Best Alaska Trip for Family with Teen

[Dust2]

Please help me decide between these 2 trips to Alaska in July 2026. We are a family of 3 traveling with a 16 year-old and want to ensure that everyone has fun. It seems like Princess would be more immersive, but formal. The NCL trip wouldn't see as much, but trends younger and is more casual which we prefer. The total price is similar; however, the one-way would cost more in airfare. We have similar rooms and packages on both, except NCL has 3 dining credits, Princess has 2 informal credits, Princess includes specialty coffee, NCL doesn't. We will be purchasing the thermal suite and lightly attend shows and entertainment offerings. Mostly, we enjoy watching the scenery, thermal suites, and eating. We have to travel in early July due to sports commitments. Thank you for your advice

Discovery Princess One-Way Vancouver to Whittier
Date Jul 04, 2026 Vancouver Departure 04:00pm
Date Jul 05, 2026 Cruising
Date Jul 06, 2026 Ketchikan Arrival 06:00am Departure 02:00pm
Date Jul 07, 2026 Juneau Arrival 08:00am Departure 09:00pm
Date Jul 08, 2026 Skagway Arrival 07:00am Departure 08:30pm
Date Jul 09, 2026 Glacier Bay Arrival 06:00am Departure 03:00pm
Date Jul 10, 2026 College Fjord Arrival 06:00pm Departure 08:30pm
Date Jul 11, 2026 Whittier Arrival 12:30am

or

NCL Encore RT from Seattle
Date Jul 05, 2026 Seattle Departure 04:00pm
Date Jul 06, 2026 Cruising
Date Jul 07, 2026 Juneau Arrival 02:30pm Departure 10:00pm
Date Jul 08, 2026 Skagway Arrival 06:00am Departure 08:00pm
Date Jul 09, 2026 Glacier Bay (times not listed)
Date Jul 10, 2026 Ketchikan Arrival 07:00am Departure 01:15pm
Date Jul 11, 2026 Victoria/Canada Arrival 08:00pm Departure 11:59pm
Jul 12, 2026 Seattle 07:00am (A)

 

[MrMarcus]

I have done Disney several times RT from Vancouver, and once on Princess going the opposite direction (Whittier back to Vancouver) after a land portion.

For what is listed, I would go the one-way on Princess. The bulk of the ports are similar, and both hit Glacier Bay.
I had a colleague do the round trip from Seattle, and her feedback was that given the late arrival that Victoria just checked a box for a stop outside the US -- at least for them there was not much to do in Victoria in the evening, but it was a Sunday night.
Given the choice, I would rather continue one-way than seeing the same scenery on the way back.

 

[mjkacmom]

We love NCL, but I’ve heard princess is better for Alaska.

 

[Disnsyncey]

One way is always more "experience" of "value" to me than RT with all the wasted time at sea.....and with the one way, you can do the 26 Glacier cruise in Whittier as well as an extension to Denali!

The train is the best way to Anchorage from the coast, but I hope you can keep going the next day up to Denali!

And Princess is amazing for Alaska

 

[Dust2]

One way is always more "experience" of "value" to me than RT with all the wasted time at sea.....and with the one way, you can do the 26 Glacier cruise in Whittier as well as an extension to Denali!

The train is the best way to Anchorage from the coast, but I hope you can keep going the next day up to Denali!

And Princess is amazing for Alaska

Unfortunately we have to head home and can only spend one night in Alaska once the cruise is over. Would you spend the day in Whittier to take the evening train to Anchorage or would you take the earlier bus and spend the day in Anchorage instead? From what I hear, the only train option is in the evening.

 

[LAX]

From what I have read during my research, Princess (and HAL) often have access to more desirable docks at most Alaskan ports (ie: closer to town).

LAX

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

I'd choose the Princess cruise over the NCL just by looking at the port times. Ketchikan is such a fun place and I'd be upset having to be back so early. Some of the other ports are longer but you're there so late, most people would want to be back on the ship well before then. Would anything even be open in Victoria that late? A good friend of mine cruised the Encore a few years ago and she agrees about the odd/short times, plus added that having to bus in from another place at some ports (I don't remember which ones) was a pain and she'd never do that one again.

Editing to add that Vancouver is a beautiful city and I'd absolutely recommend tacking on a day or two to explore.

 

[LAX]

I'd choose the Princess cruise over the NCL just by looking at the port times. Ketchikan is such a fun place and I'd be upset having to be back so early. Some of the other ports are longer but you're there so late, most people would want to be back on the ship well before then. Would anything even be open in Victoria that late? A good friend of mine cruised the Encore a few years ago and she agrees about the odd/short times, plus added that having to bus in from another place at some ports (I don't remember which ones) was a pain and she'd never do that one again.

