NCL Alaska vs Disney Alaska with kids

[TinkLoverSam]

We are booked for a 3 generation trip to AK in May 2022 on the Wonder. It will be my husband and I’s second time to Alaska on the wonder and a first for our kids, my parents and my sister and her hubby. We are closely watching what happens with kids clubs and the nursery as my kids will be 2 and almost 7 at cruise time so we are making sure that the conditions at time of sailing will still meet our needs.

 

[JMommyof3]

We did Alaska a couple of years ago and were between DCL and NCL. We ultimately went with DCL due to the kids club set up. Our kids ages at the time were 5 (DS), 8(DS), 11(DD) which meant that on DCL, they could all go to the kids club together but if my DD wanted to go to the tween club, she could as well. It was important to us that our boys be able to be in the same kids club. We did 2 connecting inside staterooms and didn't miss having a veranda at all. We had a great time and the kids loved it.

 

[MomOTwins]

Reviving this thread in the hopes that someone can help me. I was one of the people who replied to this thread to say I debated other cruise lines and chose Disney for 2022. Well…now I just don’t see Alaska out of Vancouver being realistic with Canada’s requirements for border crossings. I am thinking of jumping ship (haha) and switching to NCL or celebrity. We could probably afford Haven if that matters but it would stretch the budget for sure.

So to reframe the original question a bit, if DCL were NOT an option, which would you choose and why? Ships would be NCL Bliss or Celebrity Solstice.

RCCL is not an option because rooms for 5 as well as connecting rooms are all sold out for our cruise dates, and are kids are too young for adjoining rooms.

Top priorities to me are good food (am willing to pay for specialty), good kids club, and good activities we can do as a family on the ship.

 

[vacay77]

I’d choose NCL. Celebrity wasn’t as kid friendly and my son loved the kids club on the NCL cruise we took.

With that being said, the food selection on our NCL cruise was not that good. We didn’t pay for the speciality restaurants, though, so that might be the way to go.

 

[Ol Goof]

Being the OP, I can update you that we jumped ship from Disney to NCL then to RCCL. We just can’t afford to take all the grandkids on Disney and did not want to sail out of Vancouver. So then we considered NCL, as we took an NCL to Alaska last August in the Haven and absolutely loved it! But it was just us adults and I got bored with the shows and activities so can’t imagine keeping kids entertained. So now we are booked on RCCL. I have never sailed Royal but it sounds like there are plenty of free activities so I’m hoping it will be great! Plus I saved so much money we will be able to do all the port adventures that we have our heart set on. Good Luck.

 

[miguelgar83]

Hello. Platinum Disney cruiser with all age of kids, trying to plan an Alaska trip next year. We sailed Alaska on the Encore a few weeks ago and loved it, but didn’t have kids on board. Can anyone offer an opinion if there are enough (free) activities on NCL to keep kids busy? Would love to sail Disney with the kiddos to Alaska but my the prices are very high, would severely limit our excursions and those were the highlight of Alaska.

thank you for the help.

I don't know about NCL, but my kids (I think ages 8 and 5 at the time) went with their grandparents to Alaska on Celebrity and absolutely loved it. It was toward the end of summer and I believe they had a great deal at the time that each adult could take a kid for free.

 

[princesscinderella]

Reviving this thread in the hopes that someone can help me. I was one of the people who replied to this thread to say I debated other cruise lines and chose Disney for 2022. Well…now I just don’t see Alaska out of Vancouver being realistic with Canada’s requirements for border crossings. I am thinking of jumping ship (haha) and switching to NCL or celebrity. We could probably afford Haven if that matters but it would stretch the budget for sure.

So to reframe the original question a bit, if DCL were NOT an option, which would you choose and why? Ships would be NCL Bliss or Celebrity Solstice.

RCCL is not an option because rooms for 5 as well as connecting rooms are all sold out for our cruise dates, and are kids are too young for adjoining rooms.

Top priorities to me are good food (am willing to pay for specialty), good kids club, and good activities we can do as a family on the ship.

