Alaska Cruise with NCL

[cusematt4]

Hi All,

 

We are planning an Alaska cruise for a milestone birthday - parents with adult kids.  RCL is our favorite line over NCL, and we've never been on Celebrity.  We are open to any line though for the best possible Alaska experience on a nice ship.

 

We've been on Princess awhile ago which is fine but have heard decreased quality since Carnival's acquisition years ago.  We went on the Getaway last year and were incredibly diappointed with the lack of entertainment, live music and clear cutbacks (elimination of Syds, elimination of Illusionariam show, no fly on acts and multiple nights of no professional entertainment).

 

We want the best possible first-time Alaska experience, but we still also want to be on a great modern ship with good food and entertainment. 

 

Does anyone have any experience with RCL vs Celebrity vs NCL vs Princess for a cruise to Alaska?

 

-What's the best way to go about choosing a cruise to Alaska for July or August 2024?

 

-Is July vs August a better time to go?

 

-The ships we are considering are: Ovation of the Seas (we've been on Anthem), NCL Bliss (we've been on Getaway), Celebrity Edge or Discovery Princess

 

-Is there any advantage of going on any of these ships to be able to see more?  They all are similar size

 

-Whats the difference in doing roundtrip from Seattle vs one-way from Seattle vs one-way from Vancouver?  Would we end up seeing a bunch more on a one way trip?  Is there any advantage from leaving from Vancouver vs Seattle?

 

Would appreciate any info for the best possible Alaska experience while also having a great cruise.

 

Thank you.

[Son of a son of a ...]

Re: Season.  We enjoyed May.  It was not too hot and not quite the peak.  The salmon are not running yet so no bears if that is of interest.

[www3traveler]

July and August would be the most expensive both from the cruise price and hotel fares.  They would also be very crowded no matter what ship you choose--- lots of families ships running very full.

 

I prefer going to Alaska as early in the season as possible.  I am planning early May 2024 on The Bliss out of Seattle.  I can fly round trip to Seattle verus one way airfares (twice- once to Vancouver and once from Anchorage, Alaska).

 

Early in the seasons the ports do not have as many ships per day docked.  The snow is still fresh in the mountains, the glaicers are still pristine white with a tinge of blue along the edges.

 

No matter what decisons you make, enjoy this special time with your family which is more important.

[bonvoyagie]

One thing that is probably essential for a great AK cruise is the inclusion of Glacier Bay. This will limit you to the cruise lines that have permission to operate there - they are Princess, HAL, and NCL at the moment and through at least 2024. Early season NCL runs the Bliss there but switches to the Encore mid season. The Jewel visits GB on the northbound voyage. 

 

We don't cruise for the entertainment or even the ship - we base our cruising on the itinerary and AK is less about sea days and more about SEE days. The inside passage is full of great scenery. 

 

I understand that both HAL and Princess bring on naturalists as part of an enrichment program to help you learn more about AK.

 

You asked about one way vs RT Seattle. One-ways offer more port time as well as usually a second glacier viewing, plus the possibility of adding a couple of days to see Denali NP. RT out of Seattle cruise on the outside of Vancouver Island and usually waste a couple days in the process. Plus they have to make a stop in VIctoria to satisfy the PVSA. 

 

As far as customs go, taking a NB cruise out of Vancouver you will go through Canadian customs at the airport and then at the pier you will go through US Customs. After that there are no more customs checks.

[garlictown]

🛳️Our family just returned on Saturday after spending 7 days on the NCL Bliss from Seattle to Seattle.

We visited 5 ports and yes the times spent in port were short but the onboard experience was great with the two headliner shows Six and Jersey Boys. There are plenty of activities and entertainment to keep you active and involved should you wish on the ship. The younger ones on our family made use of the pool and the mini bowling. I especially liked the Atrium with all the various music and games to participate in or just watch. We discovered different bars to meet up in, enjoy cocktails and listen to a band or piano player. 😲I never play Bingo on a ship and yet I found myself hoping to win a cruise, LOL! The comedian kept the whole family in stiches. There was a family Karaoke night, too. 

This was my third time cruising to Alaska (previously on Princess) and I would recommend the NCL experience for families favorably. A surprising day in Juneau was watching the locals celebrate in their Fourth of July parade! The Bliss docks miles away from Ketchikan so we booked an excursion as well as one for Sitka. (Raptor Center)🦅

Additionally, there are shuttles provided for passengers wanting to go out independently.

