Cruising with the kids... and grandparents!

[littlestars]

Hi :D

 

We are booked to visit Alaska next July with ports of call at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway...

 

Please tell me where to begin to start with our itinerary (kids will be 6 and 8) and we will be on a budget as it is part of a month long trip to Canada and Alaska!

 

We appreciate any help you can give :)

[Budget Queen]

You need to do your homework and narrow down your interests. Look over a shore excursion list and perhaps list your top 5 in each port. There are hundreds to tours to choose from. There is no point in raving about stuff you wouldn't consider.

 

Involve the kids in the planning and split up the group on tours, with differences certainly among the adults. There is no point in dragging the uninterested along or missing out on a big interest of others.

 

The budget option is walking tours. Head to your library and take out Alaska travel books, Fodor's Alaska and Frommer's Alaska are especially good. And both have walking tours listed.

[Shadowstar]

I think I might be able to help you. We cruised to Alaska several years ago with my parents and children. At that time I think my children were 6 and 10. We were also on a budget. In Juneau we took the shuttle bus to the Glacier and then, we hired a taxi for all of us and the driver took us to a scenic area where we saw TONS of salmon! The kids loved it as well as my parents! In Skagway, this was our favorite port, we rented a car from AVIS that seats six. If you want to do this, do it early, they have very few cars. We drove into the Yukon, there is a mile by mile description of the scenery you pass on the Klondike highway on the internet. We stopped at some lakes and our final destinaton was Emerald Lake, a gorgeous lake! We also stopped along the way to go on a Husky Dog Cart ride at Carribou Crossing. It was just a fifteen minute ride, but lots of fun and only cost us $25 per person vs. what the ship was offering (over $100 per person). In Ketchikan we took the ships tour to the Indian Village because this was the only way we could go in and see them actually working on their crafts. It was a reasonably priced excursion and we all enjoyed it. Also, the time we had in Ketchikan was so limited that this worked out the best.

 

Prior to the cruise, I bought each of my kids a book on Cruising Alaska (children's version) and it was useful when spotting whales etc. I also bought each of them some small binoculars and their own disposable camera which they loved using!

 

I hope this helps! Have fun!

[nothriver]

We are also doing a 3 generation Alaska cruise. We will be dining together each evening on the ship. For excursions, we chose only one excursion for all nine of us to enjoy together and otherwise, everyone will be on their own. For our family excursion, we are doing a whale watching trip with Orca Enterprises in Juneau. Orca has a reduced rate for the kids and also offered an early booking discount.

[WeBCruisin]

Hi Littlestar,

 

We cruise fairly often with our extended family - including grandparents and grandchildren. It is a great way to travel and makes for wonderful memories.

 

We cruised Alaska about 10 years ago and had a WONDERFUL time!! On Alaska we did one excursion together (helicopter flight with a glacier landing) the remainder of the ports each family chose their own excursions and activities. This worked well as each family's budget, interests and abilities varies. We would meet up each evening for dinner and would catch up on everyone's activities for the day.

 

We are cruising July 11 on the Serenade with our two sons - 5 & 9. To give you an idea - here are the excursions we are doing. Icy Strait Point - Whale Watching Excursions with F.I.S.H.E.S; Skagway - Goldpanning and Salmon Bake at Liarsville Gold Rush Camp; Juneau - Helicopter Glacier Landing and Mt. Roberts Tram.

 

Unfortunately we aren't stopping at Ketchikan this trip - however there is a very entertaining lumberjack show at Ketchikan that should appeal to the kids.

 

I like Shadowstar's idea about the Kid's book - cruising to Alaska. I will likely give this as a Christmas gift. I am also giving each child a pair of binoculars for Chrismtas as well. I found some good quality but affordale mini binoculars on amazon.com. I knew that if we only took our one pair of "good binoculars" that the boys would fight over them the entire trip!!

[CC Help Michell]

I think the lumberjack show at Ketchikan is a good idea, but we combined it on our cruise with the "Deadliest Catch" excursion (a/k/a the "Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Excursion") and thought that one was awesome for most ages (above toddlers, anyway). You get to see and touch fish, octopus (octopii?), crabs, etc., and hear lots of authentic stories from those who have been there, done that to bring fish to our dinner tables. :)

 

For more information here's their website -- http://www.56degreesnorth.com, and here's a link to our photo album of our excursion with them -- http://picasaweb.google.com/michellp08/Alaska2008Ketchikan#

 

Have a great family vacation, whatever you decide on excursions. :)

[littlestars]

I love the idea of the husky dog cart ride at Caribou Crossing - that is definately somethign the kids would love and we will look into...

 

I also love the Cruising to Alaska book idea (and the mini binoculars!) - I think we will have to do that - any tips on where to get the book? I am thinking to check out Amazon...

 

I had also looked at the Lumberjack Show and thought like looked kinda fun :D Can't do anything to do with fish though as I am allergic :rolleyes:

 

Thanks for your replies!

[calmac]

I love the idea of the husky dog cart ride at Caribou Crossing - that is definately somethign the kids would love and we will look into...

 

I also love the Cruising to Alaska book idea (and the mini binoculars!) - I think we will have to do that - any tips on where to get the book? I am thinking to check out Amazon...

 

I had also looked at the Lumberjack Show and thought like looked kinda fun :D Can't do anything to do with fish though as I am allergic :rolleyes:

 

Thanks for your replies!

 

We went to Alaska in 2005 and I was able to purchase the book via Amazon.co.uk so I hope they still sell it.

 

The Lumberjack Show was surprisingly good fun!

[nothriver]

One tour we plan to do with our girls, ages 4 & 5, is the underseas tour in Ketchikan.

http://www.alaskaunderseatours.com/

 

In Juneau, we will be going out to Mendenhall Glacier. There are busses that take you up there and it isn't too expensive but I didn't make a note of the details, sorry.

[ike201]

Thanks for the tip on mini binoculars - great stocking stuffer gifts for the kids.

[Budget Queen]

 

In Juneau, we will be going out to Mendenhall Glacier. There are busses that take you up there and it isn't too expensive but I didn't make a note of the details, sorry.

 

At the dock, Mendenhall Shuttle buses, also there will be tour buses. Shuttles in 2008 were $14pp round trip.

[plenox]

We are in the same situation, going with our parents, brother's family and a bunch of kids.

 

For books, go to half.com. They often have 60-75% off previous year's edition. If your kids are pre-school age, they will really appreciate mini binoculars. Older kids will like larger "proper" binoculars better. When we went this summer, our old son will hoard our fullsize binoculars, while younger one likes to play pirate with the 10x25 monocular.

[bmcc]

monocular is a great idea. Our son is always fascinated about it. He likes roll a sheet of paper to pretend viewing through a telescope. I would love to get a one for him.

[time4cruise]

monocular is a great idea. Our son is always fascinated about it. He likes roll a sheet of paper to pretend viewing through a telescope. I would love to get a one for him.

 

We got our free monocular when we order our regular binoculars last year. The quality cannot compare with the fullsize binoculars, but kids absolutely loved it during our trip. We just ordered a pair of summit 10x42 for our parents for their 2010 Alaska cruise as christmas gift. It does come with a free 10x25 monocular. It is a very good deal.

[knorrisb07]

lumberjack show is quite fun for our young children. You can buy tickets before the show starts.