Alaskan cruise - NSFW

[young nut]

So for a combination gift of Christmas and my folks 30th wedding anniversary, I've decided to send my folks on an Alaskan cruise. They have never been on a cruise before, but they have said many times that they would love to. They have also said that they want to see Canada and Alaska, so i figured a cruise would be great for them. They live close to Seattle, so their port of call would be Seattle.

Have any of you been on an Alaskan cruise? How did you like it? Any suggestions for a certain cruiseline? The good/bads of the trip? Also, what types of clothing/accessories should they bring?

Thanks OOT, oh and a hot chick -



http://www.maximonline.com/girls/hometown_hotties_2005/tami/gm_l5.jpg

[asofel]

Young,

I'd like to cruise that coastline.

BTW, add "hot chick" to your title...

Cleaning up OOT 1 post at a time,
Asofel

[astroglide]

i'm simply too quick!

[asofel]

astro,

hahaha, very nice.

too slow,
Asofel

[WLVRYN]

My parents dragged me on one of these cruises when I was 13. It was actually pretty cool, and we did a bunch of fun side trips (white water rafting, helicopter up to a glacier, halibut/salmon fishing and a seaplane ride), plus Glacier Bay was great. The only really bad thing about the trip was that the average age of the passengers on our boat was like 92 years old and there werent many kids, but I'm sure it would be fine for a 30th anniversary gift. I think we left from Vancouver, and we did ours on Holland America.

[jedi]

It might be cheaper to go from Vancouver than from Seattle. I think there's a US tax on foreign ships going from American port to American port, so Vancouver gets most of the cruise ship business going to Alaska.

[orange]

I went on an alaskan cruise this summer with my family + extended family (I'm 19). We took Princess cruises, and it was a good experience.

If your parents are active, and don't mind walking, then they should enjoy the trip.

We stopped in 4 cities, Juneau, ketchikan, anchorage, and I don't remember the last. The cities themselves are pretty boring, and in order to fully take advantage of Alaska are the extra trips out (these trips cost extra money, and range from glacier trips, historical sites such as train rides, etc).

The cruise itself was fun- there were alot of things to do, and it was easy to relax and such. I went during the summer, so the temperatures were nice-60s-70s. I wore shorts and a sweatshirt and coats later on at night.

Food is good, you can eat whenever/whatever you want. I think the Alaskan cruise was a good experience, and I recommend it.

[young nut]

[ QUOTE ]
I went on an alaskan cruise this summer with my family + extended family (I'm 19). We took Princess cruises, and it was a good experience.

If your parents are active, and don't mind walking, then they should enjoy the trip.

We stopped in 4 cities, Juneau, ketchikan, anchorage, and I don't remember the last. The cities themselves are pretty boring, and in order to fully take advantage of Alaska are the extra trips out (these trips cost extra money, and range from glacier trips, historical sites such as train rides, etc).

The cruise itself was fun- there were alot of things to do, and it was easy to relax and such. I went during the summer, so the temperatures were nice-60s-70s. I wore shorts and a sweatshirt and coats later on at night.

Food is good, you can eat whenever/whatever you want. I think the Alaskan cruise was a good experience, and I recommend it.

[/ QUOTE ]

cool, good info.

yeah, my folks are in their early 50's and pretty active so they wouldn't mind long walks. Were the cities just boring in general, or boring for a 19 year old? also, how was the ship and room?

Also, to anyone whose been on any cruise I guess, what do you think are the top quality carriers or cruise lines that you have had good experiences with in the past.

Tami is fine, where do I buy one?

[buffett]

My parents dragged me on one of these cruises when I was 13. It was actually pretty cool, and we did a bunch of fun side trips (white water rafting, helicopter up to a glacier, halibut/salmon fishing and a seaplane ride), plus Glacier Bay was great. The only really bad thing about the trip was that the average age of the passengers on our boat was like 92 years old and there werent many kids, but I'm sure it would be fine for a 30th anniversary gift. I think we left from Vancouver, and we did ours on Princess.

(Thanks, Wlvryn, for the text.)

And like the other dude said, make sure you either give them lots of cash for the "excursions" and tips, or prepare them psychologically for this extra expense.

The other town the other guy couldn't remember is probably Skagway. There they took us to some cheesy musical about Alaska's early days. In Juneau they took us to a cheesy Native Olympics demonstration. Not fun for kids, but I think old folks would enjoy that stuff.

[youtalkfunny]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, to anyone whose been on any cruise I guess, what do you think are the top quality carriers or cruise lines that you have had good experiences with in the past.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can't go wrong with any of them, especially for people going on their first cruise. They'll be blown away by how good the customer service is, no matter which cruise line you go with. Everyone who works on that ship--EVERYONE, from the Captain to the housekeeping maids--will greet your parents with a smile, and say, "Good morning, sir/ma'am."

I got so drunk one night, I couldn't get out of bed to puke, and just hurled all over the carpet. When I saw the room stewart the next day, I apologized, but he smiled, assured me I wasn't the first, and made me feel like he was HAPPY to clean it up.

For those who don't know, DON'T BRING YOUR KIDS ON A CRUISE. There's just not enough for them to do. They won't get a kick out of ping-pong or trivia contests in the daytime, and you can't take them out drinking at night.

Speaking of drinking, tell your folks they'll run up a bar tab in the hundreds of $$$, over the course of the week. Not much else to do on a boat at night that doesn't include cocktails.

[orange]

As a 18 year old at the time, I was a bit bored to be honest. The cities were pretty lame, as the populations were no larger than your neighborhood (ok, maybe not, but they are small). The stores and such consisted of jewlery stores and clothing shops.

There are alot of older people on the cruises, but there were a fair share of kids on the cruise. If all they want to do is relax, chill on the boat while reading a book or something, then a cruise is the way to go. But if you were like me, a kid, they may get bored.

I have lived in AK my whole life except for college. Any city up here (except Anchorage) is gonna be borring for a teenager, however from my experiences from relatives, your parents will have a great time. Lots of scenic things to do, lots of things you or I would find stupid that they will like to do. Try and find a cruise that will let them ride the train to Denali and have an overnight there. I would have them bring shorts and teeshirts, but also bring some warmer clothing as well. Can easily get into the 50's in the summer up here and depending where you go can get into the 80's as well. Also make sure to bring a light rain coat as the coastal cities have lots of rainy days.

[ QUOTE ]
BTW, add "hot chick" to your title...

[/ QUOTE ]

seriously, I was expecting some naked eskimo pics