Holland America or Princess for Alaskan cruise???

[disneyfanforever]

DH and I are planning on a kid free Alaskan cruise next May. We have narrowed it down to these two lines as they have a 7day roundtrip Seattle cruise that includes Glacier Bay. The Holland America ship is the Westerdam and the Princess ship is the Golden Princess.

Which one should we choose? We have never cruised either line. We have been on the Disney Wonder and Magic and loved them. We have also been on and loved Liberty of the Seas.

We are in our early 40s, would like to eat at a table for 2, and are not really into ship nightlife.

I would love to hear some opinions. Which has the best cabins, food, etc. I am completely torn.

 

[barkley]

we did Holland America 7 day to Alaska (we did the one that departed and arrived from Vancouver). did it when dvc let you purchase with your dvc points.


honestly-it was pretty bad. I know Disney cruise line experiences tend to spoil people, but we had been on other lines and Holland paled in comparison. mediocre food, very little to do onboard, poor service. it's also a line that caters to a MUCH older cruisers (I would say average age was mid to late 60's) so unless you enjoy a rousing game of bingo or cards it's pretty dull.

never been on princess but it was interesting when we would arrive in the different Alaskan ports at the same time the other ships did-people would stand around and chat, compare notes on their cruise experiences vs. someone else's on another line. I heard very little negativity about princess (carnival YES). a friend did Alaska with royal carribean and ADORED it.


have you looked at all into celebrity cruise line. I did one of theirs out of seattle a few years ago (just a few days to Vancouver and Nanaimo). they were excellent. fantastic food, lovely accommodations and service couldn't be beat (they handed out umbrellas to passengers when we disembarked at port, had hot chocolate waiting for us in the tender we rode back to the ship). may be a little more costly than other lines but well worth it.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

We've taken Princess to Alaska twice. Both cruises were amazing. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Subscribing. Good info to know. Still trying to plan my 25th marriage anniversary.

Already too late for the Galapagos. I went on the cruise sites and they are already sold out for 2015 in Dec, well except for the cabins we cannot afford.

 

[lovelybelle]

My grandma, my mom, and I took a holland america 7 day Alaska cruise a few years ago and simply adored it.

 

[Meriweather]

I've done both Holland and Princess to Alaska......the Princess one was on the Golden.
Preferred Holland by far!!
I was not impressed with the activities....or lack that Princess had and the crew just didn't seem very friendly.
We had first time cruisers with us that will probably never cruise again because of the experience they had.
But Glacier Bay is amazing!!

 

[MAD4EEYORE]

I did an Alaskan cruise on the Princess Golden. Loved it. Haven't been on Holland America but from friends that have sailed them it's a much older crowd.

I don't know if Holland America has where you can dine anytime in the evenings. Princess does and it was nice not to have to rush to/from dinner. Also makes getting a table for 2 easier. We didn't find the nightly entertainment lacking at all. There was always something to do. We found we were exhausted from the early wake up and going all day in port that we enjoyed the quiet of our cabin watching the scenery go by. Plenty of whales and wildlife to see.

 

[tvguy]

Holland America owns Alaska. They have been cruising there longer than any other line, have the best permits, and naturalists.

I cruised Alaska twice, last year on the Westerdam, great ship, and 10 years before on the Amsterdam, another great ship.

I haven't cruised Princess, no experience with them. However, as most cruisers know both Princess and Holland America are owned by Carnival.

I found HAL on par if not better than Disney for service and food. Shows and kids clubs, Disney has the edge.

To be honest, I'd book on price, route, departure port, and departure day, either line with give you a great experience.

 

[jdb in AZ]

We've cruised Alaska 5 times. Two on Princess, two on RCI, and once on Holland America. Would recommend Princess, especially one of their newer ships, and definitely include Glacier Bay in the itinerary. We really enjoyed the land/sea trip that took us all the way to Fairbanks, with nights at the Princess Lodge at the base of Mt. McKinley, and into Denali Park. And yes, you can do the land portion on your own, but it was nice to have Princess take care of our luggage, and make all the arrangements.

