Alaska Cruise - Help me? (cross-posted)

[star117]

Hi everyone -

 

I'm first wanting to tell you all "THANKS" for your helpful info on the boards! I've read pretty much all of it, and I am possibly more confused than before! LOL I'm so frustrated because I'm 'planning' this trip for our family group, and of course everyone has slightly different interests. We've narrowed down our options, but I do have a few questions if anyone could help us out??

 

First the details:

We want a 7 day NB from Vancouver the 1st week of August '08. Choice of HAL or Princess (Diamond/Sapphire or Coral/Island).

1- MIL/FIL - 60's, never cruised, think they need a balcony room, will want time to be 'alone', are afraid of big ships/feeling crowded

2 - BIL - 40's single - never cruised but was in Navy, concerned he will be bored on sea days if on a smaller ship, said something about hoping to meet a barmaid! LOL

3 - My family of 4 - we're early 40's, kids are 13 and 9 - we have all cruised and the kids were on a Disney cruise last year (no rock walls or wave pools!) - 13 yo will not want to be in a kids club group all week, but will need to have activities that he can do and keep busy with on sea days

4 - SIL family of 3 - never cruised, 15 yo will hang with my 13 yo, possibly her 18 yo daughter will also go (but she is the odd out being too old for kids clubs, too young for adult activities onboard) - plus she's not even sure if she wants to go, but we have to wait until she decides because our travel date will depend on whether or not she goes...meanwhile the cabins fill up!!

 

Questions:

1-After going to the TA yesterday, he has basically pushed HAL, then scared us off of HAL - we're afraid it will be too stuffy for our tastes, not enough adult entertainment, not enough kids activities, he made it seem that the teens would be unwelcome (he really bordered on rude here), heard that the ship shuts down at 9 - I mean, we want to be on a nice ship, but we also want everyone to be comfortable and entertained, too - comments???

I do like that the rooms are bigger on HAL, but don't know if that is enough to justify the atmosphere difference (if indeed there is a substantial one). I will note though that I did contact HAL today and there are NO balcony cabins left for the dates we can go on this route. Yes, I told my family 3 months ago that we need to book this asap...maybe the balconies were already gone at that point, too??

2-If we go with Princess, what will the difference be between the Diamond and Coral? Will the kid's programs/activites be the same? What about onboard activities for the rest of us?

3-How important is a balcony for space issues? I am concerned that in order to get seating area/couch in the cabin I have to go all the way up to a mini-suite!! That just doesn't seem right somehow! LOL MIL thinks this is important, DH does not.

4-For those of you that have cruised possible both sizes of ships, did you feel crowded on the larger ones? Again, I'm not concerned, but I would like to reassure my In-laws.

5-What is available for viewing for me if I don't have a balcony? Which decks are open/accessible/maybe 'secret' areas? Are the Princess public decks glassed in? I'm not sure why I cannot find that info in the brochures?

6-Is midship necessary for motion sickness prone in Alaska? I'm thinking not so much??

 

Bottom line, I supposed we're leaning toward the larger Princess ship because it will probably have the most options for everyone (unless you have info that tells me that the smaller Princess ship has just as many options/is just as nice).

 

Pricing - I know noone can tell me who they use, but I find this frustrating. I called Princess, and she said Use X, Y, or Z in your town because they can probably give you a better price than me. Great! I will! So, that is why I went to TA that scared us about HAL. He says NOONE can give me a better price than him, but guess what?? Yep, he just gave me brochure pricing! and misquoted the single and third/fourth rates on top of that!!! I call another TA here, and she also gave me brochure price without any explanation when I told her that Princess said she should be able to give me a better rate. Am I missing something here??

 

and Finally, for now :) - anyone that has flown from the east coast (DC and/or Norfolk area) - what is a 'good' airfare? I'm seeing about $640 or so (for July of next year) for the openjaw IAD-YVR (direct flight united), ANC-IAD (overnight united).

 

We will fly into Van a day early, and we will have to transfer from Seward to Anc the last day of the cruise...probably having most of the day in Anc (but I think there is a 3:30 on Delta but is a reaalllly long flight/layover).

