You’re planning your next cruise vacation, but want to go somewhere other than the Caribbean. There are lots of options for families, but one cruise destination that stands out among the rest is an Alaska cruise. You’ve likely heard stories of the rugged wilderness, incredible landscapes, and adventurous excursions from older family and friends who’ve ventured to The Last Frontier for a cruise. While you may be thinking Alaska cruises are just for retirees, I’m here to tell you otherwise.
Cruises to Alaska can be great family vacations, whether your kids are in elementary school or everyone in your traveling party are young adults. I recently took a family cruise (my parents and I) to Alaska with Disney Cruise Line and have fully embraced that you shouldn’t wait to go on an Alaska cruise. This trip-of-a-lifetime on the Disney Wonder is filled with exciting things to do. Need more proof that Alaska cruises are great for families? Keep reading for my five reasons why you shouldn’t wait until you’re older to go on an Alaska cruise.
NO HIDDEN FEES: The best all-inclusive cruise lines worldwide
Alaska cruise port days are filled with exciting, but sometimes strenuous, excursions
On my Disney cruise, each of our port days were filled with exciting port adventures. We made day-long stops in Skagway, Ketchikan, and Juneau. There was also a glacier viewing day where we traveled up the Endicott Arm to see the Dawes Glacier. On each of these days, we ventured off the ship and fit in as many shore excursions as possible. These exciting but sometimes strenuous excursions left all of us exhausted by the end of the day.
MAKE MEMORIES: 25 best family vacation spots in the U.S. for all ages
Our day in Juneau
For example, in Juneau, my family and I had a very full day that started with an early morning excursion taking flight in a helicopter to the Mendenhall glacier. After a 20-minute flight-seeing tour, the helicopter landed on the glacier. We trekked around for about an hour with a guide to learn all about glaciers. We also drank glacier water from a small stream of melted ice and wedged ourselves into a glacial crevasse for photos. Our glacier excursion ended with a short flight back to the heliport. We were then whisked away to lunch at a traditional salmon bake.
Lunch refueled us before our last excursion of the day: a whale watching and wildlife quest. Lo and behold, at the end of the tour, a mother and calf started breaching right in front of our boat. Everyone was snapping photos and taking videos of this incredible display of Mother Nature. In Juneau, we were out from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
Of course, glacier treks and whale watching aren’t all that Juneau has to offer. There are also ziplines, dog sledding, kayaking, salmon fishing, and more excursions that offer adventurous travelers the chance to experience the Alaskan wilderness.
Active adventures in other ports of call
In our other ports of call, the days were still filled with excitement, though much less strenuous, to balance out our days a little more. In Skagway, we took a three-hour train ride on the White Pass Railway. Then in Ketchikan, we explored Totem Bight National State Park and watched the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. Active port adventures in these destinations include trail hiking, rafting, bike tours, off-roading in a UTV, and a zodiac wilderness quest.
There’s plenty for kids to do onshore and onboard on an Alaska cruise
The onboard experience
On the Disney Wonder, there’s plenty for kids to do onshore and onboard. Of course, there’s Disney’s kids’ clubs, the Oceaneer Lab and Oceaneer Club. These are open for children ages three to 10. These dedicated kids’ areas offer young cruisers the chance to play games, do activities, and even see Disney characters, all with other kids and under the watchful eyes of trained kids club counselors. Older tweens and teens have spaces just for them, too, with Edge and Vibe, for kids ages 11 to 14 and 14 to 17, respectively.
Of course, onboard, everyone’s favorite Disney characters are ready to see families. Throughout the week, I saw everyone from Mickey and Minnie Mouse to Cinderella and Ariel, plus Thor and Black Panther. Character meet-and-greet times are in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app.
BEST TRIP EVER: 101 fresh new family vacation ideas for every age and budget
Sometimes, just watching the scenery go by from the pool deck or the Deck Four promenade is a great way for kids and adults to relax. And you never know who you’re going to see on the promenade.
How to see characters in their Alaska outfits
If you or your kids love seeing characters, then you’ve likely seen pictures or videos of Mickey Mouse and the gang in their Alaska-specific outfits. Mickey dons a set of yellow overalls, and Minnie is in a fur-lined parka. On my Disney cruise, kids of all ages lined up for hours on glacier viewing day to get pictures with the characters in these outfits. I was one of those people who waited for a while, lining up to see Mickey at 7:50 a.m. He didn’t start meeting until 9:00 a.m. Then I immediately went to see Minnie on the other side of the ship. By the time I saw both of them, it was 10:00 am. Donald, Daisy, Pluto, and Goofy also have themed outfits. The lines to see them weren’t nearly as long, especially in the afternoon when glacier excursions started departing from the ship.
