2019 NCL Alaskan Cruise which one would you recommend?

My husband will be turning 50 next summer and we would like cruise to Alaska to celebrate. I have been looking at the 7 or so cruises that NCL offers but I would to get some feedback from others who have cruised to Alaska with NCL. Which one would you recommend and why?

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I'm in same boat, lol

My one friend who has done it claims July is best month and do it southbound from Anchorage to Vancouver

My husband will be turning 50 next summer and we would like cruise to Alaska to celebrate. I have been looking at the 7 or so cruises that NCL offers but I would to get some feedback from others who have cruised to Alaska with NCL. Which one would you recommend and why?

 

 

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have you looked at other cruise lines. HAL and Princess are the leading two cruise lines in Alaska.

In Alaska the ship is the hotel and ports is point of going. Glacier Bay NP is a most in my mind.

Look at the port times of each cruise. From Seattle youll be losing sometime in ports because of the Victoria sop.

We have done the last cruise of the season so end of Sept.

We had booked this unknowingly about weather and it tuned out that it was as warm as could be as the day wore on and we just peeled off the layers ,we also spent a lot of time on aft balcony because you get no wind.

We also realized that all the stores at all the ports are marked down drastically 40/50/60% off so we stocked up on vacuum packed smoke salmon.

So this trip we are taking a small suit case to load up. Which means everyone is getting smoked salmon for Christmas.

We have done the last cruise of the season so end of Sept.

We had booked this unknowingly about weather and it tuned out that it was as warm as could be as the day wore on and we just peeled off the layers ,we also spent a lot of time on aft balcony because you get no wind.

We also realized that all the stores at all the ports are marked down drastically 40/50/60% off so we stocked up on vacuum packed smoke salmon.

So this trip we are taking a small suit case to load up. Which means everyone is getting smoked salmon for Christmas.

Glad to know others Christmas shop on their Alaskan cruises.

Norwegian has three options:

(1) The Bliss-- the newest and largest ship. She has a Saturday- Saturday sailing from downtown Seattle.

(2) The Pearl--smaller ship about 2400 passengers--Sunday-Sunday from downtown Seattle.

(3) The Jewel--same size as The Pearl--Monday- Monday one way sailings from either Vancouver, British Columbia and Seward, Alaska. This is the only one that you can add an Alaskan land package.

Which works better for you as far as airfares and your schedule will allow?

Agree with previous poster about HAL and Princess if wanting a land add on. Also some of their ships have the retractable pool roof so usable areas with unpredictable weather. They will have the same passenger makeup summer sailings.

Glacier bay on itinerary is a biggie if one and done. Inside passage is also fantastic. Rt Seattle misses inside passage but the Pearl and some others do glacier bay with the rt Seattle. The Bliss would be if you wanted a new mega ship and that was more important than the places visited. Pearl has a forward facing really nice spa.

I don't agree the priority should be given to HAL and Princess (which I have sailed on multiple times in Alaska. NCL has also been there a long time and does a good job there too. And I certainly do not agree on the "cruisetour" claim, In my opinion, Princess has some of the crappiest ones to the unknowing.

Seattle cruises are less scenic than Vancouver cruises, a one way, offers plenty of additional mainland touring. IF doing a one way- I encourage you to add all the time possible and take advantage of being there. It is at least another week, to include a few highlights. Especially avoid the short- 4 day or less add on tours- most of the time is - transit and a big negative with planning.

Plenty of options. determine WHAT you want out of your trip? How much time you have?

time of visit is significant in many cases, Sept, IS chancy. Although there is one post about great weather- I've had at least 5 trips where there was a lot of rain. Worse feature for me, is the lack of daylight. I simply pick up these Sept cruise- late, on the "discount" rack. :) And I always, have sailed earlier in the season, multiple times. I spend at least 4 weeks every season, on cruise ships, and more time mainland. (over 20 years of visiting :) )

We have done two Alaska cruises - a round trip out of Seattle (included Tracy Arm) and a one way from Vancouver to Seward (included Glacier Bay and Hubbard). While both were great, the one way was so much better. We loved being able to add on to our trip and spend some time in the mainland portion of Alaska. It also seemed that we had more time in each port. Tracy Arm is gorgeous, but if I had to choose, I prefer Glacier Bay. The fact that our one way cruse also included Hubbard Glacier was a bonus as well.

We aren't group tour kind of folks, so never even considered using any cruise line for the land portion. We rented a car in Seward and did our own thing for a week before flying home from Anchorage (spectacular!).

Have you look at RCCL??? They are bring Ovation of the sea to Alaska!!

My husband will be turning 50 next summer and we would like cruise to Alaska to celebrate. I have been looking at the 7 or so cruises that NCL offers but I would to get some feedback from others who have cruised to Alaska with NCL. Which one would you recommend and why?

Northbound Vancouver to Seward. You get inside passage, glacier bay, and when you get to Alaska, you should take the land tour to Denali before going home.

I highly recommend a one way. It doesn't really matter if it is north bound or south bound. I would also encourage you to add at least a week in mainland Alaska. You don't need a cruise tour for that, rent a car, and make use of the train. If you have the time you can do the 21Glaciers tour out of Whittier or one of the excursions out of Seward and get a lot more up close time with glaciers than you do in Glacier Bay. With a one way you get a true inside passage cruise and get to go through the narrows. Much more scenic than the round trips which go west of Vancouver Island both directions.

I did the one way from Vancouver on NCL Sun and it was a great cruise, one of my favorites. We did an add on that was actually through the Alaskan rail system. I loved what we did and I think I did a review so you can get more detail from that. I am an NCL fan, but I know Princess has a great Alaska land sea pkg that friends have enjoyed,

I have done a round trip out of Seattle, a round trip out of Vancouver, a Southbound out of Seward, and will sail Northbound in 45 days all on NCL.

I love the one ways because you can see more than just SE Alaska. The area around Anchorage had a lot to offer. I would recommend a one way cruise.