Don’t send your kids away to camp this summer! Go with them on a floating adventure into remote Alaska.
When you think of bucket list destinations in the USA, does Alaska come to mind? Stunning for both its size and beauty, Alaska is rugged and wild, but it’s also extremely kid-friendly.
Accessing Alaska’s larger cities like Anchorage and Juneau is relatively easy by air. Once there, you can definitely explore on your own.
Many families prefer to visit Alaska by cruise ship. Passenger ships have been sailing Alaska’s coast since the 1800s. Today’s cruise ships hold thousands of guests and offer a multitude of on-board activities. During a cruise, the ships will stop in various ports of call allowing guests to get off and look around for a few hours. That’s one way to see Alaska.
It’s quite another to see it through the eyes of a local. Erin Kirkland is Alaska’s only family travel journalist. This summer, she’ll be leading groups of young adventurists into the wilds of Alaska. They’ll be traveling to places most tourists typically can’t go. They’ll get there by ship but not the big ones with race tracks and water slides on the deck. Instead, Kirkland’s expedition crews will travel by small ships, operated by UnCruise Adventures. UnCruise has a distinct advantage over larger cruise lines. It can sail where the big ships simply can’t. My daughter and I sailed with UnCruise this past summer. We spent a week exploring Alaska. We saw bears, whales, seals, goats, and puffins, but virtually no other people (except those traveling with us on board the S.S. Legacy). The experience was unforgettable and humbling.
Why go to Alaska with UnCruise? KidTripster interviewed Erin Kirkland to find out.
1. Why visit Alaska?
KidTripster: Why should families consider a visit to Alaska?
Erin Kirkland: Right now, Alaska is at the forefront of many people’s minds within the scope of climate change and environmental concerns related to habitat and weather.
Bringing kids to Alaska is a hands-on, in-person opportunity to explore what they may only have read about. It’s more than the scenery, the wildlife viewing, and activities; it’s about becoming aware of a place that is pretty special and returning home with new perspective.
KidTripster: Alaska is a big state. For context, it’s larger than Texas, California, and Montana combined. That might feel overwhelming to family travelers. Give us some advice on how best to see and experience Alaska with your kids.
Erin Kirkland: The first question is always, “Where should we go?,” followed by, “We don’t have enough time to see everything!” And you won’t. I’ve been traveling around Alaska for almost 15 years and still haven’t seen every place I want to.
The best advice: narrow your focus to an element of Alaska you want to see or an activity you want to do most. Then find the region of Alaska that offers that.
2. What is UnCruise?
KidTripster: This summer, you’re the “Youth Adventurist” for UnCruise, leading two family cruises through Alaska’s glaciers and fjords. For those unfamiliar, what is UnCruise? How’s it different from other cruise experiences?
Erin Kirkland: UnCruise is a company that has truly picked up the concept of cruising and shaken it up.
Living up to its name, UnCruise is not ordinary cruising. The vessels are smaller (under 90 passengers), and the activities are more individual and intimate to reflect the desire of guests to become immersed in the place not the boat.
For a week or more, passengers are treated to the nooks and crannies of Southeast Alaska – hiking where there are no trails, kayaking where there are no other people, and viewing raw, wild Alaska every single day.
KidTripster: You’ve been sailing on family itineraries with UnCruise since 2014. What can guests expect on one of the Kids and Families Departures?
Erin Kirkland: I really try to make our family departures more like summer camp and less like a typical cruise line “kids club.” Families have chosen to sail on smaller ships so they can have an abundance of time with their kids or grandkids, and I honor that in every activity I offer.
That said, I do curate a number of adventures just for the kids, and it’s a special thing when we can take a skiff to shore and spend a few hours making plaster casts of bear prints in the mud or playing games in a secluded rainforest.
Every day is different, but I generally have two scheduled activities per day on board and off, and plenty of time to just hang out with me doing crafts, taking photographs, performing basic science experiments, and learning about what it’s like to be an Alaskan. The experience is valuable for them, their families, and me.
3. How are family sailings different?
KidTripster: Children – 8 years and older – are allowed on most UnCruise Adventures. What makes the “Kids & Families Departures” different?
Erin Kirkland: Kids always have fun on any UnCruise departure; my son has sailed many as the only young person, and we’ve had a great time.
When a lot of youngsters are on one sailing, it brings a whole new set of dynamics that open us up for group activities, special shore excursions, arts and crafts, cooking – stuff that is far more fun with other kids on board.
I’ve seen deep friendships formed on the Kids and Family cruises, and I am still in touch with families I’ve cruised with years ago. It’s a special week, more like “floating family camp” than a cruise.
