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

[CaribbeanIsland]

16 minutes ago, Coral said:

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.

This!

[rnr4thatsme]

Just now, UGACamper said:

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!

I'd love to see more Carnival Alaska reviews!  I know it's not the most popular line, but there must be some pros as people are obviously sailing there!

[Casey12]

17 minutes ago, Coral said:

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.

Probably the same people who would take their kids to Rome and encourage them to stay in the hotel room and play video games as opposed to seeing the Colosseum and other Roman sites. They might as well stay home.

[rnr4thatsme]

Just now, CaribbeanIsland said:

This!

To be fair, I think it's probably hard to imagine until you are there.  A big chunk of ice doesn't sound too exciting, but I'll bet that when it's actually in front of you, it's amazing!   I'm very familiar with snow being Canadian, and the photos to me, look similar to snow, but I'm hoping in person it will be more awe-inspiring!   

[SoloAlaska]

2 minutes ago, rnr4thatsme said:

I'd love to see more Carnival Alaska reviews!  I know it's not the most popular line, but there must be some pros as people are obviously sailing there!

Price, brand loyalty, compromise are all reasons people may sail Alaska on carnival. I’ve actually never seen a carnival ship in port when I was in Alaska. Enjoy all those amazing excursions your planning.

[martincath]

We really enjoyed our NCL cruise to AK - I do agree that Princess has a higher 'baseline' onboard experience with the puppies, naturalists, Iditarod folks on (I think anyway!) all of their cruises, but you have to ask how much that sort of stuff is worth to your peeps... If you're going to seek out the naturalist, grill them with questions, then knowing there will be an experienced one onboard is great, but like any other feature if you don't use them is it worth the extra cost? If you go to Glacier Bay then every ship gets a local Ranger who gives a spiel, so any line with GB visits has basically the same experience there for example.

 

Personally I'd be looking at which ports you want to visit first, then looking at which ships go there - with priority given to GB visits for a first cruise, as that is by far the best 'as close to guaranteed as is possible to see glaciers' option. Secondly, unless you do a Seattle RT everyone will need passports or at least passport cards - while you can cross the Canadian border by sea or land without a full passport, all flights need one even for US citizens. Victoria port stops don't - the 'driving licence and birth cert' exemption for closed loop cruises covers you there, but only there, so e.g. no Yukon visits from Skagway without a passport or equivalent WHTI-compliant documentation.

 

North or Southbound one-way and Vancouver RTs you will all need to ensure you have passports if you plan to fly - even flying via Seattle and taking bus or train across the border means pp cards or enhanced DLs at a minimum. So if you have a group, and for reasons of criminality, finance, or whatever reason anyone refuses to get a passport... you can abandon all plans for anything other than RT Seattle, which at least cuts down on choices!!!

 

In terms of which ship to choose, once you have a list of possible cruises that fit your ports & dates maybe consider the smallest ships which offer enough onboard stuff to satisfy your peeps - Alaska really is about the ports not the vessel, but if Grampa 'Gambling Joe' McPokerpants is going to make everyone miserable bitching about no casino then book a ship with a casino! Not knowing which ships you have already cruised and enjoyed, I can't say how low on the bells & whistles scale is acceptable to you and yours, but hopefully you know them all well enough to have an idea!

 

Personally I always recommend folks plan some Pre or Post time in Vancouver, especially if you're from far away, because we've got more stuff to see and do than all the AK cruise ports put together - so unless glaciers are your only reason to cruise it's a real shame to come all the way here without seeing some of BC... and while hotels in downtown do get real pricey, a big family group can find a lot of efficiency with e.g. car rental, apartment rental, or even just the YWCAs family rooms (5 beds) split among a lot of people.

