How to tempt grandma to board the Sapphire to Alaska

[ladyhoneybee]

My family of four, my mother, step-dad, and his older kids are going on the southbound from Whittier next summer. We've already booked my grandmother in a cabin directly across and next to the rest of us. She's 81 and questions everything :rolleyes: -- I've given her the itinerary and some info about the ship but she's concerned that she'll be out of place and possibly bored. She's never cruised before.

 

We would all love to have her join us but can't make the decision for her so we're all doing our best to give her as much info as we can and sweet talk her with whatever we are armed with.

 

Any suggestions about onboard activities & other good times for the 80+ years young crowd? :D

 

Thanks!

[Sea Hag]

Leaving aside the fact that she certainly couldn't be out of place when she has such a nice, concerned family, she won't be out of place at all, and she shouldn't be bored either. Most Princess cruises that we've been on have been mostly older people, and many of the ship board activities and shore excursions are planned with that in mind. Your grandmother can do all kinds of fun activities on the ship, either with some of the rest of you or without. There's bridge, bingo, crafts classes, hopefully lectures about Alaska (these are great, and all of you should attend them), and much more. Not all the evening entertainment is our cup of tea, but we do enjoy some of it. There's something different most nights, so you can pick and choose.

 

Shore excursions include bus trips for shopping and sightseeing, as well as more strenuous activities. Ask your grandmother if she'd like to go up in a helipcopter - my stepmother did that a few years ago in Branson, and she still talks about it. Loved it!

 

People on board cruiseships are friendly, and one can strike up an interesting conversation just about anywhere, anytime. A good way to meet lots of people is to eat in the dining room for breakfast and lunch (it's open seating) and request to be seated at a large table. You can meet some wonderful people that way and get to hear all about their experiences at the ports of call.

 

I hope your grandmother decides to go and dive right into things!

[ladyhoneybee]

I appreciate your info and thoughts! She fell and hurt herself about a year ago and had to have hip surgery and she says she "doesn't get around like she used to" so I think she's also concerned with walking and constantly being in motion to get from one place to another. I've never cruised either so I can't really enlighten her much about the ease of getting around such a huge ship.

 

It would sure be nice to have her there. I live in FL whereas she lives in AZ so she doesn't get to see her great-grandchildren very much and spending a week with them would sure be great for her, I think, and for them, too! I'm currently in the process of printing out some new pics to send to her of my children and am going to include a letter to her telling her all the wonderful pros about coming with us!! I will be including any info I get from this post :)

[Colo Cruiser]

I took my mother who was 82 at the time onboard RCCL. She was from England and spent lots of time on ocean liners around the world, however she had never flown and we had her fly with us from Denver to LAX for the first time. I thought it would be like pulling teeth but it did not bother her at all. The cabin steward took great care of her.

She questioned everything too :D but I found the more I tried to explain things the worse it got so just tell her your taking a bus ride somewhere.

[ggprincess2004]

Perhaps it is not the cruise ship and what to do that is at the heart of her reluctance. The older we get, the more we prefer familiar surroundings and the idea of packing, plane flights, etc. can be daunting. I have a feeling you may need to help her through those concerns as well.

Sounds like you and I, we, come from a generation who thinks nothing of putting some things together and hitting the road with family in tow. When we are feeling less agile and more vulnerable, even we may start to hesitate.

That being said, if you can overcome that part of it, by making sure there is wheel chair service available for her for the flights, and also let her know that Princess does provide wheel chairs for boarding - (those travel days and the lines and the long walks could exhaust her so completely she won't have fond memories) perhaps she will open up to you more about her specific needs.

Princess has handicapped cabins available, and while she may not actually be handicapped, it is possible to reserve a wheelchair for use while onboard. Do it well in advance. That makes a lot of the distances more manageable. She may find that attractive, or despise the thought, you'll just have to see.

The one thing that I would say to get her on board is that most Princess itineraries visit Glacier Bay, which is a World Heritage Site. It is awesome - for the stillness, for the wildlife, for the views, for the glaciers, for the sound of glaciers calving. And Princess does it right - they bring National Park Service Rangers aboard who provide knowledgeable commentary off and on throught the day. Bring a pair of quality binoculars for each traveler. Also, we discovered that the Promenade deck is underutilized on Glacier Bay day. The open top decks get busy and bustling, but Promenade (if you venture out from your balcony) is sheltered and in our experience, has been uncrowded.

Some folks here have wonderful photo albums of the Alaska trips they taken. Check out the Alaska boards and look for the links to the photo albums, that may also help convince her.

