# Alaska Excursions--post your reviews here!



## ClaireinTN

I know there is a lot of information about the Alaska cruises scattered about various threads.  I think those of us on later cruises would really like to hear from returning Alaska cruisers 1. which excursions they took, and 2. what did they think of them.

Thanks!


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## disneypoor

I'd also really love to read some excursion reviews.  I just posted a thread asking about a specific excursion we are booked on, but I'd love to read about all of them.  Thanks for posting this!  Can't wait to read what people have already experienced!  We sail in a little over two weeks! 

Susan


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## Lilbunnyk

Just off The Wonder May 10-17 sailings.
Skagway: Gacier discovery by helicopter- 5 out of 5 stars!  I loved this excursion.  It was awesome to see a glacier from the sky and then land on it and see it up close.  The helicopter seated 5 passengers and the pilot explained everything to us.  He was also our guide on the glacier but he said that in the summer he just drops off and picks up passengers and that there are guides that stay on the glacier.  We flew over The Wonder on the way back which was fun!
Juneau: Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest: 3 out of 5 stars.  We went whale watching first.  Thought the boat was too crowded with 110 passengers.  It was a double decker boat and plenty of room for everyone but I am used to whale watching in smaller boats and with less people.  There was a naturalist on board that pointed out the wildlife and we were all provided with binoculars which was nice.  We weren't allowed closer than 150 yards to the whales so it was not easy to see them, especially for kids.  We did see killer whales and humpback whales.  This would probably be cool for a first time whale watcher but I have been many times and a lot closer to whales so it was not that exciting for me to see them so far away.  Next we took a bus to Mendenhall glacier, we had 45 minutes and then had to be back to the bus.  This was not enough time.  The trail to the glacier is about 40 minutes round trip so you could not do the trail and see the visitor's center.  I decided to do the trail.  Halfway along the trail I encountered a black bear and three cubs on the trail.  They did not even care about us and went about there business.  I got some pictures but had to hurry up because of the time.  Overall I had a good time but wish the whale watching boat was smaller and we had more time at the glacier.
Ketchikan: Rainforest nature walk, raptor center and totem poles.  3 out of 5 stars.  We took a bus to a rainforest and were met by a naturalist which was a high school student but knew everything she talked about.  Our group was about 6 people which was nice.  The rainforest trail is about 1/4 mile and the walk is very easy and slow paced.  We learned about all the plant life as we walked.  We did see some bald eagles fishing which was cool.  After the walk we went to the raptor center which is at the end of the trail and is just one building with a bald eagle and an owl inside.  Then we went to another building to watch a man making a totem pole.  I enjoyed myself but would have liked to do a more rugged hike and was expecting more birds at the raptor center.  
I hope this review helps!  Let mek ow if you have any specific questions.


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## disneypoor

Thank you for your reviews of your excursions!  I'm leaning towards changing one of ours to a Glacier Discovery by Helicopter for Juneau.  I just read that the excursion we are currently booked for while in Juneau was canceled last week due to low water levels and ice.  Since we sail in just a little over two weeks, I'm afraid if I stick with our current excursion, we'll get on the ship, find out it's canceled, and then have nothing left to choose from that would interest our family.  I'm sure the helicopter glacier experience would be similar in Juneau.  I'm guessing you'd definitely recommend that?

Thanks again for your reviews!

Susan


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## Diannah

Great thread! Subbing because we set sail Tuesday and are doing two excursions I haven't seen anyone post about: The Liarsville Salmon Bake with Gold Panning and the one and only snorkeling adventure. If anyone did those, would love to hear about them. Otherwise I'll be posting when we get back.


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## mmmears

Diannah said:


> Great thread! Subbing because we set sail Tuesday and are doing two excursions I haven't seen anyone post about: The Liarsville Salmon Bake with Gold Panning and the one and only snorkeling adventure. If anyone did those, would love to hear about them. Otherwise I'll be posting when we get back.



Please review them when you return.  We are signed up for the snorkeling as well, and I haven't seen anything about it here on the boards!


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## Diannah

mmmears said:


> Please review them when you return.  We are signed up for the snorkeling as well, and I haven't seen anything about it here on the boards!



Will do! Have a student who did it several years ago and LOVED it! Had nothing but great things to say about it. So DH and DD are excited. (I can't do it for medical reasons.


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## sabrecmc

We were on the first Alaskan (May 3-10).  Here are my reviews from another thread:

Skagway: Yukon exploration with White Pass RR and dog sledding through Chilkoot Charters...this was FANTASTIC! Our favorite experience by far

Juneau: Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacier...also loved this. Saw humpbacks up pretty close, sea lions, porpoises and bald eagles. They served drinks and snacks (salmon, crackers, chocolate) and had a restroom onboard. They also had a naturalist onboard to talk about the whales and we learned a lot. The boat is enclosed, but you can go out the back or front when they find the whales. Glacier was gorgeous and you could walk pretty close, nice trails and visitors center but only 1 hour there and it goes by quickly. I would probably not do the whale watching again simply b/c we saw so many from our verandah, though the tour was great. The 9:30 whale watchers didn't see whales and got their money back. We also did Historic Gold Panning Adventure that afternoon, since we were back at the ship in time to do another tour. Very fun. They took us to Gold Creek, where Juneau himself struck gold, and let us pan. This is really great for kids, especially in the 7-11 range. Get your feet wet and find some riches! The kids in our tour loved it. They do make sure everyone "finds" gold by giving you your first pan from their stock of sand. You get flakes and they will put them in a vial for you.

Ketchikan: My DD and I did the Potlatch Park with youth activity tour. We really liked this. You visit the totem park with a guide and he did a great job of telling some kid-friendly stories about the totems (like how one is their version of Hansel and Gretel). It didn't last too long and let the kids get up close with the totems. Then we met the carver at Potlatch Park and got to see her studio. After a quick visit to the clan house and some questions from the kids, DCL youth counselors magically appeared to help the kids paint feather-scales for the totem that is being erected. We then explored the town a bit and went to the DCL Lumberjack Show (I just bought tickets for this on the lumberjack show website...you don't have to book through DCL...it isn't literally "exclusive," though I suspect it will fill up later in the season). This was wonderful! You should definitely do it. Kids loved it. Loved. Lots of participation for the 7+ set. My parents did a trolley tour of the town and said it sucked. They also visited Saxman village and said that without a guide, it was a waste of time b/c they didn't know what they were looking at. 

Interesting that the next cruise's Whale Watching adventure had loads more people.  Ours was probably 35 on the boat and it was a small, fast boat, not a double-decker.  We also had longer at the Glacier.


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## eandesmom

Great idea!  Perhaps we could list them all, and then link to the post as they come in?


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## neoavatara

Skagway:  White Pass was pretty amazing.

Juneau:  Glacier Helicopter.  Don't care where you do this, but this is a must.  Fantastic.  

Ketchikan:  We actually just walked around.  It was nice, and relaxing.  Went to see the totem pole heritage site, the fish and eagle hatchery, had some coffee, hung out with some locals...very relaxing.  Not to mention, the day happened to be maybe the most beautiful of the whole trip.


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## nickcapp

Can you provide any details of the helicopter safety and such?

I'm a little nervouse to take the trip. We have never been in a helicopter before.


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## Lilbunnyk

nickcapp said:


> Can you provide any details of the helicopter safety and such?
> 
> I'm a little nervouse to take the trip. We have never been in a helicopter before.



They show you a safety video before you get into the helicopter and we had to wear life jacket vests but I felt safer on the helicopter then when I fly in airplanes.  I was sitting right next to the pilot and we all had head sets on so he talked to us the whole time.  He does up to 11 trips per day!  The flight itself was very smooth.


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## M&C

Subbing.


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## sheri117

Lilbunnyk said:


> Just off The Wonder May 10-17 sailings.
> Skagway: Gacier discovery by helicopter- 5 out of 5 stars!  I loved this excursion.  It was awesome to see a glacier from the sky and then land on it and see it up close.  The helicopter seated 5 passengers and the pilot explained everything to us.  He was also our guide on the glacier but he said that in the summer he just drops off and picks up passengers and that there are guides that stay on the glacier.  We flew over The Wonder on the way back which was fun!
> Juneau: Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest: 3 out of 5 stars.  We went whale watching first.  Thought the boat was too crowded with 110 passengers.  It was a double decker boat and plenty of room for everyone but I am used to whale watching in smaller boats and with less people.  There was a naturalist on board that pointed out the wildlife and we were all provided with binoculars which was nice.  We weren't allowed closer than 150 yards to the whales so it was not easy to see them, especially for kids.  We did see killer whales and humpback whales.  This would probably be cool for a first time whale watcher but I have been many times and a lot closer to whales so it was not that exciting for me to see them so far away.  Next we took a bus to Mendenhall glacier, we had 45 minutes and then had to be back to the bus.  This was not enough time.  The trail to the glacier is about 40 minutes round trip so you could not do the trail and see the visitor's center.  I decided to do the trail.  Halfway along the trail I encountered a black bear and three cubs on the trail.  They did not even care about us and went about there business.  I got some pictures but had to hurry up because of the time.  Overall I had a good time but wish the whale watching boat was smaller and we had more time at the glacier.
> Ketchikan: Rainforest nature walk, raptor center and totem poles.  3 out of 5 stars.  We took a bus to a rainforest and were met by a naturalist which was a high school student but knew everything she talked about.  Our group was about 6 people which was nice.  The rainforest trail is about 1/4 mile and the walk is very easy and slow paced.  We learned about all the plant life as we walked.  We did see some bald eagles fishing which was cool.  After the walk we went to the raptor center which is at the end of the trail and is just one building with a bald eagle and an owl inside.  Then we went to another building to watch a man making a totem pole.  I enjoyed myself but would have liked to do a more rugged hike and was expecting more birds at the raptor center.
> I hope this review helps!  Let mek ow if you have any specific questions.



We were on the same cruise, and did the same whale watch/Mendenhall Glacier as you did - and I think we met you!  We met some people in the elevator going up to the visitor's center, and saw a bear on someone's camera!  LOL!  I would also not do that whale watch again - it was too crowded, and it was so early that there weren't a lot of whales out, unfortunately.

We did the Mammoth Waterfalls Zip Line tour in Skagway, and it was great (well, scary for me, great for dh, dd15 and dd11!)  I can't say enough nice things about the guides there.  I did 5 out of the 11 lines, and then the belayed me to the ground.  The boys did them all, and had a great time! 5 out of 5 stars for this one.

In Ketchikan we did the Duck Tour, which was just o.k. (our duck boat broke down, which didn't help them be "cheerful.")  They did bring another right out, and the driver of the second one was much better.  I'd give that a 3 out of 5 stars.  We also did the Lumberjack show in Ketchikan - which was a lot of fun.  For the price, I'd give it a 5 out of 5.  The kids loved it!


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## Anjelica

I am looking for reviews of the Musher for a Day in Juneau excursion.


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## neoavatara

nickcapp said:


> Can you provide any details of the helicopter safety and such?
> 
> I'm a little nervouse to take the trip. We have never been in a helicopter before.




My first helicopter ride too.  Took my wife and five year old...and didn't feel anything but awe the whole trip.  If you are scared of heights...well, that is another story ;-)

I felt as safe as you could be in a small air vehicle.  Actually, the only time I felt fear was walking on the glacier...and looking down into crevasses a few hundred feet deep!


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## lenzs4

We did the Mammoth Waterfalls Zip Line tour in Skagway, and it was great (well, scary for me, great for dh, dd15 and dd11!) I can't say enough nice things about the guides there. I did 5 out of the 11 lines, and then the belayed me to the ground. The boys did them all, and had a great time! 5 out of 5 stars for this one.

OH - thank you for posting!!!  We booked this one and I was worried since it is a new facility!!!


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## sheri117

lenzs4 said:


> We did the Mammoth Waterfalls Zip Line tour in Skagway, and it was great (well, scary for me, great for dh, dd15 and dd11!) I can't say enough nice things about the guides there. I did 5 out of the 11 lines, and then the belayed me to the ground. The boys did them all, and had a great time! 5 out of 5 stars for this one.
> 
> OH - thank you for posting!!!  We booked this one and I was worried since it is a new facility!!!



It's just gorgeous, and seemed very safe (although I can't really judge that).  The guides are new, but I think they've spent hundreds of hours playing (ahem, testing) the lines.  They were very big on safety, and did a training session.  The guides were just the nicest young men I've ever met - so gentlemanly.


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## clten

Skagway -- we did the White Pass RR.  Was a good trip.  I wanted to do the trip in combination with something else -- Liarsville or dog sledding -- but couldn't get the group to agree on anything so we just did the train and really enjoyed it.  Not that you need much time to wander around Skagway but we had plenty of time there and used that as our one big shopping spot.

Juneau -- we did the Best of Juneau tour.  Basically it was a whale watching tour with lunch and a quick tour to Mendenhall.  It was a 100+ boat so it was a little difficult when everyone ran to one side of the boat to see.  Would definately opt for a smaller boat next time.  Part of the problem was that the whales weren't really cooperative -- they were sticking close to the shoreline to feed so yes we saw whales but just quick peeks.  Had better whale watching from the ship going into Tracy Arm.  

Ketchikan -- we did the Bering Sea Crab Fishing Boat tour.  This was the best excursion of the trip.  They did a nice job with the tour.  They have several differernt types of pots already soaking with crabs in them.  They go to each pot and show you how they throw the hook, bring up the pot then they show you the crabs (and any other sea life that wanders in).  You can take pictures with the crew and crabs.  Then they close up the pot and drop it back in the bay.  While going from spot to spot, they tell you fishing stories.  Some of our party didn't want to do it because they were afraid of being seasick -- wasn't a problem you don't go too far out and are in the bay the whole time so the water is pretty smooth.


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## brentm3

Skagway - Liarsville Disney Experience - 3 out of 5 stars - entertainng enough, just not...well...Disneyish.

Juneau - Whale Watching & Wildlife - 5 out of 5 stars - major luck of the draw here...our bus had 10 on it, another bus had maybe 15, we loaded the 25 people and off we went.  It probably seated 150.  We had whales swim up to about 50 feet from the boat at one point...even the employees ran and grabbed their cameras...many sightings...they predicted that the little ones would lose interest 1/2 way in and pulled out crafts to keep them busy while the adults continued to look outside.  The employee said the trip before ours sailed full and the boat was packed, but our sailing felt like a private charter.

Ketchikan - Lumberjack Show Disney Experience - 4 out of 5.  Sit on the side closest to the door...the sun in early May reflected off the roof and right into the eyes of the far seats.  We were warmer for sure, but the glare was annoying.


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## Cerberus9

Skagway - We did the White Pass Railroad and Liarsville show. The train trip was magnificent - our kids (6 and 8) absolutely loved it. Narration occurred at various points on the trip (it was not constant) and added immensely to the experience. We were able to go outside the cars (on the platforms that connected the cars), which was both refreshing and exhilarating. We were outside when going through one of the tunnels, which delighted the kids. Although I'm not one for buying souvenirs, I bought the DVD/baseball cap package for $20. The train stopped in Fraser, B.C., where a Canadian customs agent did a very cursory check of our passports. We got on a tour bus, and travelled to Liarsville (our bus driver's name was Davey--he was the best, and made the bus ride a ton of fun!). One word of warning: if you have to go to the washroom, do it on the train or on the bus - facilities are limited in Liarsville, and we missed the first part of the show due to bathroom breaks. The Liarsville show was good... some singing, then a Robert Service poetry reading that was truly amazing (and this is from someone who doesn't like poetry). After that we panned for gold, which thrilled the kids (although you only get 3-4 flakes!)

Juneau - Didn't do any of the Disney excursions, but went up the Mt. Roberts Tramway on our own. Truly magnificent views. 

Ketchican - Didn't do any excursions, but "toured" the gift shops. If you're looking for Alaskan souvenirs, I'd say Ketchican probably had the best selection (although there were a lot that were "made in China").


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## 2boys2girls

Skagway - We did the adventure park zip line excursion. We enjoyed it a lot. Fewer lines (and less expensive for it) than the Mammoth zip line, but still a great experience.

Juneau - we took the bus from the boat over to town and then took a public shuttle bus from there to the Mendenhall glacier. It was so beautiful. A great place to explore. This was one of the highlights for me personally out of all my port experiences. 

Ketchikan - we walked to Starbucks in the Safeway so that I could add to my collection of Starbucks mugs and get the Alaskan one.  It was the only Starbucks on the trip that I could access easily from port. I didn't get a good impression of the city compared to the other ports we visited. It seemed like the air was more polluted and the buildings hadn't been very well taken care of. We were glad for the sun though.


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## jdb in AZ

clten said:


> Ketchikan -- we did the Bering Sea Crab Fishing Boat tour.  This was the best excursion of the trip.  They did a nice job with the tour.  They have several differernt types of pots already soaking with crabs in them.  They go to each pot and show you how they throw the hook, bring up the pot then they show you the crabs (and any other sea life that wanders in).  You can take pictures with the crew and crabs.  Then they close up the pot and drop it back in the bay.  While going from spot to spot, they tell you fishing stories.  Some of our party didn't want to do it because they were afraid of being seasick -- wasn't a problem you don't go too far out and are in the bay the whole time so the water is pretty smooth.



Did they have any crab for you to eat?


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## Candy Apple

Cerberus9 said:


> Skagway - We did the White Pass Railroad and Liarsville show. The train trip was magnificent - our kids (6 and 8) absolutely loved it. Narration occurred at various points on the trip (it was not constant) and added immensely to the experience. We were able to go outside the cars (on the platforms that connected the cars), which was both refreshing and exhilarating. We were outside when going through one of the tunnels, which delighted the kids. Although I'm not one for buying souvenirs, I bought the DVD/baseball cap package for $20. The train stopped in Fraser, B.C., where a Canadian customs agent did a very cursory check of our passports. We got on a tour bus, and travelled to Liarsville (our bus driver's name was Davey--he was the best, and made the bus ride a ton of fun!). One word of warning: if you have to go to the washroom, do it on the train or on the bus - facilities are limited in Liarsville, and we missed the first part of the show due to bathroom breaks. The Liarsville show was good... some singing, then a Robert Service poetry reading that was truly amazing (and this is from someone who doesn't like poetry). After that we panned for gold, which thrilled the kids (although you only get 3-4 flakes!)
> 
> Juneau - Didn't do any of the Disney excursions, but went up the Mt. Roberts Tramway on our own. Truly magnificent views.
> 
> Ketchican - Didn't do any excursions, but "toured" the gift shops. If you're looking for Alaskan souvenirs, I'd say Ketchican probably had the best selection (although there were a lot that were "made in China").


 
What is the Mt. Roberts Tramway?  How did you get there?  How much does it cost?  TIA!


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## Cerberus9

Candy Apple said:


> What is the Mt. Roberts Tramway?  How did you get there?  How much does it cost?  TIA!



It's a large aerial tramway in Juneau that takes you up Mt. Roberts. It's right downtown--the shuttle bus will drop you off at the entrance. It cost $81 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids). See the following for more details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Roberts_Tramway

Here's a picture I took from the top of the tramway showing the Wonder and another cruise ship.


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## denise

2boys2girls said:


> Ketchikan - we walked to Starbucks in the Safeway so that I could add to my collection of Starbucks mugs and get the Alaskan one.  It was the only Starbucks on the trip that I could access easily from port. I didn't get a good impression of the city compared to the other ports we visited. It seemed like the air was more polluted and the buildings hadn't been very well taken care of. We were glad for the sun though.



Good to know! Did they have the little espresso cups or just big mugs?
How far was the walk? DH would love to get his espresso in Alaska!


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## Cerberus9

2boys2girls said:


> Skagway - We did the adventure park zip line excursion. We enjoyed it a lot. Fewer lines (and less expensive for it) than the Mammoth zip line, but still a great experience.
> 
> Juneau - we took the bus from the boat over to town and then took a public shuttle bus from there to the Mendenhall glacier. It was so beautiful. A great place to explore. This was one of the highlights for me personally out of all my port experiences.
> 
> Ketchikan - we walked to Starbucks in the Safeway so that I could add to my collection of Starbucks mugs and get the Alaskan one.  It was the only Starbucks on the trip that I could access easily from port. I didn't get a good impression of the city compared to the other ports we visited. It seemed like the air was more polluted and the buildings hadn't been very well taken care of. We were glad for the sun though.



There's also a Starbucks in Skagway within walking distance from the ship.


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## staffieri

Cerberus9 said:


> Skagway - We did the White Pass Railroad and Liarsville show. The train trip was magnificent - our kids (6 and 8) absolutely loved it. Narration occurred at various points on the trip (it was not constant) and added immensely to the experience. We were able to go outside the cars (on the platforms that connected the cars), which was both refreshing and exhilarating. We were outside when going through one of the tunnels, which delighted the kids. Although I'm not one for buying souvenirs, I bought the DVD/baseball cap package for $20. The train stopped in Fraser, B.C., where a Canadian customs agent did a very cursory check of our passports. We got on a tour bus, and travelled to Liarsville (our bus driver's name was Davey--he was the best, and made the bus ride a ton of fun!). One word of warning: if you have to go to the washroom, do it on the train or on the bus - facilities are limited in Liarsville, and we missed the first part of the show due to bathroom breaks. The Liarsville show was good... some singing, then a Robert Service poetry reading that was truly amazing (and this is from someone who doesn't like poetry). After that we panned for gold, which thrilled the kids (although you only get 3-4 flakes!)
> 
> Juneau - Didn't do any of the Disney excursions, but went up the Mt. Roberts Tramway on our own. Truly magnificent views.
> 
> Ketchican - Didn't do any excursions, but "toured" the gift shops. If you're looking for Alaskan souvenirs, I'd say Ketchican probably had the best selection (although there were a lot that were "made in China").



I have been looking for a train/Liarsville combo. Where did you find this? HOw long was the tour? How long was the train ride? I only want to do the train ride one way. Was the drive to Liarsville long?

Thanks.


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## denise

I want to book a helicopter glacier tour at Juneau. Any reviews on which one is best?
1. pilots choice
2. glacier adventure by helicopter
3. Mendenhall glacier by helicopter and guided walk


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## Cerberus9

staffieri said:


> I have been looking for a train/Liarsville combo. Where did you find this? HOw long was the tour? How long was the train ride? I only want to do the train ride one way. Was the drive to Liarsville long?
> 
> Thanks.



This was the one we did: http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/c...way-alaska/white-pass-railway-and-trail-camp/

The train only went one way, then we got on a bus; I think it took about 90 minutes for the train ride and 30 minutes for the bus (although the bus made frequent stops for picture opps); the stop in Liarsville was about an hour.


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## Candy Apple

Cerberus9 said:


> It's a large aerial tramway in Juneau that takes you up Mt. Roberts. It's right downtown--the shuttle bus will drop you off at the entrance. It cost $81 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids). See the following for more details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Roberts_Tramway
> 
> Here's a picture I took from the top of the tramway showing the Wonder and another cruise ship.


 
Wow!  It looks like you had a beautiful day there.  I'm going to have to see if we can fit this in, along with our other excursion.  How much time should we allow?


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## clten

jdb in AZ said:


> Did they have any crab for you to eat?



No, but there was a Disney Experience excursion that was on the same tour as us that stayed to have "dinner" with the crew.  The tour without dinner was expensive enough, we didn't want to pay the extra for the meal.  So don't know how the meal was or if it was worth the money.


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## Schachteles

Candy Apple said:


> Wow!  It looks like you had a beautiful day there.  I'm going to have to see if we can fit this in, along with our other excursion.  How much time should we allow?



I am wondering the same thing...we are doing the dog sledding and helicopter ride...I originally booked the tram through Disney because it is the same price, but I cancelled it the other day worrying that if we don't get to to do I am out the $$ and if there is time I will just pay then.


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## neoavatara

...if you do everything on schedule.

I did the helicopter ride, came back to the ship by noon, picked up our infant who was in the nursery, went to lunch, and still spent a few hours in Juneau.


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## buddywesley

Did anyone do the wilderness exploration and crab feast in Ketchikan?


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## jenandkam

Skagway - Musher's Camp and Sled Dog Experience - We thought this one was pretty lame.  You spent most of the time on the bus and then modified ARMY vehicle getting up to the camp.  We only spent _maybe_ 15 minutes on the sled with a guy who spent most of his time telling us that he needed to raise money and sponsors for his Iditarod (sp?) race.  Would not do this one again, but some of the scenery getting up there was nice.

Juneau - Exclusive Whale Encounter and Mendenhall Glacier - We go lucky on this one.  There were maybe 30 people on the boat (a small boat) and we had several whales swim pretty close to the boat, including a mother and her calf.  The highlight of the trip for us.  The glacier is beautiful, but the visitor's center is pretty non-existent so if you go I would suggest actually walking out to the glacier for sure.  Would definitely do this one again!

Ketchikan - no excursion.  We walked the town and shopped.  Great time and got some goodies!


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## Candy Apple

For the Mount Roberts Tramway, I think I'd definitely do it on my own, especially if you have a 10, 11, or 12 year old.

From the Disney website:

Adult Price:$27 (ages 10 and up) Child Price:$13 (ages 6 through 9) 

From the Mount Roberts Tramway website:

*Mount Roberts Tramway Cost*:*

- $27/adult; $13.50/child 6-12; Free/Child 5 & Under
* Local tax included.

Notice, Disney makes you an adult at age 10 instead of age 13!  Personally, neither DS13 or DS11 are adults yet in my eyes!


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## USUKMama

Candy Apple said:


> Notice, Disney makes you an adult at age 10 instead of age 13!  Personally, neither DS13 or DS11 are adults yet in my eyes!



I know - I've hit this with all the Disney excursions.  DS is 10 and it has generally worked out cheaper (if less convenient) for us to book excursions independently.  I wonder why Disney has a different "adult" age than the tour operators they are using?


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## lmcarr

how long does it take to do the tram? tia, lc


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## Cerberus9

lmcarr said:


> how long does it take to do the tram? tia, lc



I think the tram cars leave every 8 minutes or so. So you could probably do it in as little as half an hour.


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## lmb80129

Anyone do the Wilderness Exploration & Crab Feast in Ketchikan?


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## 2boys2girls

denise said:


> Good to know! Did they have the little espresso cups or just big mugs?
> How far was the walk? DH would love to get his espresso in Alaska!



I didn't notice if they had the espresso cups. I got the travel cup and large mug. I called ahead to see if they stocked them. You can call for free anywhere in North America using gmail so that's how I found out they had them and I just hoped that they would actually be in stock when I got there. They had lots. There is a place in Skagway that sells Starbucks coffee, but they are not an official franchise and do not carry merchandise. I spoke to the owner and she said that she can't convince Starbucks to allow her to sell the mugs which is disappointing because she could realistically sell a ton of them being so close to the docks. She sold me a nice Chai Latte though so I was happy enough. 

It's very easy to find the starbucks in Ketchikan. It's about a 30 minute walk to the safeway from the port and we were lucky enough to be docked at the closest possible location to it. Once you get off the ship, just follow Water St to the right which will turn into Tongass Ave and take you right there. I followed the path using Google street view a couple of times just before we went so I would know what to expect along the way. Well worth it for me and we had beautiful weather the day we were there so it was great.


----------



## buddywesley

lmb80129 said:


> Anyone do the Wilderness Exploration & Crab Feast in Ketchikan?



I'm wondering about that too. We are booked to do it on the June 28th cruise.


----------



## PBader

USUKMama said:


> I know - I've hit this with all the Disney excursions.  DS is 10 and it has generally worked out cheaper (if less convenient) for us to book excursions independently.  I wonder why Disney has a different "adult" age than the tour operators they are using?



I think it is just that way all throughout Disney once your past 9, it's adult pricing for everything from park tickets to dining.


----------



## Cliffside

Anyone take:

Skagway-Klondike gold dredge and White Pass Railway

Juneua- Dog sledding on Mendenhall glaceier by helicopter

Ketchikan- Rainforest Island Adventure

And for those people who went to the exclusive lumberjack show what age kids do you think it was geared too?

Thanks


----------



## CaliGrrl

Skagway - Liarsville Disney Exclusive - fun excursion with my son and parents.  They do a little puppet show, you pan for gold, roast marshmellows, chip & dale and donald were there and then you eat... salmon, chicken, salads, dessert.  It was a fun experience but IMHO a bit pricey.

Juneau - Mendenhall Glacier and Salmon Hatchery - The glacier is amazing!  So beautiful and peaceful.  We spent some time in the visitor's center, watched the movie and my son participated in the Junior Ranger's program.  (just ask one of the rangers about it.  It is geared towards 5-12 I would say, but my 3 year old was able to do some of it as well.)  Then we walked down the "beach" to the glacier.  We did not do any of the hikes.  Since we did the 7:30am or around there, only 12 people were on our tour.  We had the glacier to ourselves  The salmon hatchery was a nice stop, but this time of year not much is going on.  We enjoyed looking at all the tanks and touching some sea creatures as well.

Ketchikan - The Lumberjack Show - Very entertaining and a lot of fun!  Great value for the money spent.  My 3 year old didn't move the entire time... loved watching all the action.  He even got a souvenir wood piece.

We spent time shopping in all the ports and just walking around exploring.  Skagway was my favorite shopping spot with Ketchikan a close second.


----------



## M&C

We're doing the following excursions:

Skagway:
Klondike Rock Climbing and Rapelling (I'm terrified, but DD15 wouldn't let me out)
Musher's camp and Dog Sled Experience (DH and DD8)

Juneau: 
Mendenhall Glacier Adventure Hike (DH and DD8)
Rainforest Canopy and Zipline Adventure (me and DD15.  I'm okay with this. Done similar before.)

Ketchikan:
Private Skiff - Touring by sea (we all get to go together on this one. Yay!)

Most of these are morning to early afternoon, so we were hoping we can rent bikes in the afternoon to see the town better.

I would love some feedback.


----------



## lmb80129

Bumping for any additional info please!!!!


----------



## caniac27

Anyone do the ABD excursions? Or talk to anyone who did? Can't seem to find ANY reports or even mention of anyone doing it. I'm dying to hear about it!

Ah ha - went to ABD website and apparently the ABD doesn't start until June 7. So anyone on June 7 or later let us know about the ABD add-on!


----------



## buddywesley

bumping for more info. Really want to hear about Ketchikan excursions. Especially Wilderness Exploration and crab feast.


----------



## kgsmith

caniac27 said:


> Anyone do the ABD excursions? Or talk to anyone who did? Can't seem to find ANY reports or even mention of anyone doing it. I'm dying to hear about it!



I don't think the ABD was offered for the May cruises. So we will have to wait until the first June sailing to get details. We are doing the ABD on the August 16 cruise. We can't wait!


----------



## famviramontes

Wondering if anyone has done the White Pass Train and then Bike down tour in Skagway.


----------



## everafter1

We were really pleased with our excursions with DCL. Here's what we did:

Skagway- Suspension bridge and white pass railway: adult departure- This was a great and easy excursion. Only negative was that it left very early on the morning. This tour takes a motorcoach up stopping in several places along the way for photos and crossing the border to Canada. The suspension bridge was really cool and there was a gift shop and snack bar there also. Then you take the train back down to Skagway. Really interesting tour with lots of pretty scenery. It was also nice that they offered a departure for all ages and for adults only. The tour also ended around 12:30, so there was lots of time to explore and shop.

Juneau- Exclusive whale watch and Mendenhall glacier- This was the whale watch tour on a smaller boat, which we loved. There were only about 35 people on the boat, so you could see very easily. We lucked out and saw lots of whales (Orca and Humpback, although they said it's not common to see Orcas in that area). We also saw sea lions and eagles. After the tour, they drive you to the glacier and you have some time there. Some people have said it wasn't enough time for all of the hiking they wanted to do, but we thought we got to see plenty. 

Ketchikan- Bering sea crab fisherman tour and dinner with the crew- this was a really neat excursion! You board a ship from a season of Deadliest Catch and watch how they haul in different types of fish and crabs. They also let you touch and hold some of the things they've brought in. Additionally, they invite everyone for pictures with the crew. They also tell stories from their experiences at sea, which was very interesting. The dinner was an added treat. They take you to a local restaurant for a dinner (crab, of course) and tell stories from their time on the show and at sea. The regular excursion (without dinner) is also on the same ship during the day.  The group going to dinner is quite small, though and it was really nice. A few people mentioned that they wished they'd booked the dinner also because they enjoyed the tour so much. We felt like this tour was really worth the money and very fun! 

Overall, it was an amazing cruise


----------



## rav4lcrv

We signed on for the ABD, anyone else signed on for June 28th?


----------



## ClaireinTN

THANK YOU to everyone who has posted about their excursions!


----------



## Inkmahm

neoavatara said:


> My first helicopter ride too.  Took my wife and five year old...and didn't feel anything but awe the whole trip.  If you are scared of heights...well, that is another story ;-)
> 
> I felt as safe as you could be in a small air vehicle.  Actually, the only time I felt fear was walking on the glacier...and looking down into crevasses a few hundred feet deep!



We are doing Alaska with DCL in August, but DH and I have previously done land/cruise tours with Princess in 2005 and 2008.  That is affecting the excursions we have booked for this 2011 trip.

Skagway:  2005 we did the Whitepass railway and trip into Yukon.  Up on a bus, lunch at Carribou Crossing, over to see Emerald Lake, back on the train.  Loved the trip!  The versions they have now have the added meeting with dog sledding puppies which would be a great addition.

2008 we did the 9 hour tour on our own with taking the train to the end of the line and eating lunch in Bennet. My DH is a big Gold Rush fan and I have to admit, it was very cool to see the area left as it was when the miners were there.  Again, it was a bus ride back with lots of stops for pictures.  I don't know that this trip is available because the train  tracks had washed away awhile ago but if it has been rebuilt, I'd highly recommend booking this through Chilkoot tours.

2011 with DCL:  Highly tempted to do the steam train  version of the White Pass as it is rarely available.  But the chance to see brown bear on the evening Wilderness excursion has won our first pick, especially since we can do the summer dog sled camp with it.  If anyone is debating though and this is your one trip to Alaska, definitely don't miss the White Pass railway.  

Juneau:  2005 we did the Pilot's Choice helicopter trip.  For everyone that can afford it, flying over the glaciers is really something to see.  Standing on a glacier is amazing.  I agree 100% that the walking on the glacier was much scarier than the helicopter ride to get there and I am normally afraid of heights.  The sense of distance is SO messed up on both the helicopter and the glacier.  It really is a once in a lifetime excursion.  We also did the Fish Hatchery and Mendenhall glacier tour.

2008 we tried to do the dogsledding on a glacier tour but it was canceled due to weather.  This is THE most canceled excursion in all of Alaska.  Anyone doing a helicopter flight out of Juneau, especially one with dog sledding, needs to have backup plans ready in case of cancellation.  Our day was not a loss because we did whale watching with Harv and Marv in the morning.   They use a 6 person boat and you get VERY close to the whales.  While the boats must stay a certain distance away from the whales, they can shut their engines off and let the whales come close to the boat on their own.  We had one whale that made me jump because it surfaced SO close to us.  I thought it was going to treat our boat as a toy!  We went back to Mendenhall Glacier to see how far it had receded since 2005.


2011  We are doing whale watching and the Mendenhall Glacier again, but going with Disney.  We are on the smaller boat though (less than 36 passengers).  It sounds like the glacier has receded very far from where it was originally.  We want to see how far that is.

Ketchikan:   2005 we did a jet boat trip out of a fishing camp and loved it.  It was May, so it was way too early to see bears and salmon.  We did the Lumberjack show and thought it was okay, but wouldn't do it again.  Kids would love it though.

2008 we flew with Island Wings to Traitor's Cove in late August to watch black bears fishing for salmon.  We flew to see Misty Fjords on the way back.  I highly recommend any float plane trip to Traitor's Cove.  The bears are fun to watch and you are quite close to them.  The salmon swimming upstream are also very interesting.

2011 we are doing the float plane tour to Neets Bay to see the bears fishing again.  Since we've already been to Traitor's Cove, we picked the Disney excursion to Neets Bay.


----------



## Smileneyes

Would appreciate any feedback/reviews regarding the following excursions, please:

JUNEAU:  Disney Exclusive Glacier Dog Musher for a Day

KETCHIKAN:  Adventure Kart Expedition

Thanks in advance!


----------



## DisneyCruiser2008

Did anyone have any issues with seasickness on their whale watching excursions in Juneau?  We are booked on a private tour with Harv and Marv...


----------



## HarborBlvd




----------



## 2littlestitches

Has anyone gone on the float plane to the Enchanted Taku Lodge?  It has gotten wonderful reviews on Trip Advisor, but I know Disney added a little twist with bringing a historical character to tell stories.  

