Itinerary so far -- advice???

[momonmeds]

Hi we are sailing southbound on Radiance of the Seas, May 29, 2009. There are 4 of us, my husband and I, my brother, and my father who will be 77 at the time. This is what I have so far, please tell me what you think.

 

May 28, fly from Salt Lake to Anchorage, rent a car, drive to Seward, stay at either Holiday Inn or Breeze in, wander around town in the evening, maybe Exit glacier or Sea Life Center.

 

May 29, Kenai Fjords 6 hr. cruise, 8-2, maybe Sea Life Center or Exit glacier, board ship.

 

May 31, Juneau, Taku Lodge Salmon Bake and Flightseeing, Roberts Tramway

 

June 1, Skagway, Yukon Bus & Rail Excursion, 7 hrs, to White Pass, Carcross, Emerald Lake and dog sled camp with Chilkoot Charters.

 

June 2, Icy Strait Point, not sure yet

 

June 3, Ketchikan, not sure yet

 

June 5, Vancouver, not sure whether to stay an extra day or just fly home.

 

Any thoughts or advice??

 

Thanks a million!!

[CowPrincess]

June 5, Vancouver, not sure whether to stay an extra day or just fly home.

 

IMHO Vancouver is a jewel that you should spend time in :D If you can, spend the extra day.

 

If you can, and if it is of interest to you, consider doing a whale watch excursion (maybe ISP?). Seeing whales from the ship does not compare with being down AT the water, near the whales, and seeing/hearing them. JMHO.

[sharp_cruiser]

What time is your flight supposed to land in Anchorage? That will determine how much time you have (and energy) following a drive to Seward. The drive is beautiful, but we didn't stop much as the weather was overcast. When we arrived, we did the Sea Life center, because it was open later in the evening. It is also right in town.

 

If you take a boat tour 8-2 the next day, I am not sure you will have time or energy for Exit Glacier. It is probably a 15 min drive from town, and quite a bit of a walk to the glacier. We had 4 hours between a.m. kayaking and p.m. KF tour, and we just barely had lunch, drove to Exit, hiked in, hiked out, parked downtown again, and got on the boat.

 

We packed alot in to our time in Seward, but let me tell you... we are a 30 y.o. couple, no parents or kids in tow, and I was popping caffeine pills and my husband was downing coffee an addict to make sure we ran all day long. If you are leisurely, you might not have time for all of that.

 

All said, I personally rate Exit 5 times higher than Sea Life Center... we aren't much into interactive displays, although the seabirds and seals were neat to watch. Exit was much more beautiful scenery, and something you won't see back home.

[Breezey]

You should absolutely spend an extra day in Vancouver. It is a beautiful city with both mountain and ocean views.

 

As far as the rest, our first trip to Alaska is in May so will let the experienced ones provide input on those choices.

[Italy52]

What time is your flight supposed to land in Anchorage? That will determine how much time you have (and energy) following a drive to Seward. The drive is beautiful, but we didn't stop much as the weather was overcast. When we arrived, we did the Sea Life center, because it was open later in the evening. It is also right in town.

 

If you take a boat tour 8-2 the next day, I am not sure you will have time or energy for Exit Glacier. It is probably a 15 min drive from town, and quite a bit of a walk to the glacier. We had 4 hours between a.m. kayaking and p.m. KF tour, and we just barely had lunch, drove to Exit, hiked in, hiked out, parked downtown again, and got on the boat.

 

We packed alot in to our time in Seward, but let me tell you... we are a 30 y.o. couple, no parents or kids in tow, and I was popping caffeine pills and my husband was downing coffee an addict to make sure we ran all day long. If you are leisurely, you might not have time for all of that.

 

All said, I personally rate Exit 5 times higher than Sea Life Center... we aren't much into interactive displays, although the seabirds and seals were neat to watch. Exit was much more beautiful scenery, and something you won't see back home.

 

 

Did you walk around Exit Glacier on your own or did you have a guide?

[momonmeds]

Thank you for your advice so far. We haven't scheduled our flights yet, so we're still flexible in that regard. I'm adding things up though, and naturally I've picked some pretty pricey excursions.

 

I'm considering FISHES in ISP, but we'll have to look at finances.

[CowPrincess]

we'll have to look at finances.

 

If not staying in Vcr for an extra day means you can do a whale watch, I'd opt for the whale watch and see Vcr another time. And I love Vancouver!

[Italy52]

Thank you for your advice so far. We haven't scheduled our flights yet, so we're still flexible in that regard. I'm adding things up though, and naturally I've picked some pretty pricey excursions.

 

I'm considering FISHES in ISP, but we'll have to look at finances.

 

Take a look at some of the coupon books (Toursaver or Northern Lights) as they have some good deals and can save you money. Last year I used Northern Lights and this year I will use them again - was able to realize some substantial savings on tours and food.

[kenish]

Consider kayaking in KET, we had a great time with SE Sea Kayaks. As long as your father is reasonably fit for his age, it's do-able for him. If there's any doubts or concerns, call or email them. They seemed to have ways to accommodate a lot of different customers. The town is small and very walkable.

