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Would you take two teens to Alaska on Sojourn


DrKoob
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We have never cruised on Seabourn but are considering it for Alaska this summer. My wife is going by herself with our two teenage girls 16 and 14 and we want them to have the best Alaska experience possible.

 

They had a European trip planned but the Syrian situation as put us off that so now we are considering Alaska but I am worried there won't be enough for them to do. Maybe I am better off doing RCL or HAL?

 

My travel agent suggested I ask here.

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It depends on the girls. If they can keep themselves entertained and out of mischief they should be fine. But they are likely to be rather bored. Seabourn makes no special provisions for kids and there will probably be a few guests who won't welcome them with open arms. Personally, I'd look at one of the many alternative "family friendly" companies operating in Alaska.

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We have never cruised on Seabourn but are considering it for Alaska this summer. My wife is going by herself with our two teenage girls 16 and 14 and we want them to have the best Alaska experience possible.

 

They had a European trip planned but the Syrian situation as put us off that so now we are considering Alaska but I am worried there won't be enough for them to do. Maybe I am better off doing RCL or HAL?

 

My travel agent suggested I ask here.

 

I hope I am not being rude. I am curious what the Syrian situation has to do with cruising in Europe? There are no travel advisories that I am aware of.

 

Back to Alaska. I would not recommend HAL or RCI or any other mass market or even premium line if you are used to a luxury style of travel. Unless things have changed Seabourn did have a kids program during the summer when there were 10 kids or more onboard.

 

The teens will be fussed over and spoiled by the staff and will have a wonderful time, based on my personal experience traveling with kids on Seabourn.

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I hope I am not being rude. I am curious what the Syrian situation has to do with cruising in Europe? There are no travel advisories that I am aware of.

 

Thank you for your response. And don't worry about being rude. We are looking at the possibility of a full-scale war but then I guess there would nowhere safe. If we attack Syria there is every possibility that a war with Russia may ensue. And with the current people in charge (not political, just nutty comments) you never know what could happen.

 

That said, we have not taken the girls to Europe. Would you feel totally safe with two girls in London, Paris and Rome pre-cruise?

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I hate to state the obvious...but Alaska is closer to Russia than Syria would be to a Seabourn European cruise itinerary [emoji3]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

If hostilities erupt between us and Russia, you better be on another planet to avoid it. But let's be honest, if we get involved in offensive combat with Syria, Europe will (as it always does) bear the brunt of anti-west terrorist activities.

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Thank you for your response. And don't worry about being rude. We are looking at the possibility of a full-scale war but then I guess there would nowhere safe. If we attack Syria there is every possibility that a war with Russia may ensue. And with the current people in charge (not political, just nutty comments) you never know what could happen.

 

That said, we have not taken the girls to Europe. Would you feel totally safe with two girls in London, Paris and Rome pre-cruise?

 

Thanks for your reply. I understand and respect your opinion. I have two separate trips to Europe in the next 5 months and will not cancel. I did not cancel a trip to London after the July 2005 bombings with our family and we did not cancel a Christmas trip to Paris after the bombings there in 2015. I feel safe in both places.

 

I do not expect everybody to act like me/family and I do hope you give Seabourn a try whether in Alaska or somewhere else.

 

And since we are speaking of Russia: Besides Mexico and Canada which country is the closest to the U.S. Answer: Russia.

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We sailed on Seabourn in the Mediterranean with my then 14 year old son. Our days were busy touring and there wasn’t a lot of down time before dinner. We’re foodies and enjoyed longer, relaxed meals. He loved it, but was an independent kid who was happy watching movies in the room at night. There wasn’t much else for him to do. It really depends on your kids. Your girls might enjoy some time at the spa, but otherwise, the ship isn’t going to provide a lot of activities. Alaska is such a wonderful destination — they may have such action-filled shore excursions that they’ll be happy to just chill on the ship.

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If hostilities erupt between us and Russia, you better be on another planet to avoid it. But let's be honest, if we get involved in offensive combat with Syria, Europe will (as it always does) bear the brunt of anti-west terrorist activities.

