📄 The Paperwork

Royal Princess, inside cabin, Saturday June 5, 12, 19, or 26, 2027. Book it.

For 2 couples + 2 brothers (22 & 17) at a $1,300/pp budget, Royal Princess is the ship that hits every constraint simultaneously:

• Inside at $1,299/pp — fits the budget (just barely)
• Glacier Bay access — the only Alaska must-have that trumps everything else
• Go-kart track, water slides, laser tag — the 22-year-old will have plenty to do, and the 17-year-old qualifies for the Entourage teen program
• Free at Sea promo can stack drinks + wifi + specialty dining on top

Total cruise fare: $8,874 for all 6 — about $1,080 over the $7,800 ($1,300 × 6) ceiling.

If the brothers absolutely need Glacier Bay, swap to Royal Princess inside at $1,299/pp ($7,794 total) — you give up the go-kart track but get Glacier Bay and stay under budget.

Probably yes for Norwegian, yes for Princess Plus, skip for HAL Eurodam (drinks are à la carte or bundled in the Have It All package).

Run the math: a glass of wine at dinner is $12–$15, a cocktail is $14–$18, a beer is $8–$10. If you have 1 glass of wine at dinner + 2 cocktails by the pool, that’s already $40–$45/day. The packages break even at $50–$80/day, so you’re essentially getting the rest of the day’s drinks (morning coffee, soft drinks, bottled water, after-dinner drinks) for free.

The exceptions: if you don’t drink at all, or if only 1 of 2 people in a cabin drinks (packages are per-person).

Yes. Buy it.

Cruise medical evacuation from Alaska can cost $50,000–$100,000 without insurance. Standard trip insurance ($100–$200 per person) covers:

• Trip cancellation for medical reasons
• Medical emergency onboard + evacuation
• Lost or delayed luggage
• Travel delays ($500–$1,000 if you miss the ship)

Use a comparison site like Squaremouth or InsureMyTrip. Pay attention to the “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) upgrade — it adds 40% to the cost but reimburses 75% of your trip if you cancel for any reason at all.

Yes. It’s the single biggest reason to choose Princess, NCL, or Holland America.

Glacier Bay National Park is the most protected marine wilderness in the US. The NPS limits cruise access to 153 ship visits per season — only Princess, Holland America, Norwegian, and a handful of smaller expedition lines have permits. The other lines (RCL, Celebrity) take you to smaller glaciers like Dawes, Endicott, Hubbard, or Tracy Arm Fjord — still beautiful, but not the same.

On a Glacier Bay day, National Park Service rangers board the ship, give talks in the theater, narrate the day’s cruising from the bridge, and answer questions in an onboard information desk. It’s genuinely a highlight of the cruise, not just a scenic view.

Alaska is one of the calmer cruise itineraries (protected inside passage most of the trip), but the open Pacific crossing on the last/sea day can be choppy. The fixes:

• Book mid-ship, mid-deck — the ship rocks least here
• Bring Bonine or Dramamine — start the night before, not when you feel sick
• Scopolamine patches by prescription — the strongest option, but can cause dry mouth
• Acupressure wristbands — placebo, but cheap and placebo works for some people

If you’re very prone to motion sickness, avoid the forward cabins on deck 5-7 and the very back of the ship — both have the most movement.

Almost always extra, billed automatically.

Standard daily gratuities (added to your onboard account automatically):

• Norwegian: $20/pp/day
• Princess: $18/pp/day standard, $19/pp/day Mini-Suite, $20/pp/day Suite (hiked March 2026, or bundled in Princess Plus)
• HAL Eurodam: $18/pp/day (in Have It All pkg)
• Royal Caribbean: $18/pp/day
• Celebrity: $18/pp/day

For a 7-night cruise, that’s $112–$140 per person in tips — budgeted for in the calculator. The line distributes it to your stateroom attendant, dining staff, and other service crew. You can adjust up or down at the front desk, but most cruisers leave the default.

