Why would (or wouldn't) you choose Princess for Alaska?

[bundtkate]

1 hour ago, neverbeenhere said:

glacier bay is the best as are sailings from Vancouver.

What makes Vancouver sailings better in your opinion? That's one difference between the sailings we're looking at -- HAL is out of Vancouver while Princess is sailing from Seattle.

[Ken the cruiser]

38 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

To each their own.  I prefer a ship to be a ship not an amusement park with 5000 people onboard.  I guess that’s why the luxury cruiselines are all very small ships.  You are correct, the trend is bigger and bigger, however, many of us are not in the slightest bit interested in the Behemoths of the Seas.  I wish you fair winds and following seas on whichever ships you sail.

If I might ask from your own recent personal experience, does HAL use professional lectures and naturalists on their Alaska cruises, or does the combined CD/EXC director give the lectures and/or wildlife presentations, if any, on their Alaska cruises? It’s been since 2017 since we did our 14-day HAL Alaska cruise and I don’t remember them offering any lectures on that cruise. But that was back when they only offered them on 15-day or longer cruises on select unique itineraries.

[Lady Arwen]

17 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

If I might ask from your own recent personal experience, does HAL use professional lectures and naturalists on their Alaska cruises, or does the combined CD/EXC director give the lectures and/or wildlife presentations, if any, on their Alaska cruises? It’s been since 2017 since we did our 14-day HAL Alaska cruise and I don’t remember them offering any lectures on that cruise. But that was back when they only offered them on 15-day or longer cruises on select unique itineraries.

Our last HAL Alaska was on Westerdam a few years ago for 7 nights.  There were lectures in the Crows Nest, which we didn’t attend, so I don’t recall the presenters.  We did have a professional naturalist come onboard who narrated our sails through the glaciers and such.  It was very well done and we learned a lot.  He also called out when and where he spotted wildlife, so we didn’t miss anything.  It was a wonderful cruise!

[Lady Arwen]

24 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

What makes Vancouver sailings better in your opinion? That's one difference between the sailings we're looking at -- HAL is out of Vancouver while Princess is sailing from Seattle.

Sailings from Vancouver take the inside passage route and the scenery is breathtaking.  Sailings from Seattle cruise in the open ocean with no view of land.

[Coral]

4 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Sailings from Vancouver take the inside passage route and the scenery is breathtaking.  Sailings from Seattle cruise in the open ocean with no view of land.

This is correct except for the Royal Class Princess ships. They don't do inside passage (too large).

 

I agree about Vancouver sailings. In most cases - you also have better times in port also. And the scenery is much better IMO.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Coral

[Ken the cruiser]

7 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Our last HAL Alaska was on Westerdam a few years ago for 7 nights.  There were lectures in the Crows Nest, which we didn’t attend, so I don’t recall the presenters.  We did have a professional naturalist come onboard who narrated our sails through the glaciers and such.  It was very well done and we learned a lot.  He also called out when and where he spotted wildlife, so we didn’t miss anything.  It was a wonderful cruise!

Sounds great! I know when a cruise goes to Glacier Bay a NP ranger comes onboard to share their knowledge. The reason I asked is because we’re looking at that 28-day HAL Alaska cruise in June 2024. But over the past 5 years we’ve gotten spoiled by Celebrity and Princess when it comes to them providing lectures and, when appropriate naturalist presentations like on the transpacific cruise we’re currently on (see my Live From thread if you’re interested) in the main theater where everyone can sit comfortably and listen. When you mentioned lectures in the Crows Nest that pretty much tells me HAL hasn’t changed much. 
 

But I’m definitely happy you had a great time because that’s what cruising is all about, regardless of the itinerary! 😁

[Lady Arwen]

1 minute ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Sounds great! I know when a cruise goes to Glacier Bay a NP ranger comes onboard to share their knowledge. The reason I asked is because we’re looking at that 28-day HAL Alaska cruise in June 2024. But over the past 5 years we’ve gotten spoiled by Celebrity and Princess when it comes to them providing lectures and, when appropriate naturalist presentations like on the transpacific cruise we’re currently on (see my Live From thread if you’re interested) in the main theater where everyone can sit comfortably and listen. When you mentioned lectures in the Crows Nest that pretty much tells me HAL hasn’t changed much. 
 

