1st Cruise w/ 3 kids, 8, 6, 3 help on excursions

[gadgetfreak]

Taking the family on their first ever cruise! Wife has never been, I've only done the ensenada 3 day.

 

So we narrowed it down to the NCL Pearl - going out of Seattle 3rd week of August. About to book the 2 bedroom Maven since it was about the same price as 2 adjoining balcony rooms with the kids free promotion. Definitely more expensive than I thought but I want this to be a great trip.

 

Here's the itinerary

 

DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART

Sun Aug 17 Seattle, WA 4:00pm

Mon Aug 18 At Sea

Tue Aug 19 Juneau, AK 2:00pm 10:00pm

Wed Aug 20 Skagway, AK 7:00am 8:00pm

Thu Aug 21 Glacier Bay National Park, AK (Cruising)

Fri Aug 22 Ketchikan, AK 6:00am 1:30pm

Sat Aug 23 Victoria, BC, Canada 6:00pm 11:59pm

Sun Aug 24 Seattle, WA 8:00am

 

Would love help on what excursions you think would be great for the ages I have. The tough one is the 3yr old who usually naps at 2-5pm but hopefully by the time the cruise comes around he can miss a few days on excursions. I think we'll have a stroller for him for longer walks/hikes.

 

In Juneau I think whale watching, but trying to decide if I do the slightly bigger ship Orca, or the private Harv and Marv on a smaller boat for the 5 of us. Just dont' want anyone sea sick. Cost is $430 vs. $810. Do we get dropped off a mendenhall glacier then bus it back?

 

Skagway - saw the chikoot charters http://www.chilkootcharters.com/yukonraildog.htm take the train up, do the bus back & the dog sled? Is that the right call? will the kids get bored on the long train ride? What else is there to do with kids in skagway? Given it's a pretty long port day

 

Ketchikan - Lumbar Jack show sounds great. Was thinking Island wings for the floatplane. But do we do the bear trip, or the misty fjord?

 

What about Victoria? Butchart gardens? fireworks isn't till 9pm, can you see it from the boat?

 

Do folks go back to the boat mid day for a break during port days or do you stay at port the whole time?

 

Which port would you rent a car at? Hoping there's hertz at each port, i'm platinum so they'll have car seats for me etc.

 

thanks for looking and hopefully helping.

[Ginger Pepper]

Sounds like you are planning a great family trip! Regarding excursions - we're six adults who will be in some of the same ports, but having researched the subject, maybe I can make a couple of suggestions - Juneau: Harv and Marv Whale Watching - it seems that having your own "family" boat would be a great advantage (6 person boat) and they will either drop you off at Mendenhall Glacier and you can taxi back to the ship or, if time permits, will stay with you for a short visit there (about 15 minutes) and return you to the ship. Ketchikan: Depending how long you will be in port, we have reserved with Island Wings for a combination Bear Watching and Misty Fjords excursion (altogether about 5-6 hours). Ketchikan: Chilkoot Tours has several different excursions for different periods of time and maybe you could consult with them regarding the optimal time for your family. In any case, enjoy!

[sherryf]

My kids were similar ages when I first cruised with them - 2, 5 and 8.

 

We did a whale watch through the cruise line on a large boat. My 8 year old was obsessed with whales at that age and enjoyed it very much. The 5 year old had fun being on a boat, and looked at the whales sometimes, but needed a lot of attention. The 2 year old didn't "get" it at all and we ended up taking turns holding her. Neither of us got the full whale watching experience because we spent so much time dealing with the younger kids, but it was worth it to see the look of joy on our 8 year old's face. Obviously you know your kids better than I do, but think long and hard about this excursion before deciding to spend a huge chunk of money on something you may not be fully able to enjoy.

 

I took the round trip train with the younger 2 in Skagway, and they were fine with it, especially since their cousins were along on that excursion to keep them occupied. The 5 year old enjoyed the "train" aspect of it, but the 2 year old was really just happy to spend time with family and didn't really care. The excursion you are considering is MUCH longer, nearly 8 hours, and might be too much time for kids to be cooped up on a bus/train. You do get some time to move around at Caribou Crossing. Note, it is a dog CART ride, not sled. There is no snow, just dirt. Again, I don't know your kids, but you might be better off with a shorter tour, or renting a car and doing the drive yourself so you can stop when you need/want to.

 

The kids would probably enjoy the lumberjack show. My husband and son did it one year and enjoyed it. I've never done a float plane, but my guess is that little kids wouldn't enjoy "scenery" enough to make it worth the expense.

