txwriter

I am taking my mom to Alaska next year. She will be almost 74 and will travel with a rollator (walker with wheels and a seat). She does not use it every day but does occasionally use it for stability. She had back surgery last year, and using the rollator helps keep her muscles from becoming over tired and helps her not strain which can cause pain. This is not a big factor, but it is a factor.

We have been planning on doing a DIY trip for flexibility, but I also like the idea of having the structure a cruisetour offers. Also, I like the idea of not driving or being responsible for lugging all of our gear.

I know whatever I pick, there will have to be some compromises (time we spend on land, where we go, what we do, etc). It's hard for me, because I know this will probably be the only trip we take to Alaska. I want her to have the best time possible. And I want to enjoy it too. If planning our own, we will stick to the ANC area and southward on the Kenai Penninsula. If we go on a cruisetour, we can cover more area but will possibly miss the Kenai (Princess has limited Kenai days on their cruise tours).

The cruise we have booked now is a SB departing May 27, 2017.

I'm trying to decide best overall game plan. My biggest concerns of cruisetour are cost and the fact Mom might have to sit for several hours at a time (this can be hard on her back). My biggest concerns of the DIY plan are wearing myself out driving and hauling bags or having a problem while driving in a remote area.

I know the general consensus on the Alaska forum is DIY is better, but I wondered what the thoughts were here. If you've done a cruisetour, did you like it? Best/worst aspects? Would you do it again?

Finally, our dates are early. Will everything still be wintry and brown, or will it be more like spring with flowers?

Does anyone know if you book just the lodge stay with Princess in Alaska, if you can book an excursion from the lodge? I'm interested in staying at the Kenai Princess lodge in May 2017, and I noticed they have some excursions (which seem to be contracted through Grayline). I wasn't sure how that worked. Has anyone here stayed at one of the lodges and done an excursion without booking a package or cruisetour?

Okay, this is my take, and I realize it's absolutely not important at all. When I go on vacation, I like to relax. I like to take it easy. I love hotels because someone else cleans and makes the bed. It's lovely, and it's an escape. I don't want to be at home. I want to be on vacation. The only time I enjoyed decorating a door was when I lived in a dorm. And I don't want to go back to dorm room life. I like the fancy hotel life, and since I don't decorate my door at a fancy hotel, I don't do it on the ship. Besides, for me, decorating a door is work, and I don't want to work on vacation.

Maybe I missed it, but when are you planning to go? How many days do you have?

Disney is offering a new route in 2017 which includes Hubbard Glacier. It's not Glacier Bay; it is a very different experience but well liked by many. Perhaps that route would satisfy you.

Several people have raved about Club Hal on Holland America as a great place for kids, others love Princess' Junior Ranger program, and still others prefer the high activity levels of Carnival and Royal Carribean. If you need more information about the specific types of activities/shows/kids programs, I suggest asking this question on the various cruise line boards. You will have a bigger pool of people with more varied experiences.

Also, you can search previous trip reports to see what people with kids liked/did not like about the cruises they took.

Hate auto spell check

I do too, but sometimes it does make me laugh out loud. :)

Do you enjoy lots of sea days? If you do, then you would probably enjoy the Seabourn itinerary. If you don't, then maybe the Crystal cruises would work better. HAL has a 14 day itinerary as well with a good mix of sea and port days. Did you check out that one and already dismiss them for some reason? If we were to change our plans from a DIY land tour followed by 7 day SB cruise to just a straight cruise, I think we'd pick the HAL 14 day cruise. But that's purely a matter of personal preferences as I like the fact they go all the way north to Anchorage and actually dock there.

6. Panning for Gold – my 86 year old mom wants to pan for gold somewhere along the trip, I'm not sure where the best place would be to do it. Is this something I should book in advance or are there places you can just pop in and do it somewhere?

 

Thanks in advance for any input!

Try looking at Crow Creek Mine in Girdwood. Their website is http://www.crowcreekmine.com.

There's more stuff to do and more people in Vancouver alone than all the Alaskan cruise ports combined, you might even still be able to ski here in June with a little luck, and whale-watching here is both significantly cheaper and almost guaranteed to see Orcas (fast, exciting, playful) rather than humpback blows & flukes. You could easily spend a week in Vancouver without running out of stuff to do...

I hadn't thought about this before, but perhaps we could whale watch out of Vancouver post cruise. I am trying to decide if I should add more days to the post cruise portion of our trip and possibly less on the front end. Your post is enticing. :)

Update: well, after all of that deliberation, my brother's need to travel in July made the decision. Crown Princess did not have the staterooms we need for the last week in July, so we put deposits down on the Pearl.

 

Congratulations! It sounds like an excellent choice. The Pearl gets good reviews, and with that onboard credit, your kids will be able to participate in a few more of those fun onboard activities without breaking the bank.