For roundtrip Seattle cruises, a passport is technically optional but strongly recommended.

Since the cruise starts and ends in the same US port (Seattle), US citizens can use a government-issued photo ID + birth certificate. The single port-of-call in Canada (Victoria) is a closed-loop cruise, which means the passport exception applies.

But get a passport anyway. If a medical emergency forces a flight home from a foreign port, you’ll need it. The Passport Card is not enough — you need the book. Apply now if you don’t have one — processing is 6–8 weeks, or 2–3 weeks expedited.

Verify the deposit terms on the booking page. Since Oct 15, 2025, Princess defaults to non-refundable deposits; refundable is an upgrade option with additional fees. If you want the option to cancel/upgrade later, request the refundable deposit add-on explicitly and confirm the fee in writing.

The cabin inventory only shrinks over time. June 2027 inside cabins on Norwegian Bliss, Star Princess, and Quantum are still plentiful — but specific cabin numbers (mid-ship, adjacent for the group) disappear fast. A $250–$500/cabin refundable deposit locks the cabin now and gives you the freedom to wait for a Wave Season promo in early 2027.

The move: book a cabin on each of your top 2-3 ships (verify the deposit terms on the booking page — non-refundable is the default since Oct 15, 2025). Decide between them in January 2027. Cancel the others per the cancellation policy; cancellation fees apply once the deposit becomes non-refundable.

Alaska averages 60–80% cloud cover in June. You will see rain. It’s still worth it.

The glaciers look more dramatic in mist. The forests smell incredible in the rain. The wildlife doesn’t care about weather. Pack:

• A real rain jacket (Gore-Tex or similar) — not a windbreaker
• Waterproof pants for glacier excursions
• Layered clothing (50–65°F typical, can drop to 40°F on deck)
• Binoculars — a must for whale watching

The official Alaska tourism board literally says: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing choices.”

Great age for cruising. 18 months is past the “no drop-off program” age on most lines but well within the “cute, portable, sleeps anywhere” window. The ship will provide a Pack-n-Play (portable crib) in your cabin on request, bottle warmers, baby food pouches at the buffet, and high chairs everywhere.

Lucy sails free as a 3rd passenger in Brett & Madi’s cabin on every major line — you only pay the port fees (~$200 total). No separate cabin needed.

Pack this, ship has the rest:

• Baby carrier (hiking style, Ergobaby or similar) — critical for port days. Alaska port towns (Skagway, Juneau) are NOT stroller-friendly. Most excursions that involve walking require the carrier.
• Small umbrella stroller for the ship (gate-check your full-size). The ship is big.
• Swim diapers (3–4/day at the kiddie pool)
• White-noise app on a phone for cabin naps (engine noise helps but doesn’t replace)
• Favorite snacks — the ship’s buffet has kid-friendly options but toddlers are picky
• A few small toys — the kids’ club is too old for her but the staff can suggest age-appropriate activities
• Passport book (not card) — see passport Q above, applies to Lucy too
• Baby Tylenol, diaper cream, a thermometer, hand sanitizer

Excursions & Lucy: Most shore excursions have a minimum age of 3–5. This means one parent stays onboard (or takes a short scenic walk in port with the carrier) while the other does the helicopter dogsled tour in Juneau. HAL Eurodam offers “Club HAL After Hours” babysitting for $10/hour (ages 3–12) but availability is limited for under-2s.

Best shore option for the family: White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad in Skagway (minimum age 0, scenic but not adventurous), Mendenhall Glacier visitor center + trail in Juneau (stroller-doable), and Creek Street walking in Ketchikan (stroller-friendly downtown).

Yes, the Inside Passage is one of the most protected cruise waters in the world. The route from Seattle up through the protected channel between the Alaska panhandle and Vancouver Island is largely inside the “lee” of landmass, meaning waves are typically 1–3 feet, not the 10–15 foot swells of open ocean. Most passengers report less motion sickness on Alaska cruises than Caribbean ones, even on the same ship.