 

Buchart Gardens is beautiful, if you are into that kind of thing. I went there once with my mom, who loved it, but it's not my thing. I doubt you could see the fireworks from the ship, as it's pretty far away. We live near Seattle and have been to Victoria before, so we always just stay on the ship. We have the hot tubs all to ourselves.

 

Going back to the ship midday is up to you. Some people book back to back excursions and eat in port. Others do one thing and spend half the day on the ship. Your port times in most ports are short enough that I doubt you'd want to go back to the ship. Skagway is your only long port day, and if you end up doing a long excursion, you won't be around to go back to the ship anyway.

 

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions about travelling with kids this age in Alaska.

[Budget Queen]

Taking the family on their first ever cruise! Wife has never been, I've only done the ensenada 3 day.

 

So we narrowed it down to the NCL Pearl - going out of Seattle 3rd week of August. About to book the 2 bedroom Maven since it was about the same price as 2 adjoining balcony rooms with the kids free promotion. Definitely more expensive than I thought but I want this to be a great trip.

 

Here's the itinerary

 

DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE DEPART

Sun Aug 17 Seattle, WA 4:00pm

Mon Aug 18 At Sea

Tue Aug 19 Juneau, AK 2:00pm 10:00pm

Wed Aug 20 Skagway, AK 7:00am 8:00pm

Thu Aug 21 Glacier Bay National Park, AK (Cruising)

Fri Aug 22 Ketchikan, AK 6:00am 1:30pm

Sat Aug 23 Victoria, BC, Canada 6:00pm 11:59pm

Sun Aug 24 Seattle, WA 8:00am

 

Would love help on what excursions you think would be great for the ages I have. The tough one is the 3yr old who usually naps at 2-5pm but hopefully by the time the cruise comes around he can miss a few days on excursions. I think we'll have a stroller for him for longer walks/hikes.

 

In Juneau I think whale watching, but trying to decide if I do the slightly bigger ship Orca, or the private Harv and Marv on a smaller boat for the 5 of us. Just dont' want anyone sea sick. Cost is $430 vs. $810. Do we get dropped off a mendenhall glacier then bus it back?

 

Skagway - saw the chikoot charters http://www.chilkootcharters.com/yukonraildog.htm take the train up, do the bus back & the dog sled? Is that the right call? will the kids get bored on the long train ride? What else is there to do with kids in skagway? Given it's a pretty long port day

 

Ketchikan - Lumbar Jack show sounds great. Was thinking Island wings for the floatplane. But do we do the bear trip, or the misty fjord?

 

What about Victoria? Butchart gardens? fireworks isn't till 9pm, can you see it from the boat?

 

Do folks go back to the boat mid day for a break during port days or do you stay at port the whole time?

 

Which port would you rent a car at? Hoping there's hertz at each port, i'm platinum so they'll have car seats for me etc.

 

thanks for looking and hopefully helping.

 

 

Have you discussed this with the kids? Do they want to take the train? If not a lot of interest rather than be stuck on a whole day with a fixed scheduled, a car rental would probably work much better for those ages. Otherwise you are committed to probably 7 hours with a small group for the dog sledding carts. You can drive yourself there as an alternative. Stop and go as you wish. Including seeing the train.

 

As for Ketchikan, it's your call. The bear tours are excellent and you are going peak for Traitor's. Is this something you family is very interested in? Some of time? Then split up.

 

Not sure, but most of these tours are one price for everyone.

 

With whale watching, I do recommend Orca Enterprises, Very nice comfortable boat and excellent upper viewing area, along with a spacious back. You don't see a lot of sea sickness here. Sure a drop off at Mendenhall is excellent, I suggest having a cab number and just call when you want to leave. Buses aren't running much past 6pm and a cab would be a similar expense compared to the bus.

 

My sister has booked the following week, also taking advantage of the free 3/4th passengers. :) I took the Pearl the first season to Alaska, very much enjoyed the sailing.

[meab]

we went to Alaska last summer with our kids, who were 3, 5, 9, and 12. our itinerary didn't include victoria, but i can tell you about our days in skagway, juneau, and ketchikan.

 

in skagway, we rented a car with sourdough rentals. i was worried that at least one kid would get bored on the train, and didn't want to feel like i spent $$$ and they got cranky. sourdough was great. we drove all the way up to caribou crossing. their tip was to drive straight there, even though the photo ops along the way are tempting. you can arrive at caribou crossing and see the sled dogs, pan for gold, and see their little museum. if you get there early, you miss the hordes of people who arrive from the cruise ship.

 

one note: make sure everyone has gone to the bathroom before you leave downtown skagway! there's really nothing in between.

