Non-Princess/Non-HAL/Non-Luxury Alaskan Cruisers: What Made You Select Your Sailing?

[MississippiMom]

It is very clear on these boards that Princess and HAL are the Alaska specialists.  It’s also obvious that the majority of posters are Glacier Bay itinerary cheerleaders.  From a financial and available vacation days perspective, we are really, really struggling with what to book for August or September 2025.  We have completely ruled out HAL (sorry, HAL lovers), because we do enjoy a more party atmosphere than it appears we would find on their ships.  We have priced some Princess itineraries with the Princess Plus package in a balcony stateroom and are getting around a $300 a day (per person) price tag BEFORE we even add in airfare and excursion costs. 

 

I would love to hear from the cruisers who saw Alaska on NCL, RCCL, Carnival or Celebrity?  Those seem to be better for our budget, plus we are familiar with those lines, since we have sailed all but the latter. A non-obstructed balcony is a must for my husband.  I need indoor space and indoor activities, because I don’t love standing outside in the cold.  Both of us would prefer more casual attire in the dining rooms, since we need to pack clothing layers in our suitcases and do not want to waste space on formal wear.  We are accustomed to driving to ports, so airline weight limitations will be a concern this time around.  We love a fun piano bar, trivia, karaoke, and the silly cruiser participant shows.  We have zero interest in a casino or in a sports pub.
 

From a flight expense perspective, round trip Seattle sailings would be the most cost-effective for us.  We would also consider round trip Vancouver or, maybe, a one-way Southbound 7-day.  
 

Decisions . . . Decisions . . . Decisions . . .

[SightCRR]

Read up about Ward Cove in Ketch and which lines dock there. Buy the laundry package to ease the baggage load. View some youtube videos to see reviews of ships you want to know more about. Do you have any thoughts about ships with more than 5k passengers? You likely want the most and best times in port. Nothing in the 5 pm to 11 pm time frame. 

[Coral]

NCL stops at Ward Cove in Ketchikan. That is a game stopper for me. Plus, poor port times.

 

I have sailed RCCL to Alaska and it was poorly done compared to Princess. Princess's enrichment programs are far superior (there was nothing on RCCL). Princess also goes to Glacier Bay. RCCL and Celebrity do not. Hubbard glacier can easily be missed due to a variety of weather conditions - or you can be 9 miles away and barely see it. Glacier Bay is rarely missed. 

 

If you can't afford it this year, put it off another year.

 

Also, I would not go to Alaska in September unless I had been many times (which I have but I still avoid September). May is historically the driest month and every month after has more rain. September and October have the potential for the worst weather.

 

Alaska is not an itinerary where you want to skimp on excursions. Don't spend all of your money getting there and then don't plan on doing good excursions. It is best to plan accordingly and go when you have more money.

 

Alaska is about ports (long port times the better), glaciers (some of the other lines have more sea days and some lines such have 2 glacier days (better so if one is missed, you still have another one). My first cruise on RCCL missed Hubbard glacier all together, thus, we had no glacier days. So try to pick an itinerary with 2 glaciers. I would suggest putting karaoke and trivia at the bottom of the list. You can always get this in the Caribbean. Also, Seattle has the worst port times of any of the cruises. Look carefully at port times. Not all cruise lines put them out there. If you are arriving at Juneau from 2-10, that time slot sucks. If you have 6 am -12 pm in Ketchikan and docking at Ward Cove, that time is awful. Many people book their line of choice and then complain about not being able to do things (except for trivia and karoke on the ship).

 

Put Alaska ports and glaciers as an itinerary since you are traveling far for it. You are spending a lot of money to travel, you might as well see Alaska while you are there.

Edited January 13 by Coral

[CaribbeanIsland]

We would not do RCL or NCL to Alaska again. Never again. If you are only sailing for the ship it would be fine. If you are sailing for Alaska - don't do these lines.

[Casey12]

I agree with those who would recommend avoiding RCCL and NCL. 

 

We like Princess and Holland America. We put Alaska ports and itinerary first and not the ship. We love Alaska more than the Caribbean. I also never thought I would say that. We would love to do Un-Cruise in the future.

 

I would recommend doing a 1 way cruise and not round trip Seattle trips. You will get better times in ports, longer port days and more glacier days.

[Heidi13]

Alaska is all about the scenery and the experience, including talks from the Park Rangers.

 

If HAL & Princess are not options, then I have to question if Alaska is the right destination for you, at this time.

