Best choice for multigenerational group (late 70s, early 40s, 4 grandkids ages 6-12)

Hi -

My inlaws, (ages 70 and turning 80) are considering taking the entire family on an Alaskan cruise next summer. The party would be my in laws, 3 children plus spouses in their 40s and a total of 4 grandchildren ages 6-12. Some of us are experienced cruisers (Disney and Royal Caribbean) but nobody has cruised in Alaska before.

For this group, I am looking for input as to the best cruise line. I know that Princess has a great reputation in Alaska but also is not known for being as kid-friendly as other lines. Ditto, and even more so (re kids) about Holland America. Obviously Disney is an option but not sure if my inlaws want to do Disney and they are paying (also Disney is generally more expensive). I like Royal Caribbean but I have heard it is not quite as good as other lines in Alaska (is that true?). Our friends took Celebrity last year with two kids and loved it but they had a suite and not sure if they took advantage of any kids' activities.

Don't know if it makes a difference on the recommendations, but most likely we will be doing a closed loop cruise, not 1 way.

I have been tasked with planning this whole thing and would greatly appreciate recommendations!

I just took my teen daughter on HAL. She did not participate in any of the kid's activities, but they had lots going on.and all the children I saw looked as if they were having a good time. Personally, I would stick with Princess or HAL for Alaska, and then choose the one most convenient for you.

I just took my teen daughter on HAL. She did not participate in any of the kid's activities, but they had lots going on.and all the children I saw looked as if they were having a good time. Personally, I would stick with Princess or HAL for Alaska, and then choose the one most convenient for you.

Thanks for your response, 6rugrats. Can you explain a bit more about why you recommend Princess or HAL over other cruise lines in Alaska - specifically what makes them better?

I personally would look at the itineraries of round trips and where you want to sail out of (Seattle or Vancouver) and then decide which line. Look at the ports and the port times. Alaska doesn't happen every day and there are kids on every cruise. IMO, an inside passage route is better than an "At Sea" route. I can't speak about which line is better for kids but they all have some sort of kids programs.

I don't think I really answered your questions but I personally wouldn't pick an Alaskan cruise based on the kid programs. I would focus on the itinerary. After all, it's summer time. There will be kids on every ship. Alaska is just awesome, I hope you get the opportunity to go!

We had the same situation --11 of us going with ages ranging from 12 to 85. We are going on Carnival. We have sailed other lines as well as Carnival before but are hoping there will be enough activities on Carnivak for all ages, not just the mids to seniors. Of course the scenery will be the main attraction. We are also staying in Seattle for two days prior and one after the cruise.

Have you read thru any trip reports in the STICKYs above ? There are several reports in the 2014 list that include kids.

The 2013 list is much larger .... start with reply#45 where the reports are sorted by cruiseline.

Alohagirl is in the process of posting her report on Carnvial with 2 young kids. Just look down the page a few lines for it.

If you're doing a RT cruise I highly recommend a Vancouver departure. Seattle departures sail on the west side of Vancouver Island so you can experience rougher seas and it's not as scenic, plus there's a very short stop instead of another port in Alaska.

You might want to borrow some Alaska travel books from your library to learn more about the ports since there are only a few of them. There are at least 2 books specific to Alaska cruises ... Fodor has 'ALaska Ports of Call' and Ann Vipond has ' Alaska by cruiseship'. Both books discuss cruiselines, ports, activities, excursions etc.

We chose Princess for our grandparent/parents/kids group (ages 77 down to 7) this past June, Vancouver NB. We liked their itinerary (including Glacier Bay access) and their long experience in AK. Our kids (11 and 7) LOVED their kids' program and participated in a lot of activities there (including the "junior ranger" educational program on Glacier Bay day, but also a pastry chef class and lots of other fun, dancing, video games, crafts, karaoke, etc). They made friends from literally all over the world -- Australia, UK, Canada, all over US, and went swimming and other things with them outside of kids' program. If you go mid-June or later (when kids are out of school) I think you'll find lots of kids onboard Princess. Their childcare staff on the Island Princess was great.

