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

[sunshine426]

Hi Diana, Wow, you have motivated me to write my review of the Sapphire Princess, which could meet many of your needs. While our demographics might be slightly off yours, I'll take a whack at answering some of your questions. For the record I have not cruised on HAL, but have heard great things about it. So any comments are not a negative abt HAL. We prefer a balcony, but the inside cabins are quite nice for all those younger travelers of yours. Gives them some privacy and space, but you can still keep an eye on them. If you really want to entertain in your cabin, you might look at a mini suite, or at least a balcony on the Caribe Deck. The other balcony's are designed more for two, although we have entertained 4 on our balcony's before.

 

With all those cousins, I would think they would form a kids' club of their own. I am not familar with the kids programs on Princess, as our's were a bit two old (21,25) for them, friends I have spoken with speak highly of them. Funny thing is, on vacation, our kids tended to hang out with us more than we would have thought they would. Plus, many Alaksa shore excursions can really cater to the physically active in the group.

 

My mom found watching glaciers from Sky walkers quite a nice place to watch in comfort, while the rest of us, enjoyed the fresh air and wind on deck. We stayed up late for the show's, but still were in bed fairly early, because their is so much to do in the morning on an Alaska Cruise.

 

That's my best go for now, Post any questions and I will try to answer. Meanwhile, I will start working on my review of the Sappire Princess which we completed last week.

[star117]

Hi! Glad to help! LOL I'll look forward to reading your review.

 

MIL is set on at least balcony, if not suite because FIL will need to have time alone and will have outdoor views then, too. Do you have any rec for area of ship? I'm pretty sure they want port side (northbound), but what about the balconies with/without covers? Is it the same issue as those on the Coral? I've read too much, and now can't remember all the info LOL!!!

My room of 4 will spend little time in room, I know.

 

Yes, I think the teens will stick together, but will need ample appropriate areas to be - arcade, ping pong, basketball, pool, etc. OH, do you know this - are the kids/teens areas come and go? or are there specific hours? What type of 'tracking' do they have for the kids in the program?

 

Off to the review section now as that is the only area I haven't explored yet. DH must think I've lost my mind because all I've done is research Alaska for 2 weeks!!!

 

Thanks again!

Diana

[bubbadog]

if your going northbound then you want starboard,and if going southbound then you want portside,and give mil/fil caribe deck balcony or maybe an aft one would be nice view for them,have a great cruise:));)

[cherylandtk]

Diana,

I will take a crack at answering some of your questions. Sorry, this is rather long-winded.:(

 

First, you will be fine with whatever ship you choose, either Princess or HAL. I would think Princess is your best fit over HAL; also it still has balconies available, unlike HAL. Keep in mind that the first-timers have nothing to compare to and will be in awe and overwhelmed with all the things that make cruising so fun.

 

BUT, I strongly suggest you book ASAP--balconies will sell out much faster than insides or outsides. Book DD as a 3rd or 4th person, and she has until final payment to decide NOT to go and get a full refund. But book it now.

 

For those without balconies, don't worry, there are plenty of open deck places to take in the view, and many folks with balconies gather there, too. You cannot see both sides from any one balcony, so don't worry, everyone tends to gather on deck for Glacier Bay anyway. Lots of places to watch from on the open decks.

 

In addition to Skywalkers, the forward promenade on Emerald deck is a great covered area if there is rainy weather, but there are no chairs to sit in.

 

Suggest your MIL and FIL take a minisuite--it will give them the space they want and will probably use. Everyone else can go with the parents in a balcony, kids across the hall arrangement. You could even put all four kids in the inside, with the parents in two adjacent balconies....assuming they all get along.

 

What was your plan for BIL cabin? Would he go as a single, or share with someone else?

 

Booking note: You can book all four kids in one room, because DD is 18. You will need at least one kid aged 16 or older when kids are in a separate room; if the 15YO will be 16 at the time of the cruise, then you are fine. Otherwise, if DD cancels, you will have to move an adult (BIL?) into that room for booking purposes. Or, you might choose to put the kids in with their parents, but be advised that the 3rd/4th rates for a balcony in Alaska are nearly the same rates as having their own room. (3/4 in a balcony is $699; average in an inside of 4 kids is $636; $716 if just three in the room. BUT, that extra space and extra bathroom is REALLY worth it!)

 

Pricing: If your local TA's are not giving you a better price than Princess, you might want to work with an online discount TA. You should be seeing discounts of about $150/$375/$500 (per cabin) on Inside/Balcony/Mini from Princess pricing. We cannot recommend TA's but I found these prices using the links under the Cruise Agencies link listed at the top of the page.

