kbpaulie Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 My parents 50th anniversary is this year. They want all of us to do Alaska Cruise. Any advice on where to find deals, which cruise line to take (or avoid or are they all the same?), how to save money, must do excursions? (our kids are 8 & 11 and sisters kids are 17 & 20). Anything else we need to know? And I'm looking at all the great excursions - they're like $180/adult and about $80/child. Multiply this x 5 days on land? How does one afford this? Do you pay for meals - like I'm reading reviews where people are saying "the meal was worth the $25" (Hubby and I were in Alaska pre-kids, but we found a way to do it on a budget. Can you actually cruise on a budget?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 We've always gone w/ Holland America (for various cruises) & have been very happy. My fave things that we did as excursions were hiking the Tongass Nat'l Rainforest, taking a helicopter to a glacier & getting out there, flying in a float plane over the glaciers, & a sea otter wildlife sighting tour. This was a trip we did many years ago & pre-kids, so I don't have advice about cruising w/ kids. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Oh my goodness, I was going to say take me, but then I realized you'd have the inlaws along. I guess take them and leave me, sniff. :) Convince them they want to rent an RV when you get there. Take another 1-2 weeks and drive around the interior. Way more fun for doing Denali, etc., and then you don't have to pay the horrible excursion rates when you get there. When we were there we ate in (forget the name of the village) and looked at the cruise ships from the window. I've never been on a cruise, so I was pretty wistful. Apparently they take the big cruise ships to see the glaciers, which is really kind of mind-boggling when you think about that (getting so close with a big ship?). We took a nice day cruise, probably the 26 glacier cruise. If your cruise ship doesn't hit the glaciers you want to see, add that on, definitely. They're sort of mesmerizing and something you'll enjoy doing. There are a number of things to do in Alaska that you'll enjoy together that might or might not come up as excursion options. My dh took a day long hike of a glacier, and that turned out to be quite physically challenging but exhilarating. The dc and I did the Alaska Sea Life Center and laundry at a laundromat in town there while dh did his hike. There's a sled dog tour on the way to Denali, and you can either buy tix yourself or go through your cruise line. Denali itself you can't have too much time in. The hotel there at the entrance seemed very nice. Apparently it's where the cruise lines put their people up. We were happy in our rental RV, so just depends on what you want. You will enjoy having a couple days in Denali, because the bus tour itself requires a whole day. Then you go back and pick some trails to hike. You can't really make peace with Denali till you've walked some trails there. There's also a nice nature center, etc. I think some cruise lines are now running buses on the Denali Hwy If you have the chance (or want to drive it in a rental vehicle) it's definitely an interesting, albeit dusty, experience. That too is a place to settle down and hike a while. Fairbanks is interesting, North Pole, the pipeline... We went for dh's 40th birthday, and I'd like us to go back when I turn 40, this time cruising first. I'd like to cruise the Inside Passage, which I assume your inlaws have in mind. My ds is, well let's just say I wouldn't want to go when he was young enough that I'd be concerned about how well he'd stay on the ship. I have these sort of nightmares about him overboard and me going over to get him, splash. Hmph, what do you think, will he be safe by 8? Dunno. Ropes, I could rope him down. I'm just saying I think you want a balcony room if it's in the budget. At least that's my dream if it were safe. Cabela's makes a really nice jacket you want. I got it before our trip and actually just replaced it after losing it. It has fleece inside but not in the sleeves. It's sort of just warm enough without being too much, and it's waterproof. Ooo look, it's on sale half price for $40!!! You want this!!!!!! Cabela's Women's Dry-Plus® Catalina Jacket Probably comes in more colors. I also got waterproof pants from there and some kind of triple polartec fleece pants that worked out really well. You want stuff that is waterproof and windproof. We wore wool socks at all times and had hiking boots. Anyways, with that jacket, I got it because some of the reviews online said it was good for Alaska cruises. It's great because it's waterproof, windproof, and warm without being too warm. You can layer under it. I think there are cruise forums where you can read reviews, so you might search for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running the race Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 We just went on an Alaskan cruise with our three kids this past summer. i don't have a lot of time to post right now, but feel free to PM me with any questions. We cruised on Holland America out of Vancouver round-trip. I would definitely recommend choosing an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay. That was one of our deciding factors. All three of my kids enjoyed the kid's programs. There weren't a ton of kids on the cruise, so the program was small. My teens enjoyed meeting other teens from all over the world. I have to say that I don't know what a 20yo would do unless he just hung out with family. I was glad all my kids were under 18, so they had a built-in way to meet people. Some of the shows were quite enjoyable and some were lame. I have a son with food allergies, and the dining-room staff did a great job adapting food for him. The buffet was not as successful. Most of the servers did not speak English. Yes, the excursions ARE expensive. Be ready to spend money. There are always cheaper alternatives, but the ones we went on were fabulous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Another thing we did was added a land tour option after the cruise. So glad we did that. The highlight for me was flying & staying north of the Arctic Circle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Alaska is big and there is ever more to see and do. I think your cruise prices will be cheaper in May than the summer. Start looking now. I agree with visiting Glacier Bay. Then make some kind of budget and work from there. Food on the ship should be included. Then you will have to decide, for instance in Juneau, if you want to bus out to the glacier or fly up to the icefields. You can't do either at home so both are cool. It depends on your budget. Start reading and you'll have more specific questions. It will be a great trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 A friend who has done lots of cruises says that especially on the Alaskan cruise you want a balcony. Lots of fun things to see as you just glide past. Sounds like a blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 We were lucky enough to enjoy a cruise to Alaska on my parents' tab. We had a room with a balcony and it was so wonderful. I would get up in the morning, order a pot of coffee from room service (included in the fare), bundle up in blankets on the balcony and watch Alaska go by. We