Princess Cruises has 6 ships sailing to Alaska in 2016. Those are:
Coral Princess which sails for 7 nights from Vancouver to Anchorage/Whittier and from Anchorage/Whittier to Vancouver from May 14 to Sept. 10. She stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, Glacier Bay, College Fjord and Skagway.
Crown Princess which sails roundtrip from Seattle for 7 nights from May 21 to Sept. 10, 2016. She sails to Juneau, Glacier Bay, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria. She also sails for 7 nights on May 6 and 13 roundtrip from Vancouver and sails to Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan.
Grand Princess sails roundtrip for 10 nights from San Francisco from May 11 to Sept. 8. She stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, Glacier Bay and Skagway.
Island Princess which sails for 7 nights from Vancouver to Anchorage/Whittier and from Anchorage/Whittier to Vancouver from May 11 to Sept. 7. She stops in Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.
Ruby Princess sails roundtrip for 7 nights from Seattle from May 8 to Sept. 11. She stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, Tracy Arm Fjord. Skagway and Victoria.
Star Princess sails roundtrip for 7 nights from Vancouver to Anchorage/Whittier and from Anchorage/Whittier to Vancouver from May 14 to Sept. 17. She stops in Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.
If you want a longer Alaska vacation consider going to Fairbanks/Anchorage first for 3 to 7 nights on a land tour and then sail south to Vancouver or doing the cruise first then the land package. Make sure to ride the Alaska railroad and overnight at least 2 nights in Denali National Park.
Now for an overview of Princess Cruise Lines to Alaska.
Princess Cruises may be best known for introducing cruise travel to millions of viewers, when its flagship became the setting for The Love Boat television series in 1977. Since that heady time of small-screen stardom, the Princess fleet has grown both in the number and size of ships. Although most are large in scale, Princess vessels manage to create the illusion of intimacy through the use of color and decor in understated yet lovely public rooms graced by multimillion-dollar art collections.
Princess has also become more flexible; Personal Choice Cruising offers alternatives for open seating dining (when you wish and with whom you please) and entertainment options as diverse as those found in resorts ashore.
The Princess cruise passengers run the gamut from families with children to retirees. The average age on a non-school-break sailing is 51, while school-break and summer sailings skew younger, as they attract more families. Alaska will tend to draw an older crowd than the Caribbean as it does for all cruise lines.
Two formal nights are scheduled on seven-night itineraries. On other evenings, the requested dress code is cruise casual, which means pants for gents and slacks or dresses for ladies. While the dress code is adhered to in the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants, casual dress is fine for dining at the buffet.
Gratuities, which are automatically charged to onboard accounts, are $11.50 per person (including children), per day, for passengers staying in standard accommodations and $12 for passengers staying in mini-suites and suites. A 15 percent gratuity is added to beverage purchases onboard, including wine at dinner. Spa and casino staff members do not share in the gratuity charges — if you use these services, tips are advised.
Princess offers guests a blend of indoor and outdoor amenities. Outdoors, the ship features four pools, multiple hot tubs, a jogging track, half-court basketball court and a putting green. At night, under the stars, patrons can wrap themselves in snuggly blankets to watch movies on a huge 300-square-foot screen while munching fee-free popcorn.
Indoors, lounges and bars offer live entertainment. The Princess Theater features three show times to accommodate everyone’s schedule. The liveliest spot onboard is the Piazza. Strolling performers entertain while passengers indulge in light fare from the 24-hour International Cafe or sample wines and tapas at Vines. Entertainment options vary from a magician to a sword-swallower to an acoustic guitarist.
Princess has an extensive land program in Alaska you can combine with a northbound or southbound Alaska cruise. They have their own lodges and their own rail cars on the Alaska railroad. However these are rarely open to an interline rates.
Choose Princess if you’re a traveler with a disability. Princess ships are some of the most accessible at sea.
Princess is also ideal if you like to gamble but hate a smoke-filled casino. Princess casinos are well ventilated and spacious.
Also if you want a balcony then look at Princess ships as they feature balconies in abundance at affordable rates.
Princess might not be for you if you have a poor sense of direction. Most ships, especially the Grand-class ships, are very large. Also avoid Princess if you think Princess is still as depicted in The Love Boat. That was just a TV show, and it was more than three decades ago. Finally Princess might not be for you if you’re too impatient to stand in line or wait. Debarkation from the large ships can be lengthy.
Princess interline rates are valid for commercial and cargo airline employees, CRS employees (Sabre, Amadeus), spouses, dependent children under 21, retirees (not defunct carriers), parents of the employee and parent-in-laws of the employee plus anyone sharing the cabin. Interline rates to Alaska on Princess tend to show up starting in April and then throughout the summer season.
To book call InterlineTravel.com – 800 766-2911 or book on their website and avoid booking fees!