Satisfying lots of conflicting interests: 2-year old + wildlife loving Grandpa

We are taking our father to Alaska for his 60th birthday (plan to cruise ~July 2017). He is an outdoorsy adventurer who wants to see as much wildlife as possible. He isn't a fan of cruising (no interest in cruise ship activities) but knows it's the best way to see as much of Alaska as possible.

We have a son who will be just over 2-years-old at the time. :eek:

Our son right now is very well behaved and goes everywhere we go, but who knows what will happen as he journeys from 18 months to 2-years-old. We know we will be limited in terms of what we can do and plan to send our father and siblings off on their own adventures while we hang back with the baby. But we also don't want to be stuck in our room trying to keep our 2-year-old entertained.

My question is: Which cruise ship will be best for containing a 2-year-old while also not making our father feel like he is surrounded by kids? Any tips for making everyone a happy as possible?

Find a ship with a nursery for 2 year olds... Some RCI ships (not all, tho!...so research!), and Carnival and Disney, have nurseries for 2 year olds. You can leave your tot there while you do an excursion.

I would think it would be easier to "entertain" a 2 year old while "out and about" rather than in your cabin....sometimes, you just have to "make do"...

No one will EVER feel like they are "surrounded" by kids....plenty of space for everyone...and the kids tend to be in their preferred spaces. You are worrying about nothing.

The fear of being surrounded by kids is from a Christmas cruise we did to the Caribbean many years ago when it was, I hate to say, overrun by very rude kids who took over every common, pool, and dining space on the ship. It was actually quite terrible, and that's coming from someone who loves kids and worked in a nursery school at the time.

After that ordeal he said "never again" so this took some convincing.

The fear of being surrounded by kids is from a Christmas cruise we did to the Caribbean many years ago when it was, I hate to say, overrun by very rude kids who took over every common, pool, and dining space on the ship. It was actually quite terrible, and that's coming from someone who loves kids and worked in a nursery school at the time.

 

 

 

After that ordeal he said "never again" so this took some convincing.

I understand your concern but I think this situation would be unlikely in Alaska. It doesn't attract families in the same volumes as Caribbean cruises over a holiday time. Plus people are usually off the ship as much as possible.

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I understand your concern but I think this situation would be unlikely in Alaska. It doesn't attract families in the same volumes as Caribbean cruises over a holiday time. Plus people are usually off the ship as much as possible.

Agreed, Alaska should be a totally different experience in terms of the kids on the ship. We were on Legend last summer and there were really very few kids. So few that I think they combined age groups more days than not.

However, OP, this may not be the best way to see Alaska if your goal is to see wildlife and such. You should at least look into renting a RV. You'd cover less total miles, but you'd probably see much more of the real Alaska and could design the route to see more wildlife.

I think you should be asking this on the Ports of Call board for Alaska. Lots of experts there can tell you the best options for seeing lots of wildlife. EM

We are taking our father to Alaska for his 60th birthday (plan to cruise ~July 2017). He is an outdoorsy adventurer who wants to see as much wildlife as possible. He isn't a fan of cruising (no interest in cruise ship activities) but knows it's the best way to see as much of Alaska as possible.

 

We have a son who will be just over 2-years-old at the time. :eek:

 

Our son right now is very well behaved and goes everywhere we go, but who knows what will happen as he journeys from 18 months to 2-years-old. We know we will be limited in terms of what we can do and plan to send our father and siblings off on their own adventures while we hang back with the baby. But we also don't want to be stuck in our room trying to keep our 2-year-old entertained.

 

My question is: Which cruise ship will be best for containing a 2-year-old while also not making our father feel like he is surrounded by kids? Any tips for making everyone a happy as possible?

My first suggestion is you might want to cruise earlier in the season. You are going to have to pack in layers as the weather is 100% unpredictable even in July. Anytime pre middle June, most kids are still in school. We did our Alaska cruise Memorial Day week on Princess and while there were still kids on boards, it was a very adult atmosphere.

My second suggestion is as the other posters have said, go Carnival or RCI because they allow 2 yo. I prefer Carnival (more cost effective, better food and happier/attentive service). My son started at 2 in their kids program and has had a blast over the last decade. No need to compromise on this point - pick a line that will offer you a break and I am sure you will enjoy either.

My 3rd suggestion. Get connecting balconies. Book early to get the ones you want. Your 2 yo will NOT be able to get on them without you (latch 5' off the ground) and then full plexiglass about 4' high on the balcony.

4th - don't be afraid to pick excursions that all would like. Don't assume that your little one will not be well behaved at 2 (the terrible 2's are really the terrible 3's:eek:), and since you have started him being out and about early, there is really nothing to fear with a dramatic change. Also, there are plenty of things you can do that expose all to wildlife. If you book privately for example in Juneau, you likely could do a private boat (they may take young kids depending on company) whale watching/Mendenhal galcier (also saw seals, 20+ bald eagles, otters, beaver etc). In Ketchican, take a stroller and go to Totem poles and enjoy a walk around town - dad could venture off if he wanted. In Skagway, the highlight (even over whale watching so that says something) was renting a car and driving into the Yukon...beautiful scenery, a drunk black bear, a dog sled camp and Carcross desert (yes - a desert).

If your cruise stops in Vancouver, go to Buchart Gardens. It's lovely, and magical as the sun begins to set. Any nature lover will be in awe.

