Would you take a Celebrity Cruise to Alaska?

Question

My husband and I have always wanted to go on a cruise to Alaska, but have always heard awful things about the big cruise ships. Has anyone taken one of the big ships to Alaska, and if so, what was your experience? Which cruise line did you take? Would you recommend it? We have 2 kids (ages 9 and 5) --- should we bring them along, or leave them with their grandparents? I would really appreciate any advice! Thanks!

Answer 1

Summer of 05 sailed on Seranada of Seas part of the Royal Caribbean fleet and had a great time on an Alaskan cruise... Great entertainment on the ship, super food,  good staff and just could not have been better.  Children would enjoy and they have activities for them on the ship.   At every port stop we signed up for special activities that took most of the day.

Left port of Vancouver with stops at Skagway, Juneau, and one other stop..  Key is to take the side trips, enjoy the stops and take in the many activitites offered on board..

Answer 2

I took Celebrity to Alaska a few years ago on the Galaxy and would highly recommend it. Celebrity does a lot to truly make you feel like a "celebrity". I usually hate larger ships but Celebrity is certainly the best of the fleet up there. Try them, you won't be sorry. I also traveled with a few younger cousins of mine around the age of you kids who always found something to do. Whatever your choice, have fun!

Answer 3

Yes, highly!  You'll enjoy it, take extra cash to fully enjoy all your travel benefits.

Answer 4

DO IT! We did in early July 2005. We flew into Seattle the day we boarded Celebrity. At the end we spent 3 days in Seattle and enjoyed it all. We stayed near the space needle and museum.

Do take the float plane trip over the glacier. Expect light rain. That part of Alaska is a rain forest.

The kids on Clebrity are well taken care of. They have their own onboard program. So mom and dad can relax. Our trip was over the 4th of July holiday. The kids had an onboard parade to celebrate the occasion. We also got to see fireworks in Juneau harbor as we got underway.

Answer 5

I would definately take Celebrity to Alaska, I'll be doing it next year...  Celebrity is a great line with fantastic ships.

That being said, the two lines with the best Alaska programs are Princess and Holland America, especially if you're interested in a cruise tour.  Princess and HAL have been sailing to Alaska longer than any other line and they have Alaska down pat.

When it comes to ships in Alaska, "big" is a relative term.  You won't find the larger ships in Alaska like you will in the Caribbean, the Alaskan government won't let the real big ships up to Alaska.  The ships that do go to Alaska from the major lines are big enough to offer all the great amenities, yet not so large as to be overwhelming.

If you would prefer a smaller ship, look at Princess - Pacific Princess this year, and Tahitian Princess next year.  If you want a real small ship experience (less than 50 passengers) look to Majestic America Line and their ship Contessa, however they can be expensive.

Don't sell yourself short on an Alaska cruise, get an outside cabin or better.  Part of what makes an Alaska cruise so great is the scenery, so don't hide in an inside cabin.  If you bring the kids the larger the cabin the better, so you should look towards and outside at the least and even better a balcony.  On Celebrity their "Concierge Class" is a fantastic value - suite level amenities for a little more than a standard level balcony.

One thing you should do - Call a travel agent that specializes in cruises.  There are a lot of options out there, by working with an agent they can help you sort through all of those options to find a cruise that meets you and your family's needs, and then make sure that all of the details are handled for you.  I recommend Cruise Planners at 888-286-9827 www.mycruiseplanner.net.  They're very experienced with Alaska cruising and cruising with families, they represent all of the major cruise lines, have the same deals and specials as the cruise lines and the online sites, plus unlike the online sites, they don't charge any service fees...