Alaskan Cruise with a family of 5

My family of 5 is looking to take an Alaskan cruise in 2017. Our children will be ages 7 - 12 when we cruise in 2017. The only cruise we have been on before is a Disney cruise to the Caribbean, which we loved. We would be thrilled to sail with them again, however they seem to be much more expensive than other cruise lines. Can anyone recommend another cruise line that they have had a great experience on with kids cruising to Alaska? Or for those who have cruised Disney before, can you compare your experiences? Is it worth the extra money? I don't want to have a let down of experiences, but saving money is a priority also. Thank you in advance!

Alaska is more about the ports than the ship/line. You need to decide which ports you want to visit, and check the times in those ports for the ships you are considering. You also need to decide whether you want to do a one way with long flights at each end...or a round trip from Seattle or Vancouver.

That said, you also have another consideration. Five is an odd number. I realize that Disney has a lot of cabins for five. Most other cruise lines do not. Celebrity M class ships have family veranda cabins for five. Deciding on cabin arrangements might have to be your first priority. Not all ships have connecting cabins...Don't count on finding them on Princess. And don't discount Princess and HAL because you have heard they are for older folks. Remember, Alaska is about the ports not the ship and demographic. All of them have kids programs. Sometimes fewer kids onboard makes for a better experience for the ones there are. EM

That is so true....most ships have maximum cabins for 4...so you'll need 2 cabins, or a pricey suite....

I'd get a good travel agency...I'm sure your town has an agency...walk in..talk to them...get brochures..and then decide!

It is ALL about Alaska.....A Caribbean cruise is a totally different animal from an Alaskan cruise!

We went Princess and did a balcony on the Carib deck (extra large) with an inside across the hall for the kids. The kids loved their programs and really enjoyed the cruise.

Thank you all for all the advice and suggestions. It is greatly appreciated!

A follow up question to this. We are also a family of 5 looking at Alaska. I know every line has fun clubs for kids and cool activities on the ship but we are looking for more. We want to make sure that our kids are able to participate in all of the excursions and shore activities that we are. I know Disney provides that kind of contact but would be interested in price comparison of other lines provide similar encounters.

Disney is a great line and seems to have mind share for many families and fun.

IMHO for Alaska you have to consider why you are picking Alaska. Disney only sails Tracy Arm the last I checked and while nice can't compare to Glacier Bay sailings. I'd take a look at Princess which has many sailings to Glacier Bay and in in the summer almost all lines have kids so their will be active club and kids on board, now will it be Mouse like, probably not, but cheaper and you can then use your savings for the best of excursions.

A follow up question to this. We are also a family of 5 looking at Alaska. I know every line has fun clubs for kids and cool activities on the ship but we are looking for more. We want to make sure that our kids are able to participate in all of the excursions and shore activities that we are. I know Disney provides that kind of contact but would be interested in price comparison of other lines provide similar encounters.

We did not find this to be an issue at all. First, I would highly recommend that you book your excursions privately - you will save a LOT of money that way. I don't know the ages of your kids, or what activities you plan to do, but I would certainly look at the private market. For example, we rode the city bus to Totem Bight park and back to town in Ketchican - had a lovely lunch and walked the whole town. We got to talk with locals and eat local seafood. Couldn't have spent more than $100. In Juneau we rented a private boat for whale watching that took us to Mendenhal glacier at the end. I think that was $500-600 and where we chose to spend our money and it was worth every penny as we were able to zip across the lake and get up close and personal with the whales. In Skagway, we rented a car and drove into the Yukon - this was fabulous! We saw a black bear (drunk as all get out on dandelions), Emerald lake, waterfalls, lakes, Carcross desert, quaint towns, a sled dog operation etc. Again - $150?

Before I went a lot of people told me that I would be "missing out" if I didn't pay for a flight ($500 pp!) or do a sled dog on a glacier (again really really pricey). But I wasn't willing to spend more in shore excursions than on the cruise itself. And truly, I am glad that I did not. We did a variety of activities, spent a ton of time outdoors and really got a feel for SE Alaska - all with our kids right along side.

I am glad that we were on Princess - because they have the Carib deck, which provides a 1/2 covered, 1/2 open large balcony that could easily hold the 4 of us. It was cost effective enough to allow the kids to have an inside across the hall, so we had plenty of space. And Alaska is really one of those places where it is really about being outside - no matter what you are doing. And so much of these cruises are about the views while sailing, this was a great investment.

I hope that helps.

Last July we sailed the Disney Wonder to Alaska and we had a great time. My kids were 8 and 9. I realize that Disney was more expensive but we've gotten used to the Disney quality of service and the larger staterooms. Plus the cruise is geared more towards families and my kids enjoy attending the kids club.

Our first cruise was Alaska, and it was on Princess. Our boys were 8 and 9. They loved the kids program! During our scenic cruising of Glacier Bay a couple park rangers boarded our ship and some went to the kids camps to do junior ranger programs with them. They also had Alaska themed crafts and such.

If you are doing a northbound or southbound itinerary, generally HAL or Princess are recommended for Alaska, since they use Panamax sized ships that can stop at Glacier Bay. Having sailed both lines with kids, I'd recommend Princess, although you'd probably be happy on HAL in Alaska too since this itinerary will be filled with kids and families, especially during the summer. The Princess kids clubs are excellent, and I was very impressed with their staff (my son was 2 so he could only go to the kids club with my supervision). Alaska is a great - albeit expensive - vacation for families. Please be prepared for a bit of sticker shock for the excursions, as everything gets pricey (especially the amazing helicopter to dogsled on a mountain excursion). The towns are really small in Alaska, so you can easily duplicate the cruise ship excursions booking directly from the vendors to save some money (Temsco was their helicopter provider) and the Alaska forum or trip advisor can help you find other providers.

We did Radiance of the Seas to Alaska two years ago with our then 7 year old and it was great. Kids program was fun, excursions she enjoyed, etc.

Like others have said, with an Alaska Cruise the ship is certainly a far back 2nd place to Alaska itself.