We were very fortunate to have good weather and our rain gear was not needed. We'd heard the week before was rainy! ☔

[azappraiser]

33 minutes ago, bonvoyagie said:

Early season NCL runs the Bliss there but switches to the Encore mid season. The Jewel visits GB on the northbound voyage. 

 

 

We're booked on the Encore for May 18-25, 2025...

[Panhandle Couple]

I have answered this on similar posts, so a quick summary.

 

Never sailed RCL or Celebrity, so can't compare.

 

Sailed NCL Jade ('16, 50% full) and Bliss ('19, 100% full) to Alaska, both in September.  

Sailed Discovery Princess last year (100% full) to Alaska, last week in August.

All round trip from Seattle.

 

I would recommend the Bliss. It has the forward Observation lounge on deck 15 (beware of couch hogs) that the others do not.  It also has the outside of deck 8 for additional lounging, weather permitting.  The other 2 ships do not.

The show Six will be gone by next year, NCL has not said if/when it will be replaced.

 

Bliss Atrium can get very crowded during sea days.  Again there are chair hogs who will sit there for hours.  Aft deck Spice H2O has bar (and smoking area) w/o kids, so some relief from them if you need it.  Casino has separate smoking area (sliding doors) so you can play across the hall with minimal smoke.   (note, I don't smoke or gamble)

 

Bliss is a much better layout to the Getaway. The cabins and balconies are the same.

 

While we enjoyed the Discovery Princess cruise (group of 18 so always had something happening) the following are negatives for us.

 

Buffet seating area is too narrow and has seating too close to the food, making congestion for those that are walking through just to get to/from rear elevators.  Bliss has much larger spacing and dividers between seats and food stations.  The buffet is also larger overall.

 

Coffee is very hard to find (and I only have 2 cups in the morning) and buried in the buffet.  NCL always has coffee at the entrance to buffet and in other places, like the Observation lounge.

NCL has Starbucks, Princess has Larravsa (sp) for specialty coffees. 

 

Aft MDR is hard to find, no direct access from other areas w/o elevator ride.  Strange for a new ship.  Early or late dining at one MDR, not at your own time or location like NCL. 

Atrium is wider and has more bars than Bliss (a plus), but robs the outside space of deck 8.  No way to enjoy scenery unless you are topside (and sometimes in very windy conditions) or on your balcony, which unfortunately is very narrow.

 

We never went to a nature lecture (group of 18 was more party type people) so not certain how informative they are.

 

We though overall the food (MDR and specialty) was not as good as NCL, but that could have changed.  A new ship coming from shut down may have had few experienced chefs?

 

Summary, Bliss is more open and allows more outdoors viewing and activities.  Discovery is more inside focused when not using the pool area. 

[MartaMartian]

I have nearly the same question. I’ll be traveling with my husband (51) and son (12). I think the Bliss would be the most fun/lowest cost for us, and I want to stay with Norwegian if possible but I’m put off by Bliss’ short port times and distance from the ports.

[fredflint]

Alaska can be different as the early season has the risk of too much ice to be able to see the glaciers. I would suggest going after the peak season vs before.  I took a cruise that visited Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay the cruise ;left on June 30th and we had great weather and LONG days.

 

We also did a trip to Admiralty island to do bear watching it was fantastic.

https://beyondak.com/trips/fortress-of-bears-pack-creek/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=19959590150&utm_content=150335191082&utm_term=pack creek bear viewing&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnrmlBhDHARIsADJ5b_k0kj4By2Woqz0dQKip4Ezz6PHEjzqbfvY_JOK5v9YI2ABxCttU3B8aAh2IEALw_wcB

 

Not cheap but you only do it once!

[smarterman64]

One limitation of NCL to alaska is they will dock at ward cove in Ketchikan. Other cruise lines (95% of the time) dock in Ketchikan. Ward Cove adds at least 20 minutes of overhead to get to ketchikan. and the last shuttle back is 2 hours before all aboard time. So it can make Ketchikan a shorter day. If you do a ship's excursion and don't intend to stay longer in Ketchikan, not a real issue. 

 

seattle airfare can be cheaper than the one way vancouver to seward/whittier which is why it's an attractive option. you do use one sea day at least to get to alaska and one on the way back to seattle. 

 

agree with the glacier bay comments, see glacier bay. 

