Opinion on Alaskan Sailing

[Ajg601]

My husband and I have narrowed down our choice for Alaskan cruises and I’m looking for input because there are pros and cons for each sailing and we just don’t know what would be best.

 

Slight background - we are in our upper 40s, this is our 20th anniversary trip. We have only cruised with Disney in the past and very much enjoyed those cruises. This will be our first time in Alaska and likely our only trip there (we live on the east coast and have too many other “bucket list” places to visit). While getting the Alaska experience is important, we also very much enjoy entertainment and food while on vacation. We aren’t really interested in being overloaded with lectures, I would say 65% Alaska (ports, scenic viewing, a couple educational lectures) and 35% Dining/Entertainment/Other would be desirable for us. We like dining but the food does not have to be “fancy” for us to enjoy it (I also cannot eat seafood). 

 

With that in mind, these are the sailings that we have narrowed down to:

 

Choice 1:  August 31 Royal Princess Sailing: 

Start - Anchorage

Day 1 - Hubbard Glacier 3-8

Day 2 - Glacier Bay 9-7

Day 3 - Icy Point 6:30-7

Day4 - Juneau 6:30-4

Day 5 - Ketchikan 10-6

Day 6 - At Sea

End - Vancouver

(Notes: Does not do Inside Passage, goes to Icy Point Strait instead of Skagway, can only get balcony room on non-land facing side of ship, would fly in a few day ahead of cruise to explore Denali area)

 

Choice 2:  Sept 3 Ruby Princess Sailing:

Start - Vancouver

Day 1 - At Sea

Day 2 - Juneau 1-10

Day 3 - Skagway 7-8:30

Day 4 - Glacier Bay 6-3

Day 5 - Ketchikan 10-6

Day 6 - At Sea

End - Vancouver

(Notes: Does not go to Hubbard Glacier, does do Inside Passage, round trip so if we wanted to go to Denali area we would need to fly into Anchorage and then fly down to Vancouver for the cruise

 

Choice 3:  Sept 4 Grand Princess Sailing:

Start - Anchorage

Day 1 - Hubbard Glacier 3-8

Day 2 - Glacier Bay 9-7

Day 3 - Skagway 7-8:30

Day4 - Juneau 6:30-4

Day 5 - Ketchikan 10-6

Day 6 - At Sea

End - Vancouver

(Notes: Does do Inside Passage, Older and small ship so we are concerned it wouldn’t be as good a ship experience, only has “guarantee” rooms for balcony so cannot pick location)

 

Choice 4:  Sept 1 NCL Encore Sailing:

Start - Seattle

Day 1 - At Sea

Day 2 - Juneau 2:30-11

Day 3 - Skagway 7-8

Day 4 - Glacier Bay 

Day 5 - Ketchikan 7-1:15

Day 6 - At Sea

End Seattle

(Notes: Does not do Inside Passage or Hubbard Glacier, port locations not as good as Princess but ship entertainment/experience  looks like it might be better?, Would need to fly into Anchorage and then down to Seattle for the cruise if we wanted to explore Denali area)

[d9704011]

I'd go with choice #3.  Fact that all the balconies have already been reserved indicates popularity of this ship/itinerary.  This allows you to do the Denali thing, visit Skagway, get plenty of 'scenic cruising' and Crown is a good ship with decent food and entertainment.  Balcony may not be as important as you may think.... lots of opportunity to see things from open decks.

[Ajg601]

13 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

I'd go with choice #3.  Fact that all the balconies have already been reserved indicates popularity of this ship/itinerary.  This allows you to do the Denali thing, visit Skagway, get plenty of 'scenic cruising' and Crown is a good ship with decent food and entertainment.  Balcony may not be as important as you may think.... lots of opportunity to see things from open decks.

Cruise 3 is on Royal, would you consider that equivalent to Crown?  Also, is Skagway a lot better than Icy Point for excursions?

[oaktreerb]

If this is a one and done you should include Glacier Bay, the inside passage out of Vancouver, Skagway or Sitka, and Anchorage to Denali drive or train.  The daylight hours are long so you will have scenic viewing, lectures are optional, you can focus on culture, scenic viewing, adventure, and enjoy it all.  Of your options #3 has the best itinerary.

