Cruising Alaska, not with Disney?

[brentm77]

We are going with Celebrity, but don't sail until August. We gave up Glacier Bay in exchange for going with the DCL alternative that looks like the best fit for our cruise likes and dislikes. If we love it, we will try another line sometime just to see Glacier Bay. There is a common opinion that in places like Europe and Alaska, it's about the view/ports, so don't worry about the ship. But that wasn't our experience in Europe - we spent enough time on the ship, particularly relaxing in the evenings, that we still liked being on a ship we loved. That's why we didn't venture too far from DCL when picking a line for Alaska. But we were ready to try something different than DCL.

On Celebrity, we were able to get two concierge verandah rooms for less than one regular verandah on DCL, which is going to be nice with our two children in college now. (Note the concierge on Celebrity is even less impressive than DCL's unimpressive concierge). I actually don't mind sharing a room on DCL, but we have other trips together this year and it will be nice to have some alone time too and let the kids enjoy doing there thing without waking us if we go to bed earlier. It is on the Celebrity Edge, which is a fairly new ship that seems to be well liked. The initial reviews in Alaska, since this the Edge only sailed there for the first time two weeks ago, are very positive.

I would actually prefer to cruise out of Vancouver, which DCL does, because it looks like a great city, but it worked out well to sail out of Seattle for airline ticket purposes. They were direct flights and much less money. We also get to visit Victoria on Celebrity, which we wouldn't get on DCL, so that's a win.

We will see, but what we think we will like about Celebrity is the service level, less Vegas feel than some lines, no indoor smoking, and good food. It also looks to have a calmer feel, which we prefer to high-energy and high-activities. I haven't taken an alternative cruise to DCL since I was much younger, so it will be interesting to see how much we like it.

But, if you have young ones going, and/or want the DCL vibe, you might want to go with DCL if Glacier Bay isn't important to you. If Glacier Bay is important, Princess has been doing it the longest and, if I remember correctly, doesn't have the environmental problems NCL has had in Alaska.

 

[auntlynne]

@brentm77 your post egged me on to the Celebrity website. I wanted to see if they included a stop in Victoria that was early- and long- enough to get to Butchart Gardens. But, no.

We use Seattle for air even if cruising from Vancouver, just to use our Amex companion ticket (domestic flights only). Only our original AK cruise from Vancouver got a flight there. But also enjoy Seattle, itself. I’ve sailed from both, depending on dates and deals.

My eyes nearly popped out when I saw the price for the 7-N Edge cruise. Lowest price of June 21 was $25K pp, but it was The Retreat. Other cabins full.

Another date $4K pp. Kept scrolling - and found <$3K pp Concierge (anything lower was booked).

So funny to read that the Concierge would be less impressive than DCL’s. Does it not include something like an exclusive restaurant, drinks, a private grill/ casual dining?

Travel with kids is such a different decision tree. The girls didn’t start cruising until the youngest was almost 12. The clubs were not a factor in deciding on ships. I think one used them when we did an EBTA - just before age 17 and very little organized onboard activities outside the kids’ clubs (and no sibling along for playing together).

I recommend Glacier Bay to people, but I don’t require it for myself. I have Hubbard Glacier as my computer screen saver. Other than the impressive number of glaciers at College Fjord, I tend to forget what I saw where. It’s all good. If the glacier isn’t impressive, the fjord cruise to get there often is (like Dawe’s Glacier).

 

[auntlynne]

We have cruised in Alaska twice, once on RCCL, and once on Princess. On Princess we then took the land tour by train and bus to Denali and that was exquisite!

This year we’re taking RCCL again, this time out of Seattle. I think Alaska is so beautiful, it really doesn’t matter what cruise line takes you there. We’re going out of Seattle because we want time in Washington State, 3 nights before to see Mount Rainier NP, and 3 nights after to see Olympic NP.

The other times we cruised out of Vancouver and we spent time exploring British Columbia. We want to see more than “just” Alaska if we have travelled so far!

My sister is doing a similar vacation on Cunard next month - OP pre-cruise, Rainier afterward. The cruise part just happens to be out of Vancouver, so it’s a fun train ride from Seattle to Vancouver, too.

So many options that it’s easy to return for more AK cruises.

Hope your recent cruise was great.

 

[Mango7100]

@brentm77 your post egged me on to the Celebrity website. I wanted to see if they included a stop in Victoria that was early- and long- enough to get to Butchart Gardens. But, no.

We use Seattle for air even if cruising from Vancouver, just to use our Amex companion ticket (domestic flights only). Only our original AK cruise from Vancouver got a flight there. But also enjoy Seattle, itself. I’ve sailed from both, depending on dates and deals.

