The cruise that happened to take place in Alaska

This review is part NCL, part Pearl and part Alaska. Let me start by saying we all had a nice time and the scenery was beautiful. Our group consisted of myself DD (46), DGM (86), DD (9), DD (7) and DD (6).

The reason for my funky title is to ensure all who cruise in Alaska set proper expectations. I would imagine these specific thoughts would apply to any cruise line, not just NCL. By "a cruise that happened to take place in Alaska" means the majority of your time will be on the ship and you will be surrounded by standard cruising shtick. Before this trip I had no idea that there would be a Diamond's International in Ketchikan or that "all" the ships come to Alaska during the summer and that's where the "best" shopping deals are found. At least that what our Shopping Expert said...yes, I laughed. Before this cruise, I thought it would be a more immersive experience into Alaska. For example, I was very excited to go to Glacier Bay and we arrived "into" Glacier Bay at 6:00am. However, we didn't get to the glaciers until about 10:00am. If I remember correctly, the ship made approximately two 360 turns and we left. We spent the next few hours sailing down Glacier Bay and officially exited about 3:00pm. Our total time seeing glaciers was about 1-2 hours.

A second example was our excursion to the Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls. This excursion was scheduled to two hours. If you want to experience the glacier and falls close up (something I highly, highly recommend) you need to walk 2 miles round trip. If you walk at a good pace and spend about 15-20 minutes at the foot of the falls and glacier this takes about 1.5 hours. So, we didn't really have any time to see the Visitors Center. However, those 15-20 minutes at the foot of the falls and glacier were wonderful and something I will never forget.

This was our first cruise on NCL and I am not sure I am a fan of the free style life style. It's not bad, it's just not us. This is somewhat funny to say, but there were too many food options. It seemed every time we turned a corner there was another cuisine waiting for us. Also, we like getting dressed up one or two nights. When you are on a ship where 95% of the people do not, it sort of loses its meaning. Again, not a bad thing, just a preference.

This was also our first concierge/suite room and that was totally cool! The expedited embarkation/disembarkation and being able to eat breakfast and lunch in Cagney's made it worth it. We enjoyed the butler, but really didn't know what to do with him. So, he basically brought us fruit and sandwiches each afternoon. He was very nice and introduced himself on Day 1 showing us all the inner workings of the suite. The coffee machine was a lovely too! We used the concierge mostly for changing our dinner reservations and she was very helpful.

A note about the Ultimate Dining Plan. Prior to the cruise we decided to purchase the UDP because I wanted to be able to eat where we wanted and not be tied down to being concerned about paying extra each time. However, and this is our fault, we realized that with the itinerary we had it would be highly unlikely we would be able to spend $119 over the course of the seven nights. You could, but you would have to eat in Cagney's or Teppanyaki every night. Also, if you do not eat onboard, you feel a bit guilty because you have laid down $119/person. Sooooo, I tried to cancel it on Day 2 and was told by the restaurant reservation staff that there was no way they could do it because it was tied electronic to some computer system and...blah...blah...blah. Again, I may have missed the non-cancellation part of the UDP sign-up, but decided to try a higher power. I found a comment card and pleaded my case. I am happy to report that later that evening the restaurant manager called and told me they were refunding the UDP. I was ecstatic. Ironically, we did wind up eating four of the seven nights in an up-charge restaurant and paid per night. Cagney's was twice - very much worth it. Ohhh...the Oreo Cheesecake!

The Pearl is a very nice ship and quite clean and well kept. As I mentioned, it does take some effort finding things, but you can do it. One of the challenges that we had related to Topsiders, the buffet. The inside area of the buffet is quite smaller that what I have seen on other ships/cruise lines. The Pearl has a substantial portion of the buffet seating area outside. As you can imagine, in the Bahamas this is not a big deal. However, in brisk coolness of Alaska, it was very, very, very crowded as no one ate outside. The MDR, Summer Palace, is one large room too. This made dinner a bit loud and boisterous. The MDR, room service and buffet food were decent, but not special. La Cucina, Teppanyaki and Cagney's were all awesome! Also because of the Alaskan weather, the pool was not really used and the kid's club was packed.

The Pearl had the best theater shows I have seen outside of the Disney ships. The Frankie Valli and Four Seasons knockoffs were awesome, as was the comedian, magician and dancers. The Broadways tribute was very good.

