Welcome aboard (no pun intended)
Asking what's the best ship is a loaded question. For every cruise line you'll get many opinions from past travelers that it is the best....or worst. It's all personal opinion.
I'll say this however. I found NCL to be less formal than the other lines I've sailed on (NCL, RCCL). I had no problem with the Freestyle cruising and in fact enjoyed it. Many don't. So if you want to share a table and have the same waiters every night than NCL probably isn't for you.
The cruise lines don't sail in November so August will have to be it. We've sailed in August and it was great. But the weather is tricky up there.
Like you're doing, I saved for a long time for our first Alaskan cruise. I paid less attention to the cruise ships at first than I did to other items. My two "MUSTS" were a balcony and visiting Glacier bay. I can't imagine going on an Alaskan cruise without a balcony. You will hear from others that don't think it's as important. I must admit that we don't gamble or get into a lot of the ships programs (napkin folding, art auctions, etc) and spend a great deal of time on the balcony just watching the incredible scenery go by. Focusing on our "musts" helped narrow to certain ships and eliminate others. This helped a great deal.
Awsome isn't a strong enough word for Glacier bay. I admit we haven't been to Hubbard (next month) or College Fjords. Photos do not do Glacier Bay justice.
Most cruises, whether inside passage or the one-way trips between Seward and Vancouver, take 7 days. There are a couple that do 10-11 days from San Francisco.
Most ships stop at Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway. A few substitute Sitka for Skagway.
Of course if you decide to add land packages you'll need more time.
Get in the cruiseline websites and request brochure's. They are full of information and photos. Ignore the pricing except as a guideline as to differences between cabin types.
I also suggest going into Expedia or Yahoo travel or MyTravel and pull up Alaskan cruises. You'll see all the ships available now and even next year. There is a place to check where you can compare cruises side by side.
When the time comes I also suggest you find a Cruise Specialist travel agent. You'll read about many in these Message boards. And get a few quotes. The specialists I've gotten quotes from have better pricing than booking thru the cruise lines directly. And they can usually supply a cabin location to help you choose as well.
Keep reading these boards....you'll learn a lot......and get confused a lot. ; ^ )
IMHO you're making a good decision going on an Alaskan cruise
