Help (!) - Overwhelmed with excursion options for Alaska June 17 for family of 6

[stephwef]

Hi everyone, 

 

I've been perusing this forum for months and every time I go to book my family's excursions for our Princess Alaska Trip from Seattle June 17 I become so overwhelmed with the options, I decide to try to figure it out another day! Well today is the day, because the trip is fast upon me.  Please help! 

 

We are a family of 6 - two parents and kids aged 6, 8, 10, 12 (turning 13).  We are very active and love hikes, nature, doing adventurous things (even the little one).  Some of the tours that we really want to do seem to have an age minimum of 7 which has eliminated some for us.  

 

What are must experiences for the following itinerary in your mind and any possible suggestions whether def do with Princess or an independent tour? Thank you in advance!

Mon - 6/19 Juneau 12 - 9pm

Tues - 6/20 Skagway 6 am - 8:30pm

Wed - Glacier Bay

Thurs - 6/22 Ketchikan 7 am - 1:15 pm

 

 

[Alex618]

Juneau -musher camp or helicopter to glacier with sled dog

Glacier Bay- should have a park Ranger on board with info

Ketchikan-log rolling event 

[ChanaC]

In Juneau, check out the Mendenhall Glacier. There are lots of tours where you just get dropped off and can explore on your own and on your own pace. You can walk/hike around the various trails there, including to Nugget Falls. Also consider doing a whale watch. You'll get a dose of adventure of nature and most boats and tours allow young children on board. You can find plenty of independent tour operators for both. Admittedly neither option is super adventurous but it should hopefully have a little something for all members of the family.

[wolfie11]

Juneau - Discover Whales whale watching, dog sled summer camp, hike to Nugget Falls at Mendenhall Glacier (take family pick with glacier for comparison if you ever go back) 

Skagway - Park Service walks and Junior Ranger activities, Gold Rush museum and film, take shuttle bus to end of town and walk to the cemetary/lower Reid Falls, Chilkoot Trail hike and float, doggie summer camp at Dyea, Kroschel animal center in Haines kayaking on Chilkoot Lake in Haines

Glacier Bay - sailing only, rangers give talks and junior ranger activities for kids

Ketchikan - Deadliest Catch tour, fossil exhibit at museum, rain forest walk (possible bears), Lumberjack show, Duck tour, Saxman Native village

[CCJack]

Another option for Juneau with kids is to take the Mt. Roberts Tram up and then take the free hiking trails at the top.   You can hike as much or as little as you want.    views are spectacular up there and it would be very reasonably priced afternoon for a family.    There is not a lot of trees up there so it can be a bit windy.....

 

[kitkat343]

The excursions in Alaska were usually pretty close to the port, so this was one of the easier cruises to arrange all private tours (I was pregnant and we booked everything independently).  When you said the minimum age is 7, I don't know if that referred to the tour providers minimum age or Princess.  Please note that we've sailed on cruise lines (including Princess) in which their minimum is set higher than the tour providers if you book independently.   So although the cruise line may block your 6 year old, if you book independently the subcontractor that actually runs the princess tour may be fine with having your child participate.

 

For kids, I would recommend:

 

The Bering Sea crab tour (minimum age if booked through the company directly is 5)

https://alaskacrabtour.com

 

I'd also strongly recommend a dog sledding experience.  The best is a helicopter to a dog sled on top of a glacier, but this is extremely expensive, especially for a large family and there is no discount for children (or at least there was none when I did this many years ago)  If the helicopter is too expensive, then the summer camp dog sleds would be a good choice. 

 

 Temsco is the subcontractor for the helicopter tours for the cruise ships, and you can save 10% by booking directly through their company. Also, if you choose to visit a dog sled camp, the people at Temsco told me to do it in Skagway, not Juneau since they said the weather is a bit more stable in Skagway. Also, please try to book your helicopter tour in the morning, since helicopter tours are often cancelled due to inclement weather. If your helicopter is scheduled for the morning, you will have a better chance of it being rescheduled for the afternoon, instead of the tour being cancelled outright. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that you will be able to participate in this amazing activity due to the unpredictable Alaskan weather.

 

 

Mt. Roberts Tram, and hiking around the mountain.