Well, that's about all I have and I hope it helped provide some perspective. The cruise was fun, enjoyable and the scenery was beautiful. However, I (sans kids) do want to go back someday and get more immersed into the culture and wildlife.

This review is part NCL, part Pearl and part Alaska. Let me start by saying we all had a nice time and the scenery was beautiful. Our group consisted of myself DD (46), DGM (86), DD (9), DD (7) and DD (6).

 

The reason for my funky title is to ensure all who cruise in Alaska set proper expectations. I would imagine these specific thoughts would apply to any cruise line, not just NCL. By "a cruise that happened to take place in Alaska" means the majority of your time will be on the ship and you will be surrounded by standard cruising shtick. Before this trip I had no idea that there would be a Diamond's International in Ketchikan or that "all" the ships come to Alaska during the summer and that's where the "best" shopping deals are found. At least that what our Shopping Expert said...yes, I laughed. Before this cruise, I thought it would be a more immersive experience into Alaska. For example, I was very excited to go to Glacier Bay and we arrived "into" Glacier Bay at 6:00am. However, we didn't get to the glaciers until about 10:00am. If I remember correctly, the ship made approximately two 360 turns and we left. We spent the next few hours sailing down Glacier Bay and officially exited about 3:00pm. Our total time seeing glaciers was about 1-2 hours.

 

A second example was our excursion to the Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls. This excursion was scheduled to two hours. If you want to experience the glacier and falls close up (something I highly, highly recommend) you need to walk 2 miles round trip. If you walk at a good pace and spend about 15-20 minutes at the foot of the falls and glacier this takes about 1.5 hours. So, we didn't really have any time to see the Visitors Center. However, those 15-20 minutes at the foot of the falls and glacier were wonderful and something I will never forget.

 

This was our first cruise on NCL and I am not sure I am a fan of the free style life style. It's not bad, it's just not us. This is somewhat funny to say, but there were too many food options. It seemed every time we turned a corner there was another cuisine waiting for us. Also, we like getting dressed up one or two nights. When you are on a ship where 95% of the people do not, it sort of loses its meaning. Again, not a bad thing, just a preference.

 

This was also our first concierge/suite room and that was totally cool! The expedited embarkation/disembarkation and being able to eat breakfast and lunch in Cagney's made it worth it. We enjoyed the butler, but really didn't know what to do with him. So, he basically brought us fruit and sandwiches each afternoon. He was very nice and introduced himself on Day 1 showing us all the inner workings of the suite. The coffee machine was a lovely too! We used the concierge mostly for changing our dinner reservations and she was very helpful.

 

A note about the Ultimate Dining Plan. Prior to the cruise we decided to purchase the UDP because I wanted to be able to eat where we wanted and not be tied down to being concerned about paying extra each time. However, and this is our fault, we realized that with the itinerary we had it would be highly unlikely we would be able to spend $119 over the course of the seven nights. You could, but you would have to eat in Cagney's or Teppanyaki every night. Also, if you do not eat onboard, you feel a bit guilty because you have laid down $119/person. Sooooo, I tried to cancel it on Day 2 and was told by the restaurant reservation staff that there was no way they could do it because it was tied electronic to some computer system and...blah...blah...blah. Again, I may have missed the non-cancellation part of the UDP sign-up, but decided to try a higher power. I found a comment card and pleaded my case. I am happy to report that later that evening the restaurant manager called and told me they were refunding the UDP. I was ecstatic. Ironically, we did wind up eating four of the seven nights in an up-charge restaurant and paid per night. Cagney's was twice - very much worth it. Ohhh...the Oreo Cheesecake!

 

The Pearl is a very nice ship and quite clean and well kept. As I mentioned, it does take some effort finding things, but you can do it. One of the challenges that we had related to Topsiders, the buffet. The inside area of the buffet is quite smaller that what I have seen on other ships/cruise lines. The Pearl has a substantial portion of the buffet seating area outside. As you can imagine, in the Bahamas this is not a big deal. However, in brisk coolness of Alaska, it was very, very, very crowded as no one ate outside. The MDR, Summer Palace, is one large room too. This made dinner a bit loud and boisterous. The MDR, room service and buffet food were decent, but not special. La Cucina, Teppanyaki and Cagney's were all awesome! Also because of the Alaskan weather, the pool was not really used and the kid's club was packed.

