Which Cruise Ship Should You Book to Alaska? Quantum of the Seas or Ovation of the Seas?

[@monstrok]

Great topic! I was very happy with my Ovation cruise including the entertainment and ship amenities. "The Beautiful Dream" was a great stage show - so well written and choreographed. It seems the biggest difference between the two ships are the live bands, solo instrumental/vocal performers, and stage shows.

[@CruisingWithJT]

Hey John! Thanks for watching :) I'm glad to hear you had fun on Ovation, it's a phenomenal ship. Totally agree with the biggest difference being what you mentioned. all the performers and entertainment are truly amazing!

[@TB-zs5vr]

Great comparison video JT!!! You’re right - I don’t think you can go wrong with either of these ships. So much to do on board, it’s really amazing! Thanks for sharing your insight on these beautiful ships.

[@CruisingWithJT]

Thanks for watching, TB! I had a lot of fun going back and finding footage from all my awesome experiences on these beautiful ships. I would go back on either of them in a heart beat, so much to do!

[@TB-zs5vr]

@@CruisingWithJT I imagine watching all the footage made you want to be on a cruise! It’s so wonderful you have so much footage to look through and remind you of the great times you had.

[@CruisingWithJT]

@@TB-zs5vr Agreed! The hardest part is figuring out which footage to include 😄

[@edvaira6891]

You also have the option of Radiance and I believe Brilliance…and are Definitely not as impressive as these two😊

[@CruisingWithJT]

That’s correct! The small ships are wonderful as well as they can go to places these big ships can’t 😊

[@lboutard]

Hi JT! This is a great video! Alaska is an amazing destination and know what ship will fit is invaluable! Thanks!

[@CruisingWithJT]

Thanks, Lacrecia! Glad you enjoyed this one :) My next video I am thinking of comparing the glacier itineraries and which one I believe is better, and then will move onto individual ship reviews, dining reviews on ships/experiences, shows, ports, and more! Stay tuned :)

[@lboutard]

@@CruisingWithJT can’t wait!

[@Couponingfornewbies]

So happy you did this video. I’m definitely planning my Alaska cruise for 2024!

[@CruisingWithJT]

Awesome! I’m glad this helped! I’ll have more videos coming soon about which Glacier itinerary may be best along with other details. Stay tuned. I also posted on Patreon earlier today. Feel free to comment there as well on what else you’d like to see! 😊

[@desertcat9287]

Excellent presentation 👍 Thank you for answering my questions with this video

[@CruisingWithJT]

You’re welcome and I’m glad it helped! Thank you for watching 😊

[@lindadennis867]

Wonderful I knew it would be after seeing your second video I knew your first video would be excellent and you did not disappoint the information you gave on these videos are outstanding and I repeat better than any reviews I’ve ever seen so keep up the great work if you can keep it going I for one appreciate every minute of your time Thank you. I now know both ships are pretty much the same and either one would be a great one to take to Alaska. JT you have a great voice for these videos very clear spoken.

[@CruisingWithJT]

Thank you for the kind words and support, Linda! I am glad this video helped decide which ship to go on. Both are great, but I do give Ovation a very slight edge over Quantum ;)

[@lorri4]

Hi! We want to do the ovation of the seas this summer but we are not sure which itinerary.. The Internet says that the 'inside passage' is a must do for Alaska. I can see the Ovation does this, but then there are only 2 stops in Alaska (Juneau and Skagway) + the glacier visit. When you take an itinerary without the mentioning of 'inside passage' , there is one stop more in Sitka or Ketchikan. But what's the difference, no scenic cruising in the inside passage? Which Itinerary would you recommend? We want to do the inside passage but only 2 stops in Alaska sounds less in comparison with other cruise lines... Thanks in advance

[@CruisingWithJT]

Hi Lorenzo! Thanks for reaching out. The Inside Passage is essentially 'scenic cruising' before you get to mainland Alaska and other ports like Ketchikan, Juneau and so on. As long as you have the Dawes Glacier/Endicott Arm in your itinerary, I think the Inside passage is a bonus if it's already included. That said, if you're more interested in the port experience, I would skip the Inside Passage. I have done both and could flip a coin but if it was my first time to Alaska, I'd likely lean more towards the port visit since it gives you a new land-based destination to explore in Alaska versus Inside Passage you're just cruising through and can't really get off anywhere. Hope that helps!

[@katiekendrick8866]

I have not been on either ship! Hope at sometime in the future I can sail on either one!

[@CruisingWithJT]

Hey Katie! You will love either of these ships especially to Alaska! I gave the slight edge to Ovation in my overall experiences but Quantum is wonderful too :)

[@jaydmcfly]

Best month to go for Alaskan cruise

[@CruisingWithJT]

April-October is Alaska season, and the weather will vary depending on when you go. May/October could have snowy conditions, June-September it could be rain or shine, the weather is unpredictable. I personally have gone during all months but July/August seemed to be the best weather but no guarantees.

[@kellysanders3875]

Have you been on princes or Norwegian in Alaska and what would you recommend? Looks like better pricing.

[@CruisingWithJT]

Hi Kelly! I haven't been on Princess but I have been on Norwegian to Alaska many times. I recommend the Bliss or the Encore depending on which date works best for you. I give the slight edge to Encore since it is a newer ship. I do know Bliss only goes to Glacier Bay a few times during the Alaska season whereas Encore goes to Glacier Bay for the entire season :)

[@kellysanders3875]

@@CruisingWithJT thank you

[@chirstinegarcia8866]

Thank you.

[@CruisingWithJT]

Thank you for watching!

[@sheilameyer9196]

Hi JT! Love all your videos ! With all the cruise ships going to Alaska,are the cruise ports crowded? Sailing on Quantum July 2023 😊

[@CruisingWithJT]

Hi Sheila! Thank you for watching and for your support :) Depending on how many ships are at port the day you visit there, it can get a little crowded, however it isn't too bad. While I do miss the low capacity cruising of 2021 and early 2022, you will still enjoy the ships. I recommend planning early and booking your excursions early for Quantum of the Seas on Cruise planner :) Happy to provide recommendations if you'd like :) You will love the ship! Hope you enjoyed my ship tour!

[@ceepd1233]

I booked a cruise on quantum of seas and have been checking everyday for the Dawes glacier excursion but it is no where to be found and when I called support they didn’t know what I was talking about?

[@CruisingWithJT]

Hey there! The Dawes Glacier excursion should be found on your Cruise Planner account for the day you are visiting Dawes Glacier. Unless they removed that option for Summer 2023, it should be listed there. Pricing last year was $200 per person and it was a total of 6 hours or so from being taken off the ship onto a small vessel to the time they drop you off at Juneau, where you'd meet your docked ship, Quantum of the Seas.