I recently booked a salmon fishing trip in Ketchikan for our upcoming July cruise for 5 of us, including my elderly parents. I looked into Baronoff but they were very pricey. Ended up booking with Oasis Alaska Charters (found them through TripAdvisor). So far I am very happy with them, both price wise and response. I like that we will be taking a taxi to them and they aren't in the port with everyone else.

This is the company I booked with for next year! I'll be interested to know if you enjoy your experience. So far, they have been excellent at providing information and answering questions, and I LOVE that it will just be our group on the boat (there's just 2 of us Mom and me, so it's hard to find a charter willing to do that). Please report back any pros or cons about the service.

I'm having the same dilemma. We are booked in an aft balcony on Island Princess for July 2017. Not sure if we should change to an oceanview. We do spend very little time in our cabin, but felt the balcony would be nice for Alaska.

I'm having the opposite problem. We've booked an oceanview for May 2017, and I keep wondering if I should upgrade to balcony. But when I weigh the pros and cons and realize that booking a balcony probably means having debt after the trip and an oceanview doesn't, then I am happy with my choice. Let's face it, wouldn't we all book a suite if we could? :D

I will echo: Ketchikan! I've fished there a few times in both June and August and had great luck. You may be too early for King--my understanding is the run usually starts mid-June, but haven't checked in a couple years, so am not certain. Charter operators work very hard to make sure you have a good experience and actually catch. I just booked my fourth Alaska cruise and will most definitely be salmon fishing in Ketchikan. :D:D

 

Quilting Cruiser,

Just wondering...if we are lucky enough to catch something, what would you budget for processing the fish?

I completely understand the planning! We just booked a July 2017 Southbound and I've already been researching like crazy to maximize the limited pre-cruise time we will have! I thought we "had" to do Denali, but the more I read, the less interested I am. And DH has zero interest in spending that much time on a bus! There are just so many options - you are fortunate to have so much time before you cruise.

I am the same way! We booked our May 2017 trip in December. I did all the research early and found Denali just wasn't for us (I'm taking my mother). We are choosing to concentrate our time in and around Anchorage and on the Kenai Peninsula.

I'm biding my time for the one year mark when I'll be able to start booking more things, but I have the basic itinerary (very basic). We are going to leave some room for flexibility on several days, because you never know how you'll feel or what the weather will be until that day,

My husband and I are cruising to Alaska in early June. Out of these ports, which would offer the best salmon fishing? (Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, and Ketchikan). This is something that both of us really want to do while there. Thanks!

I did a LOT of research on this topic for my 2017 trip when I'll be taking my mom. We will be in Ketchikan on June 1, 2017 and chose to fish there. We will try for king salmon though we know it could very well be more about the experience than the catch. I was able to find a charter service through TripAdvisor that would allow for just a 2 person charter which was a huge bonus for us. (I contacted several vendors and landed on the one that suited us best and could accommodate our needs).

For us, the expense was worth the experience of fishing in Alaska and the possibility of catching something. Some people might not think so. Also, if you want to fish for halibut, the season is May-Sept.

IF you were doing a one way trip northbound and would be on the Kenai peninsula in June, there might be more options. I know there is an early run of sockeye in June on the Kenai river because that's when and where I'd originally wanted to fish.

I can only advise to do lots of research and have your expectations set appropriately. There are several threads on fishing in Alaska here on these boards which are very helpful.

Here are some other links that might help as well:

http://www.alaska.org/advice/best-time-to-fish-in-alaska

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishingSport.main

http://www.visit-ketchikan.com/en/Things-To-Do/Sportfishing-and-Guiding

I hope you find just the right trip for you and your husband.:)

I think you may be tired after a 4 hr fishing trip so having a wander around town before that would be wise. I would leave it at 12-4 which means getting a cab at about 11:30.

I worried about trying to do too much as well and thought with 12pm fishing trip we'd have time to eat something before the trip or pick up something to take with us or both. Mom is type 2 diabetic and cannot skip meals. I thought pushing it back to 1pm would make it too tight for getting back to ship for my comfort.

I haven't been there before and wasn't sure if an hour or so before would be enough to see some things. We don't move super fast.:)

We are scheduled to be in Ketchican June 1,2017 aboard the Star Princess. It will be myself and my mother. Mom has requested a fishing trip, and this was the place that fit our schedule best. (And yes, I'm aware this is not the peak time for multiple species).

Our port time is 10am-6pm. The fishing trip is out of Clover Pass which is about a 20 minute cab ride from the ship. Right now, we are scheduled from 12pm-4pm.

Will this give us enough time to explore Ketchican before we fish? Or should we move it up to 11am and have more time to explore afterwards? Our original thinking was that we could look around for a bit and have time for lunch and then go fishing with maybe a little time when we got back to town if needed. We weren't planning on doing much other than the fishing and maybe seeing Creek Street and possibly ride the funicular. I think there may also be a small museum in town? I'll have to refresh my memory. I got things lined up a couple of months ago but found I was too early to do much more until at least May of this year.

