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

[Littlegoo75]

Thanks for the input! I guess I have a few months to research and make a decision before the 2020 schedules hopefully come out. Not sure if I want to fork out $10k for Princess for our first Alaska cruise with 2 kids who might not even appreciate it, or go with Carnival or try NCL at the closer to $6,500 price range. We definitely need at least a mini suite, and definitely a balcony. The 2 room suites on NCL sound very appealing. Princess might have to be one of those trips that come later with older kids, or a trip without them (which we have never done). If there are no hot dogs on the menu, or unlimited soft serve available 24/7, my kids will probably be disappointed!

 

Although I am not looking to do this in 2019, it looks like Expedia has some pretty good promotions going on with NCL, hopefully when I am ready to book, there will be some good perks.

[trippingpara]

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.

 

That's interesting. Thank you for researching that. We're on Carnival Legend to Alaska in August 2018 and apparently we're one of the two cruises going to Glacier Bay but we're originally weren't supposed to. When we booked the cruise back in the summer of 2016, we were going to Tracy Arm Fjord, but the itinerary changed at the end of Nov in 2016 (about 5 months after we booked the cruise). Now I'm wondering why they changed the itinerary. Sounds to me like they somehow got an extra permit.

[jsglow]

That's interesting. Thank you for researching that. We're on Carnival Legend to Alaska in August 2018 and apparently we're one of the two cruises going to Glacier Bay but we're originally weren't supposed to. When we booked the cruise back in the summer of 2016, we were going to Tracy Arm Fjord, but the itinerary changed at the end of Nov in 2016 (about 5 months after we booked the cruise). Now I'm wondering why they changed the itinerary. Sounds to me like they somehow got an extra permit.

 

Those permits are precious. Think of it, with 60ish 'slots' in August and Princess/HAL/Carnival (one company) has over 50 of them. I wouldn't be shocked if CCL's decision to buy Princess years ago had that as part of the calculation. I think I vaguely remember American Cruise Lines buying there's in the last few years and paying jillions. Oh, and did you ever think about why Legend leaves port midweek when essentially all 7 day Carnival ships leave Sa/Su? :cool:

[Oceansaway17]

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.

 

 

I got off the Bliss 3 weeks ago and I will tell you the pools are not covered. On cool days no place to swim. And the Race Track has restrictions for kids under 10.

 

I would try RCI Ovation of the Seas. They have a covered pool, and Seaplex with all kinds of sports and free roller skating and bumper cars. Also have Northstar that goes up high to view the ocean.

I would pick Ovation of the Seas over the Bliss any day for Alaska. Also if you have kids, don't overlook Disney cruises to Alaska.

[AKfamily]

As someone who lives in Juneau and sees the long line of cruise ships docked downtown from the living room every day, all summer long, I also suggest investigating other cruise lines. I would also recommend looking into the much smaller lines like Uncruise. Depending on what you are expecting out of a cruise to Alaska, just recognize that your time in ports will not come close to adequate. The shortest times seem to come with Norwegian. The brand new Bliss is only in port from 7am-1pm this year. The Carnival ship does seem to stay all day, but it’s just he one ship. HAL and Princess have multiple ships a day most days. Also, please pay the bit extra to cruise in July or August! It’s just not summer until then.

[bingomamma19]

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.

 

We are doing the Legend on August 21st to Alaska this year. My mom, dd (12) and myself. We have only done the Carribean in the past, so will be interesting to see what it has to offer for my 12 year old.

 

We do have a premium balcony room (so excited to have booked that last year!!).

 

Will report back when we get back. Really, really looking forward to this.

 

BTW. Anyone recently back that has experienced post dry dock? How is it? I believe the pool is covered? Is that a decent sized area?

[Tapi]

Alaska is all about the itinerary. Respectfully, Carnival would be my last choice to go to Alaska. With only one ship, inconvenient mid week departure, roundtrip from Seattle which limits land exploration, and most sailings that don’t have permission to enter Glacier Bay, there are definitely much better alternatives out there.

 

Carnival is great in the Caribbean with so many ships and itineraries, but in Alaska, I would look at those cruise lines that do own that market, more specifically Princess and Holland America.

 

Alaska is one vacation which you’ll look back upon and recall everything that you did off the ship, but not so much what you did onboard the ship.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[bingomamma19]

Alaska is all about the itinerary. Respectfully, Carnival would be my last choice to go to Alaska. With only one ship, inconvenient mid week departure, roundtrip from Seattle which limits land exploration, and most sailings that don’t have permission to enter Glacier Bay, there are definitely much better alternatives out there.

