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#1
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Alaska cruise lines to avoid with kids?
We are planning on our first Alaska cruise later this summer with our 3
kids (ages 4,7,9). As I've lurked in this group, I've noticed several people mention that many of the Alaska cruise lines have good kids programs. My question is, are there any of the cruise lines that have fair-to-poor kids programs? Any cruise lines we should try to avoid altogether? I'd hate to go on the premise that they're all "pretty good" only to find we picked a cruise line with a program that's pathetic. Cheers! Steve |
#2
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Alaska cruise lines to avoid with kids?
Thus spake "Mark" :
Why would you want to subject your children to people that are trying to be on a nice vacation? Leave them home! Disneyland is for kids! Why would you want to subject yourself on people who are trying to be on a nice vacation? Mark "steve" wrote in message roups.com... We are planning on our first Alaska cruise later this summer with our 3 kids (ages 4,7,9). As I've lurked in this group, I've noticed several people mention that many of the Alaska cruise lines have good kids programs. My question is, are there any of the cruise lines that have fair-to-poor kids programs? Any cruise lines we should try to avoid altogether? I'd hate to go on the premise that they're all "pretty good" only to find we picked a cruise line with a program that's pathetic. Cheers! Steve -- dillon Could have been is in the past Could be is in the future There is only the now |
#3
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Alaska cruise lines to avoid with kids?
"Mark" wrote in message ... Why would you want to subject your children to people that are trying to be on a nice vacation? Leave them home! Disneyland is for kids! Mark Mark, I'm afraid if you are cruising the mainstream lines that have lots of good kids activities, and advertise for families, there will be kids on them. Their target market happens to overlap wth Disneyland big time. As for good kids programs, I found the HAL one okay, but I have heard better things about the other mainstream lines when it comes to kids programs. I vaguely remember the minimum age on HAL for the kids program might be 5 also. "steve" wrote in message oups.com... We are planning on our first Alaska cruise later this summer with our 3 kids (ages 4,7,9). As I've lurked in this group, I've noticed several people mention that many of the Alaska cruise lines have good kids programs. My question is, are there any of the cruise lines that have fair-to-poor kids programs? Any cruise lines we should try to avoid altogether? I'd hate to go on the premise that they're all "pretty good" only to find we picked a cruise line with a program that's pathetic. Cheers! Steve |
#4
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Alaska cruise lines to avoid with kids?
Steve,
We've been cruising with our kids for years and tried all of the mainstream lines except Disney. Alaska remains their #1 cruise trip highlight! For kids only, I'd look hard at Princess, RCI, NCL and Carnival. For kids and parents, I'd narrow the list to any ship that does Glacier Bay but not out of Seattle. This eliminates RCI, NCL and makes Carnival doubtful, as I see only two sailings 9/6 and 9/13, which likely conflict with school (and mid-Sept. weather starts getting iffy). So, drum roll, my vote goes to Princess. Check out their Voyage of the Glaciers one-way sailings. Happy researching! Diana Ball near Houston, TX |
#5
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Alaska cruise lines to avoid with kids?
"D Ball" wrote in message ... Steve, We've been cruising with our kids for years and tried all of the mainstream lines except Disney. Alaska remains their #1 cruise trip highlight! For kids only, I'd look hard at Princess, RCI, NCL and Carnival. For kids and parents, I'd narrow the list to any ship that does Glacier Bay but not out of Seattle. This eliminates RCI, NCL and makes Carnival doubtful, as I see only two sailings 9/6 and 9/13, which likely conflict with school (and mid-Sept. weather starts getting iffy). So, drum roll, my vote goes to Princess. Check out their Voyage of the Glaciers one-way sailings. Happy researching! Diana Ball near Houston, TX I'll second that. We did this cruise in 2001 with our 4 kids, then aged: 18,15,13,8. We were on the Sun Princess and the kids absolutely loved the ship. They have also done NCL but they all vote Princess better. Hubby and I have been on Carnival, Princess, NCL, and RCI, and of them, the only one we are not in a rush to repeat is NCL. Momma |
#6
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Alaska cruise lines to avoid with kids?
D Ball wrote: For kids and parents, I'd narrow the list to any ship that does Glacier Bay but not out of Seattle. Diana, why do you say "not" out of Seattle? thanks, sue |
#7
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Alaska cruise lines to avoid with kids?
