Cruise Newbie Planning Alaska

[kittyklawz]

I am feeling overwhelmed with all the options for Alaskan itineraries.  We would love to go to Alaska in 2020 or 2021 with our son who will be 3 or 4 at the time of cruising depending when we go.  We may or may not have grandparents with us to help, but it might just be the three of us.  We are in our late 20s early 30s but not super into partying obviously with a little one.  What would your recommended cruise line and itinerary be?  I want a balcony room for sure so I think Disney is out unless I win the lottery lol.  I have looked at Holland, princess, rcl, celebrity, ncl, and carnival so far lol.  I have heard a lot of negative about carnival 😕 Also I don’t know if my son would even go to the kids club without us.  I am his full time care giver and he has only been with daddy or grandma and grandpa occasionally so he might be scared.  Anyways I’m rambling now so I’m going to end this here and wait for some replies 🙂 

[Essiesmom]

At that age, you should pick for the itinerary YOU want, not for what it holds for him.  Pay close attention to the times in port.  The ship should not be your focus, the ports and excursions are.  That said, there are limited ports, all ships go to the same main ports.  Alaska cruises tend not to be so party hearty as warm weather cruises.  there will be families, but those who rely on beaches for entertainment don't go to Alaska.  

     You don't show where you are coming from, but if you are flying, I would recommend a cruise from Seattle round trip, as flights into/out of Anchorage can be brutal, especially if you are coming from the east coast.  Your son might be pretty miserable during/after a long flight.  

   A lot can change in a year.  Perhaps you can find a play group where your son can interact with other kids, and get used to having friends.  EM

[Itchy&Scratchy]

I know this isn't what you asked, OP, but we started cruising with DS when he was 3, and I would highly recommend cruising to the lovely beaches in the Caribbean instead of doing an Alaska cruise with a 3-4 yo.

It's all about sightseeing, scenery watching and hiking on an Alaska cruises, and a 3 yo may be bored to death or too tired to walk around for hours. And it's going to be cold.

On a Caribbean cruise, y'all get to visit nice beaches and warm locations, and there is nothing my DS would rather do than go to the ocean beach (we don't have many of those around Atlanta).

 

P.S. My DS doesn't do kid's club (even now that he is 8 and has been on quite a few cruises), so he tags along to everything with us.

[kittyklawz]

12 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

I know this isn't what you asked, OP, but we started cruising with DS when he was 3, and I would highly recommend cruising to the lovely beaches in the Caribbean instead of doing an Alaska cruise with a 3-4 yo.

It's all about sightseeing, scenery watching and hiking on an Alaska cruises, and a 3 yo may be bored to death or too tired to walk around for hours. And it's going to be cold.

On a Caribbean cruise, y'all get to visit nice beaches and warm locations, and there is nothing my DS would rather do than go to the ocean beach (we don't have many of those around Atlanta).

 

P.S. My DS doesn't do kid's club (even now that he is 8 and has been on quite a few cruises), so he tags along to everything with us.

We aren’t really that interested in going to the Caribbean.  We live in Idaho and it is cold here and my son loves snow and rain.  He also loves animals and nature.  Also the ports that go to that Caribbean are much farther away than we want to travel. 

[kittyklawz]

4 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

At that age, you should pick for the itinerary YOU want, not for what it holds for him.  Pay close attention to the times in port.  The ship should not be your focus, the ports and excursions are.  That said, there are limited ports, all ships go to the same main ports.  Alaska cruises tend not to be so party hearty as warm weather cruises.  there will be families, but those who rely on beaches for entertainment don't go to Alaska.  

     You don't show where you are coming from, but if you are flying, I would recommend a cruise from Seattle round trip, as flights into/out of Anchorage can be brutal, especially if you are coming from the east coast.  Your son might be pretty miserable during/after a long flight.  

