Alaska.....affordable at all?

[gkrnjlr]

We're booked for the Pearl next June on a 7 night Alaska cruise - going to Skagway, Ketchikan, Juneau, and Victoria.

 

I've looked at all the excursions offered and am a tad bit surprised at the prices!

 

Has anyone done the Alaska cruise with kids and if so, what did you do? I have a friend (without kids) who suggested several things that sound great but I am not able to spend over $1,000 in each port for us to go. We have three kids, and their ages will be 6, 4 and 2.

 

Are any of the ports the type that we could see/do things on our own?

 

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[uppitycats]

We're booked for the Pearl next June on a 7 night Alaska cruise - going to Skagway, Ketchikan, Juneau, and Victoria.

 

I've looked at all the excursions offered and am a tad bit surprised at the prices!

 

Has anyone done the Alaska cruise with kids and if so, what did you do? I have a friend (without kids) who suggested several things that sound great but I am not able to spend over $1,000 in each port for us to go. We have three kids, and their ages will be 6, 4 and 2.

 

Are any of the ports the type that we could see/do things on our own?

 

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

ALL of the ports you listed above are perfectly fine for you to go out and about and explore on your own. Or when you get off the ship, you'll find people offering "private" tours at less than the cruise line charges which might be suitable.

 

There is an Alaska board here

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

 

where you might find some good suggestions, too. Skagway and Ketchikan are certainly ports where you can just wander around and sight-see; the others might require a bit more money to get somewhere to do something, but you can do this for less than the $1,000 you're talking about, for sure!

 

Have fun! Alaska is really beautiful and quite an adventure for your kids, especially the older ones.

[poppan]

We went to Alaska on Princess in 2005 and called all the same ports. We didn't do any ships excursions and had a good time.

 

In Juneau one of the highlights is the Mendenhall Glacier. You can walk into town and get on the public bus to go there.

 

Victoria is a cute town. We cabbed into the pretty part of town from the port. You can do "high tea" on your own and just walk around and enjoy the city.

 

Skagway was only one street long. We did a day hike there (to lower Dewey Lake) and enjoyed it, but that's probably too hard to do with young children.

[Punchie]

The only port that I personally would take an excursion through the cruise line is Skagway, and that would be for the White Pass Railroad. It is expensive, but fun, esp if your kids like trains. The train picks you up at the docks (essentially). If you do do that excursion, try to get into the car where the tour guide is. We were able to get a more personalized experience b/c he was willing to answer questions and give more specific details than what he did over the speakers.

 

Even then, I would only do the WPR only once b/c it is expensive. Skagway is an incredibly tiny town so you can tour it farily quickly. Our second time there, we just got of the ship to stretch our legs, then went back to the ship to enjoy the relative emptiness.

 

In Juneau, you can get tram tickets and then explore up at the top.

 

And I can't remember if it's Ketichan or Juneau that has a neat little museum that's worth checking out.

[CeleBrat]

We took an Alaskan cruise a few years ago, when the kids were 2 and 5. Like you, we were shocked at the way-high prices of the excursions. So, I spent a lot of time researching on the Alaska board, and came up with a few neat things to do. On our cruise, we did the following:

 

Juneau--took the tram car up to the mountain top. At the top, there is an animal rescue exhibit, that actually had a recovering bald eagle when we were there. Also, there were lots of fun trails for the kids to run around on up there.

 

Ketchikan--this was our "do nothing day." We wandered through the downtown reading the historical signs and checking out the Creekside Village-front.

 

Skagway--we rented a car and drove inland to Carcrosse. Using YukonMurray's map as a guide (he's a CC member), we stopped at all the various points of interest along the way. We saw things like the old prospector cemetary, several waterfalls, blackberry patches, and abandoned mining cabin and pump, the world's smallest desert (really), a crystal/mineral lake, and most importantly, bears and SNOW!!!! Best day on the whole cruise because we were able to see things at our leisure. It was beautiful countryside, and often we were the only car on the road. I have this great pic of DH laying in the middle of the highway spread eagle--because there are no cars! And, not to worry about getting lost. I recall driving on one road the whole way.

