July 2024 Advice: Dogsledding, Scooters

[PghCouple]

We are finally taking our first cruise to Alaska, July 11 - 18, on the Carnival Luminosa out of Seattle.

 

There will be a total of three of us: DH(55), DS(turning 13 in June), and me. DH uses a scooter for disability purposes and is aware that a lot of this is not going to be offboard for him.

 

Our cabin is fine, and we have great non-stop flights on Alaska Air.

 

Our concern is the helicopter/dogsledding tours.  It seems there are a few.  In Juneau, there are two:

 

1  Dog Sledding on Mendenhall Glacier via Helicopter

    $679.99 / Person

And also 

2.  Four Glacier Helicopter & Dogsled Adventure

$699.99 / Person

 

In Skagaway, there is only one:

 

Dogsledding & Helicopter Glacier Flightseeing

$699.99 / Person

 

Does anyone have any advice or recommendations on which one to take during the July dates we are going?  They all seem to have great reviews, and shockingly, the prices offered on Carnival's site are significantly less expensive than those of the tour operators.

 

If there is another privately listed one, we would be open to that as well.  This is for our son to make his memories; you just can't put a price on that.

 

One last question is: How many of the stops will be scooter accessible, or is DH going to be in the card room losing terribly at Spades or Canasta?

 

Thanks in advance for any and all help, advice or comments provided.  

 

PghCouple +DS

[edinburgher]

2 hours ago, PghCouple said:

One last question is: How many of the stops will be scooter accessible

Should you get few or no responses here, perhaps you could consider also crossposting on the Disabled  Cruise Forum, where members who had similar challenges would be more likely to see it and respond? And as you are asking about  scooter accessibility in all your ports, maybe list them all?

 

This one.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/

Edited May 6 by edinburgher

[PghCouple]

26 minutes ago, edinburgher said:

Should you get few or no responses here, perhaps you could consider also crossposting on the Disabled  Cruise Forum, where members who had similar challenges would be more likely to see it and respond? And as you are asking about  scooter accessibility in all your ports, maybe list them all?

 

This one.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/114-disabled-cruise-travel/

 

Thank you very much.  I just sort of threw that out there last minute as he says he doesn't care as long as DS get the experiences of a lifetime.

 

I am trying to figure out what is the best helicopter dogsled for the amount to actually be on the snow with the dogs.

 

I will follow that link and make a post to see what is going to be accessible since this is a newer issue.

 

Thanks again for the advice

[edinburgher]

7 minutes ago, PghCouple said:

I am trying to figure out what is the best helicopter dogsled for the amount to actually be on the snow with the dogs

I think if it were me, i would start a separate thread about the amount of snow you might expect in July specifically for dogsledding, as there are several members who are Alaska based and should have more knowledge about local conditions at that time of year.

 

My understanding, admittedly only from tv programmes, is that, when there is little or no snow in summer, (and you will visit in July) the dogs still need to be exercised and will be run on dirt tracks, but that is not really the reply you are hoping for, so best you ask the Alaskan members.

Edited May 6 by edinburgher

[PghCouple]

2 hours ago, edinburgher said:

I think if it were me, i would start a separate thread about the amount of snow you might expect in July specifically for dogsledding, as there are several members who are Alaska based and should have more knowledge about local conditions at that time of year.

 

My understanding, admittedly only from tv programmes, is that, when there is little or no snow in summer, (and you will visit in July) the dogs still need to be exercised and will be run on dirt tracks, but that is not really the reply you are hoping for, so best you ask the Alaskan members.

That thread had all the information anyone would ever need about going anywhere in the world it seems like.

Thank you so very much for directing me there.

 

From my research, I believe you misunderstood. If you take the helicopter, they fly you to the mushers' camps that are still in the snow, so the amount isn't my concern. Just out of the 3, since Juneau has two of them and Skagway only one at the prices, does anyone have any thoughts or opinions on which would be the better to use?  Looking at the pricing, Carnival has the lowest pricing than anyone else that I have seen of the tour companies, which was shocking as it was always less expensive to book or go from the pier.

[Northern Aurora]

@PghCouple:  I don't have any opinion regarding which port to use for the helicopter tour, but just want to comment that Alaska is ADA compliant just as the rest of the US.  All of the ports will have curb cuts on the sidewalks, restaurants will be accessible and so forth.  While you do not mention the specific ports you are visiting, Skagway may be an issue as while there are curb cuts and so forth the boardwalk sidewalks are rather narrow and are also very full of people.  But even in Skagway your husband can enjoy the programs at the National Park Service (films and displays).

