Help/critique for my Alaska family excursion plan, please!!!

[CCH828]

Okay, I've been trying to do some research on what to do in port, but comments on my plan so far would REALLY be appreciated from people who've BTDT. I have the lovely task of trying to make everyone happy on this cruise and it's stressing me out! We cruise May 8-15th!!! (NEXT WEEK....

Our group-- me and DH, DD who is a month shy of 3yrs old, DS who is 11 months old, and two grandparents in their early 60's.

Here's my plan so far:

TRACY ARM--- me, DH and kids stay on the ship. We have an aft balcony...will we have a good view? Grandparents are considering the smaller boat excursion to get up closer to a glacier.

SKAGWAY--- (7am-9pm) Grandparents might do the White Pass Rail. DH and I are *considering* bringing our kids and doing it, too (the 3hr trip), with BOTH kids as lap children. (The website said under 3 are free as lap children.) Is there any hope that the train will be somewhat empty-ish so we will not be crammed in like sardines? DS is a fairly chilled out baby and can sleep on me if I put him in the carrier. DD may be okay with stickers, iPhone games and such if she gets bored. Other plans for Skagway include walking around the Klondike Gold Rush Nat'l Park. I tried contacting Dyea Dave for a bus tour, but they kicked my email over to Beyond Skagway Tours, who told me that since there will be "other adults on the bus" they passed me along to a private tour company. So apparently children are not welcome on Dyea Dave bus tours, which was disappointing. We're not booking a private tour because I don't want to haul car seats (or borrow them, because we're a bit picky about our car seats...) and don't want to have the kids locked down in a seat for the tour (hence the bus idea, which is now nixed.) This is such a long day and I want to make the most of it, just not sure how.

JUNEAU--- ALL take the Glacier Express Blue Bus (or similar) up to Mendenhall Glacier and hike possibly the East Glacier Loop (clockwise, to go down the stairs versus up. 3 1/2 mile hike.) We're also considering an easier trail in case we decide to bring our stroller (BOB Revolution) or the grandparents don't really want to hike. We'd carry DS in a backpack-carrier and DD would walk and/or also be carried or use the stroller. Then bus back to Juneau and hopefully have time for the Mt. Robert's tramway. Will there be enough time? (in port 7am-3pm)

KETCHIKAN--- (7am-1pm) ALL do the walking tour, stay in town, explore Creek Street, the boardwalk, etc. Will this be "enough"? DH does not want to spend the $$$ on the Misty Fjord boat tour.

VICTORIA--- (730pm-midnight) Probably stay on the ship. Possibly grandparents do...something...not sure what yet because it seems like for a family with little ones that Victoria is a bad option due to timing. (We do not plan to use the ship's babysitting services, except for the service provided by the grandparents on the day at sea!



also a few other things---

---is a BOB Revolution on an Alaska cruise (Carnival Spirit) a bad/good idea? Our other option is a Joovy Caboose Ultralight, which can hold both kids but neither of them can really nap in it.

---we're not planning on bringing car seats along. Doable?

---will good places to eat be all around, easily accessible, or do I need to really research this?

---can you pack food and bring it to places like Mendenhall, Klondike Nat'l Park, etc, for picnics?

---anything else I need to know, pack, consider, for the kids?


If you made it this far, congrats! And THANK YOU for any input!!!

[6rugrats]

I suggest you go to the Alaska board, because you're going to find answers to many of your questions there. You are not allowed to bring most food off the ship, and you cannot bring food into the park; Mendenhall Glacier comes to mind. It's a hazard because of the bears.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

[boulders]

I've cruised Alaska twice with kids. It's about my favourite place to cruise, because there's so many outdoors activities that are available. I don't really see them on your itinerary though, except for hiking at Mendenhall, which I don't know if I would do with little kids. As a previous poster mentioned, there are BEARS in Alaska.

I wouldn't do the train ride with kids. It's not that interesting.

What I WOULD do is whale watching, gold panning, flight seeing, kayaking (OK maybe not with an infant), getting on the boat to see the glaciers with your parents, and most of all, sled dogs. There's also the Lumberjack show in Ketchikan.