 

We spent 2 days in Vancouver pre-cruise and a week in Alaska after. We love Vancouver but if time or budget is limited, spend the bulk of your time in Alaska simply because it's farther and more expensive to return to. From So Cal, Vancouver is relatively inexpensive to visit on a long weekend.

[momonmeds]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! This is wonderful! Since I'm the only woman with 4 men, I guess, I get to be the official planner/organizer, and this board is great!

 

Ok, I think we're going to try to do FISHES in ISP.

 

Has anyone done the kayaks with either Southeast Sea Kayaks or the Rainforest Canoe excursion with Alaska Tours? I think my dad can handle that, he tires easily, can't walk too far, and has balance issues, but I think sitting in a boat would be ok.

 

Still not sure about Vancouver.

[Italy52]

Has anyone done the kayaks with either Southeast Sea Kayaks or the Rainforest Canoe excursion with Alaska Tours? I think my dad can handle that, he tires easily, can't walk too far, and has balance issues, but I think sitting in a boat would be ok.

 

One of the couples from our May Radiance cruise went with Southeast Sea Kayaks and here is what she said:

 

 

"Kayaks were booked through South East Sea Kayaks in Ketchikan. Trip was great--really small group. They picked us up under the rain gauge on the pier and took us to their shop to outfit us in appropriate gear then a speed boat to the "mother ship" for a kayak lesson and to be loaded into our kayaks (this is also where you return for your after Kayak snack of salmon). "

 

Hope this helps.

[kenish]

We used SE Sea Kayaks in KTN and they were great! It doesn't take a lot of effort to paddle the kayak, but if your father is not up to it they have tandems. Definitely discuss it with them if you book with them. Last year they had a Toursaver coupon.

 

You probably saw other posts on the Mt. Roberts tram- wait until you're there to buy tickets. If you can't see the top from the cruise dock, don't bother. Toursaver has a 2:1 coupon and tram tickets are good for multiple trips all day.

[momonmeds]

On the toursaver books, is there just one coupon per attraction? So for 4 of us would I need 2 books?

[kenish]

There were only two of us but as I recall, 4 people will require 2 books. Toursaver's website details the terms of each coupon. Since you're going in May you can put your books on eBay. There's a pretty thriving market for partly used coupon books.

[SEAKLady]

Consider Misty Fjords Wilderness Explorer-all by vessel. You can book directly through your cruisline--it departs directly from pier to vessel. We walked a couple of blocks with tour rep. guide but I guess it depends which moorage you are at.

 

Very comfortable for older folks but still interesting. I know they can take wheelchairs but not sure on scooters if that is a concern. Tour was 4.25 hours so we still had explore/shopping time in Ketchikan. We loved seeing things from the water and no worries about flight safety!

[momonmeds]

Thank you everyone for all of you help! We all felt like since this trip was something my dad really wanted to do, and he probably won't get there again, we would let him dictate our choices. I made the last of our reservations, except airfare today!!! Now I can just countdown the days!

 

Here's what we decided:

 

Seward: Stay at Breeze Inn, Kenai Fjords National Park Tour, Sea Life Center if time.

 

Juneau: Taku Lodge, Roberts Tramway if weather is good

 

Skagway: Chilkoot Bus and Train 7 hr. tour

 

ISP: Dad didn't really want to whale watch, so I think we'll just take it easy and explore a little

 

Ketchikan: Kayaking with South East Sea Kayaks

 

Now I just need to order our Toursaver books, and get decent airfare! Oh yeah, and make a decision about Vancouver.

 

Thanks again!! the help has been wonderful!!

[asalnars]

While in Seward dont miss out on Exit Glacier. Where else can you actually get to touch a real glacier with just a short hike.

 

The Holiday Inn in Seward is a real nice hotel especially if you get a room with the view overlooking the harbour. Its a view you will never forget. Take a look here:-

 

http://cam.majormarine.com/

[clc6p]

I think I am doing the same cruise, and will probably even be on the same flight from salt lake on the 28th... Where are you renting the car? So far, I have only looked into the train?

[kathynorth]

There really isn't much to do at ISP. The big draw is the scenery. We went on a whale watch with Glacier Wind Charters and would love to do this again. This is a 6 passenger vessel, so the trip was very relaxed and intimate. The whales were incredible. I would suggest that you seach the boards for whale photos and show these to your dad to see if he'll reconsider.

 

It appears that Ketchikan is toward the end of your trip. Although the water is reasonable calm do you think your dad will be able to handle this after 7 or so days of tours and excursions? I know that my father in law would be no problem, but others may get fatigued. If you want to research alternatives take a look at some of the tours. Ketchikan is a quaint town with a couple of interesting out of town stops. ex-totem bight. You could consider a taxi tour and plan a tour around your interests and needs.

 

It sounds like you have a great trip planned!

[momonmeds]

Cyndi,

 

We looked at the train too, but it leaves early in the morning, and we wanted to spend the night in Seward rather than Anchorage. We're renting from Hertz. Budget ( I think) was sold out on that day, and there are no other rentals I could see that would allow a one way rental to Seward. It is about $300 or so for the car, which is a little cheaper than the train for us, and will allow us the flexibility to stop if we want to.

 

Good luck planning!