Alaska for the first time with 2 teens

[fendere]

After spending countless hours reading through cruise critics and trying to find information that was specific to our situation, I've decided to get brave and start a new thread. I would LOVE to get suggestions based on our specific situation.

 

My husband and I, along with our two children, ages at the time 13 and turning 16 during the trip, are planning on an Alaskan cruise late May 2015. Our kids have cruised with us every time so are experienced cruisers and love it as much as us.

 

At first my plan was to book Carnival Legend roundtrip out of Seattle, May 26th. I figured airfare would be cheaper, we've never been to Seattle, we're familiar with Carnival, it travels Glacier Bay, and Carnival would have a better chance of having the most teens aboard (which is a huge plus for us and our kids that love to make new friends and hang out with their buddies). My thought was to fly into Seattle the day prior, and then stay two nights post-cruise to see Seattle.

 

After researching and realizing that Princess had more options with itineraries, and reading that it might make since to tack on some land days at the end, I called Princess to talk it out. An hour and a half later, I had booked the Coral Princess 7 day Northbound Vancouver to Anchorage with a 3 night add-on land tour (BA3- 10 night Denali Explorer). I went into the call having researched the cruise, but not the cruise tour, but the SA did a great job of convincing me of doing this, also confirming that I would be able to call and cancel the land portion prior to final payment with no penalty. I spent the next few days reading on CC about cruise tours and with three nights it looks like we would be doing more transporting than actually seeing. We will only have one afternoon/evening in Denali and from what all of you say, I don't want to do the Natural History Tour). It has one night each at McKinnley, Denali, and Fairbanks Princess Lodges. The price of the add on 3 nights/4 days was an additional $3400.

 

Also, after checking into flights (I'd priced out Anchorage prior to booking that cruise tour that flies out of Fairbanks), I realize that it's going to be a lot more expensive, not to mention tricky with the whacko times the flights are.

 

Then I started researching what we could do on our own post cruise. We only have 3 nights as we must be back by Sunday June 7. I know we don't want to rent a car. We definitely want to fly out of Anchorage. It looks like there are some great things to do without going as far as Denali. I'm just not sure what would be our best options. Any suggestions? On the cruise portion, I plan to book heli/dog sled in Juneau (maybe whale watch in the afternoon if we stay with Princess), and yukon/white pass rail experience in Skagway. The 26 glacier cruise through Prince Williams sounds great and I know we could do that out of Whittier. What about Aleyska?

 

I'm just wondering if it makes sense to even tack on just 3 days. If not, does it make sense to stay with Carnival?

 

I did call Princess back the next day to reconfirm I could drop the cruise tour portion, since my confirmation listed the cruise as a package, not showing the separate cruise and land tour fees. SA assured me I could again. Also, I found out with 75% of the ship booked, there are only 12 teenagers including ours.

 

The price of the two cruises are very similar with the rates I was given.

 

After talking it over with me, myself, and I a thousand times, I think I'm going crazy (husband is not interested at all in the planning phase ). You all seem to have such wonderful suggestions and I'd love to see what you all would do if you were in our situation. Carnival and Seattle? Princess and 3 day tour? Princess and 3 days on own, but not Denali, and if so where?

[Kamloops50]

After spending countless hours reading through cruise critics and trying to find information that was specific to our situation, I've decided to get brave and start a new thread. I would LOVE to get suggestions based on our specific situation.

 

My husband and I, along with our two children, ages at the time 13 and turning 16 during the trip, are planning on an Alaskan cruise late May 2015. Our kids have cruised with us every time so are experienced cruisers and love it as much as us.

 

At first my plan was to book Carnival Legend roundtrip out of Seattle, May 26th. I figured airfare would be cheaper, we've never been to Seattle, we're familiar with Carnival, it travels Glacier Bay, and Carnival would have a better chance of having the most teens aboard (which is a huge plus for us and our kids that love to make new friends and hang out with their buddies). My thought was to fly into Seattle the day prior, and then stay two nights post-cruise to see Seattle.

