Alaska excursions for 5 year old boy + Mom & Dad

[dddone]

We will be going on NCL for the Inside Passage in late August with our 5-year-old son. Can anybody please point me in the right direction for shore excursions?

 

1. Don't miss.

2. Stay away from.

 

Thanks !

[littlestars]

If you post this over on the Alaska Ports of Call site you will get a LOT more replies :D

[rebeccalouise]

With a five year old- do the White Pass Train ride in Skagway and the skyride in Juneau. I did Alaska with a five year old and they could give two hoots about scenery. They will want to play on the ship more than do excursions. The good new is that you can leave him on the ship and do them yourself.

 

I have done Alaska four times and have never done an excursion other than the two mentioned. I just enjoy walking and exploring the towns and watching the scenery from the boat. I also liked shopping in Ketchikan- pick up some of the canned salmon!

[afj96]

This is my first time posting on a board, but now is a good a time as any.

 

I am on the NCL Star May 19th with DH, 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter.

 

After doing lots of research on these boards we decided to see Ketchikan on our own

 

We are doing the White Pass Railway in Skagway with the motorcoach back - it seems that there a lot more stops for the kids to do

 

Since we are from Florida and the kids have never seen snow we are splurging and doing a helicopter/dog sled tour in Juneau.

 

I can look for this thread or if you post your email I can let you know it goes.

 

We leave Thursday for Seattle:D

[Onessa]

The Whitepass railroad trip is nice but a bit long. Be certain to bring some entertainment with if you choose to do that.

 

DD was not quite 7YO the first time we in AK. We did a helo ride to a dog sled camp (it can be VERY expensive, but DH's niece was working there and we got a 'considerable' discount). The Dogs and the glacier were both big hits with DD and things she really remembers even now (she's 11.5YO now). So you might want to look into lower cost alternatives. Most of the dog sledders are really good about letting the kids interact with the dogs.

 

The skyride thing in Junea was great. Nice ride, good hiking. If you are not certain about spending the money on an excursion to one of the totem places in Ketchikan, the municiple totem museum is walkable (there are also shuttles) and a lower cost (most five year olds don't need to see a HUGE number of totems, so this museum works nicely). DD had been to lumberjack contests before (her Gma and Gpa live near where the "world championship" is held annually) so she was not overly excited to try the lumberjack stuff in Ketchikan.

[madtownvoodoo]

You can try the duck tours in Ketchikan - we're planning on doing that ourselves when we go. We've done them in Seattle and the kids (3,5) loved them. www akduck com

 

You might be able to book them through the ship - I've seen some ships offer it, or you can reserve it directly through their website.

[kitty9]

I think those helicopter rides might have a minimum age so check for that. Any tour that includes things like whale watching will be perfect. I also think the White Railway Pass is a bit long and boring for a 5 year old. The duck ride is really fun for kids.

[CassCruise]

We went last Sept and did a b2b with our two dd's then aged 6 (just turned) and 8 we did float plane and bear watching in Ketchikan - the girls still think that that was one of the best excursions! we did the heli/dog sledding in Juneau - whilst the girls loved it the youngest is not into fast rides at all and found this quite scary for a lot of the dog sledding side of it (but now is pleased she did it) then week 2 our youngest insisted on doing the train in Skagway - we had planned to do it then decided against it thinking it would be too long for them - but again both loved it. We did whale watching in Juneau with Capt Larry - they didn't mind this one but I think out of all the excursions this one they were a little bored at time and then in Ketchikan we did the Lumberjack Show and then the Duck tour - the Lumberjack show was their second favourite excursion!

 

As someone else suggested the Alaskan board is amazing with their info - work out what you and the children want to see then plough through to refine your choices - it is certainly an awesome experience and one (IMHO) that researching and planning really pays dividends.

 

Jane

[afj96]

Well we had an amazing trip on the NCL Star with 5 year old boy and 3 year old girl. I said I would respond when I got back and let you know how it went.

