First-Time Cruise for Family of Four

[vbmom87]

 

PS- THE HAL KIDS CLUB ACTUALLY LOOKS PRETTY GOOD- MY KIDS WERE EXCITED BY INDOOR POOLS AND GAME ROOMS..

 

Before you book, double check that the ship you would be on has the indoor pool and game rooms if these are important to your family. Not all ships to Alaska have indoor pools. Others know more than I about that. Or you can go to the cruiseline boards and post there and ask what the particular ship offers.

[Fredr]

hello,

 

My DW and I have been to Alaska four times by cruise ship.

 

One time we went with our children who were older than yours but we had a great time. It is such an adventure that the

kids will find lots of ways to occupy their time.

 

Keeping it simple is to go on a 7 day round trip from Seattle. This means you get on the ship in Seattle and see quite a lot of Alaska, and 7 days later you are back in Seattle.

 

There are some who will tell you that you see more if you sail round trip from Vancouver. There is a little bit of truth in this because it is nice to sail out of Vancouver. However, it is also cheaper to sail out of Seattle (much less in airfare). Some like to fly to Seattle and sail out of Vancouver but this involves two border crossings as well as two (three hour) bus rides or train rides or car rentals. Experienced travelers can do this but it is difficult with children.

 

Several cruise lines including Princess have seven day cruise. The ports are great and so are the days at sea. And it is my opinion that there is very little difference between the major cruise lines but Princess has a very nice refurbished ship in this market.

 

A balcony in nice but there are many times when you want to get a panoramic view and this you cannot get with a balcony. An oceanview will be very good for you, that is,if your budget does not allow for a balcony.

 

As for excursions you can see Alaska's ports on your own. I would rent cars in Juneau and Skagway, as this will give you the flexibility to see and do more.

[bwater]

thanks vbmom

 

the Statendam and Coral Princesss apparently have heated pools with retractable roofs as well as arcade/ game rooms

 

should be interesting

[mll1013]

Hi mll1013! I wondered if you have come to any conclusions?

 

I think we finally have decided upon the following itinerary:

 

http://fwd4.me/8Aj

 

We have also settled on a stateroom w/ balcony. Our main thought is that this is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our family, so it's worth the risk of the extra expense to make sure we have every chance to have as enjoyable of an experience as possible.

[vbmom87]

I think we finally have decided upon the following itinerary:

 

http://fwd4.me/8Aj

 

We have also settled on a stateroom w/ balcony. Our main thought is that this is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our family, so it's worth the risk of the extra expense to make sure we have every chance to have as enjoyable of an experience as possible.

 

Don't forget to keep an eye on prices and sales. If you notice a price drop call or email your TA and see about getting the decrease. Sometimes the price drops are only for new bookings, so you would have to cancel your current reservation and then rebook. FYI, if you have booked excursions, they also will get cancelled and will need to be rebooked it you decide to cancel and rebook your cruise. At least that is how it worked in 2008.

[mll1013]

Don't forget to keep an eye on prices and sales. If you notice a price drop call or email your TA and see about getting the decrease. Sometimes the price drops are only for new bookings, so you would have to cancel your current reservation and then rebook. FYI, if you have booked excursions, they also will get cancelled and will need to be rebooked it you decide to cancel and rebook your cruise. At least that is how it worked in 2008.

 

Thanks for the tip! I'm pretty sure our TA's website mentioned that they would automatically discount the fare if there are price drops, but we will keep an eye on that either way.

 

We're looking forward to our first cruise, but now that we've picked an itinerary, don't expect us to get quiet now. I'm sure we'll be back with plenty more questions.

 

Thanks for all of the great advice! :D

 

mll1013

[vbmom87]

Thanks for the tip! I'm pretty sure our TA's website mentioned that they would automatically discount the fare if there are price drops, but we will keep an eye on that either way.

 

We're looking forward to our first cruise, but now that we've picked an itinerary, don't expect us to get quiet now. I'm sure we'll be back with plenty more questions.

 

Thanks for all of the great advice! :D

 

mll1013

 

I am very excited for you. You picked a great scenic cruise.