A Guide to the Best Alaska Cruise for Families With Royal Caribbean
Family-Friendly Cruises to Alaska
By Candyce H. Stapen | Published on January 9, 2026
On our family Alaska cruise, we stood on the deck staring in amazement at the sheer size of Hubbard Glacier — a cool icy blue in the sunlight — which stretched for miles and was backed by gloriously snowcapped mountain peaks. After dreaming of this moment for months, cruising past this dazzling sight on our first full day onboard the Royal Caribbean ship Radiance of the Seas® reinforced that it’s the best Alaska cruise for families. We also knew that many cruise lines offer similar routes for Alaska travelers, but we were especially drawn by family-friendly amenities and shore excursions from Royal Caribbean.
Not only were my husband and I awestruck by Alaska’s natural wonders, but so were Alissa, our teen daughter, and Matt, our college-age son. We bonded over dog sledding, flightseeing and whale watching and enjoyed discussing the day’s events over dinner every night on our cruise ship. In my experience, engaging teenagers on a family vacation is much more complicated than pleasing younger kids, and we were thrilled that this vacation succeeded in holding their interest each day and producing lively family conversations each evening.
Want to learn more about planning the best Alaska cruise itinerary for families? Consider this blog your guide, showcasing a family’s amazing experience on their Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise.
Key Takeaways
- ● Royal Caribbean offers the best Alaska cruise for families.
- ● See the funky little town of Talkeetna, with wooden storefronts and eateries.
- ● Visit Denali National Park and Preserve, where you can see Mount McKinley.
- ● Go whale watching in Kenai Fjords National Park.
- ● Check out Hubbard Glacier, which stands 350 feet above the water.
- ● If you’re looking for cruise ships with family suites, Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise options have that and so much more. Check out cruises to Alaska today.
What’s the Best Alaskan Cruise for Families?
What’s the Best Time To Cruise Alaska?
The best time to cruise Alaska is from late May to early September, which is the official Alaska cruise season. The sweet spot depends on your priorities — whether it’s weather, wildlife, fewer crowds or lower prices.
As for how old your kids should be to go on an Alaskan cruise, that’s completely up to you and your family. People of all ages can enjoy an Alaskan cruise. However, the ideal age is typically age six and up. This is because it’s easier to do more shore excursions. On the other hand, good cruises for families will have plenty of kid-friendly events and activities to keep them entertained.
Starting Your Trip: Visit Talkeetna
In Anchorage, we boarded Alaska’s famous glass-domed sightseeing train, the Wilderness Express. Through the large windows and the glass-domed ceiling, we watched Alaska’s landscape roll by, including forests filled with spruce and hemlock, snowcapped mountains and small towns. We had lunch in the dining car and played gin rummy, a family favorite, after we ate. This pre-cruise portion gave us a taste of just how expansive Alaska cruises can be, as many Alaska itineraries also include scenic train rides to capture the region’s natural splendor.
We got off the train at Talkeetna, a funky little town filled with wooden storefronts and eateries. Located near Denali State Park, it’s a gateway to flightseeing and fishing adventures. From the deck of the ridgetop Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, about an hour from town, we savored views of the jagged slopes of the Alaska Range. We dined on delicious grilled salmon and devoured blueberry tarts for dessert.
Although clouds often envelop the mountain’s summit, the mist lifted one afternoon, revealing the majestic snow-capped peak of the mighty mountain. For cruisers planning land tours as part of their Alaskan cruises, Talkeetna offers a glimpse of authentic Alaska family experiences before or after embarking on a ship cruise.
Next Stop: Go Sightseeing in Denali National Park
The best decision we made on this trip was booking a flightseeing trip to Denali National Park and Preserve — one of the most memorable experiences of our Alaska vacation. In the language of native Koyukon Athabascans, “Denali” translates to “the great one.”
At 20,310 feet, Denali’s Mount McKinley is the highest peak in North America and a must-see Alaska travel site that inspires awe. During Alaskan cruises, some shore excursions also include options to visit this national park area, and we highly recommend it for families craving adventure.
