Help us choose best shp PLEASE!!!

My husband and I will be celebrating our 20th anniversary in September, 2007. We want to be on an Alaskan cruise on September 6th.

We have cruised previously on Celebrity, Carnical, RCL and Silverseas.

The ships that I am looking at are:

NCL Pearl

HAL Noordam

Celebrity Infinity

Any other suggestions are welcome. Another question:

Is it better to be on a higher deck as far as looking at the sights while cruising Alaska or on a lower deck to be closer to the "action" of the scenery??

I have heard that certain ports are "boring" namely Prince Rupert - any thoughts on this?

We (of course) are looking for the most elegant - may book a suite - at the best price. We are in our 40's.

Thanks in advance to all you Alaska oficianados...

All other things being equal, I would choose a ship that leaves from Vancouver rather than Seattle, so that knocks out the Pearl and the Noordam. For itinerary alone on a roundtrip cruise, I would pick HAL's Zaandam (Wednesday departures): http://hollandamerica.com/dest/itinerary.do?selectedItin=20070905:X729:AZA007&dest=A or the Zuiderdam (Sat. departures): http://hollandamerica.com/dest/itinerary.do?selectedItin=20070901:U742:AZU007&dest=A Both go to Tracy Arm Fjord as well as Glacier Bay.

*Just checked the Noordam's itinerary for its Sept. 2, 2007 cruise. While I think leaving from Seattle is a drawback, this cruise goes to Glacier Bay, Sitka, and Victoria, as well as Juneau and Ketchikan (no Skagway): http://hollandamerica.com/dest/itinerary.do?selectedItin=20070902:N736:ANO007&dest=A I wouldn't mind doing this itinerary for a 2nd Alaskan cruise, because I want to see Glacier Bay and go to Sitka!

Thanks for going to so much trouble to look into this. It is the Sept 2 cruise that we would probably be interested in. However, it looks like to me that you don't get of the ship on day 1, day 2 or day 4 - is this also a drawback??

Why don't you lioke Seattle - or should I say - prefer Vancouver???

More suggestions please.

Thanks for going to so much trouble to look into this. It is the Sept 2 cruise that we would probably be interested in. However, it looks like to me that you don't get of the ship on day 1, day 2 or day 4 - is this also a drawback??

 

Why don't you lioke Seattle - or should I say - prefer Vancouver???

 

 

More suggestions please.

On cruises out of Seattle or Vancouver, the first day is almost always a sea day. On a roundtrip cruise, the last day is also usually a sea day - except for the few hours the ship stops in Victoria or Prince Rupert Island (on Seattle cruises). There are no large ship cruises to Alaska that I'm aware of that go to a different port town every day. Glacier days are also sea days, but you could spend hours on deck looking at them!

My first Alaska cruise is June 2007, so what I'm telling you is what I've read here and in books about Alaska cruises: when you cruise out of Vancouver, you usually sail between Vancouver Island and the mainland in more protected water. When you leave from Seattle, you sail west of Vancouver Island in open ocean - so you could have more rough water. Cruises that leave from Seattle have to make a foreign stop - thus you get either Prince Rupert Island or Victoria as a port.

I second what NancyIL said. I just took my first cruise last month, southbound from Whittier to Vancouver. If you are not planning a land tour before/after the cruise, then a round trip itineary is fine. It really depends on which ports you might want to visit. Personally, I think that Glacier Bay was a highlight of the cruise. We spent from about 9am-5pm there one day and saw calving, beautiful scenery, etc. If you don't get to Glacier Bay (only certain cruise lines get permits to travel there), you usually go to another glacier.

Alaska is as much about the scenery as it is about the ports themselves.

Regarding where on the ship to book a stateroom, generally higher and mid ship costs more than lower and front or back. If someone easily gets seasick, they say lower levels and mid ship are best. We didn't have a problem with that and we were toward the back, port side, midway from top to bottom of the ship.

We didn't spend all that much time in our rooms, even having a balcony. We were usually out on the promenade deck in the front, where we could easily move to either side of the ship depending on the scenery/wildlife, etc.

Great answers folks - but I still need to decide on which ship (amenities, etc.) would be better for a 20th anniversary trip??

