Alaska Excursion Recommendations for a Diverse Group

[SuzieQ521]

Hello:

 

We will be doing a big family Princess cruise in May (9 of us) with stops in Juneau, Glacier Bay, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria. My husband and I did this exact same itinerary back in 2017 so we really want our family members (who have never been on a cruise, let alone to Alaska) to have a wonderful experience just like we did.

 

However we will be more limited in activities this time around given the demographics of our group which include:  A 4 year old boy, an elderly woman and another family member with a physical handicap (who will likely need a scooter for the longer walks).

 

We also do not have a big budget and given that there are 9 of us, we want to focus on just a couple of excursions.

 

Here is what we are considering:

 

1) Skagway: roundtrip on the White Pass Railway (my husband and I previously did the one way bus up to Carcross and lake Bennett and railway back but I think the RT train would be easier this time with our group).

 

2) Juneau: We were considering the Princess excursion that does 90 min at Glacier Gardens and 90 min at Mendenhall Glacier; we are hoping that those in our group with limited mobility will at least be able to walk the photo point trail to see the glacier? I don't think that the Nugget Falls trail will be doable with a 4 year old but it's been 6 years since I was there so correct me if I'm wrong. 

Also, would you recommend the Mt. Roberts Tramway as opposed to Glacier Gardens in mid-May?

 

3) Ketchikan: We are only here for a few hours so probably just planned on going to Creek Street (and to save our money); is there a city shuttle or tram we could take there for those who cannot walk?

 

4) Victoria: We don't arrive until 7 p.m. so I was hoping we could just take a shuttle from the Port to see the City.

 

Any other suggestions or input? Thanks!

[riffatsea]

Hi

Do the 9 of you really have to do everything together?

For me the beauty of cruising is that fami l y can pick and choose times to be together and times to do things separately 

I would think the 4 year old would be completely bored sitting in a train for a long ride to watch scenery!

 

In Kethikan I'd walk in downtown. To see the totem poles

Edited February 23, 2023 by riffatsea

[CruiserBruce]

27 minutes ago, riffatsea said:

 

Do the 9 of you really have to do everything together?

For me the beauty of cruising is that fami l y can pick and choose times to be together and times to do things separately 

I would think the 4 year old would be completely bored sitting in a train for a long ride to watch scenery!

Totally agree. The bigger and more diverse the group, the tougher to make every one happy. Splitting up in a couple of ports is NOT a bad thing.

[Coral]

Glacier Gardens is a bust in May. I wouldn't even try it. Too early in the season. I also think Mendenhall visiting the face of the glacier is sort of boring. It has retreated really far. I am not a fan of the tram - that is just me. I would probably whale watch.

 

I would encourage your group to break up for shore excursions and then get together for dinner at the end of the day. Let people choose their own excursions as everyone will have different preferences. Your group doesn't have to be together for every minute of the trip.

 

I personally would be irritated if I went with a group and excursions were already decided for me. It would be a huge disappointment for me.

 

I am going to Alaska with a good friend this summer and we are not doing all of our excursions together. We have different interests and we have both been to Alaska a ton.

Edited February 23, 2023 by Coral

[Coral]

11 hours ago, riffatsea said:

 

I would think the 4 year old would be completely bored sitting in a train for a long ride to watch scenery!

 

I completely agree. I have seen seniors fall asleep on the train. 

[martincath]

I'm also in the "9 people? No way they ALL want to do the same stuff!" camp, but if your family really are very similar in tastes then:

 

1. Stick to the bus in Skagway - it's cheaper, less boring for the kid as there are stops to get off at, and with half the seats on a typical Chilkoot minibus allocated to your mob you can also swap who is where at every stop without running into issues motivating strangers to swap seats with you! NB: unless of course there are 'No Passport' people in the group... an RT cruise on Princess you may have some folks just using the Driving License/Birth Cert (or birth cert only for the 4yo) loophole. If so, the ONLY excursion up into White Pass they can do is the Summit Train, as all the buses cross the border. You & DH I assume at least have passports since you did Lake Bennett last time - still valid?
2. Juneau offers a lot of options; this is probably the least likely port that everyone wants to do the same stuff at the same time... As long as 5 or 6 want to whalewatch, a private boat hire will cost the same or less than just booking seats on a big boat - there are many '6 pack' boats, many of them refuse to take kids unless you book the whole boat. If mobility-challenged person does want to whalewatch though, I'd strongly advise booking a big boat through the cruiseline (Allen Marine catamaran) to ensure that there are accessible toilets and big flat decks that a scooter, wheelchair etc. can navigate. Really good museum in Juneau, state government building can be toured, art galleries etc. that may entice the more culture/history focused folks as well as anyone wanting to save money!
3. Ketchikan does have a local bus service, and even ADA-compliant transit vehicles (if your person has an ADA card they are able to use those dedicated services; if just over 60 then priority is given to actually-disabled folks but they try to get Senior visitors on if they can - contact them in advance!
4. Don't use cruise shuttles in Victoria, they're a ripoff as soon as you have 2+ people - cost for a round trip on the shuttle = same as cab fare but a) cabs go whenever and wherever you want instead of only to one or two specific drop points; b) cost is the same whether you fill all seats or not; c) Victoria has mandatory Accessible cabs in each fleet just like Vancouver does - call or use a local app and specify you have someone who needs an accessible cab and they'll prioritize getting van taxi to you (though with 9 pax, you will always need at least two cabs even if you are all going to the same place, as max local vehicle size is a 6-seater and most are 4+driver). The pier will have a bunch of cabs lined up awaiting fares but if you want a cab back to the ship it'd a good idea to have phone numbers stored or local apps downloaded in advance. If you are arriving on a Fri or Sat, there's a good chance that the Royal BC Museum will be open late - it's a good one, and has an IMAX cinema attached that might be screening something to keep a 4yo happy while adults pootle round the galleries inside... unfortunately the rest of Victoria rolls up the sidewalks about 5pm even in summer, so unless someone volunteers to look after the young'un while the rest of you partake in a pub crawl, the best Victoria evening activity available is probably just a bit of a walk around the inner harbour, or a pickleboat cruise to see it from the water for a few bucks a head.

[~*Lou*~]

Depends on the 4 yo.

 

My 5yo and 7 yo made the walk to Nugget Falls with no trouble, they played on the beach while the adults took in the scenery.

 

Same children enjoyed the bus up/train back at Skagway without getting bored - but I knew in advance they liked trains, some children wouldn't be at all interested.