Aquahound

Regarding Seattle freeze, I agree that it is a very real phenomenon.  I have lived all over this country and have now lived in the Seattle area for 5 years.  The social atmosphere here is unlike anything I have ever experienced in any other part of the country.  

Simple niceties like saying excuse me and thank you, or even looking eye-to-eye at strangers and giving a gentle head nod or saying hi are faaaaar less common here than in other places.  I know that happens everywhere, but I have never seen it on this scale.  People from here are aware of the freeze but don't really understand its impact as much as people who have moved here and know how it is elsewhere.  Occasionally, I'll meet a born-and-bread local who blames the freeze on the Californian flight to WA.  Perhaps that's it, but who knows?

That said, Alaskan cruises departing out of Seattle attract people from all over, so I don't think the freeze really impacts the cruises.....at least not from what I've seen on my several cruises out of Seattle.

The mainstream cruise lines all seem to be following a trend of larger ships and more passengers.  While a lot of amenities and great entertainment are getting added to these spectacular ships, the basic 101 services like housekeeping, waitstaff, and food quality seem to be taking a big hit.  Everything is feeling rushed, and cuts are noticed everywhere.  How do we find a balance before the scales get tipped too far away from the basic great service of yesteryear? 

10 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Isn’t it one of the basic cruise traditions - to come home with authentic “souvenirs” of places which were made thousands of miles away?

...and don't forget, buy those "souvenirs" in the manufactured port area that oddly is only open and populated when cruise ships are present and from a shop owner who lives in California during the winter.  

On 3/21/2024 at 9:56 PM, Ashland said:

Definitely RCI.

Ditto.  Definitely RCI.  

Good luck on your quest.  For brown bears, your itinerary isn't the greatest.  Black bears are aplenty in those areas but not so much brownies.  Maybe, in Juneau, see if there are any guides that take you to Admiralty Island which, last I heard, has the highest concentration in the world.  

Maybe Dyea Flats in Skagway?

I haven't sailed those ships, but I've sailed sister ships of all 3.  I would drop the NCL option for a couple reasons.  One, their docking location in Ketch is terrible.  Two, I really do not like that class of ships.  

The HAL option is nice but the active side of you may very well find you bored on the ship.  HAL's entertainment and activities have been dwindled down to very little.  If ship entertainment is of zero concern, this would actually be my recommendation.  Their ships are really nice and great for scenic cruising.  

If you enjoy a good evening show or a gameshow that makes you laugh, pick Sapphire.  However, with this option, you'll sacrifice a little bit of room comfort.  No couches or seating other than vanity chair in standard rooms. 

Active 50-somethings on a Caribbean cruise?  I recommend a B2B on Virgin.

I love the Solstice Class (Equinox) ships and looking at just ships alone, I would pick Equinox.  However, I think the second itinerary is far superior.  Constellation is older but still a really nice ship design, so I recommend the second option.  

No.  Well, yes, maybe, but they are very few and far between.  

Oof.  3K?  That's steep.  

23 minutes ago, sharon_pei said:

Also port time on most days starts at 6am or 7am. i don't see any opportunity for late night entertainment for those want to max out their time to explore ports. the point is: i don't see a lot of time to get bored unless I am thinking this wrong.  

And you may not be wrong.  It just depends on how much weight you put into shipboard activities.  Many folks are totally fine with little to no activities and are almost entirely interested in the scenery only.  Absolutely nothing wrong with that. After all, it is Alaska.  

However, if the shows, lounges, activities, etc, are things you enjoy and expect in a cruise vacation, certain cruise lines, like HAL, are almost certain to be a disappointment.  

2 hours ago, MississippiMom said:

By complete coincidence, I was looking at RC and NCL last night.  I know most cruisers on this board will cringe at that, but we would like to have a port stop in Sitka and/or Haines, which REALLY limits our cruise ship choices.  

So true about triggering certain people with that.  😁  I am one of the few who absolutely will NOT cringe at that.  You pick whatever line, ship, and itinerary you like.  Like you, I want a great ship experience as well.  

I cruised AK on Eurodam a few years ago and yes, the ship experience was dead.  It made me swear off anything older than HAL's newest Pinnacle Class (Koningsdam and newer).  Movies and port lectures as the main evening show was not my idea of fun.  

If you choose RCI's Quantum Class, you will not be disappointed with the ship.  The live entertainment is as good as it gets on a cruise.  And if pools/hot tubs with a view is your thing, you can't do much better than this.  DW and I spent a lot of time here while cruising Stephens Passage...

49 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I do not get this "is trying to crack down."  The rules of SOLAS mandate that the corridors be kept clear, for emergency purposes.  "Trying" is not the answer.  The cruise line simply needs to enforce its rules that scooters (and wheelchars) not be left in the corridors.  I am surprised that Carnival has not been doing this in the past (it is the norm on nearly all the other lines we have cruised).  There can be no compromising when it comes to safety!

