karatemom2

And if your family had boarded a half-hour later with the plebeians, that would have damaged your family unit how, exactly?

Hi shepp! Well your question is a bit rude, but I will endeavor to answer it politely as that is just how I am. :)

First of all, let me just say that I certainly don't consider those who have not earned a loyalty privilege with Princess "plebeians". In fact, they are some of the finest people I know, including many in my own extended family! ;)

However, as I believe I pointed out in my post, it was just my family of four traveling together and we have had the distinct pleasure of being frequent Princess cruisers, together. In that process we have earned the perks accorded to frequent cruisers which should include my underage daughter, even though it won't be recognized until she is 18. Now am I jumping up and down and demanding free laundry and internet minutes for her? No, I'm not. She will get all those privileges in due time. However, I do think she should be allowed to enter the Elite lounge and get priority boarding with the rest of her family and not be separated to board alone. And I don't think our family should have to give up a perk that Princess has promised and that we have earned together because our daughter still gets a blue card due to her age.

And as for how later boarding will affect our family? Well it wouldn't be the end of the world. But I will point out that the Elite lounge is a nice, comfortable, less crowded area to wait which we enjoy. Also, one thing we really look forward to each cruise is starting off our vacation with a nice, relaxing lunch in the dining room as opposed to the buffet. Since the window of time for that dining option is very short it is important to us to board as early as we can. On the particular cruise that I was referencing there was already an hour delay due to a Coast Guard inspection as well as a very high number of B2B passengers waiting to reboard. So yes, priority boarding was very important to us.

If you are at all familiar with my posts here, you would know that I am a big Princess fan and not what most would consider critical, difficult or a complainer in any sense of the imagination. But I don't think it is unreasonable for me to expect Princess to deliver on a perk that it has promoted and our whole family has earned just because my daughter hasn't aged into her official loyalty status yet. I'm sorry if you feel I'm being too demanding.

If you dont mind me asking' date=' how much was the Chilkoot tour?

 

Thanks![/quote']

 

We are doing 8 hour Bennett Lake tour with Chilkoot taking the train all the way to Bennett and van back to Skagway. Total cost per person is $229. Well worth it in my estimation as we have toured with Chilkoot before and they are excellent!

Can you please explain what a traditional British cracker is and why you crack it? I've not heard of this. Thanks!

We didn't know either! Fortunately we had met some British friends onboard and they explained the tradition. It is a little decorative package that you pop open (and it pops like a firecracker). Inside is a paper crown, some little trinkets and a joke to share with your tablemates. Not sure how or why the tradition originated, only that apparently it is common in the UK. We had so much fun we have now incorporated into our family Christmas Eve Dinners at home. You can find them at places like Cost Plus World Market at the holidays.

My DH and I were boarding in San Pedro with my then 5 YO DGS. The stupid lady at the pier told us WE could go into the preferred lounge but the 5 YO wasn't Elite/Preferred so he couldn't :rolleyes:. Yes, we are going to go in and leave the 5 YO to sit by himself. She told us we were more than permitted to sit with him in the general boarding area though. It was his 4th cruise.

We ran into the same problem in San Pedro!! I was appalled. My husband, 20 year old son and I are all Elite, but my 14 year old daughter who has been on ALL the same cruises with us is not allowed the Elite status until she turns 18. So when we went to enter the lounge they told us our daughter would not be allowed in. Well let me tell you I pretty much said she would be allowed in or they had better get a supervisor over there to explain to me why a 14 year old girl and member of my family who I had paid for to go on every cruise we had done to earn Elite was to be sent off to another area alone, or we could all go and forfeit the right that WE as an ENTIRE FAMILY UNIT have earned. They did back off, but were vocal in saying they were making a special exception. I was a Mother ready to do battle and will be again if they ever try to pull that with me on future boardings.

Christmas cruises on Princess are very festive with lots of extended families on board representing all age groups. The decorations are beautiful, there is Christmas music and caroling with the staff and crew. There is usually a Gingerbread House contest and special fun fair for the kids on Christmas Day with activities like cookie decorating. Santa arrives with gifts for the kids and teens. Dinner is a festive affair with traditional British crackers to pop open at each place setting. We have loved all of our holiday cruises on a Princess. You feel like you are traveling with one huge happy family and the staff and crew go above and beyond to make it special even though they are surely all missing their own families at that time of year. You will have a memorable cruise!

Here is a nice shot of the Lotus Pool.

