What did you do in Alaska?

[Drbaw5]

Now that I have our airline tickets bought, our paid in full date is next week and I'm ready to start the fun stuff!

What did you do in Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway and who did you book with? We typically like to book on our own and not through DCL.

A little background: we have 3 kids ages 10, 7 and 4. Some things that have caught my eye when researching: dog sledding, whale watching, white pass railway. Also, where to grab a good lunch? Some things we would not be interested in: any type of tour by helicopter, zip lining, the tram. Also my oldest son (10) and husband are avid hunters and fishermen so any excursions that might appeal to them? The 2 littles and I may or may not participate in that one.

This is likely going to be a once in a lifetime trip for us. I'm not saying well never return but it will be many, many years if we do.

Thanks all!

 

[Geomom]

For Skagway, we booked through Chilkoot Charters--Bus/Train to the Yukon with Dog Cart Ride. It is a bus ride up to the Yukon with many picture stops, big stop at Caribou Crossing Trading post for the included BBQ chicken lunch, 15 min. dogcart ride, puppies, farm animals, wildlife museum (lots of taxidermy) that we didn't have time for, then a couple more photo stops that we skipped to avoid the crowds on the way up, and White Pass Railway down. We paid $816 for 3 adults, 1 child. Loved it! This could be your dog sledding, white pass railway, and the taxidermy aspect might appeal to your DH and DS10. Everyone needs passports for this one as it's going into Canada--a customs officer comes on the bus and checks the passport pics to everyone's faces--ditto for the white pass railway.

I believe Juneau is the best spot for whale watching--I'll let others comment on that. We just did one of the Glacier Express buses (through Juneautours) to/from Mendenhall Glacier and spent a long time there walking around the trails, etc. and then shopping when we came back to Juneau. The Mt. Roberts Tramway is just at the start of town (where the Disney shuttle buses drop you off)--supposed to be a nice view on a clear day, a good thing to decide that day--we did NOT have a clear day! Where the shuttles drop you off, there are booths for lots of tour companies--so if you decide whale watching last minute, there are supposed to be some deals same day.

Ketchikan--we did the Disney excursion: Saxman Native village and Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. Probably not something you'd be interested in, but we enjoyed it. The Saxman Native village got us the 'native' aspect, and the lumberjack show was fun in a kitschy way.

For pics of our excursions, just click on my trip report.

Enjoy your cruise! We loved ours!

 

[joycsk]

Harv and Marv in Juneau for whale watching. In five cruises, from kids to grandparents, we Swear best excursion of our lives.
(I also HATE booking DCL. Only did it 1 time and will Never do again.)

 

[joycsk]

P.S. We did similar in Skagway, but without the dogsledding. Ours DID stop at Emerald Lake, which I had wanted. In Ketchikan, we did a float plane and loved it. It was awesome.

Just found an email I sent to a family member.


1) Harv and Marv's Whale Watching in Juneau. They are one of the most highly rated companies in the whole state. HIGHLY recommend. Possibly my favorite trip. I was the one who pushed for us to whale watch, but I really think that everyone enjoyed it. We saw lots of whales, also sea lions and eagles.

2) Misty Fjords Air in Ketchikan. They were great. This tour was beautiful. I hope that you are able to have a clear day as we had. I also liked walking around Ketchikan. It is a tourist trap, but it was a really cute little town. All of the ports try to sell you all kinds of junk, and there are coupon books that they give out. The kids and I ran through various shops collecting little laser carved acryllic ornaments. And we did walk down to see the totem pole that's kinda in the center of town.

Although we did not use them, as they did not have a plane that would hold us all, I've heard Wonderful things aboue Island Wings Air Service. Harv and Marv's actually recommended Island Wings. Their pilate, Michelle, is supposed to be fabulous. I think you'd do well with either company. I would avoid any floatplane tour that does NOT state that it is pilot narrated. Some of the larger companies just play a pre-recorded tape and the pilot doesn't interact too much with the passengers.

3) In Skagway, we did the Yukon Bus & Rail Excursion through Chilkoot Charters. We were on a small, jitney type bus. Driver was fantastic. This was a long day, but I was so glad we did this. I had wanted to see Emerald Lake, and this was the only tour I found that included it. The ride back to the ship was pretty great, but I wouldn't trade our bus ride out for anything. We even saw a mother bear with 2 cubs cross the road in front of us.
In internet speak, HTH! Have a GREAT trip.

Also, for the floatplane, and also harv and marv, if interested, book Early. These operations are very small and have very limited availability. Once you know when and where and which proprietors you prefer, start emailing and grab a reservation. The floatplane _is_ very expensive, but really cool.

 

[GoofyLovingFamily]

In Skagway we rented a car. Bought a driving guide. We toured on our own. We saw so much. Got pics in front of welcome to Alaska sign. Saw Emerald lake and The carcross desert. It was so easy to follow the guide.

 

[anricat]

This is the ultimate thread of Alaska excursions:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/alaska-excursions-post-your-reviews-here.2723087/

I recommend reading trip reports, particularly from people who have similar aged children.

