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Traveling Alaska -- Now It's A Baby Thing

Cruising Alaska - Now It's a Family Thing

By Mike Miller

If you happen to be considering a family vacation to Alaska, and you're wondering in case your kids would is content with cruise to "One more Frontier," wonder get rid of. Young individuals from toddlers through teens have got a blast on big ships and small the vessels sail through the protected waters of Alaska's Inside Passage. Aboard ship or ashore, there are several kid-friendly, parent-friendly, and grandparent-friendly sites to see and fun actions you need to take.

It's gospel, merely a short decade or two ago families with kids aboard best alaska cruises were as scarce as Alaskan Dall sheep lambs inside of a grizzly bear's lair. Nonetheless the times have changed -- big time. Today you will notice, beyond just the traditional hefty contingent of seniors and near-seniors aboard each ship, a growing number of families. Sometimes these groups are multi-generational, with gramps and grandmas, moms and dads, and babies that can start 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 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 of the faces of miles-long glaciers.

Too, you will find opportunities to mush inside a dog sled behind a team of charging huskies - after helicoptering to some lofty mountain-top glacier no less! Kids and fogeys 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 your young as well as the young-at-heart is riding a zip-line in the upper canopies of towering spruce and hemlock forests in Ketchikan and Juneau -- hanging secure inside of a harness as they simply "zip" along a steel cable some 130 feet or over 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 will be able to learn about the period when Alaska was "Russian America." And then they will can view mementos of your tumultuous gold stampede into the Klondike throughout the late 1800s,

Absolute confidence regarding this, Alaska has something exciting to promise every member of the family, no matter age.

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

Hardly. The mid- to mega-sized ships especially are literally resorts afloat with swimming pools, spas, snack shops, chips 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 customarily confirm that cruisers from tykes through teens enjoy their cruise in so far as their parents and grandparents.

Although smallship cruiselines in Alaska tend not to 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 along with spiffy powered Zodiacs, hike remote island beaches, possibly even stop for only a natural hot springs dip in forested surroundings.

One smallship cruiseline even schedules three best alaska cruise every year especially geared for family travel.

Despite vessel size, keeping 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 climate.

Cruiseline by cruiseline here's a rundown of little one care and family fun on an best alaska cruise. The information was supplied by way of the cruiselines or assisted by 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 various continuous supervised activities throughout the line's "Camp Carnival" program.

Included in the line's Alaska sailings certainly are a number of "simply for Alaska" projects where kids can create their unique dream catchers and totem poles and discover in regards to the region's fascinating Native Alaskan cultures.

The Carnival Spirit offers other kid- and family-friendly amenities too, 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 many different kids' favorites and also a daily junior special." The menus are included on the back of any coloring and activity book featuring word finds, mazes, tic-tac-toe, crossword puzzles, connect-the-dots, as well as other games.

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

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

On any given day Ship Mates (for 3- through 6-year-olds) may take a 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 cookies sundae making.

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

Celebrity Cadets (for kids 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 kinds of teenagers, 13-15 and 16-17. Members can frequent the Teen Club, engage in basketball tournaments, enjoy pool parties, and help put on talent shows.

Celebrity vessels incorporate a "Parents Fun evening" program. Around the two formal nights of any seven-night voyage, Celebrity treats parents to free babysitting when counselors eliminate the children with a pizza party for lunch. (http://www.celebrity.com)

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

Club HAL activities are created to be age appropriate. For example, every day activities planned for infants ages 3 to 7 may include arts and crafts, face-painting, camp-out night, candy bar Bingo, outdoor fun, and 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 just play ping-pong which has a friend.

Teens 13-17 relish Loft devised to resemble a New York artist's loft; there's also The Oasis, a private deck where teens can absorb the rays then cool off inside a one-of-a-kind waterfall. The Loft and Oasis are currently found at 2006 Alaska-bound vessels Ryndam, Statendam, Veendam, Volendam, and Zaandam. Teens will especially enjoy the teen disco, dance lessons, arcade games, teen sports tournaments, karaoke, trivia contests, bingo, play stations, movies and health and fitness parties.

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

Additionally there are a large variety of kid-pleasing food, including special sandwiches, tacos, burgers, hot dogs and pizza. Of the very young baby food, high chairs and booster seats can be requested beforehand of boarding. Baby-sitting services are available to get a small surcharge and special bday parties will also be arranged.

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

But don't, says NCL, give thought to these programs as "babysitting." There's hardly any "sitting" involved, notes the cruiseline. The programs are active, energetic, educational and, most especially, 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 switch on a program of age-specific activities day after day. Group babysitting will come in the late evenings.

Among a variety of programs for youngsters is definitely specific to Alaska. Produced with the National Park Service, Princess' sub-teen "Junior Ranger" program is designed to bring Glacier Bay as well as the Alaska wilderness to life for thousands of 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 with 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 few 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 set with 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 include a toddler's play area. (http://www.princess.com)

ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL creates 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 got a Pirate Night, keep on a backstage tour, enjoy nutty nicknames, and interact in autograph hunts. Nine to 11-year-old Voyagers do karaoke singing, use a Ga-Ga Ball, enjoy H20 Thunder Races, and do a talent walk.