[oaktreerb]

1 minute ago, Ajg601 said:

Cruise 3 is on Royal, would you consider that equivalent to Crown?  Also, is Skagway a lot better than Icy Point for excursions?

Icy Strait Point is a created port.  The Alaska native village of Hoonah is down the road from there.   Skagway is a National Park with Gold Rush history and plenty of thing to do and experience.  Pick up a hiking guide at the visitor’s center for some great scenic hikes if you like to hike.

[d9704011]

59 minutes ago, Ajg601 said:

Cruise 3 is on Royal, would you consider that equivalent to Crown?  Also, is Skagway a lot better than Icy Point for excursions?

Isn't cruise #3 on Grand Princess (not Crown Princess... my mistake)?  I have been on Grand three times and like it.  It is, as you know, older than Royal Princess but I prefer the Grand to the Royal (and Regal for that matter).  Skagway offers much more in the way of excursions than Icy Point in my opinion.

[Ajg601]

52 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Isn't cruise #3 on Grand Princess (not Crown Princess... my mistake)?  I have been on Grand three times and like it.  It is, as you know, older than Royal Princess but I prefer the Grand to the Royal (and Regal for that matter).  Skagway offers much more in the way of excursions than Icy Point in my opinion.

Yes it is on Grand, I tried to edit after I posted but my phone wouldn’t cooperate!  Thank you for your feedback!

[karatemom2]

I would rule out the NCL choice completely - they just don't do a great job with Alaska cruises in terms of their odd port times and distant port at Ward Cove in Ketchikan.

 

Princess definitely is the superior option for Alaska. If you are set on doing the one way itinerary with time on land before your cruise - the Grand definitely offers the better itinerary with Skagway and the potential of doing the true inside passage to Vancouver. However, you need to understand that Grand is the oldest ship in the Princess fleet and given some of the priorities you mention in terms of your preferences for onboard experience, you may find her disappointing.

 

Royal is much newer, more bells and whistles, and probably more to your liking in terms of the onboard amenities and entertainment. We have sailed on both in Alaska, but the last time we were on the Grand was 6 years ago and she was really showing her age even then. You might need to adjust your onboard expectations if you choose that option but what you get with that choice in return, however, is a really great and immersive Alaska itinerary. In my estimation, that might take priority over everything else if this is going to be your only trip to Alaska.

 

The Ruby is also a great ship, probably my favorite of the three, and offers a really good itinerary and option if you decide against the land portion of your trip.

 

There is a thread on the Princess board right now asking for thoughts on the Grand from those who have sailed recently that you might want to review:

 

 

 

[Aquahound]

Oof.  That's a tough one for me.  I agree with ruling out the NCL option....not because they somehow don't do a great job with Alaska, but because the other 3 itineraries are better.  

 

I think I would lean toward Grand.  I think it's the best itinerary because it hits 3 of the musts....Hubbard, GB, and Inside Passage.  Yes, it's an old ship and yes, Princess kinda sucks at modernizing the looks and feels of Grand Class, but Princess does offer good food and great entertainment, and there are still parts of the ship that are pretty nice.  

 

Royal Class is terrible for Alaska.  Can't cruise Inside Passage, and the ships have no lounges with outward facing views.  

[Heidi13]

11 hours ago, Ajg601 said:

My husband and I have narrowed down our choice for Alaskan cruises and I’m looking for input because there are pros and cons for each sailing and we just don’t know what would be best.

 

Slight background - we are in our upper 40s, this is our 20th anniversary trip. We have only cruised with Disney in the past and very much enjoyed those cruises. This will be our first time in Alaska and likely our only trip there (we live on the east coast and have too many other “bucket list” places to visit). While getting the Alaska experience is important, we also very much enjoy entertainment and food while on vacation. We aren’t really interested in being overloaded with lectures, I would say 65% Alaska (ports, scenic viewing, a couple educational lectures) and 35% Dining/Entertainment/Other would be desirable for us. We like dining but the food does not have to be “fancy” for us to enjoy it (I also cannot eat seafood). 

