pricey alaska

[leeuwarden]

:( this is our first cruise to alaska (westerdam) in 20 years. My dw needs a wheelchair to go about on shore. We wanted to rent a car in Juneau and the price was around a 100 dollars. does anyone else find this exesive? Also the various taxes to the cruise seemed high. We normaly cruise to mexico 2x a year. Also any tips on cost savin tips are welcome.

[catergirl]

havent been to alaska yet...going in july, but according ot my research everything in alaska will be 25 to 50% higher. just because everything has to be shipped up there and usually during the summer months. food, fuel everything!!

[Texas Tillie]

Everything in Alaska is more expensive than in the lower 48 and especially in Mexico. Just think about the distance and what it costs to get everything up there. Everything that comes into Juneau must arrive by either boat or air - there are no roads from the "outside" into Juneau. I was very surprised about the cost of the excursions for my first cruise to Alaska. Now that I'm planning my third, I'm used to it!:)

[jer_l]

:( this is our first cruise to alaska (westerdam) in 20 years. My dw needs a wheelchair to go about on shore. We wanted to rent a car in Juneau and the price was around a 100 dollars. does anyone else find this exesive? Also the various taxes to the cruise seemed high. We normaly cruise to mexico 2x a year. Also any tips on cost savin tips are welcome.

We are renting a car in Juneau for $45. It is a smaller car so a large one may cost you more. Which company did you check with? If you are only happy with a new car it will cost you more for rental as well as a cab to pick up the car at the rental company. If you are satisfied with less than new try Rent-a-Wreck. We'll be renting form them for the fourth and they pick you up at the ship and take you to their office. While their cars are not new, they really can't be described as wrecks either.

[lstrong]

I also recommend Rent-A-Wreck! We had a very good experience with them.

[Aunty Pat]

The state of Alaska has a $50/passenger head tax on cruise passengers. This is one reason that many of the cruise lines are reducing the number of ships going to Alaska in 2010.

 

Aunty Pat

 

 

Barefoot Windjammer - Phantom ‘81

K&D German Rhine Line ‘84

NCL - Norway ’85, Pride of America ’05, Southward ’87, Star ’97 & ‘05, Starward ’92, Sun ’02 & Windward ’93

RCC - Song of America ‘89

American Hawaiian - Independence ‘98

HAL - Volendam ’99, Noordam ’06, Oosterdam ’07 & ‘09, Statendam ’02 & ‘08, Prinsendam ’03 & ’06, Westerdam ’09 & Zuiderdam ’04, ’06 & ‘07

Carnival - Spirit ‘05

Celebrity – Summit ‘05

Cruise West - Yorktown Clipper ‘06

Princess - Golden Princess ‘07

A & K - East Queen ‘07

Cunard - QM2 ’08

[dandro]

Hi leeuwarden, we are on the same cruise. We have done a little research into renting a car in Juneau, and most of the companies are approx. $40-$50/day, the cheapest being Rent A Wreck.

Here is a link to their website:

http://www.rentawreck.com/juneau.htm

[Pather]

Why do so many people rent cars in Juneau. What's to drive to?

[Beowulfpk]

Mendenhall Glacier, gardens and a few parks.

 

It makes sense if you have enough people to fill the car up, where you can save on the otherwise per head charge for transportation.

[kyriecat]

My parents took a city tour in Juneau with Mighty Great Trips in Alaska a couple of years ago. My mom is in a wheelchair and they supplied a bus with a lift for her. The tour was called Juneau's Best and cost is $27 pp now. I think it was $25 pp then. Google "mighty great trips juneau" then click on the TOURS link for a description. You should call or email them if interested to verify they still have the lift bus available.

 

I've read here that Orca Enterprises offers whale watching tours for guests in wheelchairs but have no first hand experience with their services. Their tour is probably more than you want to spend - $114 pp for a 4-hr tour.

 

Unfortunately AK is expensive. The tourist season is short so people who rely tourists for their incomes need to earn their salaries for the year between May and September. Also, almost everything has to be shipped into the state so that affects prices. Alaska has a love/hate relationship with their tourists. They love the money they bring but hate the increase in traffic and waste caused by tourists so they charge $50 pp tourist tax that that the cruiseline passes on to you. The docking fees for AK are also higher than other places, like Mexico and the Caribbean and that also gets passed onto your fare.

 

Depending on your prt stops, you can wander around on your own for sightseeing rather than renting a car or taking a tour. My parents were able to get around fairly easily in Skagway and Sitka. They did take the White Pass RR (also with a lift car) in Skagway, but they wandered the streets and shops after that. In Sitka they went to the national park and wandered the paths before going back to town for a while. They also made a stop at Icy Strait but there wasn't much to do there.

[leeuwarden]

thanks all for your information :)

[ladychar]

We also rented from Rent-A-Wreck in Juneau when we were there last July. They picked us up at the ship and we really enjoyed having a car there. We were at Mendenhall Glacier and almost ready to leave before the crowds on the busses arrived. We drove to the end of the road-about 49 miles-beautiful scenery and drove over the Douglas Island to look back at Juneau. We also drove out some back roads in Juneau-really enjoyed it. The rental was around $50. The car was very nice and clean. I think it was a 2005 or 2006 model-fine with me.

 

Have a great trip.