Alaska with Kids, advice please!!

[KyBuckeye]

I'm looking into booking a summer 05 cruise for our family as a surprise for hubby's 50th birthday. We have two children who will then be 6 & 7. Also possibly hubby's sister and her husband. Any advice on choosing a cruise line/ship for Alaska? I'd appreciate any help!

[Boo's Mom]

KYBuckeye....

 

We have done an Alaska cruise twice (June 03 & June 04)... with two children (8 & 11).

 

BTW, in 2003, we celebrated my husband's 50th!!!!! Fun.

 

I highly recommend Celebrity Cruiseline. They have the best children's program I have seen. Very professionally run.

[Boo's Mom]

Oh Yes... I forgot this...

 

We sailed on the Mercury and the Summit. I highly, highly, highly recommend the Mercury!!

 

Some of the staff on the Summit wished they were back on the Mercury, also!

[KyBuckeye]

Thanks, I'll definately look into the Mercury!

[michaelsmom]

We did the Celebrity Infinity round trip from Vancouver last year and my kids loved it.

 

If you would like, I have comments on excursions from my kids perspective. I can email them to you.

 

email me at reachLynn@yahoo.com

[Nancynurse]

I am so glad I got a chance to see your post. We have 2 kids 11 and 14 and we have booked for Mercury in June 2005. If you could e-mail me with those excursions from a kids point of view, I would appreciate it also. Thanks, Nancy

 

nreinh@comcast.net

[rfholcom]

I would also love to hear your children's comments. We are looking at an Alaskan cruise next year with children that will be 8 and 7.

Thanks

Becky

[michaelsmom]

becky

 

email me at reachlynn@yahoo.com and I will email you the information on excursions.

[Orion1325]

We just returned from a Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska. We had a group of 12 that ranged in age from almost 5 to 71. We had 4 children -- almost 5, almost 10, 12, and 14. The three youngest loved the kids' programs, and the 14 year old participated at times in the teens' program.

 

This is the fourth time we've cruise with Royal Caribbean, and our boys really like their kids' programs.

[Artemis]

Our kids have been on 10 cruises with us to many different places, on several different cruise lines, and Alaska is still their favorite cruise! But not because of the cruise line--which was great, we were on Princess for that one--but because of all of the fun things we did together in port and on land pre- and post-cruise. The port/land activities include plane & heli sightseeing with/without glacier trekking and dog sled mushing, whale watches, sea kayaking, cycling, hiking, salmon fishing, etc. There are lots of fascinating, active pursuits to please one and all! But be forewarned: the shore excursions are pricier than what you might be used to in the Carib., so you have to calculate your cruise vacation budget accordingly.

 

Bottom line, then: IMO, Alaska is all about the destination, less about the ship. So I'd choose the ship with the best itinerary (one way is ideal for getting the max Alaskan cruise experience, although RT is sometimes easier for arranging air; cruising Glacier Bay Nat'l Park is preferred, but if you've never seen coastal glaciers, the alternative glacier itineraries will be spectacular, too) that meets your group's vacation schedule, overall tastes and budget. The kids will have fun regardless of which ship you choose, as all of the cruise lines have top notch dedicated kids programs for Alaska because of its popularity with multi-generational family groups.

 

Have fun researching and planning!

[JSR]

Our DD now 8 loved Alaska. We went on the Radiance of the Seas. It is a beautiful ship. Our daughter has been on 5 cruises and Alaska was here fav.