Need Help choosing Alaska Cruise

I am overwhelmed with information and just can't seem to decide what cruise for our family.

A little background on us----my DH and myself with our 2 college age kids are doing an 11 day land adventure vacation in Alaska this summer, flying in and out of Anchorage. This trip has caused me some issues with my parents as Alaska has always been on their bucket list. However my parents and my kids travel very differently and have drastically different interests and things they want to see and do. So it is not realistic to include them this summer.

As a "peace offering" my DH and myself have offered to take them on a cruise to Alaska in 2019.

So here is my dilemma----

1. Northbound, Southbound, roundtrip? Which is the "best bang for your buck"? As we will have limited travel funds after this summer and with 2 in college.

2. Is May or September better pricing wise? or are we better off to go June, July August for better port experiences? Not concerned with weather/temperatures as much as what will be up and running in the two shoulder months.

3. Preferred cruise line? Initially leaning towards Princess and maybe Holland America? But we are really open to any line if the price is right.

We greatly appreciate any insight and help you have to offer!!

Anyone who tells you that any of those choices is the best one for your family is doing you a disservice. YOU know your parents travel desires - enough to have already refused to modify this year's vaycay because you know they doesn't mesh with your kids' wants, and great job on doing that for what it's worth!

Further, since you're doing land travel with your kids and not including a cruise, my guess is that cruising Alaska was not something you planned for you & DH, at least at this point in your lives - but it seems to be what would work for your parents.

Those factors combined tell me that the best advice I can offer is this:

Tell your parents "Here's what we can afford - since this is all about you guys, YOU choose!"

As to marginally-factual info & thoughts (because any mention of Value rather than Cost makes it subjective):

• One-way usually offers the cheapest deals of all, but these are the last-minute unsold cabins (it's more hassle to arrange travel involving two countries and two different airports at short notice, so to entice folks to fill those last few cabins needs a sweet, sweet deal) - if you are planning ahead then it's impossible to say what will give you the best deal short of trawling through all the possible cruises, calcing total per person per day costs, and assigning relative value for YOU of different ships & itineraries.
  
• I like May much more than September as the only real statistical benefit to the latter is the higher possibility of getting into Tracy Arm - and unless you choose a cruise that's relevant on it's not a factor. Even if weather isn't a big issue for you, wetter is never better - and Sep is thew wettest cruise month for Alaska. May is on average the driest month in the cruise ports, and definitively has several hours more sunlight every day. If you were planning a land trip with parents pre/post cruise then Sep might be better for Denali, but sounds like it's a straight-up cruise with the 'rents.
  
• If you want to see Glacier Bay then HAL/Princess both might have the edge as they have way more permits, which means more cruises with the option of visiting - but others do also have access, we've done GB in May with NCL, so again since this cruise is about your parents getting THEIR feedback on line is the only sensible way to go (while I have not sailed HAL to Alaska, trustworthy posters all mention the stereotypical 'oldies sail HAL' is much less true in AK than the Caribbean for example)
  
• Do they have passports? If not, are they willing to get them? Time isn't an issue - unless government remains shut down for 2 years they'll be able to get them - but unless they have them a one way cruise is not going to happen, simple as that - Vancouver departure or arrival means a passport (or passport card/EDL if they cross the border by land I supposed, e.g. flying to Seattle). In fact, if passports is a sticking point your life gets MUCH easier - RT Seattle, RT Seattle, or RT Seattle!
  

A passport would be recommended as they will still be going to Victoria on a Seattle round trip. The most scenic departure is Vancouver.

Thanks for the feedback!

This years land trip to AK was my DD’s pick who loves to cruise but did not want to cruise to AK. Which completely shocked me and still don’t completely understand. But oh well.

I don’t think we will hold out and try and find a last minute deal. I am a planner so...

I did not know about the rainfall totals so May 2019 is looking promising. And we definitely want a cruise that goes to/through Glacier Bay. But I would rather depart in Seward than Whittier. (I think??)

My parents both have passports from a cruise a few years ago. My DH and I actually do not. Both of ours expire this year so we will need to renew them.