Great things to do with kids on shore
Out in the ports of call, parents will find there’s a ton for kids to do. In Skagway, kids can complete the Junior Ranger program at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, which encompasses downtown Skagway. Stop by the park’s Visitor Center to pick up a Junior Ranger booklet. Then go around town completing the tasks, and turn in the book at the end of the day to get your badge. Kids who love trains will also love riding the White Pass Scenic Railway. The three-hour train ride up into the mountains and back down to Skagway.
SET SAIL: 12 best family cruises and ships in the world
Another fun thing for kids and adults to do on shore is the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show in Ketchikan. The high-energy show will have kids on their feet cheering for their respective team’s lumberjack team to win it all. On my sailing, we saw the Disney Cruise Line-exclusive showing of the performance, which included a warm-up act with Goofy getting all of the kids out of the stands for some stretching and exercising, which was fun. Totem Bight State Historical Park is another great option for a few hours of unique educational learning about totem poles and Native Alaskans that is pleasurable for adults and kids.
Consider extending your trip before or after your Alaska cruise for a land and sea vacation
Summer means the kids are out of school, and you can extend your vacation a little longer. Alaska is a great destination for a land and sea vacation, where you take a cruise, then add on a day or two to explore the interior of Alaska or the embarkation port of Vancouver. While adults may have to take a few extra days off of work, you can always try to book your trip over national holidays where you may already have the day off, like Memorial Day, Labor Day, or the 4th of July, so you save a day or two of your PTO.
CRUISE DEALS: Kids sail free on these 8 cruise lines
My sailing on the Disney Wonder started and ended in Vancouver, Canada, so I arrived two days before the cruise to explore the city. During my time in Vancouver, my family and I enjoyed a food tour of Chinatown (one of the oldest in North America), ate seafood and drank local beers at standout restaurants (Jam Cafe at breakfast is a must-try), and saw the Vancouver Olympic torch. Vancouver is also a short two-hour drive to Whistler, where you can enjoy a gondola ride between mountains, tour the Olympic village, or even try your hand at bobsledding.
Trying new activities and foods is part of the fun
There’s nothing better than having a new experience with your family. I can say that after taking my first helicopter ride with my parents, riding historic trains together, and learning about totem poles as a family, that doing all of these things together and making memories is part of the fun. On any cruise, but especially one to Alaska, being open to new activities is a huge part of the experience.
BUDGET-FRIENDLY: 11 cheap family vacations that are super fun
For us, trying new foods is also a must-do. In Alaska, the one thing we all really wanted to try was king crab legs. While everyone raves about Tracy’s King Crab Shack in Juneau, we knew we were not going to have time in that port to go there. We also heard Woadie’s South East Seafood in Skagway was a fantastic spot. So we went there and were glad we did. The king crab legs were huge, with succulent pieces of meat inside bright red shells. Additionally, anytime we saw local root beer (an Alaska staple) on a menu throughout our cruise, we had to try it.
Don’t give in to the temptation of over-planning your Alaska cruise
One thing that stuck with me from this cruise is not to give in to the temptation of over-planning. You’ll definitely want to fill your days with excursions, but with the limited port times, there’s simply not enough time to truly do it all, especially if you’re traveling with kids or, in my case, dads who want to read every sign at a museum.
What worked best for us was to pick one or two excursions (based on how long we were in port and how long the excursions were). Then, after the excursions were done, we explored the port on our own. We often found ourselves at unique little spots, like a local brewery for fish and chips, a fry bread spot that has made the rounds on TikTok but is still worth the hype, or just enjoying going back to the ship a little early to rest and take in the view from our balcony.
TEEN-FRIENDLY TRIPS: 10 best vacation ideas for families with teenagers
Overplanning can also creep in on board the ship. In Ketchikan, we arrived in port later in the morning. As we were docking, characters started roaming around the outside promenade deck and the atrium area as a surprise and delight for guests (this can happen anytime, anywhere on Disney Cruise ships). My mom and I stumbled upon Donald in his lumberjack outfit and Chip ’n’ Dale, all of whom were happy to take photos with us. These unplanned special moments wouldn’t have been possible if I had overplanned the morning with activities and getting off the ship right when the all ashore was given. For my family, the real joy of sailing to Alaska was getting the best of the Last Frontier plus a sprinkle of Disney magic, and the latter can’t be planned.
More from FamilyVacationist:
- When choosing the best Alaska cruise for your family, ship size matters
- Alaska cruise tips: When to go, what to pack, how to choose, and more
- Ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line: What to know about each of DCL’s cruise ships before you book
- Kids sail free on these 8 family cruise lines, including river cruises and luxury lines
- I’ve been on 7 Disney cruises, here are the best things for grownups to do onboard