For our family, we loved everything we did and I wouldn't have changed a thing. We did:
Skagway: Chilkoot Yukon Rail & Bus Excursion w/ Dogcart experience (bus up/train down)

Juneau: In the morning rented a car and drove to Mendenhall Glacier. In the afternoon we went on a private whale watching trip with Rum Runners (sharing the boat with a fellow DISer)

Ketchikan: In the morning we relaxed (well, sort of, I did a spin class, but DH and DD hung out), then in the afternoon we went into town to do some exploring, then at 2:15 we went sea kayaking with Southeast Sea Kayaks for a 2 hour trip.

There are loads of pictures and more detailed descriptions of all of these in my trip report here: http://www.disboards.com/threads/wo...dventure-with-extra-fun-in-vancouver.3537617/

 

[jdb in AZ]

Lunch in Juneau at Tracy's Crab Shack, right at the dock. Wonderful Alaskan King Crab Legs!

Our all-time favorite shore excursion out of five Alaskan cruises has been a floatplane trip over Misty Fjords out of Ketchikan.

 

[dcassetta]

So many great options in Alaska.

In Skagway we have rented a car and toured on our own, so I have no real recommendations.

In Juneau, I think a trip to Mendenhall is a must. I think the best whale watching tour is with http://www.whalewatchingjuneau.com/.

In Ketchikan, the Bering Sea Crab tour is a lot of fun for all ages. I can also recommend a fishing tour with https://exclusivealaska.com/ - Excellent!

 

[xlxo]

Thoughts....

• check out combo tours that allow you to do more than one activity to maximize your port time.
• Don't forget your bonus foreign port.... Vancouver! There's lots of things to do there to explore a few days. Best explored post cruise when attractions are quieter on weekdays.

 

[GoofyLovingFamily]

I forgot about Tracy's crab shack in Juneau. That was an amazing lunch, but it was expensive.

 

[amberwc]

In Skagway we did the Liarsville Gold Mine with Characters - it was great for the younger kids and came with a grilled salmon lunch that we really enjoyed. It was a fairly short excursion, so there is plenty of time for something else.

 

[Cptjackandcrew]

Ditto the person above. We loved Harv and Marv for whale watching in Juneau.
We should've hired a private taxi in Ketchikan to see the salmon, but I didn't think about it until it was too late. We did the Lumberjack show. My kids were too old at 18 and 21, but I think your little ones would enjoy it. We purchased our tickets independently, not through Disney as it was less expensive that way.
We did the dog mushing through Disney at Skagway and the Disney rock climbing and rappelling. We typically do things on our own, but in order to do the rappelling we had to go through Disney so that's why we also did the dog musher camp through Disney.
In Vancouver we did the Capillano Suspension Bridge. Your children are a great age for that.

 

[Simba's Mom]

OMG, let me check with DS. He worked a major cruise line, spent 3 summers, every 2 weeks, stopping in those 3 cities. And a perk of being an entertainer is that he got to enjoy the day whenever they were in port. I'll see what he recommends.

 

[dvcdisney]

Alaska was wonderful. We ended up with the best weather and missed the downpours by one day each time.

In Skagway, we did the Yukon Suspension Bridge, City and White Pass Railway. It was long but a wonderful experience. We didn't think we would be able to ever go to Yukon, so we were so excited.

In Juneau, we rented a van to go to Mendenhall Glacier and came back to go to Mt Roberts Tramway. It was a relaxing day, although getting the van rental was a bit of a challenge since for some reason, they had a difficult time getting the car out of the lot...there was no real parking lot, but just a dirt side lot where they literally parked the cars so close together, we couldn't get into the car. Once they moved one car, we couldn't get out of the lot because there were too many parked cars...it was a bit surreal.

In Ketchikan, we rented these little electric (or battery - sorry can't remember) cars that can only go a certain area of the city. It was really cute to drive around for a bit visiting some places that were really all walkable. After we dropped off the little car. We walk around and then went to our excursion with DCL - Exclusive Great Alaskan Lumberjack show. It was specific to DCL guests only. It was very cute. My kids went up with the other kids to try and hit the bullseye and it was hilarious. My son and his friends he met on the cruise went up and acted like this was too easy for them. None of them hit the target. My 10 yr old daughter was the first one who hit the target, they gave her a little postcard. Then two other girls and a little boy, were the only ones that were able to hit it. My son, 15 yrs old, and his friends were really embarrassed but in a fun way.

 

[saxmangeoff]

In 2014:

• Skagway - Steam train on the WP&YR.
  • Loved, loved, loved this one! (Note: I'm a railroad buff, so my opinion is colored by that.)
• Juneau - Adults only excursion (obviously won't work for you). It was whale watching, Mendenhall Glacier, and salmon bake.
  • Our time at Mendenhall was too short, I wish we'd have had more than 45 minutes.
  • The whale watching was incredible. We had a small boat and a great experience.
  • The salmon bake was good. Maybe a bit pricey for what it is, but it worked well as part of a package.
• Ketchikan - Nothing, we just took a walking tour of the town
  • Can't beat the cost. There are maps at the visitor center at the dock.

