Which are the best ships to cruise in Alaska with kids?

[suzan99]

We are thinking about going on an Alaska cruise next year - our daughter will be 6. Which are the best ships (ie. ones that have a covered pool that allow kids?) and have good kids clubs. I heard on RCL that only the adults only pool is covered.

[wrp96]

I heard on RCL that only the adults only pool is covered.

 

 

On cold weather itineraries, RCCL has daily family time in the indoor pool area.

[yuckylucky]

Carnival Spirit has an indoor pool and I'm fairly certain it is not considered an adult pool (since it is not part of the spa). We also enjoy Camp Carnival. Our daughter will be five this summer aboard the Spirit and look forward to the offerings for her. She's been on Carnival three times and in the camp two of the three times and loved her time there with the counselors and the activities they had available. We felt very safe leaving her with the crew and happy we knew she was having a blast. :)

[kenish]

Look in the passenger review section of CC. Each ship is rated for kid facilities broken down by age group. The professional review section rates kid facilities too, but not by age group.

 

Another resource is the family cruising section of this forum.

[Putterdude]

You may want to consider Princess as they have very good children and teens programs.

[betonic]

I'm sure that this is going to come as a shock to most but my son has always had a great time on Holland America. The Vista Class ships have covered pools that are open to everyone. There are considerably less children on HAL which is fine with us because that way my son gets more attention from the counselors. HAL is also very well known for their presence in Alaska, which is great for the adults in your party.

[2ndguesser]

We are going in August with a 6, 4, 3 yo. We chose Norwegian Pearl. We decided we wanted a Glacier Bay cruise. Then we decided we wanted Freestyle dining rather than set dining times. We live in Seattle so wanted a ship that leaves out of this port. That really narrowed things down. The kids are excited about the ship (bowling, rock wall, Wii, Kids Club - and yes even the pool. The pool is not covered but has a great water slide and they will be doing it (atleast my 6 yo). It may only be once but he's doing it is what he told me :)

 

The only thing I regret is that we don't have enough time in Juneau to do the Tracy Arm excursion. So look at port times too.

 

Good luck! It's fun planning and I'm sure whatever you choose your daughter will have fun.

[GORDONCHICK]

Are any of the pools heated? I don't remember this being the case, and thought the pools while in Alaska (even the indoor ones) rather nippy.

 

Our DS was 6 when we cruised Alaska. Honestly, he has a good time just about anywhere, especially on a ship. If I were you, I would pick the itinerary the adults would prefer. For many, Alaska may be a one-time trip.

[Balliett]

We had a great time on a HAL cruise with our six and twelve year olds, many years ago. There were few kids on board, but other cruisers had a grandparents attitude. I remembering him (the six year old boy) enjoying a putting contest. Also, we had fun in the heated pool. We return next month with him and his fiancee.

[neverenoughtravel]

We're cruising on HAL with our 1, 5 and 8 year-olds this June. I faced the same questions as you when planning this cruise a year ago. I narrowed it down between Princess and HAL just because they had the itineraries we wanted and seemed to be top choices overall in Alaska. As we got further and further into planning this trip, I became less hung up on finding the best cruise line for kids. I know we'll have a great time on HAL.