Miracle from SF to Alaska June 26 to July 6, kid focused post

[hermajestylanie]

Went with 2 our two sons, ages 9 and 11. Both very active. Very. 

 

Bring a blanket to take outside when you are sightseeing on the deck. Waterproof is a bonus. There are really nice wicker pods to lounge in. But you really do need a blanket. The wind is no joke and kids complain!

 

The pools were OPEN but cold. On one random day, the only sunny and warm day, they inexplicably turned the heat up in the pools to rival that of the hot tubs. They were STEAMING and uncomfortable in the already hot day. The next day was cold as we were closer to SF again and the pools and outdoors were freezing once more. It was strange. 

 

The slides were open the whole time. The kids said the slide water was warm? But it was also cold and windy on the top deck most of the time. However, you could not ask for better lines! They got to go on as much as they wanted. The yellow slide had a lower height limit, but the less you weighed, the slower you went. My little ones (not so little, being at least 65 lbs) were pushing themselves down the water slide! They didn't move otherwise! However, the green slide went FAST! They loved it (it was a count-and-drop platform type). There was a small splash pad they had no interest in, being for the younger set. 

 

The best activity we did was the table shuffleboard in the Red Frog. We spent hours on that. Foosball was in here too and that was also a fav. Ping Pong was next, but it was ruined by the intense smoking area right by it outside. Ick. We brought card games so that we could do that during any downtime.

 

The arcade was expensive and the prizes were pretty lame. Or we might just be spoiled by Dave and Busters? It is possible. 

 

The kids HATED, with a burning passing, the kids club. They would not return after the first day. The activities were too short and structured. There was not enough to do. AND, they combined the 9 to 11-year-olds with the younger groups for some reason? Maybe not enough kids? My 11 yo old was NOT having it. That and the video game time was severely limited. That is what he wanted to do. For some reason, I was excited for them to try the kid club, but it fell so flat. From the website, it seemed like they got to choose their activities and would have video game play when they wanted, but that is not so. I thought Carnival would be better for the kids, but there was just a lack of things to do in the kid club, at least for that age group. The comparable Princess sailing had air hockey and foosball tables in their kid club. This would have changed things had Carnival had these for the kids.  

 

They ended up loving the comedy shows, but only if they sat RIGHT up front. The comedians would usually talk to them and they lived for that. 

 

You can get Shirley Temples with your soda package! Holy moly, did we ever get our money's worth. The downside is that they had a lot of soda and I will never get them a soda package again! Water is better for them.

 

Don't trust a 9 yo old with the ability to make purchases on their S&S card because they will tell you they are going to the bathroom, only to come back with a sneakily purchased donut from the additional charge coffee shop. For shame. It wasn't even the one I wanted, either! But, FYI, these pastries look good. They look GREAT! But, they are not. 

 

The kids had a tough time with the staff overseeing the activities and competitions. There was a LOT of blatant cheating going on and my kids are very focused on fairness. Parents mouthing spelling words to their kids during poolside activities, kids lying about scores when it is the honor system and they clearly did not get those points, and staff not doing a great job of managing this process or ticking to rules they themselves had previously underlined. I admit it made me a bit upset a few times and it ruined the spirit of the process for the kids. They didn't want to do those things again. I feel like the staff just does not have a good handle on things anymore. But, the last time we went on Carnival was before the kids, about 13 years ago. So, I guess things have really changed. 

 

The MDR kids menu is the same every night, but you can mix and match between that and the main menu all you want! 9 yo got the Ceasar salad for an appetizer most nights, a cheeseburger from kids menu, and the melting cake for dessert. 11 yo got a fruit platter for an appetizer, whatever was the closest to steak or (not salmon! I don't like that!) some kind of white fish for main, and then alternated desserts. It worked well. We let them order chocolate milk one night and the wait staff brought it for them unasked every other night after that. Use caution! Lol. 

