Island Princess Vs Celebrity Solstice - Ship Recommendation

Hi everyone,

Apologize if this has been asked before. We are planning to go to Alaska this summer for our 1st anniversary and we both are in our 20's.

We have been trying to decide between 2 sailings.

Celebrity Solstice - Aqua Class:

Seattle, Ketchikan, Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau, Skagway, Cruising Alaska's Inside Passage, Victoria, Seattle

Island Princess - Balcony:

Vancouver, Icy Strait, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, College Fjord, Whittier

I heard Celebrity is very good and it has a lot to do onboard the ships. But we don't find much info on Island Princess amenities etc.

Pricing difference between 2 sailings is almost $1400 but we want to have a great experience as a first time cruiser. Which ship will you recommend in terms of Dining, entertainment etc?

Thank you!

There is a huge difference between these cruises. Princess sails from Vancouver and goes on the inside of Vancouver Island - very scenic and calm seas. Celebrity goes from Seattle and goes on the outside of Vancouver Island. You are out of sight of land and subject to wave action as there's nothing but sea between you and Japan. Princess goes to Glacier Bay and College Fjord - It's a one way northbound so you end up in Anchorage with the opportunity to rent a car and see something of the rest of Alaska for a few days. Celebrity is round trip Seattle. Princess goes to Glacier Bay, a highlight of Alaska for most people, Celebrity goes to Tracy Arm, where you usually don't get to see a glacier unless you take an expensive excursion in a small boat. Princess has an Alaska themed program, with talks by dog mushers, puppies on the ship, talks by Natives, Alaska music, a naturalist, and Alaska trivia, Alaska cook out on the pool deck, etc.

There is a huge difference between these cruises. Princess sails from Vancouver and goes on the inside of Vancouver Island - very scenic and calm seas. Celebrity goes from Seattle and goes on the outside of Vancouver Island. You are out of sight of land and subject to wave action as there's nothing but sea between you and Japan. Princess goes to Glacier Bay and College Fjord - It's a one way northbound so you end up in Anchorage with the opportunity to rent a car and see something of the rest of Alaska for a few days. Celebrity is round trip Seattle. Princess goes to Glacier Bay, a highlight of Alaska for most people, Celebrity goes to Tracy Arm, where you usually don't get to see a glacier unless you take an expensive excursion in a small boat. Princess has an Alaska themed program, with talks by dog mushers, puppies on the ship, talks by Natives, Alaska music, a naturalist, and Alaska trivia, Alaska cook out on the pool deck, etc.

Hi there. Thank you for your response. We did see the difference between their itineraries. But our confusion is mostly about the ships.

From what I see island princess has mixed reviews and that's why we want to know from past cruisers here.

Thank you!

I've actually been on the Solstice, and also other Celebrity S-class ships.

The Solstice is the oldest of the S-class ships, hence that class of X ships are the "Solstice" class ships. All the S-class ships are visually stunning with features such as a live fiscus tree suspended from a multilevel ceiling (watering the tree is quite the process -- people take photos). An incredible elevator bank with glass walled elevators overlooking the ship. Trendy artwork. An innovated door feature for connecting rooms (you have to see a photo, but there is absolutely no concern in booking a connecting room). No sight line problems when watching shows in the theatre.

If the OP is considering an Aqua Stateroom then their MDR for breakfast and dinner will be Blu. Blu is basically dining in specialty dining every night with a much higher ratio of wait staff to passenger. Those who book Suites have their own MRD also -- Luminae.

There will be a naturalist on board who does narration when cruising in specific areas, in addition to doing programs and lectures. The past few years the naturalist on the Solstice has been Brent Nixon, who, if I remember correctly was lured away from Princess. We have been on X ships when Brent was onboard and he packs them into the theatre. I didn't bother to check his website, but he in the past has posted his schedule there.

I would pick the Island Princess. It goes to Glacier Bay. The Solstice does not.

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

We've done the Princess itinerary on the Island's sister ship, the Coral Princess, twice and did a Panama Canal transit on the Island Princess 9 years ago. We loved both ships but since then the Island has been reconfigured to include more cabins at the price of reducing public spaces. We haven't been on it since then but many seasoned Princess cruisers have not approved of the redesign. That could be a reason for the mixed reviews.

If this is your first Alaska cruise do not miss Glacier Bay. I also loved the northbound cruise because the scenery is stupendous from the first morning you wake up and just gets better and better as you head north. Plus Vancouver is an awesome city - you should spend at least one or two extra days there before the cruise. That said, we are doing a Seattle round trip on Princess this summer because we are taking the entire family (6 adults and a toddler) and the flight arrangements were easier. I did insist that it include Glacier Bay and we are spending a day before and after the cruise in Seattle.

