Alaska with young kids - which cruise?

Hi everyone, I am looking into doing an Alaskan cruise with my dh and our two boys (who will be almost 7 and almost 5 by sail time) next June. Which itinerary would be best? Which cruise line?

Thanks!!!!

If you look down the board, there is a thread entitled "How to cruise Alaska". There is some very solid info there for you.

Hi everyone, I am looking into doing an Alaskan cruise with my dh and our two boys (who will be almost 7 and almost 5 by sail time) next June. Which itinerary would be best? Which cruise line?

 

Thanks!!!!

ANY cruise could be an excellent choice for you. I suggest you FIRST- find out about Alaska, and determine what you want out of your trip and what tours you wish to include- then look for a ship. Without knowing the details, can result in a "I didn't know" issue- which sometimes- is totally a wrong assumption. :)

Thoughts....

• I like Holland America for photo packages for family pics, Glacier Bay, and options to Anchorage.
  
• Princess has the outdoor theatre... but it's kinda cold in Alaska. I think they may offer more quad occupancy cabins when I went looking compared to HAL. The lack of photo packages is the main reason I prefer HAL.
  
• I like Disney for the kids (clubs! fun! movies! sodas!), great Internet.... but there is significant savings by going with Holland America and Princess. Disney skips Glacier Bay.
  

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You also might consider RCI Radiance...they have an "Amazing" childrens program...we've used it twice as recently as two weeks ago for a grandchild...worth considering. :)

I think Budget Queen and Cruiser Bruce has given good advice.

Start by looking at itineraries. See what looks appealing and which fit your budget across all the cruise lines.

Then read posts on this board and member reviews.

Children typically are more flexible than the parents and my experience having sailed Alaska when our children were the ages of yours and other lines is that many lines have programs that will work for the kids.

Again start with itinerary and then select cruise lines/ships based on that and then start to narrow it down based on a variety of factors including your budget.

Keith

Once you figure out what ports you want, whether you want round trip from the same city or one way to or from Alaska, I'd suggest looking at NCL purely because their rates for 3rd and 4th passengers often are less than on other lines. We were able to catch a "Kids Sail Free" promotion which saves A LOT of money when you're able to cram 5 in an inside (Norwegian Sun). Shore excursions are way more expensive compared to the Caribbean and even the Mediterranean, so saving on the cruise fair helps if you're on a budget.