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Traveling Alaska -- Now It's A Family Detail

Cruising Alaska - Now It's a Family Things

By Mike Miller

If You Are truly pondering kids vacation to Alaska, and you're wondering if your kids would take a cruise to "The Last Frontier," wonder get rid of. Young individuals from toddlers through teens have a blast on big ships and small as their vessels sail from the protected waters of Alaska's Inside Passage. Aboard ship or ashore, there are lots of kid-friendly, parent-friendly, and grandparent-friendly areas to see and fun things to do.

It's true, a short decade or two ago families with kids aboard best alaska cruises were as scarce as Alaskan Dall sheep lambs inside a grizzly bear's lair. Nonetheless the times have changed -- big. Today you will discover, besides the traditional hefty contingent of seniors and near-seniors aboard each ship, a growing number of families. Sometimes such groups are multi-generational, with gramps and grandmas, mums and dads, and kids that range from gangly teens to babes literally in arms.

The rationale? Word is out that Alaska's attractions are sure-fire hits for travelers of any age: attractions like humongous whales breaching Full Length out of the water, grizzly bears chasing salmon along forest creeks and rivers, icebergs (sometimes as big as a tour bus) crashing, splashing, and thundering from the faces of miles-long glaciers.

Too, there are opportunities to mush inside a dog sled behind a team of charging huskies - after helicoptering with a lofty mountain-top glacier no less! Kids and oldsters can ride bikes through towering forests or down mountain paths and trails. They could also kayak among whales and sea lions. Whole families can fish for lunker king salmon. Or try their luck at gold-panning in creeks and streams.

Newest craze for the young as well as the young-at-heart is riding a zip-line through the upper canopies of towering spruce and hemlock forests in Ketchikan and Juneau -- hanging safe and secure within a harness as they "zip" along a steel cable some 130 feet or more above the forest floor.

Or, less daunting, while visiting museums up and down the coast families can absorb the totemic culture along with the history of Alaska's Native peoples. They will be able to study the period when Alaska was "Russian America." And then they will can view mementos of those tumultuous gold stampede into the Klondike while in the late 1800s,

Absolute confidence about this, Alaska has something exciting to offer every family member, no matter age.

But what about life aboard the cruiseships? Will teenagers choose the experience dullsville?

Hardly. The mid- to mega-sized ships specifically are completely resorts afloat with swimming pools, spas, snack shops, fillets parlors, outdoor game courts, video arcades, and movie theaters. Special staff members aboard these vessels -- with one exception -- include trained youth counselors. These crew members arrange age-appropriate social activities, organize games and sports events, supervise arts and crafts, take youngsters on shipwide treasure hunts, and generally be certain that cruisers from tykes through teens enjoy their cruise in so far as their parents and grandparents.

Although smallship cruiselines in Alaska don't staff their vessels with special counselors for young cruisers, the ships are without any less family-welcoming. These vessels can enter small bays and inlets where guests can view wildlife on close-by forest shores, explore waterways by kayak in addition to spiffy powered Zodiacs, hike remote island beaches, possibly even stop to get a natural hot springs dip in forested surroundings.

One smallship cruiseline even schedules three best alaska cruise per annum especially geared for family travel.

Regardless of vessel size, and there was simply a pair of exceptions, cruiselines by the Alaska trade actively court family cruisers. Few such travelers, young or old, choose the experience anything other than "cool." And they're also not referring to the weather.

Cruiseline by cruiseline here's a rundown of little one care and Family Fun traveling on an best alaska cruise. The information was supplied by the cruiselines or extracted from company websites.

Large and Mega Size Cruiseships

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE's 2006 Alaska voyages aboard the 2,124-passenger Carnival Spirit offer youngsters age 2 through 17 many different continuous supervised activities throughout the line's "Camp Carnival" program.

Included in the line's Alaska sailings are a quantity of "just for Alaska" projects where kids will make their very own dream catchers and totem poles and learn relating to the region's fascinating Native Alaskan cultures.

