Recommendations for Alaskan cruise

Our 50th anniversary coming up summer 2019. Want to take the family with us on an Alaskan cruise. We have been there on a Coral Princess cruise some years ago and absolutely loved everything about it. But now we have three granddaughters who will be 12, 10, and 7 at cruise time, and the Coral would be boring for them. Looking for the best fit of family and sightseeing.

Daughter in law is afraid of seasickness, so I am concerned about sailing round trip from Seattle, where the ship goes west of the Inside Passage. Is there much difference notable when you are in the open ocean?

The Bliss looks like it was made for kids. But I understand that the ports are all tender ports, is that right? Would that be a big deal to someone who is prone to ( or thinks she is prone to) nausea?

Do you think there is enough time in port to really see Alaska?

We loved Glacier Bay; what are the alternatives like, if we go with Pearl?

We will need an ocean view, maybe aft balcony, cabin for us, inside cabin for a friend, balcony for 2 people, and the family of 5, how would you suggest berthing them?

There is a separate board here all about Alaska. that might help.

But - you really can not go wrong in Alaska.

You have other options besides NCL for family friendly ships. I believe RCCL is bringing a quantum class ship to Seattle in 2019. Last time I looked Disney was still running Alaska cruises from Vancouver. I think cruises out of Vancouver or Seward tend to spend more time in ports then the ships running out of Seattle. With that said I'm on the Bliss next summer because I have teenage boys and this ship has something for everybody.

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Depends on time of year too. I haven’t heard many complaints about summertime but we had a pretty choppy couple of days in September on our Alaska round trip Seattle on the Pearl. We really enjoyed it though. We have another booked but for May this time.

I believe that when we had choppiness, it was outside of the inside passage.

I don’t remember any of the ports being tender ports on that trip.

Right now, NCL has 3rd and 4th guests free on some Alaska cruises... maybe reach out to them and have them arrange it for you. We always just have our consultant sort that all out for us...since 2008. He probably wonders why we haven’t figured it out yet.

Both of our cruises had Glacier Bay. That being said, NCL’s bliss is supposed to be incredible!!

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As mentioned I would also check out the Ports Of Call Alaska Board at:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=55

Keith

We have taken two cruises in Alaska. One was a round trip out of Seattle on Disney (they now sail out of Vancouver) and the other was a one way from Vancouver to Seward on the NCL Sun. Both were wonderful, but for the itinerary alone, I believe the one way cruises are the best. We had lots of time in port, saw both Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, and best of all got to spend time after the cruise in Alaska. I don't know which ship will be running that route in 2019, but I'm sure they will have one as it's a popular itinerary.

All that being said, at the time we took the Disney cruise, our son was younger and it was a perfect vacation for us. Disney is hard to beat for families with children. They are crazy expensive though, and their prices have really risen in the last 2-3 years, to a point that I find it hard to justify, especially now that our son is 19.

As for your question about the seas sailing out of Seattle, yes they can be rough. I remember that first sea day in the open water the ship was really rocking. But it was only the one day and then everything was fine, and I imagine it varies with weather conditions anyway. The Bliss looks pretty amazing. I'd be tempted to try her out, especially with children.

I’ve done both and prefer the one way. The inside passage is incredible. For 2018 on NCL it’s the Jewel which is a nice mid size ship (about same size as the Disney Wonder). I’d love to do the Disney Wonder out of Vancouver one day. That sailing is best booked right when the itinerary opens up. Perhaps contact a travel agent and have them notify you when the sailing opens. You really can’t go wrong with Disney. If I had little ones I’d choose a less expensive stateroom category in order to sail Disney.

Summer sailings all the lines will have kids. You may want to check out Holland America. Their ships are ideal for Alaska. Nice promenade, and main pool with retractable glass roof so pool is usable in cold weather. Summer months even HAL will have plenty of kids.

The newer mega ships don’t always have the wrap around promenade which is nice for Glacier viewing.

If you worry about sea sickness pick a mid ship room location. The sea can be a little rough out in the open on the way to and from Seattle but nothing like our recent cruise to Iceland. I now swear by Trader Joe’s ginger candy.

Our 50th anniversary coming up summer 2019. Want to take the family with us on an Alaskan cruise. We have been there on a Coral Princess cruise some years ago and absolutely loved everything about it. But now we have three granddaughters who will be 12, 10, and 7 at cruise time, and the Coral would be boring for them. Looking for the best fit of family and sightseeing.

 

Daughter in law is afraid of seasickness, so I am concerned about sailing round trip from Seattle, where the ship goes west of the Inside Passage. Is there much difference notable when you are in the open ocean?

The stretch of open ocean on the first night (and also returning to Victoria at the end of the cruise) can be noticeably rougher than the calm inside passage waters. But we've only experienced that one time in several Alaska runs. Bonnine works best for my DW, who is prone to sea-sickness. Chewable, over the counter, and non-drowsy. Start taking it the day before you board.

The Bliss looks like it was made for kids. But I understand that the ports are all tender ports, is that right? Would that be a big deal to someone who is prone to ( or thinks she is prone to) nausea?

None of the ports on the Glacier Bay itinerary are tender ports. But even if they were, the tender rides are very short and you'd be unlikely to experience any nausea.

Do you think there is enough time in port to really see Alaska?

Depends on what you mean by "really" seeing Alaska. Like any cruise, you're limited to the 8 to 10 hours you have in port. You can easily do one longer excursion away from the port area, or perhaps two shorter ones. The ports themselves, just as in the Caribbean, are pretty much all the same right in the harbor area. So do you "really" see Alaska...I'd say of course not. Alaska is a huge state with amazing natural resources. What you get is a "taste" of Alaska. If you really want to see Alaska, you can't do it from a cruise ship.

We loved Glacier Bay; what are the alternatives like, if we go with Pearl?

 

We will need an ocean view, maybe aft balcony, cabin for us, inside cabin for a friend, balcony for 2 people, and the family of 5, how would you suggest berthing them?

if you are going for Alaska, avoid the Bliss as you want to see glacier bay. if you want more things for kids to do, with seeing Alaska secondary, then sail the Bliss. but many kid oriented activities may have fees (i think the go carts, for example, have a fee).