Alaska Uncovered Podcast
Welcome to the Alaska Uncovered Podcast with your host, Jennie Thwing Flaming. Jennie brings you accurate, helpful and entertaining information about Alaska Travel and Life in Alaska. Guests include Alaska travel experts and Alaska business owners, guides and interesting Alaskans. Jennie is a born and raised Seattleite, a former Alaskan and spends several weeks in Alaska each year. She’s an experienced guide and the Founder of the Alaska and Washington travel website, Top Left Adventures. Jennie is joined by occasional co-host, Jay Flaming, her husband for more than 20 years. Jennie and Jay met working in tourism in Skagway, Alaska and also lived in Juneau and Fairbanks together. Jay lived in Fairbanks for 8 years before meeting Jennie in Skagway and grew up in Yellowstone National Park.
Alaska Uncovered Podcast
Cruising with Kids from Babies to Teens to Young Adults with Janelle Martin
Jennie’s long time friend Janelle joins the podcast to share about her experiences cruising in Alaska (and elsewhere) with her three kids from babies to young adults.
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Music credits: Largo Montebello, by Domenico Mannelli, CC.
Are you considering doing an Alaska cruise with your kids? Well today we are talking about cruising Alaska and other places with kids from babies and toddlers all the way up to teenagers. Welcome to the Alaska uncovered podcast with me, your host, Jenny twang flaming, my occasional co host and full time husband, Jay and I bring you accurate, helpful and entertaining information about Alaska, travel and life in Alaska. Before we start the episode. We would like to thank our Patreon members for making this podcast possible. You can join them at the link in the show notes. We are so grateful for your support of independent podcasts. Enjoy the show. My guest today is Janelle Martin. Janelle has been my friend for more than 25 years, since we worked in Skagway together janelle's husband and Janelle And Jay and I all work together in Skagway, and that's how we became friends. And janelle's husband has worked in the cruise industry ever since, even though she is a school counselor like me. And because of this, Janelle and her family, including her kids, have been on more than 20 cruises together, and more than 10 of those have been in Alaska. So Janelle is pretty obviously the expert on this topic. If there ever was one. It's also kind of a fun fact that Janelle and her husband were roommates in Fairbanks with Jay The year before Jay and I met. So we've known each other a long time, and I hear Janelle that your daughter is working in Alaska this summer as well, very snugly and fun. So Janelle, welcome to Alaska, uncovered. Thank you for being here.
Unknown:Oh, I'm I'm thrilled to be here. Thanks, Jennie,
Jennie Flaming:yeah. So tell me a little bit about how you got to Alaska in the first place. Well,
Janelle:as you said, my now husband and I have been working at this point, or he has been in the industry for quite some time. But when we were college students at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, just for geography, kind of we were in the Northwest, and they had a college like a career fair, but for summer jobs, specifically. And as we were walking through our Student Union Building and saw a desk with some nice looking young people who had worked in the tour, in tourism, specifically with giving tours for people getting off cruises, we thought that looked kind of fun, so we asked them some questions, and it just sounded like a great summer job. And so for us, it all started by connecting with those trainers. We actually got our commercial driver's licenses and learned to be tour guides, and then were sent up to Skagway, Alaska. We had been dating for a few years at that point, and so we were placed up there together, and we kind of the rest is history. Yeah,
Jennie Flaming:yeah, Little did you know that that was going to be like your your entire life, absolutely,
Janelle:who would have known? And that's the interesting thing, is we. We didn't have a background in tourism. We, each of us. I had never been to Alaska. My husband had as a younger child, and so we really it was just kind of on a fluke, on a whim, and something that sounded really fun and turned into a really great thing and a huge part of our lives. And since that time, we've had many friends and siblings. And now, as you said, our daughter will be working in Skagway, Alaska this summer. Oh,
Jennie Flaming:that's so fun. Okay, so Janelle, tell everybody how many kids you have and how old are they now? Okay,
Janelle:so we have three kids. Our oldest is 22 years old. She's the one who'll be working in Skagway this summer. And then, yeah, we have an 18 year old son and a 15 year old son as well. Awesome.