 

With that in mind, these are the sailings that we have narrowed down to:

 

Choice 1:  August 31 Royal Princess Sailing: 

Choice 2:  Sept 3 Ruby Princess Sailing:

Choice 3:  Sept 4 Grand Princess Sailing:

Choice 4:  Sept 1 NCL Encore Sailing:

 

 

If food is a key consideration, perhaps you may also want to consider one of the smaller ship premium cruise lines. Although highly subjective, the premium cruise lines generally have superior quality meals.

 

The Inside Passage runs from Olympia all the way up to Skagway, but the cruise line marketing types usually promote the waters between the Canadian mainland and Vancouver Island as the Inside Passage. You should also consider, when Northbound, these waters are cruised at night.

 

Comments on the 4 options

 - # 1 Royal Princess - in my experience this is the 2nd worst option, as these ships do not manoeuvre well enough for Alaska Cruising. Way too big and they don't have a Prom Deck. Having to sail up the Pacific Ocean from Vancouver reduces the hours in Alaska.

 

 - # 2 Ruby Princess - is a super Grand Class. The Grand Class was an exceptional class of ship built by P&O, but after Carnivalisation, they added another full deck of cabins (500 pax) to the same hull. Basically a really crowded ship. R/T Vancouver it only does SE Alaska, so you don't experience Prince William Sound

 

 - # 3 Grand Princess - of your 4 options, in my opinion this is the best ship. It was the lead ship of it's class. Dating from 1998, it is getting a little older, but still a great design. Probably also the best itinerary.

 

 - #4 NCL Encore - in my experience, this is the worst option. Similar to Royal Princess, the ship is too big for Alaska. Being R/T from Seattle, you will spend > 2 days in the Pacific Ocean and less time in Alaska ports.

[Ajg601]

6 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

If food is a key consideration, perhaps you may also want to consider one of the smaller ship premium cruise lines. Although highly subjective, the premium cruise lines generally have superior quality meals.

 

The Inside Passage runs from Olympia all the way up to Skagway, but the cruise line marketing types usually promote the waters between the Canadian mainland and Vancouver Island as the Inside Passage. You should also consider, when Northbound, these waters are cruised at night.

 

Comments on the 4 options

 - # 1 Royal Princess - in my experience this is the 2nd worst option, as these ships do not manoeuvre well enough for Alaska Cruising. Way too big and they don't have a Prom Deck. Having to sail up the Pacific Ocean from Vancouver reduces the hours in Alaska.

 

 - # 2 Ruby Princess - is a super Grand Class. The Grand Class was an exceptional class of ship built by P&O, but after Carnivalisation, they added another full deck of cabins (500 pax) to the same hull. Basically a really crowded ship. R/T Vancouver it only does SE Alaska, so you don't experience Prince William Sound

 

 - # 3 Grand Princess - of your 4 options, in my opinion this is the best ship. It was the lead ship of it's class. Dating from 1998, it is getting a little older, but still a great design. Probably also the best itinerary.

 

 - #4 NCL Encore - in my experience, this is the worst option. Similar to Royal Princess, the ship is too big for Alaska. Being R/T from Seattle, you will spend > 2 days in the Pacific Ocean and less time in Alaska ports.

What would be your thoughts on Sapphire Princess that has the same itinerary as Grand in my choice #3?  My husband and I removed it as an option because it sails Sep 7-14 and we thought that was getting to late into the season. 

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, Ajg601 said:

What would be your thoughts on Sapphire Princess that has the same itinerary as Grand in my choice #3?  My husband and I removed it as an option because it sails Sep 7-14 and we thought that was getting to late into the season. 

 

Back in the days when we sailed with Princess, the Sapphire and Diamond were our favourite ships. They are standard Grand Class ships that were built in Japan. The build quality is significantly superior to those built in Italy or France.

