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Alaska 2019 with kids


Mandybigg
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We are booked on the Disney Wonder in 2019. We will be sailing with your kids (5 and 7 at the time of sailing). I am seriously considering cancelling and rebooking us on either the Golden or Royal Southbound. We can sail on Princess and do an entire week of pre-cruise activities for the cost of the DCL sailing (and that takes into the 1 way flights and the fact that I did onboard booking). We will not pre-cruise with Princess even though I know that this their forte, so we aren't weighing that factor in particular. We are very outdoorsy and plan to camp in Denali for a few days and stay in rustic cabins in Seward and Glacier View. I love the idea of "roughing it" and then getting on the ship : )

 

My question is this: Opinions on DCL versus Princess with kids for the Alaska itinerary?

 

If we go Princess, which ship: Golden or Royal? I saw another thread where Coral seemed to be the Alaska winner, but it doesn't work since we are doing a full week of pre-cruise land.

 

For me and my husband, the Princess sailing beats DCL hands down since it hits Hubbard and Glacier. The one way also gives us an opportunity to land tour. I also like the partnership with the NPS. We love National Parks and my kids have racked up at least 15 parks each and quite a few junior ranger badges. They would get Denali and Kenai on land AND be able to nab Glacier Bay on the ship. How cool is that?

 

Here are my reservations:

 

- Will there be enough to entertain my 5 and 7 year old? How is the revamped kids' club space for that age group? Will there be other kids their age on the sailing? We want them to have someone to play with in the kids' club, but I also don't want them to be the only ones in the dining room.

 

- My youngest is a terrible eater. We try and try, but she eats pizza, burgers, and chicken tenders. At least she eats steamed veggies and scrambled eggs. I was not crazy about the adult food on DCL, but she had plenty of "kid" choices. Will she be able to eat in the main dining room?

 

- We have a balcony stateroom on DCL and planning the same for Princess. Is this going to be too tight for 4? I found the DCL stateroom to be surprisingly roomy for a family of 4, but they are specifically built for families. The split bathroom was nice, but not necessary.

 

Sorry for the long post. It's one of our "big" vacations, so I want to do it right. TIA!

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4 in a balcony cabin is too tight for Princess. I would look into a mini suite for 4. One will be a sofa sleeper and one bed will come out above the sofa sleeper.

 

Princess has a kids menu with hotdog, hamburgers (with cheese/bacon optional), chicken tenders (real breast tenders), spaghetti, etc... You can always ask for steamed vegetables. Actually - if you ask for anything special the night before, they will try to accommodate you the next day. Many things they can accommodate that same night. Pizza is also readily available on the ship. They really do try to accommodate kids on the ships in the dining room and many wait staff have kids themselves and love having kids at their table.

 

Princess definitely has a better itinerary than Disney does in Alaska.

 

Seward is a great pre-cruise stay with lots to do with kids.

 

There will be kids but not as many in the Caribbean. What month are you looking at? There are a lot of seniors on Alaskan cruises (most lines, not just Princess).

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For Alaska I would choose Golden over Royal. Yes, Royal is newer and shinier, etc. However, it doesn't have a full wrap-around Promenade and the balconies are tiny. It also has a lot more passengers. For Alaska the fact that the pools on Royal are pathetic won't really matter.

 

I've never sailed with kids but have read many times that the kids programs on Princess are quite good. However, they really won't be on the same type of level as DCL. There also won't be any snazzy water slides, rock climbing walls, etc. It's a much more laid-back type of ship. I don't believe DCL is authorized to go through Glacier Bay which is a biggie to me.

 

For the price difference I would suggest giving Princess a try. It's only a 7 day cruise (which, to us, is a shortie) so it won't be a disaster if the kids don't like it as much as DCL. I like your idea of camping or whatever before the cruise. We did a 7 week camping trip last year in our "big rig" which is a teardrop trailer. Basically it's a queen bed on wheels with a hatch on the back for my cooking stuff. Part of the trip included a stint in Denali. Nice place to visit but, of course, we couldn't drive the road in as far as the tours go.

 

Take the plunge. Try Princess and see how you like it. Above all, enjoy your trip.

