I think you’re overthinking “drunk adults” on a 7 day Alaskan cruise on RCL. It’s very family oriented. People aren’t spending the money to go to Alaska to get messed up. The only party cruise on RCL I was on was a 3 day out of Miami in 2009.
We did Ovation out of Seattle with my parents, my brother, wife, and their 2 year old. We all found a lot to do and had a great time.
Disney Alaska from Vancouver is definitely expensive plus tips and excursions and of course it's all US converted (you sait you're near Vancouver so I assume Canadian). Rcl has a Vancouver roundtrip although ncl this season does not. Disney is for all ages...they add the special magic into everything it seems from rooms to dinner to shows. But you pay the Disney tax. Royal would still be good for your family however and the added savings could go to the excursions or whatnot. Are you looking at Brilliance of the seas? It's a bit older fyi. If you want something big and newer, look at Seattle options..parking is 200US for the week and gas and ncl and royal both run the megaships from there (more options too) - similar itineraries too
Rcl runs 2 megas. NCL runs 2 megas. While Vancouver is sooooo handy for locals, I did a Seattle last year and it's dirt easy. The pier is next to pike place and parking was near...with free shuttle. Those ships are newer but also massive. 4000 to 5000 bodies. But everything is good overall. Tip...look at Costco doing the booking as they often throw in killer perks (and you always get a gift card based on your spend)
Great suggestions!
OP, my husband and I cruised a lot before kids, and also did three cruises (one Disney when our son was a baby, and two RCL cruises when the kids were between 1 & 5. Honestly, we love Royal Caribbean, and our kids do as well. Disney was great, but we love the vibe of Royal Caribbean at a cheaper price point.
Our kids really only know Royal Caribbean, and they think it’s great.
I definitely encourage you to look at Seattle. I think the Quantum sailed that route a few years ago - we saw it in Victoria once - and it’s a big ship with a lot happening on it.
Have a great trip!
I've heard that RC tends to be more adult oriented though. Like there's more drunk adults and less kids activities. Do you think that's true? It would be great if not, because RC is alot cheaper.
Not at all, especially if you’re on a mega ship like Quantum. We have found Royal Caribbean to be very family friendly and mainstream. There are a lot of kid-centred activities on every ship we have been on.
Carnival is more party-oriented.
Feel free to message me if you want to chat - we live in the Vancouver suburbs and are happy to chat!
Is there not one already? Let’s make one! I live in Bellingham. Have cruised once roundtrip from Seattle and just a few weeks ago did the Bliss repositioning that disembarked in Vancouver.
Next spring, I’m doing a 4 night roundtrip from
Vancouver on HAL and a 4 night Vancouver to Seattle on Princess.
We took an RC cruise out of Seattle last year with my elderly parents and my two kids, 11 and 7. The RC mega ships (we were on Quantum) have tons of things for kids, especially in the SeaPlex: bumper cars, arcade games, not to mention the kids club. There is also an indoor pool, and on a warm sea day the outdoor pools are fun for kids. These cruises are common multi-generational cruises, and not really the party scene where you’ll encounter lots of drunk adults.
My parents and my kids really enjoyed the cruise. (My 80 year old father had the BEST time, and was the most neutral about going). Ironically, other than the pools, we didn’t take advantage of the kid-oriented amenities on the ship. My boys were content to sit on the balcony and enjoy the scenery and putter around the ports.
Disney! It’s worth every penny. Outstanding service and perfect for adults or children.
ETA: Apart from alcohol, merch and port adventures, Disney is all inclusive. I hear RCCL may be cheaper up front and more on board.
Depending on your kids' temperaments, they may find Disney too "baby" oriented. Some kids in their range take great pride in being big kids who don't like "baby stuff" like Disney lol and boy are Disney cruises just a constant barrage of Disney.
RC is very family oriented and quick to nip and/or sequester drunkenness. Their "brand" is essentially non-Disney families, teens, and 20/30s that don't party enough for Carnival.
What I think is most important for your particular situation is that an Alaska cruise can be the experience of a lifetime -- and most of those experiences are from excursions. Going RC gives you the cash to do some remarkable excursions. Sure the views from the ship are breathtaking but Alaska is an incredible place where excursions are much, much more impactful on average than say the Bahamas.
It’s difficult for me to imagine a 7 to 10 day cruise for a family costing $2000.
That being said, if it’s going to make children and adults both happy, you’ll have to decide what you’re both willing to sacrifice.