 

Victoria--we had an evening stop here. So, we ate a leisurely dinner onboard the ship before heading ashore. Once there, we arranged for a local horse-drwan buggy ride. Very cool for our kids between the horses, the carriage, and riding around covered in a wool blanket (we are from Florida).

 

So--there are just a few suggestions. If you want, I can share some pics.

 

CeleBrat

[boulders]

I just got back from Alaska with my 3 children. We didn't spend nearly that much. There are plenty of inexpensive things to do in Alaska. The Lumberjack show in Ketchikan is popular, especially with kids. It costs only a few dollars each. Do some research and plan what is important to you. My children still loved being on the ship the most over the shore excursions, even though they loved them too. I'm sure that if I had spent hundreds of dollars on helicopter rides, they would not have had a better time.

[gkrnjlr]

SO glad to hear that we are going to be able to this cruise a lot more affordable than we were first thinking.

 

If we do the Mendenhall Glacier is this something that the kids (6,5, and 2) will enjoy? Or will they just be "along for the ride?" Is it something that if we go there on our own (public transportation) that we'll still be able to do a decent tour and see/learn everything without the guide? Or is it a guided tour once you get there?

 

Probably a dumb question, but......what exactly is "high tea?" We have heard that Victoria is very pretty. What would you suggest that we do with the kids?

 

We printed out the different excursions offered in each port and in Skagway we have absolutely nothing circled. (We go through the excursions separately and circle the ones that we find interesting.) I DO like the idea of renting a car and driving around to see other things. If we didn't do that - what types of activities/excursions would you suggest - keeping in mind the kids' ages and the affordability factor?

 

Celebrat - I love what you did in Victoria!!!! I think we may copy your exact same schedule on this one! (And YES, I'd LOVE to see your pictures! Feel free to email them to me off-list if that is easier. My email address is in my sig line!

 

With us going in early June - will we be able to see snow anywhere that we could get out and go play in it? Also, what type of clothes would you suggest wearing? I know layers.....but will we actually end up in shorts by the mid afternoon?

 

Boulders - I would love to hear what you did in each port. I do think tkhat the lumberjack show would be entertaining to the kids (okay, and myself, too! ;)) How old are your kids and what all did they enjoy doing? We talked about possibly having the youngest (2 yo) stay onboard and pay for the babysitting services if we book an excursion that would not be appealing to her. I don't know if we'll do that or not though. BUT the boys (6 and 5 years old) absolutely love staying in Kids Crew AND going into port.

 

Sorry my response is so long. Thanks for everyone's help! This is only our 2nd seven night cruise and I don't remember doing as much research for our last one! I just don't want to come home and say "gosh I wish we would've done __________" but we skimped out! But I also don't want to come home and try to make the budget work because we spent too much on an excursion that we ended up feeling wasn't worth it!

 

Thanks everyone!

[boulders]

My children are 4, 11 and 13. In Ketchikan, we actually didn't do the lumberjack show :o, but we did sea kayaking with Southeast Sea Kayaks. As I recall, the total cost for the 4 of us was about $350. It's less for the little ones. My oldest and I love canoeing, so I thought that this would be a good activity for us to be active, and it was. We saw an amazing amount of wildlife. DD11 went with the guide and our littlest sat in between us - 3 to a kayak.

 

In Skagway, I did the glassblowing with dd11. Each participant must be 10, so it won't work for you. With kids your age, I would have probably rented a car and driven to Carcross.

 

In Juneau, we went whale watching with Orca Enterprises. We had a wonderful time. DS4 loved it. Total cost about $400.

 

In Icy Strait Point, I took the kids off the ship to check out the shops at the pier. This is the one stop where the shops are not owned by the cruiselines. We also checked out the various shops near the pier at all the other locations.

