txwriter

I would suggest Beyond Skagway tours for your group. I didn’t travel with kids, but I did use this company recently. They are all about catering to the specific needs and likes of your group. They have a scavenger hunt you can do and would know the best places to let kids get out and roam while being safe. They are great at communicating beforehand and answering any and all of your questions. I had them help me out with a couple of surprises I wanted to add in for my mom. It was s terrific day for us. I know they also have dog mushing camp and gold panning activities you can add as well. The guides are people who really know the area well, so it’s a big bonus in my book.

I converted $100 and then somehow LOST it. The envelope I had it in was not in my purse, not in my pockets, and I never found it despite my being able to precisely describe the envelope. So, Vancouver was NOT my favorite stop. :loudcry:

Wish I had converted none and just used my card (which is what I did after I lost the cash) then brought it home, deposited it and paid off CC.

The exchange that day was $100USD = $126 CAD

We were in Alaska earlier this year. We began in Anchorage on May 28th and stayed there five days then boarded the Star Princess and made our way south to Vancouver.

My two cents regarding pants is it depends on your activities and natural tolerance for having cold legs. Personally, my legs don’t get cold as quickly as my torso, so I just wore jeans most of the time. I did take a pair of velour pants that I wore on the overcast day in Glacier Bay. They were fine. If you are going to be outdoors hiking, kayaking, zip lining, glacier treking, etc. then it might make sense to get some rain pants.

Yes, if soaked jeans can get uncomfortable, but both of the guides we had in Skagway and Ketchikan wore them, and they live in Alaska year round. Our Ketchikan guide was born there. So, jeans are perfectly ok.

As to their bulk, jeans aren’t that bulky to me, and you can wear them more than once, so you don’t have to take seven pairs for a weeklong cruise.

I personally decided not to buy clothes for the trip I couldn’t wear at home. I opted out of rain pants but did buy a nice lightweight waterproof rain jacket with a hood from Columbia. It was used daily as my outer shell. Sometimes I kept it on, sometimes I didn’t. But it was easy to was up and carry in a bag if I wasn’t wearing it.

Layers really are key. I took a couple of short sleeved t-shirts, several long sleeved lightweight shirts, a couple of thicker long sleeved shirts, a puffy vest, my rain jacket, a pancho (in case it got really rainy and I needed sometime sit on or wrap around me (never used it), a knit cap, a couple of scarves, and gloves.

I did NOT bring wool socks, because I will never wear them at home. I was fine every day with my thick-soled cotton socks I normally wear and tennis shoes.

I brought mostly jeans and also a pair of velour pants (which are very warm). I also brought one pair of Capri pants and one pair of shorts. You may want these type of things on the ship for just being comfy.

I did not bring any long underwear or anything to wear as an under layer. My mom did and used them on glacier days or when the forecast called for them.

The coldest weather we had was in the 50s (Fahrenheit), felt colder when on the water, if windy, or if sun was behind clouds.

Unless you live in a tropical climate

That doesn’t really have seasons, you should be able to wear your basic pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt type clothes you already have or can easily find and be fine. No heavy coats are needed unless you are very cold natured. Wool socks are optional, but thin trouser socks are out; wear thicker socks. Gloves and a hat are a good bet if you will be on deck during glacier days or have any water activities planned like whale watching. Scarves are up to preference. Undergarments like cuddle duds are good for the cold natured people but not required if you aren’t.

One worthwhile investment: a good rain jacket or rain gear that is lightweight, breathable, and waterproof w/ a hood—preferably something you can use at home year round.

We also need to book HA cabins. I have noticed when choosing a cabin to book that some of them have a notice that there is not wheelchair access to the balcony. My logic would say that if there is not this notice' date=' there is either a ramp present or one that can be installed. No personal experience on this ship or obviously this cabin.[/quote']

 

OP, have you contacted Princess? I’m sure they can advise on the specifics.

We were in Caribe 302 on the Star Princess June 2nd SB AK cruise. We did not have a ramp to the balcony. There was something on the balcony that looked like it would be a ramp, but it was not set up, and we did not ask for it to be as Mom was mobile enough to step out onto the balcony.

We have fished about six times with Nick Hashagen, Chasin’ Tail Charters 907-617-7033. I have never been disappointed with his service or the fish we caught. Good luck.

My mom and I went with Nick on June 7th this year. We are very much novice fishermen. I haven’t ever caught a fish before, and my Mom is 74 and was in a wheelchair when we went. Nick was fantastic!!

Pre-trip communication was great.