There are lots of relaxing activities on board, including grandparent's brag sessions. The entertainment is varied - so is likely to be entertained. Afternoon tea - always relaxing and very social is lovely. Room service is available with limited menus, three meals a day are available in the dining room.

Personally, I think once you get her there she will have a wonderful time! Just promise her that you will look after her needs during the trip.

Good luck!

[NJ2FL]

If she's not as mobile as she used to be, you might consider a smaller ship as she'd able to get fore to aft with greater ease. The Sapphire is very big and it can take considerable time for someone a little slow on their feet to get around.

[Ula]

Ladyhoneybee,

I spent and spend a lot of time with seniors. Wonderful people, fortunately Princess has a very diverse age demographic and has something for everyone.

I am going to address some issues for consideration, first know her likes and try and place her on the ship near some family and close to places she might enjoy with easy elevator access. You did mention some mobility problems. Knowing Princess I am more thinking close to the lower atrium area. They have nice music, some shops and that is where the dining rooms are. The theaters are there also.

Talk up with her spending times with the grands and great grands and also talk about the ports. Alaska is beautiful.

[MercedMike]

Well, I don't know about a youngster in the 80's like your grandma, but my dear 93 year old aunt loved traveling to Alaska! She was in the middle of everything and certainly never felt left out!

 

Let Grandma look at

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/alaskaZ.html

to see how much fun a youngster can have in Alaska!

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[sultan_sfo]

LadyHoneyBee:

The entire comment by ggprincess is right on the mark -- especially the portion selected below. Cruising is an ideal vacation for the seniors. Your grandma will find so many others on board on wheel chairs, using strollers and canes, and just walking along slowly, that she will feel very comfortable on the cruise. The wheel chairs can be taken right into the dining room and waiters will be very helpful too. Persuade her to go for it. /Sultan

 

...

 

Princess has handicapped cabins available, and while she may not actually be handicapped, it is possible to reserve a wheelchair for use while onboard. Do it well in advance. That makes a lot of the distances more manageable. She may find that attractive, or despise the thought, you'll just have to see.

...

 

Good luck!

[flynrph]

I have a 83 y.o. mother who can't wait to go to Europe with us next year! So age doesn't necessarily mean exclusion. Nice thing about Alaskan cruises, they bring the glaciers to you. You don't have to get off the boat to see them up close. Bring her along. If she has all of her cognitive functions, she will thank you endlessly!:cool:

[ladyhoneybee]

Thank you everyone for your replies:) I have no doubt that she would have a fabulous time... Having never cruised myself, I wanted/needed to enlist the help of others who have so that things could be brought to my attention that I might not have thought of and therefore couldn't use as enticement (I guess the thought of cruising to Alaska isn't enough!!) I will use all this helpful info in hopes that she will at least start to think about coming with us rather than assume it will be a dreadfully unpleasant trip ;)

I do my best to understand how she feels, in that she's not as agile as the rest of us youngins are, but it's really nice to hear from experienced cruisers of all ages to confirm what I was hoping to be true... that being that she would have a blast!

[docksider21]

Hi

 

My grandparents never traveled much, neither pair. And traveling when roads, and automobiles aren't what they are now was a BIG ordeal.

 

I don't know if my grandparents even owned luggage. You might try buying some luggage, whether new or at a garage sale, so she has some. And even if she already has some, new luggage can be exciting. Make it fun. I think most "grandmothers" would like a tapestry patterned set. But you know her tastes.

 

And maybe some wardrobe shopping. A new sweater, jacket, gloves, boots, or mittens. Living in Arizona, she might not have winter clothes. And its always fun to get new ones anyway. And then you have to go, because you want to wear them, and show them off. Even if you don't admit it to yourself.

 

And what about evening wear? Even just one new dress can really lift the spirits.

 

Will her stateroom have a dvd player? You can take along a few of her favorite movies. Not that she will spend any time in her state room, but that way she know that is there as a back-up.

 

Is this your mother's mother? Perhaps she can help to re-assure her that you or her will usually be around.

 

And then, there is the secret weapon. Guilt. "Grandma, I know it is a lot to ask, but can you PLEASE come along. The grandkids so much want to see you."

 

Good Luck

[morriscats]

This 60 year old grandma can say that I have seen so many seniors having the best time onboard. The waiters cater to them - we had an 85 year old grandma sitting at the next table next to us on our last cruise and the waiters loved bringing her "extra" things. She was always grinning ear to ear. But the best thing is making memories with the kids, grandkids and greats. She will love it. I hope you can convince her to go.

