Rhapsody - Alaska Cruise with Teens

[mysticdream]

We are planning to take a cruise to Alaska with two teenage girls in July. We originally planned on taking the Radiance but the airfare for the one way itinerary is so expensive. We can do the Rhapsody for much less.

 

Will the girls still have fun on the Rhapsody. It looks like a much smaller ship with no golf course.

 

Are the pools heated?. Can well behaved teenagers (17, 15) use the solarium.

 

Will they be disappointed on an Alaskan cruise after doing the caribbean on both Voyager and Radiance class ships. I think it would be nice to do something a bit different.

 

Thanks for any advice

[vickiw0318]

I took my daughter to Alaska on a similar ship when she was 16 and we had a great trip. It was, however, more port intensive that the Rhapsody cruise. My reservations about the Rhapsody cruise vs. the Radiance cruise is the number of sea days and the ports of call. (I have done both.) I would push the budget and do the the Radiance one. You see much more of Alaska on the Radiance cruise. There are four stops instead of three (and of the three, only two are in Alaska.) Even if you have to wait a year (whereupon both girls would be over 16 and could use the Solarium), I think you'll get more for your dollars.

 

P.S. There will be times on the Rhapsody when the Solarium pool is opened up to all age groups.

[boulders]

On the Radiance, the solarium was opened to all ages for about 6 hours a day in AK. Otherwise, the minimum age is 16.

 

The Radiance was really made for sailing in Alaska. It has broad expanses of glass which were great for viewing scenery and wildlife.

 

My children, ds14, dd11 and ds4 enjoyed Alaska much more than the Caribbean. The shore excursions were much more interesting.

[stompy]

We are planning to take a cruise to Alaska with two teenage girls in July. We originally planned on taking the Radiance but the airfare for the one way itinerary is so expensive. We can do the Rhapsody for much less.

 

Will the girls still have fun on the Rhapsody. It looks like a much smaller ship with no golf course.

 

Are the pools heated?. Can well behaved teenagers (17, 15) use the solarium.

 

Will they be disappointed on an Alaskan cruise after doing the caribbean on both Voyager and Radiance class ships. I think it would be nice to do something a bit different.

 

Thanks for any advice

 

Alaska is wonderful although the pools tend to be closed a lot.

 

They'll see lots of wildlife and hunky Lumberjacks...

[stompy]

We are planning to take a cruise to Alaska with two teenage girls in July. We originally planned on taking the Radiance but the airfare for the one way itinerary is so expensive. We can do the Rhapsody for much less.

 

Will the girls still have fun on the Rhapsody. It looks like a much smaller ship with no golf course.

 

Are the pools heated?. Can well behaved teenagers (17, 15) use the solarium.

 

Will they be disappointed on an Alaskan cruise after doing the caribbean on both Voyager and Radiance class ships. I think it would be nice to do something a bit different.

 

Thanks for any advice

 

Alaska is wonderful although the pools tend to be closed a lot.

 

They'll see lots of wildlife and hunky Lumberjacks...