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Sailing Alaska -- Now It's Kids Detail

Cruising Alaska - Now It's a Family Detail

By Mike Miller

If you're thinking about kids vacation to Alaska, and you're wondering if your kids would enjoy a cruise to "The past Frontier," wonder no more. Young individuals from toddlers through teens use 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 numerous kid-friendly, parent-friendly, and grandparent-friendly areas to see and fun actions you need to take.

It's true, merely a short decade or two ago families with kids aboard best alaska cruises were as scarce as Alaskan Dall sheep lambs within a grizzly bear's lair. Nonetheless the times have changed -- hugely. Today you will see, besides the traditional hefty contingent of seniors and near-seniors aboard each ship, numerous families. Sometimes such groups are multi-generational, with gramps and grandmas, moms and dads, and babies 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 long mirror straight from the water, grizzly bears chasing salmon along forest creeks and rivers, icebergs (sometimes as big as a tour bus) crashing, splashing, and thundering off the faces of miles-long glaciers.

Too, you can find chances to mush inside of a dog sled behind a team of charging huskies - after helicoptering to a lofty mountain-top glacier no less! Kids and parents can ride bikes through towering forests or down mountain paths and trails. They will be able to 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 young along with the young-at-heart is riding a zip-line through the upper canopies of towering spruce and hemlock forests in Ketchikan and Juneau -- hanging secure and safe in a harness as they simply "zip" along a steel cable some 130 feet or higher above the forest floor.

Or, less daunting, while visiting museums up and down the coast families can absorb the totemic culture and also the history of Alaska's Native peoples. They could learn about the period when Alaska was "Russian America." And then they will can view mementos of your tumultuous gold stampede to your Klondike in the course of the late 1800s,

Little doubt about this, Alaska has something exciting to offer every loved one, despite age.

But what about life aboard the cruiseships? Will young people find the experience dullsville?

Hardly. The mid- to mega-sized ships in particular are directly 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 usually confirm that cruisers from tykes through teens enjoy their cruise as much as their parents and grandparents.

Although smallship cruiselines in Alaska do not staff their vessels with special counselors for young cruisers, the ships are not 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 as well as 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.

No matter vessel size, keeping a couple of exceptions, cruiselines by the Alaska trade actively court family cruisers. Few such travelers, young or old, find the experience anything except "cool." And they're not looking at the climate.

Cruiseline by cruiseline here's a rundown of child care and Family Fun traveling on an best alaska cruise. The details was supplied because of the cruiselines or taken 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 absolutely are a variety "simply for Alaska" projects where kids could make Their Own personal dream catchers and totem poles and discover concerning the region's fascinating Native Alaskan cultures.

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

On the subject of dining, says Carnival, "Youngsters obtain the full 'Fun Ship' treatment with expanded children's menus offering various kids' favorites and also a daily junior special." The menus are included on the back of the coloring and activity book featuring word finds, mazes, tic-tac-toe, crossword puzzles, connect-the-dots, and also other games.

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

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

On Any Given day Ship Mates (for 3- through 6-year-olds) may take part in 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 chips sundae making.

A great number of same activities are at the agenda for older children also, but are undertaken on that older-age level.

Celebrity Cadets (for youngsters 7-9) may 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 kinds of teenagers, 13-15 and 16-17. Members can frequent the teenager Club, go about basketball tournaments, enjoy pool parties, and help placed on talent shows.

Celebrity vessels incorporate a "Parents Night Out" program. On 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 dinner. (http://www.celebrity.com)

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

Club HAL activities are created to be age appropriate. For example, habits planned for children ages 3 to 7 may include arts and crafts, face-painting, camp-out night, candy bar Bingo, outdoor fun, as well as 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 by using a friend.

Teens 13-17 benefit from the Loft designed to resemble a whole new York artist's loft; there's also The Oasis, a personal deck where teens can soak up the rays then cool off in a one-of-a-kind waterfall. The Loft and Oasis are currently transferrable to 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 and 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 choice 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 beforehand of boarding. Baby-sitting services are available to get a small surcharge and special birthday parties can also be arranged.

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE notes on its web page which the line's Kid's Crew and Teen's Crew programs are filled with age-appropriate activities for youths 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, most importantly, fun. (http://www.ncl.com)

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

Among a range 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 a very large number children each summer. The plan 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 along at the center, devised 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 fillets 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 also offer 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 Aquanauts and do finger painting, building blocks, play dough, music activities, dot dancing, and "shape Bingo." Explorers (6-8) have a Pirate Night, look a backstage tour, enjoy nutty nicknames, and have interaction in autograph hunts. Nine to 11-year-old Voyagers do karaoke singing, have a Ga-Ga Ball, enjoy H20 Thunder Races, and do an art walk.