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If you are sailing during the summer break, there will be a lot of kids on an Alaskan cruise. You might want to email princess or all to get a copy of their kids menu for the dining room, but I doubt you’ll have any trouble finding something for her in the mdr ( they’ve dealt successfully with a lot more challenging requests). The princess kids clubs are great, and they do a nice job in Alaska. We really liked Denali

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I agree about the Golden Princess. There is an indoor pool that the kids can use. I would prefer the ship for outside viewing (glaciers).

 

The kids menu is posted on this website and hasn't changed for years.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=79028&highlight=menus

 

I honestly don't think there will be hundreds of kids. There will be kids but most families do RT Seattle cruises and don't do the one ways and land portion. It definitely is a great opportunity for your kids and I am glad you are doing it. Make sure to reserve a car as soon as you land on a date and reserve hotels in Seward. Cars get really expensive the longer you wait.

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We are booked on the Disney Wonder in 2019. We will be sailing with your kids (5 and 7 at the time of sailing). I am seriously considering cancelling and rebooking us on either the Golden or Royal Southbound. We can sail on Princess and do an entire week of pre-cruise activities for the cost of the DCL sailing (and that takes into the 1 way flights and the fact that I did onboard booking). We will not pre-cruise with Princess even though I know that this their forte, so we aren't weighing that factor in particular. We are very outdoorsy and plan to camp in Denali for a few days and stay in rustic cabins in Seward and Glacier View. I love the idea of "roughing it" and then getting on the ship : )

 

My question is this: Opinions on DCL versus Princess with kids for the Alaska itinerary?

 

If we go Princess, which ship: Golden or Royal? I saw another thread where Coral seemed to be the Alaska winner, but it doesn't work since we are doing a full week of pre-cruise land.

 

For me and my husband, the Princess sailing beats DCL hands down since it hits Hubbard and Glacier. The one way also gives us an opportunity to land tour. I also like the partnership with the NPS. We love National Parks and my kids have racked up at least 15 parks each and quite a few junior ranger badges. They would get Denali and Kenai on land AND be able to nab Glacier Bay on the ship. How cool is that?

 

Here are my reservations:

 

Will there be enough to entertain my 5 and 7 year old? How is the revamped kids' club space for that age group? Will there be other kids their age on the sailing? We want them to have someone to play with in the kids' club' date=' but I also don't want them to be the only ones in the dining room.[/quote']

My three grandchildren loved the kids club ages 5, 4, and 2 1/2

 

 

 

- My youngest is a terrible eater. We try and try, but she eats pizza, burgers, and chicken tenders. At least she eats steamed veggies and scrambled eggs. I was not crazy about the adult food on DCL, but she had plenty of "kid" choices. Will she be able to eat in the main dining room?

 

The kids menu is quite good

 

38219237866_05fe3b2e3f_b.jpgChildrens menu

Both boys loved the spaghetti

 

 

38431430534_3265cf2a27_b.jpg

 

This four year old loved the shrimp cocktail

38252341992_66d33b1e16_k.jpg

 

 

We have a balcony stateroom on DCL and planning the same for Princess. Is this going to be too tight for 4? I found the DCL stateroom to be surprisingly roomy for a family of 4' date=' but they are specifically built for families. The split bathroom was nice, but not necessary. [/quote']

 

You would most likely be better off with a mini suite. We had two on the Regal. One for us and one for the three grandchildren.

 

24402925058_f3ff34a11a_b.jpgOur Cabin

 

24402925028_00dfd6e780_b.jpg]Their Cabin

 

 

We were on the Regal but the Royal is almost exactly the same. Enjoy

 

Howard

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We were huge DCL cruisers starting in July, 1998. Sorry, but the price increases over the recent years are ridiculous. In 2018 I have booked 2 weeks on the Golden Princess in a window suite for 60% of a single week on DCL in a balcony. Another example--an inside Baltic/British Isles on DCL was twice the cost of a balcony on Princess, a balcony on DCL would have been four times the Princess balcony cost. No, the rooms aren't equal, but really???

 

OK, 9 years ago we looked at the Wonder and went "non-DCL" to Alaska. Alaska is all about scenery and wildlife, not characters dressed up in winter clothing. We found the kid programming on Princess to be a lot more organized than on DCL and there is essentially NO flexibility with age groups. They will not allow a child to "move up" which keeps the kids in the older groups much happier! The kid menu on Princess is fine....and there are plenty of hamburgers, pizza, and other "fast foods," There is no dining room entertainment, but the food is fine. And the buffet is open essentially all waking hours, the International Cafe is essentially 24/7. OK, they do close one hour per day for cleaning.

