We've taken our family on two cruises, both at Christmas and the kids have a ball!! Especially at your childrens' ages. Just do it, a perfect family vacation. On the many other cruises we've been on the children are so busy you don't see much of them, but when we've seen them, they do seem to be happy as larks!

Have you been on an Alaskan Cruise on Princess with them though? My concern isn't that they won't have fun, it's that those cruises are so geared to adults that they won't be welcome by the other passengers.

This was in the 90's but I went on a Alaskan Princess cruise and there was 1 child on the whole ship. And he was traveling with his grandmother. I can say at least on my cruise that the average age was over 60.

Thanks, that is my fear. They have a 50 page color brochure with not one person under 40 on it, and no mention of a kids' club. It's on the Web, but it's pretty clear they don't really cater to families.

We recently returned from a cruise on the Coral Princess. There were children on the cruise and they did eat in the dining room and were all very well behaved from what we could see and hear. You do have a choice of eating at the buffet if you don't think the children can sit and behave for a 1 1/2 hr - 2 hr meal. On the Coral there was one adult pool that was enclosed. We went in June and found that there really were not alot of people in any of the pools because it is rather chilly due to the Alaska weather. I am pretty sure there is a kids club. Go on a few of the different blogs and you can get more information.

We went on Princess Alaska cruise a year ago - mid-June (one-way Whittier-Vancouver). There were no kids. Even our adult-kids (ages 18 and 22) thought fellow passengers were ancient. So look at it from 2 viewpoints. First, feloow passengers. We have been on several cruises on various lines. This cruise had the most adventuresome and least formal passengers of the others. If your kids behave, I believe few fellow passengers would care - they are there to see glaciers, whales, etc.

However, from your kids point of view. First, make sure there will actually be some sort of kids club or if they cancel it for lack of interest. And then consider if your kids would be happy there with only a few other kids.

Alaska is partially about scenery and, on land, mini-adventure. There are plenty of shore excursions that would interest them - it is the time on the ship looking at scenery that would get old fast with kids that age. But if they would be happy playing hand-held computer games, for example, and you would not consider their attendance a waste of money, then go for it.

Dinners were less formal than on other cruiselines. And there is always a buffet option.

I doubt you will find much difference on other Alaksa cruiselines. So decide if your kids can amuse themselves in reasonable quiet and go from there. Also, we were there mid-June and some northern schools were still in session - maybe mid-summer has a higher population of rugrats.

Hard to turn down a gift cruise - and memories cruising with grandparents are valuable. Just budget enough for shore excursions - they get quite expensive on Alaska cruises and there is little to see at most ports without buying a trip somewhere.

Thanks. I am actually less worried about my kids who will after all have each other and travel quite well, than I am about other cruisers opinion about our kids. My viewpoint has been about their behavior if they are quiet and not running around such that they can be ignored, then they're fine. But at church yesterday the 6 year old was lying on the pew, not sitting, and the guy behind us had issue with that and his issue with that caused my MIL to discipline the six year old. Hey, MIL, if you were okay with it before why does that guys' disapproval matter? And it got me thinking what it might be like on a cruise if the kids started to fidget during dinner or pick up difficult to eat items with their hands, or have a spat with each other in the public areas. As long as the cruisers are in general "laid back" we'll be good.

Can you not steer your MIL to a cruise line that actually has a kid-friendly policy, with programming, for this family vacation? They do exist, and while I think that the Alaska cruise itinerary makes for a great family vacation, I doubt that you are going to feel comfortable with people's reactions to the kind of behavior you are describing above. We were on an Alaskan cruise this summer, the cruise ship was offering a kid's sail free package, and while we were hardly bothered by children on board, there were a few excursions with one particular family, kids maybe 8 and 5, that I could easily have tossed one or both overboard. Yes, I am joking, but some of the excursions, particularly those that have you out on small boats to see wildlife for several hours, really are too long for small children. And of course, these kids came with parents who could only weakly try to stop the whining which then escalated into sibling fighting.

Really, I would look for another cruise line.

Apparently Princess is the best rated for children, by accounts on the Cruise Critic website. My kids are actually great on excursions, they love wildlife and absorb what the guide tells them. They are just kids, not miniature adults. I figure as long as they are not bothering other people I won't chastise them, because when you chastise them all the time that in itself becomes annoying to the other people around.

Whoops, hit send too soon. So like in church, my daughter who was lying on the pew was quiet and easy to ignore. If had told her repeatedly to sit up that would have disrupted others much more than just leaving her where she was. Of course if they are whining or running around or pushing each other I will tell them to knock it off, but I try not to hassle them too much otherwise so that they can relax and have a good time themselves.

