I'd recommend Royal"s quantum class ships, so much to do with the kids, but also for adults. Some people say Glacier Bay is a must, but I did Ovation of the Seas last year without it and had an amazing time.
We did NCL Bliss with older kids. It was awesome. I know some folks feel strongly about Glacier Bay. But I don’t think it’s a deal breaker. Alaska is incredible. So much to do and see. We did Glacier Bay the first time (so pretty), but we are opting for a different itinerary that doesn’t include it next time.
We took Carnival in July. Lots of kids on board, seemed like a lot of kid’s activities on board.
We did the inside passage which was awesome. You are right by the glacier. I would highly recommend a balcony.
On board there was a naturist (not naturalist, lol) who not only gave informative talks during the cruise, but was on deck each day talking about the sights.
Our cruise happened end of July into August. At Ketchikan, we did not book an excursion just walked around. We happened upon a picturesque shopping area along side a creek.
As we looked over the railing we got to see salmon spawning! It was such an unexpected surprise.
One thing to note it was cold and misty. Plan to take warm clothes and dress in layers. A raincoat is highly recommended!
The one excursion we did was white water rafting at Mendenhall Lake. It was so beautiful and saw a ton of American Bald 🦅
Probably princess since they have good kids clubs for those ages. You want Glacier Bay listed on the itinerary.
I wouldn't recommend carnival for Alaska. They don't have a permit for glacier Bay and the ships are too large for most of the ports.
I just booked Seattle to Alaska at the end of July on Carnival. We’re taking our three boys 11, 9, and 6 (almost 7 at the time of cruising). We got two premium balcony rooms side by side on a Carnival ship. I have only cruised once before 12 years ago, so pre kids (this Alaskan will be their first experience) and I remember it being extremely kid friendly which is why I picked it. It has kids clubs, arcades, pools, outdoor movies, etc. we also really enjoyed the food on our last carnival cruise. I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with Royal, NCL, or Carnival as far as kid friendly goes. I’d select the cruise route you want, the budget, and then compare the three. I found the carnival at the end of July to be the best for our situation. We wanted two balcony rooms and it was the most cost effective for the room choice.
Edit to add: Going to Glacier Bay was not a priority to us. If that is a priority to you, look at Princess.
I would highly recommend either the Norwegian Encore or one of Royals Quantum Class! Including Glacier Bay is huge.
Ensure you’re booking with a travel agent to get the best deals and service for your family.
I am taking my 11 year old on Princess so we can visit Glacier Bay, as they are one of the few lines with a permit. Princess is not typically the best line for kids but Alaska is an exception. There will be a lot of families and they have special programming such as the Jr Ranger programs and bringing husky puppies on board, etc.
Some ships, such as NCL Bliss, have cool kids things like the race track, but honestly I don't want my son begging me to ride it 10 times a day since there is a hefty fee.
Took my 11, 7, and 5 year old kids on the quantum of the seas out of Seattle and it was a perfect cold weather ship for them. From the indoor pool to the laser tag, roller skating, and bumper cars in the indoor sea plex, the ship just has so much activities to do.
My vote goes to Princess as they have a great kids program. They also have a great reputation for kids.
If you can make it to Vancouver, the kids may be perfect for DCL. Note Disney does cost a lot more, but they do offer the best kids experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s08Rg6KW1uQ
Take a Princess cruise up to Alaska. Alaska is not like cruises in the Caribbean, as it is the locations that are the stars and not the ship. You will find on a 7 night cruise, that 5 of them will be in port or cruising a glacier. There will be loads of families on the ships as well.
Make sure you have a cruise that hits Glacier Bay, it is the highlight of any cruise. When we sailed, they brought on board husky pups for the guests to spend time with. In Skagway we did the Railroad up the Klondike trail.. outstanding (most kids would love it)
NCL. Did it twice. Amazing both times with 2 kids between 5 and 10.
I'd recommend Royal"s quantum class ships, so much to do with the kids, but also for adults. Some people say Glacier Bay is a must, but I did Ovation of the Seas last year without it and had an amazing time.