[GlitterFemme]

To be honest my two non-Princess-or-HAL Alaska cruises (one this past fall, one this coming spring) have both been planned because my starting point was something other than "I want to book an Alaska cruise." In one case I wanted to go on a solo trip. Once I had decided to try one of the solo cabins on Celebrity's new ships it turned out Alaska was the most appealing destination that didn't involve too-long too-expensive flights. And in the other case my mom got sick and decided she wanted to see Alaska immediately while she still could, and NCL was the only line still sailing that late in the season.

 

That said, my mom and I had an amazing time on our trip, even though we didn't particularly love the NCL experience, and even though we did one of the dreaded mid-to-late October sailings. She was very satisfied with the experience and happy to check it off her bucket list. And I fully expect to have a fantastic solo trip in May as well, even sailing out of Seattle on a ship that isn't ideal for Alaska in terms of its public viewing areas. (And for me that's offset some by the solo staterooms having floor-to-ceiling windows; I know some people hate the "infinite veranda," but I'm excited to have a view of the outside when so many solo staterooms are inside rooms.)

 

And after all of the research I've done for these two trips, I have a lot of ideas about how to do Alaska "better." I'm fantasizing about someday doing a southbound itinerary on Princess or HAL, with a few days in Alaska beforehand. But I don't feel like either of these trips was a mistake or an inferior cruise, either. And if I never get to do that trip, at least I'll have gotten to see some of SE Alaska.

 

It sounds like we have very different preferences in terms of how we like to spend our time onboard (I spend most of my downtime reading), but the one question I'd be asking myself in your place is whether Princess Plus is worth it. Your cost drops potentially up to $44 per person per day without it. Would that make Princess more doable? Aside from crew appreciation, which is obviously not optional, everything else in the package I could do without and still have a very good time. And I would personally prefer to book the better Alaska itinerary than to have anything else on that list. But some of the other extras may not be optional for you; for example I know some people need wifi when they travel in a way that I don't. And it's your cruise, and you should definitely plan it in the way that's going to be enjoyable for you.

 

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a great trip.

[donaldsc]

My replies for AK are very simple -

 

1.  IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT IS ON THE SHIP SINCE YOU ARE THERE TO SEE WHAT IS OUTSIDE OF THE SHIP!!!

 

2. ANY SMALL SHIP WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER THAN ANY BIG SHIP!!!!!

 

DON

[MississippiMom]

22 hours ago, Coral said:

NCL stops at Ward Cove in Ketchikan. That is a game stopper for me. Plus, poor port times.

I have been reading about this Ward Cove situation and thinking more and more that it wastes a lot of time.  Not sure I would call it a “game stopper” just, yet, but leaning that way.

 

I have sailed RCCL to Alaska and it was poorly done compared to Princess. Princess's enrichment programs are far superior (there was nothing on RCCL). Princess also goes to Glacier Bay. RCCL and Celebrity do not. Hubbard glacier can easily be missed due to a variety of weather conditions - or you can be 9 miles away and barely see it. Glacier Bay is rarely missed. 

I did ask my husband if there is something specific he wants to get out of an Alaskan cruise and all he can tell me is that he wants to look at mountains.  I asked if he meant glaciers, and got a “sure, that sounds good.” (Southern boy what can I say.)
 

If you can't afford it this year, put it off another year.

Not this year for us, but 2025, after the last kid has completed her undergrad.  In theory, we should have more cash available by then.  However, the 2024 cruise prices are significantly better than the 2025 ones, which is part of the sting when looking at costs.

 

Also, I would not go to Alaska in September unless I had been many times (which I have but I still avoid September). May is historically the driest month and every month after has more rain. September and October have the potential for the worst weather.

The beginning of the Alaska cruise season is completely out for us.  The earliest we could take a more than a long weekend vacation would be the second week in August, but those September prices are definitely better.  Looks like it would be worth a higher cost in hopes for better weather, though, so I’ll research the August itineraries.

 

Alaska is not an itinerary where you want to skimp on excursions. Don't spend all of your money getting there and then don't plan on doing good excursions. It is best to plan accordingly and go when you have more money.

I suspect my husband will want to rent a car and drive at any port where that is an option.  