[Coral]

13 minutes ago, martincath said:

We really enjoyed our NCL cruise to AK - I do agree that Princess has a higher 'baseline' onboard experience with the puppies, naturalists, Iditarod folks on (I think anyway!) all of their cruises, but you have to ask how much that sort of stuff is worth to your peeps... I

 

 

Personally I always recommend folks plan some Pre or Post time in Vancouver, especially if you're from far away, because we've got more stuff to see and do than all the AK cruise ports put together - so unless glaciers are your only reason to cruise it's a real shame to come all the way here without seeing some of BC... and while hotels in downtown do get real pricey, a big family group can find a lot of efficiency with e.g. car rental, apartment rental, or even just the YWCAs family rooms (5 beds) split among a lot of people.

Yes - they still have Iditarod folks onboard.

 

The Seattle RT sailings seem to have crappy times in port because they have to travel farther. I would agree about spending time in British Columbia. I love Vancouver but have been doing my pre or post cruise stays in Whistler recently. British Columbia is so beautiful. 

 

I know air is more expensive on one ways but the cruises themselves seem cheaper. So it evens out.

 

I think a passport is necessary in today's world. Wouldn't travel out of the country with out one. US ones cost $130 for 10 years. So $13 year.

[jsglow]

So I wanted to comment on this thread as a frequent and loyal Carnival cruiser. That said, I've never done Carnival to Alaska. I think the reason we've not considered it is because that's very much a secondary market for that particular brand with only RTs out of Seattle as an option. An Alaskan cruise is all about the destinations. I get plenty of the Carnival shipboard experience in the Bahamas and Caribbean.  I'd rank Alaskan cruises as follows, 'worst to best':

 

- RT Seattle with no Glacier Bay. (essentially just the 3 standard ports of Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan)

- RT Seattle w/ alternate glacier viewing day; Tracy/Endicott 

- RT Seattle or Vancouver w/ Glacier Bay. (Princess/HAL/NCL? Not sure on all the details)

- One way (either SB or NB)

- One way with an extensive land tour at the beginning or end.

 

We've done Princess twice. They literally dominate the market. Their 5 total lodges up in Alaska are second to none. It's not even close. HAL does a solid job in second place. I believe they have one dedicated lodge up at Denali. And if I wasn't doing a land portion Alaska again I'd look for a shoulder season one way, either north or south. We enjoyed May and very late August for different reasons.

 

Lastly, and in my personal opinion only, small ships with great open top decks are best and a balcony is completely unnecessary. We've gotten a nice obstructed OV for a fraction of the money. We spend many, many hours up on top deck marveling at the beauty. The day in GBNP begins very early and ends late. Maybe my best day of cruising anywhere.

 

One more piece of advice for you southerners. No matching winter coats for you and the spouse. We folks from Wisconsin can spot you as a Floridian from a mile away! 😎 

 

[cynt]

23 hours ago, UGACamper said:

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!

 

FREE is always good!!! More excursions for you!!

[Aquahound]

jsglow made some really good points but I'll whole heartedly disagree with one of them.  Personally....and I totally understand this is personal choice.....I could not imagine sailing such a scenic cruise without a balcony, unless you book a panoramic view room.  Waking up to that scenery and then taking it in while it's still light before going to bed is magical.    

 

The Florida comment made me laugh.  I always joke that you always know when someone is from Florida because it's the first thing they tell you.  And I say that as a former Floridian.  See, I just did it too.  😁

Edited January 23 by Aquahound

[jsglow]

1 hour ago, Aquahound said:

jsglow made some really good points but I'll whole heartedly disagree with one of them.  Personally....and I totally understand this is personal choice.....I could not imagine sailing such a scenic cruise without a balcony, unless you book a panoramic view room.  Waking up to that scenery and then taking it in while it's still light before going to bed is magical.    

 

The Florida comment made me laugh.  I always joke that you always know when someone is from Florida because it's the first thing they tell you.  And I say that as a former Floridian.  See, I just did it too.  😁

Many (most?) folks agree with you. I'll make my personal point with numbers. Today, right now, I could book the Grand Princess southbound in May in an obstructed OV for $414pp. A Balc on that same cruise is $1,780pp, MORE than 4x higher. I'll spend that coin on other things related to the cruise that have far greater utility for me.... like the extended cruise-tour. By the way, we were absolutely blessed 18 months ago to get Denali on a bluebird day. That literally never happens.

