Trying to plan for Alaska 2020...which ship?

Greetings! I have read that the Legend will be going to Tampa in 2019. Does anyone know which ship will be replacing the Legend for the Alaskan cruises? Also, how far out can you reserve your cabin? We plan to cruise Alaska in June, 2020, and would love to get a suite, and I know those go quickly. I used to be very involved and know everything about Carnival and cruising years ago, but gave that up after having kids, so now I feel like a newbie. We just returned from a week on the Freedom (first cruise after a 9 year absence) and I can't wait to start planning for the big Alaskan one.

Thanks!!

i have been waiting fro this also. i wanted to do the Australia to Hawaii to Seattle that the legend did every spring and now that is not there either. Been hoping they still do something like that for what ever does Alaska in the summer. I asked my PVP and he said that they haven't made any decisions yet. They have to do something as it was the only sailing from the Seattle port.

I was hoping to see a newer ship get assigned to the Alaska itinerary, I remember when the Legend was brand new, I was supposed to sail on her (had to cancel at the last minute due to one of our traveling companions father passing away the week before we were to depart). Seems like forever ago! Although, there is something appealing about a smaller ship compared to the massive things they are building now. Guess we'll see!

I'm going to venture a guess that it'll be Miracle or possibly Splendor. The former is re-deploying as a Long Beach 7 day boat in the late fall 2019 while the latter is assuming Legend's seasonal Aussie service after leaving on 10/5/19, then possibly returning for the Alaskan summer in 2020. It absolutely will not be Panorama as she's dedicated to the Mexican Riv throughout the period in question.

And honestly Littlegoo, I'd strongly recommend you seriously consider Princess for Alaska. They 'own' the route and control the majority of the Glacier Bay permits. Carnival does it as an afterthought. And you can see from my cruise history that it's my preferred line so not a basher.

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And honestly Littlegoo, I'd strongly recommend you seriously consider Princess for Alaska. They 'own' the route and control the majority of the Glacier Bay permits. Carnival does it as an afterthought. And you can see from my cruise history that it's my preferred line so not a basher.

Another line to look at is HAL. Between Princess and HAL they own like 99% of the Tourist infrastructure. One of them is buying the railroad in Skagway.

Though last year’s Alaska Journeys cruise out of Long Beach was, hands down, the best cruise we’ve ever been on. Hoping the Splendor’s is half as good.

And honestly Littlegoo, I'd strongly recommend you seriously consider Princess for Alaska. They 'own' the route and control the majority of the Glacier Bay permits. Carnival does it as an afterthought. And you can see from my cruise history that it's my preferred line so not a basher.

My only other carnival cruise was to Alaska. I say look at the itineraries. When I went in September of 2015 round trip from Seattle the Princess itinerary was identical to carnivals almost down to the hour, it just was on different days of the week. I went with carnival because we saved about $1000 and also as Alaska is often an older crowd, we hoped for a line that had a lot of evening entertainment and such.

I haven't done princess and it may be a fancier line, but check the itinerary because you may go to the exact same places just for a whole lot more money.

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Another line to look at is HAL. Between Princess and HAL they own like 99% of the Tourist infrastructure. One of them is buying the railroad in Skagway.

Though last year’s Alaska Journeys cruise out of Long Beach was, hands down, the best cruise we’ve ever been on. Hoping the Splendor’s is half as good.

Yep. To be fair, the infrastructure is owned by parent CCL but Princess has a ton of branding up there. And they did just announce the purchase of the Skagway railway. IDK if any of you know this but Royal has ZERO Alaska Bay National Park permits. And CCL divvies out about 2-4 to Carnival each year for the entire season while Princess probably has 6-8 a week.

My only other carnival cruise was to Alaska. I say look at the itineraries. When I went in September of 2015 round trip from Seattle the Princess itinerary was identical to carnivals almost down to the hour, it just was on different days of the week. I went with carnival because we saved about $1000 and also as Alaska is often an older crowd, we hoped for a line that had a lot of evening entertainment and such.

 

I haven't done princess and it may be a fancier line, but check the itinerary because you may go to the exact same places just for a whole lot more money.

 

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Jota, it's actually cheaper generally speaking because they have so much capacity up there that if you wait for a deal you can usually find it. :D

Look, Carnival's a fine choice and certainly our preferred for the Caribbean. But Princess runs 5 ships up there full time during the season. They 'own' it with HAL probably #2. Just sayin'.

Jota, it's actually cheaper generally speaking because they have so much capacity up there that if you wait for a deal you can usually find it. [emoji3]

 

Look, Carnival's a fine choice and certainly our preferred for the Caribbean. But Princess runs 5 ships up there full time during the season. They 'own' it with HAL probably #2. Just sayin'.