[Sea and Me]

Your grandmother is blessed to have a family so concerned about her. We have just cruised to Alaska on the Dawn Princess and we had many older passengers on board. They had their wheelchairs and walkers, some on oxygen and they had a wonderful time. I agree with the poster suggesting a smaller ship. The Dawn is a nice size ship. It is easy to get around. Your grandmother will like Alaska. I was reluctant to go and I would go back in a heartbeat. It is a very "quiet" cruise especially when viewing the glaciers. She can sit inside and see the beauty that is so magnificent. Alaska being your first cruise is a good choice. The waters are not rough and it is a laid back cruise. There is so much to do on board. Some passengers decide to just stay on the ship instead of visiting the ports. I hope that Grandma says yes to this wonderful vacation spot. I'm sure she will like it very much. Pictures do not do Alaska justice you have to experience it. Good luck.

[UT-Volsfan]

I hope you'll be able to talk her in to going on the cruise. A few years ago we talked my parents into going on their first cruise ever (Father was 72) - and it was a trip to Alaska. Both of them had a great time on the cruise. They both went to many of the activities on board where they could sit around (they enjoyed the shows and Bingo, as well as the slot machines) and really enjoyed seeing the glaciers (they found a good place on deck that wasn't too crowded that morning and staked out their seats for the morning)!

 

Also, you might tell her about all of the opportunities to have pictures and portraits made while you are on board. It seems like we hardly ever have a chance to get formal portraits made with our kids and our parents in the pictures all at the same time. We feel very fortunate now to have some excellent pictures of my parents.

 

The other posters are right about people using wheelchairs being able to get around on ship as well as on shore. Our first Alaska cruise we had two couples at our dinner table that were around 80 years old. One of them was confined to using a wheelchair, but they didn't let that slow them down a bit! They went ashore every day we were in port and his wife would push the wheelchair around town. They also planned ahead and reserved rental cars before the cruise that they could use to take his wheelchair in a couple of towns where they wanted to get away from the area near the ship.

[jpetros]

We took my mother in law and all the kids, grandkids, and her great grandkids.

She was almost 80, we helped her a good bit, but the thing that stood out for her, was having all of us together at meal time. She was hesitant at first, but nothing could have made her happier than spending time with all of us.

The memories will be there forever. She is now in a nursing home, and has those pictures to look at daily. jim

[gambit57]

Alaska and 80 yrs old? Well, considering about half the ship (or more) will be seniors and she's surrounded by her family, she'll be fine and have plenty to do. Cruising is definitely a mode of vacation that is 65 and better friendly.

[joand452]

I have to agree with the rest of the posters about the size of the Sapphire--she is huge! Either arrange to have a wheelchair at your disposal (even if she doesn't feel she needs it, she'll be glad it's available at times) or try a smaller ship.

 

She certainly won't feel too old or out of place. I have seen all age groups on our cruises, and I admired the families cruising together.

 

Someday I hope I'll be the Grandma the kids take on the cruise!

 

Alaska is magnificient--don't miss it!

[cruise-bunny]

Ladyhoneybee

We did the Sapphire in the same dirrection as you and loved it!

Even though it is large I would not let the size deter you.

Other than the day going across the gulf (which was also very calm for us), you will be in such calm water- more so than most cruises.

 

Friends who have done 'family re-unions', etc on a cruise ship have loved it because everyone can relax. Nobody has to cook or clean-up. Instead they would gather by a beautiful window and play cards or other games.There is as much or as little as one wants to do. Kids or young adults can do thier own thing and then meet up with the other family members. Having Grandma along could be a real memory maker for the whole family.

On the Plaza level, there are fewer rooms (not as long hallways) and includes the library, the writing room, a piano player, a small elegant bar and two of the anytime dining rooms. It is a nice floor to navigate for anyone especially if you are older. It is very quiet by the rooms.

Enjoy

Sandy

[sailinglisa]

I'm speaking here as a geriatric nurse specialist and a frequent cruiser. Your Grandma does have some valid concerns about distances........especially on this class of Princess ship. I would not want to depend on the availablity of a ship owned wheelchair. Instead rent one and have it waiting on board for her...........the crew will use their ship's w/c's to get on at embarkation and at debarkation (you leave the rental chair on board to be picked up at the end of the cruise.) However, if you want to use the ship's w/c in ports it will most likely not be allowed. Renting your own w/c for the trip is the best of all worlds. Also know, there are steps up into the bathroom in non-handicapped cabins which might be an issue for her. Another suggestion is to book cabins close to the elevators for easy access to the rest of the ship. I have some right knee issues and I always book a cabin close to an elevator bank just in case my knee decides to act up during a cruise.

 

Also, respect Grandma's decision one way or the other. She just may really not want to subject herself to all the travel to get to the ship and home again. And that is ok...........but I hope she decides to go and has a wonderful time!