OUCH it hurts my pocketbook!

[alise007]

OK so now we are a family of 4. No more lap kids after April.

 

TRYING to find a way to stomach the cost of our 2011 Alaskan Cruise.

 

I have an aunt coming with us and she will be rooming with the 2 kiddos (3 and 5 at time of sailing)

 

1 balcony, 1 oceanview room (with 3 ppl) plus airfare from Charlotte - 1 way to Vancouver, 1 way to CLT from ANC

 

we are looking at over 8K and that doesn't include excursions and land portions in Vancouver/Kenai-Anchorage! I can use Hilton pts to cover some hotel nights before and after but food, transportation, souvenirs, activities

and we are looking at prob 10K for the approx 11-12 day trip!

 

I am having a very difficult time swallowing those figures! Our 2 wk honeymoon to Australia didn't cost that much! I am starting to think we should just fly to Seattle and drive to Vancouver/Victoria and spend a week there. We did a May 2005 Inside Passage cruise before kids-aka the baby makin cruise! Didn't actually happen then but that was our last big trip before DS the following May! ;) We thoroughly loved the cruise and Pacific Northwest!

 

We might be able to use FF miles for 2 people saving us ~$1600-1800. But even then OUCH. Am I just clueless as to how much vacations really cost?

 

I miss the old days with FF paying for everyone flying, No extra baggage fee costs, free hotels with award points, smallest (cheapest) rental car available (because you don't need to haul a stroller and even more passengers/baggage)... I want my kids to have great experiences and see the world but c'mon!

 

Someone convince me it is worth it! We can't do cheaper sun/fun cruises because the pale red heads burst into flames! So we are left with New England/Canada or Alaskan Cruises. Our last 2 big vacations were Ottawa and then Montreal/Quebec City so really looking forward to returning to Vancouver.

[poppan]

Ouch! That sounds pretty high to me. The airfare is killing you! $800-900 per person?

 

$10K for 11-12 days would be too rich for me... even if I could afford it comfortably, I don't think I'd do it. Not sure a land trip would cost you much less though... unless the airfare goes down by a LOT by flying in/out of Seattle instead.

 

Also want to add that my parents took me to a lot of places when I was a kid, they too wanted me to "see the world" -- but very honestly, the first trip I have any worthwhile memories of was around age 8. I have vague memories of Japan at age 6 (the memories being, some kind of deer at a park stealing my corn dog, and a chunk of volcanic rock floating in the toilet bowl -- I think my dad put it there to show me it would float -- not sure why the sink was not used instead). Slightly better recall at age 7 in Athens, Greece -- I remember my red hat and some stray kittens. Not sure if your kids would be the same way, but if so, maybe you should save the money to take them places when they are a bit older. At 3 and 5, they are just as happy on a road trip. It's all new to them anyway, and the important thing is the quality time you get to spend with them.

[broberts]

If timing is flexible consider May or September. Alaska fares are at their most reasonable then.

 

Consider buying lots of water proof spray on sunscreen & aloe and wearing long sleeve shirts, pants and big hats. Some nice itineraries out of Charlotte.

[Midge8]

I would save my money for now, at there ages it's all about memories for you not them. Save the trip until they are over 10. Instead I would look at a road trip, hit some scince centers, kids musuems, go whale watching, dig for dimonds. Go visit the national parks.

 

We do a big family vacation about every 3-4 years ( once the oldest was over 8).

Our first one was to Disney for a week ( cost about 4,000 for a family of 7) and the then 3yo remembers nothing, then the next one we bought a pool for the house instead, the next one is 12 days from now a cruise out of Miami ( projected cost 7,000 for a family of 8 and we are driving to Miami) my 3yo will remember nothing, the 9 yo more ( with the help of pictures), my 11 and 13 yo alot more, and for my 16 and 18 yo this will be the family vacation they remember forever. And the oldest two are the reason we are doing it.

[boulders]

I went to Alaska this past summer with 3 kids. Shore excursions can be pricey - $500 pp. We only went because there were great deals on Alaskan cruises last year. I keep my mind open with regards to destination and cruiseline and book when I see something I like. I also keep my mind open that there will be a better deal that comes along. ;)

 

Are you looking at Disney cruises? They're the only ones with itineraries open for 2011. They're also very expensive.

