RCCL or Princess for Alaska

[Pusniski]

I posted this on the AK forum but didn't really get a response so I'm posting here and Princess forum. Hope cross posting is ok. I really would like to get some fair opinions especially from those that have cruised both of these lines.

 

We are in our early 30's and our son will be 14 at the time of sailing. We are sailing 3rd or 4th week of June. I understand we'll be in the minority in age and should book base on itinerary and not ship activities. I've narrowed it down to Radiance of the Sea and Island Princess. We just can't seem to decide between these two. Here are my reasons:

 

Island Princess - Awesome itinerary with Hubbard Glacier & Glacier Bay National Park. Decent deal on mini-suite (feel we need for x-tra bathroom space). Mon-Mon may yield less crowded ports. Cons: We had a less than stellar experience on Caribbean Princess - service issues. We enjoyed the food, casino and thought it was a beautiful ship. IP is a different ship and itinerary so we're very much keeping an open mind.

 

Radiance OTS - Love the Fri-Fri sailing dates. This will give us a bit more time pre-cruise and post cruise. I've always wanted to try RCCL. Con: No Glacier Bay in itinerary since they aren't permitted.

 

I'm sure the lines are more comparable than different. Both ships seem to review about the same. If you were in my shoes, would take advantage of the extra time to see AK by land a bit more or see Glacier Bay National Park?

 

Inquring Mind would like to know: Would it be worth booking any type of suite on these sailings? Are you out of your room either in port, on deck or in common areas to view the surroundings to even take advantage of suite perks (larger balcony, concierge service on RCCL, etc)? I feel mini-suite is necessary on Island Princess b/c of shower size (or lack thereof). Grand Suite worth it for AK sailing?

[boulders]

I haven't sailed on Princess or to Alaska yet, but I have sailed on Radiance and we have a cruise booked to Alaska on her this summer. Radiance is a beautiful ship with plenty of glass. When I sailed on her to the Caribbean, I thought about how great it would be to sail her to Alaska. You have great views from most of the public areas.

 

I had received a really great deal from Princess for Alaska, but I decided against it. Princess has a more liberal smoking policy than RCCL and I'd rather not be around smoke. We sailed on Carnival - sister line to Princess - over spring break and I and my 13 year old didn't enjoy it nearly as much as RCCL. We much preferred the activities on RCCL. The passengers on Carnival were also much older than on RCCL.

 

Another issue with Princess is that most of the balconies of their minisuites are uncovered. It rains a lot in Alaska.

 

Radiance has an additional port at Icy Strait Point. We are taking a bear watching cruise at this port. The whale watching here is supposed to be great too. I liked the times in port with Radiance over Princess too.

 

I was able to get a good deal on my favorite cabin category on Radiance - the Family Oceanview. These don't have a balcony, but they are over 300 sq. ft. have a separate sleeping area for the kids and are usually available only to parties of 5 or more. There are a few available this summer for smaller parties. The price is less than a D1.

 

It took me a long time to make my decision. I had a hard time deciding between Princess and RCCL. Good luck with your decision.

[negc]

We did an Alaskan cruisetour with Princess ten years ago and were very happy with all aspects of both the land and sea portions. It was on the Dawn Princess so there was no covered pool so swimming was not an option during the week we were onboard (early June). Next year we will be doing a very similar cruisetour with RCI on Radiance of the Seas and are eager to compare the two experiences. Our Dawn Princess cruise in Alaska was our favorite of our three Princess cruises, but overall we prefer RCI in general and Radiance class ships in particular. We will also be sailing with several friends so the experience will be different than our first Alaska cruise. As to the question of allocating time, I think I would place a priority on spending more time exploring the interior of this great state rather than time in Glacier Bay, but that is really a personal decision that each person should make. Whichever you choose I am sure you won't regret a minute of your time in Alaska.:)

[jkfreeman33]

We have done 2 Princess Alaska cruises with the land package. I was more than happy with both. I was told by our cruise only travel agent that if you are doing the cruise ONLY, pick your favorite line. They all do pretty much the same ports.

If you are doing the land package, stick with Holland or Princess. Holland draws the older crowd, that's why we picked Princess.

Princess has their own hotels and they are wonderful. No shabby hotels here.

Enjoy Alaska - it really is a great place to visit.

[Wakkyj]

I just got back from Alaska on Serenade of the Seas, sister ship to Radiance, yesterday. I have to say that Serenade is a spectacular ship for Alaska because everywhere you go you can see out which is important because the scenery is amazing! We didn't go to Glacier Bay or Hubbard (a very enticing itinerary I agree) we actually ended up in Endicott Arm fjord and it was spectacular. Don't know if that helps or not...