I am really leaning to Holland right now. Vancouver northbound to Seward. I figure we could take the train from Seward to ANC, then fly back to NC.

I am curious why the possible issues with getting into Tracy Arm? Is this due to weather conditions in September vs May?

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I am curious why the possible issues with getting into Tracy Arm? Is this due to weather conditions in September vs May?

Ice - looking over many years of posts you'll find that it's harder for ships to get up the arm early in the season compared to later. Some years even August has too much ice. To paraphrase BudgetQueen, one of the most prolific cruisers and posters, if you really want to see TA then you basically have to prebook a small boat excursion - HAL usually seems to offer an at-sea transfer from the ship so you don't need to waste time repeating the hours of sailing to Juneau.

Ice - looking over many years of posts you'll find that it's harder for ships to get up the arm early in the season compared to later. Some years even August has too much ice. To paraphrase BudgetQueen, one of the most prolific cruisers and posters, if you really want to see TA then you basically have to prebook a small boat excursion - HAL usually seems to offer an at-sea transfer from the ship so you don't need to waste time repeating the hours of sailing to Juneau.

Gotcha. Thanks for the explanation!

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I am overwhelmed with information and just can't seem to decide what cruise for our family.

 

A little background on us----my DH and myself with our 2 college age kids are doing an 11 day land adventure vacation in Alaska this summer, flying in and out of Anchorage. This trip has caused me some issues with my parents as Alaska has always been on their bucket list. However my parents and my kids travel very differently and have drastically different interests and things they want to see and do. So it is not realistic to include them this summer.

 

As a "peace offering" my DH and myself have offered to take them on a cruise to Alaska in 2019.

 

So here is my dilemma----

 

1. Northbound, Southbound, roundtrip? Which is the "best bang for your buck"? As we will have limited travel funds after this summer and with 2 in college.

 

2. Is May or September better pricing wise? or are we better off to go June, July August for better port experiences? Not concerned with weather/temperatures as much as what will be up and running in the two shoulder months.

 

3. Preferred cruise line? Initially leaning towards Princess and maybe Holland America? But we are really open to any line if the price is right.

 

We greatly appreciate any insight and help you have to offer!!

Hi Bindi- i can only tell you my preference and i am going to Alaska for the third time this coming June- I have been in June and August. Obviously August is expensive but the salmon are running then so interesting to see in Ketchikan on the salmon ladder. Too warm in August to do helicopter to glacier and dog sledding so you would have to "settle" for one of the wheeled dog sleds through a short wooded trail. I loved 2nd week in June and i am doing it again but the third weeks this June- I prefer doing the land portion first and booked everything myself saving about half what the cruise ships charge. It is very easy. First time i flew into Fairbanks, rented a car and stayed there for one day and night and came down through Denail- staying there for two days before heading down to Talkeetna just for a short time in the town for lunch and shopping. Cute town. Continued down to Palmer to the reindeer farm where you learn all about them and you go in and can pet them and feed them and see the babies. There is also horseback riding there. Then onto Anchorage for one day and one night. Turned the car in. The entire trip from Fairbanks is easy because it is on one highway! In anchorage the hotel dropped us off at the train depot at 5:45 am the following day and the train left at 6:45 and we were in Seward at 11:00 for our SOUTHBOUND cruise on Royal Carribean Radiance of the Seas. (You check your luggage andf you won't see it again until you get your ship! They check it straight through to the cruise line which is fabulous if you want to do something in Seward when you arrive before embarking) I prefer to do land first because you have full long days and you will be tired and then you get a little more rest on the cruise although fun ports and excursions there as well. We did the helicopter to the glacier and dog sledding in Juneau, White Pass Railroad in Skagway,Whale watching in Seward before we embarked and then again in icy Straight Point. In Ketchikan we just did a self tour of the little town andf great shopping for souvenirs (inhere are three Tongass shipping stores here and if you get your souvenirs here save the redeipt from all three stores and when you get to the end at the last Tongass store give them everything you bought and all three receipts and they will ship EVERYTHING TO YOUR HOME FOR ONLY 19.95! this will save you having to drag it all back and pack it. Now it will take about two weeks for you to receive it because they ship it the cheapest way possible but still it is so worth it! I did a lot of expensive excursions so including there airfare from the east coast and back and the cruise, all hotels, meals,excursions, car rental, including the $525 dog sledding one i spent about $6000 for two of us. You can do it for less if you don't do the dog sledding and i also allowed $1000 for gambling! Have a great time. If you need specific info on where i stayed or prices for specific things just let me know.

