seattle2000 Posted June 10, 2006 #1 Share Posted June 10, 2006 I'd like to book a 7 day cruise to Alaska this summer, and want to leave out of Seattle (where we live). I also want a ship that has a Kid's Club for 2 year olds. After doing a little online searching, it looks like NCL is the way to go this year. My current decision now is Sun vs Star. Anyone have opinions on which ship is better, especially concerning Kids Club, kid-friendly activities, and kid-friendly dining? Also, what about dates? We have lots of flexibliity as to travel dates, but are leaning towards late August (better fares). Would the weather be too cold at this point, or the crew too tired? This is also our first cruise, so any advice at all is much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetta2828 Posted June 17, 2006 #2 Share Posted June 17, 2006 I will be going on the Sun in July....I have a 3 year old and hopefully they will have plenty of activities for him....I will let you know when I get back and hopefully I will have a good review.... wendy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ute_fan Posted June 17, 2006 #3 Share Posted June 17, 2006 I've been on the Sun, never the Star, but my "kids" were young adults so I can't help you with the kids activities. You need to look carefully at the different itineraries of the ships and see which one appeals to you more. The advantage for the Star is that it goes to Glacier Bay -- but we took the Sun instead because we were able to get a larger cabin for the 4 of us. The Sun's "glacier cruising" is through Tracy Arm fjord, which leads to the twin Sawyer Glaciers. It's spectacular in it's own right, but doesn't always get up to close enough to see the glaciers, depending on weather conditions. I'd jot down the itineraries, read the Alaska board thoroughly, and see what you think after looking through the posts about the various ports/glaciers/etc. As far as time of year, the later in the year you go, the shorter the daylight and the more chance you have for cooler weather. From a dining standpoing I don't think there's that much difference between the two ships. Both of them were designed for freestyle dining, meaning you will have your choice of several restaurants -- some additional charge, others not -- and you can eat when it's convenient for you. Happy cruising! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattle2000 Posted June 18, 2006 Author #4 Share Posted June 18, 2006 Thanks for all the replies. The itinerary was less important to us this time around, since DH and I have been to Alaska before -- this is more a "get of of town" trip than a once-in-a-lifetime cruise, since we live in Seattle. ;) We decided that either ship would be great, and originally reserved a larger inside cabin on the Sun. However, NCL cancelled the reservation before we could meet with our TA to pay for it. We ended up spending a little more for an oceanview cabin in the Star, but are still happy. We are very excited about taking our first cruise with kids, and are hoping that it will be a great and easy vacation for us. We are tentatively planning a second one, depending how this one turns out for us. Our original plan was to fly to Mexico to an all-inclusive resort, but cruising out of our homeport turned out to be significantly cheaper, and better scenery. I am still interested to hear about the Sun, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcoty Posted June 19, 2006 #5 Share Posted June 19, 2006 I would definitely go on the Star rather than the Sun. I have been on both and the Star has an amazing kids' club. I did the Sun in the Carib. and the Star in Mexico, and the Star was great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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