D Ball wrote:
For kids and parents, I'd narrow the list to any ship that does Glacier Bay but not out of Seattle. Diana, why do you say "not" out of Seattle? thanks, sue Hi, Sue, Sneaking away from the washer/dryer?! I'm a one-way itinerary snob, for one thing! My rationale is simple: Alaska is a very expensive and time-consuming proposition no matter how you look at it. Many of us go and actually say out loud more than once in the process, "I may never go again." So, on the theory that this may be your once-in-a-lifetime visit, don't you think you ought to blow it out and do it right??! That's the way my mind works. Another feature of one-ways that is often missing from roundtrips is Glacier Bay National Park and also College Fjords. If you look at a map, both are nearer to Anchorage, Seward & Whittier -- the northern end of a one-way -- than they are to Vancouver or Seattle. For that reason, fewer roundtrips include GBNP and/or College Fjords. I think the greater weight of opinion is that GBNP is *the* place to see, and I thought our day of cruising there (and in the fjords) was absolutely spectacular and "unmissable." In fairness, though, others make the perfectly reasonable argument that if you've never seen tidal glaciers, then any of the others (Hubbard, Sawyer, etc.) that are featured on the roundtrip and more "southern" itineraries are going to knock your socks off. They are probably right. No one should think their itinerary is inferior--it's all a matter of subjective assessment and shades/degrees of incredible things we sure don't have back home! lines that do GBNP, the park service limits cruise ship permits, so not all lines go there, and within lines, only some ships may go to GBNP. RCI lost their permit to do GBNP (pollution penalty). Now, practical realities, I know those pesky work schedules can get in the way. So, roundtrips may be better for folks who can't take advantage of a one-way itinerary, which exists for folks to do incredible pre- and post-cruise land stuff in Alaska and British Columbia. (We had a ball doing both--I highly recommend it.) Let's talk about roundtrips, then. You've got your roundtrips from Vancouver and those from Seattle. I would shoot for Vancouver if at all possible because you get a more northern jump on the trip. Look hard at any Seattle roundtrip to make sure it doesn't fall short/south of a key port stop you want to see. But what I specifically seek to avoid in a Seattle roundtrip (and maybe some Vancouvers??) is a transit outside, or to the west/Pacific side of Vancouver Island. This is a rougher trip and far less scenic than cruising straight up from Vancouver in the Inside Passage, which is lovely and as smooth as glass, you have never cruised like that before, it is incredible (balcony required for this trip!)--and important for some people greatly affected by motion sickness. However, again, the Seattle thing is not a deal breaker. I am such a huge fan of doing Alaska, I think ANY Alaskan cruise is better than none at all! As I recall, you and Kevin have (amazingly) not done Alaska and will be seriously looking at the SGC 2007 (?) as it evolves. I hope it works out for you. I will be candid, I never had a strong interest in going up there. But we went, and I loved every minute, I could actually return in a heartbeat (and that's weird, I am not an enthusiastic repeater when it comes to travel). I felt this amazing spiritual connection with the natural wonders...it was an earthy, primeval sort of thing. I know that sounds hokey, and I'm not explaining it very well...but it was "awesome" in every sense of that word before it became everyday parlance. Of course, I know you won't let my ramblings influence you, Sue. Y'all will need to do your Alaska cruise research when you get ready. I think you've collected my other tip weekday sailings vs. crowded weekends. Also, I'm still trying to finish my Christmas Sun Princess review (ha!) and noticed in talking about those balconies that I loved that old "inset" kind for Alaska--offered great protection from the elements vs. the "hanging off the side" kind. (Tom K. can come along and straighten me out on the proper engineering terms, LOL.) More than you wanted to know. Can't wait to hear your take on the MOAGC! Diana |
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Alaska cruise lines to avoid with kids?
D Ball wrote: Hi, Sue, Sneaking away from the washer/dryer?! Yes and from bills, a weeks worth of newspapers, the last unpacking and geting ready for a medical appointment tomorrow. I needed a little escape(grin)!! I'm a one-way itinerary snob, for one thing! My rationale is simple: Alaska is a very expensive and time-consuming proposition no matter how you look at it. Many of us go and actually say out loud more than once in the process, "I may never go again." So, on the theory that this may be your once-in-a-lifetime visit, don't you think you ought to blow it out and do it right??! That's the way my mind works. I thought that this might be what you had in mind. My thinking right now and that might change with time, is that if we do a round trip, we can go sooner then if we had the added expense of open jaw tickets. Another feature of one-ways that is often missing from roundtrips is Glacier Bay National Park and also College Fjords. From what everyone who "knows" Alaska has said, I would only take a cruise if it goes to Glacier Bay, at least for my first Alaska cruise. We will probably be going in 2007 or 2008 and hope to go back again after Kevin retires and we have more time to spend there. However, again, the Seattle thing is not a deal breaker. I am such a huge fan of doing Alaska, I think ANY Alaskan cruise is better than none at all! As I recall, you and Kevin have (amazingly) not done Alaska and will be seriously looking at the SGC 2007 (?) as it evolves. I hope it works out for you. I will be candid, I never had a strong interest in going up there. But we went, and I loved every minute, I could actually return in a heartbeat From what I hear, once we go, we will want to go back. Also no matter how we do it the first time, there is always more amazing things to see. We were looking at the SGC2007, but we might not be able to go that summer and when things settle down a bit, I intend to see if people want to postpone it to 2008. We have a family gathering in St Thomas in the works for July 2007. My nephew lives there and would be thrilled if alot of us could visit him, other then for a day when we are in port there. Of course, I know you won't let my ramblings influence you, Sue. Y'all will need to do your Alaska cruise research when you get ready. I think you've collected my other tip weekday sailings vs. crowded weekends. Also, I'm still trying to finish my Christmas Sun Princess review (ha!) and noticed in talking about those balconies that I loved that old "inset" kind for Alaska--offered great protection from the elements vs. the "hanging off the side" kind. (Tom K. can come along and straighten me out on the proper engineering terms, LOL.) I think your ramblings "will" influence me and I have already told Kevin about sailing other then on a weekend. Unless a balcony is protected from the wind/cold, it would be useless in Alaska. I wouldn't mind an aft cabin like we just had on the Infinity(grin). More than you wanted to know. Not at all, I am filing this post to study when we start doing our research. Who is kidding who here, when "I" start doing research, Kevin will leave most of it to me.LOL Can't wait to hear your take on the MOAGC! I loved Celebrity and the Infinity and want to sail the Infinity again. It was also wonderful sailing with 150 friends, plus the friends from cruise critic. This is a very busy week for us, not only the normal post-cruise stuff, but we both have medical appointments. I hope that by this time next week we will have a review and pictures posted. Thanks for another very informative post!! sue |
#9
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Alaska cruise lines to avoid with kids?
