Under the Midnight Sun, a ship sails through a wooded wilderness with a single light showing through the trees as parents tell their children that this is the only human habitation to be found for miles around. Onshore, Native American totem carvers encourage passengers of all ages to join in a dance, and teens and children embrace everything from ziplines to husky puppies. This blend of the storybook and the familiar makes an Alaska cruise a near-perfect vacation for families.
 |
Alaska's natural beauty makes for great memories. // © 2010 Royal Caribbean International |
The cruise lines have arranged shore excursions for all ages — as well as special Alaskan onboard programs — taking into consideration the varying tastes of individual family members and offering advice on the physical difficulty of each trip. Not all children enjoy the same things — even those in a particular age group — but Alaska has a huge range of choices to be found onshore.
With its constantly expanding menu of options, Alaska enables families to explore it together or split up according to their interests. Whatever works best, the rise of repeat family cruising to Alaska is evidence that this most unique outpost of America has something for everyone.
Here are some shore excursion highlights in Alaska for 2011.
Carnival Cruise Lines offers a shore excursion combining several famous sites in Ketchikan with the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary, Eagles and Totems. Participants can observe eagles up close, feed reindeer and meet a master totem carver at work.
www.carnival.com
In Ketchikan, Celebrity Cruises offers a combined Saxman Village and Lumberjack tour that has strong family appeal. The Tlingit people welcome guests into their Beaver Clan House and dance in full regalia, and guests of all ages are invited to join them in the final dance before watching the totem carvers at work. The Lumberjack show demonstrates skills, including axe throwing, log rolling and a 50-foot speed tree climb.
www.celebritycruises.com
Sign Up for Our Monthly Family Getaways Newsletter
I accept the T&C and Privacy Policy.
Disney Cruises’ entry into Alaska next year will be accompanied by some out-of-the-ordinary child-oriented excursions.
In Ketchikan, a trip to Potlatch Park allows kids to contribute to a totem pole in progress. Children will be able to paint a feather or dragon scale to add to the totem, which is being built by a master carver on the site.
From Skagway on the White Pass railway, Disney is planning a special kids-only car where, on the ride back, children participate in singalongs with musicians, games and other activities. Also, an Alaskan Gold Rush excursion will allow kids to pan for gold and toast marshmallows with Disney characters.
www.disneycruise.com
While in Juneau, Holland America Line offers a Photo Safari by Land & Sea outing. The tour gives a free digital camera to children ages 12 and under and a $100 cash refund at the end if whales are not sighted. Sea lions, harbor seals, porcupines, eagles and black bears are common as well.
www.hollandamerica.com
During Norwegian Cruise Line’s Whale Watching & Wildlife Quest from Juneau, passengers are taken by a jetboat-powered catamaran to Stephen’s Passage, a favorite summer feeding ground for humpback whales and local wildlife, including sea lions, porpoises, harbor seals, bald eagles and black-tailed deer.
www.ncl.com
Oceania Cruises, which is sailing to Alaska for the first time in 2011, will visit the tiny village of Kodiak, known for its exceptional beauty. Shore excursions are still being finalized, but the line promises to bring families close to nature, spotting puffins, foxes, bears and whales.
www.oceaniacruises.com
From Haines, Princess Cruises’ Alaska Wildlife Park takes guests into the heart of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and Kroschel Films Wildlife Park Center, where Steve Kroschel shares his lifetime of experience working with wild animals for movies such as “Never Cry Wolf” and the PBS television series, “Wild America.” His center provides a home for orphaned wild animals, including bears, moose, wolves, Arctic fox, lynx, porcupines, pine marten, mink, reindeer and wolverines. Guests can get a hands-on, up-close encounter with these animals.
www.princesscruises.com
Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ shore excursions are included in the cost of the cruise. While calling in Ketchikan, families with teens are led by an experienced Alaskan trail guide on a remote island in the Tongass National Forest during the Alaskan Rainforest Adventure.
www.rssc.com
Among the family-friendly experiences offered in Alaska in 2011 is Royal Caribbean International’s Dog Sledding on the Mendenhall Glacier via Helicopter out of Juneau. This tour combines a half-hour glacier helicopter tour with a sled ride from a dog sled camp where 300 excited Alaskan huskies live.
www.royalcaribbean.com