Thanks everyone, for all the wonderful info!


----------



## 2littlestitches

I also have a question for anyone who has done the dogsledding in the snow....do we need to bring our own snow boots or waterproof shoes?  I read in one excursion that they provide you with boots.  Just trying to figure out if I should pack these bulky boots or not for our dogsleddding excursion in the snow.  LOL.  Thanks so much!!!!


----------



## staffieri

Anyone done the Summer Dog Wheel Cart tours. Not the one with the helicopter. It is offered in Juneau and Skagway. I have a 12 year old boy and a 5 year old girl. Love any feed back on this.


----------



## jlwhitney

We booked all of excursions independently and are so glad that we did!!!

Here is what we did:

Skagway: Chillkoot Charters, Yukon Rail and Bus. It was fantastic, we took a van up the white pass and into Carcross yukon. We stoped at the welcome to alsaka and welcome to yukon signs, as well as the carcross desert and emerald lake. We had lunch at caribou crossings which was yummy but the place was kind of cheesy to us (defiantly touristy). After that we drove back to the Fraser station and took the train down.

Juneau: Coastal Helicopter, we did the dog sledding on a glacier. It saved us a hundred bucks a person to book through them versus through Disney. It was amazing, I can't say enough great things about the company and the experience. Truly once in a lifetime!!!

Ketchikan: Bearing Sea Crab tour. Do not book through Disney, book it on your own, it will save you 20 bucks a person and its a five minute walk to the ship (even on the same pier) it is so easy.

We also did in Whistler ziplining at Ziptrek (5 stars) and Monkido Course through Wildplay (5 stars again)/

In vancouver we did stanley park/aquarium and the capilano suspension. I would recommend all of them.

Feel free to ask me questions on what we did and the companies we used.


----------



## mmmears

jlwhitney said:


> In vancouver we did stanley park/aquarium and the capilano suspension. I would recommend all of them.



I'm interested in the aquarium.  Any advice on touring it, like what is not to miss, how much time we need to see it all, etc.?


----------



## jlwhitney

mmmears said:


> I'm interested in the aquarium.  Any advice on touring it, like what is not to miss, how much time we need to see it all, etc.?



Its not hard to see it all, its not super big, but is nice and it highlights alot of marine life in the British Columbia area. We were there for a couple of hours I think. The 4d show was fun and the otters were so adorable.  There were different talks at different times about different animlas but we did not go to any of them.  You could easily see eveything and do the 4d show and probaly a talk or two in a half day. You get admission all day to  come and go, so you can go for a bit and then wonder the park and head back if you want and such.


----------



## SanDiegoSteph

jlwhitney said:


> We booked all of excursions independently and are so glad that we did!!!
> 
> Here is what we did:
> 
> Skagway: Chillkoot Charters, Yukon Rail and Bus.
> Juneau: Coastal Helicopter, we did the dog sledding on a glacier.
> Ketchikan: Bearing Sea Crab tour.



Oooh, you did all the trips we've signed up for!! Except we did the Chilkoot Charters trip that adds the summer dogsled.

SO glad to hear you enjoyed them all!!

A few questions regarding specifics:

1) How old were the folks in your party that went on each trip? I've got a 5 year old and a set of 75+ grandparents with us - going on some of the excursions but not others and just want to get a feel for if I judged them right

2) What times did you do each trip (start and end if you remember)

3) Did you get "fed" (even snacks) on any of the trips and if so what?

Thanks SO much for your feedback - helps a ton


----------



## SoThisIsLove

Hi Everyone....

     I was wondering if anyone has done the White Pass Steam Train excursion.  We are looking into it and was wondering how it was. 

Thanks!


----------



## mmmears

SoThisIsLove said:


> Hi Everyone....
> 
> I was wondering if anyone has done the White Pass Steam Train excursion.  We are looking into it and was wondering how it was.
> 
> Thanks!



I'd love to hear about this one as well.  DH and DD are signed up to try it.


----------



## scoutsmom99

jlwhitney said:


> Skagway: Chillkoot Charters, Yukon Rail and Bus. It was fantastic, we took a van up the white pass and into Carcross yukon. We stoped at the welcome to alsaka and welcome to yukon signs, as well as the carcross desert and emerald lake. We had lunch at caribou crossings which was yummy but the place was kind of cheesy to us (defiantly touristy). After that we drove back to the Fraser station and took the train down.


How big was your tour group and how long did the excursion last? Did they pick you up at the pier or did you meet up with them somewhere?


----------



## jilljill

caniac27 said:


> Anyone do the ABD excursions? Or talk to anyone who did? Can't seem to find ANY reports or even mention of anyone doing it. I'm dying to hear about it!
> 
> Ah ha - went to ABD website and apparently the ABD doesn't start until June 7. So anyone on June 7 or later let us know about the ABD add-on!





kgsmith said:


> I don't think the ABD was offered for the May cruises. So we will have to wait until the first June sailing to get details. We are doing the ABD on the August 16 cruise. We can't wait!





rav4lcrv said:


> We signed on for the ABD, anyone else signed on for June 28th?


I'd post this question on the meets thread for your sailing.


We'll have to start an ABD thread for when the June 7th cruisers return.
Anyone worried they will cancel their ABD portion if not enough cruisers sign up?  I'm on the 8/9 cruise and have booked excursions thru DCL just in case the ABD add-on gets cancelled for our sailing.  I thought that someone has posted if they don't have 50% capacity then ABD will be cancelled.


----------



## sabrecmc

scoutsmom99 said:


> How big was your tour group and how long did the excursion last? Did they pick you up at the pier or did you meet up with them somewhere?



We did the same Chilkoot Charters tour on the first Alaskan cruise.  It was fantastic!  They picked us up at the pier at 7:30am and drove us a couple minutes to the train.  They then met us at the Frasier, Canada end point of the RR (looked like one of their tours also got on there, since there is an option to do the RR going back to Skagway instead of first thing).  Our tour had about 12 people, but 1 was an employee of the charter service along for the ride.  The excursion lasted until around 3:30-4 or so, I think.  That left us plenty of time for shopping!  We also added the dog sledding, which was fun.


----------



## jlwhitney

SanDiegoSteph said:


> Oooh, you did all the trips we've signed up for!! Except we did the Chilkoot Charters trip that adds the summer dogsled.
> 
> SO glad to hear you enjoyed them all!!
> 
> A few questions regarding specifics:
> 
> 1) How old were the folks in your party that went on each trip? I've got a 5 year old and a set of 75+ grandparents with us - going on some of the excursions but not others and just want to get a feel for if I judged them right
> 
> 2) What times did you do each trip (start and end if you remember)
> 
> 3) Did you get "fed" (even snacks) on any of the trips and if so what?
> 
> Thanks SO much for your feedback - helps a ton



We are both mid-20's and no kids yet, but i think the excursions you picked would be fine. The chilkoot charters trip is the same as we did (we could have added the dog sled part but we didnt). The bus/rail trip is mainly sitting and enjoying the scenary with a few photo stops. The bearing seacrab trip is again seating in a boat and it was very smooth we had no rocking.  Dog sledding on the glacier is again really not much physical work, they give you boots to wear over your shoes so you can walk around easier.

The yukon bus/rail tour you get a full lunch of bbq chicken, potatoes, coleslaw, rolls, and doughnuts.

For the bearing sea crab, they have hot drinks (coffee, hot chocolate and maybe tea) available and at the end they gave everyone a small bag of pretzel goldfish

For times:

Yukon bus/rail was 8:30-4pm, so there was plenty of time to walk around the town

Dog sledding/Glacier we did it from 12:15-3:15pm

Bearing sea crab was 12:30-4pm

Everything ran like clockwork!!!


----------



## jlwhitney

scoutsmom99 said:


> How big was your tour group and how long did the excursion last? Did they pick you up at the pier or did you meet up with them somewhere?




We had about 15 people and the van could probably hold about 20 (which would be the largest it could be).  

The tour was from 8:30 to 4pm.

They picked us up right at the pier. Very easy, the tour guide was holding a chilkoot charters sign.


----------



## scoutsmom99

sabrecmc said:


> We did the same Chilkoot Charters tour on the first Alaskan cruise.  It was fantastic!  They picked us up at the pier at 7:30am and drove us a couple minutes to the train.  They then met us at the Frasier, Canada end point of the RR (looked like one of their tours also got on there, since there is an option to do the RR going back to Skagway instead of first thing).  Our tour had about 12 people, but 1 was an employee of the charter service along for the ride.  The excursion lasted until around 3:30-4 or so, I think.  That left us plenty of time for shopping!  We also added the dog sledding, which was fun.





jlwhitney said:


> We had about 15 people and the van could probably hold about 20 (which would be the largest it could be).
> 
> The tour was from 8:30 to 4pm.
> 
> They picked us up right at the pier. Very easy, the tour guide was holding a chilkoot charters sign.




Thanks to both of you for the great details.  We have the Yukon Expedition booked through Disney, but I'm totally considering switching to Chilkoot.  Can I ask how much your excursions cost?  I notice they don't have pricing on the website.


----------



## deepakwa

Do you know if we can do Lumberjack show after the Bering sea Fisherman tour? What time does the Bering tour end?


----------



## bigAWL

jenandkam said:


> Skagway - Musher's Camp and Sled Dog Experience - We thought this one was pretty lame. You spent most of the time on the bus and then modified ARMY vehicle getting up to the camp. We only spent _maybe_ 15 minutes on the sled with a guy who spent most of his time telling us that he needed to raise money and sponsors for his Iditarod (sp?) race. Would not do this one again, but some of the scenery getting up there was nice.


 
How many people were on the tour, and how many other tours were there at the same time?

I've got this booked for my family with three littler girls - how would you rate it for kids?


----------



## sabrecmc

scoutsmom99 said:


> Thanks to both of you for the great details.  We have the Yukon Expedition booked through Disney, but I'm totally considering switching to Chilkoot.  Can I ask how much your excursions cost?  I notice they don't have pricing on the website.



Our tour, with the 15 minute dog sled ride, was $206/adult and $147/child.


----------



## jlwhitney

scoutsmom99 said:


> Thanks to both of you for the great details.  We have the Yukon Expedition booked through Disney, but I'm totally considering switching to Chilkoot.  Can I ask how much your excursions cost?  I notice they don't have pricing on the website.



For mine, I dont remember the actually price but it was 35 dollars less than disney i belive for the same exact thing, and you have a van versus a huge bus.


----------



## discruiser

Just wondering what you thought of it.  Did you enjoy it?  Did your kids enjoy it?  Was it worth the money?

Anyone know how this special "Disney" show differs from the regular show?  For my family of 6, we could save about $50 by attending the non-Disney show (and buying tickets directly from the company).  Just wondering what makes the Disney show special.

Thanks!


----------



## Cliffside

discruiser said:


> Just wondering what you thought of it.  Did you enjoy it?  Did your kids enjoy it?  Was it worth the money?
> 
> Anyone know how this special "Disney" show differs from the regular show?  For my family of 6, we could save about $50 by attending the non-Disney show (and buying tickets directly from the company).  Just wondering what makes the Disney show special.
> 
> Thanks!



Actually I was able to book the Disney Exclusive one right on their website for the cheaper price and DD counted as a kid because she is 11.  I wasn't originally looking to circumvent the system but my other excursion I have booked with Disney made it seem like the times overlapped even though it shouldn't.  The show I think starts at 4:45 but the meeting time DCL has listed is earlier.


----------



## discruiser

Cliffside said:


> Actually I was able to book the Disney Exclusive one right on their website for the cheaper price and DD counted as a kid because she is 11.  I wasn't originally looking to circumvent the system but my other excursion I have booked with Disney made it seem like the times overlapped even though it shouldn't.  The show I think starts at 4:45 but the meeting time DCL has listed is earlier.



Unfortunately, their website is showing the Disney show as sold out for the day we're going to be in Ketchikan.  I also have an 11 year old and hate to pay the adult price for her when the website would only charge a child's rate for her.  I may switch to the earlier, non-Disney show and just buy the tickets on the website.  I emailed the company and she said the Disney show is no longer than the regular show, even though the website makes it appear to be 30 minutes longer.  We also have early dining so the Disney show would interfere with our dinner time.


----------



## jilljill

discruiser said:


> Just wondering what you thought of it.  Did you enjoy it?  Did your kids enjoy it?  Was it worth the money?
> 
> Anyone know how this special "Disney" show differs from the regular show?  For my family of 6, we could save about $50 by attending the non-Disney show (and buying tickets directly from the company).  Just wondering what makes the Disney show special.
> 
> Thanks!



I merged your thread with the AK excursion thread in case others have the same questions as you on the Lumberjack Show.


----------



## mmmears

Anyone tried one of these yet?

*All Aboard Steam Train* (Skagway)

*Mountain Point Snorkeling* (Ketchikan)

I'd love to hear more about one or both!


----------



## staffieri

jenandkam said:


> Skagway - Musher's Camp and Sled Dog Experience - We thought this one was pretty lame.  You spent most of the time on the bus and then modified ARMY vehicle getting up to the camp.  We only spent _maybe_ 15 minutes on the sled with a guy who spent most of his time telling us that he needed to raise money and sponsors for his Iditarod (sp?) race.  Would not do this one again, but some of the scenery getting up there was nice.
> 
> Is this the one thats just the Dog Sled experience? Where there puppies? Did you book through Disney? How long was the drive there? I am bringing my 5 year old girl. The ice one it too much.


----------



## flexsmom

I booked the Yukon Excursion based on the great feedback here, and then started to wonder about one aspect no one has discussed - motion sickness.  Were there many switchbacks on the bus on the way up, or was there a lot of "movement" in the bus?

My DD has no issues on the ship, but she "christened" the side of Haleakala about half-way up the mountain last year when we drove up to see the inside of the volcano.  She was absolutely miserable sitting in the backseat with all of the switchbacks.  We had to move her to the front and turn on the a/c to blow hard in her face!  I don't want to torture the poor girl with a bus trip that will set her off.  At least she is limited in terms of where it hits her - she does great on trains, ships, small boats, etc. - just not in the back seat of cars!

Thanks for your feedback!


----------



## Anjelica

Still trying to find out if anyone did the Disney Exclusive Musher for a Day in Juneau?


----------



## staffieri

Hoping to hear more feedback from those returning. What tours did you take? What did you like?  Thoughts? Let us hear them.


----------



## MontanaDJ

My daughter loved the show (7 years old) because she got to help...but all my kids really enjoyed it...don't know for sure what the difference was, supposedly less busy and the logs that they cut had a mickey head burned into it, that people were able to take home once they were cut for souveneirs...I would do the show again...but you will be late for dining if you go, and it is lobster night...though they seem to have switched the semi formal to the last night...but they didn't switch the food...go figure!  I would ask in advance.


----------



## Lollipop's Mom

We did the Ride the Duck in Ketchikan. Booked it when we walked off the ship.
$38 pp (not sure on kids price). www.akduck.com
It was 'alright' -was fun and informative, but not the best thing I have ever done. If you want to see Ketchikan without walking around, its great for that. Then it takes you out into the water. Mostly showing you boats in the harbour. Heads over to the DCL ship so you can grab some photos from in the water. 
Tour guide was sweet - young local college girl. Very outgoing and knew a lot of stuff. We were not bored, but also not overly jazzed. 2 kids fell asleep, 1 was quite restless. Lots of history talk. A few very lame jokes that are the type you would hear on jungle cruise. I would give it a 5/10.


----------



## mmmears

flexsmom said:


> I booked the Yukon Excursion based on the great feedback here, and then started to wonder about one aspect no one has discussed - motion sickness.  Were there many switchbacks on the bus on the way up, or was there a lot of "movement" in the bus?



I was concerned about this and called a tour operator.  After talking to him for a while, I realized that we could have a problem with this.  If you are really concerned, it's better to call and ask them since they can give you the detailed info that might help you decide.  It's no fun being car sick on an excursion.


----------



## DenverVal

I am wondering if anyone has done the kayaking in Juneau?


----------



## brentm3

discruiser said:


> Just wondering what you thought of it.  Did you enjoy it?  Did your kids enjoy it?  Was it worth the money?
> 
> Anyone know how this special "Disney" show differs from the regular show?  For my family of 6, we could save about $50 by attending the non-Disney show (and buying tickets directly from the company).  Just wondering what makes the Disney show special.
> 
> Thanks!



Kids loved it.  I was told the Disney version ran an extra half hour with the audience/kid participation bits.

In early May, the roof of the main building was reflecting the sun.  If you sat in the seats on your right as you entered the show area you were fine...if you walked to the seats on the left, you were warmer but had to contend with the death-ray reflection in your eyes.


----------



## disneypoor

I'm still wondering if anyone can confirm whether or not the Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip was canceled again?  I had read in someone's post that on a previous cruise, it was canceled due to low water levels and ice in the river.  We have this booked for Juneau, and I'm just trying to decide if maybe we should switch excursions so we don't get there and end up with no excursion for Juneau.  Any input would be greatly appreciated.  We leave in a little over a week.  TIA!


----------



## jilljill

disneypoor said:


> I'm still wondering if anyone can confirm whether or not the Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip was canceled again?  I had read in someone's post that on a previous cruise, it was canceled due to low water levels and ice in the river.  We have this booked for Juneau, and I'm just trying to decide if maybe we should switch excursions so we don't get there and end up with no excursion for Juneau.  Any input would be greatly appreciated.  We leave in a little over a week.  TIA!



Are you asking about the excursion for the cruise that left on 5/17 or for the cruise that left on 5/24?
It's my understanding that any of the air excursions in AK could be cancelled at the last minute due to flight conditions.  So it's possible that an air excursion can happen on one cruise and then the next cruise be cancelled.

I know this isn't much help to you on whether you should cancel and rebook.  But would you be more upset to have it cancelled because of flight conditions or for you to cancel it before sailing and then when you're on the ship you find out the excursion is still scheduled?  If it's something I'd really like to do I'd keep it and look over the excursions for a back up plan and then once on the ship check if it's still on or not and then go from there.  I have a feeling this is going to be happening over the course of the season as flight conditions change from week to week.


----------



## fliplover101

jlwhitney said:


> We booked all of excursions independently and are so glad that we did!!!
> 
> Here is what we did:
> 
> Skagway: Chillkoot Charters, Yukon Rail and Bus. It was fantastic, we took a van up the white pass and into Carcross yukon. We stoped at the welcome to alsaka and welcome to yukon signs, as well as the carcross desert and emerald lake. We had lunch at caribou crossings which was yummy but the place was kind of cheesy to us (defiantly touristy). After that we drove back to the Fraser station and took the train down.
> 
> Juneau: Coastal Helicopter, we did the dog sledding on a glacier. It saved us a hundred bucks a person to book through them versus through Disney. It was amazing, I can't say enough great things about the company and the experience. Truly once in a lifetime!!!
> 
> Ketchikan: Bearing Sea Crab tour. Do not book through Disney, book it on your own, it will save you 20 bucks a person and its a five minute walk to the ship (even on the same pier) it is so easy.
> 
> We also did in Whistler ziplining at Ziptrek (5 stars) and Monkido Course through Wildplay (5 stars again)/
> 
> In vancouver we did stanley park/aquarium and the capilano suspension. I would recommend all of them.
> 
> Feel free to ask me questions on what we did and the companies we used.



I was just wondering about the Ziptrek ziplining in Whistler. Which course did you choose to take, and do you think it would be worth paying the extra to combine the two courses? Also, did you book ahead of time or when you got up to Whistler...we would book ahead of time, but are worried about inclement weather the day we go up to Whistler. Thanks! Looks like your trip was amazing!


----------



## amyg1

fliplover101 said:


> I was just wondering about the Ziptrek ziplining in Whistler. Which course did you choose to take, and do you think it would be worth paying the extra to combine the two courses? Also, did you book ahead of time or when you got up to Whistler...we would book ahead of time, but are worried about inclement weather the day we go up to Whistler. Thanks! Looks like your trip was amazing!




We did the Bear tour a while back.  It was 5 zip lines - the first one was a line before you get on the van.  The others go over a canyon, so you have a lot of walking up to get to the next line.  It took us over 2 hours. We did that one because our son was 7, so we didn't do the longer one.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, but after 2 hours, I was done.  I couldn't see wanting to do the other 5 lines in the same group.  Our son was obsessed over what the other lines were like, and kept pestering the guides about it.  He would love to go again, but the excursions onboard are all 10+.  There were a couple lines he did that he had to do a cannonball because of weight.  The second time, he asked to go tandem with the guide.  

The combined tour is literally that - just the Bear and Eagle put together.  

As for the weather - they run it rain or shine.  It was drizzling when we were there - really no big deal, because you are in the canopy.  

It was a blast, and I would do it again.


----------



## jlwhitney

fliplover101 said:


> I was just wondering about the Ziptrek ziplining in Whistler. Which course did you choose to take, and do you think it would be worth paying the extra to combine the two courses? Also, did you book ahead of time or when you got up to Whistler...we would book ahead of time, but are worried about inclement weather the day we go up to Whistler. Thanks! Looks like your trip was amazing!



We did the eagle tour, because you get 5 full lines and no training line, plus it has the longest line in all of canada (2200 feet long). It was a blast. I would defiantly book ahead of time, they do fill up. I would recommend the Eagle over the Bear if everyone is old enough for it.  Plus on the eagle, you dont have to take a van back to the lodge, since your last zipline ends you at the base of the mountain which was cool.

I personally see no real point in doing all 10 lines. We didn't have time for it since we were only in Whistler for a day (drove up from vancouver in the am and drove back at night) and we wanted to do the Monkido course at Wild Play (look it up www.wildplay.com) it is a complete blast (almost better than ziplining).

I wouldn't worry about weather, they go rain or shine they only thing that grounds them is lightening and forest fires.


----------



## Disney Dreams

disneypoor said:


> I'm still wondering if anyone can confirm whether or not the Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip was canceled again?  I had read in someone's post that on a previous cruise, it was canceled due to low water levels and ice in the river.  We have this booked for Juneau, and I'm just trying to decide if maybe we should switch excursions so we don't get there and end up with no excursion for Juneau.  Any input would be greatly appreciated.  We leave in a little over a week.  TIA!



We were not booked on that excursion, but our tablemates told us that they were booked on the "Mendenhall Float that got cancelled because the water was frozen."  So, I am guessing, the answer to your question is, "Yes, it was cancelled."

We did:

Skagway - Steam train excursion: LOVED it!  We had some issues with the steam and some on our train got upset and let it ruin their day.  We rolled with it, knew we would be okay getting back to the ship, enjoyed the beauty and the adventure.  Sometimes, it really is perspective that can make the difference.

Juneau - Dog Sledding Camp: Fun.  A little cheesy, but cool at the same time.  It was fun.  And, lucky timing, we got to hold a 6 day old puppy!

Ketchikan - We booked the Misty Fjords boat trip (not the flightseeing).  Found out it was cancelled an hour before departure.    This was my birthday and suddenly we were left with no plan.  With some quick action, a little luck, and some MAJOR pixie dust we got to do Totems, Lighthouses, and Eagles.  LOVED IT!  

- Dreams

P.S.  If I goofed the titles of the tours a bit, sorry.  Sleep-deprived still.


----------



## mmmears

Disney Dreams said:


> Skagway - Steam train excursion: LOVED it!  We had some issues with the steam and some on our train got upset and let it ruin their day.  We rolled with it, knew we would be okay getting back to the ship, enjoyed the beauty and the adventure.  Sometimes, it really is perspective that can make the difference.



Could you please tell me what went wrong on the steam train?  Part of my family has this one booked and I would love to hear the good and the bad.


----------



## geffric

mmmears said:


> Anyone tried one of these yet?
> 
> 
> *Mountain Point Snorkeling* (Ketchikan)
> 
> I'd love to hear more about one or both!


 

 just booked it ...love to hear about it too..


----------



## nanaguide

Ok - I'm trying to decide on which tour to do on Ziptrek at Whistler. We are all set on accomodations and now need to decide on excursions. Grandson will be 8 1/2 when we are there in August. He loves all the rides at Disney except Tower of Terror. I can't keep him off Rockin Roller Coaster so I'm wondering if we should do the Bear or the Eagle zipline tour. We have never ziplined. I'm a little scared of heights but if I'm fastened in I'm fine with enjoying it all - don't mind the walking or hiking as we are both active. Would appreciate your input (Whitney). You sound sold on Wildplay so think we should do the Monkido course there - are you hooked in there also? Thanks in advance for any reassurances you can give me. Grandpa is sitting all this FUN out as he is 70 with health issues. I run, bike, swim so I'm physically OK - just want to be sure it is totally SAFE - read on tripadvisor about walking close to deep ravines (yikes!). I promise his Mom I'll take good care of him so I'm extra, extra careful.


----------



## jlwhitney

nanaguide said:


> Ok - I'm trying to decide on which tour to do on Ziptrek at Whistler. We are all set on accomodations and now need to decide on excursions. Grandson will be 8 1/2 when we are there in August. He loves all the rides at Disney except Tower of Terror. I can't keep him off Rockin Roller Coaster so I'm wondering if we should do the Bear or the Eagle zipline tour. We have never ziplined. I'm a little scared of heights but if I'm fastened in I'm fine with enjoying it all - don't mind the walking or hiking as we are both active. Would appreciate your input (Whitney). You sound sold on Wildplay so think we should do the Monkido course there - are you hooked in there also? Thanks in advance for any reassurances you can give me. Grandpa is sitting all this FUN out as he is 70 with health issues. I run, bike, swim so I'm physically OK - just want to be sure it is totally SAFE - read on tripadvisor about walking close to deep ravines (yikes!). I promise his Mom I'll take good care of him so I'm extra, extra careful.



For ziptrek, go with the Eagle Tour. I am a little afraid of heights as well, but with being in harnesses makes it no problem for me. The check your harness before you zip at each line, and the platforms you wait on for your turn, are large and have railings all around them. 

For WildPlay, the Monkido course is so much fun. Its like a big playground in the sky, there are rope bridges, barrels, tight ropes and so much more.  You are also harnessed in, but you do have to clip your self to the cables. You have two safety lines and you clip one at a time so you are always attached to the cable or the tree. Look up videos on Youtube about it, thats what i did.  You do get up kinda high (about 50 feet) but you end up so focused on what you are doing that you don't end up knowing it half of the time. It is a workout for your arms and mine were sore the next day, but it was worth it.  They have many spots were you can easily exit the course if you need to.  I felt completely safe the whole time, and never fell or slipped either.


----------



## smb6

sabrecmc said:


> We did the same Chilkoot Charters tour on the first Alaskan cruise.  It was fantastic!  They picked us up at the pier at 7:30am and drove us a couple minutes to the train.  They then met us at the Frasier, Canada end point of the RR (looked like one of their tours also got on there, since there is an option to do the RR going back to Skagway instead of first thing).  Our tour had about 12 people, but 1 was an employee of the charter service along for the ride.  The excursion lasted until around 3:30-4 or so, I think.  That left us plenty of time for shopping!  We also added the dog sledding, which was fun.



We booked the same excursion with Chilkoot.  We also added the dog sledding.  And like you are taking the train up firs at 7:30am...  Did you have any trouble boarding quickly enough to meet them?


----------



## amyg1

You might want to check with Ziptrek about his weight.  As I recall, there was a weight restriction (because if they are too small they get stuck on the line)  Since the Eagle line is longer, you have to weigh more.  I also don't think they can do the tandem for the longest line.  At 7 (and my son is tall and about the 75% for weight, so above average) they put him on the scale before going.  I just wouldn't want him signed up for the Eagle and then not be able to do it.  I don't remember the requirements, but check their website.

Heights are not my thing, but this isn't scary - well except the first step.  It really wasn't a big deal.


----------



## Disney Dreams

mmmears said:


> Could you please tell me what went wrong on the steam train?  Part of my family has this one booked and I would love to hear the good and the bad.



Sure.  The steam train has two scheduled refill stations where the train is given water (to create to the steam).  We stopped five times.  This added approximately an hour to our ride.  So, our excursion ended at 5:00pm instead of 4:00pm.  

After the numerous additional stops getting up to the top of the mountain, the conductor had arranged for another train (diesel engine) to hook on to ours and more or less pull us down the mountain.  For this to happen, we had to wait a bit at the top of the mountain for the other train.  

To DH and I, all this meant was extra time to enjoy the gorgeous scenery and champagne.  We had booked the excursion through DCL so we were not concerned about the ship leaving without us if we got back after all-aboard (which turned out not to be an issue), but some others were very scared the ship would leave.

We had a great time!  I would absolutely recommend this tour.

For those who may not be aware: If you book an excursion through DCL and your excursion is later than all-aboard time, the ship will not leave without you because it is Disney's vendor/partner who is responsible.  If you book a tour independently that gets back too late, you are responsible.

- Dreams


----------



## SoThisIsLove

Hi Disney Dream....

    Would you recommend the steam train over the diesel train trip?  Do you the steam train experience was worth the extra money?  Did Disney do anything different on the steam train trip since they have contracted all the steam train reservations?  

I also saw that you went on the summer dog sledding excursion...is this excursion worth the money?  i have a 4 year old and have gotten mixed reviews.  Some say its too expensive and that my daughter may get upset over the dogs and others say its nice.  What is your opinion? 

Right now I have the steam train in skagwaybooked  and can not book the summer dog sled thru disney due to timing....if i book the diesel trip i can do the dog sledding with her.  The white pass agent said to do the steam engine because its unique and you can not do it all the time as its only runs on certain dates and Disney holds all the reservations slots for it....

Decisions.....Decisions.....


----------



## sabrecmc

smb6 said:


> We booked the same excursion with Chilkoot.  We also added the dog sledding.  And like you are taking the train up firs at 7:30am...  Did you have any trouble boarding quickly enough to meet them?



No problems at all.  I was concerned about it though, so I emailed them beforehand and was told not to worry, they  knew the Disney Wonder's schedule and it would not be a problem.  It really wasn't.  We disembarked pretty much as soon as the ship docked and met the van at the end of the dock (it is RIGHT there, so no worries).  They took us to the train station with enough time to get a cup of coffee at the little gift shop/coffee place there at the station.  It was good coffee too!  Strong!  Called Dead Man's Brew or something.  I like it strong though, lol.


----------



## GrumpyBelle

We booked our exursions yesterday.

Skagway...WhitePass Railway and Trail Camp

Juneau...Mendenhall Glacier Adventure Hike and Mt Roberts Tramway

Ketchikan...Totems, Exclusive Lumberjack, and Potlach Park with youth activity.

Would really appreciate some feedback especially on the Mendenhall Glacier Adventure Hike as I really haven't read any on this one yet.

TIA


----------



## disneypoor

jilljill said:


> Are you asking about the excursion for the cruise that left on 5/17 or for the cruise that left on 5/24?
> It's my understanding that any of the air excursions in AK could be cancelled at the last minute due to flight conditions.  So it's possible that an air excursion can happen on one cruise and then the next cruise be cancelled.
> 
> I know this isn't much help to you on whether you should cancel and rebook.  But would you be more upset to have it cancelled because of flight conditions or for you to cancel it before sailing and then when you're on the ship you find out the excursion is still scheduled?  If it's something I'd really like to do I'd keep it and look over the excursions for a back up plan and then once on the ship check if it's still on or not and then go from there.  I have a feeling this is going to be happening over the course of the season as flight conditions change from week to week.



Hi!  The excursion I'm talking about isn't on a float plane but rather a white water rafting excursion.  I had heard that it was canceled on the first cruise due to the river still being too low with chunks of ice.  Just wondering if it is still continuing to be canceled.  Just worried we'll get there and there won't be any excursions left to book that interest us and don't want to be left without one.  I'm looking into Coastal Helicopters but I do realize that those can be canceled very easily due to weather conditions as well.  What to do...what to do???  I'm probably just putting too much thought into it and should just let the cards fall where they fall.  Afterall, we'll be in Alaska.  Even if we're stuck without an excursion, I'm sure it's going to be a GREAT time!


----------



## disneypoor

Disney Dreams said:


> We were not booked on that excursion, but our tablemates told us that they were booked on the "Mendenhall Float that got cancelled because the water was frozen."  So, I am guessing, the answer to your question is, "Yes, it was cancelled."
> 
> We did:
> 
> Skagway - Steam train excursion: LOVED it!  We had some issues with the steam and some on our train got upset and let it ruin their day.  We rolled with it, knew we would be okay getting back to the ship, enjoyed the beauty and the adventure.  Sometimes, it really is perspective that can make the difference.
> 
> Juneau - Dog Sledding Camp: Fun.  A little cheesy, but cool at the same time.  It was fun.  And, lucky timing, we got to hold a 6 day old puppy!
> 
> Ketchikan - We booked the Misty Fjords boat trip (not the flightseeing).  Found out it was cancelled an hour before departure.    This was my birthday and suddenly we were left with no plan.  With some quick action, a little luck, and some MAJOR pixie dust we got to do Totems, Lighthouses, and Eagles.  LOVED IT!
> 
> - Dreams
> 
> P.S.  If I goofed the titles of the tours a bit, sorry.  Sleep-deprived still.



Hello!  I'm sure your tablemates were booked on the same excursion we are, and it sounds like it's still be canceled.  It sounds as if you are booked on all of the same excursions we are with the exception of Juneau which is where we're planning to do the float trip.  Glad to hear you enjoyed the other ones though, and I'm crossing my fingers the Misty Fjords boat excursion won't be canceled as well.  Did they tell you why that one was canceled?  Also, when you went to book another excursion, was there still quite a bit left to choose from?  We aren't that picky, but we were on a cruise one time where something got canceled, and there was only two things to choose from, so that's why I'm so worried about it.  I need to let my over obsessive vacation planning quit getting the best of me.  It will all work out, I'm sure.


----------



## finkerbell

Hey there 

I have the following booked for our August 23rd cruise:

Wildlife Expedition (Seasonal) -Skagway

Adventure by Helicopter - Juneau

Misty Fjords and Wilderness Explorer  - Ketchikan

Any input or reviews on the above would be greatly appreciated.  It's been very hard for us to decide on these excursions so would really greatful for opinions here.  Not everyone in our group is happy with the final choices and they can be changed lol.

Thanks!


----------



## jlwhitney

disneypoor said:


> Hi!  The excursion I'm talking about isn't on a float plane but rather a white water rafting excursion.  I had heard that it was canceled on the first cruise due to the river still being too low with chunks of ice.  Just wondering if it is still continuing to be canceled.  Just worried we'll get there and there won't be any excursions left to book that interest us and don't want to be left without one.  I'm looking into Coastal Helicopters but I do realize that those can be canceled very easily due to weather conditions as well.  What to do...what to do???  I'm probably just putting too much thought into it and should just let the cards fall where they fall.  Afterall, we'll be in Alaska.  Even if we're stuck without an excursion, I'm sure it's going to be a GREAT time!



In regards to Coastal, excellent company, we did dog sledding via helicopter with them and here is what they told me. Book for late morning/early afternoon (ours was 12:15-3:15, we have no problems everything ran like clockwork) since fog in the morning can be an issue. They guarantee you will make your ship, or they will pay for you to get back to your ship (they said they have had only one group miss there boat since 2004).

They day of our tour which was amazingly beautiful, we were talking to the van driver and the pilot and they said all in all you only have a 25% chance of being cancelled.


----------



## smb6

sabrecmc said:


> No problems at all.  I was concerned about it though, so I emailed them beforehand and was told not to worry, they  knew the Disney Wonder's schedule and it would not be a problem.  It really wasn't.  We disembarked pretty much as soon as the ship docked and met the van at the end of the dock (it is RIGHT there, so no worries).  They took us to the train station with enough time to get a cup of coffee at the little gift shop/coffee place there at the station.  It was good coffee too!  Strong!  Called Dead Man's Brew or something.  I like it strong though, lol.



They told me the same thing when I emailed them my concern when I originally booked; but it's still very reassuring to hear that it worked out perfectly for someone else.  We head out this Sunday for the Tuesday sailing


----------



## GrumpyBelle

Looking for a review of the Mendenhall Glacier and Rainforest Garden Adventure.

Canceled my Mendenhall Glacier adventure hike as I think it may be a bit too challenging for some members of our party.

TIA


----------



## disneypoor

jlwhitney said:


> In regards to Coastal, excellent company, we did dog sledding via helicopter with them and here is what they told me. Book for late morning/early afternoon (ours was 12:15-3:15, we have no problems everything ran like clockwork) since fog in the morning can be an issue. They guarantee you will make your ship, or they will pay for you to get back to your ship (they said they have had only one group miss there boat since 2004).
> 
> They day of our tour which was amazingly beautiful, we were talking to the van driver and the pilot and they said all in all you only have a 25% chance of being cancelled.