My eyes nearly popped out when I saw the price for the 7-N Edge cruise. Lowest price of June 21 was $25K pp, but it was The Retreat. Other cabins full.

Another date $4K pp. Kept scrolling - and found <$3K pp Concierge (anything lower was booked).

So funny to read that the Concierge would be less impressive than DCL’s. Does it not include something like an exclusive restaurant, drinks, a private grill/ casual dining?

Travel with kids is such a different decision tree. The girls didn’t start cruising until the youngest was almost 12. The clubs were not a factor in deciding on ships. I think one used them when we did an EBTA - just before age 17 and very little organized onboard activities outside the kids’ clubs (and no sibling along for playing together).

I recommend Glacier Bay to people, but I don’t require it for myself. I have Hubbard Glacier as my computer screen saver. Other than the impressive number of glaciers at College Fjord, I tend to forget what I saw where. It’s all good. If the glacier isn’t impressive, the fjord cruise to get there often is (like Dawe’s Glacier).

Celebrity Concierge is different than the Retreat which is their ship with a ship concept. Retreat gets you private restaurant, lounge, pool and sundeck, butler, etc. Concierge gets you a private embarkation lunch, better room service breakfast, some snacks in your room, etc. but not a whole bunch other perks. We are doing Concierge on the Beyond in July but mainly because they had an opening when the regular verandah rooms were sold out. It was very close in price to what the verandahs typically go for. I would not pay extra for Concierge if a regular verandah in a decent location was open

 

[brentm77]

@brentm77 your post egged me on to the Celebrity website. I wanted to see if they included a stop in Victoria that was early- and long- enough to get to Butchart Gardens. But, no.

We use Seattle for air even if cruising from Vancouver, just to use our Amex companion ticket (domestic flights only). Only our original AK cruise from Vancouver got a flight there. But also enjoy Seattle, itself. I’ve sailed from both, depending on dates and deals.

My eyes nearly popped out when I saw the price for the 7-N Edge cruise. Lowest price of June 21 was $25K pp, but it was The Retreat. Other cabins full.

Another date $4K pp. Kept scrolling - and found <$3K pp Concierge (anything lower was booked).

So funny to read that the Concierge would be less impressive than DCL’s. Does it not include something like an exclusive restaurant, drinks, a private grill/ casual dining?

Travel with kids is such a different decision tree. The girls didn’t start cruising until the youngest was almost 12. The clubs were not a factor in deciding on ships. I think one used them when we did an EBTA - just before age 17 and very little organized onboard activities outside the kids’ clubs (and no sibling along for playing together).

I recommend Glacier Bay to people, but I don’t require it for myself. I have Hubbard Glacier as my computer screen saver. Other than the impressive number of glaciers at College Fjord, I tend to forget what I saw where. It’s all good. If the glacier isn’t impressive, the fjord cruise to get there often is (like Dawe’s Glacier).

They actually have an excursion to the gardens, which we have booked. I think they light it up at night, plus you have the later sunsets.

Crazy that prices have gone up that much. It wasn't cheap for us, but around 4k per cabin, double occupy, which was less expensive than one verandah room on DCL for four people. The poster above mentioned what comcearige includes. You really are just paying for a better location on the ship and a few very small perks. Their real comcearige, which they call Retreat, is more money, but not the huge markup of DCL usually.

 

[auntlynne]

@Mango7100 and @brentm77 Thanks for the primer on levels. I look up a lot of cruise info, but I haven’t delved deeply into some of the other lines. … I just looked to see if they were also the ones with Aqua Class. Yes. Concierge, the Retreat, and Aqua Class. I guess offer little bits of specialness for not so much $ extra?

@brentm77 - nice that the arrival 2 hours earlier than most ships have is affording you a trip to the Gardens. It was one of many highlights my niece and I enjoyed post-cruise on a Southbound AK. I took so many photos of roses - both there and at the Fairmont Empress.

 

[BalooLibLady]

Why not Disney? Glacier Bay, College Fjord, and traveling through the heart of AK by train.

A sampling. Taken from the cruise ship, not an excursion. Everyone got to be this close. A July cruise.

Glacier Bay

View attachment 862478View attachment 862479

Glacier calving:

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College Fjord, a real gem in Prince William Sound; visited in a Northbound itinerary

We were 1/2 mile from this glacier

View attachment 862481

Denali, highest mountain in US, as seen from train (Anchorage to Fairbanks)

View attachment 862482

Views from the train

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So what cruise line was this? We would be very interested in a Rail tour of Alaska before or after a cruise.