 

After researching and realizing that Princess had more options with itineraries, and reading that it might make since to tack on some land days at the end, I called Princess to talk it out. An hour and a half later, I had booked the Coral Princess 7 day Northbound Vancouver to Anchorage with a 3 night add-on land tour (BA3- 10 night Denali Explorer). I went into the call having researched the cruise, but not the cruise tour, but the SA did a great job of convincing me of doing this, also confirming that I would be able to call and cancel the land portion prior to final payment with no penalty. I spent the next few days reading on CC about cruise tours and with three nights it looks like we would be doing more transporting than actually seeing. We will only have one afternoon/evening in Denali and from what all of you say, I don't want to do the Natural History Tour). It has one night each at McKinnley, Denali, and Fairbanks Princess Lodges. The price of the add on 3 nights/4 days was an additional $3400.

 

Also, after checking into flights (I'd priced out Anchorage prior to booking that cruise tour that flies out of Fairbanks), I realize that it's going to be a lot more expensive, not to mention tricky with the whacko times the flights are.

 

Then I started researching what we could do on our own post cruise. We only have 3 nights as we must be back by Sunday June 7. I know we don't want to rent a car. We definitely want to fly out of Anchorage. It looks like there are some great things to do without going as far as Denali. I'm just not sure what would be our best options. Any suggestions? On the cruise portion, I plan to book heli/dog sled in Juneau (maybe whale watch in the afternoon if we stay with Princess), and yukon/white pass rail experience in Skagway. The 26 glacier cruise through Prince Williams sounds great and I know we could do that out of Whittier. What about Aleyska?

 

I'm just wondering if it makes sense to even tack on just 3 days. If not, does it make sense to stay with Carnival?

 

I did call Princess back the next day to reconfirm I could drop the cruise tour portion, since my confirmation listed the cruise as a package, not showing the separate cruise and land tour fees. SA assured me I could again. Also, I found out with 75% of the ship booked, there are only 12 teenagers including ours.

 

The price of the two cruises are very similar with the rates I was given.

 

After talking it over with me, myself, and I a thousand times, I think I'm going crazy (husband is not interested at all in the planning phase ). You all seem to have such wonderful suggestions and I'd love to see what you all would do if you were in our situation. Carnival and Seattle? Princess and 3 day tour? Princess and 3 days on own, but not Denali, and if so where?

 

Don't start seconding guessing your choices because of what you have read. Do what you feel is the best for you and the family.

As a rule May & June will have fewer kids because school is still in.

Alaska also tends to draw a slightly older group than most other cruise areas.

[AKStafford]

I'm a big fan of doing the land portion of Alaska DIY, although I get why the pre-packaged tour works for some.

Not renting a car makes it a little more challenging, but doable.

With just 3 days, getting to Denali is a stretch; so focusing on Seward, Whittier and Anchorage might be the best use of your time.

Are you sure you don't want to rent a car? Even for one day?

[sherryf]

I can't help with the cruise tour, since I've never done one, but I have cruised to Alaska with teens on Princess twice. Don't assume that Carnival will have more teens on board. I have also cruised to Alaska on Carnival when the kids were much younger, and the demographics are pretty much the same. Don't consider that as even a minor factor in making your decision. My teens have had a great time on Princess. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about teens and Alaska and/or Princess.

[Travel_Maven]

We are in the Northbound Coral leaving June 24 with 3 teenagers...ages 13-16. Would love to hear from previous Alaska cruisers with teens! Husband and I have done Alaska but now going with kids and extended family.

 

 

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[Cheryl H]

We did a northbound cruise in 2011 and sort of put together an extra day of sight seeing with a private guide. It was fantastic!

 

We got off the ship in Seward. First we went to Exit Glacier, but in my opinion, seeing the glacier was a bit of a let down after seeing Mendenhall Glacier and Hubbard Glacier already that week. The next stop was the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. We had a great time there seeing all the animals. Loved seeing the bears. They tossed food over the fence to them. The next stop was Alyeska Resort. We rode the Gondola up the mountain and stood in the snow for a photo, and visited the gift shop. There were some neat trails up there that would have been fun to explore. There was also a restaurant up there I would have liked to have tried. We ended up back in Girdwood for lunch at a soup/sandwich place. Our tour continued on to Anchorage. The drive was so scenic, we couldn't resist snapping pictures through the car window. However, our tour of downtown Anchorage was just okay.

 

If I ever get to return on a one way cruise, I want to spend an extra day at Seward and do the Kanai Fjord tour.

 

If it were me, I would still pick the cruise that allows you the 3 days at the end to explore. Write down all the things you want to see and try to see them while you are up there. It is just amazing up there.