 

The Golden has a covered pool...another plus. And Princess has Glacier Bay, etc--lots of Alaska that DCL can't cruise in!

 

There are a few negatives. The tips on Princess are slightly higher than DCL. The whole tipping set up is different, but you don't need to worry about that if you just pay the standard tip thru your onboard account. That's seriously all you need to know, and if you want to tip someone more, you can. There is no beverage station and sodas are not included. A "soda and more" package will cost $8.05 per day for each kid who wants one....or you can carry on your own sodas. The "and more" is mocktails and hot chocolate. The entertainment on Princess is not nearly as good as on DCL and is not "G" rated. You may see some of the same variety acts as on DCL, but they will be doing what was their "adult only" version on DCL. The production shows on Princess don't come close. DCL has better and cheaper internet than Princess....but in Alaska, our cell phone service worked just fine without roaming or other charges.

 

Honestly, as we've "grown up" with cruising, we find no reason to pay the high DCL costs. We tend to do cruises other than the Caribbean. Yes, we have fond memories of DCL and there was a discussion yesterday about Marvel day at sea....but I can't justify the cost. The food on our April cruise on Princess was as good as we've ever had on any cruise line, and was a significant improvement over our previous Princess cruises.

 

If I were you, I'd blow a kiss to the Wonder as your Princess ship sails by.....and enjoy bears, whales, salmon, sea lions, etc. which you'll have on any cruise line.

Edited by moki'smommy
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You will probably notice from my signature that we have cruised to Alaska MANY times (we live in Vancouver so no flights!!!). My kids have been cruising since they were 10 months old (now 11 and 7!) so I thought I would weigh in with my opinions!

 

 

We are primarily Princess people but have ventured out to other lines - one of which was Disney. We tried Wonder to Alaska and can't say we were overly impressed given the price we paid. Not to say we didn't have a good time, BUT I honestly did not get the "wow" factor! The kids absolutely HATED the kids club - basically just a babysitting service with all age ranges piled into the same space. After the organised activities on Princess, this was not welcomed by either child. My younger one, in particular, was so overwhelmed - he was 4 and the very first time he entered the club during the open house, an older child of around 10 came racing through the area and knocked my little guy off his feet. Needless to say, not a great first impression! The kids went to the club maybe three times the entire cruise - while on Princess, I literally have to fight to get them out of there! We sailed Star right after drydock where the new kids club was added - it was fabulous! I'm not sure if Golden or Royal both have the new club (last time we sailed Golden it didn't and we don't do Royal until March 2019) but even the older clubs were great for my kids!

 

 

 

There didn't seem to be a whole lot going on while on the ship on Disney - lots of characters walking around and photo opportunities, but not really many other things to entertain adults or kids. Daytime activities on Princess, while geared for adults, are also great for the kids. My two love doing the crafts - origami, quilling, scrapbooking, etc as well as trivia, bingo, various fun competitions (egg drop, paper plane, horse racing) - of course, this is as long as I can get them out of the kids club! I will say that the evening shows on Disney were outstanding - I enjoy the Princess ones, but Disney really surpassed Princess with their production shows!

 

 

 

Dining was a little odd on Disney - no 24/7 buffet and only set dining times as opposed to anytime dining on Princess. This wasn't ideal if you wanted to grab a quick bite but nothing was open! Disney do a good job of seating with you with people that have kids of similar ages - we met a wonderful family at dinner and still keep in touch and meet up whenever we can! The entertainment at mealtimes is also fun on Disney - nothing like that on Princess. I can't say the food was anything special on Disney, though the kids loved the Mickey Bars for dessert. Princess has a great kids menu - I actually order the cheeseburger and the love boat volcano for myself as they are so good! I am not kidding when I say that my little guy eats a cheeseburger EVERY meal on Princess and my older child pretty much exclusively eats the spaghetti! There is no problem with getting burgers, fries, pizza, nuggets, etc in the dining room!

 

 

One nice thing about Disney is that they have lifeguards on duty at the pools and have life jackets available for kids to use when swimming. Having said that, Alaska is chilly so there may not be a whole lot of swimming going on - I think my kids only managed one afternoon and they are pretty tough when it comes to cold! The lifeguards actually wear snowpants! I really think we would have appreciated Disney far more if we had been on a warm weather cruise - there were very limited deck activities on this one as it was too chilly. The Wonder is also an older ship without the bells and whistles that other newer ships have, so this is also something to take into consideration!