 

After disembarking from Seward, we visited the Sealife Center there. The kids liked that very much. It was very inexpensive and uncrowded. We had visited the Vancouver Aquarium the day before we sailed and could barely move because of the crowds.

 

This was my kids 4th cruise. For all of them, their favorite activity is simply being on the ship. Shore excursions are kind of a necessary evil for them, but they really did enjoy the excursions they went on in Alaska. I could certainly have spent less than what we did and still had a great time.

[poppan]

Celebrat -- I loved what your family did -- what great ideas, especially for Skagway.

 

OP: Mendenhall Glacier -- it is a chance to see a glacier up close (although you are not allowed to walk on it). You're right though, probably more interesting for the adults than the kids -- at least with the tram, even if they're not interested in the view at the top there is the tram ride itself which would be fun for them. Having said that, if you (the adults) wanted to see the glacier, I think your kids would have fun just being outside and running around. Also, when we were there there was a ranger with two hawks and my kids would have loved that. Not much that a guide would tell you that the visitor center and ranger would not be able to tell you, JMHO though.

 

High tea is kind of an English tradition I guess... and the Canadians are more English than we are, they are still part of the Commonwealth even now I think. It's basically a fancy tea time... good tea served with the little finger sandwiches and scones and other yummy stuff.

[CowPrincess]

Alaska does not have to be uber-expensive. You've been pointed to the Alaska forum -- there are LOTS of lower-cost ideas there.

 

I would NOT do the train in Skagway with a little one -- it is long, and the kid likely will be bored in very little time. And then you'll spend your excursion time entertaining the kids. :)

 

In Skagway, the National Parks Service does guided tours, free of charge. In Ketchikan I went to the Totem Heritage Center, which was very cool ($5/person). You can also go to the Raptor Center and the Fish Hatchery, on a "bundled" ticket, for about $13/adult for all three attractions. Not sure of the child's admission fee. So you could see 3 cool things for under $70 there. And there's a playground somewhere near the dock in Ketchikan, which would be good for burning off some energy :)

 

Definitely check out the Alaska forum -- the link has been provided above.

[uppitycats]

The Sealife Center in Seward is probably one of my favorite places..and I'm a little older than 6 :p. And I remember it being quite reasonable.

 

There are basically two kinds of "tea" -- "High tea"...and ..well, "tea". The "high tea" is a pretty formal affair, usually with "savories" -- sandwiches with meat or fish (like crabmeat), more substantial fare than a regular "tea" with cookies (biscuits) and other sweets. I think the younger children might find it all a bit fussy.

 

You've gotten some great ideas so far..I'd forgotten about that tram ride, which was great fun.

[birder22]

My family enjoyed the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau and spent most of the day there. There is an interesting visitor center and several hiking trails through the forest. My children love hiking in the rain forest with the lush greenery, nurse trees and banana slugs. If you take the trail on the left side of the parking lot (facing the glacier), it leads to small beaches along the lake. My son waded into the lake and hauled out bergy bits (tiny icebergs) and built sand castles. We enjoyed watching the helicopters land on and take off from the glaciers as we lay on the beach.

 

There are buses from the pier to the Mendenhall Glacier that were about $14pp round trip.

 

In Victoria we walked from the pier to the inner harbor. There is a park with totem poles, tall masted ships in the harbor and street entertainers in the area. The walk to the inner harbor was quite pleasant with a number of lovely flower gardens on the way.

[gkrnjlr]

SO much useful information. Thank you!

I think that the tram to Mendenhall Glacier is great plan. Without having the itinerary in front of me.....can someone tell me which port that is in?

 

Has anyone done the dog sledding? I wonder if there's an affordable way to do this and if so - I wonder if the kids would enjoy it.

