Older Cruisers

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We are trying to plan an Alaska cruise with my 70 yr old parents. Dad is very healthy and active. Mom is healthy, but over weight with BAD knees. She is mobile, no walker or cane, but slower,and definately not physically fit. We are in our mid fourties, phyically fit. She would be better off in a train or a bus or a cab. Getting into these modes of transportation is a challenge in itself!

 

We can not do any boats or helicopters or planes.

 

So this said, does anyone have any advise on what to do in the ports.

 

We also have a very tight budget, and will have to book an inside, bottom of the ship cabin. We are ok with this, but maybe someone that has stayed in one of these cabins can tell us what they did to enjoy the views on the sea days.

 

We are thinking of taking the Seattle Roundtrip cruise, stopping at the most popular stops. We are going to spend the extra money it takes to go in July.

 

All of your comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[Budget Queen]

I always get cheap inside cabins. But I also spend all my time out on decks. All ships have enclosed viewing areas. Your first day, scout out a few areas for your enjoyment later. You'll have a great time. :)

 

 

As for budget tours, consider MGT, bus TOUR in Juneau, gives a great commentary, brief stop at Mendenhall, Chapel on the Lake, drive by city. Not a lot of walking required. In Ketchikan again a bus type tour, consider Saxman Village, Totem Bight and a drive by city. Lois of Classic tours 4 could fit?? Skagway, plenty of bus tours to consider, Skagway Streetcar runs a good Skagway history tour.

 

I would suggest you split up if varied interests. Alaska touring is just too excellent to miss if of interest. It is unlikely 4 people will be on the same page in every port.

[SailAways]

We are in our seventies, and did the Alaska Cruise with our fortiesh son and his wife in September.

We spent a lot of time walking as far as we could in each port. Perhaps you could check in to a rental scooter of some type for your MIL, so that she too could enjoy the cities more.

From time to time, we split up, and did our own things. The kids would do the more active things, such as kayaking in Ketchikan, renting scooters in Prince Rupert, and hiking.

We did the bus tours in each city as described by BQ, with some variation. These are a wonderful way to capture some of the city, and also learn of the history, if you are fortunate enough to get an informed tour guide.

We rented a car in Skagway to do the Yukon highway. This was the highlight of our trip, as DH had lived in Skagway. He was able to point out this and that which related to his memories.

If you do the Yukon Highway, be sure to print off Yukon Murray's guide - it is invaluable for this trip. We would have missed half of the sights without it.

We found that staying within our budget was not difficult. We are not avid shoppers, so that did not interest us much. We found that we were able to wander far off the beaten path, and were able to meet locals in each port who were more than generous in sharing the folk lore of their cities.

You will do fine. Enjoy the ship - there is plenty of scouting around to do right on board.

Undoubtedly, you will fall in love with Alaska, as everyone does. It is an awesome beautiful spot on this earth.

Have a delightful cruise - enjoy every moment of your cruise, as it is over all too quickly

[Love Cruis'n]

The White Pass RR in Skagwway would be great for your group. The train was parked right at the dock. Walked off the ship and boarded the train.

Also, a whale watch might be a good idea. In Juneau, find one that picks up very near to the dock. I don't recall the pick up point for Orca, but don't recall it being that far from the dock, maybe a block or two walk, if that's not too far.

Hope that helps.:)

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Thank you all so much, please keep the ideas coming. These are great:D

[Budget Queen]

 

 

For Clairfication it is the Klondike Highway.

[Kenwoody]

We always stay inside, we believe other ways to spend our money.

 

This summer we went on the Vision of the Sea, which has the buffet dining room on the front of the ship. This makes it nice for sitting and enjoying the Glaciers or passes from inside, having a veiw right up front. This would be a real advantage for your mother.

 

If possible, rethink the July sailing, End of May or first of June has better chance for less rain . Would miss Salmon running. But would see more mountain top snow, which is beautiful. Plus the rates are lower.

[SailAways]

For Clairfication it is the Klondike Highway.

 

Gee - I thought it had been changed since "Yukon" Murray's

Road Log is so much a part of this trip.

 

Actually, -" South" Klondike Highway if we are to be specific.

 

Thanks again BQ - You keep me on my toes!

[Kylie]

http://www.portpromotions.com has very cheap tours (3 for $115) at the ports and they are bus tours. We have done 2 of the 3 and they are very informative and easy especially if you don't want to do much walking or spend much money!

[Host Caroline]

We had a 90 year old lady in our group and she had a wonderful time on the Orca whale watching, White Pass & Yukon and a city tour in Ketchikan. The Port Promotions tour package is a pretty good, safe deal.. I know they are an "agent" for operators in Alaska and other places but they seem to have a good track record.. This could be an easy option for them..

[Coral]

If possible - I would encourage you to maybe look at going at the end of May/first of June. Historically, the weather has been better during this time compared to July (less rain) and the prices are usually considerably less.

 

Skagway - renting a car and driving to the Yukon or the White Pass train would be great.

 

Juneau - MGT tours are very affordable. Mendenhall glacier is very accessible. Whale watching would be easy for them - if you don't have whales in your area, this would be a nice treat.

 

Good luck in your plans and don't worry about the inside cabin. There is plenty of deck space to watch the glaciers and be outside when the ship is sailing.

[wolfie11]

Late May or early June is definately a great time to be in Alaska! As for boat tours, many of the boats cater to mobility-limited passengers. Most of them will have accomodations for those who can't walk very well, and most of the larger boats (50+ pax) are also wheelchair accessible. A tour on a smaller boat is a must in Alaska! You see very little from a cruise ship.