In 2017 (planned):

• Skagway - Horseback trip
• Juneau - Sea Kayaking
• Ketchikan - Zip line

 

[sharksfinatic17]

1) Harv and Marv's Whale Watching in Juneau. They are one of the most highly rated companies in the whole state. HIGHLY recommend. Possibly my favorite trip. I was the one who pushed for us to whale watch, but I really think that everyone enjoyed it. We saw lots of whales, also sea lions and eagles. We did this as well with Harv and Marv and saw so many whales.

2) Misty Fjords Air in Ketchikan. They were great. This tour was beautiful. I hope that you are able to have a clear day as we had. I also liked walking around Ketchikan. It is a tourist trap, but it was a really cute little town. All of the ports try to sell you all kinds of junk, and there are coupon books that they give out. The kids and I ran through various shops collecting little laser carved acryllic ornaments. And we did walk down to see the totem pole that's kinda in the center of town.

Although we did not use them, as they did not have a plane that would hold us all, I've heard Wonderful things aboue Island Wings Air Service. Harv and Marv's actually recommended Island Wings. Their pilate, Michelle, is supposed to be fabulous. I think you'd do well with either company. I would avoid any floatplane tour that does NOT state that it is pilot narrated. Some of the larger companies just play a pre-recorded tape and the pilot doesn't interact too much with the passengers. We were a group of 10 and Michelle (Island Wings) partnered with another float plane company, so that our whole family could land side by side on the same lake.

3) In Skagway, we did the Yukon Bus & Rail Excursion through Chilkoot Charters. We were on a small, jitney type bus. Driver was fantastic. This was a long day, but I was so glad we did this. I had wanted to see Emerald Lake, and this was the only tour I found that included it. The ride back to the ship was pretty great, but I wouldn't trade our bus ride out for anything. We even saw a mother bear with 2 cubs cross the road in front of us. We used Chilkoot as well. We rode the train up and then the shuttle bus back to town. We also had lunch, visited the puppies and did the land dog sledding. Our guide was fantastic.
In internet speak, HTH! Have a GREAT trip.

Also, for the floatplane, and also harv and marv, if interested, book Early. These operations are very small and have very limited availability. Once you know when and where and which proprietors you prefer, start emailing and grab a reservation. The floatplane _is_ very expensive, but really cool.

Added my answers in bold above as we used the same private companies that were discussed.

 

[owensamo]

We cruised Alaska last summer (not DCL) and did the following:

• Ketchikan - Lumberjak show in the morning, lunch at the Fish House next door (the best salmon and halibut fish and chips!). Then we wandered around town and Creek Street.
• Juneau - Got off the ship and booked a bus to Mendenhall Glacier at one of the excursion booths on the pier. They managed to upsell us to a whale watching tour (we hadn't planned one) by offering child prices for all 3 of us. It was the best excursion of the trip! Lots of wildlife, and we got to see both a mother and baby humpback breach! The baby was just playing in the water - it was adorable!
• Skagway - we booked the Glaicer Point Wilderness Safari - a boat to the Glacier Point area, bus to the canoes, and then canoe to the base of Davidson Glacier. It was awesome! We booked through the ship, but it's also available direct (https://skagwayshoretours.com/tour/glacier-point-wilderness-safari/). We did the tour in the morning, and still had some time to wander around downtown after we returned.

Alaska is beautiful - no matter what you plan, make sure to enjoy the scenery! It's breathtaking 24 hours a day!

 

[saxmangeoff]

Alaska is beautiful - no matter what you plan, make sure to enjoy the scenery! It's breathtaking 24 hours a day!

This is 100% correct!

 

[KashasMom]

In Skagway we booked the dog sledding with Temsco helicopters. If you're going to do the dog sledding do it here rather than Juneau, which seems to be frequently canceled due to weather. Another time we rented a car and using Murray's guide to The South Klondike Highway drove all the way past Emerald Lake. It was a fantastic trip - made many stops along the way. (Need to bring your passports.)

In Juneau twice we have gone with Orca Enterprises - excellent. Another time we did a Pilots Choice (double glacier landing) with Temsco Helicopters.

In Ketchikan we went twice with Island Wings - once to Anan Creek to see bears (amazing) and another time we did the Misty Fjords sightseeing flight - just gorgeious!

Alaska is spectacular! Enjoy!

 

[Simba's Mom]

I finally got ahold of DS who, like I said, cruised to Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway as part of the Princess Cruise line, at least 30 times. Here are his suggestions for the best to see and the best place to eat:

Juneau-Tram/Cablecar (sorry, I forgot to write down the name). Restaurant-Hangar on the Wharf
Skagway-Yukon Trail Train. Restaurant-Red Onion Saloon
Ketchikan-Totem Heritage Center (display of totem poles). Places to eat-Burger Queen, Pioneer Cafe (or Grill?), Ketchi Candies.