Last minute change to Alaska cruise - which ship is best?

[puppymama1]

We are currently booked on a Viking river cruise for May, 2022, and with the latest developments we are thinking Europe may not be the best place to go in the near future... We are thinking of changing it to our Alaska cruise that was cancelled 3 times in 2020/2021.... But Coral Princess isn't sailing in Alaska this year.. our choices are Grand Princess, Royal Princess and Majestic Princess... which one would be the best?  My thought would be Grand since it's the smallest, but looking for other opinions since we have never sailed with Princess before... There are two mini suite cabins available on the 6/15 sailing.. D402 and D406...  Any opinions on those?  Thanks very much for any help!

[LACruiser88]

We would enjoy either of the Royal class ships over the Grand.  We prefer the newer ships.

Edited February 24, 2022 by LACruiser88

[HaveDogWillTravel]

Nothing beats the large, outdoor spaces (it has a full promenade) of the Grand if you are interested in being outside with less crowds for glacier and wildlife viewing.  The Royal class ships are best if you prefer to stay inside or will mostly want to view glaciers and wildlife from your private balconies. 
 

i went to Alaska on the Majestic and found the lack of a promenade deck not to my liking. I did like the sea walk area on the upper deck though. I thought the upper decks as a whole were better on the Grand….easier to circumvent in their entirety.  I also much prefer the Grands multi level aft outdoor areas. 
 

The Majestic has the fully enclosed forward facing Hollywood Conservatory which many folks love. I did not as I would rather be outdoors on the bow which you can do on the Grand but not on the Majestic. 
 

My premium balcony on the Majestic had a couch and you do need at least a mini suite on the Grand to get a couch. 
 

The Royal class ships are a very different cruising style than the Grand class. It’s about your cruising preferences.  

Edited February 24, 2022 by HaveDogWillTravel

[1965]

I've been on the Grand & the Regal. I prefer the Regal, regardless of destination.

[EDDY0827]

Dolphin deck mini-suites have no overhead protection from the rain in Alaska, but the wrap-around promenade, deck 7, is worth its weight in gold. Emerald deck aft has a number of covered minis that are worth investigating.

[EDDY0827]

Just now, EDDY0827 said:

On the Grand, Dolphin deck mini-suites have no overhead protection from the rain in Alaska, but the wrap-around promenade, deck 7, is worth its weight in gold. Emerald deck aft has a number of covered minis that are worth investigating.

 

 

[PhotoGal07]

I looked at this topic extensively when we were booking our Alaska cruise.  The overwhelming consensus seemed to be that the outdoor spaces/smaller ship size of the Grand where recommended for Alaska.  In Alaska priority goes to the views and the port/times and it's less about ship amenities.  

[HaveDogWillTravel]

The minis on the Grand Dolphin deck are completely open. I absolutely love that as the stargazing is amazing. I am okay with the Caribe deck balconies that are very large and partially covered too. But no couches or bath tub.  Again it’s about your cruise style and preferences. 

[Buddysmom10]

I just booked the Grand yesterday for Alaska northbound in June.  I chose it based on the cruise tour itinerary,; also wanted it to finish in Anchorage instead of Fairbanks so I wouldn't have to deal with getting to Anchorage for a flight back. 

[suekel]

No matter where I go, I prefer the older smaller ships.  That being said, I'm on the Discovery in April so it'll be a nice comparison.  Really disliked the Royal, so we'll see.  

[cr8tiv1]

Grand Princess

 

[Coffeeluvr05]

I have sailed on the Grand to Alaska and found it to be just fine and would totally do it again.  I am about to sail on the Majestic for a Mexico itinerary on Saturday and knowing that it has the unique feature of the Hollywood Conservatory would make a a good candidate for Alaska in my book.  LOTS of indoor viewing space when you don't want to be out in the elements.

[partybarbie]

IMHO, if you are having to fly, and not doing a land tour, I would book a flight to SFO and take the 10-day on the Ruby. 

[fishin' musician]

In addition to the Grand's more abundant viewing areas, the big ships do not take the inside passage N of Vancouver, which is an amazing first day at sea!

[brisalta]

The Grand Princess has the advantages of a full promenade that goes around the ship, an indoor pool in the conservatory. The conservatory has a mezzanine and that makes it really easy go from one side to the other for viewing if you want to stay inside.  The Grand has a lot of outside viewing areas.The Grand Princess can travel the inside passage. It can also get into fjords. In addition the Grand Princess has Alfredo's.

 

The Royal class ships do not have an actual promenade and are too large to sail to various areas.

 

 

[puppymama1]

We are actually now thinking of going on Viking instead of Princess.. Thanks for all the replies!

[SSAtlantic]

19 minutes ago, partybarbie said:

IMHO, if you are having to fly, and not doing a land tour, I would book a flight to SFO and take the 10-day on the Ruby. 

Have to agree with the above. Spend a few days before in San Francisco. Ruby is a great ship with smaller size like the Grand , but newer. 

[ccmcg]

If your decision is based on the features/amenities of the ships themselves, I am not of any help and refer you to the comments of others on these threads who have sailed on them.  However, I CAN advise you to compare the itineraries of these ships.   I have read that when it comes to glacier viewing, Glacier Bay is the creme de la creme, surpassing Dawes and Hubbard Glaciers.  I have not seen either of the latter, but after having been to Glacier Bay on our first Alaskan cruise (1999,)  going there again was our highest priority when we selected our second Alaskan cruise (2009.)  We are going again this year and taking our three sons, and we ONLY considered ships visiting Glacier Bay, despite the fact that some of the other ships sounded more appealing to us.  To us, it is THE not-to-be-missed highlight of our trips to Alaska.  Only two ships per day are allowed into Glacier Bay, so likely not all the ships you are considering sail there.  I encourage you to at least take a look at that and give it some consideration.  That said, I am sure you will have a fabulous time no matter what.  Alaska will take your breath away!