 

Alaska is about ports (long port times the better), glaciers (some of the other lines have more sea days and some lines such have 2 glacier days (better so if one is missed, you still have another one). My first cruise on RCCL missed Hubbard glacier all together, thus, we had no glacier days. So try to pick an itinerary with 2 glaciers. I would suggest putting karaoke and trivia at the bottom of the list. You can always get this in the Caribbean. Also, Seattle has the worst port times of any of the cruises. Look carefully at port times. Not all cruise lines put them out there. If you are arriving at Juneau from 2-10, that time slot sucks. If you have 6 am -12 pm in Ketchikan and docking at Ward Cove, that time is awful. Many people book their line of choice and then complain about not being able to do things (except for trivia and karoke on the ship).

Apologies for asking what seems like a stupid question, but if there’s more sunlight are the later evening hours going to be okay for excursions?  I know the extreme time difference is going to be a challenge for me, but I have noticed lots of port stops that end at 9 pm or later.

 

Put Alaska ports and glaciers as an itinerary since you are traveling far for it. You are spending a lot of money to travel, you might as well see Alaska while you are there.

Thanks!  
I am still not convinced that I want to stare at glaciers for hours on end, but I’m really hoping to come back to these boards in the future and tell all of you that I loved staring at glaciers for hours.

 

I always appreciate your posts, @Coral.  Let’s see if I can reply to some of your comments (above in green), which might help me sort out things in my own head.  

[Coral]

3 hours ago, MississippiMom said:

I always appreciate your posts, @Coral.  Let’s see if I can reply to some of your comments (above in green), which might help me sort out things in my own head.  

Ward Cove does waste time and many itineraries are very limited there.

 

I don't think anyone really understands glaciers until you are there. I recommend 2 days of it because if you only have 1 and miss it, you miss it! I know so many people who go only 1x and they miss it or they don't even get close. And that was their only trip to Alaska. The mountains are gorgeous there also. Scenery is so different from where you live. Plus on glacier days you can see beautiful scenery, wildlife, etc.... I find it sad that people just go out at the face of a glacier and they miss so much of that day. I love May (sunny, dry, snow still on the mountains) - maybe it will work for 2025 for you.

 

Prices will come down in 2025. They always start high and then come down.

 

I would not chance a September cruise if it is your only trip there. I wouldn't even chance an end of August cruise. You may luck out weather wise but the potential for bad weather is definitely greater at that time.

 

Sunlight is greatest on June 21st. Most tours operate during the day. You can walk around town and shop at night, eat at restaurants and maybe catch a whale watching excursion but most excursions are during the day.

 

Driving is a great option in Skagway to the Yukon.

 

I really did not expect to like Alaska. 

[wolfie11]

I have cruised a number of times in September and I have no problems with it, although late September is the start of the fall storms and you can have a rough day or two.  The weather definitely starts to deteriorate after mid -September and I truly think sailing in October is insanity.  Of course, I also flat out refuse to do a northern lights cruise in Norway for the same reason.

[Coral]

17 minutes ago, wolfie11 said:

I have cruised a number of times in September and I have no problems with it, although late September is the start of the fall storms and you can have a rough day or two.  The weather definitely starts to deteriorate after mid -September and I truly think sailing in October is insanity.  Of course, I also flat out refuse to do a northern lights cruise in Norway for the same reason.

Yes - there are definitely reports of mid-late September where the winds/storms are so bad, that the ships can no leave piers. I would love to see the Northern Lights in Norway also but.....

[donaldsc]

23 hours ago, Coral said:

Ward Cove does waste time and many itineraries are very limited there.

 

I don't think anyone really understands glaciers until you are there. I recommend 2 days of it because if you only have 1 and miss it, you miss it! I know so many people who go only 1x and they miss it or they don't even get close. And that was their only trip to Alaska. The mountains are gorgeous there also. Scenery is so different from where you live. Plus on glacier days you can see beautiful scenery, wildlife, etc.... I find it sad that people just go out at the face of a glacier and they miss so much of that day. I love May (sunny, dry, snow still on the mountains) - maybe it will work for 2025 for you.

 

 

 

Glacier Bay is pretty much a sure thing.  Hubbard Glacier is less certain depending upon the ice.  Prince William Sound is pretty much a sure thing unless it is foggy which it was the last time we were there.  Tracy Arm is more uncertain - lot of ships do not get close.  See https://www.alaska.org/advice/best-glaciers-on-an-alaska-cruise.  

 

DON

Edited January 15 by donaldsc

[Coral]

10 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

Glacier Bay is pretty much a sure thing.  Hubbard Glacier is less certain depending upon the ice.  Prince William Sound is pretty much a sure thing unless it is foggy which it was the last time we were there.  Tracy Arm is more uncertain - lot of ships do not get close.  See https://www.alaska.org/advice/best-glaciers-on-an-alaska-cruise.  

