Alaska Cruise - Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas with Teens + Why You NEED a Balcony

Donna from New Jersey joins me to share about her family’s first cruise - a 7-night Alaska sailing aboard Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas! Donna traveled with her husband and two teenager kids, ages 13 and 15, plus her sister’s family, including her 18-year-old nephew, for a summer 2026 adventure cruising round-trip from Seattle. We’re talking about what it’s like to cruise Alaska with teenagers, what they loved about Anthem of the Seas, how to pack for unpredictable Alaska weather, and the excursions that made this trip unforgettable — from whale watching in Sitka and riding the White Pass Railroad in Skagway to seeing Dawes Glacier and visiting a summer musher’s camp in Juneau. Plus, Donna shares why, if you can swing it, she believes a balcony is a MUST for an Alaska cruise — especially when the scenery is this spectacular. This episode is available to watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kelseygraves If you’d like to share about your trip on the podcast, email me at: [email protected] Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/kelseygraves Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsey_graves Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mskelseygraves Join us in the Trip Tales Podcast Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1323687329158879 Mentioned in this episode:  - Alaska Cruise - Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas: The Key, Port Valet - On ship cruise activities: iFly, ping-pong, pickleball, bumper cars, sushi making, The Solarium,  - Seattle Marriott Waterfront - SEATTLE: Puget Sound, Pike Place Market, the original Starbucks, The Great Wheel, Bite Society cookies - How to pack for Alaska - Inside passage vs. outside passage - SITKA: Free shuttle, cute harbor town, shopping, restaurants, Sitka Sound, bald eagles, Sitka National Historical Park, Tongass National Forest, Totem Trail, whale watching tour with Captain Brad, sea lions,  - SKAGWAY: Alaska Shore Excursions: White Pass Railroad  - Dawes Glacier, Endicott Arm - JUNEAU: Summer Musher’s Camp,  - VICTORIA Trip Tales is a travel podcast sharing real vacation stories and trip itineraries for family travel, couples getaways, cruises, and all-inclusive resorts. Popular episodes feature destinations like Marco Island Florida, Costa Rica with kids, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Aulani in Hawaii, Beaches Turks & Caicos, Park City ski trips, Aruba, Italy, Ireland, Portugal’s Azores, New York City, Alaska cruises, and National Parks like Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Yosemite. Listeners get real travel tips, itinerary recommendations, hotel reviews, restaurant recommendations, and inspiration for planning their next vacation, especially when traveling with kids.