Read our KidTripster tween’s favorite moments from her adventure with UnCruise.
KidTripster: From your experience, what’s the best age range for participating in a Kids and Family program?
Erin Kirkland: Each trip is unique, just like each child, but the age that seems to benefit most from a family cruise is between 8 and 11 years old. They’re old enough to welcome time away from Mom and Dad when we go ashore, and young enough to become wildly excited by the simplicity of our activities and projects. This age group seems to be the sweet spot.
That said, I’ve had teenagers who became my junior counselors and kindergartners who sewed Tlingit button blankets better than I did. If I’ve learned anything doing this job, it’s to never, ever underestimate a kid.
4. What are some memorable moments?
KidTripster: Tell us about a memorable experience (or experiences) from a past family cruise?
Erin Kirkland: Every single cruise has moments that bring me pause for their significance.
One year a teenager was along with her parents and grandparents, and it happened to be a very active humpback whale summer with whales breaching and slapping and bubble-net feeding nearly the entire week. We stopped by a whale research facility for a few hours, and this young lady was so awestruck by what she was experiencing that she went home and changed her college major to marine biology.
Last summer, the deck crew found a dead squid floating in the water, so they brought it on board, and we dissected it with the help of an expedition leader and a doctor who happened to be on the trip. It was a powerful activity.
When whales or other wildlife appear, watching kids’ jaws drop and their eyes open wide is a treasure.
5. What other logistics do parents need to know?
KidTripster: There’s no WiFI aboard UnCruise, and cell service is extremely spotty in remote Alaska. That forces families to disconnect. How do kids handle being unplugged for a week?
Erin Kirkland: Honestly, we adults are part of the problem when we call this out. It is what it is, and the less attention we draw to it, the more the kids see this as the same.
KidTripster: Any special recommendations for packing for an Alaska cruise with kids?
Erin Kirkland: I tell families coming to Alaska to pack for dressing with layers.
Non-cotton layers that can be shed as the weather improves or declines (because often it does both within minutes) are best. High-quality rain pants and jacket will make a kid far more comfortable for our treks ashore or in a kayak, and rubber boots that fit well are a must.
I also recommend a hat for both sun and chilly temperatures and thin gloves for days we’re exploring around glaciers.
Make sure to read KidTripster’s 6 things to know about booking a small ship cruise for your family with UnCruise.
KidTripster: Is the menu tailored to kids, too? What can families expect when it comes to dining on board? How are “picky eater” problems handled?
Erin Kirkland: After five years running this program, the chefs, servers, and staff have worked well with families to make sure an abundance of kid-friendly meals are available.
We always have pancakes for breakfast, for example. For dinner, kids like familiar food and while I do encourage them all to try everything once, some kids (my own included) will eat what they’ll eat, and that’s it.
I tell parents in our pre-departure meeting that I’d far rather have them eat chicken burgers all week than be out with me hiking around and starving.
6. What about the parents?
KidTripster: Speaking of parents, will they have fun, too?
Erin Kirkland: The fabulous part of the family cruises is that everyone has an opportunity to have their “own time.”
In fact, the whole reason this program got started was from our first UnCruise experience. Happy Hour is a daily gathering on any UnCruise boat, and on a smaller ship, having grown-up time to sip the day’s cocktail and chat with other adults is a nice way to rehash the day. It was pretty hard to do that on our first cruise, so after we returned home, I discussed the idea of more activities and a youth leader with the company, and “boom,” here we are.
KidTripster: What kind of feedback do you get from kids and parents at the end of a cruise?
Erin Kirkland: They all can’t believe the week is over and want to come back. There’s a lot of hugging and fist bumps at the end of each week. I swear, it’s like summer camp.
Is an Alaskan voyage with UnCruise right for your family? Read our day-by-day account to find out what to expect.
7. How to book?
Erin Kirkland grew up camping and hiking in the Pacific Northwest. For the past 15 years, she’s been writing about family travel and outdoor activities. Erin started the website AK on the GO in 2008 when she noticed that there wasn’t much information about Alaska for families. Erin’s the author of the Alaska On the Go guidebook series. She has two sons.
It’s not too late to join Erin aboard UnCruise. There are Kids & Families Departures with Erin this summer. The sailing dates are July 4 and August 1.
Adventure activities may include things like foraging, forest exploration, scavenger hunts, kayaking and paddle board relays, and beach parties. Additionally, there are art and craft activities. Most likely, there’ll be a polar plunge, too. That’s when guests jump into freezing cold water (for fun!)
Pin to Pinterest & Read Later
