I’m planning on going on an alaskan cruise for my honeymoon. Ive heard that there are a lot of older people on these cruises. If you have been what did you think of the cruise. I’m especailly interested in hearing from people under 40

Princess has several ships cruising to Alaska from May through September (before and after that it’s too cold and icy there).

Princess is a premium cruise line, fairly luxurious and ALL about romance, especially if you’re able to book a cabin with a balcony (although in Alaska, depending on the month, it may be too chilly or rainy to be on the balcony for long!). The balcony, however, would provide a good vantage point for wildlife and scenery viewing.

Alaska is such a popular cruising destination in the summer there will be a good mix of passengers of all ages.

Congratulations and have a great honeymoon!

I’m going on an Alaskan cruise in June, and I was wondering if, like planes, the cruise ships also have x-ray types of things to see the items inside of a person’s bag(s).

yes and normally they are not as strict as airlines. When you leave the ship after the cruise is over they normally check again to make sure you have not stolen anything. If you were going out of the country on the way back into the country they make you claim the things that you had bought. All in all they really don’t care what you bring on or off the boat as long as it is not plants fruits or things of that nature.

Details please. Best site to find a cruise Etc

book direct through a travel agent or the cruise line…

visit cruisecritic.com to read reviews from past guests on each ship/cruise line…

The norwegian pearl is a great ship and is affordable for alaska.

make sure you choose an itinerary that includes the inside passage! and if you can splurge I recommend a balcony room! (most other cruises, i would say you are never in the room so don’t spend the money if you can’t, but the scenery along the way is breathtaking!)

Is anyone in your party 55+? in the military? law enforcement? fire department? a past guest? what state do you live in? (these can all help determine special pricings offered)

Going on an alaskan cruise. Wonder if they have NL or FL poker in the casino. Thanks.

The last couple of cruises on NCL I went on didn’t have a dedicated poker table, but they had poker tournaments. The would announce what time the tournament would start and they would have a sign-up sheet. I forget what the buy in was, but I don’t think it was too expensive.

Leaving from Seattle, 14 days long. My son was asked by a friend to go–should I let him? I always hear such horrible things about people getting terribly ill on cruises, people disappearing, etc. I do not want to let him go, but the issue is causing so much contention between us that I am thinking about giving in. Of course it would be a great experience, but still . . . he’s 16.

I was all ready to write and tell you how wonderful the Alaskan cruise is–I know someone that went and they loved every single moment of it.

But then I got to the part about letting a 16 year old go. My heart skipped a beat there. I was one of "those" moms that always had the all the kids at her house (and fed them, bought the video games, etc.) just so I would know where my kids were all the time.

So this is coming from a very protective mom…and one that is much older/seen more….let him go. I know every feeling you are going through, but I have seen bad things happen to kids in their own home, neighborhood, school, the mall, etc.

One other thing I would like to point out–the cruises where people fall overboard are usually the carribean cruises–a big party atmosphere. The Alaskan cruises are more geared toward the older crowd.

Let him go, I know you are going to be a nervous wreck while he is gone–but he will be fine.

Why are they so cheap?
And, I have a cruise planned in June, so I can’t go then, when all cruise lines have them for $299, why do they increase to $400-$500 in July and August?
Okay, pretty much all I wanted to know, is why were they so cheap in the first place…

But thanks to everyone who has answered!

because july and august are summer vacations for schools, so more people will be willing to pay little more for it. Its simple supply and demand economics stuff.

I’ve been on carnival before and it was amazing.

Also activities for teenagers is a must aswell.

NCL

The travelers include a 20 year-old college student, a 45 year-old mom, and a 76 year-old grandma. Our dilemmas include:
1. Not being bored
2. Having activites that everyone will be able to do and enjoy
3. Price
4. Not getting sick (how often do people get sick on cruises?)
5. A really, short time frame (last 2 weeks of July)

Thank you!

