First time Alaska cruisers with kids....help!!

[nocgirl]

Me and my ex husband are planning a family vacation next year with our kids ages 10 and 6. Trip A has turned out to be way too expensive so we have decided on an Alaska Cruise. we are flying in from Phoenix and looking at the end of May 2015

 

I have no idea what I am doing. NCL has the best price on the Sun with their kids cruise free the last cruise that qualifies for that is May 25. We Embark out of Vancouver and disembark Seward. 6 nights. This by far is the best price total price for 4 for an inside cabin is just over $1500. Almost unbeatable but the reviews I'm reading of the SUN are so so its an older ship. I am looking for beautiful scenery on this cruise. This is the itinerary

 

(British Columbia)

 

Ketchikan

 

Juneau (Alaska)

 

Skagway (Alaska)

 

DISEMBARK Seward (Alaska

 

It looks like Princess is the most popular but much more expensive. their itinery is "voyage of the glaciers" including glacier bay national park.

 

Stupid question but both include the inside passage right? What do you see with the NCL cruise? and do cruise lines gives discounts to kids? The NCL price is very appealing, is it honestly a nice cruise to see the beauty of Alaska?

[karatemom2]

You will get beautiful scenery on almost any Alaska itinerary but I would tend to favor an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay or Tracy Arm Fjord. Were you planning to do a land tour in Alaska as well? If not, you might consider a round trip Seattle or Vancouver itinerary which would reduce your airfare cost. Princess has beautiful ships, great kids program and some really great Alaska itineraries but they don't discount for kids. It is just a standard third and fourth passenger rate. If you go on the Sun maybe you can plan some time in Seward and do a small boat cruise to see more scenery and wildlife.

[nocgirl]

Thank you. The price on NCL is really hard to pass up it is going to be at least $600 more to book outside this. We will definitely book land excursions the Deadliest Catch tour in Ketchikan sounds fun. I appreciate all the help.

[mapleleaves]

The NCL itinerary DOES includes the 'inside passage' ..... your ship leaves from Vancouver so it will travel on the 'inside' of Vancouver Island, between the Island and the mainland provides great scenery, close views of the shore, and much calmer waters. If you were sailing from Seattle you'd be on the 'outside' of Vancouver Island, the west side of the Island so the potential of rougher water and you're a distance from land.

 

Since you're travelling with kids you might want to look thru trip reports and see what others families have done. There's a STICKY above for the 2014 trip reports and there are several that include kids and families. There's another STICKY for 2013 ( go to reply #45 where they are sorted by cruiseline).

 

I agree with karatemom's suggestion .... a RT trip cruise might be more economical for airfare.

[nocgirl]

Actually the cruise is 7 nights. I have priced out May and Sept 2015 and this price is totally unbeatable. Hard to pass up.

 

Mon Vancouver, British Columbia (EMBARK) --- 4:00 pm

 

Vancouver, British Columbia

 

Tue Cruising the Inside Passage --- ---

 

Wed Ketchikan 7:00 am 4:00 pm

 

Ketchikan

 

Thu Juneau, Alaska 10:00 am 8:00 pm

 

Juneau, Alaska

 

 

Fri Skagway, Alaska 7:00 am 8:00 pm

 

Skagway, Alaska

 

Sat Cruise Glacier Bay --- ---

 

Sun Cruise Hubbard Glacier --- ---

 

 

Mon Seward, Alaska (DISEMBARK

[Lulubelle45]

Have you looked into the round trip on the NCL Pearl? If the air from Seattle is cheaper you may be able to splurge more on the ship. I've been on her and she is fabulous. Great kids programs but yes it does sail outside Vancouver Island north but I believe it may do the inside passage south, not sure. Either way they should have the same kids free deal. Only difference is they took out the water slide

 

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[Ashland]

I think your cost is fantastic for the four of you, and agree that's hard to beat...The end of May is a wonderful time and budget friendly to cruise Alaska. We have done the northbound out of Vancouver 3 times but on RCI..We actually just returned from a family cruise the end of May..We have also done the Bering Sea Crab tour...amazing..your children will have such a fun time on this excursion...great choice !!

[epixx]

This itinerary is outstanding, with Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier included, as well as very good port times for Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. I'd grab that inside cabin and work on trying to get reasonable airfare. I would not switch to an inferior itinerary just to try to get cheaper airfare, but that's your decision.

[LEtue]

I agree with the others. The May 25 northbound itinerary is as good as it gets and I wouldn't wait to book that deal!

 

The May 18 sailing is roundtrip from Vancouver which means you could utilize Seattle for air and just book transfers back and forth to Vancouver - but the itinerary doesn't include Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier :(

[nocgirl]

I booked it. Total cost for the 4 of us inclusive of tax and fees is $1564.00. My deposit was only $250 and rest not due until March. I priced out other cruise lines for cheap times in May and Sept and the next best price I got was $549 per person plus an additional $179 pp in taxes and port charges. More than $1000 more. Wow. What a deal I got. So many cabins already booked on that promo all they had left was inside or balcony and balcony was twice the cost.

I think I made a good choice.

[amarvel]

Its a great itinerary but id check airfare to Vancouver and Anchorage and the fact you will need transfers from seward to Anchorage, all can be pricy. Might be cheaper to do the jewel or pearl RT out of Seattle in may.

 

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[LEtue]

I booked it. Total cost for the 4 of us inclusive of tax and fees is $1564.00. My deposit was only $250 and rest not due until March. I priced out other cruise lines for cheap times in May and Sept and the next best price I got was $549 per person plus an additional $179 pp in taxes and port charges. More than $1000 more. Wow. What a deal I got. So many cabins already booked on that promo all they had left was inside or balcony and balcony was twice the cost.

I think I made a good choice.

 

It is a great deal and you will have an awesome time :D

 

I actually looked at the Sun too but with the 150% solo supplement on Princess the difference in price was just $100 more. Plus, I know Princess will offer their inside cabins for a lot less later too.

[Ashland]

Its a great itinerary but id check airfare to Vancouver and Anchorage and the fact you will need transfers from seward to Anchorage, all can be pricy. Might be cheaper to do the jewel or pearl RT out of Seattle in may.

 

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For the OP's transportation from Seward-Anchorage I can suggest

 

www.alaskacruisetransfer.com

[nocgirl]

We are limited with the time frame we have. My kids get out of school at the end of May and the prices goes up in June/July. My kids go back to school end of July (we are on a modified year round school in Arizona) so we cannot go in Aug or Sept as fall break is not until Oct. I think I am prety much going to have to go with the Sun leaving May 25th since the price is right. Its memorial day and my kids dont have school and their last day is the next day anyways I think.

[laughing husky]

One thing that most people don't realize is that can fly from or to Seattle for much cheaper than flying from/to Vancouver. There are ship's transfers that are cheap and convenient....Princess charges $38.00, the bus is cheaper and the train, a bit more....It is a 2.5 hr trip...more or less......and it is way cheaper than flying out of Vancouver....You can fly direct Phoenix/Anchorage and then back Seattle/Phoenix....Alaska airlines as well as several others...That alone would cut a lot of the price of a trip.

[stilley9]

i just got off the Sun with an 8 year old and a 5 year old. we loved it - you can see my review called "our epic alaskan adventure" or something like that.