 

It would be much less expensive to take a cruise out of FL. We have red hair in our family - we use hats and sunscreen too. When my older kids were little, our vacations were WDW or other kid-friendly destinations. Unless you have a burning desire to visit Alaska NOW, I'd look into something closer to home.

[Essiesmom]

I would wait until all of the cruiselines have their itineraries open. Maybe you will have to downgrade your cabin selection. Also suspect Carnival will be MUCH more reasonable. EM

[Kerry's Girls]

I just took my twin 5 year olds on a 12 day Med cruise on the NCL Jade for about that much. Especially with the economy in such a state, I'm sure you'll find better deals as the timing gets closer. I also agree with those who suggest timing your cruise at the beginning or end of the season when prices are less. Being flexible can really bring the cost down (I had no plans to cruise the Med at this point, but it ended up being less expensive than doing Alaska, so off we went!)

 

Best,

Mia

[Angeleyes1382]

I'm not sure Alaska is the best idea right now. Alaska has instated a $46 per person per port fee for cruise passengers. The response from the cruise lines has been to decrease the amount of cruises they take to Alaska or remove them completely from their itenerary. This in turn has caused the price of an Alaskan cruise to go up in price. I'd wait until all this sorts itself out before making any plans.

 

As many PP have said you children are not at an age where they are going to remember much from the cruise. I'd wait until they are a little older and are able to have more of a lasting memory of it and they're able to enjoy more because they'll be able to do more. I'm very fair skinned and burn easily, but I've found that sunscreen works really well and protective clothing that is UVB rated 50+ is an excellent way to avoid becoming a lobster. It might be worth looking into.

[VeggieCruzer]

That seems about right. We're a family of 6 and not even taking a plane for our next cruise and it'll be about 4K for just the cruise. That's not counting tips, purchases or excursions.

 

I know what you mean about it stinging. DH and I went to Bali for 2.5 weeks for about 5K and that included 2500 in airfare alone. It just costs so much more once kids are involved.

[alise007]

The Sun is a huge factor and we do plenty of sunscreen but also the HEAT just gets to them as well--bright red cheeks! poor things

 

I am looking at the last week of May and using this year's prices as a guide for Royal Carib. and airfare.

 

We do TONS of stuff near home as is. The almost 2 yr old doesn't remember much but my 3 1/2 year old still remembers --plus they also see a lot of our travel pictures and we still talk about it. He is really learning his geography and loves animals! We have a science center membership! Take lots of road trips, weekend getaways (we have season tix to UVA football so a lot of fall wknds involve short escapes and we usually incorporate a kid friendly stop-animal park, train museum, caverns etc..lots of things around Charlottesvilles/Shenandoah Valley)

 

I guess we have their expectations set sorta high! When I pick up my son from daycare he wants to know where we are going! BUT I love that he is so curious and loves new things like his parents!

 

We are going to San Diego in September but airfare is less than $300/pp and I have 8 nts free with HHonors! Much easier to stomach!

 

I can fly rt to Seattle pretty cheap but the trip from ANC still pricey. Looks like going to Vancouver Island for week and renting a 2bd/2ba condo in Victoria for 1K/wk with ferry service from Seattle and 250-300/airfare is much better on the stomach. We can see seals, whales and if we drive to the north end--bears! Spend a few days in Vancouver and take the train back down. Just miss out on glaciers, dog sledding and being pampered!

[onthelake]

Have to agree with other folks - Alaska may not be your best choice. The weather can be really iffy - overcast, rain, etc. Excursions like whale watching are quite expensive. What is it you really want out of the cruise? What will make everyone happy? You may find another itinerary makes more sense.

 

If Alaska is the ultimate choice, you might check on rt air on Southwest Airlines to Seattle (cheap fares and no baggage fees) and look at flying from Anchorage to Seattle one-way. There are a number of options to get from Seattle to Vancouver - or you can book with a cruise line sailing out of Seattle to Alaska. Bon Voyage!

[mary_228]

Haven't been to AK for cruising but I have heard from my DD that the shore excursions aren't anything the kids would particularly enjoy. Any chance you could pay your aunt to watch them at home? Then she'd have the money to take the trip on her own and you would probably really enjoy the cruise!;) The only reason we've taken our kids on so many cruises when they were younger is that we had noone to watch them for us!

