What cruise line would you recommend besides...

[lucas]

Never been on Carnival but have no desire. We've been to Alaska 4 times. Twice with Princess (our all around favorite not just for Alaska but for the Caribbean and Panama Canal). I don't think Princess is an old crowd! We've also been to Alaska twice with Holland America - now that is the older crowd. And, Disney is too expensive and you don't need Mickey to see Alaska! Plus, Disney doesn't have nightly dinner buffets or the anytime dining option - and you could go on 3 cruises with other lines for the cost of 1 Disney cruise. We've sailed Royal Caribbean a few times to the Caribbean and I found their crowd age to be the same as Princess. We've never sailed with Celebrity, but from what I have read, their crowd age would be the same as with Princess and Royal Caribbean.)

P.S. Carnival actually owns Princess and Holland America.
Princess gives on-board credit for being a either a Carnival shareholder (which we are) or on-board credit if anyone in your party is an active or military veteran (dh is a Navy vet.) Holland America gives the on-board credit for being a Carnival shareholder. Disney doesn't give any on-board credits for vets or for being a Disney stockholder (which we are).

 

[hrhdhd]

Just a note: Carnival Corporation is the umbrella for several cruise lines, including, as mentioned, Carnival, Princess, and HAL, but also Cunard, Costa, Seabourn, and others. If you own Carnival Corp. stock (at least 100 shares), you can get OBC. On HAL, you can get an AARP credit, educator credit, first responder credit . . . make sure you don't leave any credit on the table.

If you own Royal Caribbean Group stock (at least 100 shares), you can get OBC on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Silversea.

Cruise Critic is a good place to do some reading.

 

[Karin1984]

For Alaska I hear Princess and HAL have much more Alaska focus, better talks by better experts, local food, etc.

The expert on Disney quoted Wikipedia as a source

 

[amylevan]

My advice is simple - when cruising somewhere where the destination is the draw (like Alaska) pick your cruise based on itinerary, which for us included Glacier Bay and narrowed us down significantly. Once you have several viable options, then you can look at ship amenities and things like age of the crowd.

When cruising someplace where the cruise is the draw, pick based on ship and cruiseline.

We did Princess in Alaska (and we were in our 20s at the time). It was amazing.

 

[Milana]

NCL for me

 

[Disneyland1084]

Who told you it was mainly old people, Carnival cruisers? Take that with a grain of salt.

A few people, but it went through one ear and out the other because I just don't care. I'm definitely not ruling out Princess for my cruise with DH. A PP said Carnival is a party ship, and we're not really party people.

 

[Praying Colonel]

NCL for me

We just sailed on NCL in February and it felt like a cattle stockyard. Buffets were always busy and picked over, hard to find a chair anywhere outside including the adults-only area. Even the thermal spa, at a premium price, was packed most days. It just was not relaxing.

Also, smoke from the casino seemed to permeate midships--you could smell it 2 decks above and below.

I realize it may have been that sailing, but we'll think twice before we book NCL again.

 

[fly girl]

A few people, but it went through one ear and out the other because I just don't care. I'm definitely not ruling out Princess for my cruise with DH. A PP said Carnival is a party ship, and we're not really party people.

The bolded is enough to tell you to not go with Carnival.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We just sailed on NCL in February and it felt like a cattle stockyard. Buffets were always busy and picked over, hard to find a chair anywhere outside including the adults-only area. Even the thermal spa, at a premium price, was packed most days. It just was not relaxing.

Also, smoke from the casino seemed to permeate midships--you could smell it 2 decks above and below.

I realize it may have been that sailing, but we'll think twice before we book NCL again.