 

Oh, and the Dr. Seuss breakfast was not worth it. Food was not good, except for the yogurt parfait. They layer yogurt and that strawberry Danish gel that goes in fresh strawberry pie. That was good bjt the kids didn't like it, haha. Do not, under any circumstances, get the cereal crusted French toast. Don't do it. It's stale and terrible. 

 

The basketball court was always busy. But, there are also soccer goals as well! My 9 yo found some older kids playing one day and was finally able to get some practice in. This time it worked out that it was cold up there because they were sweating pretty hard! 

 

The golf balls are crap. We saw people bring their own real ones and I thought this was a grand idea. People also brought their own ping pong paddles which was also a good idea if you can swing it. Or if you are really into ping pong? 

 

Kids generally gathered at the pool in groups that got along well or did ping pong together taking turns. There were mostly no problems with behavior that I saw. My kids always let others join in and other kids also seemed fairly welcoming. No groups of poorly behaved kids like others have had issues with, but this was also 10 days and to Alaska. I saw more poorly behaved adults than poorly behaved kids. 

 

As for excursions, the kids had a blast on the helicopter to Mead Glacier and walking around on top of it. I did NOT know that there would be so many DEEP crevices and we had to keep a tight hand on the impulsive 9 yo with no fear. They also gave the kids walking sticks with pointy ends, which led to lots of poking the ice (which was fine as they miraculously didn't turn into swords for a battle to the death).  This was the most memorable excursion for them. The other was the husky dog sled pull with the bonus of holding puppies. We did several other very cool things, but they cared less about those. The whale excursion was only mildly interesting to them and we did get to see them jump! They were more interested in the complementary hot chocolate. 

 

We bought rain suits for the family and were all glad for it. 

 

Don't buy the first random Husky plushie that you see. We found an amazing one at the helicopter excursion in Juneau and there were some runners-up that actually said Alaska at some shops. 

Edited July 8, 2023 by hermajestylanie

[Drazil65]

Different experiences and expectations for everyone cruising and based on your post here maybe a Disney cruise (much more kid focused) or dont take them at all if you cruise in the future on CCL.  You should have the vacation you wish for (while managing expectations of course) and it does not appear you accomplished that this time around. 

 

So take it as a life lesson to adjust what didn't work for you going forward as that is within your control.   

[hermajestylanie]

Pardon? This is meant for folks with kids plan for their cruise if they are going on a similar one. This is a cruise board, correct? For people to post their experiences and help each other??? This is kind of a "what I wish I knew," especially as there are fewer kids on Alaska cruises. I didn't find much helpful info here when I was researching. So, I am merely trying to be helpful here. We had a great time, so I am not sure where you concluded that we did not accomplish that? Your post is very strange in relation to what I wrote. Thanks anyways, but I am not looking for unsolicited advice.  Again, cruise review. 

[hermajestylanie]

Wow. The hostility here is mind-boggling. We loved cruising with our kids and would not leave them behind. Why rob them of experiences that they will always remember? However, it pays to be prepared and when I only found scant info about cruising with kids to Alaska on Carnival, why not help others if I can? 

[lazydayz]

29 minutes ago, hermajestylanie said:

Wow. The hostility here is mind-boggling. We loved cruising with our kids and would not leave them behind. Why rob them of experiences that they will always remember? However, it pays to be prepared and when I only found scant info about cruising with kids to Alaska on Carnival, why not help others if I can? 

Thank you for the review.  We love the Miracle, purple grapes and all.  

[hermajestylanie]

The purple grapes were amazing. It gave it uniqueness and charm. The kids loved when they turned the grape lights off and on during the crew dance number. 

[svmodi]

Your review was very informative. We will be on the same ship (Miracle) next year in June sailing from SF to Alaska. Will be cruising with my daughters aged 14 & 19. Just had a couple of questions:

 

How was the weather/temperature in June in the Alaska ports?

Can you please provide information on the excursions that you did: helicopter in Juneau to Mead Glacier , the husky dog sled pull and whale excursions? We are interested in doing something similar. Did you book these excursions through Carnival or did you book on your own?

