Norwegian to Alaska?

[Sigyn]

Has anyone sailed on an NCL ship to Alaska and, if so, how was your experience? I worry that the ships are too large to really get close to the glaciers. I did a one-day glacier cruise many years ago on a small boat and we were so close and it was so beautiful. I think it was even offered as an excursion to Princess passengers at the time (I was on a land vacation.) 

 

What is it like to cruise on NCL to Alaska and which port is best?

[cruiseny4life]

There have been a number of lives this summer from cruisers who ventured to Alaska. Here are three of the best (you'll notice two of them are by the same poster). Well, they're the best to me. 🙂

 

The Encore and Bliss are the featured stars of the show. Enjoy reading and ogling the photos!

 

 

 

 

 

[www3traveler]

You will have a number of choices both big ship and little this next season.

 

The Bliss and The Encore will sail from Seattle roundtrip beginning late April and early May.

 

Both The Jewel and The Spirit will be doing one way cruises from Vancouver, British Columbia to Seward, Alaska and then Seward to Vancouver.

 

The Sun will also be doing longer length cruises from Seattle.

 

Find a travel agent in your area, do your reasearch, book, come on aboard and enjoy.

 

Alaska is a wonder cruise but especially in the early Spring, both the glaciers start to melt and there is beautiful white snow on the mountain tops.

[graphicguy]

I’ll chime in….this one was a little over a year ago, but a great cruise nonetheless….

 

 

[cruiseny4life]

4 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

I’ll chime in….this one was a little over a year ago, but a great cruise nonetheless….

 

 

Thanks for giving me six pages of reading material for my Friday at work! It's a very boring Friday with just a report needing to be complete by 5 PM. That'll take me all of 30 minutes...though I was shown a job today that I just might need to apply for. Possibly putting together the cover letter and resume for that will take up some time today as well.

[graphicguy]

2 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Thanks for giving me six pages of reading material for my Friday at work! It's a very boring Friday with just a report needing to be complete by 5 PM. That'll take me all of 30 minutes...though I was shown a job today that I just might need to apply for. Possibly putting together the cover letter and resume for that will take up some time today as well.

You go!  Life’s so much better with changes.  Let us know how that turns out. Then, give 2 weeks notice and take a cruise.

[pickle11]

2 hours ago, njsmom said:

Has anyone sailed on an NCL ship to Alaska and, if so, how was your experience? I worry that the ships are too large to really get close to the glaciers. I did a one-day glacier cruise many years ago on a small boat and we were so close and it was so beautiful. I think it was even offered as an excursion to Princess passengers at the time (I was on a land vacation.) 

 

What is it like to cruise on NCL to Alaska and which port is best?

Why Alaska?  What expectations do you have?  So many places so many things so much wildlife.  And the weather can change sometimes.  Are you a tour person or one that likes shopping?  Do you like adventure?  Do you expect to see something on sea days?  Are you patient or expect some type of announcement?  Different strokes for different folks.  I have been going to Alaska every season since 2013 and still see something new each time.

[Sigyn]

1 hour ago, www3traveler said:

You will have a number of choices both big ship and little this next season.

 

The Bliss and The Encore will sail from Seattle roundtrip beginning late April and early May.

 

Both The Jewel and The Spirit will be doing one way cruises from Vancouver, British Columbia to Seward, Alaska and then Seward to Vancouver.

 

The Sun will also be doing longer length cruises from Seattle.

 

Find a travel agent in your area, do your reasearch, book, come on aboard and enjoy.

 

Alaska is a wonder cruise but especially in the early Spring, both the glaciers start to melt and there is beautiful white snow on the mountain tops.

The only cruises that work with our dates are are Bliss, Encore, Spirit and Jewel. My friend did the Bliss to Alaska three years ago and said it was the worst cruise she'd ever been on. Too many people, terrible food and it was just miserable. She cruises quite a bit and loved doing the Grand Princess to Hawaii, Cunard Queen Elizabeth transatlantic, but the Bliss to Alaska was just miserable for her, so I trust her judgement. She's not anti-NCL. She did the Gem to New England and Canada the year before and really enjoyed it. She said her best Alaskan cruise was in 2000 on the Celebrity Mercury and she also really liked the Diamond Princess in 2007 to Alaska. 

