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Smooth Sailing Alaska -- Now It's A Baby Fact

Cruising Alaska - Now It's a Family Things

By Mike Miller

If you happen to be thinking about children vacation to Alaska, and you're wondering if the kids would take a cruise to "The Last Frontier," wonder get rid of. Young folks from toddlers through teens have a blast on big ships and small the vessels sail from the protected waters of Alaska's Inside Passage. Aboard ship or ashore, there are plenty of kid-friendly, parent-friendly, and grandparent-friendly websites to see and fun actions you need to take.

It's true, only 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. However the times have changed -- in a major way. 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 children that can start from gangly teens to babes literally in arms.

The reason? Word is out that Alaska's attractions are sure-fire hits for travelers of little age: attractions like humongous whales breaching full length 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 faces of miles-long glaciers.

Too, you can find prospects to mush within a dog sled behind a team of charging huskies - after helicoptering with a lofty mountain-top glacier no less! Kids and fogeys 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 of the young and also the young-at-heart is riding a zip-line throughout the upper canopies of towering spruce and hemlock forests in Ketchikan and Juneau -- hanging secure and safe within a harness simply because they "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 along with the history of Alaska's Native peoples. They might discover the period when Alaska was "Russian America." And they can view mementos of those tumultuous gold stampede to your Klondike during the late 1800s,

Absolute confidence regarding this, Alaska has something exciting to promise every friend, despite age.

But what about life aboard the cruiseships? Will youngsters discover the experience dullsville?

Hardly. The mid- to mega-sized ships specifically are completely 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 usually confirm that cruisers from tykes through teens enjoy their cruise to the extent that their parents and grandparents.

Although smallship cruiselines in Alaska do not 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 or in spiffy powered Zodiacs, hike remote island beaches, possibly even stop for a natural hot springs dip in forested surroundings.

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

No matter vessel size, keeping merely a a handful of exceptions, cruiselines in the Alaska trade actively court family cruisers. Few such travelers, young or old, choose the experience anything save for "cool." And are generally not indicating to the weather.

Cruiseline by cruiseline here's a rundown of kid care and family fun driving on an best alaska cruise. The knowledge was supplied because 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 a variety of continuous supervised activities throughout the line's "Camp Carnival" program.

Included in the line's Alaska sailings absolutely are a volume of "just for Alaska" projects where kids can make their very own dream catchers and totem poles and discover about 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, a backyard play area, and a computer lab.

With regards to dining, says Carnival, "Youngsters get the full 'Fun Ship' treatment with expanded children's menus offering numerous kids' favorites as well as each junior special." The menus are included on the back of a coloring and activity book featuring word finds, mazes, tic-tac-toe, crossword puzzles, connect-the-dots, and other games.

Young cruiser age brackets include 2- through 5-year-olds, 6 through 8, 9 through 11, and with 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 groups:

On any given day Ship Mates (for 3- through 6-year-olds) may enjoy 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 ice cream sundae making.

A great number of same activities are around the agenda for older children in addition, but are undertaken traveling on an older-age level.

Celebrity Cadets (for children 7-9) can also include pool olympics, scavenger hunts, charades, an exercise 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 Teen Club, undertake basketball tournaments, enjoy pool parties, and help placed on talent shows.

Celebrity vessels comprise a "Parents Fun evening" program. On the two formal nights of any seven-night voyage, Celebrity treats parents to free babysitting when counselors consider the children with a 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 children ages 3-12 may 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 made to be age appropriate. For instance, 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, 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 simply play ping-pong with a friend.

Teens 13-17 benefit from the Loft designed to resemble a New York artist's loft; there's also The Oasis, a fitness deck where teens can soak up the rays then cool off within 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 relish 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 one full-time Youth Program Director and 1 or more youth staff members. The rate of Club HAL staff to children as part of the team is 1:30.

Additionally there are a wide 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 can be requested in advance of boarding. Baby-sitting services can be obtained for only a small surcharge and special birthday parties can be arranged.

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE notes on its websites 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 from 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 earn money "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 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 placed on a course of age-specific activities each day. Group babysitting is available in the late evenings.

Among a number of programs for kids is one of the specific to Alaska. Produced with the National Park Service, Princess' sub-teen "Junior Ranger" program is designed to bring Glacier Bay and 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 of 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, designed to enthrall young passengers with award-winning science projects. Whale watching, building and racing sailboats, marine biology studies and squid dissection really 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 chips 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 location also notes the Alaska-bound Sun, Dawn, Coral, Island, and Diamond Princess ships comprise 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 Aquanauts and do finger painting, building blocks, play dough, music activities, dot dancing, and "shape Bingo." Explorers (6-8) have got a Pirate Night, embark on a backstage tour, enjoy nutty nicknames, and interact with in autograph hunts. Nine to 11-year-old Voyagers do karaoke singing, have a Ga-Ga Ball, enjoy H20 Thunder Races, and do a method walk.