I'm sure you know much more about it than me, I'm not trying to say your point was wrong, but for what I was looking for carnival was cheaper for the aft balcony we booked for an identical cabin. If princess, or another line was cheaper or even the same for the same category cabin, I'd consider it. I'm not tied to a particular line, I usually go by price. My comment was limited more to the owning glacier bay because I sailed glacier bay and don't think it would have been different on a different ship, but who knows I guess

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I'm sure you know much more about it than me, I'm not trying to say your point was wrong, but for what I was looking for carnival was cheaper for the aft balcony we booked for an identical cabin. If princess, or another line was cheaper or even the same for the same category cabin, I'd consider it. I'm not tied to a particular line, I usually go by price. My comment was limited more to the owning glacier bay because I sailed glacier bay and don't think it would have been different on a different ship, but who knows I guess

 

 

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You're exactly right and I'm glad you got a great deal on a wonderful cruise. All I'm saying is that Carnival runs a very limited schedule up there with essentially 1 ship (leaving on Tuesday by the way) and is truly limited to 2-3 Glacier Bay permits a year. The product offering by Princess (and to a lesser extent HAL, and remember, it's ALL one company) is simply multiples of that. I'm simply trying to encourage loyal Carnival customers, and I am one, to think about that as an option. :)

BTW, Glacier Bay National Park takes your breath away just like the first time you see the Grand Canyon in person. It's practically a religious experience.

And actually, as I think about it more, I bet that the beards 'Legendize' Mlracle (put in all the 2.0 they can) in a similar drydock. She was only very recently sent to Tampa and is quickly being swapped out for her updated sister. That could be done easily prior to Alaska 2020 in the same Portland shipyard.

I'm going to venture a guess that it'll be Miracle or possibly Splendor. The former is re-deploying as a Long Beach 7 day boat in the late fall 2019 while the latter is assuming Legend's seasonal Aussie service after leaving on 10/5/19, then possibly returning for the Alaskan summer in 2020. It absolutely will not be Panorama as she's dedicated to the Mexican Riv throughout the period in question.

 

And honestly Littlegoo, I'd strongly recommend you seriously consider Princess for Alaska. They 'own' the route and control the majority of the Glacier Bay permits. Carnival does it as an afterthought. And you can see from my cruise history that it's my preferred line so not a basher.

Thank you. Great advice, although we have only sailed on Carnival (and I have sailed once on the now defunct Sitmar as a kid), we are seriously considering trying out another, and Princess is on the list. Hopefully they have good kid programs, because in 2020, we'll have a 12 year old and 9 year old.

To echo the previous posters, Princess and Holland America Line have the most experience in the area and will provide an exceptional experience. We enjoyed our Southboud Voyage of the Glaciers on the Sapphire Princess and would recommend it.

Thank you. Great advice, although we have only sailed on Carnival (and I have sailed once on the now defunct Sitmar as a kid), we are seriously considering trying out another, and Princess is on the list. Hopefully they have good kid programs, because in 2020, we'll have a 12 year old and 9 year old.

I'm going to be straight with you Little. Kids are fairly few and far between on a Princess ship in Alaska. HAL would be even more childless. Some factors I'd consider if you want to 'up the ante' for your family. Wait until school is out and strongly consider a round-trip itinerary. On our SB one-way Glaciers run this May (Anchorage-Vancouver) we stopped by the youth center for funzies. There were a total of 30 on the boat per the roster that was displayed by the door. This is 180 degrees different from the Caribbean. This is mostly a scenery cruise although there are absolutely many family friendly excursions in the more visited towns of Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. Please be sensitive to that in your planning.

Thanks! This is exactly why I come to these boards for research. We would definitely have to wait until school is out to cruise (DH is a 2nd grade teacher) and we do everything as a family. We may just need to stick with Carnival for this first Alaska cruise, because it's what we know, and we know that there will be a decent amount of kids on board (compared to the other cruise lines). We can always do another Alaskan cruise by ourselves when the kids are older (with or without them) and try Princess.

So, with this being said, and Alaska being a totally different animal from the Caribbean, just how different is the experience? I would imagine less partying and more adventuring (which is more like us). We just got off of the Freedom in Galveston (Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, and Conzumel) and it was a pretty lively and interesting crowd, which is fine, but I would actually prefer a more subdued crowd, but still have the fun atmosphere that Carnival provides. We're not the kind of people who need to have linens on the table every night, and I want to ensure that there is enough fun for the kids on board.

I know this is a Carnival thread, but how does Norwegian Cruise Lines compare? I see that a new ship called The Bliss is cruising Alaska, and I know my kids would want to try out a ship like that.

Let's start with the fact that I've not done Carnival to Alaska. But Alaska in general is very different than a cruise in the Caribbean. And I surely know your exact experience on Freedom. It is far more 'adventure' and far less 'week of fun in the sun'. I would never recommend it as a first cruise. We had folks onboard that did that and said 'I'll never get on a ship again.' And we had spectacular weather (for Alaska) for the entirety during the times it counted.

How is it different? You purchase rain gear and expect to use it. You can experience high seas; we had gale force winds over the bow in the Gulf of Alaska. Now thank God for the shelter of the Inside Passage which is where most ships spend all or most of their time. It's definitely not for everyone. But for those that love the adventure and the scenery, it's incredible. Is it my #1 of a dozen cruises to date? Pretty darn close.

