Has anyone used Norwegian or Royal Caribbean into Alaska

our friends are wanting to go On NCl but I am not finding good reviews for Alaska .. Can anyone just tell us what you would do if you did it again and why... thank you.:cool:

You might research your question and post on the NCL board and the RCCL board.

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I did but it was so negative. But also old

We have cruised to Alaska twice on NCL & have loved both our cruises. We sailed on the Pearl & the Sun. The Sun was northbound from Vancouver to Seward & the Pearl was round trip Seattle. We were very concerned about the poor reviews of the Sun on Cruise Critic but they were totally off base. We loved the smaller ship & it was in great shape contrary to the reviews we had read on CC. As with food, all thing as are very subjective. There will always be people who are not satisfied. I would not hesitate to cruise with NCL. The itineraries are great & the relaxed atmosphere is perfect for Alaska. Their one way itineraries I think are better than the one ways. We have talked to people on the NCL ships who have also sailed on RCL & they have all told us that NCL was just as good or better than RCL.

An added plus is that with NCL you have a personal cruise consultant that can help you with all questions & can notify you if prices go down & about perks or special promotions. With RCL we have been told to just call the 800 number to speak to any rep. I much rather speak to the same person & develop some sort of relationship with someone who can help me.

NCL also has one main dining room open all days of the cruise for breakfast & lunch plus one MDR room is open for lunch upon embarkation so you don't have to eat with the crowds at the buffet. RCL ship to Alaska has a MDR open for lunch only on sea days & on MDR open during embarking.

NCL does Glacier Bay & Hubbard Glacier itineraries while RCL does only Hubbard.

Thanks. Were there a lot if children..we are also looking to fo the Denali before the cruise

I did RCCL and was not impressed compared to Princess. Princess goes above and beyond to do Alaska programming onboard. RCCL did very little.

I would focus on itinerary. RCCL does not go to Glacier Bay (nor does Celebrity). I would look at itinerary and look at ships based on that. Also research glacier days on a cruise. For example - Tracy Arm and Hubbard are frequently missed due to weather and glacier conditions. Glacier Bay never seems to be missed. I wished I had done more research on my first cruise to Alaska as it was a let down. The next several ones were amazing!

Last year during first week of June there were not many kids. We drove to Denali after our cruise ended in Seward. We stayed at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood then drove to Denali. Not a bad drive & we stopped in Talkeetna. We were originally going to do the cruise tour but decided to rent a car & glad we did. That allowed us to stop when we wanted & not be on a time schedule.

We did the 10 day last year on NCL Pearl. Sailed from Vancouver and ended in Seattle. One of the best cruises of our lives. We had an AFT suite and the views were incredible. Food was very good and service outstanding. Pearl is our favorite ship....we have sailed on her 7 times, always in the same suite (10166) and another sailing in the Haven. Glacier Bay is breathtaking....

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Totally agree, the Pearl is one of our favorite ships but its itinerary is mostly round trip Seattle. This Sun northbound from Vancouver does Glacier Bay & Hubbard Glacier. That is a fabulous itinerary plus you can travel from Seward to Denali or just explore Kenai peninsula. This is why I think NCL is a great choice for Alaska. Great ships & great itineraries!!!

We just had a great Alaska cruise on the NCL Sun last September. NCL goes to Glacier Bay, which you don't want to miss.

We had a family reunion on NCL Jewel, Inside Passage out of Seattle. Beautiful ship. We had one in our party that was sure they would get sea sick, glad we chose the inside passage as the water was like glass, no motion at all. Food great as with all of the other NCL ships we have been on. Freestyle cruising is more casual and that is why we keep returning to NCL.

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We used NCL for Alaska in 2010 and it couldn't have been more perfect. We are using them again for Alaska July 1 of this year! We have only had great experiences with NCL, our Personal Cruise Consultant is amazing!:D

We just did a 9 night Northbound cruise with Royal Caribbean on Radiance of the seas and loved it. I did a 7 day Southbound itinerary with Princess 10 years ago and enjoyed it as well. I have done a Western Caribbean 7 day with Norwegian and found them to be comparable to Royal Caribbean. As many have said on these Boards, Alaska is much more about the itinerary than the specific cruise line or ship. Research the Ports you want to visit, then find a ship that goes to those Ports and spends the most time in those Ports. You will be much happier with a great itinerary on an "average" ship than a lousy itinerary on a "great" ship.

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I've done an Alaskan cruise on the Radiance of the Seas. In over 50 cruises, it was my hands down favorite. The ship is built for Alaska - literally. The amount of glass is amazing - even the main elevators are glass so you can see the beauty even when moving about the ship.

I will agree that RCCL does not have a robust onboard naturalist program. And, unfortunately due to some stupid decisions made by the company years ago, they are not allowed in Glacier Bay. Still, it was the perfect cruise.

We are cruising HAL this time because of Glacier Bay and Sitka. Unlike one of the other posters, I have not had good experiences with Princess and would not cruise them again. I haven't been on NCL in ages so can't comment on them.

No matter what you choose, you'll have a wonderful experience. Enjoy your voyage!

We won't do Royal Caribbean in Alaska again. Was on Radiance and will do that ship elsewhere but not in Alaska. RCCL can't go to Glacier Bay and their programs about Alaska are minimal -- at best. Holland America and Princess are the lines that I have had the best luck with in Alaska. Have not done NCL and probably won't. From what my friends tell me -- NCL is great in a Suite but not as great when not in a Suite. Look at itinerary and times very carefully when picking a ship in Alaska. Ships that get into Juneau at 2:30 in the afternoon are not the best itineraries. I now only pick ships with 2 glacier days.