 

If you do use a discount TA, be aware that many do not spend much time answering questions from new cruisers, but it sounds to me like you are more than capable of finding out all you need to know right here on these boards. (There are only three real requirements: Be sure you all have passports for flying to Vancouver, take credit cards to pay your onboard charges, and fill in all the advance documentation online in the Personalizer. Everything else is 'optional' and good advice.) One option could be to do your booking with Princess, get all your cabin questions answered, then transfer the booking to a discount TA to get the lower pricing.;) It also gives you time to shop around for the best pricing deal.

[star117]

Cherly - thanks for the great info and options to consider re: kids in room together. I did also wonder about booking directly with Princess if I could then transfer for lower price to a TA, so thanks for answering that, too. And I also agree with your statement re: first time cruisers - most of the group has nothing to compare to, so they will most likely be happy (unless it varies greatly from their expectations after hearing other friends/family experiences - but noone can predict that!).

 

BIL will be single unless I could convince him to take my 13 yo!! LOL

 

Thank you for the ballparks on discounts that I should see. I appreciate all your tips, too!

Diana

[sunshine426]

I agree on the inside for the kids. We booked looked into booking a balcony as a quad, a mini suite as a quad and then changed to a balcony for two, and two in an inside. I have been on the Island and the Sapphire. Both are lovely ships. Personally, I like the Island, but with your younger crew, you might prefer the Sapphire/Diamond. Check out the deck plans and see what both have to offer in terms of sport areas. IE Basketball, ping pong, etc.

 

For our recent Alaska Cruise, we did book our balcony cabin early in order to insure the starboard side for our northbound cruise, we waited another month and watched the prices before we booked the inside cabin. However, we did not have to have the inside near us, so that gave us some slack with timing.

 

As far as the side, we thougt it would be more important to us than it turned out. With hindsight, I would have taken the Caribe Deck balcony that was offered at the same price as the Aloha Deck but on the port side.

 

As far as which decks are covered, theCaribe are 1/2 covered, 1/2 uncovered and large, but I don't know abt the mini suites on that deck if their are any. The Dolphin deck has all mini suites, and those balcony's are uncovered. I have no idea about the emerald deck and some of those aft cabins.

[CruiseLiz]

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??

 

You should still be able to book a balcony for these dates. While HAL direct (i.e. you called HAL) has no more available, check any of the large internet cruise agencies. These agencies often obtain cabins for speculative sale.

They should still have balconies available for booking, some may even have additional amenities (like onboard credits) that they will add if you book soon enough.

 

I checked one of those internet TA's and yes, they do have balconies available. Shop around and get one if that's what you really want. :)

[cherylandtk]

BIL will be single unless I could convince him to take my 13 yo!! LOL

Diana

I am assuming that BIL knows his single rate will essentially be double the fare? That alone might make him consider sharing with the 13 YO. :p

[LoriPhil]

We cruised the Coral NB last year, port side and thought it the perfect sized ship, though the kiddos might have more options on a larger ship.

 

We LOVED the port side! Warmer afternoon sun and late sunsets (yummy!), and you're cruising through channels and narrows for a large portion of the cruise, so both sides give you cool land views. The last day from Glacier Bay to College Fjord you're fairly far from land so port/starboard doesn't make much diference.

 

We thought the Carib-balcony cabin (adjoining with our friends' balcony so it provided a nice gathering place) was great and well worth the additional money since you get those amazing scenery and wildlife experiences at the most unexpected times... nothing better than sitting with your hair in curlers, slurping down a glass of wine and scanning the horizon for orca, humpbacks and dolphins. The first night out from Vancoouver we slept with our curtains open and awoke around 2 AM (it never got completely dark in mid-July) to the amazing narrows and up-close mountain silhouettes - extremely cool!

 

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful cruise. Alaska was magnificent and it's great to have a mob to share it with.

[cruisequeen10]

Well first, I would get a new TA. It seems that they don't want to really work with you. Princess is a wonderful line as I have cruised on 14 of their cruises (from 1980 to the last with them in 2001). I have also been to Alaska 5 times, but only the roundtrip from Vancouver. Would like to do the Anchorage to Vancouver (SB) one day. Last year we were on the HAL Zuiderdam to Alaska and had a wonderful time. Entertainment, food and activities were great. The ship seemed to be deserted after 10 p.m., and couldn't seem to find a lot to do after that time. I would suggest that you with Princess. I have only sailed in an inside cabin, so cannot comment on the cabin issues.