The Carnival Spirit offers other kid- and family-friendly amenities as well, including a spacious indoor play room featuring an arts and crafts center, a 16-monitor video wall, climbing mazes, an outdoor play area, plus a computer lab.

When it comes to dining, says Carnival, "Youngsters have the full 'Fun Ship' treatment with expanded children's menus offering various kids' favorites along with each junior special." The menus are included on the back of your coloring and activity book featuring word finds, mazes, tic-tac-toe, crossword puzzles, connect-the-dots, and also other games.

Young cruiser age ranges include 2- through 5-year-olds, 6 through 8, 9 through 11, and for teens 15 through 17 a program called "Club 02." (http://www.carnival.com)

CELEBRITY CRUISES' "Family Cruising Program" offers young peoples' activities in four age brackets:

On Any Given day Ship Mates (for 3- through 6-year-olds) may is content with clown party, treasure hunt, T-shirt painting, Legos, talent time, finger painting, dancing games, summer stock theater, cartoon time, computers, play stations, musical games, movies, ship tours, and Ice Cream sundae making.

A few of these same activities are at the agenda for older children in addition, but are undertaken on an older-age level.

Celebrity Cadets (for youngsters 7-9) might also include pool olympics, scavenger hunts, charades, a fitness program, board games, relays, and team trivia. Ensigns (for pre-teens 10-12) additionally enjoy karaoke, relay races, ship tours, and pizza parties.

Admiral T's takes in two classes of teenagers, 13-15 and 16-17. Members can frequent the teenager Club, pursue basketball tournaments, enjoy pool parties, and help placed on talent shows.

Celebrity vessels also offer a "Parents Fun evening" program. Around the two formal nights of a seven-night voyage, Celebrity treats parents to free babysitting when counselors consider the children to some pizza party for supper. (http://www.celebrity.com)

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE's "Club HAL" presents a variety of kid-friendly facilities and age-appropriate activities. Programs for little ones ages 3-12 can be found aboard 2006 Alaska-bound ships Ryndam, Statendam, Zaandam, Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, and Westerdam as well as for ages 5-12 aboard Volendam and Veendam. All eight ships have got a teen program from the beginning 13-17. (http://www.hollandamerica.com)

Club HAL activities are applied to be age appropriate. Including, every day activities planned for kids ages 3 to 7 may include arts and crafts, face-painting, camp-out night, candy bar Bingo, outdoor fun, plus a Pajama Party.

"Tweens," the in-between travelers 8 through 12, may learn golf putting, attend dance parties and theme nights, compete in on-deck sports events and scavenger hunts, play arcade games, tie-dye t-shirts, or perhaps just play ping-pong with a friend.

Teens 13-17 enjoy The Loft designed to resemble a New York artist's loft; there's also The Oasis, a personal deck where teens can assimilate the rays then cool off in a one-of-a-kind waterfall. The Loft and Oasis are currently usable with 2006 Alaska-bound vessels Ryndam, Statendam, Veendam, Volendam, and Zaandam. Teens will especially benefit from the teen disco, dance lessons, arcade games, teen sports tournaments, karaoke, trivia contests, bingo, play stations, movies and jacuzzi parties.

On most itineraries, Holland America provides one full-time Youth Program Director one or higher youth staff members. The rate of Club HAL staff to children as part of the team is 1:30.

Additionally you will find there is a large variety of kid-pleasing food, including special sandwiches, tacos, burgers, hot dogs and pizza. For your very young baby food, high chairs and booster seats could be requested in advance of boarding. Baby-sitting services may be obtained for a small surcharge and special bday parties may also be arranged.

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE notes on its web content the fact that line's Kid's Crew and Teen's Crew programs are choked with age-appropriate activities for youngsters 2 through 17. For Kid's Crew members aged 2-12, NCL offers many arts and crafts to pajama parties. Teens Crew, for cruisers 13-17 provides options like pool parties, a teenager disco, a video arcade, and more.