I have used a rollater/walker in a standard room. It is fine, just difficult in getting in and out of the door. I bring a door stop with me, and found it to be helpful.

Great suggestion! Thanks.

Sorry for any confusion. I didn't realize I accidentally posted on Europe Disable Cruising. :confused:

I did want to say we have talked it over again, and we both feel it's important to leave the accessible rooms for people who really really need them. We will be able to manage in the regular cabin. Thanks for helping set my mind at ease.

I got a shower stool on Princess and it took up so much space in the minuscule shower that we had to turn it on it's side to be able to stand and move. EM

Very good to know! I won't be asking for one in that case. I won't worry with trying to get a shower stool. (I thought maybe they'd have one like we have at home which is very small and triangular and would fit even in that 27 inch shower).

To all who have responded: We've talked it over again, and we both feel it's important to leave the accessible rooms for people who really really need them. We will be able to manage in the regular cabin. Thanks for helping set my mind at ease.:)

Hi txwriter,if the rollater wont fit through the cabin door if as you have explained that your mom doesnt use it all the time would it not be possible to close it up slightly when going through the cabin door and then reopen at the other side.

There are very wheel chair accessable cabins available on all cruise lines and you are quite right that they should be kept for full time w/chair users.

Im quite sure that you and your mom will have a great cruise in the present cabin.

Hope this is of help.

Yes. My plan was just to collapse it when going in and out. My only concern inside the cabin is the bathroom.

The ocean view is Mom's request due to a slight problem with claustrophobia. I agree that if we switch, we need to do it now. Our room is on the Plaza deck, so the view is not obstructed. I've already explained to her that if we switch, there is not much point in keeping an ocean view room since it will likely be fully obstructed. I know we will probably spend most of our time on deck for good views. I'm also aware that she may need it more next year than this, but the truth is she's actually much better this year than last year, so you never know.

Can we get a chair for the shower in a regular room? I think that in shower would really be helpful; it might sway me more towards an accessible room.

The biggest differences with HA rooms are floor space' date=' no step up to enter the bathroom, and a larger shower. If you are confident she can manage without these things, then stay where you are. The cruise line does not care as long as you do not leave the walker in the hall and do not expect them to provide personal assistance in the cabin.

 

Enjoy your cruise![/quote']

 

Thank you. do you know if we will need to fill out a form to bring walker aboard?

Hello!

I'm talking my mother to Alaska May 2017 on the Star Princess. Mom will be almost 74 at the time of our trip. We are planning approximately 10 days on land pre-cruise at our own pace. Mom usually gets around fine without assistance, but due to a back issue does need her walker/rollator from time to time as it helps her do more walking without experiencing pain in her back or legs as well as provides stability on uneven ground.

We are booked in a non-accessible room at this time. I don't believe the walker will fit through the door without collapsing it, but that is ok as she does. Of need it all the time. Does anyone know if Princess will allow us to keep non-accessible room and use walker? I have emailed them but have not heard back yet.

Would you recommend we switch to an accessible room? I hate to take a room from someone who may need it more. Also, we were really looking forward to our ocean view room. If we switch, we'd have choices of obstructed ocean view or inside OR pay a lot more for balcony which would mean losing time on land.

Mom has wanted to go to Alaska for years, and we probably won't be able to afford going back, so I'd like to do as much possible within reason.

Any help is appreciated.

I will be taking my mom to Alaska in May 2017 on the Star Princess. It's a bucket list trip for her and something we've been looking forward to for a long time. We booked in December, and I told the travel agent at the time that mom planned on bringing her walker (rollator) with her. She booked us in a regular cabin. (Right now, we're mid forward on the Plaza deck).

I'm very happy with our cabin type and location but have learned the rollator won't fit through the door without collapsing it. Mom mostly plans on using it on our pre-cruise land portion and during excursions. She may also want it on the ship some times, but she does not use it daily at home. Mom has issues with her back that causes her some slight wobbliness as well as pain in her legs when she overdoes it.

We have only been on one cruise before, and that was in 1990, so things have changed since then. Mom will be almost 74 at the time of our sailing.

I hate to take an accessible room if a regular room would work simply because I know there may be someone who needs it more than we do. But I want Mom to have the most enjoyable trip possible. What are the thoughts of those who travel often?

Just received this...

 

Orca Enterprises has Joined with Dolphin Jet Boat Tours. Capt. Larry will still be operating the Orca Odysea. The Orca Enterprises website will soon be set up with an online booking system that will make setting reservations much easier. In the mean time please Contact Dolphin at

mail@dolphintours.com

Very interesting news. Thanks for sharing. I had actually already decided on Dolphin Jet Boat Tours for my May 2017 trip. I had thought about Orca but could never get them to respond. Dolphin had excellent correspondence.