Hello, My husband and I are in our early 30's <BR>and are planning a may 2000 alaskan cruise. <BR>Doing research and leaning toward Princess <BR>Cruise lines Regal Ship. any input . We won't <BR>a ship with mixed ages, not all seniors(holland America ?).Any input. We <BR>have also heard good things about Celebrity. <BR>This will be our first cruise.We will be <BR>getting an inside cabin. Any input appreciated. Heard Royal Caribean and Norwegian are so so. Please reply. <BR>

Travelling on either Princess or Celebrity you'll find a mixture of ages and you'll have a great time! However I would recommend Celebrity to you. I travelled on the Galaxy to Alaska last September. The ship is perfect for cruising Alaska...it offers many lounges/public areas with floor to ceiling glass walls to view the sceanery (including the dining room at the back of the ship and the gym). Plus, it offers a pool area that is covered so you can swim inside and the spa is wonderful!!! I highly recommend taking time for a massage if you have the chance. Overall this particular ship offers an excellent value because you'll probably find the cruise aprox. the same price as the Regal. <BR>Enjoy yourselves!

My husband and I were on Princess to the Inside Passage 2 years ago and it was GREAT. We also had an inside cabin and it was fine. You spend so little time in there and you can be on deck and see everything. We have been on 16 cruises and Celebrity is our favorite line and have heard from friends that they also are great to Alaka. Agreed that HAL caters to a much older crowd in food, entertainment, etc. Don't like NCL at all but have had good luck with RCCL but for Alaska I would stick with Princess or Celebrity. <BR> <BR>Plan to dress in layers for Alaska as weather can be changeable but plan for rain. You will want a hat and gloves. Don't forget sunglasses, binoculars and LOTS of film. You'll see some awesome sights. Definitely take a trip to the glaciers. We took a helicopter ride and landed on Mendenhall Glacier and were able to walk on it-SO COOL ! ! Whatever you do, make sure you get out of the post and see some of the countryside-it's beautiful. Kayaking and the train to White Pass are also good. <BR> <BR>I guarantee you'll LOVE Alaska! <BR>

Hi Melissa, <BR>One (important)thing you will want to consider about the Regal Princess is that it has limited deck space. My husband and I took her twin (Crown) through the Panama Canal, and like viewing the scenery in Alaska, all passengers wanted to view the canal from deck. There were several fights on the ship that day because of limited deck space. Fortunately, we had a balcony room so had our own private viewing area. Last year we took the Sky Princess to Alaska (I believe it is being replace by the Regal and will do the same itinerary) which had ample deck space for viewing and moving around different decks even at peak viewing times. We purposely chose an older ship because they tend to have more deck space. With Alaska, and an inside cabin, deck space is a major issue.

Hi, Melissa, <BR>It's not the same as a formal cruise on a major line, but a very different and enjoyable experience can be had on the Alaska State Ferry system, with many fewer amenities but a much lower cost. You might check out the system's home page at http://akmhs.com/ No buffets, but the scenery and the critters are the same.

Melissa, <BR> <BR>Whichever cruise line you choose to Alaska, please reconsider getting an inside cabin. When we were on our cruise to Alaska on Princess (loved it), there was a woman on there who slept almost the whole time because the cabin was so dark that she couldn't wake up! The thing about an inside cabin is that you never know whether it's day or night. They are small and dark and not at all what you have in mind when you imagine yourself on a cruise. So do yourself a favor and get the cheapest "oceanview" cabin. <BR> <BR>Sandy

Melissa. I agree with Sandra get an outside cabin. She must be referring to me as the person who slept all of the time. never knew what time it was. Coming from the east coast, I was all the more sleepier. I also went in May on NCL. Had a great time.

I disagree with inside cabins being smaller, especially on Celebrity or Princess. Inside and outside cabins are usually the same size until you get up on higher decks and the more deluxe accomodationms and suites. You spend so little time in your cabin, I can't see spending more for an outside cabin. The best part of a cruise is being out among people, not sitting in your cabin looking out, especially with those tiny cabin windows they charge so much extra for. You have TONS of deck space where you can see all around. We have been on 16 cruises and have almost always had an inside cabin. Most of the time when you're in there, it's night so it's dark anyways. If you think the darkness will bother you, take a small nightlight. Don't let anyone convince you that you need to spend mroe money and get an outside cabin in order to have a great cruise. <BR> <BR>No matter what you decide on for your accomodations, I think all of us who have been on a cruise to Alaksa will agree that you'll have a GREAT time - it's a AWESOME place! <BR>