Jennie Flaming:Okay, so how old were your kids when you took them on their first cruise? Actually, Janelle, before I ask that, I forgot to mention something before. So for the most part, during this conversation, Janelle and I are going to be talking about large ships, like the bigger ships that that go up to Alaska. So that includes Holland America and Princess and Norwegian and Royal Caribbean celebrity, Disney has a couple ships in Alaska. So mostly we're going to be talking about that. And if you've listened to. This podcast for a while, you know that that can be kind of a very different experience from a smaller ship. So if we do talk about smaller ships at all, we'll make that clear. But for the most part, we're going to be talking about big ships. So I forgot to mention that before. Okay, so how old were your kids, Janelle, when they went on their first cruise,
Janelle:so when we had our daughter, and she was a baby, we definitely were looking forward to taking her on her first cruise and and having that way of vacationing for our sake as well as for hers, even though she wouldn't remember it. But so she was only a little over nine months old, which was the minimum at that time, but we were very comfortable cruisers. By that point, we had cruised quite a bit with our own parents and siblings and friends, and so we did go when our daughter was only between nine and 10 months old, and that was a Mexico cruise, a Mexican Riviera cruise. And that kind of brings me to one of the advantages of cruising, which I think we're going to cover this as well. But when you do have a baby, or a young child who has a, you know, a lot of rigid, more rigid sleep needs, maybe, than an older child would, it's just so nice to have that floating hotel, to have that home Bay, yeah, um, so we it was, yeah, something we were really looking forward to, and it really went well. So all of our kids have proved by the time they were one years old.
Jennie Flaming:Okay, that's what I was going to ask you, is your younger children, if they were older or younger? So it sounds around the same time. Okay, yes. So um, and then, um, I know you know, you and I have talked about this lots of times, but just so everybody knows this was like, started as babies. Now are teenagers and young adults, and you've gone on at least one cruise every year that whole time, right? Absolutely. Yeah, then sometimes more. Okay, so where have you cruised with your kids? Besides Alaska, I know you said Mexico, yeah, just for fun. What are some other places that you've gone with them? Yeah? Well,
Janelle:we, we've had the chance to do two Europe cruises with them, one in the Mediterranean, and that was from Rome to Becky and then to Barcelona. So that was a wonderful trip, showing them, sort of the western side of the Med and then having a little time. And we flew to Paris after so that was a really fun sort of explore, exploration of Europe, that part of Europe. But we also recently, a couple years ago, did a UK, Ireland 12 day cruise with them as well. So a couple in Europe. And then we've also done the Galapagos Islands, and as you said, Mexico. We've done several in the Caribbean, and several, or many in Alaska as well. Yeah,
Jennie Flaming:I know you've done an Alaska cruise in some form pretty much every summer, right? Yes, yes, yeah, yeah, cool. Sometimes
Janelle:it's just even that, like one year we took the ferry. Other times we, you know, done a few days here or there, but the whole seven day cruise we've done, yeah, at least eight or 910 times.
Jennie Flaming:Yeah, that's awesome. Okay, so Janelle, if parents are listening to this and there, or maybe grandparents who are considering taking their grandchildren or children and grandchildren on a cruise to Alaska or I think this question really applies, probably to any cruise. But what are some things that you would encourage people to think about before deciding whether or not to cruise with kids? And we are going to talk about different ages more specifically, so maybe right now, kind of the big picture family vacation.
Janelle:Yeah, you know, I just think it's really important to keep in mind that cruising really can be for any age child, and in my opinion, from the age at which they're allowed to cruise on that particular line, which sometimes is around six months to nine months or a year, whatever that cruise line allows, I think that's that's totally fine, And then all the way up through young adults. But I do think that you want to think about the not as much even the brand as just is, is the itinerary set up to be more of a kind of a party cruise, something more for adults, or is it something that's going to have some family friendly activities as well? We're not against our kids coming on cruises that are more oriented to adults in terms of the itinerary or exploration or, you know, the different ports, but we do like to have an environment where we feel like it's safe and comfortable for them to wander around on their own as well, and when they're old enough to Do that. Yeah,
Jennie Flaming:and how do you what are some tools that you've used for kind of deciding, okay, this is going to be a good a good option for my kids. What are things you would recommend people learn about to kind of make that decision? Yeah, I think that the ports.
Janelle:Think something that will capture their attention. And most places in the world have something like this, but there are certainly ports that are easier to navigate with young children, and the ports in Alaska, honestly, are very kid friendly. They have parks and yes, you know, museums walking distance from the most of the ship ports and things like raptor centers and bear viewing and things that you know it would not a lot of kids are going to say, I'm not interested in that. I mean, you're going to have kids that are teenagers, and then you're going to have a harder time getting them to engage, maybe away from their devices. But that's actually can be a real advantage too, to find something that interests them and causes them to set their phones down for a little while.
