Celebrity or Princess for 7 day 2025 Alaska cruise

[Cruise till you drop]

Wanting to finally do Alaska in summer 2025.  Don’t plan to do the land & sea this time and just do 7 day sea.  Also we want to end up in Vancouver for a few days post cruise (but would also consider pre cruise).

 

We are platinum on Princess but lately been more partial to Celebrity.

 

Wondering if anyone has experience and advice on

1) sailing Celebrity or Princess

2) do a closed loop or southern route that ends up in Vancouver

3) Weather if we go in early to mid September

[Oakman58]

Here's my 2 cents.  I would choose Princess because Celebrity isn't allowed to cruise in Glacier Bay National Park which I consider a "must see" for a first Alaskan cruise.

 

For your 2025 Sep time frame I would choose a one-way like the Caribbean Princess because it visits both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay National Park.

 

 

[Coral]

I would choose Princess because of Glacier Bay (Celebrity doesn't go there). I would also try to choose an itinerary with GB and Hubbard Glacier.

 

I would not go in September (historically rainiest month). 

[Aquahound]

On 9/1/2023 at 5:23 AM, Cruise till you drop said:

 

Wanting to finally do Alaska in summer 2025.  Don’t plan to do the land & sea this time and just do 7 day sea.  Also we want to end up in Vancouver for a few days post cruise (but would also consider pre cruise).

 

We are platinum on Princess but lately been more partial to Celebrity.

 

Wondering if anyone has experience and advice on

1) sailing Celebrity or Princess

2) do a closed loop or southern route that ends up in Vancouver

3) Weather if we go in early to mid September

 

Like you, I'm more partial to Celebrity.  I much prefer their ships over Princess.

 

Glacier Bay is a wonderful day but truth be told, one of my favorite AK cruises was a southbound Celebrity Millennium cruise from Seward to Vancouver.  While Glacier Bay is great, Hubbard Glacier is far more impressive than any of the single glaciers in GB.  

 

However, since this is your first AK cruise, I recommend an itinerary with GB, so would probably lean toward Princess.  

 

[Coral]

The one thing about Hubbard is that it is often missed or ships do not get close 😞 . It is underwhelming when that happens. I have probably been there a dozen times and only 3x stood out as being great. Some of the times, I was 9 miles from it.