Alaskan whale watching excursion with 2.5yo?

[wizdumb]

I would love to do a whale watching excursion on our Alaskan cruise, but I'm not sure if it would be a good idea for my 2.5yo. If any parents have taken their young toddler on this excursion, I would love to hear their experiences and/or tips.

 

Thanks!

[cb at sea]

I would be concerned about taking a child that young, too....it's a much smaller boat, so you WILL feel the "motion of the ocean"...and it can be a long trip...not sure a toddler even cares about whales!

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I've done two whale watching tours and there isn't anything for a 2.5 year old to do. The boat ride is rough. The 2.5 year old will be bored. They will take you near a pod of whales and you will see them breach. It's enjoyable for the adults but your child- not so much.

[sherryf]

I will comment because I have actually done this.

 

On my first cruise, my kids were 2, 5 and 8. My 8 year old was totally obsessed with whales, so we wanted to take him whale watching. We knew the other kids wouldn't be as "into" it, but we didn't want our son to miss out because of his siblings. We booked through the cruise line (Carnival) which was probably best because they use much larger boats than some of the independents.

 

The 5 year old mostly liked being on the boat, but didn't have the patience to watch for the whales. He was happy to walk around the boat, and several of the crew helped to keep him entertained. The 2 year old was too little to put down without risking getting stepped on, so we took turns holding her. I used a sling to keep my hands free. I will admit that I did not get to enjoy the whale watch as much as I would have if I hadn't been dealing with young children, BUT... my son was absolutely enthralled by the whales and seeing the joy on his face made it all worthwhile!

 

If you are only taking a 2.5 year old and no other children, it will certainly be easier for you. I suggest a sling or backpack carrier so you can hold your child easily and still be able to move around, take photos, etc. I also recommend a larger boat, not one of the little private ones. It can be done, if you really want to see whales, but don't expect your little one to "get it".

 

This summer I finally get to take my kids whale watching again. They are now 15, 18 and 21, so it should be a totally different experience this time! :D

[wizdumb]

Sherryf: thank you for sharing your experience. I like the idea of a backpack carrier (especially for ports) and actually bought one for the trip, but my husband found it to be too bulky. So now I'm looking for an ergo. My husband and I could take turns carrying her, but I'm not sure I want to do that for 1.5hrs.

 

We'll probably take another Alaskan trip in the future, so perhaps we'll skip the whale-watching this trip since it looks like she might not enjoy/appreciate it as much.

 

 

Enjoy your cruise with your sons!

[Ashland]

Always double check the min age requirement for excursions..we have found some require the child to be at least 5 yrs old.

[Lerin]

We did this and our son was bored out of his mind.

So bored he fell asleep, which made the excursion quite enjoyable. :D