MSC Poesia
$3,001
Your share · 1 adult + 1 kid
$1,596 — Cruise (2 travelers)
$1,350 — Flights (2 travelers RT)
$55 — Insurance (half of $109 total)
$0 — WiFi (not included)
$0 — Specialty dining (not included)
Norwegian Jade
$3,317
Your share · 1 adult + 1 kid
$1,638 — Cruise (2 travelers)
$1,600 — Flights (2 travelers)
$79 — Insurance (half of $157 total)
$0 — WiFi (included ✓)
$0 — 3 specialty dinners (included ✓)
MSC Poesia
Day 1Seattle, WA — Embark
Day 2Day at Sea
Day 3Ketchikan, Alaska
Day 4Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier + Juneau
Day 5Icy Strait Point, Alaska
Day 6Day at Sea
Day 7Victoria, British Columbia
Day 8Seattle, WA — Debark
Norwegian Jade
Day 1Vancouver, BC — Embark 4 PM
Day 2Inside Passage — Scenic Cruising
Day 3Ketchikan (Ward Cove) · 7 AM–4:30 PM
Day 4Juneau · 9 AM–9 PM (12 hrs)
Day 5Skagway · 7 AM–7:30 PM
Day 6Icy Strait Point · 7 AM–6:30 PM
Day 7Hubbard Glacier · 7 AM–11:30 AM
Day 8Whittier, AK — Debark 7 AM
Both Ships Visit
Ketchikan
- Totem Bight State Park & Heritage Center Kid Fave
- Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show Kid Fave
~1.5 hrs · Action-packed competitive show · ~$45/adult, $22/child
- Creek Street boardwalk & shops (free, walkable)
- Rainforest kayaking or Misty Fjords boat tour
- Crab fisherman interactive tour (MSC exclusive)
Both Ships Visit
Juneau
- Mendenhall Glacier & Nugget Falls trail Kid Fave
~3 hrs · Easy walk to waterfall — free shuttle from downtown
- Whale watching tours (humpbacks) Kid Fave
~3-4 hrs · Very high success rate in June · ~$150-200/person
- Dog sled camp & puppy cuddles Kid Fave
~2.5 hrs · Meet mushers, drive a wheeled sled, hold puppies
- Goldbelt Tram up Mt. Roberts — panoramic views
NCL gives you 12 hours in Juneau vs. MSC's split day — time for 2+ excursions
Both Ships Visit
Icy Strait Point
- World's largest ZipRider (6,500 ft @ 65 mph) Kid Fave
~1 hr · Min age 10, min weight 60 lbs · ~$170/person
- Coastal brown bear viewing platforms Kid Fave
- Whale watching (high success rate in June)
- Tlingit cultural center & restored salmon cannery
- Mountaintop Forest Gondola (1,500 ft panoramic)
NCL Only — The Standout Port
Skagway
- White Pass & Yukon Route Railway Kid Fave #1 Alaska Excursion
~2.5–3 hrs round trip · Climbs 2,888 ft in 20 miles · Vintage narrow-gauge train through tunnels, over trestles, past waterfalls & glaciers. No passport needed. Direct: ~$155/adult, $78/child. Through NCL: ~$229/adult, $149/child. Book direct in advance to save ~$80.
- Gold panning at a replica mining town Kid Fave
~1 hr · Hands-on, great for kids · You keep what you find
- Klondike Gold Rush boardwalks & buildings (free, walkable)
Entire town is a living museum — easy to explore on foot
- 1927 Skagway Streetcar sightseeing tour
~1.5 hrs · Costumed conductor, historic narration, Gold Rush Cemetery
Skagway is one of Alaska's best family ports. The White Pass Railway is widely rated Alaska's #1 shore excursion. With 7 AM–7:30 PM in port, you have time for the train AND exploring town.
MSC Only
Victoria, British Columbia
- Butchart Gardens (~1 hr from port)
- Parliament Buildings & Empress Hotel
- Inner Harbour whale watching
- Royal BC Museum
Beautiful Canadian city — more urban sightseeing than Alaska adventure.
Glacier Comparison
Dawes vs. Hubbard
- MSC — Dawes Glacier: Inside Tracy Arm fjord. 3,000 ft cliffs, waterfalls, floating icebergs. Intimate feel. Shares day with Juneau port call.
- NCL — Hubbard Glacier: North America's largest tidewater glacier. 7 miles wide, 400 ft tall. Dedicated morning viewing.
How Hubbard Glacier works: You stay on the ship the entire time. The captain does a slow 360° rotation so every side gets glacier views. Ships typically spend 60–90 minutes at the face. You'll hear thunderous cracks as massive ice chunks calve into the water — some as tall as a 3-story building. No need to get off the ship; the viewing from deck or cabin is spectacular. The 7 AM–11:30 AM window gives you the full morning.
Two Good Options — Here's How They Split
NCL Norwegian Jade is the stronger Alaska experience. Four Alaska ports vs. three. Skagway's White Pass Railway (~3 hrs, book direct at $155/adult to save $80 vs. NCL price) is widely rated Alaska's #1 excursion — the kids will love it. Dedicated Hubbard Glacier morning from the ship instead of a split glacier/port day. Nearly full days in every port means time for multiple excursions. WiFi, 3 specialty dinners, and freestyle dining (no set times with kids) are all included. Entourage teen club gives the 14-year-old real independence.
MSC Poesia is simpler and $316 cheaper per share. Roundtrip Seattle eliminates two-airport logistics. The ship was literally refurbished weeks before your sailing with brand-new restaurants and spa. Three pools vs. one on the Jade — real advantage with kids on sea days. The 2026 entertainment lineup is strong: Dirty Dancing: In Concert, LEGO Parade & Game Show, MasterChef at Sea, and poolside outdoor cinema. Two sea days give the family more ship time. And you get an Ocean View cabin vs. NCL's Inside.
The math: Your share for NCL is $3,317 vs. MSC at $3,001 — a gap of $316. That buys WiFi, 3 specialty dinners, an extra Alaska port (Skagway), significantly more time in every port, and Hubbard Glacier. That's about $45 per day more for a meaningfully richer Alaska experience.