 

Carnival is great in the Caribbean with so many ships and itineraries, but in Alaska, I would look at those cruise lines that do own that market, more specifically Princess and Holland America.

 

Alaska is one vacation which you’ll look back upon and recall everything that you did off the ship, but not so much what you did onboard the ship.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I am ok with the odd departure date (Tuesday) as I have 7 weeks of vacation each year, so very flexible with my time. I was even able to add on a week in Denver after the cruise to visit my oldest son (taking the Amtrak from dever through the rockies there to glenwood springs--another great spot). This whole trip is going to be amazing.

 

I love the Carnival experience for my cruises, and the price for 3 in a premium balcony was $4100 total. I found nothing near that when I was looking elsewhere. Even that is a lot of money, so we are going and planning on enjoying every minute of it--on and off the ship.

 

Hoping to spot some whales, see some culture and either take the train excursion or dog sledding excursion.

 

This trip will be incredible for me and my DD (12), we are taking my mom who is 77 and she wont want to do much off the ship anyway, looking for a couple of easy bus tours in some of the ports. This is a bucket list cruise for her and I am very happy to be able to do this for her and my dd to experience it together. A great lifetime of memories for all of us :) simple ones to magnificent ones all will be just as good.

Edited June 24, 2018 by bingomamma19

[jimbo5544]

I am ok with the odd departure date (Tuesday) as I have 7 weeks of vacation each year, so very flexible with my time. I was even able to add on a week in Denver after the cruise to visit my oldest son (taking the Amtrak from dever through the rockies there to glenwood springs--another great spot). This whole trip is going to be amazing.

 

I love the Carnival experience for my cruises, and the price for 3 in a premium balcony was $4100 total. I found nothing near that when I was looking elsewhere. Even that is a lot of money, so we are going and planning on enjoying every minute of it--on and off the ship.

 

Hoping to spot some whales, see some culture and either take the train excursion or dog sledding excursion.

 

This trip will be incredible for me and my DD (12), we are taking my mom who is 77 and she wont want to do much off the ship anyway, looking for a couple of easy bus tours in some of the ports. This is a bucket list cruise for her and I am very happy to be able to do this for her and my dd to experience it together. A great lifetime of memories for all of us :) simple ones to magnificent ones all will be just as good.

 

 

 

Alaska is a one of a kind experience from a cruising perspective. Come back after you do it and let us know your thoughts.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[xDisconnections]

Alaska is one vacation which you’ll look back upon and recall everything that you did off the ship, but not so much what you did onboard the ship.

 

That’s for sure!

 

Between all of our pre-cruise activities up by Anchorage and Girdwood, Glacier Bay, excursions such as helicopter flights and dog sledding on a glacier, and then post-cruise stayovers in Vancouver and Seattle, it was certainly very memorable for us and an overall fantastic trip.

 

It’ll be interesting to see how the glaciers and the scenery differ from Alaska and our upcoming cold weather cruise visiting Antarctica.

 

Whatever you choose, I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time and Alaska is magnificent.

[evandbob]

I agree with Jimbo that Alaska is indeed a one of a kind experience. Because we felt the same, we booked a week long land tour with a full 7 day southern cruise on Princess.

 

We have just as many good memories from the land portion as we do from the cruise. I believe the 7 day one way cruise gives you more options than the 7 day RT from Seattle, including of course, Glacier Bay.

 

Since Alaska was a once in a lifetime trip for us, we wanted to have a fuller experience - we have the same attitude about an upcoming African safari and a later Galapagos Island adventure. We'll do it once as best we can. If we thought we might be returning, then we would cut a few corners, but for a one time only shot - "we may never pass this way again".

[jimbo5544]

I agree with Jimbo that Alaska is indeed a one of a kind experience. Because we felt the same, we booked a week long land tour with a full 7 day southern cruise on Princess.

 

We have just as many good memories from the land portion as we do from the cruise. I believe the 7 day one way cruise gives you more options than the 7 day RT from Seattle, including of course, Glacier Bay.

 

Since Alaska was a once in a lifetime trip for us, we wanted to have a fuller experience - we have the same attitude about an upcoming African safari and a later Galapagos Island adventure. We'll do it once as best we can. If we thought we might be returning, then we would cut a few corners, but for a one time only shot - "we may never pass this way again".