   A lot can change in a year.  Perhaps you can find a play group where your son can interact with other kids, and get used to having friends.  EM

 I guess you misunderstood me lol, I am not picking based off of only him.  I am wanting something that will be good for all of us and wa hoping to hear what the different lines offered for families and what activities and excursions families enjoyed on this particular cruise itinerary.  I know he will be happy doing anything with his family and he loves nature and animals and playing outside.  We are in Idaho so we would probably drive or fly to Vancouver or Seattle and do a round trip.  I have heard a lot of people say sitka was very enjoyable but I’ve noticed there aren’t a lot of ships that go there.  I know to pick the ports we want to go to first and the time in ports but there are so many cruise lines that do almost the same routes, so I wanted to get peoples experiences who went with a kid of similar ages and what they liked, didn’t like if that makes sense.  We also did a flight from Idaho to Illinois and he did okay. 

[kittyklawz]

I forgot to ask do any other lines besides carnival allow unpotty trained kids in the clubs if you come and change their diapers?  I think I read that NCL does this too? 

Edited May 28, 2019 by kittyklawz

[kitkat343]

9 hours ago, kittyklawz said:

I forgot to ask do any other lines besides carnival allow unpotty trained kids in the clubs if you come and change their diapers?  I think I read that NCL does this too? 

Ncl will give you a beeper and let you change your little one.  Princess allows children under 3 to attend the kids club with parental supervision, so you might want to ask if you would be allowed to attend with your child.  We did that when our son was 2 on princess, and it was nice because the counselors spent a lot of time helping our son, bringing him arts and craft activities and letting him do whatever he was interested in.  Princess and Hal both have an excellent reputation in Alaska, but I prefer princess over Hal (the Kids club hours are much better, and we liked the kids club staff much more and average age of Hal cruisers are older and they were much less tolerant of my family).  But others have had better experiences on Hal, and that might have been because we chose an unusual cruise for families to take - it was a one week portion of a three week cruise, so most of the passengers were retirees who could sail for 3 weeks. Do try to consider sailing in the shoulder season when schools are in session, as the kids clubs will be much less crowded and the staff has time to help smaller kids adjust (just be careful and make sure whatever you want to see is open- the road into Denali is seasonal and doesn’t fully open until June 15, for example).  

[kittyklawz]

3 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

Ncl will give you a beeper and let you change your little one.  Princess allows children under 3 to attend the kids club with parental supervision, so you might want to ask if you would be allowed to attend with your child.  We did that when our son was 2 on princess, and it was nice because the counselors spent a lot of time helping our son, bringing him arts and craft activities and letting him do whatever he was interested in.  Princess and Hal both have an excellent reputation in Alaska, but I prefer princess over Hal (the Kids club hours are much better, and we liked the kids club staff much more and average age of Hal cruisers are older and they were much less tolerant of my family).  But others have had better experiences on Hal, and that might have been because we chose an unusual cruise for families to take - it was a one week portion of a three week cruise, so most of the passengers were retirees who could sail for 3 weeks. Do try to consider sailing in the shoulder season when schools are in session, as the kids clubs will be much less crowded and the staff has time to help smaller kids adjust (just be careful and make sure whatever you want to see is open- the road into Denali is seasonal and doesn’t fully open until June 15, for example).  

Thanks!  We will probably do a 7 or 10 day round trip from Seattle or Vancouver so probably no land portion.  I am considering June or September.  It seems like June is good because the wildlife is most active and the weather is warm and lots of daylight and it’s before it gets super rainy in July and August.  September would also be good but heard it can be a little more unpredictable as far as weather and the ocean can be rougher. 

[kitkat343]

Oh, and there is quite a bit for kids to do in Alaska.  I visited Alaska when I was pregnant with my first, and plan on taking my kids there when they are bigger (traveling with small kids is so difficult so I'm only going to places that are new for me).  We took our 2 and 6 year old to Norway and they both loved it, and Alaska is similar in terms of exploring nature.   My 2 year old shocked me by slowly but steadily hiking all the way to a glacier in Olden, Norway (the trail to the glacier is beautiful, and I sent my husband and older child ahead and would have been happy just doing half the hike there).   