But I’m definitely happy you had a great time because that’s what cruising is all about, regardless of the itinerary! 😁

Definitely going to check out your current thread!  We sailed on Celebrity Solstice to Alaska in 2014 and although it was nice, no Glacier Bay and no inside passage, which is disappointing.  However, we love  Celebrity, so all was good.  

[Ken the cruiser]

20 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Definitely going to check out your current thread!  We sailed on Celebrity Solstice to Alaska in 2014 and although it was nice, no Glacier Bay and no inside passage, which is disappointing.  However, we love  Celebrity, so all was good.  

We agree! Both of those itinerary options are a must in our minds as well. I still remember a few years back seeing over 50 eagles hanging out on a pier going through the Inside Passage on our way back to Seattle!  That’s why we booked the Princess’ 14-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise on the Grand Princess in May 2024. It actually goes to Glacier Bay twice! 😁

Edited April 30, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[Lady Arwen]

Just now, Ken the cruiser said:

We agree! Both of those itinerary options are a must in our minds as well. I still remember a few years back seeing over 50 eagles hanging out on a pier going through the Inside Passage on our way back to Seattle!  That’s why we booked tge Princess’ 14-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise on one of the Grand Princess in May 2024. It actually goes to Glacier Bay twice! 😁

Sounds awesome!  A 14 day will be delightful for sure and a double Glacier Bay, you can’t get better than that!

[bundtkate]

1 hour ago, Coral said:

This is correct except for the Royal Class Princess ships. They don't do inside passage (too large).

That's interesting to hear because the itinerary I'm looking at is on Discovery Princess (which I think is Royal class?) and does do the Inside Passage, albeit only when going southbound. HAL itinerary does Inside Passage both ways so it's a trade-off, but I wasn't considering it a dealbreaker. Is there a chance that ship would not be able to do the Inside Passage at all?

[CruizinSusan70]

3 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

To each their own.  I prefer a ship to be a ship not an amusement park with 5000 people onboard.  I guess that’s why the luxury cruiselines are all very small ships.  You are correct, the trend is bigger and bigger, however, many of us are not in the slightest bit interested in the Behemoths of the Seas.  I wish you fair winds and following seas on whichever ships you sail.

You're correct about to each their own, but you were incorrect about the majority of cruisers wanting more intimate ships.  If this was indeed true, then that would be how the mainstream line would be leaning with their current builds.  So it looks like you'll be relegated to older rust buckets from the mainstream lines or more expensive cruise lines like Viking, Seabourne, Azamara, etc to cruise on the smaller ships that are not "Behemoths".

[CruizinSusan70]

3 hours ago, Poulsbo Cruisers said:

This probably isn’t a negative for many people

It would certainly be a negative for the dedicated HAL cruiser who hasn't cruised on anything larger than 100 K tons and wants to cruise on Princess to Alaska for a change of pace.

[CruizinSusan70]

3 hours ago, bundtkate said:

What makes Vancouver sailings better in your opinion? That's one difference between the sailings we're looking at -- HAL is out of Vancouver while Princess is sailing from Seattle.

Princess sails from Vancouver as well.  We're on the Majestic at the end of May and she embarks from there.  The Grand, Sapphire and Crown as well.  The only Princess ships embarking from Seattle are the Discovery and the Royal.  The Ruby is out of SF.

[CruizinSusan70]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

 That’s why we booked the Princess’ 14-day Voyage of the Glaciers cruise on the Grand Princess in May 2024. It actually goes to Glacier Bay twice! 😁

So does our Majestic 14 cruise on May 27.

[captain_hug99]

On 4/29/2023 at 3:38 PM, Lady Arwen said:

 

Where HAL excels the most is viewing areas both indoors and out.  The Crows Nest is a very large indoor area at the front of the ship with lots of seating and spectacular views with floor to ceiling windows on three sides.  Princess does not have anything to compare.

 

This is exactly what I was going to say, we cruised HAL to Alaska and this was our favorite spot to hang out. I was very disappointed that the Regal Princess doesn't have an area that is similar.

[PescadoAmarillo]

1 minute ago, captain_hug99 said:

This is exactly what I was going to say, we cruised HAL to Alaska and this was our favorite spot to hang out. I was very disappointed that the Regal Princess doesn't have an area that is similar.