He met us right at the pier, and we got out in the water quickly. He explained what he was doing, where he was going, etc. We were there early in the season, so it was either king salmon or no salmon. When a pod of orca were seen heading our way, he kept watch and communicating with the other boats that were further out. Luckily, the orca went another direction.

Nick understands that fishing excursions are expensive and does his best to get you on the fish. Mom and I both caught nice sized king salmon. I caught mine early, then there was a shaker which was too small to keep and spit the hook anyway. When my mom’s fish was on, I was in the cabin. I ran out to catch her. The next thing I know, he’s handing me the other line. We had doubled up! I reeled I a second king, but we had to release it (only 1 king per day per min-resident).

Nick was excellent at coaching us through the steps. We did not want to pay for the shipping costs to send our catches home, so Nick told us that he could donate them to the local nursing home. We said yes, please.

Nick was excellent with my mom and didn’t make her feel even slightly feeble. He just coached her through catching her fish like he would anyone else. He pushed her from the ship to his boat, helped her get safely on his boat, helped her off the boat and then pushed her back up the ramp. When we got to the top of the ramp, he offers to push her further if we knew where we were going, but we decided just to pop in some of the shops. I was

super pleased, because it made my day easier to not have to do all that work myself.

It was great going out on the water with him, because it really felt like we’d gone out fishing with a family friend who we’d just never met before.

The only disappointment was having to release my second king since it was bigger than my first, but I was happy to let it go since I definitely want to let this beautiful species thrive.

I cannot get my pictures of the fish to post :( but have attached a pic of one of our feathered friends we encountered.

So what food is offered in the International cafe and in Vines? Just signed up for the Bev Package so may have a meal in that area. Lunch, dinner?

I don’t know about vines. The International Cafe had pastries and other light breakfast offerings each day and sandwich/salad/soup type food at lunch, desserts lunch and dinner as well. I believe they had similar items to lunch at dinner, but I don’t believe we ever ate there for that meal.

Sorta sad to hear this. We had such a great trip on the Star’s southbound AK June 2nd trip. I only heard one time anyone say anything about someone being sick, and it was a random person who was going on one of the ship’s tours in Juneau with us say that her husband was in the cabin with tummy troubles. I made a mental note not to get too close to her after that.😉

I think sometimes people just think they just ate something that didn’t agree with them or maybe being on a ship doesn’t agree with them, so they keep going out in public when they are contagious. After all, they paid for the trip and want to enjoy it. (I am not excusing them just pointing it out.). I agree with previous posters that it is up to you to be vigilant. Just remember, part of the vigilance is staying in your room when you are sick until you know for certain you are not contagious.

Do not dispair. I just took my 74 yr old mom to Alaska earlier this month. She was in a wheelchair, but we found a nice spot on deck 7 (Promenade) near the forward elevators. It was a drizzly day, so the cover overhead was great! It was not crowded where we were either, since there was pretty much just room for one row by the railing and a row for people to pass behind (life vest storage was nearby).

We watched for a bit then went inside and found a spot in the theater to hear the park ranger presentation then went back outside to our spot a bit longer. This spot was great for being close to the theater which filled up so much the cruise director was telling people about overflow areas. It was close to the elevators closest to our room too. Mom was not interested in staying out for hours, but we got a good look around. We did have a balcony, so we saw some from there as well as other windows on the ship. They also have it on the TV in the room.

I would say that it’s probably a good idea to have a spot to go watch unobstructed for some part but it’s not totally required for the entire time.

I will say that Glacier Bay was the one time when we had a problem with my mom being in a wheelchair. One lady practically ran over my mom trying to get to another part of the ship to get a different view when I was trying to swing Mom around so I could back into the doorway which had a ramp on it to go back inside. So, if on open decks, be wary of the rude people who might not slow down for your parents.

We spent several days doing day trips in and around Anchorage at the end of May/beginning of June.

Moose’s Tooth Pizza was great! The trolley tour downtown was a good way to get aquainted with the city.

We also took a drive north to Palmer and over to Wasilla. We did the Colony House Museum in Palmer which was great to me but would not be for everyone. It was fascinating learning what the colonists had or didn’t have and how the experiment was set up. It’s great for history lovers of all ages; I would not take kids though. There is also the Musk Ox Farm. We didn’t get there due to time constraints. We did make it to the Reindeer Farm in Palmer. The Reindeer Farm is terrific! :D We fed and let the reindeer, pet a yak, a bison, saw a moose, a pair of elk, a herd of horses, and they had other animals (pigs and chickens I think). We were with a mixed group of all ages from very young to elderly (some tourists, some Alaskans), and everyone had a fantastic time.