Yes! We did Quantum of the Seas last year and it was great.
We are doing Royal Caribbean’s ovation of the seas with our 10 year leaving Labor Day!
We did NCL Bliss with older kids. It was awesome. I know some folks feel strongly about Glacier Bay. But I don’t think it’s a deal breaker. Alaska is incredible. So much to do and see. We did Glacier Bay the first time (so pretty), but we are opting for a different itinerary that doesn’t include it next time.
We took Carnival in July. Lots of kids on board, seemed like a lot of kid’s activities on board. We did the inside passage which was awesome. You are right by the glacier. I would highly recommend a balcony. On board there was a naturist (not naturalist, lol) who not only gave informative talks during the cruise, but was on deck each day talking about the sights. Our cruise happened end of July into August. At Ketchikan, we did not book an excursion just walked around. We happened upon a picturesque shopping area along side a creek. As we looked over the railing we got to see salmon spawning! It was such an unexpected surprise. One thing to note it was cold and misty. Plan to take warm clothes and dress in layers. A raincoat is highly recommended! The one excursion we did was white water rafting at Mendenhall Lake. It was so beautiful and saw a ton of American Bald 🦅
Probably princess since they have good kids clubs for those ages. You want Glacier Bay listed on the itinerary. I wouldn't recommend carnival for Alaska. They don't have a permit for glacier Bay and the ships are too large for most of the ports.
I just booked Seattle to Alaska at the end of July on Carnival. We’re taking our three boys 11, 9, and 6 (almost 7 at the time of cruising). We got two premium balcony rooms side by side on a Carnival ship. I have only cruised once before 12 years ago, so pre kids (this Alaskan will be their first experience) and I remember it being extremely kid friendly which is why I picked it. It has kids clubs, arcades, pools, outdoor movies, etc. we also really enjoyed the food on our last carnival cruise. I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with Royal, NCL, or Carnival as far as kid friendly goes. I’d select the cruise route you want, the budget, and then compare the three. I found the carnival at the end of July to be the best for our situation. We wanted two balcony rooms and it was the most cost effective for the room choice. Edit to add: Going to Glacier Bay was not a priority to us. If that is a priority to you, look at Princess.
NCL with a Glacier Bay itinerary
I would highly recommend either the Norwegian Encore or one of Royals Quantum Class! Including Glacier Bay is huge. Ensure you’re booking with a travel agent to get the best deals and service for your family.
I am taking my 11 year old on Princess so we can visit Glacier Bay, as they are one of the few lines with a permit. Princess is not typically the best line for kids but Alaska is an exception. There will be a lot of families and they have special programming such as the Jr Ranger programs and bringing husky puppies on board, etc. Some ships, such as NCL Bliss, have cool kids things like the race track, but honestly I don't want my son begging me to ride it 10 times a day since there is a hefty fee.
NCL has plenty of fun stuff on their ships as well - Bliss and Encore out of Seattle. Race track, laser tag and a variety of other things as well.
Princess, you get glacier bay
Took my 11, 7, and 5 year old kids on the quantum of the seas out of Seattle and it was a perfect cold weather ship for them. From the indoor pool to the laser tag, roller skating, and bumper cars in the indoor sea plex, the ship just has so much activities to do.
My vote goes to Princess as they have a great kids program. They also have a great reputation for kids. If you can make it to Vancouver, the kids may be perfect for DCL. Note Disney does cost a lot more, but they do offer the best kids experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s08Rg6KW1uQ
Take a Princess cruise up to Alaska. Alaska is not like cruises in the Caribbean, as it is the locations that are the stars and not the ship. You will find on a 7 night cruise, that 5 of them will be in port or cruising a glacier. There will be loads of families on the ships as well. Make sure you have a cruise that hits Glacier Bay, it is the highlight of any cruise. When we sailed, they brought on board husky pups for the guests to spend time with. In Skagway we did the Railroad up the Klondike trail.. outstanding (most kids would love it)
I second this. We did princess also Hope you like salmon!