Oddball family needs help choosing cruiseline!

Hello!

I'm not a first time cruiser, but I do have a unique situation with trying to find the right cruise line to accommodate my family. My parents and I have been talking about taking an Alaska cruise northbound from Vancouver to Whittier or Seward. To give you the breakdown on my family:

• Dad is 55 years old, has some mobility issues and is a large broad-shouldered guy. Uses a CPAP machine at night. He would probably prefer to have some kind of accessible room just to allow for greater space in bathroom and whatnot. I don't think he would want to dress up for dinner or be restricted on what time he has to eat.
  
• Mom is 54 years old. Pretty easy-going. Doesn't know how to swim, and frankly, I'm amazed she's considering a cruise in the first place!
  
• Me: I'm the 30 years old daughter. Admittedly, I'm a picky eater and generally eat basic foods like spaghetti, pizza, rice and soup, chicken strips, etc.
  

It's obviously cheaper to share a room with 3 people, but I don't know if we will be squished trying to share a room. It definitely wouldn't be my preference to share a room, but I don't really want to pay a single room supplement either. I like the idea of dining whenever and on whatever I want.

The only cruise I've been on was with NCL to the Bahamas, and I shared an inside room with a friend. I really liked their Freestyle dining idea, but maybe the other cruise lines are offering the same idea now.

Bottom line, I think I'm looking for:

• Best value
  
• More spacious rooms for 2-3 adults
  
• Variety of dining options
  

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

if dad is not in a WC or ECV he cannot book a HA cabin until they are released to general sale( which happens pretty much never)

EVERYONE wants more room to maneuver and bathrooms bigger than kitchen pantries. he can book a suite if he wants room. i would NEVER put 3 adults in a standard cabin.

all mainstream lines are fairly causal these days.

There are a number of companies that are in Alaska. All of your requirements can be met by most of the cruise lines. The biggest issue is the access able room for three. Most staerooms rooms would be pretty tight for three adults.

The best might be to book two staterooms . One for your parents and one for yourself and a friend.

All cruise lines have anytime dining. This means that you can eat anytime between about 5:30 and 9:00.

Definitely narrow down your choices and book quickly as the accessible cabins are limited and will go fast.

Just about all of the cruiselines do have a flexible dining option (my family actually prefers assigned dining for a number of reasons, especially after doing anytime a couple of cruises ago). Plus many cruise lines have the buffet open for dinner (Princess, it's open from early morning to late at night) and is a good option for many. Again, on Princess, just for dinner you can select from the main dining room (whether you have traditional or anytime), Horizon Court (the buffet), specialty restaurants (that have a cover charge), the poolside pizzeria and grill (we often would get their grilled chicken sandwich for many a lunch on our last few cruises), the International Cafe (not an enclosed eatery, but a set of showcases with light fare of breakfast goodies in the morning, soup/salads/sandwiches later on, yummy desserts; it's open 24/7 and is found in the Piazza on most of the ships -- there's a few Princess ships that don't have this). Also you can pay for an ultimate balcony dinner, whether you have a balcony cabin or not.

And BTW, anyone, no matter the age, can order off of the children's menu in the main dining rooms. I'm a picky eater, but I can usually find something I like on the main menu or else I select the "always available" herbed chicken. But I'm like your mother too in that I kept flunking swim classes as I don't like my head under water. But went on my first true cruise (did go on 3-hr marina cruises, etc) and since then, have been on 10 more.

Today most cruise lines offer some form of open dining. With this, like at a restaurant at home, you show up when you are ready and wait until a table is available. If the wait is long, some will give you a beeper. The one difference from home is that you will be asked if you want to share a table with others. If you do, you may be seated faster.

A mini-suite for 3, on Princess, might be a good option. It would give your dad a bigger bathroom with a full tub, an extra seating area and 2 tv's. I would never do a standard cabin for 3. Been there, done that. :eek:

Princess offers anytime dining and if you prefer not to dress for dinner, the Horizon Court/Cafe Caribe/International Cafe/Trident Grill/Pizzeria/Specialty Restaurants would be your alternatives. The buffet often offers some of the same entrees as the MDR.

Princess has lots of ships to choose from for Alaska.

You might want to seriously consider a Princess cruise.

Princess would work well for your parents and most will tell you Princess has the BEST pizzas. :)

LuLu

You are "normal" folks!

You are "normal" folks!

I was looking for the "oddball" too. Never found it

Go with a suite on Princess or Holland America.

if dad is not in a WC or ECV he cannot book a HA cabin until they are released to general sale( which happens pretty much never)

 

EVERYONE wants more room to maneuver and bathrooms bigger than kitchen pantries. he can book a suite if he wants room. i would NEVER put 3 adults in a standard cabin.

