Alaska w/ toddler

[cruisevacation]

ok... My husband and I are taking our little DD on her very first Cruise, but will not be the last. WE LOVE CRUISING!!!! This will be our first Alaska cruise. We are taking Radiance Northbound. Any suggestions on excursions? We really want to keep her with us the whole time. We would love to take her on a Dog sled. Does anyone any suggestions on what to do?

 

Thanks in advance...

[Budget Queen]

No flames please. :) Think carefully on tours, they are costly and some confining. A toddler is unpredictable, no matter how well behaved you think she is. :) Determine what may work the best for your prioirites. A glacier helicopter landing is costly, determine what charges there may be for your daughter?? A cart ride is a potential option with getting a Skagway rental car and going to Caribou Crossing the most "freedom" based option perhaps to consider?? http://www.cariboucrossing.ca/ Avis is the only major car rental, see what is available?

 

Think carefully on tours of over an hour with no way out. Bring triple the "distractions" (toys, activites etc) that you think you will need.

[Nancyquilts]

Depending on DD's age, she may not remember the excursions. We brought our children on the Marine Highway (okay, ferry boat) at a young age, and if they hadn't seen the pictures, they wouldn't have remembered any of it. Whatever you decide, have a great cruise! Nancy

[FrogLover215]

Our kids have cruised with us from a young age. From long practice , they do fine even on longer excursions (although of course we work hard to plan things that will be interesting to them). I'm always amazed about the number of people who are immediately "down" on one's ideas as soon as you say you're cruising with children. It CAN be done, it CAN be fun, and it CAN have no negative impact on your fellow cruisers.

 

Since you're already the mother of a toddler, I'm sure you already know your own child's tolerance for trips of various lengths, which toys/snacks are the best distractions for her, and what her natural rhythms are (gets cranky before lunch, needs a nap at 3 PM or all heck breaks loose, etc.). You don't need perfect strangers reminding you of the facts you live with day in, day out. :rolleyes:

 

OK, rant over. Now for my excursion suggestions. If your DD can tolerate a 2-hr car ride one way, consider renting a car in Skagway and driving to Emerald Lake. Stop at Caribou Crossing for a wheeled dog-sled ride - it's how the trainers keep their dogs in shape when there's no snow on the ground. I don't think there's a minimum age for the ride - we did it last year when my DS was 4 - but it is pretty bouncy. When you're waiting for your ride, you can play with the dogsled puppies - easily my 7 YO's favorite part of the whole trip. They also have a small museum with impressive taxidermy displays. The 30-min dogsled ride is about $60 for adults, slightly less for kids, and includes the museum and puppies. There is a shorter ride that is also cheaper. The car rental will run you $60-$80.

 

When you're in Victoria, make sure to visit the totem poles that are in front of the Goverment Building and next to the Royal BC Museum. Both are located near the Inner Harbor, where the shuttle from the ship will drop you off. Consider going to the Museum if your DD likes to look at neat things; they have one area with a bunch of totem poles, and another area set up like streets, houses, and a sailing ship from earlier times. I can't say enough good things about this museum. The only bad thing is that it closes at 5 PM.