Thanks for the advice.  I would definitely LOVE to do this excursion, but the price is pretty much double what our original plan was.  I keep telling myself this might be a once in a lifetime trip so we should just go for it.  But then again, I told my husband and kids 7 Disney cruises ago that our first DCL cruise would be once in a lifetime.


----------



## deltadinah

I also would like to hear something about the Mendenhall - Rainforest Garden
Excursion.


----------



## Inkmahm

disneypoor said:


> Thanks for the advice.  I would definitely LOVE to do this excursion, but the price is pretty much double what our original plan was.  I keep telling myself this might be a once in a lifetime trip so we should just go for it.  But then again, I told my husband and kids 7 Disney cruises ago that our first DCL cruise would be once in a lifetime.



Many people fall in love with Alaska and return over and over.  We did our first Alaskan cruise/tour as our honeymoon and decided we would return every 5 years for as long as we could.  It's such a beautiful place!


----------



## NurseNash

Hello Fellow Dis-ers!  I have been lurking on this post and would love any information on the excursions we have booked during our June 14th Alaskan cruise:
1- Skagway:  *Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4*
2- Juneau:  *Enchanted Taku Glacier Lodge Flight and Feast*
3- Ketchikan: *Rain Forest Canoe Adventure and Nature Trail*

Any feed back will be greatly appreciated!


----------



## Perdita&Pongo

NurseNash said:


> Hello Fellow Dis-ers!  I have been lurking on this post and would love any information on the excursions we have booked during our June 14th Alaskan cruise:
> 1- Skagway:  *Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4*
> 2- Juneau:  *Enchanted Taku Glacier Lodge Flight and Feast*
> 3- Ketchikan: *Rain Forest Canoe Adventure and Nature Trail*
> 
> Any feed back will be greatly appreciated!



I second the request for any reviews of the Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4!!!  Looks like so much fun!!


----------



## NurseNash

Perdita and Pongo- While I have not seen any reviews here for the Takshanuk excursion, the reviews on Trip Advisor are all fabulous!


----------



## Breyean

deltadinah said:


> I also would like to hear something about the Mendenhall - Rainforest Garden
> Excursion.



Hi. We did the glacier hike on the 5/3 cruise. 

As point of reference, I had just run the Vancouver Marathon the Sunday before; my wife had done the 1/2 marathon. Another couple in our group had done a trail 1/2 marathon outside San Francisco on the layover on the repositioning cruise. We all showed up in old running shoes, expecting well maintained trails, which is what I believe the brochure said. None of us were experienced hikers, but there were people in our group who were. 

It starts off very easy. You walk along beautiful trails with big trees, plenty of shade, water rushing in streams in a few places. The guides maintain a brisk pace, stopping now and then to let people catch up while they point out facts about the forest and stuff.

Soon, however, it became almost like mountain climbing. There was one area where they had steel cables up on the sides to keep you falling off the mountain and to use to haul yourself up. Other areas had to be climbed on all fours, especially for my wife and the other woman runner, since they are short and couldn't get their legs from one rock to another w/o using their hands to crawl up.

The hardest was at the very top. Now, we did not know this, but maybe we missed it in the literature. The end of the hike is no where near the actual glacier. You end up with a great view of it, but you're not close to it at all. And getting to that point required climbing the rocks on all fours.

BUT WAIT! There's more!

Getting down was pretty bad. At the summit, the guides went down first so they could basically catch people as they slid down those rocks we had just climbed up. Remember, these rocks are wet from snow runoff. 

I made it down the first part so well they let me go ahead on my own, as did the other running couple. They were a little ahead of me when the wife fell, rolled into her husband and the both sort of slid down the rocks. His knee was a little banged up but they were basically OK.

Just then, I saw a nice flat rock to make my next descent, but didn't notice it was wet and slippery. My old running shoes went right out from under me, I went down on my back, cut my shoulder, both elbows and a lot of my right hand as I grabbed for a tree or something, because I wasn't go straight down the "path", I was heading off the side of the mountain.

Point is, I think you need to be in good shape. I think you need real hiking boots. You have to realize after all this you only get a picture of the glacier from a distance. Funny part was when we finished back at the parking lot, if you look out across the water you can see the glacier just fine.

Oh, and things were so dicey on that first descent the guides took us back along another trail which is longer, w/o rocks or tow ropes, but which they said isn't always available due to runoff later in the year.

We had a good time. But I think they sell this adventure as being easier than it really is.


----------



## GrumpyBelle

Thanks so much for this review. I canceled the hike yesterday (for our August cruise) but was still thinking about it this morning. Your review makes me realize I made the right choice as I know this would be too much for my 10 y.o. DD and my mom as well as myself. 

Now I am hoping to hear reviews of the Mendenhall Glacier and Rainforest Garden explorer. Anyone???


----------



## Breyean

GrumpyBelle said:


> Thanks so much for this review. I canceled the hike yesterday (for our August cruise) but was still thinking about it this morning. Your review makes me realize I made the right choice as I know this would be too much for my 10 y.o. DD and my mom as well as myself.
> 
> Now I am hoping to hear reviews of the Mendenhall Glacier and Rainforest Garden explorer. Anyone???



Yes, that was smart, I think. It was quite a long day. Fun, and the guides were very good, but it was tough.

Can't help you with the other excursion. If you're thinking of doing the snorkeling the next day, let me know. My wife and I were 2 of the 5 people to do it from our cruise. It was actually a blast!


----------



## mmmears

Breyean said:


> Yes, that was smart, I think. It was quite a long day. Fun, and the guides were very good, but it was tough.
> 
> Can't help you with the other excursion. If you're thinking of doing the snorkeling the next day, let me know. My wife and I were 2 of the 5 people to do it from our cruise. It was actually a blast!



Please tell about the snorkeling -- we're signed up for it in Ketchikan and haven't been able to find anyone who could review it!


----------



## SoCalDCLfan

Breyean said:


> Hi. We did the glacier hike on the 5/3 cruise.
> 
> As point of reference, I had just run the Vancouver Marathon the Sunday before; my wife had done the 1/2 marathon. Another couple in our group had done a trail 1/2 marathon outside San Francisco on the layover on the repositioning cruise. We all showed up in old running shoes, expecting well maintained trails, which is what I believe the brochure said. None of us were experienced hikers, but there were people in our group who were.
> 
> It starts off very easy. You walk along beautiful trails with big trees, plenty of shade, water rushing in streams in a few places. The guides maintain a brisk pace, stopping now and then to let people catch up while they point out facts about the forest and stuff.
> 
> Soon, however, it became almost like mountain climbing. There was one area where they had steel cables up on the sides to keep you falling off the mountain and to use to haul yourself up. Other areas had to be climbed on all fours, especially for my wife and the other woman runner, since they are short and couldn't get their legs from one rock to another w/o using their hands to crawl up.
> 
> The hardest was at the very top. Now, we did not know this, but maybe we missed it in the literature. The end of the hike is no where near the actual glacier. You end up with a great view of it, but you're not close to it at all. And getting to that point required climbing the rocks on all fours.
> 
> BUT WAIT! There's more!
> 
> Getting down was pretty bad. At the summit, the guides went down first so they could basically catch people as they slid down those rocks we had just climbed up. Remember, these rocks are wet from snow runoff.
> 
> I made it down the first part so well they let me go ahead on my own, as did the other running couple. They were a little ahead of me when the wife fell, rolled into her husband and the both sort of slid down the rocks. His knee was a little banged up but they were basically OK.
> 
> Just then, I saw a nice flat rock to make my next descent, but didn't notice it was wet and slippery. My old running shoes went right out from under me, I went down on my back, cut my shoulder, both elbows and a lot of my right hand as I grabbed for a tree or something, because I wasn't go straight down the "path", I was heading off the side of the mountain.
> 
> Point is, I think you need to be in good shape. I think you need real hiking boots. You have to realize after all this you only get a picture of the glacier from a distance. Funny part was when we finished back at the parking lot, if you look out across the water you can see the glacier just fine.
> 
> Oh, and things were so dicey on that first descent the guides took us back along another trail which is longer, w/o rocks or tow ropes, but which they said isn't always available due to runoff later in the year.
> 
> We had a good time. But I think they sell this adventure as being easier than it really is.



thank you so much for your review!  Our family likes to hike, but we're casual day hikers (3-4 miles at easy/moderate level).  We signed up for this hike, but after reading your review and finding the guide's website where the hike is listed as "strenuous", we've since cancelled.  It's too much for us, particularly for my 10 year old.  We're planning on going to the glacier visitor center on our own ($8 shuttle bus).  It looks like there are some easier trails around the visitor center which are more at our level.  thanks again for the information.


----------



## disneyochem

Thank you to everyone who posted their experiences!  I've read reviews on other websites about some of these excursions, but I tend to trust a DIS review more than others!

In Skagway, my two daughters and I booked the dogsledding/train excursion with Chilkoot Tours.  Thank you for all of the positive reviews--it is a little bit pricey but sounds worth it!  I'm also excited about going to Emerald Lake--Disney tours didn't go that far.

Hubby and MIL are booked on the steam train ride.  I enjoyed reading the experiences about the trip.  I have been on soooooooooo many steam train rides with hubby (did I mention he is a train buff?) that I didn't want to waste my time in Alaska chugging-chugging-chugging for hours on end!  My hubby will not be upset at all by any delays.  And yes, the steam train ride (for him) is the only reason why we are going to Alaska!

Anyone go on the Whalewatching/Science Adventure?  We're booked on that trip for Juneau.  DH and I are scientists--hoping that it will be informative for our girls.

Bought the Lumberjack Exclusive tickets from the website.  I too did not like have to pay full freight for my 12 year old.  Earlier that day, we are booked for the Zipline Tour, Bear, I think.

We'll be leaving Vancouver on June 14th!  Yippee Skippee!


----------



## Breyean

mmmears said:


> Please tell about the snorkeling -- we're signed up for it in Ketchikan and haven't been able to find anyone who could review it!



We were on the 5/3 cruise, so the water temperature was probably a little colder than it is later in the year. 

There were 5 from DCL - one certified scuba guy and a father/son couple. There was also a young couple from another ship in port that day. ONLY 2 PEOPLE from that entire ship.

The 7 of us took a short bus ride (an old school bus) from the dock to the dive shop. Along the way, an instructor showed us what gear we would be wearing and how to get it on. This is no easy thing. We had really thick wetsuits, a hood that covered our foreheads, thick gloves and booties. The only place exposed, literally, was the inch or so between the mask and the hood and the inch or so from our lips to the bottom of the hood.

At the dive shop they got us the appropriate sizes of suits, booties, etc. We then split up into the two dressing rooms, which are only curtained off sections on the shop - not fancy by any means, no showers or anything like that. Even with just the 5 of us guys changing in the men's area it was a little tight. The guides were nice and helped us into our suits, which I needed since I have a bum shoulder and getting into these things are a lot harder than I expected. You leave your valuables in the shop, which they lock. We brought our camera back to the bus and left that on the guide's truck while in the water. They had underwater cameras for sale, but no one bought or had one, and that was probably for the best.

We then waddled down to the bus again, and took a short drive to the dive area. It was low tide when we did it, so it was a somewhat exciting walk along a rocky area to get to the water. We put on our fins (again, the guides were great and did most of the hard stuff for us since our flexibility was severely limited by the suits, which are REALLY tight to help keep us warm.

In the water, the guide told us we were lucky - the water temperature had gone up the couple of days before we arrived to a balmy 47 degrees. They explained where we could go, about the currents and stuff, and we headed out.

We had 5 guides for the 7 of us. So they were able to really take time to explain the sea life around us and what the waters in the area hold. But we saw no fish. Maybe it was still too cold for them. We, however, never felt that cold once the water in our suits warmed up.

They also offered weight belts for those who wanted to drive free diving. These are necessary because the wetsuits are so buoyant it's almost impossible to dive without the extra weight. I had one, and dove a few times. Unfortunately, the water toward the surface was pretty murky and you had to get down quite a bit for it to clear.

The guides did a lot of diving and brought stuff up for us took look at and pass around while they explained what they were.

We spent an hour in the water, and no one was too cold that they HAD to get out. We took a few pictures of us in our suits (not flattering) and got back on the bus. Now we knew why they used an old school bus with vinyl seats - we sat there all wet on the way back to the shop.

Getting the suits off was tougher than getting them on. The guides didn't help as much with this part. They did ask we tell others the water was colder, there were icebergs we had to swim around. I think they were embarrassed it had been so warm so early.

A drink of water, back on the bus (they had us sit in the back when were wet and then in the front after we changed so we had dry seats - wonder how that works if they have more people?) and back to ship. We grabbed a shower and lunch, then headed back out for shopping, which was an excursion in its own right!

So, we LOVED it. We've snorkeled in warmer waters before, but this was truly unique. I wish it HAD been colder, but it was a lot of fun. Even my wife, who was VERY apprehensive of the cold water, had a great time.

I highly recommend it if just for the novelty aspect - you might not see schools of brightly colored fish, but you CAN say "I went snorkeling in Alaska". Your friends will be impressed, believe me.


----------



## siburdue

Disney Dreams said:


> To DH and I, all this meant was extra time to enjoy the gorgeous scenery and champagne.  We had booked the excursion through DCL so we were not concerned about the ship leaving without us if we got back after all-aboard (which turned out not to be an issue), but some others were very scared the ship would leave.
> 
> We had a great time!  I would absolutely recommend this tour.



Dreams - was there any food on this trip (or anyplace to purchase food)? If so, what was available? DH & I are both diabetic and wondering if we need to pack snacks.  Thanks


----------



## mmmears

*Breyean* -- thanks so much for the detailed review -- it really helps!


----------



## nzdisneymom

Thanks for all of the reviews!  We sail on the 14th.

We are doing the Steam Train / Liarsville in Skagway. It was good to read the review about that - how long of a stop is there when you get off the train and get on the bus?  Are there "facilities" at the place you trade transportation?

We're doing the Mendenhall Glacier and Guided Walk in Juneau - first time on a helicopter for all of us. Wondering if anyone who has been to the Glacier would post what they wore - we are trying to figure out packing 

Ketchikan we're doing on our own - none of the excursions jazzed us, so we'll enjoy the afternoon in port just hanging out and doing some shopping.

We're also doing a whale watching with Harv and MArv's in Juneau - Tripadvisor and our TA gave glowing recommendations.  Anyone?


----------



## Doingitagain

Any input on the following:
Skagway:  Laughton Glacier Wilderness Hike and Rail Adventure 

Juneau:  Whale Watching, Salmon Bake and Mendenhall Glacier - Adult Only Departure (Shoreside Concierge said the boat was only 18 people)

Ketchikan:  Misty Fjords Boat and Floatplane Adventure 

We have a group of five adults, we are hoping we don't get split up.

Thank you!


----------



## staffieri

Breyean  that you for your review. Lots of super info!!!!


----------



## Breyean

staffieri said:


> Breyean  that you for your review. Lots of super info!!!!



You are all welcome.

I hope whatever you all do you have a great time.


----------



## disneypoor

We finally made some decisions for our upcoming Alaska cruise next week.  Here is what we're doing:

Skagway:  Yukon Suspension Bridge, City, and White Pass Railway

Juneau:  Alpine Zipline and Glacier Adventure

Ketchikan:  Misty Fjords and Wilderness Explorer

Can anyone give me any advice or reviews for these excursions?  I've read some things about the White Pass Railway and understand it is great!  Anyone done the ziplining in Juneau?  Would love to hear about that!  TIA!

Susan


----------



## HarborBlvd

siburdue said:


> Dreams - was there any food on this trip (or anyplace to purchase food)? If so, what was available? DH & I are both diabetic and wondering if we need to pack snacks.  Thanks



There's no food available for purchase on board the train, but you're certainly welcome to bring food with you ON the train. I would be sure to bring snacks if you think there's any chance of being caught in a bind without food.



nzdisneymom said:


> We are doing the Steam Train / Liarsville in Skagway. It was good to read the review about that - how long of a stop is there when you get off the train and get on the bus?  Are there "facilities" at the place you trade transportation?



If you're doing the Liarsville/train combination tour, you won't be on the steam train; you'll be on a train pulled by a vintage diesel engine. Still quite a spectacular trip and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. The stop at the end of the train portion in Fraser isn't a detination stop, it's just where the rails and the highway meet for you to transfer to your motor coach. Fraser isn't a city or anything and it doesn't have any amenities other than gorgeous views of the lake and some restrooms. You're just there long enough to get off the train and board your bus. No food kiosks, coffee carts, etc. So again, if you think you'll need/want snacks, it's always a good idea to pack a few in your bag.


----------



## cwdefouw

Doingitagain said:


> Any input on the following:
> Skagway:  Laughton Glacier Wilderness Hike and Rail Adventure
> 
> Juneau:  Whale Watching, Salmon Bake and Mendenhall Glacier - Adult Only Departure (Shoreside Concierge said the boat was only 18 people)
> 
> Ketchikan:  Misty Fjords Boat and Floatplane Adventure
> 
> We have a group of five adults, we are hoping we don't get split up.
> 
> Thank you!



We are doing these same excursions in Skagway and Juneau. On the Skagway Laughton Glacier hike etc. I did find a web site with a video on this one...

http://www.packerexpeditions.com/alaska-tours/laughton-glacier-wilderness-hike-and-white-pass-train

From the review's I have read, this sounds like a fantastic expedition. I am not sure they are offering this right now though, as snow may be too deep. Hopefully in June, we will see some reviews from Dis'ers


----------



## Tink37

We are booked for the Classic Misty Fjords Flightseeing in Ketchikan.  Does anyone have any information about this excursion?  My kids really want to do this one because you land on the water and can get out on the floats.


----------



## sayhello

jilljill said:


> I'd post this question on the meets thread for your sailing.
> 
> 
> We'll have to start an ABD thread for when the June 7th cruisers return.
> Anyone worried they will cancel their ABD portion if not enough cruisers sign up?  I'm on the 8/9 cruise and have booked excursions thru DCL just in case the ABD add-on gets cancelled for our sailing.  I thought that someone has posted if they don't have 50% capacity then ABD will be cancelled.


Check with DCL, but last year (with the Med add-on) they coordinated it so that the date after which they would not cancel the ABD add-on was the day before the penalty date for the cruise.  I think it was 85 days for that one.  So after 85 days (or whatever it is this year), if they haven't canceled your trip yet, you're good to go, no matter how few people have booked. After that point, you'd know you were OK, and wouldn't have to worry about backup DCL excursions.  One of the advantages of doing the ABD add-on is, if any of your excursions are canceled due to weather, you don't have to worry about being left in the lurch.  Your ABD Guides *will* have alternate plans made for you!



Disney Dreams said:


> For those who may not be aware: If you book an excursion through DCL and your excursion is later than all-aboard time, the ship will not leave without you because it is Disney's vendor/partner who is responsible.  If you book a tour independently that gets back too late, you are responsible.
> 
> - Dreams


Not exactly, 100%.  If you are on a DCL excursion, and are going to be really, really late, the ship may not be _able_ to wait for you (they _have_ to leave the port by a specific time, they can't sit there forever, there might be another ship waiting for that dock, etc).  If they can't wait, what they will do, is make _sure_ you get to the next port to meet up with the ship, at their expense.



Tink37 said:


> We are booked for the Classic Misty Fjords Flightseeing in Ketchikan.  Does anyone have any information about this excursion?  My kids really want to do this one because you land on the water and can get out on the floats.


I didn't do this excursion through DCL, but I did do it through Princess a few years ago.  Totally loved it!  Misty Fjords is beautiful, and having the float plane land on the water, and getting out on the floats, was really fun.  I highly recommend it!

Sayhello


----------



## poohj80

Has anyone done the Alaska Hummer or Rainforest Island Adventure excursions in Ketchikan?  We're looking for something a bit more active than just sight-seeing but also need an excursion a 5 year old can do.  Thanks for any help you may offer!


----------



## mgibson301

cwdefouw said:


> We are doing these same excursions in Skagway and Juneau. On the Skagway Laughton Glacier hike etc. I did find a web site with a video on this one...
> From the review's I have read, this sounds like a fantastic expedition. I am not sure they are offering this right now though, as snow may be too deep. Hopefully in June, we will see some reviews from Dis'ers




Thanks for the link!  I am debating between this excursion and the snow shoe one...leaning towards the hike.  I read good reviews too on trip advisor but would be great to hear back from others on here.


----------



## neoavatara

Tink37 said:


> We are booked for the Classic Misty Fjords Flightseeing in Ketchikan.  Does anyone have any information about this excursion?  My kids really want to do this one because you land on the water and can get out on the floats.



OK, I didn't do this...but my server Vicki did, and she had a blast...though she said she got a little motion sick.  But small plane.  But I heard the views are incredible.


----------



## sunshine state kim

We're doing dogsledding & -glacier-flightseeing in Skagway. 
Whale watching with harv & marv in Juneau 
Kayaking (some of us kayak fishing) in Ketchikan.
I have an embarrassing question about the helicopter excursions.  Do they weigh you?  Is it private or a big ole scale in front of everyone? All of us are well under the 250# limit, but still don't need the stress!
Also, how cold was it dogsledding?  We're on the June 14th cruise.  Looks like the temperatures keep creeping up in the ports.  Don't know about on the glaciers though.


----------



## jlwhitney

sunshine state kim said:


> We're doing dogsledding & -glacier-flightseeing in Skagway.
> Whale watching with harv & marv in Juneau
> Kayaking (some of us kayak fishing) in Ketchikan.
> I have an embarrassing question about the helicopter excursions.  Do they weigh you?  Is it private or a big ole scale in front of everyone? All of us are well under the 250# limit, but still don't need the stress!
> Also, how cold was it dogsledding?  We're on the June 14th cruise.  Looks like the temperatures keep creeping up in the ports.  Don't know about on the glaciers though.



We went dog sledding in Juneau through coastal and they did weigh us, but only the person checking our weight could see the number and she did not say it out loud or anything, i really wouldnt worry about it.


----------



## staffieri

We need more review!!!!! Calling all Alaska Cruisers!!!!


----------



## DizC1288

jlwhitney said:


> We went dog sledding in Juneau through coastal and they did weigh us, but only the person checking our weight could see the number and she did not say it out loud or anything, i really wouldnt worry about it.



WE have this booked for Aug.  How was it?  
Was there much walking?  
Did they give you clothing/jackets to put on?
Boots?
Was it cold?

thanks
Cyndi


----------



## jlwhitney

DizC1288 said:


> WE have this booked for Aug.  How was it?
> Was there much walking?
> Did they give you clothing/jackets to put on?
> Boots?
> Was it cold?
> 
> thanks
> Cyndi



Not much walking at all.

They do have jackets to borrow if you need them, (not sure how warm they are, but defiantly water proof)

You get glacier boots to wear (they go over your shoes) to make it easier to walk, You are basically walking on snow.

We had a 60 something degree day with sun, so i was not cold at all, we didn't even need hats and gloves.  I wore my rain coat as a wind breaker, with a long sleeve shirt and fleece vest. The day couldn't have been more perfect. You would probably have needed hats/gloves if it was colder and over cast.

Overall, the experience is amazing and the company seemed excellent. We were impressed, everything ran completely on schedule.

I hope you have the kind of day we had, absouletly perfect!!!


----------



## Aby

sunshine state kim said:


> We're doing dogsledding & -glacier-flightseeing in Skagway.
> Whale watching with harv & marv in Juneau
> Kayaking (some of us kayak fishing) in Ketchikan.
> I have an embarrassing question about the helicopter excursions.  Do they weigh you?  Is it private or a big ole scale in front of everyone? All of us are well under the 250# limit, but still don't need the stress!
> Also, how cold was it dogsledding?  We're on the June 14th cruise.  Looks like the temperatures keep creeping up in the ports.  Don't know about on the glaciers though.



When we took our helicopter tour in Hawaii, we were all weighed privately. The scale was turned backwards so only the person weighing us could see and nothing was said aloud. I believe they have to do this in order to figure out how to balance the helicopter properly, as they put us in very specific seats after we were weighed. 

Aby


----------



## DizC1288

jlwhitney said:


> Not much walking at all.
> 
> They do have jackets to borrow if you need them, (not sure how warm they are, but defiantly water proof)
> 
> You get glacier boots to wear (they go over your shoes) to make it easier to walk, You are basically walking on snow.
> 
> We had a 60 something degree day with sun, so i was not cold at all, we didn't even need hats and gloves.  I wore my rain coat as a wind breaker, with a long sleeve shirt and fleece vest. The day couldn't have been more perfect. You would probably have needed hats/gloves if it was colder and over cast.
> 
> Overall, the experience is amazing and the company seemed excellent. We were impressed, everything ran completely on schedule.
> 
> I hope you have the kind of day we had, absouletly perfect!!!



We are doing the one booked through Disney....is that the one one you did or did you book through a different company?

I am so excited to dog sled.....it is the one thing I wanted to do in Alaska!!

Thanks so much for your information *Ü*
Cyndi


----------



## jlwhitney

DizC1288 said:


> We are doing the one booked through Disney....is that the one one you did or did you book through a different company?
> 
> I am so excited to dog sled.....it is the one thing I wanted to do in Alaska!!
> 
> Thanks so much for your information *Ü*
> Cyndi



We booked it through Coastal Helicopters. look them up, it will save you a hundred bucks a person for the same thing.


----------



## staffieri

Would love to hear more reviews?

Did you do the Disney Liasrville with characters?
Did you do any of this on your own?

Love to hear about it....


----------



## DL1957

We did Liaarsville through a Disney tour but on our tour there were no Disney Characters.    I must say the performance there was just ok.  Not bad but something we don't have to do again.


----------



## Smileneyes

jlwhitney said:


> We booked it through Coastal Helicopters. look them up, it will save you a hundred bucks a person for the same thing.



I believe, based on my comparisons, that this is truly a savings IF you are under the 250 pound limit.  At least a couple of the Disney excursions (if I am looking at the same ones) do not have the "additional half seat surcharge" if you weigh above that 250 pound limit...while booking separately through Coastal Helicopters does have the surcharge.

Just my beginner's observations....


----------



## staffieri

Did you do it with the train?
Did you eat there?

I have a DS 12 and DD5


----------



## Cerberus9

We did Liarsville with the train (no Disney Characters)

The train ride itself took about an hour and a half or so (I kind of lost track of time). It was a great trip--you pass through 4 different climate zones (tundra, rainforest, etc.). You could go out of the cars (in the areas between them) and take pictures. In Fraser BC, a customs agent borded and checked passports (you'll need those), then we got on a bus and went back via the highway. Every so often, the driver would stop and we'd get out for a picture opportunity. 

The bus stopped in Liarsville for an hour. They had hot apple juice and animal crackers to eat. We missed out on the animal crackers because we had to go to the bathroom (I recommend going using the facilities on either the bus or the train as opposed to Liarsville). There wasn't a whole lot to Liarsville... they put on a short musical show, and then a poetry reading (which was fantastic, and I don't like poetry). We then panned for (Canadian) gold, which the kids loved. 

After that, we browsed Liarsville a bit (not much there, actually), and bought a few things in the gift shop. 

I'm not sure what to make of the Liarsville experience. I want to say it was underwhelming, but I actually quite enjoyed it. Could have used another half hour there to take in all the sites.

The train is a don't miss, though. It was great!


----------



## jlwhitney

Smileneyes said:


> I believe, based on my comparisons, that this is truly a savings IF you are under the 250 pound limit.  At least a couple of the Disney excursions (if I am looking at the same ones) do not have the "additional half seat surcharge" if you weigh above that 250 pound limit...while booking separately through Coastal Helicopters does have the surcharge.
> 
> Just my beginner's observations....



The would be true if everyone in your party weighed more than 250, a family of 4 with only one person would still save some. Plus, when you do things more independtly you tend to get a more personal experience. 

We we went we were the only two on the helicpoter and on the glacier (we even had an extra mile on the sledding portion since there was time and he felt like it)


----------



## jilljill

staffieri said:


> Would love to hear more reviews?
> 
> Did you do the Disney Liasrville with characters?
> Did you do any of this on your own?
> 
> Love to hear about it....



I merged your thread with the longer thread on excursions so there aren't too many excursion info/review threads.


----------



## nanaguide

jlwhitney said:


> The would be true if everyone in your party weighed more than 250, a family of 4 with only one person would still save some. Plus, when you do things more independtly you tend to get a more personal experience.
> 
> We we went we were the only two on the helicpoter and on the glacier (we even had an extra mile on the sledding portion since there was time and he felt like it)



You know I checked coastal and I believe it was $450 per seat but if I went with Disney my 8 year old grandson was $100 cheaper so for the 2 of us it was only $20 more to go with Disney and that is why I did it that way. DH isn't going because he is over 250. Last time we went to Alaska I didn't do the helicopter/dog sled because it was so expensive. It is still really expensive - oh most $1,000 for a 3 hour excursion but I decided this is something I've always wanted to do - so we're going for it. Everyone that does it - just raves about the experience. I certainly hope it lives up to the hype. Thanks for your input.


----------



## staffieri

DL1957 said:


> We did Liaarsville through a Disney tour but on our tour there were no Disney Characters.    I must say the performance there was just ok.  Not bad but something we don't have to do again.





Cerberus9 said:


> We did Liarsville with the train (no Disney Characters)
> 
> The train ride itself took about an hour and a half or so (I kind of lost track of time). It was a great trip--you pass through 4 different climate zones (tundra, rainforest, etc.). You could go out of the cars (in the areas between them) and take pictures. In Fraser BC, a customs agent borded and checked passports (you'll need those), then we got on a bus and went back via the highway. Every so often, the driver would stop and we'd get out for a picture opportunity.
> 
> The bus stopped in Liarsville for an hour. They had hot apple juice and animal crackers to eat. We missed out on the animal crackers because we had to go to the bathroom (I recommend going using the facilities on either the bus or the train as opposed to Liarsville). There wasn't a whole lot to Liarsville... they put on a short musical show, and then a poetry reading (which was fantastic, and I don't like poetry). We then panned for (Canadian) gold, which the kids loved.
> 
> After that, we browsed Liarsville a bit (not much there, actually), and bought a few things in the gift shop.
> 
> I'm not sure what to make of the Liarsville experience. I want to say it was underwhelming, but I actually quite enjoyed it. Could have used another half hour there to take in all the sites.
> 
> The train is a don't miss, though. It was great!



Thanks for the reviews. Enjoy hearing about it. Kim


----------



## llkoolj40

We have been to Alaska twice, once in Sept. 2008 with Carnival Spirit and this year  in May on DCL. Here are the excursions we did.
Skagway-
2008-Private tour with Chilkoot Charters. White pass railway and the bus out to the Yukon. This was a long day but great fun and incredible scenery. We had lunch and were able to see the musher dogs as well. Great tour company!

2011. We did the DCL adult tour of Yukon suspension bridge and white pass railway. This was much different views on the train from Sept to May. A lot of snow this go-round. This was a shorter excursion but gave us time to walk around Skagway this time.

Juneau - Both times we did whale watching with Harv and Marv. Great experience both times. The whole tour team is so kind, helpful and friendly. The boat is immaculate and well maintained.In 2008 we saw many whales and killer whale breached right near the boat! This year, as it was the beginning of the season, we only saw 2 whales but "Harv" took out to see the glaciers, seals eagles, and porpoise. I can't recommend this tour company enough!!

Ketchikan- Both times we booked with Island Wings for a Misty Fjords float plane excursion.This was the trip of a lifetime.
In 2008 the weather was very bad. Although, planes were flying, Michelle,the pilot, did not feel we would get our money's worth as there would be nothing to see. She held off our tour for awhile to see if the weather would clear, but it didn't. Our money was refunded that day! The professionalism and integrity by this whole team is why I booked again this year. Well, it was well worth the wait. The day could not be clearer and we could see for miles. Island Wings tour is the only tour where you land on a small lake and get out of the plane on land. The others allow you to stand on the floats, or just land and then take off again. Michelle is an experienced Alaskan pilot and is the kindest person, as well as her whole team. We had a young boy on our trip and she was so great with him. When we landed, she sat him in the pilot seat and showed him the controls. I could go and on..LOL but for me this was the tour I will never forget!!


----------



## Doingitagain

How large are the floatplanes for Misty Fjords?  I read one post that said pilot plus five guests, but some of the photos look like larger planes.


----------



## disneypoor

Thank you for posting your reviews of the excursions you did.  I just sent in a request form to Island Wings to see if they have availability for when we're there.  It sounds like a great company, and the cost isn't much more than what we're already paying to see the Fjords.  However, I thought from the beginning that seeing the Fjords on a sea plane would be much more exciting!


----------



## kendzee94

We are doing Magnificent Misty Fjords by Floatplane in Ketchikan, Exclusive Whale Encounter and Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, and Klondike Gold Dredge and WHite Pass Railway in Skagway. 

Any reviews for the gold dredge or floatplane? I'm hoping for good reviews as I have already changed excursions once!


----------



## staffieri

llkoolj40 said:


> We have been to Alaska twice, once in Sept. 2008 with Carnival Spirit and this year  in May on DCL. Here are the excursions we did.
> Skagway-
> 2008-Private tour with Chilkoot Charters. White pass railway and the bus out to the Yukon. This was a long day but great fun and incredible scenery. We had lunch and were able to see the musher dogs as well. Great tour company!
> 
> 2011. We did the DCL adult tour of Yukon suspension bridge and white pass railway. This was much different views on the train from Sept to May. A lot of snow this go-round. This was a shorter excursion but gave us time to walk around Skagway this time.
> 
> Juneau - Both times we did whale watching with Harv and Marv. Great experience both times. The whole tour team is so kind, helpful and friendly. The boat is immaculate and well maintained.In 2008 we saw many whales and killer whale breached right near the boat! This year, as it was the beginning of the season, we only saw 2 whales but "Harv" took out to see the glaciers, seals eagles, and porpoise. I can't recommend this tour company enough!!
> 
> Ketchikan- Both times we booked with Island Wings for a Misty Fjords float plane excursion.This was the trip of a lifetime.
> In 2008 the weather was very bad. Although, planes were flying, Michelle,the pilot, did not feel we would get our money's worth as there would be nothing to see. She held off our tour for awhile to see if the weather would clear, but it didn't. Our money was refunded that day! The professionalism and integrity by this whole team is why I booked again this year. Well, it was well worth the wait. The day could not be clearer and we could see for miles. Island Wings tour is the only tour where you land on a small lake and get out of the plane on land. The others allow you to stand on the floats, or just land and then take off again. Michelle is an experienced Alaskan pilot and is the kindest person, as well as her whole team. We had a young boy on our trip and she was so great with him. When we landed, she sat him in the pilot seat and showed him the controls. I could go and on..LOL but for me this was the tour I will never forget!!




Thank you so much for taking the time. Love reading all the info. It was very helpful!!


----------



## disneypoor

llkoolj40 said:


> We have been to Alaska twice, once in Sept. 2008 with Carnival Spirit and this year  in May on DCL. Here are the excursions we did.
> Skagway-
> 2008-Private tour with Chilkoot Charters. White pass railway and the bus out to the Yukon. This was a long day but great fun and incredible scenery. We had lunch and were able to see the musher dogs as well. Great tour company!
> 
> 2011. We did the DCL adult tour of Yukon suspension bridge and white pass railway. This was much different views on the train from Sept to May. A lot of snow this go-round. This was a shorter excursion but gave us time to walk around Skagway this time.
> 
> Juneau - Both times we did whale watching with Harv and Marv. Great experience both times. The whole tour team is so kind, helpful and friendly. The boat is immaculate and well maintained.In 2008 we saw many whales and killer whale breached right near the boat! This year, as it was the beginning of the season, we only saw 2 whales but "Harv" took out to see the glaciers, seals eagles, and porpoise. I can't recommend this tour company enough!!
> 
> Ketchikan- Both times we booked with Island Wings for a Misty Fjords float plane excursion.This was the trip of a lifetime.
> In 2008 the weather was very bad. Although, planes were flying, Michelle,the pilot, did not feel we would get our money's worth as there would be nothing to see. She held off our tour for awhile to see if the weather would clear, but it didn't. Our money was refunded that day! The professionalism and integrity by this whole team is why I booked again this year. Well, it was well worth the wait. The day could not be clearer and we could see for miles. Island Wings tour is the only tour where you land on a small lake and get out of the plane on land. The others allow you to stand on the floats, or just land and then take off again. Michelle is an experienced Alaskan pilot and is the kindest person, as well as her whole team. We had a young boy on our trip and she was so great with him. When we landed, she sat him in the pilot seat and showed him the controls. I could go and on..LOL but for me this was the tour I will never forget!!