 

The Pearl had the best theater shows I have seen outside of the Disney ships. The Frankie Valli and Four Seasons knockoffs were awesome, as was the comedian, magician and dancers. The Broadways tribute was very good.

 

Well, that's about all I have and I hope it helped provide some perspective. The cruise was fun, enjoyable and the scenery was beautiful. However, I (sans kids) do want to go back someday and get more immersed into the culture and wildlife.

I have been to Alaska 2 times once on a 3 week land excursion and one on a one week cruise and one week post cruise to the interior.

I think that a cruise is great, but you really need to take an extra week and get into the "real" alaska. While the inside passage is beautiful, you really need to explore places like Danali, Kenai and interior Alaska to get a greater appreciation.

I liked this review, which addressed many of my concerns about sailing to Alaska, and some I hadn't realized.

 

I think that a cruise is great, but you really need to take an extra week and get into the "real" alaska. While the inside passage is beautiful, you really need to explore places like Danali, Kenai and interior Alaska to get a greater appreciation.

I totally agree. The ten days we spent driving around the interior of Alaska pre-cruise were far and away the best and most interesting part of the trip.

I liked this review, which addressed many of my concerns about sailing to Alaska, and some I hadn't realized.

Thank you!

I have been to Alaska 2 times once on a 3 week land excursion and one on a one week cruise and one week post cruise to the interior.

 

I think that a cruise is great, but you really need to take an extra week and get into the "real" alaska. While the inside passage is beautiful, you really need to explore places like Danali, Kenai and interior Alaska to get a greater appreciation.

If you know any good land based itineraries, please suggest them. I might try it again myself next June. Thanks!!

Great review. I'd love to do an Alaska cruise, but my husband isn't interested. My parents have been there many times as land trips. When I ask why they don't do a cruise, they say, "Because we want to see Alaska."

Sounds like you came out way ahead by canceling the UDP and paying as you go in the specialties. I'm glad they allowed that.

.....Alaska was my first cruise. And I'm kind of sorry I went. Think of all the money I could have saved on 17 cruises. ;)

I wanted to pack in as much as we could because I never thought I would go back again so we did 2 excursions a day.

WRONG!

Going back June 2015. Now I have 271 days for research. Thinking about that I better get started now.

wasiii

If you know any good land based itineraries, please suggest them. I might try it again myself next June. Thanks!!

The first time I was there with no cruise I spent a few days on the Kenai Peninsula, then went to Anchorage for 2 days, Drove up to Danali Park (with many stops on the way) Spent 4 or 5 days in Danali hiking and whitewater rafting and horseback riding, etc. Then on to Fairbanks where I stayed 2 days. I really only went here because I wanted to do a day trip above the arctic circle.

After that I headed towards Skagway through the Yukon territories of Canada (it was a long time ago so I think this took about 3 days as I made stops. I wound up in Skagway.

In Skagway I took the Alaskan ferry system through the inside passage (sleeping in a sleeping bag on deck) making a few stops (basically the same stops the cruise ship makes but staying shorter) and ended up in Prince Rupert BC. In BC I took another BC ferry to Port Hardy, Victoria Island where I took another Ferry over to Vancouver.

This was a very no frills trip, i went for the nature and the scenery. I think my ferry cruise on the inside passage cost something like 100 dollars.

The second time we did a RCCL one way cruise from Vancouver to Seward and then spent a day or 2 in Anchorage. Did the train up to Danali and spent 5 days there in a hotel. A much different trip then the first time but I was older with family this time. So it was just as good but in a different way.

The first time I was there with no cruise I spent a few days on the Kenai Peninsula, then went to Anchorage for 2 days, Drove up to Danali Park (with many stops on the way) Spent 4 or 5 days in Danali hiking and whitewater rafting and horseback riding, etc. Then on to Fairbanks where I stayed 2 days. I really only went here because I wanted to do a day trip above the arctic circle.

 

After that I headed towards Skagway through the Yukon territories of Canada (it was a long time ago so I think this took about 3 days as I made stops. I wound up in Skagway.