Alaskan cruises are not about sitting by the pool. They're about getting out there and seeing nature.

Originally Posted by CCH828

Okay, I've been trying to do some research on what to do in port, but comments on my plan so far would REALLY be appreciated from people who've BTDT. I have the lovely task of trying to make everyone happy on this cruise and it's stressing me out! We cruise May 8-15th!!! (NEXT WEEK....

Our group-- me and DH, DD who is a month shy of 3yrs old, DS who is 11 months old, and two grandparents in their early 60's.

Here's my plan so far:

TRACY ARM--- me, DH and kids stay on the ship. We have an aft balcony...will we have a good view? Grandparents are considering the smaller boat excursion to get up closer to a glacier.

SKAGWAY--- (7am-9pm) Grandparents might do the White Pass Rail. DH and I are *considering* bringing our kids and doing it, too (the 3hr trip), with BOTH kids as lap children. (The website said under 3 are free as lap children.) Is there any hope that the train will be somewhat empty-ish so we will not be crammed in like sardines? You will be crammed in like sardines. I would choose something more active. DS is a fairly chilled out baby and can sleep on me if I put him in the carrier. DD may be okay with stickers, iPhone games and such if she gets bored. Other plans for Skagway include walking around the Klondike Gold Rush Nat'l Park. I tried contacting Dyea Dave for a bus tour, but they kicked my email over to Beyond Skagway Tours, who told me that since there will be "other adults on the bus" they passed me along to a private tour company. So apparently children are not welcome on Dyea Dave bus tours, which was disappointing. We're not booking a private tour because I don't want to haul car seats (or borrow them, because we're a bit picky about our car seats...) and don't want to have the kids locked down in a seat for the tour (hence the bus idea, which is now nixed.) This is such a long day and I want to make the most of it, just not sure how.

JUNEAU--- ALL take the Glacier Express Blue Bus (or similar) up to Mendenhall Glacier and hike possibly the East Glacier Loop (clockwise, to go down the stairs versus up. 3 1/2 mile hike.) We're also considering an easier trail in case we decide to bring our stroller (BOB Revolution) or the grandparents don't really want to hike. We'd carry DS in a backpack-carrier and DD would walk and/or also be carried or use the stroller. Then bus back to Juneau and hopefully have time for the Mt. Robert's tramway. Will there be enough time? (in port 7am-3pm)

KETCHIKAN--- (7am-1pm) ALL do the walking tour, stay in town, explore Creek Street, the boardwalk, etc. Will this be "enough"? DH does not want to spend the $$$ on the Misty Fjord boat tour.

VICTORIA--- (730pm-midnight) Probably stay on the ship. Possibly grandparents do...something...not sure what yet because it seems like for a family with little ones that Victoria is a bad option due to timing. (We do not plan to use the ship's babysitting services, except for the service provided by the grandparents on the day at sea!



also a few other things---

---is a BOB Revolution on an Alaska cruise (Carnival Spirit) a bad/good idea? Our other option is a Joovy Caboose Ultralight, which can hold both kids but neither of them can really nap in it.

---we're not planning on bringing car seats along. Doable?

---will good places to eat be all around, easily accessible, or do I need to really research this?

---can you pack food and bring it to places like Mendenhall, Klondike Nat'l Park, etc, for picnics?

---anything else I need to know, pack, consider, for the kids?


If you made it this far, congrats! And THANK YOU for any input!!!

[Erica@cruisecritic]

I'm researching an Alaska cruise with my one-year-old and struggling with similar issues. Couple thoughts: There will be restaurants around, but in most AK ports, you can always go back to the ship for lunch if nothing appeals as they usually dock right by town.

I wouldn't bring the BOB as you'll have to fit it in your cabin. Those things are difficult to squeeze into car trunks as far as I'm aware.

We're not visiting Ketchikan but I've been before. You can see the town in no time and there's not all that much to do. It's a good port for a shore excursion if there's something that would suit your family.