 

In Skagway, the helicopter to a dogsled excursion is very expensive (and doesn't discount for kids) but a wonderful experience.  You can book directly with Temsco to try to save money.  They recommended booking in Skagway since the weather is more stable there, and booking in the morning so they can sneak you in if there's space available later if your original spot needs to be cancelled due to poor weather.  There's the Mt Roberts Tram in Juneau, which the kids would love and then there are gentle hiking trails kids would love to explore at the top.  For people traveling with older children, the Bering Sea fishermen's tour is great, but has an age restriction that would not work for your little one (you could leave them behind in the kids club for part of one afternoon if the kids club works out).  

 

Princess also brings puppies on board for all Alaska cruises, and I think might also have some interesting experiences onboard for Alaskan cruises:  https://www.princess.com/learn/cruise-destinations/alaska-cruises/onboard-experience/  .  Have a great trip - Alaska is beautiful!   

[thegoaliegirl]

I've only cruised Princess but my girls love cruising on Princess. With that said, I would highly recommend getting either a deluxe balcony (on the Royal) or a mini suite, so that you have a couch for your son to sleep on (mini suite would also give you a bathtub). The normal balcony bedding configuration would be two twins and a pull down bunk, which is not ideal with a 3 or 4 year old. Want to mention it, so you are aware as you start looking at pricing.

 

In the 3-7 year old age group, they did a lot of crafts, had a nice indoor climbing area (that is the perfect size for your son, my 7 year old was a little too big for it). The kids club staff was amazing. The first day they do the tour, so that you and your kiddo can take a look around and play and feel comfortable. 

 

Princess also has a fairly decent kids menu. I was impressed that the fruit offered on the kids menu was cut up into kid sized bites. 

 

There are lots of kid friendly things to do with kids in Alaska. We are going this summer and plan on checking out the junior ranger building in Skagway: https://www.nps.gov/klgo/learn/kidsyouth/jrac.htm. Plus there is a really neat playground) a few blocks away, just as an example.

[cb at sea]

Alaska isn't a "party" destination.  It's all about Alaska's sights and not so much about partying or the ship...unlike a Caribbean cruise.  It's about your destinations!

[kittyklawz]

44 minutes ago, cb at sea said:

Alaska isn't a "party" destination.  It's all about Alaska's sights and not so much about partying or the ship...unlike a Caribbean cruise.  It's about your destinations!

Considering I have a little one I am not sure how much exploring we will do, I am thinking we will probably head out to port in the morning but have to return by afternoon/early evening for him to take a nap etc.  so I would like to have some entertainment not the ship lol just probably not going to be doing rock climbing and stuff like that.

[Roz]

My best Alaskan cruise was on Carnival, so don't dismiss them.  It was not a party cruise.  People were onboard to experience Alaska.

 

Roz

[kittyklawz]

56 minutes ago, Roz said:

My best Alaskan cruise was on Carnival, so don't dismiss them.  It was not a party cruise.  People were onboard to experience Alaska.

 

Roz

I wasn't really worried about it being a party cruise, I was more worried about all the bad reviews they have gotten about service, food ect.  I only mentioned partying because we will have our son with us so we probably wont be able to go to the clubs and stuff like that so I was looking for recommendations on ships with entertainment we can all go to together if that makes sense.  I am thinking that Princess sounds like a good possibility and I like that they go to Glacier Bay.  

[newcruisefamily]

A little late on the reply here, but I definitely second the vote for Princess. We cruised to Alaska with them 5 years ago when my kids were 6 and 8, and will be going back in June 2020 (6/27 on the Ruby - join us!) with my two sisters and their families (kids will be 4.5,6,7) and my mom. Princess is terrific for all ages. Plenty of fun activities, but not a party ship. A lot of kids/families, but not a zoo. The kids club is fantastic. My kids were only just tolerant at being left at places like the gym childcare, but we could barely pry them out of the kids club on the cruise. They wanted to live there, and kept asking when we could go on another cruise. If you can swing it, a mini suite is terrific. You can hang out on the balcony in port while your little one naps, you can also bring some magnet hooks and a shower curtain and block off the area between the sofa bed and your bed so you can be awake while they sleep without disrupting much. Also, the tub shower is bigger, and nice if your kiddo prefers baths 🙂  The ports all have lovely low-cost options that you can walk to from the ship, so you can do some exploring, get the local flavor, and go back onboard when you need to.