 

Hope this wasn't too much info, but I wanted to try and give you as much as possible for your recommendations!

I will cross post on HAL and Princess boards, too.

Thanks so much in advance for your help!!

Diana

[qiangf2]

If you are costco member, you should try costco travel. They matched the lowest price you can find from other travel agents. At least, that's my experience when I went to Hawaii few years ago

[jre68]

Hi star 117 Diana,

 

We just cruised HAL Aug 17th-24th Vancouver to Seward. We had 3 kids with us ages 10, 11, and 13. I will try to answer some of your questions based on our experiences. My 13 and 11 yr old did not go to the kids area all week, my 10 yr old went a couple of times. They did have activities for her at different times and she selected what she wanted to do, all of them did excursions with us. Other older kids seemed to hang in the pool area playing ping pong and just lounging around. (Eating!) There were 80 kids on board during our week. Many middle age couples and older adults that seemed very happy with the activities the ship had to offer. At night our family went to the magician show, and a couple of other shows, sometimes our time was before our 8:15 dinner seating or after.

 

Question #1 they have the balcony rooms reserved for cruisetours right now, they do release them later. We had EE rooms, a double and a triple, that had a window on the first floor, we didn't mind not having a balcony. We orginally booked inside rooms last september and changed when a better deal became available in may.

 

Question #4 HAL has been my largest shop with only 1400 people, it wasn't crowded at all! Never.

 

Question #5 We loved being on the bow, it was a little secret, until we were at the glacier and they put signs directing people up there. My kids loved being up there and watching the scenery go by, so did I! There were many spots to just sit and watch with a blanket over your lap as well. Never a lot of people in any one spot.

 

Question #6 We had no problems until we left the glacier area and hubby got sea sick when we hit the open seas..everyone else was ok. Friends of ours had cabins in the front and a family member who is prone to sea sickness and they were fine. It was very calm in the inside passage.

 

Pricing - We used AAA travel, and HAL will keep changing your rate if you find a lower one until your final deposit is due, of course I called AAA each time I found a lower rate. After that they will offer ship board credit. We had our rate changed 3 times and ended up saving over $1000 by the time we left and better rooms. I watched *****.com to check rates and cross referenced them with HAL's website. Plus AAA had shipboard credit offers if you went to a presentation on Alaska in our area. $50/pp

 

We flew into Van a day early, very wise, people who flew in that day missed the boat because of delayed flights...

 

Hope this helps a little, I was deciding between Princess and HAL at this time last year. I wanted HAL's itinerary more. BIL/SIL and 2 kids went on Princess this summer and also very happy.

 

Jamie

[NancyIL]

My husband and I were on the northbound Coral Princess in June. Beautiful ship, wonderful itinerary, and Princess did a great job in Alaska. We also loved Anytime Dining on Princess - which works very well in Alaska. I really liked the size of the Coral (1970 passengers). There weren't many kids on our sailing, but I think it was too early in the season for many to be out of school. The Princess Patter listed lots of activities for kids. We originally booked an inside cabin with one of the discount travel agencies listed above under "Cruise Agencies" - then upgraded to an obstructed oceanview cabin in December when prices dropped.

 

I was on the HAL Zaandam a few years ago. The Zaandam's inside cabin was larger than the cabin we had on Princess, but not significantly so. On that cruise, I was one of the "young people"...and I was 47! I do think you'll find a somewhat younger demographic on the Princess ships than on HAL - although HAL has tried to appeal more to familes in recent years. I'll return to Alaska on HAL Veendam July 2008 because I like the itinerary.

[Sunshine Gal]

I have also sailed both cruise lines to Alaska. My first choice would be Princess. Princess also will give price reductions before the final payment date if there is a reduction after you book. Maybe it is just a matter of taste but Princess ships seem brighter to me. I would be very wary of a TA who promises you the lowest price around. The normal rates that I book at are significantly lower than the posted rack rate for cruises. Check on any good internet website to view current prices. Whether or not you use a TA always check for price reductions yourself, as most TA's are far to busy booking new cruises to have time to monitor all of the cruises they already have booked. If you are going to sail one-way on Princess, they sail to and from Whittier Alaska from Vancouver. The trip to or from Anchorage is only about an hour compared to the 2+ hour trip to Seward.