[ElsieToo]

We didn't have DS when we sailed Alaska, but I remember a lot of the families doing the Great Lumberjack Show in Ketchikan. That would probably be fun for the whole family. IIRC, tickets were around $35 for adults and a bit under $20 for the kids. Otherwise, Ketchikan is a lovely town to stroll through, but you could see it all within a couple of hours.

Re: Bears in Mendenhall Glacier - you're travelling in fairly early May. This will probably not be an issue. If you were sailing mid-July to September? More of a problem. The bears go after the spawning salmon, and the salmon don't generally spawn until later in the summer than when you're traveling. Not that it's a guarantee that bears won't be an issue, but it's definitely less likely. I say go to Mendenhall and enjoy!

[TheCalicoCat]

Originally Posted by CCH828

Our group-- me and DH, DD who is a month shy of 3yrs old, DS who is 11 months old, and two grandparents in their early 60's.

Our group - Mom, Dad, son 3.5

Here's my plan so far:

TRACY ARM--- me, DH and kids stay on the ship. We have an aft balcony...will we have a good view? Grandparents are considering the smaller boat excursion to get up closer to a glacier. I'm doing the small boat - not sure what son & dad will do on the ship. They do get into Juneau before me, so they will either shop or just stay on the ship - relaxing. I figure that I will have the other vantage point when we sail in Glacier Bay.

SKAGWAY--- I tried contacting Dyea Dave for a bus tour, but they kicked my email over to Beyond Skagway Tours, who told me that since there will be "other adults on the bus" they passed me along to a private tour company. So apparently children are not welcome on Dyea Dave bus tours, which was disappointing. We're not booking a private tour because I don't want to haul car seats (or borrow them, because we're a bit picky about our car seats...) and don't want to have the kids locked down in a seat for the tour (hence the bus idea, which is now nixed.) This is such a long day and I want to make the most of it, just not sure how.
We are going with Becky & borrowing her car seat. (My thoughts that "if" we "need" the car seat then we all have bigger theings to worry about than her car seat our our car seat - what if I bought a Lemon & don't know it - what if, what if, what if - KWIM. Kinda like her safety belts vs. our safety belts.) Not trying to change your mind...

JUNEAU--- ALL take the Glacier Express Blue Bus (or similar) up to Mendenhall Glacier and hike possibly the East Glacier Loop (clockwise, to go down the stairs versus up. 3 1/2 mile hike.) We're also considering an easier trail in case we decide to bring our stroller (BOB Revolution) or the grandparents don't really want to hike. We'd carry DS in a backpack-carrier and DD would walk and/or also be carried or use the stroller. Then bus back to Juneau and hopefully have time for the Mt. Robert's tramway. Will there be enough time? (in port 7am-3pm) We have similar plans though we are not travelling with stroller (son quit using it quite a while ago) & never had a back pack - so only plan on Nugget Falls & glacier view trails. Mt. Roberts will depend on weather & timing. I'd prefer to do it before Mendenhall.

KETCHIKAN--- (7am-1pm) ALL do the walking tour, stay in town, explore Creek Street, the boardwalk, etc. Will this be "enough"? DH does not want to spend the $$$ on the Misty Fjord boat tour. In addition to walking/shopping we will take the city bus to see Totem Poles &/or tide pools.

VICTORIA--- (730pm-midnight) Probably stay on the ship. Possibly grandparents do...something...not sure what yet because it seems like for a family with little ones that Victoria is a bad option due to timing. (We do not plan to use the ship's babysitting services, except for the service provided by the grandparents on the day at sea!

We chose a Vancouver itinerary, so we don't go to Victoria.


also a few other things---

---is a BOB Revolution on an Alaska cruise (Carnival Spirit) a bad/good idea? Our other option is a Joovy Caboose Ultralight, which can hold both kids but neither of them can really nap in it. On our last cruise - to Bermuda, we used a folding stroller & that was fine. My son fell asleep in it. We only used it in port, my son liked to walk on the ship.

---we're not planning on bringing car seats along. Doable? (Since we are fine with Becky's car seat, we are not bringing ours - all of our other travel is on mass transit - bus, plane, light rail/subway, & train.)

