Spirit June 2010, will 18 year old son be bored?

[Tx Sunshine]

We are going to Alaska on June 22, 2010 for my son's graduation. We have already booked this trip, however, from what I have read....I think he might be bored while out at sea. He asked if they have a rock climbing wall, I told him I don't think so. My husband is 62, me 49 and son will be 18 then and I have been doing research. We aren't the wind crazy drinking kind of people and my son doesn't do that either. He is into classical music. He still likes kid things that we don't do. Please advise if you have been with a teenager on a cruise on this ship to Alaska, what is your kids take on this? We can't turn back, I just want to know what we are looking at while we are on board. Trying to have some fun excursions that will help when we are off the ship. I am just worried about activities on the ship. Thanks in advance for your ideas and opinions.

[stevecmo]

I'm not sure what the itinerary of your ship is but most of the "sailing" is at night. Each morning you'll awake in a new port with many fun and exciting options. You will probably have two "at sea" days but one of them is usually cruising and viewing a glacier. There are many activities on all ships for all ages. Just standing on the various decks of the ship and viewing the passing scenery is awesome.

 

He'll love it. He may not admit it at the time but he will remember and cherish it forever. What a wonderful gift you're giving him. :)

[Tx Sunshine]

This is a round trip cruise out of Seattle. I wanted to see Glacier Bay. However, I decided in order to save money we would travel with Carnival and they don't cruise to Glacier Bay. So we will be cruising Tracy Arm Fjord. The port of calls are Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and Victoria. I have figured out what to do at pretty much of those ports even alot cheaper than booking with the cruise line. I have learned a lot from these forums. I am guessing the only glacier we will see is Mendenhall. I'll just have to live with it.

 

Our big outing and most expensive so far is whale watching with Harv and Marv. They said they will go by the glacier and let us stop and take pictures, then we don't have to pay to ride the bus or taxi to get there and they said we will be running out of time. They will let us stay there about 20 minutes. That is it for Juneau.

 

Then for Skagway we are renting a car from a local car rental place and driving to Emerald Lake. We have already road in trains, so why spend the extra bucks for something we have done before? They say to drive up to the lake is maybe the best part of our trip. We will see everything on our own that the tours do, we'll even beat the crowds. Then we wanted to do gold panning and a Salmon bake. However, I am finding out there is not Salmon Bake on Friday night. I'm afraid we'll have quite a bit of extra time here. Still looking for something exciting that we haven't done anywhere else. I would love to walk on a Glacier, but I haven't found a good price for this. If anyone has any ideas on cutting corners in this area, I would love to hear it!

 

In Ketchikan, we will ride the bus to Totem Bight for next to nothing. Way cheaper than tours. Then we'll just do the tour walk in town. We'll be in town only 6 hours.

 

Then finally in Victoria, we can do a ghost tour. They leave at 9:30 pm and it last 1 1/2 hours. We have to be back I believe at 11:00 pm, the schedule says 11:59 we leave, I think we have to be on board one hour before it leaves. That means we have to leave the tour a little bit early. The carriage rides look ok, but for $50 for just 15 minutes, seems unreasonable to me. However, that is the price they all charge. They can't go that far in 15 minutes, we have road in those before, so we can just walk and see what they do in a few minutes for nothing. We may just go down town and walk around for a bit and see the Parliment lights I read about.

 

I know I sound cheap, I really am not. We have been on wonderful trips. We are on mission to see all the states. We will have Hawaii, and the most northwestern states to see before we finish! We are almost done. I think we just have 7 states to go. We have been hit hard as everyone has in these times and just can't do all the things we want that we used to do. So I am learning to be thrifty with the help and ideas of my fellow CC's, as this is our first cruise.

 

I just hope my son has fun on this trip and not bored while on board. If anyone is going on the same cruise with kids my kid's age, let me know. Maybe we can hook up and they can hang out together for a break from the old folks! I hope they have activities for young adults that he can do and maybe meet some kids his age to visit with.

