Alaska Cruise with 2 kids?

[Cruisin K's]

Hi - I am new to these boards and have only cruised twice - both times without kids on Silver Sea. My husband and I would like to take our 2 sons - ages 7 & 10 - on an Alaskan cruise next Summer, and are not sure what line to go with. Reading all of these boards has made my head spin! We like smaller ships (300 passengers on Silver Sea) - but I think that we might like a larger ship (possibly over 1k passengers) as long as the ship didn't feel crowded because the layout was good. We also like good food and service. Most importantly, we want the boys to have a great time since it would be their first cruise, so we want to select a cruise that has a good kids program and other children for them to socialize with. The quality of the kids programs is more important than the quantity ornumber of kids, here. A huge ship with lots of screaming children running around would not be appealing. The itinerary is also important.

 

Has anyone had a good experience cruising Alaska with kids on HAL, Princess, Celebrity or Regent recently? Any other lines that I should consider? What are the best ports that I should look for on the itineraries? If you have cruised with kids, can you share your comments on your room size? What size room should I consider for a family of 4? Should I book two attached rooms or a suite? Any help would be sincerely appreciated. Also, my husband and I are used to the all inclusive Silver Sea line, and we are not sure what to expect with extras on other lines. If you could also include what was considered extra charges on other lines, I would appreciate it! Thanks in advance.

[sdfamily]

We just returned from the Coral Princess with our boys ages 7 and 9. Both had a great time. They played 'HORSE' basketball, shuffleboard, mini-golf and chess.

 

Neither boy elected to do the kids program as my children are 'under foot' most of the time. They are great buddies and did not really venture out to the kids programs or meet other kids. I did notice there were a good number of other kids on the ship. We also had a 2 year-old with us.

 

We did all of our shore excursions as a family: Skagway - train/Yukon, Juneau: 4 of July Parade, Ketchikan: Misty Fjords.

 

Let me see if I can answer some of your questions:

- it never felt crowded. We avoided the BUFFET after the first morning and ate in the dining room (with our 3 kids:=)

- kids program - I can't comment, but having them with us did not seem like an issue at all...they were entertained by the scenery and the commentary of the naturalist (Barbara Bennett)

-room size - we had a mini-suite and it was plenty big. we really enjoyed the balcony space.

- ports - we like all the ports, not sure what we would do in Skagway again, but we could spend a week in each of Juneau and Ketchikan

- all inclusive - as this was our first cruise (we don't have alot of info to base this on), but, I totally felt nickeled and dimed for things.

 

We carried on wine for dinner and sodas for the kids and still ended up with a large bill at the end of the cruise.

 

We seriously considered Regent, they had a great itinerary, no $.05 and $0.10 ing. Also, they seemed to have a great educational children's program. But, their dates did not work for us.

[Cruisin K's]

We just returned from the Coral Princess with our boys ages 7 and 9. Both had a great time. They played 'HORSE' basketball, shuffleboard, mini-golf and chess.

 

Neither boy elected to do the kids program as my children are 'under foot' most of the time. They are great buddies and did not really venture out to the kids programs or meet other kids. I did notice there were a good number of other kids on the ship. We also had a 2 year-old with us.

 

We did all of our shore excursions as a family: Skagway - train/Yukon, Juneau: 4 of July Parade, Ketchikan: Misty Fjords.

 

Let me see if I can answer some of your questions:

- it never felt crowded. We avoided the BUFFET after the first morning and ate in the dining room (with our 3 kids:=)

- kids program - I can't comment, but having them with us did not seem like an issue at all...they were entertained by the scenery and the commentary of the naturalist (Barbara Bennett)

-room size - we had a mini-suite and it was plenty big. we really enjoyed the balcony space.

- ports - we like all the ports, not sure what we would do in Skagway again, but we could spend a week in each of Juneau and Ketchikan

- all inclusive - as this was our first cruise (we don't have alot of info to base this on), but, I totally felt nickeled and dimed for things.

 

We carried on wine for dinner and sodas for the kids and still ended up with a large bill at the end of the cruise.

 

We seriously considered Regent, they had a great itinerary, no $.05 and $0.10 ing. Also, they seemed to have a great educational children's program. But, their dates did not work for us.

 

 

Thank you so much for your comments! That was quite helpful. When you say "large bill at the end of the cruise" - without including excursions - was it over $1k or under?

