Energy-utilizing excursions for kids in Alaska

[wa.mama]

Hello everyone,

 

I've read all the anti-kid remarks from the AARP crowd, esp. from Celebrity cruisers, and would like to plan some energy-expending activities for my children (ages 6-13). Anyone have ideas for affordable, active excursions in Alaska? I'm not talking about those coach-driven sightseeing geriatric tours, but the hiking, rock-climbing, exploring type of thing. We already have glacier walking under consideration, but don't want to do the kayaking or horsebackriding since we have all that at home. Has anyone done the snorkeling tour in Skagway? (yes, snorkeling in Alaska - saw it on the Celebrity list of expeditions - probably none of the constipation crowd on that one).

 

Also, does the kids club on Celebrity involve real activity or only indoor crafty things? How old does a kid have to be to join the gym classes?

 

We are an active, happy family and are beginning to wonder if the Celebrity Cruise to Alaska is just "Assisted Living in Disguise". Help!

[cjh]

What about a dog sled ride. They have wheels on the sleds in the summer and if there are puppies there the kids will like playing with them after the ride.

[lisaland15]

double post

[lisaland15]

I think a cruise on Celebrity will probably have more of an older crowd versus a ship, say, from Carnival. I read somewhere the average age for Alaskan cruisers are in the 50's.

 

We're doing an Alaskan cruise in June with a 2 yr. old and 10 yr. old. I have found it more challenging to find hand-on activities there than in the Caribbean.

 

Here's a few tours we have planned:

Juneau

Glacier Landing/Helicopter

http://www.coastalhelicopters.com/tours.htm

 

Skagway

Yukon Discovery Tour

http://www.frontierexcursions.com/tour/y_disc/y_disc.html

Yukon Jeep Stampede

http://www.frontierexcursions.com/tour/y_jeep/y_jeep.html

 

It seem like almost all of ship-sponsored tours had age limits for the hands-on type of excursions. Going through independent tour operators seemed like the way to go. Even some of them had age limits for hiking and the like.

[lisaland15]

wa.mama--I forgot to answer your questions about ship activities. I don't know about Celebrity, but for Carnival and RCCL, kids had to be 16 to use the gym and/or equipment.

 

The last RCCL ship we were on had a rock-climbing wall.

 

http://community.webshots.com/photo/510615571/510625384CHWYaM

 

The Carnival ones had basketball hoops. All had an outdoor running/jogging track, ping-pong tables, shuffleboard, and swimming pools.

 

http://community.webshots.com/photo/212146923/212161032xaTDXP

 

http://community.webshots.com/photo/382240390/232429312MzazZB

 

Due to liability and limited space, I have found the kid's clubs don't do a lot physical activities, especially at the younger ages. When my son was younger, at the end of the cruise, he would have a portfolio of crafts he had done.

 

Now, in the older age group, he does do more physical things. On Carnival, in 2004, he was in the 9-11 age group and stayed for the late night babysitting from 10pm-3am. Around 2 am, they took the kids to the huge broadway-like lounge/theatre, and they played "Capture the Flag" for an hour.

[whale-watcher]

We spent the afternoon hiking in Juneau -- (after a morning of whale watching with Captain Larry) took the Mt Roberts tram (only $10-15 per person, I think), and then explored on our own. The kids had a great time, and the views were great -- we were all exhausted by the time we returned to the boat.

By the way, we live on a lake in northern Minnesota and kayak every day in the summer, but kayaking in Ketchikan was a whole different experience -- even our then 5yo loved it -- especially when were surrounded by a pod of curious sea lions!