darwinsrule

Guess you should define what you consider to be 'normal'.  We have Koningsdam booked for August 29th, final payment isn't due to May 31st so we are in a wait and see holding pattern. Anticipate things will be running by that point, but normal?  Not even close to normal.  Problem I see is that there are a lot of people who go up to work the tourist season, do they go for a part season?  Is it financially worth it to them?  I doubt we will have answers for our PIF date, at that point we need to make a decision, but we will make a decision based upon what facts we have.  By the middle of June you should have an idea as to what the season is going to look like.  Think we are all going to have our fingers crossed. 

9 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

Give it time. 

 

The cruise lines are still struggling to come to grips with this. If they think it is merely a short-term problem, I doubt you'll see significant price drops. However, if it looks likely to spread and persist to the point where folks not only cancel existing trips but stop booking new ones, we may see some deals ahead.

Exactly this.  The world is so early in things that the full extent of the impact is still to come.  Remember that it isn't just the immediate impact which is what they are trying to wrap their heads around, but the larger economy wide impact.  If the talking heads are right, this is going to have a meaningful impact on the global economy.  Stock market declines this week are one example, greater risk is for a global recession which would drive up unemployment and reduce demand further than the travel related impacts of the virus.  The February and March economic numbers should be interesting to say the least. 

Final payment for our Alaska trip isn't until the end of May but the deal we got is such that I am not really expecting any kind of further deal on it (CAD at par, KSF,  +++).  Haven't bought airfare yet and I expect that will come down as the impacts of all this work through the system. 

Another thing to remember is that the Seattle cruises go around Vancouver island (aka open ocean), Vancouver cruises go inside between the island and the mainland in Canadian waters.  Going out of Seattle in 2017 both my DW and youngest DD were seasick overnight until mid afternoon the first day when we got back behind Haida Gwaii and the seas calmed down.  12 cruises and it is only time I have felt quesy, and that includes our Hurricane Irene experience on the Disney Dream in 2011. One of DW requirements in going back to Alaska again was that it had to be out of Vancouver. 

We have done Dawn to Bermuda, and Getaway twice on an Eastern Caribbean run.  We did have Jewel booked on the Noth-South Alaska run last summer but cancelled when the opportunity to do the Wonder's repositioning from San Juan to New Orleans came up (that was a couple of weeks ago).  The freestyle aspect of NCL is ideal for a trip like Alaska.  You don't want to be tied to set times because everything that is going on outside the ship is on its own schedule.  

We still have a Future Cruise Certificate we need to use with them and have no clue how or when we will will use it.  Sun is doing some longer trips isn't she? That alone makes it a serious contender in my mind.  Get as much time as you can in,  you will likely want to go back anyway but a couple of extra days now is cheaper than an entire new trip. 

If Vancouver is an option another option for you.  We booked HAL Koningsdam doing a RT for August 29th.  It isn't doing Glacier Bay, just Tracey Arm, but we haven't done Tracey yet so still thumbs up.  One of those weekend sales back in October for our Thanksgiving, was just too good to pass up (CAD at par with USD, kids sale free, $400 obc, free wifi, steakhouse, etc).  Worked out to be $4000 CAD, so $3k ish USD in an extended, extra large balcony which we will definitely be using.  Have never sailed HAL, however reading about it service should be at a similar level to DCL, food looks amazing online, and the port times are excellent. 

EDIT - Should have added that size wise Koningsdam is only a little bigger than Wonder.  As much as I loved NCL Getaway, we have zero desire to be on an -away+ class ship with that kind of passenger count.

As an FYI we just got back from our 3rd cruise on the Wonder.  Techically it was our first cruise 10 years ago, and now our latest.  We somehow have managed to do her every 5 years (also in 2015).  Love her, but would never pay the premium Disney wants for Alaska - its about the destination and I would rather have those dollars going to excursions and things that are really important. 

Don't forget to look at the port times for each of the ships.  You can like a ship, but if you aren't getting the time you want and need in the ports what is the point?

Love Disney.  Just got back from Disney No. 6.  Yes they are wonderful with kids and the Wonder is probably my favourite ship (sailed 3x), but don't do Disney.  Some would consider the premium worth it, I don't and would rather be spending the money on actual experiences. You have a challenge ahead of you finding a balance in needs especially when travelling with an extended group.  We have been cruising since our youngest was 2.5 (on one of those extended family trips), yes we started with Disney but quickly expanded beyond them.  You are likely going to be fine on Princess, but you will need to be creative and flexible when it comes to keeping your daughter entertained.  And and as a result you will probably miss some things, reality is however you were never going to be able to do everything you wanted anyway.  We did Alaska in 2017 on Carnival (first time on Carnival) and the kids were 9 and 13.  Going back this August on HAL and doing some very different experiences planned with them now being 12 and 16.  Will probably go back in a few years with just DW and I and do the North-South run.  The more we cruise, the more it becomes about making sure we get the experiences we want.  Consider what others have suggested however and look at all the options.  I am a spreadsheet type of guy, my wife thinks its funny, but I like having everything laid out in front of me.  Good luck. 