 

 

Every sailing we have been on with Princess has had kids - sometimes as few as 20-30 but usually 100 or more. Since the kids clubs are so popular, you tend not to see them too much around the ship but my kids have always made friends and had no problems with being the only ones on board! You can call Princess and ask how many kids are booked for each age range (though it might be a bit earlier for that in your case). In contrast, Disney was literally overrun with kids EVERYWHERE!!! I also have to point out that the kids on Disney were not particularly well behaved - at times it felt as if some parents had the attitude that because they were on a "kid-oriented" line they didn't have to control their kids....some of them just ran wild!

 

 

 

If it were me, I would do Alaska with Princess and save Disney for a warm weather cruise, such as the Caribbean - on a newer, bigger ship than Wonder!

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The above is a very fair analysis and I agree with almost all of it. The author is exactly right about uncontrolled kids running all over Disney ships, many with little or no parental supervision. It is worse on the bigger, newer ships.

 

That is where I differ with the author,who has never been on one of the newer ships. They aren't that great. Our favorite ship is the Magic and second favorite is the Wonder. As to "bells and whistles," Midship Detective Agency will keep you busy for about 2 hours max, Goofy Golf...again, it's putt-putt. The newer ships have the AquaDuck, but the Magic has the AquaDunk, and you wouldn't use either of them in the cold. Yeah, the bathroom outside Palo is a "must see," and there is a $60K crystal decoration in Remy. We much prefer the smaller, more intimate feel of the "classic" ships even without a gold trimmed bathroom!

 

DCL used to have organized age groups (3-7, 8-12) and each of these was further subdivided for activities and supervision. They altered the specific ages and tried all sorts of things. No matter what they did, there were always parents who felt that their kids had to be together, or had to be with cousins, friends, or whatever. The unfortunate situation is that the OC/Lab space is open to ages 3-12. Activities are listed as being geared toward particular ages, but anyone in the 3-12 range can participate....and 10 year olds can run wild in a space designed for 3-6 year old kids. I LOVE that Princess has taken a stand and holds firm to their age groups.

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My kids will turn 6 and 8 by the end of our 2019 Alaska cruise. We ended up booking two connecting insides on the Royal. We opted to do two connecting insides instead a balcony- half the price and we have more space and two bathrooms. After telling my MIL about our cruise, she decided to join us, as it was high on her bucket list. She will share a room with my girls. Husband and I went on the Star 9 years ago to Alaska for our honeymoon. This is our first time back and first time cruising with the kids.

 

My girls are BIG junior ranger fans as well. If they could do one thing this summer, it would be to earn a badge. I've already started looking into junior ranger programs in Alaska. Here is one helpful link I've found that lists a few more: https://www.travelingmom.com/family-vacation-destinations/cruising/how-to-earn-junior-ranger-badges-on-an-alaskan-cruise/

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That is where I differ with the author' date='who has never been on one of the newer ships. They aren't that great. Our favorite ship is the Magic and second favorite is the Wonder. As to "bells and whistles," Midship Detective Agency will keep you busy for about 2 hours max, Goofy Golf...again, it's putt-putt. The newer ships have the AquaDuck, but the Magic has the AquaDunk, and you wouldn't use either of them in the cold. Yeah, the bathroom outside Palo is a "must see," and there is a $60K crystal decoration in Remy. We much prefer the smaller, more intimate feel of the "classic" ships even without a gold trimmed bathroom!

 

[/quote']

 

Thanks for this - I was thinking if giving DCL another try on a newer ship in a warmer climate but now I'm not so sure! The price tag is so steep that it would have to have the wow factor to make it worth it! Maybe we will just stick with Princess - though, to be fair, my kids LOVED Carnival too! We are trying NCL Bliss later this year and I'm already in panic mode about the sheer size of it and number of passengers!!!

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Thanks for this - I was thinking if giving DCL another try on a newer ship in a warmer climate but now I'm not so sure! The price tag is so steep that it would have to have the wow factor to make it worth it! Maybe we will just stick with Princess - though, to be fair, my kids LOVED Carnival too! We are trying NCL Bliss later this year and I'm already in panic mode about the sheer size of it and number of passengers!!!

