cruising-PA Posted November 17, 2006 #1 Share Posted November 17, 2006 My kids (5 and 12) have been on 2 Carribean cruises and are addicts like their mother. I am now considering Alaska and wonder what others think. I know they will like to see the wildlife but what else. are the pools heated so they can swim? Are there many kids in the summer? any thoughts and ideas would be greatly appreciated. thansk, PA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercedMike Posted November 18, 2006 #2 Share Posted November 18, 2006 My kids (5 and 12) have been on 2 Carribean cruises and are addicts like their mother. I am now considering Alaska and wonder what others think. I know they will like to see the wildlife but what else. are the pools heated so they can swim? Are there many kids in the summer? any thoughts and ideas would be greatly appreciated. thansk, PA Alaska is great for kids! There are so many things to do. But the one I seriously recommend is to rent a car at Skagway and drive over the White Pass. You will have some great family time, beautiful scenery, and can arrive at Caribou Crossing and go to the dog musher's camp. The kids will love meeting the puppies and then you can take a ride on the training cart behind a real Yukon dog team! Check out our report at Zuiderdam to Alaska I bet as soon as your kids see the dogs they will be dying to go! Have a GREAT cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruising-PA Posted November 18, 2006 Author #3 Share Posted November 18, 2006 Thanks Mike. The pictures were great! I want that puppy. Tell me, is there any swimming on board. thanks, PA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budget Queen Posted November 18, 2006 #4 Share Posted November 18, 2006 Alaska is great for kids. :) But can be costly for families, so I suggest you look at a touring budget with your plans. Wildlife requires tours- whale watches are a top choice on the Inside Passage, fly in bear trips too are excellent in August. You are not likely to see any otherwise and plenty of people don't. It is nothing like the brochures. :) There are far fewer kids compared to Caribbean sailings, but most always some. I'm sure your kids will have a great time. I do suggest, you make the plans and ship selection for the adults, since routing, ports, time in ports, glaciers etc, are significant factors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaile Posted November 19, 2006 #5 Share Posted November 19, 2006 We returned from our 2nd Alaska cruise this summer and my 9 year loved it - still talking about it. She was 4 the first time and had lots of fun then too. It was interesting to see what she remember & didn't on this trip. Main pool was open (they had a retractable cover that was closed most of the time) and lots of kids & adults took advantage of the pool. The wildlife is amazing and if you'll be stopping in Sitka I'd suggest a stop at the Raptor Center. My daughter is so into bald eagles and is trying to talk her 4th grade class into adopting one at the center. Excursions are quite expensive in Alaska so you do need to plane far ahead so your family can decide their priorities. Have fun planning and enjoy the trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercedMike Posted November 20, 2006 #6 Share Posted November 20, 2006 Thanks Mike. The pictures were great! I want that puppy.Tell me, is there any swimming on board. thanks, PA LOL -- yes, for the brave! Check out Alaska on the Sapphire and you will see a picture of a couple of brave souls in the pool as my wife stands on the deck all bundled up! A classic picture is to be lounging in the hot tub with the glaciers in the background! You just want to get out and dry off VERY fast! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting_Cruiser Posted December 3, 2006 #7 Share Posted December 3, 2006 I know they will like to see the wildlife but what else. are the pools heated so they can swim? Are there many kids in the summer? any thoughts and ideas would be greatly appreciated. thansk, PA Our daughter was six on our first Alaska cruise and she absolutely loved it! Including swimming almost every day. We were on the Carnival Spirit and there is a retractable roof over one of the pools so it was just fine. I swam with her a couple of times and we weren't cold at all. Her favorite excursion was the raft trip down the Mendenhall River. She'll be 12 on our cruise next summer so this time I'll take her salmon fishing with me--she's very excited about that! We also plan to rent a car in Skagway and drive to Emerald Lake, probably whale watching in Juneau, and the Raptor Center in Sitka. Cheers! Jayne :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith1010 Posted December 4, 2006 #8 Share Posted December 4, 2006 When are children cruised with us we took them to Alaska on cruises several times and they had a great time. Yes, there are less children on Alaskan cruieses than say Caribbean cruises but there will still be lots of kids and the children's programs will operate in the same manner as they do in the Caribbean. There is a nice variety of excursions to choose from in each port of call and you can also just walk around most of the towns for a few hours as well. Alaska is beautiful and is a great trip for the entire family and the nice thing is that you get to sail on wonderful cruise ships with lots of activities to keep everyone entertained. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.