 

 

True enough, I would spend as much time concentrating on a land portion (if you do one) as the cruise line. A lot of land packages just give you a small glimpse of what the area can offer. I would consider other options that while may be a tad eclectic, might be a better experience. It all depends on what you want. As example, their is a train that one can get on Vancouver which while not heavy on Alaska, can give a GREAT view of the area.

 

Oh Evanbob....Seales and Croft??

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[jsglow]

Because of schedule limitations, we were unable to add any land portion to our recent southbound. But we got such an incredible price that it really didn't matter as it was far from 'once in a lifetime'. I will take issue with the Juneau native above who said one should wait until July. Most folks traveling to Alaska aren't looking for swimsuit weather. Highs in May are often near 60, plenty warm enough for enjoyable sightseeing. An an added bonus, no bugs at least when we were there.

 

I'm sure we'll be back in retirement. I'd guess we'll likely consider northbound then tacking on a week or two of traveling inland on our own commencing in Anchorage.

[jsglow]

Alaska is all about the itinerary. Respectfully, Carnival would be my last choice to go to Alaska. With only one ship, inconvenient mid week departure, roundtrip from Seattle which limits land exploration, and most sailings that don’t have permission to enter Glacier Bay, there are definitely much better alternatives out there.

 

Carnival is great in the Caribbean with so many ships and itineraries, but in Alaska, I would look at those cruise lines that do own that market, more specifically Princess and Holland America.

 

Alaska is one vacation which you’ll look back upon and recall everything that you did off the ship, but not so much what you did onboard the ship.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I'm in agreement with Tapi here. I'll add one thought, especially if you have a Glacier Bay day. Pick a ship with an awesome, uncluttered top deck. Trust me.

[jsglow]

Well, it's not going to be Miracle. She's heading back to Miami in February 2020.

[Organized Chaos]

We're hoping to do our first Alaskan cruise within the next few years. Probably not our next cruise, but maybe the one after, if the stars align. While we'll certainly look for deals with a couple of the other lines that were mentioned here (Princess & HAL seem to be the top recommendations), I doubt we'll find a better price than Carnival when the time comes. And as a family on a tight budget, price is our number one deciding factor. If that means limiting ourselves to what amounts to only a couple of Glacier Bay possibilities, so be it, we can live with that. And we've enjoyed what Carnival has given us so far.

 

With all that said, now on to some questions. :) On our Carnival cruise two years ago, we stopped by the future cruise desk and spoke to the gentleman on duty. We talked about Alaska and he told us that prime whale watching season is in September? Would the rest of you agree? Seeing whales would be our #1 goal for an Alaskan cruise. Especially Orca (killer whales), which have been my son's favorite animal ever since he was little (he's 17 now). But seeing any whales would be awesome. We couldn't really consider a Fall Alaskan cruise before because of school, but he'll be graduating H.S. early, in January, so that'll no longer be a problem.

 

Glacier Bay would be another goal. I recognize that's limited on Carnival, but we'll keep that in mind when it comes time to book.

 

We've stayed in interior cabins so far and really don't have a problem with them. We've thought that maybe someday we'd splurge on a balcony. Let's say we got one for an Alaskan cruise. If we did Glacier Bay, or anywhere up there for that matter, is being on one side of the ship better than the other? Some people like to plan their balconies according to ports and being on the side facing a port, but when it comes to Glacier Bay, for instance, does it really matter? I don't mind going out on deck when there's something to see. And I like the idea of being out on deck and being able to move from one side to the other, forward & aft., so I'm not sure a balcony is best for us in that situation, but I just want to gather some info.

 

The scenery will be one of our biggest thrills. We love mountainous scenery, the Smoky Mountains is one of our favorite vacation spots. Again, as a family on a budget, we're not sure if we could even do any excursion. We'll sure try, but the scenery and the overall experience would probably be worth it to us. I'd love to do some of the adventurous stuff, but for us, an Alaskan cruise comes with two huge expenses. The cruise itself, for one. The other being just getting to home port. We're in the midwest, so it's a very long haul, and expensive one, just getting to port. Even longer than FL. But one thing I know I'd look forward to over the Caribbean is the cooler weather. Being from the midwest, I certainly wouldn't have a problem with Alaskan Fall weather. I'd much rather be in cool/cold temps than hot. And let me tell you, our humidity can choke a horse. ;p

 

We also would enjoy a more subdued passenger base that an Alaskan cruise would offer. We're not heavy drinkers or party animals...I did my fair share many moons ago and I'm past that. We like the fun atmosphere Carnival offers, but at times the wild ones are a bit too much. For those who have done a Carnival Alaskan cruise, are the activities available on board similar to that on a Caribbean cruise? Things like trivia, Playlist shows, general time-wasters at sea. Don't care about the casino, we don't really gamble.