 

The kids loved Kids Crew and were constantly asking to go back and we allowed them that opportunity as much as possible when onboard.

 

As far as port days here is the break down:

 

Ketchikan - we did our own walking tour (picked up a map at the pier)

Our 5year old said his feet were a little tired once we got back to the ship The favorite things were finding the different totem poles around town. They both enjoyed the Live Eagles and the Salmon hatchery we also went in the Totem heritage center - it is small -most 5 year olds probably would not enjoy

 

Juneau - we splurged for the helicopter/dog sled tour and it was the highlight of the trip - like I said previously our kids have never seen snow - It was fun for my son and daughter to sit on the sled and it was fun for me and DH to steer the tandum sled- They loved playing in the snow- throwing snow balls and making snow angels. They also loved the puppies.

 

Skagway- we did the WPYR and Yukon motorcoach - one way via train and then tour in the motorcoach. They loved the train but the one way was long enough - they were ready to get off. They both fell asleep a couple of times in the motorcoach but enjoyed all of the stops that were made. (Emerald Lake, Carcross, stop and played in the snow) We wish we had a little more time in Carcross because they really enjoyed the animal museum and wanted to play with the puppies longer and try the gold pannning and mini golf.

 

Prince Rupert- We walked around on our own- 5year old enjoyed playing on the playground at the top of the hill the most.

 

Hope this helps - You know your child best and what he would enjoy so go with your instinct based on all info gathered and what you think hw would like best. There is so much to choose from - I am sure you will have an amazing time.

In Seattle we did a salmon bake which the kids loved - I know they offer this at a few of the Alaskan ports so I thought I would mention that they had a great time.

 

Have fun!!

[CabinForFour]

DS was 5 last year when we went to Alaska, and he had the time of his life. We did the following excursions:

 

Juneau - Whale watching with Capt. Larry followed by visit to Mendenhall Glacier

 

Skagway - White Pass Railroad and Bus Tour with Chilkoot Charters

 

Ketchikan - Wildlife Sanctuary (snore!!!) and Lumberjack Show (excellent!)

 

Victoria - Carriage tour with Tally Ho Tours

 

DS enjoyed all very much. I would highly recommend all except for the wildlife sanctuary. If you wish to see some of the activities involved, feel free to check out my photos from that trip at theleslies.shutterfly.com (scroll down about halfway 'til you see the albums starting with Seattle).

[CassCruise]

In Seattle we did a salmon bake which the kids loved - I know they offer this at a few of the Alaskan ports so I thought I would mention that they had a great time.

 

Have fun!!

afj96 can I ask where you did the salmon bake in Seattle and what you thought of it??? one thing I would have liked to have done - that would be super to do in Seattle!

 

Thanks for the review

 

Jane

[CAPRI]

Our family just finished our Alaska cruise on Summit. We had such a great time in the ports, largely due to advice from folks on the Alaska board as was posted previously.

I have 2 boys, ages 5 and 8, who are fairly active.

We decided to rent cars in both Juneau and Skagway, and Im very pleased we did. We were able to retain a lot of independence and flexibilty, and actually saw a lot.

In Juneau we rented from Avis, for $66 for a large car. We drove to Mendenhal glacier, and did an awesome hike there, getting pretty close to the glacier. It was about a 4 mile hike that took maybe 3 hours, but there were shorter options. Lots of families on the trail, and we saw wildlife as well.

Then we drove up to Eagle beach, stopping on the way to see the St Therese chapel, which my kids loved, on a little islet with a causeway. We saw whales from shore. Then on to the ferry harbor for bugers and milkshakes at a place all the rangers raved about. After this we drove back into Juneau, picked up our own gold panning pans at a local store, and drove to Gold Creek, where you can park and 20 feet away pan for gold! This was such a highlight for the boys! And yes, we did find gold flakes. I guess the creek is full of them. We left ship at 10 am and returned at 7.30 pm.