 

Your concerns are valid regarding mid-September. In addition to decreasing daylight hours, you have a greater chance to experiencing one of the first storms. Unfortunately in Alaska the weather is constantly changing, as I did 2 complete seasons and almost every week had different weather. However, I believe from your original post, the Grand departs 4th Sept and the Sapphire departs 7th Sept, so really not much difference.

 

If the difference was only 3 days, my personal preference would be Sapphire over Grand. Note - while I used to work for Princess and cruised with them, we have not sailed Princess since 2015, so I have no current knowledge of the condition of each ship. 

[MississippiMom]

On 3/6/2024 at 12:10 PM, Ajg601 said:

My husband and I have narrowed down our choice for Alaskan cruises and I’m looking for input because there are pros and cons for each sailing and we just don’t know what would be best.

 

Slight background - we are in our upper 40s, this is our 20th anniversary trip. We have only cruised with Disney in the past and very much enjoyed those cruises. This will be our first time in Alaska and likely our only trip there (we live on the east coast and have too many other “bucket list” places to visit). While getting the Alaska experience is important, we also very much enjoy entertainment and food while on vacation. We aren’t really interested in being overloaded with lectures, I would say 65% Alaska (ports, scenic viewing, a couple educational lectures) and 35% Dining/Entertainment/Other would be desirable for us. We like dining but the food does not have to be “fancy” for us to enjoy it (I also cannot eat seafood). 

 . . . 

I could "kiss you" for posting this.  🙃

 

Off/on, we have been looking at the mid-August through mid-September 2025 sailings, and the number of times we have changed what we want to prioritize is comical at this point.  Like you two, we live too far away to ever go a second time to Alaska, but we also want to enjoy that dining/entertainment/other you reference.  We have tossed around the combination of land & sea, as well as the longer 10 day cruise options, with no final decision made.   I keep thinking we have plenty of time to book for 2025, but our preferred balcony cabin locations definitely decrease as the weeks go by.

 

@Ajg601 - What made you rule out Holland America?  We are concerned it might be too quiet in the evenings and we might still be too young for HA.  But their ships look beautiful, and we like their itineraries. 

[karatemom2]

6 hours ago, Ajg601 said:

What would be your thoughts on Sapphire Princess that has the same itinerary as Grand in my choice #3?  My husband and I removed it as an option because it sails Sep 7-14 and we thought that was getting to late into the season. 

 

The Sapphire and Diamond are my two favorite Princess ships. If the sailing dates between the Grand and Sapphire are negligible, like within a week or so, I would definitely recommend Sapphire over Grand. Both great ships, but on the scale I would rate the Sapphire superior. 

[Ajg601]

26 minutes ago, MississippiMom said:

I could "kiss you" for posting this.  🙃

 

Off/on, we have been looking at the mid-August through mid-September 2025 sailings, and the number of times we have changed what we want to prioritize is comical at this point.  Like you two, we live too far away to ever go a second time to Alaska, but we also want to enjoy that dining/entertainment/other you reference.  We have tossed around the combination of land & sea, as well as the longer 10 day cruise options, with no final decision made.   I keep thinking we have plenty of time to book for 2025, but our preferred balcony cabin locations definitely decrease as the weeks go by.

 

@Ajg601 - What made you rule out Holland America?  We are concerned it might be too quiet in the evenings and we might still be too young for HA.  But their ships look beautiful, and we like their itineraries. 

That is the exact reason we ruled out HA. We are already worried Princess will be dull, Royal or NCL would be more our style for entertainment/activity but we understand we wouldn’t be getting as good of an Alaskan experience. We know HA would not be fit for us at all. I feel like if I adjust my expectations a little and realize this won’t be like our norm cruising style then Princess will be fine. My brain seriously hurts from all the options- I understand the constant changing of mind!

[Aquahound]

Just now, Ajg601 said:

That is the exact reason we ruled out HA. We are already worried Princess will be dull, Royal or NCL would be more our style for entertainment/activity but we understand we wouldn’t be getting as good of an Alaskan experience. We know HA would not be fit for us at all. I feel like if I adjust my expectations a little and realize this won’t be like our norm cruising style then Princess will be fine. My brain seriously hurts from all the options- I understand the constant changing of mind!

