Alaska....Which Ship?

[nyyhoneybee]

Looking possibly to book Alaska for 2022....what ship would you recommend (assuming of course they don't change ships from what's there now)? 

[lovescats5]

We booked Ovation as we want to try the North Star to see the glaciers.  Also, the iFly and bumper cars are popular in my family so we want to enjoy  ship time also.  Have not tried the other ships that sail Alaska, except Celebrity in 2011.  I know you will enjoy the cruise, Alaska is beautiful.

[Clarea]

Holland or Princess.

 

Last month's thread on the subject, found by using the word "Alaska" in the search box:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2687573-best-ship-for-alaska/?do=findComment&comment=58113462

 

 

[lovescats5]

RCI works better with kids if you are sailing with them.  Also, depends on what you want for a balcony.  We have sailed RCI because they seem to have better balconies than Princess and unless you get the Pinnacle suite on Holland their balconies are still small.  At least in my opinion.

[Yorkvillain]

Norwegian Bliss or Norwegian Encore - both have the huge Observation Lounge. 

[nyyhoneybee]

11 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

Holland or Princess.

 

Last month's thread on the subject, found by using the word "Alaska" in the search box:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2687573-best-ship-for-alaska/?do=findComment&comment=58113462

 

 

 I'm asking specifically on Royal, just in case we take the kids. Otherwise, I think we will be doing Princess but I'm not sure yet. 

Edited September 4, 2019 by nyyhoneybee

[lovescats5]

I would still look at Ovation for the onboard activities your kids would have.  Go Yankees!!

[jdg623]

Alaska was a big bucket list, one time only trip for us, so we chose the Radiance, which does one way cruises, then added a land tour. If you do the round trip cruises, you'll miss so much of Alaska. The land portion was amazing, and by far our favorite part of the trip, although the cruise was fabulous. Whatever you choose, enjoy - Alaska is indescribably beautiful, photos really don't do it justice. You've got to see for yourself!!

[island lady]

1 hour ago, jdg623 said:

Alaska was a big bucket list, one time only trip for us, so we chose the Radiance, which does one way cruises, then added a land tour. If you do the round trip cruises, you'll miss so much of Alaska. The land portion was amazing, and by far our favorite part of the trip, although the cruise was fabulous. Whatever you choose, enjoy - Alaska is indescribably beautiful, photos really don't do it justice. You've got to see for yourself!!

 

Totally agree!  We are back again next August on Radiance.  This time doing not just one week, but two weeks land tour in advance on our own.  Agree...it's nice to see the places the ships don't go. 

 

Round trip for us however, is B2B on Radiance.  😉 

 

Never say never again, we thought our first Alaska trip was it, but now we are returning for trip #4.....it really does draw you back.  Hope you get to go visit again!  🙂 

 

 

[Ashland]

3 hours ago, nyyhoneybee said:

Looking possibly to book Alaska for 2022....what ship would you recommend (assuming of course they don't change ships from what's there now)? 

Ovation, if you don't mind the itinerary.

We prefer the Radiance Northbound (4 cruises to date and loved this ship/itinerary)...and they do have a great kid's program...don't care to spend so much time getting to Alaska and back on the Ovation and sailing out of Seattle.

Enjoy whatever works personally for your family.

 

Edited September 4, 2019 by Ashland

[dodgestang]

I just booked Serenade on the inside passage for 2020...so you know my vote ;).  It is turning out to be a bit of a pain getting to Vancouver since I hate not flying anywhere direct

[2Long2NxtCrz]

I took my elderly parents on the Radiance southbound last August.  It was actually the last trip that season as the Radiance was heading to Australia afterwards, I think.  We did a four day land tour before hand and had an amazing time.

 

I know everyone says go with Princess or Holland, but we had an amazing time, a great ship (I love the Radiance class ships because you can see the ocean from everywhere), and incredible weather.  The one big problem with a one-way itinerary is the air travel, which was by far the worst part of our journey.  Everything else went flawlessly.

