Esencia Family Travel, LLC

9 Important Considerations when Tackling the Last Frontier with Little Ones

Embarking on an Alaskan family vacation promises not only awe-inspiring landscapes but also a world of adventure for the whole family. As you plan this once-in-a-lifetime trip, it’s crucial to consider the unique needs and interests of your younger travelers. Here are nine often overlooked tips to ensure your Alaskan adventure is not just a vacation but an enchanting experience full of memories for the little ones:

1. Seasickness Can Turn a Day of Adventure into a Day of Caretaking

Children are often more susceptible to seasickness, making it crucial to choose family-friendly vessels with stabilizers for smoother rides. Also, look for calmer waters. Resurrection Bay cruises may have to be out in favor of something like 26 Glacier Cruise with a no seasickness guarantee. Inside passage cruises are a better bet than getting out into the Gulf for staying on your feet.
Also, bring along age-appropriate remedies such as ginger candies, children’s wristbands, or pediatric-approved seasickness medications. Ensuring a comfortable journey on water adventures and winding roads will contribute to the overall enjoyment of your young explorers. There is no one foolproof method that works for everyone. My recommendation is to throw a few options at your kid before leaving shore. Be sure to take a look at how long before the departure things take into effect, too. Many meds suggest an hour’s lead time.
Finally, if you think your 3-year-old is immune to seasickness since they’ve been out on the seas before, error on the side of caution. My daughter’s first experience with seasickness was on New York Harbor at age 9. She’d been on cruises and seas before with no problem, but it made the Statue of Liberty a little more memorable in a way we hadn’t planned.

• An example of a popular wristband to deal with motion sickness is Reliefband. It comes in a variety of form factors (apple watch band, standalone watch, standalone wristband, etc).

• For medications, keep in mind Dramamine is going to make your kid drowsy. Both regular and Non-drowsy Bonine are great alternatives, but only approved for kids 12 and over. Be sure to chat with your pediatrician a few weeks ahead of time to come up with a game plan.

2. Pack Kid-Friendly Clothing for Alaska’s Ever-Changing Weather

First, Alaska is big. Really, really big. This needs to be accounted for in packing. June and July temps can vary by 10-15 degrees between Denali and Juneau. You’ll need to pay attention to where you’ll be on your trip to Alaska and pack different layers, accordingly.
Second, Alaska’s weather can be unpredictable, even in the summer. Summer in Alaska is not summer in Southern California, Chicago, or even Portland. Some area have highs only in the 60s, even in August. Sometimes that 60’s is in the rain on the seas and feels much cooler. It is essential to bring a warm rain protective layer in all seasons, including winter hats and Gortex gloves if your kids are soft Californians like mine. Pack layers for your little adventurers, including rain jackets, warm fleece, and sturdy waterproof footwear. Don’t forget to pack extra clothing for unexpected weather changes, ensuring your kids stay dry and cozy during outdoor activities.
Even winter weather in Alaska can be deceptive. We all know the weather in Nome is not to be messed with in January. When I spent a few weeks in Kodiak years ago, though, I’d call my friends back on the continent taunting them about the warmer Alaska weather, thanks to the ocean air currents the island gets. The island stays comparatively mild.

3. Prepare for Sleep Solutions on your Alaskan Family Vacation

Many kids suffer when the routine is changed on vacation. However, traveling closer to the Poles will present some unique challenges to consider. With the extended daylight hours, where the sun doesn’t set in the summer, it’s essential to create a conducive sleep environment for the kids.

• Choose accommodations that provide blackout curtains or bring portable versions to help mimic nighttime darkness.
• Training the kids with fun sleep masks before you go will help them throw on their own shade with confidence and hopefully catch some z’s. Pack a couple extra, too, as they’re not expensive, but the cost of not having one when you need it is high.
• As always on vacation, consider bringing familiar bedtime items like favorite stuffed animals or bedtime stories to maintain bedtime routines and ensure a good night’s sleep.

4. Sometimes Nature Isn’t Kid-Friendly

Alaska’s vastness may pose challenges for young travelers. Plan activities that cater to shorter attention spans and energy levels, like the Palmer Reindeer Farm. Break up long drives with kid-friendly stops, such as wildlife viewing points, like the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, or short hikes to interesting landmarks like Exit Glacier. Select outdoor activities that are engaging yet manageable for little legs, ensuring that every adventure is an exciting one for the kids. For example, bear tours often require long flights in small planes and hikes of 5+ miles that then rely on being super quiet to get the best experience. This is a bad place to bring those under 5-years old, especially in a group excursion with strangers.  In fact, most bear tours will explicitly exclude those under 8. This little snippet from the National Park Service is one reason why.

There are a few great tours for this activity, though, that do provide the safety you need and the accessibility younger kids need. These are typically private tours that give you the flexibility to head in and out on your schedule, as well.
Denali is another example of an excursion where ages may be a consideration. Much of the park can only be seen on the bus tours. These aren’t your luxury Ranch Ride busses, either. This is the old school bus with questionable A/C and no screen back entertainment. Most of what there is to see won’t be in arms reach, either. You’ll catch a moose, but it will be in the distance in the bushes. Hopefully, your kid is more appreciative of that than mine would be, but many 5 year olds would rather be 5 feet away from the moose at the zoo. Again, consideration needs to be taken with your kid’s temperament and age when going all the way into Denali.
Please don’t take this to mean that Alaska isn’t for kids, though. The wildlife and the adventure accessible to younger kids is amazing. You just have to know your stuff (or work with a travel advisor who does).