 

Hank

Agreed.  There should be no debate on whether or not this is ok.  

Sapphire.  She is an early Grand Class ship that was built before they expanded the ship design by adding an extra deck and creating crowd problems.  

From reading the Alaska boards, Sapphire seems to be a favorite among regular Princess cruisers.  

Just now, Ajg601 said:

That is the exact reason we ruled out HA. We are already worried Princess will be dull, Royal or NCL would be more our style for entertainment/activity but we understand we wouldn’t be getting as good of an Alaskan experience. We know HA would not be fit for us at all. I feel like if I adjust my expectations a little and realize this won’t be like our norm cruising style then Princess will be fine. My brain seriously hurts from all the options- I understand the constant changing of mind!

At some point, you gotta just pull the trigger and be firm with your choice.  I, too, would much rather sail RCI, or even Celebrity.  They do have nice one-way itineraries that go to Hubbard and cruise the IP, but none go to Glacier Bay.  If...say...Radiance of the Seas had Grand's itinerary, this would be a no-brainer for me.  

Those who know Princess well seem to prefer Sapphire.  Just do it.  The itinerary is as good as they come.  Do not worry about it being a sleepy experience on board.  Princess is really good with entertainment, including game shows and other activities.  The Piazza, which is Princess' central atrium, commonly has live music.  The entertainment is pretty much exactly what you would find on RCI's Vision and Radiance Class ships.  

5 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

Is a stop at the handwashing station mandatory for admission and has a cruiser ever been denied access for refusing or is this "rule" similar to not using the same cup or plate more than once? 

On some ships, yes.  On RCI Quantum Class ships, you have to walk through the handwashing station to enter the buffet and there is a crewmember standing there enforcing it.  In truth, one could just walk right through it and get away with it, but at least they try to enforce it by at least directing you into the station.  

I don't think this is feasible.  I've embarked a few times in Vancouver, and I'd be very surprised if they allowed you to disembark after boarding.  The whole check-in process, including pre-clearing Customs, is so onerous that I don't think you can do it.  I will happily eat crow if I'm wrong though.

Some people, like me, prefer to board early in order to make the most of the ship. You could drop off your luggage early, go explore the city for a little bit, and then return in the early afternoon.   

1 minute ago, Gunner 66 said:

So basically if you are planning on going to Alaska from a US port.....you must stop in Canada. That means Victoria Island or Vancouver.

Other options were provided.  American Cruise Line and Uncruise are 2 US flagged cruise lines that do not need to make foreign port.  They're pricey and small but still options, nonetheless.  
The few people I know who have cruised them speak very highly of their experience.  

Just FYI, Victoria isn't an island.  It's on Vancouver Island.  

I don't think it's much of a hassle to rent a car.  The airport is close, and an easy taxi from the port.  

I'm in Kodiak once or twice a year for work, so I'm very comfortable driving the area with a rental car, and I totally recommend it.  You'd be doing yourself a HUGE disservice if you only got off the ship and walked to the downtown area....which is very unimpressive, by the way.  

NCL is very much like Carnival and RCI in terms of vibe, atmosphere and entertainment.  Their newer ships are really nice and have a ton to offer.

No formal nights and no fixed dining.  Gotta jump on dining reservations early or you'll lose out on premier times and could face lengthy waits if you just show up.  

Pfft.  Out here in Seattle, people just go on the sidewalk.  Convenient and free.  

Oof.  That's a tough one for me.  I agree with ruling out the NCL option....not because they somehow don't do a great job with Alaska, but because the other 3 itineraries are better.  

I think I would lean toward Grand.  I think it's the best itinerary because it hits 3 of the musts....Hubbard, GB, and Inside Passage.  Yes, it's an old ship and yes, Princess kinda sucks at modernizing the looks and feels of Grand Class, but Princess does offer good food and great entertainment, and there are still parts of the ship that are pretty nice.  

Royal Class is terrible for Alaska.  Can't cruise Inside Passage, and the ships have no lounges with outward facing views.  

Not sure I would choose this over a nice, comfy suite but to each their own.  I can definitely see the draw to this though.

My last 4 cruises were on RCI and they were very good at enforcing the Solarium age rules.  I saw pool attendants pouncing on parents almost immediately after entering the Solarium with kids and if they made it past that layer of defense, the lifeguards were excellent at politely redirected them toward the exits.

Regarding other rules, I don't think everything can be enforced all the time.  You have to accept that if you choose to cruise a mega ship with more people than a small town on board, the likelihood of observing abhorrent behavior is pretty good.  Just gotta be patient.  

The only thing I can think of are lines that give reciprocity for your status elsewhere.  RCI and Celebrity do it among each other, and MSC does it for almost any loyalty program.  I think HAL grants 1-star status for having been on any Carnival Corp line.