 

after caribou crossing, we drove a bit further up to emerald lake and got out to take some photos. really pretty! on the way back, we also stopped at the car cross desert, and the kids had so much fun just running up and down the sand dunes. that was probably the highlight of their day.

 

we finally returned the car back to port. the younger kids were pretty much done, so we dropped them at the kids club. then we went back out with our oldest to a walking trail near the port (it's on the map sourdough gives you). we didn't have too much time, so we didn't walk the whole path, but it was scenic (and quiet!). there was more we could have seen if we didn't have the younger ones, but we were happy with the day overall.

 

in juneau, we thought long and hard about going whale watching. but one of our kids is really prone to motion sickness, and i just had the feeling it wasn't going to go well (like how the earlier poster said her one child enjoyed it, but with the youngest one, they had to take turns and it detracted from their experience). i checked out all of the local providers there - some offer a free seat for kids 5 and under. but even still, i didn't risk it.

 

we ended up going with MGT for the shuttle to mendenhall glacier. we enjoyed that day as well. we walked the path all the way to nugget falls, and got some great photos. the older kids were climbing rocks there, and had a great time. the visitor center has some good kid-friendly things too. it was warm that day, so we ended up going back to the ship for lunch and then we went swimming! another nice day!

 

in ketchikan, my husband and i booked a kayak excursion that wasn't too long, and we left the kids at the kids club. the tour was awesome. we went back to the ship to get the kids for lunch and to go back out into ketchikan, but they wanted to stay at the kids club! we ended up just going out with our oldest and walking around. we took the funicular up to the cape fox lodge and hung out with some friends we met on the ship.

 

we didn't go all out with crazy excursions (i definitely have a list of things i'd like to do "next time" or "when we go without kids"), but the kids definitely had a good time and they remember it. they are asking to go back again this year! remember that kids like super simple things for the most part. just make sure they're rested, and they'll be happy. :)

 

good luck!

[AlohaPride]

Wow! This thread was God sent! We are also cruising with our three girls who will be 7, 5, and 3 when we sail in August. We've got 14 days.

 

I need help with things to do in Homer and Kodiak. Thanks!!

[gadgetfreak]

Wow.. thanks so much for the info here.. btw, I'm doing the "Haven" suite not Maven :)

 

Based on this thread, that train ride probably is way too long for my kids.. 7hr tour is definitely over the top. Renting a car in Skagway sounds like the better call. The kids definitely want to see the sled dogs. How far of a drive is it to that?

 

In Juneau, I now might skip the whale watching. My 6yr old is prone to car sickness, so i'm a bit afraid of him on a boat for a few hours. But maybe the conditions of smooth water and the bigger boat on Orca might be ok. Maybe Mendenhall glacier might be better. Is that taking a tour bus or taxi?

 

Ketchikan, I think lumbarjack show and float plane to go see the bears. Budget Queen you reminded me to ask what the kids wanted to do first. Of course they wanted to do everything LOL.. But I think I have to minimize 8hr days off the boat as the 3yr old will just spiral into burnout mode quickly which is bad for everyone..

[Lulubelle45]

Re Victoria- you will not be able to see the fireworks from the ship, but if the excursion stays thru the fireworks show, you won't be disappointed. It's an amazing production unlike your typical 4th of July. The kids may be bored with the gardens though. The Royal museum is spectacular. If they like pirates, there is an hour long pirate ship ride in the inner Harbour that my grandson (5) just loved! Great way to see the sites from the water angle too. Under sea gardens closed this year, some forums still mention it. Also the hippo buses are fun in Victoria, I believe Juneau and Ketchikan also have them, aqua buses or something.

 

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Forums mobile app

[Traveller20074]

The Aleutian Ballad (Deadliest Catch boat) in Ketchikan doesn't allow anyone under the age of 5 :( :(

 

wanted to do this with grandkids, and we can't :( we have a 2 1/2 year old

[Budget Queen]

Wow.. thanks so much for the info here.. btw, I'm doing the "Haven" suite not Maven :)

 

Based on this thread, that train ride probably is way too long for my kids.. 7hr tour is definitely over the top. Renting a car in Skagway sounds like the better call. The kids definitely want to see the sled dogs. How far of a drive is it to that?

 

In Juneau, I now might skip the whale watching. My 6yr old is prone to car sickness, so i'm a bit afraid of him on a boat for a few hours. But maybe the conditions of smooth water and the bigger boat on Orca might be ok. Maybe Mendenhall glacier might be better. Is that taking a tour bus or taxi?

 

Ketchikan, I think lumbarjack show and float plane to go see the bears. Budget Queen you reminded me to ask what the kids wanted to do first. Of course they wanted to do everything LOL.. But I think I have to minimize 8hr days off the boat as the 3yr old will just spiral into burnout mode quickly which is bad for everyone..