I thought you were concerned that Princess was not a kid-friendly ship, but if you have found information that says otherwise, then I hope you have a great family vacation.

Looking at your original post, about the swimming pools, I would think that if one is labeled "just for kids", yes, it's entirely possible that kids are not welcome in the adult pools.

My point about excursions is that you should look at the length of them when deciding what to do. Children are indeed not miniature adults, but forcing them to sit or be quiet for several hours is not fair either.

And as far as your comments about fidgeting at dinner or eating with their fingers, well, you know your kids, but that would probably not be looked at kindly in a formal dining room by table neighbors. I'm sorry if that is not what you want to hear, but as the mother of 3 grown kids, I think that is what you will get.

Yeah, I was concerned that Princess was not kid friendly because it wasn't marketed that way, so I posted here and on Cruise Critic. A lot of people responded on Cruise Critic to say that Princess was the best cruise to take children on. I think it depends on time of year. In July, there will be a lot of families and my kids will blend right in. Earlier or later, and they might be the only ones and that's when I think I would have problems.

Yes, you should definitely see a lot of families in July, and your children will be a whole year older as well - I wouldn't be surprised if you find them with new manners and habits by then, too. If you involve them in the cruise planning, even by talking about the excursions, I would think that they will enjoy the experience even more.

We went as a family group (16 people, 7 children) on a Princess Alaskan cruise in 2007. There were many family groups on board, tons of activities for the smaller ones to do (supervised) and the Lumberjack show in Ketchikan was great - a hands down favorite. The scenery was spectacular - we all did our own thing during the day and met for dinner at night. Don't worry about it - just do it - it's a gift!

Oh, Socaltraveler, if only I could believe that year would bring dramatically better behavior! Unfortunately, for their age they're about as good as kids come, but for some adults that's still not good enough.

I understand what you are saying, and most large cruise ships will give plenty of dining options that are casual, and better suited to kids than the formal dining rooms. Sometimes the kid's programs will even arrange for dinner activities and then the adults can have a leisurely dinner themselves. Remember just because you are going on a family vacation, you don't all have to spend every waking moment with each other, hope your MIL knows that too.

Oh, socaltraveler, good point. I wouldn't mind so much spending the whole cruise with my kids (although they will be in the kids club by their choice I'm sure) but spending the whole cruise joined at the hip with the inlaws? Yikes!

Monica - I think there is a significant MIL aspect to your question that we can not help you with. Your MIL, DH and you have to sit down and set some cruise ground rules and expectations before this is booked. A suggestion is that you and DH state up front that YOU are paying for your own excursions - then there is less tendency to spend 100% time with them and when she wants to go on a 10 hour nature bus ride that would turn the kids into maniacs with boredom, you have an easier out to go to the less authentic, a little cheesey Salmon Show (I made up that excursion - but you know what I mean) without her. Perhaps say something like - "On vacation the kids get on such strange schedules I think we should plan on doing Breakfast and Lunch separately and meet every night for dinner so we can talk about our day". If she chokes on her tea when you say that, you will know you have a problem.

How long has it been since you and her and the kids ate in a real restaurant together - might be worth a trip to see how everyone reacts before anyone signs on for this cruise.

Either that or plan to drink heavily on the cruise - you are going to need it.

Gail's advice is so good; you need to have a meeting of the minds before any deposits are made. If your MIL is treating to this vacation, it would be good to know what she expects, and whether you and your DH are comfortable with this. One of the things I remember vividly from our June Alaska cruise was a situation very much like what Gail describes above, an excursion with an extended family of grandparents, and two sets of grown children with grandchildren - one set had teenagers and the other two who were probably about the ages of your kids. The excursion was just way too long, and the kids were typically bored and miserable after a few hours. OK, the parents did little to engage them and after awhile the whole tour boat got tired of it, but I think you can get the drift.

If not, the second idea to drink heavily is also good, but I suggest you and DH take turns . . .

Kids are a problem. SOme parents insist on taking their kids anywhere and expect the world to adapt and indulge them as they are indulged at home. Some cruise lines discourage children simply because some of us old folks like it that way are are more likely to cruise with them. We've paid our dues and have missed some pleasures because they were not appropriate for children. So why put up with them now?
On the other side of the coin, I doubt that Princess is the best and only line to choose. MAybe it's best from the TA perspective, but from mine, there several good lines. In fact, except for minor differences, they are very similar. I'm sure you can find a kid friendly line that you would also like. The search for perfection is, however, elusive.