1. HAL ?

2. NCL ?

3. Celebrity ?

I agree with NancyIL re: Noordam. First of all, it was a new ship this year and the culinary arts center sounds pretty neat. Plus, I second the itinerary. I love Sitka, it is my favorite port and if you end up with Sitka as one of your ports, I would be very happy to recommend a fabulous whale watch captain (he only takes 6 passengers max and knows Sitka sound very well - excellent trip!!!)

Or, if you go out of Vancouver, the Zuiderdam or Zandam both have Tracey Arm and Glacier Bay, so those would be wonderful for glacier viewing. Also, Holland America has that nice touch of hor's d'ovoures (sp) in the lounges before dinner.

However, my posh recommendation would be Seven Seas Mariner. And I mean POSH. Only 700 passengers with over 400 crew (great ratio) and there are 4 restaurants with no surcharge. And the itinerary is fabulous!!!

Wed Sep 5 Vancouver, Canada 5:00pm

Thu Sep 6 At Sea

Fri Sep 7 Ketchikan, AK 7:00am 5:00pm

Sat Sep 8 Tracy Arm (Cruising) 7:00am 10:00am

Sat Sep 8 Juneau, AK 1:00pm 11:00pm

Sun Sep 9 Skagway, AK 7:00am 5:00pm

Mon Sep 10 Sitka, AK 8:00am 4:00pm

Tue Sep 11 Hubbard Glacier, AK (Cruising) 7:00am 11:00am

Wed Sep 12 Anchorage (Seward), AK Disembark

Of course, you have to fly back from Anchorage, this is my top choice for an itinerary. Hits all my favorites: Hubbard, Sitka, Tracy Arm. WOW

I agree with NancyIL re: Noordam. First of all, it was a new ship this year and the culinary arts center sounds pretty neat. Plus, I second the itinerary. I love Sitka, it is my favorite port and if you end up with Sitka as one of your ports, I would be very happy to recommend a fabulous whale watch captain (he only takes 6 passengers max and knows Sitka sound very well - excellent trip!!!)

 

Or, if you go out of Vancouver, the Zuiderdam or Zandam both have Tracey Arm and Glacier Bay, so those would be wonderful for glacier viewing. Also, Holland America has that nice touch of hor's d'ovoures (sp) in the lounges before dinner.

 

However, my posh recommendation would be Seven Seas Mariner:

Wed Sep 5 Vancouver, Canada 5:00pm

Thu Sep 6 At Sea

Fri Sep 7 Ketchikan, AK 7:00am 5:00pm

Sat Sep 8 Tracy Arm (Cruising) 7:00am 10:00am

Sat Sep 8 Juneau, AK 1:00pm 11:00pm

Sun Sep 9 Skagway, AK 7:00am 5:00pm

Mon Sep 10 Sitka, AK 8:00am 4:00pm

Tue Sep 11 Hubbard Glacier, AK (Cruising) 7:00am 11:00am

Wed Sep 12 Anchorage (Seward), AK Disembark

 

Of course, you have to fly back from Anchorage, this is my top choice for an itinerary. Hits all my favorites: Hubbard, Sitka, Tracy Arm. WOW

Mrs007 - if only the Pacific Princess went to Sitka!

Great answers folks - but I still need to decide on which ship (amenities, etc.) would be better for a 20th anniversary trip??

 

1. HAL ?

2. NCL ?

3. Celebrity ?

I think HAL and Celebrity would be a tie, and NCL would come in 3rd.

Infinity is a FANTASTIC ship with a great crew. I would sail her in a minute! I am taking her sister ship, the Millenium, next year for a two week Med cruise. I was VERY careful about what ship I chose for that one....

My pick would be NCL Pearl. It's true that you don't see much scenery the first full day of cruising but it's a good time to get acquainted with the ship and all that she offers!

If you're thinking of a suite, you'll have a butler to bring you any meals you wish, a concierge to help you with reservations and any other needs you have, you get VIP treatment on embarkation and also disembarkation, and you'll have a fabulous balcony for 24-hour viewing of Alaska's spectacular scenery. We enjoy NCL's "freestyle cruising" so we can eat when we want and not at a specified time each evening.

