Alaska cruise tour family of 5

[momof3afraidofnorovirus]

Hi-

We have never cruised with our children- will be ages 14, 11 and 8. We would love to do cruise with add on land tour with at least 2 nights in Denali.

Any recommendations on cruise lines first? Our travel agent was recommending RCL over Princess.

Also, recommendations on family suites vs 2 balcony rooms vs balcony room with inside room. Based on my user name the 2 bathrooms are appealing to me in case of GI illness;)

Any insights are appreciated from people that have done these before-

Thanks!

[Kamloops50]

Hi-

We have never cruised with our children- will be ages 14, 11 and 8. We would love to do cruise with add on land tour with at least 2 nights in Denali.

Any recommendations on cruise lines first? Our travel agent was recommending RCL over Princess.

Also, recommendations on family suites vs 2 balcony rooms vs balcony room with inside room. Based on my user name the 2 bathrooms are appealing to me in case of GI illness;)

Any insights are appreciated from people that have done these before-

Thanks!

 

Check to see how your kids are going enjoy a 8 hours train ride. The train from Seward or Whittier is a full day of travel. Two nights at Denali is realy only one day at the lodge. The day before and after are travel days.

You might might find a land tour won't work with kids especially the

14 year old. Ask the boys what they want to see in Alaska and include them in the research as well.

Before deciding look into what the schedule and times are on the land

portion and cruise portion.

If the Noro (GI) becomes an issue it's usually affects large parts of the ship. GI is sometimes confused with food poisoning.

[mapleleaves]

I don't think a cruisetour is a good idea for kids. You're in buses and/or trains for 8-10 hrs a day, travelling primarily with seniors, getting up early every morning to have luggage in the hallway by 6 or 7am.

I'm a senior and I wouldn't do it !

 

It's so easy to drive in Alaska ..... there are only a few highways, so it's impossible to get lost. Rent a car so you can travel at your own pace and you can stop for wildlife or other points of interest along the way.

 

Look thru Trip Reports posted in STICKYs near the top of the page. There are cruisetour reports in there .... the first line usually indicates the itinerary, cruiseline and date.

[Coral]

I would also recommend getting Alaska by Cruiseship by Anne Vipond.

 

On my first cruise to Alaska, I went with a nice cruise ship but it was a bad itinerary on a line that on a cruise line that really didn't make for a good Alaska experience (RCCL). I was really disappointed. The next year, I researched it quite a bit and went with Princess and it was night and day - I really focused on which glaciers the ship visited, the times in port, if there was a naturalist, enrichment programs, etc... It made a huge difference.

 

I think your kids would have a great time if you rented a car as opposed to the cruise tour.

Edited June 30, 2016 by Coral

[oaktreerb]

Take the cruise and plan your own activities. Rent a car and spend some time in the Turnagain arm area between Seward and Anchorage. There are a lot of activities for the family to learn about the glaciers (Exit Glacier) and the Seavy Iditarod sled dogs and the Alaska Sealife Center in Seward. They can learn about animals in Alaska (Wildlife Conservation Center) and in Anchorage they can learn about the native culture at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. I would skip Denali unless you have lots of time. The other activities would be more exciting and enriching for children.

[Coral]

Take the cruise and plan your own activities. Rent a car and spend some time in the Turnagain arm area between Seward and Anchorage. There are a lot of activities for the family to learn about the glaciers (Exit Glacier) and the Seavy Iditarod sled dogs and the Alaska Sealife Center in Seward. They can learn about animals in Alaska (Wildlife Conservation Center) and in Anchorage they can learn about the native culture at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. I would skip Denali unless you have lots of time. The other activities would be more exciting and enriching for children.

 

I agree - Seward has a lot to offer a family with your kids' ages!

[dijid]

We just completed an Alaskan cruise with my family of five. We chose NCL's Sun because 1) we got a kids sale free promotion and you could fit 5 in one room and 2) It had a great itinerary. We did two nights pre-cruise in Vancouver and 2 nights post-cruise in Talkeetna. Originally, we had planned to go up to Denali, but then when I learned that you had to ride a bus in the park and it could be 12 hours round trip (depending on how far in you go), I nixed that idea fast! Instead, we went as far as Talkeetna and explored Denali state park. We hiked and spent time watching to see if Denali would come out from the clouds (it did - two days in a row!).

 

There are so many activities you can do in Alaska, that it really doesn't make sense to do a cruise sponsored tour with a family of five. Take the money you would have spent on the tour and do something more active: rafting, hiking, ziplining, boat tour, etc. You can pack light and rent a car (we did) or rent a minivan or full size SUV and go about things your own pace. We went to Exit Glacier, the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, the Anchorage Museum (big hit when it was raining), the Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla (free to pet the puppies, and only $10/person for a sled dog led ride in a cart), in addition to Denali State Park - and a stop at the Denali Brewing Company for us adults :) It was a great trip and we all enjoyed it.

[mom02]

Hi-

We have never cruised with our children- will be ages 14, 11 and 8. We would love to do cruise with add on land tour with at least 2 nights in Denali.

Any recommendations on cruise lines first? Our travel agent was recommending RCL over Princess.

Also, recommendations on family suites vs 2 balcony rooms vs balcony room with inside room. Based on my user name the 2 bathrooms are appealing to me in case of GI illness;)

Any insights are appreciated from people that have done these before-

Thanks!

 

Love your user name! :)

 

My 2 cents as a mother of 2 little ones... we had 2 "connecting" balcony rooms and LOVED it! We sailed Celebrity and they had rooms that had an outer door you can keep closed but could keep the cabin doors open. This gave us parents more flexibility and freedom at night, the use of 2 bathrooms, and by opening the divider on the balcony, a huge space where we could enjoy the view, and just more space in general for the kids to spread out and give each other space.

 

I too was worried about catching bugs while on the ship, but the staff was great at cleaning and wiping things down ALL THE TIME and standing outside of eating establishments with hand sanitizers.

 

I also started everyone on probiotic and immunity vitamins a month before our cruise, just in case. The kids think it's a treat because they're getting "gummy bears". So even with a toddler who touches EVERYTHING and then sticks her fingers in her mouth, no one got sick! :D

[Budget Queen]

You need to find out about the itineraries. Look up each port and determine which are of the most interest, determine which activities you are going to select.

 

As for "Denali" and a land tour. I'm also of the firm belief that a cruise land tour with a family is one of the worse mistakes, most restrictive and costly and seeing the least. It is very easy to plan your own trip, having a lot more freedom. A RV is also a great option to consider.

 

As for Denali. It could be a great place with your age group. I find it "interesting" the "sway" and strong opinions against Denali based on simply- time. Those who have - been- on those buses, speaking from my experience- time doesn't factor in. The day is nonstop scenery and wildlife searching. Building and building with new experiences. I'm not looking at a watch or waiting for the day to end. :) You need to determine for yourself what you want to spend your time doing. BUT if you aren't going to invest time, getting into the park, it's hardly worth going that distance, with alternative areas maybe being a better selection.

[love2driveinct]

I look forward to having a few minutes to sit down and take the time to respond to this, but as I sit here in our Anchorage hotel room we are on the tail end of a 12-day Alaska vacation with our three kids ages 18, 15, & 11. Everything has been spectacular and I definitely have some suggestions. Will post soon!

 

 

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