Robin

Hi Bindi- i can only tell you my preference and i am going to Alaska for the third time this coming June- I have been in June and August. Obviously August is expensive but the salmon are running then so interesting to see in Ketchikan on the salmon ladder. Too warm in August to do helicopter to glacier and dog sledding so you would have to "settle" for one of the wheeled dog sleds through a short wooded trail. I loved 2nd week in June and i am doing it again but the third weeks this June- I prefer doing the land portion first and booked everything myself saving about half what the cruise ships charge. It is very easy. First time i flew into Fairbanks, rented a car and stayed there for one day and night and came down through Denail- staying there for two days before heading down to Talkeetna just for a short time in the town for lunch and shopping. Cute town. Continued down to Palmer to the reindeer farm where you learn all about them and you go in and can pet them and feed them and see the babies. There is also horseback riding there. Then onto Anchorage for one day and one night. Turned the car in. The entire trip from Fairbanks is easy because it is on one highway! In anchorage the hotel dropped us off at the train depot at 5:45 am the following day and the train left at 6:45 and we were in Seward at 11:00 for our SOUTHBOUND cruise on Royal Carribean Radiance of the Seas. (You check your luggage andf you won't see it again until you get your ship! They check it straight through to the cruise line which is fabulous if you want to do something in Seward when you arrive before embarking) I prefer to do land first because you have full long days and you will be tired and then you get a little more rest on the cruise although fun ports and excursions there as well. We did the helicopter to the glacier and dog sledding in Juneau, White Pass Railroad in Skagway,Whale watching in Seward before we embarked and then again in icy Straight Point. In Ketchikan we just did a self tour of the little town andf great shopping for souvenirs (inhere are three Tongass shipping stores here and if you get your souvenirs here save the redeipt from all three stores and when you get to the end at the last Tongass store give them everything you bought and all three receipts and they will ship EVERYTHING TO YOUR HOME FOR ONLY 19.95! this will save you having to drag it all back and pack it. Now it will take about two weeks for you to receive it because they ship it the cheapest way possible but still it is so worth it! I did a lot of expensive excursions so including there airfare from the east coast and back and the cruise, all hotels, meals,excursions, car rental, including the $525 dog sledding one i spent about $6000 for two of us. You can do it for less if you don't do the dog sledding and i also allowed $1000 for gambling! Have a great time. If you need specific info on where i stayed or prices for specific things just let me know.

Robin

Would love to see everything priced out for the land portion that you did. Do you feel like you misssed something by not using the land tour offered by the cruiseline? How many days was your land tour you planned out for yourself?

Jimbo:)

For me, Alaska is more about the ports than the cruise line or specific ship. In Alaska, we primarily used the ship for eating breakfast and dinner and sleeping, with our days spent on excursions and sea days spent admiring the scenery.

My suggestion would be that you and your parents research the Alaska ports, and activities available there, and find what interests you all the most. Once you have determined that, find an itinerary that spends the most time in the ports you all are interested in.

We have done Northbound and Southbound, Princess and Royal Caribbean, May and late August. My favorite was a Northbound out of Vancouver in May. You sail more of the Inside Passage and the scenery gets more spectacular each day. May generally has better weather and there is more snow on the mountains.

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Thanks for the feedback!

 

This years land trip to AK was my DD’s pick who loves to cruise but did not want to cruise to AK. Which completely shocked me and still don’t completely understand. But oh well.

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We did a two week Alaskan vacation last year. There were 12 in our group of family and friends. We did a week on land before our week on a cruise ship. We all agreed on two things. One, the land portion was better than the cruise portion and two, one week on land was not enough. I'm guessing you'll find 11 days is not enough.

