Have you considered a land sea option. We did a land sea with my parents who had previously done the land via RV and sea. This time we did the Land via train and the sea. The land is exhausting but exhilarating. The land via train you pack and unpack at every stop. In the end though they have a place where you can mail a lot of your unneeded items and souvenirs back to your home. Denali is a must... it is fun and beautiful. We saw every kind of animal possible, even lynx cubs which the bus driver (of more than 20 years there) had never seen. I suggest Land first then cruise back down to relax and unwind. There is tons of stuff to do for all ages. My parents were in their late 60's, we were in our 40's and our daughter was 9.
Now if you are sailing with others make sure you get balconies and on opposite sides of the ship. This worked great for us - when the action was on one side we didn't miss it! We even were able to see a glacier calving (shedding its ice). It was fabulous. We went during the summer and it was unseasonably warm there - upper 70's. The land hotels are not equipped for that so there was much fan use. No biggie- like camping. Watch the weather and pack accordingly. Fortunately our parents told us to pack for all seasons and layer. As far as your ship - it really doesn't matter much - you don't need the go-carts and water slides - the action is outside. Many ships have guest speakers that give talks about the next day what to look for, they were very good. Don't forget your binoculars. Enjoy. We can't wait to go again!