I suggest Alaska. The Alaska cruise season is from May to Sept. 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. The odd thing was, it was cooler further south in Juneau and Skagway than it was up north. It was rainy and cloudy in Ketchkan. It will be cold, like coat, hat and gloves weather, when you get close to the Glaciers. Otherwise they would melt. When you pack, think layering of your
clothes. A couple long sleeve shirts/tops, a sweater/sweatshirt, a light jacket, maybe with a hood.

The best prices will be in May and Sept but you will see the same things as other times. The port stops will be the same but may be in a different order. Some cruises ship itineraries are run in reverse order, North to South vs starting in Seattle or Vancouver. Check the cruise line web sites for variations by date, itinerary and price.

The best Alaska cruise experience is the CRUISE-TOUR. Princess, Holland America, and Royal Caribbean all run cruise tours which take you by train all the way to Fairbanks, Alaska. Princess and RC have special domed train cars for this. Your best chance to see wild animals will be if you do a cruise-tour where you go further north after cruising the inside passage. The only animals you are likely to see in the inside passage is seals. On these tours You can arrange to stop for a night or two in Taketna, or Denali National Park. This will be your best opportunity to see Moose, Caribou, eagle, wolf, and bear. But you really need two days at Denali so that you have time to get one of the Park Service’s busses that go deep into the park. Regular tour busses , cars and campers can only go about 3 or 4 miles into the park. The Park Service runs busses about 17 miles into the park, but you must get to the visitor center very early to reserve a spot on one of their busses. The train stops going
north and south do not get you to Denali in time or allow enough time for the deep back country busses. With Princess, Holland America, and RC you can do the tour part first and then go to Seward or Whittier to get on ship for the inside passage part. I recommend doing the tour part first.

Alaska cruises and tours are mostly scenic and cultural. The usual stops for the inside passage portion are Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and College Fjords. The scenic parts are the animals, mountains, glaciers, fjords, and waterfalls. The cultural parts are the Alaska Native, gold rush, fishing industry, and historical sites.

Some people worry about getting sea sick, but the ships being used these days have automated stabilizers which minimize the rocking. The larger ships cut through the water so easy that you dont even feel like you are moving. When there is bad weather the cruise lines will steer around and away from it, sometimes changing the order of port stops. Also, the ships generally move overnight and dock in the mornings so you dont feel much movement. Consequently, your chances of getting sea sick are minimal. There is generally less motion than on an airplane. If you do get
sick, all ships have a doctor and they will dispense sea sick medicines. If you are prone to motion sickness, just get pills or a patch from your own doctor before you go, or go to a boating store and get a sea sickness bracelet.

we’re taking an alaskan cruize and we were wondering what type of clothing we should take. We’d like to know around how cool the air temperature on the water would be.

The climate in Alaska varies considerably. This website describes it in more details if you’re interested.

http://www.alaskatrekker.com/temperatures.htm

It’s widely suggested that you dress in layers for changing temperatures during the day (take on, take off).

I and my daughter burn very easily. she loves to swim, though. My husband tans. Anyway, he would rather take an Alaskan cruise and I’m just wondering what there is to do on a cruise besides swim and lounge on the deck and eat. None of us are party people, either. Any imput greatly appreciated! THanks!
I might add that I’m well aware of sunscreen…however, keeping it on an 11 yo who hates it is impossible. I don’t care for it, either. But I wear it. I still burn.

I have not done an Alaskan Cruise. I have political issues with the state and most of the people that I know that have gone on it are senior citizens and perhaps their families. It’s just not my cup of tea. I’m not a partier, but I also prefer to hang out with people more like me.

I will say that in an Alaskan Cruise, you disembark to see the towns and you can book tours and such to see more things.

Remember, just because it’s cooler, it doesn’t mean that your daughter is not going to burn.

Personally, the Caribbean is more for me. I load up on sunscreen and you can also use sun protective clothes for your daughter. http://www.cwear.com/ sells sun shirts. The fitted ones are not cumbersome and should help.

Enjoy your trip, whatever you decide!