---will good places to eat be all around, easily accessible, or do I need to really research this? (Probably - they have had tourists arrive for quite some time... & the locals might like to eat out too. We are playing this by ear - while taking Cheerios off the ship just in case we need a snack or don't find something to our taste.)

---can you pack food and bring it to places like Mendenhall, Klondike Nat'l Park, etc, for picnics? Only factory sealed food stuff can be taken off the ship - there are probably grocery stores where you can buy deli sandwhiches, etc. I am packing some nut/dried fruit packs, juice boxes, dried apple chips - snacks on the plane & in port. Becasue of the bears, in Mendenhall, you are limited to where you can eat. Not sure the other locations.

---anything else I need to know, pack, consider, for the kids? hats, gloves


If you made it this far, congrats! And THANK YOU for any input!!!

Hope that helps.

[Bostonsgirl]

In Kethucan we walked to the salmon hatchery saw eagles up close and watched salmon swim up to the hatchery as we walked next to the rivers your kids would love it and it's not that expensive I think about 8.00 to get in. Have someone on ship pack you a lunch there are picnic tables along the walk

[Onessa]

The Whitehall train trip is stunningly boring (our then 8YO DD dozed off and I may have a bit as well). While there are some nice vistas, most of it is trees and rocks. DD was a bit older but really enjoyed some of the activities at the National Park headquarters.

Ketchikan has a lot of interesting things within walking distance - a nice totum museum (not the fancy one out of town).

It appears you are trying to keep costs down, so avoid the fancy excursions. The little ones will be just as thrilled petting a husky that is out for "show" by one of the shops as they would be taking a big bucks excursion. Spend quality time with G-ma, and G-pa and mom and dad!

[CCH828]

Originally Posted by Onessa

...
It appears you are trying to keep costs down, so avoid the fancy excursions. The little ones will be just as thrilled petting a husky that is out for "show" by one of the shops as they would be taking a big bucks excursion. Spend quality time with G-ma, and G-pa and mom and dad!

Exactly this. True, we are trying to save money if we can. And really, our daughter is not quite 3 years old, and as much as something like a lumberjack show, or sledding excursion sounds exciting, I think for her, at this age, that it's too much to hold her attention the whole time. So even just walking around, or doing some of the free/low cost options are better for us, in case one of the kids needs to leave, we haven't wasted a ton of money on an excursion. Honestly, she'll be happy just walking around with us and looking at things!

We (the adults) want to see the amazing scenery, possibly try the local/non-chain restaurants, (and I know my mother will want to shop for authentic Alaska crafts/goods, etc.)...so our 3yo isn't the focus of the trip, but we do want her to have a good time along with us.

But...I feel a lot of pressure to make sure my mom and her husband have a good time. They have been saving for this trip for a long time, and I want to make sure nothing I plan is a huge bust!

[epixx]

Originally Posted by CCH828

Exactly this. True, we are trying to save money if we can. And really, our daughter is not quite 3 years old, and as much as something like a lumberjack show, or sledding excursion sounds exciting, I think for her, at this age, that it's too much to hold her attention the whole time. So even just walking around, or doing some of the free/low cost options are better for us, in case one of the kids needs to leave, we haven't wasted a ton of money on an excursion. Honestly, she'll be happy just walking around with us and looking at things!

We (the adults) want to see the amazing scenery, possibly try the local/non-chain restaurants, (and I know my mother will want to shop for authentic Alaska crafts/goods, etc.)...so our 3yo isn't the focus of the trip, but we do want her to have a good time along with us.

But...I feel a lot of pressure to make sure my mom and her husband have a good time. They have been saving for this trip for a long time, and I want to make sure nothing I plan is a huge bust!

To take some pressure off, I really suggest that you consider splitting up, at least for part of the time. Having cruised many times with our kids, beginning when they were 7 months old (and they're now teenagers), I agree that you absolutely have the right idea about not spending lots of money on excursions to please the kids at these ages. On the other hand, why hold back mom and hubby? It's their vacation, too. Send them off on some really nice, more expensive excursions, and then you can meet up at the end of the day and share your stories. That way you'll know which excursions to go on next time when the kids are older. Have a great trip.