Alaskan cruise recs

[Jenig0013]

Hi all - what’s a recommended Alaskan cruise line? We are a couple in our late 30s/early 40s with a 4yo boy. He did his first rccl cruise this year. We enjoy fine dining and beautiful views. I had heard that princess and Norwegian have the best Alaskan access/itineraries … is that accurate? NCL doesn’t appear to have a kids club for the under 5 crowd. Not a deal breaker but not ideal. Anyone brought kids on princess before? Is Disney worth nearly double the price for Alaska? We also strongly prefer extra space for the kiddo, and could get a much bigger room on a non Disney ship I think … open to all suggestions!

 

Together we’ve done two princess, one rccl, and one carnival … I’ve done few more over the years but never NCL holland celebrity or Disney.

[kitkat343]

I've traditionally read that Princess and Hal do the best job in Alaska (I went when pregnant with my oldest, who is turning 12 so my knowledge could be a bit out of date.  The Alaska forum (which you may have already consulted) can give you more up to date info).  

 

The Princess kids club is outstanding for young children, and would be great for a 4 year old.  I hope NCL opens their kids clubs to under 5s soon (this was a covid restriction, but now that they can be vaccinated things may change).  Princess is very good for young children because their kids club program is really good (or at least was pre-covid).  On the Princess ships we sailed (coral) there was less for older kids to do, but I think a 4 year old will be happy if they can go to the kids club.  Our 3 year old loved his princess cruise.

 

With disney, also check the port times and itineraries carefully.  Sometimes (not always) they aren't as good as the competitors.  We sail primarily for itinerary, and disneys have not been as strong as the other lines on the cruises we've taken, so we've sailed HAL, Princess, NCL, RC and Cunard with kids.  

 

The people who have sailed disney seem to really love it, but it is a whole lot more expensive, and please note that everything is really expensive in Alaska.  I booked Alaska as a last minute trip 6 weeks out because I was pregnant and figured it would be the last time I could travel, and was shocked that my cheap little trip (the cruise fare and airfare were cheap) soon morphed into a much more expensive one because of the excursions.  But we had a wonderful time and it was totally worth it.  But be smarter than me and account for that before you book.

 

Oh, and Alaska is great for kids so your son will have an amazing time!

Edited September 2, 2022 by kitkat343

[Onessa]

I've done several AK cruises on various lines.  The Princess and NCL specialize a bit more with the glacier cruise-bys.  But with global warming issues I've seen more distance on that part of the trips across all cruise lines.

 

Research the ports you want to visit, and book based upon the itinerary and what you want to do on-shore. 

I would be concerned about good kid clubs options since there does seem to be a bit more "as sea" time and less pool time.  (we are from the northern midwest and the number of really good pool days even by our standards are pretty few).

[TwinMamainMN]

We did Royal Caribbean in Alaska when our kids were 10, 10 and 7. We sailed northbound on Radiance of the Seas from Vancouver, BC to Seward, AK. We had an amazing time, the kids used Adventure Ocean (kids club) in the evening after dinner and during sailing days, and we did private excursions in every port. Our kids wanted to see the glaciers, but once they saw them, they wanted to go to AO. Best of both worlds because we got some quiet/alone time and they got to do kid activities with other kids.

 

Some adults like Princess because they get a Naturalist on board on glacier viewing days. Most kids are not going to give two hoots about what an expert has to say about how glaciers are formed, etc. They maybe want to see it and then run off to play video games, or tag or watch a movie.

 

Alaska is ALL about the excursions and adventure. It's not like getting off the ship in the Caribbean or Mexico, wandering some shops, going to a beach, eating lunch and getting back on the ship. If you do that in Alaska (minus the beach-LOL!), you are missing some amazing, once-in-a-lifetime type experiences. Also, those excursions aren't cheap. Allow room in your budget to actually enjoy the opportunities they have (dog sledding, whale watching, fishing, bear watching, etc.) and make those memories.

[Essiesmom]

I would just like to point out that on Glacier Bay day, Park Service personnel come onboard Princess ships and do presentations, have a kids program, etc.  Princess has a naturalist onboard for the entire cruise, and when he isn’t doing presentations, he is on the bridge with the captain.  They seemed to have a little competition going to see who could spot the wildlife first.  EM

[TwinMamainMN]

On 11/13/2022 at 4:13 PM, Essiesmom said:

I would just like to point out that on Glacier Bay day, Park Service personnel come onboard Princess ships and do presentations, have a kids program, etc.  Princess has a naturalist onboard for the entire cruise, and when he isn’t doing presentations, he is on the bridge with the captain.  They seemed to have a little competition going to see who could spot the wildlife first.  EM

A 4-year old like the original poster asked about isn't going to care at all about the naturalist. They will want fun kid activities, a swimming pool, video games and movies.

[strobellayjam]

We cruised Alaska a few years ago with Princess and our two daughters and found they did a fabulous job with the kids.  We did a B2B Northbound and Southbound RT from Vancouver, BC.  The Princess Camp Discovery (kids camp) staff did a great job providing entertaining, engaging and educating tailored to each age group activities.  My girls at the time were in the youngest age group and had games, movies, and other events... all play-based but at the same time tied into the Alaska wildlife and environment.  My little one especailly loved the little whale and eagle stuffies they got!

[Jenig0013]

Thanks everyone! We booked the Majestic Princess. I’m pretty excited and will report back!

[kitkat343]

10 hours ago, Jenig0013 said:

Thanks everyone! We booked the Majestic Princess. I’m pretty excited and will report back!

So glad to hear it!  NCL is letting each ship set its own kids club hours, and people are reporting the kids clubs on some ships are closed on port days, and someone else said it will be closed on the Alaska cruises this summer on the Spirit (I don't know how they know this but they posted it on the NCL forum).