Itinerary help with teenagers and 1st time AK cruise

[UT_mom]

Hello all,

 

We are a group of 10, with several teenagers up to 70 year old grandparents in good health going on the NCL Sun in July. It is first trip/cruise to Alaska for almost all of us and we want to make the most of our time in port without overdoing it. We are a pretty active group.

 

We have a couple of days in Vancouver before the cruise, but unfortunately with our schedule, we have to leave out of Anchorage the night after disembarking in Seward. After reading many posts and books, we put together this tentative schedule, but would really appreciate some feedback

 

Vancouver

- White Water rafting out of Squamish and sightseeing North of Vancouver (suspension bridge, gondola…)

- Stanley Park, China town, Granville Island, maybe Aquarium?

Cruising Inside Passage

Ketchikan 7 – 4

- walk around Creek Street, or go see Totems or SE Alaska Discovery Center?

- 10am – 1p Bering Sea crab Fishermen tour

- 1 – 3:15p Fishing (Fisherman meets us in the morning to complete paperwork and picking us up from doc to go straight out to fish for 2 hours)

Juneau 10 -8

- Noon – 4pm Helicopter Glacier trek

- Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget falls? – still worth going here if we hike on the Glacier?

- Any time for Ziplining or anything else instead? Tram?

- Alaskan Brewery and Dinner somewhere?

Skagway 7a – 8p – Can’t decide what to do! Our group is willing to split up, but any suggestions which to pick for teenagers and families which for the grandparents?

- Tour to Emerald Lake with Dyea Dave (possibly with some or all taking the Whitepass Rail back).

- Glacier Point Wilderness Safari

- Eagle Preserve Float

Cruising Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier

Seward (renting car and catching 8pm flight out of Anchorage)

- Alaska Sealife Center

- Exit Glacier (skip?)

- Drive towards Anchorage and stop at some sights along the way and lunch.

- Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center?

- Any other must do?

 

We could especially use help with Skagway.

 

The other 2 main activities that we were interested in doing but not looking possible are Whale watching and kayaking. I hope we can see some whales from the ship but I know it won’t be the same close experience. Also, it seems like for the better kayaking trips, we would need to devote at least 4 hours, and I don’t think it is worth it to drop anything else?

 

I know the Bering Sea Crab excursion is a show but supposed to be lots of fun. Would anyone recommend we drop that and kayak instead?

 

Thank you, I have tried to keep in mind that this is our first trip but not going to be our last. We just have to pick our top things to do and do the others another time. I just expect this will be our only time with our kids with us.

 

Thank you!!

[travgurl]

Sounds like you have fun filled packed schedule with lots of different activities what all ages would enjoy. We leave in July with a group of 10 adults.

I have scheduled the following for us to do after lots of research and reading reviews--Skagway-Trails of 98 (reviews have stated that they have toured with families of all ages), Juneau-Whale watching with Harv and Marv/Mendenhall glacier, Ketchikan-explore the town on our own and 6 of us are to the Misty Fjords tour with Island Wings. These are some ideas you can consider. Check out their websites. Good luck, but make sure that you book your excursions ahead, the ones you have mentioned and mine are very popular. I booked all of ours independently. Enjoy your trip!

[chipmaster]

As overall set of activities sounds you'll have a blast. Many of them I've done similar or exact activity

 

1) Fishing; 2 hours sounds very short. Unless you are going peak season you may be overpaying by the hour. We did 7am to 12 and even than it felt short. We did come back with some good catching

 

2) Zipling: You might consider doing that in Whistler. They have a crazy long and fast one there. Find below a picture, this is the one NOT in the valley between Whistler and Blackcomb.

 

 

3) Whitewater rafting: Not sure how far up the river you are going but there is good white water there.

 

4) Whale watching, highly recommended. Sadly your time in Juneau looks like you must decide if ice trekking is the thing to do. I think glacier landing and Mendenhall are very different both worth doing. You can always to glacier helicopter out of Skagway but I don't believe they have true trekking out of there. They do have dog sledding :D

Edited June 18, 2015 by chipmaster

[sherryf]

Two suggestions:

 

1) Ask the teens what they want to do! Show them a list of possibilities, photos, tour descriptions, etc. and ask what they would prefer.

 

2) Split up if necessary! With a group of 10, it's likely that not everyone wants to do the same things.

[GrammieMame]

We are also taking teenagers and active grandparents.

 

In Skagway, you might be interested in Grizzley Falls Ziplining. Both kids and grandparents are going to do it.

 

You might have time, depending when you get there, for Harv and Marv whale watching in Juneau.

 

We might be in the same ship - leaving July 1?

[UT_mom]

Thank you everyone.

 

We are on the Sun leaving 7/6. I do have most of this all reserved but trying to decide if want to change anything as I get a better grasp of our options.

