphins, eagles etc!!!

[CallistaSkye]

If the price is better, and the dates work better for you, then switch cruise lines! We have cruised with Princess for our first 2 cruises, and liked them just fine. But Princess didn't have dates that matched up with where we wanted to go this year, Royal Caribbean was way more expensive and the dates were off too. We are excited to try out a different cruise line and just see how it goes. Carnival was also the only one that didn't have 4 days in Florida like most of the others we looked at. So personally I think there is more than just price to check out and see. See what matters to you the most about the cruise and figure out the line that matches that the best, because then you will get more out of it, even if it costs more than another line. It's your vacation, so it makes sense to match that stuff up vs just sticking with one cruise line because you always have.

[tea4ular]

We recently booked a Los Angeles (our home port) round trip Alaska sailing on Princess (12 night, Sept 2019) - we've never sailed Princess, although we have sailed almost all the major lines. I expect it to be "different" from Carnival (our favorite), not better, not worse, just "different" - but Alaska is a "different" cruise anyway. What swayed us to this sailing were several things, Glacier Bay, round trip from our home port (no flying!), and they had an accessible balcony available (my husband is a quadriplegic and uses an electric wheelchair, the accessible cabin is a requirement). The cost is quite high, but they tossed in pre-paid gratuities and $300 OBC (in addition to our shareholder credit). The price also dropped 18% since we booked and have been price matched quickly and easily - I expect the price may drop again...we'll see.

 

When I read the boards I really notice that there is a lot of brand loyalty, but also a lot of folks (like myself) really dissect the itinerary and logistics - getting to/from port, ports of call, perks, etc. -

[dmdiver]

I am enjoying all the info on this thread. We'd like to do an Alaskan cruise in 2020. My hubby was quite turned off Princess on our cruise with them. I wouldn't mind giving them another chance. Right now, the only lines he will consider are Carnival & Royal, with Carnival being his favorite. As far as those who say Royal's balconies are larger, that isn't always the case. Our Oasis balcony was the same size as a regular Carnival balcony. I love cruising in general & am willing to try other lines. We just always seem to end up back on Carnival because their pricing is so much better. We also enjoy their Red Frog Pub, Guy's burgers & the comedy club.

[Teslyn]

Do what you want to do. If you want to try NCL, then try them. It's always good to try something new. Enjoy your cruise, whichever once you do.

[riclop]

Go for it.

[Moviela]

If I wanted to sail to AK, I'd look into Lindblad and National Geographic trips. They have small ships that can go places the huge cruise ships can't go. they also have small inflatable boats to land at places with no facilities. If you have any interest in getting an education about what you are seeing, they are worth a look.

 

I heard a group of dentists went to Alaska and were excited to see the molar bears.