My opinion--the production shows on the Fantasy are the worst of any DCL ship.

Magic has Marvel Academy in the Oceaneer's Club. Kids and dads love that. It would have to be a REALLY good deal to get me on the Fantasy or Dream again.

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We are booked on the Disney Wonder in 2019. We will be sailing with your kids (5 and 7 at the time of sailing). The Disney cabins only hold five. With the four of you and my two kids (who will be 6 and 8 in 2019) you are going to need two cabins.

 

 

I am seriously considering cancelling and rebooking us on either the Golden or Royal Southbound. We can sail on Princess and do an entire week of pre-cruise activities for the cost of the DCL sailing (and that takes into the 1 way flights and the fact that I did onboard booking). We will not pre-cruise with Princess even though I know that this their forte, so we aren't weighing that factor in particular. We are very outdoorsy and plan to camp in Denali for a few days and stay in rustic cabins in Seward and Glacier View. I love the idea of "roughing it" and then getting on the ship : )

 

My question is this: Opinions on DCL versus Princess with kids for the Alaska itinerary? Well, Disney is superior with kids. The problem is, as you noticed, is that Disney charges double because they are Disney. Princess will have less kids on board than Disney. However, since it is summer you should find enough kids to keep your kids happy.

 

If we go Princess, which ship: Golden or Royal? I saw another thread where Coral seemed to be the Alaska winner, but it doesn't work since we are doing a full week of pre-cruise land.

 

 

I was on the Royal (in the Caribbean) and was very disappointed with the lack of observation decks. In addition the Royal does not have a covered pool. The Golden has more observation decks and a covered pool (which comes in very useful in Alaska).

 

 

For me and my husband, the Princess sailing beats DCL hands down since it hits Hubbard and Glacier. The ship should not get close enough to hit the glacier. The captain will get in a lot of trouble if that happens.

 

 

The one way also gives us an opportunity to land tour. I also like the partnership with the NPS. We love National Parks and my kids have racked up at least 15 parks each and quite a few junior ranger badges. They would get Denali and Kenai on land AND be able to nab Glacier Bay on the ship. How cool is that?

 

Here are my reservations:

 

- Will there be enough to entertain my 5 and 7 year old? How is the revamped kids' club space for that age group? Will there be other kids their age on the sailing? We want them to have someone to play with in the kids' club, but I also don't want them to be the only ones in the dining room. Does this mean you are not planning to eat with them?

 

- My youngest is a terrible eater. We try and try, but she eats pizza, burgers, and chicken tenders. At least she eats steamed veggies and scrambled eggs. I was not crazy about the adult food on DCL, but she had plenty of "kid" choices. Will she be able to eat in the main dining room? Yes, princess has kid friendly options.

 

- We have a balcony stateroom on DCL and planning the same for Princess. Is this going to be too tight for 4? I found the DCL stateroom to be surprisingly roomy for a family of 4, but they are specifically built for families. The split bathroom was nice, but not necessary. It does get crowded with four. If you are concerned about that, you might want to look into a mini suite which has more room, but does not cost as much has a full suite.

 

Sorry for the long post. It's one of our "big" vacations, so I want to do it right. TIA!

 

I do appreciate your offer to take my kids. They are really looking forward to it.

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We were on the Golden 3 weeks ago with a grandson. There were no other kids on board that I saw.

 

Only one child on the entire ship? I find that hard to believe. That said, three weeks ago it was not summery.

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Only one child on the entire ship? I find that hard to believe. That said, three weeks ago it was not summery.

 

In eleven years and cruising 2-3 times per year, I have only ONCE been on a ship where my kid was the ONLY child onboard. This was on Tahitian Princess (yes, way back when that was her name) 14 day Alaska Connoisseur. My kid was just over a year old and was the only kid on the whole ship (granted, there were only just over 600 passengers total)....one of the best cruises we have ever taken!