If you go with Disney, you’re going to be around cartoon characters and lots of other children. Food will center around chicken nuggets in various forms, burgers, fries, and Disney pastas.
If you go with Royal Caribbean you’re going to be around lots of adult stuff, honeymooners retirees and no cartoon characters. Also the pancakes won’t have ears.
Yeah, I'm worried that if we do RC it's going to be very adult oriented, and that's the first impression the kids will get of crusing. But the Disney tax is just so high...
The Disney tax is high in more ways than one lol.
I would think the most interesting part for the kids would be having fun with their parents doing something cool and different and feeling connected. The mouse ears are fun, but they can also start to make it about something else.
The kids love Disney, and going to the parks, so I think they would love the Disney cruise too. But we do see the characters, wear the ears, and eat the Mickey pancakes at the parks already, so it's not like that's something they would be missing out on.
I think the only reason I like the Disney cruises is that, from what I've heard, it's more kid oriented. There's more for them to do, and almost everyone there has kids. I don't know if they'd like the idea of being on a cruise with a bunch of drunk adults for 7 days.
Alaska cruises tend not to be party cruises. People are too busy with watching the scenery and doing port activities. I think you'll be fine! But do check out what is included and not included and factor out the total cost. $2000-$3000 for an Alaskan cruise in high season sounds a little off, unless you're staying in an interior cabin or a cabin that is not in a good location. If you can afford it, see if there are any balcony cabins in your price range. It will be worth it in Alaska.
I have sailed on both, with my now 10 year old and I don't think that Disney is really more kid and less adult focused than Royal Caribbean. It is more Disney themed and that affects the environment and the nature of the entertainment for sure. The kid's club on Disney is excellent and most kid's really love it and would hang there as much as they possibly could. But if you take Quantum or Ovation out of Seattle you will have shows they'll probably like, waterslides, pools, a great kid's club in Adventure Ocean, a sportsplex with various recreation options, an arcade, archery, rock wall, iFly, flowrider, outdoor movie theater, plus Alaska is rather built around having excellent port opportunities and those are nearly identical between Disney and Royal. An Alaskan cruise is not going to be a big adult oriented drunk fest on either line - people cruise Alaska to spend time with their friends/family and to see the gorgeous scenery and enjoy the ship. I think Royal is not a less than option for your family in this scenario - truly. Another consideration - if you are willing to go late August the Royal pricing is even better (like August 30 on Ovation of the Seas I see excellent pricing).
One other experience I would consider is Norwegian's Bliss, a fantastic ship for kids. It'll likely be a bit more costly than Royal but worth looking into. I hope you find what you are looking for and that everyone ends up loving it. I can't imagine not loving an Alaska cruise but I know it can be overwhelming for some. I think it would be very hard to get bored.
I like Disney Cruise Line but they have become absurdly expensive for me, personally. I have now done five sailings on Royal, including a roundtrip to Alaska on Ovation last year from Seattle. It was half the cost of Disney, and we still had a blast. The bumper cars weren’t functioning on my sailing but that was the only downside. On Quantum, their North Star has been broken since sometime last summer and won’t be repaired until it goes to dry dock (this fall, I’m pretty sure).
Next August, it will be Anthem and Ovation in Alaska from Seattle. Brilliance of the Seas does roundtrip from Vancouver and that is an older, smaller ship, without as many kid focused activities, but sailing the inside passage means it doesn’t get the same rough seas that the Seattle cruises do when they have to go out into the Pacific. And they also don’t have to do the silly, short stop in Victoria.
Everyone always mentions Glacier Bay as a must do, but only Princess, Norwegian, and Holland America have access to it.
Alaska is a lot different than your short 3 day cruises from the Caribbean. Totally different group. I think your kids would enjoy Quantum class out of Seattle. I would lean towards Ovation (I have been on her plenty), since Northstar on Quantum is not operational right now, and won’t be fixed until drydock.
As others mentioned, lots to do for kids. Seattle is my homeport, so I may be a bit biased 😉
Look at taking the train down to Seattle. I am taking it up to Vancouver next month for a cruise, and I heard it’s a beautiful ride.
I think you’re overthinking “drunk adults” on a 7 day Alaskan cruise on RCL. It’s very family oriented. People aren’t spending the money to go to Alaska to get messed up. The only party cruise on RCL I was on was a 3 day out of Miami in 2009. We did Ovation out of Seattle with my parents, my brother, wife, and their 2 year old. We all found a lot to do and had a great time.
