2 yr old have to pay for excursion on Alaska Ruby

[sryono]

Hello All,

 

We are going on the Alaska cruise on the Ruby Princess in May 2015 and Princess wants me to pay for my 2 year old to go on the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary Walk & Crab Feast and White Pass Scenic Railway.

 

The customer service gal on the phone indicated I can wait and speak to someone the ship regarding this matter. Does anyone know if they are going to really make me pay for my 2 year old to go on these excursion with me.

 

Thank you in advance!

 

Stacy

[nukesubsailor]

Hello All,

 

We are going on the Alaska cruise on the Ruby Princess in May 2015 and Princess wants me to pay for my 2 year old to go on the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary Walk & Crab Feast and White Pass Scenic Railway.

 

The customer service gal on the phone indicated I can wait and speak to someone the ship regarding this matter. Does anyone know if they are going to really make me pay for my 2 year old to go on these excursion with me.

 

Thank you in advance!

 

Stacy

 

Sorry, but I don't know from personal experience but I do know that excursions have a limit to the size of the group. If your child occupies a seat that could otherwise be sold to someone else, then it makes sense that they would expect you to pay for the child.

[mariakitty]

if your child requires a seat (and on the rail excursion they would) then I would assume you would be require to pay the child price ticket. If you could clarify why a 2-year old should go for free that might help, ie) riding on your lap. I wouldn't be surprised if the charge for toddlers is to discourage their participation but this is purely speculation on my part.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Yes, you have to pay for your 2 year old....

[Hoosier-Cruiser]

if your child requires a seat (and on the rail excursion they would) then I would assume you would be require to pay the child price ticket. If you could clarify why a 2-year old should go for free that might help, ie) riding on your lap. I wouldn't be surprised if the charge for toddlers is to discourage their participation but this is purely speculation on my part.

 

Princess' online excursion reservations has a price for adults and a prince for kids 3-12. I believe that is what caused the question to be asked.

[Thrak]

Hello All,

 

We are going on the Alaska cruise on the Ruby Princess in May 2015 and Princess wants me to pay for my 2 year old to go on the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary Walk & Crab Feast and White Pass Scenic Railway.

 

The customer service gal on the phone indicated I can wait and speak to someone the ship regarding this matter. Does anyone know if they are going to really make me pay for my 2 year old to go on these excursion with me.

 

Thank you in advance!

 

Stacy

 

I clicked on both of those links. On each resultant page I clicked the link for: See special notes

 

That takes me to the bottom of the listing where each of those excursion listings have this text:

=================

 

Unaccompanied Minor Policy: Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

 

Child Price:

 

12 years & under only

 

=================

 

I don't see anything to indicate one doesn't have to pay for a 2 year old.

Edited April 9, 2015 by Thrak

[Loonbeam]

Not all excursions do, but like the ship, for some venues and transport option there is a limit to the number of persons they are allowed to have on board regardless of age. For those, you need to pay for every individual. If there is lots of room on the excursion and they are not in danger of hitting the limit, they can be a bit flexible, hence the info about onboard.

 

The white pass railroad is one of those. Not sure about the other, but the restaurant may have a capacity limit by fire code on the other.

 

It's the ones with short bus trips where a 2 year old can be a lap child they can be more flexible.

 

Do understand you may have to pay.

[CI66774]

Some excursions list age restrictions, so make sure a two-year-old child can go first. If yes, then your child will have to pay the "child" price. Go into your cruise personalizer and click on excursion reservations and pick the excursion. The people on your reservation should be listed (including your child) and you select the "child" price for him/her.

 

Unless the excursion specifies children under a certain age are free - they aren't - but they probably will pay a little less than the "adult" fare.

[john watson]

I have heard of this problem before with other cruise lines so do not know whether it is applicable for Princess. However; sometimes you need tickets for everybody including small babies, these are issued free of charge but are nevertheless needed so they have the correct number of "people" tallied up. Quite often it is assumed that these "freebies" will not occupy a seat but may do so should a spare one be available. I am thinking that the pre-booking months ahead is not always the same as how people on the ship run the system on the ground.

 

You can play it two ways in my book; just get tickets for everybody else and ask on the ship if you need an extra one or buy everyone a ticket and ask about cancelling for a refund if you have overpaid.

 

Overall this is a bit of a dilemma either way.

 

Good Luck John.

Edited April 9, 2015 by john watson

[samiam123]

The Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary Walk & Crab Feast includes a meal. You will more than likely have to pay something for this as your child will be eating.

 

 

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[katisdale]

This is a difficult position you are in as you cannot leave your child (not that you want to) in the child care area since he/she is under 3 years old which is the youngest they can be if the parent is not going to be present with them. I think you will have to pay.

[Hlitner]

Keep in mind that some excursions have a minimum age limit which is why you will often not see a price for toddlers.

 

Hank

[Astro Flyer]

Hello All,

 

We are going on the Alaska cruise on the Ruby Princess in May 2015 and Princess wants me to pay for my 2 year old to go on the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary Walk & Crab Feast and White Pass Scenic Railway.

 

The customer service gal on the phone indicated I can wait and speak to someone the ship regarding this matter. Does anyone know if they are going to really make me pay for my 2 year old to go on these excursion with me.

 

Thank you in advance!

 

Stacy

 

I would suggest calling the White Pass Railroad because they may charge each passenger no matter their age. If they do not charge for children 2 and under then maybe you could get Princess to not charge you either.

[waltd]

I would suggest calling the White Pass Railroad because they may charge each passenger no matter their age. If they do not charge for children 2 and under then maybe you could get Princess to not charge you either.