Jennie Flaming:Yeah, yeah, that's a really good point. So what would you say, Janelle, are some of the big advantages of doing a cruise vacation with kids and again, let's just talk about it, big picture for now, because we're going to get into different ages of children after the break.
Janelle:Absolutely So advantages to me are that floating hotel concept, the home base you have. Even if you talk to experts in this area of traveling with children, they will say, you know, when your children are young, especially, find one place to be based out of or two places if you're somewhere for a week, and then kind of go from there, go on little adventures from there. And that's what cruising allows you to do. You only have to pack and unpack, you know, one time, and then you have all of their creature comforts right there. And so they can sleep on a schedule if they're very young and need that or and, you know, you always have access to food for them with whether it's the buffet or, you know, having brought into your room through room service. There's often times in any cruise that you're going to go on with children, even if it is a more adult oriented cruise company. I don't think, for instance, that you always have to go on a cruise ship that has water slides, or that has a place to ice skate or, you know, a wave machine. I I think that any cruise ship that says, you know, we are very family friendly, and you can bring your children a lot of times, that's a really nice environment for both the children and the adults. And we kind of prefer that style of cruising to the giant funship, fewer people and a little bit better service and and food options. And our kids have really adapted to that as well, and that's what they enjoy now as well. So but you know, you're going to have a place to play board games with your family members. My youngest really got interested in chess on one cruise when he was about five or six years old, and dad still play to us all the time. So, you know, it just it causes you to find some things that you maybe wouldn't realize would be fun for families or you and your child to do together. But you do want to think about, does that ship have something for young people? Whether it's kind of a arcade style youth room where you can come in and out with your child. A lot of cruise ships have that. Or whether it's a program where you actually check them in, it's usually ages three and up, and the three to five is, you know, kind of a childcare situation. Five and up, they'll often do scavenger hunts and have, you know, all kinds of table games or other activities for the kids to do, arts and crafts. So those are things that we really find to be advantages of piercing with our kids.
Jennie Flaming:Yeah, you know, I'm really glad that you mentioned kind of the wave pools and ice skating, and I can't remember the word you use. The word that I always use is like a carnival. Not not like the ship brand carnival, but like a carnival thing with Blair, yeah, and um, I think that it's really important for parents and like my clients who have kids that are thinking about cruising, I always encourage them to get beyond like, Oh, someone said this cruise line is more family friendly than that one. I think it's important to push beyond that a little bit and find out what that means. Like, is it about the programs for kids? Is it about the activities for kids? Because, you know, kids of all ages are different and have different interests. And some teenagers like love go kart racing, sure, but not everybody does right? So I think pushing like that was really good advice that you talked about before to say, like, find out what that ship and that itinerary is offering, and if that is aligned with what is going to be a good fit for your family, not only, like, you know, like Disney is not the only family absolutely,
Janelle:yeah, yes. And so that's why, you know, I was careful when I was saying, as far as what I'm looking for in a cruise, it's, it's, for me, it's not that. It's a, you know, as you said, a big a big carnival or a big fair, that it's also has educational opportunities, that the national park rangers come on board if we're in Glacier Bay, so that they can talk with our kids and help educate them and answer questions. And also that the shore excursions that are offered for that particular port or that particular cruise line have things that would interest our child at whatever age that they're at,
Jennie Flaming:yep, for sure. Okay, so what are, what are the downsides of cruising with kids? And let's stick kind of with Alaska for now, if you're thinking about like doing a cruise versus like, doing a road trip around Alaska, what would be some things that could be downsides, either have been for you, or could be for some families? I think
Janelle:that's a great question. We we travel in lots of different ways as a family. We do have the travel benefits because of my husband working in the travel industry. So we have done non cruise vacations. We have done a lot of road trips. We have been to other continents and countries with our kids that don't involve cruising. And you know certainly that freedom to if you're not on a cruise, to stay a little longer somewhere, if you love it, is something we really, you know, we really love that, and so we, we kind of do some of each will our big trip one summer would be, maybe not involving a cruise, and then the next summer it will involve a cruise. So kind of every other approach for us, because that having to leave a port that you just discovered, and that's absolutely amazing, is is hard, and we are. We were travelers and backpackers long before we worked in the travel industry. Yeah, this way of traveling at first with just us felt very restrictive, but now, but once we had children and realized the conveniences of it, I would say that one out at sometimes just depends what you're looking for.