Would love to see everything priced out for the land portion that you did. Do you feel like you misssed something by not using the land tour offered by the cruiseline? How many days was your land tour you planned out for yourself?

 

Jimbo:)

my land tour was 5 days (4 nights) and no i actually feel i did more then what was included in the cruise tour that i did the first time that i went. Let me get the info together for you.

Robin

Hi Bindi- i can only tell you my preference and i am going to Alaska for the third time this coming June- I have been in June and August. Obviously August is expensive but the salmon are running then so interesting to see in Ketchikan on the salmon ladder. Too warm in August to do helicopter to glacier and dog sledding so you would have to "settle" for one of the wheeled dog sleds through a short wooded trail. I loved 2nd week in June and i am doing it again but the third weeks this June- I prefer doing the land portion first and booked everything myself saving about half what the cruise ships charge. It is very easy. First time i flew into Fairbanks, rented a car and stayed there for one day and night and came down through Denail- staying there for two days before heading down to Talkeetna just for a short time in the town for lunch and shopping. Cute town. Continued down to Palmer to the reindeer farm where you learn all about them and you go in and can pet them and feed them and see the babies. There is also horseback riding there. Then onto Anchorage for one day and one night. Turned the car in. The entire trip from Fairbanks is easy because it is on one highway! In anchorage the hotel dropped us off at the train depot at 5:45 am the following day and the train left at 6:45 and we were in Seward at 11:00 for our SOUTHBOUND cruise on Royal Carribean Radiance of the Seas. (You check your luggage andf you won't see it again until you get your ship! They check it straight through to the cruise line which is fabulous if you want to do something in Seward when you arrive before embarking) I prefer to do land first because you have full long days and you will be tired and then you get a little more rest on the cruise although fun ports and excursions there as well. We did the helicopter to the glacier and dog sledding in Juneau, White Pass Railroad in Skagway,Whale watching in Seward before we embarked and then again in icy Straight Point. In Ketchikan we just did a self tour of the little town andf great shopping for souvenirs (inhere are three Tongass shipping stores here and if you get your souvenirs here save the redeipt from all three stores and when you get to the end at the last Tongass store give them everything you bought and all three receipts and they will ship EVERYTHING TO YOUR HOME FOR ONLY 19.95! this will save you having to drag it all back and pack it. Now it will take about two weeks for you to receive it because they ship it the cheapest way possible but still it is so worth it! I did a lot of expensive excursions so including there airfare from the east coast and back and the cruise, all hotels, meals,excursions, car rental, including the $525 dog sledding one i spent about $6000 for two of us. You can do it for less if you don't do the dog sledding and i also allowed $1000 for gambling! Have a great time. If you need specific info on where i stayed or prices for specific things just let me know.

 

Robin

Wow, Robin, this is remarkably helpful!!! I've been reading along this thread, as I, too, am overwhelmed with everything involved in planning our first Alaska cruise! I love to plan trips for my husband and myself, but there is so much to consider. I was most recently considering the northbound Radiance in July 2019; however, the pricing with the land portion via RCI seemed a little steep. Your price range sounds more 'doable'. If you don't mind, which category cabin did you book?

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Wow, Robin, this is remarkably helpful!!! I've been reading along this thread, as I, too, am overwhelmed with everything involved in planning our first Alaska cruise! I love to plan trips for my husband and myself, but there is so much to consider. I was most recently considering the northbound Radiance in July 2019; however, the pricing with the land portion via RCI seemed a little steep. Your price range sounds more 'doable'. If you don't mind, which category cabin did you book?

 

 

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Just has to be an inside cabin,if I'm reading that right at that total price.........Not sure she is including air or not either or the excursions she did on the cruise portion.

Jimbo:)

Wow, Robin, this is remarkably helpful!!! I've been reading along this thread, as I, too, am overwhelmed with everything involved in planning our first Alaska cruise! I love to plan trips for my husband and myself, but there is so much to consider. I was most recently considering the northbound Radiance in July 2019; however, the pricing with the land portion via RCI seemed a little steep. Your price range sounds more 'doable'. If you don't mind, which category cabin did you book?

