Greece or Alaska-Which would you do?

[Luv2trav]

We are going to take one of these next summer and I am so torn on which one to take. What would you take and why? They both sound amazing. We are looking at 8 night Greece and 9 night Alaska. Thoughts?

 

[lorimay]

We have done Alaska and its amazing, the most beautiful sights while cruising, its mostly inside passage, so lots of scenery.
Have not done Greece yet, so I can't help with that.
The Greece prices are outrageous, not sure what Alaska is running for 2021.

 

[Luv2trav]

We have done Alaska and its amazing, the most beautiful sights while cruising, its mostly inside passage, so lots of scenery.
Have not done Greece yet, so I can't help with that.
The Greece prices are outrageous, not sure what Alaska is running for 2021.

I agree the pricing seems to be very high. We priced it last year and if you add in cost of airfare on top of the cruise and a few nights before cruise it just add up. Alaska just seems easier too. My husband doesn't believe our vacations should be in cold climates since we suffer all winter long LOL.

 

[Travel60]

On Disney, I would do Alaska. For Greece, I would select a small-ship cruise like Ponant or Seaborne for ability to get into smaller ports. Plus, Greece is not the safest area right now.

 

[Luv2trav]

On Disney, I would do Alaska. For Greece, I would select a small-ship cruise like Ponant or Seaborne for ability to get into smaller ports. Plus, Greece is not the safest area right now.

Do you think Disney is worth the cost for Alaska cruises? I watched the podcast and he raved that Disney does matter when it comes to cruising AK.

 

[lorimay]

I agree the pricing seems to be very high. We priced it last year and if you add in cost of airfare on top of the cruise and a few nights before cruise it just add up. Alaska just seems easier too. My husband doesn't believe our vacations should be in cold climates since we suffer all winter long LOL.

HAHA! We are from Florida and enjoy the cooler climates whenever possible.
We did the last Alaska cruise of the season in Sept 2013, the temps were not too bad at all.
The Coldest was Tracy Arm Day as we got close to the glacier it was in the 40's.
The rest was just some rain.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I have done Disney Alaska and Norway - Alaska Wins hands down - it is still my favorite cruise and I would do it again in a heartbeat!!!!!! I want to do Greece but I would pick Alaska - it is beautiful and so much to see and do and they have BEARS!!!!!

 

[WDWEPCOT]

We got a sunburn in Alaska and temps were in the 80s for the whole trip - we went the first week of June - I expected cold and we were wearing shorts every day! Locals said it was very early for such warm weather. Tracey Arm was very warm and sunny - We saw Humming Birds!!

 

[Travel60]

Do you think Disney is worth the cost for Alaska cruises? I watched the podcast and he raved that Disney does matter when it comes to cruising AK.

We did extended family a few years ago and enjoyed it because it was Disney. For a couple, maybe check out other lines and what ports they go to. But, we like Disney's style and willing to pay for it within reason.

 

[KashasMom]

On Disney, I would do Alaska. For Greece, I would select a small-ship cruise like Ponant or Seaborne for ability to get into smaller ports. Plus, Greece is not the safest area right now.

I'm pretty sure this is for summer 2021.

 

[ljmiii]

We are going to take one of these next summer and I am so torn on which one to take. What would you take and why? They both sound amazing. We are looking at 8 night Greece and 9 night Alaska. Thoughts?

We've done both Greece and Alaska (though not the 9 night cruise) and both destinations are amazing. So thoughts...

Alaska is great if you are looking for a reprieve from summer heat. One hesitation is that we were shocked how far the Mendenhall Glacier had receded in the three years between our sailings (2012 and 2015). Another is that some recent voyages have had their voyages up into Tracy Arm curtailed or cancelled because of ice floes. I don't know enough about Endicott Arm (Dawes Glacier) to know if the same thing might happen. All that said, the 9 night goes up to Hubbard so all should be good.

On the other hand, Greece is HOT in summer. But the 8 night is in June not July or August and there is only one day on the 'mainland' in Athens so you should be fine.

My gut says go with Greece as the Greek itineraries are relatively infrequent and you never know when DCL will go again and if the dates will fit your schedule. But you'll have a great time on either...

 

[Pens Fan]

Do you think Disney is worth the cost for Alaska cruises? I watched the podcast and he raved that Disney does matter when it comes to cruising AK.

I watched that show and just cracked up when Pete said that. Please remember that he owns a Disney focussed travel agency and at the end of the day these shows exist to promote his business. I still enjoy them though, and have no issue with them pushing their product! I just don't confuse them with unbiased travel advice .

