Best Line for 2 and 5 yo - Alaska

[ontothenextone]

My wife and I are going to cruise Alaska in August 2019 with our 2 year old and 5 year old. We are currently booked on the Disney Wonder. We have previously cruised with the kids on RCL in the Caribbean on the Oasis, Liberty, Anthem, and the kids had a blast on each of those. 

 

We haven't braved WDW with the kids yet, as it seems too daunting, so my wife thought Disney Wonder would be a nice compromise - Alaska for us and Mickey for the kids. I'm not sold, and am seriously considering cancelling and booking us on Princess.  For what it is worth, we do not use the kids clubs on cruises, but rather stay together as a family, and we don't expect to avail ourselves of them here. We do plan on doing a number of the amazing excursions Alaska cruises have to offer (helicopter tour, sled dogs, etc.).

 

I would really appreciate any feedback on cruising Alaska with two young children.   Is there enough to keep the younger kids entertained on an alaskan itinerary without the mouse, and in particular, on Princess?

 

Many thanks in advance!

[Budget Queen]

Being,   you are "entertaining"   the kids,  it's going to be up to you.   :)  

 

I always say,   plan for the adults.   Kids have great ways of adapting.   

[Northern Aurora]

An Alaska cruise is a great family experience, and you don't need the mouse.  If the kids enjoyed their prior cruises they will also enjoy an Alaskan itinerary.

[darwinsrule]

First off love the Wonder.  Third cruise on her is booked for Feb 2020.  First cruise, first love. We will keep going back to her. 

 

If the youngest is going to be 2 at the time of the cruise you will have limited access to Oceanear's club, in fact pretty much any club on any cruise line.  That changes what you end up doing. Given the age you will also likely be dealing with nap time.  Advice: GET A BALCONY.  Youngest can nap, adult can sit on balcony and watch the world go by.  We spent more time on our balcony during our Alaska cruise then we did on our 8 previous cruises combined. Remember as well you are likely not going to be using the pool much.  So nice ship with balcony should be priority.  

 

As Budget Queen said kids have a way of adapting.  As the kids have gotten older we have gone further, explored more, seen more, and tried more.  We got did Alaska on Carnival Legend, as we were getting off they asked if we could just get back on her again.  And that is a ship that looks like the 1970's vomited all over it.    We have NCL Jewel (southbound) booked for next August but are reconsidering and looking at Royal Princess (but considering connecting insides, which given the ages of our kids now (15 and 11) becomes more of an option just for the extra space).

 

[phred119s]

I second the balcony.  We cruised to Alaska this year with our daughter (she was 5) on Princess and she absoutely loved it! We even booked another one for this coming summer for her birthday.

[~*Lou*~]

I travelled to Alaska on Radiance of the Seas when my children were 5 and 7 yrs. Internal quad share, but we didn't have children young enough for naps so we weren't in the cabin much at all. They did use the children's club but the main thing for them (and subsequent cruise to the Med) is a pool and ice cream - as long as I deliver on those 2 critical things, they will go anywhere. Radiance had an indoor pool, also hot tubs. You know your children best, so whatever their equivalent of pool & ice cream is!

 

So I agree with advice above, for Alaska, pick the itinerary for the adults, and the children will be fine. With Alaska itinerary is more important than ship.

 

If you do a search on my user name, I did a very detailed review of my trip, specifically around traveling with children, it was in 2015.

 

Hope that helps

Lou

[Heidi13]

Cruising to Alaska should be about the itinerary and scenery and not the ship. Personally, if looking for a Disney experience, Alaska would not be my choice.

 

The Alaska experts are Princess & HAL, with Princess probably the better of the 2 for young kids.