alaska cruise

[montrealmaria]

Hi, we are a family of 5 - 2 adults and our sons aged 17,15 and 12.

We are planning a cruise to Alaska for julyn 2008 but there is so much info, I am having a hard time deciding. We are from Montreal, Canada.

1. Which cruise is most recommended with keeping in mind a family budget and value. I was thinking of taking 1 balcony and 1 inside cabin.

2. I am not sure if we should do the north or south bound cruise. Either way we a are planning to exted our cruise to either 1 extra week in Vancouver or 1 extra week in Alaska. We can do the extra week either before or after the cruise.

3. If I stay the extra week in Alaska, would I have enough to do to keep teenagers interested in Alaska?

Your help is so appreciated!! We have sailed as a family with Carnival and Royal Carribbean to the Carribbeans but this will be our 1st trip to Alaska.

Thanks everyone!

Maria

[cjnky]

1. Which cruise is most recommended with keeping in mind a family budget and value. I was thinking of taking 1 balcony and 1 inside cabin.

 

I think you have a great idea combining a balcony and inside. Princess and HAL have the most experience with AK, and I don't think you could do wrong with either. I can definitely recommend the Coral Princess with the great Naturalist they have to keep you informed of what's outside your balcony!

 

2. I am not sure if we should do the north or south bound cruise. Either way we a are planning to exted our cruise to either 1 extra week in Vancouver or 1 extra week in Alaska. We can do the extra week either before or after the cruise.

 

There are advantages to both (as I'm sure others will soon chime in here and tell you). We went northbound and enjoyed getting more excited with each day's sailing.

 

3. If I stay the extra week in Alaska, would I have enough to do to keep teenagers interested in Alaska?

 

EASY answer to that one!! You're only problem there will be eliminating enough things to limit yourself to a week! I think teens would be much easier to travel with than younger ones to AK.

[Sunshine Gal]

Hi, we are a family of 5 - 2 adults and our sons aged 17,15 and 12.

We are planning a cruise to Alaska for julyn 2008 but there is so much info, I am having a hard time deciding. We are from Montreal, Canada.

1. Which cruise is most recommended with keeping in mind a family budget and value. I was thinking of taking 1 balcony and 1 inside cabin.

2. I am not sure if we should do the north or south bound cruise. Either way we a are planning to exted our cruise to either 1 extra week in Vancouver or 1 extra week in Alaska. We can do the extra week either before or after the cruise.

3. If I stay the extra week in Alaska, would I have enough to do to keep teenagers interested in Alaska?

Your help is so appreciated!! We have sailed as a family with Carnival and Royal Carribbean to the Carribbeans but this will be our 1st trip to Alaska.

Thanks everyone!

Maria

 

Hi Maria,

 

My opinions for some of your questions.

 

1. For a cruise line, as mentioned above, Princess and HAL do a great job in Alaska. My choice would be one of the Princess ships for an Alaskan cruise. Do a lot of research before considering the Celebrity Millennium or Infinity because of their recurring propulsion problems.

 

2. As to whether to cruise north or south there are advantages to both. Going north every day the scenery will get better and better. Going south you may be weary of traveling around Alaska (but very exhilarated from the fantastic scenery) and ending with the cruise, is a time to just kick back and relax. That said, most of our cruises have been northbound but both are always great.

 

3. Staying for a week in Alaska is the only choice that I would consider. Vancouver is a beautiful city and if you can spend a day or two there would be great, but Alaska is where the truly great experience of the last frontier is. Since there are five of you there would be a tremendous cost saving in renting a mini van or van and driving on you own in Alaska. Denali is an easy day's drive from Anchorage and there is much to do in that area.

 

Hope this helps.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I have to agree with the other posters that if you have an extra week to spend, spend it in Alaska! There's so much to do and see that you can't possibly fit it all into a week (or a month for that matter!).

 

We've sailed both northbound and southbound and preferred the southbound cruise. We spent a few days pre-cruise and would have loved to have had more time. :)

 

As far as ships, we sailed the Carnival Spirit on both of our Alaska cruises and it's a great ship for a family. Since you've cruised Carnival before, you know that it's a good value as well. In addition, the Spirit has a great naturalist.

 

Have fun planning!

Jayne

[Budget Queen]

I have sailed in both directions and favor southbound for the excellent inside Vancouver scenic sailing- "weary" is never a description used by me.

 

 

I too suggest a one week add on in Alaska, take advantage of being there. Include the kids in the planning, a RV would offer a wonderful experience and would probably be cheaper compared to 2 hotel rooms. Having that ready bathroom and fridge would also be a great bonus. :)

 

 

For wildlife highlights, consider including Denali park- at least 2 nights and the shuttle to at least Fish Creek, and Seward- excellent varied wildlife opportunity is a Kenai Fjords boat tour, plus much more to also consider. Head to your library, take out Alaska travel books, Fodor's Alaska and Frommer's Alaska are especially good, also The MILEPOST.

