Cruising Alaska Was the Perfect Family Summer Vacation

Our family of 5 went on a 7-Day Princess Cruise to Alaska this summer—and we still can't stop talking about it!

Fact checked by Karen Cilli

I’ve never wanted to go on a cruise before. I was worried it’d feel claustrophobic, that the kids would get bored, and that it was for...well...the retirement crowd. It turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong.

My family of five—including kids ages 5, 9, and 11—went on a 7-day cruise to Alaska on the Discovery Princess for our summer vacation, and my kids still can’t stop talking about it. From the palatial-like main “lobby,” to the endless entertainment, to the breathtaking vistas and excursions, and of course, the endless gelato, it was a little (and big) kid paradise—and that’s just on the boat.

On port days, whales, bald eagles, salmon, and even a moose were all spotted. There’s definitely a reason that an Alaskan cruise was a bucket list trip for many of the families and fellow passengers we met on board.

We selected Princess Cruises’ newest ship (which launched in March 2022), partly due to their unique partnership with Discovery Communications. This meant that there were activities onboard like a special talk from a former captain on The Deadliest Catch or Puppies in the Piazza which sounds exactly like its name. There were also specific Discovery and Animal Planet “recommended” excursions at each port, like an unforgettable trip to a dog sledding camp, that are super family-friendly.

The Alaska cruise stopped in four different ports: Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Victoria, B.C., leaving a good amount of time to enjoy all of the ship’s amenities.

It was essentially a one-and-done family vacation that met everyone’s needs—the perfect pause for a busy family of five.

Related: The Ultimate Family Cruise Packing List

The 5 Best Parts About the Discovery Princess for Kids

The Kids Club

If you asked my newly turned 5-year-old what her highlight of the cruise was, she will unequivocally exclaim that it was the Kids Club, aka Camp Discovery. The Camp rooms—where kids are divided up by ages—were sparkling clean, filled with kid-friendly programming and toys, and the caregivers that worked there were so kind and lovely, remembering their names every day. There were planned games and activities all day long and every time we came to pick her up, she was so sad to leave.

The older kids were huge fans of their Camp Discovery room, too. They enjoyed participating in the pre-planned activities and crafts, playing video games, watching movies, playing skeeball, and reading books in their “camp.”

On the parent side, it was nice to be able to have several adults-only dinners (and if you get the chance to try out the truly innovative and immersive 360 dinner, we highly recommend it) and do things you’d have to wait ages at home to do, like get a massage or simply go to the gym. They even offer extended care during hours they’re not normally open if the adults (or adults and older kids) want to do an excursion like we did to view the awe-inspiring Dawes glacier.

And yes, during certain days Camp Discovery even takes all the kids to dinner at the buffet. A vacation where you don’t even have to worry about feeding your kids is pretty much priceless.

Related: This Mom Has the Best Tips for Traveling With Your Family

The Excursions

We were fortunate enough to be able to experience several excursions as a family at the various ports where we stopped. We booked directly through the ship for convenience and to ensure that we’d make it back to the ship in time for departure, after hearing stories of people being left behind when they chose to wander off on their own and lost track of time.

The process was super easy and can be done before your trip, but we did some the day before as well. Overall, there were tons of family-friendly options.

The dog sledding camp visit in Juneau had to be one of the most memorable things we’ve ever done together as a family from petting the puppies to taking a sled ride with a musher and their team of dogs through an Alaskan forest. All the kids also loved the scenic train ride up the mountain in Skagway—and especially the gold mining that followed. While we didn't do it this time around, we heard from fellow families with kids that the whale watching tour was a huge hit as well.

We did leave our youngest in Camp Discovery—where she had a blast and didn’t want to leave—for an outing to the Dawes glacier, as a long small boat ride to view a glacier didn’t seem like the best activity for a 5-year-old, but every parent knows their child best. The great part is there’s tons of flexibility to mix and match family members and excursions, which we saw lots of multi-generational families doing. 

On-Board Entertainment

Besides traditional cruise ship shows in the massive Princess Theater like the comedian magician and a rock opera (both huge hits with the kids), there are activities to be found everywhere. From a putting green, to a basketball and pickleball court, and ping pong tables—not to mention the pool— the kids never got restless as I had initially feared.

And thanks to Princess Cruises’ partnership with Discovery, we were able to listen to a fascinating talk by naturalist Michael Modzelewski that even the 9- and 11-year-old were captivated by.

The daily schedule handed out each night was almost overwhelming in the amount of choices families had to spend the day. We played Mario Kart with other families one day and watched an ice sculptor at work the next.

There were also various family-themed activities throughout the week like a family dance party, petting sled dogs that were brought onboard, and so much more. There literally wasn’t enough time to do and see everything we wanted to.

Related: 11 Best Vacations for Kids Under 10

The Food

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting much in terms of cruise food but found myself pleasantly surprised—as did the kids. The allure of an all-you-can-eat buffet with cuisines from around the world was such a treat for them, as were the “fancy” gelato store on the main level and the soft serve and popcorn stand near the pool.

Their favorite, however, had to be the The International Cafe where they eventually felt the confidence to go up and order pastries, sandwiches, fruit, and desserts for themselves. The coffee bar was conveniently located at the same location so the adults got to caffeinate while the kids snacked.

Room service is also included in all of the packages, which was super convenient for when there was a napping child, or if we wanted breakfast delivered early and not deal with the morning crowds at the dining establishments—because the worst thing to tell a hungry kid is there’s a long wait somewhere.

There are premium dining options as well, like the Ocean Terrace Sushi Bar, for a very affordable “cover charge” that we took advantage of to nosh on some delicious sushi while enjoying live music in the atrium. This may have been everyone’s favorite meal.

The Medallions

This may sound silly, but the kids still rave about this, so I’d be remiss not to mention it. Unlike traditional cruise ships of the past, where every guest had a key card, on the Discovery Princess, each guest was given their own “medallion” on a lanyard to wear throughout their stay. This served as our room key, payments for anything extra, and even a personal GPS tracker.

As soon as the kids neared our room door, the door would identify them and unlock, so there was no unnecessary fiddling with keys and cards. And after we felt comfortable letting the older kids walk to Camp Discovery on their own, we could track exactly where they were on our Princess Cruises app or on any of the giant touchscreens placed around the elevators to ensure they got to where they needed to go.

The medallions also meant we could order food through our app and someone would know exactly where we were and find us to deliver that hot cocoa or adult beverage.

As first-time cruisers, we had no idea what to expect and can definitely say everything exceeded our expectations—from the grandness of the ship itself to the beauty of Alaska, and there were definite tears when the ship finally docked back in Seattle. This is one family that’s already starting to look forward to the next cruise. 

Related: The 5 Coolest Things for Kids on Disney's New Cruise Ship

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