 

In Skagway I took the Alaskan ferry system through the inside passage (sleeping in a sleeping bag on deck) making a few stops (basically the same stops the cruise ship makes but staying shorter) and ended up in Prince Rupert BC. In BC I took another BC ferry to Port Hardy, Victoria Island where I took another Ferry over to Vancouver.

 

This was a very no frills trip, i went for the nature and the scenery. I think my ferry cruise on the inside passage cost something like 100 dollars.

 

The second time we did a RCCL one way cruise from Vancouver to Seward and then spent a day or 2 in Anchorage. Did the train up to Danali and spent 5 days there in a hotel. A much different trip then the first time but I was older with family this time. So it was just as good but in a different way.

This is great! Thank you soo much!

Glad you had a good time - Alaska is really beautiful.

Your review is a good example of "different strokes for different folks." You weren't sure if you liked freestyle and you like the dress up nights. We love freestyle and we prefer not to have to get dressed up, although we're not slobs either. I'm glad there are options, so we can all find our slice of happiness! :D

Thanks for the review and honest opinions.

Thanks for your review.

You will find my review of the NCL Sun, which we took from Vancouver to Anchorage in August. I also mentioned that the buffet was extremely crowded.

I should mention that your best bet in Alaskan ports (in my opinion, at least), is to rent a car and drive around the area yourself. Don't hang out with the tourists shopping in town, and don't do restrictive ship-booked excursions.

In Ketchikan, we took a $2 city bus to Totem Bight State Park, and the highlight there were the tidepools with thousands of mussels and other sea life. I'm from LA, so I didn't think tidepools would impress me, but this was much more dense than anything you see in California. (And it was unexpected.)

In Juneau, I drove to Mendenhall, did the 2 mile walk (agree it was beautiful at the falls/viewpoint), and then drove far up the Glacier Highway north. Here I felt I was really seeing Alaska, and there were virtually no other tourists anywhere.

In Skagway, I drove north to the Yukon, like many do. Made the usual stops, but also found the off-the-beaten-path Lewis Lake, which was beautiful and again totally empty. We had it to ourselves.

I agree that Glacier Bay provided less time in the glaciers than I expected. However, our itinerary also had Hubbard Glacier (which ends even quicker), and we also saw glaciers in Anchorage. So I felt like I had seen enough by the time I left Alaska.

The good thing about an Alaska cruise is that many Alaskan towns are inaccessible by car (Juneau is one), so this gives you easy access to them.

I went to Denali in 1995. I plan to come back someday, but we didn't have time on this trip, as it's 300 miles each way from Anchorage. I also might fly into Fairbanks this winter to see the northern lights (something I've never seen before).

FWIW, I like the freestyle cruise format, especially when having to fly into the cruise port, because it cuts down on how much luggage you have to bring.

Also, I don't understand your comments about the UDP.

The specialty restaurants are open until 10pm or later every night. How could you not have time for them?

Furthermore, Le Bistro and Moderno are both $20, and Cagneys is $30.

We went to Cagneys twice, Le Bistro 3 times, Moderno once, and La Cucina ($15) once. That would have come to $155, so we EASILY got value out of the UDP. In addition, we ordered several "upcharge" entrees and extra entrees at Cagneys, which also normally carry an upcharge, but are included on the UDP.

Getting the UDP makes sense if you plan upon eating at specialties every night, as the only way you fall short is if you stick to the $15 restaurants every night, which is unlikely.

Thanks for your review.

 

You will find my review of the NCL Sun, which we took from Vancouver to Anchorage in August. I also mentioned that the buffet was extremely crowded.

 

I should mention that your best bet in Alaskan ports (in my opinion, at least), is to rent a car and drive around the area yourself. Don't hang out with the tourists shopping in town, and don't do restrictive ship-booked excursions.

 

In Ketchikan, we took a $2 city bus to Totem Bight State Park, and the highlight there were the tidepools with thousands of mussels and other sea life. I'm from LA, so I didn't think tidepools would impress me, but this was much more dense than anything you see in California. (And it was unexpected.)

 

In Juneau, I drove to Mendenhall, did the 2 mile walk (agree it was beautiful at the falls/viewpoint), and then drove far up the Glacier Highway north. Here I felt I was really seeing Alaska, and there were virtually no other tourists anywhere.

 

In Skagway, I drove north to the Yukon, like many do. Made the usual stops, but also found the off-the-beaten-path Lewis Lake, which was beautiful and again totally empty. We had it to ourselves.