We booked all of our excursions privately, but included things both our kids and the grandparents would enjoy (wildlife, some flying, whale watching). We spent another week+ after the cruise enjoying Alaska on our own. If you can, I highly recommend the 4-5 hour glacier tour on Major Marine the day you dock in Whittier and of course, Denali Natl. Park. We did the 8 hr bus trip to Eileson and the day flew by, my kids and parents did just fine and loved all the animals (grizzly bear!) and going to see the park's working dogsled team. I second Mapleleaves that doing some research (and involving everyone in choosing best shore excursions for your family's interests/abilities) is key. But we'd highly recommend the Island Princess as a great ship for multi-generational families.

We chose Princess for our grandparent/parents/kids group (ages 77 down to 7) this past June, Vancouver NB. We liked their itinerary (including Glacier Bay access) and their long experience in AK. Our kids (11 and 7) LOVED their kids' program and participated in a lot of activities there (including the "junior ranger" educational program on Glacier Bay day, but also a pastry chef class and lots of other fun, dancing, video games, crafts, karaoke, etc). They made friends from literally all over the world -- Australia, UK, Canada, all over US, and went swimming and other things with them outside of kids' program. If you go mid-June or later (when kids are out of school) I think you'll find lots of kids onboard Princess. Their childcare staff on the Island Princess was great.

 

We booked all of our excursions privately, but included things both our kids and the grandparents would enjoy (wildlife, some flying, whale watching). We spent another week+ after the cruise enjoying Alaska on our own. If you can, I highly recommend the 4-5 hour glacier tour on Major Marine the day you dock in Whittier and of course, Denali Natl. Park. We did the 8 hr bus trip to Eileson and the day flew by, my kids and parents did just fine and loved all the animals (grizzly bear!) and going to see the park's working dogsled team. I second Mapleleaves that doing some research (and involving everyone in choosing best shore excursions for your family's interests/abilities) is key. But we'd highly recommend the Island Princess as a great ship for multi-generational families.

Great info, thanks. When did you take that trip? I don't see the Island Princess as an option in 2015 summer but there are other Princess ships of course.

My husband says you're right, Island and Coral Princess are not doing AK in 2015. :( We were there last month and really enjoyed those smaller (but older) ships. I'm sure the bigger ones going in 2015 will be great too!

We've done two Alaska cruisetours with Princess, with a multi-generation group like yours. Both were on the Coral Princess. The kids on both trips loved the kids club activities and I wouldn't rule out Princess for sure, based on kids activities. However, as the vast majority of experienced Alaska cruisers on the forum here will tell you, pick it itinerary first! We wouldn't go without visiting Glacier Bay, to us that day is the essence of the cruise portion on an Alaskan cruisetour. The scenery in GB just can't be described in words. Coral Princess will be in Alaska in 2015, although her sister ship the Island apparently will not. I believe the Ruby Princess will be up there next year, another fine ship in the Princess fleet. In the Princess fleet, many like the Coral and Island for their intermediate size. More room per passenger on those two ships versus some of the other larger ships. As Mapleleaves wisely points out, start reading the trip reviews, they are a wealth of knowledge and information. Once you start to rough out what your group wants to do, you can ask more specific questions that the experienced folks will help you out with. The planning is almost as much fun as the trip! Good Luck!

If Glacier Bay is a priority for your group, then that limits you to HAL, Princess and NCL as they have the permits to go into GB.

I would also determine what you want to see and then figure out which cruise line will get you there.

I'd also like to add that HAL is not the floating nursing home it is purported to be, particularly on Alaska itineraries. There are many multi generational groups that cruise on HAL. Some parents have reported that their kids got more personal attention on HAL than they did on Disney, because there were fewer children, and that their kids enjoyed HAL more because of that. I suspect that that would be true on Princess, too.

