Alaska cruise with 2 kids under 3?...

[MichelleRC]

So I am trying to come up with ideas for a June vacation with my in-laws. We kind of have to go away with them every year and usually we just rent a beach condo somewhere. This, however, is not a vacation for me--I just do what I normally do at home but somewhere else and for 2 more people. And now I have 2 kids. Anyway, my in-laws are in their late 70's, from Kansas, don't like to drive, are not crazy about the heat, and are generally not the easiest people to please.
So DH suggested an Alaskan cruise. I would love it, but was wondering if anyone has taken small children. DS#1 will be 2 3/4 and DS#2 will be 10 months.
We live in South Florida so a Caribbean cruise would be logistically really easy, but they have no interest in that.
Suggestions anyone?

TIA!

[Mommaof2]

I have personally never gone on a cruise but have several friends who have been on many - pre baby. They all have said other than the Disney cruise when their kids are in the 3 - 5 range, they would NEVER take small kids on a cruise. One friend said she always felt really sorry for the parents trying to "make" it fun when it looked like a huge pain in the butt.

Now with kids I guess it would be like eating out (stressful, always worrying my child is ruining it for someone else, etc) the whole time I was on the cruise.

I would suggest renting a house again. You're a sweet wife for going along with this!

[emilyf]

I have never been on a cruise, but I would imagine it would totally depend on the ship you were on. I think some are more family-oriented and would be great, others maybe slightly stuffier. I completely understand how renting a house/condo is a lot of work-I would suggest an all-inclusive vacation somewhere, although maybe not a tropical destination if that isn't your in-laws thing. Another idea would be a vacation lodge type place-something in Maine or the Adirondacks where everyone has a cabin and meals are eaten at a central location. I wouldn't give up on the alaska cruise idea though-I bet somebody here has some advice.
Emily \r\nmom of Charlie born 11/02

[Tondi G]

I'd say go for it! We looked into a cruise and were all set to book and then Dh got word of a huge project and we had to scrap it... BUMMER! I would look into Carnival Cruise line maybe... they seem to be the most family friendly besides Disney of course. Their childrens program starts for children age 2 and up.... they don't have to be potty trained.... a plus in case your older DS isn't trained yet.... other cruise lines I think they have to be potty trained to participate in the kids programs! They also offer baby sitting so you and Dh could have an evening/meal to yourself if you'd like!!!!

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Static_Templates/Toddlers.aspx

We went on a cruise for our honeymoon and had a blast. I can't wait to take DS and his soon to be little brother on a cruise! ALL the meals will be preparred for you... you can even have 24 hour room service! Cruises are all about FOOD! There is entertainment for everyone. I'd do it in a heartbeat!

I have found really great info on cruises on a site called vacations2go.com.

Good Luck with your decision!

~Tondi
Mommy to Mason 7/8/01
and lil man #2 edd 5/5/05

[jd11365]

You realize you'll have to pay full fare for both of them. I couldn't believe it myself, but it's true! And airfare for DS#1 at the least to Vancouver which is pricey. Just throwing some thoughts at ya. With that kind of money, you could do an all inclusive resort that is kid friendly.

Jamie
Mommy to Kayla
May '03
http://lilypie.com/baby2/030501/1/0/1/-5/.png

[g-mama]

I hate to be a bummer, but I wouldn't do it. I got stuck going on a cruise with my dh's family - but WITHOUT dh (had to work at the last minute!) and take my ds who was 20 mos at the time. I hated it, to put it bluntly.

There is the cabin, which in our case, was miniscule. No bathtub, just a tiny shower with a curtain to try to bathe ds in. And nothing for him to do and no room to do it in during any "downtime."

Then there are the meals. Okay, breakfast and lunch were okay because they were casual, serve-yourself buffets. But dinner was a big 5-course elegant dining experience which lasted at least 2 hours. I don't know how your kids are, but mine can barely last 30 minutes at a restaurant, and you've got mostly adults on board and the pressure is on to not ruin it for everyone. I found myself leaving the table several times to let ds walk around and let off some steam...which meant missing dessert or whatever was being served.

Everyone would be out late at night dancing and listening to bands and ds and I would be tucked into our cabin by 9pm. So of course, none of them emerged til 10 or 11 am and that meant a good 3-4 hours trying to entertain ds all by myself. And then they'd be raring to go out and explore after lunch, which meant my ds who was never a good stroller napper, would be tired and cranky and miserable all afternoon, unless I wanted to stay holed up in the cabin so he could nap.