[PghCouple]

2 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

@PghCouple:  I don't have any opinion regarding which port to use for the helicopter tour, but just want to comment that Alaska is ADA compliant just as the rest of the US.  All of the ports will have curb cuts on the sidewalks, restaurants will be accessible and so forth.  While you do not mention the specific ports you are visiting, Skagway may be an issue as while there are curb cuts and so forth the boardwalk sidewalks are rather narrow and are also very full of people.  But even in Skagway your husband can enjoy the programs at the National Park Service (films and displays).

Thank you very much a lot of doom and gloom was mentioned about taking the tenders to shore so it we have booked every excursion except the helicopter/dogsledding one.

 

The link that @edinburgher provided was an enormous help!!

[Northern Aurora]

11 minutes ago, PghCouple said:

Thank you very much a lot of doom and gloom was mentioned about taking the tenders to shore so it we have booked every excursion except the helicopter/dogsledding one.

 

The link that @edinburgher provided was an enormous help!!

 

Which Alaska ports are on your itinerary?  At times, due to congestion in the harbor, ships will tender but at the bulk of Alaska ports the ships dock.

[PghCouple]

1 hour ago, Northern Aurora said:

 

Which Alaska ports are on your itinerary?  At times, due to congestion in the harbor, ships will tender but at the bulk of Alaska ports the ships dock.

@Northern Aurora, here is the itinerary besides starting in Seattle on the 11th and the 12th as a day at Sea.

Juneau

July 13, 2024 - Saturday

1:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Skagway

July 14, 2024 - Sunday

7:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Cruise Tracy Arm Fjord

July 15, 2024 - Monday

Ketchikan

July 16, 2024 - Tuesday

7:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Victoria

July 17, 2024 - Wednesday

8:00 PM - 11:59 PM

Seattle

July 18, 2024 - Thursday

Arrive @ 7:00 AM

[edinburgher]

15 hours ago, PghCouple said:

From my research, I believe you misunderstood. If you take the helicopter, they fly you to the mushers' camps that are still in the snow, so the amount isn't my concern.

Sorry about that as I did indeed misunderstand, but given the pp cost of these excursions, you understandably want to get the "best bang for your buck" and hopefully some of the Alaskan members can help you make the best decision.

 

Noting that Ketchikan is another of your port calls, you could consider Totem Bight, a State Historical Park a few miles out of town as it too is ADA compliant and may be more easily navigated than Ketchikan itself, especially if it is a busy tourist day.

 

https://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/southeast/totembigshp.htm

 

Past threads for Totem Bight some of which you may want to read.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q="totem bight"&quick=1&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy

 

Edited May 7 by edinburgher

[Northern Aurora]

@PghCouple:  I just quickly checked the Cruise Lines Agencies of Alaska which has the port schedules for cruise ships in Alaska.  In Juneau the Luminosa will be docked at the S. Franklin pier which is right downtown.  In Skagway you will be at the Broadway Dock; this is not the dock which is impacted by the rock slide.  In Ketchikan you are scheduled to dock at Berth #3 which again is right downtown.  The day in Tracy Arm Fjord is scenic cruising.

 

Your husband should have minimal issues with using his scooter to get off the ship.  You just need to find easily accessible activities.  

 

In Juneau the Alaska State Museum is relatively close to S. Franklin or you could go out to Mendenhall Glacier where some of the paths are paved (if my memory is correct).  

 

In  Ketchikan the Tongass Historical Museum is close as is the South East Alaska Discovery Center.   The Lumberjack Show is also close; we have never attended some some find it to be a hoot.  I am also curious how accessible the lower level of the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour is.  A frequent poster to the Alaska forum has taken this tour, and if you post a new thread asking the question about accessibility he likely will see it.

 

In Skagway the Broadway dock location allows easy access to the White Pass and Yukon Railroad if he can step up.  The town itself is essentially becoming a museum as the National Park Service is acquiring more and more of the historic structures.

 

That stop in Victoria is in the itinerary to satisfy the PVSA requirements.  I am assuming that you will be at Ogden Dock which is about a twenty minute walk from downtown.

 

About two weeks ago we returned from a five week trip to Japan (24 nights on the Celebrity Millennium in addition to land travel).  We always break up long overseas flights, and on the return overnighted in Seattle at an airport hotel before flying home to Fairbanks, Alaska.  We ended up talking to this guy seated right beside us in the hotel restaurant.   It turned out that he was an engineer officer who was preparing to board the Luminosa to start his contract for the Alaska season.