And let me clarify - cruising is the best way to see SE Alaska. It's really only easily navigable by boat and to move from each of the towns you have to go way inland. If he really wants to see wildlife, I have been told (have not been) that Denali is the true place for wildlife. You may want to consider a cruise that runs either north or southbound, and then doing a 3-4 day add on allowing you to visit Denali and perhaps Fairbanks. We didn't do it because the cost, with 4 of us was just too much (basically like doubling the cruise cost), but plan instead on a separate trip there someday. For comparison purpose, we saw 100x more wildlife in 5 days in Yellowstone and Teton than on our week long Alaska cruise.

I understand your concern but I think this situation would be unlikely in Alaska. It doesn't attract families in the same volumes as Caribbean cruises over a holiday time. Plus people are usually off the ship as much as possible.

 

 

 

Good to know. Thank you for the insight!

I've done two Alaska cruises...one was in July, the other September. There were a ton of kids on the cruise in July, but almost none in September since almost all schools had already started. Alaska also tends to be a destination for a lot of first time cruisers since it is the best way to see Alaska.

If possible, I would change the date like another posted suggested. Early June or one of the last cruises before the season ends in September.

It will quite honestly depend upon your kid. We took our son on a 10 day roundtrip Panama Canal cruise and he visited all the sites (including a full tour of Cartagena). Just be flexible and willing to return to the ship when your kid is done. Alaska is good since the ports are small and you're never too far from the ship. Bring lots of boxed cereal off the ship so your kid can pick something when she's bored. Be willing to separate on excursions so your dad can do whatever he wants. Also, if you go in May or early June check the schedule of buses in Denali. They usually start June 1st, but add longer routes over the next week or so. We just missed the bus to wonder lake by one day, but fortunately our shorter route was lucky and we saw all kinds of wildlife.

If possible, I would change the date like another posted suggested. Early June or one of the last cruises before the season ends in September.

And it's cheaper on the shoulders of the season. HOWEVER... timing is everything in Alaska. Specific types of salmon run during specific times, so if that is high on your list do the research to make sure it'll work. I believe the wildflowers have a similar timing constraint, though perhaps not as rigid. There may be other constraints with wildlife as well.

Lastly, if you're going to a salmon bake... I'd swear they bought frozen fish when we did one last summer. I looked forward to that for months and it was not as good as the salmon I buy from Sam's and grill myself. Very much an opinion, but if you're looking forward to that specifically make sure you'll be getting the super fresh fish you'd expect.

Re post 7

Butchart Gardens is in Victoria.

In Vancouver go to Stanley Park or the kids science museum.

mikesteg - oh, yeah, our salmon bake was terrible too! The cornbread was really good, but the salmon was a real disappointment.

Also, I forgot to note that some 2 year olds might not separate from you and go into a drop off kids club. If you think that might be the case, perhaps you'd want to consider Princess, which will let you take children under 3 into the kids club. You'd need to supervise them, which isn't as much of a break as the ships with care, but is a nice compromise if you don't think your kid will separate from you. We did this on our Panama Canal cruise with our 24 month old, and they were great with him (we really wanted that itinerary and were willing to forgo the kids club for it). Princess does a great job in Alaska, so that might be another option to consider.

Alaska is diverse and so are the excursions. Our next August cruise will be DH 72, me 62, grandkids 12, 9, 8 and 6. Alaska is cool. (no pun intended). You can take the helicopter up to the glacier. GP will love that and so will the kid. He'll love the wonder of the glacier the kid will love the dogs. Fishing. He can go catch his own King Salmon, the kid will love the whale watching. It is SO possible for each to enjoy their own things. GP will love the shows, the baby will love climbing the stairs and looking in between and down the many stairs.

Many say don't choose the ship for Alaska but rather then itinerary. Is having a babysitter that big of a deal to make you choose the ship for that item? I mean, we watched our kid ourselves so having a babysitter wasn't that big of a deal. Frankly when we started cruising it wasn't even an option. Some say a balcony isn't necessary because you are out on deck so much. With a kid, you want a balcony so you can sit on it while the kid is in the cabin trying to fall asleep.

In your case maybe the way to go is to figure out what excursions dad and kid want to do and then started making decisions that way. Sometimes they will be the same and sometimes different but for sure you can divide up.

I have been sailing with kids from 6 months old and up. I've been there, done that. Go to the family forum. We have tons of parents that have sailed that have first hand experience that is priceless.

the kid will love the whale watching

If you do go whale watching, please make sure you have a life jacket that fits your child. Our excursion in Guatemala was nearly ruined because the first vest was too tight on our 3 year old. Thankfully, they had a second vest that fit, but otherwise we would have had a very long day. Since they had a vest that fit, he had a wonderful time.

But my son was really bored on a wildlife cruise when he was 2 in Panama since we were really unlucky with the wildlife and there was nothing to see. Since whale watching is mostly tails and splashes, you might want to make sure you bring backup activities in case your child gets bored. But your child might also have the time of his or her life - it just depends on the kid, the day and your luck with the wildlife.

I've been to Alaska with a 2 year old. She's now 17 and remembers almost nothing of the trip. She had no interest in whale watching and we had to take turns holding her. We went on the train in Skagway and she just played on the floor with her brother and cousins.

There's no way I would spend huge amounts of money for things like helicopter rides for a 2 year old. I'd be careful about any long excursions with limited room to move around. I wouldn't want to be stuck on a bus for hours with a bored toddler. You might have to split up in some ports, so Grandpa can see what he wants while you do something more appropriate with your little one.

I guess I missed making my point. Grandpa can be off doing one thing while the baby can be doing something else like the Lumberjack show.