 

all mainstream lines are fairly causal these days.

That is not true. There are many people with disabilities who require an accessible cabin, but do not use a wheelchair or scooter. There are people who need all the things that an accessible bathroom provides like grab bars. And, btw, I am disabled and use a scooter.

But I do agree with you that unless the OP's father needs the accessible bathroom, he really doesn't "require" an accessible cabin.

Not sure what the oddball part is or what your dad using a C Pap has to do with an accessible cabin? :confused:

Based on the very common and standard information provided, you will be fine on any cruise that leaves Vancouver and ends near Anchorage. Sounds like a suite or you bringing a buddy will be easiest too.

HAL, Celebrity, Princess, RC... Have fun.

For one way cruises to Whittier or Seward, I recommend Princess and Celebrity. Both are great cruise lines with good food and service. I did the one way on Celebrity Millennium and loved it!

For one way cruises to Whittier or Seward, I recommend Princess and Celebrity. Both are great cruise lines with good food and service. I did the one way on Celebrity Millennium and loved it!

I've done them on Holland America . Smaller ships don't see as crowded as some ships.

I've done them on Holland America . Smaller ships don't see as crowded as some ships.

Good call. I also loved my HAL Alaska cruise earlier this year, although it was r/t Vancouver.

if dad is not in a WC or ECV he cannot book a HA cabin until they are released to general sale( which happens pretty much never)

 

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Your statement that "if dad is not in a WC or ECV he cannot book a HA cabin until they are released to general sale( which happens pretty much never) " is not a correct statement.

If the cruise is embarking from a USA Port than the following law applies. The Law does not state that only those with WC or ECV are allowed to booked accessible cabins rather it states persons seeking to reserve such cabins whether the individual (or an individual for whom the cabin is being reserved) has a mobility disability or a disability that requires the use of the accessible features that are provided in the cabin.

As a result of the United States Supreme Court Rules on Spector et. al. VS Norwegian Cruise Lines. a Federal Law under the Department of Transportation ( commonly referred to as DOT) became effective on January 1, 2012 that requires that the cruise lines have to verify that the person occupying the cabin has a medical or physical need to book the cabin .

(g) To prevent fraud in the assignment of accessible cabins (e.g., attempts by individuals who do not have disabilities to reserve accessible cabins because they have greater space, you—

(1) Must inquire of persons seeking to reserve such cabins whether the individual (or an individual for whom the cabin is being reserved) has a mobility disability or a disability that requires the use of the accessible features that are provided in the cabin.

(2) May require a written attestation from the individual that accessible cabin is for a person who has a mobility disability or a disability that requires the use of the accessible features that are provided in the cabin.

There are a number of companies that are in Alaska. All of your requirements can be met by most of the cruise lines. The biggest issue is the access able room for three. Most staerooms rooms would be pretty tight for three adults.

The best might be to book two staterooms . One for your parents and one for yourself and a friend.

All cruise lines have anytime dining. This means that you can eat anytime between about 5:30 and 9:00.

Not all cruise lines have anytime dining! Even for some that do, the dining time is more like 7:00 to 9:00.

For the cost of booking two staterooms including a single supplement, they can probably get a suite and all the perks that are associated with it. Often a big perk is the ability to have anything off the MDR menus delivered to the suite for dinner.

Not all cruise lines have anytime dining! Even for some that do, the dining time is more like 7:00 to 9:00.

 

For the cost of booking two staterooms including a single supplement, they can probably get a suite and all the perks that are associated with it. Often a big perk is the ability to have anything off the MDR menus delivered to the suite for dinner.

The only the Pacific Princess in the mainstream cruise lines Alaska doesn't have anytime dining . HAL , RCI ,Celebrity and Princess all have a version of anytime dining.

The only the Pacific Princess in the mainstream cruise lines Alaska doesn't have anytime dining . HAL , RCI ,Celebrity and Princess all have a version of anytime dining.

Where did the OP ever say they were only interested in mainstream lines?

OP said best value at the start. I assume that a mainstream cruise line is what is meant.

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OP said best value at the start. I assume that a mainstream cruise line is what is meant.

 

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Best value does not mean cheapest, and for some people, best value means anything but mainstream. Bottom line, without more guidance from the OP I wouldn't make the assumptions you have.

She said he has mobility issues and that should qualify. He can get a doctor statement if need be. Some disabilities do not show. I have fibromyalgia and you would never know it. It doesn't cause me to need an accessible room, but a friend of mine has been getting one on several different lines for many years because she has such bad flare ups.