Help me find the sweet spot for an Alaska cruise

[limace]

I'm interested in taking my family on their first cruise, and have been thinking about Alaska-we are in Oregon, so could do this without airfare (huge perk) and my husband and kids have never been there.

 

I've looked at a RCI Jewel of the Seas sailing on June 12, but the $4000 quote for an inside cabin seems pretty darn high to me (a group I like will be on that ship). Thoughts on the price?

 

So, what are your thoughts/suggestions for the best cruise that meets the sweet spot between price/itinerary/ship quality? Husband and I are pretty mellow and easy travelers-love good food and seeing new places. Kids will be 5 and 9, boy and girl. Would prefer round trip out of Vancouver or Seattle. What would you suggest I check out?

[CruiserBruce]

I would suggest you check out the Alaska board.

 

Given your limitation to Seattle or Vancouver round trips, look for possible Glacier Bay itineraries. Looking on the Alaska board would reveal Glacier Bay is a priority, but Holland America and Princess would be the primary lines for those routes.

[Essiesmom]

I would suggest you go to the websites of each of the lines that sail Alaska and sign up for email specials. Since you do not require airfare, you can wait for special offers. We did Princess, two 7 day cruises B2B from Vancouver for an excellent price, booking about five weeks out. EM

[Cruisin' Chick]

Are you talking about booking for this "group" (which usually means a higher fare as you're paying for taking part in the activities)? That could be why the fare seems high to you.

 

Princess (and HAL) are known for the Alaskan cruises. And Princess has a great kids program.

[Kartgv]

Your kids are at a perfect age for their first cruise, so go for it! The RCI sailing would be good, but try looking also at Princess - they have several itineraries out of Seattle or Vancouver and do a good job in Alaska. Assuming you're talking about 4 people, the pricing looks about the same as what you found on RCI, maybe just a little less. You may be seeing peak prices right now for the June sailings. If you like to gamble, you might wait until final payments are due for the sailings, usually somewhere around 75 days before sailing date. Prices sometimes, but not always, drop then to fill those cabins where people drop out at final payment date.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Check out HAL's 14 day cruise round trip out of Seattle. It goes to Anchorage, Homer and Kodiak which other lines don't/

Pick an Alaskan cruise that includes either Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier.

[Assateague Island Princes]

Perhaps of interest to you is that HAL's Alaska sailings often have third and fourth passenger per cabin sailing either free or for a small fee, which could save you a bundle with the kids sharing your cabin. Note that taxes still apply for the 3rd and 4th passenger. Still a bargain with the lesser cruise fares for two of your passengers.

 

I've cruised to AK five times (all on HAL) - three times on the 14 day itinerary that KK mentioned, and twice on 7-day cruises. Their kids club always seems to be a hit, so there is plenty to do for your kids while aboard ship, if they so desire to participate. Don't let the often misleading reputation of HAL only being for the older set - simply not true on Alaska sailings. We've always seen a wide age range onboard our AK cruises - from infants to folks in their 80's.

 

Itinerary is most important when sailing to the Great Land - be sure to consider the longest times in port. And if you can get a sailing which includes Glacier Bay, you're pretty well set for glacier sailing. Often times viewing glaciers on a Tracy Arm sailing is missed due to lack of time or ice, and sometimes Hubbard Glacier(though it is my personal favorite) can result in distant views due to ice pack.

 

A great savings not to worry about airfare due to your location - you can put those extra $$$ towards some pretty amazing excursions, which in Alaska are quite pricey.

 

Enjoy your trip. And have fun w/the planning - to me, that is half the fun!

[cruisetraveler2]

You may want to consider Carnival or Norwegian since you have young kids. You are fortunate to be close enough so you don't have to figure in airfare. I have been on the Carnival Legend and the Norwegian Sun that are currently in Alaska. I enjoyed both ships. They are not the biggest ships with all the bells and whistles but in my opinion Alaska is more about the destination than the ship. I would put my money into the excursions. Alaska is beautiful and I think you will enjoy whichever ship you choose.:)

[Markanddonna]

Alaska will be wonderful. Know that there are some ships with a retractable roof and the pool can be used on sea days. I found Alaska cruises a bit chilly for swimming unless you are really lucky.

 

But, like others have said, Alaska is a destination, not a ship cruise. You might want to consider the NCL Pearl and look for those itineraries that go to Glacier Bay. I've been on the Sun and that was nice but I think they go to other glaciers.

 

Alaska is all about the ports and you really won't use the ship as much as a Caribbean/Mexican vacation. Be sure to do a whale watch in Juneau and try to get a sailing that goes to Skagway and get up in the Yukon by either the train/van or rent a car. The road is very good and not heavily traveled. Lots of advice on the Alaska board.

 

Don't get sucked into thinking you HAVE to have a balcony. Most rooms don't and people survive and have a great time. You have plenty of space to be outdoors on any ship. Having an inside/OV or even a partially obstructed view is a great deal. Consider YOUR budget, not the advice of some folks who do have plenty of $ and give advice you can't afford.

[lamchops]

With the children in mind, I would consider:

 

The NCL Pearl sailing out of Seattle as they have a good kid's program along with a rock climbing wall and bowling alley.

 

The June 20 sailing of the Crown Princess out of Seattle is the "Seahawks 12th man Fan Cruise" so that may be exciting if your family enjoys football.

http://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/seattle-seahawks-fan-cruise/

 

Both cruises are currently around $1000 per adult with the kid's at 50% for an inside cabin.

[shipgeeks]

I would definitely stick with an inside cabin or cabins, whatever ship and itinerary you choose. The views from the open decks are 100x better than what you would see from a balcony, and to us, those views were the primary joy of Alaska (ahead of shore excursions).

Apart from that, I agree that looking at all the different lines and their itineraries and onboard facilities is worth the effort. You won't go wrong regardless, but it will help you make the best personal decision.

[limace]

Thanks, all! You're so helpful :). I am definitely open to HAL-my only cruise was an 11 day southern Caribbean with my mom last year on the Noordam and it was wonderful, though almost no kids-glad to hear it's better in Alaska.

 

 

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