To be fair, dh's family (mom and 3 sisters and their boyfriends/husbands) tried to help me but ds was in a particularly clingy "mommy only" phase which made it impossible for me to catch a break. And you will have your dh with you, too. But it doesn't sound like your in-laws are going to be super helpful either.

Maybe I am still a little bitter about this nightmarish-cruise-from-hell experience (okay, definitely!) but there's my .02. Btw, I still remind dh that he owes me big time for this one. ;-)


Kristen
Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03

[Momof3Labs]

We looked into a cruise last spring and were disappointed to see that most cruises do not allow children in swim diapers into the pool AT ALL. Though I'm not sure if that is an issue in Alaska in June or not!

[brubeck]

DH and I have done lots of cruises. We love it. It is the perfect vacation.

However, we have never taken our kids on a cruise. We could have, but honestly I don't think they would enjoy it until they are old enough to go into the kid programs. We are planning our first family cruise for just after DS turns 3, when he can enjoy things.

That being said, Carnival does allow 2 year olds into the kid program. I have heard that Norwegian does too. Both of these are fairly family friendly lines. Royal Carribean and Princess are also generally family friendly. Celebrity can be too (hit or miss).

Even though you cannot put younger kids in the kids' program, many cruise lines will let you come use the facilities (including the kiddie pool) as long as you are there to supervise your kids. Call up and ask before booking, but I have heard of many of the bigger ships doing this.

Now certainly you will have something of an easier time on a cruise than in a condo because all of the cleaning and cooking will be done for you. Unlike what previous posters have stated you do not have to eat in the dining room, but you can order from room service. A bigger ship may even have a buffet open for dinner as well as breakfast and lunch. There are also poolside pizzerias and burger places that you can eat from in a VERY casual atmosphere. Most ships have a dinnertime 'casual dining' alternative which is more of a 'family restaurant' atmosphere than a 'fine dining' atmosphere. You may even be able to arrange in-cabin babysitting for a night so you could go out to dinner (say on formal night).

I have seen many small children at the evening shows. Keep in mind that you will be moving over 3+ time zones so even an early show may be very late for your kids. However if they can sleep in a stroller or in your arms then you may still be able to catch some of the entertainment. Of course the same courtesy rules apply as anywhere else: if your kids make noise you have to take them outside.

The rooms ARE small. If you can afford it, book a mini-suite. If you are taking a Celebrity Millenium-class ship, book a Category 3 and put 'no upgrades' on your reservation. These are like standard balcony rooms but they are VERY big cabins with big (plexiglass-enclosed) balconies. They are coveted by families.

As for fares, your kids will likely pay a full fare, but keep in mind that the 3rd and 4th people in a cabin pay significantly reduced fares (even adults). The total cost for 4 people in a cabin is far less than 2 times the standard double-booking.

Lastly, check out cruisecritic.com. They have some great message boards and when you narrow down a cruise/ship you can post there for specific tips from people who have BTDT.

Good luck!

[MichelleRC]

Thanks everyone! Yikes though, makes me just want to stay home.

I am also looking into the New England/Eastern Canada cruise (I think Holland America) and the kids would be significantly discounted. I think the baby would only be about $300. Also, if ALaska is still a consideration I would try to do one of the trips that left from and returned to Seattle, making the plane travel a little easier.
Back to the drawing board for me!

[vpalmer]

This is exactly why we did not cruise. Unless a child is totally potty trained they are not allowed in the pool, even if wearing a swim diaper. The only exception is the kiddie pool on Disney. Most kiddie pools don't even allow swim diapers!

Veronica
Mom to Eva
Born 6-03

[g-mama]

I'm pretty sure that we could have eaten in a more casual atmosphere for dinner, as well, but I didn't really consider it because how fun it would be for me and ds to eat pizza all by ourselves when the other 9 people we went with were all enjoying a wonderful dinner together? I should have mentioned that the food was great. I suppose if your in-laws would be open to missing the big fancy dinner in favor of a more casual meal, that would be an option for you.


Kristen
Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03

[cleo27]

Good luck with your decision! DH is trying to give me an Alaskan cruise for a holiday gift and we would be going at the end of May. I am inclined to leave DD w/ my parents and just go as a couple, and after reading all of these responses, I think that is the right decision, though I am not sure I will be ready to leave DD for a whole week :(

He also looked into the New England/ Canada cruise through Holland America. I think we are going to do the Alaska one through them that is round-trip from Seattle.

Good luck!