 

I agree that Glacier Bay provided less time in the glaciers than I expected. However, our itinerary also had Hubbard Glacier (which ends even quicker), and we also saw glaciers in Anchorage. So I felt like I had seen enough by the time I left Alaska.

 

The good thing about an Alaska cruise is that many Alaskan towns are inaccessible by car (Juneau is one), so this gives you easy access to them.

 

I went to Denali in 1995. I plan to come back someday, but we didn't have time on this trip, as it's 300 miles each way from Anchorage. I also might fly into Fairbanks this winter to see the northern lights (something I've never seen before).

 

FWIW, I like the freestyle cruise format, especially when having to fly into the cruise port, because it cuts down on how much luggage you have to bring.

Thanks for these tips and you are again inspiring me to go back! :-)

Also, I don't understand your comments about the UDP.

 

The specialty restaurants are open until 10pm or later every night. How could you not have time for them?

 

Furthermore, Le Bistro and Moderno are both $20, and Cagneys is $30.

 

We went to Cagneys twice, Le Bistro 3 times, Moderno once, and La Cucina ($15) once. That would have come to $155, so we EASILY got value out of the UDP. In addition, we ordered several "upcharge" entrees and extra entrees at Cagneys, which also normally carry an upcharge, but are included on the UDP.

 

Getting the UDP makes sense if you plan upon eating at specialties every night, as the only way you fall short is if you stick to the $15 restaurants every night, which is unlikely.

This one is a bit more specific to us. Since we paid the $119, I felt obligated to each on the ship. Tracy's Crab shack couldn't happen nor dining in beautiful Victoria, BC. Also, we had three kids aged 6-9 and dining at 9:00pm wasn't an option. I agree that if you want to eat on the ship every night the $119 is a deal. Cheers!

I have a special birthday in 2016 that I hope to do something fun even if it is not my birthday month. The DH nixed South America but I am hoping he will go with the longer Alaska cruise and land vacation. In the meanwhile I enjoy reading about my favorite ship the Pearl as I get closer to 2016. It was our favorite vacation!

A very fair review - and your title is totally understandable to many of us. I also like that you realized that your expectations and personal likes and dislikes made the cruise what it was. Too many people will take their over the top expectations and then turn them into a diatribe against the cruiseline or their destination.

We are in the camp that cruising Alaska is just OK - we prefer a different type of cruise experience. One of the things that made our cruise more special was purchasing a discount book and taking advantage of some excellent excursions - ex: we took the helicopter tour to Mendenhall glacier and actually landed on and explored the glacier. We took a float plane into the Misty Fjords, we also took a private tour on the train in Skagway and went up into Canada and the Klondike trail - so we saw more of the Alaskan coast than just the "tourist cities" that mostly shut down after the cruise ships leave. Like any cruising experience, if you only stay in port, you are going to miss most of what makes traveling great.

We will be on Celebrity in April and it will be a lot different from our NCL freestyle cruising - which we love. As we have previously sailed "traditional" I will adjust my expectations accordingly and expect to have a fantastic time (formal nights??? Blah, but I will be dressed:)).

Again, thank you for your well expressed review.

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

My wife and I have always considered taking the kids on an Alaska cruise when they are "old enough to appreciate it" (probably when they are teenagers.) I wondering now if we should just take the same money that we would have spent on a cruise and use it on a land based vacation out of Anchorage instead. They would definitely get to see the "real" Alaska that way.

For those of you that have taken children/teens on an Alaskan cruise, did you consider it to be worthwhile for them?

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

 

My wife and I have always considered taking the kids on an Alaska cruise when they are "old enough to appreciate it" (probably when they are teenagers.) I wondering now if we should just take the same money that we would have spent on a cruise and use it on a land based vacation out of Anchorage instead. They would definitely get to see the "real" Alaska that way.

 

For those of you that have taken children/teens on an Alaskan cruise, did you consider it to be worthwhile for them?

Thanks and that's a very individualized call to make. The combination of our DGM (86) and the three younger girls did limit what we could do. However, my girls did have a good time and very much enjoyed playing with the Iditarod puppies. The cruise option is good because you do get to see several ports/places vs spending more time in one or two. It's a tough call and just comes down to what you want to do. Good luck!!