In Skagway we rented from Avis again, $62 for large car. We drove to Carcross, what a blast. You follow the same route as the train, just on the opposite valley wall, so you can see the train sometimes as you drive. We made lots of photo stops to keep the kids interested. The drive was not scary, just beautiful. We had a snowball fight at the summit of the pass, and made snowmen. Then on to Carcross for a the dog sled rides. $25 per person for a 20 minute ride. Back down the mountain and once back near Skagway we took the road to Dyea, the "ghost town" thats pretty much gone. So unbelievably beautiful. We stopped at a beach covered in driftwood at the back of the "fijord" and had a picnic. The boys skipped stones for a long time, and I took a nap in the sun. Then on to the ghost "town" . Back to Skagway around 6 pm, for some more shopping.

I should note that we had amazing weather, sunny and warm. So of course things seem even more beautiful with that sky. I only reserved the cars, didnt prepay, just in case the weather was awful when we arrived I might have considered a plan B or something. There are many options in Juneau I would have done instead if it were raining. I got lots of ideas too from Lonely Planets Alaska guidebook.

The kids Grandparents traveled with us, but did all their excursions thru the ship. They did whalewatching in Juneau ( loved it) and the White Pass railroad in Skagway (loved it, but I dont think it went all the way to Carcross on the option they chose) and the duck tour in Ketchican ( liked it fine, think kids might like it more)

 

I dont know if your cruise begins in Alaska or Vancouver/Seattle, but if it does start or end in Alaska , you may want to look into renting a car there too. We had the option of bus transfers through the ship to go between Anchorage and Seward, but we chose to rent a car there as well. We had such a great drive, the kids loved it. We had time for the zoo, lunch in a cute village, short hike at Portage glacier, and lots of photo stops, all before boarding the cruise on day one. Our grandparents took the bus transfer and had a different experience.

 

Have fun planning your trip!!:)

Lisa

[okfarmerswife]

My kids also love whale watching with Cap't Larry. And my then 6 yo loved the ship activities with the kids crew. Scenery won't be as important to him as it is you but he'll have fun knowing he went to Alaska! Perhaps he'd enjoy a fishing excursion with your husband.

[Wendi&Max]

I took my 5-year-old son to Alaska last month. We had only booked one excursion (Sea Otter/Wildlife Quest/Raptor Center in Sitka) but I canceled it because I didn't think he'd really have the patience for it. Instead, we explored on our own at each port...

 

Sitka - We walked around town and through a lot of the shops, then we walked down to the Sheldon Jackson College Aquarium/Salmon Hatchery. Max LOVED the hatchery and the volunteers were fantastic with him. We stopped at the playground next to the college for a little while so he could play before we went back to the ship.

 

Juneau - We rode the Mt Roberts Tramway, which was fantastic. I am glad we waited to buy tickets when we got there because if it is foggy it isn't worth going up and because we were able to get a combo ticket there for the tramway plus the Mendenhall Glacier and it saved us a little money. We had planned on doing both anyway so it worked out well. The shops at the top of Mt Roberts were fun to shop around in, they had a bald eagle that was on display so you could see if up close, Max liked being so close to it. Mendenhall Glacier was really great, we liked it alot.

 

Ketchikan - we had planned on going to the Lumberjack Show, but we had a couple of hours until the next show, and they told us that they would still have tickets available up until showtime, so we decided to go check out the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center in the meantime. This place was awesome!!! We had such a great time there that we stayed there and didn't even go back to the lumberjack show... plus it was something like $5 for me, and free for Max! Much cheaper than the lumberjack show!

 

Victoria - We went to the Royal BC Museum and it was great. The Titanic Exhibit is there currently, which was very good... much better than I had thought it would be. Max liked the little tidepool creatures and the big ocean room the best there. He also liked the big "iceberg" in the Titanic exhibit.

 

He is really into science and nature, so this trip was PERFECT for us... we both had an amazing trip.