Please help me decide! Celebrity or Norwegian to Alaska

For weeks I have been trying to choose between two cruises to Alaska in September. They both come out about even price wise, so my deciding factors are ports and boats themselves (with more emphasis on ports). Anyone have thoughts on these? I'd really love some more input!

Here are the options:

1) Celebrity Solstice - 11 nights - 9/11 - 9/22

Seattle

Ketchikan

Tracy Arm

Skagway

Icy Strait

Inside Passage

Juneau

Victoria

Nanaimo

Vancouver

2) Norwegian Jewel - 10 nights - 9/19 - 9/29

Seattle

Inside Passage

Ketchikan

Juneau

Skagway

Glacier Bay

Icy Strait

Sitka

Victoria

Vancouver

The main differences are Tracy Arm vs. Glacier Bay and Nanaimo vs. Sitka.

Thanks so much for your help! I'll post this both in Alaska and main board.

Don't you see Tracy's Arm on NCL, you may not stop, but I thought you went by it. I would not give up Glacier Bay. I'm doing the Pearl in July Aft Mini-Suite. Go to you Tube and watch videos of the different cruises that is what I did.

For weeks I have been trying to choose between two cruises to Alaska in September. They both come out about even price wise, so my deciding factors are ports and boats themselves (with more emphasis on ports). Anyone have thoughts on these? I'd really love some more input!

 

Here are the options:

1) Celebrity Solstice - 11 nights - 9/11 - 9/22

Seattle

Ketchikan

Tracy Arm

Skagway

Icy Strait

Inside Passage

Juneau

Victoria

Nanaimo

Vancouver

 

2) Norwegian Jewel - 10 nights - 9/19 - 9/29

Seattle

Inside Passage

Ketchikan

Juneau

Skagway

Glacier Bay

Icy Strait

Sitka

Victoria

Vancouver

 

The main differences are Tracy Arm vs. Glacier Bay and Nanaimo vs. Sitka.

 

Thanks so much for your help! I'll post this both in Alaska and main board.

I copied this from another thread for you take a look, it seems everyone says Glacier Bay if you want to see Glaciers. Tracy's Arm sometimes you can't get close enough.

This question is so often asked that I did a web page on it.

You can see my reports and pics of all four experiences at

http://www.bully4.us/alaskaglaciers.html

Bottom line -- for your first cruise, Glacier Bay without a doubt!!

For other reasons we went with X. But to compensate we are taking a flight seeing trip over Glacier Bay out of Skagway so at least we will be able to see Glacier Bay that way.

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For other reasons we went with X. But to compensate we are taking a flight seeing trip over Glacier Bay out of Skagway so at least we will be able to see Glacier Bay that way.

 

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I hope you get to see Glacier Bay. Our very first cruise was on HAL and went into Glacier Bay. Fog obscured everything. Very disappointing but unavoidable. OP, I am surprised that the cost was pretty much the same on both lines. We sail both and NCL has always been less expensive. Maybe this isn't the case with Alaska?

http://www.cruisecritic.com/cruiseto/cruiseitineraries.cfm?port=115

http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/area.cfm?area=1&src=nav

Cruise Critic has the ships listed with ratings. The above sites are for Alaska.

Good way to see only the Alaskan reviews.

We have done a few cruises to Alaska (I like cooler temps) on different cruise lines but not Celebrity. NCL was nice since you have no formal nights leaving more room for heavier clothes. You won't be disappointed on either.

I responded elsewhere, but will restate, you need to post the port times.

I am not an advocate of the narrow recommendations of Glacier Bay being a must. With Tracy Arm, I do highly recommend and find the ship add on tour grossly superior to the cruise ship sailing. But this area is spectacular with close up scenic sailing. I am amused at some of the posters who claim Glacier Bay is the only choice, when they haven't sailed all the routes, glaciers or haven't even been there.

I noted the weather and daylight issues with the worsening the later you go, so perhaps an issue, also it being dark by 7pm and lost minutes each day, greatly impacting scenic sailing.

A cruise selection, is best made looking at several factors, including port times.

NCL for the itinerary

Celebrity for the cruise line

depends why you sail for me.

NCL for the itinerary

Celebrity for the cruise line

Good Post! Totally Agree! :)

LuLu

I'd check the port times for each stop, and how long you'll be at each stop. A longer stop is always better. I've sometimes found port times to be awfully early (people wake up that early?!) and it gets dark early that time of year, as Budget Queen mentioned. It's also useful to know what other ships will be in port with you, so you can get a handle on how crowded things are likely to be in town. My personal dealbreaker is a long daytime stop in Victoria. It's a no go if the itinerary doesn't have that.

Thank you all for your thoughts! They are very much appreciated. There are pros/cons to both -- sometimes I think "Norwegian, absolutely," but then I go back to, "Oh no but what a great deal on Celebrity..." The time of the month is definitely something to consider with weather and daylight hours dwindling -- but I do what to see Sitka and I'm not even sure what Nanaimo has to offer...I'll have to check into that.

Thank you again for all your advice!

I would never pass up an opportunity to see Glacier Bay. The experience is like no other!