 

Only thing I can find on the brochure is that children 12 and under are half price.

[Paula_MacFan]

I'm sorry but I cannot imagine taking a 2 year old on the White Pass Railway. That's a long time to keep a toddler entertained in a small space. I don't think the beautiful scenery will mean beans to a toddler. Or maybe I'm just a bit jaded because we had to listen to a screaming toddler through a significant part of our Alaska cruise last year.....which was NOT fun.

Edited April 10, 2015 by Paula_MacFan

[Astro Flyer]

Only thing I can find on the brochure is that children 12 and under are half price.

 

I checked their website before posting & it shows no charge for "infants" however they don't define "infants".

[kitkat343]

We have taken our son on cruises starting at the age of 2. We always book private tours because it allows us to customize the itinerary to our son's needs, and to ensure that he won't ruin anyone else's experience on a group tour.

 

I would also agree with the previous poster who noted that this railroad is not an ideal excursion for a two year old. I wouldn't book it since I would be too concerned that if my child couldn't handle the long train ride, there is no way to get him off and modify our plans (the railway only stops once, midway through the trip).

 

My son visited a rainforest in Costa Rica at 25 months, and he really loved it and was able to hike the trails with some assistance. But I would book the rainforest experience directly through the tour operator so we could explore the rainforest privately and if we need to stop along the way we could do so easily without disturbing others on a ship tour. We can also travel more slowly than most other people on a group tour without disturbing them.

 

Please note that many of the attractions in Alaska are very close to the port, so you should contact the vendors directly to book excursions you are interested in. The amount you save will cover transportation costs if necessary, and you can make adjustments to your schedule based upon your child's needs (naps, hunger, etc). I brought a large diaper bag filled with small toys and snacks to keep my son entertained when he was two. He really loved the single serving cereals they had at breakfast, so whenever he got fussy during a tour we let him choose a new cereal and he was happy again.

 

I don't think there is anything wrong with parents bringing young children on cruises, but it is wrong if parents don't adequately plan for their children's needs, and don't consider the needs of others when planning their vacations.

Edited April 10, 2015 by kitkat343

[bearette]

I have toddler twins. I believe that railway doesn't charge for lap seat children under three but check their direct website to be sure. I have done group guided tours and I don't recommend them as you end up missing most of the guide dealing with toddler issues. Flexibility is key. I recommend a do it yourself by just taking the railway or booking a private tour. private tours can be expensive as they want to charge you the same amount for two people or four. Alaska also has child safety restraint rules that require car seats even in taxis so double check their ability on a private tour or bring your on. You know what your child can handle on vacation. Its not time to skip naps or have long meals which is when the tantrums occur. Good luck and happy planning.

 

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[caribill]

You can play it two ways in my book; just get tickets for everybody else and ask on the ship if you need an extra one or buy everyone a ticket and ask about cancelling for a refund if you have overpaid.

 

 

Bad idea in my mind. If this is a popular excursion and you do find you need the ticket for the child, you may also find that the excursion is sold out and thus there is no space available for your child.

[Loonbeam]

Remember you are not buying from the railway, you are buying from a tour provider who purchased seats from the railway and may have different terms and conditions...

 

I have toddler twins. I believe that railway doesn't charge for lap seat children under three but check their direct website to be sure. I have done group guided tours and I don't recommend them as you end up missing most of the guide dealing with toddler issues. Flexibility is key. I recommend a do it yourself by just taking the railway or booking a private tour. private tours can be expensive as they want to charge you the same amount for two people or four. Alaska also has child safety restraint rules that require car seats even in taxis so double check their ability on a private tour or bring your on. You know what your child can handle on vacation. Its not time to skip naps or have long meals which is when the tantrums occur. Good luck and happy planning.

 

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[Colo Cruiser]

Remember you are not buying from the railway, you are buying from a tour provider who purchased seats from the railway and may have different terms and conditions...

 

 

Good point.

[RetiredNTraveling]

Like everyone says, If they are taking a seat, then you should pay! Sorry but that is the way it should be, IMO.

[RDC1]

I have toddler twins. I believe that railway doesn't charge for lap seat children under three but check their direct website to be sure. I have done group guided tours and I don't recommend them as you end up missing most of the guide dealing with toddler issues. Flexibility is key. I recommend a do it yourself by just taking the railway or booking a private tour. private tours can be expensive as they want to charge you the same amount for two people or four. Alaska also has child safety restraint rules that require car seats even in taxis so double check their ability on a private tour or bring your on. You know what your child can handle on vacation. Its not time to skip naps or have long meals which is when the tantrums occur. Good luck and happy planning.

 

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These days you often have enough ships in Skagway that the White Pass sells out to the cruise ships and do not have direct sales available. That was the case when I was there last year. When had already taken the railway previously,so no big deal. Not like the old days when there would only be one or two ships at a time there.

[Cindy]

Like everyone says, If they are taking a seat, then you should pay! Sorry but that is the way it should be, IMO.

 

I agree with that. Especially if there are a limited number of spots for a very popular activity, I think that's only fair.

[furb]

I'm sorry but I cannot imagine taking a 2 year old on the White Pass Railway. That's a long time to keep a toddler entertained in a small space. I don't think the beautiful scenery will mean beans to a toddler. Or maybe I'm just a bit jaded because we had to listen to a screaming toddler through a significant part of our Alaska cruise last year.....which was NOT fun.

 

I would agree with this... the White Pass Railway tour is definitely not appropriate for a young child at all.