Aristotle, but on the other forum (Cruise Critic) when I asked the open ended question "what cruise to Alaska is best for kids" EVERY SINGLE PERSON said Princess. So I think it is best. We travel with our kids a lot (they've been to Costa Rica two and three times respectively, Italy, London, Ireland and Mexico) so we know how to handle them. And I also am not afraid to put my foot down with the inlaws. As a matter of fact, they are going on the Cruisetour thing and there is no way that's a good idea with the kids so we're flying home before that part. From what I hear, cruises to Alaska during July are pretty much flooded with families so if there are older cruisers I would hope that their travel agents steer them away from those dates if kids are going to be a problem for them.

Oh, and gail, my kids would actually like the 10 hour nature ride! :0) Probably because of Costa Rica, but we've taken several all day bus/boat type nature tours and they do great on them. Love them animals! It's the straight scenery that will bore them silly. Hence the no Cruisetour...

Good god you would think I could get my thoughts straight to put everything in one post, no? My FIL is frail (which is why we can't put this cruise off, it seemed a good compromise family vacation considering we are active and he can no longer be) so I know there is no expectation that we will do everything together simply because he isn't able to.

Monica I have a few points I would like to make here. Number one...I personally believe that your worries should be about your children having fun, not what anyone else thinks of them. As long as you are on a family friendly cruise line(by the way..Princess is extremely family friendly) you have done your job as far as any adults aboard goes, and any adult that has a problem with having children around is unGodly anyways, so who cares
Number 2, as I mentioned Princess is extremely family friendly, but different Princess ships are geared towards different crowds. For instance, the Island Princess cruise ship is a slightly smaller ship that has more balcony rooms, of course to fit in all the standard Princess amenities they had to reduce the size of others, and in this case it is the childrens activities centers that took the hit. So this would certainly not be my first choice for a family cruise, you can take a look at my website and find all kinds of articles about Princess cruise ships, but in case you don't make it there I will suggest the Golden Princess cruise ship for your family cruise vacation. The Golden Princess caters to kids as well as adults and you will find plenty of entertainment for everyone.
There are several dining options aboard a Princess cruise, so if you are really that worried about how others perceive your childrens behavior, you can opt for anytime dining, or quick dining like pizza and burgers and such. The only time you would need to worry about others would be if you are planning on taking advantage of formal dinners, which your children would probably not enjoy too much anyway.
One last thought...since you are planning on the Alaskan cruise, be sure you book balcony rooms so that you can enjoy the scenery even from bed, it is well worth the extra money!

Thanks Islandprincesscruise! My MIL is booking the rooms and if she can't afford a balcony, that will be that. I know that she knows they're the best, but she's buying tickets for eight people total... We are probably going on the Coral Princess from Vancouver to Whittier because they want to take the cruisetour part to Anchorage. I read the itinerary on that and it sounds like a lot of sitting on trains and busses so we're skipping that with the kids. But the Coral Princess has a youth center and programs and a kids splash pool and regular pool, so I think it's also family oriented.

Is there a difference between the behavior of children of indulgent parents and self indulgent adults? I disagree that kids are a "problem". I think our adult son of 27 yrs. is far better as a person because of all the traveling we did with him since he was quite young. He has had a chance to see that many in this world aren't as fortunate as we are here. As I think of all the places we've been I can't recall children being a problem. If there has been problems its from adults who don't act their age.
That being said I think Princess would be a good choice for a cruise line but for children of that age I do wonder if Alaska is the best choice. Its true that the age deomgraphic for Alaska is mostly older adults. I would think a cruise to the Caribbean would be better for kids of that age. Good luck with your choice. Larry

Of course the Caribbean would be a better cruise choice, or for our family a non cruise vacation. But the FIL wants to see Alaska and is so adamantly not the Caribbean type (plus he's not healthy enough to take a regular vacation) that Alaska it is.

OK. If the MIL is booking the rooms then Princess it will be it seems. We cruised Alaska on the Sapphire Princess BTW and it was wonderful. As long as you are going on Princess then you should look into the excursions as this is the best part of an Alaskan cruise. The sights are amazing. Any questions about this please ask. Larry

My opinion- book on a Princess Cruise line that states that they are more accomodating to kids as I've read in the above posts it sounds like there are some options compared to some of their other ships-
I do not care to travel with other peoples wild kids- now if they are well behaved, polite, and considerate of others, dont mind them at all-
However, I think this would be just one more good learning experience for kids to learn discipline of how they can act and to whom and where.
Take the kids and expect out of them good behavior where necessary- such as a sit down dinner, at an adult pool area, etc.. however, they can be regular rowdy kids in the areas designated and on your own family time away from other aboard passengers. and other than that, dont worry about the opinions/thoughts of others
also, I recommend booking the balcony room as that is what Alaska is all about compared to Mexico, Caribbean etc.. and if the MIL doesnt want to pay I would sugggest you guys pay the difference of what she is putting towards the standard room and upgrade yourselves to the balcony room. Really- I recommend it! You wont be disappointed in the extra money spent.