[vbmom87]

Check out your roll call. You might be able to find out ahead of time if there will be others your son's age:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=990849

[stevecmo]

You've obviously put a lot of thought into your trip. I assume you're aware that the roundtrip cruises out of Seattle don't cruise the inside passage, which means rougher water and the scenery isn't as good. This possibly makes the "at sea" days a little more "boring" for your son.

 

You all will love the Harv & Marv tour. They have a very nice visitor center at Mendenhall glacier. Could you possibly ask M&H to drop you there after your whale watching tour and then take the bus/shuttle/taxi back to the ship? It's definitely worth seeing up close, even if you can only spare a 1/2 hour.

 

I like your idea of renting a car in Skagway. We took the Chilkoot 7.5 hour bus/train tour in June. We wanted to take the train so it worked out well. I would recommend going all the way to Carcross and stopping there for lunch. There's a neat little museum and sled dog demo/ride....and puppies.

 

It's not cheap, but if you could swing it I would definitely recommend a Misty Fjords flight in Ketchikan. It's an awesome experience. There is nothing like seeing Alaska from the air. The two flightsee's we took (Misty Fjords and Denali) were the highlights of our trip. Along with the animals in Denali......and the whales......and......well, let's just say it was an amazing trip! :)

 

I don't think you sound cheap at all, just frugal. And I don't think your son will be bored at all.

 

If you're interested you can check out the pic's from our trip. Might give you some ideas.

 

Have fun!

 

[Budget Queen]

We are going to Alaska on June 22, 2010 for my son's graduation. We have already booked this trip, however, from what I have read....I think he might be bored while out at sea. He asked if they have a rock climbing wall, I told him I don't think so. My husband is 62, me 49 and son will be 18 then and I have been doing research. We aren't the wind crazy drinking kind of people and my son doesn't do that either. He is into classical music. He still likes kid things that we don't do. Please advise if you have been with a teenager on a cruise on this ship to Alaska, what is your kids take on this? We can't turn back, I just want to know what we are looking at while we are on board. Trying to have some fun excursions that will help when we are off the ship. I am just worried about activities on the ship. Thanks in advance for your ideas and opinions.

 

You are asking a question that can not be answered. No one here "knows" your son. It it way early in your booking, rebook on a ship that has a rock climbing wall, if it is that important to all of you??? Activies on the ship are fewer than compared to the Caribbean.

 

I have sailed with teen agers several times to Alaska- I didn't book the cruise with a priority for them. Since this is a graduation present- I would suggest that you place the choice in his hands???

 

Are you posting this because you are considering alternative ships and destinations??

[vegs1]

I think your question is very hard to answer as no one knows your son better than you. Does he love scenery and wildlife as that's what Alaska is all about?

 

We were on the Spirit in July and loved it. It's a great ship but has none of the "action" type things that Royal Caribbean does such as rock climbing. Obviously, there are pools and one has a covered dome. We have two boys aged 23 and 26 and they chose to not come. My sons would rather do an all inclusive in Mexico than cruise but that's them and their opinions.

 

I'm sure you must have chosen Alaska for his grad trip as you thought he would like it so I wouldn't worry too much. Get his input on tours you do and the like and I"m certain you'll have a ball.

[vbmom87]

I have to agree with BQ that if this is his graduation gift, it would be nice if your son could help pick the ship and itinerary. That will make it a lot more special for him.

 

You seem to have selected this cruise because of price. If this is truly your only option right now, I would keep watching for price drops. I know people are not expecting them for next year like for this past year, but you just never know. If prices drop perhaps another cruise would come in at about the same price as you currently booked for.

 

Do you know that even if you booked already, you can typically cancel without fees up until final payment is due? There are a few exceptions depending on whom you booked with. Some of the deep discounter online travel agencies do not allow cancellations or charge a fee to do so. They seem to be the exception and not the rule, from what I have read. Someone can correct me if I am wrong.

 

Happy planning with whatever you decide. Alaska is an amazing place.