[FastShip24]

5 hours ago, hermajestylanie said:

Pardon? This is meant for folks with kids plan for their cruise if they are going on a similar one. This is a cruise board, correct? For people to post their experiences and help each other??? This is kind of a "what I wish I knew," especially as there are fewer kids on Alaska cruises. I didn't find much helpful info here when I was researching. So, I am merely trying to be helpful here. We had a great time, so I am not sure where you concluded that we did not accomplish that? Your post is very strange in relation to what I wrote. Thanks anyways, but I am not looking for unsolicited advice.  Again, cruise review. 

This place has more complainers then helpful.  Take it with a grain of salt 

[hermajestylanie]

Unfortunately, we had to skip Icy Strait- a passenger had a medical emergency, so we had to proceed nearer to Seattle so that she could be helicoptered off. This was our only rough seas, and it was not bad, just a lot of lolling. After that, we made port in Juneau and since our whale watching was canceled from the port we missed, we did a last-minute one there in the AM. Express whale watching. I think. I believe they were all about the same.  In the afternoon, we did the canoe to the Mendenhall Glacier. I had originally booked this through a 3rd party because they take you up VERY close to the glacier. This was then canceled, but popped up right after on Carnival! So I booked it there. The rowing was strenuous because there were only a couple of us actually rowing... but the views were amazing and you cannot beat how close we got! In between these activities, we popped on the Roberts Tram to go up the mountain and have lunch. We just walked to it- it was very near the port and bought tickets ourselves. It is very busy in the AM, so mid-day was great. No wait.  It was worth it!

 

In Skagway, we went to do the summer dog sledding. While it was a bit of a ride there, the scenery was amazing. The actual sled riding was short, but that was expected. Holding the puppies was fun, but not something that was unique, really. But, the kids enjoyed it and we all rode the monster-type trucks up to the camp, which was interesting. In the afternoon, we did the helicopter glacier. I think it was the Glacier Discovery by Helicopter? This was SO COOL. Only 6 to a helicopter and they take you on a scenic flight. We went to Mead Glacier but also got to see some incredible things along the way and the Twin Glaciers right next to us as well. We spent quite a bit of time on the glacier itself, discovering DEEP cuts in the ice and even a waterfall/cascade. Our guide threw a big rock down one so we could hear how deep it was. Several streams were on top of the glacier and we got to drink from one. I would do this again 100%. It was well worth the cost. 

 

There was not much to do in Prince Rupert. Initially, there was a bear sanctuary excursion that I would have done, but the Princess ship, there at the same time we were, ended up getting the limited licenses to do it. We buddied up with a family from the Princess ship on the jetboat excursion that confirmed it. We did the jet boat and I would never recommend that at all. The ride there was longer than stated and then we waited for over an hour once we got there to do anything. While the jetboat was fun, it was not something I have never done before. It was not worth the cost. While the food was good, it was also not what was advertised and the whole process was just unorganized and sloppy. This is the only excursion that I would never recommend from any cruise I have taken. The tour guide there was also a bit of a chore. Not interesting like all our other tour guides. 

 

We did all Carnival ones this time, which I was surprised about. They actually ended up being less expensive than the 3rd party ones I would have booked, save for the very expensive and lackluster jet boat in Canada. Hopefully, they end up with more options there because there is not much to do in port. It is a small town. 

 

The weather held pretty well. Some misting and light rain sporadically. Nothing terrible. But, we had brought simple rain suits to wear that came in handy. It WAS cold. Beanies and gloves were a must for whale watching and the glacier, as well as our warm coats. We had one warm day at sea on the way back, which was grand! 

 

We did some light souvenir shopping in the ports, save for Canada. The guides will point out the best/ cheapest shops. 

