Alaskan Cruise - 2007

[Rambeaux]

I am researching and starting to plan a cruise to Alaska in '07. This will be our 1st cruise and I am somewhat unsure on how and where to begin. I have friends who have cruised NCL before, but not to Alaska, and they recommended NCL to me. Any help or suggestions or any other info/advise will be greatly appreciated.

[Cruise Fanatic]

I highly recommend you talk to a cruise oriented Travel Agent on booking a cruise to Alaska. Alaska has too many different cruises and cruisetours that you can do, and a Travel Agent can help by showing you the differences. They also can tell you why one cruise line might be better over another for the Alaska itinerary. If you are looking at going into certain ports like Glacier Bay, NCL doesn't get permits to go there. Holland America has smaller ships in Alaska which can have pluses. Princess and Holland have been up in Alaska the longest. Please see a TA soon. The Alaska season is short and they have been booking the 2007 season for about 5-6 months already. Many ships are already getting full and balcony's sell out fast.

[Ron Clark]

If you are looking at going into certain ports like Glacier Bay, NCL doesn't get permits to go there.

If NCL doesn't get permits to go to Glacier Bay, where has the Norwegian Star been sailing these last few years, and where will the Norwegian Pearl be sailing next year? At least one would think you would report correct information.

It is true not every ship can get permits to sail into Glacier Bay, but one NCL ship has been and will be receiving these permits.
So, one of three NCL ships sailing to Alaska gets a Glacier Bay permit.

I wonder what the percentages are for some other cruise lines?

Carnival > one out of one.
Celebrity > zero out of three.
Holland America > five out of eight.
Princess > five out of eight.
Royal Caribbean > zero out of three.

While NCL doesn't have five ships sailing to Glacier Bay next year, it does have one ship sailing to Glacier Bay on a weekly basis. So does Carnival. That's much better than Royal Caribbean and Celebrity which have none.

[Cruise Fanatic]

I stand corrected. My verbage should have read that Holland America and Princess get more permits than any of the other cruise lines, and some get none. The point to the original poster is talk with a cruise oriented Travel Agent that will point out all the differences between the cruise lines sailing in Alaska. They can point out the pros and cons.

By the way Ron--You better check your own facts. Holland America will have atleast seven of their eight ships calling on Glacier Bay next year. One would think YOU would post correct information.