Edited October 14, 2022 by njsmom

[Sigyn]

12 minutes ago, pickle11 said:

Why Alaska?  What expectations do you have?  So many places so many things so much wildlife.  And the weather can change sometimes.  Are you a tour person or one that likes shopping?  Do you like adventure?  Do you expect to see something on sea days?  Are you patient or expect some type of announcement?  Different strokes for different folks.  I have been going to Alaska every season since 2013 and still see something new each time.

Alaska because we're not really beach people, and we'll have just done the Caribbean anyway in December with our son, who is a beach person. He won't be with us for this one. I absolutely loved Alaska when I went there in 1999 for three weeks and I'd love to show it to my husband. The wildlife, the scenery, the culture. It was simply breathtaking and amazing. I want to see things on sea days if possible. I don't need announcements. I like tours, I like shopping. I am not into big entertainment on ships, but I'll go if it's there a couple of times per cruise. 

 

We like to get a drink, sit on our balcony or a deck, enjoy the view, talk, meet other passengers, relax. That's our vibe. We're in our early 50's, and we like to enjoy ourselves in a low key way. We are physically fit, we like to hike, do tours, explore a new area, etc. 

Edited October 14, 2022 by njsmom

[davidwar]

We went on a 9 day NCL Alaska cruise on the Spirit this past August.  First time to Alaska and it was fantastic.  The only down size was on the day we were supposed to visit the Endicott Glacier, the captain decided to forego it because there was too much ice to get close.  In Juneau we did go see the Mendenhall glacier so we could at least say we saw a glacier!

[pickle11]

8 minutes ago, njsmom said:

Alaska because we're not really beach people, and we'll have just done the Caribbean anyway in December with our son, who is a beach person. He won't be with us for this one. I absolutely loved Alaska when I went there in 1999 for three weeks and I'd love to show it to my husband. The wildlife, the scenery, the culture. It was simply breathtaking and amazing. I want to see things on sea days if possible. I don't need announcements. I like tours, I like shopping. I am not into big entertainment on ships, but I'll go if it's there a couple of times per cruise. 

 

We like to get a drink, sit on our balcony or a deck, enjoy the view, talk, meet other passengers, relax. That's our vibe. We're in our early 50's, and we like to enjoy ourselves in a low key way. We are physically fit, we like to hike, do tours, explore a new area, etc. 

Then you will like Alaska.  Do not get caught up with the ships inside activities.  Nothing different from any other cruise line.  A show is a show.  A comic is a comic.  And the Beatles well it just could be the best of Neil Diamond.  Music is music.  Alaska is the show.  Have good binoculars.  So much sunlight.  Get your drink and watch paint dry.  Find that needle in the haystack.  There is no right place, just the lucky place.  And you can always do tours to get that Kodak moment.  Dog sledding, glacier walking, whale and bear watching.  It all depends how much extra you are willing to spend.

But NCL gets the worst parking places.  Ward Cove, Juneau and Icy strait are not very user friendly in my opinion.  Usually have to wait for a shuttle.  I have mobility problems.  

[mapleleaves]

As with any cruise, make your decision based on itinerary.  Go with the ship that visits ports you want to explore and most importantly has long port times .... are you in port long enough for planned activities and at the right time of day?  ie what can you accomplish with a 7am - 1pm port time, especially if the dock is out of town or you're tendered?

Vancouver departures are more scenic in that you travel on the east side of Vancouver Island so you're between the mainland and the Island .... calmer waters and scenery to enjoy.  Seattle departures travel on the west side of Vanc Island so open seas and no scenery.

IMHO, the best way to see Alaska is by land travel, not a ship.  Rent a car or RV and drive around for 10 days.  If glacier viewing is a priority, do a 6-8hr day cruise out of Seward, Whittier or Valdez. Better yet, fly into Juneau and Gustavus to spend 2 days AT Glacier Bay.  The day cruise in GB is spectacular.  Besides seeing glaciers up close and personal we saw bear and deer on the shore, whales and all kinds of sealife. Awesome trip! 