I agree. We've sailed on Celebrity, Princess, Carnival, NCL & a now defunct line. I would rank them in the order I listed. NCL was definitely the bottom of the barrel. In our experience, Celebrity is the best by quite a bit. Our Celebrity cruise to Alaska was amazing. The Alaskan cruise on NCL was a major disappointment. Naturally, as with most things, you get what you pay for. Celebrity also tends to be more expensive than the other mass market lines.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We cruise a lot on various lines. I would stay away from NCL for Alaska...they haven't been doing it long and they get the worst port areas. In Ketchikan they've built a port away from the town so you can't just walk off the ship and see things which is a pain. Also they've cut down the entertainment options which used to be wonderful and they've cut their service staff so rooms and restaurants do not have enough staff to give good service. I'm annoyed about this because I often cruise solo and NCL is the best for that market.
We did a Princess Norway cruise in June and it was wonderful. Excellent service and beautiful ship. We were busy each day and night with many choices of activities. Princess is known for giving the best Alaska experience.
Holland America we did once to Alaska, I wouldn't recommend. It was an older ship and it wasn't kept up.
Carnival which I really like for certain reasons only sends old ships to Alaska, and they aren't well kept up. No go.
We've done Alaska on DCL, it was ok, wouldn't choose it again.
RC is fun but I don't find the activities as enjoyable as Princess.
Cunard, just did a TA with them and loved it, am seriously looking at them for our next Alaska cruise.
BTW, you don't need a balcony for the cruise. We've had everything from insides to two bedroom suites and tbh we just don't use a balcony that much. You have a much better view from the open decks. Do your research and choose based on itinerary and ship. If you drink at all get the drink package, you'll save money. Excursions are expensiveI in Alaska so to be safe I'd budget $1500 for the two of you. That isn't going to get you helicopters to the glaciers or the other pricey ones but it will allow you to do something fun in each port.

I agree that you'll need at least $1,500 for excursions. After taking many excursions in Alaska, I disagree on how to spend that money. I'd do the helicopter/glacier/dog sledding tour, even if it meant just walking around town in the other ports. That was the best excursion we've ever taken anywhere.

OP, one suggestion I omitted in my first post is to consider booking a one-way, inside passage cruise. Those cruises tend to add in a more remote port or two, along with the big 3 ports.

 

[fly girl]

Another tip!

Be prepared if you book helicopter and/or helicopter with dog sled it can cancel due to weather. It took 2 times to finally get the dog sled on a glacier excursion because that is notoriously the most cancelled excursion in Alaska due to altitude and weather conditions. Not going to lie though, it was worth the wait.

Also, many may disagree, but the Lumberjack Show in Ketchikan is a tourist trap. Do some research before booking to see if it is one you would be interested in.

Personally, my favorites were the helicopter tour with dog sled on a glacier (Juneau), helicopter to glacier (Juneau), zodiac speedboat (Ketchikan), seaplane misty fjords (Ketchikan), Grizzly Falls Zipline (Skagway).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I would have recommended Seabourn but not necessarily Alaska--if you were doing Greenland or Iceland I would recommend them. Alaska seems to be a more equalizer in terms of cruise lines. I agree with the advice to look over itinerary. Seabourn does a fantastic Alaska cruise from what I hear and see but it is very pricey at the same time so that's why I'd lean towards using it for Greenland or Iceland. Seabourn however is a high end cruise line with really no added costs once on board other than your excursions. If you do an Expedition cruise (very pricey) they include most excursions. Some of the photos I've seen of Misty Fjords are breathtaking I must say. They also have cruises that go to Glacier Bay.

Personally my interests lie in going to Iceland and Greenland over Alaska at least before going to Alaska.

I wouldn't do Carnival but truthfully have no interest in Carnival period. I went on one when I was a teen. There are better cruise lines out there.

We had almost chosen HAL for our Med cruise but had chosen a suite for that one.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Another tip!

Be prepared if you book helicopter and/or helicopter with dog sled it can cancel due to weather. It took 2 times to finally get the dog sled on a glacier excursion because that is notoriously the most cancelled excursion in Alaska due to altitude and weather conditions. Not going to lie though, it was worth the wait.

Also, many may disagree, but the Lumberjack Show in Ketchikan is a tourist trap. Do some research before booking to see if it is one you would be interested in.

Personally, my favorites were the helicopter tour with dog sled on a glacier (Juneau), helicopter to glacier (Juneau), zodiac speedboat (Ketchikan), seaplane misty fjords (Ketchikan), Grizzly Falls Zipline (Skagway).

The Misty Fjords seaplane tour was our second favorite tour in Alaska.

 

[declansdad]

For Alaska, the best lines are Princess and Holland. Celebrity would be the next pick but they don't have the same itineraries.