But don't, says NCL, give thought to these programs as "babysitting." There's little or no "sitting" involved, notes the cruiseline. The programs are active, energetic, educational and, mainly, fun. (http://www.ncl.com)

PRINCESS CRUISES' junior cruisers (ages 3 to 17) can enjoy a boatload of exciting onboard activities. All of the line's Alaska-bound ships have special kids and youth centers staffed by counselors who place on a plan of age-specific activities daily. Group babysitting will come in the late evenings.

Among a variety of programs for children is one of the specific to Alaska. Produced with the National Park Service, Princess' sub-teen "Junior Ranger" program is created to bring Glacier Bay and also the Alaska wilderness to life for many thousands of children each summer. The program features interactive games, activity books, and presentation by rangers. The corresponding "Teen Explorer" program features similar learning activities geared for older youngsters.

Inside a cruise industry exclusive, the Los Angeles-based California Science Center provides entertaining interactive activities. Princess youth staff have undergone extensive training for the center, built to enthrall young passengers with award-winning science projects. Whale watching, building and racing sailboats, marine biology studies and squid dissection are a several of the activities available.

The line's website notes that preteens are divided into two groups: Princess Pelicans ages 3-7 and Princess Pirateers, 8-12. Both groups are entertained with age-rated arts and crafts, discos, movies and cartoons, exclusive kids-only dining, hunts, karaoke and lip-sync shows, afternoon chips parties, pizza parties, backstage and galley tours, pajama parties, and T-shirt coloring. Says Princess' website: "Our astounding teen centers are loaded Nintendo, movies, karaoke, giant screen TVs, card and board games, ping-pong and juke boxes." The positioning also notes which the Alaska-bound Sun, Dawn, Coral, Island, and Diamond Princess ships comprise a toddler's play area. (http://www.princess.com)

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL offers a young peoples' program called "Adventure Ocean" serving and entertaining travelers 3 to 17 in five different categories.

Youngest group (ages 3 through 5) are called Aquanauts and do finger painting, building blocks, play dough, music activities, dot dancing, and "shape Bingo." Explorers (6-8) have a Pirate Night, keep on a backstage tour, enjoy nutty nicknames, and engage in autograph hunts. Nine to 11-year-old Voyagers do karaoke singing, use a Ga-Ga Ball, enjoy H20 Thunder Races, and do a style walk.

Navigators (12-14) play in sports tournaments, have pool parties, take a college night, pursue video games, and show up disco dancing sessions as well as a suitable night. Older teens,15-17 and called Guests, also enjoy dancing, pool parties, DJ training, Battle of those Sexes, plus a formal night plus a Survivor Series.

RCI's Edu-tainment programming offers:

Adventure Science, a mix of hands-on experiments and wacky entertainment (example: Staggering Through the Stars, along with a Wacky Water Workshop);

Adventure Art, the opportunity to exercise creativity with crafts;

Sail Into Story Time and Adventure Family. This is really a free, onboard program that lets children 3-11 and their parents to invest quality time together doing projects that can start from shipbuilding regattas to talent shows and scavenger hunts. (http://www.royalcaribbean.com)

Mid-Size Vessels

RADISSON Seven Seas CRUISES' youth program, "Club Mariner," provides adults who need to share Alaska's wonders along with their children or grandchildren a complimentary children's program. "This program," says the firm, "offers the opportunity for every family and its members to get Alaska inside a meaningful, enriching way." The cruiseline's youth program designed the following age brackets: 5-9, 10-13 and 14-17. Throughout each voyage, trained counselors offer young cruisers the opportunity to take part in a variety of interactive adventures focusing on Alaska. Children will exercise their creativity with crafts while gaining knowledge about Alaska's diverse wildlife, its unique geography, its indigenous crafts, and your rich artistic heritage.