Be interesting to see how busy things are around the pool next summer when she is in Alaska.  Pools aren't exactly a must do activity in that environment, although hot tubs are a must.  We are on the August 29th sailing (first time sailing with HAL) and can't wait.  Even with having a balcony, looks like a nice area to sit, relax and watch the world go by with a nice hot chocolate in hand.

Just back.  Were also in 2254. Thank you for the exceptional cleaning job on the room.  

Woo hoo.  Thank you.

And finally someone posts a detailed 6 night cruise.  We are on the Magic in two weeks and the lack of detailed reports over the summer has been killing us slowing.  It's been 18 months since our last cruise so we are beginning to have involuntary twitches.  Obsessive planners so please share everything you can.  And THANK YOU. 

44 minutes ago, jandlcruise said:

 

We are on deck 9 on the Magic, wanted two balcony rooms together and these were the only ones we could find.  What kind of noise did you have and was it all the time or just at certain times of the day?

We declined the upgrade offer for 9460 and are staying in the cove we have booked for August. The second part of that was on the Disney Dream in 2011.  One and done experience.  Hopefullyl you have a quiet experence.  The issue we had on the Dream was the crew moving deck chairs around in the early hours of the morning. 

Had a similar offer a couple of days ago for our cruise at the end of August.  The "upgrade" was for an Aft balcony on deck 9, port side,  under the Tides pool bar area (cabin 9460 to be exact).  That was an immediate no way in hell.  Our second cruise was under the pool deck because my FIL wanted to be closer to things.  The frist, and last time we will ever make that mistake. 

We have two cruises on Getaway which is bascially Breakaway, and we love Getaway.  Second favourite ship after Disney Fantasy and will happily sail on her again when we get the chance.  Our girls are younger but both still want back on her.  Waterslides were great.  Shows were fun (I can't tell you how many times we have seen Legally Blonde), Burn the Floor is great.  The dinner and dancing show in the Manhatten Room is a must do. Now it has been 3 years since our last cruise on NCL.  We had NCL Jewel booked for a Southbound Alaska crusie this August but cancelled when the opportunity to go back on the Wonder came up. Not entirely happy with the corporate direction of NCL, little too much focus on the bottom line while sacrificing customer service (not a smart longterm business plan in my opinion).

We were doing the same back and forth between Carnival Magic and Breakaway for the last week of August.  Breakaway has a much better itinerary (Western) vs. what is effectively a beach cruise through Carnival's private ports. Ended up going with a cove balcony Magic, in part because we have always talked about wanting to try one, but primarily because of price. We have Disney Wonder booked for February of 2020 on her repo from San Juan to NOLA and that is the priority for us.  But since our last cruise was Navigator of the Seas in March of 2018, going almost 2 years without of cruise was unthinkable so we need something.  It has been 12 months and we are already in cruise withdrawl (sounds a bit like a 12 step program  is required). 

You have the best sense of what they can handle. If it is going to be stressful then don't do it, you are on vacation and the stress isn't worth it.  Make sure you get the family time in however, nothing is more important. 

We did the steak house on Legend in August '17 when the girls were 13 and 9, but have done similar venues on NCL dating back to when the youngest was 4.  We did early (like once it openned) on Legend, so it wasn't crowded on the first night, food however was mixed, some good, some blah.  Frankly the 9 year old seems to enjoy her filet more than anyone else.  Looking ahead to this summer we are thinking Italian, little more relaxed, little more fun.

Three NCL cruises under our belt.  Two on Getaway. Would happily sail Getaway again and again.  Just cancelled Jewel on a Southbound for this summer.  Booked a repo on Disney Wonder for February 2020, and another Alaska and a Disney trip just wasn't in the cards.  Booked Carnival Magic as a replacement for August earlier today however as a replacement.

We did Legend to Alaska in August 2017.  Part of the reason was price, part that it hit Glacier Bay.  The ship layout is wonderful, the decor reminded us of the old downtown Vegas casinos.  Love Vegas, but that isn't a compliment. If you get the intinerary you want at the price you want go for it. 

Four of our last five cruises have been out of Miami.  Each time we have flown in to FLL using eithe Southwest or Jetblue.  Lots of different shuttle companies that will take you directly from the airport or the surrounding hotels to the Port of Miami.  We pretty much just use SAS at this point but finding what works for you becomes part of the fun.  

