Land excursions on Star with a toddler ?

We will be going on the Star to Alaska on September 5th. Can anyone here please inform me as to which land excursions are possible with my 16 month old toddler ? I guess we can atleast take the train ride in Skagway. Are there any other excursions possible with a baby ? We have a rearmost balcony room (#8176) where the agent has told us that the panoramic view is gorgeous.

Thanks a lot.

Manish

[Karen16]

Frankly I would NOT pick anything that is more than an hour. That age is just too unpredictable not having a "way out". Excursions are costly- including a 3 hour train ride, and you can't guarantee no disruptions. I am not trying to be judgemental only factual. That age likes to run around and isn't always receptive to range limits. I would consider some port walking tours- especially in Ketchikan with plenty of things of interest- Creek St., totems. lumberjack show?? On the ship- I would try and arrange baby sitting right when you get on for some of the dining times- otherwise be prepared to leave possibily?? Again few toddlers can tolerate extended dining and multi courses. There was a good article in Cruise Travel Magazine giving excellent tips traveling with this age- the babysitting was a must. I think it was the April issue? See if you can get a copy? Take a stroller it will allow naps and some mobility limitations in crowded ports. Have a great trip.

we just went on a cruise with an 11 mos old and 3 year old. In Skagway we did the "to the summit" on a bus that was excellent...we even saw the train on the other side of the valley. So glad we avoided the train...the bus driver stopped every 10 minutes or so we could take pictures. There was also a little park in town where the kids played for about a half hour (all the way to alaska to play in a playground) In Juneau we took a bus to the Mendenhal Glacier (not that spectacular a site especially after you see Hubbard Glacier, but something to do and it is only a 25 minute drive. We also took the tram to the top of the mountain (right in town ...you'll see as you get off the ship) and walked on some trails up there...saw a bald eagle flying up there. There was also a restaurant up there where you could eat lunch. In Ketchikan, we did the duck boat ...may be hit or miss for a 16 mos old...not much room to move around. Then I walked around with my 11 mos old in and out of all the t-shirt and jewelery shops while the rest of my family took a float plane trip. We were there in July (high tourist season) and found it virtually impossible to find a restaurant that wasn't completely packed with long waits to eat lunch. Bring lots of snacks so you can skip the sit down lunch or else budget a little extra time for lunch...although you may not have this problem if you go in Sept. Have fun!

oh yeah, forgot about creek street in ketchikan....that was nice. Like other responder said, unless your child LOVES long car rides, avoid the 3 hour +tours. We booked our trip to the summit in skagway through an independant company once we got off the ship It was called M&M I think...I was actually dreading it but it seemed like we got on and off the bus so many times that it didn't seem like a long tour at all. Just remember the snacks.