I just want to thank you again for providing this information.  I just got off of the phone with Island Wings Tours and was able to book a  tour for our cruise next week.  They were so kind!  They even tweaked our tour because I was nervous that we wouldn't make it back to the ship in time for the show.  I told them someone had written some very positive information about them on the DIS boards and that's how I got their information.  They said they really appreciated it since the Wonder is a new ship for them.  Again, I thank you and cannot wait to do this excursion!

Susan


----------



## llkoolj40

disneypoor said:


> I just want to thank you again for providing this information.  I just got off of the phone with Island Wings Tours and was able to book a  tour for our cruise next week.  They were so kind!  They even tweaked our tour because I was nervous that we wouldn't make it back to the ship in time for the show.  I told them someone had written some very positive information about them on the DIS boards and that's how I got their information.  They said they really appreciated it since the Wonder is a new ship for them.  Again, I thank you and cannot wait to do this excursion!
> 
> Susan


i am soooo excited for you! i will send good vibes your way for excellent weather!. 

The float plane holds 6 people, 7 if one is a small child,and everyone gets a window seat. I got to sit in the co-pilot seat...WOW!


----------



## llkoolj40

Here are few pictures from the plane. The last one in not great but shows how close the plane is to the Disney Wonder. As you dock look for the Moose Lodge. Island Wings plane is docked there.


----------



## PPFQP

llkoolj40 said:


> Ketchikan- Both times we booked with Island Wings for a Misty Fjords float plane excursion.This was the trip of a lifetime.
> In 2008 the weather was very bad. Although, planes were flying, Michelle,the pilot, did not feel we would get our money's worth as there would be nothing to see. She held off our tour for awhile to see if the weather would clear, but it didn't. Our money was refunded that day! The professionalism and integrity by this whole team is why I booked again this year. Well, it was well worth the wait. The day could not be clearer and we could see for miles. Island Wings tour is the only tour where you land on a small lake and get out of the plane on land. The others allow you to stand on the floats, or just land and then take off again. Michelle is an experienced Alaskan pilot and is the kindest person, as well as her whole team. We had a young boy on our trip and she was so great with him. When we landed, she sat him in the pilot seat and showed him the controls. I could go and on..LOL but for me this was the tour I will never forget!!



Family Air also lands on a lake and taxis to shore so that you can walk around on land. We haven't been yet (our cruise is in a couple of weeks), so I will report back on our actual experience. We're doing the Misty Fjords/Glacier tour.


----------



## disneypoor

llkoolj40--Those pictures are AMAZING!  Now I really can't wait for this excursion!  Thanks for sharing!

Susan


----------



## tksbaskets

llkoolj40 JUST stunning pics!  Wish my DH didn't say "no little planes".  He gets motion sick.

Thanks for posting.


----------



## kris3kid

DisneyCruiser2008 said:


> Did anyone have any issues with seasickness on their whale watching excursions in Juneau?  We are booked on a private tour with Harv and Marv...



I did this one with Harv and Marv, I think we had Harv that day.  No problems with anyone sick at all.  We saw lots of whales, even a mother and child.  He had lots of information on the area.  We also saw a small island with lots of Eagles, some young and some older.  There were about 7 that took off at once and were quite vocal as well.  Saw some playful sea lions.  All in all I would do it again in a heartbeat.  Having the small boat with only 6 people was awesome.


----------



## kris3kid

Doingitagain said:


> How large are the floatplanes for Misty Fjords?  I read one post that said pilot plus five guests, but some of the photos look like larger planes.



I did the Misty Fjords on my own with Seawind Aviation.  The floatplane held 8 people and was awesome.  This was one of my favorite things that I did on the trip and would love to do it again.  The other day I heard a song that they played on the trip and could almost feel that I was back there and looking over the beauty of the area. Very friendly and helpful. A must do.


----------



## kris3kid

Tink37 said:


> We are booked for the Classic Misty Fjords Flightseeing in Ketchikan.  Does anyone have any information about this excursion?  My kids really want to do this one because you land on the water and can get out on the floats.




I just posted a moment about this one but will add that I did it with Seawind aviation.  I had found their website and it is a family tour group.  They have three girls I think 4-9 age range which I thought was cool because I knew they would understand and work with the kids.  When we got back the girls were there and helped pull the plane in, it was fun to watch them help and happy to see daddy done for the day.  Leslie runs the office and was wonderful with doing our tour late because we also wanted to do the Bering sea tour. Pick up and drop off was smooth as well.


----------



## sayhello

tksbaskets said:


> llkoolj40 JUST stunning pics!  Wish my DH didn't say "no little planes".  He gets motion sick.
> 
> Thanks for posting.


I have problems with motion sickness, also.  I told the pilot about it, and I think he "took it easy" during the flight.  I had absolutely NO problems with my motion sickness!  I'm so glad, because Misty Fjords was one of the highlights of the cruise!

Sayhello


----------



## "Got Disney"

jlwhitney said:


> We did the eagle tour, because you get 5 full lines and no training line, plus it has the longest line in all of canada (2200 feet long). It was a blast. I would defiantly book ahead of time, they do fill up. I would recommend the Eagle over the Bear if everyone is old enough for it.  Plus on the eagle, you dont have to take a van back to the lodge, since your last zipline ends you at the base of the mountain which was cool.
> 
> I personally see no real point in doing all 10 lines. We didn't have time for it since we were only in Whistler for a day (drove up from vancouver in the am and drove back at night) and we wanted to do the Monkido course at Wild Play (look it up www.wildplay.com) it is a complete blast (almost better than ziplining).
> 
> I wouldn't worry about weather, they go rain or shine they only thing that grounds them is lightening and forest fires.



So glad I saw this...did not know about this place and will be in Whistler for 3 days...we have done zip lining but never with an opstical course...I think the kids would love that and so would I...Dh however is 240 lbs....only wt on him really is his belly and he is strong but is also 56 .....I think I would spend more time laughing at him...not with him at him


----------



## DenverVal

llkoolj40 said:


> ...Ketchikan- Both times we booked with Island Wings for a Misty Fjords float plane excursion.This was the trip of a lifetime....


This company is fully booked for 6/29, but the lady I spoke with recommended Alaska Seaplane Tours, ( http://www.alaskaseaplanetours.com/mistyfjords.htm ) which is also a small, family-owned business, and their tour is very similar. They had availability at 2:30 and 4:30 for that date.


----------



## jlwhitney

[QUOTE="Got Disney";41335751]So glad I saw this...did not know about this place and will be in Whistler for 3 days...we have done zip lining but never with an opstical course...I think the kids would love that and so would I...Dh however is 240 lbs....only wt on him really is his belly and he is strong but is also 56 .....I think I would spend more time laughing at him...not with him at him[/QUOTE]

The zipling and obstacle course are two seperate places. Though Wildplay does also offer a zipline course (i did zip trek because they had a better course and i felt better value, 5 full ziplines, versus 4 plus a training line). 

You will not regret doing both ziptrek and wildplay, they are so much fun. The obstacle course is something so different, and not found many places. It makes everyone look silly, but thats whats fun about it.


----------



## llkoolj40

PPFQP said:


> Family Air also lands on a lake and taxis to shore so that you can walk around on land. We haven't been yet (our cruise is in a couple of weeks), so I will report back on our actual experience. We're doing the Misty Fjords/Glacier tour.



Oh that is good to know. Can't wait to hear about your trip! 



tksbaskets said:


> llkoolj40 JUST stunning pics!  Wish my DH didn't say "no little planes".  He gets motion sick.
> 
> I get very bad motion sickness and Bonine  works great for me.
> 
> Thanks for posting.


----------



## hsinglanjin

Any return Alaskan cruisers done this excursion?  Would love to hear what it was like in details.  I've read mixed reviews on this from other cruise sites and would love to get more info.

Going the end of June with my DH and 2 teen DDs (17 & 14).  The 14 year loves puppies and we signed up for this one hoping she gets a chance to play and hold the puppies.


----------



## Diannah

We just got home from the May 24 sailing. (Let me just state now - I HATE unpacking! )

Our Excursions:

*Skagway: Liarsville with characters*
Fun. If you're looking for Broadway or even Disney Stage-quality performances, you're going to be disappointed. But if you're looking for folksy fun, it's great. Think Renn fest/old west shootout type entertainment and setting, rather than Broadway. 

We met in the Walt Disney Theatre and, once all gathered, followed the Simba sign out to our buses. Our particular driver just happened to be from our home state, so we had great fun chatting. We were given a few tidbits of info on Skagway on our way out to Liarsville - very short drive. Once off the bus, they invited us into a covered seating area with a stage in front.  They then presented a cute puppet show about a gold miner and his husky, complete with audience participation. Some will call it hokey, others folksy. The kids really seemed to enjoy it. (Our Dd is 16, and she was smiling the entire time.) Then a younger woman explained the gold panning process to us. She was hysterical! No one takes themselves too seriously. But before you can gold pan, you do a "scavenger hunt". Definitly geared toward the younger set, but a way to guarantee you saw all the little areas of the camp. (It all fits in about a square city block of space). Once done, you're handed a small, rusty gold pan with about a cup or so of dirt and rock in it. You're guaranteed "to find 2-5 flakes" of gold in your pan. Each of us found either 4 or 5. The panning area has raised troughs, so you don't have to squat or bend down to a stream. There's a very pretty waterfall right next to camp. Goofy, Chip and Dale visited during this time.

After panning, there were marshmellows to roast over the fire. I think this was the actual thing that my DD chose the excursion for.  Not a ton of space for the number of people roasting, but OK. Then came the salmon bake. YUMMMMMMMMMM!!! If you do this, DON'T MISS THE BEANS! I'm not a fan of beans, but these were wonderful. And several people that I spoke to afterwards on the ship also mentioned the beans. All of it was good. The salmon and the sweet sauce they poured on it was wonderful, also. I had seconds of the salmon and beans. None of it was bad, although the "wild blueberry cake" was basically a white cake with a small amount of blueberries scattered on the top. They did run out of lemonade, which was disappointing. We then toured the gift shop, which was not badly priced for the setting. Then back on the bus and back to the ship. Our driver told us that if we wanted, we could stay on the bus and he would drop us off in the middle of town, which we took advantage of.

*Juneau - Tramway *- If I were to take this cruise again (and only finances prevent it!), I would NOT buy this through Disney. You never know how foggy it's going to be, and all the locals say not to do it if you can't see the top station from the ground. Because we had purchased them ahead of time, we felt we had to use them. It did clear just enough for us to see the ground at times. It was truly beautiful up there, but most of the hiking trails were still closed due to snow and mud. This is not the hike for those will a healthy fear of heights! The raptor center here had one eagle to get a close up look at. One thing to realize about the raptor center here and in Ketchikan. They are all VOLUNTEER organizations. Don't expect fancy settings or slick presentations. Now, the gift shop at the top of the tramway was one of my favorite gift shops on the entire trip. With all the fog, it made the trip worth it. Oh, and DON'T go hungry! Whatever they were serving in the restaurant there smelled heavenly! 

*Ketchikan* - DH and DD did the *Mount Point Snorkling*. They really seemed to love it. They ARE wet suits, but DD says they warmed up pretty quickly. They saw all sorts of bottom dwellers, not too many fish. The guides often brought critters up from deeper areas. DD got to hold a sea cucumber, which she thought was really cool. They saw some jellyfish, too, most of which were harmless, but one, and lion's mane, they had be warned about and knew to stay away from. Though there wasn't much in the way of exposed skin for them to reach. When they got back on board, the leaders had an ice chest full of warm water. They took a pitcher and poured a pitcherful inside each person's wetsuit, either down the front or back, whichever the person preferred. DD said it felt wonderful!

I did the *Rainforest Sanctuary, Eagles and Totems*. The first thing said to us on the bus was that if we had any food whatsoever with us to eat it then. There be bears in those woods, and food, especially fruit, would draw them like Pooh to honey. Being a hypoglycemic, I almost always have food with me, so I ate my two bananas on the way to the sanctuary. After getting off the bus, the guides pointed out the port-a-potties and said that's the last bathroom available until the end. A noticable number of us took advantage of them.  We were split into 3 groups, and taken on the hike.

Hike is perhaps a misnomer. We would litterally walk maybe 10-20 feet and stop. The leader would point out a bear trail, a specific type of plant, or something of the sort. I found it facinating and beautiful. One of the zipline adventures is there, too, and you often caught a glimpse of people zipping along. I'm not in horrible shape, but I have some chronic illnesses, including fibromyalgia, that made me worry a tiny bit about the hike. It was no problem for me at all.

You end that part of the hike at the reindeer yard, feeding lettuce to very friendly reindeer. Needless to say, all the kids on the hike loved this. Reindeer don't have upper front teeth, so they can't really bite you. And these ladies weren't interested at all in your fingers. They wanted the lettuce!  and were very happy to pose for pics. 

 After the reindeer, you walk on the opposite side of a salmon stream from a salmon hatchery. We saw a mink raiding the hatchery, a young still-speckled eagle, and an adult bald eagle in the same area. Then we walked rather quickly through an old log mill. 

After the mill, we went into the raptor center. Again, this is a VOLUNTEER organization. They had a bald eagle and a great horned owl, both too injured to release. The owl HATES Mickey Ears. No idea why, but they ask anyone wearing them to take them off. Got some fantastic close up shots of the owl.

After this, we were asked if anyone had severe hay fever. When no one owned up to having it, we entered into a small building where a gentleman was in the process of carving a totem pole out of a cedar log. It smelled heavenly! But I can see how someone with allergies could have a problem. The gentleman doing the carving was fun to talk to, and obviously loved both the carving and the interaction. We then ended (of course) in the gift shop, with coffee and hot chocolate waiting, and a salmon spread that was basically tuna salad made with salmon instead of tuna on ritz crackers, and yet very tasty. I also found Alaskan made Ulu knives here for the best price yet, $14.95. Then we boarded the bus and headed back to the ship. Again, we had the choice of staying on the bus and being dropped of in town if we wanted.

Hope you find this helpful. If you want to see pics, I'll have them up on facebook soon. Feel free to friend me (diannah robertson), just put something like Cruise or Disney in the friend request.


----------



## jilljill

hsinglanjin said:


> Any return Alaskan cruisers done this excursion?  Would love to hear what it was like in details.  I've read mixed reviews on this from other cruise sites and would love to get more info.
> 
> Going the end of June with my DH and 2 teen DDs (17 & 14).  The 14 year loves puppies and we signed up for this one hoping she gets a chance to play and hold the puppies.



I've merged your thread with the AK excursion thread.  Hopefully you'll get your answers in the prior posts or someone will comment on your post.


----------



## Christy May

sabrecmc said:


> We were on the first Alaskan (May 3-10).  Here are my reviews from another thread:
> 
> Skagway: Yukon exploration with White Pass RR and dog sledding through Chilkoot Charters...this was FANTASTIC! Our favorite experience by far
> 
> Juneau: Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacier...also loved this. Saw humpbacks up pretty close, sea lions, porpoises and bald eagles. They served drinks and snacks (salmon, crackers, chocolate) and had a restroom onboard. They also had a naturalist onboard to talk about the whales and we learned a lot. The boat is enclosed, but you can go out the back or front when they find the whales. Glacier was gorgeous and you could walk pretty close, nice trails and visitors center but only 1 hour there and it goes by quickly. I would probably not do the whale watching again simply b/c we saw so many from our verandah, though the tour was great. The 9:30 whale watchers didn't see whales and got their money back. We also did Historic Gold Panning Adventure that afternoon, since we were back at the ship in time to do another tour. Very fun. They took us to Gold Creek, where Juneau himself struck gold, and let us pan. This is really great for kids, especially in the 7-11 range. Get your feet wet and find some riches! The kids in our tour loved it. They do make sure everyone "finds" gold by giving you your first pan from their stock of sand. You get flakes and they will put them in a vial for you.
> 
> Ketchikan: My DD and I did the Potlatch Park with youth activity tour. We really liked this. You visit the totem park with a guide and he did a great job of telling some kid-friendly stories about the totems (like how one is their version of Hansel and Gretel). It didn't last too long and let the kids get up close with the totems. Then we met the carver at Potlatch Park and got to see her studio. After a quick visit to the clan house and some questions from the kids, DCL youth counselors magically appeared to help the kids paint feather-scales for the totem that is being erected. We then explored the town a bit and went to the DCL Lumberjack Show (I just bought tickets for this on the lumberjack show website...you don't have to book through DCL...it isn't literally "exclusive," though I suspect it will fill up later in the season). This was wonderful! You should definitely do it. Kids loved it. Loved. Lots of participation for the 7+ set. My parents did a trolley tour of the town and said it sucked. They also visited Saxman village and said that without a guide, it was a waste of time b/c they didn't know what they were looking at.
> 
> Interesting that the next cruise's Whale Watching adventure had loads more people.  Ours was probably 35 on the boat and it was a small, fast boat, not a double-decker.  We also had longer at the Glacier.





Just off the boat on 5-31, we did zip lining in Skagway.. LOVED IT...
Exlusive Whale watching in Juneau.. LOVED IT MORE... whales were so close,
awesome. The DH and DS did Knudson Salmon fishing, very disappointing for them. They did not actually fish at all, the guide did the fishing and if there was a bite on the line, then they took turns reeling it in. Spent alot of money and had to get a fishing license and salmon stamp to sit on a boat for 4 hours. WILL NOT BOOK THIS AGAIN....


----------



## Shanonn

Doingitagain said:


> How large are the floatplanes for Misty Fjords?  I read one post that said pilot plus five guests, but some of the photos look like larger planes.



We went on Promech Air for our Misty Fjords floatplane tour & the floatplane we were on held about 11 passengers.


----------



## mm126

llkoolj40 said:


> Here are few pictures from the plane. The last one in not great but shows how close the plane is to the Disney Wonder. As you dock look for the Moose Lodge. Island Wings plane is docked there.



So excited to see pictures - we are booked Misty Fjord and Glacier Tour with  Island Wings for July!


----------



## joycsk

Shanonn said:


> We went on Promech Air for our Misty Fjords floatplane tour & the floatplane we were on held about 11 passengers.



We are booked in August with Misty Fjords Air.  We are a group of 7, and while we have 2 kids, we also have two oversized adults.  At least on the phone, they couldn't seem nicer!


----------



## kelly3kids

Diannah said:


> We just got home from the May 24 sailing. (Let me just state now - I HATE unpacking! )
> 
> Our Excursions:
> 
> *Skagway: Liarsville with characters*
> Fun. If you're looking for Broadway or even Disney Stage-quality performances, you're going to be disappointed. But if you're looking for folksy fun, it's great. Think Renn fest/old west shootout type entertainment and setting, rather than Broadway.
> 
> We met in the Walt Disney Theatre and, once all gathered, followed the Simba sign out to our buses. Our particular driver just happened to be from our home state, so we had great fun chatting. We were given a few tidbits of info on Skagway on our way out to Liarsville - very short drive. Once off the bus, they invited us into a covered seating area with a stage in front.  They then presented a cute puppet show about a gold miner and his husky, complete with audience participation. Some will call it hokey, others folksy. The kids really seemed to enjoy it. (Our Dd is 16, and she was smiling the entire time.) Then a younger woman explained the gold panning process to us. She was hysterical! No one takes themselves too seriously. But before you can gold pan, you do a "scavenger hunt". Definitly geared toward the younger set, but a way to guarantee you saw all the little areas of the camp. (It all fits in about a square city block of space). Once done, you're handed a small, rusty gold pan with about a cup or so of dirt and rock in it. You're guaranteed "to find 2-5 flakes" of gold in your pan. Each of us found either 4 or 5. The panning area has raised troughs, so you don't have to squat or bend down to a stream. There's a very pretty waterfall right next to camp. Goofy, Chip and Dale visited during this time.
> 
> After panning, there were marshmellows to roast over the fire. I think this was the actual thing that my DD chose the excursion for.  Not a ton of space for the number of people roasting, but OK. Then came the salmon bake. YUMMMMMMMMMM!!! If you do this, DON'T MISS THE BEANS! I'm not a fan of beans, but these were wonderful. And several people that I spoke to afterwards on the ship also mentioned the beans. All of it was good. The salmon and the sweet sauce they poured on it was wonderful, also. I had seconds of the salmon and beans. None of it was bad, although the "wild blueberry cake" was basically a white cake with a small amount of blueberries scattered on the top. They did run out of lemonade, which was disappointing. We then toured the gift shop, which was not badly priced for the setting. Then back on the bus and back to the ship. Our driver told us that if we wanted, we could stay on the bus and he would drop us off in the middle of town, which we took advantage of.
> 
> *Juneau - Tramway *- If I were to take this cruise again (and only finances prevent it!), I would NOT buy this through Disney. You never know how foggy it's going to be, and all the locals say not to do it if you can't see the top station from the ground. Because we had purchased them ahead of time, we felt we had to use them. It did clear just enough for us to see the ground at times. It was truly beautiful up there, but most of the hiking trails were still closed due to snow and mud. This is not the hike for those will a healthy fear of heights! The raptor center here had one eagle to get a close up look at. One thing to realize about the raptor center here and in Ketchikan. They are all VOLUNTEER organizations. Don't expect fancy settings or slick presentations. Now, the gift shop at the top of the tramway was one of my favorite gift shops on the entire trip. With all the fog, it made the trip worth it. Oh, and DON'T go hungry! Whatever they were serving in the restaurant there smelled heavenly!
> 
> *Ketchikan* - DH and DD did the *Mount Point Snorkling*. They really seemed to love it. They ARE wet suits, but DD says they warmed up pretty quickly. They saw all sorts of bottom dwellers, not too many fish. The guides often brought critters up from deeper areas. DD got to hold a sea cucumber, which she thought was really cool. They saw some jellyfish, too, most of which were harmless, but one, and lion's mane, they had be warned about and knew to stay away from. Though there wasn't much in the way of exposed skin for them to reach. When they got back on board, the leaders had an ice chest full of warm water. They took a pitcher and poured a pitcherful inside each person's wetsuit, either down the front or back, whichever the person preferred. DD said it felt wonderful!
> 
> I did the *Rainforest Sanctuary, Eagles and Totems*. The first thing said to us on the bus was that if we had any food whatsoever with us to eat it then. There be bears in those woods, and food, especially fruit, would draw them like Pooh to honey. Being a hypoglycemic, I almost always have food with me, so I ate my two bananas on the way to the sanctuary. After getting off the bus, the guides pointed out the port-a-potties and said that's the last bathroom available until the end. A noticable number of us took advantage of them.  We were split into 3 groups, and taken on the hike.
> 
> Hike is perhaps a misnomer. We would litterally walk maybe 10-20 feet and stop. The leader would point out a bear trail, a specific type of plant, or something of the sort. I found it facinating and beautiful. One of the zipline adventures is there, too, and you often caught a glimpse of people zipping along. I'm not in horrible shape, but I have some chronic illnesses, including fibromyalgia, that made me worry a tiny bit about the hike. It was no problem for me at all.
> 
> You end that part of the hike at the reindeer yard, feeding lettuce to very friendly reindeer. Needless to say, all the kids on the hike loved this. Reindeer don't have upper front teeth, so they can't really bite you. And these ladies weren't interested at all in your fingers. They wanted the lettuce!  and were very happy to pose for pics.
> 
> After the reindeer, you walk on the opposite side of a salmon stream from a salmon hatchery. We saw a mink raiding the hatchery, a young still-speckled eagle, and an adult bald eagle in the same area. Then we walked rather quickly through an old log mill.
> 
> After the mill, we went into the raptor center. Again, this is a VOLUNTEER organization. They had a bald eagle and a great horned owl, both too injured to release. The owl HATES Mickey Ears. No idea why, but they ask anyone wearing them to take them off. Got some fantastic close up shots of the owl.
> 
> After this, we were asked if anyone had severe hay fever. When no one owned up to having it, we entered into a small building where a gentleman was in the process of carving a totem pole out of a cedar log. It smelled heavenly! But I can see how someone with allergies could have a problem. The gentleman doing the carving was fun to talk to, and obviously loved both the carving and the interaction. We then ended (of course) in the gift shop, with coffee and hot chocolate waiting, and a salmon spread that was basically tuna salad made with salmon instead of tuna on ritz crackers, and yet very tasty. I also found Alaskan made Ulu knives here for the best price yet, $14.95. Then we boarded the bus and headed back to the ship. Again, we had the choice of staying on the bus and being dropped of in town if we wanted.
> 
> Hope you find this helpful. If you want to see pics, I'll have them up on facebook soon. Feel free to friend me (diannah robertson), just put something like Cruise or Disney in the friend request.



Thank you for this review. We couldn't get the Liarsville with Characters through Disney. We still wanted to do it so we found a company that does the same thing with the gold panning and Samon Bake and our kids 5 and under were free so we saved so much money and don't feel too bad about missing the characters. I think our kids will just love the gold panning and I will love the food.


----------



## Perdita&Pongo

PPFQP said:


> Family Air also lands on a lake and taxis to shore so that you can walk around on land. We haven't been yet (our cruise is in a couple of weeks), so I will report back on our actual experience. We're doing the Misty Fjords/Glacier tour.



We are also booked with Family Air Tours for our Ketchikan excursion!  We booked the Anan Creek Bear Observatory tour with the Misty Fjords add-on http://familyairtours.com/page2_Anan.html.  They also have a glacier add on, but we are doing a glacier in Juneau so we opted for Misty Fjords.

We are so excited to see the bears up close and personal!!  I like, too, that they use a 4 passenger floatplane, so our family of 4 will have a private air tour.  Combine that with the fact that there are a limited number of permits the Forest Service issues per day for the Bear Observatory.  I'm glad we were able to get in on our Ketchikan port day. 

Has anyone who has already cruised been to *Anan Creek Bear Observatory*?  Any reviews/advice on the excursion?


----------



## Inkmahm

Perdita&Pongo said:


> We are also booked with Family Air Tours for our Ketchikan excursion!  We booked the Anan Creek Bear Observatory tour with the Misty Fjords add-on http://familyairtours.com/page2_Anan.html.  They also have a glacier add on, but we are doing a glacier in Juneau so we opted for Misty Fjords.
> 
> We are so excited to see the bears up close and personal!!  I like, too, that they use a 4 passenger floatplane, so our family of 4 will have a private air tour.  Combine that with the fact that there are a limited number of permits the Forest Service issues per day for the Bear Observatory.  I'm glad we were able to get in on our Ketchikan port day.
> 
> Has anyone who has already cruised been to *Anan Creek Bear Observatory*?  Any reviews/advice on the excursion?



None of the Disney cruisers would have een to Anan Creek yet because it is way too early for bears there, I think.    When is your cruise?


----------



## MrsHelloKitty

Christy May said:


> The DH and DS did Knudson Salmon fishing, very disappointing for them. They did not actually fish at all, the guide did the fishing and if there was a bite on the line, then they took turns reeling it in. Spent alot of money and had to get a fishing license and salmon stamp to sit on a boat for 4 hours. WILL NOT BOOK THIS AGAIN....



This is very disappointing.  Do you think this was a case of a poor guide ?  I would like to hear other experiences as well.  Didn't see any other comments like this on cruise critic.  I've booked this thru DCL for our August cruise but if this is what it's going to be like, I'll reconsider.


----------



## nzdisneymom

kris3kid said:


> I did this one with Harv and Marv, I think we had Harv that day.  No problems with anyone sick at all.  We saw lots of whales, even a mother and child.  He had lots of information on the area.  We also saw a small island with lots of Eagles, some young and some older.  There were about 7 that took off at once and were quite vocal as well.  Saw some playful sea lions.  All in all I would do it again in a heartbeat.  Having the small boat with only 6 people was awesome.



This is great to hear - we are doing an excursion with Harv and Marv's on our June 14th cruise. I was wondering about whether to Bonine-up the boys or not.


----------



## Perdita&Pongo

Inkmahm said:


> None of the Disney cruisers would have een to Anan Creek yet because it is way too early for bears there, I think.    When is your cruise?



We are on the 8/9 Alaska cruise.  I meant to include asking anyone who might have cruised another line in the past and did the excursion to Anan if they had any info, so not just DCL cruisers this year so far.

You are right about it being too early in the season for bears at Anan; they are usually there during the salmon spawn, roughly July & August.


----------



## nbrmommy2005

Does anyone have a review of Harv and Marv versus doing the Whale watching with Disney?   

We are on the July 26th cruise.


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## hsinglanjin

Anyone on the previous Alaska cruises done the Musher's Camp & Sled Dog Experience in Skagway?  I've made resevations for this excursion, but wanted some feedback on this as I've read mixed reviews on the Cruise Critic site.

How was check in?  How long did it take from the ship to get to the camp?  What was involved in the activity?  Did you get to hold and play with the puppies?

Any feedback would be helpful as it'll be myself, DH and 2 DDs (14 & 17).

Thanks in advance!


----------



## PPFQP

Perdita&Pongo said:


> Has anyone who has already cruised been to *Anan Creek Bear Observatory*?  Any reviews/advice on the excursion?



I believe that it is too early in the season for bear viewing. Even our cruise (later in June) is too early. I think they only do that tour later in the summer.

So you won't get any feedback from Disney cruisers yet. But here is a great trip report that shows this tour with Family Air: http://moonprincess.com/travel/442/
There are lots of pictures and even a video of the bears. It looks FABULOUS! I wish we were able to do this tour!


----------



## jilljill

hsinglanjin said:


> Anyone on the previous Alaska cruises done the Musher's Camp & Sled Dog Experience in Skagway?  I've made resevations for this excursion, but wanted some feedback on this as I've read mixed reviews on the Cruise Critic site.
> 
> How was check in?  How long did it take from the ship to get to the camp?  What was involved in the activity?  Did you get to hold and play with the puppies?
> 
> Any feedback would be helpful as it'll be myself, DH and 2 DDs (14 & 17).
> 
> Thanks in advance!



I've merged your thread with the AK excursion thread.  Take a look thru here to see if your question has been answered.


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## parrothead365

Any info on Eagle Preserve Wildlife River Adventure???


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## Inkmahm

nbrmommy2005 said:


> Does anyone have a review of Harv and Marv versus doing the Whale watching with Disney?
> 
> We are on the July 26th cruise.


 I did the Harv and Marv whale watching tour with them in August, 2008.  If they are available for your cruise, I'd book with them in a heartbeat.  

That said, I am signed up to do whale watching with Disney on our cruise in August.  I picked one of the excursions with a smaller boat though.  I didn't want to be on the boat with 150 people.


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## nbrmommy2005

Inkmahm said:


> I did the Harv and Marv whale watching tour with them in August, 2008.  If they are available for your cruise, I'd book with them in a heartbeat.
> 
> That said, I am signed up to do whale watching with Disney on our cruise in August.  I picked one of the excursions with a smaller boat though.  I didn't want to be on the boat with 150 people.



How do you know which Whale watching excursion with Disney has the smaller boat?


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## Aby

From my research into picking my own whale watching excursion, I think that the trips with the smallest boat size are Alaska Whales & Rainforest Trails + Alaska Whales & Science Adventure (through the Gastineau Guiding Company). The next smallest are the Exclusive Whale Encounter excursions (through Dolphin Jet Boat Tours). The rest are with Allen Marine, with the largest boats. 

Personally I picked the Alaska Whales & Rainforest Trails for the small size of the boat and the cool open window concept of their boats. Hope I chose wisely!

Aby


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## tink1963

Inkmahm said:


> I did the Harv and Marv whale watching tour with them in August, 2008.  If they are available for your cruise, I'd book with them in a heartbeat.
> 
> That said, I am signed up to do whale watching with Disney on our cruise in August.  I picked one of the excursions with a smaller boat though.  I didn't want to be on the boat with 150 people.



would you share which specific excursion you chose?


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## tink1963

Aby said:


> From my research into picking my own whale watching excursion, I think that the trips with the smallest boat size are Alaska Whales & Rainforest Trails + Alaska Whales & Science Adventure (through the Gastineau Guiding Company). The next smallest are the Exclusive Whale Encounter excursions (through Dolphin Jet Boat Tours). The rest are with Allen Marine, with the largest boats.
> 
> Personally I picked the Alaska Whales & Rainforest Trails for the small size of the boat and the cool open window concept of their boats. Hope I chose wisely!
> 
> Aby



Thanks for sharing your research.


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## Inkmahm

tink1963 said:


> would you share which specific excursion you chose?



The exclusive whale tour combined with Mendenhall glacier.  The boats are supposed to fit up to 35 people  I canceled the Best of Juneau after reading reviews about the 150 person boats.


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## GrumpyBelle

Aby said:


> From my research into picking my own whale watching excursion, I think that the trips with the smallest boat size are Alaska Whales & Rainforest Trails + Alaska Whales & Science Adventure (through the Gastineau Guiding Company). The next smallest are the Exclusive Whale Encounter excursions (through Dolphin Jet Boat Tours). The rest are with Allen Marine, with the largest boats.
> 
> Personally I picked the Alaska Whales & Rainforest Trails for the small size of the boat and the cool open window concept of their boats. Hope I chose wisely!
> 
> Aby



Glad I found this. Thanks for sharing your research. Based on this, I also just booked the Alaska Whales & Rainforest Trails (switched from exclusive whale encounter). I have found some great reviews online.


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## pmoments

We wend with the a 5 years ago and it was great!!  We are on the June 28th cruise and have booked with them again.



nbrmommy2005 said:


> Does anyone have a review of Harv and Marv versus doing the Whale watching with Disney?
> 
> We are on the July 26th cruise.


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## buddywesley

So after reading the reviews of the so-so Salmon bake and the large whale watching boat (thinking we can see whales off the ship just as good?) We are thinking of switching to either the *Juneau City and Mendenhall Glacier Tour* OR the *Mendenhall Glacier and Rainforest Garden Adventure* instead. Figured we'd eat at Tracy's Crab shack too (instead of the so so Salmon  )
Does anyone have anything good/bad to say about either of these tours? 
THANKS


----------



## cyclenut

I read through most of the 14 pages of this thread.  AWESOME STUFF.  But I couldn't find anything about any of the bike tours.  I'm wondering if anyone has taken any of the bike tours.  I'm booked on the 38 mile Yukon bike tour and have a few questions.  I'm not too worried about the distance since I ride about 35 miles every weekened, but I'd like to know something about the route, elevation gain, expected pace, etc.

On a related note, when booking through Disney, is there any way to contact the tour operator for questions?  Do you call Disney?  Some of the things I'd like to ask about are pretty specific to this tour (like ... I have SPD cleats on my bike shoes, is there a bike available equipped for them?)

Where do you go for questions like that?


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## poohj80

cyclenut said:


> I read through most of the 14 pages of this thread.  AWESOME STUFF.  But I couldn't find anything about any of the bike tours.  I'm wondering if anyone has taken any of the bike tours.  I'm booked on the 38 mile Yukon bike tour and have a few questions.  I'm not too worried about the distance since I ride about 35 miles every weekened, but I'd like to know something about the route, elevation gain, expected pace, etc.
> 
> On a related note, when booking through Disney, is there any way to contact the tour operator for questions?  Do you call Disney?  Some of the things I'd like to ask about are pretty specific to this tour (like ... I have SPD cleats on my bike shoes, is there a bike available equipped for them?)
> 
> Where do you go for questions like that?



It's been pretty easy to find the excursion providers online through a quick search as there aren't many different options in each port.  Trying searching on the excursion name and city and you should find the operator for your questions.


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## wdhinn89

buddywesley said:


> So after reading the reviews of the so-so Salmon bake and the large whale watching boat (thinking we can see whales off the ship just as good?) We are thinking of switching to either the *Juneau City and Mendenhall Glacier Tour* OR the *Mendenhall Glacier and Rainforest Garden Adventure* instead. Figured we'd eat at Tracy's Crab shack too (instead of the so so Salmon  )
> Does anyone have anything good/bad to say about either of these tours?
> THANKS



I read, I believe on this thread. that the Juneau City and Mendenhall Glacier Tour  was just OK.  The Glacier part of the tour was good but the city part was a let down.  Nothing to really see.  I guess that is why it is only $1 more that the Glacier tour.

We decided to take the blue bus to see the Glacier on our own.  It was a lot cheaper and then we will walk around the town our selves.

Here is the link   http://www.mightygreattrips.com/tours/


----------



## Diannah

buddywesley said:


> So after reading the reviews of the so-so Salmon bake and the large whale watching boat (*thinking we can see whales off the ship just as good?*) We are thinking of switching to either the *Juneau City and Mendenhall Glacier Tour* OR the *Mendenhall Glacier and Rainforest Garden Adventure* instead. Figured we'd eat at Tracy's Crab shack too (instead of the so so Salmon  )
> Does anyone have anything good/bad to say about either of these tours?
> THANKS



At least for our cruise (5/24), the whale viewing from the ship is very minimal, at a pretty significant distance. If you want close up views, you need to do one of the tours. At least, that's the way it was on our trip.


