Aurianna

Heh... and I'm torn again. Partly because of this, partly because I just checked out the price differentials. Holy buckets. Pretty sure our family could buy its own sled dog for that price difference for 9 of us.

I was spacing when I said we were going in the fall. We're totally going in the summer. Yeah, I was very happy with what I've read about Princess, and our kiddos all fall in the same age group on that line. We'd all but ruled out NCL because they might not be together and it sounds like that's still a possibility.

The family is taking an Alaskan cruise next fall. We are very likely going with Princess but doing some last sanity checks. My daughter will be 8 and her cousins will be 11. I see that the age group break down is 7-9 and 10-12. The kids get to see each other once a year generally so we want them together and I'm not comfortable leaving dropping her off in a strange place without her cousins with her. She's very big for her age and will be unhappy playing with 7 year olds instead of her cousins. I see this in the FAQ: Will children of other ages be able to play together during program hours? Yes, if they choose to. Children 3-12 are able to choose the activities they want to participate in by themselves or with other children. Splash Academy offers flexible program options where children can choose games and activities from four different stations: Dynamic (5-12yrs), Creative & Chill, Gaming, and Younger Ones’ Choice. The Younger Ones’ Choice offers a variety of interest-based and age-appropriate activities for the younger cruisers designed to keep them active, engaged, and safe. So what's the real situation? Is the age ranges really just the official numbers for ratios but she could actually be with her cousins the whole time? Or is there more differentiation at certain times than the FAQ leads me to believe? Also, anyone had experience with both Norwegian and Princess' kid club and have any input on one vs the other?

Ok now I'm scared to ask.... it looks like the Sapphire's timing works better than the Grand's for us. How does the Sapphire stack up to the Grand?

All right. That probably clinches it. I definitely prefer the Royal's on-ship activities... but sounds like the Grand is better for the party as a whole and I think I'll have more beautiful things to look at and more spots to look at them on, on the Grand so should be good. Thanks everyone!

no this was exceedingly helpful, thank you!! I’m far less worried about the kids now on the Grand. I’ll suggest the southbound on the Grand to my in-laws with the caveat that we might see more whales on the Royal. I’m probably the only one in the party that a bigger, more exciting things-to-do boat matters for. I’ll just be sure to come stocked with audio/ebooks just in case my body isn’t feelin’ it during the trip. The tip that you can see more things better from the Grand deck is a very good one in case I can’t do much ashore. My husband, daughter and I are doing a Disney Caribbean cruise in January with some friends. I do worry that my daughter will be disappointed in comparison but the differences in the Grand/Royal may not make much difference in the grand scheme. I’ll work on her expectations that that it’s a very different kind of trip.

Our party is as such: FiL, 72m (previously been on one northbound Alaskan cruise) MiL, 71f (previously been on one northbound Alaskan cruise) BiL, 47m SiL, 41f me, 41f hubs, 41m nephew, 11m nephew, 11m daughter, 8f No one but hubby's parents have been on an Alaskan cruise before. My husband spent a few days in Alaska on business but didn't do much sight seeing. Everyone has Caribbean Cruise experience on Royal Caribbean and/or Disney but the boys were babies at the time. The plan is an 7-day Alaskan cruise in late July and/or early August 2024 (plus a 2-3 day cruisetour add-on). I think because my in-laws did a Northbound already, they want to do a southbound this time. They're open to other lines besides Princess but seem set on a one-way which limits the options. They'll likely take my advice on the route to pick and I don't want to mess this up for anyone. For southbound on Princess our options seem to be: Royal Princess Whittier to Vancouver with stops in Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Ketchikan. Grand Princess Whittier to Vancouver with stops in Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan. These are the parameters... Husband's parents are very into the scenery and are set on the fact that Princess cruises go more into the glaciers than other lines. Hubby wants to fish and ride a kayak and/or canoe. I have MS and it's a wildcard on what I'll be able to do; I may be on the boat more than the rest. I'd like to see animals. But honestly my favorite parts of cruises are food, trivia, and shows. The boys want to see sled dogs, bears and gold. My daughter has ADHD and can't sit still but she loves animals and would probably enjoy a gold activity as well. So my questions: I've heard the Royal is generally a better ship for kids. Is this true, and if so, are there several notable examples of the differences? Can the Royal get as close to the glaciers as the Grand can? Icy Strait Point or Skagway?? It seems like Skagway has way more of the stuff the kids want... is it worth sacrificing the kid friendliness of the Royal? And for that matter, is there anything left for me to do on this boat without Princess Live? So... can either itinerary give everyone what they want? (other options are taking Royal northbound or taking RCL Radiance southbound)

Confession: I'm 40 years old and have never used Uber. Are there going to be people who are willing to pick up at cruise port and drive all the way to Miami? Also, we'll be a party of 5. Will we likely have to take two separate cars?

We are sailing in Ft. Lauderdale in January. Currently we have tickets home out of FLL at 6:40pm but I don't really relish hanging around all day and having to keep track of our bags. It would also nice to get home before it's super late since we'll have work/school the next day. I found the option of a 1:35pm flight out of MIA instead. Is it possible to get to MIA in time for a 1:35pm flight? If so is it possible to still do so with one or both of the following: Can we still exercise the option to check our luggage with the cruiseline (Disney) the night before and not cart it around the boat all morning? Can we make it by taking the Tri-rail? Or is Uber the only option that will be fast enough? Thanks!