In Wasilla, we went to the Iditarod headquarters—saw the trophies, watched a short film about the importance of the sled dogs, pet and held husky puppies and also rode on the cart pulled by the grown dogs. Great side trip for a mixed group.

We were limited by my mom’s mobility issues, so we didn’t do any hiking though there are some places nearby. (Someone with authority can post). Also, because we were too early, we didn’t go to the Independence Mine State Historical Park which we would have considered working in if we had been able to since several on these boards have mentioned it favorably.

I am not recommending, since I haven’t done it, but there are also helicopter and flight seeing tours you can book in/around Anchorage if it suits your preference and budget.

If you want to see some amazing scenery, you can do a day trip to Seward and back. We did that as well; it was great. However, I’d pick the northern route for having more options and less time in transit if I only had one day.

Princess released their 2019 Alaska deployment in December 2017.

 

Interpolate for 2020 at your own risk.

Princess also released their 2016 schedule in December the year before. You will get the best information if you ask in the individual cruise line boards here in Cruise Critic. I know the Princess guys are always posting when the next sales will be, the next release dates, etc.

I like the idea of renting a car and going for it, however I will be on my own for this. The other people are doing a hike/float tour and I wanted a photo trip. I don't think my wife would be up for me heading off into the Alaskan wilderness alone (it does sound perfect to me)!

 

Still trying to find a tour that will take me to some good locations and let me explore.

 

Thanks for the idea

It’s pretty much one road up and back, and it does get fairly regular traffic just in case you needed help.

If you are comfortable driving yourself, you will have more time and get further out to see more things if you rent a car and drive. We did a private tour with Beyond Skagway which was 7 hours catered to us and what we wanted to see or do. It was amazing! We drove up to Emerald Lake and back. I took over 100 pictures that day, and our guide was kind enough to take a few snaps of me with my mom.

The best part about going further out is that you see three distinctive types of landscapes—rain forest, arctic tundra, and arboreal forest I believe. All are beautiful in their own way. The tribal shops and totems in Carcross are nice as well the suspension bridge. Emerald Lake is beautiful. The photo opportunities are everywhere. If you don’t need someone giving you lessons, you will have more time just to click away to your heart’s content if you drive independently or do a private tour.

However, if I were going to want something where someone gave pointers, where there were other photo enthusiasts to talk shop with, and I didn’t want to drive, the excursion you picked seems a very reasonable price point.

Seems to me you can’t lose! 😃

Enjoy Skagway. It is a great place.

The store in Ketchikan was The Outlet Store. Since Mom was in a wheelchair, it was easier for us to navigate a store that wasn’t too big, and it was practically right n ct to the ship. Also, a great popcorn stand was next to it. Yum!

One thing that I appreciate about Princess is the fact that the announcements that I really don't have to hear are not audible in the cabin. If I miss the announcement about the art auction or the sale on wristwatches, it is really no big deal. Believe me, txwriter, if there is an important announcement, you will hear it in your cabin.

Perhaps I was unclear. I had read some reviews about endless announcements onboard, but this was not a problem for us. I did not mind that I could not hear them. I did sometimes miss the fact that I didn’t hear the captain’s updates. “Nevertheless, bye-bye.”

We were on this same cruise. It was our first cruise on Princess and our first to Alaska. We loved it!

We thought the ship was very nice, and the crew was excellent. Mom had to rent a wheelchair, and we were able to navigate well. I never noticed green dots or red dots on the carpet and had no problems confusing the port and starboard sides. (I was surprised that people were confused, but many seemed to be even after several days aboard).

We were in Caribe 302 which was a handicap accessible room. Mom really appreciated the shower since it had a built-in bench. The room was right by the forward elevators, but we never had problems with noise. We preferred to use these elevators most of the time to avoid traffic jams.

There was some rocking motion after leaving Ketchikan. It was not terrible, but we do not suffer from motion sickness. If someone did, it might be a time to take something.

Food was excellent at all venues we tried (MDR/Portofino, Horizon Court, International Cafe, and Crown Grill). On the sixth day of a seven day cruise, someone asked me if the food was free at the International Cafe. I was surprised they hadn’t stopped in before then. It’s a great place to get a snack, light meal, or dessert.

Beds were very soft and pillows were large and fluffy which made for a great night’s sleep.

One thing I noticed was that we could not hear most of the announcements in the cabin. We could tell they were being made, but could only hear them if we opened the door. This allowed us to sleep in when we were in Juneau where we didn’t have an early excursion.

