Cruising The Coast Of Alaska This Prime Family Vacation Has Plenty Of Entertainment, Nice People And Almost Unlimited Places To Run And Hide

Let’s see. I want to visit the S.S. Statendam’s forward observation deck, which I believe is on the Lido deck, but I’m not quite sure how to get there.

I saw it from the windows of the Crow’s Nest bar, which is on the Sports deck. But I’m pretty sure that the actual access is up a flight of stairs from the Navigation deck. That’s five decks above me, since I’m on the Main deck, but the Navigation deck doesn’t run all the way through to the bow from my cabin near the stern. So I’d better take the elevator to the Upper Lido deck, walk forward, descend a spiral staircase to the Lido deck, then take an escalator to the Navigation deck.

With a map (the ship does indeed provide a “Passenger Pocket Guide,” though it - infuriatingly - doesn’t list the forward deck), a compass and some emergency rations, I’ll probably be just fine.

Actually, forget the emergency rations, since there’s plenty to eat on the way. Just in case I miss the sit-down lunch, there’s an informal buffet restaurant with two serving lines on the Lido deck. Or I could grab a couple of tacos near the indoor pool. Or I could have a quarter-pounder grilled to order at the hamburger bar. Or I could simply hit the ice cream parlor - four different flavors every day, with fresh berries on the side.

My two daughters, 3 and 6, will endorse any of those choices. And they’ve learned the layout of the ship much more quickly than their mom and their dad.

The girls, in fact, were the primary reason that our family took a Holland America cruise to Alaska along the Inside Passage. The question is not whether a cruise is fun (since 1970, an estimated 53 million passengers have taken a deep-water cruise). The question is whether it’s fun with kids, sharing a stateroom with their parents that’s only about 20 feet long and 10 feet wide.

Actually, the cabin wasn’t as cramped as it sounds. The king-size bed for the grown-ups was conventional enough, but one bunk disappeared into the ceiling during the day and the other bed became a sofa. There were three roomy closets, a decent number of drawers and a shower with a real bathtub, not very long but satisfyingly deep (fellow travelers who have cruised on other ships said the bathrooms in the Statendam, a ship that is only 3 years old, were a major improvement over older vessels).

And outside the cabin, there was plenty of room to roam. The Statendam was 720 feet long and had 10 decks (the elevators were there for a reason).

There were six different bars (kids were welcome, though - obviously - they couldn’t expect a gin and tonic), a two-story theater with balcony for stage shows, a casino (no kids allowed) with blackjack, craps, a roulette and slot machines, a movie theater, a two-story dining room, a health spa with exercise equipment and weight machines, a beauty parlor, shops selling everything from T-shirts to jewelry and - of most interest to parents - a plain, windowless room tucked away behind the movie theater.

This was the home of the Kid’s Corner and its two counselors, who spent their days planning things for children to do, from indoor games and puzzles to walking tours of the ship and athletic contests on the outdoor sports deck. An agenda for the next day’s events was slipped under our cabin door every evening.

The hours varied each day and the club was not intended to be a true day care - something that some passengers haven’t realized before their cruise, resulting in some disappointments. Children in diapers were not accepted, for example.

Even outside the club, the Statendam was a family-friendly place. The evening shows, for example, were tame enough for young eyes and ears, and out children loved a Broadway-style show one evening, a juggler and comedian on another night, and a magic show near the end of the cruise.

And they were truly pampered by the staff. Our dinner waiter, Teguh, always remembered that our youngest daughter liked chocolate milk, with a straw. Our bar steward, Abdul, made small toys of folded paper for both girls. Our maitre d’, Alexander, would ask if they needed a second dessert. Crew members greeted them in the halls, tickled them under the chin - in short, made them feel like very special little people.

On the last evening of the cruise, when the waiters sang to the dining room at the end of dinner, they took our girls to sing with them.

The result was two thoroughly spoiled children, who practically had to be forced to walk the plank when the ship reached a port.

Our seven-day cruise, which sailed from Vancouver, British Columbia, as far north as Juneau, offered only a taste of Alaska. But it’s a taste that was enticing to both children and adults.

At Ketchikan, our first port of call, I signed up with a handful of other people for a guided hike through the rain forest. We were hauled by van about 20 miles, then spent two hours on a loop trail. Normally, visitors get thoroughly soaked on this trip - Ketchikan gets 160 inches of rain a year, compared to 16-1/2 for Spokane - but southeast Alaska’s spring weather was unusually dry and we enjoyed warm sunshine.

My wife and the children spent a few hours wandering around the city center, noted for its former red-light district, Creek Street. Another popular place to visit is the Totem Heritage Center, featuring dozens of authentic totem poles salvaged from nearby Haida and Tlingit villages.

At our next port, Juneau, the most popular tourist destination is about 13 miles away: the Mendenhall Glacier. It is awesome, almost eerie, to stand on a green shoreline next to a quiet lake and see an enormous wall of ice - 100 feet high and 1-1/2 miles wide - that has crawled down the river valley and is now shedding giant ice cubes into the water. Even our children were impressed.

