Alaska 2015-Coral, Grand or Star?

[lucky cal]

Just starting to plan a 2015 Alaska cruise and looking at Princess mainly due to a desire to visit Glacier Bay and possibly do a cruisetour or independent land tour. Will likely do a Southbound one-way cruise therefore, will need to choose between Coral Princess, Grand Princess or Star Princess. Pacific Princess might be too small for DH, who likes lots of entertainment and restaurant options, so I'm ruling that one out for now.

 

I'd love to hear opinions from those who have cruised on these ships, particularly on an Alaska cruise. Pros and cons? Balcony cabin or Mini-suite advice?

 

Thanks for your time.

 

Dawn

[Thrak]

Choosing between Grand and Star is almost a tossup. Grand is missing the center staircase and Skywalker's but it has Alfredo's which is, to me, a big plus. Star doesn't have Alfredo's but it does have the center staircase and Skywalker's. Both ships are great.

 

You mentioned Coral in your post but it didn't list it as a ship you are considering - at least not in the subject line of your post. I'm guessing a number of people will say they would pick Coral. A lot of people would also say to choose Pacific Princess. It's too bad your husband doesn't think that would be a good choice. Many people love the smaller ships.

[lucky cal]

Choosing between Grand and Star is almost a tossup. Grand is missing the center staircase and Skywalker's but it has Alfredo's which is, to me, a big plus. Star doesn't have Alfredo's but it does have the center staircase and Skywalker's. Both ships are great.

 

You mentioned Coral in your post but it didn't list it as a ship you are considering - at least not in the subject line of your post. I'm guessing a number of people will say they would pick Coral. A lot of people would also say to choose Pacific Princess. It's too bad your husband doesn't think that would be a good choice. Many people love the smaller ships.

 

Actually, Coral IS one of the three ships I'm considering along with Grand and Star. In fact, Coral is currently the frontrunner, but I would like to hear more from folks on this board for help with my choice.

[bhopal21]

Actually, Coral IS one of the three ships I'm considering along with Grand and Star. In fact, Coral is currently the frontrunner, but I would like to hear more from folks on this board for help with my choice.

 

Coral is one of our favorites simply because it has 600 less passengers than the Grand or Star which makes for less crowding.

 

If it happens to be an option we always take the Island/Coral over others with the similar itinerary.

 

Mike:)

[Coral]

Coral is one of our favorites simply because it has 600 less passengers than the Grand or Star which makes for less crowding.

 

If it happens to be an option we always take the Island/Coral over others with the similar itinerary.

 

Mike:)

 

I agree with Mike! Coral Princess :)

[ggprincess2004]

Each of these three ships are now different enough to warrant a discussion.

 

Coral is one of our favorite ships, it does indeed have fewer passengers, and it also does not have any aft facing cabins, but it does have aft viewing areas on passenger decks. Also, she does not have quite the same choice of dining alternatives as the Grand and the Star. Love her, would sail her anytime.

 

Grand no longer has Skywalker's which offers terrific views. It does now have Alfredo's, the pizzeria of Deck 5, and the One5 lounge which was installed when Skywalker's was removed. I am not a fan of One5, but am a fan of the Grand for lots of other reasons, including their window suites. Some people might want to have a balcony on an Alaskan cruise....but I am a huge fan of window suites. In fact, we are sailing her in 2015 for our Alaskan b2b with the family - the ship was my choice.

 

Star has Skywalker's, and the views from there are wonderful. I love Skywalker's. It doesn't have Alfredo's, which is not a deal breaker for me. It is a classic Grand class ship, and I happen to be a fan of the layout and options.

 

I'd advise that you choose the sailing date that works best for you.....and look at how much time each ship is going to offer you in each port, as well as what time of day and how long you are scheduled for Glacier Bay on each ship, and let that help you make the decision.

 

And by all means have a fantastic time doing the planning...as well as the crusie.

[KruzPrincess]

I spent 2 weeks on the Coral during the summer of 2013 with no regrets. I love her size and all the great outdoor viewing areas. I particularly enjoyed the forward "secret door" viewing when we were in Glacier Bay. I like the recent upgrades. too.

 

I was on the Star last December to Hawaii and she is a nice ship. It's been a long time since I was on the Grand, but have a cruise booked on her soon. I expect to have a nice time.

 

All the ships are good, but I'd pick the Coral.

[CaribbeanIsland]

First choice - Coral

Second choice - Star

Third choice - Grand

 

You can't go wrong. The Coral Princess always impresses me.

[LeeW]

Coral has an indoor swimming pool with nicely padded loungers. You can easily sit in shorts, watch the scenery, and step outside for photos. For some reason lots of folks like to hog the tables in the buffet (front of Lido deck) all day, but we don't find that seating very comfortable. Since buffet is right above the bridge, they do get to see what the narrator is describing.

 

Coral has around 1900 passengers, instead of the 3000 on the other ships. Much less crowded feel. Make sure you see the Down on the Bayou show - last I looked this was the only ship that has it.

 

We always book a balcony, although we spend much more time in the Lotus Pool area than the cabin. Note that higher decks have cabins that are "inset" or "on the hump." The latter stick out a bit and are located near the elevators. These have a better fore/aft view than inset. Corner hump cabins have smaller balconies. Inset cabins are fully covered, which can be useful when it rains.

 

Coral/Island also have some hidden balconies fore/aft on Baja/Caribe through the crew areas that are not well known to people not on Cruise Critic. Less crowded viewing areas good in Panama and Glacier Bay.