Alaskan excursions with younger kids

[AAAG]

Can you please post which Alaskan excursions you did with your younger kids, and whether you thought they were the right excursions? Would you do them again with that age group, or not?
We will be on the Aug 15, 2016 sailing with our 2 very active sons, who will be 4 and 6.\
Thanks!

 

[Aby]

We're on the same cruise as you! No kids ourselves, but we went on some excursions where others had young children with them. I think they overestimated the young ones stamina and interest in the excursions. One was the round trip steam train excursion in Skagway - beautiful scenery but not much to hold kids attention - the ones in our car spent most of the time fussing and asking when it would be over. The other was the Neet's Bay Bear Watch by floatplane - the young kids were amazed at the bears for the first 10 minutes, but after that they got bored and tried to amuse themselves by running around and squealing - not very safe in that situation with the animals around!

Sorry I can't recommend any specific excursions for kids, but I'm sure others will chime in here. When looking at the DCL website, each excursion will have the duration noted - many can be quite long and only you will know how much stamina you and your kid will have.

Maybe we'll see each other on the cruise!

Aby

 

[roobug]

I can't say for excursions but in Juneau you may be better off doing things on your own. You can get on/off the shuttle bus at many points, I would suggest going our to the Glacier - they have a junior ranger program that can be fun for kids plus there is space for them to jump and move. Another stop on the shuttle bus would be the state museum - they have special exhibits for kids plus there is typically a craft out for them to do. The Mount Roberts Tram is great for kids - they have a little area set up for them at the top with information about local animals and eagles.

A great playground is out at twin lakes you could take a cab there. The public bus also goes out there but I've never taken it. The playground has a fort and a boat and lots of fish and a map of Alaska plus swings and a wooden gold mine cart to play in -not much for adults to do there but kids would be in heaven. The first three would appeal to the whole family.

 

[Mrs Green]

We're on the same cruise as you! No kids ourselves, but we went on some excursions where others had young children with them. I think they overestimated the young ones stamina and interest in the excursions. One was the round trip steam train excursion in Skagway - beautiful scenery but not much to hold kids attention - the ones in our car spent most of the time fussing and asking when it would be over. The other was the Neet's Bay Bear Watch by floatplane - the young kids were amazed at the bears for the first 10 minutes, but after that they got bored and tried to amuse themselves by running around and squealing - not very safe in that situation with the animals around!

Sorry I can't recommend any specific excursions for kids, but I'm sure others will chime in here. When looking at the DCL website, each excursion will have the duration noted - many can be quite long and only you will know how much stamina you and your kid will have.

Maybe we'll see each other on the cruise!

Aby

You are the second person this weekend that pointed out to me that the train ride might be too long for my kids. I think you both might be right so i am going back to the drawing board.

 

[jtba]

@AAAG : we were in alaska via DCL last july (see my trip report; still need to finish Days 7-8) and we went on three separate excursions. white pass bus & train tour by chilkoot tours in skagway, whale watching trip by harv & marv in juneau, and the great alaskan lumberjack show in ketchikan (the first two we booked on our own, not thru DCL).

DS8 and DD4 enjoyed the last one the most because there was some silliness involved: the audience and the lumberjacks was divided into two camps, team usa vs. team canada, and you were supposed to cheer for your team. audience participation always helps to get the spirits up. so i would recommend that for your little ones, if they haven't already seen something similar elsewhere.

like @Aby said above, my kids enjoyed being on the train in skagway (although it was one way for us), but they did get bored towards the end, although some of it may have to do with being hungry as it was almost noon. i wrote about this in my TR so you may want to check that out. as for whalewatching, they did enjoy that as well. but i think overall they would probably say they enjoyed the lumberjack show the most.

@Mrs Green : i see that you've already read parts of my TR and said that your family has done lumberjack shows in wisconsin.

have a great trip!

 

[DLgeeks]

No actual advice as we're not sailing until June ourselves, but we'll have DD 7 and DS 2 in tow, so I am going through the same process! At this point we're leaning towards doing the dog mushers camp in Skagway, visiting the glacier in Juneau and doing the lumberjack show. I'm trying to avoid anything that involves sitting still for very long or being stuck on a small boat with bored/cranky children!

 

[laceltris3]

We did Alaska last summer with the kids aged 9, 6 and almost 4. We ended up splitting on some of the excursions. In Skagway, I took the older 2 on the train up and then the bus to the Yukon suspension bridge and back while my husband took the youngest to the Character salmon bake. In Ketchikan I took the younger 2 to the Lumberjack show and my husband took the oldest on the Adventure Kart expedition. In Juneau we all did a sled dog excursion and then I took the middle one on the float plane trip over the ice field. If you have any questions about any of those I would be happy to help!

 

[jenf22]

We did Alaska with a 5 year old. We did:

Best of Juneau - whale watch boat ride, salmon bake, and Mendenhall Glacier. Kiddo has a blast and loved feeling the frigid water at the glacier.
Train up and bus back with Chilkoot Charters in Skagway. We had lunch at Carcross and did the dog cart ride. It was a blast!
Ketchikan - Bear Country and something??. I don't remember the name. We got to walk on suspension bridges and see bears eating in the streams under us. Then we got to feed reindeer. It was awesome!

The kiddo pretty much had a great time on every excursion. He only got bored when we would walk around the towns so I could check out the shops.

 

[christineangel]

No advice, but we are working one the same thing. I have a DS who is 6 and a DD who is 4. My current plan is skagway with chilkoot- bus up, dog sled and train down. I"m hoping by breaking up the trip that way, they won't be too restless....they are used to traveling. Juneau, i think we are going to do as a pp suggested and shuttle to the glacier and do the tramway. I am torn bc i really wanted to do a whale watching tour. In ketchikan, we have a floatplane tour and doing the lumberjack tour. I'm following for more advice!

 

[Drusilla99]

Again, no advice as I'm not traveling there until summer, but...I thought I saw that dcl had a steam train option where the kids ride back in a "kid car" with kid activities. Obviously, it depends on the kids & if you think they'd go for that. I've got teens, but think the train both ways would be too much even for me, so we are doing the train up & the bus down through the company. There's more stretching your legs on that one.

 

[jtba]

e are doing the train up & the bus down through the company. There's more stretching your legs on that one.

we did the bus up and train down. the bus ride really helped to break the monotony--we got to get out of the car several times for various photo ops. the kids even got to use their hands to scoop and taste the water that came down the waterfall straight from the glacier high up in the mountain.

 

[kuhltiffany]

Too funny, we're on the same cruise too! So I've booked a private whale watching tour (we have a DS 11 who has Asperger's so it's better if we're alone) and are looking at the Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition in Ketchikan so far...