[notentirelynormal]

Have to agree with other folks - Alaska may not be your best choice. The weather can be really iffy - overcast, rain, etc. Excursions like whale watching are quite expensive. What is it you really want out of the cruise? What will make everyone happy? You may find another itinerary makes more sense.

 

If Alaska is the ultimate choice, you might check on rt air on Southwest Airlines to Seattle (cheap fares and no baggage fees) and look at flying from Anchorage to Seattle one-way. There are a number of options to get from Seattle to Vancouver - or you can book with a cruise line sailing out of Seattle to Alaska. Bon Voyage!

 

Depending on the port, they had great excursions for kids: the lumberjack show and panning for gold jump to mind.

 

Cruises have been our family vacation for the past 25 years and my kids do remember. My 4 YO grandson can't wait for his next cruise. Last year we were heading up the coast to Vancouver and I asked him if he was excited to be on the cruise, and he told me "grandma, we'll be on a cruise when we get to Australia". He was only 3 on that one and he still talks about it. Like anything, there are many things to consider. For me, not taking the kids would bother me. Yes, the cost is high. I'm spending a snmall fortune on our cruise to the Caribbean in March. I could probably buy a small new car for the same price, but for me the memories mean so much more.

[alise007]

Depending on the port, they had great excursions for kids: the lumberjack show and panning for gold jump to mind.

 

Cruises have been our family vacation for the past 25 years and my kids do remember. My 4 YO grandson can't wait for his next cruise. Last year we were heading up the coast to Vancouver and I asked him if he was excited to be on the cruise, and he told me "grandma, we'll be on a cruise when we get to Australia". He was only 3 on that one and he still talks about it. Like anything, there are many things to consider. For me, not taking the kids would bother me. Yes, the cost is high. I'm spending a snmall fortune on our cruise to the Caribbean in March. I could probably buy a small new car for the same price, but for me the memories mean so much more.

 

I would think my kids would love all the things we did last time on our Alaskan cruise! Dogsledding in the yukon, whale watching, helicopter ride, trains etc... they are quite adventurous!

 

I love the idea of RT Seattle and then flying back from ANC to Seattle. I bet that is significantly cheaper than ANC to CLT! Seattle flights are quite reasonable. Thanks for the great idea!

 

Not entirely Normal --Your grandson sounds like my boy!

 

As far as leaving my aunt home--this is a "present" (at least the room part) because of all her help for us with the kids. She doesn't have anyone else to travel with her and she deserves a NICE vacation because she hasn't had one in 10+ yrs since my Uncle died. I would not make her take a trip she has dreamed about on her own. My in laws are also wanting to come with but I won't rely on them to make a decision til the last minute!

[Onessa]

Bite the bullet and take a real vacation (check out destinations other than AK if you'd like but do it).

1. As a fellow red-head I'll tell you that it doesn't matter how much protective gear and sunscreen I wear, I'm be miserable in almost anything above 80 degrees F.
   
2. Cruise round-trip and off-season to get the prices down. RT airfares are much better. Off-season - Like Mia, my family has done Med cruises the past three years over TGiving, because they are so darn affordable.
   
3. Kids may not retain a lot of specific memories of family vacations taken when they are very young, but the kids benefit from your undivided attention and family time.
   When my DD was 4YO we did a land trip across Italy. Last year (when she was 14YO) we were back in Florence for the first time since then and she immediately wanted to find the market "with the statue of the pig" -- DH and I had no clue until we asked the bus driver and he replied that yes there was a market with with bronze statues of animals that you could "pet" for good luck -- DD remembered it from nine years earlier even though we did not remember until we saw it again.
   

[alise007]

Bite the bullet and take a real vacation (check out destinations other than AK if you'd like but do it).

1. As a fellow red-head I'll tell you that it doesn't matter how much protective gear and sunscreen I wear, I'm be miserable in almost anything above 80 degrees F.
   
2. Cruise round-trip and off-season to get the prices down. RT airfares are much better. Off-season - Like Mia, my family has done Med cruises the past three years over TGiving, because they are so darn affordable.
   
