Great symposium everyone! Question: my family will be taking a trip to AK for the 1st time. Mom is 68 and very active; the youngest 2 going are 9 and 11. What is must-see? What can be skipped? We are thinking a 7 day cruise. Would Christmas time be too freezing cold? Any input/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Brett Shingledecker
Lima, OH
Unless you want to spend the week dog sledding December is not the time to go. As I write this it is currently -17degrees in Fairbanks, it is +18 in Anchorage. The cruise season for Alaska is May-Sept. All cruise lines now offer a pretty extensive youth program so the kids will be occupied most of the day while on the ship. Special kids excursions are also included while in port. As far as what to do, That depends on your itinerary, then you can lock down what you might want to do. If you are planning to to do a cruisetour you will likley be looking at at least a 10 day tour.
Hi Brett,
Although the discounted airfare might be tempting, Bill is correct – May through Sept is the best time to go! All of the major cruise operators will have extensive options for your diverse age range. While I’m a huge fan of Holland America, I would recommend checking out Princess, Royal Celebrity or perhaps NCL for the best options for the kids.
Anticipate the shoulder seasons (May and Sept) to be more reasonably priced than June – Aug due to the cooler temps. May is usually a great bet for clear weather and a good view of Denali (Mt. McKinley) should you choose to travel to the interior.
A seven day cruise is a great idea as it may be just the right amount of time for the family to spend in close quarters (realistically).
There is a wide variety of activities to do off the ship. If you plan to do a cruisetour (land tour), you can find them in durations ranging from 4 to 12 days. Note the difference between “cruisetour” and “optional excursion”, the latter being a day long or shorter activity.
If mom is looking for some excitement, you might look into the zip line tour in Ketchikan, which may be called a variety of names by various cruise companies. If mom is looking for something less active, check out the Totem Bight tour, which goes to the Totem Bight state park.
In Juneau, I highly recommend the whale watching. If you choose to go mid season, you might check out the bubble feeding where they swim in circles to stir up the plankton. Very cool!
In Skagway, you might check out the glacier landing and dog sledding expedition if it’s in your budget or perhaps the kayaking adventure and eagle preserve located in the port of Haines (availability may vary depending on your cruise).
Whatever you do, I recommend ensuring your cruise goes to Glacier Bay National Park. This would be built into your cruise and not an optional excursion.
If you travel with Princess, you will visit Whittier. There is a day train on the AK Railroad that’s pretty beautiful. There is also great sea kayaking there as well.
If you travel with Holland or Royal, you’ll visit Seward instead of Whittier. You might plan to check out the Alaska Sealife Center while you’re there. Another popular trip includes Portage Lake, which is en route to Anchorage. If you choose to travel through Glacier Bay on the ship however, you might plan to save yourself a little $$ and skip this excursion. ; )
Finally, if you are looking at a more extensive cruisetour, keep it to a maximum of 7 days on land and whatever you do, fly into Alaska and travel south. In this way, you are getting the tiring 6-8AM mornings out of the way and can relax on your own watch while on the ship. Any longer with the kids at an organized tour’s pace may prove to be money less than well spent.
I’ve spent 3 seasons working as a tour director in Alaska and would be glad to help with any further questions you might have. Reach out to me at stevespivey@gmail.com if you need any further help. Enjoy!