Kids will find out about whales, salmon, glaciers and totem poles. They ought to draw and write about their adventures in special Club Mariner scrapbook, bake chocolate "moose" cookies, go whale watching into deck or learn all about eagles, dolphins, bears and sea lions. Notes RSSC: "Club Mariner not only makes it easier for families to travel together, it helps kids broaden their cultural and academic horizons. And they'll return home knowing more information Alaska than the rest of the 49 states combined!" (http://www.rssc.com) SILVERSEA CRUISES advises that, because of the sophisticated nature of their cruises and programs, the organization will not encourage travel with baby. (http://www.silverseacruises.com)

Smaller Ships

AMERICAN SAFARI CRUISES' Kids in Nature (KIN) cruises, involve luxury yacht since the schoolhouse, an Expedition Leader/Naturalist when the teacher, as well as the wildlife-rich waters of Alaska's Inside Passage when the laboratory. KIN convenes in Alaska aboard the upscale 22-passenger yacht Safari Quest together with the first of two seven-night cruises from Sitka June 17. The voyage takes in various wilderness sites and communities throughout Southeast Alaska. and ends in Juneau June 17. Another seven-night Safari Quest sailing commences July 29 while an eight-night voyage from Prince Rupert, B.C. to Juneau embarks June 26 aboard the equally luxurious 12-guest Safari Escape.

Activities abound for anyone: kayaking, hiking on a remote island used by a full-scale picnic, hopping shore-to-shore by Zodiac, viewing whales directly off the bow or dolphins right below, collecting shells to learn, and more. Kids and adults alike are accompanied at the type of personal-choice excursions while their yacht is at anchor.

By the end of any cruise each child receives a Kids in the wild backpack filled with mementos within their various explorations: a certificate of accomplishment signed by way of the Captain and Expedition Leader, a tee shirt and cap, a number of binoculars, disposable camera and a typed list of all of the flora and fauna observed throughout the cruise. This program offers kid-size pricing -- two kids under 12 for one adult fare.

Aboard other sailings throughout the season American Safaris Cruises' three yachts offer very upscale amenities and cuisine best appreciated by sophisticated adults. For these cruises the highway normally discourages guests from bringing small and offer specifically child-oriented services. (http://www.americansafaricruises.com)

AMERICAN WEST STEAMBOAT COMPANY advises, "We tend to please mature adults and therefore offer no special programs to kids and teens." (http://www.americanweststeamboat.com)

THE BOAT COMPANY offers special rates for young cruisers traveling with parents: 50 percent from the usual fare if occupying a stateroom which includes a parent, 20 percent off if occupying a separate cabin.

The company's two vessels would not have separate personnel specifically assigned to youngsters as part of the team, however the line does attempt to accommodate the desires of each one passenger including kayaking, fishing, beach hikes, as well as other kid-friendly activities. (http://www.theboatcompany.com)

CLIPPER CRUISELINE has no specific children's programs or staff for younger travelers, nonetheless the nature of your company's routes and cruising areas (including whale sightings, bears other wildlife, and shore excursions) allow it to be sufficient for family groups. Cabins can accommodate as much as three guests; for larger groups two cabins could be necessary. (http://www.clippercruise.com)

CRUISE WEST supplies a children's travel special aboard the Sheltered Seas Daylight Yacht Tours. Travelers 12 and under sharing a cabin with an adult save 50 percent on Family Adventure cruise fares. Youths 13 through 21 save 25 percent.

While many of the company's other cruises are of considerable interest for families with children, activities aboard ship are certainly not specifically geared for young travelers. Cruise West is the largest of those smallship cruiselines serving Alaska discounts cruising choices about family interest from Southeast Alaska possessing totems, glaciers, national park lands and goldrush historical points of interest to Southcentral's Prince William Sound and beyond to Arctic waters and Russia. (http://www.cruisewest.com)

DISCOVERY VOYAGES advises that cruises aboard the 12-passenger vessel Discovery are "definitely family friendly" and, the truth is, the company offers a 25 percent discount for children 12 and under. Notes a firm spokeswoman: "Because of the intimate size of our vessel we don't have specific youth directors but our staff (including Captain Dean Rand's daughters Hannah and Heather, who were raised on board the Discovery) is diverse in working on both adults and children and also being naturalists and kayaking guides." The corporation often works with agencies and outfitters who specialize in family trips. (http://www.discoveryvoyages.com)

LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS welcomes voyagers young and old. And come September, Archie Comics illustrator Stan Goldberg will enter a shipload of other Lindblad Expeditions travelers through the Inside Passage from Southeast Alaska to British Columbia. His mission: to create the second in his "Little Lin" cartoon book series of educational adventures for youngsters. (In his first book, Fun and Games With Little Lin, released in 2005, child explorer Little Lin discovers Peru's Galapagos Islands.)

