Family trip: 8 ports with teen and preteen

We sailed HAL Amsterdam Aug. 9-23 with our teen and preteen. Here's a review of our port days:

1. Ketchikan. The weather was great. We went sea kayaking to Orcas Cove with Southeast Sea Kayaks. Their van picked us up at the rain gauge and drove us to their office, where took a small boat to Orcas Cove for kayaking. Another couple joined the 4 of us with one guide, and we set out at very low tide, which allowed us to see much marine life. The company was very professional and the guide was excellent. In the afternoon we did a walking and shopping tour of Ketchikan. The kids liked everything.

2. Sitka. The weather was spectacular. We took HAL's Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest boat ride directly from the ship in the morning. Although the boat was full, we never had trouble finding a good spot for viewing whales, sea otters, and eagles. In the afternoon, we walked to the Sitka National Historical Park. The was was pretty, but we were not especially interested in the totem poles.

3. Skagway. Once again, the weather was spectacular. In the morning, we did HAL's Musher and Sled Dog Camp. This excursion was a high priority for the kids. The dog cart ride was fun but short, and the presentation was moderately interesting. I enjoyed the excursion, but I thought it was highly overpriced at $114 pp. In the afternoon, we did another excursion, HAL's Klondike Rock Climbing and Rappelling, that was a very high priority for the kids. We were joined by 4 other people and were able to complete 2 climbs per person. After the climbs, we went to a separate cliff for rappelling (once per person). Not surprisingly, the kids loved this excursion, but, somewhat suprisingly, the adults did, too! The guides were really fun and interesting, and the excursion was very well run.

4. Anchorage. The day started cloudy and cold. Despite the weather, we proceeded with our original plan to rent bicycles and ride the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. We rented from Downtown Bicycles, an excellent organization with loads of different bicycles and friendly workers who make sure that each person has the right bicycle and that it's in very good working condition. We rode the beautiful Coastal Trail for about 45 minutes, until it started to rain, and the kids wanted to turn back. I would definitely recommend this activity and Downtown Bicycles when the weather is good. In the afternoon, we took the free shuttle to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. We enjoyed our 2 hours there, especially the presentation by teenage Native American boys, who demonstrated their native sports in which they compete internationally.

5. Homer. We had the worst weather of the trip here, and the BEST day, by far! We took a private excursion with the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. From the yurt on the Spit, we took a small boat across Kachemak Bay to a floating dock on Peterson Bay. Along the way we saw a couple of orcas and viewed Gull Island, where we saw numerous gulls, puffins, and a sea otter at very close range. At the Peterson Bay dock, we boarded a raft and used ropes to pull ourselves ashore. With 2 other people and our fabulous naturalist guide, we ascended stairs to the CACS's Peterson Bay field station that was built as a retirement home and then sold to the CACS. After warming up with hot beverages and eating lunch, we followed our guide on a fascinating nature tour to Lost and Found Lake. Our guide explained the flora and fauna of the area and did an excellent job of engaging the kids. Upon returning to the field station, we were able to view and touch the sea creatures in the CACS's extensive touch tank. We returned across Kachemak Bay via the same boat. The tour was extremely interesting and fun for everyone.

6. Kodiak. The weather clear, beautiful, and windy. This was our second favorite port. We took a taxi to Ft. Abercrombie State Park and hiked the trails on our own. The views were gorgeous. The kids also very much enjoyed the small military museum on the park's grounds. We agreed on a pickup time with the taxi driver, and he was there waiting when we arrived 10 minutes early to the pickup site. We wished we had more time to spend in that port.

7. Juneau. The weather was cloudy and cool. We took the Mendenhall Glacier Hike by Above and Beyond Alaska. Our ship was slightly late, so we arrived at the meeting spot at 8:15 instead of 8:00 am. We set out on the hike with 2 guides and 11 people. The hike on the West Glacier Trail was pretty scenic, and when we arrived at the glacier we donned our glacier trekking gear. One of the guides then separated 2 people from the group, apparently because their ship left earlier. The rest of us enjoyed a bit longer time on the glacier, and we returned via a different route. The biggest problem was that our ship was scheduled to leave at 5 pm, and "all aboard" time was 4:30 pm. By the time we reached the West Glacier trailhead, it was after 4 pm, and we didn't get back to the ship until 4:28 pm. I provide this information as a cautionary note to others who are planning to take this excursion. Although we did not miss the ship, I think we came a little too close. However, the kids did rate this as one of their top days in Alaska.

