Help with planning excursions!

[misseulalie]

Hello all!!!

 

We are sailing DCL next June. Our ports are Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. These are the three things on our "must do" list.

 

Dog sledding, water rafting, and ziplining.

 

The more I research, the more confused I am getting. I am willing to do non-DCL excursions, but we will be keeping our 2 year old on board, so we have to keep that in mind.

 

It seems that Juneau has both water rafting and dog sledding, and all three have zip lining. Cost is not an issue, really- but it has to be really worth it to spend the $$$.

 

Can you all help with my planning?

We will have a very adventurous 13 year old and a not-so adventurous 11 year old with us. I think for zip lining, only my husband and 13 will participating.

 

Thanks!!!

[jcandrc]

You can't go wrong with any of the three you've listed. We went on our first Alaska Cruise two years ago and I would highly recommend dog sledding on top of the glacier!!! This is the most remarklable site you'll ever see. Bring your sunglasses though, with all that white snow and the sun it is very bright!!!! Plus you get to see a lot from your helicoptor ride to the glacier. Read your descriptions closely, there was several different dog sledding excursions, but one was on a dirt road, not snow. As for the zip lining, haven't done it in Alaska yet, but we too are going again in June 14 and plan on zip lining on one of our ports

[Budget Queen]

Hello all!!!

 

We are sailing DCL next June. Our ports are Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. These are the three things on our "must do" list.

 

Dog sledding, water rafting, and ziplining.

 

The more I research, the more confused I am getting. I am willing to do non-DCL excursions, but we will be keeping our 2 year old on board, so we have to keep that in mind.

 

It seems that Juneau has both water rafting and dog sledding, and all three have zip lining. Cost is not an issue, really- but it has to be really worth it to spend the $$$.

 

Can you all help with my planning?

We will have a very adventurous 13 year old and a not-so adventurous 11 year old with us. I think for zip lining, only my husband and 13 will participating.

 

Thanks!!!

 

For dog sledding, glacier dog sledding offers the snow sledding option. IF a priority to do this, then I suggest you book at your first opportunity in Juneau or Skagway. This is the most canceled tour on the inside passage, so you always are better off having back up plans. IF canceled at your first port, then immediately get on your phone and see if there is any open space at the next available port. for additional information- you do not drive any sleds. They usually go with groups of 3 passengers. 1 employee driver, 2 riding in the basket, one on the breaks. this involves two sleds tied together. Depending on the passengers, positions can be switched.

 

I do NOT recommend the Mendenhall float trip, you get only a brief distant view of Mendenhall. Rest of trip is trees and backyards. I'm a firm advocate of money is better spent elsewhere. A far superior float trip is on the Taiya out of Skagway. Otherwise, the canoe trips on Mendenhall Lake get far better views, and a kayak rental and unguided paddle easy, also to consider.

 

Zip lines are available, Juneau and Skagway, so read up on reports, especially people who have done both. I would give this a less booking priority, schedule it where it leaves blocks of time, either early or late in your port times. This is especially necessary- if your dog sledding gets canceled.

[jcandrc]

We did the dog sledding on the glacier and it was fabulous!!!! We weren't able to get the one on mendenhall because I waited to late to book it but was on another glacier. The scene is spectacular and you also get a helicopter ride there so you get to see a lot of the landscape. Bring your sunglasses the "white" glare is amazing!!!! Be sure and read your excursion description because there is a dog sledding excursion that has you on a diet road not a glacier!!

 

 

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[Taxi]

I hope you have a great trip! Whatever you do, don't waste your $ on that train ride out of Skagway, I think it is the White Line or something like that. It is highly praised, I dissed it on here one time and got hate mail. Unless you are 90, and I don't think you are, skip it.

[chipmaster]

If you got the $$$ do the glacier dog sledding. I'd go ahead and book it for both ports. They are very limted and sell out, but often allow you to cancel within 24 hours ( check carefully )

 

As another poster said, often canceled, but when weather is good, it is spectacular!

[cuti]

Are the glacier dog sleds ship excursions or can you book direct? And what is the company? Which ports have those?

[jcandrc]

The glacier dog sled we did was a ship excursion and I booked a couple months ahead of sailing

 

 

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[rjeffler]

All of you sledding fanatics.... Just got a notice from Groupon/Anchorage that there is a sale on Helicopter to Dog Sled on a Glacier from Seward. It is normally $449, on sale for $249. This is an unheard of deal!! Scoop it up if you can make it fit your schedule!!