My 2 cents. Traveled NCL Pearl and there are lots of activities for all ages on board sails out of Seattle. sailed a Pacific coastal aboard the HAL Zaandam dubbed the "snooze cruise" by the younger set in our group. Will be going on the Celebrity Century next month and it appears there are a lot of variety for all ages. We will see. Most I've heard are complaints that the Century is smaller and older. It will not be there next year, replaced by the Infinity I think. Ports are Icy Strait, Junesu and Ketchican with the Hubbard Glacier.

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I don't think you can go wrong with several of them so I would not over think this. Also I say this with the most respect, we don't know each person in the family so we can only give you advice on what we would do in your situation.

For example, when our children were these ages they loved to cruise. They would have a good time all of the lines you mentioned.

The important thing is that your family will all be together.

I would look at the itinerary.

With that said:

Celebrity is a nice option as they do a lot that usually does appeal to people of a wide range of issues. Their food is better than most of the lines that have been mentioned, rooms nice and nice service. I think their one down-side to Alaska is that they are not allowed to sail Glacier Bay. Not sure whether or not that is important to you.

Princess does a nice job. They have been sailing Alaska the longest along with HAL. Their tours are probably the best organized of most lines. I find them nice to kids so I would not worry about that. Food isn't like it used to be but that is true for many lines. If itinerary wins out I would pick them.

I have to admit I am not big on HAL so I will leave that to you.

If it was me I would go with Disney. But I don't know the in-laws and you do. I just think it is very special for not only the kids but the parents and the grand parents and it brings out the kid in all of us and since the entire family will be together they will help to make memories that will last a life time and the kids will love it. Again, this is what I would do.

The important thing is that you will all be together.

Keith

Hi -

 

My inlaws, (ages 70 and turning 80) are considering taking the entire family on an Alaskan cruise next summer. The party would be my in laws, 3 children plus spouses in their 40s and a total of 4 grandchildren ages 6-12. Some of us are experienced cruisers (Disney and Royal Caribbean) but nobody has cruised in Alaska before.

 

For this group, I am looking for input as to the best cruise line. I know that Princess has a great reputation in Alaska but also is not known for being as kid-friendly as other lines. Ditto, and even more so (re kids) about Holland America.

 

I have been tasked with planning this whole thing and would greatly appreciate recommendations!

Here are the Kids Activities for Holland America in Alaska from our cruise the last two weeks so the kids know what to expect:

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/?page_id=1693

Here are the daily activities (On Location) for our cruise:

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/?page_id=1693

Under my website HAL menus, you can see the scanned menus.

We had several hundred kids on our HAL cruise and they were kept occupied for almost the entire time. Most were seen only during dinner. The Tweens loved the dancing classes with the ships performers. From my interaction with the kids, I found not a single one that didn't rave about how much fun they were having.

I appreciate everyone's responses - thank you! A lot to think about. I am pricing out some different options including Princess, Celebrity and Disney. Glacier Bay sounds wonderful so I will make sure to price at least one cruise that includes that.

One more question - is going out of Seattle a disadvantage in terms of the itineraries? I know that it can be an advantage for travel costs. I noticed that all of the roundtrip Princess itineraries were out of Seattle, not Vancouver.

 

One more question - is going out of Seattle a disadvantage in terms of the itineraries? I know that it can be an advantage for travel costs. I noticed that all of the roundtrip Princess itineraries were out of Seattle, not Vancouver.

I posted this info earlier. If you read the trip reports you'll see that on a few sailings, travellers got quite ill due to rough seas. The Seattle departures are required to stop in Victoria, but it's from 6-11pm so a rather odd time to do anything. Whereas Vanc gives you an extra Alaska port instead.

Often times it is much cheaper to fly into Seattle, then take the evening Amtrak-Cascades train to Vancouver. You'd need to check the airfare from your specific area.

 

If you're doing a RT cruise I highly recommend a Vancouver departure. Seattle departures sail on the west side of Vancouver Island so you can experience rougher seas and it's not as scenic, plus there's a very short stop instead of another port in Alaska.

