Hello there Ashley and welcome aboard planDisney!
It sounds like you're looking forward to a voyage up north at the start of the busy
Alaskan cruise season, and I personally loved living onboard the
Disney Wonder for months sailing those icy waters and glimpsing so much natural beauty every day. The interesting thing about visiting
Alaska by ship is that you'll definitely notice a distinct shift in age demographics as you wander around
the various Ports of Call, with so many more experiences on
these longer Alaskan voyages (compared to short stints in the Caribbean) geared to an older crowd who might have waited until their children are older before exploring Alaska!
- You may be happy to hear that there are parents out there who are comfortable with leaving their children on board in secure programming in one of the Youth Spaces on board while they enjoy their day, and picking them up again once they return from their adventures ashore.
- While I was working onboard, deciding whether it was fine to leave children on the ship was a common question that we'd be asked and though it is currently allowed, I found that many families grappled with the idea of whether they should. In my opinion - based on my observations of the variety of young children left in our care by all kinds of parents and guardians - it all really comes down to your child and how well they do on their own, and how comfortable you all are with not being immediately available to respond in case they really need you.
- I've found that most successful outcomes are when you have children who are fiercely independent and outgoing, make friends easily and are familiar with these kinds of secure group experiences. I experienced my share of intrepid youngsters who would enjoy Disney's Oceaneer Club or Disney's Oceaneer Lab for hours on end and beg to stay longer; there were even kids who would happily spend the majority of their cruise away from their folks if they could! I would also notice that these were typically older children who understood the concept that their parents would be away from the ship for an extended period of time and might not be easily reachable.
- However, children on the younger end of the scale who may not be as self-sufficient who have not had as many experiences in group childcare or camp settings, or don't do well alone (especially in the absence of their parents) might not adapt to this quite as well. It's important to keep in mind that the Youth Activities Counselors won't be able to simply take your child to eat somewhere if they're hungry, or back to your stateroom in case they have an accident, and it's always a good idea to let them know which Port Adventure you'll be on and provide a contact number in case of any emergency.
In the end no one knows your daughter quite like you do, and whether this would be the best idea for your family; I personally always suggest having at least one other authorized adult on board who can respond in case the children need anything, so you can feel reassured even when you're miles away up on a glacier!
Here's hoping your family finds a way to spend those Alaskan days in a way that everyone will be happy with!
Prince