ßIn his second work Goldberg's young adventurer will sail to Alaska and can encounter glaciers, humpback whales, bald eagles, and all manner of other creatures so their habitats along Alaska's and British Columbia's Inside Passage. Quickly years, the Alaska-inspired Little Lin books shall be distributed to everyone families traveling aboard Lindblad Inside Passage cruises. (http://www.expeditions.com) MAPLE LEAF ADVENTURES offers families the opportunity to view Alaska's glaciers, whales, islands, bear hot spots, beaches, hot springs and towns aboard the classic tall-ship sailing vessel Maple Leaf, a beautifully restored 92-foot sailing schooner in-built 1904. The ship takes 9 or 10 guests. The vessel's on-board naturalist, chef and experienced crew can customize the trip's itinerary, menu and activities to suit family interests. Typical highlights include unparalleled proximity to ice bergs, glaciers and wildlife, sailing a tall ship, and great camaraderie between guests and crew. Special activities for teens include sail training, fishing (with purchase of a fisherman's license), hikes, as well as a customizable itinerary. Accommodations are comfortable although not luxurious. Because berths are limited to nine or ten passengers, its possible for one or more families (two families of 5, by way of example) to jointly reserve all of the berths for just one of those company's 11-night Alaska voyages. Parents with teen-age children may reserve berths that aren't otherwise reserved in the concurrence of prior-booked adult passengers. (http://www.mapleleafadventures.com)

State and Provincial Ferries

ALASKA MARINE HIGHWAY SYSTEM (Alaska ferries) is made-to-order for family travel along Alaska's coast. Depending on vessel youngsters will likely see onboard play areas for the very young, casual meals and snack bars for any age, movies, and nature talks plus expansive glass-enclosed solariums. These would be ideal for spotting orcas (killer whales), humpback whales, playful porpoises and sea lions in the water plus mountain goats on towering cliffsides, and (for the fortunate observer) the sight of black and brown (grizzly) bears on passing beaches. Families following or absent vehicles may embark as far south as Bellingham, Washington or Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

Larger stateroom-equipped vessels of those fleet are the Columbia (931 passengers), Matanuska (745), Malaspina (701), Taku (370), and Kennicott (748). Depending on season, one or two ships sail on weekly schedules right to/from Bellingham while other people turn around at Prince Rupert. (http://www.FerryAlaska.com)

BC FERRIES demonstrates its kid-friendliness even before a baby boards ship. Computer-savvy children or their parents have only to surf the net to http://www.bcferries.bc.ca/kidzone/establishing_shot.html and they re going to meet cartoon characters Samantha ("Call me Sam") and Cal, two seagoing doggy characters who introduce young viewers to three online activities - a digital coloring book, a "Match the Ferries" memory game, and a virtual bridge tour.

The 700-passenger provincial ferry vessel Queen of your North refers to Alaska state ferries at Prince Rupert for frequent having access to Southeast Alaska ports. (http://www.bcferries.com)

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Alaskan travel writer Mike Miller lives in Juneau where his current passion is publishing an informational website about Alaska cruising: http://www.AlaskaCruisingReport.com. Miller has authored or contributed to a number of books (Fodors, Sierra Club Books, Globe Pequot, The Milepost and others). He also writes for TravelAge West (a magazine for travel agents) and for major newspapers and magazines.

Copyright (c) 2006 By Mike Miller -- All Rights Reserved
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