Jennie Flaming:I guess. Yeah, that that makes a lot of sense. Um, before we take a break and um, get into like, specific ages of kids a bit more, I'd love to hear your thoughts a little bit. Janelle, about um, traveling with different generations of family, because I know that's something you've also done. And people listening to the podcast know that that's something that my family is doing this summer, grandparents, grandchildren, you know, siblings kind of thing. So could you talk about some of the like, benefits or downsides of like, if you're going to Alaska with a family group of different generations, kind of cruising versus versus not? You know, seeing a lot of different way?
Janelle:Absolutely. I think that's a great question for us. When we are cruising with extended family, or even just one set of grandparents, or bringing cousins, or whatever, we always choose a cruise, because there are options for everybody to find things that they enjoy. Where you're a little more restricted on that, if you are doing a land trip or a road trip, you know, it kind of you go by one person's idea or a group of people's ideas of what, where they want to go, what they want to see, where in a cruise. You really do have a lot of flexibility. So we have found that having grandparents, as I said, I often bring a cousin or a friend for one of our children, and that it's a great, a great way to make sure that even the grandparents that might be in their, you know, 70s and up, and the little children who are two or three years old all have a place that they enjoy on the cruise ship, And yet can come together at and do something together, like maybe a dinner together, or an activity or a short excursion, and then everybody separate ways. And so it is our it is our favorite way to travel with extended
Jennie Flaming:for sure. Yeah, yeah, love it. Okay, we're going to take a short break, and when we kind of, when we come back, I'm going to be asking Janelle about different ages of kids and her advice for cruising there. So we'll be right back. Hi everyone, Jenny here. I hope you're enjoying this episode so far, I wanted to take a moment to share a few ways I can help you make your dream Alaska trip happen beyond the podcast. First of all, if you're traveling in 2024 don't miss out on getting the Alaska 2024 stickers we have in our shop, designed by Jay they're super unique and beautiful. If you're planning a trip in the future, there are lots of other ways I can help as well. For starters, you can take my free quiz to give you the best Alaska itinerary for your travel style. Second I've got done for you itineraries as well as digital planners for your trip, including specific ones for cruising, for driving to Alaska and any other kind of Alaska trip. You can imagine my planners will help you make it a reality. Finally, if you want some personalized travel advice from me, I offer 30 minute planning sessions on Zoom. Dates are limited during the summer, since I'm on the road quite a bit, but there are still some dates available in the fall, I will again offer custom itinerary planning and cruise bookings for the 2025 season, as well as Alaska winter trips, I'd love to work with you to make your dream trip happen to Alaska, and I hope I get to meet you. Links for all of these different ways I can help are in the show notes below our patreon link. Now back to the show, and we're back with Janelle Martin. Janelle is a veteran cruiser with her family. Her husband works in the cruise industry, so she has been on many, many cruises with her kids at all ages. So Janelle, let's talk about different kind of ages of kids and like different things to think about. So let's start with children, like young children under five, babies, toddlers, maybe preschoolers. What are some things that you think parents or other family members should consider with that age group.
Janelle:I really feel like, especially with those younger children, that if you can have a relative on board, a friend, somebody who's willing, maybe somebody else with children, and you can take turns, so that the adults can get a dinner with just adults once in a while, and then somebody can stay back and watch the children. That always works out really nicely. In our case, we would always bring one of the grandmothers or an older cousin who could do a little bit of that childcare in exchange for some you know, them having some time to themselves as well. Yeah, and that seems to work pretty well with young children, because usually up until the age of three, there aren't any childcare opportunities on the ship, and from three to five, it's limited in the amount of hours. Usually that's available, yeah, and whether or not the child is going to want to go. In our case, our kids wanted to be with us, and that was great. And I will, I do want to say as a consideration that you do have to bring your young child to the dining room. We have had amazing experiences with this. They make sure that our kids have something to play with, and whether they bring them a little bit of pizza dough or something like that, or some a snack that they like, they know their favorite things. And then we thought our kids fall asleep at the dinner table if it is a little bit longer, a longer meal. We have pictures of them as babies laying the wait staff. Love this when this happens, and they break over like two chairs and make a little pre of a little bed for the child, and then they so like funny linens and stuff, yeah. And they also make really fun little puppets and other things out of paper for the kids. Oftentimes we just have had such good luck with all of the wait staff and others that work on the cruise ship just being really accommodating with our children.