Hi, Bill,
It is a common misconception (IMO) that open-jaws are always more expensive or are a lot more expensive than RT's. I tracked my desired open jaw Houston-Vancouver, Anchorage-Houston, for a long time, as well as various alternatives involving RT's with added extendor flights, and one day, the price break came! It just takes learning the market & following it. The Coral cruise you are watching sounds very nice. In the category of more useless tidbits, I have heard some argue that doing your Alaska land first gets the hard part out of the way, then you can cruise south and relax. We, too, cruised from Vancouver north to Anchorage (same itinerary you are considering, although I think Princess is now using Whittier as its final destination?), and I liked the way we started in familiar territory and the landscape/seascape evolved before our eyes...the anticipation just kept building. Something I read favoring a northbound trip was that food provisioning is better in Vancouver vs. Anchorage--that makes some sense because, of course, Alaska depends on "imported" stuff, including much of its fresh food and meat. So, if a cruise ship is provisioning in Alaska, a lot of what's going on board has already made one trip. Our flightsee of Denali was the climax of the trip. The majority of air service to the mt. is out of Talkeetna, a small town southeast of Denali Nat'l Park. Bill, you've got the right spirit. I'd say tighten the proverbial belt if you have to, but develop a comfortable budget to see and do everything you want. It will be worth every last penny. Good job on your research! Nice website, BTW. I see you are a Cruise Critic. I guess you've followed BQ's posts...she has a lot of experienced advise to offer. Regards, Diana |
#10
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Alaska cruise lines to avoid with kids?
D Ball wrote:
Hi, Bill, It is a common misconception (IMO) that open-jaws are always more expensive or are a lot more expensive than RT's. I tracked my desired open jaw Houston-Vancouver, Anchorage-Houston, for a long time, as well as various alternatives involving RT's with added extendor flights, and one day, the price break came! It just takes learning the market & following it. The Coral cruise you are watching sounds very nice. In the category of more useless tidbits, I have heard some argue that doing your Alaska land first gets the hard part out of the way, then you can cruise south and relax. We, too, cruised from Vancouver north to Anchorage (same itinerary you are considering, although I think Princess is now using Whittier as its final destination?), and I liked the way we started in familiar territory and the landscape/seascape evolved before our eyes...the anticipation just kept building. Something I read favoring a northbound trip was that food provisioning is better in Vancouver vs. Anchorage--that makes some sense because, of course, Alaska depends on "imported" stuff, including much of its fresh food and meat. So, if a cruise ship is provisioning in Alaska, a lot of what's going on board has already made one trip. Our flightsee of Denali was the climax of the trip. The majority of air service to the mt. is out of Talkeetna, a small town southeast of Denali Nat'l Park. Bill, you've got the right spirit. I'd say tighten the proverbial belt if you have to, but develop a comfortable budget to see and do everything you want. It will be worth every last penny. Good job on your research! Nice website, BTW. I see you are a Cruise Critic. I guess you've followed BQ's posts...she has a lot of experienced advise to offer. Regards, Diana Diana, Certainly more things to think about in regards to which direction to cruise. I didn't give the provisioning much thought but you make a good point. Since I love my food I'd lean more towards the northbound route. ;-) Yes I've run into BQ on CC. From the sound of her post she sounded very familiar. Turns out it's JLeary who used to post here all the time. I've only been checking into the Alaska cruise for about 2 weeks and already have 3 pages of notes, many bookmarks, etc. I'm already more excited about going on this cruise in 2007 then the 2 I have booked for this year and I never really thought I'd want to go to Alaska. lol Thanks for your post. Appreciate every bit of info and suggestions I can get. :-) Bill -- Visit my Caribbean Princess website: www.cruisingthecaribbeanprincess.com |
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