Which ship to Alaska?

[Harrylinden]

Which cruise ship is best in Alaska.What to plan a land and sea cruise next July or august and want to know which ship is best?

[Aquahound]

Its hard to say what ship is best because we don't know what you're looking for regarding on-board amenities.  Holland America is a good Alaska line, but is very lacking in activities.  Royal Caribbean excels in activities, but doesn't hit Glacier Bay.  Lot of lines in between.

 

I recommend a one-way cruise....one that starts or ends in Alaska.  This will allow a land vacation before or after.  Personally, I prefer before.  That way, you can get all the active stuff out of the way, and then relax on the cruise.  The major cruise lines embark in Seward and Whittier.  

Edited August 4, 2020 by Aquahound

[Sir PMP]

1 hour ago, Harrylinden said:

Which cruise ship is best in Alaska.What to plan a land and sea cruise next July or august and want to know which ship is best?

The Ms. Amsterdam..

[VMax1700]

16 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

The Ms. Amsterdam..

Totally unhelpful answer.  The question reads 'which ship is best' not, 'which ship was best'.

There is no reason to suggest a ship that is no longer in the fleet.

[Himself]

36 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

The Ms. Amsterdam..

Before it left the fleet the m.s. Amsterdam was to do the Montreal-Boston run.

[Cruise Suzy]

2 hours ago, Harrylinden said:

Which cruise ship is best in Alaska.What to plan a land and sea cruise next July or august and want to know which ship is best?

 

I would choose by itinerary. To me that affects my enjoyment far more than what ship I am on. Are you doing the land portion DIY or planning a combined land-sea package?

 

If doing DIY, then you only need to look at which ships include the ports/glaciers you prefer. Some include Hubbard Glacier; some include Glacier National Park.  Also look at the amount of time spent in ports.

 

If doing the combo package, then you need to also consider which of the many offerings spends the amount of time you prefer in the cities/parks you prefer. Sometimes the land portion that best fits your needs/wants is not paired with the cruise that is best for you. Only you can decide whether the land or sea portion is more important.

 

For me, only when I have decided what itineraries I am willing to consider can I begin looking at the differences in ships.

 

No matter what ship you sail, you will enjoy your Alaskan land-sea vacation - or vacations if you decide there are more places to visit than can be done next year.

[vicd1969]

As OP intends to do a land and cruise vacation next year, the itineraries that are Anchorage - Vancouver or Vancouver - Anchorage would be the best fit. Both Princess and HAL have somewhat similar itineraries (both hit Hubbard and Glacier Bay southbound, and Glacier Bay and College Fjord northbound).  For 2021, HAL has 2 ships for these itineraries: Nieuw Amsterdam and Noordam. Princess has 4 ships: Royal Princess, Sapphire Princess, Star Princess, and Coral Princess. If you choose HAL, I would recommend Nieuw Amsterdam as it's slightly newer and has the Tamarind restaurant. If you go with Princess, it depends on what kind of ship you want - Royal Princess is pretty modern but very large (over 3000 passengers), Coral Princess seems to have the best reviews for Alaska but is smaller. Also, Southbound itineraries are more popular and priced accordingly - the same ship could cost $50-$200 more for a southbound trip vs a northbound trip in the same month.

[Aquahound]

3 minutes ago, vicd1969 said:

As OP intends to do a land and cruise vacation next year, the itineraries that are Anchorage - Vancouver or Vancouver - Anchorage would be the best fit. Both Princess and HAL have somewhat similar itineraries (both hit Hubbard and Glacier Bay southbound, and Glacier Bay and College Fjord northbound).  For 2021, HAL has 2 ships for these itineraries: Nieuw Amsterdam and Noordam. Princess has 4 ships: Royal Princess, Sapphire Princess, Star Princess, and Coral Princess. If you choose HAL, I would recommend Nieuw Amsterdam as it's slightly newer and has the Tamarind restaurant. If you go with Princess, it depends on what kind of ship you want - Royal Princess is pretty modern but very large (over 3000 passengers), Coral Princess seems to have the best reviews for Alaska but is smaller. Also, Southbound itineraries are more popular and priced accordingly - the same ship could cost $50-$200 more for a southbound trip vs a northbound trip in the same month.

 

Good advice, but just one correction.  Those ships are sailing out of Whittier.  I don't think any major lines hit Anchorage anymore.   

[vicd1969]

Just now, Aquahound said:

 

Good advice, but just one correction.  Those ships are sailing out of Whittier.  I don't think any major lines hit Anchorage anymore.   

True. I was trying to be a bit more broad in my interpretation of the Anchorage area for the OP.  Whittier vs Seward is another topic for discussion lol.

[Jammu2]

I agree with the others. My favorites for this cruise would be Coral Princess or NA.

[lcand1923]

Don't know how much research you have done, but you may want to consider reading "Alaska by Cruise Ship" by Anne Vipond.

The book contains a wealth of information that should help you decide what ports/activities you want to pursue.  After you have decided that, you can then sift through the Cruise Lines to find the itinerary that works best for you.  After that, you can decide on the ship.  Alaska has so much to see and do that you will want to take full advantage of your time.

[ellbelle]

2 hours ago, vicd1969 said:

True. I was trying to be a bit more broad in my interpretation of the Anchorage area for the OP.  Whittier vs Seward is another topic for discussion lol.

HAL is using Whittier now which is disappointing as we love Seward. I think this info posted by a shoreside employee who stated HAL wanted to streamline the shoreside help. 

[Aquahound]

2 hours ago, ellbelle said:

HAL is using Whittier now which is disappointing as we love Seward. I think this info posted by a shoreside employee who stated HAL wanted to streamline the shoreside help. 

 

I agree.   Whittier is a cool little town, for about 10 minutes.  There's so much more to see and do in Seward.

 

That said, the 26 Glaciers cruise in Whittier is excellent.  

 

[Harrylinden]

Thank's Everyone.We have decided to go with the Coral Princess Southbound with a land first then cruise!  

[lcand1923]

20 hours ago, Harrylinden said:

Thank's Everyone.We have decided to go with the Coral Princess Southbound with a land first then cruise!  

You will be happy with your choice.  I've done Alaska Land and Sea with HAL and Princess.  They were both good.