Jennie Flaming:That is awesome. Is there, is there anything else that you think, um, parents with little ones should be thinking about?
Janelle:I think just um, for us, we always would bring up like a portable crib, like a pack and play, we called it. And so just knowing that the room you're in the stateroom, although they are quite small, and ours were as well, but that you have a space for that, I guess we would just put it in a closet, or partway in a closet, or something a little bit darker section of the room, maybe, if we had one and able to have them the child have a place that feels familiar for them, for sleeping but and of course, you're welcome to bring your own food that they like. If it's baby food, you may need to. But for older kids, three and up, they tend to be able to meet needs really well. We had a child we have a child with a severe peanut allergy, and at 1.1 of our kids, when we were cruising couldn't do dairy or gluten. And those, those needs were met really well by all
Jennie Flaming:you know, that's a good point, because, in general, cruise ships are really good with any kind of dietary needs.
Janelle:Yes, and it makes it's so convenient as a parent to just say, okay, my child's hungry, I'm going to run them up to get them a little bit of, you know, a slice of pizza or some mac and cheese or some cereal. There's always something like that available. And because they get hungry at different times than we might,
Jennie Flaming:yeah. And you know, I'm glad that you brought up the dining room, because I know that's something sometimes people are like, I cannot take my two year old to a formal dining room, yeah, and so that is like another point for, like, having adults that could kind of share the load with childcare. Yes, you know on that you're traveling with, so that you can take turns, but also just knowing that there are other dining options, you know, like, you could always get a slice of pizza. You can always. Absolutely, yeah, you can always get chicken nuggets. Totally,
Janelle:yep, go up to the Lido and or wherever the buffet is, whatever it's called on that particular ship, and get some a snack for them or something. And usually they'll have ice cream or a cookie or something like that as well. And sometimes on the near the pool deck as well, they'll have something with, you know, noodles or pasta or something that's really kid friendly. Yeah, and they have kid menus as well in the dining rooms.
Jennie Flaming:Yeah, yes, they do. Okay, anything else for young children? Janelle, before we move up a little bit. Well, just
Janelle:a story. When we had our first daughter, and we, as I said, wanted to begin cruising again, and we brought her, as well as an aunt and my mom, and we were able to even do a short excursion while we had this little daughter, and my aunt watched her. And you know, she was, like I said, about nine months old. And so we were able to go zip lining in Mexico, and she stayed on board with my aunt, who was very happy to have that time with her, and had volunteered that time. And we were happy. She was happy. My aunt was happy. And so, you know, if you can find a way to involve family members, you know, and just make it work, it's, it really felt nice with a nine month old, and here I was, I still had a nursing baby, and you know how to do some milk pumping ahead of time. But worth it. That's awesome, you know, to get out with just my husband and and take this little two, three hour, you know, shore excursion and, and so that was a really, a really fun thing. So yeah, cruises allow for that, which is great.
Jennie Flaming:Oh, that's so fun. Love it. Okay, so Janelle, what about slightly older kids, like school age, elementary school age? What are some things to think about with cruising with that age
Janelle:group? Absolutely, I think this is the age at which the programs on board do become more important, do they have, you know, something, as I talked about in Glacier Bay, often, arranger will come on board, and not only will they narrate for all of the passengers when you're going through the glacial area, but they'll go into the kids programs. And you know this ahead of time, that this is the time they're coming the Rangers, and they have the Junior Ranger books with them, and they help the kids, you know, complete that, and oftentimes have fun examples, maybe a piece of ice or something else from to show them what a piece of bark or log, to show them what is everything is really like that they aren't able to actually get out into. If you're there in the glacial Bay area, you may not be touching ground. And so that's really a great way to bring that to the children. And so those educational programs, we had the great opportunity to take a Galapagos cruise when our children were 10 to 16. And so we, you know, we knew that they had educators on board that were specifically for those age groups and so learning about the wildlife, and you know how things have evolved, and in that climate, it was just absolutely amazing. And those those naturalists took them, you know, paddle boarding or kayaking, or on a zodiac, so that they could really get the kids up close with the wildlife and the nature so really, really incredible for that. But I would just say for the school age kids, just think about it. Doesn't have to be a huge Kids program, but will there be at least five or six other kids around their age? And you can usually find that out by going online and finding out a little bit more about the cruise line. But again, it doesn't have to be the mass type of cruise, cruise ship, trying to remember the name for that. It's called a mass market type cruise. Which ones
Jennie Flaming:we were talking about, the whiz bang stuff, the carnival style, right?