Navigators (12-14) play in sports tournaments, have pool parties, take part in college night, engage in video games, and go disco dancing sessions in addition to a proper night. Older teens,15-17 and called Guests, also enjoy dancing, pool parties, DJ training, Battle of your Sexes, plus a formal night and a Survivor Series.

RCI's Edu-tainment programming offers:

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

Adventure Art, the opportunity to workout creativity with crafts;

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

Mid-Size Carrier

RADISSON SEVEN SEAS CRUISES' youth program, "Club Mariner," provides adults who want to share Alaska's wonders for their children or grandchildren a cost-free children's program. "The plan," says the firm, "offers the opportunity for families of all types of lifestyle to experience Alaska inside of a meaningful, enriching way." The cruiseline's youth program is designed for 3 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 that focuses Alaska. Children will exercise their creativity with crafts while gaining knowledge about Alaska's diverse wildlife, its unique geography, its indigenous crafts, and its rich artistic heritage.

Kids will find out about whales, salmon, glaciers and totem poles. They could draw and write about their adventures in the special Club Mariner scrapbook, bake chocolate "moose" cookies, go whale watching on deck or learn all about eagles, dolphins, bears and sea lions. Notes RSSC: "Club Mariner not only helps it be easier for families to travel together, it can help kids broaden their cultural and beneficial horizons. And they'll return home knowing more about Alaska than the remainder of the 49 states combined!" (http://www.rssc.com) SILVERSEA CRUISES advises that, as a result of sophisticated nature of its cruises and programs, the company does not encourage travel with little ones. (http://www.silverseacruises.com)

Smaller Ships

AMERICAN SAFARI CRUISES' Kids in Nature (KIN) cruises, include a luxury yacht as the schoolhouse, an Expedition Leader/Naturalist when the teacher, along with 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 all ages: kayaking, hiking on a remote island used by a full-scale picnic, hopping shore-to-shore by Zodiac, viewing whales directly from the bow or dolphins right below, collecting shells to study, and a lot more. Kids and adults alike are accompanied on an style of personal-choice excursions while their yacht is at anchor.

Right at the end of any cruise each child receives a Kids in the wild backpack packed with mementos of their various explorations: a certificate of achievement signed because of the Captain and Expedition Leader, a tee shirt and cap, a few binoculars, disposable camera plus a typed collection of almost every flora and fauna observed throughout the cruise. This program offers kid-size pricing -- two kids under 12 for just one adult fare.

Aboard other sailings in the course of the season American Safaris Cruises' three yachts offer very upscale amenities and cuisine best appreciated by sophisticated adults. Them cruises the road normally discourages guests from bringing young children and doesn't offer specifically child-oriented services. (http://www.americansafaricruises.com)

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

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

The company's two vessels don't have separate personnel specifically assigned to youngsters on board, nonetheless the line does seek to accommodate the desires of each passenger including kayaking, fishing, beach hikes, as well as other kid-friendly activities. (http://www.theboatcompany.com)

CLIPPER CRUISELINE does not have any specific children's programs or staff for younger travelers, but the nature of your company's routes and cruising areas (including whale sightings, bears other wildlife, and shore excursions) ensure it is appropriate for family groups. Cabins can accommodate as numerous as three guests; for larger groups two cabins will 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 with adult save 50 percent on Family Adventure cruise fares. Youths 13 through 21 save 25 %.

While many of those 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 would be the largest of many smallship cruiselines serving Alaska promotions cruising options of family interest from Southeast Alaska with its totems, glaciers, national park lands and goldrush historical points of interest to Southcentral's Prince William Sound and beyond to Arctic waters and even 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 organization offers a 25 percent discount for kids 12 and under. Notes an organization spokeswoman: "As a result 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 was raised on board the Discovery) is diverse in working on both adults and children along with 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 emerge September, Archie Comics illustrator Stan Goldberg will join a shipload of other Lindblad Expeditions travelers from the Inside Passage from Southeast Alaska to British Columbia. His mission: to design your second in his "Little Lin" cartoon book sequence of educational adventures for young people. (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 shall 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 is going to be distributed to every one 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 inbuilt 1904. The ship takes 8 to 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 a fishing license), hikes, along with a customizable itinerary. Accommodations are comfortable yet not luxurious. Because berths are limited to nine or ten passengers, it really is possible for example or more families (two families of 5, by way of example) to jointly reserve all the berths for one of the company's 11-night Alaska voyages. Parents with teen-age children may reserve berths that are not otherwise reserved with all 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. Counting on vessel youngsters will find onboard play areas for the very young, casual meals and snack bars for any age, movies, and nature talks plus expansive glass-enclosed solariums. Those 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). Based on the season, one or two ships sail on weekly schedules all the way up to/from Bellingham while other people flip 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 will meet cartoon characters Samantha ("Call me Sam") and Cal, two seagoing doggy characters who introduce young viewers to three online activities - an electronic coloring book, a "Compare to the Ferries" memory game, plus a virtual bridge tour.

The 700-passenger provincial ferry vessel Queen of many North connects with Alaska state ferries at Prince Rupert for frequent entry to Southeast Alaska ports. (http://www.bcferries.com)

# # #

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 considered to be a number of books (Fodors, Sierra Club Books, Globe Pequot, The Milepost among others). He also writes for TravelAge West (a publication for travel specialists) and with major newspapers and magazines.

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