 

 

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i booked an inside cabin cat 4V on the 8th floor because i choose not to put the money into a cabin that i will spend very little time in- i prefer to put the money in my excursions.

Wow, Robin, this is remarkably helpful!!! I've been reading along this thread, as I, too, am overwhelmed with everything involved in planning our first Alaska cruise! I love to plan trips for my husband and myself, but there is so much to consider. I was most recently considering the northbound Radiance in July 2019; however, the pricing with the land portion via RCI seemed a little steep. Your price range sounds more 'doable'. If you don't mind, which category cabin did you book?

 

 

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Here was my pricing and itinerary:

i booked the cheapest way for airfare which was a pain and is piecemeal. I booked southwest RT from Baltimore to Seward during an amazing sale for $95 each. Then i had to wait a couple months and got a good deal on Alaska air Seattle to Anchorage for $155 and then finally Vancouver to Seattle for $135 so a total of $770 which is insane but like i said it took some months and checking fares constantly. I'll probably never be this lucky again.

Enterprise car rental in downtown Anchorage was at the time significant cheaper than at the airport but you have to check because sometimes it is vice versa. 3 days for $241 and this return to same location....if you do return to a different location it will be about double.

My place hotel in downtown Anchorage for 1 night $159

I had purchased the tour saver booklet online ahead of the trip which had some buy 1 get 1 free deals in it. I could not use most of them but was fortunate to use a few.

next day we drove up to Denali (5 hours) and stayed at Denali Perch for 2 nights $215 total

Went to Cabin nite dinner theater that night which was a little hoakey but my grandson and i enjoyed a nice meal (choice of salmon or bbq ribs served family style with the veggies and wonderful berry cobbler for dessert and a little show about back in the gold mine days. Something to do. Buy 1 get 1 with the tour saver so was $75 total

Next morning we took the Denali park shuttle to Eileson is $40 children free. This goes the same place as the tour buses which cost about $150 each. The shuttle drivers do give some information along the way and will stop if wildlife is spotted. This is a long 8 hr rd trip and you need to bring a box lunch with you which you can pick up at many places in Denali outside of the park. Don't waste your time and money taking the shorter 6.5 hour trip because you do not get far enough into the park to actually see much wildlife, if any.

The next day we left to return to Anchorage stopping at Talkeetna for lunch and shopping and then continuing on to Palmer to the Reindeer farm ($33) Buy 1 get 1 free. They gave a tour talking about the reindeer life and plenty of time to pet and feed them and see the babies. then continuing on to Anchorage.

Turned the car in and back to My place hotel $159 (they offer shuttle service to railroad depot and airport.

5:15am next day took the hotel shuttle to the railroad depot checked suitcases all the way through to the Radiance of the Seas keeping just a light weight drawstring bag with me for jacket, water papers for embarking on the ship etc. Train leaves at 6:45 am arrival in Seward at 11:00 - absolutely gorgeous scenery the entire way down. The train ride which you need to book online ahead of time was 105 and i had a buy 1 get 1

In Seward Kanai Fjords Resurrection Bay with lunch at Fox island 104 for me and 55 for grandson at 12 noon (this is a 4.5 hour trip and you get back at 4:30 and we walked right on the ship no lines. We saw whales, seals, etc.

I booked Radiance during a WOW sale. $727 for inside cabin plus 212 for port fees etc. so 1882 with $50 OBC which i put toward a ship excursion

Juneau- i booked through costal helicopters direct for 524 each helicopter ride to the glacier then dog sledding. It was amazing and worth every dime!

Skagway I booked the white pass railroad through the cruise line using $50 OBC and it was 129 + 65 for the grandson and then less the $50 so a total of 144

Icy Straight Point we did the ships whale watch for 179 and 109 total of $288

Ketchikan we did a self guided walking tour and shopping at Tongass for all of our souvenirs.

Cruise ended in Vancouver and we walked the short distance to get on the tram/train that takes you directly to the airport.