Here is a photo:

There is a small adults only pool on the aft of the Aloha Deck. It is generally a fairly quiet area with a bar and Horizon Court nearby for snacks and drinks. I think you would find it the relaxing place you are seeking!

If you would like to see both, choose the itinerary that includes Glacier Bay. Then on your day in Juneau you can book a small boat excursion to Tracy Arm Fjord which is really the best way to see it anyway. Best of both worlds!

I believe there is a canoe trip where you travel in a group together in one canoe as opposed to individual kayaks. Maybe that would be more comfortable for you.

Both are great but if I could go to only one of the two, I would favor Totem Bight. It is just such a beautiful area to explore.

Well back to the point of your post which is excursion ideas! :)

We have had great experience with renting cars in Alaska which would likely work well with a baby as you could explore at your own pace and have a place for napping along the way. Most car rental agencies will also rent car seats for an additional charge.

Skagway in particular might be a great port to rent a car and drive the Yukon highway. It is very scenic with plenty of stops along the way. Google Murray's Guide which will give you a point by point description of what to look for. You can also stop at Carcross and see the Husky puppies which is sure to delight any 1 year old!

In Juneau if you opt for whale watching, I would book through the ship so you are on a larger vessel that would accommodate a stroller. Lots of hiking options there as well if you are bringing a backpack which might come in handy. Again, a car can come in very handy in Juneau as there is quite a bit of beautiful scenery outside the confines of the town.

Ketchikan is very walkable with either a stroller or backpack. You could also book a tour with Ketchikan Taxi Cab Tours which would provide you with a way to visit the totem poles both at Saxman and Totem Bight parks as well as other beautiful areas. Dave and Kat are great with kids. A one year old might find the energy and excitement of the lumberjack show fun there too.

Sitka is another very walkable town with lots to see within walking distance of the port. There is also a shuttle that will take you to sites a bit further afield like the Raptor Center and Fortress of the Bear. Seeing the eagles and bears would likely be something fun to do as a family. There is a very pretty park there too with walking trails and totem poles.

Icy Strait Point is a place where you could do some beach combing at the scenic little beach right at the port. Lots of room to roam. There is a museum and native cultural and dance demonstrations right at the port as well that are very family friendly. And the walk into town and back is very pretty and could be done with a stroller.

In Victoria you could visit the Butchart Gardens or Butterfly Gardens or just have fun walking around the town. It is a beautiful place. Along the Inner Harbour you can see many street performers - magicians, singers, etc. You could also do a horse drawn carriage tour which might be fun for a little one.

These are all things we have done which would be very manageable with a baby or toddler along. Hope that helps!

While I have no doubt that SunCityDon and others have been told that flu is rampant in the Interior, I did a search of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and found the following article:

 

http://www.newsminer.com/features/health/official-says-alaska---flu-season-was-very-normal/article_04b18242-be0a-11e3-8687-001a4bcf6878.html

That article was dated in April. The two articles I posted were both from mid-June. This is a fairly recent spike apparently and while I certainly wouldn't use the word rampant, it does appear that the number of flu cases in Alaska is higher than average this summer and the spike likely conincided with the onset of the tourist season when lots of people are coming in to the state for travel or work.

You can certainly do what you think is best for you, your family and the baby. The only opinion I have is that whatever you choose to do, it is your responsibility to see that other guests are not disturbed by your choice.

I think this advice could be applied to everyone at any age. It's all about common courtesy and consideration for fellow passengers. And as I've noted, I can't think of one instance when my cruise has been disturbed by a baby. It's many of the grown adults that could do well to heed this advice.

We are a family of four and cruise to Alaska frequently, and yes the cost of excursions can be very high. We generally splurge at one port and then are more cost conscious at others. A very good way to really get out and see the ports and surrounding areas where you truly find the beauty of Alaska is to rent a car. This is a much more cost effective option and we have had some of our best days in Alaska exploring at our own pace with our own wheels.

When you can, avoid the ship excursions as they are slightly more expensive generally than booking direct, although even booking direct is pretty pricey depending on the excursion. Things we tend to splurge on include fishing and whale watching, but even those can be done more economically.

Orca Enterprises is an excellent company for whale watching in Juneau and we found their prices very good, especially as they offer both a child and junior rate.

Also generally cost effective are walking tours, museums, hiking and tours with local guides.

