Princess or Celebrity

[Patwice]

My husband and I are taking our first cruise (To Alaska, Inside Passage) and can't decide between Princess and Celebrity. I'd appreciate any comments.

[Dave]

Hi Patwice, and welcome to cruise-chat!

Princess has a well-deserved reputation for their Alaska cruises. In fact, Princess is a pioneer in the Alaskan market. But longevity in a market doesn't mean they are always the best. Celebrity offers a good product too. It can really come down to the shipboard experience. There isn't really much difference in itineraries. Princess has personal choice dining, which means you don't have to conform to a set dining room schedule as you would on Celebrity. Given the port intensive nature of Alaskan cruises, I would go with Princess just for the dining freedom.

[Cruise Fanatic]

Patwice,
As Dave says Princess is a Pioneer in the Alaska market. One thing you might look at though is the itinerary. Glacier Bay has the most glaciers and is known for being able to see calving more than the others. If this is important to you Celebrity does not do Glacier Bay whereas Princess does. Also, if you are doing a land tour in addition to your cruise, the new Princess train station in Whittier picks up right by the ship. This saves a lot of time over coming in at Seward. Although the Kenai Peninsula is very pretty. Celebrity is a great product. But for Alaska I lean toward Princess and Holland America.

[Patwice]

Thanks for your reply