Navigators (12-14) play in sports tournaments, have pool parties, take a college night, pursue game titles, and go disco dancing sessions along with a proper night. Older teens,15-17 and called Guests, also enjoy dancing, pool parties, DJ training, Battle of many Sexes, plus a formal night as well as a Survivor Series.

RCI's Edu-tainment programming offers:

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

Adventure Art, the opportunity to workout creativity with crafts;

Sail Into Story Period and Adventure Family. The latter is usually a free, onboard program that allows children 3-11 and their parents to shell out quality time together doing projects that can start 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 with their children or grandchildren a cost-free children's program. "The program," says the firm, "offers the opportunity for families of all types of lifestyle to get Alaska within a meaningful, enriching way." The cruiseline's youth program is created for 3 age ranges: 5-9, 10-13 and 14-17. Throughout each voyage, trained counselors offer young cruisers the opportunity to take part in various interactive adventures that focuses 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 gain details about about whales, salmon, glaciers and totem poles. They ought to draw and write about their adventures in his or her 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 will help kids broaden their cultural and educational horizons. And they'll return home knowing how to Alaska than the remainder of the 49 states combined!" (http://www.rssc.com) SILVERSEA CRUISES advises that, as a result of the sophisticated nature of that cruises and programs, the company doesn't encourage travel with baby. (http://www.silverseacruises.com)

Smaller Ships

AMERICAN SAFARI CRUISES' Kids naturally (KIN) cruises, list a luxury yacht because the schoolhouse, an Expedition Leader/Naturalist since the teacher, as well as the wildlife-rich waters of Alaska's Inside Passage as the laboratory. KIN convenes in Alaska aboard the upscale 22-passenger yacht Safari Quest 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 an remote island developing to 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 a lot more. Kids and adults alike are accompanied on a type of personal-choice excursions while their yacht is at anchor.

In the end of your cruise each child receives a Kids easily backpack packed with mementos within their various explorations: certificates of achievement signed by way of the Captain and Expedition Leader, a tee shirt and cap, a number of binoculars, disposable camera plus a typed number of almost every plants observed while in the cruise. This program offers kid-size pricing -- two kids under 12 for just one 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 does not offer specifically child-oriented services. (http://www.americansafaricruises.com)

AMERICAN WEST STEAMBOAT COMPANY advises, "We tend to cater to mature adults and as such 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 usual fare if occupying a stateroom by using a parent, 20 percent off if occupying a separate cabin.

The company's two vessels lack separate personnel specifically assigned to youngsters on board, still the line does seek 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 those company's routes and cruising areas (including whale sightings, bears other wildlife, and shore excursions) cause it to be sufficient for family groups. Cabins can accommodate as many as three guests; for larger groups two cabins would be necessary. (http://www.clippercruise.com)

CRUISE WEST gives 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 many company's other cruises are of considerable interest for families with children, activities aboard ship aren't specifically geared for young travelers. Cruise West is your largest of those smallship cruiselines serving Alaska bonuses cruising options of family interest from Southeast Alaska with its totems, glaciers, national park lands and goldrush historical landmarks 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 supplies a 25 percent discount for infants 12 and under. Notes an organization spokeswoman: "As a result of intimate size of our vessel we do not have specific youth directors but our staff (including Captain Dean Rand's daughters Hannah and Heather, who grew up as part of the team the invention) is diverse in engaged on both children and adults 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 enter a shipload of other Lindblad Expeditions travelers from the Inside Passage from Southeast Alaska to British Columbia. His mission: to bring about the second in his "Little Lin" cartoon book sequence of educational adventures for adolescents. (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 so their habitats along Alaska's and British Columbia's Inside Passage. Quickly years, the Alaska-inspired Little Lin books shall 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 built in 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, and a customizable itinerary. Accommodations are comfortable however not luxurious. Because berths are limited to nine or ten passengers, it truly is possible for example or even more families (two families of 5, for instance) to jointly reserve all of the berths for example of the company's 11-night Alaska voyages. Parents with teen-age children may reserve berths that are not otherwise reserved together with 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 see 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 also ideal for spotting orcas (killer whales), humpback whales, playful porpoises and sea lions within the water plus mountain goats on towering cliffsides, and (for your 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 the fleet would be the Columbia (931 passengers), Matanuska (745), Malaspina (701), Taku (370), and Kennicott (748). Depending on the season, one or two ships sail on weekly schedules all the way up to/from Bellingham and some turn 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 3 online activities - an electric coloring book, a "Equal the Ferries" memory game, along with a virtual bridge tour.

The 700-passenger provincial ferry vessel Queen of those North encompasses Alaska state ferries at Prince Rupert for frequent 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 variety of 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

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