Janelle:And it doesn't be that big to have kids programs, yeah, even like something like a princess cruise, or a hall in America or, you know, Royal Caribbean certainly will. But a Norwegian and some of the others will have kids programs, and it may be small, but at least there's other kids around their age who they can hang out with if they want to. Yep,
Jennie Flaming:absolutely. Um, I'm just going to give an additional plug for the Glacier Bay Junior Ranger program. It is so fun and just fun. Fact, adults can become Junior Rangers. Also, I am a Junior Ranger in Glacier Bay National Park. That's pretty fun. So I love that.
Janelle:Yeah, we've done it along with our kids at every national park we've been to, and it is such a wonderful program. Oh, fun. Yeah. Really, really, great. And then you learn things about how the Rangers get on and off the ship, and things that will really fascinate the kids to know about to be able to watch. Yes,
Jennie Flaming:and by the way, way back at the beginning of the podcast, I believe it was episode five or maybe six, but it was in the spring of 2023 So way, way back time machine, we have an episode about Glacier Bay National Park with one of the Rangers there, and Ranger Matt, and so he also talks in that episode about being the cruise ship Ranger, and like, the process of getting on board the ship at like, five o'clock in the morning. So right. If that sounds intriguing. Go back and listen to that episode. It was a really fun one.
Unknown:They are superheroes.
Jennie Flaming:Yeah, absolutely cool. Anything else about elementary schoolers, Janelle, before we move on? So
Janelle:I think just again, thinking about the demographics of who's going to be on board. And again, it doesn't have to be a million children, but other, you know, a few other families with kids around that age, just for having fun in the pool. Yeah, our kids often make friends at the pool, yeah. And so yeah, I guess just kind of thinking about who's on board, and as far as passengers, and I think an older clientele is absolutely fine, but just thinking about keeping
Jennie Flaming:that in mind, yeah, totally okay, so let's talk about teenagers. So cruising with teens, tell us all about that. And what should people think about there absolutely. So
Janelle:the first thing that a teenager will probably ask is, Will I have access to Wi Fi, and most ships do have that for it for charge. We don't do Wi Fi on board for us or our children, because we look at it as a chance to be away. Now, my husband works in the industry, so he obviously has a times when he can be connected, but but we don't purchase that plan, because we find that when we're in Port, we can get enough reception to check in with the grandparents or whoever's pet sitting at home, and we want our kids to be able to disconnect a little bit from their media device. Yeah, yeah. We do allow time in Port, obviously, for them to check in on their friends and have some texting time. But on board, we tend to, they do watch a fair number of movies. And so that's something with teenagers that our kids absolutely love. Is ordering in room service get some nachos and some chocolate chip cookies and soda. If you know, parents allow that and and just lay in bed for part of a day and watch some booties that get caught up. And you know, if you do have a balcony, it's great. You can go out. They can have them step outside for a minute and see what's outside. And if not, the common areas have wonderful viewing options as well. So even an inside cabin is a great option for for kids that our kids do, they are. They're good travelers, and they absolutely love any kind of traveling, but cruising is really fun for teenagers, because of if they get hungry, they have a great meal available to them up in Melito. And having raised, or still raising, two teenage boys, I will tell you, they can eat us out of house and home, sometimes at home, but on a cruise ship, it's just one thing you don't have to worry about, and you don't have to be expensive every time they want to have a meal either. So that's really a great off you go.