 

I have been in touch with all the companies in Skagway and fortunately still have several options but I need to make decisions before they are no longer available.

 

Chipmaster, I have been asking myself that about fishing. The fisherman we talked to thinks if he picks us up at the doc ready to go at 1pm (with paperwork completed in advance) that we will have 2 full hours of fishing and have some good success given it is July and salmon (Coho?) should be good. No way to know for sure of course.

 

Have any of you done the Bering Sea Crab tour and do you think it is too cheesy and we would better enjoy slow paced fishing excursion, with Kayaking in the morning instead? The Bering Sea just gets so many great reviews for fun and even seeing wildlife like Eagles but we are in AK and don't want to miss out on the best in Ketchikan if too much of a show.

 

I will look up ziplining in Whistler. it is a little farther of a drive from Squamish, but supposed to be beautiful. Thx!

 

We are pretty set and cautiously optimistic about the the Heli Glacier trek out of Juneau to get more time on the Glacier (and really hoping no weather cancellation!). Amazingly, I left a message for Harv & Marv yesterday and they called me back and can take us on a private Whale Watch tour that would get just under the 2.5 hours on the water before getting back to the ship. Hope this isn't too rushed, but sounds like it can work?! I appreciate them telling me they will not push it and will make sure we are back at doc by 7pm.

 

We could do the Heli Glacier out of Skagway but it is a shorter excursion with only a little time on Glacier, so hoping we are making the right choice. If our Heli trek gets cancelled out of Juneau, I would definitely want to do this, but I'm sure by then, they would be booked...

 

3 of my family are at camp right now but I will indeed lay this out for them when they are back. I was trying to gather all the details last week before they left but that didn't happen.

 

Thank you. I'm going to keep working on this but I am feeling pretty better about it. I know we can't do it all on one cruise.

[Budget Queen]

I would suggest you look at getting a better time for your helicopter tour. It's a big disadvantage at this time. I would also leave it up to the teens to pick.

with a group this size and diverse, if's essential allow splitting up.

 

There are rave reviews for the Bering Sea tour. But as someone who prefers "realness" :) I think they ruined that boat. :) With it too full of "fakeness" for me. I've seen the Time Bandit in Homer and far more enjoyed that experience, watching for a while with it being loaded- real. :)

 

I too, have some problems with the fishing times, my family has fished many times in Alaska, no way, is that enough time- they say. :) You are barely going to get out, before you will be turning back. Unless the priority is NOT fishing/catching?

 

I too, highly recommend Dyea Dave.

 

 

With Anchorage- I would be off the ship real early, as soon as Hertz opens and pick up the car. You will need to be leaving Skagway by 2:30p with no additional extended stops. Earlier, if you want the Conservatory. As you can see, you don't have enough time for your list. You need to have a 2 hour window AT Anchorage airport- with car gassed and turned in, then a 3 hour timeframe for Seward/Anchorage drive. You'll need to choose what is more important for you to see and do.

 

I find the times of your booked tours, not ideal with the flight and Bering Sea. There is too much wasted time, in my opinion.

[UT_mom]

Hello again. Based on some of your comments and I went back and made some changes.

 

Unfortunately some of the excursion times can't be avoided. We made the reservations for the Heli Glacier trek over 2 months ago and took what we could for our group of 10 and noon or 1pm was all they had. So just have to plan around it. Hoping it isn't cancelled due to weather...

 

I did cancel the Bering Sea Crab boat tour. heard it was fun and we liked that the Eagles come very close but with limited time, we cut it in lieu of enjoying the real Alaska!

 

so here is update.

 

Ketchikan 7 – 4

•7:45 am – 10:15 Kayak w/ Southeast Kayaks – 2 hour kayak through the Ketchikan Creek, harbor and Tongass Narrows. My son has been interested in kayaking so this fit the bill.

•45 minutes to grab a little lunch

•11a – 3p Fishing

 

Juneau 10 -8

•10:30 – 11:40 Mt. Roberts Tram and hike around, grab some snacks/lunch at one of the cafes on the go.

•Noon – 3:45 pm Helicopter Glacier trek

•4p-7 Whale watching with Harv & Marv. They picking us up from the Heli place so no stress!

 

Skagway 7a – 8p

•7:45 – 3pm - Tour to Emerald Lake with Dyea Dave (some might take the Whitepass Rail back)

•My son is interested in Ocean Raft with zodiac through the Fjord from 3p - 5:30p, but that requires we get back from the tour by 2:45p which they said they would do. But with it being the last of 3 busy days in port, I am thinking best to not to overschedule and just give us time to meander around town since won't have done that at any other ports until our last day. Anyone have any thoughts?

 

**We are a very active family and used to doing a lot of hiking and tours on our vacations. We have the time on the ship to rest and relax. But still want to have time to enjoy it all and not overschedule.

 

Thank you all!