[sdfamily]

It was under $1K (including gratuities). We really did not get pestered to buy anything, so that was good.

 

I should add that we planned all of our own excursions.

[karjake]

We are also going on an Alaskan cruise in Aug 2008 with our 3 kids. We have been on one other cruise with our kids, which incidently turns out to be the same ship: Diamond Princess;) . That was to the Mexican riviera. On our first cruise, only 2 of the 3 kids were able to participate in the kids programs (they have to be at least 3 yrs old) and they LOVED it. I liked that they could come and go, and Princess doesn't watch them over the meal hours, so we could dine as a family, which I appreciated. (the kids didn't "miss out" on anything with their new friends). It was also very easy to keep our almost 3 yr old with us, as the ship was very family friendly.

You can keep to a budget pretty easily, especially if you follow advice in these message boards. We bought one "soda card" for the 5 of us to share, so we weren't spending a lot of money on sodas/drinks. I didn't find the cost of cocktails too expensive, and we were able to bring on a couple bottles of wine.

I think you will have a great time cruising with your kids, and we loved Princess. Unbelievable food, entertainment, great kid programs and our room steward catered to our kids, using their toys/blankies/sunglasses with his towel designs on the beds at night. They were so excited to see what Emanual would do each night!

[MellowMel]

We took our two kids (7 1/2 and nearly 5) to Alaska in June on Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas. We loved it and the kids love it. We are love RCI and especially the kids programs.

 

We visited Juneau (fantastic whale watching experience), Skagway (charming town and great train ride experience) and Prince Rupert (fantastic crab excursion). I know that next year the Rhapsody will be visiting Victoria instead of Prince Rupert.

 

We love this ship and it's size. It never feldt crowded. One plus for the kids is that they have an indoor pool that they open for family hours several times a day. The pool is in the solarium which is typically for adults only but since the outdoor pools are pretty chilly, they allow children to be in there from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (if I'm remembering correctly).

 

My children love the kids program. They have lots of activities and a great crew.

 

We were in the Royal Family Suite because we also traveled with my parents on this cruise so we splurged. I highly recommend you get a balcony for Alaska. If you wanted 2 rooms, you could get a balcony and an inside cabin right across the hall for the kids.

 

Enjoy!

[Cruisin K's]

We are also going on an Alaskan cruise in Aug 2008 with our 3 kids. We have been on one other cruise with our kids, which incidently turns out to be the same ship: Diamond Princess;) . That was to the Mexican riviera. On our first cruise, only 2 of the 3 kids were able to participate in the kids programs (they have to be at least 3 yrs old) and they LOVED it. I liked that they could come and go, and Princess doesn't watch them over the meal hours, so we could dine as a family, which I appreciated. (the kids didn't "miss out" on anything with their new friends). It was also very easy to keep our almost 3 yr old with us, as the ship was very family friendly.

You can keep to a budget pretty easily, especially if you follow advice in these message boards. We bought one "soda card" for the 5 of us to share, so we weren't spending a lot of money on sodas/drinks. I didn't find the cost of cocktails too expensive, and we were able to bring on a couple bottles of wine.

I think you will have a great time cruising with your kids, and we loved Princess. Unbelievable food, entertainment, great kid programs and our room steward catered to our kids, using their toys/blankies/sunglasses with his towel designs on the beds at night. They were so excited to see what Emanual would do each night!

 

Thanks so much for your feedback! Did you have a suite or two rooms to accommodate your faamily of 5? Would you suggest adjoining balcony rooms or a mini-suite for a family of 4, if we were to sail on the Coral Princess?

[whale-watcher]

We have cruised to Alaska twice with princess...once on the coral princess 4 years ago, and just last week on the 680pax Tahitian Princess (on a fantastic 14 day round trip itinerary). We really prefer the smaller ship size as well...even our 9yo son...never felt crowded or congested, and the kids onboard, although fewer in number, were really well behaved and interesting.

 

We needed 2 rooms, but they do have a number of connecting staterooms on the smaller ships (and most side-by-side balcony rooms can connect via the balcony as well).

 

Next year princess will have a similar 14day round trip itinerary out of Seattle on the Pacific Princess.

 

Small ship cruising is not for everyone, but if you have sailed on 300pax vessels before you might find the larger ships to be a little overwhelming...we certainly felt like we had a more relaxing vacation on board the Tahitian Princess than we did on board the Coral...and the Coral is not all that large by today's standards.