Jennie Flaming:Yes, you go to the ice cream bar again,
Janelle:absolutely. And when they're old enough, yeah, they're old enough for us, we just have meeting places or a time that they know we're going to all be together, and it's very safe for those that might be worried about safety, the rails are very, very high. I've had friends of mine say I wouldn't go with a young child. They might climb over but, you know, obviously they're supervised by us as parents at all times. But when they're sure, I'd say 10 and up, and they're walking around by themselves, it's it's very safe, um, how to get a help if they need,
Jennie Flaming:yeah, and that's one thing that I feel like is a, um, a big benefit for teens is the the just being able to have, in many cases, a little more freedom to like, of course, that's up to parents what they want to do. But it is a environment where, yeah, you can have a pretty controlled environment while giving some freedom. So that's pretty cool,
Janelle:absolutely. And after a certain age, I think it's usually around 10, they can, with your permission, check themselves in and out of the kids area, the children's programs. And so our kids will literally say, Hey, I'm going to go around the ship for a little bit, and I'll check back in, and then we'll find out that they got a slice of pizza, and then, you know, went up and saw a friend in the kids area and played a video game. And then they went and listened to karaoke for a little bit, and then they decided to watch the magician. And then they came back and had all this to report. And they they do feel quite independent to be able to do that,
Jennie Flaming:yeah, on their own. Yeah, yeah, that's really cool, um, and I'm glad you talked about devices and Wi Fi, because if you didn't, I was going to actually ask you about that. Um, that's kind of a I don't know. I feel like that's a bit of a double edged sword right now, because ship Wi Fi has gotten so good, especially quite recently. Like, very recently, year or two, it's like been big, big movement forward, which is awesome, but also maybe not awesome, depending on your perspective, right?
Janelle:Yeah, I think, you know, just as a school counselor, I would say that, as that wearing that hat for a moment, that even when that we have had even free Wi Fi available on different places or different lines, um, that we just kind of set a family rule for all of us, including the adults, of how much we're going to be online so that we can enjoy where we are. Yeah, that's that's just one idea, but, um, but yeah, it is. It is nice to have that connectivity when you want it, and then it can sometimes be a downside if, if that's all they're doing, and you've paid for this vacation, and they're just staring at their phone the whole time. So, yes, yeah, but, but I will say yeah, generally, that there's enough going on that gets their interest that our kids, you know, have been able to set down their devices and and go and make some friends, or just walk around the ship, or, you know, walk out on the deck and see something outside and come back and say, I saw whales, you know, and, yeah, so it's really cool.
Jennie Flaming:That is really cool. Yeah. Okay, this isn't specifically about cruising, but it is about Alaska. And I also know your family does a lot of hiking, and you are the parent of teenage boys, and I am not the parent of teenage boys, but being a high school counselor for some time, um, I wanted to ask you if you had any advice about shorts and mosquitoes,
Unknown:that's awesome. My clients
Jennie Flaming:who are like, Oh, they're like, Oh, my son won't wear anything but shorts. And I'm like, I get it, but like, if bugs are bad, like, Be the hero. Yes, absolutely. Anyway, I'm curious if you have any experience with that. That is
Janelle:so funny. I think that's kind of a natural consequence sort of situation. Yeah, I made that suggestion that shorts are not worn, but my my husband, who you know, is a short Swearer, yes, and our boys are as well, and so they have learned that lesson the hard way, but we do always suggest maybe a pair of zip off pants, and then they can, you know, remove the legs if it's warm and there's not bugs around. But mosquitoes are a consideration in Alaska, for sure. And so if they choose to wear shorts, we will do a ask them to do a quick spray of some mosquito repellent. And it's not always super effective, but it helps. Yes, it's the number of bites, but yeah, that is something as funny. Yeah, we I kind of at this point. Mine are older now, 15 and up, so it's like, if you choose to do that, there may be gonna be fine when they're little. I did put long layers on them when I had control over that.