8. Victoria. The weather was clear and windy when we arrived just after 4 pm. We walked from Ogden Point to the Harbour, where we took a one hour Gorge Tour with Victoria Harbour Ferries. We saw a number of seals and a number of interesting houses along the gorge. We all enjoyed this and thought it was worth the money. We spent about another hour walking around the Harbour and shopping.

As you can see, we had a mix of ship's tours, independent tours, and DIY days, some of which were better than others. We thought that Alaska was an excellent place for a family vacation.

We just got back from a Western Caribbean cruise and for next year I am contemplating an Alaskan cruise. My three teenage kids are quite active and need to be stimulated, they are not completely sold on the idea of Alaska but I feel it would still be a fun time. Obviously from your comments it seems to me like there is quite a lot to do and that this was not "boring". I just need more reassurance, I guess.

Thanks for your report on the ports!!

That 14 day cruise on the Amsterdam is a great Alaskan cruise.

Thanks for coming back and posting. Most people don't. Great benefit to those planning their own cruises.

We would like to do this itinerary some year and your review provided excellent detail. Thank you!!

Great review especially for those with teens. It does show that you can find lots of active adventures for the youth.

How did you and your teens enjoy HAL?

Great review especially for those with teens. It does show that you can find lots of active adventures for the youth.

 

How did you and your teens enjoy HAL?

Ah, well, we've sailed NCL, Disney, RCI, CCL, and Princess, but this was the first time on HAL. We had an inside quad and found the cabin to be excellent, with plenty of storage space and very comfortable beds, like CCL. The food was in a class by itself, much better than the others which were good, but not consistently great. The ship felt much less crowded than any other we've sailed. The service was also among the top we have experienced. We met a number of lovely and interesting people on the ship, and the kids found some very nice friends. However, we did find the ship activities to be very limited in quantity and quality compared with the other lines. I'd have to say that we prefer the "fun ship" atmosphere. We did expect this before we booked the cruise, but we selected this trip for its unparalleled itinerary and for its extremely low price, as the 3rd and 4th people in the cabin only paid port taxes!

Ah, well, we've sailed NCL, Disney, RCI, CCL, and Princess, but this was the first time on HAL. We had an inside quad and found the cabin to be excellent, with plenty of storage space and very comfortable beds, like CCL. The food was in a class by itself, much better than the others which were good, but not consistently great. The ship felt much less crowded than any other we've sailed. The service was also among the top we have experienced. We met a number of lovely and interesting people on the ship, and the kids found some very nice friends. However, we did find the ship activities to be very limited in quantity and quality compared with the other lines. I'd have to say that we prefer the "fun ship" atmosphere. We did expect this before we booked the cruise, but we selected this trip for its unparalleled itinerary and for its extremely low price, as the 3rd and 4th people in the cabin only paid port taxes!

I would love to do this itinerary next year, if can swing it. I have only been on two cruises, HAL to Alaska and NCL in Hawaii. They were no comparison with HAL being on top by far.

In the afternoon, we did another excursion, HAL's Klondike Rock Climbing and Rappelling, that was a very high priority for the kids. We were joined by 4 other people and were able to complete 2 climbs per person. After the climbs, we went to a separate cliff for rappelling (once per person). Not surprisingly, the kids loved this excursion, but, somewhat suprisingly, the adults did, too! The guides were really fun and interesting, and the excursion was very well run.

We did this excursion (through NCL) a few years back and our kids really enjoyed it. We also lucked out because they split into a small group with just me and the kids and we got to do several climbs including one that was extra challenging.

Pictures and a couple of short videos can be found here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/roseoftexas/sets/72157601870682473/

Thanks for sharing. I love what you did in Homer, was that pre-planned on your own?

Thanks for sharing. I love what you did in Homer, was that pre-planned on your own?

Yes; I contacted the Center Alaskan Coastal Studies, and they offered a shortened version of this:

http://www.akcoastalstudies.org/guided-tours/129-programs/guided-tours/57-guided-natural-history-tour.html