 

Please note that for both whale watching and the White Pass train in Skagway some people will love these excursions, and others will get bored after awhile.  Maybe show your kids videos of both and see if they seem excited about it?  Harv and Marv did an excellent job of arranging a whale watching tour for us.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by kitkat343

[SuzieQ521]

Do you recommend any particular dog sledding companies (the non-helicopter tours)? We will have a young child and we will be in Juneau in mid-May in the afternoon.

 

Thanks!

[Boo's Mom]

4 hours ago, stephwef said:

Hi everyone, 

 

I've been perusing this forum for months and every time I go to book my family's excursions for our Princess Alaska Trip from Seattle June 17 I become so overwhelmed with the options, I decide to try to figure it out another day! Well today is the day, because the trip is fast upon me.  Please help! 

 

We are a family of 6 - two parents and kids aged 6, 8, 10, 12 (turning 13).  We are very active and love hikes, nature, doing adventurous things (even the little one).  Some of the tours that we really want to do seem to have an age minimum of 7 which has eliminated some for us.  

 

What are must experiences for the following itinerary in your mind and any possible suggestions whether def do with Princess or an independent tour? Thank you in advance!

Mon - 6/19 Juneau 12 - 9pm

Tues - 6/20 Skagway 6 am - 8:30pm

Wed - Glacier Bay

Thurs - 6/22 Ketchikan 7 am - 1:15 pm

 

 

If financially feasible, get your family up in the air at least one time during this cruise. 

A helicopter or float plane. 

Both can be booked independent of the cruise line for significant savings. 

[Alex618]

47 minutes ago, SuzieQ521 said:

Do you recommend any particular dog sledding companies (the non-helicopter tours)? We will have a young child and we will be in Juneau in mid-May in the afternoon.

 

Thanks!

Do a Musher camp tour 

[stephwef]

24 minutes ago, Boo's Mom said:

If financially feasible, get your family up in the air at least one time during this cruise. 

A helicopter or float plane. 

Both can be booked independent of the cruise line for significant savings. 

I know people land on Mendenhall Glacier but from what I saw there was an age minimum (potentially because of the "Trek"?) do you know which helicopter flight/companies would be good to pursue given the itinerary?  We are super adventurous and active. 

 

Also do you guys think Juneau is the best port to do dog mushers? do you think given the time there, this can be combined with Mendenhall? Via Helicopter?

[Boo's Mom]

15 minutes ago, stephwef said:

I know people land on Mendenhall Glacier but from what I saw there was an age minimum (potentially because of the "Trek"?) do you know which helicopter flight/companies would be good to pursue given the itinerary?  We are super adventurous and active. 

 

Also do you guys think Juneau is the best port to do dog mushers? do you think given the time there, this can be combined with Mendenhall? Via Helicopter?

Try https://coastalhelicopters.com/ 

They do offer a military discount, so be sure to inquire about it if you are eligible. 

Young children are allowed. 

 

[coffeeyogabeach]

1 hour ago, Boo's Mom said:

If financially feasible, get your family up in the air at least one time during this cruise. 

A helicopter or float plane. 

Both can be booked independent of the cruise line for significant savings. 

We are going in May with a 3, 7, & 11 yo. We booked Mountain Flying Service out of Skagway for a tour of Glacier Bay with a beach landing. I had a hard time finding excursions that would be exciting enough for us but allow the 3 yo.

 

I'm very happy with our selections. Juneau we rented a car and will do the Gold Mine Museum and a few hikes and the Alaska State Museum if I can convince the kids. We have been whale watching before and have no interest of a long boat ride with the kids, we boat often and they get bored after about 20 minutes regardless of the scenery.

[oaktreerb]

Skagway is a national park so you can visit some of the exhibits.  Skagway also has some wonderful hiking trails.  You can pick up a hiking guide at the visitor’s center or go online to plan ahead for the Skagway Visitor’s Bureau.  

 

The Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s tour is great fun (and educational) in Ketchikan.  There is also a Lumberjack show that the kids would probably enjoy.

 

Juneau is a good place for a whale watching excursion.  Also Tracy Arm small boat excursion.  Mendenhall Glacier area has hiking trails.  If you want to do the Mt Roberts tram, buy the tickets at the tram when you get to Juneau, not from the ship.  You never know what the weather will be like.  Fog and rain ruin the view.  You may find snow in June on the trails at the top.