[Minoushka]

I went to Alaska on Carnival this july with my 17 year old son .WE both loved it .

WE did the trails in many places .Ketchican you walk everywhere

Juneau we did Glacier by bus and whales with Orca-highly recommend it

Skagway up to Yukon .

Yes the ship is subdued .We went to shows and loved late night comedians

He was a little bored but he RESTED for our many excursions

Too bad you are not doing Sitka ..I loved it

I'm sure he will love it just the same ...My son sure did ...we are off to South America in a few months

Go Have a GREAT time

[klguess]

We too are going on the same ship...2 wks earlier....for our daughter's high school graduation trip! And I was worried about the same thing...18 and will she like the Alaska ports/things to do. We are seriously thinking of allowing her best friend to travel with us, so there is no issue of not having a young person to hang out with. Pricing for 3/4th people is not terrible and seems like a good alternative.

[scottbee]

Spirit June 2010, will 18 year old son be bored?

 

I suppose that depends on how many other people have 18 year old daughters on board.

[Urban trekker]

"I suppose that depends on how many other people have 18 year old daughters on board'

 

Thanks for making my morning.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[MercedMike]

Then for Skagway we are renting a car from a local car rental place and driving to Emerald Lake. We have already road in trains, so why spend the extra bucks for something we have done before? They say to drive up to the lake is maybe the best part of our trip. We will see everything on our own that the tours do, we'll even beat the crowds. Then we wanted to do gold panning and a Salmon bake.

....

I just hope my son has fun on this trip and not bored while on board. If anyone is going on the same cruise with kids my kid's age, let me know. Maybe we can hook up and they can hang out together for a break from the old folks! I hope they have activities for young adults that he can do and maybe meet some kids his age to visit with.

 

When you turn back from Emerald Lake you will pass by Caribou Crossing. You can do the gold panning there, and also visit the dog camp and ride a dog cart. Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/alaskaZ.html.

 

Whether your 18 y o enjoys the cruise or not is going to depend entirely on HIS attitude. If he is adventurous, likes doing new things, enjoys the company of his family and doing things with them, and is going into this with a positive attitude, he will have a great time. Sitting on deck for a couple of hours looking at scenery is a good exercise for the teenage mind. If he is one of those kids who mopes around the house crying, "I'm Booooored!" and has an attitude of disdain for his family, then he is going to hate cruising with them.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[Tx Sunshine]

Thanks for all opinions. I didn't know they have gold panning in Caribou Crossing. I have to check it out. Do they have Salmon Bakes too?

 

I have thought about taking another 18 year old with us as well. She is a close friend of his and is joining the service and trying to change her days around so she can be company for him and it can be for her graduation too. We are still waiting on her to give us the word. I think they would have fun together and maybe not hang out too much with me and my husband. If she can't go, he'll have to handle it being with the old folks! I try to plan everything around all of us. I try to find things we are all interested in.

 

As far as changing cruises, we are going w/Carnival and got the early rates. the deposit is non refundable, so we won't be looking for another ship. I did not realize that we will not be cruising the inside passage and the seas will be rougher and the sights will not be as pretty. That bothers me, but we can't go back now. We are on a mission to see all states. We have Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregan, Idaho, and the Dakotas to go. That is just about it and we would have reached this one goal.

 

I will reread all your posts and take them all into consideration! Thanks again!

[vbmom87]

I did not realize that we will not be cruising the inside passage and the seas will be rougher and the sights will not be as pretty. That bothers me, but we can't go back now.

 

The ports are in the inside passage, so you will do some cruising in the inside passage. It is just that if you sail out of Vancouver you sail more of the inside passage.

 

You will get a nice "taste" of Alaska on your cruise. Plan your port times well so that you can get the most out of each port. They all have something different to make your experience a memorable one. Have everything in place before you leave so you are not wasting time when you arrive trying to figure out what to do.

[Tx Sunshine]

We are leaving from Seattle, round trip.

[vbmom87]

We are leaving from Seattle, round trip.