Cruise ships also have onboard medical staff, an infirmary, and stabilizers. The route is short (7 nights, 4 ports, no multi-day open-ocean transit). If there’s a medical emergency, the ship can dock at Juneau, Ketchikan, or Victoria and medevac to a hospital — Juneau has Bartlett Regional Hospital.

Baby-specific safety:

• Bring a baby-proofing kit (outlet covers, cabinet locks) for the cabin — the rooms are not baby-proofed by default
• Balcony cabins are not recommended for infants/toddlers — the balcony door is climbable. Stick to inside/oceanview until 5–6 years old
• The ship has life vests for infants in every muster station — the muster drill is mandatory but cruise staff will walk you through it
• Pool access for under-2s: most pools require swim diapers, no age minimum on the ship’s main pool. The hot tubs are 18+

For Alaska, the Mini-Suite is the sweet spot. You get the suite experience (priority embarkation, Club Class dining access, larger balcony, separate sitting area) for ~$1,000–$1,500 less than a full suite per couple.

Mini-Suite (M1 Club Class) on Royal Princess — $2,599/pp:

• 314 sq ft including balcony (vs 220 sq ft for a standard balcony)
• Separate sitting area with sofa bed & coffee table
• Larger balcony (~50 sq ft vs 30 sq ft standard)
• Two flat-panel TVs (one in the bedroom, one in the sitting area)
• Princess Luxury Bed (sleep-expert-designed)
• Premium bath amenities (Beekman 1802)
• Club Class dining: dedicated section of the dining room, expedited embarkation, priority tender in ports

Full Suite on Royal Princess — $4,739+ pp:

• 470–1,500 sq ft (varies by suite class)
• Concierge service
• Luxury bathroom with tub
• Larger balconies (up to 210 sq ft)
• $300+ extra per person in OBC
• Included gratuities, mini-bar, premium dining at Sabatini’s

The math: Upgrading from Mini-Suite to Suite costs Bob & Brenda an extra $4,280 (~$2,140/pp). For that money, you can book a second cruise, fund the helicopter dogsled tour for 2, or pay for excursions for everyone. The Mini-Suite is the right call unless Bob & Brenda are celebrating a major milestone.

It’s a 4-step process. Do all 4 steps, in order.

1. Pick a single travel agent who specializes in Alaska cruises (Avoya, Cruises Inc, or a Costco-booked agency). They’ll book all 3 cabins on a single reservation record, which is the foundation for getting adjacent cabins.
2. Request specific cabin numbers, not "guarantee" rate. Ask the TA to pre-select 3 cabin numbers that are adjacent on the same deck, mid-ship. On Royal Princess, decks 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15 have multi-cabin clusters available — ask the TA for "Caribe" or "Dolphin" deck options.
3. Mark all 3 cabins as "no upgrade." If the line offers a free upgrade post-booking to fill a higher cabin class, you don’t want it — the upgrade can move one cabin to a different deck, breaking the adjacency. The TA needs to explicitly mark them as no-upgrade.
4. Call the TA 1–2 weeks after deposit and ask them to confirm the cabins are assigned and clustered. If they’re not, ask the TA to escalate to Princess’ group coordinator (or whichever line’s equivalent) for a manual move.

What if it doesn’t work? Sometimes the line can’t give you true adjacency (someone else has the connecting cabin). In that case, "same deck, max 2 cabins apart" is the fallback. You can also book a connecting cabin pair (2 cabins with a connecting door between them) and have the 3rd cabin next door. Brett & Madi and the brothers could connect; Bob & Brenda have their own suite next to Brett & Madi.

What to avoid: Booking 2 cabins direct with Princess + 1 cabin with Costco = 3 separate reservation records = the system has no way to cluster them. The adjacent-cabin request will fail. All 3 must be on the same TA booking, same fare code, same sailing date.