To me the Plus is the no brainer. We used Premier last sailing and liked it but I am not entirely sure if it is worth it. If you plan to do a lot of specialty dining, it probably worth it as it is now unlimited. They just changed it recently.

The door game on sea days is fun. I won $250 OBC. In fact we had a group and of the 6 of us with Premeier, everyne won something, two of us winning $250. Not a good reason to buy it. If you prefer higher end booze, it is a good choice.

They just raised the price on Premiere like another $10, and it now includes unlimited specialty dining. On a 7 day cruise on that ship, I'm not sure I'd find the value proposition to be that useful. Yeah, if you have a lot of devices you want internet access on, it *might* be worth it, but that ship doesn't have as many of the specialty dining venues that you get on the newer ship, so how much you'd really use the unlimited specialty dining is probably debatable. Basically, you have the italian and steak house as the two specialty dining options, and I *think* the only casual dining option they have that they charge for on the ship might be when they run the crab shack? Those packages these days are definitely more tailored for the newer ships (things like the juice bar only shows up on the newer ships.)

FWIW, I would not consider that to be all that close really. That looks like a little closer than our ship got in the one time we made it to Hubbard. The "small" boat excursion (which was pretty pricey), we got up to where you could look down the channel to the right between the glacier and the bare landmass you can see in your picture. I'm guessing you might have been about even with Haenke Island there, which leaves you between 2 and 2.5 miles from the glacier (hard as that might be to believe, it's impressive even from there).

From our Glacier Bay trip

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...aea5ef9ceb.jpg
(And no, not a telephoto lens). In fairness, I'm pretty sure this is the trip that we got as close as even our naturalist have ever seen. Other trips I've done there, I'd probably say about 1.5 to 2 times the distance depending on ice.

The rule of thumb I always heard when looking at Alaska was that Hubbard was definitely the more variable glacier to get close to. It's very impressive if you can get close to it, because it's incredibly active. The problem is that activity also just results in enough ice that it makes it hard to make it back at times. Glacier Bay is from everything I've been told far more often a success to get close to (and there's a couple of glaciers in there that they pass by, so there's a couple of chances to get closer to one. Lamplugh in particular is pretty easy. Johns Hopkins and Margerie can vary more based on ice. (And I think I had one trip that they had Johns Hopkins closed off due to seal breeding season or something like that). Tracy Arms as the other spot for glaciers, I've always heard early in the season it can be tough, and easier later in the season.

As the OP looks like they're indeed doing a southbound trip on the Coral, the argument is a bit moot though, since they'll get both Hubbard and Glacier Bay.

BTW, if you're someone that does the national park passport stuff, bring that, the rangers that board in glacier bay will have the stamps for it (plus there's a few other spots on the itinerary that you can also visit that you can get stamped).

You know you can switch devices easily. I bring an iPad and iPhone but never need both connected at the same time. Also, if you don’t drink that much, you just pay the difference with Plus if you go over the Plus $15 limit. We will splurge on a few nicer glasses of wine a day, but it doesn’t add up to $30. It remains to be seen how Princess handles the unlimited specialty dining for Premier. It could end up being difficult to get a table every night, especially if you have a time in mind. We have booked Plus on every Princess cruise. It works for us. I don’t see that changing. I just booked Plus for a cruise that’s 7 months out. With recent changes, I started to worry about a price increase. It will come, it’s just a matter of time. Otherwise, you can book it on day 1 of your cruise. I’m pretty sure you could book Plus now and upgrade to Premier once onboard if you think you’re missing out. Actually, the biggest advantage for us with premier might be the reserved seating in the theater. But still can’t justify the $30 a day X 2.

Thanks, this is really helpful.

Can anyone advise here on how to handle Plus when there are more than 2 passengers in a cabin? It seems the quoted price only applies to the first two. What about the rest? Does it still make sense to buy it for them? They will need Wi-Fi, certainly. Do they automatically charge crew appreciation for the extra passengers? The two extras are minors, so they won't be drinking alcohol.