[GORDONCHICK]

I have a different view  - I don't care which cruise line for itineraries like Alaska or Europe.  The experience is more off the ship than on.  It is merely a place to sleep, east a few meals and travel from port to port.  Not only do I look at ports, I look at time in ports.  I also look at glacier days.  IMO, and one way cruise is superior because you should get at least 2 glacier days.  Also, a chance to do an inland trip in AK is alway a huge plus.  AK is easy to navigate on your own  We rented a car and spent 11 nights on our own seeing exactly what we wanted to see - which was a lot!

[BirdTravels]

3 hours ago, cusematt4 said:

Hi All,

 

We are planning an Alaska cruise for a milestone birthday - parents with adult kids.  RCL is our favorite line over NCL, and we've never been on Celebrity.  We are open to any line though for the best possible Alaska experience on a nice ship.

 

We've been on Princess awhile ago which is fine but have heard decreased quality since Carnival's acquisition years ago.  We went on the Getaway last year and were incredibly diappointed with the lack of entertainment, live music and clear cutbacks (elimination of Syds, elimination of Illusionariam show, no fly on acts and multiple nights of no professional entertainment).

 

We want the best possible first-time Alaska experience, but we still also want to be on a great modern ship with good food and entertainment. 

 

Does anyone have any experience with RCL vs Celebrity vs NCL vs Princess for a cruise to Alaska?

 

-What's the best way to go about choosing a cruise to Alaska for July or August 2024?

 

-Is July vs August a better time to go?

 

-The ships we are considering are: Ovation of the Seas (we've been on Anthem), NCL Bliss (we've been on Getaway), Celebrity Edge or Discovery Princess

 

-Is there any advantage of going on any of these ships to be able to see more?  They all are similar size

 

-Whats the difference in doing roundtrip from Seattle vs one-way from Seattle vs one-way from Vancouver?  Would we end up seeing a bunch more on a one way trip?  Is there any advantage from leaving from Vancouver vs Seattle?

 

Would appreciate any info for the best possible Alaska experience while also having a great cruise.

 

Thank you.

July or August are fine. Good time for wildlife. 
 

2021 We sailed on the Norwegian Encore

2022 We sailed on the Quantum of the Seas

2023 We will be on the Norwegian Encore

 

We did a Vancouver to Whittier on Princess before. 
 

Pick a cruise that goes to Glacier Bay

 

The NCL big ships are purpose built for the Alaskan market. Expansive indoor and outdoor viewing space. If you are on a shore ex, the Ketchikan Ward,Cove thing is totally irrelevant,,, and is annoyance to a very small number of passengers. 

[luv2kroooz]

As noted above, I would compare port times and docking locations with NCL versus the competition. Be sure to understand where the ship is docking in relation to the local towns you are visiting. It has been reported that NCL uses docks that require shuttle bus transfers to town. I would choose Princess for Alaska. The onboard program is second to none, with Alaska themed menus, beverages, activities, enrichment, etc.

[Laszlo]

12 hours ago, cusematt4 said:

Hi All,

 

We are planning an Alaska cruise for a milestone birthday - parents with adult kids.  RCL is our favorite line over NCL, and we've never been on Celebrity.  We are open to any line though for the best possible Alaska experience on a nice ship.

 

We've been on Princess awhile ago which is fine but have heard decreased quality since Carnival's acquisition years ago.  We went on the Getaway last year and were incredibly diappointed with the lack of entertainment, live music and clear cutbacks (elimination of Syds, elimination of Illusionariam show, no fly on acts and multiple nights of no professional entertainment).

 

We want the best possible first-time Alaska experience, but we still also want to be on a great modern ship with good food and entertainment. 

 

Does anyone have any experience with RCL vs Celebrity vs NCL vs Princess for a cruise to Alaska?

 

-What's the best way to go about choosing a cruise to Alaska for July or August 2024?

 

-Is July vs August a better time to go?

 

-The ships we are considering are: Ovation of the Seas (we've been on Anthem), NCL Bliss (we've been on Getaway), Celebrity Edge or Discovery Princess

 

-Is there any advantage of going on any of these ships to be able to see more?  They all are similar size

 

-Whats the difference in doing roundtrip from Seattle vs one-way from Seattle vs one-way from Vancouver?  Would we end up seeing a bunch more on a one way trip?  Is there any advantage from leaving from Vancouver vs Seattle?

 

Would appreciate any info for the best possible Alaska experience while also having a great cruise.

 

Thank you.

If you want the best possible Alaskan cruise pick the smallest ship you can. Seeing Alaska is not about what ship has the best shows, live music, race tracks or food. Its about trying to see and experience nature at her best