Navigators (12-14) play in sports tournaments, have pool parties, take a college night, pursue online games, and show up disco dancing sessions along with an official night. Older teens,15-17 and called Guests, also enjoy dancing, pool parties, DJ training, Battle of your 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 Throughout the Stars, plus a Wacky Water Workshop);

Adventure Art, the opportunity to workout creativity with crafts;

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

Mid-Size Veins

RADISSON Seven Seas CRUISES' youth program, "Club Mariner," provides adults who wish to share Alaska's wonders using their children or grandchildren a cost-free children's program. "This program," says the company, "offers the opportunity for families of all types of lifestyle to be having Alaska inside of a meaningful, enriching way." The cruiseline's youth program is produced for three age groups: 5-9, 10-13 and 14-17. Throughout each voyage, trained counselors offer young cruisers the opportunity to participate in a variety of interactive adventures specializing in 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 might draw and write about their adventures in his or her special Club Mariner scrapbook, bake chocolate "moose" cookies, go whale watching out on deck or learn all about eagles, dolphins, bears and sea lions. Notes RSSC: "Club Mariner not only causes it to be easier for families to travel together, it helps kids broaden their cultural and valuable horizons. And they'll return home knowing about Alaska than all the other 49 states combined!" (http://www.rssc.com) SILVERSEA CRUISES advises that, because of the sophisticated nature of their cruises and programs, the company won't encourage travel with baby. (http://www.silverseacruises.com)

Smaller Ships

AMERICAN SAFARI CRUISES' Kids naturally (KIN) cruises, include a luxury yacht as the schoolhouse, an Expedition Leader/Naturalist as the teacher, along with the wildlife-rich waters of Alaska's Inside Passage because the laboratory. KIN convenes in Alaska aboard the upscale 22-passenger yacht Safari Quest with all 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 all ages: kayaking, hiking for the 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 study, and more. Kids and adults alike are accompanied at the variety of personal-choice excursions while their yacht is at anchor.

At the end of any cruise each child receives a Kids in Nature backpack packed with mementos with their various explorations: a piece of paper of accomplishment signed by the Captain and Expedition Leader, a tee shirt and cap, some binoculars, disposable camera as well as a typed collection of all of the natural world observed throughout the cruise. The plan offers kid-size pricing -- two kids under 12 for starters adult fare.

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

AMERICAN WEST STEAMBOAT COMPANY advises, "We tend to address mature adults and therefore offer no special programs to kids and teenagers." (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 by using a parent, 20 percent off if occupying an independent cabin.

The company's two vessels would not have separate personnel specifically assigned to youngsters on board, nonetheless the line does make an effort to accommodate the desires of each one passenger including kayaking, fishing, beach hikes, and also other kid-friendly activities. (http://www.theboatcompany.com)

CLIPPER CRUISELINE hasn't got 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) make it appropriate for family groups. Cabins can accommodate as many as three guests; for larger groups two cabins could be necessary. (http://www.clippercruise.com)

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

While many of your company's other cruises are of considerable interest for families with children, activities aboard ship will not be specifically geared for young travelers. Cruise West is your largest of your smallship cruiselines serving Alaska discounts cruising alternatives for family interest from Southeast Alaska having its totems, glaciers, national park lands and goldrush historical landmarks to Southcentral's Prince William Sound and beyond to Arctic waters as well as Russia. (http://www.cruisewest.com)

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

LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS welcomes voyagers young and old. And are available September, Archie Comics illustrator Stan Goldberg will join a shipload of other Lindblad Expeditions travelers throughout the Inside Passage from Southeast Alaska to British Columbia. His mission: to design the 2nd 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 belief encounter glaciers, humpback whales, bald eagles, and all manner of other creatures and their habitats along Alaska's and British Columbia's Inside Passage. Soon years, the Alaska-inspired Little Lin books is going to be distributed to all 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 manufacturer provided 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 youths include sail training, fishing (with purchase of an angling license), hikes, plus a customizable itinerary. Accommodations are comfortable although not luxurious. Because berths are limited to nine or ten passengers, it truly is possible for starters or higher families (two families of 5, in particular) to jointly reserve all of the berths for starters of those company's 11-night Alaska voyages. Parents with teen-age children may reserve berths which 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. Based on vessel youngsters will find onboard play areas for very young, casual meals and snack bars for any age, movies, and nature talks plus expansive glass-enclosed solariums. These are ideal for spotting orcas (killer whales), humpback whales, playful porpoises and sea lions inside the water plus mountain goats on towering cliffsides, and (of 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 your fleet are the Columbia (931 passengers), Matanuska (745), Malaspina (701), Taku (370), and Kennicott (748). According to the season, one or two ships sail on weekly schedules all the way to/from Bellingham and some turn at Prince Rupert. (http://www.FerryAlaska.com)

BC FERRIES demonstrates its kid-friendliness even before kids boards ship. Computer-savvy children or their parents have only to surf the web 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 some online activities - a digital coloring book, a "Compare to the Ferries" memory game, plus a virtual bridge tour.

The 700-passenger provincial ferry vessel Queen of the 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 various books (Fodors, Sierra Club Books, Globe Pequot, The Milepost while others). He also writes for TravelAge West (a publication for travel specialists) and for major newspapers and magazines.

Copyright (c) 2006 By Mike Miller -- All Rights Reserved
Baby Take a Bow