 

DON

Lots of ships that plan on going to Tracy Arm end up in Endicott Arm instead (less scenic and easier to get into).

[SoloAlaska]

Currently planning my third Alaskan cruise. I did 2 on celebrity and loved the onboard naturalist. If you don’t care for rain you should avoid September. My next cruise is NCL but I would not recommend it for a first time Alaska cruise. 
 

one of my favorite parts about Alaska is that you don’t “need” to take lots of excursions. I love to hike, grab a bite at a local spot, do a little shopping, and just enjoy the scenery. The ports in general are right downtown so you just walk off the ship and enjoy. 
 

September can get a little rough especially between Seward and Hubbard so be ready for that if you’re prone to sea sickness. I prefer a southbound trip unless you can do a B2B. The loop isn’t for me.

[dctravel]

We will be sailing Celebrity Solstice in July. I did a bit of research, wanting a cruise that did round trip from either Seattle or Vancouver (so expensive to fly to Anchorage from the East Coast was a deal breaker for us). I then contacted my travel agent asking about the cruises that interested us (Carnival, NCL, RCCL, and Celebrity) as two late 40s folks. She made a strong case for Celebrity because of a deal her agency had for cabins on the Solstice. At that point, the price and perks were just too good, so we booked! We are really excited to go and just want to see Alaska. We don't have any experience with this itinerary, so everything is new :).

[Aquahound]

On 1/13/2024 at 7:05 AM, MississippiMom said:

 

I would love to hear from the cruisers who saw Alaska on NCL, RCCL, Carnival or Celebrity?

 

My last 4 AK cruises have been on RCI.  Frankly, it's because I live near Seattle and boarding in Seattle is easy for me.  Plus, the wife and I love the Quantum Class ships and always have a fantastic time on them. Got another one coming up in May.  🙂

 

Granted, this is because I've done other AK cruises in the past.  I've been to Glacier Bay twice on HAL.  In total, I've done 7 AK cruises, and my clear favorite was a southbound on Celebrity from Seward to Vancouver.  If not for having already experienced all this, and if AK was a one-time bucket list item, Seattle itineraries would not be my first choice.  

 

To correct something that was said above, all 4 of these cruises on RCI did have enrichment programs and lectures on numerous topics.  

 

The whole Princess/HAL Alaska thing is a little exaggerated in my opinion. Yeah, I said that.  😉

[MississippiMom]

10 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

My last 4 AK cruises have been on RCI.  Frankly, it's because I live near Seattle and boarding in Seattle is easy for me.  Plus, the wife and I love the Quantum Class ships and always have a fantastic time on them. Got another one coming up in May.  🙂

 

Granted, this is because I've done other AK cruises in the past.  I've been to Glacier Bay twice on HAL.  In total, I've done 7 AK cruises, and my clear favorite was a southbound on Celebrity from Seward to Vancouver.  If not for having already experienced all this, and if AK was a one-time bucket list item, Seattle itineraries would not be my first choice.  

 

To correct something that was said above, all 4 of these cruises on RCI did have enrichment programs and lectures on numerous topics.  

 

The whole Princess/HAL Alaska thing is a little exaggerated in my opinion. Yeah, I said that.  😉

And I love that you said THAT.  I am interested in hearing about the Alaskan experiences on the other cruise lines, because they are clearly still filling up ships in Alaska.  Also, thank you for referencing that you enjoy a specific class of ship, because we really do enjoy the ships themselves.  We don’t need one of the HUGE ones, but by 2025 there might be grandchildren in the passenger mix for our family.  So very much to consider.

 

If we had unlimited vacation time and unlimited funds, I wouldn’t ask so many questions. My husband dreams of driving all the way to Alaska and seeing it that way, but that is NEVER going to happen.  He also wants to spend some time checking out Seattle and Vancouver, since he has been to both for business many years ago.  There just aren’t enough hours or funds for all of the “wishes.”

 

Time to read more about Celebrity Cruises in general.

[CaribbeanIsland]

11 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

My last 4 AK cruises have been on RCI.  Frankly, it's because I live near Seattle and boarding in Seattle is easy for me.  Plus, the wife and I love the Quantum Class ships and always have a fantastic time on them. Got another one coming up in May.  🙂

 

Granted, this is because I've done other AK cruises in the past.  I've been to Glacier Bay twice on HAL.  In total, I've done 7 AK cruises, and my clear favorite was a southbound on Celebrity from Seward to Vancouver.  If not for having already experienced all this, and if AK was a one-time bucket list item, Seattle itineraries would not be my first choice.  