Plus for Guests 3 and 4
 

You are not required to buy Plus for them but your TA can easily add it for them should you choose it. Many non-drinkers feel the Plus is worth it. That's because it includes gratuities (depending on your cabin type that is $17-$19 per person per day., 2 casual dinings, wi-fi, and soft drinks, specialty coffees and juices, which can add up quickly ala carte. Depends on your kids but three soft drinks per day per kid with tips will run around $10 per day. Most kids I know will drink more than that. 2 casual meals will be $15 per person per meal. 2 premium deserrts per day (these are giant ice cream sundaes loaded with sprinkles and gee-gaws). The Ocean Now fee is waived.

Since it’s not required of 3rd and 4th passengers and they are minors, it might make sense to develop a spreadsheet and price out what things would cost ala carte. I suspect it’s close to break even, one way or the other. If you do Premier, they would have to pay for Specialty Dining to accompany you. That gets expensive fast. There was just a price increase, so I don’t remember what the new price is - maybe $40. Crew Appreciation is a given for most. But remember with 2 pax paying for Plus, you can have 2 devices connected at all times, so might not need to pay for any additional wifi. The desserts are gross, IMO and that of most adults. Even my grandkids weren’t tempted. And the kids can use the adults’ accounts for Ocean Now deliveries and Room Service. I’m thinking Plus for 2 and ala carte for the kids.

It appears that Princess has changed what's included in the Plus package and now specialty dining is not included at all, and there's a disconnect between what the website says and what the app says. The website still says Premier includes unlimited specialty dining, but the app is telling me that 2 specialty dining meals at Sabatini's are included with Premier. The Plus package now includes two prix fixe meals at a casual dining location.

I don't book packages - we're 100% a-la-carte. We've had up to 5 people using wifi - we just share the 1 device and boot each other off as we switch back and forth. We're on vacation, not working, so it's minimal use for us anyway. If you really want the Plus and 4 devices, here's what I'd do. Look into booking 2 cabins with 1 adult in each and 1 minor in each. Then you only have to get the plus for 1 adult in 1 cabin. You can get connecting cabins and give the minors their own room (once you're on board, you just get the medallions programmed to open each others doors), and the adults can have their own room. You'll have the added bonus of 2 bathrooms and showers for getting dressed for dinner, etc. May be worth comparing the price vs a single 4-person cabin.

Forgot to mention... drinks on princess aren't nearly as expensive as I've seen on other lines. Think $9-12 for most drinks. I think I was paying $12 for a top shelf old fashioned every night. WAY cheaper than packages since I only have 1 or 2 drinks a day, and some days none (e.g. long port days).

For sure there is plenty to drink at less than $15. Even fancy mixed cocktails. But watch out for the generic wine. Upgrade that at every opportunity.

I am looking at Cunard Queen Elizabeth to Alaska for 10 days in August of this year....does anyone have experience with this ship? We are considering it because it seems like the only possibility for solo rooms and we each want our own cabin. My concern is that is says "cruising by" for Glacier Bay and I understand GB is the highlight of the trip. Also, a lot of time at sea seems boring. Neither of us have been to Alaska or are cruisers. We don't want a big ship (2000 passengers or fewer) so that narrows it down.
thoughts?

Every cruise I've ever seen is priced with "double occupancy" so when you see "Inside Cabin for $900" it means $1800. If you want it by yourself, prepare to pay 2x the advertised price.

Glacier Bay is not a stop - you cruise into the bay to see the glaciers up close. It's a national park; a park ranger will come out to the ship on a pilot boat, board the cruise ship, and narrate while you're in the park, then depart again before you leave. You don't get off the ship in GB.

Thank you
I thought I read somewhere that 2 cruise lines are allowed to actually go up close and there are only 2 that have that slot. No? Do they all cruise into the bay and not just by it?
We actually did find single cabins on the 10 Cunard but 10 days seems too long and boring. And the ship seems a bit fuddy duddy.

Many lines now cater a certain number of cabins as solo cabins that do not charge double occupancy.