 

And truth be told, I'm actually glad that I'm in the minority. It makes Alaska a very affordable cruise for me. My only reason for bringing it up is that a Balcony isn't necessary to have an amazing experience. 

 

And @Aquahound, you live where? Our son is out in Phinney Ridge, just off Green Lake. Going skiing with the kid in about a month. Hopefully he takes it easy on the old man. 

Edited January 23 by jsglow

[MississippiMom]

22 hours ago, cynt said:

. . . 

 

Besides the older seniors, our group is an active bunch. So seating still on the ship and watching a glacier is not their forte.  They most definitely will enjoy roaming around the ship and taking in the surroundings. Maybe I exaggerated a little so instead of 15 minutes, maybe 45 minutes looking at the glacier. But riding a helicopter to the top of the glacier and trekking on it or dogsledding on the glacier they would enjoy.  Ziplining through the mountains they would enjoy. Taking the tram up to the top of the mountain and hiking they would enjoy. Hiking on the many trails throughout the ports they would enjoy.  Whale watching they would enjoy.  The nature boat rides, the many different sceneries and watching the whales do what they do they would enjoy. Eating salmon and being stuffed after eating crab they would enjoy. They are already talking about deep sea fishing and spotting eagles with their binoculars as we traverse through nature. 

 

We can't wait to cruise Alaska!!

So fun!!!  I like all of the excursion ideas.  Not necessarily all of them for me, since I have limitations due to previous back surgery, but a nice list for other family members, if they decide to travel with us.

 

I will make one of those "to each his own" comments.  Whale watching . . . been there (in Hawaii, not Alaska), done that, don't need to do it again. Thoroughly enjoyed it, but it's a "one & done" for me.  I'm sure there are others who would go every time they get a chance, though.

[Hev1128]

I am so glad I found this thread.  I know Princess and HAL are the tops for Alaska...but truly, I have 2 children to think about for our cruise. While I know they want to see nature and glaciers...they are not going to be willing to stare at them all day.  Any good recommendations for multigenerational?  Just trying to get the best of all worlds...

[Northern Aurora]

@Hev1128:  My experience is that all of the major cruise lines frequently discussed on this forum will have multi-generational families on board.  Alaska is a very popular destination for extended families to gather together and take a cruise.

 

While the ports have family friendly options, consider an itinerary with a stop in Skagway.  The US National Park Service (Skagway is part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park)  through the years has acquired a number of the old historic buildings.  A number are museums.  The museums are focused on the "edu-tainment" museum theory -- the kids learn something while being entertained.

 

This forum is rather interesting with several folks designating what attractions are a "must see."  A "must see" is only a "must see" if you want to see it.  Don't feel pushed into spending money on something which does not interest you or the kiddos.

[donaldsc]

On 1/20/2024 at 6:12 AM, MississippiMom said:

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.

 

You did not say how old you and your husband is but you can make dreams come true if you work at it.  After we retired my wife and I drove from Las Vegas to AK on the Alcan Highway; spent 2 1/2 months driving almost every driveable road in AK and then took the Marine Highway back to Vegas.  I think that we put about 12,000 miles on the car.   It was one of the best vacations of our life.  Even more amazing at the end of 2 1/2 months in a Honda Accord and living out of suitcases we were still talking to each other.  Don't kill his dreams.

 

DON

[Mangrove Snapper]

 

On 1/13/2024 at 10:05 AM, MississippiMom said:

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

 

We did a sea/land trip with Celebrity in late May/early June, 2022.  The cruise was on the Millennium 7 nights northbound Vancouver to Seward.  The ports were Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Skagway and cruising the Hubbard Glacier.  Then we did their 6 night Homer Discovery and Heartland Wildlife land tour.  We were fortunate to have great weather and the cruise was fantastic.  We were able to get very close to the Hubbard Glacier and spend good time there.  The land portion was extremely well organized and we had a great driver and guide.  Their company works with multiple cruise lines and we saw their buses along the way with passengers from NCL and Royal. 