 

 

 

It’s just not something that’s going to happen- NATO and nuclear weapons will ensure that. We went through an entire Cold War with tensions way higher than today for decades. Even if there is limited action in Syria it’s nowhere near where you’ll be.

 

Not to mention that cruise lines are multi billion dollar businesses and their shipping assets are extremely valuable. Their not going to put their tonnage at risk unnecessarily just to make a few bucks on a cruise. If they have a hunch of something bad impending they’ll be way more cautious than any individual traveler will be and proactively cancel an itinerary. They haven’t done this.

 

You’ll be perfectly safe in Europe and even safer in Europe onboard a Seabourn ship.

Edited by princeton12321
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I don't really believe that Seabourn is ideal for teenagers (or children of any age) but Alaska is very port intensive and offers wild life and glaciers etc etc which might be of interest to younger cruisers. There is no entertainment for youngsters on board. Princess cruises may be a better choice.

 

I must point out that if war broke out, as you describe, there would be no cruise ships sailing. (sorry I see the previous poster has said the same thing)

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I hope I am not being rude. I am curious what the Syrian situation has to do with cruising in Europe?



 

This is not necessarily about war, but even one isolated missile attack may affect travel severely. European airlines have been warned that there might be problems when flying across the Eastern Mediterranean ( re-routings etc).

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-airspace/braced-for-air-strikes-on-syria-some-airlines-re-route-flights-idUSKBN1HI01E

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Political climate notwithstanding, the odds of something happening on the day you are there in the place you are standing are far less than something/anything happening in your car-ride to the airport.

 

That said, I've received this wise advice many times: If your heart isn't in it, do everyone a favor and don't go. You will never enjoy it to the full extent possible, and you will waste valuable loving family moments and thoughts fearing the unknown. That is no way to spend your vacation, with or without teenage daughters. Go somewhere/anywhere where your fears aren't in the conversation.

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We are headed to Europe in 3 days and have no worries about safety vis-a-vis the horrible civil war in Syria.

 

That said, back to the issue at hand. With 2 teen girls, I do not recommend HAL for Alaska. Few kids on board and few activities for kids. Seabourn would be better because of the small scale and the opportunities for the kids to meet everyone, including the staff and entertainers who are very young. The kids should focus on the terrific experiences on shore, learn about Alaska and experience the special wilderness opportunities. Make it into a project. Have them write a blog to share with their teen friends back home, including cool photos. Take a float plane, mountain bike, hike, etc. While on board, have fun dancing in Rock the Boat, etc.

 

And if this does not appeal, find a family-friendly line going to Alaska, but not HAL.

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I don't really believe that Seabourn is ideal for teenagers (or children of any age) but Alaska is very port intensive and offers wild life and glaciers etc etc which might be of interest to younger cruisers. There is no entertainment for youngsters on board. Princess cruises may be a better choice.

 

I must point out that if war broke out, as you describe, there would be no cruise ships sailing. (sorry I see the previous poster has said the same thing)

 

Sure hope you are wrong .. if there was a serious threat of war I figured the Owners Suite charged on my credit card for as long as possible would be a good option for my last couple of weeks on earth :D

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In the UK we have decided to leave Europe [emoji848]

 

Sent from my SM-G955F using Forums mobile app

 

Yes, we have heard that. Apparently the original plan was that the UK be towed to Canada which would have been great because we could have purchased real pasties in Halifax, NS. Unfortunately one of the conditions for the UK moving to Canada was daily episodes of Coronation Street and that killed the plan dead. :')

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YES!!!! Do it! Been spending a bit of time on Seabourn recently. If the teens are mature and enjoy company of others, but not requiring tons of other teens (if any) it is a FANTASTIC option! Seabourn is an amazing line for all. Old school. Just returned last month from 14 days on Odyssey and there was single mom (widow) with two teenage daughters and they all LOVED it! We became very friendly. Seabourn is really special and I'm certain that the teenagers will have memories for a lifetime that will be so rich. Much more so than other lines.

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