Am I missing Something?

[Pipkins]

I was under the impression that Oceania did not especially market themselves as being child friendly. After trying everything from Cunard to Seabourn and Crystal, we thought we had found the perfect cruiseline for us!

 

But, this morning, a brochure arrived for 2014, where there are 'Alaska Explorer' Youth programme notes with facilities outlined for the 5 - 12 age group.

 

Horror of horrors, there are plenty of cruise ships out there with special facilities for children, and now ours are adult, we choose holidays with as small a chance as possible of finding any !!

 

Bit tongue in cheek this, but can anybody put me in the picture?

[sitraveler]

Oceania's Alaska kids program was in place for 2013 too.

 

It is specifically for Alaska and followed O's 2011 fiasco in Alaska.

[LHT28]

I think they are only on some of the Alaska cruises so check the same route for other dates

There may be children on the other in the summer months but not like on the main stream lines

[Arusha]

As a previous poster noted, the youth program was available on some Alaska cruises this year, too, during the weeks that kids were out of school. Which is why I chose a May cruise on Regatta. (Love kids - I was a teacher for almost 20 years - but I preferred a cruise that would have a low probability of lots of kids.)

 

 

For 2014, the youth program is not offered on these dates (based on the online "Americas" brochure):

• San Francisco to Vancouver (May 17)
  
• Vancouver to Seattle (June 7)
  
• Vancouver to San Francisco (August 19)
  

[Rotterdam]

the little ones are everywhere...I love the kids but don't want them around on vacations / cruises...what's worse is the horrible parents that are having a ball onboard while their lil darlings run rampant....

 

 

 

 

I was under the impression that Oceania did not especially market themselves as being child friendly. After trying everything from Cunard to Seabourn and Crystal, we thought we had found the perfect cruiseline for us!

 

But, this morning, a brochure arrived for 2014, where there are 'Alaska Explorer' Youth programme notes with facilities outlined for the 5 - 12 age group.

 

Horror of horrors, there are plenty of cruise ships out there with special facilities for children, and now ours are adult, we choose holidays with as small a chance as possible of finding any !!

 

Bit tongue in cheek this, but can anybody put me in the picture?

[computerworks]

 

It is specifically for Alaska and followed O's 2011 fiasco in Alaska.

 

What were the details on this 2011 "Fiasco in Alasko?"

[pacheco18]

What were the details on this 2011 "Fiasco in Alasko?"

 

It was a bookings fiasco in essence

They could not fill the ships and there were some bargains to be had!

I think making some of the sailings kid friendly has eliminated the problem. Alaska is a family-oriented destination so it makes sense.

 

Those of us to want to sail to Alaska with O can avoid the kid-friendly sailings if we choose.

[computerworks]

Thanks!

[LHT28]

If you want to avoid all children on a cruise you need to sail on one of P & O's adult only ships

 

All ships will have children to some degree or another

 

Oceania seems to have a lot fewer than some lines

 

Lyn

[wripro]

You can only avoid the kid friendly sailings if they coincide with your own schedule.

[Pipkins]

Sorry I missed that fiasco where there were bargains to be had!.....think we had our minds on our special trip to Australia, New Zealand and French Polynesia in March and April 2013. What a wonderful cruise we had on Marina.

 

Thank you for all the points and advice, trouble is, I have a suspicion that once gates are opened by offering child friendly itineraries, this will spread......and the little darlings will be everywhere!

 

Please Oceania - (and by the way we think you are better than Seabourn and Crystal) - consider keeping away from the Child Friendly Label.

 

Bon Voyage Everybody!!

[sitraveler]

BTW, after finding it hard to sell the 2011 sailings to Alaska, O dropped the prices. Then they overbooked and offered huge incentives to move off them. We were in Denali on the pre-cruise excursion and they e-mailed thousands in cash to not go to several fellow travelers who were already there.

O did not return to Alaska in 2012, and no longer start and finish in Anchorage.

[Oceans&Rivers]

Oceania's Alaska kids program was in place for 2013 too.

 

It is specifically for Alaska and followed O's 2011 fiasco in Alaska.

 

I don't recall any sort of fiasco; however, we cruised on a full ship, 14-night round trip from San Francisco in late August, and I could have sworn there wasn't a single child aboard. However, back at home, looking through our photos of the trip, it was plain to see that there was one preschooler at a sailaway.

 

I wish Oceania would do a 14-night round-trip Alaska from San Francisco like that again!

[vaitape]

I agree! A 14 day SF-Alaska-SF would be terrific!

[Senior Citizen]

We were on the 2011 14 day Alaska cruise SF to SF. We were also on the July 5, 2013 7 day Alaska cruise. There was a kid's program onboard the latter cruise. The children were not underfoot. They were either entertained by the staff in the children's program or under the watchful eye of their parents/grandparents. I didn't hear any crying or see any grubby little hands reaching for breadsticks in the buffet. I wasn't knocked over by any little ones running around anywhere. I think Alaska is the perfect cruise itinerary for children.

 

During a question and answer session with Frank Del Rio, one of the parents asked if he could expand the children's programs to other itineraries. He said no because Oceania's mission is to provide cruises for adults. Alaska is the exception.

[Oceans&Rivers]

We were on the 2011 14 day Alaska cruise SF to SF. We were also on the July 5, 2013 7 day Alaska cruise. There was a kid's program onboard the latter cruise. The children were not underfoot. They were either entertained by the staff in the children's program or under the watchful eye of their parents/grandparents. I didn't hear any crying or see any grubby little hands reaching for breadsticks in the buffet. I wasn't knocked over by any little ones running around anywhere. I think Alaska is the perfect cruise itinerary for children.

 

During a question and answer session with Frank Del Rio, one of the parents asked if he could expand the children's programs to other itineraries. He said no because Oceania's mission is to provide cruises for adults. Alaska is the exception.

 

I agree with you (and FDR) on all counts. I want Oceania's mission to be to provide cruises for adults; however, Alaska provides children and their parents a lot more than simply lounging around a swimming pool. It's an itinerary where most children are not underfoot, hopefully, because they leave at each port of call for the next great adventure. Alaskan nature is magnificent and many of the shore excursions include a great deal of education and viewing of wildlife, and there is also history of native cultures.