From Seattle, we set off on a 7 day Norwegian Cruise that was kid-friendly and stopped in 4 ports: Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Victoria B.C., with a fifth day spent cruising Glacier Bay National Park. We had incredible weather for all four of our port days. It was foggy early in the morning, and then high 60’s with sunshine. Not what you’d expect in Alaska!
Onboard the Cruise
The first day of the cruise was all spent at sea. We kept plenty busy between the pool and hot tub, game room, deck side views, and shows. There was a great kids club onboard where we could drop off and pick up the kids pretty much whenever we wanted to, with the exception of eating times. This was a great program, and one of the reasons we chose this cruise line.
The afternoon of Day 2, we arrived in Juneau. A few hours before arriving, we were cruising the “Inside Passage” with land on both sides of us, and it was there that we saw Orcas, one on each side of the ship. I also enjoyed watching the waterfalls as we were approaching Juneau, as the snow was melting from the mountains.
Exploring Juneau
We chose not to book any excursions for this port, but instead do a slower, laid back visit with the kids to enjoy our first experience in Alaska.
Because it was clear and sunny, we took the Mount Roberts Tramway up to the mountain top for awesome views of the city. The tram did not look that high or impressive from the ground, but it was AWESOME from the top.
Once we exited the tram, there was a great little Visitor Center. We were able to see rescued bald eagles close up, and peruse the information at the center.
There were several eagles flying around, which was just amazing to see!
We also enjoyed the viewing deck, where we could take in the views below us.
We took a very short trail from the Visitor Center, which was incredible. It seemed surreal. The mountains had remnants of snow, and the area was actually rainforests, which I didn’t realize. We took a great hike through a winding and steep trail, and we even saw an eagle’s nest high up in the trees.
We really enjoyed this peaceful day in Juneau. Walking among the beautiful trees and mountains of Alaska was a perfect day.