We sailed on the bliss in 2018 on her inaugural year with our three kids and my in-laws. My girls loved the main kids club and wanted to go there all the time. They practiced a circus type act and on a he last sea day did a show on the main theater stage for all the parents. I was very impressed with how the kids clubs were run and they liked them just as much as DCL. Our son was 13 and didn’t like the older teen club as much because we wouldn’t let him roam the ship and most of the teens would gather in the stairwell and seating they had in front of the teen club instead of going in . I have given up trying to understand what goes on in a teens mind.
I wouldn’t hesitate to book an NCL cruise again with kids. The bliss was a beautiful ship and the lounge at the top of the ship being one of our favorite spots to watch all the beautiful Alaskan scenery go by. I have sailed on all the DCL ships and I think the bliss has them beat for an Alaskan sailing.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

I say Norwegian Bliss for the Observation Lounge alone. My mom has been itching to head back to Alaska (we last went in 2016) and keeps bringing up the idea of going this Summer, as far as sending me links to itineraries on Bliss and Encore for July and August this past week. I've been so busy I've barely had time to look but I would go back to Alaska in a heartbeat.

 

[MomOTwins]

I’d choose NCL. Celebrity wasn’t as kid friendly and my son loved the kids club on the NCL cruise we took.

With that being said, the food selection on our NCL cruise was not that good. We didn’t pay for the speciality restaurants, though, so that might be the way to go.

hit the nail on the head for what is making me nervous about both lines! Celebrity seems like it doesn’t have that much for kids outside of the club, and NCL seems to have a reputation for lower quality on the food. I am leaning toward NCL because I can always pay a bit more to eat at the upcharge places some nights but can’t change Celebrity into being more kid friendly.

Being the OP, I can update you that we jumped ship from Disney to NCL then to RCCL. We just can’t afford to take all the grandkids on Disney and did not want to sail out of Vancouver. So then we considered NCL, as we took an NCL to Alaska last August in the Haven and absolutely loved it! But it was just us adults and I got bored with the shows and activities so can’t imagine keeping kids entertained. So now we are booked on RCCL. I have never sailed Royal but it sounds like there are plenty of free activities so I’m hoping it will be great! Plus I saved so much money we will be able to do all the port adventures that we have our heart set on. Good Luck.

I think we waited a bit too long for RCCL as we can’t get rooms that work for our family on our cruise dates. It does look really nice though (that north star looks amazing for Alaska, as dies the indoor pool!). Wonder if something may open up closer to PIF.

I say Norwegian Bliss for the Observation Lounge alone. My mom has been itching to head back to Alaska (we last went in 2016) and keeps bringing up the idea of going this Summer, as far as sending me links to itineraries on Bliss and Encore for July and August this past week. I've been so busy I've barely had time to look but I would go back to Alaska in a heartbeat.

Might see you there! I agree the observation lounge looks great. I am tempted to save some money with a family oceanview instead of verandah because the lounge seems like such a great place to watch the scenery.

 

[Calantha]

We are still booked for June 2022 (rescheduled from 2021). I just read all the requirements for going to Canada...and we have to coordinate with DH's parents...so as of this moment, it is still a go on the Wonder...but I suspect the next few weeks will tell us if it is actually going to happen or not.

 

[MomOTwins]

We are still booked for June 2022 (rescheduled from 2021). I just read all the requirements for going to Canada...and we have to coordinate with DH's parents...so as of this moment, it is still a go on the Wonder...but I suspect the next few weeks will tell us if it is actually going to happen or not.

That’s what I kept saying… I need to wait it out. But every day make me feel more worried that but the time we do hear something from Disney it’ll be too late to book an alternative.

 

[mlayman7]

We just canceled our Alaska cruise that was scheduled for May on the Wonder. Very disappointed but we were treating it as a bucket list trip. We wanted to do the big excursions, dog sledding and helicopter tours, but I think it'll be difficult to expect those to be occuring at the beginning of the season. We also dont like the idea of scheduling kids club time or not having all kids activities happening. 3 kids too so we had connecting ocean view rooms. I've been searching for 2023 already and not 100% sold on disney. Looked at NCL but a one room Haven suite that can fit us all would be more expensive than two connecting rooms on Disney. Of course I should compare similar type rooms but feel like Haven is closest to what is included with a regular Disney room.

We also thought of Princess but kept reading how it appeals mostly to older adults so hesitant to do that. I think it would be between the Bliss/encore of NCL vs the Wonder. Wish they had sail dates out already for summer 2023, I'd feel better about canceling.

 

[ktate82]

We are still booked for June 2022 (rescheduled from 2021). I just read all the requirements for going to Canada...and we have to coordinate with DH's parents...so as of this moment, it is still a go on the Wonder...but I suspect the next few weeks will tell us if it is actually going to happen or not.