It can be done there are just a lot of variables and you have to constantly be checking for sales, specials, etc. Have a great time.

"i booked the cheapest way for airfare which was a pain and is piecemeal. I booked southwest RT from Baltimore to Seward during an amazing sale for $95 each. Then i had to wait a couple months and got a good deal on Alaska air Seattle to Anchorage for $155 and then finally Vancouver to Seattle for $135 so a total of $770 which is insane but like i said it took some months and checking fares constantly. I'll probably never be this lucky again."

..............................................................................................................................

I assumed you meant RT Baltimore to Seattle right?

Did you stay a over night in Seattle before taking the the Alaska Air flight to Anchorage.............if not what was your layover like?

Then when you got off the ship you took a flight from Vancouver to Seattle ? before returning on the Soutwest flight from Seattle to Baltimore.

Probably could have save some money by just driving from Vancouver to Seattle, rent a car for the day when getting off the ship. Got to think it would have been cheaper then the $135 x 2............$270 for that flight?

Jimbo:)

"i booked the cheapest way for airfare which was a pain and is piecemeal. I booked southwest RT from Baltimore to Seward during an amazing sale for $95 each. Then i had to wait a couple months and got a good deal on Alaska air Seattle to Anchorage for $155 and then finally Vancouver to Seattle for $135 so a total of $770 which is insane but like i said it took some months and checking fares constantly. I'll probably never be this lucky again."

..............................................................................................................................

I assumed you meant RT Baltimore to Seattle right?

 

 

Did you stay a over night in Seattle before taking the the Alaska Air flight to Anchorage.............if not what was your layover like?

 

 

 

 

Then when you got off the ship you took a flight from Vancouver to Seattle ? before returning on the Soutwest flight from Seattle to Baltimore.

Probably could have save some money by just driving from Vancouver to Seattle, rent a car for the day when getting off the ship. Got to think it would have been cheaper then the $135 x 2............$270 for that flight?

 

 

Jimbo:)

Yes i mean RT Baltimore to Seattle. I got to Seattle 11am and the flight on Alaska Air was at 12:55 so not bad. No renting a car would not have been cheaper- i checked and since you would be going from Canada to US and also one way rental it would have been ridiculous.

Yes i mean RT Baltimore to Seattle. I got to Seattle 11am and the flight on Alaska Air was at 12:55 so not bad. No renting a car would not have been cheaper- i checked and since you would be going from Canada to US and also one way rental it would have been ridiculous.

Strange, we rented a car last June 17............when we got off the ship in Vancouver we picked up a car right there at the pier.................2 day rental from Vancouver to Portland Airport and paid just $270. through Costco. Going through customs at the border was breeze too.

Jimbo:)

Strange, we rented a car last June 17............when we got off the ship in Vancouver we picked up a car right there at the pier.................2 day rental from Vancouver to Portland Airport and paid just $270. through Costco. Going through customs at the border was breeze too.

 

Jimbo:)

Well i guess that was good for you Jimbo. My plan worked well for me as well. :)

dupe

I would say deposit something in your price range now and then change if you have other ideas, once you return with your experience from Alaska

Make it simple.....its not like there are only a few options ....you will have plenty of time once you return

i booked an inside cabin cat 4V on the 8th floor because i choose not to put the money into a cabin that i will spend very little time in- i prefer to put the money in my excursions.

I normally agree with you, but Alaska can be a little different.

Photography is important to me. I like the memories and it really helps the kids remember the trip. Glacier Bay, in particular, was absolutely stunning. A complete marvel. But it gets cold. As you turn into that bay and start traveling along, those glaciers are essentially giant ice cubes cooling everything down. Temps dropped at least 10 degrees fairly quickly.

However, unless you staked out a spot up on deck and wore a ton of cold weather gear, it can get cold and uncomfortable. Plus, it's super crowded. With a balcony, I could pop out whenever I wanted to to take some pictures. Then run back inside to warm up. Rinse and repeat. No one in my way. I went out once to get some hot chocolate. The crowds were insane.