[Cheryl H]

Oops, I might add, we also tacked time on prior to our cruise. We hadn't seen Seattle either and flights were cheaper for us to Seattle. So we booked a couple days ahead of our cruise. We visited the Aquarium in Seattle and stayed a night and then took the Clipper to Victoria for a day and a night. (We love Victoria). Then we transferred to Vancouver the following day to get on our northbound cruise. It wasn't the cheapest way to get to Vancouver via all that, but we had tons of fun. After our cruise, we flew home from Anchorage

Edited December 5, 2014 by Cheryl H

[Budget Queen]

Overall, the short cruisetours are nothing I recommend. I also never recommend cruisetours for families, too restrictive and the most costly. Sorry, but with your stated extra cost- a poor choice. You made the wrong assumption on the demographics- kids numbers are a lot less in Alaska, even with Carnival. So, I suggest that not be given any booking priority.

 

Overall, you jumped into a booking you didn't know the details about. This is up to YOU what direction you wish to go? You are very limited on time which isn't the best option for an Alaska visit. I would suggest you start over and look at all the cruiselines. There are only 6 inside passage Alaska ports. Have a family meeting with activities you want to do. Look at ports and time in ports. Denali "could" be done in your timeframe- IF you change you mind with a car rental? As general- this opens up a LOT of touring options and significantly- makes the best use of time.

 

Otherwise, have you looked at Seward? http://www.seward.com 3 cruiselines disembark there, that could place you right in the middle of activity paradise. Taking the train to Anchorage after 1/2 overnights, then gives you the option for Anchorage touring, http://www.anchorage.net or a day trip for a PWS boat tour, depending on interests and having a late overnight flight home?

 

Look at your preferred ports, time in ports, glacier of choice.

 

Alternatively there is plenty to see and do in Seattle, especially since you have never been there? Boeing Factory tour, Underground Tour, Mt St. Helens etc etc etc enough to keep you busy there too.

 

You are going to get posts telling you to choose one over the other- I'm sure. I've been to both areas multiple times (Seattle 3 times this year, 7 Alaska cruises) so what my choices are have nothing to do with you. My preference is to give you some direction- for expansive research and the ability to make accurate comparisons, not choose the trip for you.

 

Again- sit down with the entire family. Everyone- look over the activity lists and rank them. This may point you in your direction? The kids won't have any problem researching. :) Be sure to look carefully and include everything area visitor web sites could be very helpful.

[fendere]

Wow, thanks for everything that's been posted thus far!

 

I'm definitely canceling the Princess land tour, at least I know that much, and I think I already knew that, but you all helped confirm.

 

The whole idea of Seward is appealing to me, and I had looked into booking Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas, 7 night Northbound Vancouver to Seward, however two things kept me from it- one, there are no more starboard side balcony rooms available and I thought this would make a big difference if we were on the port side, and two, it did not sail Glacier Bay, only, Hubbard Glacier, and a cruising day of the inside passage. From what I've read, it looks like in May the ship might not be able to get close enough in to Hubbard, so that had helped me narrow my choices to the Carnival and Princess Itineraries. However the Radiance does have an extra port, Icy Strait Point so it would give us an additional day to get onto land.

 

Even if the Princess ship docks in Whittier, do you think it would be worth it to go over to Seward? Budget Queen and Cheryl, I like the idea of doing Seward, it sounds like there is so much to do. Cheryl, I can't believe you did all that in one day! Do you remember who you used for the private guide?

 

As far as renting a car, I am all for it, but my husband doesn't like this idea at all. We rented a car in Germany for ten days a few years back and even though we were driving through the countryside, he didn't find it relaxing at all, not to mention he is worried about me being a backseat driver :rolleyes:. I haven't seen any shuttle buses from Whittier to Seward yet, but I'm going to keep looking. It does seem to make sense just cruising into Seward, but I don't want to compromise Glacier Bay for Hubbard if it is a risk of even getting good viewings at that time. If renting a car is the best/only way, then I'll twist his arm.

 

Sherry, I would LOVE to hear what the highlights were for your teens regarding Alaskan activities! My daughter is 13, my son will be turning 16. They both are pretty big thrill seekers, and so am I.

 

I can't thank you all enough for the time spent in responding.

Edited December 5, 2014 by fendere

[Budget Queen]

Wow, thanks for everything that's been posted thus far!

 

I'm definitely canceling the Princess land tour, at least I know that much, and I think I already knew that, but you all helped confirm.