 

On 1/22/2024 at 3:52 PM, SoloAlaska said:

I’ve actually never seen a carnival ship in port when I was in Alaska.

 

The Carnival Splendor was in port with us when we were in Ketchikan, along with the Celebrity Solstice. I take way too many photos of cruise ships!

[kandjrolls2]

I booked a RC cruise to Alaska after watching some YouTube videos and reading some reviews. I don't do karaoke or trivia, and I also don't gamble. However, I did want a ship that has something other than those things. I also wanted to make sure I picked a ship with an indoor viewing area. I am from MS also, and you know we don't really do cold. I know Alaska is all about the ports, but all of the ships spend time sailing. My family would not be interested in hearing from a naturalist. We want to do all the active things; heli rides with dogsledding, zip lining, and kayaking. We have all those things booked for our cruise. I've noticed that the boards recommended an one size fits all approach to Alaska, and no vacation is perfect for every taste. Holland American did not appeal to me at all. I would have done Princess but the dates I needed were not available for two connecting cabins ( a must, because I am not about to spend my anniversary sharing a cabin with kids. Even if they are mine.)

[MississippiMom]

12 hours ago, kandjrolls2 said:

I booked a RC cruise to Alaska after watching some YouTube videos and reading some reviews. I don't do karaoke or trivia, and I also don't gamble. However, I did want a ship that has something other than those things. I also wanted to make sure I picked a ship with an indoor viewing area. I am from MS also, and you know we don't really do cold. I know Alaska is all about the ports, but all of the ships spend time sailing. My family would not be interested in hearing from a naturalist. We want to do all the active things; heli rides with dogsledding, zip lining, and kayaking. We have all those things booked for our cruise. I've noticed that the boards recommended a one size fits all approach to Alaska, and no vacation is perfect for every taste. Holland American did not appeal to me at all. I would have done Princess but the dates I needed were not available for two connecting cabins ( a must, because I am not about to spend my anniversary sharing a cabin with kids. Even if they are mine.)

Hello to my fellow Mississippian!!!  It sounds like “you get me.”

 

Life got in the way, but we are now back to researching what might work best for us.  We would like to put down refundable deposits for an August/September 2025 cruise, before all of our family’s 2024 summertime activities get into full swing.  (For us Southerners, that could potentially be as early as the second week in April.)

 

By complete coincidence, I was looking at RC and NCL last night.  I know most cruisers on this board will cringe at that, but we would like to have a port stop in Sitka and/or Haines, which REALLY limits our cruise ship choices.  We had almost convinced ourselves to try HAL’s Eurodam, but that’s a whole lot of vacation money to spend on a cruise line that doesn’t sound like the right fit for us, so we are still thinking on that one.  Celebrity is a consideration, but their ridiculous pricing strategy with non-refundable deposits vs refundable deposits means we wait to see if that big box warehouse club offers a special deal on them one day.  Cunard feels very over-the-top for this casual family, but I do enjoy looking at their website.
 

Let the research continue . . . 

[kandjrolls2]

1 hour ago, MississippiMom said:

Hello to my fellow Mississippian!!!  It sounds like “you get me.”

 

Life got in the way, but we are now back to researching what might work best for us.  We would like to put down refundable deposits for an August/September 2025 cruise, before all of our family’s 2024 summertime activities get into full swing.  (For us Southerners, that could potentially be as early as the second week in April.)