 

You might want to borrow some Alaska travel books from your library to learn more about the ports since there are only a few of them. There are at least 2 books specific to Alaska cruises ... Fodor has 'ALaska Ports of Call' and Ann Vipond has ' Alaska by cruiseship'. Both books discuss cruiselines, ports, activities, excursions etc.

The Coral Princess is sailing Alaska next year as well as some of the bigger Princess ships. She is the same size as the Island (which I have sailed on) and gets great reviews.

I would recommend Princess, HAL or NCL since all three offer Glacier Bay on certain itineraries. A lot of people will tell you that it isn't that important and Alaska is awesome - even without it. Very true! But why would you pay the money to go and not include it? The area surrounding the entrance is full of marine life so it is a shame to sail by it.....

It really is all about the itinerary and port times for Alaska sailings. Look for the one that gives the most amount of time on land so you can get out and see things. It doesn't have to include costly excursions either as rental cars and hikes can be very rewarding. :D

Have fun planning!

I love royal . The ships are nice the programs for kids are great as you know being on Allure & Oasis . Go with Royal !

I personally would look at the itineraries of round trips and where you want to sail out of (Seattle or Vancouver) and then decide which line. Look at the ports and the port times. Alaska doesn't happen every day and there are kids on every cruise. IMO, an inside passage route is better than an "At Sea" route. I can't speak about which line is better for kids but they all have some sort of kids programs.

 

I don't think I really answered your questions but I personally wouldn't pick an Alaskan cruise based on the kid programs. I would focus on the itinerary. After all, it's summer time. There will be kids on every ship. Alaska is just awesome, I hope you get the opportunity to go!

I couldn't agree more with this poster. I just finished my 4th Alaskan cruise a couple days ago on Celebrity and have gone with HAL & Princess in the past and the demographics are pretty much identical in Alaska. I had often read on these boards that Princess & HAL do Alaska best because they've been sailing there the longest, but my Celebrity cruise was just as good and I've also heard good things about Royal Caribbean (watch out for people who are cheerleaders for one line....it's usually the only line they've cruised with).

Best wishes planning your trip. It's awesome to travel with multi-generations. :)

I appreciate everyone's responses - thank you! A lot to think about. I am pricing out some different options including Princess, Celebrity and Disney. Glacier Bay sounds wonderful so I will make sure to price at least one cruise that includes that.

 

One more question - is going out of Seattle a disadvantage in terms of the itineraries? I know that it can be an advantage for travel costs. I noticed that all of the roundtrip Princess itineraries were out of Seattle, not Vancouver.

Vancouver departures offer more scenic cruising.

It is lovely sailing through the Puget Sound after leaving Seattle but once out of the sound, you're basically out in the open ocean for the following day as you cruise up to your first port, and on the last sea day back to Victoria. You are too far away from land.

With Vancouver departures, the scenery is very beautiful well into the first sea day, as you're cruising in part of the Canadian inside passage. You will get the scenic cruising again on the final sea day back to Vancouver.

I left from Seattle this past May. I really missed the scenery.

The Volendam has a great itinerary next year. it will sail to both Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm. It departs on a Wednesday so that usually means you need to take 2 weeks off work. But it also means that she is at the ports on the weekend when most ships are not. It is RT out of Vancouver so most of the last sea day is sailing through the inner passage between BC and Vancouver Island. The Volendam is a smaller ship, 1400 passengers, and has two wonderful decks at the rear of the ship where you can sit and watch the beautiful scenery. It also has a very nice enclosed pool.

The Volendam has a great itinerary next year. it will sail to both Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm. It departs on a Wednesday so that usually means you need to take 2 weeks off work. But it also means that she is at the ports on the weekend when most ships are not. It is RT out of Vancouver so most of the last sea day is sailing through the inner passage between BC and Vancouver Island. The Volendam is a smaller ship, 1400 passengers, and has two wonderful decks at the rear of the ship where you can sit and watch the beautiful scenery. It also has a very nice enclosed pool.

Looks like Tracy Arm is just a service call for those taking the small boat excursion. The ship does not actually sail Tracy Arm. Still, it is an opportunity to do both.