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## laurand201

Hi. I've enjoyed reading about everyone's adventures. I haven't seen anything on the Nature and Wildlife Expedition. It sounds great, a little bit of everything. It's six hours long in Skagway. If anyone has done it or heard anything, please pass it on. 
Thanks!
Laura (traveling 7/4)


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## caniac27

subbing


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## msnoble

Wondering if anyone who is back from the first several Alaska cruises has tried the Bear Creek Zipline excursion in Ketchikan?  We have booked it through DCL, and are excited about it but would love to hear a review from a recent cruise.

Thanks!


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## NWmom

_I posted this in another thread about what inexpensive thingsd can you do in port---and a moderator asked me to add it here as well. I heard and I obeyed, lol._

We just got back from the 5/24. We booked all our excursions through the ship as I was okay with the little extra. Hubby has a physical disability and we appreciated the shorter walks plus the guarantee of a quick credit if anything was cancelled.
Here are my ideas:

Skagway- we took the combined Train and Trail camp
Train up and Liarsville (without the meal) on the way back. Much cheaper than doing it separately as a combo. It can also be booked with different options privately as well.

The views were outstanding. Liarsville was just fun. I found gold!!!

Were dropped off at the ship. Went and had a quick lunch onboard.
Then we headed into town to go to the Gold Rush National Historic Park. There are several buildings. Ask where the activity packs are and go there first. (National parks are free- just please also look at their gift shops, they get much of there funding from there)

They are loaning (renting for free) an activity bag with walking tour and a nice set of binoculars in it. If you follow the map guide you see the museum, film, several historic buildings, the graveyard, take a nature trail etc. Customize it with what you want to do/or not do. You make a ranger's day when you check it out.

They have a movie and even had a nice evening program that sounded interesting but we were tuckered out by then. My feet rebelled from all the walking so we got back early. (plus son wanted to watch the new Pirates movie!)

Juneau- Our excursion was cancelled (Helicopter/dog sled) so we had to think on our feet. Son was on the teen excursion so we waited to find out if his excursion would cancel or not so he could join us. It was also cancelled. Safety of low cloud cover/fog- we knew that going in so it was okay. (For us this was due to an unexpected check arriving in the mail that was a few dollars more than it would have cost, Yippee!!)

Son opted to stay on ship after all and the rest of us wandered the town. (Take the shuttle in) We spotted eagles perched on the top of the library. I am pretty sure they will be there daily as they were watching Tracy's Crab Shack for end of day when they hoped for leftovers.

We had planned to go to Mendenhall after Tracy's bisque, but decided to walk around and explore the town instead. Really neat streets that are stairs. Walked the shore line and got some fantastic shots of the ship across the harbor. Picked up a souvenir for the neighbor/house and dog sitter that would not let us pay her. 

Had fun talking to the owners of the Glacial Smoothies. They sell soap made with glacial soap, not drinks, lol.

Ketchikan- We wandered the town. (There is a shuttle, but you have to wait about 10 minutes- so we missed it to town, caught it on the way back)

Hubby bought me an anniversary gift and I got him one. (Mine was to replace my stolen engagement ring - his was an Ulu Knife in a store near the lumberjack show- at half the price of the one he had seen in Juneau! So we spent about half the helicopter money after all.)

Kids had fun redeeming the free coupons fromthe shopping talks and taking photos/video of the town while they were shopping with parents. (Yeah, we took a 17 yr old and a 9 yr old to a jewelry store. My dd9 is very proud of her necklace that was free, she wore it to dinner that night!)

Walking Creek Street- really neat little area to photograph.

We did the lumberjack show. Honestly-- My kids had this as their number one thing to do in Ketchikan. I think I was going in expecting a really hokey show and thought I would be "doing it for the kids". I was very happily wrong!!!!

It was a nice display of things a lumberjack would do with a nice team competition for rooting for your team. Went a little hoarse from cheering. I found the staff to be really nice as well. My unopened pop had been knocked off the seat and they happily exchanged it for another one. 

They had shuttles back to the ship from the lumberjack show, but we had to go pick up my ring. Then we realized son did not have a souvenir so he found a really cool Deadliest Catch t-shirt. 
The shuttle bus stop was right outside that store so we rode that back. Nice driver and my feet hurt.

*I recommend that if your walking shoes are more than 6 months old and you live in them like I do *that you replace them about 3 weeks before you go. Between the shoes and the swelling, my ankles were huge by Ketchikan. I am told the swelling is normal--from the salt in the food as we use no salt at home. (I never tasted the salt)

We would love to have had more time to just wander the town so we were kind of glad the helicopter was cancelled.

NW


----------



## smb6

*Skagway::
Chilkoot- White Pass RR up the mountain, bus ride down the mountain, with dog cart ride add-on.  ****This was a great excursion.  The white pass RR is wonderful.  Going up the mountain it is best to be on the left side; unfortunately our driver announced that info and others beat us to it; but it was still a great ride on the right hand side.  I spent a lot of time on the outside of the car taking pics and video.  The scenery is beautiful and the kids loved riding the train in general.  The bus ride back down was nice as well; we made several stops.  Unfortunately some of the stops like the welcome to the Yukon sign had numerous other buses stopped their as well causing a line to take your pic; but several other places we were the only ones; so it balanced out I guess.  The bus was comfortable and the driver was very friendly and knowledgable.  We seen a few mountain goats, two bears, and an eagle on the bus ride.  It was great using a small company (small bus) because we were able to stop, turn around, and get right up CLOSE to the bears on the road side; other large bus tours slowed down to look at the bears but were too large to turn around or get close.  The provided BBQ lunch was good (not awesome, but good/fine)  The kids loved the playing with the dogs and riding the dog cart.
*Juneau::
Harv and Marv Whale Watching (and Mendenhall Glacier*)
Our captain (and assistant captain) were both very friendly and knowledgable.  We began seeing whales right off the bat and were able to capture a lot of whale activity.  We also seen 3 or 4 bald eagles and lots of sea lions.  This was a great tour despite the rain we had that day.  Thankfully we had a private tour in their 12 passenger boat and it was very roomy to sit inside; they had large windows that could be opened for picture taking.  The cabin was well heated also.  We did go out on deck a good bit; but do to the light rain and cold it was very nice that we had the option to sit inside the cabin a good bit and still be able to enjoy the tour.  We were originally going to be dropped off at the mendenhall glacier and take a shuttle back; but due to the weather we opted for the 15 minute drop off.  This glacier is HUGE and the view where they drop you is wonderful; it was more magnificent than the south glacier we seen in Tracy Arm IMHO.  Even though we only had 15 min, we had plenty of time to get in several great photos from several different vantage points.  
*Ketchikan::
Island Wings- Misty Fjord Flightseeing (and glacier flight seeing*)
We booked misty fjord flightseeing with an add on glacier flight seeing.  unfortunately due to weather or something we were unable to get out to the glaciers and only did the misty fjord part.  (we were refunded the glacier portion).  This was the cream of the crop excursion!  Going out I rode in the co-pilot seat and it was a great experience.  I got lots of great pics and video.  Our water landing where we got out allowed for some awesome scenery.  We seen some bald eagles; but not much else in the way of wildlife; but the scenery was amazing.  I would highly recommend this tour.  The flight was very smooth; both landing and flying...
*Shopping::*We did very little shopping.  *Skagway* was the easiest to get around; I purchases t-shirts at the t shirt factory store (the one farthest from port) and got the kids shirts for $6 and adults for $10.  
*Juneau*- we did zero shopping.
*Ketchikan*- we only went in one store and it is the one immediate off the dock; they had several things, but we only got batteries and some AK magnets.  This store also had a mail drop off so that I could send off some post cards.


----------



## Inkmahm

buddywesley said:


> So after reading the reviews of the so-so Salmon bake and the large whale watching boat (thinking we can see whales off the ship just as good?) We are thinking of switching to either the *Juneau City and Mendenhall Glacier Tour* OR the *Mendenhall Glacier and Rainforest Garden Adventure* instead. Figured we'd eat at Tracy's Crab shack too (instead of the so so Salmon  )
> Does anyone have anything good/bad to say about either of these tours?
> THANKS



I wouldn't give up whale watching completely as you won't see whales close up from the cruise ship.  You really need to be in a smaller boat (even a 150 passenger boat) to get a better look. 

We chose the whale watching/Mendenhall glacier option.  On a smaller boat.


----------



## NurseNash

Anyone been on the:

Skagway: Takshanuk 4x4 Mountain Trail?
Juneau: Taku Lodge Flight and Feast?
Ketchikan: Canoe and Rainforest Adventure?

Also- How did you all come up with the tips for your excursion guides?  Do you do it based on price?  Per person?  Per family?  Thanks!


----------



## poohj80

NurseNash said:


> Anyone been on the:
> 
> Ketchikan: Canoe and Rainforest Adventure?



Curious about this one too.  Currently have Rainforest Island Adventure booked (looks similar but in a raft instead of a canoe) but trying to figure out the best one for a 5 yr old.


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## smb6

NurseNash said:


> Anyone been on the:
> 
> Skagway: Takshanuk 4x4 Mountain Trail?
> Juneau: Taku Lodge Flight and Feast?
> Ketchikan: Canoe and Rainforest Adventure?
> 
> Also- How did you all come up with the tips for your excursion guides?  Do you do it based on price?  Per person?  Per family?  Thanks!



I researched before hand about what was an appropriate tip and got a lot of mixed answers...  a few people even said it was inappropriate to tip a captain (whale watching) or a pilot (flight seeing); but not many people gave me an actual monetary guideline....  so, I'll share what I gave... some may think it was not enough, some too much, some may think I should not have tipped "professionals" (as in captains/pilots)  but for our white pass/bus excursion I tipped $5 each; for a total of $35 for the 7 of us.  I tipped the exact same amount for our whale watching excursion.  For flight seeing only two of us went; and I tipped $10 each for a total of $20.  For whale watching, I also tipped our driver (that took us to and from and shared info along the way)- I think I tipped her $10, but can't remember exactly....  There was an assistant captain as well, and I did not offer him a tip- I figure either they shared the tip- but he really mainly acted as the captain's assistant more than anything else and I didn't feel necessary to offer him an additional tip....  I hope that helps....


----------



## Dlandfan

msnoble said:


> Wondering if anyone who is back from the first several Alaska cruises has tried the Bear Creek Zipline excursion in Ketchikan?  We have booked it through DCL, and are excited about it but would love to hear a review from a recent cruise.
> 
> Thanks!



We are doing the same one and would also love to get some feedback. 

Thanks


----------



## mouseclick1

smb6 said:


> I researched before hand about what was an appropriate tip and got a lot of mixed answers...  a few people even said it was inappropriate to tip a captain (whale watching) or a pilot (flight seeing); but not many people gave me an actual monetary guideline....  so, I'll share what I gave... some may think it was not enough, some too much, some may think I should not have tipped "professionals" (as in captains/pilots)  but for our white pass/bus excursion I tipped $5 each; for a total of $35 for the 7 of us.  I tipped the exact same amount for our whale watching excursion.  For flight seeing only two of us went; and I tipped $10 each for a total of $20.  For whale watching, I also tipped our driver (that took us to and from and shared info along the way)- I think I tipped her $10, but can't remember exactly....  There was an assistant captain as well, and I did not offer him a tip- I figure either they shared the tip- but he really mainly acted as the captain's assistant more than anything else and I didn't feel necessary to offer him an additional tip....  I hope that helps....



Thanks for the tip on tipping!  We are also doing a tour with Harv and Marv and your info was very helpful!


----------



## buddywesley

Inkmahm said:


> I wouldn't give up whale watching completely as you won't see whales close up from the cruise ship.  You really need to be in a smaller boat (even a 150 passenger boat) to get a better look.
> 
> We chose the whale watching/Mendenhall glacier option.  On a smaller boat.



 thanks! I think we will keep the Whale watch after all and just skip the Salmon Bake...we are thinking of switching from Best of Juneau to the Glacier and Whale Quest...


----------



## Inkmahm

buddywesley said:


> thanks! I think we will keep the Whale watch after all and just skip the Salmon Bake...we are thinking of switching from Best of Juneau to the Glacier and Whale Quest...



I don't think you have that option as you will have the salmon bake on an island in the middle of the excursion.


----------



## buddywesley

Inkmahm said:


> I don't think you have that option as you will have the salmon bake on an island in the middle of the excursion.



that is why we might change from "Best of" to just the Glacier Whale Quest Excursion   Dont need the Salmon part...


----------



## famviramontes

We just returned as well and this is what we did.

Skagway:  Whitepass rail and biking down.  I haven't seen this reviewed yet and was a bit worried.  We had a wonderful time.  The bike down is fast for those who don't ride a lot.  We did have one person opt not to continue down.  I felt safe the whole time and I hadn't ridden a bike in years.  The bikes have special breaks so all is good.

Juneau:  Harv and Marv whale watching.  AMAZING!  We got really lucky to see so many amazing whales.  We were off to go to another, yes another, humpback and an Orca surfaced about 10 feet from our boat.  It happened another time as well.  We weren't even looking for these at the time. There were only the three of us from our family so we moved all around our small boat to see things.

Ketchikan: Kayaking with Southeast Kayaking.  Another great excursion. A sea lion got surprised by my sons kayak and jumped way out of the water right next to him.  Another of those wonderful things that happens so fast there is no way to record it.

What I really noticed on the excursions is that the tour guides do everything in their power to not invade the lives of the animals.  Every time we had an encounter it was total at random and when it occurred paddling stopped or engines were turned off to give the animals there space.


----------



## denise

famviramontes said:


> We just returned as well and this is what we did.
> 
> Skagway:  Whitepass rail and biking down.  I haven't seen this reviewed yet and was a bit worried.  We had a wonderful time.  The bike down is fast for those who don't ride a lot.  We did have one person opt not to continue down.  I felt safe the whole time and I hadn't ridden a bike in years.  The bikes have special breaks so all is good.



Thanks for the info. We are booked on this---well sorta-- the train one was full so we booked the van up and bikes down. Really wanted the rail but oh well.
Neither of us have ridden in years either but I think we should be ok. My concern is my camera around my neck. It is heavy and expensive but I want to be able to take pictures too. Are there times they stop for photo ops?  Just wondering if a small backpack would work for the camera. My regular camera backpack is just too big for a bike ride. If they don't stop for pictures did people straggle behind taking them anyway?
again, thanks for the info


----------



## fireplug

Aby said:


> From my research into picking my own whale watching excursion, I think that the trips with the smallest boat size are Alaska Whales & Rainforest Trails + Alaska Whales & Science Adventure (through the Gastineau Guiding Company). The next smallest are the Exclusive Whale Encounter excursions (through Dolphin Jet Boat Tours). The rest are with Allen Marine, with the largest boats.
> 
> Personally I picked the Alaska Whales & Rainforest Trails for the small size of the boat and the cool open window concept of their boats. Hope I chose wisely!
> 
> Aby



We did the  Alaska Whales & Rainforest Trails and loved it. the rainforest walk was through some very cool forested area. The whale watching boat had no more than 16 people on it I am sure and the windows were lifted up to view whales and sea lions. My wife and I thought it was hands down our best excursion.

Squid


----------



## famviramontes

denise said:


> Thanks for the info. We are booked on this---well sorta-- the train one was full so we booked the van up and bikes down. Really wanted the rail but oh well.
> Neither of us have ridden in years either but I think we should be ok. My concern is my camera around my neck. It is heavy and expensive but I want to be able to take pictures too. Are there times they stop for photo ops?  Just wondering if a small backpack would work for the camera. My regular camera backpack is just too big for a bike ride. If they don't stop for pictures did people straggle behind taking them anyway?
> again, thanks for the info



This was the one excursion we didn't take any pictures on.   There are opportunities as we stopped several times.  I wouldn't take a big camera but I had mine in a small backpack, not a problem.


----------



## lmcarr

buddywesley said:


> thanks! I think we will keep the Whale watch after all and just skip the Salmon Bake...we are thinking of switching from Best of Juneau to the Glacier and Whale Quest...


We did the Best of Juneau through Disney and it was really nice and the food was awesome!  The only problems were that it did take up the whole day while in port and that the lunch was late.  I highly recommend to eat a really good breakfast and take some snacks.  The fish was fresh and very good, definitely worth the wait.


----------



## buddywesley

lmcarr said:


> We did the Best of Juneau through Disney and it was really nice and the food was awesome!  The only problems were that it did take up the whole day while in port and that the lunch was late.  I highly recommend to eat a really good breakfast and take some snacks.  The fish was fresh and very good, definitely worth the wait.



I was thinking we'd probably not have too much time to do anything else in port on the Best of Juneau and we really want to try Tracy's Crab Shack...hmmm...what to do...what to do?!  I switched to Glacier and Whale quest and then before we could switch our traveling companions it filled up and now we are on 2 seperate excursions. Not sure what to do?


----------



## cruzings

lmcarr said:


> We did the Best of Juneau through Disney and it was really nice and the food was awesome!  The only problems were that it did take up the whole day while in port and that the lunch was late.  I highly recommend to eat a really good breakfast and take some snacks.  The fish was fresh and very good, definitely worth the wait.



Thanks.  We also plan to do the Best of Juneau excursion but I've read that the whale watching part was not optimal because of the number of people on the boat.  What was your experience?


----------



## MN Dis Fans

Christy May said:


> Just off the boat on 5-31, we did zip lining in Skagway.. LOVED IT...
> Exlusive Whale watching in Juneau.. LOVED IT MORE... whales were so close,
> awesome. The DH and DS did Knudson Salmon fishing, very disappointing for them. They did not actually fish at all, the guide did the fishing and if there was a bite on the line, then they took turns reeling it in. Spent alot of money and had to get a fishing license and salmon stamp to sit on a boat for 4 hours. WILL NOT BOOK THIS AGAIN....



How many people were on this with your DH / DS fishing? Did you file a complaint after your excursion? Did your DH / DS try to say anything during the excursion? I have booked this for my brother who is a big time fisherman, and my youngest DS. I can tell you that neither of them would be happy not to be actually fishing. I am seriously considering cancelling this based on your experiennces above, and trying to find a different fishing excursion for them. Should I drop DCL a note voicing my concerns to see what they say? 

Has anyone else done this excursion, if so, what were your experiences? 

TIA.


----------



## wdhinn89

MN Dis Fans said:


> How many people were on this with your DH / DS fishing? Did you file a complaint after your excursion? Did your DH / DS try to say anything during the excursion? I have booked this for my brother who is a big time fisherman, and my youngest DS. I can tell you that neither of them would be happy not to be actually fishing. I am seriously considering cancelling this based on your experiennces above, and trying to find a different fishing excursion for them. Should I drop DCL a note voicing my concerns to see what they say?
> 
> Has anyone else done this excursion, if so, what were your experiences?
> 
> TIA.



My husband said alot of times the boats troll.  Mutiple lines are set and when a fish is hooked the pole is handed off to someone.  This is not uncommon but you have to ask if this is how the boat fishes and if you are interested in fishing this way


----------



## LBollengier

2boys2girls said:


> Skagway - We did the adventure park zip line excursion. We enjoyed it a lot. Fewer lines (and less expensive for it) than the Mammoth zip line, but still a great experience.
> 
> Juneau - we took the bus from the boat over to town and then took a public shuttle bus from there to the Mendenhall glacier. It was so beautiful. A great place to explore. This was one of the highlights for me personally out of all my port experiences.
> 
> Ketchikan - we walked to Starbucks in the Safeway so that I could add to my collection of Starbucks mugs and get the Alaskan one.  It was the only Starbucks on the trip that I could access easily from port. I didn't get a good impression of the city compared to the other ports we visited. It seemed like the air was more polluted and the buildings hadn't been very well taken care of. We were glad for the sun though.



Thanks so much for your post!! Now, I am totally going to the Starbucks in Ketchikan - for a mug for my collection & a Latte! I miss good coffee on the cruise - just not enough to bring a pot and all!! 

 Is the Safeway near the Cruise Terminal?


----------



## LBollengier

THese are the ones we booked with the help of a travel agent... 
I had a lot that sounded good to me and I needed help!! 

Any comments - good or bad choices?

*Day 4 - Skagway Friday, July 15, 2011 
		White Pass Scenic Railway  8:00AM - 12:00PM

Day 5 - Juneau  Saturday, July 16, 2011 -  2 EXCURSIONS!!!  

Exclusive Whale Encounter	7:45AM - 11:15AM

Historic Gold Panning Adventure and Gold Creek Salmon Bake 1:15PM - 4:45PM

Day 6 - Ketchikan Sunday, July 17, 2011
	Rainforest Canopy and Zipline Expedition 12:15PM - 3:45PM
*


----------



## siburdue

There was a little talk earlier about the starbucks and the coffee mugs a the ports, but my girlfriend collects the little Starbucks bears - do you know if any of the Starbucks in Alaska have special bears with outfits for Alaska or for the specific city in Alaska?  Thank you.


----------



## cyclenut

poohj80 said:


> It's been pretty easy to find the excursion providers online through a quick search as there aren't many different options in each port.  Trying searching on the excursion name and city and you should find the operator for your questions.



I did this, found the operator and sent them a note.  I received an excellent response from Sockeye Cycle Company.  They told me they had bikes with SPD cleats so I could bring my shoes.  Being able to clip in is a big deal if that's what you're used to.  They also told me they would mount my Garmin bike computer on my bike for me.  This is cool because now I'll have a GPS record of my bike trek.  

Very nice and very professional.  I'm really looking forward to it.  

For those of you who are not sure what to expect out of your excursion, I suggest trying this method to find your tour operator and then check out their web site and FAQ.  You may not need to contact them at all as their web site is generally more extensive than the Disney information.


----------



## catislander

For those looking to do something on their own, my family rented a car in Skagway and drove into the Yukon. The highway travels a very similar route to the train, so you see much of the same scenery. We downloaded Murray's Guide (Google it)for $5 and went through Avis for $120. We were able to stop where we wanted for photos -- particularly helpful when you see bears right next to the road as we did. We had lunch at Spirit Lake Lodge, a quirky little stop just before you get to Emerald Lake. On the way back we stopped at Caribou Crossing. Luckily we were there between buses and had the place nearly to ourselves. Our DD6, loved the dog cart ride (she and I were the only ones on the cart) and the puppy time. 
We left Skagway about 9 a.m. and got back around 2:30. We took our time driving, spent about an hour at lunch and an hour and a half at Caribou Crossing and stopped frequently for photos and we still had plenty of time to have a snack and a beer at the Red Onion Saloon before getting back on board.
Having the car was a great way to experience things on our own terms. It worked out really well for us and was a highlight of our trip.


----------



## Mouseskis

Does anyone know if there are bathrooms on the whale watching boats?  We are looking at the Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest or the Exclusive Whale Encounter both in Juneau.   Thanks!


----------



## brentm3

Mouseskis said:


> Does anyone know if there are bathrooms on the whale watching boats?  We are looking at the Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest or the Exclusive Whale Encounter both in Juneau.   Thanks!



Yes there were 2 bathrooms on our WW&WQ boat.


----------



## mouseclick1

Still looking for a review on Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4.  I've read great things about it on Tripadvisor, but would love to hear from a recent Disney cruiser!


----------



## PPFQP

mouseclick1 said:


> Still looking for a review on Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4.  I've read great things about it on Tripadvisor, but would love to hear from a recent Disney cruiser!



We're doing this one also, so I'd like to hear about it too. I will post a review after we return from our cruise (end of June).


----------



## mrssmee

Mouseskis said:


> Does anyone know if there are bathrooms on the whale watching boats?  We are looking at the Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest or the Exclusive Whale Encounter both in Juneau.   Thanks!



We just got off the ship today.  We did the Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest and the boat was so much nicer than I expected!  There were three clean  bathrooms on our boat.  I highly recommend this tour...it was one of the top highlights of our cruise.


----------



## Toddymae

We did excursions with Disney. But the best was the 4 extra days in Vancouver. If you get to spend the day go to Whistler. It's about a 90 minute drive north of Vancouver (there are tours that go for the day). We did the Peak to Peak gondola ride. You travel up to the top of Whistler Mountain and then take another gondola to Blackcomb Mountain. The ride is 2 hours long and you have the most wonderful views. We saw bears, eagles, waterfalls. This city is beautiful - believe me you'll call the boss, quit your job and just stay there. If you take one of the tours it'll be a long day. We got the bus at 7:30am and was dropped off at our hotel at 7:00pm. Cost $500 for 3 and that included the Peak to Peak tickets.


----------



## poohj80

mrssmee said:


> We just got off the ship today.  We did the Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest and the boat was so much nicer than I expected!  There were three clean  bathrooms on our boat.  I highly recommend this tour...it was one of the top highlights of our cruise.



Welcome back!  What other excursions did you do?


----------



## pointandshoot

Has anyone done the zipline in Ketchikan. We have the Bear Creek booked and interested and how people have liked it.

Chuck


----------



## mm126

Toddymae said:


> We did excursions with Disney. But the best was the 4 extra days in Vancouver. If you get to spend the day go to Whistler. It's about a 90 minute drive north of Vancouver (there are tours that go for the day). We did the Peak to Peak gondola ride. You travel up to the top of Whistler Mountain and then take another gondola to Blackcomb Mountain. The ride is 2 hours long and you have the most wonderful views. We saw bears, eagles, waterfalls. This city is beautiful - believe me you'll call the boss, quit your job and just stay there. If you take one of the tours it'll be a long day. We got the bus at 7:30am and was dropped off at our hotel at 7:00pm. Cost $500 for 3 and that included the Peak to Peak tickets.



We will be going to Whistler for the day in July...Landsea Tour - Rocky Moutaineer Sea to Sky train to and bus from.  Curious if you had lunch at the top of Whistler...we have some in our party that will not participate in Peak to Peak and were looking for a place for them to eat lunch at the top of Whistler.  Any pictures?


----------



## vpalmer

laurand201 said:


> Hi. I've enjoyed reading about everyone's adventures. I haven't seen anything on the Nature and Wildlife Expedition. It sounds great, a little bit of everything. It's six hours long in Skagway. If anyone has done it or heard anything, please pass it on.
> Thanks!
> Laura (traveling 7/4)



We are signed up for this excursion and I would love to read someone's review on it!


----------



## Anjelica

We were on the May 31st cruise - Our traveling party consisted of DH, DD (8), DS(4) and my brother who is an amputee ~ below are my reviews (we booked only our Juneau excursions through Disney):

*Skagway* ~ We did a private tour with Becky of *"Beyond Skagway"* (http://beyondskagwaytours.com).  I found her through Dyea Dave Tours.  She used to work solely on his tour but has since branched out (with Dave's support) to give more exclusive/private tours for up to 6 adults and 1 child in her Extended SUV.  We did a 7 hour tour with a lunch break.  

Becky picked us up from the port at 745am (she likes to get a start earlier so as to avoid the tour buses, etc. that snake up the way to the Yukon an hour or so later).  We took a 1.5-2 hour trip up into the Yukon and over into BC, Canada to visit some husky puppies.  The weather was dreary for the first part of the day but cleared up later on.  On the way over to BC, Canada we stopped on the side of the road to watch a black bear (about 6 feet from the car) grazing.  It was pretty neat to get that close without distrubing it.

We went to see the husky puppies and decided to have lunch at the place instead of our original plans of hiking down to a lake because it was still raining.  After lunch we went into BC, Canada a little more taking in more sites.  We also stopped at Carcross on our way back to the ship and did a quick walk on the beach.  

Finally, Becky had a "secret" spot that she likes to hike in Canada that she says know one she knows (out of the 832 residents in Skagway) is aware of this location.  It was pretty easy .75 mile hike for my brother with his prostetic and my daughter enjoyed it quite a bit.  By this time it had cleared up quite a bit and the opening spot at the end of the hike allowed for beautiful views of the mountains (snow-capped) and the river running right next to us.

All in all it was a great excursion.  It was very personalized to what we wanted to do (and most of it we were very casual about where/when to go).  She was GREAT with the kids and my daughter now wants to go back and work with Becky in the summer giving tours (LOL).

*Juneau* ~ DH, DS and my brother did the *"Best of Juneau"*.  While my husband says it was ok he would not go on the excursion again.  He recommends it is good for people who like to take things slow, have smaller children, etc.  They did see a pod of Orca's while on the boat portion - but that was the only "highlight" of the trip for him/brother.

DD and I did the *"Disney Exclusive Dog Musher for a Day"*.  This, by far, was the excursion of a lifetime.  We met with the excursion folks (after Disney passed us on to the proper people) and filled out the proper paperwork which consisted of release forms and age/weight forms (to balance out the helicopter ride).  There were only 10 of us on the trip ~ I later learned that we are the ONLY excursion (i.e. Disney) that does this type of trip and only 10 folks MAX per day (all through Disney).  

After a quick trip via small bus/transport to the helicopter location (ERA) we were given a brief overview on helicopter safety.  We were also outfitted with "glacier boots".  Within 30 minutes of arriving at the helicopter location we were off in the helicopter.  There were 5 of us (all women) in the helicopter.  It was a 15-20 minute flight with beautiful views.  I was in the back seat with a window view with my daughter next to me (they change the seating on the way back to give everyone a chance to have a window seat, etc.).  

There were 4 helicopters that took off and landing within seconds from each other (that was a pretty cool thing to see as well).  Two of the helicopters had folks from Disney that were doing the Disney Musher for a Day and the other two helicopters had folks that were doing the "regular" dog sledding.  

After getting to the glacier (I believe it was the Norris glacier) the groups were split up (i.e.  Disney Musher, Regular Dog sledding) and given our overviews as they were different itineraries.  Within the 10 folks from Disney we were split into 3 different groups - generally along traveling party/family.  DD and I had Nancy as our Sled guide.  After meeting Nancy and her removing a dog from the harness (since it was just two of us on the sled with Nancy she stated we didn't need that many dogs).  

We took off soon after meeting Nancy on our first mushing portion.  We only made a stop or two but we could talk the entire time while mushing (she did the driving on the first part while we chatted).  The second time we stopped for a minute or so she asked my daughter if she wanted to get up and stand on the sled with her and help mush.  My daughter jumped at the chance.  After about a 25 minute mush we ended up away from the camp at a few seperate tents.  We got off the sled and had lunch with our dog mushers (and it was a very good lunch).  We got about 30 minutes to eat and tak more with the dog mushers.  This is where I found out they were as excited as us to do the Disney exclusive excursion as they had never offered this type before (i.e. mushing for the time frame we did and lunch on the glacier with us "regular" folks).

After lunch, we helped harness our sled team for the final leg of mushing.  Both my daughter and I helped put the harnesses on as well as the booties they were to protect their feet.  My daughter jumped at the chance to once again stand with Nancy to do the mushing.  Half-way through the second portion of the mushing we stopped and Nancy offered I a chance to stand on the second sled (they have a second smaller sled for folks to stand and "drive" the team).  So for the last 1/2 of our mushing on the way back to camp both my DD and I were able to stand on the sleds with Nancy (we also helped brake when needed, etc.).

After saying goodbye to your musher and dogs (throughout the entire experience we got to learn more about the dogs and my daughter got to pet them for as long as she wanted).  Another worker at the camp comes over and gives you a quick tour of the camp and provides information about the day-to-day operations.  5 minutes before the helicopters come back they let everyone know to make their way back to the landing area to be taken back.

After loading up in the helicopter and another 15-20 minute ride back to the helicopter location we removed our gear and hoped onboard the vehicle to get back to the boat.

I just wanted to recap this portion of all the excursions as we truly did love it.  It really was a once in a lifetime experience.

*Ketchikan* ~ I had prebooked the Orca's Cove Kayaking trip with *"Southeast Sea Kayaks"* for everyone in my family/brother EXCEPT my son.  We didn't feel he was mature enough to go on this excursion.  

After disembarking we located the "Southeast Sea Kayaks" White van and we were on our way to the excursion location (it was less than a 5 minute drive - we probably could have walked it but it was nice that they picked you up).  After getting outfitted with our Kayaking gear minus kayak and paddle we hopped onboard a little scuttle boat.  After a 20 minute trip out to the cove we transferred to the bigger boat which had the guides aboard and kayak's attached.  

My brother and the guide ended up in one kayak and DH, DD and I ended up in another kayak.  The guide took us to the various inlets of the cove and we saw an abudance of undersea creatures - tons of starfish, jellyfish, etc.  At one point, in a cove that during low tide has no water but during the high tide were were there (was 15 feet of water) a seal popped his head up a few times.  

After our several hour kayak adventure we ended up back a the larger boat for a snack.  They had salmon, crackers, cheese, fruit and water.  We got to snack for about 20 minutes before the little transfer boat came back for us.  After another 20 minute ride back to the kayaking location back near the dock, and another transfer by van, we were back at the dock.

This was a pretty neat excursion that we all enjoyed.  You could go at an agressive pace if you wanted to our a leisurely pace.  The tour guide was AWESOME!!! 



If anyone has any questions let me know.


----------



## MrsG

Any feedback on " The Best of Juneau" and "the Best of Skagway"  tours? 

Anything on the Misty Fiords and floatplane tour?

Thanks


----------



## Mouseskis

Thanks brentm3 and mrssmee about the info about bathrooms on the Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest!

Does anyone know if there is a bathroom aboard the boat for the Exclusive Whale Encounter Excursion?

Thanks!


----------



## lmcarr

MrsG said:


> Any feedback on " The Best of Juneau" and "the Best of Skagway"  tours?
> 
> Anything on the Misty Fiords and floatplane tour?
> 
> Thanks


We went on the Best of Juneau tour. The glacier is beautiful (we could have stayed longer there and walked some of the trails) and the whale watching trip seemed a little long b/c they don't go to the lodge until almost 2:30pm to eat (but the food is fresh and very delicious).  I recommend eating a very good breakfast and taking some snacks.  The crew on the boat are very friendly and try their hardest to find wildlife.


----------



## rsjj

anyone did the dog sledding & glacier flightseeing excursion at skagway?  any info would be greatly appreciated.  tia!


----------



## tink1963

mrssmee said:


> We just got off the ship today.  We did the Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest and the boat was so much nicer than I expected!  There were three clean  bathrooms on our boat.  I highly recommend this tour...it was one of the top highlights of our cruise.



how many people would you say were on the boat?


----------



## mrssmee

poohj80 said:


> Welcome back!  What other excursions did you do?



I just got home from a long day of travel, but I promise tomorrow I will post reviews of my excursions and my opinions about the cruise!  It was an amazing trip!



tink1963 said:


> how many people would you say were on the boat?



I'd say there were about 80 people.  We must have been on one of the boats that can hold 150, because the boat really felt half empty!  It did not seem crowded at all.  We had no problem seeing regardless of where we were on the boat.  People tended to spread out.  We went back and forth between the downstairs that was enclosed and the upper deck and were always able to be next to a window or at a rail.  I'll post more details tomorrow!


----------



## Prose

Just back from the June 7th cruise --

*Skagway* - we did the White Pass Rail and Trail Camp. The train ride up is spectacular.  Definitely sit on the left side, if possible. There are bathrooms and warming stoves on the train.  We really enjoyed the bus ride down. Someone spotted a bear along the road, and our driver stopped so we could all take a look. We also pulled over and got out to take picutres at the 'Welcome to Alaska' sign at the Canadian border.

The trail camp is, well, campy . You learn to pan for gold, and take home a little baggie with some flakes in it. There's free hot cider and cookies for a snack. There are tents set up to represent what it looked like, and a short show with singing and poetry. I think DD's favorite part was the camp dogs. Bring money or credit cards for the gift shop. 

After the trip, we walked around town a bit. Definitely make your way past the touristy shops by the dock.

*Juneau - *We loved Juneau in general. Once you got past all the tourist trap jewerly stores, there were some great little shops. We could have spent a whole day just looking around.

Our favorite excursion, hands down, was in Juneau - the Taku Lodge Enchanted Flight and Feast.  This was amazing.  The planes hold 10, and everyone gets a window seat. One adult gets to sit in the co-pilot seat -- DH did this on the way out, and said it was worth the cost of the whole cruise. You do need to be fairly tall to see over the control panel. Everyone has headphones and there is a taped narration as you fly over some of the most spectacular sights in the world (photos to come!). The Taku Lodge sits lakeside directly across from a glacier. They feed you incredible salmon, beans, herb biscuits, ginger cookies and lemonade cooled with glacier ice. The food was so good, we had to buy the cookbook in the gift shop. You look out onthe glacier as you hear a bit of the history of the lodge. An added bonus for us was a black bear that hopped up on the grill right outside our window! After lunch,you get a chance to take a short hike or just sit in the sun and enjoy the view. 