The Royal Class ships are pretty awful for scenic cruising watching from public venues, except the Majestic has the Hollywood Conservatory and even then, if it’s raining, you’ll see nothing. We spent a rainy day in the New Zealand fjords with literally no place to watch from except the area behind the buffet…with 1500 of our new friends. 

[Coral]

1 hour ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

So does our Majestic 14 cruise on May 27.

That is because it really is a B2B cruise (2 seven night cruises) sold as a 14 night cruise.

[bundtkate]

Thanks again to everyone here for the feedback! After asking this here and on the HAL board, plus some extra research, we're actually leaning on going with HAL. Originally, we were thinking of an aft-facing balcony and probably leaning towards Princess for the newer ship, but after watching some ship tours of the Konigsdam, we are hoping to book an inside and use the money saved to book a cabana in The Retreat for the week so that we have our outside space to watch scenery as well as a small taste of luxury. I am not totally certain I found up-to-date pricing, but I found a price list showing $400 for 7 days which feels like a steal. Even if it's a fair bit more, it will still be cheaper than a balcony cabin. Plus, no one is bringing me a beer on the balcony except my husband and I love him just a bit too much to send him for drinks in Glacier Bay.

There were a few things that convinced me to go with HAL:

1. Itinerary. While Princess goes through the Inside Passage on the way back to Seattle, HAL goes through it both ways. This gives you a whole extra day to see scenery, which is what Alaska is all about, and mitigates any FOMO you may have if you're on the wrong side of the ship when you pass by something important.
2. Smaller ship. While we do enjoy big ships, it's more because they're new than because they're big. Konigsdam is still pretty new and I've heard small ships can get closer to scenery and wildlife in Alaska so it feels like the best of both worlds.
3. The enclosed pool area. I originally wasn't putting much stock in this, but a commenter on the HAL board reminded me that Alaska is rainy, not just cold. Extra inside space with a view is a bigger plus than I was giving it credit for. I also love the idea of The Crows Nest. I can't remember what they called it, but there was a similar space on the MSC Meraviglia and it was our favorite spot on the ship to watch a sunset.
4. Weirdly, price. HAL was about $200 total cheaper anyway, but the option to pay for the Retreat Cabana instead of a private balcony brings it down a ton. I'd guess we're looking at a bit over $3k all in which is well below budget.

We may end up changing our minds if The Retreat costs way more than I think or it can't be reserved at the time of booking, but I've shot my TA an email so he can check into it for us so with any luck we'll be booked by next week. Thanks again for y'all's help. I can Google all I want, but there's no substitute for the advice of those who have actually been there (and aren't getting paid for it 🤣) so your thoughts have been invaluable. Hopefully I'll be lucky enough to visit Alaska again so I can give Princess a try the next time.

[CruizinSusan70]

3 hours ago, Coral said:

That is because it really is a B2B cruise (2 seven night cruises) sold as a 14 night cruise.

Thank you for educating me on something I had no idea about. 🤔🤔🤔

[CruizinSusan70]

On 4/29/2023 at 5:38 PM, Lady Arwen said:

The Crows Nest is a very large indoor area at the front of the ship with lots of seating and spectacular views with floor to ceiling windows on three sides.  Princess does not have anything to compare.

Isn't the Hollywood Conservatory on deck 17 forward on the Majestic a similar area?

[NG11]

7 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Thank you for educating me on something I had no idea about. 🤔🤔🤔

I'm on the Majestic June 3rd-10th leaving Whittier and arriving in Vancouver. I assume this may be the 2nd half of your 14 night trip?

 

But yes. If so, it is sold as a 7 night southbound cruise in this case! 

Edited May 1, 2023 by NG11

[Lady Arwen]

10 hours ago, bundtkate said:

Thanks again to everyone here for the feedback! After asking this here and on the HAL board, plus some extra research, we're actually leaning on going with HAL. Originally, we were thinking of an aft-facing balcony and probably leaning towards Princess for the newer ship, but after watching some ship tours of the Konigsdam, we are hoping to book an inside and use the money saved to book a cabana in The Retreat for the week so that we have our outside space to watch scenery as well as a small taste of luxury. I am not totally certain I found up-to-date pricing, but I found a price list showing $400 for 7 days which feels like a steal. Even if it's a fair bit more, it will still be cheaper than a balcony cabin. Plus, no one is bringing me a beer on the balcony except my husband and I love him just a bit too much to send him for drinks in Glacier Bay.