Edited April 11, 2023 by oaktreerb

[stephwef]

Ok so am thinking to do the following:

 

Juneau - dogsled glacier excursion from alaska shore tours 

 

Skagway - Grizzly Falls Ziplining from Alaska Shore Tours 

 

Ketchikan - Rainforest Canoe Adventure Nature Trail from Alaska Shore Tours 

 

Somehow i ended up with everything from the same tour company.  Are they good? Safe? it has gotten good reviews.  What do you all think? Are there better companies for these tours (or less expensive?) Am I missing anything?

 

It seems like save for Ketchikan we will still have plenty of time to check out the towns. 

 

What do you think?

[Boo's Mom]

1 hour ago, stephwef said:

Ok so am thinking to do the following:

 

Juneau - dogsled glacier excursion from alaska shore tours 

 

Skagway - Grizzly Falls Ziplining from Alaska Shore Tours 

 

Ketchikan - Rainforest Canoe Adventure Nature Trail from Alaska Shore Tours 

 

Somehow i ended up with everything from the same tour company.  Are they good? Safe? it has gotten good reviews.  What do you all think? Are there better companies for these tours (or less expensive?) Am I missing anything?

 

It seems like save for Ketchikan we will still have plenty of time to check out the towns. 

 

What do you think?

With only a few exceptions, you should be able to get a better price by booking direct with the company providing the service. Alaska Shore Tours is a middle man, just like the cruise line is a middle man.  I am not saying they are not good, but just so you know how that works. 

 

ie:  I am traveling with my immediate family (children and grandchildren).  We booked directly with a helicopter company for a glacier landing/dog sled excursion.  It's still an expensive excursion, but we literally saved multiple thousands by not booking with the cruise line.  We removed the middle man.  

[Alex618]

14 hours ago, stephwef said:

I know people land on Mendenhall Glacier but from what I saw there was an age minimum (potentially because of the "Trek"?) do you know which helicopter flight/companies would be good to pursue given the itinerary?  We are super adventurous and active. 

 

Also do you guys think Juneau is the best port to do dog mushers? do you think given the time there, this can be combined with Mendenhall? Via Helicopter?

I am doing both the helicopter dog sled in morning and musher camp in afternoon.  We are in Juneau 7:30 AM until 8 PM.  I booked 9:30 for helicopters/extra landing and 2:00 PM Musher camp.  There is about 1 hour an 1/2 between tours.  I had to shop around on line to get this arranged.  Neither of these are booked with cruise line.

[stephwef]

9 hours ago, Boo's Mom said:

With only a few exceptions, you should be able to get a better price by booking direct with the company providing the service. Alaska Shore Tours is a middle man, just like the cruise line is a middle man.  I am not saying they are not good, but just so you know how that works. 

 

ie:  I am traveling with my immediate family (children and grandchildren).  We booked directly with a helicopter company for a glacier landing/dog sled excursion.  It's still an expensive excursion, but we literally saved multiple thousands by not booking with the cruise line.  We removed the middle man.  

thanks for this tip i had no idea! I did book just now the coastal helicopter dog musher tour as they also had better availability (do you think that if we get into Juneau at 12 it will work to do a 12:40 pick up for this excursion? eek!) 

 

How would i be able to tell who the independent operators are of the others on that alaska shore excursions site? when i google search that activity i keep getting this type of site.  Any tips greatly appreciated!

[Kathscof]

21 minutes ago, stephwef said:

thanks for this tip i had no idea! I did book just now the coastal helicopter dog musher tour as they also had better availability (do you think that if we get into Juneau at 12 it will work to do a 12:40 pick up for this excursion? eek!) 

 

How would i be able to tell who the independent operators are of the others on that alaska shore excursions site? when i google search that activity i keep getting this type of site.  Any tips greatly appreciated!

That is a great question, and unfortunately it is hard to figure out sometimes....I might start looking at tripadvisor for the top ranked tours in the ports, as they all have company names attached.....if you find one through the 3rd party websites, you should be able to find something named something similar to (if not exactly) that on the list....

[wolfie11]

27 minutes ago, Kathscof said:

That is a great question, and unfortunately it is hard to figure out sometimes....I might start looking at tripadvisor for the top ranked tours in the ports, as they all have company names attached.....if you find one through the 3rd party websites, you should be able to find something named something similar to (if not exactly) that on the list....