Check out the prices of the various lines and what you get. And also check out the time the ship actually spends in each port.

You'll have a great cruise no matter which one you select!:)

My choice would be CRYSTAL CRUISES ,we went to ALASKA with them and they did a wonderful job a lot better then the cruise lines you picked out.

We have sailed all of the major cruise lines and for the money CRYSTAL can't be beat.

JIM

My choice would be CRYSTAL CRUISES ,we went to ALASKA with them and they did a wonderful job a lot better then the cruise lines you picked out.

 

We have sailed all of the major cruise lines and for the money CRYSTAL can't be beat.

 

JIM

Crystal doesn't have Harmony any longer, so they no longer cruise to Alaska.

The best ship or port is all what you like. As for me I recommend that people look at price and compare it to what ports they prefer. If you love trains..see Skagway...if Russian culture is an interest...Sitka is great. Juneau and Ketchikan seem to be on any itinerary to Alaska.

I've done Alaska twice once from Vancouver and once from Seattle and I disagree with those who claim that Vancouver is much preferred. Seattle was much easier.

As far as cruiselines, I look at price first and for-most because I haven't found the line's to be that different. Of course I can only compare Carnival with Holland America which by the way are supposed to be radically different.

As far as room selection....the location makes little difference because I spend most of my time in public areas. I had a veranda in Alaska but enjoyed the public decks more because of the panoramic views and the companionship of my fellow guest. My advice is book a cheap room or go open assignment and utilize the public spaces. Spend the money saved at the gift shops or on a excursion....but that's just ME !

of these 3 ships--i would most definitely eliminate ncl-..We have done 40 cruises and i will never sail on NCL again.You might search for posting on ncl boards--there are many people who were disappointed..From your posting it seems you are accustomed to a certain class of ships--which NCL does not meet those standards

NCL Pearl--NO

HAL Noordam YES

Celebrity Infinity YES

Our friend who is particular about food and has high standaards--does celebrity only..We have sailed celebrity and AL and enjoyed both

Excellent responses!!!

We found a suite on HAL Noordam for almost the same price as a cabin+balcony on other ships - so I was thinking this would be a better "value". I know HAL is known for a much older crowd - are we talking octagenarians?

Of course, price is always a concern - but we want a really great cruise experience on a classy ship. And Norwegian Pearl will be brand new and that's always a plus.

We have cruised on Celebrity - both on Century and Millennium... My husband seems to be leaning toward Infinity, but I heard there were some mechanical problems disallowing certain ports... Does anyone know about this?

Thanks again for all these great replies.

Just want to put in my two cents on this. I have sailed on HAL, Celebrity, RCI, Carnival & NCL. The only one I probably won't sail again on is NCL. I'm getting ready to do our 2nd Alaska cruise and for Alaska I prefer HAL. I think HAL has the best viewing on their ships and viewing is most important to us for alaska! Also, HAL offers a renewal of vows package that might interest you for your 20th (congrats by the way)! Others might offer it too, but I know HAL does. Unless Celebrity & RCI get permits next year, they don't go to Glacier Bay. Whichever you chose, I'll bet you'll love Alaska!

Fran

We have cruised on Celebrity - both on Century and Millennium... My husband seems to be leaning toward Infinity, but I heard there were some mechanical problems disallowing certain ports... Does anyone know about this?

 

The Summit had mechanical problems with its repositioning cruise in May, missing several ports. Then the first 7-day cruise of the season was cancelled while the problem was being fixed. The same thing happaned last summer with the Summit cancelling one 7-day Alaska cruise. The Infinity is a sister ship to the Summit, and vulnerable to the same problems.

The Infinity will go to to Ketchikan, Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, and Icy Strait Point. I'm sure it's a lovely ship, but my personal preference would be for the itinerary on either the Zuiderdam (first choice) or the Noordam (second choice). Both go to Glacier Bay, and the Zuiderdam also goes to Tracy Arm Fjord.

Does HAL offer a lot of "active" excursions in Alaska? (Hikes, canoe or kayak trips, etc?) We are "outdoorsy" and enjoy more athletic excursions.

Also, I have heard and read that the staterooms on HAL are much more comfortable (with nicer bedding, basically). Can anyone confirm this?