Alaska was my first cruise and we did it on Princess. We live in North Carolina so it was a very long flight and big deal so I researched thoroughly. All my other cruises have been on Carnival. All of my research pointed to Princess has being our best option for Alaska - similar to what other posters are saying here. That cruise was in 2002 and we mention it every week probably. In fact last week my husband reposted our pix from that cruise on the book of Face.

It will be wonderful. I will add we went so he could ride the White Pass and Yukon railroad and for me to watch whales. We both were very, very pleased. It was truly magical!

Alaska was my first cruise and we did it on Princess. We live in North Carolina so it was a very long flight and big deal so I researched thoroughly. All my other cruises have been on Carnival. All of my research pointed to Princess has being our best option for Alaska - similar to what other posters are saying here. That cruise was in 2002 and we mention it every week probably. In fact last week my husband reposted our pix from that cruise on the book of Face.

 

It will be wonderful. I will add we went so he could ride the White Pass and Yukon railroad and for me to watch whales. We both were very, very pleased. It was truly magical!

Yep.

My favorite 'silly' story. We northerners already have the proper coats. My advice for the southerners who don't. Avoid matching. It's a dead giveaway! ;p

It sounds like Alaska will be more our cup of tea. We like the wilderness, adventure, hiking, animals, scenery, and I especially love the cooler weather (born and raised in San Francisco, currently living in humid, hotter than hell Houston, Tx.). On our cruises, we have always ended up going to the same places (Cozumel, GC, Jamaica, Belize) and we definitely need something different. We're also going to wait until 2020 because we want to save up and do it right (we definitely need a suite with a bigger balcony - that was the biggest gripe on our latest cruise....too small of a space for the 4 of us) and the really good shore excursions are extremely pricey. I have plenty of time to research and figure out whether we'll just stick to Carnival, or try another line. Thanks everyone, for the input.

I'll throw in another vote for Princess to Alaska. We've been twice (Island Princess & Star Princess) and are going again in August on the Grand Princess. As someone posted, Princess has lots of ships that go into Glacier Bay. I've heard that only 2 ships a day are allowed there and most of the time it's two Princess ships. That's our favorite place in Alaska (although Mendenhall Glacier is pretty awesome too).

My "funny" stories about jackets -- we live in Florida & bought jackets when we got to Fairbanks (yes, it was June, but we have pretty thin blood!). I don't know how many people bought those jackets, but it seems like all the men bought navy & most of the women got pink. When we were in Glacier Bay, I almost couldn't find my hubby at the rail as all I saw was a sea of navy jackets (with hoods up)!! Then on one of our excursions, I saw my husband take off down a path. When I caught up to him, he said he'd seen a pink jacket go past & he thought it was me. :D

I would recommend a cruise that goes into Glacier Bay. Also get a balcony cabin. If you are from the Eastern time zone you will be up very early and since the sun never really sets you can slip out on the balcony and watch the world go by. There will be very few children on board. Most of the guests will be 55+.

I'll throw in another vote for Princess to Alaska. We've been twice (Island Princess & Star Princess) and are going again in August on the Grand Princess. As someone posted, Princess has lots of ships that go into Glacier Bay. I've heard that only 2 ships a day are allowed there and most of the time it's two Princess ships. That's our favorite place in Alaska (although Mendenhall Glacier is pretty awesome too).

 

My "funny" stories about jackets -- we live in Florida & bought jackets when we got to Fairbanks (yes, it was June, but we have pretty thin blood!). I don't know how many people bought those jackets, but it seems like all the men bought navy & most of the women got pink. When we were in Glacier Bay, I almost couldn't find my hubby at the rail as all I saw was a sea of navy jackets (with hoods up)!! Then on one of our excursions, I saw my husband take off down a path. When I caught up to him, he said he'd seen a pink jacket go past & he thought it was me. :D

Correct. Two cruise ships a day, plus 3 smaller vessels. All by permit only 'owned' by the lines.

Okay, I did a little research. August 2018: Princess 28, HAL 21, Celebrity 6, American Cruise Lines (very expensive) 4, Carnival 2, Everyone else combined including the entirety of the RCCL family of lines: ZERO. Which is not to say one can't have fun cruising to Alaska without Glacier Bay. But it is the highlight by a factor of about 3.

I just cruised Alaska last year on the NCL Jewel when mom took me and my wife and daughter on a surprise vacation to Alaska. It was my first time on NCL and we were spoiled by the Haven 2 bedroom suite mom purchased. That being said I found the quality of food and the ship size comparable to the Legend which I have sailed before in the Caribbean. I've been on 10 Carnival cruises and am going on my next one in October. As far as the Bliss goes it does have the go cart track and all kinds of activities on it but I personally have no desire to sail on the larger ships like that. If I want to ride go-carts I can do that at home. I love Carnival but would recommend the NCL Pearl (sister ship to the Jewel) and their two bedroom family suite. It will have plenty of space for the family and has a huge full bathroom for mom and dad as well as a second full bath and shower for the kids.

Let me correct myself from above. Celebrity should be NCL. Sorry about the mistake. As I indicated, no RCCL Corp ship has access. Sorry for the confusion. :)