Silversea Alaska Cruise Review: Family Voyage on Silver Nova

We embarked the beautiful 728-guest Silver Nova the next day and started exploring, this was our first time on board this ship and we were keen to see the new design and find our favourite lounges and restaurants that we like on other Silversea ships. We also noticed quite a few teenagers and younger children.

Our first day saw us cruising the Inside Passage as we watched the scenery float by and explored the ship further, finding a nice spot on the pool deck to while away a few hours. My daughters had certainly never envisioned being able to sit in the sun in Alaska!

Our first port was Ketchikan and we made a last-minute booking to the Great Alaskan Lumberjack show which was within walking distance from the ship. This was good fun and you get to cheer on your lumberjack team in various activities!

Following this we went on a sea kayaking trip around Eagle Island, the weather was amazing so were in shorts and t-shirts, listening to our guide who had a wealth of information about the local area and wildlife. During this trip we spotted eagles, starfish and seals before heading back to the ship with aching arms after paddling for over an hour!

Back on board, this evening we dined in Silversea's famous S.A.L.T. Kitchen and sampled local salmon and crab; we loved that the restaurant is adapted according to the region in which you're sailing. The girls loved their first experience of crab legs and our waiter very kindly brough extra for them!

The next port was Juneau and we had read it was THE place to go whale watching. So, we decided to take a small boat tour, binoculars in hand and phones at the ready to capture the perfect shot.

We saw the spouts first and followed these for a while before we finally saw the whale breach and got that all-important tail shot! The girls were thrilled to have seen their first whales and it was another great experience for us all.

In Skagway we had booked the White Pass Scenic Railway which followed the route to the White Pass Summit, where thousands had travelled to seek their fortune in the gold rush era. The scenery was amazing and the journey was narrated throughout, pointing out key areas and what had occurred there.

I don't think this was one of the girls' favourite excursions of the trip - they seemed to prefer the more active ventures - but when they went out onto the viewing platform and took in the scenery they certainly appreciated its magnificence!

Then, we tendered ashore in Sitka and decided to just wander around. We found ourselves on the shore by the Sitka Science Centre where we clambered over boulders and watched the salmon jumping around in the water and small crabs running amongst the rocks.

The following day was an early start but well worth it, the sun shining on our approach to Hubbard Glacier. The view was the clearest it had ever been according to the crew on board! The sounds of the cracks within the glacier and then seeing the calving was a truly memorable experience and even though it was an early start, the girls loved it, hot chocolate in hand.

The next day in Seward, the majority of guests disembarked the ship after their seven-day itinerary, so we spent the day relaxing on board. For those disembarking or embarking using the train to/from Anchorage, it handily pulls up right in front of the cruise terminal. Tonight, we dined in Silver Note, a favourite of ours as we all love the live entertainment, not to mention the food.

We were then back again cruising towards Hubbard Glacier, and took part in a S.A.L.T. Lab cooking class, featuring salmon two ways. these classes can only be booked (free of charge) on board on embarkation day and always prove to be very popular, with waitlists every day. This was good fun, the girls worked well together and produced two very professional-looking dishes, and enjoyed eating them even more!

Returning back to Juneau, this day was probably the highlight of our two weeks for my daughters as we went to the Iditarod Dog summer camp. The owners and their dogs take part in the Iditarod sled race which can take up to 10 days to complete and are looked after by their owners who live in tents on site, and the summer camp is where they relax a little in the cooler temperatures.

We were greeted by dogs yapping or snoozing in the sun and then given the history of the race and how they look after the dogs during and at the camp. They still need to be exercised, so what better way to do this than take tourists on a one-and-a-half-mile sled ride around the camp?! The girls were allowed to pet the dogs after the ride as well as meet and cuddle the six-week-old puppies. The grins from ear to ear lasted the remainder of the day!

The next day in Skagway we headed off for our Rainforest Bike Adventure, taken inland to the rainforest and given our bikes and a safety demo. We then followed our guide on a relaxed tour of the forest, and after a few wobbles we found our pace and were off. The scenery was amazing and again the weather was on our side and we loved being outdoors amongst the nature.

Our last port before heading back to Vancouver was Ketchikan and was the next favourite trip for my daughters as we experienced the rainforest canopy and zip line. We were in a small group of six, and after an initial safety check we were soon flying amongst the trees. The last two zip lines even took us out over the sea! It was a great finale to our cruise.

We were then back again cruising the Inside Passage, taking part in various onboard activities in between the packing before arriving in Vancouver, disembarking and flying back to the UK.

We all loved the new style of Silversea ship and found ourselves attending a lot of the activities, such as trivia and name that tune amongst others. There were a number of families travelling with varying ages on each cruise which made my daughters feel more at home. Alaska for us was all about the outdoor activities and to have such amazing weather was a bonus; we all thoroughly enjoyed the cruise.