Which cruise line to pick..im so confused?

[imtheboss]

OK so we have been on multiple cruises on Carnival and loved them but we were younger lol...Now we are really wanting to go to Alaska for a trip celebrating all of our kids college graduations and though we have loved Carnival really don't love the drunks on board. Also their entertainment is really subpar... Although there is always something to do. This time around we are not really into hairy chest contests lol.. Just want an upscale fun cruise with great food..I have always heard that Carnival has the best food and since we are picking eaters and the price was always right we chose Carnival...Can anyone give me options and opinions on which to consider? Both my husband and I are late 50s and kids are mid 20s...We want to sail from Seattle as my son lives there.

[mapleleaves]

if you look over the first few pages of this forum you'll see that this question is asked several times, in different ways, but in the end people are trying to choose a cruise.

The most common answer is .... for an Alaska cruise, the itinerary is the most important factor, not the cruiseline or the ship. You want to visit Ports of interest, and be in port long enough and at the right time of day to enjoy planned activities. ie lots of whining from people about the 7am to 1pm port time because they didn't have enough time.

If you have time for land travel pre/post cruise you'll want to consider a NB or SB sailing instead of RT.

There are also peak periods of time for some activities, such as bear viewing, fishing, etc so if those are priorities you need to research the best times to go.

A few other considerations ....Do you want a naturalist on board ? do you need a covered pool? if glacier viewing a priority as some lines don't go to Glacier Bay .

I wouldn't rule out a Vancouver sailing .... it's only a few hours north of Seattle and easy to reach by rental car, bus, or train.

 

An Alaska cruise isn't like a Caribbean cruise; one beach destination after another, with drinking and parties. People are there to enjoy the scenery, wildlife, history so a totally different vibe.

 

Look thru some of the 2016 trip reports posted above in STICKYs, or the current report from Mitch2016, and you'll find detailed photojournals from all the major lines. You'll see that the lines are more similar than different. You'll need to do some research in order to determine which itinerary and ship best suits your needs.

[geoherb]

I think Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, or Princess would be good for the OP. Carnival doesn't have the best food. If you were happy with the food on Carnival, you'll be blown away by the food on Princess and Celebrity.

[imtheboss]

We are thinking late August or early September..Don't really care about naturalists on board.. Want to see bears, glaciers and beauty, dog sledding etc. We don't drink, don't fish...This will probably be our only time going there so we want to see as much as possible...

Thanks for your insight as we have only been on Caribbean and Mexico cruises..so not sure what to expect..

[mapleleaves]

Ketchikan is a popular bear viewing location. As I mentioned earlier, there are peak periods of time and some locations require permits so they fill up early. Info about the locations, dates, etc in this link:

http://www.experienceketchikan.com/bear-viewing-in-alaska.html

 

This is the recent trip report from mitch2016 on NCL. Photo heavy and includes commentary and photos of meals on board. It opens at pg 4 since the first few days were spent in Victoria and Vancouver. I think you will find this and other trip reports very helpful.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2519210&page=4

[mapleleaves]

another photo heavy trip report, RT Seattle Celebrity report from MVPinBoynton. Lots of info and info about dining and ship life.

And if you look in his signature you'll find a Princess trip report a few yrs ago.

http://www.thepreismans.com/alaska_17_page1.htm.

[Budget Queen]

First you are making some very wrong assumptions with your passenger claims. This is not the Caribbean, nor the Caribbean. You will find similar demographics on ALL the cruise line- yes- including Carnival.

 

With your statements in 4, frankly, it would be superior with adding a mainland visit, and a 2 week trip, as example.

 

To start- take a look at EACH Alaska inside passage port, there are only 6. Find out the details of what is each is about and more important- what you would like to see and do in port. Rank these, that goes a long way toward narrowing down a cruise.

[xlxo]

fyi.... Carnival owns Princess and Holland America. I recommend sailing with them for Glacier Bay.

[xlxo]

We are thinking late August or early September..Don't really care about naturalists on board.. Want to see bears, glaciers and beauty, dog sledding etc. We don't drink, don't fish...This will probably be our only time going there so we want to see as much as possible...

Any chance of moving that trip to July or VERY early August? May to July is the dry season. August starts to get wet and September is discounted for storm chasers.

 

Check out this climate chart.... August gets double the precip of July. September is nearly 4 times as much rain as July.

http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/skagway/alaska/united-states/usak0225

[Keith1010]

I would begin with the itinerary.

 

Figure out what interests you.

 

Then see what cruise lines sail the itinerary.

 

From there read reviews about the cruising experience.

 

There are lots to choose from and what one person likes another one might not so try to find the one(s) that appeal to you.

 

Keith

[KarimaJ]

We did Norwegian Jewel, happy with the food and service and didn't have those hairy chest games or drunks. It does Tracey Arm, not Glacier Bay though. We picked it for the Seattle departure since our time was limited.

[SadieN]

Another option....

Bus and rail tours. Parents and Sis did this in the 80's and they're still a popular way to see Alaska.

 

 

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[Port Townsend]

We vote for any Glacier Bay cruise on a smaller ship!

 

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[Essiesmom]

If Carnival is your comfort zone, stick with them. Carnival Legend sails from Seattle on Aug. 28 and Sept. 5, both times visiting Glacier Bay. Win, win. You will find the atmosphere far different from the Caribbean, which is all about beaches. Cruises like this, and the Carnival Journeys cruises, are for those who have matured past that. If you are looking for wildlife, the great thing about the Spirit class is the promenade deck, great for viewing. Even if you have a balcony, you might miss something that is on the other side of the ship. As for the hairy chest contest - I suppose they could do it if they closed the roof over the Avalon Main pool. EM

[jas283a]

OK so we have been on multiple cruises on Carnival and loved them but we were younger lol...Now we are really wanting to go to Alaska for a trip celebrating all of our kids college graduations and though we have loved Carnival really don't love the drunks on board. Also their entertainment is really subpar... Although there is always something to do. This time around we are not really into hairy chest contests lol.. Just want an upscale fun cruise with great food..I have always heard that Carnival has the best food and since we are picking eaters and the price was always right we chose Carnival...Can anyone give me options and opinions on which to consider? Both my husband and I are late 50s and kids are mid 20s...We want to sail from Seattle as my son lives there.

 

 

 

We've done 3 cruise lines now. We did Norwegian and it was really enjoyable. I agree that the crowds had more to do with location than line. And itinerary, price, date would matter much more than line.

 

 

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