[INeedAMaiTai]

I agree with the Princess people.  That has been my favorite line with kids.  I took my oldest (now 12) on her first at about 2 years old, and have subsequently taken her (and her two younger sisters, now 9 and 6) on other cruises as well.  Your kiddo will love the kid space, with or without you.  It is nice to have a place for them to go with responsible leadership and a break for you.  Mine adapted very well, even with mainly being at home with me.  We have done the Caribbean, Hawaii/French Polynesia,  Panama Canal, and Alaska, over the years as my kids have grown.  Alaska is fabulous, and there is a ton for you little one to do!  There's always cool, small hikes to different water places, random shows, and many other activities for a little one in port.  I do recommend getting a mini suite just because of the extra space and no bunk bed.  Also, when my littles would nap, I could sit on the balcony and read or just enjoy myself at the same time.  Alaska is very popular with kids, and cruising is so easy for them.  I always tip our room steward and wait staff a little extra at the beginning and at the end, just in case there are any issues.  The staff will love your kiddo, and help out as much as possible; chances are they have a little one at home and miss them so are happy to play/distract/etc. so you can enjoy yourself.  I remember one time, the head waiter took my then 6 month old at dinner and just sort of walked and paraded around with her because she was fussy and wouldn't sit still during dinner.  Now that is service.  If you want any more hints or tips, let me know and you can dm me.  I'm happy to share more experiences and other random mom info.

[Benthayer Gonbak]

Celebrity has rooms with sofa beds that aren’t suites, no bath tub though.  Iirc RCL does too.   Don’t remember too many kids on Celebrity but then if you don’t see them the clubs are working.  Juneau has a trip to the glacier where you can visit the forest service and then walk down to the glacier too.  Those are on your own type drop offs in that you have time without a guide.   Icy strait point has a nature trail near the pier as it is a small town.  The old dock area was a cannery so there are places to explore.  Skagway isn’t as quaint as it once was.  My MIL loved the quiet seas in the inside page.  Seward, if you go that far also has a trail to a glacier.  Ketchikan has a lumberjack show that I haven’t seen can’t imagine a young child wouldn’t love it though.  You can find a local guide to see whatever you want to see, totem museum, nature falls and the like.  There are duck tours there too.  

 

Age group, I’m told on HAL is high but coming down.  Celebrity should be average around 40-50 for Alaska.  Princess is supposed to be similar.  Royal should be a bit younger than Celebrity, I haven’t noticed a difference in the Caribbean or Australia.  A travel agent should be able to guide you on age groups.  

 

Have fun. 

[JjC81]

On 8/1/2019 at 1:13 PM, INeedAMaiTai said:

I agree with the Princess people.  That has been my favorite line with kids.  I took my oldest (now 12) on her first at about 2 years old, and have subsequently taken her (and her two younger sisters, now 9 and 6) on other cruises as well.  Your kiddo will love the kid space, with or without you.  It is nice to have a place for them to go with responsible leadership and a break for you.  Mine adapted very well, even with mainly being at home with me.  We have done the Caribbean, Hawaii/French Polynesia,  Panama Canal, and Alaska, over the years as my kids have grown.  Alaska is fabulous, and there is a ton for you little one to do!  There's always cool, small hikes to different water places, random shows, and many other activities for a little one in port.  I do recommend getting a mini suite just because of the extra space and no bunk bed.  Also, when my littles would nap, I could sit on the balcony and read or just enjoy myself at the same time.  Alaska is very popular with kids, and cruising is so easy for them.  I always tip our room steward and wait staff a little extra at the beginning and at the end, just in case there are any issues.  The staff will love your kiddo, and help out as much as possible; chances are they have a little one at home and miss them so are happy to play/distract/etc. so you can enjoy yourself.  I remember one time, the head waiter took my then 6 month old at dinner and just sort of walked and paraded around with her because she was fussy and wouldn't sit still during dinner.  Now that is service.  If you want any more hints or tips, let me know and you can dm me.  I'm happy to share more experiences and other random mom info.

 

Does princess have kids room for ages 4 and 7? And is it free? We are debating between princess and ncl. Have TA looking into princess now to see if we can change denali tour.