 

Curious....if we did the high tea (sounds really cool), how long does that take/last? I agree that my kids would find it a bit fussy, but if it's not longlasting (I know it depends on how fast we eat, but we also don't want to sit down and scarf food down just because the kids are miserable) I'd love to fit this into a schedule. This is....Victoria, right?

 

Thanks so much for all the wonderful help!

 

Off to the Alaska board!

[poppan]

Mendenhall Glacier is Juneau. The tram is to a mountain top (not the glacier) though. Re: the buses I wanted to clarify that there are a bunch of tour company buses that will take you there, but if you walk just a bit further there is literally the town's public transit bus which will take you there for like a buck fifty or something.

 

I didn't even know dog sledding was an option! How cool that would be!

 

How long high tea takes -- I'd say 45 min to an hour, although I'm sure you could sit for longer. I actually loved high tea as a kid. I think I just liked all the little tiny pastries and cakes and I still love scones to this day.

[cantw8togo]

We took our two DS's age 5 & 8 to Alaska last June and had a great time.

 

If you want to see snow, then your best bet may be at the top of the tram in Juneau. It is foggy a lot there so be aware that you may not be able to see very far once you get up there. You may want to wait until you get there to purchase tickets ($ 28 each) in case you are fogged in. There is no price advantage to prepurchasing the tickets so many people wait. http://www.goldbelttours.com/travel/day_trips/juneau/tram.html

 

If you take the city bus to the Mendenhall Glacier, it is cheaper but it doesn't take right to the visitor center. The bus stop is about a 20 minute walk away which may be a bit far with a couple of little kids. It almost half an hour to get there from the docks so take along a couple of toys and snacks to keep the kids occupied.

 

Be aware that there are bears around Mendenhall and the rangers are quite strict about not having open packages of food with you. Factory sealed snacks like granola bars and fruit leathers are okay but baggies of cheerios or other snacks are not. Just remember that you can't take food from the buffet off the ship. We didn't see any bears but we did see some fresh bear poo near one of the trails. Don't let the bears deter you from going. The rangers keep an eye on things and will point out things that you might otherwise miss. Short of taking an expensive helicopter ride, this is the closest you will get to a glacier. http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/ Click on Mendenhall Visitor Center link at the bottom. Also look at the educational resources link too. Most of it will be too advanced for your kids but some sites do have related games and puzzles for kids.

 

The most affordable dogsledding that I have read about is in Carcross north of Skagway. I think the dogs pull carts on wheels rather than sleds due to the lack of snow in June and the only place to do true dogsledding is on the glaciers for $$$. The place in Carcross lets you pet the dogs too. Try doing a search in the Alaska boards for more info.

 

Here is an article about checking out Skagway with young children. Lots of advice about playgrounds, ice cream and bathroom availabilty! http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g60877-c86824/Skagway:Alaska:Kid.Scene.html We hired Dyea Dave for a tour of the town and then they drove us up to the summit and back. You see much of the same things as you do from the train and we were able to stop and play in the snow. You may have issues with car seats but it was quite inexpensive and well worth it. (It won't let me link to his site, but you can google Dyea Dave to find it.)

 

Hope this helps.

 

N.

[cantw8togo]

While I'm thinking of it, here are a couple more sites that you might find interesting.

 

The government parks websites are a wealth of info and have great sections for kids. Click on the Kids link on the left. This one is for the Gold Rush National Park in Skagway. https://akrcms.nps.gov/klgo/index_old.htm

 

Here is a list of what wildlife you are likely to see during the various months. http://www.wc.adfg.state.ak.us/viewing/southeast.pdf

 

And a list of animal sounds of Alaska. http://wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=soundswild.main

 

Here is the word games that I was telling you about in the last post. http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/districts/mendenhall/games.shtml

 

This is a list of webcams for various ports and locations in Alaska. http://www.explorenorth.com/webcam-ak.html

 

Although packing is still a long way off, here is a comprehensive list for adults and kids. http://www.alaskacruises.com/what_to_pack.asp

 