 

We even got to meet the Native artist that sculpted the totem pole on the pool deck of the ship!

[emeraldcity]

Alaska is all about the itinerary … not the ship. I would suggest you concentrate on the itinerary and insure you get to stop at Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau.

 

[harlekuin]

50 minutes ago, emeraldcity said:

Alaska is all about the itinerary … not the ship. I would suggest you concentrate on the itinerary and insure you get to stop at Skagway, Ketchikan and Juneau.

 

That is what works, and is a priority for you.  We love the ships and the ship amenities.  We enjoy the quiet of Alaska and cruising when you can still see the landscape at midnight.  You can still walk on a glacier, take a train trip, ride a tram, go whale watching and eat crab when you go on ships like Ovation.  It's all a lovely, wonderful vacation.

[AlanF65]

Serenade is RT out of Vancouver so its one more port than Ovation; inside passage, and they try Tracy Arm instead of Dawes so there is 1 sea day North and 1 South

 

 

Radiance goes 1 way and goes to Glacier Bay, Hubbard and Icy Strait point but not Skagway.

 

 

 

And some of Ovation next year go to Glacier Bay instead of Dawes.

Edited September 4, 2019 by AlanF65

[frank808]

8 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Totally agree!  We are back again next August on Radiance.  This time doing not just one week, but two weeks land tour in advance on our own.  Agree...it's nice to see the places the ships don't go. 

 

Round trip for us however, is B2B on Radiance.  😉 

 

Never say never again, we thought our first Alaska trip was it, but now we are returning for trip #4.....it really does draw you back.  Hope you get to go visit again!  🙂 

 

 

We have cruised Alaska on Explorer, Ovation and Radiance.  I will say they all were good and it depends on your family.  My son enjoyed Explorer but loved Ovation.  He was bored to death on Radiance.  My wife and I loved all 3 cruises.  They each had their pluses.

 

We just did a northbound Radiance with 6 day land tour.  The land tour was SPECTACULAR!  We got to go the farthest tours were allowed into Denali.  And it was a great clear day and lots of pics.  

 

It was so good that we are scheduling our 2022 Alaska trip.  Will be going to Vancouver and taking whatever ship north.  Then doing our own 7 night land tour(planning to stay a couple nights at a hotel all the way in Denali Park).  Then end it by taking a southbound cruise back to Vancouver.  Great minds think alike 😉

 

Did a couple of awesome ATV adventures, ziplining, white water rafting.  Had a tour to the artic circle scheduled but it was cancelled due to the fires.  Since it was cancelled at 6pm, got a rental car and drove to Chena hot springs to spend the night.  It was a beautiful 80 mile drive at 11pm with daylight.  Got to see a lot of wildlife on our fairbanks to anchorage drive than the train ride to Denali from seward.

[BopRN]

Does RCCL have it's own hotels/lodges like Princess does?

[frank808]

2 hours ago, BopRN said:

Does RCCL have it's own hotels/lodges like Princess does?

Unfortunately no they do not.  The Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge looked rather nice from walking around.  Also the little pizza parlor next to the main building is not bad.  Definitely nicer than the place where we stayed with Royal.  

[Clarea]

6 hours ago, BopRN said:

Does RCCL have it's own hotels/lodges like Princess does?

 

No, have not seen that in Alaska.

[island lady]

11 hours ago, frank808 said:

We have cruised Alaska on Explorer, Ovation and Radiance.  I will say they all were good and it depends on your family.  My son enjoyed Explorer but loved Ovation.  He was bored to death on Radiance.  My wife and I loved all 3 cruises.  They each had their pluses.

 

We just did a northbound Radiance with 6 day land tour.  The land tour was SPECTACULAR!  We got to go the farthest tours were allowed into Denali.  And it was a great clear day and lots of pics.  