 

The whole idea of Seward is appealing to me, and I had looked into booking Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas, 7 night Northbound Vancouver to Seward, however two things kept me from it- one, there are no more starboard side balcony rooms available and I thought this would make a big difference if we were on the port side, and two, it did not sail Glacier Bay, only, Hubbard Glacier, and a cruising day of the inside passage. From what I've read, it looks like in May the ship might not be able to get close enough in to Hubbard, so that had helped me narrow my choices to the Carnival and Princess Itineraries. However the Radiance does have an extra port, Icy Strait Point so it would give us an additional day to get onto land.

 

Even if the Princess ship docks in Whittier, do you think it would be worth it to go over to Seward? Budget Queen and Cheryl, I like the idea of doing Seward, it sounds like there is so much to do. Cheryl, I can't believe you did all that in one day! Do you remember who you used for the private guide?

 

As far as renting a car, I am all for it, but my husband doesn't like this idea at all. We rented a car in Germany for ten days a few years back and even though we were driving through the countryside, he didn't find it relaxing at all, not to mention he is worried about me being a backseat driver :rolleyes:. I haven't seen any shuttle buses from Whittier to Seward yet, but I'm going to keep looking. It does seem to make sense just cruising into Seward, but I don't want to compromise Glacier Bay for Hubbard if it is a risk of even getting good viewings at that time. If renting a car is the best/only way, then I'll twist his arm.

 

Sherry, I would LOVE to hear what the highlights were for your teens regarding Alaskan activities! My daughter is 13, my son will be turning 16. They both are pretty big thrill seekers, and so am I.

 

I can't thank you all enough for the time spent in responding.

 

The cruise selection is all about compromises. :) And tough choices indeed. :) Again, I would suggest you find out about the extra port- Hoonah, as every Alaska port is completely different from the other. RCI, is noted to make more effort getting up to Hubbard in my experience, but certainly, no guarantees. Have you looked at NCL and HAL? Both of those sail Glacier bay and Seward. Not sure why you're looking for a starboard side? Actually all your commentary and glaciers line up on the port side in Glacier bay, if that also happened to be your selection on Princess. But- BOTH sides have scenery on the Inside Passage. None of the ship sail coastal in the open areas any longer either, if thinking this is the route north. Will likely get at least a day of open ocean, with barely a glimpse of land, miles away. I think you may still be making some wrong assumptions.

 

I recommend PJ's taxi for the Whittier/Seward transfer, which I have used. Yep it's costly, but I am a firm advocate of making the best use of your short time. You could easily do a PWS boat tour, which I highly recommend and have Rene pick you up after the tour, getting out the 6pm tunnel. With 4 people would be my suggestion. You then can take the train back to Anchorage a couple days later,- superior scenery compared to the Seward Highway and a different look at nonstop scenery. Alternatively there are scheduled buses Seward/Anchorage.

[Cheryl H]

We were on the Radiance on a northbound and loved it! For our transfer tour, we used Salmonberry Tours. We actually combined 2 tours.

 

We did the transfer tour from Seward to Anchorage, and then tacked on an Anchorage chocolate tour. Here's what I can remember from the tours.

 

Salmonberry's driver picked us up in Seward at around 8:00 am. She had a sign with our name on it. She loaded us into a big SUV. We were the only family on the tour. First we went to Exit Glacier and she escorted us back on the walk to the glacier. We went to the Wildlife Conservation place and spent some time. We were never rushed. Then we did the Alyeska and rode the tram up. Enjoyed the views, took photos, and went in the gift shop. Then we had lunch at the soup/sandwich place (lunch was included and the tram tickets were included).

 

Then we continued on to Anchorage and the tour was supposed to end at the airport, but instead we added on a chocolate tour. We visited the Earthquake Park, and then saw all the seaplanes around the lake, and then we visited the Chocolate Dwellers Lounge and tasted some liquid chocolate, and then lastly we visited Wildberry Products. We browsed there and had dinner at a restaurant across the street. Wildberry stored our luggage for us and when we were ready, they called us a cab. Then we caught a night flight home.

 

That was in 2011. I don't even know if they still have the chocolate tour or not. We were just trying to combine 2 tours because we had hours and hours before we had to be at the airport. I think the owner's name was Candy. She was great to work with. It was nice having our luggage with us in their vehicle and being driven around for the day. We just kept snapping pictures thru the car windows. That scenery between Seward and Anchorage was stunning.