We are booked for July 2022 on the Wonder. We are traveling as a large group so we are playing the wait and see game. We don't have anything nonrefundable booked just yet. Honestly, I wish the federal government would give the option for no foreign port again and Disney move to Seattle (if they had room). I'm worried about testing to get in and onto the ship. We were planning to take the train so thats one less test. But as of right now, the train isn't even running from Seattle to Vancouver. Ugh. It's a some stress for sure.

 

[bcwife76]

We are booked for July 2022 on the Wonder. We are traveling as a large group so we are playing the wait and see game. We don't have anything nonrefundable booked just yet. Honestly, I wish the federal government would give the option for no foreign port again and Disney move to Seattle (if they had room). I'm worried about testing to get in and onto the ship. We were planning to take the train so thats one less test. But as of right now, the train isn't even running from Seattle to Vancouver. Ugh. It's a some stress for sure.

The Amtrak Cascades train IS running now between Vancouver BC and various stops in WA and Oregon.

 

[tidefan]

We did the DVC Alaska Members Cruise back in 2015 and to this day, it has been our favorite cruise we have done. We also did Alaska in 2018 on Princess and loved it too. My then 15 yo DD loved the Princess teen club as much if not more than Vibe (also, the food on Princess was really good)…

 

[KashasMom]

A good way to see if there are enough activities on the Bliss is to check their Freestyle Daily for Alaska. Not sure if I'm allowed to include a link so I won't but you can Google. We've done the Bliss to Alaska and there were some things to do but I didn't like that there weren't enough family friendly shows. Food - even specialty - was not great. I've also done Alaska on Celebrity with an older child - a lot of year ago. We loved the cruise but I don't think it has what you're looking for as far as the kids. All of that being said, I personally would not pay the premium for Disney in Alaska. For us Alaska was all about the WOW excursions and scenery and other things like the Disney kids clubs are not important to us.

 

[MomOTwins]

Reviving this thread in the hopes that someone can help me. I was one of the people who replied to this thread to say I debated other cruise lines and chose Disney for 2022. Well…now I just don’t see Alaska out of Vancouver being realistic with Canada’s requirements for border crossings. I am thinking of jumping ship (haha) and switching to NCL or celebrity. We could probably afford Haven if that matters but it would stretch the budget for sure.

So to reframe the original question a bit, if DCL were NOT an option, which would you choose and why? Ships would be NCL Bliss or Celebrity Solstice.

RCCL is not an option because rooms for 5 as well as connecting rooms are all sold out for our cruise dates, and are kids are too young for adjoining rooms.

Top priorities to me are good food (am willing to pay for specialty), good kids club, and good activities we can do as a family on the ship.

Well, we just officially pulled the plug on our summer DCL 2022 Alaska cruise. We ended up going in a completely different direction than my original plans of Celebrity or NCL and booking on Princess. Sailing out of Seattle gives me a lot more peace of mind in regard to Canada and USA cross-border testing. That and the fact that unlike DCL, we only need to test 2 days before the cruise--no arrival testing or port testing--so we won't be stuck away from home because of testing unless we actually get sick on the cruise.

Not sure if I made the right decision as between the non-DCL options, but here was my reasoning:

• Food: as I mentioned is very important to us. I know the food is good on Princess and Celebrity even in the MDRs , which I expect we will do most nights. For NCL the consensus seemed to be that specialty restaurants were good but the MDRs not so much--and we have an extended travel party of 10, so getting reservations in a specialty restaurant would not always be easy, and the cost adds up.
• Rooms/Price: NCL just didn't look like the same level of quality we are used to on DCL unless you are in the Haven, and the price was just too much (twice the price of our options on any other line, including DCL). Celebrity Soltace was sold out of connecting or family rooms for our dates, and the Millenium ship that did have availability was older and the videos of the rooms looked quite run down. On Princess, we are sailing on their newest ship (Discovery) so we know the rooms will be in top shape, and we are getting connecting mini-suite veranda rooms, midship.
• Kids clubs/activites: I do worry this will be the biggest drawback to Princess compared to NCL. Compared with Celebrity it did seem Princess was generally more kid-friendly and the kids clubs got good reviews. That's really I think what gave Princess the edge. NCL does have bells and whistles for kids, but it's kids clubs seemed so-so, ad I didn't relish the thought of my kids sulking when we cut of them off of laser tag or go carts after several rounds because we either can't get more reservations or it is getting too pricey.
• Other: Adding this category because two of the things that led us to princess are more intangible. One being their reputation for being really good at Alaska in particular, and the other being we liked the "old world" vibe of the ships versus the modern aesthetic on NCL and Celebrity.

