Children on Alaska Cruise

[scotslaydee]

We are considering taking a cruise to Alaska with our then 3 and 6 year olds and wondered if this was a suitable cruise for them. We have just returned from a 10 day Baltic cruise which we all loved but this was very port intensive so there was no possibility of the children being bored. I know the Disney ships are an obvious choice but we may be joined by grandparents.

Therefore recommendations for cruise lines/routes/activities would be very much appreciated.:)

[Keith1010]

I am sure they will love the Alaska cruise as well. There are many interesting ports as there are in the baltics with a lot to see.

 

In addition to Disney which is nice for children, parents and grandparents there are many others to consider such as Princess, Celebrity and HAL along with others.

 

Keith

[villauk]

We are considering taking a cruise to Alaska with our then 3 and 6 year olds and wondered if this was a suitable cruise for them. We have just returned from a 10 day Baltic cruise which we all loved but this was very port intensive so there was no possibility of the children being bored. I know the Disney ships are an obvious choice but we may be joined by grandparents.

Therefore recommendations for cruise lines/routes/activities would be very much appreciated.:)

We did an Alaskan cruise on Radiance of the Seas last year and our children said it was the best holiday ever. Between the whale watching, bear hunt, husky mushing, lumberjack show and many other adventures, the kids were totally blown away. They were 6 and 9 years of age and had lots of new experiences. Ironically, we're off on a Baltics cruise in two weeks, lets hope we enjoy ours as much as you enjoyed yours!!

[Budget Queen]

You need to do your homework and find out what Alaska can offer you. Overall, touring is much most costly in Alaska compared to the Caribbean. Although the above lists some great tours- a 6 year old and 3 year old are completely different, with a three year old, probably not suitable for some extended tours. I wouldn't look at much that doesn't have a way out.

 

Families sail on all the cruiselines to Alaska. Again, do your homework, head to your library and take out Alaska travel books. This will allow you more information for a cruise selection.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Our first Alaska cruise was when DD was six years old. She had a fantastic time! We planned excursions the whole family would enjoy. And she had a great time in Camp Carnival. She wasn't bored for a moment and cried when we got off the ship. :)

[jonny99]

We are considering taking a cruise to Alaska with our then 3 and 6 year olds and wondered if this was a suitable cruise for them. We have just returned from a 10 day Baltic cruise which we all loved but this was very port intensive so there was no possibility of the children being bored. I know the Disney ships are an obvious choice but we may be joined by grandparents.

Therefore recommendations for cruise lines/routes/activities would be very much appreciated.:)

 

We are about to head out with our 3 and 6 year olds on the Diamond Princess northbound from Vancouver to Whittier. Would be happy to share our (and their) experience once we're back.

[Purpleprincess4]

Considering that Disney is entering the Alaska Market next Summer, that may be good for your littlest one. It is probably pricey, but, IMHO the rooms in Category 6 and better on Disney are way more spacious than what we just experienced on Princess. We took Grandma on Disney with us last cruise and she loved it as much as my kids. My children were 6,8,10 and 12 on our recent cruise and loved Alaska. There are many attractions that your kids would love. We loved the Whale watching and the Bearing Sea Crab fishermans tour. Other children in our group loved the train ride in Skagway. I think Disney in Alaska would be a great mix for the age of your kids. Keep in mind that your 3 year old might tucker out at dinner and be down for the count. That is what happened to us 3 years ago in the Carribean on Disney. :)

[sdfamily]

We went two years ago on the Coral Princess from Whittier to Vancouver.....

 

Here is my experience: Our boys were 18 months, 7YO and 9YO. None of them set foot in the "child care".

 

On the sea days, all were perfectly content to just explore the ship and call it a day!

 

My impression was that it did not matter the ship, as Alaska was the feature.

 

LMK if you have any other questions!

[sdfamily]

Oh...please look at the schedules of the cruises that you are considering. The port times are very important.

 

Although some may trumpet the Disney cruise, don't choose it based on your 3YO, choose it based on YOUR desires.

 

The Disney cruise does NOT go to Glacier Bay National Park (a must in my book) and is vague on the time in Ketchikan.....

 

Again, my 2 cents!

[scotslaydee]

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. Looks as if I need to do some research before we book, but I think we shall base our choice on itinerary rather than ship!:)

[chipmaster]

Alaska is very different then a Baltic/European cruise, but if your 3 and 6 year old survived those almost daily port intensive and weren't bored or worn out Alaska should be a snap :D

 

What you need to decide is Alaska the kind of cruise experience you want. We found the kids club enjoyable for our 9-16 year olds on our ~3 sea days. In the Med when they were a few years younger they equally enjoyed the club, but port experience is very different.

 

Sorry, IMHO I don't agree that Disney is the obvious choice! Yeah they have a great ship, great service, lots of special Mouse touches but very pricey. For us their European schedule three years ago was really not the best port lineup and as another poster said study the port times and sailings for Alaska. I feel fortunate I didn't select Disney over ports. For Alaska would be sad if you only do Alaska once and miss something; glaciers, whale excursion etc. In the end pick the cruise first for ports IMHO or whatever is the over riding priorities.

 

We are considering taking a cruise to Alaska with our then 3 and 6 year olds and wondered if this was a suitable cruise for them. We have just returned from a 10 day Baltic cruise which we all loved but this was very port intensive so there was no possibility of the children being bored. I know the Disney ships are an obvious choice but we may be joined by grandparents.

Therefore recommendations for cruise lines/routes/activities would be very much appreciated.:)