 

 

[Cruise Raider]

I absolutely love the Royal class, unlike my friend @HaveDogWillTravel

I would choose the Majestic or the Royal.  My friend that worked at Vines on the Grand made that ship the best at the time.  Now, he is moving to the Royal for the Alaska season ... so the Royal would be a win win for me!!  

I did absolutely love the deluxe balconies on the Royal and Majestic, something you won't find on the Grand.  You have to upgrade to a mini suite to get a couch in your cabin but we found the deluxe balcony cabins gave us just the amount of extra room we needed without getting a mini suite.  

The balconies on the Royal class ships (unless you get one in the middle of the ship or aft facing) are quite a bit smaller than those on the Grand , although, the closets on the Grand and the lack of a midship staircase for passengers may be an issue.  

The lack of a promenade deck on the Royal Class ships is of no concern to me.  

Whatever ship you decide, I would opt for a balcony up in Alaska.  If on the Grand, try for a cabin on the Caribe deck. The balconies are very large and half covered .. nice to sit out there in case of inclement weather.  If you choose one of the Royal class ships, I would choose a deluxe balcony cabin, either midship with the larger balcony or all the way aft on the decks with the larger balcony.  We had E409 on the Royal and B737 on the Majestic and they were both awesome cabins with great balconies.  

 

 

[RJAM3]

8 hours ago, puppymama1 said:

We are currently booked on a Viking river cruise for May, 2022, and with the latest developments we are thinking Europe may not be the best place to go in the near future... We are thinking of changing it to our Alaska cruise that was cancelled 3 times in 2020/2021.... But Coral Princess isn't sailing in Alaska this year.. our choices are Grand Princess, Royal Princess and Majestic Princess... which one would be the best?  My thought would be Grand since it's the smallest, but looking for other opinions since we have never sailed with Princess before... There are two mini suite cabins available on the 6/15 sailing.. D402 and D406...  Any opinions on those?  Thanks very much for any help!

 

[RJAM3]

I would be certain to book Glacier Bay if you are on your first Alaska cruise…don’t miss out on this treasure.  

[suekel]

7 hours ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

 

Just curious, what did you dislike about the Royal?  And why would you book a cruise on a sister ship if you "really disliked" it so much?  Is it just the appeal of the Discovery being new and/or a desired itinerary?

 

 

Lack of pools and the teeny tiny balconies.  Discovery seems to have fixed the pool problem and I got a huge balcony.  So, we'll see.  The pictures of the Enchanted look beautiful so I imagine the Discovery will be also.  

[MelissaJeanPalmSpringsCA]

13 hours ago, suekel said:

No matter where I go, I prefer the older smaller ships.  That being said, I'm on the Discovery in April so it'll be a nice comparison.  Really disliked the Royal, so we'll see.  

Hi Suekel…I’m a little bummed as starting to regret our choice to book for our third Alaska trip on the royal. 2 week in May. My husband and I REALLY love the wrap around promenade deck and enjoyed pulling the chair up to the railing to “take it all in” with a cover over our heads, etc. Literally almost no one around both trips…Ruby and Golden. I think we kinda pushed that disappointment down because the timing, price etc worked for us on the Royal. I’m wondering what your feedback is based on what I’ve shared regarding our feelings on outdoor space and if you think we can go with the flow with the small little deck footprints on the Royal Promenade deck. (Just thinking there’s probably no way to pull up a charge and sit close to the rail in those areas either). What else bothered you about the Royal other than the size? Thanks in advance for any feedback. 

[MelissaJeanPalmSpringsCA]

[leck57]

11 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

I absolutely love the Royal class, unlike my friend @HaveDogWillTravel

I would choose the Majestic or the Royal.  My friend that worked at Vines on the Grand made that ship the best at the time.  Now, he is moving to the Royal for the Alaska season ... so the Royal would be a win win for me!!  

I did absolutely love the deluxe balconies on the Royal and Majestic, something you won't find on the Grand.  You have to upgrade to a mini suite to get a couch in your cabin but we found the deluxe balcony cabins gave us just the amount of extra room we needed without getting a mini suite.  

The balconies on the Royal class ships (unless you get one in the middle of the ship or aft facing) are quite a bit smaller than those on the Grand , although, the closets on the Grand and the lack of a midship staircase for passengers may be an issue.  

The lack of a promenade deck on the Royal Class ships is of no concern to me.  

Whatever ship you decide, I would opt for a balcony up in Alaska.  If on the Grand, try for a cabin on the Caribe deck. The balconies are very large and half covered .. nice to sit out there in case of inclement weather.  If you choose one of the Royal class ships, I would choose a deluxe balcony cabin, either midship with the larger balcony or all the way aft on the decks with the larger balcony.  We had E409 on the Royal and B737 on the Majestic and they were both awesome cabins with great balconies.  

 

 

 

Agree 100%. We did the Royal to Alaska and were concerned beforehand about the comments re lack of viewing spaces. We found those comments to be complete rubbish and although the ship was at capacity we never had a problem getting clear viewing. There was an outside area on a lower deck, that was rarely used and never had an issue getting a spot up higher. I'd take the newer ship.