 

Sorry this was so long. I love researching our vacations and didn't intend to start researching an Alaskan cruise for quite a while, but after reading this thread, it seemed like a great start. I appreciate the help and info.

[AKfamily]

recommendations)

 

With all that said, now on to some questions. :) On our Carnival cruise two years ago, we stopped by the future cruise desk and spoke to the gentleman on duty. We talked about Alaska and he told us that prime whale watching season is in September? Would the rest of you agree? Seeing whales would be our #1 goal for an Alaskan cruise. Especially Orca (killer whales), which have been my son's favorite animal ever since he was little (he's 17 now). But seeing any whales would be awesome. We couldn't really consider a Fall Alaskan cruise before because of school, but he'll be graduating H.S. early, in January, so that'll no longer be a problem.

 

Glacier Bay would be another goal. I recognize that's limited on Carnival, but we'll keep that in mind when it comes time to book.

 

We've stayed in interior cabins so far and really don't have a problem with them. We've thought that maybe someday we'd splurge on a balcony. Let's say we got one for an Alaskan cruise. If we did Glacier Bay, or anywhere up there for that matter, is being on one side of the ship better than the other? Some people like to plan their balconies according to ports and being on the side facing a port, but when it comes to Glacier Bay, for instance, does it really matter? I don't mind going out on deck when there's something to see. And I like the idea of being out on deck and being able to move from one side to the other, forward & aft., so I'm not sure a balcony is best for us in that situation, but I just want to gather some info.

 

The scenery will be one of our biggest thrills. We love mountainous scenery, the Smoky Mountains is one of our favorite vacation spots. Again, as a family on a budget, we're not sure if we could even do any excursion. We'll sure try, but the scenery and the overall experience would probably be worth it to us. I'd love to do some of the adventurous stuff, but for us, an Alaskan cruise comes with two huge expenses. The cruise itself, for one. The other being just getting to home port. We're in the midwest, so it's a very long haul, and expensive one, just getting to port. Even longer than FL. But one thing I know I'd look forward to over the Caribbean is the cooler weather. Being from the midwest, I certainly wouldn't have a problem with Alaskan Fall weather. I'd much rather be in cool/cold temps than hot. And let me tell you, our humidity can choke a horse. ;p

 

We also would enjoy a more subdued passenger base that an Alaskan cruise would offer. We're not heavy drinkers or party animals...I did my fair share many moons ago and I'm past that. We like the fun atmosphere Carnival offers, but at times the wild ones are a bit too much. For those who have done a Carnival Alaskan cruise, are the activities available on board similar to that on a Caribbean cruise? Things like trivia, Playlist shows, general time-wasters at sea. Don't care about the casino, we don't really gamble.

 

Sorry this was so long. I love researching our vacations and didn't intend to start researching an Alaskan cruise for quite a while, but after reading this thread, it seemed like a great start. I appreciate the help and info.

 

As an Alaskan in Juneau, I can tell you firsthand that whale season is NOT at peak in September! Humpbacks show up in March and stay all summer, and Orcas seem to show up in May, June, and July. I would never recommend coming up in September! If you are just cruising the southeast, be aware that it is a temperate rainforest. Fall is rainy, as is spring and sometimes summer. July and August are the best months. Cruises are extending the season every year, and you may find lower prices in April, May, and September. I don’t recommend going then just to save a few bucks. If your itinerary includes Tracy Arm, I feel as a local that it is comparable to Glacier Bay (on a smaller scale). I have been to Tracy Arm and don’t feel a need to go to the expense to get to Glacier Bay. So I don’t think that is a make or break reason to choose one cruise over another. The main thing to keep in mind with Alaska is your shore excursion budget. Excursions are quite pricey until here, and if you don’t get away from the port areas you will really be missing out on the full experience.

 

As for the side of the ship to book a cabin on, generally heading north the larger mountains will be on the starboard side, but the waterways are very narrow and you will have land quite close on both sides. Going into Ketchikan there is a large bit of open ocean crossing. Gulf of Alaska will be port side.

[Kamloops50]

I agree June ,July and August are the best months.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[banzaii]

Well, it's not going to be Miracle. She's heading back to Miami in February 2020.