5. Know your Alaska Family Vacation Seasons

With the summer season being brief, most everyone is choosing Alaskan family vacation activities that capture the imagination of young minds at the same time. Booking accommodations and activities in advance ensures a comfortable base for your family, allowing you to maximize your time enjoying the wonders of Alaska.
Also, keep in mind since the season is short, the high season is short, too. Cruises don’t run in March and April, its still COLD. Places start closing shop already in September on the end. Crowds will be in full force any date in between. Family cruises are in full force from late June to early August, before and after that many lines start to skew older. In fact, many cruise lines and travel agents tell older guests that May and September are the best time to avoid kids. So, those are the times you’re most likely to get dirty looks for your kids being a kid.
Additionally, just because they’re not hibernating, doesn’t mean bears will be easy to find all the time. A bear tour in June is going to have much more chance of success than one in August. Similarly, different whales will be in different waters over the course of the summer. If an orca or humpback are must-sees, review a calendar against your planned route to maximize your chances.
Looking to see the northern lights? When the sun never sets, it guarantees it won’t be good aurora watching. Even in the winter, keeping track of the moon phases, and sun activity are key to getting a chance at a show (even then, it may not happen, see point #8). On cruises, September is your best bet, but its not a great bet.

6. Summer Doesn’t Mean Winter Activities are Out.

Challenge the traditional notion of dog sledding as a winter-only activity. Look for summer dog sledding experiences on glaciers, specifically designed for families with children or across land in specially designed sleds. These adventures provide an exciting and memorable experience, allowing kids to interact with sled dogs against the backdrop of Alaska’s stunning summer landscapes. Most of these adventures involve kids getting up close and personal with the same dogs that have, or will, run the Iditarod, like this one. 

Similarly, if your kids want snow (ice) balls, take a hike on Exit Glacier, or any glacier really, and you’ll get that chance while remaining comparatively warm even in the summer on their Alaskan family vacation.

7. Find Fishing Fun Tailored for Little Anglers

Alaska’s fishing experiences can be adapted for children, providing a unique opportunity for hands-on learning. Look for guided tours that cater to families, offering kid-friendly fishing activities. Engaging the young ones in the iconic Alaskan pastime of fishing creates lasting memories and a sense of connection to the natural wonders around them. Keep in mind not all summer long will be great salmon fishing. In 2024, here’s the schedule for the Kenai River, for example:

• June 11: The Kenai River opens to sport fishing (closed May 1- June 10). There is no guided fishing in our area before this date.
• August 20: Last day of sockeye salmon season.
• Peak sockeye: 1st run mid to end of June, 2nd run third week of July to first week of August.
• October 31: Last day of coho salmon season.
• Peak coho: last week of August to mid-September, 2nd run in October.

Finally, salmon are iconic, but they’re big mean fish. For smaller kids, catching a salmon will be really hard, while catching trout and other fish will be much easier and make them feel like they are pros. Confirm the fishing is suited for your Alaskan family vacation experience with your travel advisor before you send in the deposit.

8. Pack your Flexibility on your Alaskan Family Vacation, even More Than you Would on Other Travel.

If you think Southern California construction is a hassle, at least you have options to drive around it. When the one road from Seward to Cooper Landing is torn up for a new bridge, even Google Maps will be stumped and admit you’re in for a long day on your Alaskan family vacation. If you’re planning to fly out to Kodiak on Monday and back to Anchorage on Wednesday to start the rest of your Kenai itinerary, leave some extra time. Even in the summer weather can close airports and slow travel to a crawl, often without the forecast letting you know.
Finally, going back to clothes packing, you may not get that choice day for fly fishing on the Upper Kenai River. That’s still an experience I’d recommend to nearly any family, though. Throw on the summer sweater, parka and rain boots and get ready to have a blast, even in the rain.
Going in knowing that Alaska will test you will help your remain calm in front of the kids when it inevitably does.

9. Strongly Consider Cruise Tour

There’s a lot to choosing the right mode of travel on your Alaskan family vacation.
While a land tour is the best way to see Alaska intimately, in my opinion, cruises are a great way to reach a variety of Alaskan destinations in comfort with gourmet food and Broadway-level entertainment. Cruises are also the only way to see some of the highlights like Mendenhall Glacier.
When choosing a cruise line, I will say that for Alaska cruises, it’s less the itinerary that is important and more the cruise line. Almost every cruise will hit the same, or similar ports like Sitka, Juneau, and Ketchikan. Disney’s Alaskan Cruises are a great option for your time on the ship. On most insider’s forums, you’ll see Princess Cruises are a favorite for families in Alaska, as well. They have the best access to Glacier Bay and a ton of family friendly activities on land and water, including the adorable Puppies in the Piazza.
Also, consider that, more than any other type of cruise, Alaskan cruises put a premium on balconies. On a Caribbean cruise, you may catch a unique island view for a few minutes as you’re pulling into port after hours of nothing but Ocean. On an Alaskan cruise, the balcony may give you whale watching opportunities, the ability to see glaciers calving, or other incredible once in a lifetime views that make balconies a higly sought after amenity.
In the end, Alaska is all about the balance of land and sea. Land expeditions are a critical item to be budgeted for on a cruise, more than almost any other cruise destination. If you’re staying on the ships in Alaskan ports, you are doing it wrong. Also, consider booking your own excursions, outside of the cruise line, to get the best deals and some of the best tours. I can provide you some great tips at some of the most popular ports that will also be the most likely to get you back to port in time so that you don’t miss the boat.

Summary

By tailoring your Alaskan family vacation to the needs and interests of your young explorers, you can ensure that this magical journey becomes a cherished chapter in their childhood. From exciting adventures to enchanting encounters with nature, Alaska has the perfect mix of experiences to captivate the hearts of your little adventurers on land and sea and form core memories that will last a lifetime.

Contact us now, and let’s start planning your next chapter of memories together!