*Ketchikan - *We took the Bering Sea Crab Boat Tour. As fans of the Deadliest Catch we were really surprised to see Derrick from the latest season on board as one of the tour hosts. You sail about 20 minutes out from port and around teh other side of an island, where you see eagles and their nests, and they show you how they fish crabs as well as prawns and other fish. Everyone on board is super-nice and the stories are fascinating. Definitely dress warmly for this one, although they do have extra coats and overhead heaters available. It is much colder up on top than down on the main deck, and there is free cocoa, coffee and they hand out goldfish crackers as snack. The souvenirs on board are a selection of cool tshirts and hats, plus an awesome jacket that was a bit beyond our budget.  The shirts were not outrageous, though. The crew takes photos with everyone, the kids get to touch all kinds of sea creatures. It's lots of fun.


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## disneypoor

We just got back late Tuesday night, and I thought I should share what we did since this thread helped me out so much before we left for our cruise.

We got to spend a day in Vancouver before we got on the Wonder, so I'm including what we did there as well.

*Vancouver:*  We found a stretch limo driver that was FABULOUS!  He charged us $75 per hour, and we could use his service for as many hours as we wanted.  We decided to limit our tour to two hours, and we were so happy we did this!  For $150, we got to customize what we wanted to do, and our limo driver was a native to Vancouver and provided us with so much information on the city.  We chose to have him take us to Grouse Mountain so we could do the tram ride to the top.  We then went to the fish hatchery and got to view some salmon jumping upstream.  This was cool and probably not something I would have chosen if our limo driver hadn't suggested it to us.  He drove us thru Stanley Park, to a beautiful place called Prospect Point, to the famous Steam Clock downtown, and then just took us around the city showing us beautiful homes (and they are GORGEOUS) and telling us the history of Vancouver.  I cannot say enough good things about Vancouver.  I'd definitely vacation there again, and I highly recommend the limo driver we had.  I have his info if anyone is interested.

*Skagway:*  We did the White Pass Railway, City, and Yukon Suspension Bridge tour.  This was also a great excursion!  We took the train to Fraser, British Columbia, and the sites along the way were beyond beautiful!  It was about a 90 minute to two hour ride on the train, and then we boarded a bus that took us to the suspension bridge and then drove us back to Skagway.  It was neat to take the bus back because it all looked different from the point of view you get on the bus compared to the views from the train.  Plus, our driver was wonderful and provided lots of information as we drove back.  I'd also recommend this tour.

*Juneau:*  We did the Alpine Zipline and Glacier tour.  This tour was amazing!  We had ziplined in Hawaii on a previous trip, and the ziplining in Alaska was WAY better than what we did in Hawaii.  Our ziplining guides were wonderful, and it included 7 ziplines and a suspension bridge.  When we got back to the lodge, they had blueberry tea for us, and we could make s'mores over a fire if we wanted to.  Very cool excursion and one we would highly recommend.  The glacier was cool too!  We thought it was better than Tracy Arm because we could actually get quite close to the glacier here.  It's quite a hike to make it close to the glacier and to the huge waterfall that is near the glacier, but it's worth it!  We only had a limited amount of time at Mendenhall Glacier, but we were able to make the trek up to the glacier and waterfall with time to spare when we got back to meet the bus.  

*Ketchikan:*  This is by far the highlight excursion of our trip.  My kids are already begging us to let them do this again some day!  At the last minute (and thanks to a fellow DISer on this thread), we booked a float plane adventure to Misty Fjords thru a place called Island Views.  Michelle is the pilot, and I cannot say enough good things about this excursion!  Michelle is very knowledgeable and has been flying for many, many years.  The sites are breathtaking!  We got to land on a lake in the fjords and walk around on the side of one of the mountains.  I cannot wait to get our pictures back from this one!  We even saw a mini avalanche while we were there (but nothing to worry about).  Island Views is a small company that goes above and beyond to make sure you have the experience of a lifetime.  The ship was scheduled to leave port at 8:00 that night, and we didn't have our excursion with Island Views until 5:00.  We booked the two hour tour so we could have some time on the mountain when we landed at the lake.  The price was far more affordable than booking something similar thru Disney, and we will definitely book thru this company again if we ever go back.  SUPER GREAT EXCURSION!

Hope this helps someone out there!  Let me know if you have any questions or want the contact info for the limo driver we had.  I told him I'd be recommended him on the DIS!

Susan


----------



## LisaG520

MrsG said:


> Any feedback on " The Best of Juneau" and "the Best of Skagway"  tours?
> 
> Anything on the Misty Fiords and floatplane tour?
> 
> Thanks



We did the Best of Skagway on the May 3rd cruise.  We loved it!

We took a bus up into BC then took the train back down.   My DH spent most of the train ride out on the platform ( a little too high for me at times!).

Once we were back down in Skagway we re-boarded the buses and went to Liarsville for lunch.  After lunch we saw a "poetry reading" (very funny), panned for gold and wandered around the town.

We were a little ahead of schedule so we stopped at a scenic overview with an awesome view of Skagway and the Wonder before heading for the last stop on the tour - Red Onion Saloon. 

We had time after the tour to do a little shopping in Skagway - found an awesome quilt shp there and bougth a lot of fabric!


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## deepakwa

Did anybody do the dog sledding tour with Coastal helicopters in Juneau? How was the tour?


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## fliplover101

Skagway: Best of Skagway 
This was the most disappointing of the tours to me. Online, it says you will take the train up the mountain then take the bus down and stop for lunch. Instead, they take you up on the bus, then immediately get on the train back down - a lot of bumping with no breaks. Also, you see the best scenery first, instead of building up, and don't follow in the footsteps of the miners. In the end, the train is still AMAZING, and the scenery is truly incredible, but definitely not what we were expecting. The lunch and trail camp at Liarsville was really fun, and they really know their stuff and are more than happy to share more about the history if you take the time to look at the historical things and ask intelligent questions.  The Red Onion Saloon and brothel museum was the highlight - you got a free glass of beer/wine/rootbeer, then got a 15 min guided tour. They had a lot of artifacts! Overall, a fun tour, but personally I don't think it was the worth the money and would have been much improved if the train was before the bus. 

Juneau: Mt. Roberts Tramway - At Leisure
Basically, this means you buy your ticket for the tram ahead of time and do it whenever you want. This was really fun - it's the most vertical tram in North America, and they have great, easy hikes up at the top. Great views of Juneau and the canal in, you can see a bald eagle, Lady Baltimore, up close, and it's a great taste of the mountains right in town. They also have a great gift shop for all you shoppers out there.  *We also just explored the town on our own, and had a blast! You can go inside and wander the State Capitol, and we also found a great local hike, The Flume Walk. You can ask for a map at the visitors center. You walk to the top of the hill at the end of downtown, then walk along a mountain road for about 5 minutes before getting to the trailhead. It follows the flume and creek used at the old gold mines for about 1.5 miles, then deposits you in a residential neighborhood. You eventually pass the governor's mansion, and then end up right back by the capitol building. Took us about an hour total, a very local walk, and a great antidote to cruise crowd overload. 

Ketchikan: Disney Exclusive Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show 
This was by far our favorite excursion!! They have some of the best timber sport athletes in the world, and they compete in the craziest events you've ever heard of. Log rolling, pole climbing, extreme chainsawing, etc. For Disney, they added interactive bits for the kids, which was really fun. It was a hoot! Not all that authentic, but SO much fun! It also leaves you time to explore Ketchikan on your own. *We got a historic walking tour map and wandered for a couple of hours. It's really fun - make sure not to miss Creek Street, the old red light district. Great fun! 

Also, just one fact we learned by talking to the locals - when going shopping in the ports, make sure to check for "Owned by Alaskans" or "Alaskan Family" signs in the window. These stores' sales go back into the local economy. A lot of the stores right by the terminal are owned by various cruise lines, and hence the cruise companies get kick-backs and commissions.


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## lmb80129

Skagway - Dog Sledding summer camp.  My family loved this excursion!  Our bus driver Jeff was great and informative.  Our sled driver was fun and the dogs were awesome.  We went around the course four times and then got off to meet the dogs.  Then we went back to the base camp for an informative talk on the history of dog mushing.  The best part for the kids was holding two week old puppies.  They were so cute.  The base camp was very well maintained with indoor restrooms and a small gift shop.

Juneau - Exclusive whale watching and Mendelhall Glacier 10ish departure.  The whale watching was fun and we saw humpbacks and orcas.  There were 36 people on board.  I did pack ahead and brought snacks from the ship for the kids but it wasn't enough. Right after the whale watching we were taken to a bus and dropped at the Glacier for approximately an hour and a half.  My kids were starving and there was no food to be found anywhere.  The nature center was cool and the trails looked like fun but my kids just wanted to leave and eat.  Had we had lunch in between or if we had taken an earlier excursion they would have really enjoyed the glacier.  As it was, we just wanted to leave and find something to eat in town. 

Ketchikan - Wilderness Exploration and crab feast.  Another great excursion.  There were about 55 people on this one and we took a bus to the George Inlet Lodge where we boarded a boat.  We saw eagles, eagle nests, a waterfall, an old cannery, and some sea lions or seals.  My kids helped pull up a crab trap and learned a little about crabs.  They even held the crabs with some assistance from the crew member.  Then we went back to the lodge and had a delicious feast of all you can eat crab legs.  My kids left with a new favorite food - crab!


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## thej

lmb80129 said:


> Juneau - Exclusive whale watching and Mendelhall Glacier 10ish departure.  The whale watching was fun and we saw humpbacks and orcas.  There were 36 people on board.  I did pack ahead and brought snacks from the ship for the kids but it wasn't enough. Right after the whale watching we were taken to a bus and dropped at the Glacier for approximately an hour and a half.  My kids were starving and there was no food to be found anywhere.  The nature center was cool and the trails looked like fun but my kids just wanted to leave and eat.  Had we had lunch in between or if we had taken an earlier excursion they would have really enjoyed the glacier.  As it was, we just wanted to leave and find something to eat in town.



Hmmm. We are doing basically the same times for this and I've been concerned about our 9 yearold and lunch. Heck I'm worried about all of us. Not sure we can pack enough food to keep everyone happy from 10-4.


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## lmb80129

thej said:


> Hmmm. We are doing basically the same times for this and I've been concerned about our 9 yearold and lunch. Heck I'm worried about all of us. Not sure we can pack enough food to keep everyone happy from 10-4.



Honestly, I spent the entire time at the Glacier wishing that I had just booked the whale watching and skipped the glacier and spent the time exploring the town of Juneau.  I didn't feel like we had enough time before the excursion to walk around town and we had very little time after the Glacier.


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## buddywesley

lmb80129 said:


> Juneau - Exclusive whale watching and Mendelhall Glacier 10ish departure.  The whale watching was fun and we saw humpbacks and orcas.  There were 36 people on board.  I did pack ahead and brought snacks from the ship for the kids but it wasn't enough. Right after the whale watching we were taken to a bus and dropped at the Glacier for approximately an hour and a half.  My kids were starving and there was no food to be found anywhere.  The nature center was cool and the trails looked like fun but my kids just wanted to leave and eat.  Had we had lunch in between or if we had taken an earlier excursion they would have really enjoyed the glacier.  As it was, we just wanted to leave and find something to eat in town.
> 
> Ketchikan - Wilderness Exploration and crab feast.  Another great excursion.  There were about 55 people on this one and we took a bus to the George Inlet Lodge where we boarded a boat.  We saw eagles, eagle nests, a waterfall, an old cannery, and some sea lions or seals.  My kids helped pull up a crab trap and learned a little about crabs.  They even held the crabs with some assistance from the crew member.  Then we went back to the lodge and had a delicious feast of all you can eat crab legs.  My kids left with a new favorite food - crab!



Thanks for this info. We are doing both these tours on the June 28 cruise. 
Question on the Juneau tour? Was there food for purchase on the boat? Or was it a smaller boat? We are doing the 8:45-2:45 one
On the Ketchikan one...was it a bigger boat? Were all 55 on the same boat?

thanks


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## lmb80129

buddywesley said:


> Thanks for this info. We are doing both these tours on the June 28 cruise.
> Question on the Juneau tour? Was there food for purchase on the boat? Or was it a smaller boat? We are doing the 8:45-2:45 one
> On the Ketchikan one...was it a bigger boat? Were all 55 on the same boat?
> 
> thanks



There was complimentary crackers, smoked salmon, sodas and bottles of water on the boat.  There was also a restroom.  I thought it was a fairly small boat as it only held 36 passengers.  

In Ketchikan, there were two boats.  I thought we got lucky as we were on the smaller boat.  I think it only held about 20 people and I think my kids got more time pulling in the crab traps and holding the crabs than they would have in the other boat.  We were fairly lucky being the first ones out of the Disney Theater, the first ones on the bus, and the first family down the stairs and onto the smaller boat.


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## buddywesley

lmb80129 said:


> There was complimentary crackers, smoked salmon, sodas and bottles of water on the boat.  There was also a restroom.  I thought it was a fairly small boat as it only held 36 passengers.
> 
> In Ketchikan, there were two boats.  I thought we got lucky as we were on the smaller boat.  I think it only held about 20 people and I think my kids got more time pulling in the crab traps and holding the crabs than they would have in the other boat.  We were fairly lucky being the first ones out of the Disney Theater, the first ones on the bus, and the first family down the stairs and onto the smaller boat.



Good to know  We'll try and be first out


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## 808Mickey

pointandshoot said:


> Has anyone done the zipline in Ketchikan. We have the Bear Creek booked and interested and how people have liked it.
> 
> Chuck



We were on the May 31st sailing and did the Bear Creek Zipline in Ketchikan.  It was our first time ziplining, so we have nothing to compare it with, but DD and I had a blast!  I think there were a total of 6 ziplines each progressively longer, 1 suspension bridge, 1 rappel down from a platform, and 1 awesome long slide!  It was all great fun and probably the highlight of our cruise!  Our two guides were great, and very thorough...I have a thing with heights, but never felt unsafe at any point on the course.  I would highly recommend this excursion.


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## cruisenow01

thej said:


> Hmmm. We are doing basically the same times for this and I've been concerned about our 9 yearold and lunch. Heck I'm worried about all of us. Not sure we can pack enough food to keep everyone happy from 10-4.



We are doing this same excursion.  I had planned on ordering some Uncrustables the night before so that we could take them for snacks.  I will have to be sure to order extra.  My children love salmon  and crackers so I may have to supplement on the boat (sneak some crackers into our stash).  Perhaps packing a soft sided lunch box would help.  Thanks for the heads up.


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## princess81499

cruisenow01 said:


> We are doing this same excursion.  I had planned on ordering some Uncrustables the night before so that we could take them for snacks.  I will have to be sure to order extra.  My children love salmon  and crackers so I may have to supplement on the boat (sneak some crackers into our stash).  Perhaps packing a soft sided lunch box would help.  Thanks for the heads up.



Great ideas!  We are also doing this excursion on the July 12th cruise.  I also booked the Mt Roberts Tramway.  For those that you have gone already, will we have enough time to the Exclusive Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacier (9:50 - 2:20), then do the tramway when we get back?


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## lmb80129

princess81499 said:


> Great ideas!  We are also doing this excursion on the July 12th cruise.  I also booked the Mt Roberts Tramway.  For those that you have gone already, will we have enough time to the Exclusive Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacier (9:50 - 2:20), then do the tramway when we get back?



Our driver did not pick us up until 2:25 and of course there was a family that was late so I don't think we left until 2:30 or 2:35 and it is about 15 minutes back into town.  All aboard was 4:30 and we had to catch a shuttle back to the ship.  I don't know how long it takes to do the tramway but I'd say at worst, you'll only have a little more than an hour for the tramway or to see the town.


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## buddywesley

princess81499 said:


> Great ideas!  We are also doing this excursion on the July 12th cruise.  I also booked the Mt Roberts Tramway.  For those that you have gone already, will we have enough time to the Exclusive Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacier (9:50 - 2:20), then do the tramway when we get back?



I'd say cancel the tramway thru Disney. You can get tickets right at the tram if you end up having time. That way you wont be out money if you can't use them!!!! Plus I've heard if it's overcast, you wont see as much up there so it's best to wait and see how the day fares


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## cindy18

disneypoor said:


> We just got back late Tuesday night, and I thought I should share what we did since this thread helped me out so much before we left for our cruise.
> 
> We got to spend a day in Vancouver before we got on the Wonder, so I'm including what we did there as well.
> 
> *Vancouver:*  We found a stretch limo driver that was FABULOUS!  He charged us $75 per hour, and we could use his service for as many hours as we wanted.  We decided to limit our tour to two hours, and we were so happy we did this!  For $150, we got to customize what we wanted to do, and our limo driver was a native to Vancouver and provided us with so much information on the city.  We chose to have him take us to Grouse Mountain so we could do the tram ride to the top.  We then went to the fish hatchery and got to view some salmon jumping upstream.  This was cool and probably not something I would have chosen if our limo driver hadn't suggested it to us.  He drove us thru Stanley Park, to a beautiful place called Prospect Point, to the famous Steam Clock downtown, and then just took us around the city showing us beautiful homes (and they are GORGEOUS) and telling us the history of Vancouver.  I cannot say enough good things about Vancouver.  I'd definitely vacation there again, and I highly recommend the limo driver we had.  I have his info if anyone is interested.
> 
> *Skagway:*  We did the White Pass Railway, City, and Yukon Suspension Bridge tour.  This was also a great excursion!  We took the train to Fraser, British Columbia, and the sites along the way were beyond beautiful!  It was about a 90 minute to two hour ride on the train, and then we boarded a bus that took us to the suspension bridge and then drove us back to Skagway.  It was neat to take the bus back because it all looked different from the point of view you get on the bus compared to the views from the train.  Plus, our driver was wonderful and provided lots of information as we drove back.  I'd also recommend this tour.
> 
> *Juneau:*  We did the Alpine Zipline and Glacier tour.  This tour was amazing!  We had ziplined in Hawaii on a previous trip, and the ziplining in Alaska was WAY better than what we did in Hawaii.  Our ziplining guides were wonderful, and it included 7 ziplines and a suspension bridge.  When we got back to the lodge, they had blueberry tea for us, and we could make s'mores over a fire if we wanted to.  Very cool excursion and one we would highly recommend.  The glacier was cool too!  We thought it was better than Tracy Arm because we could actually get quite close to the glacier here.  It's quite a hike to make it close to the glacier and to the huge waterfall that is near the glacier, but it's worth it!  We only had a limited amount of time at Mendenhall Glacier, but we were able to make the trek up to the glacier and waterfall with time to spare when we got back to meet the bus.
> 
> *Ketchikan:*  This is by far the highlight excursion of our trip.  My kids are already begging us to let them do this again some day!  At the last minute (and thanks to a fellow DISer on this thread), we booked a float plane adventure to Misty Fjords thru a place called Island Views.  Michelle is the pilot, and I cannot say enough good things about this excursion!  Michelle is very knowledgeable and has been flying for many, many years.  The sites are breathtaking!  We got to land on a lake in the fjords and walk around on the side of one of the mountains.  I cannot wait to get our pictures back from this one!  We even saw a mini avalanche while we were there (but nothing to worry about).  Island Views is a small company that goes above and beyond to make sure you have the experience of a lifetime.  The ship was scheduled to leave port at 8:00 that night, and we didn't have our excursion with Island Views until 5:00.  We booked the two hour tour so we could have some time on the mountain when we landed at the lake.  The price was far more affordable than booking something similar thru Disney, and we will definitely book thru this company again if we ever go back.  SUPER GREAT EXCURSION!
> 
> Hope this helps someone out there!  Let me know if you have any questions or want the contact info for the limo driver we had.  I told him I'd be recommended him on the DIS!
> 
> Susan



Definitely interested in the contact infor on the limo driver!  We'll be in Vancouver from August 20-23rd, before getting on the ship.  Thanks!


----------



## PBader

cruisenow01 said:


> We are doing this same excursion.  I had planned on ordering some Uncrustables the night before so that we could take them for snacks.  I will have to be sure to order extra.  My children love salmon  and crackers so I may have to supplement on the boat (sneak some crackers into our stash).  Perhaps packing a soft sided lunch box would help.  Thanks for the heads up.



I thought I had read they took the uncrustables off the room service menu?


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## texasteacher

Disneypoor, I am definitely interested in the Vancouver limo contact information, but I'm not sure how to contact you.  Thanks for any help you can give this posting amateur!


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## disneypoor

texasteacher said:


> Disneypoor, I am definitely interested in the Vancouver limo contact information, but I'm not sure how to contact you.  Thanks for any help you can give this posting amateur!



Hi!  I just sent you a private message with all of the information!  Hope it all works out for you.  He was great, and of course, we felt like royalty getting hauled around in a stretch limo.  You should have seen the people just watching to see who was getting out.  They were quite disappointed.  I believe someone even asked him who we were when we were at Prospect Point.  Gotta love it!

Susan


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## disneypoor

cindy18 said:


> Definitely interested in the contact infor on the limo driver!  We'll be in Vancouver from August 20-23rd, before getting on the ship.  Thanks!



I just PM'ed you with the details.  Hope it all works out for you!

Susan


----------



## thej

cruisenow01 said:


> We are doing this same excursion.  I had planned on ordering some Uncrustables the night before so that we could take them for snacks.  I will have to be sure to order extra.  My children love salmon  and crackers so I may have to supplement on the boat (sneak some crackers into our stash).  Perhaps packing a soft sided lunch box would help.  Thanks for the heads up.



Uncrustables are an excellent idea. Thanks!  

It's been so long since we've been on DCL I can't remember if the chips that you get with sandwiches from cabin service come in single serving bags... That would be toooo easy. We were going to pick up some snacks in vancouver to carry on for excursions, so between the two we should be good.


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## rsjj

thej said:


> Uncrustables are an excellent idea. Thanks!
> 
> It's been so long since we've been on DCL I can't remember if the chips that you get with sandwiches from cabin service come in single serving bags... That would be toooo easy. We were going to pick up some snacks in vancouver to carry on for excursions, so between the two we should be good.



the chips were not in bags.  but this was 2005...so quite long ago.  i learned from this board that you should bring zip lock bags, and that's what we put our sandwiches from room service and chips in another ziplock bag, and that was our "snacks" while we were out on our various excursions/town...our dss were little at the time (3 & 5), and we weren't sure how they would do w/local food.  just to be safe, b/c we all know hungry kids aren't happy kids!


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## poohj80

disneypoor said:


> *Skagway:*  We did the White Pass Railway, City, and Yukon Suspension Bridge tour.  This was also a great excursion!  We took the train to Fraser, British Columbia, and the sites along the way were beyond beautiful!  It was about a 90 minute to two hour ride on the train, and then we boarded a bus that took us to the suspension bridge and then drove us back to Skagway.  It was neat to take the bus back because it all looked different from the point of view you get on the bus compared to the views from the train.  Plus, our driver was wonderful and provided lots of information as we drove back.  I'd also recommend this tour.



Thanks so much!  I have been waiting for a review of this tour!

We plan on taking out 5 yr old on this tour.  Were there many small kids on your tour?  if so, did they seem to enjoy it?


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## buck4568

We were on the June 7th sailing and had a great time.

Skagway: We did the Yukon 4x4 Jeep excursion which was excellent. It is a long excursion going from Skagway via Jeep convoy following the other jeeps inland to Carcross which is in the Yukon Territory. Along the way we stopped a few times for photo opts and also saw a total of 12 bears (black and brown, no grizzlies) along the route. One was a mother with two cubs, very cool. The guide is in the lead vehicle and all the Jeeps have cb radios which are used to narrate and ask questions along the way. One off road run when you get to Carcross which was pretty rugged going and then a brief stop for a little snack stop with some smoked salmon spread, cheese, crackers, reindeer sausage and water all laid out on the hood of one of the Jeeps.

Juneau: We did the Salmon Bake and also walked about Juneau on our own. The Salmon Bake was good food but for $48 per person I thought it was a bit over priced. It is all you can eat with chowder, slaw, Alaskan style cooked chicken that my kids loved so it must have been good because they are fussy eaters, fresh cooked salmon and baked beans w/ corn bread . Also could roast marshmallows over a camp fire.

Ketchican: We did the Disney exclusive Lumberjack Show which was reviwed in a previous post. It was lots of fun and the popcorn for $1 a bag was good! They have a nice gift shop and the Alaska Shirt Co. had the best deals on sweat shirts etc. That is located straight down along the main St that the ships dock at.

Overall it was a great trip. We have been to a lot of ports around the world and I have to say that I have never seen so many Jewelry stores as we saw on this trip. Seemed like dozens in each port and not many busy!


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## epjenk

For those wanting to save a little on your Skagway day, we rented a car from Avis.  For about $120 our family of 7 rented a minivan, bought the Murray guide and had a fabulous day.  Lots of places to stop and look around on the way, dog camp @ carcross, and the highlights for us- a bear right next to our car walking down the road and seeing beautiful Emerald Lake.  We got off the boat early and hightailed it straight to Caribou Crossing, so we were able to do the museum and puppy petting all by ourselves before the tour groups descended.  My sister did the train and loved it, but my kids were so not into the train ride from Seattle to Vancouver I couldn't  justify the extra $1,000 it would have cost us.  

Juneau I highly recommend Juneau Limousine, particularly if you can get Judy.  She took us around town and told us all about the history, drove us to Mendenhall Glacier (avoiding the crowded bus) and took us to pan for gold in Gold Creek (she brought pans).  We had the limo for 3 hours, which was plenty.  The kids thought they were rock stars in the stretch limo.  We had lunch later @ Tracey's King Crab Shack.  It was pricey, but by far the best meal I had all week.  There is a food shack next door that sells burgers and such if you are going with little kids.  

Ketchikan- our guys went Salmon Fishing and didn't catch a thing.  They said the radio traffic was all about how none of the boats out that day caught anything.  Not just no king salmon- no fish.  I think they were glad they went, but if you will feel ripped off if you don't get a big haul, be prepared.


----------



## cruisenow01

PBader said:


> I thought I had read they took the uncrustables off the room service menu?



Surely they have some kind of sandwich that I can place in a baggy to take with us.  At least I hope so.  My daughter is a grazer.  She likes to eat many small meals a day.


----------



## Doingitagain

DD22 talked to a friend who just returned from a DCL Alaska cruise.  She said she thought the ship did a full turn at Tracy Arm glacier so all sides had an equal view.  That would be a great idea, can anyone confirm?


----------



## NWmom

Doingitagain said:


> DD22 talked to a friend who just returned from a DCL Alaska cruise.  She said she thought the ship did a full turn at Tracy Arm glacier so all sides had an equal view.  That would be a great idea, can anyone confirm?




This one depends on the wildlife. The 5/17 did the complete turn (we were told), but the 5/24 had to do a back up due to seals and pups. Safetly of the animals first.

They did announce in advance they would not be able to do the turn, invited those from the aft to come forward, and told those at the rail to give others a turn.

Still beautiful on the way in and out.


----------



## ilovemk76

Train excursions - Do they have restrooms on the train?  Do they sell stuff to eat and drink on the train?

TIA


----------



## lmcarr

they do have a restroom on the train and a water dispenser, but do not sell drinks or snacks.


----------



## sabrecmc

ilovemk76 said:


> Train excursions - Do they have restrooms on the train?  Do they sell stuff to eat and drink on the train?
> 
> TIA



There is a small coffee shop at the depot in Skagway.  We did the early train up and they were open.  Good coffee!  Milk for my daughter.  That was nice. I also brought loads of snacks. They sell some souveniers on the train, but no food.


----------



## ilovemk76

Thanks.  I will be sure to pack snacks and drinks.


----------



## DisneyCruiser2008

cruisenow01 said:


> Surely they have some kind of sandwich that I can place in a baggy to take with us.  At least I hope so.  My daughter is a grazer.  She likes to eat many small meals a day.



We just got back from the June 14 sailing.  They did not have Uncrustables.... But they did make PB&J crustless sandwiches and served them with potato chips... So if you pack some ziploc baggies, you should be good to go.  We ordered them the night before, bagged them up and put them in the fridge.  Worked fine for snacks on our Skagway day... which was an 8 hour private bus tour.  We also took along chocolate chip cookies we ordered from room service.  We also ordered some boxes of fruit loops cereal and the kids ate those (dry) for a snack.  You can also take some whole apples, oranges and bananas from Goofy's if you are not going over the Canadian border...


----------



## denise

since you just got back can you tell us about pirate night? I heard it was changed.
DD doesn't want to bring her pirate outfit if no one is dressed up....


----------



## DisneyCruiser2008

denise said:


> since you just got back can you tell us about pirate night? I heard it was changed.
> DD doesn't want to bring her pirate outfit if no one is dressed up....



Sure.   As far as pictures and dinner, I felt like it was pretty similar to the Mexican Riviera cruise we did in 2008.  Pirate Mickey and Minnie were there.  Captain Jack and Captain Hook were there, etc.  We received pirate bandanas at dinner.  Some people were not dressed up and some people were TOTALLY dressed up.. so there was a range. The kids in our group wore eye patches and head gear and had pirate tshirts and swords, and we felt like we fit right in.  If DD has a pirate outfit, I would say bring it and enjoy it!  There were definitely a fair number of people dressed up. They moved the deck party indoors for our cruise because it was cold and rainy.   I was dead tired and skipped it this time, but DH took the kids and they had fun... danced and sang and enjoyed themselves.  We didn't go to the buffet.... But the people we were sailing with went and they said it was fine... nothing special... No great food or anything, but fine.   Overall, we enjoyed the night a lot!


----------



## denise

DisneyCruiser2008 said:


> Sure.   As far as pictures and dinner, I felt like it was pretty similar to the Mexican Riviera cruise we did in 2008.  Pirate Mickey and Minnie were there.  Captain Jack and Captain Hook were there, etc.  We received pirate bandanas at dinner.  Some people were not dressed up and some people were TOTALLY dressed up.. so there was a range. The kids in our group wore eye patches and head gear and had pirate tshirts and swords, and we felt like we fit right in.  If DD has a pirate outfit, I would say bring it and enjoy it!  There were definitely a fair number of people dressed up. They moved the deck party indoors for our cruise because it was cold and rainy.   I was dead tired and skipped it this time, but DH took the kids and they had fun... danced and sang and enjoyed themselves.  We didn't go to the buffet.... But the people we were sailing with went and they said it was fine... nothing special... No great food or anything, but fine.   Overall, we enjoyed the night a lot!



Thanks....always good to know. Hate to have her show up and the only one ready to party!!!


----------



## Niagara2

Subbing.   Wow.  Thanks for all the advice !


----------



## NurseNash

We loved all our excursions!  Would recommend them all!

Skagway:  Takshanuk Mountain Trail by 4x4:  Took a bus for a whooping 3 minutes to a ferry.  Took a beautiful ferry ride from Skagway to Haines (40 minutes, narrated and bathrooms on board; saw a whale and eagles and waterfalls on the way).  Took a bus ride from the dock (about 15 minutes) to the base of Takshanuk Mountain (saw more eagles on the way)!  Had a briefing on the 4x4, were put into 3 groups (we were in the lead group) of about 4 "mules" (Kawasaki 4x4 vehicles).  Hubby drove, I sat next to him, our two boys (ages 7 and 9) sat in the seats behind us- slightly elevated.  Very comfortable vehicle, easy to drive, open to the air, have seatbelts.  We had sooo much fun!  Drove to the Lodge, took a bathroom break and were served warm cookies, hot chocolate, apple cider, water or lemonade.  Back on the mules, headed up the mountain.  The guide stopped us at a few places for beautiful pictures.  The top is a gorgeous view.  Headed back down, again stopping at the Lodge.  Served fresh Halibut Fish Fry (DEEEEE-LISH-OUS), salad, fruit, beans, chicken.  Good meal.  Drove back down, bus back to Haines dock (we were a few minutes early so our driver drove thru town and gave us some history).  Ferry back to Skagway and we walked into town.  Shopping was cute.  Kids got a few nice stuffed animals and we got some t-shirts and a nice Alaska Recipe Book.  Walked back to the ship.  Highly recommend this excursion.

Juneau::  Taku Lodge Flight and Feast:  Our favorite excursion.  Was worried about the price but in the end, it was all worth it.  Took a short 3 minute bus ride to float plane dock station.  Put into groups by family and weight.  Boarded a float plane.  Everyone got a seat by a window and my husband got to sit up front with the pilot (he says to only have the tallest person in your party sit with the pilot as a shorter person may have difficulty seeing over the flight instruments).  It was a breathtaking 30 minute flight over ocean, land, and 5 glaciers.  You wear headsets and listen to narration along the way.  I am afraid of heights AND prone to motion sickness and didn't have a problem with either.  Land in front of the Lodge.  This Lodge was beautiful.  You are literally a football field away from a glacier.  It is beautiful and amazing.  The Lodge is small but perfect (nice, clean, rustic, quaint).  There is a small gift shop, restrooms, a barn and sleeping quarters for the small staff that lives at the Lodge.  You can immediately smell the delicious salmon they are grilling outside over a fire.  There is complimentary lemonade, water or hot Russian Tea (try it- it is delicious)!  You can also purchase wine or beer.  Hubby and I had an Alaskan Beer that he fell in love with.  Must call our local liquor store to see if they carry or can order it.  Anyway, the lunch was absolutely amazing.  The fresh grilled salmon was the best I have ever had.  Sides included spicy baked beans, apple compote, coleslaw, and herb buscuits.  Dessert was homemade ginger cookies.  Each and every bite of food I put into my mouth was amazing.  I went to the gift shop and bought a cookbook with their recipes inside.  Can't wait to see if I can re-create some of that amazing meal. During lunch, a bear came out of the woods and "cleaned" the grill off.  We were allowed outside but the staff made sure we kept a safe distance.  Got some great pictures.  During lunch, one of the staff members told us some history of the Lodge.  It was neat.  After lunch, the bear climbed up into a tree!  Again, great photos and staff made sure we were safe.  Took a guided nature walk, played some horseshoes, got some great photos.  At the end, we saw a different bear in the woods watching us!  Took another float plane back to Juneau.  This excursion was amazing and I would do it again in a heartbeat.  We all thought it was top-notch!

Ketchikan:  Canoe and Rainforest Adventure:  Took a bus ride about 35 minutes to a beautiful, remote lake.  Put into three groups of about 16 people per group.  Given life vests and rain poncho.  Into canoes with a guide.  Our group canoed out into the lake and around an island.  Docked at a different island.  Were give smoked salmon, fish crackers, rolls and jam, hot chocolate and clam chowder.  Took a guided 30 minute nature walk through the rainforest.  This was my favorite part.  The plants and trees are beyond description.  Beautiful and mystic.  Saw an enormous banana slug!  Kids were given time to roast marshmallows over the fire.   Back to the canoe and canoed back to the original dock.  Great adventure and perfect amount of canoe time- not too much, not too short.  Great, knowledgable guides.  We had beautiful weather- no rain which, apparently, is unheard of in Ketchikan!

As I said before, I give all our excursions high, high ratings.  We would do the Juneau one again, but not the others (not because they were at all bad, just b/c we'd like to try something different next time).


----------



## DisneyCruisin

Just did the 6/14 sailing...what an amazing trip! 

Skagway: Did the Chillkoot Horsback ride.  It was only OK.  You go at a very, very slow pace, so after the first 20 minutes I was bored and almost fell asleep.  You go on a long trail in the woods, so not much to see, until the 10 minute photo stop. Had the rest of the afternoon to walk around Skagway, which was nice.   

Juneau: Did the Exclusive Whale Encounter and Mendenhall Glacier.  About 25 people on the boat.  It was great, saw plenty of whales, even a mama and calf. Just make sure to set your camera to take multiple pictures before you head out on the boat...my camera was acting up, but I still got great shots. 

Had about an hour of free time at the glacier which was beautiful.  Just enough time to explore, and get pictures.  We even had enough time walk around Juneau for lunch and shopping after the excursion.  

Ketchikan:Explored on our own, and were happy to do so...the little shops and Creek Street were adorable.