 

 

 

A passenger just off Carnival Spirit after her Singapore dry dock has suggested that she will do a TP and Alaskan season in 2020 before she settles in to her new home base in Brisbane Australia.

 

 

One thing we did find out on board is that, before it home ports in Brisbane in 2020, Spirit will be doing a Trans Pacific cruise and an Alaskan season.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[jsglow]

Organized, many people will tell you that a balc for Alaska is the only way to go. I disagree. We had an OV and it was just fine. We enjoyed all the sights from the top deck where we could move around.

 

And while I can't speak for Fall, our weather in late May was perfectly fine. We even got our suits on one afternoon for the outdoor pool while docked in Juneau following our excursion. Beautiful sunny day, no wind, perhaps 65 but with the bright sun it was nice for an hour or two.

 

As others said, excursions are very expensive.

[Kamloops50]

This far out you shouldn’t even guess which ships will be in Alaska.

[Organized Chaos]

As an Alaskan in Juneau, I can tell you firsthand that whale season is NOT at peak in September! Humpbacks show up in March and stay all summer, and Orcas seem to show up in May, June, and July. I would never recommend coming up in September! If you are just cruising the southeast, be aware that it is a temperate rainforest. Fall is rainy, as is spring and sometimes summer. July and August are the best months. Cruises are extending the season every year, and you may find lower prices in April, May, and September. I don’t recommend going then just to save a few bucks. If your itinerary includes Tracy Arm, I feel as a local that it is comparable to Glacier Bay (on a smaller scale). I have been to Tracy Arm and don’t feel a need to go to the expense to get to Glacier Bay. So I don’t think that is a make or break reason to choose one cruise over another. The main thing to keep in mind with Alaska is your shore excursion budget. Excursions are quite pricey until here, and if you don’t get away from the port areas you will really be missing out on the full experience.

 

As for the side of the ship to book a cabin on, generally heading north the larger mountains will be on the starboard side, but the waterways are very narrow and you will have land quite close on both sides. Going into Ketchikan there is a large bit of open ocean crossing. Gulf of Alaska will be port side.

Oh wow, so that guy was way off. Ideally, we'd love to spot some from the ship, but would try to take a smaller whale watching tour somewhere. I don't know about the Mrs., but I don't think I'd mind the rainy weather if it meant seeing whales. I think our son would feel the same. Although, it would certainly put a damper on my photography. I just looked at another site and it says prime time for Orcas is early May to early June, but can be seen throughout the summer. As much as my boy loves Orcas, I want to give him the best chance possible. This would be a once in a lifetime experience for us.

 

We've never seen glaciers in person, so no matter where we see one, I'm sure it'd be amazing. We'll keep your advice in mind for sure. Thank you for the info.

[Organized Chaos]

Organized, many people will tell you that a balc for Alaska is the only way to go. I disagree. We had an OV and it was just fine. We enjoyed all the sights from the top deck where we could move around.

 

And while I can't speak for Fall, our weather in late May was perfectly fine. We even got our suits on one afternoon for the outdoor pool while docked in Juneau following our excursion. Beautiful sunny day, no wind, perhaps 65 but with the bright sun it was nice for an hour or two.

 

As others said, excursions are very expensive.

Yeah, I feel the same way about a balcony. It hasn't been something we've been dying to get. I have been perfectly content going out on deck when pulling into (Caribbean) ports. I'm not sure that I want to worry about which side is best or be disappointed if we're on one side and something better to see is on the other side. We spend such little time in our cabin as it is. A balcony would just be a luxury for us. If we were to do one, Alaska is probably the best time. I don't like sitting outside and sweating, it's not relaxing to me, so I haven't gone out on deck just to sit for long periods of time on our Caribbean cruises. Maybe having a "private" outdoor space in much cooler weather would change that.

 

Did you spot any whales from the ship when you went in May?

[Organized Chaos]

This far out you shouldn’t even guess which ships will be in Alaska.

I don't think they're trying to guess which ships will be in Alaska. Since Carnival only sails one ship there, they're trying to figure out which one will replace the Legend when it's repositioned to Tampa next year.

[copperjessie]

I was on Carnival Legend August 2016 and I loved it. My PVP said the 2020 cruises should be up by the end of September 2018. I hope so because I'm planning a cruise to Hawaii for that year. I really want to do Carnival because all but one cruise is with them. I love Carnival and want to increase my rewards with them.