 

By the way, you mentioned the Radiance. Our cabin was on the aft. Loved the views back there. I don't recall there being a preference to see one side or the other. We loved Icy Strait. We walked the beach trail, and the nature trail in the woods, and watched the zipliners come down. And we did a whale watch with Floyd from F.I.S.H.E.S. which turned out to be our favorite tour of the entire week.

 

I might add this in......the only thing I would have done differently is I would have flown to Anchorage first to get that long flight out of the way first and then explore the areas I wanted to see, and get down to Seward for the Kanai Fjord tour, and eventually get on the cruise and go southbound. We were exhausted on our flight home.

 

Have fun planning your trip! That's half the fun!

Edited December 6, 2014 by Cheryl H

[Travel_Maven]

Having done Alaska 5 years ago with my husband and now planning to go with extended family again, I have to agree with Budget Queen as to choosing what is important to you and maximizing your opportunity to see wildlife. I did months of research before the first trip and ended up spending more $ than we had planned...but Wow was it worth it!! Including Seward, PWS and the train between Anchorage and Seward, and renting a car was well worth the effort and $ because seeing the scenery and wildlife was our priority. We also learned that you can't do it all in one trip so setting a priority list was crucial. Now that we are going back with kids, our priorities are different and our activities will probably be different. Realizing what is most important to you and your travelers will help make your planning a lot easier!

 

 

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[mapleleaves]

It doesn't sound like Denali is a priority. If it is and you only have 3 days, a rental car is the only option. Any reason you can't drive if your husband doesn't want to? It only takes 5-6 hrs to get to Denali from Anchorage. I'm a single woman and I've made the drive several times, with a car or rental RV. Easy to do.

 

Since you asked what I would do in your position, I'd either:

1. do a RT cruise out of Vancouver ( not Seattle). Fly into SeaTac if it's significantly cheaper. Take the train or bus to Vancouver. this allows you to sightsee for a day in each city.

 

2. Do a SB cruise ending in Vancouver. Fly into Anchorage, rent a car and explore for a couple of days depending on your interests.... ice trek at Matanuska Glacier, hike at Independence Mine, drive along the Turnagain Arm to see the Wildlife conservation Center, Portage Glacier & Visitor Center, Alyeska tram, Whittier cruise, or take the train to Seward and spend all your time there. Train, bus or rental car from Vanc to Seattle.

 

This link has suggested stopping points for the drives to Matanuska Glacier, Turnagain Arm, Whittier, Seward:

http://www.alaska.org/things-to-do/scenic-drives

[mdeane]

It seems you already have tons of advice but I will add a bit more. We cruised on RCCL with our 2 teen grandchildren and they LOVED it. But we were in July and many more kids onboard whom they met and have maintained communication long after the cruise. We love the southward cruise from Seward to Vancouver as to not waste more time going all way to Seattle where the sea seems rougher.

 

We loved Seward and stayed a couple of nights there. Lots to do. We flew to Anchorage and took train to Seward. We took a helicopter to the glacier and did dog sledding in the snow and sleet. It was so fantastic. We used Godwin Tours. The first day weather did not permit the flight but the next day we were first off.

 

We took them on a float plane to see bears catching salmon in the streams of the forest and the bald eagles. It was fabulous also.

 

They did the zip line in ISP and we did whale watching in Juneau. They will never forget the cruise and great time they had.

 

I am going back on the same ship this year but doing Talkeetna and the flight to Denali for 3 days before the cruise out of seward. Going again in July which in my opinion is the best time. The side of the ship you are on really does not matter. At Hubbard Glacier the captain rotates the ship 360 so all get a great view. Hope this is helpful.

[GORDONCHICK]

We are doing the northbound Norwegian Sun sailing out of Vancouver on 5/25/15 with our then 14yo DS. It will be his 12th cruise, 3rd to Alaska. This itinerary does Glacier Bay AND Hubbard back to back. We've been to both before. I prefer Hubbard - much more spectacular, but I'm fully aware that we won't get close that early in the season. A Norwegian plus is that absolutely no one expects you to dress up unless you want to.

 

I don't think cruiseline choice is as impactful on the number of teens aboard as the time of year. We are deliberately sailing early in the season to take advantage of lower pricing, to be able to tack on a week inland on our own - because we have to be back home in time for DS to go to Boy Scout summer camp.

