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Alaska Cruise Vacation?
Question: Alaska Cruise Vacation?
Is cruising to Alaska a good vacation? I have been to the caribbean several times now and am looking for something different. What cruise line would you recommend? I have a 14 year old daughter that MUST NOT get bored :P
(alaska cruise vacation)
Best answer:
Answer by Kirk
i would say book with Carnival. They have great cruises and offer a alsome Alaska vacation. If you would like more info send me a message
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#2 written by alanpks4 1 year ago
My wife and I did our first cruise this year and it was to Alaska on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
First if you are going to go to Alaska a cabin with a balcony in a MUST. You can sit out on your own little deck.
You need to make the reservations at least ONE year in advance. The short tourist season in Alaska means that the cruise lines only have a few months, so they sell out fast and far in advance. Also remember to book your shore excursions early so they won’t be sold out.
We had a great time.There are plenty of activities for all ages. One issue that may come up as it did on our cruise was the weather was cool, damp and in the 50′s, not exactly swimming weather so the outdoor pool saw little use, and the indoor pool was reserved for adults only excpet for a couple of hours each day.
Personally for my wife and I that was great since we don’t have kids.
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#4 written by Jen @ Law 1 year ago
If your priority is that your 14 year old NOT get bored, I think the hands down winner should be NCL: http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/destination/details.html?destinationCode=ALASKA — the ships have so much to do and are specifically marketed to families. There isn’t any dressing up or set meal times, but there is constant activity.
I went on a HAL summer solstice cruise to Alaska many years ago and was probably the youngest person on the ship (I was 19)– that was a smaller ship, and I would think that any ship with fewer than 1500 people on it is HIGHLY unlikely to have many children or children’s programming. It is my understanding that HAL now has larger family friendly ships. Ithink HAL and Princess are supposed to be the Alaska “experts” amongst the big lines.
I can’t speak personally as to RCCL in Alaska, but I’m told their ships are well designed for indoor nature watching and that they have large family facilities as well. If your daughter specifically wants companions her own age, consider checking out the “roll call” section of cruisecritic.com for particular ships and sailings before booking.
Lastly, i would say Alaska is a good vacation if you like dramatic scense in nature, animals and don’t dislike cold (or go right smack in July)– if those things do not appeal to you, perhaps try something different in Hawaii (great beaches and local culture) or the Mediterranean (historic cities, art, etc.).
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#6 written by TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only 1 year ago
I have been to Alaska twice, once on business for 2 weeks with some weekend sightseeing and a cruise on a small ship, and then on a Princess cruise-tour. I enjoyed the cruise and would do it again. But Alaska cruises are not party cruises like the Bahamas, Mexico, and Caribbean. You can enjoy the pools and hot tubs and gym on the ship but the activities off the ship are for the most part scenic and cultural. In my opinion the best cruise for you would be a cruise-tour. The cruise tour allows you to see more of Alaska by land (bus and/or train) either before or after the cruise. They typically afford an opportunity to stay a night or two in/at Denali National Park, Anchorage, Talkeetna, or Fairbanks, Alaska.
There are four cruise lines that use the train to transport you from/to the cruise point to/from the park and Fairbanks. The train ride is magnificent and when you do the cruise tour you will have the best opportunity to see wildlife like bears, caribou, moose, fox, wolf, and a few others. These cruise-tours can be from 12 to 15 days or more while normal cruises are 7 days.
There are several ways to have a cruise to Alaska. You can cruise north from San Francisco, Seattle, or Vancouver Canada or cruise south from Anchorage (Whittier or Seward). Cruises typically cruise the “inside passage” which is a waterway much like a river where you can in most places see land on both sides of the ship. It provides a very smooth ride on that part of the cruise. Cruises typically go to Juneau (the capitol), and Ketchikan, Skagway, and stop at one or more glaciers like Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord. Some cruises do other port stops. So you need to pay attention to which itinerary (port stops) the cruises will have.
The 4 cruise lines which offer the cruise-tours and all would be good; Princess Cruise line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Holland America.
We did our cruise tour with Princess and it was very good. We did the cruise part first and then had a day and night in Anchorage, a great train ride from Anchorage to Denali National Park, and after a night at a lodge owned by Princess We took the train the next day to Fairbanks for a night there. My recommendation is to do the tour part first and do fly to the start point a day early so you don’t get caught in a flight delay.
All four of the cruise lines that I have mentioned use the train for the land tour. But Royal Caribbean, Princess, and Celebrity have special domed train cars that provide great visibility. Not all tour segments are the same so you really have to pay attention to how the land tour is organized and whether it uses the train or buses.
The best time to go on an Alaska cruise is when you can get the best price. The Alaska cruise season is from May to Sept. So right now you are at the end of the Alaska cruise season. The best prices for next year will be in May and Sept but you will see the same things as other times. The weather is generally warmer in June, July and Aug, but it can also be pleasant in May and Sept. When we went a few years ago in May it was shirt sleeve weather (70′s) in Anchorage and Fairbanks.
You will do well to book your cruise now for next year because all of the cruise lines give the best prices for very early bookings.
These are the luxury high priced cruise lines that do Alaska cruises:
Regent Seven Seas: http://www.rssc.com/SILVER SEAS: http://www.silversea.com/
These are the other cruise lines that most people go on:
HOLLAND AMERICA
http://www.hollandamerica.com/CELEBRITY:
http://www.celebritycruises.com/home .ROYAL CARIBBEAN:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/gohome.d…..NORWEGIAN:
http://www.ncl.com/PRINCESS:
http://www.princess.com/index.htmlCARNIVAL:
http://www.carnivalcruiselines.com/I recommend Celebrity, Princess, and Royal Caribbean, all cruise lines I have been on and enjoyed.
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#7 written by Stan 1 year ago
Alaska is popular cruise. I’m from the area so glaciers and Indian handcrafts don’t blow my dress up. However, people from other parts of the country GO NUTS when they see a whale so I think they really like it.
This was probably the most relaxing cruise I’ve been on. They are typically 7 days long with two days at sea.
The five lines (that I can think of off the top of my head) that leave from Seattle or Vancouver, BC are Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, Princess and Holland America.
My impression is that they are all pretty good except Holland America caters to older people. My recommendation would be RC or Princess which I think will cater to families that are more likely to have teens.
If you can afford some of the snow-plane helicopter rides I’m sure your daughter would like that. If you’re looking for a bonding experience I recommend going on a tandem kayak tour at the Mendenhall Glacier (Juneau).
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I am a travel agent.
My reccomendations may be different depending on what activities your 14 year old enjoys. Royal Caribbean and Carnival are good bets, but the demographis for Alaska will be older than it will be for the Caribbean; however, the experience is awesome in Alaska.
Please let me know if I can be of any assistence. Booking early is the key for Alaska!
Chris Lounder
Cruise Adventure Travel, LLC
http://www.CruiseAdventureTravel.com
866 570 3391 ext 101