----------



## Fivepin

Anjelica said:


> We were on the May 31st cruise - Our traveling party consisted of DH, DD (8), DS(4) and my brother who is an amputee ~ below are my reviews (we booked only our Juneau excursions through Disney):
> 
> DD and I did the *"Disney Exclusive Dog Musher for a Day"*.  This, by far, was the excursion of a lifetime.  We met with the excursion folks (after Disney passed us on to the proper people) and filled out the proper paperwork which consisted of release forms and age/weight forms (to balance out the helicopter ride).  There were only 10 of us on the trip ~ I later learned that we are the ONLY excursion (i.e. Disney) that does this type of trip and only 10 folks MAX per day (all through Disney).
> 
> After a quick trip via small bus/transport to the helicopter location (ERA) we were given a brief overview on helicopter safety.  We were also outfitted with "glacier boots".  Within 30 minutes of arriving at the helicopter location we were off in the helicopter.  There were 5 of us (all women) in the helicopter.  It was a 15-20 minute flight with beautiful views.  I was in the back seat with a window view with my daughter next to me (they change the seating on the way back to give everyone a chance to have a window seat, etc.).
> 
> There were 4 helicopters that took off and landing within seconds from each other (that was a pretty cool thing to see as well).  Two of the helicopters had folks from Disney that were doing the Disney Musher for a Day and the other two helicopters had folks that were doing the "regular" dog sledding.
> 
> After getting to the glacier (I believe it was the Norris glacier) the groups were split up (i.e.  Disney Musher, Regular Dog sledding) and given our overviews as they were different itineraries.  Within the 10 folks from Disney we were split into 3 different groups - generally along traveling party/family.  DD and I had Nancy as our Sled guide.  After meeting Nancy and her removing a dog from the harness (since it was just two of us on the sled with Nancy she stated we didn't need that many dogs).
> 
> We took off soon after meeting Nancy on our first mushing portion.  We only made a stop or two but we could talk the entire time while mushing (she did the driving on the first part while we chatted).  The second time we stopped for a minute or so she asked my daughter if she wanted to get up and stand on the sled with her and help mush.  My daughter jumped at the chance.  After about a 25 minute mush we ended up away from the camp at a few seperate tents.  We got off the sled and had lunch with our dog mushers (and it was a very good lunch).  We got about 30 minutes to eat and tak more with the dog mushers.  This is where I found out they were as excited as us to do the Disney exclusive excursion as they had never offered this type before (i.e. mushing for the time frame we did and lunch on the glacier with us "regular" folks).
> 
> After lunch, we helped harness our sled team for the final leg of mushing.  Both my daughter and I helped put the harnesses on as well as the booties they were to protect their feet.  My daughter jumped at the chance to once again stand with Nancy to do the mushing.  Half-way through the second portion of the mushing we stopped and Nancy offered I a chance to stand on the second sled (they have a second smaller sled for folks to stand and "drive" the team).  So for the last 1/2 of our mushing on the way back to camp both my DD and I were able to stand on the sleds with Nancy (we also helped brake when needed, etc.).
> 
> After saying goodbye to your musher and dogs (throughout the entire experience we got to learn more about the dogs and my daughter got to pet them for as long as she wanted).  Another worker at the camp comes over and gives you a quick tour of the camp and provides information about the day-to-day operations.  5 minutes before the helicopters come back they let everyone know to make their way back to the landing area to be taken back.
> 
> After loading up in the helicopter and another 15-20 minute ride back to the helicopter location we removed our gear and hoped onboard the vehicle to get back to the boat.
> 
> I just wanted to recap this portion of all the excursions as we truly did love it.  It really was a once in a lifetime experience.
> 
> 
> If anyone has any questions let me know.



I'm so glad to hear about the Disney Dog Musher experience.  We have this booked and my DH was still hesitant because of the price.  He was wanting me to try to book independently, especially since my DS who is 11 is considered an adult with DCL excursions.  After reading you review I think I will keep ours thru DCL.  I'm thinking my 3 boys will love it.  One question-how were you dressed?  Being from Florida we get cold so easily.  I guess if they only take 10 we make up half the group.

Thanks


----------



## mouseclick1

NurseNash said:


> We loved all our excursions!  Would recommend them all!
> 
> Skagway:  Takshanuk Mountain Trail by 4x4:  Took a bus for a whooping 3 minutes to a ferry.  Took a beautiful ferry ride from Skagway to Haines (40 minutes, narrated and bathrooms on board; saw a whale and eagles and waterfalls on the way).  Took a bus ride from the dock (about 15 minutes) to the base of Takshanuk Mountain (saw more eagles on the way)!  Had a briefing on the 4x4, were put into 3 groups (we were in the lead group) of about 4 "mules" (Kawasaki 4x4 vehicles).  Hubby drove, I sat next to him, our two boys (ages 7 and 9) sat in the seats behind us- slightly elevated.  Very comfortable vehicle, easy to drive, open to the air, have seatbelts.  We had sooo much fun!  Drove to the Lodge, took a bathroom break and were served warm cookies, hot chocolate, apple cider, water or lemonade.  Back on the mules, headed up the mountain.  The guide stopped us at a few places for beautiful pictures.  The top is a gorgeous view.  Headed back down, again stopping at the Lodge.  Served fresh Halibut Fish Fry (DEEEEE-LISH-OUS), salad, fruit, beans, chicken.  Good meal.  Drove back down, bus back to Haines dock (we were a few minutes early so our driver drove thru town and gave us some history).  Ferry back to Skagway and we walked into town.  Shopping was cute.  Kids got a few nice stuffed animals and we got some t-shirts and a nice Alaska Recipe Book.  Walked back to the ship.  Highly recommend this excursion.
> 
> As I said before, I give all our excursions high, high ratings.  We would do the Juneau one again, but not the others (not because they were at all bad, just b/c we'd like to try something different next time).



Thank you so much for this review!  We are on the July 19th cruise and have this excursion booked, and yours is the first review of it I've come across.  It sounds like fun and I can't wait until we sail!


----------



## ariel39

we are looking for some fishing excursions   Has anyone been on them?


----------



## poohj80

NurseNash said:


> Ketchikan:  Canoe and Rainforest Adventure:  Took a bus ride about 35 minutes to a beautiful, remote lake.  Put into three groups of about 16 people per group.  Given life vests and rain poncho.  Into canoes with a guide.  Our group canoed out into the lake and around an island.  Docked at a different island.  Were give smoked salmon, fish crackers, rolls and jam, hot chocolate and clam chowder.  Took a guided 30 minute nature walk through the rainforest.  This was my favorite part.  The plants and trees are beyond description.  Beautiful and mystic.  Saw an enormous banana slug!  Kids were given time to roast marshmallows over the fire.   Back to the canoe and canoed back to the original dock.  Great adventure and perfect amount of canoe time- not too much, not too short.  Great, knowledgable guides.  We had beautiful weather- no rain which, apparently, is unheard of in Ketchikan!



Thanks for the review!  We have the Rainforest Island Adventure excursion reserved which sounds very similar other than we raft to the island before the hike and snack.  Since we'll have a 6 yr old, thought this was a safer bet than the canoe.  Did your kids enjoy the hike or were they bored look t plants and trees?


----------



## wdhinn89

ariel39 said:


> we are looking for some fishing excursions   Has anyone been on them?



Me too.  Specifically Halibut fishing.  We chartered a boat for our July trip.


----------



## staffieri

NurseNash said:


> We loved all our excursions!  Would recommend them all!
> 
> 
> 
> As I said before, I give all our excursions high, high ratings.  We would do the Juneau one again, but not the others (not because they were at all bad, just b/c we'd like to try something different next time).





DisneyCruisin said:


> Just did the 6/14 sailing...what an amazing trip!
> 
> 
> Juneau: Did the Exclusive Whale Encounter and Mendenhall Glacier.  About 25 people on the boat.  It was great, saw plenty of whales, even a mama and calf. Just make sure to set your camera to take multiple pictures before you head out on the boat...my camera was acting up, but I still got great shots.
> 
> 
> THANK YOU BOTH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO REVIEW YOUR TOURS. GREAT DETAIL AND INFO. THANKS!!!


----------



## Prose

NurseNash said:


> We loved all our excursions! Would recommend them all!
> 
> Juneau:: Taku Lodge Flight and Feast: Our favorite excursion. Was worried about the price but in the end, it was all worth it. Took a short 3 minute bus ride to float plane dock station. Put into groups by family and weight. Boarded a float plane. Everyone got a seat by a window and my husband got to sit up front with the pilot (he says to only have the tallest person in your party sit with the pilot as a shorter person may have difficulty seeing over the flight instruments). It was a breathtaking 30 minute flight over ocean, land, and 5 glaciers. You wear headsets and listen to narration along the way. I am afraid of heights AND prone to motion sickness and didn't have a problem with either. Land in front of the Lodge. This Lodge was beautiful. You are literally a football field away from a glacier. It is beautiful and amazing. The Lodge is small but perfect (nice, clean, rustic, quaint). There is a small gift shop, restrooms, a barn and sleeping quarters for the small staff that lives at the Lodge. You can immediately smell the delicious salmon they are grilling outside over a fire. There is complimentary lemonade, water or hot Russian Tea (try it- it is delicious)! You can also purchase wine or beer. Hubby and I had an Alaskan Beer that he fell in love with. Must call our local liquor store to see if they carry or can order it. Anyway, the lunch was absolutely amazing. The fresh grilled salmon was the best I have ever had. Sides included spicy baked beans, apple compote, coleslaw, and herb buscuits. Dessert was homemade ginger cookies. Each and every bite of food I put into my mouth was amazing. I went to the gift shop and bought a cookbook with their recipes inside. Can't wait to see if I can re-create some of that amazing meal. During lunch, a bear came out of the woods and "cleaned" the grill off. We were allowed outside but the staff made sure we kept a safe distance. Got some great pictures. During lunch, one of the staff members told us some history of the Lodge. It was neat. After lunch, the bear climbed up into a tree! Again, great photos and staff made sure we were safe. Took a guided nature walk, played some horseshoes, got some great photos. At the end, we saw a different bear in the woods watching us! Took another float plane back to Juneau. This excursion was amazing and I would do it again in a heartbeat. We all thought it was top-notch!
> 
> 
> 
> I totally agree!  It sounds like we were on the same fabulous excursion. This excursion was worth the entire cost of the cruise for us.  DH got to ride in the cockpit, as well, and went around all day with a huge grin of happiness. We have never had salmon as wonderful, and the staff at the lodge were so warm and welcoming.  DD loved seeing the bears and playing with the lodge dogs. You could tell the floatplane pilots love what they do, and they made it very stress-free. I would recommend this excursion wholeheartedly.
Click to expand...


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## fettfan13

Bus tour in skagway, whale watching in juenau definatly worth the money. Indian village and lumber jack show in kettichan wonderful


----------



## Twinparents

We just got off of the June 28th sailing and here is what we did:

Vancouver:  My DH and DS went Sturgeon fishing and caught a 150 pound Sturgeon.  They said it was the experience of a lifetime.  We also spent quite a bit of time at Stanley Park, Granville Island and the Salmon Hatchery.  All were great experiences and other than paying for parking were free.  

Skagway:  We did the helicopter up to the dog sled camp and this was by far our favorite excursion.  My youngest daughter is 9 and Grandpa was 80 and all of us would do this again in a heart beat.  We took a helicopter ride up to the Denver Glacier and the scenery was breathtaking.  The dog camp is on the Denver Glacier and we spent about an hour up there looking and learning about the dogs, holding the puppies and then taking turns mushing the sled.  If we had one complaint it was that the sled ride wasn't long enough because we all enjoyed it so much.  This was a pricey excursion but worth every penny.

Juneau:  We did a private whale watching excursion with Orca Enterprises and had a very good experience.   Their offices were easy to find and right by where the free shuttle drops you off.  We had 28 passengers on our boat which also had a captain, 2 servers and a naturalist who gave us a presentation on what we were seeing.  We only saw Humpbacks and sea lions (we wanted Orcas) but apparently we had a great experience because we ran into a group of 5 whales that were lunch feeding and so we stayed in the same spot for almost an hour and saw the whales a bunch of times.  They served hot tea, coffee, juice, cheese and crackers and smoked salmon.

After the whale watching Orca Enterprises transported us to Coastal helicopters where we did a private flight to the ice fields.   The ice fields were amazing but I didn't really feel like Coastal put safety first.  We basically were free to roam on the ice fields while our pilot walked around with his hands in his pockets.  Our kids ages 9, 14 and 14 were getting a little too close to the large holes and crevices and the guide didn't say a word even though my husband and I were pulling them pack and scolding them.  We later heard from a group that did the Disney version of this excursion and it sounded much safer.  They had cramp ons, walking staffs and the guide wouldn't let them go to close.  While we probably saw some more amazing views I would not ever choose to do this again with children.  

Ketchican:  Husband and the kids did the Fishing Derby and just had an o.k. time.  Apparently, the excursion really depends on how good your guide is.  Our friends were on the same excursion and loved it because they caught a lot of fish.  Our kids were frustrated because just when one person would catch a fish the guide would move to another location and there was nothing.  My husband felt like our guide moved too much and didn't know where to go to catch fish.  The lunch was actually the fish you caught made into a soup and my kids did not enjoy it.  However, my daughter won a t-shirt for the catching the smallest fish.

My parents went on the Wilderness exploration and crab feast that was previously reviewed on this thread.  They thought this was a good experience and enjoyed the views and pulling the crab pots.  They said the dinner was excellent.

I decided that I needed some extra time shopping so changed my excursion at the last minute.  This however was a problem.  Apparently, Disney has changed their policy that all excursions must be changed 2 days before you board the ship.  You can change your excursion on the ship but you are charged the higher price of the excursion you booked or the excursion you cancelled.  I ended up doing the tour of the city and the totem pole park by Trolley.  The tour guide "Ed" was fantastic and quite entertaining.  I enjoyed learning about life in Alaska and the excursion was only about an hour and half which left plenty of time for shopping.


----------



## PBader

Bet your DH & DS were tickeled to death with that sturgeon!!!!!!


----------



## Mickey1Fan

How long are you in port at Ketchican. A woman from church sails in July and they know someone who wants to take her and the family on a tour.

Thank you.


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## denise

Twinparents said:


> We just got off of the June 28th sailing and here is what we did:
> 
> Vancouver:  My DH and DS went Sturgeon fishing and caught a 150 pound Sturgeon.  They said it was the experience of a lifetime.  We also spent quite a bit of time at Stanley Park, Granville Island and the Salmon Hatchery.  All were great experiences and other than paying for parking were free.
> 
> Skagway:  We did the helicopter up to the dog sled camp and this was by far our favorite excursion.  My youngest daughter is 9 and Grandpa was 80 and all of us would do this again in a heart beat.  We took a helicopter ride up to the Denver Glacier and the scenery was breathtaking.  The dog camp is on the Denver Glacier and we spent about an hour up there looking and learning about the dogs, holding the puppies and then taking turns mushing the sled.  If we had one complaint it was that the sled ride wasn't long enough because we all enjoyed it so much.  This was a pricey excursion but worth every penny.
> 
> Juneau:  We did a private whale watching excursion with Orca Enterprises and had a very good experience.   Their offices were easy to find and right by where the free shuttle drops you off.  We had 28 passengers on our boat which also had a captain, 2 servers and a naturalist who gave us a presentation on what we were seeing.  We only saw Humpbacks and sea lions (we wanted Orcas) but apparently we had a great experience because we ran into a group of 5 whales that were lunch feeding and so we stayed in the same spot for almost an hour and saw the whales a bunch of times.  They served hot tea, coffee, juice, cheese and crackers and smoked salmon.
> 
> After the whale watching Orca Enterprises transported us to Coastal helicopters where we did a private flight to the ice fields.   The ice fields were amazing but I didn't really feel like Coastal put safety first.  We basically were free to roam on the ice fields while our pilot walked around with his hands in his pockets.  Our kids ages 9, 14 and 14 were getting a little too close to the large holes and crevices and the guide didn't say a word even though my husband and I were pulling them pack and scolding them.  We later heard from a group that did the Disney version of this excursion and it sounded much safer.  They had cramp ons, walking staffs and the guide wouldn't let them go to close.  While we probably saw some more amazing views I would not ever choose to do this again with children.
> 
> Ketchican:  Husband and the kids did the Fishing Derby and just had an o.k. time.  Apparently, the excursion really depends on how good your guide is.  Our friends were on the same excursion and loved it because they caught a lot of fish.  Our kids were frustrated because just when one person would catch a fish the guide would move to another location and there was nothing.  My husband felt like our guide moved too much and didn't know where to go to catch fish.  The lunch was actually the fish you caught made into a soup and my kids did not enjoy it.  However, my daughter won a t-shirt for the catching the smallest fish.
> 
> My parents went on the Wilderness exploration and crab feast that was previously reviewed on this thread.  They thought this was a good experience and enjoyed the views and pulling the crab pots.  They said the dinner was excellent.
> 
> I decided that I needed some extra time shopping so changed my excursion at the last minute.  This however was a problem.  Apparently, Disney has changed their policy that all excursions must be changed 2 days before you board the ship.  You can change your excursion on the ship but you are charged the higher price of the excursion you booked or the excursion you cancelled.  I ended up doing the tour of the city and the totem pole park by Trolley.  The tour guide "Ed" was fantastic and quite entertaining.  I enjoyed learning about life in Alaska and the excursion was only about an hour and half which left plenty of time for shopping.



Kimberly----first off, I didn't know Grandpa was 80! Wow, he fouled me...
Sounds like you had lots of fun. Wish we were on the same cruise again, maybe next time. I wouldn't of eaten fish soup either 
We are sticking with Disney excursions this time because we only booked this cruise when we got back from the Repo Cruise in May. With school and booking hotels and flights I had no time to research private tours. We cancelled New Years on the Dream and changed it to this one. I'm happy because I really wanted to do Alaska but sad because the Dream sounded fun for New Years. Perhaps another time.
Can't wait to see your pictures.



PBader said:


> Bet your DH & DS were tickeled to death with that sturgeon!!!!!!


You should have seen the picture, that thing was so huge!


----------



## wdhinn89

Twinparents said:


> We just got off of the June 28th sailing and here is what we did:
> 
> *Vancouver:  My DH and DS went Sturgeon fishing and caught a 150 pound Sturgeon.  They said it was the experience of a lifetime.*  We also spent quite a bit of time at Stanley Park, Granville Island and the Salmon Hatchery.  All were great experiences and other than paying for parking were free.
> 
> Skagway:  We did the helicopter up to the dog sled camp and this was by far our favorite excursion.  My youngest daughter is 9 and Grandpa was 80 and all of us would do this again in a heart beat.  We took a helicopter ride up to the Denver Glacier and the scenery was breathtaking.  The dog camp is on the Denver Glacier and we spent about an hour up there looking and learning about the dogs, holding the puppies and then taking turns mushing the sled.  If we had one complaint it was that the sled ride wasn't long enough because we all enjoyed it so much.  This was a pricey excursion but worth every penny.
> 
> Juneau:  We did a private whale watching excursion with Orca Enterprises and had a very good experience.   Their offices were easy to find and right by where the free shuttle drops you off.  We had 28 passengers on our boat which also had a captain, 2 servers and a naturalist who gave us a presentation on what we were seeing.  We only saw Humpbacks and sea lions (we wanted Orcas) but apparently we had a great experience because we ran into a group of 5 whales that were lunch feeding and so we stayed in the same spot for almost an hour and saw the whales a bunch of times.  They served hot tea, coffee, juice, cheese and crackers and smoked salmon.
> 
> After the whale watching Orca Enterprises transported us to Coastal helicopters where we did a private flight to the ice fields.   The ice fields were amazing but I didn't really feel like Coastal put safety first.  We basically were free to roam on the ice fields while our pilot walked around with his hands in his pockets.  Our kids ages 9, 14 and 14 were getting a little too close to the large holes and crevices and the guide didn't say a word even though my husband and I were pulling them pack and scolding them.  We later heard from a group that did the Disney version of this excursion and it sounded much safer.  They had cramp ons, walking staffs and the guide wouldn't let them go to close.  While we probably saw some more amazing views I would not ever choose to do this again with children.
> 
> Ketchican:  Husband and the kids did the Fishing Derby and just had an o.k. time.  Apparently, the excursion really depends on how good your guide is.  Our friends were on the same excursion and loved it because they caught a lot of fish.  Our kids were frustrated because just when one person would catch a fish the guide would move to another location and there was nothing.  My husband felt like our guide moved too much and didn't know where to go to catch fish.  The lunch was actually the fish you caught made into a soup and my kids did not enjoy it.  However, my daughter won a t-shirt for the catching the smallest fish.
> 
> My parents went on the Wilderness exploration and crab feast that was previously reviewed on this thread.  They thought this was a good experience and enjoyed the views and pulling the crab pots.  They said the dinner was excellent.
> 
> I decided that I needed some extra time shopping so changed my excursion at the last minute.  This however was a problem.  Apparently, Disney has changed their policy that all excursions must be changed 2 days before you board the ship.  You can change your excursion on the ship but you are charged the higher price of the excursion you booked or the excursion you cancelled.  I ended up doing the tour of the city and the totem pole park by Trolley.  The tour guide "Ed" was fantastic and quite entertaining.  I enjoyed learning about life in Alaska and the excursion was only about an hour and half which left plenty of time for shopping.



Can you give me some info on your sturgeon fishing trip?  Who did you charter with?  
My husband and son would love this.
  We chartered a boat to go halibut fishing in Ketichan but adding a sturgeon fishing trip would be great too.  Who was your guide in Ketichan and what did they fish for?


----------



## jarudinski

pointandshoot said:


> Has anyone done the zipline in Ketchikan. We have the Bear Creek booked and interested and how people have liked it.
> Chuck



We did this excursion on our cruise at the beg of June. We picked this one over their other zipline excursion as my DD (12) did not meet the weight requirement for the other course. 

At the start of the excursion we got out gear and headed off to the test zip. The test zip allows you to do a practice run and get comfortable with the procedure.

We did 6 zip lines, had to cross a small suspension bridge, did a short rapel and then went down the 270 ft mt slide.  My daughter loved this excursion and I think the slide was her favorite. One tip, if anyone in your party has long hair, bring hair ties and pull your hair back, to keep your hair out of the equipment.

One of the zips was very long and the lighter individuals in group (mostly the kids) didn't make it all the way to the end, so they had to manually pull themselves in. Good experience all in all.

The excursion was a lot of fun and the guides were great. After the excursion we were taken back to the shops where there was drinks and snacks. Also you could purchase the pictures taken on the excursion. There was a group picture and then an individual action shot. I thought the pictures were a bit overprices at $20 each, but that was the only negative thing from this excursion.

My husband is afraid of heights but he humors us and went anyway. He has done ziplining before in Cabo, but found this one to be a lot worse as you are ziplining from treetop to treetop and never really get back to the ground til the end. You are tethered to safety lines the whole excursion, but if you have any problems with heights this excursion may present a problem.


Other excursions we did were ..

Skagway: Dog Sledding Summer Camp excursion. The kids had a blast. we had a short drive to the site and we got some interesting information about the area. Once we arrived, we were loaded into the Unimogs and then into the dog sleds. Once we were done, the kids wanted to go again. They sleds went much faster than I ever would have expected. After the dog sledding we went to bas camp to shop for souvenirs, hear a presentation on dog sledding and to play with the puppies. 

Juneau: Mendenhall Float Trip. This was also a great excursion. We got on the bus for a short trip to the launch site. Once we were there we got outfitted in gear: rain boots, waterproof coveralls and life jackets. We got divided into groups, 9 ppl per raft. Our guide was a lot of fun, he took us near a small glacier piece in the lake so we could see it up close then we left the lake for the river. There was not much to do as the guide did all the work, so this excursion could be a hit or miss. Ours was great because of the guide and our raft mates, so we all had a lot of fun. There was some interesting sites among the river. The rapids never got very fast, they were pretty mild, much like the rapid rides in the theme parks. The folks in front got the wetest, not much for anyone else. Bring extra socks as your feet may get wet. You may want mittens too. When the trip was over we were taken to a camp, to get out of our gear, retrieve our belongings and were treated to refreshments. They also had pictures from the trip, 3 different shots. We recieved 1 free picture per ticket holder and could purchase the rest for $20 each if interested.

Overall, we enjoyed all our excursions and had a great cruise.

Julie


----------



## Twinparents

Mickey1Fan - We were only in Ketchikan from 1:30-7:30.  We were about 15 minutes late getting in because the Carnival ship had not left the dock that we were supposed to be in.

wdhinn89 - We used Silversides Fishing Adventures at www.bcfishing-guide.com.  I think it was about $725 for 3 people and that was a 12 hour a day.  He did say there are different prices depending on the season and we were early season.

In Ketchikan they went on the Disney "Fishing Derby".  It was mainly a family event and not for serious fisherman.  There were fishing for whatever but people caught halibut, flounder rock fish and rat fish.  My husband said next time he would charter the halibut boat.  

Denise - you will have a great time.  Wish we could go again!  If you book the Fantasy let us know!


----------



## NurseNash

poohj80 said:


> Thanks for the review!  We have the Rainforest Island Adventure excursion reserved which sounds very similar other than we raft to the island before the hike and snack.  Since we'll have a 6 yr old, thought this was a safer bet than the canoe.  Did your kids enjoy the hike or were they bored look t plants and trees?



My kids were not bored but it was only about a 30 minute nature walk.  Our guide showed us mud that is similar to quick sand (kids loved that) and she let the kids crawl into a "cave" that is made by huge tree roots (they loved that part too).  We also saw two huge banana slugs (about the size of a roll of quarters and they are still talking about them)!  We had had snacks before hand so my 7yo carried his cup of hot chocolate with him and sipped on it while he listened.  Our canoe guide had told the kids to listen close b/c she was going to give a quiz on the canoe ride back and if they did good, they'd get a surprise.  She forgot to give the quiz but she still gave them a pin that said "I canoed in Ketchikan".  One BIG tip: There were A LOT of mosquitos.  I was so thankkful I had brought some bug spray.  I found bug spray with a 15% DEET solution at Walmart in the camping/sporting goods section here in Colorado.  I bought some that looks like and is the size of a pen (so it is small and convenient... if you have ever seen the Tide Sticks it was that size with a spray pump on the tip).  It fit easily into my pocket.  Because it had DEET, I sprayed it on our hair and clothing.  You will have fun!  It made me feel like I saw some of the "real" Alaska... loved the plants on the nature walk.  But I also liked that the length of the excursion still gave us time to check out the town.  Our trip was in the afternoon so we put the kids in the kids club and hubby and I spent the morning shopping (kids had shopped with us in Skagway and Juneau and were shopped out).  The time of the excursion did make us miss our 5:45 dinner seating but we had talked to our Head Server on the first night and he let us go to the second dinner seating and accommodated us nicely.  Have fun!  We really felt like the whole trip was one of the best our family has ever done!


----------



## wdhinn89

Twinparents said:


> Mickey1Fan - We were only in Ketchikan from 1:30-7:30.  We were about 15 minutes late getting in because the Carnival ship had not left the dock that we were supposed to be in.
> 
> wdhinn89 - We used Silversides Fishing Adventures at www.bcfishing-guide.com.  I think it was about $725 for 3 people and that was a 12 hour a day.  He did say there are different prices depending on the season and we were early season.
> 
> In Ketchikan they went on the Disney "Fishing Derby".  It was mainly a family event and not for serious fisherman.  There were fishing for whatever but people caught halibut, flounder rock fish and rat fish.  My husband said next time he would charter the halibut boat.
> 
> Denise - you will have a great time.  Wish we could go again!  If you book the Fantasy let us know!



Thank you for the link!!!


----------



## PBader

Thanks for posting the reviews on the Taku Glcier Floatplane.  We are booked on this for the Aug 30th cruise and are super excited about it




I have read a couple postings about mosquitos--I guess they will continue to get worse.  I bought those Off clipons to use, has anyone used them?


----------



## poohj80

NurseNash said:


> One BIG tip: There were A LOT of mosquitos.



Thank you for the tips!  Both DD and I get eaten alive by mosquitos so we will both make sure we're coated!


----------



## denise

Has anyone used the OFF thing that has two batteries that hangs on your belt? Don't know the name. It has little refills with repellent. Does that work?


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## plutojudy

We have been using them in the yard this year and so far they seem to work. Mosquitoes love me and I haven't been bit since we started using them. We also use Citronella candles and citronella oil in torches. We also have campfire in our Weber firepalce. So not sure if one works better than others but we are using everything.


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## TDC Nala

> Apparently, Disney has changed their policy that all excursions must be changed 2 days before you board the ship. You can change your excursion on the ship but you are charged the higher price of the excursion you booked or the excursion you cancelled.



Excursions must be cancelled no later than 2 days before boarding. You can change them onboard, but not cancel them. I know this was the case in 2007, but I don't know how long ago it might have been different.


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## disneyochem

thej said:


> Hmmm. We are doing basically the same times for this and I've been concerned about our 9 yearold and lunch. Heck I'm worried about all of us. Not sure we can pack enough food to keep everyone happy from 10-4.



I did this tour on the June 14th trip.  I ordered room service on the Wonder (sandwiches and fruit), put the food in plastic baggies that I had brought and then we had lunch on the tour!  I have one DD who wanted bagels so I also picked up bagels and cream cheese from the buffet.

I always travel with a variety of plastic bags!


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## disneyochem

On the June 14th trip we did the following:

*Skagway:*  Used Chilkoot Tours for a Train and Dog Camp Excursion.  We were met at the dock by a driver of a van that seated about 25 people (20 of whom were on the Wonder).  We drove up to Caribou Crossing--stopping along the way for views, wildlife, etc.  It was great.  Our guide would take us to areas that didn't have lots of buses or people.   Stopped by a lake to skip stones as well!   We had a little bit of time so we went on to Emerald Lake (an unscheduled stop which was nice!).  At Caribou Crossing, we had the BBQ Chicken lunch (which was just okay, the fresh donuts were nice though!) before our dog sled ride.  My daughters loved the dog sled ride and loved the huskey puppies even more!  The museum was fun to walk through as well as the ice cream cones!    We got back on our van and then drove to the train depot at Frazier.  The Chilkoot Tour Company had one car for all us (which was nice  because we certainly didn't have a lot of people so were able to move back and forward in the train car).  The train ride was fantastic; we also stopped a couple of times to pick up hikers.  We still had a couple of hours to explore Skagway--went to the Red Onion and had drinks and snacks.  I highly recommend Chilkoot Tours--very professional and MUCH smaller than the Disney tour.  We met up with the Disney tour at the dog sled camp--the group was just finishing up and getting back on the buses.  Was nice to be traveling with 23 people and a guide.  And, it was about $150 cheaper than Disney.  Chilkoot Tours actually thinks your 12 year old is a child and charges accordingly>

*Juneau:*  We did the Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacier Tour through Disney.  We met in the Walt Disney Theater onboard, received our stickers (Chip and Dale) and bus number.  We were in Bus 1.  Got on board the bus at the dock and drove to Auck Bay, just outside of Juneau (15 minute drive).  Our driver was very informative and told us alot about living in Alaska.  I was worried about the number of people on the boat (since there were many, many buses at the dock) but only two buses loaded onto the catamaran (about 75 people).  The boat was great--three restrooms and a snack bar.  We headed out for a three hour cruise.....  Saw lots of whales, eagles and other wildlife.  The company provided free coffee, hot chocolate and donut holes.  The snack bar sold hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, sodas, candy, etc.  They also provided free samples of salmon and kelp pickles.  Lots of fun.  The boat was two-decked so there was lots of room to roam around.  After the whale watching, we got back on the bus and headed out to the Mendenhall Glacier.  Only was able to spend about one hour at the glacier--I could have stayed longer but my girls were done!  The bus driver dropped us off in Juneau so we walked/shopped our way back to the ship.  Juneau had free shuttles that took you from the main drag to the boat.

*Ketchikan*--That was our slow day.  Didn't want to overbook the kids so only had the Disney Exclusive Lumberjack Show (which I'm glad I did!).  The girls did not want to do anything but hang out with friends on the ship!  Hubby and I left them and went on a walking tour of Ketchikan.  Enjoyed walking around (Creek Street was cute).  Went back for the girls and grandma for the show.  We walked to the show.  Everyone (but me!) loved the lumberjack show!  It was well done but just not my cup of tea!  Also, I was able to get the tickets directly from the Lumberjack site and not Disney  (on the website, it identified the show that was Disney exclusive).  Again, Lumberjack folks had child prices and senior prices so was able save about $45.  The show folks also had free shuttles back to the ship so didn't really see a need to book through Disney!

We spent a couple of days in Victoria before our cruise.  One of the activities we did was go to Wildplay.  What a blast for the kids!  It is an outdoor park that is located in the trees!  Girls and I were able to climb and zipline for a couple of hours.  Loads of fun!  We did so much ziplining that I was able to cancel our zipline tours--girls thought it would be fun to do something else.  Cost was pretty reasonable--I'm thinking it was about $50/person.  I was really impressed with the staff.  In the orientation, my 12 year old unbuckled a strap.  They stopped her, said it was important NEVER to unbuckle these straps and made her go back down a level (we were about 20 feet high) for retraining!  Momma loved that!

Also had high tea at the Empress Hotel.  That was my cup of tea!


----------



## NurseNash

PBader said:


> Thanks for posting the reviews on the Taku Glcier Floatplane.  We are booked on this for the Aug 30th cruise and are super excited about it
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have read a couple postings about mosquitos--I guess they will continue to get worse.  I bought those Off clipons to use, has anyone used them?



There WERE mosquitos when we were at Taku (June 18th).  The Lodge did have bug spray available for people to use (it was on a shelf on the front porch of the main lodge).  I hope you have fun... Taku was a favorite part of our trip for ALL of us (me, hubby, 7yo son and 9yo son).  We'd do it again... food was so good.


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## Inkmahm

NurseNash said:


> There WERE mosquitos when we were at Taku (June 18th).  The Lodge did have bug spray available for people to use (it was on a shelf on the front porch of the main lodge).  I hope you have fun... Taku was a favorite part of our trip for ALL of us (me, hubby, 7yo son and 9yo son).  We'd do it again... food was so good.



By end of August, bug spray won't be needed.  Bug season is June/July.  I've been to Alaska in August and it is bug free.  Going Aug 16th with Disney and will not be taking insect spray.


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## PBader

Inkmahm, that is NICE to know!!  I bought those Off Clipons weeks ago, so I'll still throw them in my bag, but hopefully we won't need them


----------



## womanredress

Inkmahm said:


> By end of August, bug spray won't be needed.  Bug season is June/July.  I've been to Alaska in August and it is bug free.  Going Aug 16th with Disney and will not be taking insect spray.



Inkmahm, 
Thank you for that great information! I'm going on Aug 23rd and I've now heard from two different people that August will not be buggy! That is a relief to me because my younger sister is like a mosquito magnet and will wind up with dozens of bug bites within minutes of going outside. It makes for a miserable time for her. I'm so glad I switched from my mid June reservation to this late August one!

Our bags are already going to be so stuffed, that information on what NOT to bring is super helpful! 

Thanks again!


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## denise

pray for no mosquito's next week please....I hate them, they love me...must be my O- blood they are after....I am the universal donor after all


----------



## joycsk

disneyochem said:


> On the June 14th trip we did the following:
> 
> *Skagway:*  Used Chilkoot Tours for a Train and Dog Camp Excursion.  We were met at the dock by a driver of a van that seated about 25 people (20 of whom were on the Wonder).  We drove up to Caribou Crossing--stopping along the way for views, wildlife, etc.  It was great.  Our guide would take us to areas that didn't have lots of buses or people.   Stopped by a lake to skip stones as well!   We had a little bit of time so we went on to Emerald Lake (an unscheduled stop which was nice!).  At Caribou Crossing, we had the BBQ Chicken lunch (which was just okay, the fresh donuts were nice though!) before our dog sled ride.  My daughters loved the dog sled ride and loved the huskey puppies even more!  The museum was fun to walk through as well as the ice cream cones!    We got back on our van and then drove to the train depot at Frazier.  The Chilkoot Tour Company had one car for all us (which was nice  because we certainly didn't have a lot of people so were able to move back and forward in the train car).  The train ride was fantastic; we also stopped a couple of times to pick up hikers.  We still had a couple of hours to explore Skagway--went to the Red Onion and had drinks and snacks.  I highly recommend Chilkoot Tours--very professional and MUCH smaller than the Disney tour.  We met up with the Disney tour at the dog sled camp--the group was just finishing up and getting back on the buses.  Was nice to be traveling with 23 people and a guide.  And, it was about $150 cheaper than Disney.  Chilkoot Tours actually thinks your 12 year old is a child and charges accordingly>



We're doing this tour without the sled ride.  I especially liked that you can leave at 8:30 if you're taking the bus first!  Appreciate the review!


----------



## Inkmahm

denise said:


> pray for no mosquito's next week please....I hate them, they love me...must be my O- blood they are after....I am the universal donor after all



Sorry, you're there at the height of bug season. It's one of the reasons that I go in August!


----------



## thej

Inkmahm said:


> Sorry, you're there at the height of bug season. It's one of the reasons that I go in August!



We just got back today, and didn't see a single mosquito, though the only place we ever saw the sun was Skagway it was rainy and overcast the rest of the time.