 

 

As far as inland goes for us, Denali is a priority according to DH, so we will spend 3 nights there. We are working everything else around our time at Denali - but there's tons of other things to do inland in Alaska.

 

 

Sidenote for Budget Queen - have you done the 26 glacier tour out of Whittier, and if so, what did you think about it?

[Budget Queen]

 

Sidenote for Budget Queen - have you done the 26 glacier tour out of Whittier, and if so, what did you think about it?

 

Yes, I have gone with Phillips, but not in the last 2 years. They are the ship contractor, and do run a large ship. The tour is on the move and very scenic. They do a great job in Prince William sound.

 

Circumstances had me going to Major Marine due to nice discounts. :)

 

I suggest you look at the route maps for comparison.

[GORDONCHICK]

Yes, I have gone with Phillips, but not in the last 2 years. They are the ship contractor, and do run a large ship. The tour is on the move and very scenic. They do a great job in Prince William sound.

 

Circumstances had me going to Major Marine due to nice discounts. :)

 

I suggest you look at the route maps for comparison.

 

Thanks! Major looks really good.

[plumie]

There's been a lot of phenomenal advice given already - but I think renting a car in Anchorage and driving around to explore is awesome. That's what we did - but we sailed out of Whittier, flew in a few days early and drove all the way up to Fairbanks. I wished we had a few days to do Denali, but alas, our priority was to see the Northern Lights and not the park (though we did get to see Denali itself - awesome!) so that's for a future trip. But there's so much to see and do around Anchorage that's within driving distance. From what I recall (we went in September of this year) it was around 4 hours from Anchorage to Denali, and we LOVED the drive - the scenery was amazingly beautiful and even though we drove ALL the way up to Fairbanks and all the way down, the drive itself was enjoyable because of the beauty surrounding us.

 

I hope you have fun planning and have a great trip! And you can TOTALLY DIY for under $3,000. That cruise tour is severely overpriced!

[marysb]

I cruised with my teenaged son.

 

My best advice is lots of activities ... whale watching, hiking, zipline, shopping ;), rent a bike in Anchorage and bike along the trail towards the aiport - you might see a moose. Wildlife conservation Center would be a hit.

 

Scenery gets old fast ... yes they can enjoy it, but if the train ride is 2 or 3 hours, they are done in one hour tops. They like a much faster pace:D

[fendere]

I appreciate all the advice given thus far. It is truly helpful as I start to get back to planning again (We just returned home from a trip to New Orleans). The trip we just took helped reconfirm what I already knew...the kids are happiest and most entertained when they are kept active. We did a Segway tour on our last day and my 15 year old said, "This is the highlight of my trip". Very important I know to strike a balance between the "dreaded sight-seeing" and thrill/action. I know the dog sled/ helicopter IF we can do it, will be the highlight for them. I'm not so sure about the boat tour in Seward now. Riding bikes has now been added to my list, but just not sure where. Also, thinking if we are really cold this might not be the best option. We've ziplined several times before, but DH is not big on heights and dangling from a cable line. :) Though, I think I will start researching where we might be able to do this the post- land few days. Maybe only stay one night in Seward and two in Anchorage? I definitely want to see if we can view the Northern lights, and please don't flame me, but I haven't yet had time to properly research where we must go for this to happen.

 

I know the salmon won't be running yet, and boy, would it be great if we could see some bears!

 

Please, please keep any feedback, recommendations coming. I am very grateful for them all!!

Edited December 31, 2014 by fendere

[Budget Queen]

I appreciate all the advice given thus far. It is truly helpful as I start to get back to planning again (We just returned home from a trip to New Orleans). The trip we just took helped reconfirm what I already knew...the kids are happiest and most entertained when they are kept active. We did a Segway tour on our last day and my 15 year old said, "This is the highlight of my trip". Very important I know to strike a balance between the "dreaded sight-seeing" and thrill/action. I know the dog sled/ helicopter IF we can do it, will be the highlight for them. I'm not so sure about the boat tour in Seward now. Riding bikes has now been added to my list, but just not sure where. Also, thinking if we are really cold this might not be the best option. We've ziplined several times before, but DH is not big on heights and dangling from a cable line. :) Though, I think I will start researching where we might be able to do this the post- land few days. Maybe only stay one night in Seward and two in Anchorage? I definitely want to see if we can view the Northern lights, and please don't flame me, but I haven't yet had time to properly research where we must go for this to happen.

