This summer, my family and I decided to embark on a different adventure than what we are used to. We decided to hit the high seas for Alaska with our kids in tow! While this was a new adventure for my family, I have planned dozens of Alaska Family Vacations in the past so I knew what I was doing with planning. I have to say, this was the very BEST vacation decision we’ve made in a long time.
A little bit of info…
We decided to cruise Alaska for out first visit. Our group, yes a group, consisted of the following, 7 adults (one was 20) and 4 children ages 13,11,10 and 7. We sailed on the brand new Norwegian Bliss in early June which happen to be the inaugural sailing. You can read more about my review of the cruise here. We did have one grandparent with us, one 20 year old and the rest of the adults were in their 30’s with one in her 40’s.
Let’s get to the destination…
Alaska is truly an adventure! Our group comes from Illinois, if you know anything about Illinois, we are called flatlanders. This means, we don’t see much in the way of hills, mountains..etc. Needless to say, this trip came packed with AMAZING views. When I say amazing, I mean it. No matter where you looked, there was pure, untouched beauty. I could not have been more thrilled that we opted for a balcony cabin. It was very nice for my kids to be able to enjoy the views at any time during the day. All of the kids, even the 20-year old, loved using the binoculars to hunt for wildlife.
Speaking of the wildlife, did you know that one of the most highly chosen trips by children include wildlife? When asked, children will pick a trip which includes wildlife over any other option. This is true. The eagles were everywhere, it was not difficult to find and eagle anywhere..we saw so many. The mush puppies were a huge high lite for our kids. Being able to learn hoe they train the ididerod dogs from a young age and even being able to hold them, was a once in a lifetime experience. This is something non of us will ever forget.
We felt like everything we did was an adventure…even if we did not do an actual booked excursion. Walking through the towns and taking in the beauty was enough to tell a story about Alaska…we were all in awe. We did the following excursions; Mount Robert’s Tramway, Mush Puppies, and the Lumberjack Show. All three options were fantastic options for families and did not break the bank. There are a ton of other options as well, which we can discuss with you, but we wanted to start off with the basics.
Why did we cruise? Was it the right choice?
With the group we were with and the mobility issues my mother in law has, cruising was the very best choice for our group. Not only did we feel like we got a taste for Alaska but we also had the comfort of a luxurious ship to come back to each night. It was amazing to unpack once and relax for dinner, shows and drinks. This allowed us to be fully refreshed for our daily adventures. One thing we loved was that no matter where we were, we felt like our balcony was an excursion. I know I keep talking about the views, but there is really nothing more to say than amazing.
The Weather….
Well, we are from Chicago so we are used to hot summers and very cold winters. Temps ranged from 60-75 daily. We did not hit too much rain, the 1 day we had rain, we did not get wet enough for it to ruin our days. The kiddos still swam in the pool several times…you would not catch me in it but the kids were in there for hours.
Couple of nice touches on Norwegian Cruise Line;
- Loved the clam chowder station by the pool. They offered fresh clam chowder soup with toppings right on the pool deck.
- We loved being able to grab a warm blanket on the pool deck while we enjoyed the outdoors, made for a really nice touch. Just make sure to return it so you can avoid a charge to your room.
- The pool bars were open! Kiddos and adults were able to indulge in our Free at Sea package!! FUN!
- Pools were empty. My kids had the water-park and the pool literally all to themselves.
Want more fun tips? Be sure to watch my very quick webinar where I recap everything for you and I also have some amazing cruise offers for you. In this webinar, I feature what I feel are the top 4 family cruise lines for Alaska.
Are you ready to cruise to Alaska? Contact us today to begin planning by calling 630-776-8371 or email at letstravel@thewdwguru.com. We cannot wait to work with you!
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