Not sure these ramblings really matter to anyone but me, but fingers crossed we made a good decision. Now I just have to anxiously await summer 2023 DCL releases so we can use our placeholders that we were going to use on Alaska this summer on Europe 2023 instead!

 

[Minniesgal]

We really like the look and the price of the Princess 10 day round trip to Alaska from San Francisco.

 

[tidefan]

Well, we just officially pulled the plug on our summer DCL 2022 Alaska cruise. We ended up going in a completely different direction than my original plans of Celebrity or NCL and booking on Princess. Sailing out of Seattle gives me a lot more peace of mind in regard to Canada and USA cross-border testing. That and the fact that unlike DCL, we only need to test 2 days before the cruise--no arrival testing or port testing--so we won't be stuck away from home because of testing unless we actually get sick on the cruise.

Not sure if I made the right decision as between the non-DCL options, but here was my reasoning:

• Food: as I mentioned is very important to us. I know the food is good on Princess and Celebrity even in the MDRs , which I expect we will do most nights. For NCL the consensus seemed to be that specialty restaurants were good but the MDRs not so much--and we have an extended travel party of 10, so getting reservations in a specialty restaurant would not always be easy, and the cost adds up.
• Rooms/Price: NCL just didn't look like the same level of quality we are used to on DCL unless you are in the Haven, and the price was just too much (twice the price of our options on any other line, including DCL). Celebrity Soltace was sold out of connecting or family rooms for our dates, and the Millenium ship that did have availability was older and the videos of the rooms looked quite run down. On Princess, we are sailing on their newest ship (Discovery) so we know the rooms will be in top shape, and we are getting connecting mini-suite veranda rooms, midship.
• Kids clubs/activites: I do worry this will be the biggest drawback to Princess compared to NCL. Compared with Celebrity it did seem Princess was generally more kid-friendly and the kids clubs got good reviews. That's really I think what gave Princess the edge. NCL does have bells and whistles for kids, but it's kids clubs seemed so-so, ad I didn't relish the thought of my kids sulking when we cut of them off of laser tag or go carts after several rounds because we either can't get more reservations or it is getting too pricey.
• Other: Adding this category because two of the things that led us to princess are more intangible. One being their reputation for being really good at Alaska in particular, and the other being we liked the "old world" vibe of the ships versus the modern aesthetic on NCL and Celebrity.

Not sure these ramblings really matter to anyone but me, but fingers crossed we made a good decision. Now I just have to anxiously await summer 2023 DCL releases so we can use our placeholders that we were going to use on Alaska this summer on Europe 2023 instead!

You will love Discovery Princess. Our DD liked Princess just as much as DCL. It is different, but she liked getting to know the other kids better. Also, they will bring on the Iditarod dogs for them, do a lot of “myth busters”/“shark week” type stuff as they are tied in with Discovery channel. Also, they used to let the kids do a cooking class in the galley. Not sure if they are doing that currently b/c of COVID.

Make sure you try Alfredo’s. It’s an included pizza/Italian place off the piazza (there is another “regular” pizza place on the pool deck) that is really, really good. We usually eat there 3/4 times on a Princess cruise. And, it’s included. Also, on sea days, Princess does a British Pub lunch which is also included and very good. Lastly, make sure you make the “Yes/No” game show…

Have a great trip!

 

[MomOTwins]

You will love Discovery Princess. Our DD liked Princess just as much as DCL. It is different, but she liked getting to know the other kids better. Also, they will bring on the Iditarod dogs for them, do a lot of “myth busters”/“shark week” type stuff as they are tied in with Discovery channel. Also, they used to let the kids do a cooking class in the galley. Not sure if they are doing that currently b/c of COVID.

Make sure you try Alfredo’s. It’s an included pizza/Italian place off the piazza (there is another “regular” pizza place on the pool deck) that is really, really good. We usually eat there 3/4 times on a Princess cruise. And, it’s included. Also, on sea days, Princess does a British Pub lunch which is also included and very good. Lastly, make sure you make the “Yes/No” game show…

Have a great trip!

Thanks for sharing your experience and all the food and activity tips! I did see the pizza option for lunch on the princess website and my whole family are huge fans of neapolitan style pizza so very excited! Via Napoli is our “must do” in Epcot.