I know someone previously posted they did not feel a day trip to Seeard was a great idea. We drove down to Seeard and back to Anchorage in one day. We did the Orca Quest tour with Major Marine and had a beautiful day out on the water. We saw otter, kittiwake, puffin, stellar sea lions, humpback whales, fin whales, and orca. This was just a four hour tour which was plenty for us. Oh, yeah, the first humpback came up RIGHT NEXT to the boat bubble net feeding.

We had to pick and choose what are top things were, so staying overnight in Seward was not in our best interest. We were flexible with our dates and times, so I waited until the weather looked good to do the drive down from Anchorage. The drive itself was part of the adventure—really beautiful scenery.

My question would be if you had to pick between the Denali area and Seward/Kenai Penninsula, which would you pick? If you concentrate on just one area with your five days, you might have a little more flexibility which can help if weather doesn’t cooperate, you get tired, you hear of or see something you want to explore further.

Planning Alaska is really hard. There are so many wonderful things to see and do, but you cannot do it all. I can’t tell you how many thing we changed over the time we were planning. Some things even changed on the fly during the trip, but we came home with amazing memories and feeling like we’d gotten all our big must dos done.

We just got off the Star on the 9th. Crown Grill selections were offered on the MDR menus we had in the Portofino dining room. I’m not certain if it was every night, but I definitely saw it.

Trying to stay positive and praying he is better by Saturday. Right now he's using crutches but can put some weight on it. He has waited 20 years for this trip and survived an aortic dissection two years ago. I just want him to enjoy the trip to its fullest!

 

 

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I had a similar experience recently. My mom has wanted to go to Alaska for 30 years or more, and we finally got there on May 28th. Just before the trip, she got tendinitis in her arm. It had enough time to heal before the trip, but then she somehow hurt her knee on the way to Alaska. We ended up renting a wheelchair. It was SO much better than her creeping along with a walker. We were able to do much more. I think the knee scooter might be a good idea. You can see if you can rent one just while on the ship as it is quite a walk from forward to aft areas if you are hurting. We used a company called Scoot Around, and they were able to get us something with only about 48 hours notice. Also, they will give him wheelchair assistance up and down gangways if he needs it.

Just got back from Alaska...took my mom who is 74.

To me, your itinerary is pretty packed.

I personally would recommend possibly getting a hotel room near the airport. You can check in online then just go crash for a few hours before the drive to Denali. We found the flights much more exhausting than expected. Mom’s knee was hurting after the long hours of sitting which severely impacted her ability to get around for much of the trip (we ultimately had to rent a wheelchair for the ship). Having some built in flexible time helped us a lot. If you get some sleep before you start driving, it might be easier to enjoy the ride.

We went to Iditarod Trail Headquarters in Wasilla and the Reindeer Farm in Palmer. Both are worthwhile stops and could be incorporated into your trip to/from Denali.

Anchorage is not that large, and it’s easy to get around and also to pick up any sundries you need for the trip. If you get a chance to eat some pizza at Moose’s Tooth, do it. It was my favorite meal the entire trip. Go early. It stays busy.

We found great deals in Skagway and Ketchikan. As someone noted, there is a t-shirt shop in Skagway where they had two shirts in a pack for just under $10. (Also, no sales tax in Alaska). That same shop had shirts as low as about $4...lots of selection on styles and prices. We didn’t go to Tongass Trading in Ketchikan but did go to a shop right by the ship (next to Christmas store). I don’t remember the name, but we got three shirts for $20 there.

I just got off the Star Princess yesterday. I brought clothes for formal

night but never made it to one :'). We had an early traditional seating, and it was hard to get there for some reason. However, I will say they have several photo stations around if you are interested or if that makes a difference in your choice on what to wear.

We saw everything from what I would call business casual/church clothes to pretty dressy. (I personally did not see any tuxedos).

Based on some pre-cruise literature I had read, I was under the impression jeans could not be worn to the dining room. I brought slacks and never wore them. Jeans were fine and accepted with no problems.

We never needed a rain cover the entire trip. :D

I have gotten some great pictures and look forward to getting some of them developed.

One thing I wish I had not brought is formal attire, we were too conked out either formal night to make it to dinner in the dining room—just didn’t feel like dressing up. Then again, we had the choice of wearing it if we wanted to.

I am in Ketchikan today. I only brought cold weather hats, but I wish I’d brought a baseball cap or my brimmed travel hat I usually take. Winter cap not needed today for long, but I needed a hat for sun. Yes, sun in Ketchikan.