Ketchikan - duck boat or lumberjack show

[Moparop]

Group of 14, 7 to 70something, three generations. Arriving in July on Holland America Zaandam. I can't remember the exact hours we will be in port, but it's a pretty long day.

 

Not wanting to spend a ton of money but looking for something organized and entertaining to do as a group. Which way would you go? We would probably do some hikes or whatever after to fill in the rest of the day.

[donaldsc]

Group of 14, 7 to 70something, three generations. Arriving in July on Holland America Zaandam. I can't remember the exact hours we will be in port, but it's a pretty long day.

 

Not wanting to spend a ton of money but looking for something organized and entertaining to do as a group. Which way would you go? We would probably do some hikes or whatever after to fill in the rest of the day.

 

The lumberjack show is totally hoaky but a lot of fun.

 

DON

[sailingwithfriends]

The lumberjack show is totally hoaky but a lot of fun.

 

DON[/quote

I suggest you do both. We did the Duck Boat Tour first and then the Lumber Jack Show. Both were great for all ages. I would think the cost would be about $70.00 for both.

[martincath]

Since you're on the Zaandam, that means either starting or ending in Vancouver.

 

There's another lumberjack show on Grouse Mountain, and it's free (well - included in the price of getting up there) so even if you feel your group would enjoy such a show, you can do it elsewhere, while the Ducks can only be done in Ketchikan.

 

I'll also raise 'hokey' to 'cheesey as all get-out' in describing lumberjack shows - young kids and those who appreciate panto will enjoy, but teens and more cynical adults will do a lot of eye-rolling and sighing at the cringe-worthy spiels delivered.

[Moparop]

Since you're on the Zaandam, that means either starting or ending in Vancouver.

 

There's another lumberjack show on Grouse Mountain, and it's free (well - included in the price of getting up there) so even if you feel your group would enjoy such a show, you can do it elsewhere, while the Ducks can only be done in Ketchikan.

 

I'll also raise 'hokey' to 'cheesey as all get-out' in describing lumberjack shows - young kids and those who appreciate panto will enjoy, but teens and more cynical adults will do a lot of eye-rolling and sighing at the cringe-worthy spiels delivered.

 

We are starting in Vancouver and just saw the Grouse Mtn trip to incorporate the lumberjack show. Is that also as cheesy as all get out? I read a suggestion of doing Grouse Mtn on the day we board the ship and it sounds like that could be a good adventure for the entire group before we get on the ship and there would be enough to do up there if people didn't want to watch the lumberjack show. The teen is at least a pun lover and the cynical adults like to torment my kids so they at least will enjoy it in that respect.

[martincath]

We are starting in Vancouver and just saw the Grouse Mtn trip to incorporate the lumberjack show. Is that also as cheesy as all get out? I read a suggestion of doing Grouse Mtn on the day we board the ship and it sounds like that could be a good adventure for the entire group before we get on the ship and there would be enough to do up there if people didn't want to watch the lumberjack show. The teen is at least a pun lover and the cynical adults like to torment my kids so they at least will enjoy it in that respect.

Yup; for a cheesier time you'd have to hit a Wisconsin dairy farm. I've seen many lumberjack shows (fortunately I'm a lover of bad puns and panto) and they are universally cheesey as all get-out! Generally the only difference is the proportion of Canadians to Americans to Scandinavians - so jokes dependent on people's accents vary.

 

 

The actual skillsets demonstrated are also pretty much identical with log-rolling, climbing, topping, hand-and-chain-sawing (the latter usually for artistic purposes), speed axe-chopping, axe-throwing - and given the very sharp implements used everyone is thoroughly competent! But the presenters do their darndest to 'entertain' in similar fashion to cruise directors on ships.

 

 

Grouse has a metric buttload of things to do - the entry price is an absolute bargain compared to Cap Bridge and you can easily spend 4-5 hours up there just taking in the various shows & attractions without even doing any hiking.

[Moparop]

Yup; for a cheesier time you'd have to hit a Wisconsin dairy farm. I've seen many lumberjack shows (fortunately I'm a lover of bad puns and panto) and they are universally cheesey as all get-out! Generally the only difference is the proportion of Canadians to Americans to Scandinavians - so jokes dependent on people's accents vary.

 

 

 

 

 

The actual skillsets demonstrated are also pretty much identical with log-rolling, climbing, topping, hand-and-chain-sawing (the latter usually for artistic purposes), speed axe-chopping, axe-throwing - and given the very sharp implements used everyone is thoroughly competent! But the presenters do their darndest to 'entertain' in similar fashion to cruise directors on ships.

 

 

 

 

 

Grouse has a metric buttload of things to do - the entry price is an absolute bargain compared to Cap Bridge and you can easily spend 4-5 hours up there just taking in the various shows & attractions without even doing any hiking.

 

 

 

Awesome!! All that's left to decide now (assuming the weather is good) is do we go up with the whole group on the morning of embarkation or do I just go with my immediate family the day.

[donaldsc]

Group of 14, 7 to 70something, three generations. Arriving in July on Holland America Zaandam. I can't remember the exact hours we will be in port, but it's a pretty long day.

 

Not wanting to spend a ton of money but looking for something organized and entertaining to do as a group. Which way would you go? We would probably do some hikes or whatever after to fill in the rest of the day.

 

Anytime I hear a group of N where N is greater than 10, I cringe, You can have all the togetherness on the ship. Off the ship, my wife and I our own thing and if any of the group wants to join us, they are welcome. However, we are not going to change our land plans to suit anyone else in the group.

 

DON

[Moparop]

Anytime I hear a group of N where N is greater than 10, I cringe, You can have all the togetherness on the ship. Off the ship, my wife and I our own thing and if any of the group wants to join us, they are welcome. However, we are not going to change our land plans to suit anyone else in the group.

 

DON

 

Trust me, I hear you!!! The trip is to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary. They are paying for the whole thing. So, if they want us to be together for an excursion, we will go together. It's sounding like my dad wants us together to do one event in each port and the rest of the day is our own. I'm sure there will be people who back out of stuff, but being the one with almost all of the kids I am trying to make sure the group things we do will keep my crew entertained. :')