This is a post about inexpensive things to do in port. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g28923-i349-k2622820-Inexpensive_excursion_options-Alaska.html

 

And specifically Ketchikan. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g31030-i1423-k1743803-Collection_of_ideas_for_1_day_do_it_yourself_in_Ketchikan-Ketchikan_Alaska.html

 

Travelling with kids can be a joy and a challenge. Try to keep to their eating and sleeping schedules as much as you can or you will pay for it later with cranky kids and resentful parents. They will not always be interested in the same things as you, and there were a couple of times that I told my kids that I really wanted to see something and that they could either join me or go to the kids club. I tried to explain to them they wouldn't get another chance to see Glacier Bay, but to them it was another mountain and more ice and they were just as content to go play with their new friends at the club.

 

By the time were reached our last port of Ketchikan, trip fatigue had started to set in and they weren't too keen to go exploring. "We'll see it the next time we are here." is what I think they said. :eek: Once we finally got off the boat, they did enjoy Totem Bight State Park and we spent some time exploring the tidal pools at the beach. http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/totempol.htm

 

I tried to get my kids interested in things that we might see on the trip to make it more relevant. My eldest son was interested in the gold rush so we did some reading and research. It turned out that we have relatives on both sides of the family that went to the Klondike as prospectors. We wanted to go panning for gold in Skagway but it just didn't work out time wise. ( I guess we will just have to go back! :D ) My youngest became interested in whales so we did a whale watching trip in Juneau.

 

All in all we had a great trip. A bit different than what I had expected, but great the none the less.

 

Hope this helps.

 

N.

[gkrnjlr]

I hit the jackpot! LOL Thanks!!!!

Okay, I now have a ton of excellent information to check out! I will have to go through it all and then post with any questions I have after that!

 

THANKS!

 

Also - I am starting to think that maybe the dog sledding is going to be out. I'm not sure that we'd miss out on too much though since it sounds like there are so many other options.

 

Originally I was hesitant about taking the kids because I thought they'd be too young, but now it seems like there's so much there that even they'd enjoy! Yay! :D

 

Thanks again! I'll post with any questions after I get caught up!

 

Jennifer

[cantw8togo]

You're welcome. I had a lot fun exploring the web for info and this site was a wealth of information. So many kind people are willing to share their experiences and expertice and I am more than happy to share what I found.

 

Happy planning!

 

N.

[gkrnjlr]

Yes, it's always nice to get first hand knowledge and experience from those who have been there! Even moreso when it's an individual and not a company that's try to sell me their service, etc.!

 

One more question popped into my head today. It's an odd one, I am sure! We'd like for the kids to see moose. Any certain places or excursions that are sure shots at seeing moose? My first son's nickname is "Moose" since birth and he even has a love for them!

 

Thanks!

[cantw8togo]

I was just reading an answer to this very question on the Alaska board. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1062346 Budget Queen mentions that the likelihood of seeing one in the Inside Passage is very slim and that your chances are greater in the Interior.

 

I have also recently learned that moose are mostly likely to be seen at the side of the road in the spring when they come out to lick the salt left over from winter road salting. They do this because they are deficient in sodium from their winter diet. In the summer they head into the woods and are harder to spot and they come back out in the fall for the rutting (breeding) season. I don't know if they use salt on the roads in Alaska like they do here in Ontario. If you don't see any moose in Alaska you should consider checking out Algonquin Park in Ontario where they almost guarantee moose sightings in May and June.

 

N.

[karenem]

Lots of good info but I thought I'd chime in anyway...

 

Our experience with 13, 5, and 3YOs: great time! We visited Mendenhall glacier and went hiking--wet but fun and the glacier is spectacular. Didn't do the tram because of the fog.

 

We also rented a car in Skagway and did the drive to Carcross. Fantastic time and you must get Murray's map so you'll know what you're seeing. We loved the scenery and the isolation and the fact that we could go whenever/wherever we pleased. At Carcross, we did a private "husky hike" which was the highlight of our trip but I would NOT recommend it for people with very small kids (like, um, us) because the first thing you do is go straight up the side of a 300-foot cliff and then walk along the edge for a few hundred yards. But we survived, and what a view!