After our RCI cruise which ended in Seward, we walked (maybe 50 yards) from the ship to the train which took us directly to the airport in Anchorage. A lot more comfortable than the bus. Again, our luggage was taken care of. Set it outside our stateroom on the ship and saw it again when we got to our home-town airport. We also enjoyed the shore excursion to Icy Strait Point, because it's new and different (with lots of bears and whales), and we'd already gone to Glacier Bay.

On HAL, the ship was older, but we still had a good time. They had the best variety of food at the breakfast buffet. That was several years ago -- couldn't tell you if it's still wonderful.

 

[sonnyjane]

DH and I are planning on a kid free Alaskan cruise next May. We have narrowed it down to these two lines as they have a 7day roundtrip Seattle cruise that includes Glacier Bay. The Holland America ship is the Westerdam and the Princess ship is the Golden Princess.

We just did that same cruise with Glacier Bay from Seattle on the Westerdam this past September! The only thing I'd say is that in my research on Cruise Critic, they were saying May can be a little iffy on weather. We went on the last cruise of the year in late September and because of storms we couldn't go to Sitka. That said, we had GORGEOUS sunny days in both Juneau and Glacier Bay so you really never know. I loved the cruise! It's DEFINITELY for an older, more "tranquil" crowd so keep that in mind. There isn't much to do if you're looking for night-time entertainment. We did the casino most nights but the bars and lounges are pretty darn dead after 9:00 PM.

I think I ate at least 6 chocolate croissants every day lol.

 

[disneyfanforever]

Thanks for all of the advice. We are planning on May as our anniversary is the 27th and it is good with my work schedule. I was concerned about the weather as well in May as I heard that sometimes cruises can't get into places like Tracy Arm. That is why we are picking a cruise that has Glacier Bay because I hear that is a sure thing. Can anyone verify that is correct?

It looks like both cruise lines are great. We are definitely not night owls so things staying open late is not an issue. We went to Vegas without the kids once and were in bed asleep by 9:30pm. I love to sleep!

Do both lines have places you can go besides the main dining room or buffet for a quick snack like pizza or hamburgers?

 

[sonnyjane]

Do both lines have places you can go besides the main dining room or buffet for a quick snack like pizza or hamburgers?

I don't know about Princess but HAL has pretty structured dining times, even for the buffet (example: lunch buffet might be from 11-1). There is usually pizza available as a "snack" but not a ton. It's not like on Carnival where there is 24 hour pizza and ice cream. THAT SAID, HAL does offer 24 hour room service that is free so if you want something like that, you can order it to your room.

 

[tvguy]

I don't know about Princess but HAL has pretty structured dining times, even for the buffet (example: lunch buffet might be from 11-1). There is usually pizza available as a "snack" but not a ton. .

I just pulled my Daily Program, the dining times aren't structured at all. The buffet lunch is served from 1130 am to 3:45 pm, and the pizza/burger place is open 1130 am to 1 am on the Westerdam.

Here is a link
http://schplinky.smugmug.com/Westerdam/Westerdam-Documents/2418958_TPwB6Q#!i=127077843&k=MkFgjCj

 

[TLuvsD]

We've done Alaska twice on Holland America--Loved it.

Go to cruisecritic.com for lots of information on cruises, cruise lines, Alaska, etc. Great resource!

 

[MAD4EEYORE]

Thanks for all of the advice. We are planning on May as our anniversary is the 27th and it is good with my work schedule. I was concerned about the weather as well in May as I heard that sometimes cruises can't get into places like Tracy Arm. That is why we are picking a cruise that has Glacier Bay because I hear that is a sure thing. Can anyone verify that is correct? It looks like both cruise lines are great. We are definitely not night owls so things staying open late is not an issue. We went to Vegas without the kids once and were in bed asleep by 9:30pm. I love to sleep! Do both lines have places you can go besides the main dining room or buffet for a quick snack like pizza or hamburgers?