We took advantage of Alaska’s 17-plus hours of daylight to board the helicopter in the late afternoon from Talkeetna. Our 10,000-foot vantage point gave us a sense of Ruth Glacier’s massive size — it’s a seemingly endless stretch of blue ice slit with crevasses and laced with turquoise pools. When we were within two miles of the mountain’s summit, the clouds lifted and we saw the peak pierce the sky.
Can’t Miss Spying On Otters, Whales and More
We arrived early in Seward, the departure point for our Alaska cruise, so that we could experience more sights before we set sail. Exploring Kenai Fjords National Park — home to nearly 40 glaciers that are part of the 700 square miles of the Harding Icefield — in an expedition boat proved to be another highlight of our family vacation in Alaska.
Just minutes after we left the dock, our naturalist guide pointed out otters floating, then rolling like logs, in the water. We sailed by spruce thickets, a sea lion colony sprawled on a rocky islet and a puffin rookery. When we heard “thar she blows,” we ran to the port railing just in time to catch a glimpse of the bumpy head of a 40-foot humpback whale before it disappeared below the surface.
Floating slabs of ice dotted the sea as we cruised about a half-mile of the glacier’s terminus, a vantage point that gave us a sense of the massive formation that dwarfed our vessel. When the captain cut the engines, we listened. Soon, we heard cracks and a thunderous roar as the glacier calved huge chunks into the sea.
Most of the other passengers escaped to the windowed ship’s interior, but we craved the fresh air, so we huddled together on a bench, laughing as we wrapped ourselves like burritos in blankets we borrowed from the crew.
Taking In Glaciers And Games
We boarded our ship, the 2,466-passenger Radiance of the Seas®, and immediately sailed away. Early on in our sailing, a day of cruising to Hubbard Glacier gave us time to explore the ship.
Royal Caribbean ships often balance excitement and relaxation, ensuring both kids and adults have fun. Matt grabbed a deck lounge chair while Alissa walked the promenade with us before striking out alone to check out the teen lounge. When the ship drew near the colossal glacier, we met on deck to share the moment. A majestic sight, the glacier towered 350 feet above the water. But no teen or 20-something stares at a glacier for three hours, no matter how impressive.
To remain in sight of the glistening blue behemoth and the ice-chunk-dotted sea, we convinced them to play shuffleboard with us. It has become a fun family cruise staple for us over the years, and the kids won again.
Making New Friends: Dog Sledding Adventures
Later in the cruise, this family of dog lovers couldn’t resist booking a dog-sledding shore excursion. The excursion starts with a helicopter ride above an emerald-green forest to the plateau of Mendenhall Glacier, one of Alaska’s most noted sights.
Before returning to the ship, we grabbed a seafood dinner in town — crab cakes and grilled shrimp — and picked up some souvenirs for friends back home.
Last Stop: The Gold Rush Route
Learning a region’s history is important to us on a trip, and our family Alaska cruise was no exception. We boarded the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway, which first launched in 1898, in Skagway for the three-hour excursion. This is a must for cruise families who love combining history with scenic vistas. Some ocean cruises stop here so passengers can follow the same path gold rush prospectors took many decades ago.
From our train’s window, we saw Alaskan sights we had only read about — the grueling terrain many gold rush prospectors had to conquer to seek riches in the Yukon Territory. En route to the White Pass Summit, the narrow-gauge train climbed 2,888 feet. Tuckered out from an evening of dancing in the teen lounge, our kids were happy to sit and listen. They found the narrated history informative and the scenery engaging, even if we had to poke them awake occasionally.
Plan Your Royal Caribbean Alaska Cruise
One of our best family vacations, our family Alaska cruise gave us days filled with Alaskan adventures and dinners over which to compare notes and share the stories. Most of all, we were grateful for the time with our children and a moment to enjoy them before they moved on to more adult lives.
Family-friendly cruises offering kids' clubs, flexible dining and exciting shore excursions often bring loved ones together. If you’re seeking cruise deals, a more kid-friendly itinerary or simply yearning for the beauty of national parks in the Final Frontier, there’s never been a better time to plan your own Alaska family cruises.