 

Enjoy!

[Travalerie]

 

 

By the time were reached our last port of Ketchikan, trip fatigue had started to set in and they weren't too keen to go exploring. "We'll see it the next time we are here." is what I think they said. :eek: Once we finally got off the boat, they did enjoy Totem Bight State Park and we spent some time exploring the tidal pools at the beach. http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/totempol.htm

 

 

N.

What beach did you go to? Was it near Totem Bight? What made you chose Totem Bight over Saxman. Thanks for the good information in this post.

[cantw8togo]

What beach did you go to? Was it near Totem Bight? What made you chose Totem Bight over Saxman. Thanks for the good information in this post.

 

Yes, the beach was at Totem Bight and it was just off of one of the paths. It was low tide when we were there so we could explore the small tidal pools amongst the rocks, however it was quite cool and pouring rain which wasn't too condusive to exploring for a long time.

 

To be honest, I can't remember exactly why we ended up going to Totem Bight over Saxman. There were six of us travelling and I think budget was a bit of a factor. I had read that Totem Bight was beautiful and quiet and we like excursions that are a little off the beaten track. Taking the city bus allows you a bit of a glimpse into local life, even if half of the bus is full of tourists. :D The kids really enjoyed seeing the totems and going for the walk through the temperate rain forest with the huge ancient trees. They were amazed at the size of the banana slugs that are as big your finger that we found on the path.

 

For me it was one of the more "real" excursions and it felt less touristy than some of the other things that we did.

 

Hope this helps,

 

N.

[Travalerie]

Yes, the beach was at Totem Bight and it was just off of one of the paths. It was low tide when we were there so we could explore the small tidal pools amongst the rocks, however it was quite cool and pouring rain which wasn't too condusive to exploring for a long time.

 

To be honest, I can't remember exactly why we ended up going to Totem Bight over Saxman. There were six of us travelling and I think budget was a bit of a factor. I had read that Totem Bight was beautiful and quiet and we like excursions that are a little off the beaten track. Taking the city bus allows you a bit of a glimpse into local life, even if half of the bus is full of tourists. :D The kids really enjoyed seeing the totems and going for the walk through the temperate rain forest with the huge ancient trees. They were amazed at the size of the banana slugs that are as big your finger that we found on the path.

 

For me it was one of the more "real" excursions and it felt less touristy than some of the other things that we did.

 

Hope this helps,

 

N.

Thanks. We planned to rent a car in Juneau and in Ketchikan. Our kids are still in carseats. If we decide it was not a good idea in Juneau we may just go to the park in the downtown area. I heard there was one with some totems or a musueum.

[Purpleprincess4]

I was searching through the posts and found yours and thought I would comment. We are sailing after you and I have been scouring the boards looking for any and all information to make our cruise memorable for my kids 6,8,10,12. I am pretty sure we will spend about as much as we did on our Disney Cruise. The only exception is we had balconies and more room on DCL. We have an obstructed ocean view on Princess. The airfare is the killer for us and really makes the price of our vacation high. We will have nearly the same itinerary as you and I think we will try to keep all but one port on the more affordable side. Here is what we have scheduled:

 

Juneau, only thing is a bike tour for my husband. I don't know about the rest of us. About $129 so far.

 

Skagway - rented from Avis will drive to Carcross and Emerald Lake about

$200 plus whatever snacks and attractions we have to pay for later.

 

Ketchican - Such as short time here and we splurged for all of us to take the "Crab Fishermans tour" that has such rave review. $ YIKES 700.00 for 6 of us. Booked independently to save cash $20.00 a head.

 

VIctoria - Nothing planned. Short time here.

 

Anyhow, I hope you have an awesome vacation with your kids!