Jennie Flaming:That's awesome. And is there anything, you know, I that is actually making me think, in general, that sometimes people are really worried about, like, what they're gonna wear on a cruise, and then if they've got kids, they're like, Well, my child will only wear pink skirts, or only wear, you know, this one shirt all the time, or whatever. I'm curious what your experience has been with that, because I feel like cruising in Alaska is actually pretty chill, and that isn't really something to stress out about too much. I
Janelle:would not worry about it. I would let them wear what they want to wear. The only restrictions for on board is going to be maybe in the dining room on a gala or formal night. But even then, honestly, with children, the rules aren't as big of a deal. And we've had our kids wear a nice pair of, you know, even jeans and a shirt that they're comfortable with to the dining room. And maybe an adult wouldn't want to do that on a more dressy night, but kids can, so I wouldn't worry about it. We we love that cruising has become more casual. We love that if we don't want to go to gala night as a family, we don't have to bring the tuxedos for the little children. I mean, honestly, 20 years ago, when this all started, we had to bring formal wear for our little children, or we felt that we had to, but now we don't, and we just don't go to formal night. If we don't have the clothes for it, we'll just go eat somewhere else. On board, there's plenty of other options, yeah, but yeah, I would say layers are always a good thing, as you've been telling people in your podcast, Jenny, and that's the same with kids. Just I we do a light either a fleece or a puffy coat with a raincoat over it, and hat and gloves and a long pair of pants and and whatever shoes that you know are comfortable and stable enough for their feet when you might be doing some hiking, but that could be a Teva in the summer. It could be a tennis shoe or a boot, but it doesn't have to be a high end hiking boot for most of what you're going to do in Alaska with
Jennie Flaming:Yep, especially on a cruise, because you're going to have. Limited time when you're sure you're not going to do a four day backpacking trip in the middle of your
Janelle:cruise. No, exactly, yeah. So yeah, what they want to wear? I would say, yeah, it's that's fun for them, that expression. We have some really funny pictures of them, quite young, with, you know, funny hats on with dog ears or whatever. Yes,
Jennie Flaming:love it. Okay, so, Janelle, I'm adapting kind of the wrap up questions for you because of this like topic. We're kind of covering a lot of Alaska and a lot of different things, but I would love to know what your favorite month is to cruise in Alaska. Oh,
Janelle:okay, so this is a toss up for me. I really like the shoulder seasons, but as far as which one meaning the ones on on the either the beginning the sort of spring cruising, what we call or early summer cruising, or the fall cruising. And I do love September, and I know that's something many of your guests have also said in Alaska, is just so beautiful, especially in southeast Alaska, where I've spent a lot of time, September is just beautiful. The colors, the fireweed, just incredible. You're starting to get some snow on the mountaintops, but I'm really a fan of that early June cruising as well, because people don't realize, as that snow starts to melt, how quickly those flowers come into bloom. And you just, it's very colorful, the snow is still on the mountaintops, and just that crispness and that newness, because it's sort of like every birth every spring in Alaska, yeah, everything coming to life again. And so I'm a big fan of June, yeah,
Jennie Flaming:me too. Um, okay, I know this is a pretty ridiculous question, but do you have a favorite restaurant in an Alaska cruise port?
Janelle:Oh yeah, I was thinking about this one. So it's I'm biased because Skagway is the port that I have spent, or the city. I should say that I've spent the most time, and I've also spent a fair amount of time in Fairbanks and everywhere in between, but Skagway, we spent the better part of four seasons there. And I would say that I'm some of the restaurants that I loved back when we were first going there, 20, you know, years ago, were are not even there now anymore, but the ones that are still there, that I really like our Skagway brewing. Yes, I think that's just a classic, really good food for those other beer drinkers. Of course, amazing local Skagway beer, but also they do a great job of a sustainable and local food sourcing. And so really, really delicious. But then the Skagway Fish Company is a classic. Yes,
Jennie Flaming:yes, it is. Love that. Okay. Um, another Toughie. I feel like I know what you're gonna say, but I'm curious if I'm right or not. Um, what's your favorite shore excursion or tour in southeast Alaska?
Janelle:See, I don't know if you're gonna know this one, Jennie, because I don't know if I told you I did this one. We had the opportunity to do the grizzly falls ziplining as a family a few years back, and that's gag way, and I think that's probably my, my favorite. But we are zipliners. Our whole family enjoys that activity. So
Jennie Flaming:that is so fun. That is not what I was gonna guess.
Janelle:Were you gonna guess that the White Pass? Yeah, well, that's, that's definitely a close second. Yeah, incredible tour. I know one I have worked on, and our daughter will be working on as well. Yes,
Jennie Flaming:I Yes, yes. Cool. Okay. Well, Janelle, thank you so much for coming on today and sharing all this wisdom about cruising with all ages of kids and your own experience. Thank you so much for being here. Oh,
Janelle:it's wonderful. Thanks for having me, Jennie. And I look forward to hearing more of your podcasts as always. Thanks, Jennie.
Jennie Flaming:Thanks. Hi everyone. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. It was so fun to talk to Janelle about this topic. Before you go, please consider supporting us by subscribing to our Patreon. The link is in the show notes. Thanks so much for listening.
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