Old Lady "Gimps":Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan

Hi. My friend and I will be on Norwegian Pearl and will go to Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. We are arthritis-y, old and cannot hike or even walk far. What are any activities we might do? Cost is no concern. Should we plan on taking private cabs to certain places....? or??? We do not need to do anything fancy or "outdoor-sy".... just doing out for a glass of wine and a salmon dinner would be good, or shopping.

Any suggestions? Can we take the tram in Juneau? (can we get dropped off right at the entry to it?)

Thank you for any ideas.. we are old and achy.... but would love to do a few things in each port. Again, even just shopping or whatever. ;)

Yes you could consider the Mt Robert's Tram, you will be taking a bus from your dock to, near the tram. Twisted Fish, is in the same area, which has decent food.

However, determine- your ability to walk around the ship, it is large with long distances. Same with getting off/on the ships. Especially in Juneau and Ketchikan, it can be a very long steep climb out of the dock area, especially at low tide. Maybe a scooter could be a consideration? There is the option for rental and having delivery right to the ship.

Since you say that you cannot walk very far I would recommend that you consider rental of a scooter for each of you. Each of the cruiselines have a vendor that they work with which would mean that your scooters would be delivered to your room on the cruise ship. You can also rent a scooter at home and have the use if it in transit for the airport and your arrival and departure cities.

There is a lot if walking on the cruise ships. The ports are very scooter friendly. In Juneau Orca Enterprises is handicapp accessible and is a great whale watching excursion. The train in Skagway is also a great tour. Ketchican is a great place to just cruise along on a scooter as you browse the shops, creek street, the museum, etc. and there are also some accessible tours and shows as well as airplane tours.

You can do these tours without a scooter but the scooter gives you much more freedom to explore the ports at your leisure.

I would recommend reserving a handicapped cabin on the ship if you decide to rent the scooters because you would then have space to park 2 scooters in your cabin.

I'm older and gimpy also --double knee replacements...what do you mean by walk far? I can walk a few miles at a slower pace but knee joints get tired and achy. No problems on the ship --just can't do rugged hikes anymore.

Highly recommend Chilkoot Charters for a train ride at Skagway --very little walking and tremendous views.

In Ketchikan we took a friend with mobility problems to Cape Fox Lodge by taxi, got window seats and had a snack and great view. So consider Cape Fox Lodge for a good view, decent food, a few totems, and easy access.

A fun way to tour Ketchikan is with Lois Munch of Classic Tours (http://classictours.com/). She has a couple of standard tours, but will happily work with you to personalize a tour depending on your interests. She'll meet and return you to the cruise ship dock. She's a funny, pleasant, informative guide and you get to ride in her 1955 Chevrolet :)

Ketchikan - Crab Fishing Excursion is scooter accessible. My DW has taken this excursion three times with her rental scooter.

Skagway - It is a good walk to downtown and a scooter would would be ideal. Most shops are scooter accessible as well as the sidewalks.

Mom (85) and I were in your same ports in August 2015. Mom has wonky balance and arthritic knees. She can walk, but not far.

In Juneau we did the ship sponsored whale watching trip. A bus picked us up right at the ship and took us to the sightseeing boat. The contractor was Allen Marine. The boat was wheelchair accessible. The trip was great. Comfortable, warm enclosed cabin and we saw several whales twirling and breaching.

In Skagway we took the White Pass and Yukon RR trip to the summit. We bought tickets through the ship, so our car loaded right at the dock. The scenery up the mountain is spectacular. Sit on the left on the way up.

In Ketchikan we meant to take the Deadliest Catch tour. We both felt puny that day, though, so we skipped it. We took a nap, then sat in the Lido and sipped tea while watching the float planes take off and land. The golden sunlight danced on the water. Mom and I spent that golden afternoon together, unhurried and content. That nontour is my favorite memory of the trip.

Best wishes whatever you decide.

Vicki

A fun way to tour Ketchikan is with Lois Munch of Classic Tours (http://classictours.com/). She has a couple of standard tours, but will happily work with you to personalize a tour depending on your interests. She'll meet and return you to the cruise ship dock. She's a funny, pleasant, informative guide and you get to ride in her 1955 Chevrolet :)

Second this --we toured with Lois in 2012 :)

:rolleyes: Thank you to all who posted suggestions on this thread.. I appreciate it, and the ideas sound wonderful! Cannot wait for the trip, will look in to all of these wonderful suggestions....

:rolleyes: Thank you to all who posted suggestions on this thread.. I appreciate it, and the ideas sound wonderful! Cannot wait for the trip, will look in to all of these wonderful suggestions....

Have a great time!

I also agree with whale watching and White Pass Rail Road. Both great choices.

There is a restaurant at the top of the Mt. Roberts tram station. On a reasonably clear day there are great views from the tables by the window.

But I also wanted to add that the State Museum in Juneau, which has been closed for over a year as the collections are being moved into their new facility, expects to have their permanent exhibits open to the public this May. They will post details on the opening date on their website once it is determined. Great option for those who don't want to walk long distances. Also a great option for those rainy days.

I'm older and gimpy also --double knee replacements...what do you mean by walk far? I can walk a few miles at a slower pace but knee joints get tired and achy. No problems on the ship --just can't do rugged hikes anymore.

Highly recommend Chilkoot Charters for a train ride at Skagway --very little walking and tremendous views.

+1 on this--Chilkoot's minibus picks you up practically at the bow of the ship, so there would be no need for a scooter.

Captain Bob's Juneau Whale Watching . I use a manual wheelchair full time and those guys are great. Bob knows his mammals and we saw orcas, humpbacks, otters and a few seals.

In Sitka we took a HAL boat tour and then saw a bit of the Old Russian area. Most ships won't let you tender if you haven't booked one of their tours. We also had a salmon lunch sitting over the river in Ketchikan admiring the day-glo green moss. Not much of a stroll and rather level.

I Skagway I highly recommend Dyea Dave Tours (they have a website) They have a great tour to Emerald Lake up in the Yukon. I personally like it more than the train as you can stop for some great photo ops next to the Welcome to Alaska & Welcome to the Yukon signs and if you see wildlife you can pull over to enjoy the opportunity. The train is extremely popular but my preference is the road tour to Emerald Lake. If you want to do both you can as you can go one way on the train and the other way with Dyea Dave Tours.

Captain Bob's Juneau Whale Watching . I use a manual wheelchair full time and those guys are great. Bob knows his mammals and we saw orcas, humpbacks, otters and a few seals.

 

In Sitka we took a HAL boat tour and then saw a bit of the Old Russian area. Most ships won't let you tender if you haven't booked one of their tours. We also had a salmon lunch sitting over the river in Ketchikan admiring the day-glo green moss. Not much of a stroll and rather level.

I believe you are referring to Captain Bob and his purple jet boat from Orca Enterprises. We have been with him a couple times and he is great. He is very knowledgable.

Orca Enterprises has a website for more information about them.

Thanks to all with suggestions and tips for the Old Lady Gimps. But we won't be going after all. We both had sudden health problems that will keep us from this cruise. Oh well.. not meant to be. Maybe some other time.... thanks anyway for the info! WIll save for a possible future trip!!! :):cool:

Thanks to all with suggestions and tips for the Old Lady Gimps. But we won't be going after all. We both had sudden health problems that will keep us from this cruise. Oh well.. not meant to be. Maybe some other time.... thanks anyway for the info! WIll save for a possible future trip!!! :):cool:

Sorry to read this. I hope your health issues are not serious and are resolved soon. Take care, and may you be able to travel to Alaska in the future.