 

[auntlynne]

So what cruise line was this? We would be very interested in a Rail tour of Alaska before or after a cruise.

I did a Princess cruise. Vancouver to Whittier (for Anchorage).

The rail part of our trip was done independently. After the cruise, we stayed in Anchorage overnight, ante ant favorite restaurants, and caught the early morning train from Anchorage to Fairbanks. One overnight there and then a red eye flight back home.

Sometimes, we just squeeze in whatever fun we can in limited vacation time.

Princess has its own lodges in the AK interior. Holland America, Royal Caribbean, maybe Celebrity all offer “cruisetours” which package a cruise with a land package. It’s been going on for decades.

If I had the time and money, I would consider doing one of these packages. So much beauty to see in both the Inside Passage cruise portion and Denali (just seeing the mountain was wonderful.). The actual park is humongous.

 

[Dug720]

Celebrity Concierge is different than the Retreat which is their ship with a ship concept. Retreat gets you private restaurant, lounge, pool and sundeck, butler, etc. Concierge gets you a private embarkation lunch, better room service breakfast, some snacks in your room, etc. but not a whole bunch other perks. We are doing Concierge on the Beyond in July but mainly because they had an opening when the regular verandah rooms were sold out. It was very close in price to what the verandahs typically go for. I would not pay extra for Concierge if a regular verandah in a decent location was open

This. Celebrity Concierge (I'd venture to say most cruise lines' Concierge) is nothing like Disney's. Disney's "Concierge" is more like the Suite category in terms of amenities like a lounge and sun deck on other lines (though some like Celebrity and Royal Caribbean that I know of - maybe others - have their own dining room which DCL Concierge doesn't get you).

 

[bcwife76]

@auntlynne this is the first season for the Celebrity Edge sailing to Alaska (for any of the Edge class ships) so that is definitely adding to the price this year

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

We'll never sail out of Vancouver again. Princess out of Seattle.

 

[brentm77]

We'll never sail out of Vancouver again. Princess out of Seattle.

I understand Princess. But why not Vancouver?

 

[bcwife76]

We'll never sail out of Vancouver again. Princess out of Seattle.

Oh dear, sounds like you had a bad post experience (3 ships in at once perhaps?) That's a shame, we live here and have sailed out of Vancouver several times, never had an issue. Our "trouble port" is San Diego

 

[bobbiwoz]

My sister is doing a similar vacation on Cunard next month - OP pre-cruise, Rainier afterward. The cruise part just happens to be out of Vancouver, so it’s a fun train ride from Seattle to Vancouver, too.

So many options that it’s easy to return for more AK cruises.

Hope your recent cruise was great.

My Sister is going with us to both National Parks.

Our trip is in August!

 

[OKW Lover]

We'll never sail out of Vancouver again. Princess out of Seattle.

It would help us if you said why.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

Vancouver is an international flight, miles of walking at the airport, difficult to get ground transportation, hotels gouging visitors, TSA and Canadian authority checks coming and going. Canada red flags Swiss Passports one of which my wife holds and was once one of the best to have. It was a miserable experience for us. Hope it's outstanding for everyone else.

Seattle we breeze thru.

San Diego the docks and surrounding areas are full of baggage and backpack thieves. Being aware of that the good things are the train drops you off and picks you up steps away from the ship, hotels within easy walking distance too. Just easier to depart/return domestically and a $46 round trip biz class train fare includes cocktails and food.

As long as were on the subject, Port Canaveral is normally a 5 and a half hour flight from here, but the only flites we've found so far, and booking way ahead are 17 to 22 hours flights with layovers and plane changes.

 

[Meriweather]

Once with Holland, once with Princess, 7 times with Royal.
We liked them all, but prefer Royal now

 

[xfiles3010]

We picked Princess, our first non DCL cruise.

 

[tvguy]

Not sure there is a bad cruise to Alaska. We've done two on HAL. HAL has been cruising longer than any other line so has the best permits and docking locations and Naturalists, but Alaska is so beautiful not sure it makes a huge difference.

 

[Mirador]

Agree, we did the Alaskan cruise on HAL. We did a suite on HAL for less money than a regular veranda cabin on DCL.

Not sure there is a bad cruise to Alaska. We've done two on HAL. HAL has been cruising longer than any other line so has the best permits and docking locations and Naturalists, but Alaska is so beautiful not sure it makes a huge difference.

We’re considering HAL for Alaska, but my kids are 13 and 18 so I’m hesitant because they may be bored. Any thoughts on the experience for kids that age? They are not super active kids and prefer to spend time as a family but I’d like to have enough things for us to do as a family.