 

Yes, I know that. However you stated you did not realize this itinerary did not sail the inside passage. I tried to clarify that you will sail the inside passage, just not as much of it as you would if you sailed out of Vancouver.

[Budget Queen]

We are leaving from Seattle, round trip.

 

As vbmom87 has mentioned, this route is the least scenic of Alaska cruises, with the roughest potential. Being prepared for this, will still allow a great trip. :) ALL cruises can list "inside passage" since you have to sail it getting to Juneau and Skagway. If you need futher information, take a look at a map, Vancouver sailings, go inside Vancouver Island.

[the2006Junket]

TX Sunshine,

 

We've cruised 4 times with teen boys and I can assure you that cruising will be an enjoyable family vacation for all. Don't fret about the itinerary and ship at this point. You'll definitely get a flavor for the 49th state, especially if you plan to get out of the touristy parts of these ports.

 

Yes, hanging with your parents for a week can be a drag, but this type of vacation is better than many for a teen (compared to a lake or beach house for the week with Mom and Dad). There are lots of entertainment options for him in the evenings. My oldest is 20 and we just returned from cruising AK on the Radiance. Because he isn't old enough to drink, but was too old for the teen program, he was kind of in a no-mans-land socially. But, I believe, he would tell you he had a great time.

 

I'd recommend the following for your consideration:

- I like the bring-a-friend (or cousin?) idea alot. The only catch is what type of cabin you have booked? A non-family member (friend) may not be comfortable sharing a standard cabin/sleeping in the same room with the parents (Dad snoring...sharing the one bathroom etc). Cousin...better. If you have separate cabins, then no problem-- they would love it.

- Usually teens will find each other on a cruise and make new friends (my son got his first kiss at 15 on a cruise...awwww). If Carnival allows 18 yo's in their teen program, MAKE him go to an event early in the cruise and hopefully he'll meet even one other kid who he clicks with. On our AK cruise, teens would gather up at the basketball court and shoot hoops before dinner or kick a soccer ball around. You all will have a better cruise if he meets a friend to hang out with after dinner.

- We planned our activities in port with our 3 boys (20, 16 and 9 yrs old), not so much what we adults would do (we hope to have many years ahead to travel on our own...not so many years with all 3 of our boys with us!). Think active and adventureous for teen boys. You may even consider letting him do his own thing in a port for a few hours. We let our older boys go on the Klondike Rock Climbing and Rappelling trip in Skagway for example. They had a blast and my husband and I had NO interest in rock climbing. We took our younger son on a (free) walk around town and a super hike on the Lower Dewey Lake trail. We all had a great day and had stories to share at dinner!

- If there is anyway you can scrimp and save and come up with enough money for a Glacier landing and trekking --- do it. Our teens said that was the biggest WOW experience of the entire 2 week trip (and we did ALOT on our trip). We went with Northstar Trekking in Juneau and it was truly amazing. We also when whale watching in Icy Straight Point and it was fantastic, but if my teens had to choose, they would take the glacier trekking in a minute. It could be, in part, because we live along the coast in Massachusetts and we have gone on whale watches off Cape Cod. But you can only trek on glacier in one and only one place in the US and that's Alaska! In addition to the trekking in Juneau, the whales in ISP, rock climbing in Skagway, we also did (teens and Dads) in Ketchikan the Rainforest Canopy Adventure. The kids LOVED it. Again, I think for your teen, you should consider some adventurous experiences (the kind he can't get in TX) in which he is moving (hiking, climbing etc) and feeling the sense of excitement you can only get by achieving something yourself vs. just looking out a window....even if he goes alone or with one of you. You will have plenty of together time on-board the ship and it's so fun to share your experiences over dinner.

 

Finally, don't underestimate just how fun and novel it will be to be on a cruise. He'll think the ship is cool, he'll love the all-you-can-eat food choices, the variety of entertainment and hopefully make some friends. My 20 yr old enjoyed some quieter pursuits too...sleeping in, reading, watching a good movie, listening to a jazz show and sitting on our balcony enjoying the scenery. I'm sure your son will have a memorable and wonderful trip.