You don't have to fill up your itinerary with every expensive ship exursion to have a good time in Alaska. Do some research here and on Trip Advisor and you will find plenty of ways to keep costs down and still do and see plenty!

I was having a hard time believing this since it is very late for flu but apparently there has been an unusually high number of flu cases this summer in Alaska based on the attached articles that ran in June. I'm glad my family has had flu shots, but will still take all the regular precautions that we always do in terms of hand hygiene. For those who are traveling to Alaska, if you can still find a flu shot in your area it might not be a bad idea.

http://www.adn.com/article/20140617/summertime-spike-alaska-flu-cases-prompts-call-vaccinate

http://www.alaskapublic.org/2014/06/18/alaskas-summer-flu-activity-increased/

Double post

We have done this cruise 3 times and are heading off on our fourth trip in three weeks. We love cruising out of San Francisco. We have changed up the itinerary each time but if it were our first time I would definitely favor Glacier Bay. As far as the month of travel we prefer late July into early to mid-August as it is important to us that the salmon are running. Better chance of seeing bears plus we love to see the salmon. The weather has generally been good to us with some rainy days but that is to be expected in Alaska!

Yes coasters!! :(

It always amuses me how it is billed as being worth something in the neighborhood of a $300 value. I've often wondered how much someone would actually have to spend in the purchase of onboard goods and services to realize that value!!:rolleyes:

We have rarely used them. It usually contains coupons such as a 10 % discount for the shops, extra internet minutes, free slot pull, spa discount, flower discount, photo package, dvd package, etc. Pretty much it is an incentive to make onboard purchases.

The only food we ever saw at the Patisserie on the Island on our recent cruise was some cookies in the afternoon when they were serving cookies and milk. There may have been some pastries in the a.m., we never checked. As rdsgrl said it is basically just a bar with the addition of specialty coffee service.

I would suggest renting a car. We did this on our last visit to Haines and it was nice to be able to explore outside of town at our leisure. There is an Avis at the Halsingland Hotel which is an easy, if somewhat uphill walk from the dock. We drove out to Chilkoot Lake where we have seen bears in Haines before, but we were bit too early. It was a pretty warm afternoon. We heard that several bears were spotted later that evening on the Evening Wildlife excursion. And we talked with one of the shop owners in town who had been seeing bears regularly during his evening fishing excursions out at the lake. So late afternoon into the evening may be your best bet.

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.

Just one other piece of advice - check out the Family Board here on the CC Forum. There is a very supportive environment there for families cruising with young children and plenty of good advice from those that have been there, done that!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

No one will scold you there. I promise!! :)

I'm sticking my neck out here, but IMOHO one-year-olds shouldn't be on an Alaskan cruise. And yes, I have three children and two grandchildren, teach, and LOVE KIDS, but cruising with a baby is something that should be carefully considered, especially with the exorbitant prices for Alaska, not to mention the weather. I do hope you reconsider, not only for your baby's sake because of the climate and potential exposure to norovirus, which is rare but extremely dangerous for babies, but because of the problems fussy babies create for fellow guests who have paid dearly to have an enjoyable cruise. Sorry, but I don't agree on this one.

We have been on many Alaska cruises and have seen many babies onboard. There is no reason that a family should be discouraged from traveling together with their baby. I'm not sure what you are referrring to in regards to the climate which is fairly temperate in the summer with the exception of Glacier viewing and some cooler rainy days. It is not like they are going to the Arctic. In fact it can be downright warm on some summer days in Alaska. Nothing a baby couldn't be bundled up for just as they would at home in a cool climate. Last I heard plenty of babies grow up in Alaska. :rolleyes:

And as far as norovirus, if proper hygiene precautions are taken it is unlikely that a baby would come down with it and the biggest danger is for babies under a year that might be more subject to dehydration. And honestly, norovirus is found everywhere, so a baby has just as much chance of being exposed in the shopping cart at the market as they do on a cruise ship.

I think it is unfortunate that you seem to be trying to scare them out of the trip by making them think it is dangerous or irresponsible. Yes, it might be more work and their activities will be limited but plenty of people make it work and in all of my cruises I have never been disturbed by a baby. Grown adults who should know how to behave, yes, but never a little one. Most parents we encounter traveling with young children go above and beyond to be considerate of others.

To the OP, go and have fun. Enjoy your baby and enjoy Alaska. Just know that you will need to pace yourself around your baby's needs and schedule and plan accordingly and you will have a wonderful cruise.