There were a few things that convinced me to go with HAL:

1. Itinerary. While Princess goes through the Inside Passage on the way back to Seattle, HAL goes through it both ways. This gives you a whole extra day to see scenery, which is what Alaska is all about, and mitigates any FOMO you may have if you're on the wrong side of the ship when you pass by something important.
2. Smaller ship. While we do enjoy big ships, it's more because they're new than because they're big. Konigsdam is still pretty new and I've heard small ships can get closer to scenery and wildlife in Alaska so it feels like the best of both worlds.
3. The enclosed pool area. I originally wasn't putting much stock in this, but a commenter on the HAL board reminded me that Alaska is rainy, not just cold. Extra inside space with a view is a bigger plus than I was giving it credit for. I also love the idea of The Crows Nest. I can't remember what they called it, but there was a similar space on the MSC Meraviglia and it was our favorite spot on the ship to watch a sunset.
4. Weirdly, price. HAL was about $200 total cheaper anyway, but the option to pay for the Retreat Cabana instead of a private balcony brings it down a ton. I'd guess we're looking at a bit over $3k all in which is well below budget.

We may end up changing our minds if The Retreat costs way more than I think or it can't be reserved at the time of booking, but I've shot my TA an email so he can check into it for us so with any luck we'll be booked by next week. Thanks again for y'all's help. I can Google all I want, but there's no substitute for the advice of those who have actually been there (and aren't getting paid for it 🤣) so your thoughts have been invaluable. Hopefully I'll be lucky enough to visit Alaska again so I can give Princess a try the next time.

Congratulations!  Your plan sounds fantastic and I know you’ll love Konigsdam!  The Pinnacle class ships are simply perfect for Alaska.   Not too big to get up close to the best views, yet large enough to give you all the amenities you could possibly want.  
My favourite place is the closed pool area.  It’s two tiered with comfy sofas and chairs and coffee tables and the upper area actually has big round beds with lofty pillows.  No need to worry about the cold or rain, it’s got you covered and toasty warm.  

Do not miss the New York Deli on the upper level.  Great sandwiches and freshly maid to order personal pizzas.  I could go on and on about this ship,  it is so awesome, but I’ll let you see for yourself.  I hope you have the most fabulous  cruise and please come back with a full review.  So excited for you!

Edited May 1, 2023 by Lady Arwen

[Lady Arwen]

8 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Isn't the Hollywood Conservatory on deck 17 forward on the Majestic a similar area?

Not the same at all.  The Crows Nest is a large observation area with chairs and lounges facing the sea from starboard to forward to port side through floor to ceiling windows.  It’s perfect for Alaska.  You could check it out on youtube if you’re interested.

[Lady Arwen]

14 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

You're correct about to each their own, but you were incorrect about the majority of cruisers wanting more intimate ships.  If this was indeed true, then that would be how the mainstream line would be leaning with their current builds.  So it looks like you'll be relegated to older rust buckets from the mainstream lines or more expensive cruise lines like Viking, Seabourne, Azamara, etc to cruise on the smaller ships that are not "Behemoths".

Susan, take a deep breath and relax. You seem to be a touch agitated.  I’m not the slightest bit worried about being “relegated to older rust buckets”.  As a matter of fact, we have cruises booked on Celebrity Ascent and Beyond in 2024 and a TA on Rotterdam VII.  And, we’ll be sailing on Regal Princess this September to the British Isles.  Not one rust bucket among them. lol
I sincerely hope you enjoy your cruise on Majestic Princess, I’m sure she’s just lovely.  

Edited May 1, 2023 by Lady Arwen

[CruizinSusan70]

5 hours ago, NG11 said:

I'm on the Majestic June 3rd-10th leaving Whittier and arriving in Vancouver. I assume this may be the 2nd half of your 14 night trip?

 

But yes. If so, it is sold as a 7 night southbound cruise in this case! 

I'm fully aware that my 14 day cruise could be booked as a 7 day northbound or a 7 day southbound.  Been cruising for over 35 years and have 50+ cruises under my belt.  My 🤔🤔🤔 was just sarcasm.