If you google the name of the tour, you will get a long list of brokers.  Scroll down until you find a listing that looks like a specific vendor (Coastal Helicopters, Happy Dogs, Lucky Charms Fishing Charters, etc).  Click on that.  
 

Many tours are exclusive to the cruise lines.  Some, if you try to book direct, will inquire if you are on a cruise ship and, if so, tell you that you are required to book through the ship.

[SightCRR]

Don't forget to a least look at cruise line tours. Sometimes children are 1/2 price and they won't be on different tours. sightcrr. 

[Boo's Mom]

1 hour ago, stephwef said:

thanks for this tip i had no idea! I did book just now the coastal helicopter dog musher tour as they also had better availability (do you think that if we get into Juneau at 12 it will work to do a 12:40 pick up for this excursion? eek!) 

 

How would i be able to tell who the independent operators are of the others on that alaska shore excursions site? when i google search that activity i keep getting this type of site.  Any tips greatly appreciated!

You can get a lot of recommendations here on Cruise Critic. 

Simply start a post called:  Need recommendation for an independent ______ excursion in ________. 

ie:  Need recommendation for an independent fishing excursion in Ketchikan

 

For a google type search:  Private fishing excursion in Ketchikan

 

I don't use google anymore.  They tend to control what you see in the search results. 

I use freespoke.

 

For any internet search, be prepared to weed through a lot of tour companies that are actual a broker (middle man). 

 

Your best bet is reaching out to the vast pool of seasoned cruisers here on Cruise Critic. 

Once you get recommendations, then search on CC for additional posts about the recommended business. 

 

I do think you can make a 1240 pickup in Juneau. 

But, you have to be prepared to "jump ship" by 11am. 

The key to making an "close" excursion is to be ready and to be moving towards the gangway before the ship makes the announcement.  The gangway (location where you can get off the ship) can change from port to port.   

 

[wolfie11]

3 hours ago, stephwef said:

thanks for this tip i had no idea! I did book just now the coastal helicopter dog musher tour as they also had better availability (do you think that if we get into Juneau at 12 it will work to do a 12:40 pick up for this excursion? eek!) 

You will be at the Franklin dock.  As you get off the ship, there will be lots of busses parked on the left for excursions.  After you get thru the awning, there is a little shack to the right where Princess shore excursions sets up.  In front of that are a couple of parking spots where independent tours will come pick you up.  If you can get off the ship by 12:35 you are fine.  However, I would check with Coastal to make sure they do pick you up there.  If they pick up at the tram, you should allow 15-20 minutes to walk there.  
 

You should be aware that Coastal does not allow any, bags, purses, or backpacks on the helicopter.  Anything you bring has to be in your pockets or around your neck (camera).  Also, you will be weighed with you gear and if you weigh over 260 pounds you are charged extra (around $150).

Edited April 12, 2023 by wolfie11

[stephwef]

Ok this is all super helpful, thank you!  I'm waiting to hear back from the tour operator if we are "approved" for the canoe nature trail because it seems like there was 5 spots left but we were six people (including 4 kids) so hoping that works out. 

 

For anyone that might know (this is outside of strictly Alaska chatter but part of the alaska itinerary), the Victoria B.C stop seems to really only be an evening port and the main thing there is the Butchart Gardens - is a tour really necessary for that? 

 

 

[SuzieQ521]

13 minutes ago, stephwef said:

Ok this is all super helpful, thank you!  I'm waiting to hear back from the tour operator if we are "approved" for the canoe nature trail because it seems like there was 5 spots left but we were six people (including 4 kids) so hoping that works out. 

 

For anyone that might know (this is outside of strictly Alaska chatter but part of the alaska itinerary), the Victoria B.C stop seems to really only be an evening port and the main thing there is the Butchart Gardens - is a tour really necessary for that? 

 

 

 

Butchart is a bit of a drive outside of the Victoria cruise port (45 min if I recall) so because there is such limited time for that port stop, I would go through the ship's tour to be safe. 

 

If there was more time, you definitely could have done it on your own. 

Edited April 12, 2023 by SuzieQ521

[SightCRR]

The gardens is 30-45 min drive from the port. With short time in port if you want to go I recommend ship cruise. There are a few things to do within downtown which is 15 min walk but some things close early. It does stay light long time. The harbor and buildings are beautiful.  sightcrr