 

You need to allow 5 hours for the drive out of Skagway. Figure 2-3 hours, depending on stops to get to Caribou Crossing.

 

Auke Bay is pretty sheltered and it has been rare for me to see anyone sea sick, BUT certainly could happen. I have gone out on whale watches at least 30 times, I vaguely recall, only a couple sick people.

 

Mendenhall Glacier can be gotten to by shuttle bus, taxi, or rental cars. Rental Cars offer you the most touring.

 

I suggest you may want inquire about chartering a flight for Traitor's Cove, if you go ahead with bear watching out of Ketchikan. This is what I now do, so I get plenty of time. I don't care about the costs, and don't have any budgets. My priorities, certainly aren't going to be yours, only a suggestion.

 

Not sure about your flying experience, but there can be a cross over with motion sickness on the float planes. I have seen many more sick people, including my last trip, compared to any whale watch boat tours. I also fly every trip out of Ketchikan.

[meab]

if you rent a car in Skagway, and you have a kid prone to car sickness, I would definitely recommend bringing along a large ziplock bag "just in case". the road did get very winding on the return, and after all day in the car, one of my kids was pretty green. :( i think it was about 1.5 to 2 hours to reach caribou crossing. but we were all so busy looking at the changing scenery, it didn't feel that long.

 

we did a shuttle bus, it's like a regular city bus size, for juneau/mendenhall. but if you rent a car there, i agree that you will have more flexibility. you can stop at the salmon hatchery, and just outside of downtown on the way to mendenhall, there was a really cool looking playground.

[gadgetfreak]

we went to Alaska last summer with our kids, who were 3, 5, 9, and 12. our itinerary didn't include victoria, but i can tell you about our days in skagway, juneau, and ketchikan.

 

in skagway, we rented a car with sourdough rentals. i was worried that at least one kid would get bored on the train, and didn't want to feel like i spent $$$ and they got cranky. sourdough was great. we drove all the way up to caribou crossing. their tip was to drive straight there, even though the photo ops along the way are tempting. you can arrive at caribou crossing and see the sled dogs, pan for gold, and see their little museum. if you get there early, you miss the hordes of people who arrive from the cruise ship.

 

one note: make sure everyone has gone to the bathroom before you leave downtown skagway! there's really nothing in between.

 

after caribou crossing, we drove a bit further up to emerald lake and got out to take some photos. really pretty! on the way back, we also stopped at the car cross desert, and the kids had so much fun just running up and down the sand dunes. that was probably the highlight of their day.

 

we finally returned the car back to port. the younger kids were pretty much done, so we dropped them at the kids club. then we went back out with our oldest to a walking trail near the port (it's on the map sourdough gives you). we didn't have too much time, so we didn't walk the whole path, but it was scenic (and quiet!). there was more we could have seen if we didn't have the younger ones, but we were happy with the day overall.

 

in juneau, we thought long and hard about going whale watching. but one of our kids is really prone to motion sickness, and i just had the feeling it wasn't going to go well (like how the earlier poster said her one child enjoyed it, but with the youngest one, they had to take turns and it detracted from their experience). i checked out all of the local providers there - some offer a free seat for kids 5 and under. but even still, i didn't risk it.

 

we ended up going with MGT for the shuttle to mendenhall glacier. we enjoyed that day as well. we walked the path all the way to nugget falls, and got some great photos. the older kids were climbing rocks there, and had a great time. the visitor center has some good kid-friendly things too. it was warm that day, so we ended up going back to the ship for lunch and then we went swimming! another nice day!

 

in ketchikan, my husband and i booked a kayak excursion that wasn't too long, and we left the kids at the kids club. the tour was awesome. we went back to the ship to get the kids for lunch and to go back out into ketchikan, but they wanted to stay at the kids club! we ended up just going out with our oldest and walking around. we took the funicular up to the cape fox lodge and hung out with some friends we met on the ship.

 

we didn't go all out with crazy excursions (i definitely have a list of things i'd like to do "next time" or "when we go without kids"), but the kids definitely had a good time and they remember it. they are asking to go back again this year! remember that kids like super simple things for the most part. just make sure they're rested, and they'll be happy. :)

 

good luck!

 

Thanks for this.. What's MGT in Juneau for the shuttle to mendenhall glacier? I think we are going to skip the whale watching

[Budget Queen]

Thanks for this.. What's MGT in Juneau for the shuttle to mendenhall glacier? I think we are going to skip the whale watching

 

Mighty Great Trips- Mendenhall glacier shuttle vendor