 

To correct something that was said above, all 4 of these cruises on RCI did have enrichment programs and lectures on numerous topics.  

 

The whole Princess/HAL Alaska thing is a little exaggerated in my opinion. Yeah, I said that.  😉

Enrichment programs must be hit and miss on RCL because on my Alaskan cruises, there were NONE! ZERO. And the cruises were inferior to my HAL and Princess cruises.

 

Celebrity does have 1 very good Naturalist. He is often on the ship with the worst itinerary though.

Edited January 20 by CaribbeanIsland

[wolfie11]

Most cruise lines use agencies to recruit naturalists.  The speakers pay a fee per day, usually in the $60-$100 range.  In exchange for lecturing, they get the cruise and sometimes airfare and gratuities free.  They can bring a guest but the guest pays airfare and gratuities.  They are usually given either a crew cabin to themselves or the lowest grade guest cabin.  No upgrades available.  They have to pay for any extras on board like drinks, specialty dining, shore excursions, etc. This policy results in hit or miss on naturalists (or none if no one signs up).  Many only do it for one cruise as a way to get a cheap vacation.  
 

I don’t know about HAL, but I have a friend who works for Princess.  They hire paid, professional naturalists, many with a decade or more experience in Alaska, to spend the entire summer (or a good portion of it) on one ship as the naturalist.  They also hire locals like Libby Riddles, Nick Jens, captains from the Deadliest Catch, and others to come on board for a few days to give talks.  That is why they are considered the best.

[karatemom2]

On 1/13/2024 at 7:05 AM, MississippiMom said:

We have priced some Princess itineraries with the Princess Plus package in a balcony stateroom and are getting around a $300 a day (per person) price tag BEFORE we even add in airfare and excursion costs. 

 

As a long time and frequent Princess cruiser I can assure you that you do not need the Plus package. Unless you are heavily invested in the alcoholic beverage part of the package, you can easily save money by not purchasing it and just buying what you actually consume alacarte onboard. Your main dining, water, lemonade, iced tea and coffee are all included. If you want to pay for sodas or cocktails on an as wanted basis it will end up costing you a lot less most likely. You could even just pay for one specialty meal if you want and be money ahead. Bottom line is seeing Alaska, and Princess is a great choice for that as well as the onboard entertainment you enjoy like piano bars, trivia, karaoke, etc. 

[cynt]

July 2024 will be my 3rd Alaskan cruise. The first time I did all the research and cruised with my BFF aboard a Princess ship round trip from Seattle. The best of the best. It was fabulous. We did all the things, long time in each of the ports and viewed the Glacier up close.

 

2nd Alaskan cruise was with my husband and my dad. Northern bound, Vancouver to Seward. We got a heck of a price for a June 2019 sailing aboard the Celebrity Millennium. Absolutely would book this again in a heartbeat. Close view of the Glacier, ship was great and the food in the buffet was delicious to the point we didn't go back to the dining room. Lamb stew to die for. We had long periods in each port and I enjoyed this cruise more than my Princess cruise.

 

3rd cruise July 2024 is booked with Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas. Group cruise 5 Sr citizens, 7 adults, 2 teens and one tween. First time Alaska cruise for 13 of them. I would of loved to do a southern or northern route but due to logistics and airfare we elected to do round trip from Seattle. Moving 15 people around, including 7 Seniors can be challenging so I decided to error on the side of convenience. We landed on Quantum because of the age dynamic and we are diamond on Royal. We are most familiar with Royal ships so I know what to expect sailing on a Royal ship. I can answer Royal Caribbean questions in my sleep. There will be plenty to do aboard the ship to entertain everyone. I've decided to do Mendenhall Glacier to make sure they see a glacier up close since we know we will not see the Dawes Glacier. I still don't understand why they even go there. I would rather skip it altogether and spend that time in Juneau. So mentally I have adjusted my expectations. I'm still excited to show them Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau and Victoria. My husband keeps reminding me that they do not know what they are missing because it is their first Alaskan cruise. 

 

If it was just 4-6 of us, I would have definitely did another southern or northern route. I believe that is the best if you are looking to take advantage of the time in each port. I'm bummed about not seeing a big glacier up close but I'm OK with it because it's just a glacier at the end of the day and my group would maybe spend 15 minutes looking at it. LOL! I know we will have an excellent experience aboard the Quantum. 