[cjnky]

I loved the Coral, but was glad I had a balcony! Not only was the top deck crowded, but I did NOT like the blue glass messing with my photos. Without a balcony, you can still great viewing on Baja and Caribe decks at the front and back of the ship! Although the captain told everyone about them when we were in Glacier Bay, they were never crowded. HAL definitely can't top the Coral when it comes to a naturalist! We got very well acquainted with ours, and what a wealth of knowledge as a result!

[docksider21]

Hi

 

There's my two cents on a few issues.

 

1. Diamond/Sapphire v Coral/Island Princess. Diamond and Sapphire are newer, and that brings lots of plus-es. But they have more pax. I just got off the Sun Princess and was told that the bathrooms on the newer ships are even smaller than what we had. If bathroom size is a deal-breaker for non-suite staterooms, than HAL has great bathrooms.

 

2. Does HAL shut down at 9? Well, a lot depends on the pax on that voyage. Sometimes its been going, but other times not. Here last weekon the Sun Princess the CD was pleading with people to stay up for the nite life. So of depends.

 

3. I think that Princess surely will be a better fit for your 13 years old.

 

4. Dining Room. Princess anytime dining can work great for a couple. But with a family group I would suggest you think about traditional - early. That way you KNOW that dinner will be served on time. In anytime, you will need to make a reservation, and if it booked up, you have to wait. So you won't to have to wait around with a MIL, FIL, 13 year old, etc., who want to eat and eat NOW.

 

5. IMPORTANT. All HAL ships was a retractable roof over the swimming pool. Which is important, not only to cut down on wind and make it warmer, but Alaska is prone to rain. We had good enough weather that had the pool been covered, it would have been usable. Sun Princess pool is not covered. But sure to check that out in picking your ship.

 

6. I LOVE HAL, and I am only 46. (And the youngest person on the ship!). But with your diverse group, Princess might be the better fit.

[star117]

If you are costco member, you should try costco travel. They matched the lowest price you can find from other travel agents. At least, that's my experience when I went to Hawaii few years ago

Thanks, Dave...we are, and I have them on my list to call today for pricing...diana

[Budget Queen]

In also have sailed both lines to Alaska, don't expect any terrific nightlife on either. It's Alaska, not the Caribbean, generally people can be more focused on daytime activities with early mornings a gift for scenic sailing. The kids will do fine on any line, key is to involve them. Give them "homework" on shore excursions, researching ports, routes, etc. Don't expect any line to have a boat load of kids- no where near the numbers of the Caribbean.

 

Saying that, I suggest you look at itineraries and what the sailings can offer you and your priorities, then go with those. Deck viewing is excellent on HAL and they, on the whole have a higher passenger space ratio. I like their smaller ships.

 

Being that you are NOT considering any touring of Seward- which in my opinion is a greatly missed opportunity, then sailing into Whittier may be a better option since you are 2 hours closer to Anchorage. Princess does have nice itineraries, and ships that get rave reviews.

 

For pricing- compare several and keep track of pricing trends yourself. Immediately contact your booking agent and request an adjustment if the price drops. Frankly, has your agent even been to Alaska???? Do your homework and be informed, that will offer you the best resource for your ship choice.

[star117]

Jamie and Nancy - Thanks for your info on HAL, Princess, and pricing. MIL is a AAA member so I'll have her check pricing. It sounds like the best thing to do is secure a cabin onboard and keep checking/asking for price reductions until final payment date.

 

Sunshine - yes, that TA was less than impressive and pretty proud of himself to say the least. You said "The normal rates that I book at are significantly lower than the posted rack rate for cruises. Check on any good internet website to view current prices. " I'm having trouble finding these significantly lower rates and also in discerning which is a good/reputable internet discount agent. Any pointers emailed to me privately would be great!