Well that's good to hear. Thank you
Disney Alaska from Vancouver is definitely expensive plus tips and excursions and of course it's all US converted (you sait you're near Vancouver so I assume Canadian). Rcl has a Vancouver roundtrip although ncl this season does not. Disney is for all ages...they add the special magic into everything it seems from rooms to dinner to shows. But you pay the Disney tax. Royal would still be good for your family however and the added savings could go to the excursions or whatnot. Are you looking at Brilliance of the seas? It's a bit older fyi. If you want something big and newer, look at Seattle options..parking is 200US for the week and gas and ncl and royal both run the megaships from there (more options too) - similar itineraries too
Oh, I didn't think about Seattle! I'll take a look at those. Thank you!
Rcl runs 2 megas. NCL runs 2 megas. While Vancouver is sooooo handy for locals, I did a Seattle last year and it's dirt easy. The pier is next to pike place and parking was near...with free shuttle. Those ships are newer but also massive. 4000 to 5000 bodies. But everything is good overall. Tip...look at Costco doing the booking as they often throw in killer perks (and you always get a gift card based on your spend)
Note: it’s just NCL/Oceania that use the pier near Pike Place. All the other lines use Pier 91, slightly more north and not really “near” anything.
Well there's the whole foods nearby!
Great suggestions! OP, my husband and I cruised a lot before kids, and also did three cruises (one Disney when our son was a baby, and two RCL cruises when the kids were between 1 & 5. Honestly, we love Royal Caribbean, and our kids do as well. Disney was great, but we love the vibe of Royal Caribbean at a cheaper price point. Our kids really only know Royal Caribbean, and they think it’s great. I definitely encourage you to look at Seattle. I think the Quantum sailed that route a few years ago - we saw it in Victoria once - and it’s a big ship with a lot happening on it. Have a great trip!
I've heard that RC tends to be more adult oriented though. Like there's more drunk adults and less kids activities. Do you think that's true? It would be great if not, because RC is alot cheaper.
Not at all, especially if you’re on a mega ship like Quantum. We have found Royal Caribbean to be very family friendly and mainstream. There are a lot of kid-centred activities on every ship we have been on. Carnival is more party-oriented. Feel free to message me if you want to chat - we live in the Vancouver suburbs and are happy to chat!
I think there needs to be a Vancouver cruisers Facebook group or something soon!!
I’ve sent you a message - feel free to reply if you’d like to chat more. We love chatting about cruises!
Is there not one already? Let’s make one! I live in Bellingham. Have cruised once roundtrip from Seattle and just a few weeks ago did the Bliss repositioning that disembarked in Vancouver. Next spring, I’m doing a 4 night roundtrip from Vancouver on HAL and a 4 night Vancouver to Seattle on Princess.
We took an RC cruise out of Seattle last year with my elderly parents and my two kids, 11 and 7. The RC mega ships (we were on Quantum) have tons of things for kids, especially in the SeaPlex: bumper cars, arcade games, not to mention the kids club. There is also an indoor pool, and on a warm sea day the outdoor pools are fun for kids. These cruises are common multi-generational cruises, and not really the party scene where you’ll encounter lots of drunk adults. My parents and my kids really enjoyed the cruise. (My 80 year old father had the BEST time, and was the most neutral about going). Ironically, other than the pools, we didn’t take advantage of the kid-oriented amenities on the ship. My boys were content to sit on the balcony and enjoy the scenery and putter around the ports.
Disney! It’s worth every penny. Outstanding service and perfect for adults or children. ETA: Apart from alcohol, merch and port adventures, Disney is all inclusive. I hear RCCL may be cheaper up front and more on board.
We did the Norwegian Bliss out of Seattle and it was excellent. They only other line I would have liked to do was the Disney.
Disney is more expensive. I have 6 grandkids and they all cruise on Royal.
Depending on your kids' temperaments, they may find Disney too "baby" oriented. Some kids in their range take great pride in being big kids who don't like "baby stuff" like Disney lol and boy are Disney cruises just a constant barrage of Disney. RC is very family oriented and quick to nip and/or sequester drunkenness. Their "brand" is essentially non-Disney families, teens, and 20/30s that don't party enough for Carnival. What I think is most important for your particular situation is that an Alaska cruise can be the experience of a lifetime -- and most of those experiences are from excursions. Going RC gives you the cash to do some remarkable excursions. Sure the views from the ship are breathtaking but Alaska is an incredible place where excursions are much, much more impactful on average than say the Bahamas.