The port stop at Victoria for Alaskan cruises leaving/returning to Seattle is really nothing more than an obligatory stop.

LAX

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

The port stop at Victoria for Alaskan cruises leaving/returning to Seattle is really nothing more than an obligatory stop.

LAX

Which is a shame as there's a beautiful botanical garden there.

 

[Disnsyncey]

Unfortunately we have to head home and can only spend one night in Alaska once the cruise is over. Would you spend the day in Whittier to take the evening train to Anchorage or would you take the earlier bus and spend the day in Anchorage instead? From what I hear, the only train option is in the evening.

Since the 26 glacier cruise gives you time to explore a bit of Whittier and take the cruise, I would take the later train, if you want to go with the gold star service, it is usually better than the cruise ship train option (I don't know how the Whittier side works, but Seward has a cruise ship train). I know that the 26 glacier cruise will be less expensive than any "glacier explorer" excursions from the cruise ship on your glacier day (and its 5 1/4 hours!), and in Seward, the tour/boat cruise there has been one of my favorite parts of my cruises to Alaska....

If you go directly back to Anchorage, you might be able to do the state park or so, but nothing as grand as the glaciers near Whittier.....

And the bus can't go to the places the train can, it's a more neat experience...

 

[Disnsyncey]

Which is a shame as there's a beautiful botanical garden there.

when I did RCL southbound from Seward, we took the direct bus right from the cruise ship terminal to Victoria and we did the gardens the next day.....it was a nice relaxing weekend and the airport was way less crazy too!

 

[Disnsyncey]

in case you needed it....

https://phillipscruises.com/26-glacier-cruise/

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

If I ever do an Alaska cruise, that one way Princess is exactly what I'd be looking at. Plus I'd add a week land based once the cruise is over, for Denali and other areas.

 

[Disnsyncey]

If I ever do an Alaska cruise, that one way Princess is exactly what I'd be looking at. Plus I'd add a week land based once the cruise is over, for Denali and other areas.

I did a week and a half (1 week cruise and half a week on the coast) my first time, and then the next time I HAD to go north, we did Denali and Seward for longer making a week on land and a week on the ship, the land parts were the best part of the trip

 

[ilovebassets]

That NCL itinerary is rough especially Ketchikan and Victoria.. Victoria is a lovely city, but being there from 8pm-12pm isn't very helpful. (As someone else said, it's an obligatory stop at a foreign port to satisfy legal requirements.) NCL docks quite far outside of town in Ketchikan. The usable amount of time you will have there is minimal if you leave at 1:15pm. You'll have to board for being back to the boat before noon.

That's quite a late Juneau arrival--not impossible to still have a great day though.

 

[LAX]

Which is a shame as there's a beautiful botanical garden there.

Agreed. There are plenty of things to see and do in Victoria that it can be turned into a proper stop. But if there wasn't a requirement, it won't even be part of most Alaskan itineraries.

LAX

 

[jimmymc]

A few questions:

Would you spend any time in Alaska after the cruise ended, or fly home that same day?
What are your plans in port? Do you just want to see the towns, or are you budgeting for big excursions?

Princess will let you see more of Alaska and has better port times and dock locations, but I can almost guarantee the 16 year old would enjoy the NCL Encore more during your ship time.

If you plan on going big on excursions and spending those days entirely off the ship, go for princess. If you want a bit more time on the ship with better entertainment and specialty dining options, go for NCL.

 

[Dust2]

Thank you for your response! We can only spend one night after the cruise ends before we need to fly home. We will prioritize excursions in port and want to see as much of Alaska as possible. We are leaning towards Princess due to time in port/preferred docking locations as well as Alaskan food/activities on board. I’m afraid that NCL will nickel and dime us and that the kids focused activities (go carts/waterslides) won’t be open for the majority of the cruise.

 

[ljhayes]

We chose Princess for our Alaska cruise next summer with a 12 and 16 year old. While they likely would enjoy the Disney or NCL ships more, we are prioritizing the sights/ports and Princess had the best options we thought. Disney potentially could have swayed me, despite a terrible itinerary, if the prices weren't more than twice that of Princess.

 

[Marthasor]

I would do the one that will allow you to see the most of Alaska during the cruise which seems to be Princess. I have a DS17 and we have taken all kinds of cruises (Windstar, Lindblad, Ama, Ponant, DCL, NCL, etc.) at all different ages - we always find something to do to entertain him. For me, seeing Alaska would be more important than having any type of bells and whistles on the ship.