On Princess they have a place that has grilled chicken, burgers, and hot dogs. They also have a pizza place. My favorite place for a quick lunch is the international cafe. In the morning they offer pastries and breakfast sandwiches. Lunch is sandwiches and salads. I'm not sure about dinner as we were in the dining room. They also offered cookies and various desserts 24 hours. Also don't forget room service.

 

[sonnyjane]

I just pulled my Daily Program, the dining times aren't structured at all. The buffet lunch is served from 1130 am to 3:45 pm, and the pizza/burger place is open 1130 am to 1 am on the Westerdam.

Here is a link
http://schplinky.smugmug.com/Westerdam/Westerdam-Documents/2418958_TPwB6Q#!i=127077843&k=MkFgjCj

Wow! That program is so much nicer/informative than the one we had in September! I'm not at all disagreeing with you, simply saying that for our September cruise, we DID have much shorter windows of eating. We frequently found ourselves going up to eat lunch even when we weren't hungry because they would be closing the buffet shortly. One day we went up at 1:15 even though the program said 1:30 and most of the hot stations were closed. They only had the pasta, deli, and pizza.

 

[stevea20]

We have been on the Golden Princess twice, the second time for the Inside Passage cruise. We have never been disappointed with Princess.

We like the Anytime Dining so we are with different people with different stories each night. Horizon Court rarely is a problem and the poolside pizza and burgers are fine.

One suggestion for tours: in Ketchikan try the combo tour of the totem pole park and lumberjack show. Lots of fun.

 

[antmaril]

I have cruised to Alaska on both Holland America and Princess (both times roundtrip from Seattle). I was on HAL's Zaandam in 2009 and had a great time, but Holland America definitely attracts an older crowd. I was 58 at the time and I felt YOUNG! I was in an inside cabin on both lines. HAL's cabin was much nicer and bigger than the Inside cabin on the Golden Princess (June, 2012). Service on both was very good, with a nod to HAL. Entertainment and nightlife goes to Princess. I would say food on both was very good, but thought the buffet was a little better on HAL. Dining rooms were comparable. I would cruise on either line again.

Alaska is amazing. If you can choose an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay, you will not be disappointed.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We have been on the Golden Princess twice, the second time for the Inside Passage cruise. We have never been disappointed with Princess.

We like the Anytime Dining so we are with different people with different stories each night. Horizon Court rarely is a problem and the poolside pizza and burgers are fine.

One suggestion for tours: in Ketchikan try the combo tour of the totem pole park and lumberjack show. Lots of fun.

So good to hear!
DS was the music director on the Golden Princess in Alaska one summer, and he said that when they went in to Glacier Bay, the captain would position the ship in the middle and very slowly rotate so everyone could enjoy the view. Not much impresses him, but he said "Mom, I feel like I'm in the middle of a post card." If we were ever to cruise Alaska, it would be Princess. And the Golden is one of their nicest ships (DS has been on many).

 

[ariel71]

I just did the Anchorage (Whittier) to Vancouver southbound in July on Diamond Princess. Princess and HAL really have much of a "lock" on the area and offer some more unique viewing opportunities (like Glacier Bay) and cruisetours. If you want to do the best research, you should really be on cruisecritic.com. I planned the trip for three couples almost entirely using information from that site. They have extremely knowledgable people regarding individual cruiselines (and ship particulars) and individual ports of call.

Start with one of the general Alaska cruise guides from Frommers or Fodors. That will give you all of the basics on cruiselines, ports, excursions, etc. Otherwise it is easy to become overwhelmed with all of the options. From there you can really get more out of the info on cruisecritic.

I know you're looking at round trip, but if it's any possibility at all, I would highly recommend a one-way so you can spend some time in Alaska. We spent a few extra days on the front end - Flew into Anchorage, rented a car, and drove up to Denali National Park with a stop in Talkeetna. Did a flightseeing tour around Mt McKinley and the Park Service bus into the heart of the park. Hands down the best part of the trip, including the cruise.

There have been some similar threads on the Dis (I know I've commented on a few), so you may want to do a search.