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We are booked on the Disney Wonder in 2019. We will be sailing with your kids (5 and 7 at the time of sailing). I am seriously considering cancelling and rebooking us on either the Golden or Royal Southbound. We can sail on Princess and do an entire week of pre-cruise activities for the cost of the DCL sailing (and that takes into the 1 way flights and the fact that I did onboard booking). We will not pre-cruise with Princess even though I know that this their forte, so we aren't weighing that factor in particular. We are very outdoorsy and plan to camp in Denali for a few days and stay in rustic cabins in Seward and Glacier View. I love the idea of "roughing it" and then getting on the ship : )

 

My question is this: Opinions on DCL versus Princess with kids for the Alaska itinerary? Have never found DCL appealing because of the price. We did Princess in Alaska when my youngest was 8 and he loved the kids club. He is a very active kid and thought it was better than Princess.

 

If we go Princess, which ship: Golden or Royal? I saw another thread where Coral seemed to be the Alaska winner, but it doesn't work since we are doing a full week of pre-cruise land. We were on the Grand in Alaska and had a Caribe deck balcony for us and our boys in an inside across the hall - big brother was 14 at the time, so don't panic. Having the extra seating and extra space was fantastic for the same price as a regular. I haven't sailed either of these ships but if you can find a Caribe deck larger balcony, it is excellent.

 

For me and my husband, the Princess sailing beats DCL hands down since it hits Hubbard and Glacier. The one way also gives us an opportunity to land tour. I also like the partnership with the NPS. We love National Parks and my kids have racked up at least 15 parks each and quite a few junior ranger badges. They would get Denali and Kenai on land AND be able to nab Glacier Bay on the ship. How cool is that? Very. Yellowstone has been our family's favorite vacation, hands down, so far - even over the Alaska cruise.

 

Here are my reservations:

 

- Will there be enough to entertain my 5 and 7 year old? How is the revamped kids' club space for that age group? Will there be other kids their age on the sailing? We want them to have someone to play with in the kids' club, but I also don't want them to be the only ones in the dining room. We cruised Memorial Day week and there were plenty of kids for them in both their group. But the cruise is SO much about the ports and the views, we all spent a ton of time just outside. Camp was mainly for the evenings. We always do ATD or early seating when we travel with the kids so they can make their activities.

 

- My youngest is a terrible eater. We try and try, but she eats pizza, burgers, and chicken tenders. At least she eats steamed veggies and scrambled eggs. I was not crazy about the adult food on DCL, but she had plenty of "kid" choices. Will she be able to eat in the main dining room? Yes. They have a kids menu with all the things you mention. But, you an also just do the adult menu and teach her to stretch her wings with basics like steak or baked chicken. Mine were picky when younger and cruising (not mentioning kids menu) really branched out their palettes. They aren't gonna starve because they have all the eggs, pizza and burgers at the other meals.

 

- We have a balcony stateroom on DCL and planning the same for Princess. Is this going to be too tight for 4? I found the DCL stateroom to be surprisingly roomy for a family of 4, but they are specifically built for families. The split bathroom was nice, but not necessary. You could consider adjoining balconies, if the budget allows. Otherwise, expect it to be tight. That's why mine get an inside across the hall - it is not a vacation for us when we are all crammed together.

 

Sorry for the long post. It's one of our "big" vacations, so I want to do it right. TIA!

 

Hope those thoughts help.

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There are just too many of you to thank individually! Thank you all for your input. I've been reading this board since before we took our spring break DCL cruise on the Fantasy (Star Wars Day at Sea). I'm surprised that not a single person has defended DCL (although I did post in the Princess board). There are some rabid defenders out there! I cancelled our DCL reservation. I didn't mind paying the price tag for our first cruise. We specifically chose Star Wars Day at Sea so my oldest could do Jedi Training and meet all the SW characters. My youngest got to have a BBB makeover and meet Anna and Elsa without standing in a long line. She also got to hug Cinderella everyday. It was worth the $ to not have to go to WDW. We aren't Disney park people, but wanted to give our kids the experience. Cruising was the way to go. I booked the Alaska cruise when we were on board to get the 10% off knowing I could cancel. As time went on, I just could not justify the cost. DH and I went to Alaska 9 years ago. We spent 3 days in the Denali backcountry, ice climbed, fished, rafted, etc... Ultimately, we just don't need Disney to see Alaska. I don't mind them in the Caribbean. We had a wonderful time on our cruise, but the focus was on the characters and the Disney experience. I want Alaska to be about Alaska.