We have sailed to Alaska twice - once on Disney, once on NCL. We loved both cruises for different reasons. When we took the one on Disney our son was younger and we were looking specifically for a Disney cruise. The fact that it went to Alaska was just a bonus and we had a blast. Flash forward several years, and our son was 19 - so three adults cruising together. This time, the "Disney-ness" wasn't that important and we wanted the best Alaska cruise we could find based on what was important to us. For our family (others might feel differently) we had two must haves: It had to be a one way cruise so that we could spend extra time on land in Alaska afterwards. It also had to go to Glacier Bay. Both of those criteria eliminated Disney right off the bat. So we looked elsewhere.

The trend now in Alaska is for ships with large indoor viewing areas - think floor to ceiling windows for hanging out and viewing glaciers inside a nice, warm ship. Oddly enough, the Disney Wonder did have such a space (though on a much, much smaller scale) at one time. Then they converted it to a concierge lounge . Bottom line, Disney is a great option for Alaska if sailing on Disney is important to you. If that's not the case, there really are better options out there IMHO.

 

[ljmiii]

The trend now in Alaska is for ships with large indoor viewing areas - think floor to ceiling windows for hanging out and viewing glaciers inside a nice, warm ship...

As a side note to OP, Alaska is the one itinerary on which we still book (and would book) verandah staterooms. After our first two sailings we realized we don't actually use the verandah much. We tried an inside room once and hated it and now always book 9A if we can.

BUT...in Alaska the ability to go out on your verandah then come in and warm up then go out again is priceless.

 

[ahain]

I would love to do Greece, but you have to factor in the airfare and the additional days required for travel. This starts tipping the scales for my family.

 

[orion2185]

we too were tossing up between Greek or Alaska. Looks like for us the Greek cruise in 2021 is winning

 

[Pens Fan]

As a side note to OP, Alaska is the one itinerary on which we still book (and would book) verandah staterooms. After our first two sailings we realized we don't actually use the verandah much. We tried an inside room once and hated it and now always book 9A if we can.

BUT...in Alaska the ability to go out on your verandah then come in and warm up then go out again is priceless.

I totally agree with this. We are amateur photographers and take thousands of pictures when we travel, so having a clear shot without glass in between is a must for us. However, I like to point out the inside viewing areas for families that simply can't afford a balcony or just can't handle the cold. We're from PA, so a little summer Alaskan weather doesn't faze us at all . But I'm totally with you on the balcony in Alaska. For us it's a must have.

ETA: On NCL we had the most amazing aft balcony. It was probably 3-4 times the size of a regular balcony, on the very aft of the ship. If we weren't in port, eating or sleeping we were on that balcony - for hours at a time. It was incredible!!

 

[Luv2trav]

I totally agree with this. We are amateur photographers and take thousands of pictures when we travel, so having a clear shot without glass in between is a must for us. However, I like to point out the inside viewing areas for families that simply can't afford a balcony or just can't handle the cold. We're from PA, so a little summer Alaskan weather doesn't faze us at all . But I'm totally with you on the balcony in Alaska. For us it's a must have.

ETA: On NCL we had the most amazing aft balcony. It was probably 3-4 times the size of a regular balcony, on the very aft of the ship. If we weren't in port, eating or sleeping we were on that balcony - for hours at a time. It was incredible!!

We are from Ohio so we can handle the cold too LOL.. Heck my boys would be swim in any weather above 55 if pools were heated haha. I would absolutely do the balcony stateroom just for the privacy of watching the scenery and relaxation.

 

[Luv2trav]

I would love to do Greece, but you have to factor in the airfare and the additional days required for travel. This starts tipping the scales for my family.

I agree the airfare and additional days prior to cruise could make Europe too costly. I am only silver so I have a couple days to try and decide.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Verandah all the way! We didn't get to go to the Glacier - calf birthing so we had to turn around - but I still enjoyed the cruise! We went and did the sled dog on the glacier in Juneau that was our big excursion and I don't regret it one bit!! So much fun! I was on my Verandah night and day! I took a million pictures! I just can't stress enough how beautiful I found Alaska!
I would love it if Disney would do a land and sea tour! That would be my Dream! But I would have to sell some organs to pay for it! haa haa!!!!

 

[cedricandsophie]

We have done both on Disney. Alaska was great but we want to do Alaska on another line probably princess or hollAnd America. They go one way with glacier bay and the chance to do Denali.
We did Greece a few years ago on dcl. It left from and returned to Venice. It was fabulous. Just cruising in and out of Venice was worth it. The new Greece itinerary isn’t as exciting. We did an adult cruise years ago on crystal that left from Istanbul. I’d do that again in a heartbeat.
If you are set on Disney for either location I’d recommend Alaska.