Need help

[mikes01]

My wife and I are in our 30's well, I'am and she is on her way to it. Her parents are 50 give or take a year. We have decided to do a cruise together to Alaska out of Seattle. I have been on 3 other cruises before this will be their first. My question is I have always been on a NCL ship, but have been looking this time would anyone recommend HAL over NCL? If so why? I don't mind the dress up but like being able to eat in jeans and a dress shirt as well. If we do NCL ship would be Pearl, HAL I see has Oosterdam and Noordam.. Any thoughts? Thanks again, mIKE

[Jim C.]

HAL over NCL? There is no comparison. HAL by a landslide (and I have never been on a HAL ship.. but I know several people that have) BUT, you will not be able to eat in jeans... casual slacks yes, but not jeans. But that goes for all the cruise lines (except obviously NCL). Also consider a Royal Caribbean or Princess cruise. they all do Alaska. You may have to leave from Vancouver for some do to shipping restrictions, that NCL can avoid because their ships are US Flagged.

If you try one of the other lines, you see what you have been missing in a cruise.

[Dave]

When it comes to Alaska, the recognized champions are Princess and HAL. HAL may be more formal, but it isn't annoyingly so. They aren't **** about it.

[fruby]

Hello,

Add Celebrity and RCCl to your list of possible cruises. I have not been on NCL but I have been on 15 cruises with a 16th on deck in March of 2007. Both Celebrity and RCCl have Alaskan cruises at prices comparable to the others.

As for dress the only time you really should not wear jeans is in the dining room at dinner on formal nights. It isn't going to cause you any problems to have a pair of khaki pants to go with a coat and tie on two nights out of a 7 day cruise.

Hope that this helps.

Fred