Our final port was Sitka, in many ways the most interesting stop of the trip. The Russians occupied this village in 1799 and built it into a major trading station. St. Michael’s Cathedral, a replica of the original built in 1844-48, is a beautiful little Russian Orthodox church that contains one of the best collections of Russian icons in the Western Hemisphere.

About a five-minute walk away is the Bishop’s House, painstakingly restored by the National Park Service. This building was home to 14 Russian bishops over 127 years. Guided tours allow visitors to see the pantry, bedrooms, dining room and formal reception rooms, many containing original furnishings.

In both Juneau and Sitka we took city tours in small vans or buses - a good way to learn from the locals, and also less likely to produce complaints from children about too much walking. (On one tour, the van driver, Angela Gutches, turned out to be a student at Gonzaga University, proving again one of the maxims of travel: On any trip, you’ll meet somebody who lives - or used to live - where you do. In Africa, I once met a former paper boy for The Spokesman-Review.)

Many of these optional excursions can be booked aboard the ship. But for simple city tours, it’s cheaper to make arrangements at the dock. Every port has a handy visitors’ information bureau, along with booths and kiosks selling tickets to various tours; the process is easy and efficient.

Easy and efficient was not, frankly, what had I expected on a cruise trip. I was braced for convention-style accommodations with impersonal staffers, crowded public rooms, long lines, and people competing for the best seats in bars, restaurants and theaters.

I was wrong. Although the Statendam carried 1,012 passengers on our trip, the ship was so large, so well designed and had so many staffers (approximately one for every two passengers) that it never felt like a zoo.

The dining room, for example, had two levels with an atrium-style staircase, so you didn’t feel like you were eating in a giant cafeteria. The theater also had two levels, and even latecomers could find a seat (though early birds got the best views).

And we appreciated the small touches - hot pea soup served on deck during a cold, rainy visit to Glacier Bay; hot tubs with two different temperatures, plenty of clean, dry, towels near the swimming pool; an amazing selection of fresh fruit; a continental breakfast in our cabin served exactly when it was requested.

After our cruise ended, it took several weeks for the relaxation to wear off, though the transition was marred slightly by annoying questions from our daughters. They wanted to know, for example, why they could no longer have three kinds of desserts at dinner, or ice cream sundaes in mid-afternoon or - the favorite luxury for kids of all ages - continental breakfast in bed.

When they grow up, we’ll be happy to let them take us on a cruise.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Color photos

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: IF YOU GO When to go: The peak Alaska cruise season is mid-June through mid-August. Temperatures during those months are balmy by Alaska standards, with daytime highs typically in the 50s and 60s. Chilly weather and rain are possible in any month, especially in parts of Southeast Alaska and Glacier Bay.

What it costs: Bargains are available on Alaska cruises this summer, especially if you’re willing to make a last-minute booking, according to the Consumer Reports Travel Letter. For deals, keep an eye out for newspaper ads and stay in touch with a travel agent. You can also save money by booking early in the year for a summer cruise. Official (non-discounted) fares on Holland America for a seven-day Inside Passage trip range from $1,300 to $4,000 per person, depending on the type of cabin and travel dates (fares are lowest in May and September). Children sharing the same cabin typically cost $250 to $500 each, depending on age (though, again, look for deals; some lines have been offering free travel for kids).

Advice: Miscellaneous tips for first-time cruisers. If you’re on a budget, don’t bother paying extra for a cabin with a window; you won’t be spending much time in it, and there are plenty of views elsewhere. If you’re traveling with children, make sure you know exactly what kind of day care or children’s programs are offered; talk directly to the cruise line if this topic is important. Unless you’re truly anti-social, sign up for a large table at dinner. It’s a nice way to meet other people. A wide variety of shore excursions, including rafting, whale-watching and fishing trips, can be arranged on board, though they tend to be pricey ($49 per person for a three-hour nature walk, for example). City tours can easily be arranged on the dock for $20 or less.

Getting there: The most common embarkation point for Alaska cruises, Vancouver, British Columbia, is extensively served by road, train and air. Parking is available near the downtown cruise ship terminal at about $60 per week, with van pickup and drop-off. Most cruise lines have packages that include air links to cities around North America, though not at particularly attractive prices. One low-fuss option: fly or drive to Seattle, then ride a train to Vancouver. For information, call (800) AMTRAK.

Recommended reading: “Ports of Call of Southeast Alaska” (Umbrella Books, $12.95) is a no-frills, no-nonsense guide to ports visited by cruise ships. “Alaska’s Ocean Highways” (Epicenter Press, $19.95), although geared toward travel on Alaska’s ferries, has beautiful color photography - guaranteed to make you want to visit Alaska. More information: Southeast Alaska Tourism Council, P.O. Box 20710, Juneau, Alaska 99802; (907) 586-4777.