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We travelled to Alaska with Royal Caribbean (Radiance) in 2015 with our 2 children,then aged 5 and 7 yrs. And then last year we travelled with MSC (Poesia) in theMed, children now aged 7 & 9 yrs. Both times we have had an internal quadshare cabin and not regretted it. Yes its cosy but you're only in there to sleepand change clothes. Just mentioning it because for us, we just can’t afford largercabins/multiple cabins; if we weren't in a quad share, we would not be on theship. We are now booked on Coral for Alaska in 2019, by which time childrenwill be 9 and 11 yrs, and again it’s an internal quad share cabin for us.

I’m at work so can't do the legwork for you, but if you do a search onmy user name, I did a detailed trip review of the 2015 Alaska trip andsomewhere in the review there is a photo of the internal quad share cabin, ifthat helps. Also did a detailed review of the 2017 trip, again somewhere in thereview you will find a photo of the MSC internal quad share cabin.

So if budget is an issue, don't feel you have to have a balcony/multiple rooms. Especiallyif you were camping the week before, the internal cabin will still feelluxurious!!

The 2015 trip, we travelled late May and there were other children on board,not heaps, but enough. I know it was a different cruise line but my childrenenjoyed the kids club, loved the attention from the staff in the MDR and wantedto swim every day – Radiance had an internal swimming pool, but they can alwayshave a dip in the hot tubs on deck if no inside pool. For my children, as longthere is ice cream and a swimming pool, they are happy anywhere (which makes mylife easier).

Lou :-)

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  • 7 months later...
On 6/22/2018 at 1:30 PM, Mandybigg said:

We are booked on the Disney Wonder in 2019. We will be sailing with your kids (5 and 7 at the time of sailing). I am seriously considering cancelling and rebooking us on either the Golden or Royal Southbound. We can sail on Princess and do an entire week of pre-cruise activities for the cost of the DCL sailing (and that takes into the 1 way flights and the fact that I did onboard booking). We will not pre-cruise with Princess even though I know that this their forte, so we aren't weighing that factor in particular. We are very outdoorsy and plan to camp in Denali for a few days and stay in rustic cabins in Seward and Glacier View. I love the idea of "roughing it" and then getting on the ship : )

 

My question is this: Opinions on DCL versus Princess with kids for the Alaska itinerary?

 

If we go Princess, which ship: Golden or Royal? I saw another thread where Coral seemed to be the Alaska winner, but it doesn't work since we are doing a full week of pre-cruise land.

 

For me and my husband, the Princess sailing beats DCL hands down since it hits Hubbard and Glacier. The one way also gives us an opportunity to land tour. I also like the partnership with the NPS. We love National Parks and my kids have racked up at least 15 parks each and quite a few junior ranger badges. They would get Denali and Kenai on land AND be able to nab Glacier Bay on the ship. How cool is that?

 

Here are my reservations:

 

- Will there be enough to entertain my 5 and 7 year old? How is the revamped kids' club space for that age group? Will there be other kids their age on the sailing? We want them to have someone to play with in the kids' club, but I also don't want them to be the only ones in the dining room.

 

- My youngest is a terrible eater. We try and try, but she eats pizza, burgers, and chicken tenders. At least she eats steamed veggies and scrambled eggs. I was not crazy about the adult food on DCL, but she had plenty of "kid" choices. Will she be able to eat in the main dining room?

 

- We have a balcony stateroom on DCL and planning the same for Princess. Is this going to be too tight for 4? I found the DCL stateroom to be surprisingly roomy for a family of 4, but they are specifically built for families. The split bathroom was nice, but not necessary.

 

Sorry for the long post. It's one of our "big" vacations, so I want to do it right. TIA!

We are booked on the July 13th Royal southbound with our family including our 6 year  old grandson. I hope and expect there to be lots of kids. 🙂

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I was on Golden last summer in Alaska and there were around 200 kids on board.  I was told that was a typical number.  There’s a covered pool and children were also allowed to use the normally adults-only indoor pool.  

 

Princess has has a great itinerary.  Leaving Whittier, you will have the first day at sea with Hubbard Glacier in the afternoon.  The next day is Glacier Bay and rangers board the ship to give talks and commentary and do a junior ranger program for the kids.  The next three days are port days.  You’re in Skagway until 9pm, Juneau until 4pm, and Ketchikan until 6pm if I remember correctly.  As someone mentioned above, you won’t be in your cabin much, as there is plenty to do on and off the ship.

 

 

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