As long as you go in prepared there is no reason not to have a blast.  Our first trip in 2010 was multi-generational like yours.  Our youngest had just turned 2.  Grandpa was in the connecting room so the kids could run back and forth (and they did that up to a couple of years ago when his health reached the point where travel wasn't an option).  Balcony helps for nap time, so good job there.  Dinner depends upon the child.  We went in with an iPad loaded with games and videos for her to watch, basically things to keep her distracted.  Consider it like the plane trip and how you plan to keep them occupied. If the expectation is that they will sit silently and behave, well good luck since there are adults who can't manage that feat.  

Now what we did on those first few trips are dramatcialy different then what we did on our last one, and what we are planning for our next one.  We would never trade the memories or the great times we had if that helps. There are lots of things to do, just go in with expectations set appropriately (both for the children and parents).  

On 12/27/2018 at 11:44 AM, ctsharpie05 said:

. . .  and CVS/Walgreens was right down the road. 

 . . . . . and I was going to say exactly this.  Because we all know from first hand experience that you have forgotten something. 

On the last day,  esp mid afternoon from our experience there may be opportunities for whale sightings from the ship.  We had probably 90 min of whale after whale, including a breach maybe 30 metres off our balcony.  That was pure luck,  but it was one of the highlights of  the trip and ranked up there with the bubble feeding we saw on our whale watch in Juneau. 

First off love the Wonder.  Third cruise on her is booked for Feb 2020.  First cruise, first love. We will keep going back to her. 

If the youngest is going to be 2 at the time of the cruise you will have limited access to Oceanear's club, in fact pretty much any club on any cruise line.  That changes what you end up doing. Given the age you will also likely be dealing with nap time.  Advice: GET A BALCONY.  Youngest can nap, adult can sit on balcony and watch the world go by.  We spent more time on our balcony during our Alaska cruise then we did on our 8 previous cruises combined. Remember as well you are likely not going to be using the pool much.  So nice ship with balcony should be priority.  

As Budget Queen said kids have a way of adapting.  As the kids have gotten older we have gone further, explored more, seen more, and tried more.  We got did Alaska on Carnival Legend, as we were getting off they asked if we could just get back on her again.  And that is a ship that looks like the 1970's vomited all over it.    We have NCL Jewel (southbound) booked for next August but are reconsidering and looking at Royal Princess (but considering connecting insides, which given the ages of our kids now (15 and 11) becomes more of an option just for the extra space).

If you want to have your feet on the ground and walk up to or near a glacier two things immediately come to mind.  

1)  Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau - you can book a tour on the ship or in port.  Lots of trails and you can get pretty close. We did this August 2017 as part of a combo with a whale watch.  Downside is we didn't get enough time  and would have like to spend more time on the trails.  Juneau was our first stop so Mendenhall was our first taste of ice until we got to Glacier Bay.

2) Exit Glacier in Seward - Of course that requires booking a cruise that starts or ends in Seward.  There are tours that are run to the glacier.  You could also look at doing the hike up to along the Harding Ice Field Trail.  That is what I am trying to figure out how to incorporate in to our plans for next year.

You will go through U.S. Customs before getting to your gate, effectively making your international flight a domestic one.  That can go smoothly, and at times not so much.  In peak travel periods around holidays give yourself a bit more time.

Love DCL. Wonder was our first ship, and will always be our first love. But the way DCL prices have gone since 2010, and given that we limited as to when we can cruise (DW is a teacher), the fact that we can do multiple vacations for the price of a single DCL cruise made us start to look in other directions. And we are glad we did.

Based upon the ship selection I assume you are doing a one way either North or South to get maximum Alaska. Honestly if you are that concerned about the kids being bored then you need to look towards one of the new ships. Our first non-DCL was NCL Dawn to Bermuda. Didn't like the ship, loved the overall cruise experience (it was Bermuda). Next non-DCL was NCL Getaway. Honestly the only ship I think we have enjoyed more was the Fantasy. Loved it so much we did it in 2014 and '15 (and had it booked for this week but DD14 started high school orientation). NCL has Bliss and Joy running out of Seattle doing RT. Royal has Ovation but the itinerary in my mind isn't as good as what NCL has. Royal Princess will be doing the North/South run from Vancouver and Whittier. They will look pretty and have all the bells and whistles. If they don't keep the kids interested feed them to a bear on one of the stops :)

Personally we did Carnival Legend last summer with one of the few Glacier Bay intineraries they had. The ship looked like the love child of a '70's era Vegas casino and a cruise ship, but honestly it was one of the most amazing family vacations we have taken. DD's were 9 and 13 and were asking when we could go back when we were getting off the ship. Turns out the answer is summer 2019. We have Jewel booked late August doing the southbound itinerary. Plan is to spend a couple of days in Anchorage and Seward precruise, couple in Vancouver post. Can't wait.

Just a warning. Once you do it the first time you will want to go back. You quickly realize there is so much more to see and do than you have time for in one trip. Did our first last August (RT from Seattle). Booked a North - South run for August 2019 last week.