[MississippiMom]

3 hours ago, cynt said:

July 2024 will be my 3rd Alaskan cruise. The first time I did all the research and cruised with my BFF aboard a Princess ship round trip from Seattle. The best of the best. It was fabulous. We did all the things, long time in each of the ports and viewed the Glacier up close.

 

2nd Alaskan cruise was with my husband and my dad. Northern bound, Vancouver to Seward. We got a heck of a price for a June 2019 sailing aboard the Celebrity Millennium. Absolutely would book this again in a heartbeat. Close view of the Glacier, ship was great and the food in the buffet was delicious to the point we didn't go back to the dining room. Lamb stew to die for. We had long periods in each port and I enjoyed this cruise more than my Princess cruise.

 

3rd cruise July 2024 is booked with Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas. Group cruise 5 Sr citizens, 7 adults, 2 teens and one tween. First time Alaska cruise for 13 of them. I would of loved to do a southern or northern route but due to logistics and airfare we elected to do round trip from Seattle. Moving 15 people around, including 7 Seniors can be challenging so I decided to error on the side of convenience. We landed on Quantum because of the age dynamic and we are diamond on Royal. We are most familiar with Royal ships so I know what to expect sailing on a Royal ship. I can answer Royal Caribbean questions in my sleep. There will be plenty to do aboard the ship to entertain everyone. I've decided to do Mendenhall Glacier to make sure they see a glacier up close since we know we will not see the Dawes Glacier. I still don't understand why they even go there. I would rather skip it altogether and spend that time in Juneau. So mentally I have adjusted my expectations. I'm still excited to show them Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau and Victoria. My husband keeps reminding me that they do not know what they are missing because it is their first Alaskan cruise. 

 

If it was just 4-6 of us, I would have definitely did another southern or northern route. I believe that is the best if you are looking to take advantage of the time in each port. I'm bummed about not seeing a big glacier up close but I'm OK with it because it's just a glacier at the end of the day and my group would maybe spend 15 minutes looking at it. LOL! I know we will have an excellent experience aboard the Quantum. 

@cynt , THANK YOU!

 

First of all, we have only cruised on Royal Caribbean once and it was because of the various ages.  The special needs folks were AMAZING helping us navigate all things related to my senior parents.  Do not hesitate to ask them for recommendations on the ship and at the ports.  And if you can convince those seniors to take walkers and/or rent scooters, they are such a huge help.

 

I am realizing that I need a more realistic idea of who is really going on this Alaskan cruise with us in 2025.   If it's just the two of us (late 50s), then I'm pretty certain we will select a northbound route on Princess, and if we determine that we have available funds, we will take the opportunity to visit Denali pre-cruise.  If several of our (in our age range) family members really decide to join us, then the airfare situation will make a Seattle roundtrip (Princess, HAL or Celebrity) the more likely scenario.  There is a slim possibility that we could try a Vancouver roundtrip, but not certain, since I don't know the passport situations for everyone.  But if it becomes a multi-generational trip, like our past two sailings, then the ship matters a whole lot more, because like you stated, "my group would maybe spend 15 minutes looking at it."  At that point, I think NCL, RCCL or Carnival become the front-runners.

[Coral]

There are only a few places in this world with glaciers like there are in Alaska. It saddens me that someone would only spend 15 minutes looking at it and then they would leave.

 

For example - Glacier Bay, the entire day is gorgeous sailing into GB and then sailing out. Tracy Arm and College Fiords are also gorgeous days all day. 

 

If you get close to a glacier like Hubbard - and hear the thunder and watch it calve is amazing. Something people will miss if they "go outside and say they saw it and go back inside" or "spend 15 minutes looking at it". I wonder why these individuals even go to Alaska?

 

So many people these days have no clue how beautiful nature can be. They would rather play video games than enjoy a once in a lifetime (for many) opportunity to see glaciers and their activity. I have seen most glaciers in Alaska a dozen or so times and each time, they seem new and different to me because they are constantly changing. 

 

To each their own but I would put glaciers at a priority and make it a family event enjoying it. It will be remembered for years as opposed to some game on a cruise ship that can be done anytime of the cruise or regardless of where the cruise is.

[UGACamper]

I'm heading to Alaska in July on Carnival because of price - casino offering for free balcony.  BUT because of the "free" offer (I know, let's not discuss the meaning of free), it affords us to be able to do more excursions, fly first class, etc. It is a bucket list item that we are crossing off. CANT WAIT!