Best Excursion Ideas for an Alaskan Cruise. We took our family on an Alaskan cruise during the summer. I’m so excited to share the fun we had, and the exciting things we did at each of the stops.
Best Excursion Ideas for an Alaskan Cruise
Today I’m excited to share all about our Alaskan Cruise Family Trip!
We took our Alaskan cruise during the summer. We sailed on the Oosterdam from Holland America Line.
Here is a list of all the exciting things we did at each of the ports.
Setting Sail!
We left Seattle, WA. It was a gorgeous summer day! We sailed over the week of the 4th of July! Perfect weather for an Alaskan cruise.
Summertime is a great time to escape the heat…and cool off in Alaska.
It is a good idea to fly into Seattle the day before the cruise sets sail. This way you can take in some Seattle sights and not worry about missing the cruise.
We absolutely Loved this family vacation and made some awesome memories!
First Stop: Juneau
Our first stop was in Juneau. This is Alaska’s Capital. The views were gorgeous from the ship when we arrived in the port. It was overcast and rainy, but it was more of a sprinkle. Still gorgeous!
We decided to go on a whale watching tour. There were a few different options for whale watching, but you have to book early. You can book through the cruise line, or just call and book yourself.
We saw SOOOO many humpback whales, sea lions, and birds.
The humpback whales were bubble net feeding and it was amazing to see. We saw many whales, and were pretty close. They are amazing creatures. My kids were amazed at the bubble net feeding!
The tour lasted about 3 hours, which is a little long for small children. My kids loved the donuts and hot cocoa!
Second Stop: Glacier Bay
The second stop of our Alaskan Cruise was to see gorgeous Glacier Bay. You can only visit the magnificent Hubbard Glacier by boat or plane.
We spent the day on the ship, relaxing and taking in the gorgeous views. The ship stays in the bay for half the day, so you can enjoy the Glacier from every angle, and get some gorgeous photos.
We loved snuggling in blankets on the ship decks, while taking in the scenery.
This is a great day to just relax and gear up for more adventures!
3rd Stop: Sitka, Alaska
Right now you are probably thinking of the Sandra Bullock movie, The Proposal! LOL! I thought of that the whole time. It probably wasn’t even filmed there, but I do have to say that Sitka, Alaska is so charming and gorgeous.
We loved this stop. It was probably our favorite. The temperature was a moderate 55 degrees.
We did a few favorite activities in Sitka.
Our first activity was taking a walk from the port to the Sitka National Historical Park. The walk along the ocean was gorgeous.
We also visited the Raptor center. My kids loved seeing owls, falcons, Eagles and more birds of prey at the Raptor center.
Our favorite activity was kayaking around the Sitka Sound. Seriously GORGEOUS! You could see eagles flying just above your head to their nests. The views were breathtaking. We loved learning more about Sitka from our guides, and also discovering sea creatures around the sound. The kids loved holding starfish!
4th Stop: Ketchikan, Alaska
We loved charming Ketchikan. We loved the shopping, yummy eats, and just walking around the village.
A couple of our favorite activities on Ketchikan were the Lumberjack Show and visiting Saxman Village Totem Park.
My kids got such a kick out of the Lumberjack Show…so entertaining! Funny and lots of action!
We loved learning more about the Saxman tribe at their Saxman Village Totem Park. My kids love the native dancing, learning about the Totem Poles an so much more!
Such a fun way to learn about the culture of Alaska!
5th Stop: Victoria, Canada
Our 5th stop of our Alaskan Cruise was in beautiful Victoria, British Colombia, Canada!
Our family loved this stop. We were only there a few hours in the evening, but it was enough to take in the sights of Victoria.
The buildings, flowers, street performers, snacks and just all the gorgeous scenery we a few of the things that made this stop amazing.
We visited a near by park, and loved shopping around the beautiful harbor.
Last stop: Seattle, WA
After getting off the ship on our final day, we were able to visit Seattle. The ship will send your bags directly to the airport! How great is that. So without our bags, we were able to see the sights of Seattle. We spent most of the time at Pike’s Place Market.
We spent the whole time eating our way through the market. The fruit is so delicious. We lived near Seattle for a few years, so it will always be a dear place to me.
My kids loved shopping and looking at the beautiful flowers. There are so many artisans selling their amazing work.
We loved spending our last day in a favorite place!
If you are planning an Alaskan cruise, I hope this insight helps! Such a fun trip with my family!
And the perfect summer vacation!
The post Best Excursion Ideas for an Alaskan Cruise appeared first on The Crafting Chicks.