 

Also, look for the tour in Tracy Arm Fjord. This is NOT a port but takes you to view the North Sawyer Glacier. The tour allows you to board a smaller ship and go pretty close to the glacier. You can hear it calve and see portions splash in the water, whereas you cannot really see as well from the cruise ship (but you CAN see the glacier from the cruise ship). You get really close to the icebergs and the harbor seals on the smaller boat, which is neat. AND, you get to go to the South side of the glacier and see waterfalls/ cascades up closer. The cruise ship does not do this part. WELL worth it. They post this under the home port at some point, which is strange, but it does sell out once people are aware of it. Very limited numbers of tickets. And they do kind of overpack the boat. 

 

The older kids' clubs looked decent, in case your younger one is interested. It is basically a hang-out area and they seemed to be having fun.

 

Of note, we would have done the glacier helicopter trek, but the kids needed to be at least 12. So, we were out for that. But we kind of did end up trekking around a glacier on our tour! We also had ziplining on our list, but it did not work out within the time frame and was less important. There were a lot of good options and my goal was to do a bunch of glacier stuff that would not bore the kids, so I think I accomplished that and had a nice balance. 

 

I had researched some other things to do and see in the ports, but my 11 yo was in a walking boot due to an injury and I didn't want to make things hard on him. So, we skipped some of that extra stuff I normally would have done. I offered to piggyback him some of the times, but he knows I have a bad neck and REFUSED to let me do it, even though he wanted to do more 🙂

 

And, one more thing. You WILL see wildlife outside the tours. We saw whales and dolphins from the ship itself. Bring binoculars. Some people saw otters somewhere. Driving to our tours, Alaska is just lousy with eagles! They are all over and the guides will point them out. 

[hermajestylanie]

9 minutes ago, FastShip24 said:

This place has more complainers then helpful.  Take it with a grain of salt 

Thanks. I needed that 🙂

[hermajestylanie]

Edited July 8, 2023 by hermajestylanie

[FastShip24]

49 minutes ago, hermajestylanie said:

Thanks. I needed that 🙂

Your welcome.    You will see how you ask a question, it gets answered and 20 thers will give you the answer repeatedly.   It's rare to find a compliment on a cruise

[amcankid]

Great videos and pics. But you seem to have a bigger problem than anything some of these knuckleheads who respond to with.

One of your sons is a Cowboys fan?

And one is a Niners fan?

Oh boy!! Can’t wait to see family dinners during football season in a couple of years!! Lol

[Journey11]

Wonderful videos and pictures. Thank you for sharing them and taking the time to prepare a detailed and informative review.

[jerseygirlinAZ]

Thanks for posting!  We took the same cruise, but a month earlier.  They combined the kids club groups on our cruise as well, likely because there weren't as many kids.  My daughter actually loved the kids club, but I know all kids are different.  

 

Agree with the arcade prizes.  We spent a lot of money for a bunch of little things, but we had fun.  We DID get lucky with the claw machine and I won three stuffies.  Packing them is always a lot of fun, lol.  

 

Sorry you missed Icy Strait Point.  We thought is was a nice little stop.  Agree that there wasn't much going on at Prince Rupert.  We did a different excursion in Skagway (dog sledding, gold panning, and the railroad).  Our daughter loved the sled puppies and finding gold.  It was a nice excursion.

 

Your pics are great!  Glad no one fell through the ice.  🙂  

 

[hermajestylanie]

1 hour ago, amcankid said:

Great videos and pics. But you seem to have a bigger problem than anything some of these knuckleheads who respond to with.

One of your sons is a Cowboys fan?

And one is a Niners fan?

Oh boy!! Can’t wait to see family dinners during football season in a couple of years!! Lol

Haha. Yep. The arguing is real! 