But do some research and determine which itinerary best suits your needs.

[vacation44]

We are booked for our first Alaskan cruise for next August.   We choose the Jewel for two reasons--longer port times then the Bliss and Encore and we wanted to embark/depart in Vancouver instead of doing the round trip out of Seattle.   I do realize that they do not have the best "parking" places, but that is okay with us since we will have longer days in ports.   

[SkeeterPilot]

My wife and I are booked on our 4th NCL Alaska cruise for June of 2023.  We have done 2 R/T out of Seattle and 1 Southbound our of Seward.  The next on is the Northbound from Vancouver to Seward.  We really prefer the oneway crusies and are really looking foward to the Northbound trip on the Jewel.  This trip includes a day in Glacier Bay and a day at the Hubbard Glacier.  These are our 2 most favorite places to see on an Alaskan cruise on the same trip.

[bookbabe]

We did Alaska on the Encore in May and it was great.  Glacier Bay especially is a must-do.

[scooter6139]

We live near Seattle so Alaska is our default cruise destination.  We really enjoyed the Encore when it went last year.  NCL has invested a bunch in Icy Strait Point (new pier/dock) and Ketchikan (new dock and facilities in Ward Cove, about a 20 min drive to and from Ketchikan), so hopefully they are doing a bit more than the meager offerings they had August 2021 at those two locations.

 

Never sailed on a smaller NCL ship, but have to say Alaska is best viewed from the top deck and the Observation Lounge.  Reason they made the entire front half of deck 15 all glass.  Favorite spot, all cruise long, hands down.

[grobma]

Did Alaska on the Sun in 2014 and it was very nice being on a smaller ship. That being said, I was on the Bliss 3 years ago which was made for such cruises with the awesome Observation Lounge. It's definitely a much larger ship, but I don't know how much of a difference that makes in terms of how close one gets to the glaciers. It didn't feel like we were so close to them on the Sun, but I guess it's all relative.

All the ports we stopped in were great - in order of preference they were Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.

 

[InfrequentPNWCruiser]

I don't think you'll have an issue with the ship and the proximity to the glaciers. Here's a picture from the Encore last October. Also sometimes different things happen when they took the ship up a different arm in Glacier Bay with snow falling and skim ice on the water...quite surreal and magical at once. The crew had great fun as many had never experienced a snowfall before. Alaska must be experienced personally and I don't think you would be disappointed on any NCL Alaska voyage.

[bonvoyagie]

I have been to Alaska 3 times now on NCL - first time was in 02 on the Sky - we ventured into Tracy Arm and saw many icebergs and could not get close to the glacier - the captian dispatched the photographer on the zodiac to get some photos of the glacier and the ship they were great. We did the same trip the next year taking our kids. Last trip was in 2012 on the Pearl, in Juneau we took a small boat excursion into Tracy Arm and really got up close to the glaciers and they were very active. That trip also visited Glacier Bay where again we got close to the glaciers but they were not active that day. I agree that the best way to enjoy an AK cruise is to sit back with your favorite beverage and some binoculars and watch the scenery go by. Our next venture to AK will be in 2023 where we will be doing the Southbound Authentic Alaska 14 day Cruisetour on the Jewel - we will be going in late June early July. Looking forward to it.

[CruizinSusan70]

Is there a specific reason why you only chose NCL ships for Alaska when you have never sailed them but do have a Prima sailing booked?

Princess and Holland America are the experts for Alaska and your friend did have a good time on the Diamond Princess.  We have a 14 day sailing on the Majestic Princess next year out of Vancouver which has a similar observation lounge in the front of the ship like the Bliss and Encore.  It sails out of Vancouver and could be done as a seven day either north or south bound if 14 days is too long.  Another option is to choose a 7 day sailing combined with a land package.  Both Princess and Holland offer this option, unlike their competition.  Food for thought.

