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First Alaska Cruise/Princess vs. NCL?

JerryInIL

By JerryInIL,
in First Time Cruisers

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Kamloops50

Kamloops50

Posted
Posted

Alaska is for the scenery and ports . The ship is secondary.

Compare what ports they go to and for how long .

I think Glacier Bay is something not to miss . The ship spends the whole cruising the bay. The park rangers come aboard , on going description and a ranger or two on deck to answer questions.

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TruckerDave

TruckerDave

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Coke/Pepsi, Ford/Chevy, Nikon/Canon.......they both have nice big white ships to take you there and back. You might get the "fan boys" on one side or the other but the reality is most of the big lines are pretty much the same. Pick the one with the ports you want to visit and price point that suits you and go with that one.

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donaldsc

donaldsc

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Thanks for taking the time to reply. Based on your comments, would a small ship cruise be a better option to view the scenery and different (less touristy) ports?

 

None of the ships from major cruise lines are small ships. By small ships, we generally mean one that holds 50 - 100 people. I have done AK on a 60 passenger ship. It was a great experience although totally different from the 1000+ passenger behemoths. We got into small ports such as Wrangel and Metlakatta. Also much more expensive. One of the neat things about the small boat tours is that the itinerary is somewhat unstructured. For example, if you are heading one one direction and there is something interesting in another direction, the captain will try to change course. Also, you can spend as much time on the bridge with the captain as you wish.

 

Mine was a great trip.

 

DON

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Kamloops50

Kamloops50

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Thanks for taking the time to reply. Based on your comments, would a small ship cruise be a better option to view the scenery and different (less touristy) ports?

Small ships are significantly more pricy than the Mainstream cruise lines. You'll have to fly either is Juneau , Ketchican or Sitka to board a smaller ship.

They will visit ports that don't have any tourist facilities and a zodiac might be required just to go ashore.

Go to the link below for info

 

http://www.alaskacruises.com/cruise-lines/alaska-small-ship-cruises.html

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Mobius

Mobius

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All of it is going to depend on what is most important to you and what you want to take out of the trip. Maybe post a "top 3" must-have's for your cruise might help narrow down the choice to the one that works best for you.

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JerryInIL

JerryInIL

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Thank you again for your comments. I kind of like the idea of a more casual cruise line like NCL. Formal nights would be at the bottom of my list. We better go with the big ship for our first Alaska trip. We can always come back for a small ship cruise some day.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Lulubelle45

Lulubelle45

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I sailed the NCL Pearl and as far as ship goes, I loved it. She was my first so that may also have something to do with it. The Freestyle dining works better than Anytime dining on Princess, there were far more choices as to where to eat (2 main dining rooms, buffet burgers on deck and a pub style) as well as for a fee specialty dining. The entertainment was better on NCL in my opinion. The formal "if you wish" on NCL was my cuppa tea!

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jaylay

jaylay

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Going to Alaska in two weeks for the 3rd time and all on Princess ... like what others have said, check out the itineraries and ports and see what you like to do for excursions. Then choose the ship and keep prices in mind. Were in our 30s and love cruising and love Princess. We also like the not so wild atmosphere Princess has thats why we have stuck with them. We like it quiet! :D

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Kamloops50

Kamloops50

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Princess has more choices for departures to Alaska. Two ships from Seattle . Four from Vancouver and one from San Francisco that is very popular.

 

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Forums mobile app

Edited by Kamloops50
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deladypilot

deladypilot

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Coke/Pepsi, Ford/Chevy, Nikon/Canon.......they both have nice big white ships to take you there and back. You might get the "fan boys" on one side or the other but the reality is most of the big lines are pretty much the same. Pick the one with the ports you want to visit and price point that suits you and go with that one.

 

I have to go with this ^. What is right for one is not for another so make a list of what is important to you.

 

I would agree with almost everyone here and that is if you can find a cruise that includes Glacier Bay, do that. It makes for an awesome day and the Park Rangers are great at explaining everything glacier.

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port msp

port msp

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If you have a choice take one going to Glacier Bay.

 

+1 on this recommendation. Make a day of it. Be ready to start viewing an hour or so before you're scheduled to enter Glacier Bay. The scenery of the approach is fantastic. The park rangers that come on board are fun to talk to. Also, if you have any interest in the National Park Passport Program, they bring a Glacier Bay passport stamp on board. Not an easy stamp to get unless you're on a ship.

 

 

You won't go wrong with either line. Alaska is breathtaking! If you don't get to Glacier Bay, you'll likely see a different glacier, or fjord, which are also fantastic. I think the best advice I can give is pick a spot on an upper deck, settle in, and watch. You'll see wildlife, but it can take some time. And absolutely take a good set of binoculars!

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Based on your comments, would a small ship cruise be a better option to view the scenery and different (less touristy) ports?

 

I want to take a small ship cruise in Alaska, but the cost is multiples higher than a mainstream cruise line. The only marginally "less-touristy" port we've been to in Alaska was Sitka. I liked Sitka and would go again.

 

Otherwise, it's been Juneau/Ketchikan/Skagway/Victoria, BC route. We've had a great time, every time. If you're open to departing from Vancouver, you'll get to travel the inside passage along the east side of Vancouver Island. You won't see much going north because it will be dark, but the way back to Vancouver is very scenic. We sailed from Vancouver in 2014 and coming back south through the narrow channels was great.

 

We've sailed NCL and Princess, but not to Alaska, but I wouldn't hesitate to take either to Alaska. We've done Alaska 3x. Twice on Holland, once on Celebrity. All were great.

 

I'd go every summer if my wife would agree. As others have said, Alaska is all about the scenery and wildlife. The ship gets you there. Let us know what you decide.

 

Enjoy.

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denatravels

denatravels

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This is an easy choice pick Princess. I have been on 13 cruises and have number 14 booked. I have talked to thousands of cruisers and none have picked NCL over Princess. Have a great cruise. ;)

 

 

Wow-- thousands of cruisers that you spoke to picked Princess? Was this on a princess cruise?

 

I'm following this thread as I'm also making this decision for summer 2016. The fact that "thousands" would pick princess is of little value to me. I cannot speak for the OP but the information that is helpful to me is as follows:

--positives AND negatives if you took one of these lines in Alaska

-- a general idea of which may be better IF YOU PERSONALLY HAVE CRUISED BOTH LINES AND WHY YOU BELIEVE SO.

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