 

I know the salmon won't be running yet, and boy, would it be great if we could see some bears!

 

Please, please keep any feedback, recommendations coming. I am very grateful for them all!!

 

You have a 99% chance of not seeing aurora. There is way too much daylight. I would suggest with the varied interests, you split up.

 

The Coastal trail in Anchorage, and Dyea Road out of Skagway are great bike rides. You can wait on the weather and do walk up rentals. In Skagway- I still would suggest you decide this early and get your rental

 

Your best and bargain place for bears is Denali Park. You have a "chance" with a rental car driving the Klondike Highway to Emerald Lake. My success was 50% with 6 trips this summer. You are too early for any fly in tours.

[plumie]

Unless it's a HUGE display, you're not (probably) going to see the Northern Lights in Anchorage. If it's a priority and it has to be during cruise season, I think the best time to go is in September - the later the better. If you go in May, there's not enough darkness to be able to see the lights - and you have to head up north (thus Fairbanks or further) to be able to see them while out anyway. We went in September of this year and got lucky and caught the lights two out of our four nights in Fairbanks (or more specifically Cleary Summit), so if you want to see them and cruise, that's the time to go. Otherwise, you'll have to go in the winter when it's freezing, though I hear March is an awesome time to go since they have their ice sculpting championships and there are a lot of winter sports available. Either way, Alaska is a lot of fun to explore and it never gets old :)

[tdk]

We were on the Radiance on a northbound and loved it! For our transfer tour, we used Salmonberry Tours. We actually combined 2 tours.

 

We did the transfer tour from Seward to Anchorage, and then tacked on an Anchorage chocolate tour. Here's what I can remember from the tours.

 

Salmonberry's driver picked us up in Seward at around 8:00 am. She had a sign with our name on it. She loaded us into a big SUV. We were the only family on the tour. First we went to Exit Glacier and she escorted us back on the walk to the glacier. We went to the Wildlife Conservation place and spent some time. We were never rushed. Then we did the Alyeska and rode the tram up. Enjoyed the views, took photos, and went in the gift shop. Then we had lunch at the soup/sandwich place (lunch was included and the tram tickets were included).

 

Then we continued on to Anchorage and the tour was supposed to end at the airport, but instead we added on a chocolate tour. We visited the Earthquake Park, and then saw all the seaplanes around the lake, and then we visited the Chocolate Dwellers Lounge and tasted some liquid chocolate, and then lastly we visited Wildberry Products. We browsed there and had dinner at a restaurant across the street. Wildberry stored our luggage for us and when we were ready, they called us a cab. Then we caught a night flight home.

 

That was in 2011. I don't even know if they still have the chocolate tour or not. We were just trying to combine 2 tours because we had hours and hours before we had to be at the airport. I think the owner's name was Candy. She was great to work with. It was nice having our luggage with us in their vehicle and being driven around for the day. We just kept snapping pictures thru the car windows. That scenery between Seward and Anchorage was stunning.

 

By the way, you mentioned the Radiance. Our cabin was on the aft. Loved the views back there. I don't recall there being a preference to see one side or the other. We loved Icy Strait. We walked the beach trail, and the nature trail in the woods, and watched the zipliners come down. And we did a whale watch with Floyd from F.I.S.H.E.S. which turned out to be our favorite tour of the entire week.

 

I might add this in......the only thing I would have done differently is I would have flown to Anchorage first to get that long flight out of the way first and then explore the areas I wanted to see, and get down to Seward for the Kanai Fjord tour, and eventually get on the cruise and go southbound. We were exhausted on our flight home.

 

Have fun planning your trip! That's half the fun!

 

Awesome to hear you loved the radiance north bound ....we have booked this trip in May :). We got a balcony starboard side deck 9. We have never been this ship yet but love royal.

[Courtmatt]

Our family, my husband and myself, our daughter (22) and son (18) did a southbound cruise on Celebrity 2 years ago from Seward to Vancouver. Spent 2 nights in Seward and loved it there. We hiked up and onto Exit Glacier and all of us say it was the highlight of the trip! We hiked with Exit Glacier Guides and they were fantastic. We also did a Kenai National Park cruise and saw a ton of wildlife, especially whales. Awesome tour.

 

I would highly recommend both of these. Then you could take the train to Anchorage before your flight.

 

You may want to look to see when Denali Park opens up to Eilson visitor center. It may not be until early June.