3. Kids may not retain a lot of specific memories of family vacations taken when they are very young, but the kids benefit from your undivided attention and family time.
   When my DD was 4YO we did a land trip across Italy. Last year (when she was 14YO) we were back in Florence for the first time since then and she immediately wanted to find the market "with the statue of the pig" -- DH and I had no clue until we asked the bus driver and he replied that yes there was a market with with bronze statues of animals that you could "pet" for good luck -- DD remembered it from nine years earlier even though we did not remember until we saw it again.
   

 

I am glad you know what it is like with the heat/sun thing! We live 1 hr from the NC mountains btw Boone and Charlotte and pretty much avoid the outdoors all summer til the sun is almost down! We tolerated the summers much better in Pittsburgh! Our kids don't mind the winter fortunately! I keep joking that we need to stick with indoor sports and hobbies. Martial Arts, Piano lessons, gymnastics etc...and vacation in the opposite places of most people we know!

 

We planned our wedding/honeymoon around the weather in Australia (their spring!) Most folks take for granted sunscreen and protective covering but EVEN with all that my little ones still burn. It is not worth a future of skin cancer. I have several free beach houses at my disposal between Tybee and St Simons Island that we can't ever truly enjoy.

[epixx]

OK so now we are a family of 4. No more lap kids after April.

 

TRYING to find a way to stomach the cost of our 2011 Alaskan Cruise.

 

I have an aunt coming with us and she will be rooming with the 2 kiddos (3 and 5 at time of sailing)

 

1 balcony, 1 oceanview room (with 3 ppl) plus airfare from Charlotte - 1 way to Vancouver, 1 way to CLT from ANC

 

we are looking at over 8K and that doesn't include excursions and land portions in Vancouver/Kenai-Anchorage! I can use Hilton pts to cover some hotel nights before and after but food, transportation, souvenirs, activities

and we are looking at prob 10K for the approx 11-12 day trip!

 

I am having a very difficult time swallowing those figures! Our 2 wk honeymoon to Australia didn't cost that much! I am starting to think we should just fly to Seattle and drive to Vancouver/Victoria and spend a week there. We did a May 2005 Inside Passage cruise before kids-aka the baby makin cruise! Didn't actually happen then but that was our last big trip before DS the following May! ;) We thoroughly loved the cruise and Pacific Northwest!

 

We might be able to use FF miles for 2 people saving us ~$1600-1800. But even then OUCH. Am I just clueless as to how much vacations really cost?

 

I miss the old days with FF paying for everyone flying, No extra baggage fee costs, free hotels with award points, smallest (cheapest) rental car available (because you don't need to haul a stroller and even more passengers/baggage)... I want my kids to have great experiences and see the world but c'mon!

 

Someone convince me it is worth it! We can't do cheaper sun/fun cruises because the pale red heads burst into flames! So we are left with New England/Canada or Alaskan Cruises. Our last 2 big vacations were Ottawa and then Montreal/Quebec City so really looking forward to returning to Vancouver.

 

Why not reconsider Canada/New England? Check out the RCI ship that departs from Baltimore, which would be a long (9 hour) but pleasant drive from your home. The itinerary does not include Ottawa, Montreal, or Quebec but does include some other interesting ports (Boston, Bar Harbor, Portland, etc.)

[alise007]

Why not reconsider Canada/New England? Check out the RCI ship that departs from Baltimore, which would be a long (9 hour) but pleasant drive from your home. The itinerary does not include Ottawa, Montreal, or Quebec but does include some other interesting ports (Boston, Bar Harbor, Portland, etc.)

 

That is another option for us! We can fly to NY or Boston pretty cheap RT just spent our last 2 vacations up that way (Ottawa and then Quebec) but it is on our radar. Airfare portion is cheaper but cruise prices are pretty even!

[Smithkids5521]

Maybe consider a shorter cruise? 11 days sounds like a long time for a 3 and 5 yo... do they offer 7 day? This would get the costs down also...

[alise007]

Maybe consider a shorter cruise? 11 days sounds like a long time for a 3 and 5 yo... do they offer 7 day? This would get the costs down also...