I replied first to your question and would like to follow up. I am probably in your MIL's place...her age, etc. It is our pleasure to be able to take our daughter/son-in-law/two grandsons on trips. We will take our third cruise with them in June for our 50th anniversary. Our other two cruises have been Mexican Riviera and LA-Hawaii-LA. My husband has Alzheimer's so we will, undoubtedly, lay low and maybe even stay on the ship throughout the Alaskan trip(our third there) and we always let them choose their own shore excursions and I think Alaska is ideal for a huge variety of on shore experiences and we pay for whatever they want to do. I think you are being far too worried about the behavior of your children or the boredom of your children. Just go with the flow, be thrilled that your in-laws are able to do this with the family. Kids are usually great unless they are in a crowd of others that can lead them astray, that just isn't going to happen. We've been on many cruises and I've never seen many instances of behavior that I thought were out of line. You also can always say that you all will go your way and meet at dinner every night...that way they don 't have to get up early and pull themselves to eat b'fast, lunch or do shore excursions with you. At our age, just being on the ship in beautiful scenery is enough!!!

Love your reply desertduds! I am in the planning stages for an Alaskan cruise Summer '10 - we are between 30 - 35 years of age but I dont care if I'm with kids or the elderly- I am going for the scenery and beauty of it all

I have read every response, with special attention to later comment by OP. Here is my self-proclaimed expert opinion.

This is going to be a good trip for all involved. You are going into this with a realistic and flexible attitude, your kids are experienced travelers. There will be some minor disagreements while on the trip - there always are with travel because when else are you with anyone for this amount of time - but it will be a memorable trip that all generations will cherish forever.

Hope you see a whale, moose, bear, lots of glaciers. Let the cruiseline take as many staged photos on board as they can and buy a few - you will want them later.

And since you are skipping the cruisetour (wise choice) if you have the time and money, consider staying in Alaska for a few extra days, renting a car and seeing a bit of the area - for you I might suggest a few days on Kenai Peninsula (as opposed to Denali).

And if you can possibly afford it, try to get the kids on a helicopter to do the glacier landing thing in Juneau. Very pricey but very worth it.

gail, thanks for your comments. I also really want to see a moose, bear and whale! We are definitely doing the crab boat tour, not sure the helicopter is in the budget though...

MonicaRichards, I have been on several Princess cruises and have observed many children of various ages. I have not seen any bad behavior (well there was the tweener who took off and had the Youth Security people scouring the ship at 2:00AM--I saw them accompanying him while I was on my way to the buffet) But he didn't disturb any passengers. Not like the adults who burned incense in their room and set off the smoke alarm. Come to think of it, that time I was coming back from the buffet. Also, I have observed worse behavior in the dining room from adults than from children.
I don't know about the Coral, but many Princess ships have a pool dedicated for children, another reserved for adults only and one or two for anybody, that is "family style."
Go and enjoy your cruise.

We went to Alaska on the Sapphire Princess a few years ago with my parents and 10 year old son. There were people of all ages and lots of kids, if it was mostly older adults did not really notice. We all had a great time doing our own thing and then enjoying dinner together. Our son enjoyed the kids club and had fun at the production show and dancing with me at a lounge show. You should have a great time and so will the kids.

Thanks everyone! I went with the MIL to the travel agent today to book the cruise. Diamond Princess, we got a room for four and a room for two with balconies that adjoin. Sounds like a disaster in the making, but the inlaws will stay with the kids while we go out dancing or whatever which will be Wow! Crazy different because we haven't done that pretty much since they were born. I am starting to look forward to it, Alaska and cruises in general aren't my thing but I'm coming around!

I am so curious to find out how the cruise went with your family. We are looking at the possibility of a family cruise to Alaska in September 2012. It sounds amazing but our girls will be 5 and 9. I have the same concerns that you voiced above.

How did it work out for you?

took one set of grandkids when they were about 10 and 12. They had a ball!!! I told them they had to show up for dinner so I could be sure they didn't fall off the boat. Lots of planned activities, (saw a gang of them race by the dining room on the outer deck with water pistols having a blast). Just be sure they have a supervised Kids Club.