[svmodi]

On 7/8/2023 at 6:39 PM, hermajestylanie said:

Unfortunately, we had to skip Icy Strait- a passenger had a medical emergency, so we had to proceed nearer to Seattle so that she could be helicoptered off. This was our only rough seas, and it was not bad, just a lot of lolling. After that, we made port in Juneau and since our whale watching was canceled from the port we missed, we did a last-minute one there in the AM. Express whale watching. I think. I believe they were all about the same.  In the afternoon, we did the canoe to the Mendenhall Glacier. I had originally booked this through a 3rd party because they take you up VERY close to the glacier. This was then canceled, but popped up right after on Carnival! So I booked it there. The rowing was strenuous because there were only a couple of us actually rowing... but the views were amazing and you cannot beat how close we got! In between these activities, we popped on the Roberts Tram to go up the mountain and have lunch. We just walked to it- it was very near the port and bought tickets ourselves. It is very busy in the AM, so mid-day was great. No wait.  It was worth it!

 

In Skagway, we went to do the summer dog sledding. While it was a bit of a ride there, the scenery was amazing. The actual sled riding was short, but that was expected. Holding the puppies was fun, but not something that was unique, really. But, the kids enjoyed it and we all rode the monster-type trucks up to the camp, which was interesting. In the afternoon, we did the helicopter glacier. I think it was the Glacier Discovery by Helicopter? This was SO COOL. Only 6 to a helicopter and they take you on a scenic flight. We went to Mead Glacier but also got to see some incredible things along the way and the Twin Glaciers right next to us as well. We spent quite a bit of time on the glacier itself, discovering DEEP cuts in the ice and even a waterfall/cascade. Our guide threw a big rock down one so we could hear how deep it was. Several streams were on top of the glacier and we got to drink from one. I would do this again 100%. It was well worth the cost. 

 

There was not much to do in Prince Rupert. Initially, there was a bear sanctuary excursion that I would have done, but the Princess ship, there at the same time we were, ended up getting the limited licenses to do it. We buddied up with a family from the Princess ship on the jetboat excursion that confirmed it. We did the jet boat and I would never recommend that at all. The ride there was longer than stated and then we waited for over an hour once we got there to do anything. While the jetboat was fun, it was not something I have never done before. It was not worth the cost. While the food was good, it was also not what was advertised and the whole process was just unorganized and sloppy. This is the only excursion that I would never recommend from any cruise I have taken. The tour guide there was also a bit of a chore. Not interesting like all our other tour guides. 

 

We did all Carnival ones this time, which I was surprised about. They actually ended up being less expensive than the 3rd party ones I would have booked, save for the very expensive and lackluster jet boat in Canada. Hopefully, they end up with more options there because there is not much to do in port. It is a small town. 

 

The weather held pretty well. Some misting and light rain sporadically. Nothing terrible. But, we had brought simple rain suits to wear that came in handy. It WAS cold. Beanies and gloves were a must for whale watching and the glacier, as well as our warm coats. We had one warm day at sea on the way back, which was grand! 

 

We did some light souvenir shopping in the ports, save for Canada. The guides will point out the best/ cheapest shops. 

 

Also, look for the tour in Tracy Arm Fjord. This is NOT a port but takes you to view the North Sawyer Glacier. The tour allows you to board a smaller ship and go pretty close to the glacier. You can hear it calve and see portions splash in the water, whereas you cannot really see as well from the cruise ship (but you CAN see the glacier from the cruise ship). You get really close to the icebergs and the harbor seals on the smaller boat, which is neat. AND, you get to go to the South side of the glacier and see waterfalls/ cascades up closer. The cruise ship does not do this part. WELL worth it. They post this under the home port at some point, which is strange, but it does sell out once people are aware of it. Very limited numbers of tickets. And they do kind of overpack the boat. 

 

The older kids' clubs looked decent, in case your younger one is interested. It is basically a hang-out area and they seemed to be having fun.

 

Of note, we would have done the glacier helicopter trek, but the kids needed to be at least 12. So, we were out for that. But we kind of did end up trekking around a glacier on our tour! We also had ziplining on our list, but it did not work out within the time frame and was less important. There were a lot of good options and my goal was to do a bunch of glacier stuff that would not bore the kids, so I think I accomplished that and had a nice balance. 