I thought the balcony was totally worth it for Glacier Bay (and probably the other 2 big glaciers).

Hi Bindi- i can only tell you my preference and i am going to Alaska for the third time this coming June- I have been in June and August. Obviously August is expensive but the salmon are running then so interesting to see in Ketchikan on the salmon ladder. Too warm in August to do helicopter to glacier and dog sledding so you would have to "settle" for one of the wheeled dog sleds through a short wooded trail. I loved 2nd week in June and i am doing it again but the third weeks this June- I prefer doing the land portion first and booked everything myself saving about half what the cruise ships charge. It is very easy. First time i flew into Fairbanks, rented a car and stayed there for one day and night and came down through Denail- staying there for two days before heading down to Talkeetna just for a short time in the town for lunch and shopping. Cute town. Continued down to Palmer to the reindeer farm where you learn all about them and you go in and can pet them and feed them and see the babies. There is also horseback riding there. Then onto Anchorage for one day and one night. Turned the car in. The entire trip from Fairbanks is easy because it is on one highway! In anchorage the hotel dropped us off at the train depot at 5:45 am the following day and the train left at 6:45 and we were in Seward at 11:00 for our SOUTHBOUND cruise on Royal Carribean Radiance of the Seas. (You check your luggage andf you won't see it again until you get your ship! They check it straight through to the cruise line which is fabulous if you want to do something in Seward when you arrive before embarking) I prefer to do land first because you have full long days and you will be tired and then you get a little more rest on the cruise although fun ports and excursions there as well. We did the helicopter to the glacier and dog sledding in Juneau, White Pass Railroad in Skagway,Whale watching in Seward before we embarked and then again in icy Straight Point. In Ketchikan we just did a self tour of the little town andf great shopping for souvenirs (inhere are three Tongass shipping stores here and if you get your souvenirs here save the redeipt from all three stores and when you get to the end at the last Tongass store give them everything you bought and all three receipts and they will ship EVERYTHING TO YOUR HOME FOR ONLY 19.95! this will save you having to drag it all back and pack it. Now it will take about two weeks for you to receive it because they ship it the cheapest way possible but still it is so worth it! I did a lot of expensive excursions so including there airfare from the east coast and back and the cruise, all hotels, meals,excursions, car rental, including the $525 dog sledding one i spent about $6000 for two of us. You can do it for less if you don't do the dog sledding and i also allowed $1000 for gambling! Have a great time. If you need specific info on where i stayed or prices for specific things just let me know.

 

Robin

Just as an FYI, we’re able to do the Juneau dogsled helicopter excursion in early August this year. Still lots of snow and still beautiful!

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Thank you everyone for your input.

After more research and everyone's input, here is what we have booked today.

We are booked on SB Coral Princess in May 2019 in an OV for my parents and Balcony cabin across the hall for DH and myself. I wanted to be close but not too close as both my parents have limited mobility. They refuse to even think about renting scooters for the week. My dad gets around okay. My mom does not. Most likely we will have a wheelchair for her to get around pre-cruise, on the ship and in port.

The cruise leaves from Whittier and goes to Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan. We will spend 3-4 days pre-cruise in Anchorage area. Depending on what we see this summer on our land tour will determine if we take my parents north to Denali or south to Kenai Peninsula. Then we may or may not spend another day in Vancouver post cruise. That will depend on $$$$. ;)

I have got a pretty good idea of excursions that will suit my parents likes and their mobility. Dog sledding is not up there on my mom's list of things to do and see. And we will have a couple of dog sledding activities planned for this summer's land tour with my kids. My dad really enjoys any kind of history tours and my mom is a shopaholic ( and truthfully an organized hoarder). So the White Pass Train in Skagway will be at the top of the list of excursions. City tours in Juneau and Ketchikan with added on shopping will do for the other port stops. And since we will be DIY pre-cruise, I think we will do a whale watch tour out of Whittier to spend the afternoon before we board the ship.

We are so excited for our land trip to AK this summer and can't wait for 2019! :D

I am finding all this information very helpful. Six of us (3 couples) are looking into going in 2019.