 

At some point, you gotta just pull the trigger and be firm with your choice.  I, too, would much rather sail RCI, or even Celebrity.  They do have nice one-way itineraries that go to Hubbard and cruise the IP, but none go to Glacier Bay.  If...say...Radiance of the Seas had Grand's itinerary, this would be a no-brainer for me.  

 

Those who know Princess well seem to prefer Sapphire.  Just do it.  The itinerary is as good as they come.  Do not worry about it being a sleepy experience on board.  Princess is really good with entertainment, including game shows and other activities.  The Piazza, which is Princess' central atrium, commonly has live music.  The entertainment is pretty much exactly what you would find on RCI's Vision and Radiance Class ships.  

[d9704011]

7 hours ago, Ajg601 said:

What would be your thoughts on Sapphire Princess that has the same itinerary as Grand in my choice #3?  My husband and I removed it as an option because it sails Sep 7-14 and we thought that was getting to late into the season. 

I've been on both Sapphire and Grand; but both several years ago.  I prefer Sapphire although I can't really say why.  I would choose a port side balcony although it likely won't make one bit of discernible difference; any scenic type cruising will involve going about in circles so everybody gets a good look no matter what side of the ship they're on and when moving along the coast, it's not like they stick close to shore so you can see bald eagles and grizzlies.  As for entertainment and activities, Princess will likely satisfy you for the time you're onboard and actually looking for diversions.  Book and enjoy.

[Coral]

I prefer Sapphire to Grand but I won't sail in mid-September due to potential bad weather.

 

I would have no hesitations with the Grand Princess and of the cruises you listed in your original post, I would choose Grand Princess.

Edited March 8 by Coral

[SightCRR]

Go with the cheapest that includes GB, and HG. Forget about Denali in 2024 and likely 25 as the road closer makes it to much trouble for what is worth and 2/3 of the people don't see it because of weather. You need at least 3 days there. Then spend your money on excursions like helo glacier landings, whale watching and whatever you are interested in. Check youtube for cruise videos of your top choices in terms of ships and excursions. Look for newest and not the ad ones. 

[SirTomster]

On 3/7/2024 at 11:47 AM, MississippiMom said:

Like you two, we live too far away to ever go a second time to Alaska,

 

If this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip.   I do recommend looking into a land portion. Which might be taking a one-way cruise.   My wife and I are flying into Anchorage a few days before the trip to drive to Seward and do a one-day cruise to the Kenai Fjords.  As part of the drive, we will hit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage Glacier, and other various stops on the way.    I feel doing this will greatly enhance the trip.  Even if it is adding a few thousand to the trip due to the items we are doing.  If Denali was more open you could consider that, but that likely will not be for another year.  There are other options around Anchorage as well.   Matanuska Glacier where you can walk on the glacier without having to pay an arm and a leg for a helicopter.

 

The one way will also generally get you more time in the ports to explore.  Another bonus.

[SightCRR]

18 hours ago, SirTomster said:

 

, Portage Glacier, and other various stops on the way.    I feel doing this will greatly enhance the trip. 

When looking at Portage Glacier don't forget to look into Byron Glacier family 1.5 hike. Very close to where the Portage Glacier leaves from. 

[NWA395]

We cruised on the Sapphire in April/May 2023 on an 11 night RT from Vancouver in a mini suite.    Loved the ship and there was plenty to keep us busy and we were determined to return for a land portion.  Alaska is about the ports and scenery.

 

This year we doing a 29 day land/sea/land/sea trip beginning with a few days in Vancouver.  We are on the Sapphire for the 18 August northbound. We chose to do a DIY land portion (car rental and air B&B's).  We then board the Grand for the September 4th southbound.   

 

We chose an inside cabin both ways which saved us several thousand which afforded more on the DIY land portion.  Based on our previous Alaska cruise we will miss waking up to the beautiful views, but in retrospect, we spent so little time in the room, the additional cost was not worth it to us for this trip.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with either ship and there are plenty of places to relax and view the scenery on both ships.