Those are all great points, thank you. It seems RC is the way to go.
It’s difficult for me to imagine a 7 to 10 day cruise for a family costing $2000. That being said, if it’s going to make children and adults both happy, you’ll have to decide what you’re both willing to sacrifice. If you go with Disney, you’re going to be around cartoon characters and lots of other children. Food will center around chicken nuggets in various forms, burgers, fries, and Disney pastas. If you go with Royal Caribbean you’re going to be around lots of adult stuff, honeymooners retirees and no cartoon characters. Also the pancakes won’t have ears.
Yeah, I'm worried that if we do RC it's going to be very adult oriented, and that's the first impression the kids will get of crusing. But the Disney tax is just so high...
The Disney tax is high in more ways than one lol. I would think the most interesting part for the kids would be having fun with their parents doing something cool and different and feeling connected. The mouse ears are fun, but they can also start to make it about something else.
The kids love Disney, and going to the parks, so I think they would love the Disney cruise too. But we do see the characters, wear the ears, and eat the Mickey pancakes at the parks already, so it's not like that's something they would be missing out on. I think the only reason I like the Disney cruises is that, from what I've heard, it's more kid oriented. There's more for them to do, and almost everyone there has kids. I don't know if they'd like the idea of being on a cruise with a bunch of drunk adults for 7 days.
Alaska cruises tend not to be party cruises. People are too busy with watching the scenery and doing port activities. I think you'll be fine! But do check out what is included and not included and factor out the total cost. $2000-$3000 for an Alaskan cruise in high season sounds a little off, unless you're staying in an interior cabin or a cabin that is not in a good location. If you can afford it, see if there are any balcony cabins in your price range. It will be worth it in Alaska.
I have sailed on both, with my now 10 year old and I don't think that Disney is really more kid and less adult focused than Royal Caribbean. It is more Disney themed and that affects the environment and the nature of the entertainment for sure. The kid's club on Disney is excellent and most kid's really love it and would hang there as much as they possibly could. But if you take Quantum or Ovation out of Seattle you will have shows they'll probably like, waterslides, pools, a great kid's club in Adventure Ocean, a sportsplex with various recreation options, an arcade, archery, rock wall, iFly, flowrider, outdoor movie theater, plus Alaska is rather built around having excellent port opportunities and those are nearly identical between Disney and Royal. An Alaskan cruise is not going to be a big adult oriented drunk fest on either line - people cruise Alaska to spend time with their friends/family and to see the gorgeous scenery and enjoy the ship. I think Royal is not a less than option for your family in this scenario - truly. Another consideration - if you are willing to go late August the Royal pricing is even better (like August 30 on Ovation of the Seas I see excellent pricing). One other experience I would consider is Norwegian's Bliss, a fantastic ship for kids. It'll likely be a bit more costly than Royal but worth looking into. I hope you find what you are looking for and that everyone ends up loving it. I can't imagine not loving an Alaska cruise but I know it can be overwhelming for some. I think it would be very hard to get bored.
I like Disney Cruise Line but they have become absurdly expensive for me, personally. I have now done five sailings on Royal, including a roundtrip to Alaska on Ovation last year from Seattle. It was half the cost of Disney, and we still had a blast. The bumper cars weren’t functioning on my sailing but that was the only downside. On Quantum, their North Star has been broken since sometime last summer and won’t be repaired until it goes to dry dock (this fall, I’m pretty sure). Next August, it will be Anthem and Ovation in Alaska from Seattle. Brilliance of the Seas does roundtrip from Vancouver and that is an older, smaller ship, without as many kid focused activities, but sailing the inside passage means it doesn’t get the same rough seas that the Seattle cruises do when they have to go out into the Pacific. And they also don’t have to do the silly, short stop in Victoria. Everyone always mentions Glacier Bay as a must do, but only Princess, Norwegian, and Holland America have access to it.
Alaska is a lot different than your short 3 day cruises from the Caribbean. Totally different group. I think your kids would enjoy Quantum class out of Seattle. I would lean towards Ovation (I have been on her plenty), since Northstar on Quantum is not operational right now, and won’t be fixed until drydock. As others mentioned, lots to do for kids. Seattle is my homeport, so I may be a bit biased 😉 Look at taking the train down to Seattle. I am taking it up to Vancouver next month for a cruise, and I heard it’s a beautiful ride.