 

I had researched some other things to do and see in the ports, but my 11 yo was in a walking boot due to an injury and I didn't want to make things hard on him. So, we skipped some of that extra stuff I normally would have done. I offered to piggyback him some of the times, but he knows I have a bad neck and REFUSED to let me do it, even though he wanted to do more 🙂

 

And, one more thing. You WILL see wildlife outside the tours. We saw whales and dolphins from the ship itself. Bring binoculars. Some people saw otters somewhere. Driving to our tours, Alaska is just lousy with eagles! They are all over and the guides will point them out. 

Thanks for sharing the details. We are still a year out from our cruise but wanted to get started on researching different ports/excursions.  Just curious - when did Carnival post the Tracy Arm Fjord small boat excursion for your cruise? I just want to make sure that I don't miss out on that.

[hermajestylanie]

18 minutes ago, svmodi said:

Thanks for sharing the details. We are still a year out from our cruise but wanted to get started on researching different ports/excursions.  Just curious - when did Carnival post the Tracy Arm Fjord small boat excursion for your cruise? I just want to make sure that I don't miss out on that.

I cannot recall fully, but I would start looking 2 months out and check back weekly or so. It did NOT sell out before we boarded, so that is good news. And it means you don't have to check daily! Start looking in more earnest about a month out. It was a great addition and I would do it again! 

[jerseygirlinAZ]

43 minutes ago, svmodi said:

Thanks for sharing the details. We are still a year out from our cruise but wanted to get started on researching different ports/excursions.  Just curious - when did Carnival post the Tracy Arm Fjord small boat excursion for your cruise? I just want to make sure that I don't miss out on that.

 

FYI, for our cruise, it was posted under San Francisco excursions for some reason.   

[Haljo1935]

Thanks for sharing and allowing us to.come along. LOVE Alaska and seeing the beautiful pictures  - especially of places we have not been. Like your Glacier shots - really like the videos.🐳

Your next trip to AK, hope you make it to Icy Strait Point  - it's small, but lovely. And the kids might enjoy the zip line; I'll leave it for you to research, but since you've got an adreline junkie dare devil in the making, it should be a winner!!

Likely not as many kids on the ship and less for them to do than on a "regular" Carnival cruise, as Alaska tends to draw the older crowds. (We see fewer number of children on AK cruises than any others.) But the experiences they can have, as you're learning (and as your gut knew going into it), are bucket list, once in a lifetime memory makers, so nice selection. I hope they reward you well next Parent's Day, lol!! 💜

I have never cruised with children and am usually Team "leave the kids at home," but we're not talking infants & toddlers who will not remember the trip, nor are we talking kids who require diaper changes, strollers & constant hand holding. We're talking independent, curious, young people with hungry minds that deserve to have that curiosity fed and an opportunity to make their own memories. Congrats for finding a trip that allows them to do that while letting you make awesome memories watching them be them!!

Now, if they beat on my cabin door at 2am while they're running up & down the hall or cut in front of me while I'm waiting for mint chocolate chip ice cream, I'm gonna have something to say, lol!! 🙄

I'll keep reading along and look forward to more amazing pictures!!

Safe travels  - enjoy your cruise!

Edited July 11, 2023 by Haljo1935
Typo

[crazycatlady82]

Thank you for your review. We'll be on the miracle next month, and while we're not bringing the almost 18 yr old (we offered, she declined), it's still informative. 🙂 

[Haljo1935]

6 minutes ago, crazycatlady82 said:

Thank you for your review. We'll be on the miracle next month, and while we're not bringing the almost 18 yr old (we offered, she declined), it's still informative. 🙂 

I'm available for adoption!!

[Luv2Cruze4]

Thanks for this! We leave for the same cruise on Aug 7th - and we do have kids! They are an bit older now, but this has some extremely helpful things that as a parent I would of appreciated hearing a few years ago. So, thanks for taking the time. 🙂  I also had one of those kids that would of needed a hand hold on the glacier. 😛 And at 17, not sure much has changed...LOL

Agree with Prince Rupert. We are Canadian and were not happy with the change from Victoria.

J.