What cruise line is best for a young couple going to Alaska? We want to have fun without drinking or gambling?

Question

We're 20 and 21, so we want a cruise line that isn't full of old clientel, and has some young immature (haha) stuff to do.

PS: Carnival is out of the question (even though they sound fun) because they dont do round trip to and from Seattle in July '08. (its for our honeymoon)

Answer 1

Hi Youngins; I guess I am what you would call old clientel. I have been on 22 cruises to Alaska and I like Norwegian. The lay out of the ships are more open. Not all people drink & gamble. There are plenty of things to do on any cruise ship & in ports of call. Norwegian has Freestlye Cruising so you do not have to get dressed up to eat, you sit where you want and they have an excellent buffet which allows you to try new foods. No matter the age of the clientel you will meet interesting people from all over the world. It is an amazing cruise. All The Best on your Marriage.

ENJOY.

Answer 2

Princess has some really good deals this year round trip from Seattle. They are going to have an older crowd than Carnival, but Alaska is also going to be an older crowd in general. My wife and I have been on both Carnival and Princess and really liked Princess and we are in our late 20's. If you are worried about price check out agencies (like mine) that have honeymoon registries that will provide free gifts and ways for your friends and family to help pay for your trip.

Answer 3

Go Royal !!!!

Plenty of stuff to do.

Art Gallery, Shops

Get a nice balcony room since its your honeymoon, and you will be using the room a bit more. the balcony is secluded from view of other guests rooms and you have a balcony on the ocean you can play on!!

Have fun

Answer 4

You can try vacationstogo.com.  I understand that Holland America has some very good options.  They may be a little more upscale.

Answer 5

In Alaska we refer to cruise ship passengers as "newlyweds and nearly deads", and it seems to fit since the average cruise ship passengers are either ancient or a young couple.  Most of the young couples tend to be from Europe.  Taking a cruise to Alaska is a great way to see the coastal landscape of this great land, but it's not going to show you the real Alaska.

All Alaskan cruise ship ports are essentially the same.  The businesses around the cruise ship docks are usually owned by out-of-town companies associated with the cruise ship industry.  During the off-season these business are closed down and boarded up until the next year because the locals never go there.  When the ships are in town the locals joke at all the passengers milling about the sidewalks looking in windows and going into stores to look at T-shirts identical to the ones available in the last Alaskan port.  They look like zombies.  These areas around the cruise ship docks are often times very old buildings but they have a Disney-eque Alaskan facade to them.  Cruise ship passengers can also shop for jewelry.  Unfortunately the "Alaskan gold" and gems they think they're getting usually comes from Africa where workers toil in dangerous conditions for pennies a day.

Point:  If you like spending time on a cruise ship and seeing a Hollywood version of Alaska and don't mind spending your money supporting international (non local) businesses, an Alaskan cruise is the way to go.  If you have already booked your Alaskan cruise, it's not all lost, however.  Try to book as many shore excursions as possible.  Although some of the profits get kicked back to the cruise ship industry excursions are usually locally owned and operated and they'll get you out of Hollywood Alaska into real Alaska.  Unfortunately, shore excursions tend to be expensive and refunds aren't offered if the weather is so terrible it can't be enjoyed.  A brochure of a helicopter glacier tour looks great.  But the reality is that when you show up you may have little chance of seeing anything if the ice fields are socked in with clouds (they often are).  Port stays are often limited and the excursion companies will get you back to your boat on time.  Unfortunately this sometimes means herding you along like cattle.  There is always another group right behind you and they have a boat to catch too.

If not a cruise ship, how else to see Alaska?  That depends on what you like to do.  Some people are into hunting and fishing, and there are hundreds of lodges with experienced guides to help you.  Others are into camping, hiking, or rafting.  The US Forest service operates hundreds of overnight cabins.  They cost less than a hotel room and they are in the true Alaskan wilderness.  Some can be hiked too, others require a boat or floatplane which can be chartered relatively inexpensively.  You can look at availability here: http://www.nps.gov/aplic/cabins/fs_cabin...

Another great option is to fly into Anchorage, rent an RV, and drive to Denali national park.  Even cheaper, drive up the Alcan highway from the lower 48 through British Columbia and the Yukon Territory.

If you are stuck on the boat idea and don't want the Hollywood flash of a cruise ship, consider the Alaska Marine Highway (Alaskan's call it the blue canoe (guess what, they're painted blue)).  Most of Alaska isn't accessible by road and the marine highway is a system of ferries that connect coastal areas with the rest of the world.  The southern most stop on this ferry system is Bellingham, Washington.  You can book your adventure at http://www.akferry.com/ as luxurious or bare bones as you want.  Some people sleep in tents on the deck.  Others choose a state room.  Some people just sleep inside the ship in a chair (airline style) The ferries have showers, a restaurant/cafeteria, a bar, and other basic necessities.  The good thing about the ferry system is you're not limited to a 4-hour cruise-ship-style port stop.   You can get off at a city and stay a day or two (or more).  You can continue your adventure on the next ferry. Taking a car on the ferry is rather expensive and you're not allowed in the vehicle decks except when the ship is in port.  The exception is if you're travelling with a pet there are designated times to let it out of the vehicle.  Alternatively, pets in kennels are allowed with you on the ship.  Do cruise ships let you do that?

Answer 6

Royal Carribean, check out there mega-ships they have ice-skating and a rock wall and a ton of fun things to do...Carnival is terrible to deal with should something go wrong, and while it is the same company that owns holland america and royal carribbean, l have never experienced problems like l did with Carnival---really disgusting conditions and the staff told falsehoods.

Answer 7

Well if you like food then I'd say Royal Carribean is a good choice cause the food is AMAZING.

Ya there are some old folks but there are also lots of younger couples .... I'd recommend requesting the later dinner and when you go on the first night ask if you can get paired up for the table with other younger couples.  

(The "formal" dinner tables are big and you'll be sharing for sure ... so ask and they'll really try to accomodate.)

Also you'd want to make sure you pencil in the special "Captain" nights after dinner, and they have some ridiculous you-won't-believe-it food spreads.

There are a reasonable amount of shows and activities like rock climbing that you can do on the ship.