d4sunrise Posted March 1, 2008 #1 Share Posted March 1, 2008 We are now looking at Alaska cruises. We have an DS 8 and DD 11 and as we live near Seattle, we thought we would look into a cruise that leaves from here. We would be taking the kids out of school in May to go... Soooo here are some questions for you seasoned cruisers! Here are the ships that go out of Seattle (Golden Princess, NCL Pearl or Star, RCCL RH. of Seas, HAL, Celebrity) My kids are pool-aholics..we are looking for a ship with a pool that we can still swim in even in Alaska...?? Kid Friendly--best program for kids? Do you think that going in May that there will be many other kids? Any other input is great apprciated!! many thanks Dawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mousecrazy Posted March 1, 2008 #2 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Based on our experience on the NCL Star on May 21, 2005...there won't be a whole bunch of kids. The Kids Crew area usually had around 4-6 kids per age group at a time. Sometimes even fewer. There were probably only 75 kids on the entire ship. The next week, however, was Memorial Day week and I remember one of the counselors saying they were expecting 300 for that week. My kids (5 and 8) loved the Kids Crew on the NCL Star. They have a great kids pool area, but it's all outdoors and there is no indoor pool. However, ds swam (the water is heated) while docked in Ketchikan and several other times during the week. I've also sailed on HAL but without kids. The average age on HAL when school is in session, such as May, will be pretty high. The onboard activites might not appeal to you as a family. Based on my experience, I wouldn't recommend it for kids. I really don't mean to slam HAL; it's just that they cater to an older, more discerning crowd. The only other comment I have is to check the itineraries closely. Make sure you get a good glacier viewing day because in May, the water may be too iced over to get to the Sawyer Glacier. Hubbard and Glacier Bay are your best bets. Both are spectacular with Glacier Bay being the most popular. Also, check the times in port because some of the ships have very limited port times and this really limits your time to experience Alaska. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terpnut Posted March 1, 2008 #3 Share Posted March 1, 2008 We are now looking at Alaska cruises. We have an DS 8 and DD 11 and as we live near Seattle, we thought we would look into a cruise that leaves from here. We would be taking the kids out of school in May to go...Soooo here are some questions for you seasoned cruisers! Here are the ships that go out of Seattle (Golden Princess, NCL Pearl or Star, RCCL RH. of Seas, HAL, Celebrity) My kids are pool-aholics..we are looking for a ship with a pool that we can still swim in even in Alaska...?? Kid Friendly--best program for kids? Do you think that going in May that there will be many other kids? Any other input is great apprciated!! many thanks Dawn For the most part, I'd forget about the pool. It will usually be too cold outside to swim. And, while some of the ships do have indoor solariums that are normally adults-only but for Alaska only, they set aside "family hours", access is fairly limited. I recommend you talk with the kids about the natural wonders of Alaska and deemphasize any "sun and fun" aspects. All the cruise lines have great kids' programs but we're big fans of Royal Caribbean. When we went in August 2006, there were approximately 450 kids out of 2500 passengers. By going in May, you will definitely have fewer kids than during peak season (June-August). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailinglisa Posted March 1, 2008 #4 Share Posted March 1, 2008 The Golden Princess has a covered pool and on cool days it is a godsend for those with kids who just can't not swim. Princess has a great kids program, but your kids will be in different groups. For some parents that is a problem, but I truly believe that siblings do well apart from each other at times, no matter how close they are. They are individuals and need time and space to express that individuality. Princess also has traditional dining (fixed early and late seatings with the same table and same wait staff) and Anytime dining......eat when you want, but there are some compromises to be made with this option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeccalouise Posted March 1, 2008 #5 Share Posted March 1, 2008 I have sailed all the lines. Did Princess twice and NCL twice. All were great experiences. Youth programs on both lines are good. I would probably opt for the Golden Princess if pools are a priority. The pools are freshwater on Princess and Holland America (salt on all the others). My son hates saltwater pools. Celebrity is my favorite line but I don't know if the kids are ever allowed in the indoor pool. Even if they are... its not a traditional pool. Its a therapy pool with a swim against the current feature. Not a regular pool. I don't know if Celebrity heats the outdoor pools in Alaska. NCL does heat the outdoor pools. I did use the pool often the year we went in July but only used the hot tubs in May on both Princess and NCL. I think your kids might get more out of the experience if you went after school lets out. It might be a bit more but I think overall you'll enjoy the trip more. Was chilly on my two May trips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShelbysMom Posted March 1, 2008 #6 Share Posted March 1, 2008 We were on the Dawn Princess to Alaska in late June 2005. The pool was freshwater and heated - very. I think the pool temp was in the high 80's. Our then 10 and 12 year old girls swam all the time - even if it was cool outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mid-Age Posted March 3, 2008 #7 Share Posted March 3, 2008 The average age on HAL when school is in session, such as May, will be pretty high. The onboard activites might not appeal to you as a family. Based on my experience, I wouldn't recommend it for kids. I really don't mean to slam HAL; it's just that they cater to an older, more discerning crowd. I agree with mousecrazy. HAL should be off you list if you sail on May with 2 kids. There will not be a lot of kid on board at May and their kids program is not a full day program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrp96 Posted March 3, 2008 #8 Share Posted March 3, 2008 I would go with either NCL Pearl, Celebrity Infinity, or HAL if you are going in May. Why? The roundtrip itineraries on Princess and RCCL (and the NCL Star) are not as good, especially if you are interested in glacier viewing, as it is very unlikely you will be able to see Tracy Arm (Sawyer Glacier) that early in the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderingfool Posted March 4, 2008 #9 Share Posted March 4, 2008 We sailed on RCCL "Vision of the Seas" from Vancouver last September; the outdoor pool was heated to a balmy 86 degrees and with the exception of one very rough day at sea (20 foot swells, yuck), the pool was filled and open each day. I would assume that most ships with an outdoor pool heat them to a similar temperature, especially on the Alaska itineraries! My husband and I were probably the only people to use the outdoor pool because the outside air temp was chilly (about +5 celsius that time of year... so, about 40 F) and quite windy, but if your water loving kids are like most, they would probably still enjoy it very much. If anything they would likely have it to themselves most of the time which is an added bonus. Obviously it will be more conducive to swimming the more into summertime you go, but if your heart is set on May, don't totally rule out swimming in the outdoor pool. Just my two cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nu2cruises Posted March 6, 2008 #10 Share Posted March 6, 2008 We sailed on the Golden Princess out of Seattle last year with DD 12 and DS9. We went in late June right after school was out. There were a lot of kids on our cruise, so many in fact that our age group had to use a small room right off the game room for the kids area. The ship has a covered pool that is warm that the kids can swim in. They have a putting course up on the top deck, shuffleboard, ping pong tables, an indoor game room, a library, a cake decorating class for the kids and we got to have the cake served to us after our dinner in the dining room. In the kids club they had casino night, survivor night, roller coaster building, games, and a talent show. I think the club was open from 9-12, 2-5, and 6-8 or 9 then you had to reserve babysitting after that. All in all they had fun and we enjoyed Princess. Next time I think we would like to try Royal Caribbean. Have a great trip and let me know if I can answer any other questions for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nannie70 Posted March 9, 2008 #11 Share Posted March 9, 2008 We'll be on the Infinity 6/20/08 with our 14 year old Grandson. How can we find out if the pool will be heated as he is looking forward t swimming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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