Princess to Alaska

[latebuyer]

I’m debating to take a cruise to alaska via princess or royal caribbean. The royal caribbean cruise is cheaper so i’m inclined to take that. However i’ve heard princess has special events and even dinners specific to alaska. Is that the case? Also is the food better on princess vs. Royal caribbean? The cruises both go to hubbard, although royal caribbean goes to tracy arm too. I’m also interested if princess ever puts excursions on sale.

[1025cruise]

Princess goes to Glacier Bay. Royal doesn't. For me, that's a big factor in my next Alaska cruise.

[latebuyer]

Thanks. I should have mentioned i’ve bern to glacier bay already and was interested going to a different glaciet.

[Italy52]

After reading your post, it sounds like you are looking at cost vs the experience.  I have cruised with both lines and can answer a couple of questions:

 

Based on my experience with the two lines I can tell you that I have never seen a Princess excursion to Alaska discounted.  Royal has discounted some excursions  on my itinerary but nothing that I was interesting in.  Also, the discount was not that significant.  If you are interested in a particular excursion I can check my itinerary and see if a discount is listed.

 

Food is subjective so I won't comment on that.  Besides, we are light eaters and usually go to the buffet -- we usually manage to find something and have never gone away hungry.

 

Yes, Princess does have more Alaska based activities and Alaska themed food.  I suggest that you go to the Princess.com homepage, scroll down to where it mentions Alaska and click on that entry --- you will find Alaska specific information that will be of value in helping you decide which line to take. 

 

Alaska has something for everyone and each line does it differently.  If $$$ matter more too you then go with that.  If you are looking for the Alaska experience, you might want to go with Princess. 

 

Good luck to you.

 

 

 

 

[clan]

I agree with Italy 52's comments.  Princess usually has some special events and sometimes special foods.  Last season they had a "Wild for Alaska Seafood" promotion.  If you look on the Princess website under the news articles, you can read about it.  The article is dated March 30, 2022.  I don't know how the food was, for I didn't cruise to Alaska this year.  Perhaps someone who did will comment.  Also don't know if this will be repeated in the future.  They also have a "North to Alaska" program where they bring people on board with puppies, or demonstrating crafts, etc. Look on the Princess web site, as suggested above.

 

I've never seen Princess discount the excursion prices.  They often go up in price as the cruise gets closer.

[Sea Hag]

1 hour ago, latebuyer said:

Thanks. I should have mentioned i’ve bern to glacier bay already and was interested going to a different glaciet.

We've gone down Tracy Arm several times and only once got reasonably close to the glacier. Too much ice in the water all the other times. That one time was pretty good.

 

We went down Endicott arm back in August of this year, and it was a huge nothing burger. When we got to where we could see the glacier, way out in the distance, the sun was coming up over the mountains and that pretty well blinded us out of seeing the glacier well at all. The ship then turned around and left Endicott. 

 

We've been to Glacier Bay some number of times, can't remember what, and that's varied. I think the worst day there was better than any of the others.

 

I don't want to discourage you from trying for another glacier viewing, but that's how it's been for us. I booked us on a May 2024 cruise that goes to both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier. I'm hoping for a better viewing experience on that cruise. Haven't been to Hubbard yet.

[latebuyer]

Thanks everyone. Yes it really is cost vs. experience. With royal caribbean i have a cruise credit. Princess price is a fairly good deal as low single supplement but not as cheap. As Sea Hag says there is no guarantee with tracy arm. I would go end of june but that is still fairly early in the season. Princess cruise also goes to icy strait which i haven’t been to. I thought the food was better on princess but i don’t really know.

[Sea Hag]

20 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Thanks everyone. Yes it really is cost vs. experience. With royal caribbean i have a cruise credit. Princess price is a fairly good deal as low single supplement but not as cheap. As Sea Hag says there is no guarantee with tracy arm. I would go end of june but that is still fairly early in the season. Princess cruise also goes to icy strait which i haven’t been to. I thought the food was better on princess but i don’t really know.

We went to icy strait for the first time in August of this year, and we really liked it! Loved the tram that goes up the mountain, and we got to go on a short hike, lead by a guy with a rifle in case of bears. 

