recommendations for alaska with 3 boys(14-8)

[virgincruiserw/kids]

looking for help with everything!(cruiselines, must dos, best time to go cruiselines that are kid friendly for 3 high energy boys and the best/economical way to book a room/s for 5.) Never cruised with kids before so any help would be appreciated!!

[chipmaster]

Welcome to CC,

 

1) Almost all large ships of good kid activitees. My three kids 9-16 enjoyed going on sea days, everyday. Princess, Carnival, RCCL, HAL, NCL all have enough on their larger ships to make it enjoyable. If you can't have a good time I suspect you won't have a good time on any ship

 

2) Port days are all about activities, without knowing your full budget or interest its hard to say what is best.

 

3) Most economical is going to be inside cabin; a double and a triple. Yeah its a little cramped but the views outside are still there just a short walk away. The money you save will go a long way to paying for a few good excursions.

 

4) When to go, with kids I will assume late June - late August will find the most kids but also the priciest. IMHO that is worth it to go during the better weather higher demand just for the company. Plus better not to take the kids out of school ;)

 

5) Pick a one way if you can afford the flights and also pick a cruise that sails Glacier bay!

 

There are just so many fun activities for kids and also the adults with a little kid in them that without specifying interest or budget its hard to say what you should do in port. Expect to spend anything from 0 to 500 bucks / person for activities.

 

Happy planning

 

looking for help with everything!(cruiselines, must dos, best time to go cruiselines that are kid friendly for 3 high energy boys and the best/economical way to book a room/s for 5.) Never cruised with kids before so any help would be appreciated!!

[rjm11]

We loved the NCL Pearl... it's round trip out of Seattle, and includes Glacier Bay. NCL offers "freestyle" dining... which means that it works just like a restaurant at home- you show up at any time and ask for a table for however many... no set dining times, and no set dining companions, just your family. There are 14 different restaurants (some free, some include a $10-20 additional charge). The flexibility was really nice given that the port times are a little funky on most Alaskan cruises, so you never know when you'll be back on the ship. Also the flexibility was great for the kids- we could eat when they were hungry, not when the ship told us it was our dining time.

 

The prices on NCL are really good- low enough that we could afford a two bedroom suite- one of the courtyard villas- these rooms (and the "AB" category rooms as well) have two bedrooms, and two bathrooms, and a small living area, and a balcony. The first bedroom has a queen bed and an enormous bathroom with double sinks, separate tub, and shower with 5 different sprayers (think rain shower head and side jets). The second bedroom is very small, but has a double sofa bed in it and a third bunk from the ceiling. And a standard size shower bathroom attached. There is also a single sofa bed in the living room. So technically 6 could stay there... we had 5 (two in the second bedroom and one on the sofa) and it was perfect. Plenty of space.

 

The other benefit to the suite is that the butler will serve meals (including dinner) in your stateroom from any of the restaurants onboard... this was also handy for excursions where we were getting back late- we pre-arranged to have dinner waiting for us when we got back!

 

I'll be happy to answer any other questions about the Pearl... or our excursions... my kids were 4 and 3 when we went, so younger than yours.

[epixx]

We sailed to Alaska in August 2010 with 2 high energy girls, ages 16 and 12. My two hot tips are for port activities. In Skagway, the girls loved rock climbing and rappelling, which can only be booked as a ship's shore excursion. In Juneau, we went on a 7 hour round trip hike to Mendenhall Glacier. The hike included one hour of climbing and trekking on the glacier with crampons and picks. You would need to book a private tour from this independent vendor because the kids need to be at least 12 years old for the vendor's regularly scheduled tours. See this:

http://www.beyondak.com/glaciertrekking.html

 

When you pick a cruise, take a good look at the Juneau port time so that you will have time for this trek. The boys will love it, as will you!