 

cjnky - how do you know which ships have the glass? is there site I can find that? also, that's for the reminder about the naturalist - I think the in-laws would enjoy that so will keep that in mind

 

Docksider David - thanks for info and I tend to agree with your Princess rec's on the dining and the diversity of our group. I know that FIL does better with a schedule, so set dining would be a plus (and he's the #1 reason we're all taking this trip anyway). Would I like a bigger bathroom? Yes, but since a small % of time will be spent there, don't think I'll base decision on that LOL. While I like to think that the covered pool is important, realistically, I will probably not swim. I didn't get in the pool once on our Disney cruise. I know the kids will, though, but they will not care if it's covered or not.

 

Thanks again to you all for providing your insights!! I'm going to try not to get too stressed about it because I know it will be wonderful no matter which way we decide to cruise. Sometimes I tend to overthink the details (especially with all the people in the group that I want to be happy) and stress over the money (everyone wants a deal, right?).

Diana

[star117]

In also have sailed both lines to Alaska, don't expect any terrific nightlife on either. It's Alaska, not the Caribbean, generally people can be more focused on daytime activities with early mornings a gift for scenic sailing. The kids will do fine on any line, key is to involve them. Give them "homework" on shore excursions, researching ports, routes, etc. Don't expect any line to have a boat load of kids- no where near the numbers of the Caribbean.

 

Saying that, I suggest you look at itineraries and what the sailings can offer you and your priorities, then go with those. Deck viewing is excellent on HAL and they, on the whole have a higher passenger space ratio. I like their smaller ships.

 

Being that you are NOT considering any touring of Seward- which in my opinion is a greatly missed opportunity, then sailing into Whittier may be a better option since you are 2 hours closer to Anchorage. Princess does have nice itineraries, and ships that get rave reviews.

 

For pricing- compare several and keep track of pricing trends yourself. Immediately contact your booking agent and request an adjustment if the price drops. Frankly, has your agent even been to Alaska???? Do your homework and be informed, that will offer you the best resource for your ship choice.

 

Hi Budget - was posting the other reply while you were replying...anyway...

--Understood on the nightlife...more for BIL than me :)

--Kids...also understood...main concern was that they would not be 'welcome' on HAL line unless they were in the kids clubs because they would not want to do that all day everyday.

--Itineraries...the 2 we are looking at are exactly the same with HAL having slightly longer port times and ending in Seward instead of Whittier...Point taken on opportunity missed, but knowing this group, they will be ready to head home by that point (not my 4, but most of the rest will be). However, it is likely that our plane will not leave until 8 pm, so we will need something to do that day besides sit in an airport! Also, DH and I are looking at this as a 'preview' for future longer trip.

--LOL on the TA - yes, I'm sure he has been to Alaska, but obviously he prefers to cater to a different clientele!! haha

 

thanks much! diana

[NancyIL]

To get an idea of what's a good price - go to each cruiseline's web site and get the price for your cruise in the category cabin you want. Price it without insurance, transfers, hotels, etc. That is the MOST you should pay. Call AAA and Costco and see what they quote. At the top of this board, under the picture of the waving family, click on "Cruise Agencies." Some of those are discounters, and the one I used for Princess is on there. You can also do a Google search for "discount cruise agencies" for more places to look. Before booking with ANY travel agency, whether online or brick and mortar, find out what FEES they will charge you if you cancel the cruise, change cabins, change the name of a person in the cabin, etc.

[jre68]

Diana,

 

We liked the longer port times, plus depending on the ship, some have to tender in to certain ports. HAL and Princess seemed to be able to dock and not tender except in Sitka and Icy Strait Point (where everyone has to tender). We could have stayed longer in port with all the things to do in each port. If you go with HAL, you could choose an excursion in Seward and then catch the bus /train north. It only took a little over 2 hours for our bus ride to Anchorage. We purchased one way transfers through HAL. Didn't need them in Vancouver, hotel provided shuttle services to dock. I know there is a website that you can check to see what ships are in ports on certain days, that helps to make the decisions also, as more ships, more tourists...crowded areas! I can't seem to locate it right now, if I find it I will post it for you. Good luck. Jamie