[Italy52]

Icy Strait is one of our favorite ports -- small, simple and serene.  We usually opt for Glacier Wind's whale watching tour -- great independent vendor and well run company.  Icy Strait is one of those "love it or hate it" types of ports.  We happen to love it.  Here is a link that will provide you with port information:  https://icystraitpoint.com/.

[Cruise Raider]

We’ve cruised on Royal Caribbean (not to Alaska) and on Princess rather extensively, including Alaska.  
I would usually just go with Princess as they cruise out of my home port.  However, we truly enjoyed Royal Caribbean in the past.  
 

Things Princess does better:  

- the food is so much better than on RCCL

- the beds are so much nicer than on RCCL

- the open closet design is better than on RCCL 

- OBC is combinable with most promotions 

- packages offer a better deal if you are going to use them 

and yes, The North to Alaska program is fantastic.  They offer special food items in the dining rooms, most notably, the Alaskan cod was out of this world.  
They bring on naturalists and special shows (Alaskan native dancers, Iditarod dogs and mushers, a Tlingit totem pole carver, puppies in the piazza, etc).  

 

Things RCCL does better:  

- rooms are larger and we’ve always had a couch

- entertainment such as ice skating, etc  (I suppose that can vary) 

- some older ships are better maintained and a the designs of the newer ships is a bit more interesting (IMO) 

 

Alaska cruises tend to be pricier .. so, I usually go for the best bargain but would also take the ports of call into account.  It’s a hard call to make for someone else, but we’d probably go for the less expensive pricing with all things considered.  Of course, for us, it’s a no brainer because we have no transportation or lodging costs if we cruise out of SF and that means it’s almost always Princess.  
 

As others have mentioned, Princess does not discount their excursions unless you have a top tier status, then, they are 10% off the stated price.  But, Alaska has so many things to do and see that don’t require a ship’s excursion and you can save some $$ there.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[latebuyer]

Wow thanks for that detailed summary. Its really tough as the other consideration is the princess cruise i'm looking at is a 10 day cruise (more are 10 days out of vancouver) vs. 7 day cruise on Royal caribbean and i'm not sure i want to take 2 weeks off work. I did get 35% off some excursions on royal caribbean which is good with a flash sale. I was able to book the bering fisherman's tour which i understand is popular. But still. I may see if princess has one of their obc specials as a solo traveller i get double obc. Arrghh. The special alaska stuff sounds really nice. Plus the royal caribbean cruise is the summer whereas the princess one is in the spring and i heard the skagway train excursion can be nice with the snow on the mountains. I am disappointed royal caribbean doesn't have better food too. My parents just went on a cruise with them and they weren't impressed either. Its hard to decide! For me food is important too. 

[latebuyer]

Is there someone who can point me to princess’s covid policy? I’m wondering what happens if you get covid on board.

[Rick&Jeannie]

You may have already seen this...

 

https://www.princess.com/plan/cruise-with-confidence/cruise-health/

[nini]

34 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Is there someone who can point me to princess’s covid policy? I’m wondering what happens if you get covid on board.

That has been a moving target since cruising started up. Each ship could be different and I have read that some will recently allow you to quarantine in your toom. However, then there are the policies of EACH different country.

[latebuyer]

Thanks. This is alaska so in the states. As long as i can quarantine onboard since i’d hate to be stranded in a small alaskan town. The website doesn’t say much. 

[Griff4AU]

Alaska is the one destination where I often encourage folks to "NOT" book based on your "comfort level cruise line". Alaska is different and some folks just do Alaska better. Many frequent Alaska cruisers (I've only cruised Alaska 2 times so I am not an expert) have a Top 2 or Top 3 to Alaska list...  And I have never seen Royal on anyone's top to Alaska list. I really like the cruise line... but I just don't think they do Alaska as well as some others.

Princess seems to be on many people's Top to Alaska list, as does HAL and X.

[nini]

We have been to three glaciers on Princess and all were amazing; Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier (my favorite), and Sawyer Glacier which is at the end of the Tracy Arm Fjord.