Shore Excursions questions

[AMichelle]

My parents (age 60), my husband and I, along with our 3 kids (13, 11 and 7) begin our cruise this July. For shore excursions, we've tentatively selected Mendenhall Glacier & Wildlife Quest in Juneau (whale sightings are very important to us) and the White Pass Railway, bus & gold rush camp in Skagway (combines a lot, but not as pricey as Best of Skagway) Any thoughts on those?

 

My mom is concerned that she wouldn't be able to handle the paddling if we took the Backcountry Jeep & Canoe Safari in Ketchikan because she isn't accustomed to physical activity like my dad is. Has anyone taken that tour who provide some insight? TIA

 

Angela

[Hillbilly]

We loved the Gold Rush Camp - interesting depiction of history and nice show. The rail trip is NOT to be missed even though the heights scared me. Have been to Juneau twice and both times, took the Wild Life Cruise - very enjoyable!

[Host Caroline]

In Juneau you might think about booking directly with www.orcaenterprises.com... for great whale watching.. smaller boat, less crowded and he has great luck with the whales...

 

Host Caroline

<font SIZE="1">Join CC's "Alaska Live in 2005 Adventure"..you'll have a "whale" of a good time!</font>

 

<font SIZE="1">Days Till Royal Hounds Cruise on Mariner of the Seas...!</font>

<font SIZE="1">Days Till Miracle Partae Pirates Cruise from Tampa</font>

 

<font SIZE="1">One can never have too many days at sea...</font>

[Tsunami]

I took the Canoe portion of the Jeep and Canoe Safari in Ketchikan in '98. I don't recall it being too difficult as there are many people in the canoe so your mom really wouldn't need to paddle much if she didn't want to/couldn't. There was a short hiking portion though so that could be a concern if she is unable to walk over uneven surfaces. It was a very fun excursion and one I'm sure your kids would love.

[irislady]

DH and I did the Princess Mendenhall Glacier/Wildlife Quest in Juneau in Aug. 03. We loved the whale watching part of the excursion and saw several humpback whales including a mother and her calf. We also saw a couple of mature male bald eagles pretty close by, and lots of sea lions and seals. The boat we were on was a nice size and wasn't overcrowded. The boat captains all seem to talk to each other on their radios, so as soon as one spots some whales the word gets out to the others. They don't want to overwhelm the whales, so a couple of boats would watch for a while and then move away so that 2 or 3 more boats could get a good view.

 

We were disappointed in the glacier part of the excursion. It was a drizzly day so visibility was terrible, and the glacier is now a long distance away from the visitors center they take you to. It was a let down after having cruised Glacier Bay and College Fjord. (We did the SB cruise). We're not going back to the glacier when we go to Juneau next month.

 

We did the White Pass Railroad in 03 and found it quite interesting. This time we're going to ferry over to Haines instead.

Shae