[pickle11]

Why are Princess and HAL the "experts" in Alaska?  Do they go to different ports?    Do they take different routes?  Carnival, RCL, NCL, Celebrity and Disney do Alaska too.  I have cruised Alaska on all of these cruise lines.  Cruised Alaska many many times.  The cruises that stand out are the ones that visit Glacier Bay and Hoonah (Icy Strait).  

Oh Yeah.  I was on the Iceberg cruise on the Sun in June.  And that was a fun cruise too.

[BirdTravels]

On 10/14/2022 at 7:41 AM, njsmom said:

Has anyone sailed on an NCL ship to Alaska and, if so, how was your experience? I worry that the ships are too large to really get close to the glaciers. I did a one-day glacier cruise many years ago on a small boat and we were so close and it was so beautiful. I think it was even offered as an excursion to Princess passengers at the time (I was on a land vacation.) 

 

What is it like to cruise on NCL to Alaska and which port is best?

We sail Alaska every year, mostly on NCL. 

 

How close you get to the glaciers depends on the itinerary and the ice conditions. Cruise ships will not sail into heavy ice no matter how big/small they are. 

 

Most of NCL Alaska cruises are round trip Seattle. And a subset of those go to Glacier Bay. There are one-way Vancouver to Seward and back on smaller/older ships. 

 

If you have never been on an Alaskan cruise, then a cruise that goes to Glacier Bay is probably what you would want.

 

Other cruises focus on going to the Dawes glacier near Juneau. If you are scheduled to cruise to the Dawes glacier, then take the Glacier Explorer shore excursion to get up close and personal with the glacier. 

 

Here's are a couple of my most recent live posts

 

 

 

 

[Sailing12Away]

We were in Alaska last September on the Encore. Best excursion we did was Tracy Arm Fjord out of Juneau: https://www.ncl.com/shore-excursions/JNU_15/Tracy-Arm-Fjord-Glacier-Explorer ?destination=Alaska+Cruises&port=JNU&sort=searchWeight&sortOrder=asc&perPage=12&startingRecord=12

 

You have time in the morning to explore town, then hop on your excursion as everyone else is returning to the ship. Your smaller boat goes ahead of the cruise ship and you get to see lots of animals, small icebergs floating by, and then you get really close to the glacier. You'll see the cruise ship start to catch up to you, but they dock much farther away. You eventually return back to them, hop back onto the ship and continue on your cruise.

[Sigyn]

52 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

We sail Alaska every year, mostly on NCL. 

 

How close you get to the glaciers depends on the itinerary and the ice conditions. Cruise ships will not sail into heavy ice no matter how big/small they are. 

 

Most of NCL Alaska cruises are round trip Seattle. And a subset of those go to Glacier Bay. There are one-way Vancouver to Seward and back on smaller/older ships. 

 

If you have never been on an Alaskan cruise, then a cruise that goes to Glacier Bay is probably what you would want.

 

Other cruises focus on going to the Dawes glacier near Juneau. If you are scheduled to cruise to the Dawes glacier, then take the Glacier Explorer shore excursion to get up close and personal with the glacier. 

 

Here's are a couple of my most recent live posts

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much! I appreciate this very much!

[Sigyn]

18 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

We were in Alaska last September on the Encore. Best excursion we did was Tracy Arm Fjord out of Juneau: https://www.ncl.com/shore-excursions/JNU_15/Tracy-Arm-Fjord-Glacier-Explorer ?destination=Alaska+Cruises&port=JNU&sort=searchWeight&sortOrder=asc&perPage=12&startingRecord=12

 

You have time in the morning to explore town, then hop on your excursion as everyone else is returning to the ship. Your smaller boat goes ahead of the cruise ship and you get to see lots of animals, small icebergs floating by, and then you get really close to the glacier. You'll see the cruise ship start to catch up to you, but they dock much farther away. You eventually return back to them, hop back onto the ship and continue on your cruise.

These photos are amazing! I'll have to look up that excursion. Pretty wild to have the ship take off without you and yet still be on a sanctioned excursion.