Itinerary and Excursions for 10 and 12 yr old boys ?

[Coug12]

Hi! We are scheduled for July 13 Princess Sapphire NB from Vancouver with post cruise land tour. We are from Atlanta, GA. There are six in our group me, my husband, two boys (ages 10 & 12) and my parents. First cruise for my husband and boys, first trip to Alaska for all except My Dad. Will be in Vancouver 2 nights Pre cruise. Would love suggestions for something to do in the evening around Stanley Park. Already scheduled to go to Victoria and visit Butchart Gardens.

 

I'm choosing excursions that will appeal to two very active and adventurous boys. Here is what we have so far:

 

Ketchikan - salmon charter

Juneau - dog sled adventure by helicopter - really wanted to do the Helicopter glacier trek but minimum age is 12 ( although my 10 year old could surely handle it)

Skagway - haven't nailed this down yet but thinking of booking with Packer Expeditions on the short rail trip and hike. I know most do the train trip but my boys would be bored for that long. Any other suggestions?

 

After disembarking in Whittier, we continue to Anchorage, mcKinley, Denali, and end up in Fairbanks. Thinking of white water rafting in Denali with DRA - anyone done this and recommend?

 

What is the kid's program like on the ship?

 

Looking forward to an awesome time!

[sherryf]

You might consider the Eagle Preserve float trip in Haines while in Skagway. It's not white water rafting, but still fun.

 

My daughter was 12 when we went to Alaska a couple of years ago. The main age group for your boys would be 8-12, but when we went, there were so many kids in that range that they split the group into 8-10 and 11-12. I'm willing to bet that they would let your boys stay together if they wanted to, most likely letting the 10 year old move up, since these sub groups are not strict. Often the groups were combined anyway, especially in the evening. The Shockwaves group schedules for our trip are posted here: http://s204.photobucket.com/user/cruisinmama06/library/Princess%20Patters?sort=3&page=1

 

Those should give you a good idea of what kinds of activities are planned.

[Northern Aurora]

You might consider a gold panning session while on the trip. Many kids enjoy trying it. There are a number of gold panning concessions in the state. In Fairbanks Gold Dredge #8 is a popular option.

[DT1304]

I have just returned from a trip with a 10 year old very active boy, and 2 girls (12 and 7)

 

We did not do any excursions involving flights as this became too expensive, but we did the following:

 

Ketchikan: Duck tour, they enjoyed this but it got a little slow and long for them near the end.

Lumberjack show, they all loved this. The we just walked around on our own.

 

Icy Strait. We did a whale watching tour which they liked, but did not love due to the long time. There is the long zipline, but we did not do it as we did ziplining elsewhere

 

Juneau. we did this port on our own. Mendenhall glacier with the "hike" (or walk) to nugget falls was a highlight.

 

Skagway: Adventure park zipline (Not with the 7 year old) which the kids loved. We also did the tour up the summit which I think the kids could have done without, but we (adults) loved the scenery

 

Seward: We did the Seavey's Ididaride total Alaska tour, which includes summer dog sled ride, playing with the puppies, visit to exit glacier etc. This was a highlight of the entire trip for the kids. (And the trip included Disneyland and Universal Studios theme parks)

[DT1304]

Oh yeah, in Juneau we also did gold panning and gold creek salmon bake.

 

The kids enjoyed the gold panning, but we all could have done without the salmon bake. The setting for the salmon bake was great, but if I went back to Alaska, I would leave a salmon bake out altogether and rather go to a nice restaurant if I want a good piece of salmon.

[pdmlynek]

Hi! We are scheduled for July 13 Princess Sapphire NB from Vancouver with post cruise land tour. We are from Atlanta, GA. There are six in our group me, my husband, two boys (ages 10 & 12) and my parents. First cruise for my husband and boys, first trip to Alaska for all except My Dad. Will be in Vancouver 2 nights Pre cruise. Would love suggestions for something to do in the evening around Stanley Park. Already scheduled to go to Victoria and visit Butchart Gardens.

 

I'm choosing excursions that will appeal to two very active and adventurous boys. Here is what we have so far:

 

Ketchikan - salmon charter

Juneau - dog sled adventure by helicopter - really wanted to do the Helicopter glacier trek but minimum age is 12 ( although my 10 year old could surely handle it)

Skagway - haven't nailed this down yet but thinking of booking with Packer Expeditions on the short rail trip and hike. I know most do the train trip but my boys would be bored for that long. Any other suggestions?

 

After disembarking in Whittier, we continue to Anchorage, mcKinley, Denali, and end up in Fairbanks. Thinking of white water rafting in Denali with DRA - anyone done this and recommend?

 

What is the kid's program like on the ship?

 

Looking forward to an awesome time!

 

Actually, a lot of these activities are directed to adults, rather than kids. Active and adventuresome 10 and 12 y.o. boys may be just not interested in them, bored, and not appreciative. It may be easier to cut this down, and have them run around the mountains in two or three of these ports. That’s what my kids would be interested in, or I would be interested in if I was a 10 or 12 year old.

 

But, I would let your boys chime in. If they know how to use the internet, I am sure that they could easily find information on what to do in each port. And then have them talk to you about it, so you can discuss it, and decide together. They’ll enjoy the trip much more when they can look forward to something.

[Ashland]

You might want to consider the "Bering Sea Crab Fisherman Tour" in Ketchikan....Just did this and WOW :D

[Putterdude]

While may children now have children of their own....from feedback that friends have provided you will find the children's and tween's program on Princess to be second to none.

[Budget Queen]

You need to involve these kids and have them choose. Show them the shore excursion lists, give them a price range and see what they come up with.

 

I suggest you be well prepared for the cruisetour, and be clear with the boys that they are likely to be the only kids on your tour. Hopefully you are on the TWT, BUT, if you want a better option, and getting the kids in for FREE and you at 1/3 the price, consider going on the shuttle bus to Eielson. Significant advantage, due to being a building with flush toilets and running water. :) Ranger programs and interesting exhibits. Princess DOES refund the tours. It does require some "effort" on your part, which is simple.

 

With the land touring, be sure to have triple the snacks, games, batteries. Head phones are necessary. Bring binoculars, wildlife is rarely close up.

 

I have done rafting several times on the Nenana. Several different options, so look at the descriptions. I've gone with a few vendors and have based my selections based on coupon usage. Haven't had any "bad" tours. :)

[vbmom87]

The Glacier Wilderness Safari in Skagway has consistently received great reviews. In the past it has only been available through the cruise ship. Not sure if that is still the case. Here is some info on this tour:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60877-i1735-k6219890-Glacier_Point_excursion-Skagway_Alaska.html

 

Skagway has several hiking trails:

 

http://www.skagway.com/skagwaytrailmap.pdf

 

Walking Tour in Skagway:

 

http://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/guidedtours.htm