 

By complete coincidence, I was looking at RC and NCL last night.  I know most cruisers on this board will cringe at that, but we would like to have a port stop in Sitka and/or Haines, which REALLY limits our cruise ship choices.  We had almost convinced ourselves to try HAL’s Eurodam, but that’s a whole lot of vacation money to spend on a cruise line that doesn’t sound like the right fit for us, so we are still thinking on that one.  Celebrity is a consideration, but their ridiculous pricing strategy with non-refundable deposits vs refundable deposits means we wait to see if that big box warehouse club offers a special deal on them one day.  Cunard feels very over-the-top for this casual family, but I do enjoy looking at their website.
 

Let the research continue . . . 

My friend and her family (early 40s and a teen girl) went to Alaska with her inlaws last year. The inlaws paid, so they did t have much input. The inlaws picked Holland America. My friend raved about Alaska, but said they were bored in the ship. The daughter downloaded a lot of movies to watch on the ship. My friend said she spent a lot of time sitting on the balcony or eating (she gained weight) out of boredom. Now, they did get to sail thru Glacier Bay and she enjoyed that.

We are going on the Ovation of the Seas. I've never been in RC. I haven't been on a cruise in over a decade. It doesn't go thru GB, but it does do a glacier day. The ship seems to attract a more active crowd. It also leaves from Seattle which is easier to get to from Memphis (don't know if you are in north MS or closer to Jackson). Yeah, we could have taken the train to Vancouver, but we are a family of 4 and all of that adds up. And we interested in seeing Seattle pre cruise. RC seems to be always having some kind of "sale" but if you can book ahead, you can get your choice of room. We were interested in a mini suite, but they were sold out for the slim window we have after sports and before school starts back.

I also recently watched a YouTube video of young family that sailed on Carnival for Alaska. They seemed to enjoy their cruise. Good luck planning.

[kandjrolls2]

On 1/24/2024 at 1:55 PM, Hev1128 said:

I am so glad I found this thread.  I know Princess and HAL are the tops for Alaska...but truly, I have 2 children to think about for our cruise. While I know they want to see nature and glaciers...they are not going to be willing to stare at them all day.  Any good recommendations for multigenerational?  Just trying to get the best of all worlds...

We booked on RC. We originally booked Disney but I realized they didn't have many areas for inside viewing. I really wanted inside viewing areas in case of bad weather. I also wanted inside pools and hit tubs with a view. RC has skydiving, bumper calls, and the flow rider.

[Aquahound]

2 hours ago, MississippiMom said:

By complete coincidence, I was looking at RC and NCL last night.  I know most cruisers on this board will cringe at that, but we would like to have a port stop in Sitka and/or Haines, which REALLY limits our cruise ship choices.  

 

So true about triggering certain people with that.  😁  I am one of the few who absolutely will NOT cringe at that.  You pick whatever line, ship, and itinerary you like.  Like you, I want a great ship experience as well.  

 

I cruised AK on Eurodam a few years ago and yes, the ship experience was dead.  It made me swear off anything older than HAL's newest Pinnacle Class (Koningsdam and newer).  Movies and port lectures as the main evening show was not my idea of fun.  

 

If you choose RCI's Quantum Class, you will not be disappointed with the ship.  The live entertainment is as good as it gets on a cruise.  And if pools/hot tubs with a view is your thing, you can't do much better than this.  DW and I spent a lot of time here while cruising Stephens Passage...

 

 

[sharon_pei]

Curious on the boredom comment from above: i have never cruised and will experience it first time in life this June and i was thinking when selecting cruise line: how much time I would have to get bored on a 7 day one way cruise?
here is my assumption and pls correct if any part of it is wrong:

on embarkation day, one would be busy getting on the ship, orienting him/herself, settling in the cabin, then ship tour. plus spending time to see the scenery as the ship leave Vancouver and eating dinner. 
day 2 (north bound), this is probably the only potential boring day: but i would imagine it's the time to experience what the ship can offer, go to see casino even though we dont gamble, go to art gallery or auction even though there is 0 chance we will buy anything, go to some shopping area though again no budget for shopping whatsoever, go check out the outdoor sports area and gym and pools even though we might not actually spend time in those places, go check out places like game room, library, bar areas around the ship, just to explore. I will stop there but i think i get my point out. 

