Thanks Budget Queen & Merced Mike - More help requested

[Flredhead]

In November I posted a request and received excellent info from you both. :DI took your advice. I contacted a travel agent with expertise in cruising and our family has booked on the Zuiderdam out on Vancouver at the end of June.

 

Following post suggestions we have booked Harv & Marv whalewatching at Juneau. Suggestions for hotel in Vancouver, and what to do in Skagway and Ketchikan would be appreciated.

 

This is a family trip of 10 people (ages 3,6,7,8,9,39,39,43, 64 and 71). Thanks.

[CALMOM]

We always stay at the Blue Horizon Hotel in Vancouver. It is a beautiful hotel, every room is a corner room and every room has a balcony. We usually pay $199/night (hotels are not cheap in Vancouver especially close to the pier). The rooms are really big and if allowed, you could easily sleep 4, with a roll away, 5.

 

Skagway has several tours on the White Pass Train, you can book through the ship or I personally book with Chilkoot,

http://www.chilkootcharters.com as they give a discount of the ship's fare. You could also rent a car and drive up there, as well. If you drive make sure you have Murray's Guide.

 

Ketchikan, there are some great tours on Float Planes to go see Bears but book early, they fill up fast. This is fairly costly, $400/person average. There is a lot to do in town, like the Log & Lumber Jack show.

 

I am sure Budget Queen will be posting with some other recommendations. She is the travel agent, I always dreamed of having:D

[AmazingJourneys]

Sheraton Wall Center is a georgeous hotel and we are booked there in August. They have rooms that are fully refundable from the Sheraton Website up to a few days in advance for somewhere between 199 and 250.

 

The outside walls of the hotel are glass and it is the tallest hotel in Vancouver.

 

I've also stayed at the Renaissance, which is on the water close to port.

[negc]

This June we are spending two nights after our cruise, at the Marriott Pinnacle primarily because I can use my Marriott Rewards points and for another $60CAD can upgrade to a harborview room on a high floor. It is right next door to the Renaissance which is also a Marriott property and it was basically a coin flip to decide between the two. On past visits to Vancouver we have stayed at the Pan Pacific and the Hyatt and give high marks to both. Frankly I think that most of the major chain hotels in Vancouver are very high quality and if I were not using points I might even be tempted to bid on a 3 or 4 star hotel on Priceline to see what I got.:)

[Mrs007]

Just as a suggestion, with children of that age, you might want to contact the Ketchikan Parks and Recreation to see if there is a park with swings, jungle jims, etc for the young ones to burn off some steam, walk along the creek to see if they can see the salmon, go to the Hatchery and Eagle Center. The Lumberjack Show might be entertaining for them and maybe going out to Totem Bight. I think it may be difficult due to their attention spans to take them on the long Misty Fjords boat trip.

 

In Skagway, again due to attention spans, the train ride may be too long for the younger ones. I would line up a tour (maybe Dyea Dave) to tell stories about the gold rush, go out to the cemetery, go up to the overlook and maybe line up some panning for gold.

 

Of course, these are suggestions for the little ones.

[Flredhead]

I made a mistake on ages and kids and grandkids see that. Please note: 3, 7, 8, 9, 13, 39, 39, 42, 64 and 71. Sorry about that my teenager grandchild.

 

Suggestions still appreciated.