adalsmom Posted February 3, 2008 #1 Share Posted February 3, 2008 We are thinking of a 10 day Alaskan cruise (Inside Passage) from SF in July. We have 2 boys (ages 8 and 11). They love wildlife as well as anything history related. My husband fears they will be bored on this cruise. Any opinons? Any recommended excursions for families? Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaDee Posted February 3, 2008 #2 Share Posted February 3, 2008 By all means take the kids to Alaska! We cruised Alaska with our two sons a couple years ago and it was a wonderful family vacation. Our favorite excursions were: (1) in Skagway riding the train up to Canada and then stopping in an old mining town on the way back to the ship; the train ride was narrated so you learned about the history of mining and the experiences of the miners who had to travel the route on foot, (2) in Juneau taking the tram up to the mountaintop (Mt. Roberts?) then hiking at the top and looking down on the ships far below, and (3) in Ketchikan taking taking a guided hike through the rainforest where we saw several black bears feeding on salmon in a stream. Back on the ship the kids club was a great hit but we also enjoyed spotting whales and checking out the carving glaciers. It was a wonderful trip that we all remember fondly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissOlive Posted February 4, 2008 #3 Share Posted February 4, 2008 We have younger kids (2 and 5) and we're hoping to go on a big family vacation next year with my parents and my sister and her husband. They are all pushing for Alaska. I'm a bit apprehensive-is there enough stuff for the little ones? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissOlive Posted February 4, 2008 #4 Share Posted February 4, 2008 We have younger kids (2 and 5) and we're hoping to go on a big family vacation next year with my parents and my sister and her husband. They are all pushing for Alaska. I'm a bit apprehensive-is there enough stuff for the little ones? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisin' Chick Posted February 4, 2008 #5 Share Posted February 4, 2008 I'm guessing you're talking about the Princess RT from SF. There will be plenty of activities for the kids, including itinerary-specific arts and crafts and science-oriented ones. When you do the glacier cruising, there is a naturalist onboard, narrating what you are looking at. Even if it's early morning, everyone, but everyone is up and either on their balcony or up on deck (we had an inside). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmalino Posted February 4, 2008 #6 Share Posted February 4, 2008 We did Alaska with our 2 DS this past year, and they had a blast! This was our first cruise and they were the first ones to ask "when are we going on another cruise?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeccalouise Posted February 4, 2008 #7 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Kids are so easy! My son was chatting a few years back and someone was talking about heaven. He said you know what heaven is? "A cruise". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmg1230 Posted February 6, 2008 #8 Share Posted February 6, 2008 Alaska is a great vacation with kids. Last summer my husband and I cruised with his parents and our two daughters on the Diamond Princess out of Vancouver and included a cruise tour to Mount McKinley, Denali and Fairbanks. Our older daughter was 10 and the younger was two weeks away from her 4th birthday. Both girls loved the trip. On the ship they both loved the kids clubs. We had stops in Ketchican, Juneau and Skagway. In Ketchican we just walked around before seeing the Lumberjack show - it was hokey but the girls loved it. In Juneau we did a shore excursion that included a whale watching tour and a stop at the Mendenhall glacier. They both loved the whale watching as we saw a lot of wildlife, however, the younger one had very little interest in the glacier. We also took the Mt. Roberts tramway - the view from the top is amazing, however, our little one hated being in the tram. In Skagway we did the excursion that includes a motorcoach ride into the Yukon territory and the White Pass Railway back. The kids loved it! Sled dogs were also a big hit anywhere we saw them. On board the Princess staff was amazing with the kids. Our younger daughter is still asking if she can please go back and see her friend Pedro (the maitre d' in the restaurant where we ate every night). All in all it was a great trip for everyone - educational and fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMsteffey Posted February 10, 2008 #9 Share Posted February 10, 2008 have cruised AK twice -- it's great for older kids. Don't hesitate. Am not sure what 2 and 5 YO (can) will do, however -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare karatemom2 Posted February 10, 2008 #10 Share Posted February 10, 2008 We have done an Alaska cruise twice now with our kids (8 and 14) and they love it. Last summer we did the 10 day from SF and it was our longest cruise at that point. We were worried the kids might get bored on the sea days but quite the contrary. They loved it! There were plenty of other kids onboard and they made great friends and had lots of fun with the shipboard activities. The ports in Alaska are great for kids because there is so much to do and see. The wildlife and native culture that they get to enjoy is fun and educational. It is a great family vacation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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