JRoeT

HAL has a little classier ambience, and gets my vote. The teak wood promenade deck all the way around the ship, the wooden deck lounge chairs with a blanket, the little Phillip Morris type suits on the deck boys, the chimes that ring you to dinner. They may be little subtle differences, but it sure made it seem a more nostalgic sailing experience to me.

You will have a wonderful time in Alaska, no matter which line you select.:p

Does HAL offer a lot of "active" excursions in Alaska? (Hikes, canoe or kayak trips, etc?) We are "outdoorsy" and enjoy more athletic excursions.

 

 

 

JRoeT

I thought HAl had some great outdoor activities. For example I did a wonderful " guide's choice" hiking tour in Juneau last time.

Excellent responses!!!

 

I know HAL is known for a much older crowd - are we talking octagenarians?

 

.

No.. not all old people. I did the Oosterdam in July 04 and we had a nice mix of ages.

I liked it for a few reasons. It stopped in Vancouver not Seattle (and I always wanted to see Vancouver). I found a one way (I started in Seward and ended in Vancouver) which I thought would cover more ground. I liked the ports where it stopped (or thought I did when I booked but later found I didn't think Ketchikan added any value). After cruising, I found I really liked the alternative Icy Strait Point port, which I think might be a celebrity stop only. It had a workout room (I heard mixed reviews on whether or not Holland of America did). The food I thought was pretty good (I didn't think it was as good as other cruisers who had been on different cruise lines in the past did, but I liked it well enough). HOA supposedly had very good food. Entertainment was great (one night was Cirque du Soleil). The drinks were reasonably priced, only 1-2 dollars more per drink than they were at home. They had assigned seats, same seats, every night at dinner and had assigned seats varying at the downstairs breakfast. (I liked assigned seats because it was easier to meet people). Average age was probably about 60 and there were not many kids and not many party animal 20-somethings.

Now that I've cruised, I've learned a bit more about other cruiselines. Princess is supposed to be pretty chincy. Holland of America supposedly is for very old people (one Celebrity staff member was a former HOA member and she said she was never on a cruise where someone didn't die). Norwegian has way pricey drinks, free for all dinners every night at any of a variety of 6 restaurants on board (which if you don't like assigned seating, would be very good). I met some Norwegian people in Juneau, where we docked for I think like 10 hours who complained about only docking like 6 hours. I would research time spent in each port before deciding on a cruise line if possible. Those are my main thoughts for now.

Celebrity was pretty classy overall, if that is a concern. Also, they supposedly have the best service (according to the staff on the cruise!). They seemed to make a point of trying to provide good service and for the most part, they succeeded. We are in our early 40's and really liked the ambiance, although we are very comfortable around people in their 60's. I don't think the location on the ship matters at all for the scenery. We gravitated toward the top decks when it was warm enough to get a better view from the open areas, but otherwise the scenery was the same on all decks. I suppose higher was better when we cruised to Hubbard Glacier, but we were only there for a couple hours. There were some relatively active excursions (we also like outdoor activities), but not quite as strenuous as I would have liked, but I'm guessing you can't get more strenuous options on other ships but you should research.

If I could do it again, I would research the itineraries more. I found Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan to all be pretty similar and would have gladly traded one of those for something more glacier focused. Then again, I made the mistake of not going to Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau because I didn't realize it would take 1.5 hours at least (and maybe if I had, I wouldn't have come back feeling like I hadn't seen enough glaciers).

The other option is Cruise West. Boats are much smaller (like 300 people) and much more expensive. I never did figure out why people were willing to spend so much more money on it, but they did, so there must have been something good about it. CW argued that by having smaller boats, they could get much closer to the glacers and other nature things. It's just a much different option that you might want to research if you have enough money!

You guys have really helped me out here... I also posted a similar question on the Celebrity as well as NCL boards...

Interestingly, (even on the Celebrity board) I got most of the positive feeback about NCL...

We are leaning toward the NCL Pearl..... Any more comments will be appreciated.....

P.S. What is the "service charge" I hear about on NCL???? Same as tipping?

They charge you $10/pp/pd no matter what. I cannot be removed from you account like it can on other lines. It removes the incentive for the staff to give you the best service. There is no reward for it.