Princess has a wonderful Alaska program, second to none. Check out https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/onboard-experience/ and be sure to click on "Meet Real Alaskans." There will also be a full time naturalist on board plus National Park Service Rangers during Glacier Bay day. If your time and budget allow I would also recommend a cruise tour to Denali at the end of the cruise. You will see lots more of that beautiful state than you do on the cruise only.

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

We've done the Princess itinerary on the Island's sister ship, the Coral Princess, twice and did a Panama Canal transit on the Island Princess 9 years ago. We loved both ships but since then the Island has been reconfigured to include more cabins at the price of reducing public spaces. We haven't been on it since then but many seasoned Princess cruisers have not approved of the redesign. That could be a reason for the mixed reviews.

 

If this is your first Alaska cruise do not miss Glacier Bay. I also loved the northbound cruise because the scenery is stupendous from the first morning you wake up and just gets better and better as you head north. Plus Vancouver is an awesome city - you should spend at least one or two extra days there before the cruise. That said, we are doing a Seattle round trip on Princess this summer because we are taking the entire family (6 adults and a toddler) and the flight arrangements were easier. I did insist that it include Glacier Bay and we are spending a day before an after the cruise in Seattle.

 

Princess has a wonderful Alaska program, second to none. Check out https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/onboard-experience/ and be sure to click on "Meet Real Alaskans." There will also be a full time naturalist on board plus National Park Service Rangers during Glacier Bay day. If your time and budget allow I would also recommend a cruise tour to Denali at the end of the cruise. You will see lots more of that beautiful state than you do on the cruise only.

Thank you so much again for the info. I live in Vancouver area actually :) But we are very new to cruising.

I would look further. I think Princess does Alaska better but would be hesitant to sail on the Island Princess.

Princess has amazing enrichment series in Alaska. Celebrity does have a good naturalist but doesn't do as much as Princess does.

I always choose itinerary over ship in Alaska. The Princess itinerary is much better, in my opinion, and others above agree.

For us, the ship in Alaska is basically just a place to eat breakfast and dinner, sleep and use as transportation between ports. I think you will be fine on Princess.

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Hello everyone,

Thanks for the reply. We have decided to do the glacier bay as recommended.

At the moment, we found MS Westerdam(D7L) and Island Princess(CAZ/CA3 tour) with a day in Denali. Princess has 2 days in fairbanks but Holland America will have a day in Anchorage(or 2 days if we decide to get there early).

Ports are about the same, but I would like your opinion on the MS Westerdam itinerary as follows:

Day Date Itinerary

THU 28JUN18 Transfer Anc Airport/Hotel 1

THU 28JUN18 Hotel Captain Cook 1D 1

FRI 29JUN18 Transfer Hotel/Rail Depot 1

FRI 29JUN18 Mckinley Explorer: Anchorage/Talkeetna ------9:15am - 12:15pm

FRI 29JUN18 Mckinley Explorer: Talkeetna/Denali -------------- 12:35pm - 4:40pm

FRI 29JUN18 Transfer Rail Depot/Hotel 1

FRI 29JUN18 Grande Denali Lodge 1D 1

SAT 30JUN18 Denali Morning At Leisure 1

SAT 30JUN18 Denali/Fairbanks Coach 1------------------------- 2:30pm - 6:00pm

SAT 30JUN18 Westmark Fairbanks Hotel 1D 1

SUN 01JUL18 Transfer Hotel/Fai Airport 1

SUN 01JUL18 Air: Fairbanks/Anchorage 1

SUN 01JUL18 Anchorage/Seward Coach 1

SUN 01JUL18 Sail from Seward (Anchorage), Alaska, US 8:00pm

MON 02JUL18 Sea Day

TUE 03JUL18 Glacier Bay 2,3 8:30am 6:30pm

WED 04JUL18 Haines, Alaska, US 6:30am 9:00pm

THU 05JUL18 Juneau, Alaska, US 8:00am 6:00pm

FRI 06JUL18 Ketchikan, Alaska, US 11:00am 7:00pm

SAT 07JUL18 Scenic Cruising The Inside Passage 2

SUN 08JUL18 Debark Ship Vancouver, B.C., CA

Thank you!

The Westerdam is a nice ship but you would probably like Princess better. The land itinerary you shared doesn’t make sense to me. If you want to go to Denali you need two nights there. I would skip Fairbanks.

The D7L is way too short. You will spend most of your time in transit.