saw whales, seals, eagles, all from our balcony while we were still in our pajamas each morning. When we arrived at Glacier Bay to see the glacier calving, we could see it from our balcony and it was stunning. Also, incredible sunsets from the balcony. So, if you can afford a room with the balcony, I say spend the money. The excursions are very expensive and there seemed to be no way around that. We did a mountain bike ride down (they drive you up!) a beautiful mountain pass (my favorite), a kayaking tour, a river float through the Haines area's bald eagle preserve, and a helicopter ride. We could never ever have afforded that on our own, but my parents insisted we forget about the cost and enjoy. So we did! We didn't have kids at the time, but there were quite a few kids on the ship and there is a lot for kids to do. I do think it would be prohibitively expensive to take a whole family on any of the excursions. Maybe choose one and really enjoy that. It was a beautiful trip and we hope to go again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 My parents 50th anniversary is this year. They want all of us to do Alaska Cruise. Any advice on where to find deals, which cruise line to take (or avoid or are they all the same?), how to save money, must do excursions? (our kids are 8 & 11 and sisters kids are 17 & 20). Anything else we need to know? I'm not sure how it works, but it's my understanding that most people go on a cruise "to" Alaska, and fly home. Several years ago, my folks did it the other way around. They were both thrilled with the experienced of cruising into San Francisco Bay under the Golden Gate Bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 You have to do a train ride while you're there. Even just for an afternoon. The view is totally different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Adventures by Disney! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen A Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Loved our Alaska cruise. One thing we did to save a bit on shore excursions is book at least one independently-not thru the ship . This was 7 years ago, so I don't remember details, but we booked ahead a helicopter tour (landing on a glacier) and saved a worthwhile amount. They came and picked us up/returned us to the ship with no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 We're going on our first cruise to Alaska this year, so I really don't have any tips or experience to share. I'm researching and reading. Here are some links that may be of help. http://www.hillmanwonders.com/alaska_cruise/packing_tips_alaska_cruise.htm - this guy really knows his stuff. http://www.tammileetips.com/2013/06/9-tips-for-an-alaska-cruise/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 We went with kids (8, 5, 2 y.o.) about 15 years ago. I'm going to second a lot of what other posters have said individually. 1) May -- cheaper, less crowded (not as many kids on board, not as many ships in harbor, ships may not be at full capacity.) 2) Plan on layering, the weather could be quite warm. (You don't want to ONLY have winter clothes.) 3) Holland America. Hands down. Even with kids; small kids. (We've done NCL since then...not impressed.) If your kids are moderately well-behaved, they will be beamed upon and complimented by the vast majority of the older crowd, making it an enjoyable experience on board. 4) Look up other (non-cruise affiliated) excursion providers. You can save a bundle. 5) We didn't get a balcony. I'm not sure we missed anything because when we came back to our rooms, we dropped into bed. If you want tweens to have a place to hang out *in the room*, a balcony would be worth the $. On a later family cruise when our kids were older, we let them roam the ship with at least one sibling, and they loved it. Be sure to do a glacier/helicopter trip. There's simply nothing like it. The other often remembered highlight was doing a half-day fishing excursion, in which the kids/cousins caught salmon (processed and shipped to us at home; fresh is better than smoked), and one of the dads caught a garbage-lid sized starfish. They still laugh about it! We found that it was fine to split up and go different ways, grandparents/maiden aunts doing something less strenuous and younger ones doing something more adventurous. It was fun to come back together in the evenings and compare notes, tell stories, and show pictures. Still a great time shared, even if we didn't do everything together. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 We found that it was fine to split up and go different ways, grandparents/maiden aunts doing something less strenuous and younger ones doing something more adventurous. It was fun to come back together in the evenings and compare notes, tell stories, and show pictures. Still a great time shared, even if we didn't do everything together. This is a great point. My in-laws were on the cruise with us. For excursions & outings, each person made his/her own decision about what to do. Sometimes we all did something together, sometimes, just 2 of us doing something together, sometimes everyone did his/her own thing. We ate together at dinner, though, so it was fun to catch up in the evenings on the days we spent apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running the race Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I'd recommended spending some time on the Alaska board of cruisecritic.com. It was an invaluable resource. I'd highly recommend getting a balcony. On our Holland America ship, even if you didn't go out on the balcony, the glass doors go from floor to ceiling offering an amazing view even from inside the room. We booked all our excursions independently after researching on cruisecritic. We didn't use any of the ship's providers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbpaulie Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 I'd recommended spending some time on the Alaska board of cruisecritic.com. It was an invaluable resource. I'd highly recommend getting a balcony. On our Holland America ship, even if you didn't go out on the balcony, the glass doors go from floor to ceiling offering an amazing view even from inside the room. We booked all our excursions independently after researching on cruisecritic. We didn't use any of the ship's providers. When you book your own excursions aren't you concerned that you'll hit a hiccup and won't make it back to the ship on time? (Thinking when you book through the cruise part of what you're paying for is a sort of guarantee that they'll wait for you?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Having lived in SE, the people running excursions make their money on cruise ship tourists. They cater to the cruise schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running the race Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 When you book your own excursions aren't you concerned that you'll hit a hiccup and won't make it back to the ship on time? (Thinking when you book through the cruise part of what you're paying for is a sort of guarantee that they'll wait for you?) I sent you a PM, but the answer is no, I wasn't really concerned. The companies do this for a living. I decided the chances were slim for a hiccup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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