 

It was so good that we are scheduling our 2022 Alaska trip.  Will be going to Vancouver and taking whatever ship north.  Then doing our own 7 night land tour(planning to stay a couple nights at a hotel all the way in Denali Park).  Then end it by taking a southbound cruise back to Vancouver.  Great minds think alike 😉

 

Did a couple of awesome ATV adventures, ziplining, white water rafting.  Had a tour to the artic circle scheduled but it was cancelled due to the fires.  Since it was cancelled at 6pm, got a rental car and drove to Chena hot springs to spend the night.  It was a beautiful 80 mile drive at 11pm with daylight.  Got to see a lot of wildlife on our fairbanks to anchorage drive than the train ride to Denali from seward.

 

Nice!!  Sounds fabulous!  Radiance is our choice...great ship for us "old folks" that don't need the bells and whistles, and enjoy the more traditional, relaxed style of cruising with her.  Love cruising the inland waterway, finding that just the one way does not do it justice.  B2B works better for us.  

 

We are doing various B&Bs, plus a few cute little cabins on our self drive tour for two weeks.  Bucky has a milestone birthday in August, so he wants to check off a bucket list item...to have his picture taken at the arctic circle sign..hopefully no fires! 😮 Staying at a cabin in Fairbanks for that one, little van tour up there, then flight seeing on the way back.  Will once again do glacier flight seeing, salmon bake, salmon fishing, and a lot of driving around near Denali.  

 

Edited September 5, 2019 by island lady

[island lady]

15 hours ago, AlanF65 said:

 

Radiance goes 1 way and goes to Glacier Bay, Hubbard and Icy Strait point but not Skagway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What???   This is my itinerary on Radiance for next August:

 

CRUISE ITINERARY

There are a few changes to this sail date's itinerary. We hope you're as excited as we are about this in your updated vacation plan.

Day 1 (Departure) Vancouver, British Columbia (Set Sail)

Day 2 Inside Passage (Cruising), Canada

Day 3 Ketchikan, Alaska

Day 4 Icy Strait Point, Alaska

Day 5 Juneau, Alaska

Day 6 Skagway, Alaska

Day 7 Hubbard Glacier (Cruising), Alaska

Return Seward, Alaska (Return)

 

Skagway indeed listed.   Both north and southbound. 

Edited September 5, 2019 by island lady

[AlanF65]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

 

What???   This is my itinerary on Radiance for next August:

 

CRUISE ITINERARY

There are a few changes to this sail date's itinerary. We hope you're as excited as we are about this in your updated vacation plan.

Day 1 (Departure) Vancouver, British Columbia (Set Sail)

Day 2 Inside Passage (Cruising), Canada

Day 3 Ketchikan, Alaska

Day 4 Icy Strait Point, Alaska

Day 5 Juneau, Alaska

Day 6 Skagway, Alaska

Day 7 Hubbard Glacier (Cruising), Alaska

Return Seward, Alaska (Return)

 

Skagway indeed listed.   Both north and southbound. 

Online it looks like none of the August sailings go to Glacier bay at this time, some of the earlier sailings had the itinerary changed to drop Skagway and add Glacier Bay. So not all Radiance sailings are going to Glacier bay, sorry for the confusion, the travel site I used showed the one itinerary.

 

 

My May 15th

 

 

My May 22nd

 

Edited September 5, 2019 by AlanF65

[dodgestang]

Slightly off topic....but how do they handle casino hours on Alaska cruises?  Like for instance is it closed the whole time you do the inside pass? 

[AlanF65]

3 minutes ago, dodgestang said:

Slightly off topic....but how do they handle casino hours on Alaska cruises?  Like for instance is it closed the whole time you do the inside pass? 

I think it is only closed in ports, may vary by ship. Ovations seemed open quite often in may but I only gambled once. Definitely open in inside passage and at night out of port

Edited September 5, 2019 by AlanF65

[Cruise_Couple]

No question in our minds... Alaska = Radiance Class Ships!!! So much glass and outward looking views from so many public areas. Absolutely beautiful ships!