[AusMum]

We used Carnival Spirit when my son was 4. I think we chose them because they had a better kids club for his particular age group.

 

He is now 10 and remembers the cruise vividly!

 

We all had a wonderful time :)

[karenem]

We just got off the Dawn Princess (10 day RT, SF to Alaska). Those cabins are SMALL! We got one balcony and one inside--booked late so they were about 50 ft apart, but it worked OK. The kids' club was great. My 3 and 5yo never wanted to leave, and would run up and hug new friends they met when seeing them in the dining room or halls. They ended up with all sorts of Alaska-themed artwork, self-colored T-shirts, a little stuffed bald eagle, face paint, pajama party etc. etc. DS also enjoyed his time with the older kids (8-12), esp. the video games,:rolleyes: although being older, it took a little longer to find buddies to hang with.

 

As far as excursions--definitely research and book yourself! We loved whale-watching in Juneau, and rented a car in Skagway & drove out to Caribou Crossing on our own shedule. Both great times.

[junglejane]

Here's a vote for Celebrity. We love both Princess and Celebrity but have found Celebrity to be just slightly more "upscale" in terms of service and ambience. We also liked the food better overall. We love the layout of Celebrity's Millenium class ships. We went to Alaska on the Infinity when our kids were 5 and 9, and just returned from the Mediterranean on the Summit (they're now 7 and 11).

 

We have found the kids programs on both Princess and Celebrity to be excellent.

 

We like to have two connecting (not just adjoining) staterooms which are very difficult to find on Princess but usually available on Celebrity. We prefer that to a mini-suite because we get more space and two bathrooms (but obviously others might prefer the mini-suite).

 

On the other hand, we like the self service laundry that's available on Princess. Also, if you like Anytime Dining, that's available on Princess but not Celebrity.

 

Have fun whatever you choose.

 

--Junglejane

[arpie05]

You might consider Holland. I know my friend did a B2B with 2 kids (9 & 12) with her mother. Holland was running a special if you booked by Sept I think for 3rd and 4th passanger at $199. Her kids loved the kids program.

We did NCL - didn't know she was going to Alaska or we would have gone together but both trips were booked and couldn't change and we traveled one day apart - We liked NCL and it was kid friendly too. My son loved the kids club. He's 12.

[McHale]

Cruisin K,

We are a family of 4 that sailed the Coral Princess earlier this month in a minisuite cat AB (C226). The kids are 16 and 17. My 6'0 son slept in the pull down bed, and my daughter slept on an Aerobed that we brought along( she didn't find the pull out couch comfortable). We LOVED our little home, and wouldn't trade the closeness we had for anything. There are 2 TV's for some down time. We had a laptop set up at the desk (computer games), and someone was always on the balcony. We are used to sharing 1 bathroom, all was well, and I would do it again. With a little organization, there will be plenty of room for your things.

We loved the Coral Princess, but it was our first cruise so nothing to compare it too. The kids will love Alaska- make sure they practice using binoculars- it will keep them busy for hours!

Enjoy! Donna

[kitty9]

Alaska is great for families, and any line would be a good choice, other than most luxury lines. I've cruised the big four of luxury lines and they aren't all that family friendly. Most don't even cruise Alaska. You can't go wrong with Princess, who started the whole Alaska craze, RCCI with their super kid's programs is another great choice. I'm not so sure about HAL, with their older than average age demographics (although that age does lower for Alaska, but HAL is kinda known as the retiree cruise line--and I'm not knocking HAL as I like that line). Celebrity is excellent and they have a nice kid's program, but not, IMHO, as great as Carnival or RCCI. You're not going to find the small ship ambiance you like on Silversea, but there are some pluses for going with larger ships, like so much more things going on and lots more to do.

 

No matter what you decide, you and your family will LOVE Alaska

[cb at sea]

Most of the non-inclusive lines charge for alcoholic drinks and soda. You'll need to factor those costs in if you choose one of those lines. They also have "specialty" restaurants that charge a fee to eat there--usually between $25-$40 pp. You don't HAVE to utilize it, tho!

If you're looking for really 4-5 star food, you're best staying with the lines you mentioned--the food isn't BAD on the mainstreams--just not "cuisine"--it's plain ole' food. You won't go hungry, but you won't be longing for any entree after you leave the ship!!!!