 

The cruise portion is only 7 days but with the cost of airfare it is best to add some days on the land side to enjoy the surrounding area (I can use hotel points). Getting there is part of the biggest expense/time consuming and they do well with the travel. Have been on several week + trips already. The trip this past summer was 10 nights. In the long run it is cheaper to enjoy the city if we already had to spend the $ to get there. Does that make sense?

 

Just curious if other families find the price tag that high to fly trancontinental plus cruise or what they do instead to save $ but still get what they want!

[Citizen Jane]

If one of your kids is under age 3 (which it sounds like) even after April think about driving to Disney instead. Get some serious sunscreen. No pool action without UV suits especially between 10:00 and 3:00. Have some fun. For the amount of money you are talking about you could stay concierge at the Grand Floridian or Polynesian for at least a week (and your youngest would get into the parks and eat EVERYWHERE free if still under age 3).

 

But, if you are set on cruising...I'd still think about waiting on Alaska until they are older. Think about how much more bang for your buck you can get elsewhere (and with less hassle).

 

I'll echo Poppan and say that I have fleeting memories of my youth...one of the earliest is from North Carolina when my Dad was in grad school. For my 4th or 5th birthday we went to Raleigh to see the full Barnum and Bailey Circus with 3 rings. What did my friends and I enjoy that I remember the most? The elephant pooping right in front of us.

 

Aah. Good times, LOL.

[Smithkids5521]

The cruise portion is only 7 days but with the cost of airfare it is best to add some days on the land side to enjoy the surrounding area (I can use hotel points). Getting there is part of the biggest expense/time consuming and they do well with the travel. Have been on several week + trips already. The trip this past summer was 10 nights. In the long run it is cheaper to enjoy the city if we already had to spend the $ to get there. Does that make sense?

 

Just curious if other families find the price tag that high to fly trancontinental plus cruise or what they do instead to save $ but still get what they want!

 

Ahhh, I see now. Well, what we do for our vacations (and this is not good for everyone) is that when we plan so far in advance- I find a good credit card that has no interest and a great rewards program. Then I start using that credit card for everything under the sun- but only for the purchases I would have normally made using my debit card (stuff like grocery stores, gas, household supplies from Walmart or Target, etc). I rack up the reward points by charging things to the credit card- but pay it off immediately since I have the money in my bank account. By the time my trip arrives, I use the reward points toward my vacation.

 

For example- our trip to WDW- we had 9 months from when I booked it till our trip date. In the 9 months I racked up enough points to pay for our meals with the characters (we did 3 different ones) plus all of our souvenirs.

 

The items I charged were all items I would have paid for out of my checking account anyway via debit card, so instead I used my friendly Disney Visa- paid it off every Friday and then cashed in my Disney Rewards card.

 

You could do the same sort of thing with a card that gives air miles... by the time 2011 rolls around you may just have all the airfare covered (or most of it anyway).

 

Take care :)

[A&Emom]

I feel your pain. We took our 2yo & 6yo to Alaska last summer and even getting a great deal on our cruise it was a $10k trip. And worth every penny.

 

My 2yo may not remember much, but my 6yo certainly does. She talks about her trip all the time. Just ask her teachers:rolleyes:. We used coupon books which helped save a lot on the excursions. I let my husband and daughter do the more adventurous/expensive ones, while my 2yo son and I walked around or took nature tours.

 

My 6yo has her own album of photos from the trip. She's look at it so much the cover has fallen off. She's still thrilled to death about getting to walk on a glacier and perks up anytime Alaska is mentioned. I say if you can afford it do it now while you can. None of us knows what tomorrow will bring. Even if they don't remember the trip, they'll have a ball. And you can do the remembering for them.

[dreaminofsun]

My neighbours husband just passed away suddenly at the age of 39. They have 3 kids. I'm sure she would say, make the memories now while you can!

[alise007]

My neighbours husband just passed away suddenly at the age of 39. They have 3 kids. I'm sure she would say, make the memories now while you can!

 

So true. My mom died at 38 from breast cancer. I have 2 years to go and I will hopefully make it to 38. Now that I have kids--there isn't a week that goes by without me wondering if something would happen to me or their Dad and leave them without a parent. It has been over 20 yrs without her. I still remember thinking how sad it was that she never got to NYC or Italy like she always wanted.