Ok, a brief overview...
We left from Seattle, which was great. We got on the ship and started to try and book things to do. We found out that almost everything on the ship was not available for our kids because a 2 and 4 year old aren't old or tall enough for anything. Not even riding along in bumper cars apparently. Or, they dont have small enough skates for them to go skating. Or, they dont have a small rock climbing wall for kids to just mess around on without gear like any other rock climbing place has had for all of history... Or, and I really dont get this one, they arent tall enough to stand in place in something the size of a large elevator and be lifted above the ship. Nope! that's just too much for someone under 42". Ridiculous!!
The ports were amazing! Whale watching in Juneau was the highlight of our trip. Well it might be tied with Victoria, which was beautiful. We just took a shuttle into town and walked to the park/petting zoo (just a beautiful city)
Embarkation
1 out of 5
I have never seen such a big Charlie Foxtrot. It is difficult to get to port 91, every service is trying to overcharge for a 3 mile ride from Seattle. Once you get to the boat, you have to go through too many checkpoints to confirm information. Not a good experience for kids. That said, it is a small part of the overall trip. I'm just not going to lie about how terrible it was.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Dining room and staff was excellent. I do not like that the cruise line forces a tip that goes to random people. I so badly wanted to tip my wait staff well (because they are amazing) But, I'm not going to tip additional when the cruiseline already forces almost $600 in tips (not included when you first pay for the trip).
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
This was the worst. There were a ton of awesome activities... I know sounds like I am crazy. Why the one star review. Almost all the activities are restricted to kids older or taller than the average 6 year old. But, you are not told that when purchasing the trip. They dont even have it in the age restrictions warning... just stuff about 21 year olds. We couldnt do the climbing wall, bumper cars, or the arm thing that lifts you above the ship (this one really didnt make sense... you just stand in a small container, why restrict height?)
Entertainment
3 out of 5
They were OK... good thing to do if you have the time, nothing to wright home about though
Children's Programs
1 out of 5
See onboard activities section! I do want to say though that the adventure ocean staff was nice, but I did not pay thousands of dollars to want to send my kids to daycare. I wanted them to be able to do actual activities.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
This one is good and bad. My room steward and dining room staff were amazing. I wish I could have just taken all of my forced tip and given it to them. Everyone else, including all bartenders seemed like it was a chore to interact with me and provide me service. Cant believe they are getting some of that tip...
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Yeah, everything was clean and the layout was nice.
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
I paid extra for an unobstructed view and got to look at the emergency life rafts. We stayed mid deck mid ship to reduce the likely hood of getting seasick. However, it meant we looked down on the life rafts instead of the ocean. And I mean right down on them, they are on deck 6. Also, bathroom is tiny. Can barely fit two grown adults.
I always choose to give my state room attendant and the waiter a cash tip at the end of a cruise. On a recent Royal Caribbean trip, our state room attendant had 19 rooms to take care of. I always give the bartender an additional $1 tip when I get a drink and they do not forget that when you show up again. We only go on two cruises a year, and I feel like this is a good thing to do. Most of these people who work on the ships are away from their families for up to 6 months at a time.
As much as we love kids, I really don’t think they belong on a cruise. Especially if they are still in diapers. I’ve heard too many stories how the pools or hottubs were closed because of little kids pooping. Plus somebody that young will not even remember it when they are older. We love cruising. The best vacation ever!!
I agree, Northstar should have accommodated your family. I’m glad you enjoyed Victoria, it is a beautiful city. Hopefully your little got to enjoy the kids pool area.
Your "forced tips" benefit all the workers behind the scenes that you don't see, and it is less than $20pp/pd. It really is a small price to pay. We also give extra cash tips to waitstaff, cabin stewards, and anyone else we see who goes above and beyond. I do agree that kids don't belong on cruise ships, though.
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