[Sunshine Gal]

I have sailed in both directions and favor southbound for the excellent inside Vancouver scenic sailing- "weary" is never a description used by me.

 

Hi BQ,

 

Point well taken, about my horrible choice of the word "weary", in my post above, when describing my trips to Alaska. What I meant to say was that after the hustle and bustle of any land tour in Alaska, be it private or using a tour, I tend to get tired from the go,go,go but have returned to Alaska almost every year for many years because I just can't get enough of it.

Using "weary" in the proper context, I do get weary from that long flight from the east coast to Anchorage!

Thanks BQ, from a lot of us for all of the good advice that you have posted over the years about Alaska.

[Budget Queen]

Hi BQ,

 

Point well taken, about my horrible choice of the word "weary", in my post above, when describing my trips to Alaska. What I meant to say was that after the hustle and bustle of any land tour in Alaska, be it private or using a tour, I tend to get tired from the go,go,go but have returned to Alaska almost every year for many years because I just can't get enough of it.

Using "weary" in the proper context, I do get weary from that long flight from the east coast to Anchorage!

Thanks BQ, from a lot of us for all of the good advice that you have posted over the years about Alaska.

 

If I may also add- I am never on the "go go go" on any interior Alaska touring. I strongly advocate good planning and avoiding this at all costs. Go for as long as you can afford and do your homework, especially with "tours" of the interior. Know everything about your purchase, and be sure you understand distances and time necessary. Sadly many people do not.

[rhsjr]

I believe HAL reserves all Balconys for their tour packages.:eek:

[Sunshine Gal]

If I may also add- I am never on the "go go go" on any interior Alaska touring. I strongly advocate good planning and avoiding this at all costs. Go for as long as you can afford and do your homework, especially with "tours" of the interior. Know everything about your purchase, and be sure you understand distances and time necessary. Sadly many people do not.

 

BQ, I guess to each his/her own on that one! I spend a lot of money to go to Alaska and want to see as much as possible every time I go. Doing your homework is just common sense and everyone should take time to do it. For me it would be like if I was a kid, and going to Disneyland and then tell me to take it easy and don't do too much. Each of us should approach a vacation in our own way and I don't think you can pigeon hole everyone into the same group.

 

Speaking of ship's tours, I always rent a car on go on my own because of the constant rush of tours with "have your bags out in the hallway at 6:00am" and "be on the buss at 8:00am", etc. When I rent a car in Alaska, I can travel at my own pace and not according to someone elses schedule. While this works for me it may not work for others.

[Chat Noir]

I second the recommendation for RV in Alaska pre/post cruise. In addition to the onboard 'amenities' (restroom, beds, fridge, microwave, etc.) there is much more leg-room/elbow-room for those long-legged teenage boys!:) The table is wonderful to have for a games/cards while traveling. Our food bill was much less than had we been dining out for every meal, yet I only used the microwave for cooking very easy meals. We did have campfire cooking at Denali... always something fun to do.

 

Our teenagers (boys) really enjoyed the Sapphire Princess best of the two ships they've sailed in Alaska. While they are scenery-watchers like us, to an extent, they did enjoy several of the many different entertainment options on board. Princess (as well as most other cruiselines) does offer nice one-way itineraries with 2 glacier sailings ... a must, in my opinion, for first time Alaskan cruisers.

[Budget Queen]

BQ, I guess to each his/her own on that one! I spend a lot of money to go to Alaska and want to see as much as possible every time I go. Doing your homework is just common sense and everyone should take time to do it. For me it would be like if I was a kid, and going to Disneyland and then tell me to take it easy and don't do too much. Each of us should approach a vacation in our own way and I don't think you can pigeon hole everyone into the same group.

 

Speaking of ship's tours, I always rent a car on go on my own because of the constant rush of tours with "have your bags out in the hallway at 6:00am" and "be on the buss at 8:00am", etc. When I rent a car in Alaska, I can travel at my own pace and not according to someone elses schedule. While this works for me it may not work for others.

 

My point is with the marathon trips. I certainly am NOT sitting on a bench doing nothing for days on end in Alaska, :) every day is filled with activities and tours. I see over and over the rush of short cruisetours, I get emails every day with people planning one day in Denali Park and not considering the 2 transit days- get questions if they can do Denali park from disembarking their ship and flying out that night, actually quite frequently. So my overall point is to have time to enjoy the excellent activites in Alaska. Some planning overlooks this.

 

As for my frequent posts on homework- again, some may think that cruisetours require none, as "everything is taken care of". The differences- as I'm sure you know are considerable and this board does have all the accurate information that a lot of sources do not. So it is not a given everyone considers it necessary to it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Have also gone both directions.

 

JMO - but I would stay over in Alaska at the end of the cruise.