 

Happy planning Sunshine!

 

Lynne in Boston

[Tx Sunshine]

Thanks for responding everyone!

 

The2006junket, question for you and everyone else:

 

We will be renting a car in Skagway and going to Emerald Lake, Carcross, etc and Skagway for sightseeing. We will be there on a Friday from 7 am-9 pm. Do you think we could get in a flight over a glacier and be able to land and do a dog sled ride too? Some of these are 2 hours long. I am now searching to see what the best rate is we can get, and see if we can do that later in the day, because I am pretty sure we will be going to Emerald Lake as soon as we arrive.

 

Thanks cc friends!

[vbmom87]

Thanks for responding everyone!

 

The2006junket, question for you and everyone else:

 

We will be renting a car in Skagway and going to Emerald Lake, Carcross, etc and Skagway for sightseeing. We will be there on a Friday from 7 am-9 pm. Do you think we could get in a flight over a glacier and be able to land and do a dog sled ride too? Some of these are 2 hours long. I am now searching to see what the best rate is we can get, and see if we can do that later in the day, because I am pretty sure we will be going to Emerald Lake as soon as we arrive.

 

Thanks cc friends!

 

Temsco has Helicopter tours with Dog Sledding. From what I have read if you want to land on ice you sign up for a regular Glacier Landing. The dog sledding tours will land on snow. Those that take the dog sledding tours do love them.

 

Know that the dog sledding tours are often cancelled, so you need a backup plan.

 

Here is their website:

 

http://www.temscoair.com/tours/skagway_dogs.htm

[Budget Queen]

Thanks for responding everyone!

 

The2006junket, question for you and everyone else:

 

We will be renting a car in Skagway and going to Emerald Lake, Carcross, etc and Skagway for sightseeing. We will be there on a Friday from 7 am-9 pm. Do you think we could get in a flight over a glacier and be able to land and do a dog sled ride too? Some of these are 2 hours long. I am now searching to see what the best rate is we can get, and see if we can do that later in the day, because I am pretty sure we will be going to Emerald Lake as soon as we arrive.

 

Thanks cc friends!

 

You need to allow 4-5 hours for a round trip Emerald Lake drive. So, if you get the first am/later pm scheduled glacier dog sledding, it would work.

 

Avis doesn't open until 8am, if that is who you are renting from?? Determine what timeframe works best.

[Tx Sunshine]

Budget Queen,

 

We are going with Sourdough car rental. I have talked to him a few times.

 

Do you know any locals with good prices and 2 hour trips for Glacier fligh seeing, walking on glacier or dogsledding? I am still searching. We are trying to watch our pennies! LOL! I can't wait!

 

Thanks!

[Budget Queen]

Avis doesn't open until 8am, if that is who you are renting from?? Determine what timeframe works best.

 

verify weekend hours, depending on your arrival day.

[MercedMike]

Budget Queen,

 

We are going with Sourdough car rental. I have talked to him a few times.

 

Do you know any locals with good prices and 2 hour trips for Glacier fligh seeing, walking on glacier or dogsledding? I am still searching. We are trying to watch our pennies! LOL! I can't wait!

 

Thanks!

 

Well, there are NO "good" prices for glacier flights. They are all horrendeously expensive! BUT -- if it is something you want to do, FIND the money. You may never get the chance again. Personally, my philosophy is that I don't want to be sitting in a rocking chair on the porch of the nursing home saying, "I wish I had ... "

 

Now, personally, I would never do it. But my DW loves it and is very happy that she paid almost as much for the dog sledding as she did for the whole cruise! Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/ct.html and at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/volendam.html

 

Maybe you could do the dog sledding in Juneau, and leave the whole day for the drive in Skagway? There is a lot to do along the trip, and 4-5 hours would be the MINIMUM time for it. Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/skagway.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!