day 3: time in port till 2pm. then eat late lunch, then just not too much time to relax before dinner again

day 4 & day 5: full day in port -- wouldn't even have time to eat dinner unless one gets back early

day 6 full day for glacier bay

day 7 morning: prepare to disembark afternoon fjord scenery

 

Also port time on most days starts at 6am or 7am. i don't see any opportunity for late night entertainment for those want to max out their time to explore ports. the point is: i don't see a lot of time to get bored unless I am thinking this wrong.  

[Aquahound]

23 minutes ago, sharon_pei said:

Also port time on most days starts at 6am or 7am. i don't see any opportunity for late night entertainment for those want to max out their time to explore ports. the point is: i don't see a lot of time to get bored unless I am thinking this wrong.  

 

And you may not be wrong.  It just depends on how much weight you put into shipboard activities.  Many folks are totally fine with little to no activities and are almost entirely interested in the scenery only.  Absolutely nothing wrong with that. After all, it is Alaska.  

 

However, if the shows, lounges, activities, etc, are things you enjoy and expect in a cruise vacation, certain cruise lines, like HAL, are almost certain to be a disappointment.  

[Heidi13]

6 hours ago, sharon_pei said:

Curious on the boredom comment from above: i have never cruised and will experience it first time in life this June and i was thinking when selecting cruise line: how much time I would have to get bored on a 7 day one way cruise?
here is my assumption and pls correct if any part of it is wrong:

on embarkation day, one would be busy getting on the ship, orienting him/herself, settling in the cabin, then ship tour. plus spending time to see the scenery as the ship leave Vancouver and eating dinner. 
day 2 (north bound), this is probably the only potential boring day: but i would imagine it's the time to experience what the ship can offer, go to see casino even though we dont gamble, go to art gallery or auction even though there is 0 chance we will buy anything, go to some shopping area though again no budget for shopping whatsoever, go check out the outdoor sports area and gym and pools even though we might not actually spend time in those places, go check out places like game room, library, bar areas around the ship, just to explore. I will stop there but i think i get my point out. 

day 3: time in port till 2pm. then eat late lunch, then just not too much time to relax before dinner again

day 4 & day 5: full day in port -- wouldn't even have time to eat dinner unless one gets back early

day 6 full day for glacier bay

day 7 morning: prepare to disembark afternoon fjord scenery

 

Also port time on most days starts at 6am or 7am. i don't see any opportunity for late night entertainment for those want to max out their time to explore ports. the point is: i don't see a lot of time to get bored unless I am thinking this wrong.  

 

As a non-cruiser, I'll suggest your summation is quite accurate.

 

Personally, having spent many 30+ days at sea (continuous) voyages on cargo ships and also a cruise ship, I never once got bored. Our last cruise, as pax, had > 35 continuous sea days, and even on the 25 hr days, there wasn't sufficient time to fit in everything and get a full night's kip.

 

However, we aren't interested in the glitzy cruise shows, marriage shows, pool games, etc. Much happier attending educational lectures, good music or sitting in a quiet nook/cranny reading a book, or working on photos, while watching the ocean.

 

In Alaska, we usually booked mid/end June at the Solstice, so as to maximise daylight. Rather than attend a cruise ship glitzy show/marriage game, etc, we prefer enjoying the spectacular scenery. Having spent many years navigating BC waters & a few years in Alaska, I never get tired of the scenery.

 

If pax are bored on any cruise ship, perhaps they need to reconsider their choice of holiday.

[Cruzaholic41]

15 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

If pax are bored on any cruise ship, perhaps they need to reconsider their choice of holiday.

Ordinarily, I’m in lockstep with your opinions and I can appreciate your view of cruising due to your career, but I think this comment is a little ignorant. 
 

This is becoming a huge problem on this board. Certain people just can’t accept that others enjoy different things on cruises.