Enhanced opportunities for Kid In Nature 2008 family vacations
SEATTLE, WA — American Safari Cruises' Kids In Nature (KIN) cruises have become so popular that the Seattle-based mega-yacht cruise company will make all 10 of its 2008 Alaska peak season departures on the 12-guest Safari Escape available as Kids In Nature charters, at an 8 percent discount. In addition, the 22-guest Safari Quest will offer two KIN dates in Alaska and one in Mexico’s Sea of Cortés for multi-family cruises or as private charters for families requiring the additional berths.
The program, which began in 2003, originally offered parents a few selected dates to bring their younger children with them for a family vacation/adventure and learning experience for the children, with the yacht as the schoolroom, a professional Naturalist as the teacher, and the shore excursions as field trips.
"At first, we had couples bringing one or two of their children with them on these dates, but then we started to see two or even three sets of grandparents and/or parents coming as a group with their children," says Tim Jacox, American Safari Cruises vice president of sales and marketing.
Typical of parents chartering the yacht with friends and their children are Jay and Lisa Pierrepont of San Francisco, who traveled in Alaska in 2006 with their two children, ages 6 and 8, and another couple and their four children, on the 12-guest Safari Spirit, a trip arranged through her aunt, Florence Weicker, of Linden Travel Agency in New York City.
"The kids loved it," Lisa Pierrepont said, "especially the constant sighting of whales, eagles, dolphins and bears. The Naturalist and other crew members took them on scavenger hunts, exploring by kayak, hiking, all the while pointing out things in nature without making it seem as though they were teaching”.
“The kids soon got the idea of the vastness of Alaska, the abundance, closeness and variety of the wildlife, and how they all interact, and the sheer wonder of the wilderness. They also thought being able to go on the bridge and into the engine room was really cool. The trip definitely exceeded our expectations for a two-family vacation.”
Jacox says the KIN cruise charter concept started to expand even more with grandparents bringing their grown children and grandchildren for a multigenerational family vacation. A recent example is Jeanie Mason of Minnesota, who signed up her entire family of five children, their spouses, 10 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild for an April cruise this spring on a new northern itinerary in Mexico's Sea of Cortés. They planned a family vacation for a year with their travel agent, Judy Cilla, of Journey's Unlimited, Minneapolis, after Cilla brought American Safari Cruises to their attention.
"The cruise was delightful -- a dream come true," Mason says. "All the grandchildren absolutely loved it, especially being able to go off with crew members to go exploring and neat stuff instead of being
saddled with Mom and Dad. The crew was like a family with us and with each other. One day, I spotted the Captain helping to polish the silverware! They gave each of us a CD with video of our trip, and
beautiful coffee table books with photos of us on our family vacation. I'd do it again in a heartbeat – and the kids are asking about doing it again, next time in Alaska."
Families with kids under 12 on the Safari Escape 2008 KIN full-yacht charter tours save 8% off the usual charter fare, $74,495 instead of $80,995. Adults booking a KIN cruise on an FIT basis on the Safari Quest will receive a 25% discount for their under-12 children in Mariner staterooms on the June 28 and July 19, 2008, Alaska cruise and the March 16, 2008 or March 22, 2009, Sea of Cortés cruise.
American Safari Cruises is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The company pioneered upscale scheduled yacht cruising in Alaska in 1997, expanding later to Mexico's Sea of Cortés. The company also operates cruises on the Columbia and Snake rivers, and the Pacific Northwest's San Juan Islands and British Columbia Gulf Islands.
Information and brochures: 888/862-8881; www.amsafari.com; e-mail sales@amsafari.com.