In general, I would avoid NCL. They will nickel and dime you to death. Those who tell you Carnival is a party ship have either never sailed with Carnival or they have have only sailed on 2 and 3 night itineraries. Any cruise line is party for those short cruises. AS far as food, Carnival is just as good as Royal and Disney.

 

[jimmymc]

Carnival and Disney are great for younger kids. For older kids and teens who are old enough to roam the ship, Royal Caribbean has a bit more for them to do. Some of the newer princess and celebrity ships also have cool kids programs, where they do things around the ship, even though the actual kid clubs aren't that exciting.

For two adults to Alaska, Princess and Holland America have been doing it the longest and have some advantages because of that. They get longer port times, better dock locations, and own almost all of the Glacier Bay National Park permits. They do have an older demographic, which could be good or bad for you. Because of this, they have more formal dining rooms at set times, and things like bars and clubs on the ship close early.

NCL also has a handful of Glacier Bay permits, but in my experience they have shorter port times and worse locations. They have great food and less structure than Princess or HA, and some of the ships have Broadway shows. Celebrity is also similar to NCL, but they don't have Glacier Bay options.

There are also higher end options, but these are the big lines I would start researching.

 

[ronandannette]

A few people, but it went through one ear and out the other because I just don't care. I'm definitely not ruling out Princess for my cruise with DH. A PP said Carnival is a party ship, and we're not really party people.

Of the 14 cruises I've taken, 4 have been on Carnival. I'd certainly not say that. Bluntly put - there are rowdy drunks on every cruise line; we've observed it a little more over the past 10 or so years since the pre-paid liquor packages have become a thing. But unless you want to be part of it, I find the whole Carnival booze-cruise mythology to be just that.

 

[Darcy03231]

We've cruised Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity, Norwegian, and Holland America. We found the passenger demographics on Princess, Celebrity and Holland America tends to be a bit older. Most of our cruises over the past several years have been on Norwegian. We just like the more all-inclusive feel to it. However, I wouldn't hesitate to sail on any of these lines if the price/itinerary was right.

I find Carnival and Royal Caribbean to be pretty much interchangeable as far as food, service, and activities go. Carnival has more of a Las Vegasy vibe, where RCCL has a more refined feel. I think the rooms on Carnival are slightly larger.

I think NCL has better food and entertainment than Carnival or RCCL, but these areas can be subjective. Service is about the same.

We've only done one Celebrity cruise and while the ship was very nice and the service was superb, I found the food to be bland and the entertainment options to be lacking.

For Princess and HAL (also one a piece) the food was better than Celebrity, the service was outstanding and the ships were very nice. Again, we found the night time entertainment lacking.

 

[antmaril]

I have cruised to Alaska twice. The first time on Holland America (2009) and the second time on Princess (2012). I enjoyed both very much, but I did feel young (then age 58) on Holland America. Still had a great time. Alaska is spectacular. And, I have always read that Holland America and Princess “own” Alaska. They have the most permits for Glacier Bay, which is amazing.

Princess is my cruise line of choice. I will be on the Sky Princess (for the second time) in January for a Caribbean cruise. Of course, I am a senior, but, I see all age groups on Princess. There will be older folks, of course, but we’re not all turning in at 9:00 p.m.

Have fun! Alaska is awesome!

FYI - I have cruised on Carnival, NCL, HAL, Disney and Princess. Carnival will always be my last choice. The last Carnival cruise I took was in 2019 to Canada/New England on the Sunrise. While we had a nice time, the ship (which had been recently refurbished) was just okay. LONG lines at the buffet, no production shows, just a different vibe. Still had a good time because, well, I was on a cruise.

 

[PezRuth]

I have cruised on Disney, Carnival, Royal, Holland America. Going on first NCL in February. With kids we have only done Disney. For young kids I definitely think Disney is generally the way to go for Caribbean. Everyone always says negative things about Carnival. Honestly I enjoyed it but I knew what I was getting going in. Didn't pay alot and just took what came. For older kids definitely Royal. I have not done an Alaskan cruise but have heard Princess is great for that. The one cruise I went on when I was definitely the youngest by about 30 years (I was 30 at the time) was Holland America to Maine/Canada.

 

[mousefan73]

For above 18 I’ve been hearing amazing stuff about virgin cruises