----------



## PBader

NurseNash said:


> There WERE mosquitos when we were at Taku (June 18th).  The Lodge did have bug spray available for people to use (it was on a shelf on the front porch of the main lodge).  I hope you have fun... Taku was a favorite part of our trip for ALL of us (me, hubby, 7yo son and 9yo son).  We'd do it again... food was so good.



Thank you, I am really looking forward to it.  I couldn't talk the rest of our travel party into going on the plane, so it will only be me & dh.  I don't want to wish away my summer but I wish August 30th would get here a little bit faster


----------



## BruceT

Hi, I'm local here in Abbotsford, BC, if you want good fishing guides contact STS Guides and ask for Thomas Russchtman,he is a friend of mine here and a fantastic guide.
just tell him Bruce TenHoeve sent you,he will show you a great time.
Depending on when you are fishing before or after the cruise in August we will also have Sockeye running and some late pinks and chinook(kings)

best regards
Bruce TenHoeve


----------



## buddywesley

we just got back yesterday so wanted to update what we did.

scagway: white pass railway and trail camp.  we were on the 11:45 one and wished we had gone to town earlier as we didnt have time to explore town and be back for Cars 2 that night at our 5pm showing. scagway was my most favorite port. I thought it was prettiest and we had a beautiful day there. train was great. scenery was beautiful. They don't sell snacks though so I'd advise bringing snacks along for the little ones. I was giving out snacks to other families  with hungry kids! the liarsville camp was pretty silly. The show was ok and the gold panning was a joke. Fun to see an old town but could have skipped it. This is the only place I saw Mosquitos too. The bus part of the tour was great though. We got out for 2 picture stops and saw different scenery than on the train. Over all we enjoyed the day here.

Juneau: We did the whale watching and mendenhall glacier. This was a great trip! We were lucky to see a residence pod of Orcas(they say they only see Orcas 10% of the time) sea lions, porpoises, eagle trying to feed on salmon in the water and a humpback mama and baby. The Orcas were so amazing, we sat there for half an hour watching them. There were about 15 or so! Then we went to Mendenhall Glacier. Our bus driver was 237 with Evan. he was great. Glacier was beautiful but we only got to spend an hour at the glacier. My son got his jr ranger badge there so he was excited! When we returned we got dropped off into town for shopping and traces crab shack. Use those little coupon books you get at vancouver port and you'll get some great cheap souvenirs. traces was yummy! A little pricey, but the crab bisque is great and the legs are huge! I heard it's on the top ten list of places to eat before you 
die! It sprinkled off and on here and was a little colder than scagway but didn't really matter much!

Ketchikan: we did wilderness explored and crab feast. It was nasty weather and the worst day we had. We boarded a smaller boat after a short bus ride(couldn't see much because the windows were so dirty on the bus. Other ports excursions drivers cleaned them) in our opinion the boat ride to pull up crabs was stupid  sorry but only word I can use! Didn't see much wildlife and only 2 people got to pull up the pots. My son got to hold a crab but the other 45 minutes or so was just nothingness. After the ride we went to George inlet lodge for a crab feast. This was great! The staff was super fun and informative. The crab was all you can eat yummy and we had a stacking contest and crab dance!  we were stuffed after and had to force ourselves to eat lobster that night  when we returned we had time to go to town for a bit but kids didn't want to because of the rain. They went to club and I got ready for dinner while my husband went to souvenir shop again  crab was great, weather and rest of excursion not so good.

I'm in Vancouver till Friday but will try to answer any questions as I can


----------



## KathyM2

sabrecmc said:


> We were on the first Alaskan (May 3-10).  Here are my reviews from another thread:
> 
> Skagway: Yukon exploration with White Pass RR and dog sledding through Chilkoot Charters...this was FANTASTIC! Our favorite experience by far
> 
> Juneau: Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacier...also loved this. Saw humpbacks up pretty close, sea lions, porpoises and bald eagles. They served drinks and snacks (salmon, crackers, chocolate) and had a restroom onboard. They also had a naturalist onboard to talk about the whales and we learned a lot. The boat is enclosed, but you can go out the back or front when they find the whales. Glacier was gorgeous and you could walk pretty close, nice trails and visitors center but only 1 hour there and it goes by quickly. I would probably not do the whale watching again simply b/c we saw so many from our verandah, though the tour was great. The 9:30 whale watchers didn't see whales and got their money back. We also did Historic Gold Panning Adventure that afternoon, since we were back at the ship in time to do another tour. Very fun. They took us to Gold Creek, where Juneau himself struck gold, and let us pan. This is really great for kids, especially in the 7-11 range. Get your feet wet and find some riches! The kids in our tour loved it. They do make sure everyone "finds" gold by giving you your first pan from their stock of sand. You get flakes and they will put them in a vial for you.
> 
> Ketchikan: My DD and I did the Potlatch Park with youth activity tour. We really liked this. You visit the totem park with a guide and he did a great job of telling some kid-friendly stories about the totems (like how one is their version of Hansel and Gretel). It didn't last too long and let the kids get up close with the totems. Then we met the carver at Potlatch Park and got to see her studio. After a quick visit to the clan house and some questions from the kids, DCL youth counselors magically appeared to help the kids paint feather-scales for the totem that is being erected. We then explored the town a bit and went to the DCL Lumberjack Show (I just bought tickets for this on the lumberjack show website...you don't have to book through DCL...it isn't literally "exclusive," though I suspect it will fill up later in the season). This was wonderful! You should definitely do it. Kids loved it. Loved. Lots of participation for the 7+ set. My parents did a trolley tour of the town and said it sucked. They also visited Saxman village and said that without a guide, it was a waste of time b/c they didn't know what they were looking at.
> 
> Interesting that the next cruise's Whale Watching adventure had loads more people.  Ours was probably 35 on the boat and it was a small, fast boat, not a double-decker.  We also had longer at the Glacier.



Thanks so much for your reviews! I'm so glad to see that it's feasible to do more than one excursion in the ports. We booked that whale watching and also lumberjack show the same day and I was worried it might be too much.


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## dkmjgal

buddywesley said:


> we just got back yesterday so wanted to update what we did.
> 
> scagway: *white pass railway and trail camp.  we were on the 11:45 one and wished we had gone to town earlier as we didnt have time to explore town and be back for Cars 2 that night at our 5pm showing. scagway was my most favorite port. I thought it was prettiest and we had a beautiful day there. train was great. scenery was beautiful. They don't sell snacks though so I'd advise bringing snacks along for the little ones. I was giving out snacks to other families  with hungry kids! the liarsville camp was pretty silly. The show was ok and the gold panning was a joke.* Fun to see an old town but could have skipped it. This is the only place I saw Mosquitos too. The bus part of the tour was great though. We got out for 2 picture stops and saw different scenery than on the train. Over all we enjoyed the day here.
> 
> Juneau: We did the whale watching and mendenhall glacier. This was a great trip! We were lucky to see a residence pod of Orcas(they say they only see Orcas 10% of the time) sea lions, porpoises, eagle trying to feed on salmon in the water and a humpback mama and baby. The Orcas were so amazing, we sat there for half an hour watching them. There were about 15 or so! Then we went to Mendenhall Glacier. Our bus driver was 237 with Evan. he was great. Glacier was beautiful but we only got to spend an hour at the glacier. My son got his jr ranger badge there so he was excited! When we returned we got dropped off into town for shopping and traces crab shack. Use those little coupon books you get at vancouver port and you'll get some great cheap souvenirs. traces was yummy! A little pricey, but the crab bisque is great and the legs are huge! I heard it's on the top ten list of places to eat before you
> die! It sprinkled off and on here and was a little colder than scagway but didn't really matter much!
> 
> Ketchikan: we did wilderness explored and crab feast. It was nasty weather and the worst day we had. We boarded a smaller boat after a short bus ride(couldn't see much because the windows were so dirty on the bus. Other ports excursions drivers cleaned them) in our opinion the boat ride to pull up crabs was stupid  sorry but only word I can use! Didn't see much wildlife and only 2 people got to pull up the pots. My son got to hold a crab but the other 45 minutes or so was just nothingness. After the ride we went to George inlet lodge for a crab feast. This was great! The staff was super fun and informative. The crab was all you can eat yummy and we had a stacking contest and crab dance!  we were stuffed after and had to force ourselves to eat lobster that night  when we returned we had time to go to town for a bit but kids didn't want to because of the rain. They went to club and I got ready for dinner while my husband went to souvenir shop again  crab was great, weather and rest of excursion not so good.
> 
> I'm in Vancouver till Friday but will try to answer any questions as I can



We are booked for the White Pass Railway tour with the Trail Camp but I'm not convinced I want to do it yet.  DH really thinks we should do the train...DS(12) wants to pan for gold but I think he'll be disappointed-DD (15) will probably listen to her iPod the whole time anyway.  Should I maybe look to just do the Railway and not worry so much about the Trail Camp?  Or is it worth it to have the whole experience - Train -Trail Camp - Bus?  Thanks!


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## joycsk

dkmjgal said:


> We are booked for the White Pass Railway tour with the Trail Camp but I'm not convinced I want to do it yet.  DH really thinks we should do the train...DS(12) wants to pan for gold but I think he'll be disappointed-DD (15) will probably listen to her iPod the whole time anyway.  Should I maybe look to just do the Railway and not worry so much about the Trail Camp?  Or is it worth it to have the whole experience - Train -Trail Camp - Bus?  Thanks!



We are doing WPR through Chilkoot Charters.  Others have posted good reviews on this.  They have two options.  The first tour departs at 7:30 am, you take the train out, and then take a bus to some scenic stops, and do get to see dog-sled puppies (and an optional dog-cart ride if you wish) before returning to port.  The reverse tour departs at 8:30, which is the reason we chose that one.  (Though some say that the train is better on the way out than the way back.)  

My DH was convinced that the panning for gold would be far more tacky than he could stand.  If your kids were younger, I think that it would be more worthwhile; however, Everything I've heard and read is that WPR itself is not to be missed.


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## dkmjgal

Thanks Joy!  I will look into this.

Kelly


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## buddywesley

dkmjgal said:


> We are booked for the White Pass Railway tour with the Trail Camp but I'm not convinced I want to do it yet.  DH really thinks we should do the train...DS(12) wants to pan for gold but I think he'll be disappointed-DD (15) will probably listen to her iPod the whole time anyway.  Should I maybe look to just do the Railway and not worry so much about the Trail Camp?  Or is it worth it to have the whole experience - Train -Trail Camp - Bus?  Thanks!



Train is full of amazing views! We sat in the last car and pretty much stood out the back of the car the whole way up. I would definately reccomend it. Friends we cruised with just did the train up and back and they said they liked it but I felt like we had it better since we could get out of bus twice and take some great pix on the way back. Liarsville IMHO was not really worth it, but my kids seemed to like it ok. Get someone to help you with the gold. We never really found anything and couldn't get it in the little baggies they gave us. (my daughter just put some tiny rocks in hers ) I think there is another excursion that I heard you pan for gold. Maybe in Juneau? People seemed to like that. Up to you. I did see some older kids there.


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## wdhinn89

While everyone was in Skagway, were there private excursion booths at the port?  Were any of them for ziplineing?  Is it possible for my husband and I to go on a ziplining tour with our kids and have them zipline and us just watch?  They are 17 and 13.


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## parrothead365

Skagway
Eagle Preserve Wildlife River Adventure, nice boat ride to Haines then bus ride to river camp. open boat ride up river looking for wildlife. We saw plenty of eagles and a duck or two but all the other wildlife was not to be seen. You can't count on seeing moose or bears but you should see eagles. Back at camp you get to cook your own hotdog over the fire and had some awsome homemade veggy chili and cookies. The guides had some spotting scopes  setup and we got to see some mountain goats up on the mountain. For those who are not real adventureous I highly recommend this one. 

 Our son did a zip line adventure and loved it. 

Juneau
 Did the Mendenhal visitor center and Roberts tramway. Bus to visitor center and plenty of time to explore. Bus back to town and tram up mountain to visitor center and a wine tasting. This was Ok but not a must do. 


Ketchican
 Did the eagles,totems,and lighthouse tour. Again a great time for the less adventurous. basicly a bus ride to a marina and a nice boat ride to see eagles and the sights. We enjoyed this but we did hit some rough weather.

Son did another zip line/repelling trip. He said the first one in Skagway was much better.


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## parrothead365

wdhinn89 said:


> While everyone was in Skagway, were there private excursion booths at the port?  Were any of them for ziplineing?  Is it possible for my husband and I to go on a ziplining tour with our kids and have them zipline and us just watch?  They are 17 and 13.



My son said that would not be possible to just watch. They take you up in a truck and you have to zipline back to base camp( He is 18 and loved it).  We bought the excursion thru Disney.


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## wdhinn89

parrothead365 said:


> My son said that would not be possible to just watch. They take you up in a truck and you have to zipline back to base camp( He is 18 and loved it).  We bought the excursion thru Disney.



Thanks!


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## booger73

Quick review from June 28-July 5th

Tracy Arm:  It can be quite cold Decks 9-10.. even with blankets.  We had a misty day/drizzled for a little while.. If I had known better I would not have been up on deck between 1p-3p and been "cold and rained on" and just watched from our Verandah.. more worth it to be on deck after 3p..  Was very pretty though..

Skagway (did 2)- we had perfect weather, no rain.. sunniest day so far according to guides
WPRR + Trail camp in early am (7:30) - did this early because adults wanted to see RR and kids wanted to go gold panning.. WPRR is very scenic and fun, even kids enjoyed it.. I personally did not enjoy Liarsville and/or gold panning and did not think it was worth the time.. (from a duration time actually spent doing it, and a "yield" and a kids didn't seem to actually have fun trying to pick out little specks, perspective)

Afternoon did Helicopter->Glacier.  This, was amazing.. to actually be walking around on a glacier and seeing all of the things on it.  One warning: If anyone has sensitive ears/sinuses, etc - especially kids - tell pilot.. my youngest did not tolerate the initial changes in altitude (sea level to 3k feet) on the helicopter well, but did fine with the slow descent

Juneau (also did 2) - we had great weather also
Tour of Juneau + Mendenhall Glacier:  Did this to spend > 1 hr at MG compared to other tours (had done Deluxe Juneau but changed because didn't think the lunch was anything and wanted smaller whale cruise also).. If I had known, I would have skipped the Salmon Hatchery now - not much to see at all while we were there, but MG was nice

Afternoon:  Exclusive Whale Encounter:  On smaller boat (I counted 25 ppl).. We were on "The Big Blue", in the afternoon.  We saw two pods of orcas ? and one humpback.. got lots of great pictures.. I do not think the bigger boat would have been a good choice as they often tried to follow us, but it didn't seem like they could have manuevered closer to the whales as fast as we could... so not sure if they saw a lot but i don't know.. 

Ketchikan: worst weather day, in my mind because of moderate rain, but was told it actually was a great day since it rains there a lot anyways
Did Exclusive Totems/Potlach/Lumberjack
Was interesting overall.. I think kids had lots of fun making the disney exclusive totems.. lumberjack show was great.. i think the kids liked it the most

Other thoughts:
Everyone was late formal night - due to excursions running long.. Im not sure disney has things timed well yet for this.. we also actually left port late (?? waiting on late excursions - we left 630p i think)

Very disappointed in disney merchandise on board for alaska.. other than a few clothing, picture things, trinkets, pins, etc.. I think they missed out on a lot of opportunity here

Inside passage was very smooth.. only twice do I remember any real "rocking" (day #2 sea day going up past vancouver island and day #7 back down for a few hours each).. otherwise totally calm (i.e. <3 ft wave)

This was our 5th Disney cruise.. but I think the best as far as excursions.. maybe it's just a factor of where it was, but Disney did do good with what they partnered with/offered.. I do think they have lots of work still to do from other perspectives (food, merchandise, timing)


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## wdhinn89

booger73 said:


> Quick review from June 28-July 5th
> 
> Tracy Arm:  It can be quite cold Decks 9-10.. even with blankets.  We had a misty day/drizzled for a little while.. If I had known better I would not have been up on deck between 1p-3p and been "cold and rained on" and just watched from our Verandah.. more worth it to be on deck after 3p..  Was very pretty though..
> 
> Skagway (did 2)- we had perfect weather, no rain.. sunniest day so far according to guides
> WPRR + Trail camp in early am (7:30) - did this early because adults wanted to see RR and kids wanted to go gold panning.. WPRR is very scenic and fun, even kids enjoyed it.. I personally did not enjoy Liarsville and/or gold panning and did not think it was worth the time.. (from a duration time actually spent doing it, and a "yield" and a kids didn't seem to actually have fun trying to pick out little specks, perspective)
> 
> Afternoon did Helicopter->Glacier.  This, was amazing.. to actually be walking around on a glacier and seeing all of the things on it.  One warning: If anyone has sensitive ears/sinuses, etc - especially kids - tell pilot.. my youngest did not tolerate the initial changes in altitude (sea level to 3k feet) on the helicopter well, but did fine with the slow descent
> 
> Juneau (also did 2) - we had great weather also
> Tour of Juneau + Mendenhall Glacier:  Did this to spend > 1 hr at MG compared to other tours (had done Deluxe Juneau but changed because didn't think the lunch was anything and wanted smaller whale cruise also).. If I had known, I would have skipped the Salmon Hatchery now - not much to see at all while we were there, but MG was nice
> 
> Afternoon:  Exclusive Whale Encounter:  On smaller boat (I counted 25 ppl).. We were on "The Big Blue", in the afternoon.  We saw two pods of orcas ? and one humpback.. got lots of great pictures.. I do not think the bigger boat would have been a good choice as they often tried to follow us, but it didn't seem like they could have manuevered closer to the whales as fast as we could... so not sure if they saw a lot but i don't know..
> 
> Ketchikan: worst weather day, in my mind because of moderate rain, but was told it actually was a great day since it rains there a lot anyways
> Did Exclusive Totems/Potlach/Lumberjack
> Was interesting overall.. I think kids had lots of fun making the disney exclusive totems.. lumberjack show was great.. i think the kids liked it the most
> 
> Other thoughts:
> *Everyone was late formal night - due to excursions running long.. Im not sure disney has things timed well yet for this.. we also actually left port late (?? waiting on late excursions - we left 630p i think)*
> 
> Very disappointed in disney merchandise on board for alaska.. other than a few clothing, picture things, trinkets, pins, etc.. I think they missed out on a lot of opportunity here
> 
> Inside passage was very smooth.. only twice do I remember any real "rocking" (day #2 sea day going up past vancouver island and day #7 back down for a few hours each).. otherwise totally calm (i.e. <3 ft wave)
> 
> This was our 5th Disney cruise.. but I think the best as far as excursions.. maybe it's just a factor of where it was, but Disney did do good with what they partnered with/offered.. I do think they have lots of work still to do from other perspectives (food, merchandise, timing)



I thought Formal Night was Wed, a sea day?

When was your Semi-Formal night?


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## DenverVal

Formal night was the first sea day and semi-formal night was after Ketchikan. Our late seating was pushed from 8:15 to 8:30 to accommodate the late departure from port, and our servers let us know about that the night before.


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## cryssi

We did liarsville in skagway...awesome salmon bake.  Panning for gold was only a minor part.  Should have brought the bug spray, as mosquitos were rampant (6/28-7/5 sailing).  Did great alaskan lumberjack show in ketchikan and highly recommend it!  Was an awesome show and one of the less pricey excursions, if that is an issue.  Rained on us a bit but seats were covered, although we sat in front and got a little wet.


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## ratt1345

DW and I did the White Pass and Trail Camp excursion.  We were on the 6/21-6/28 cruise.  The mosquitos were big and pretty bad for us too at the camp.  I would also recommend this excursion.  Loved the train ride.  We actually purchased the video, picture book and hat combo.  Haven't watched the video yet.  The book is fairly small, but has some great info.  I have worn the hat numerous times.
Juneau...we did the tour that takes you to Mendenhall Glacier Park, Glacier Gardens and  the salmon hatchery.  Glacier Gardens was amazing and beautiful.
Ketchikan...we did the tour that went to Saxman Village for the totems, then to the cannery and then on the boat that takes you back to the ship.  I enjoyed the cannery the most.


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## buddywesley

wdhinn89 said:


> I thought Formal Night was Wed, a sea day?
> 
> When was your Semi-Formal night?



It was sea day (I was on same cruise as they were). I think they meant semi formal. We had second seating that night though and didn't see or have any problems getting ready. We didn't have desire to see the show that night though so that helped. I've seen that ventriloquist several times before and that was enough 

Also wanted to add that the sun came out at least for a peek everyday except Ketchikan. If you are prepared for rain it shouldn't bother you much. Tracy arm was very enjoyable to me and even though it was spitting rain some of the time (and we were on deck 10) that is NOT what I remember about Tracy arm  it was amazing!


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## booger73

I did mean semi-formal  Sorry..


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## sabrecmc

> We are booked for the White Pass Railway tour with the Trail Camp but I'm not convinced I want to do it yet. DH really thinks we should do the train...DS(12) wants to pan for gold but I think he'll be disappointed-DD (15) will probably listen to her iPod the whole time anyway. Should I maybe look to just do the Railway and not worry so much about the Trail Camp? Or is it worth it to have the whole experience - Train -Trail Camp - Bus? Thanks!



The dog sled camp that Chilkoot Charters visits has a small gold panning area.  It isn't all that impressive, but it would probably still be fun for kids...

However, I would recommend the Juneau historic gold panning excursion where you actually go to Gold Creek and pan for gold along with the locals (you'd have thought some of the people there were hired by Disney, they were such characters!).  This was really fun for kids, who got to take their shoes off, sit by the creek and really pan.  The first scoop that the tour operator puts in for you, ahem, WILL result in some gold flakes, which they will put into a vial for you to keep.  The rest is up to you and luck.  This was totally fun for my DD and we were able to do it at about 1:30 that afternoon, after our whale watching and glacier tour.


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## ILuvJimny

*Skagway* -  We rented a SUV and driver (Private charter for $100 an hour.  We booked 3 hours.)  through M & M Tours (broker for Frontier Excursions) since there were 6 of us.  Brooke, our driver/guide was amazing.  We stopped frequently for pictures and she had great commentary and information the whole way to the Yukon and back.  We were ahead of many bus tours and could stop just as long as we wanted to get pictures.  Brooke also stopped at the cemetary so we could see and hear more about the local hero and villian.  Great fun!  We highly recommend this excursion if you are wanting a great experience but want to save a little money.  I believe this is the same tour you would get if booking per person, but booking it by the hour for 6 or 7 people saved us 50%!

*Juneau* - We rented a 6 passenger limo there through Juneau Limo.  We only did 2 hours and it was $110 per hour.  It was fun to experience the sites in first class style.  We first toured downtown Juneau and then stopped to pan for gold.  Judy, our driver/guide had pans to use and even vials to hold the 'color' we found.  We could have hung around doing that for much longer but wanted to also see Mendenhall Glacier. We also went across the Douglas Bridge because we had a little time left and were able to get nice pictures of the Ship. Unfortunately, DH left the camera in the rental car in Seattle on the way home, which they haven't recovered so we may never see those and the many other pictures he took.   

*Ketchikan* - It was very rainy and we were going to do the walking tour but ended up just shopping and then rode the provided bus to see the Disney Exclusive Lumberjack show.  Great fun, though our team lost.  Had a fun driver on the way back to the ship.  KitKat was from Texas and had great stories to tell all the short return trip.  I don't know who she does tours for, but she would be a riot to experience for more than the few minutes we had her. 

Side note -  we did collect the 9 Alaskan coin set for my father.  It was a nightmare to have to hit 9 stores and endure their high pressure sales pitches; but I did it!


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## nzdisneymom

Skagway:  White Pass RR and Liarsville.  Booked through DCL.  Had an early departure so we'd have plenty of time in Skagway in the afternoon since we were in port til 7:30.  We have done a lot of excursions over the years and came away from this one commenting on how well done it was.  We were put on a bus right outside the ship to drive us two minutes to the train station - but actually it was good because it made sure we were all situated and our bus driver would be meeting us in Fraser, BC, for the ride back.  When we got to the train station, she made sure which train car we were to be on and helped get us situated.  The train ride was great - it was a beautiful day.  The ride is narrated so if you want to hear about what you're seeing, you have to stay inside the car, but the best picture taking is from the platforms outside the cars that you're allowed to go on after a certain point.  DH stood outside for most of the 90 minutes while the boys and I stayed inside to hear what was what.  We didn't see any wildlife although there was a report of a bear near the tracks... we did see some eagles but that was about it.  We were met at Fraser by Sarah our bus driver who drove us to Liarsville, making a few photo stops along the way - she even took our pictures for us at the Welcome to Alaska sign. Liarsville was a bit confusing about what it was we were supposed to do - but there is a general store and a lot of milling around to start with and then the show starts which is corny but my DH and boys laughed a lot, and then we "panned" for gold which was just a flake or two that they put in the pan for you.  It was cheesy but we don't mind cheese   Then we went back to Skagway and our driver pointed out various shops and places of interest.  She stopped back at the train station for anyone who wanted to stay in town for shopping and then took the rest of us back to the ship.  The ship was berthed in the middle so it was about a five minute walk from the ship to the train station, just for perspective.


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## staffieri

bump


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## nanaguide

Alaska cruisers - a question? Did any of you have trouble booking excursions on the Wonder or in the towns when you arrived? Just curious if a lot of excursions are sold out or if you can book practically anything onboard. The only excursion I haven't booked is the Duck Tour in Ketchikan. I was going to buy the tickets when we got off the ship but I can buy them online if I need to. Thanks in advance for any tips.


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## DenverVal

We were on the June 21, 2011 sailing.

Skagway: Round-trip White Pass & Yukon RR. The views are spectacular. The left side of the train (as you depart Skagway) has the best views; the right side is against the mountain most of the time. You are required to be in your seat until the train is outside the city limits, and then you can go outside on the platforms. The windows are large, but I prefererred the platforms because I like to take pictures and I was having a problem with glare. I loved being out on the platform. The trip is narrated, but you can only hear it on the platform if you are standing near the door if it's propped open. You are not permitted to cross to another car. There are restrooms in each car. At the summit you switch the seat backs so that you are facing the opposite direction for the ride back down. If I were to do it all over again, I'd take a road tour up and the train down. The road is on the opposite side of the canyon as the train, so you would have a different view than the train; I thought the views from the train were even more breathtaking going down than they were going up. We saw a bear by the side of the tracks, eagles, and my daughter snapped a picture of mountain goats waaaaaaay on the other side of the canyon.

Juneau: Glacier view kayaking. We were on the early excursion. We took a ride on a school bus through Juneau, across the bridge to North Douglas Island and up the highway to the Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge. There's a boat ramp and parking area which you can see on google maps if you look. Search Juneau, then zoom in on the north side of Douglas Island and look for Smugglers Cove. That's where we paddled to. We got suited up in waterproof overalls, knee high boots and a life vest. We brought rain jackets, but I think they were provided if you wanted one. DD brought her own pair of waterproof pants, and was likely more comfortable (and much more stylish) than the rest of us in our bright yellow and orange overalls, but we stayed dry. The kayaks are 2-person, and the person in the rear mans the rudder pedals, which are tiny and took a little getting used to (from someone who doesn't kayak), but once I got the hang of it, it was fine. My foot slipped off a time or two, and getting it back in position was a bit of a production with that many clothes on. They passed around a can of bug spray and we used it. We had a bunch of irritating, persistant bugs swarming our faces on the day we went. We left most of them behind when we left the shore. There were about 30 or so people on this excursion, which were split into groups of 3-4 kayaks per group plus a guide. They kept families together. They told us that bringing a camera was fine, but I had problems keeping it dry as I paddled. I unzipped the life vest enough to shove the camera inside (it was hanging around my neck), and took it out every so often to snap photos. That worked much better. A lens cloth in a plastic bag would have been very useful. A waterproof camera would have been even better. Our guide talked to us about the area, the history, and the wildlife as we paddled across to an island where we hoped to see seals and sea lions. It was very peaceful paddling across the cove on an overcast, cool day. We saw a pair of eagles in the trees from quite a ways out. Their white heads were very visible from a distance, but they blended in to the trees as we got closer. Got some great shots though. A sea lion poked its head up briefly, and disappeared. That was all the wildlife we saw that day. Other groups' experiences may have been different as we all went to different places, but I didn't complare note with anyone. The clouds descended from the mountains, and it was misty as we paddled back. Mendenhall glacier was shrouded in fog at the end. Note that you are miles from the glacier, but it is a beautiful view. The served slices of reindeer sausage and crackers and a salmon dip which was delicious, and gave us water bottles filled with punch afterwards. I met someone on our tour who lives five miles from me - small world!

Ketchikan: We booked a non-Disney tour with Alaska Seaplane Tours. They picked us up on the pier and transported us to their facility. There were eagles swooping for fish on the docks. We boarded the plane and took off for Misty Fjords National Monument. It was a misty, overcast, cool day in Ketchikan, and it pretty much stayed that way for the whole flight - but the scenery we flew over - OH! So beautiful! We landed on an idyllic mountain lake surrounded by mountains on three sides (of glacial origin), and waterfalls everywhere. Another plane left right after we arrived. I didn't even notice it until it powered up. We floated in the middle of the lake, got out on the pontoons to take in the scenery and to take pictures. We enjoyed our time in this beautiful, peaceful place. (We didn't go ashore. I don't know if that was the company policy or if it was just our pilot. He did provide narration for us, but I don't think our headphones had microphones. We were perfectly happy to just look and listen.) We took off and took in more scenery, more granite snow-covered mountains with brilliant green trees blanketing the slopes. There was not a road or a building in sight until we were almost back to town. We flew alongside the port as we came in for a landing and I got some great aerial shots of the Wonder. LOVED this excursion!

Interesting story - our van driver told us that one of the operators in town had several excursions contracted through Disney. One of his boat operators transporting passengers for another cruise line did not mention an issue with the seats on the boat (apparently if you lean back too far they break), and of course someone did break a seat. The seat was repaired and the same thing happened again shortly afterwards. When this happened again on a Disney excursion, the operator lost all of his contracts with Disney immediately. If you ever wondered about Disney's claim of having stringent standards - claim validated.


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## AC & Savy's Mom

We got off the ship 7/12, and did 2 excursions: Liarsville with Disney Characters in Skagway and Sled Dog Discovery and Musher's Camp in Juneau.

For Liarsville, we started off in the bus through town for about 15 minutes. The driver was good about telling us about the town as we drove. We got to the camp, and everyone was dressed in 1800s era clothing. They really played the part. They had a band playing, and offered us cookies and lemonade, which was good. Then they put on their puppet show for the kids. After that, we broke off into groups to do a "scavenger hunt". (I would have enjoyed this if it was a true scavenger hunt, but we were brought to each location by a guide, so even my kids got bored, whereas I think they would have liked it if we had to search the small camp ourselves for the few items on the list.) Then we did panning for gold in troughs with the dirt and gold already placed in the pans. This was ok, but I didn't realize that their gold was imported from Canada! I guess I didn't do enough research on it, but I really thought we would be panning for gold in a place that actually had it! Chip, Dale and Donald came out at this point, and Dale came over to my DS7to look in his pan and take a couple of pictures with him. Donald was over by a waterfall taking pics, which we took advantage of. When we were done we went to the fire, where they were roasting marshmallows. After we had our marshmallows we went into the store, and then over to the Salmon Bake. The food was ok, but we're picky. The kids did like the mac and cheese, and I liked the chicken. I'm pretty sure the cole slaw had salmon in it, which stinks because I love cole slaw, but I'm allergic to fish! Bummer! After lunch we got back on the bus to go to the ship. I'm glad we did the excursion, but I wouldn't do it again. As people have said, it's cheesy...which isn't a BAD thing, but next time I'd do a more authentic one, like the one in Juneau where you pan in a stream.

In Juneau we did the Sled Dog and Musher's Camp. It was awesome!! As soon as we got to the camp, we saw all kinds of dogs harnessed up to a rope, which was hooked up to something that kind of looked like a golf cart. Each cart had 16 dogs. We climbed into the cart straight away, and strapped in for the ride of our lives! I didn't realize how fast the dogs would pull us, or how many turns there would be along the way. It felt like we were on a roller coaster! DD5 LOVED it, keeping her hands up the entire way...while I held on tightly! It was amazing! We were all a little bummed when the ride ended! After our ride we got to meet the dogs, most of which were friendly. Tika was a dog at the back of the line, so everytime we stopped, she'd climb into our cart to say hi to the kids. They loved her! We had a guide who took us to the suspension bridge (which had nothing to do with sled dogs, but was nice anyway), and then told us about the equipment the dogs use and how they eat and such. We moved along to another place, where our guide talked a bit about the history of dog sledding. We all just wanted to get to the end of our trip...because then we could play with the PUPPIES!! There were 8 puppies who were 2 weeks old, but they only took out 4. They were SOOOO cute and cuddly! It ALMOST made me want to get a puppy, but I remembered that they wouldn't be that small when I got one, and they grow up!  Everyone in our group was really good about sharing the puppies, so I think we got a chance to hold all 4 of them. After that, we grabbed some hot chocolate and got back on the bus, with a warm heart and a camera full of memories! This I would ABSOLUTELY do again, and HIGHLY recommend for people who can handle the roller coaster ride.

I hope these reviews help! Have fun on whichever excursions you choose!

~Tami


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## Scoobydoo76

We were on the Wonder for the July 5-12 Sailing. I took a chance and hired Ketchikan Taxi Cab Tours run by Dave and Kat Freeman. Kat was our driver for the day. She was prompt, courteous and boy did she know her town and its history. Kat gave us a wonderful tour. We requested to see Potlatch Park, Totem Bight, the rainforest and the possibility of eagle and bear viewing. Kat did a fabulous job at fulfilling our request! First Kat showed us some sights in town. She took us to some of the beaten path places to get some great photos of our Disney Ship, floatplanes and some lesser know totem poles. Then she drove us to a state park. There she gave us the opportunity to walk a trail. She picked us up at the other end, so there was no walking around aimlessly. Kat pointed out the local canneries and the now defunct lumber and pulp mill. At Potlatch Park Kat introduced us to the owner Pat Moore. Pat spent some time talking to us about his antique car collection. I had to pry my husband away from Pat and his stories. Next Kat gave us a narrative tour of the Potlatch Park and its totem poles. It was great to hear the story behind each pole. We then did a self guided tour at Totem Bight. Finally Kat drove us to the local creek for some hopeful bear viewing. On our trip to the creek Kat pointed out an Eagles nest and some Eagles. When we arrived at the creek it seemed as if on command a momma bear and her cub walked out of the forest! There were Eagles flying overhead, it was truly a sight to see. We honestly could not have asked for a better experience.

I would definitely recommend Ketchikan Taxi Cab Tours for a fabulous day in Ketchikan. Dave and Kat were happy to customize our 3 hour tour and return us to town promptly for the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. After the show we were left with some free time to explore Creek Street and the rest of the town and its shops.  

Thanks Kat!


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## brewcrew

This is such a great wealth of information!  We just booked the Alaskan cruise for next June.  I am taking some serious notes! Thanks everyone!


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## LAWalz23

Scoobydoo76 said:


> We were on the Wonder for the July 5-12 Sailing. I took a chance and hired Ketchikan Taxi Cab Tours run by Dave and Kat Freeman. Kat was our driver for the day. She was prompt, courteous and boy did she know her town and its history. Kat gave us a wonderful tour. We requested to see Potlatch Park, Totem Bight, the rainforest and the possibility of eagle and bear viewing. Kat did a fabulous job at fulfilling our request! First Kat showed us some sights in town. She took us to some of the beaten path places to get some great photos of our Disney Ship, floatplanes and some lesser know totem poles. Then she drove us to a state park. There she gave us the opportunity to walk a trail. She picked us up at the other end, so there was no walking around aimlessly. Kat pointed out the local canneries and the now defunct lumber and pulp mill. At Potlatch Park Kat introduced us to the owner Pat Moore. Pat spent some time talking to us about his antique car collection. I had to pry my husband away from Pat and his stories. Next Kat gave us a narrative tour of the Potlatch Park and its totem poles. It was great to hear the story behind each pole. We then did a self guided tour at Totem Bight. Finally Kat drove us to the local creek for some hopeful bear viewing. On our trip to the creek Kat pointed out an Eagles nest and some Eagles. When we arrived at the creek it seemed as if on command a momma bear and her cub walked out of the forest! There were Eagles flying overhead, it was truly a sight to see. We honestly could not have asked for a better experience.
> 
> I would definitely recommend Ketchikan Taxi Cab Tours for a fabulous day in Ketchikan. Dave and Kat were happy to customize our 3 hour tour and return us to town promptly for the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. After the show we were left with some free time to explore Creek Street and the rest of the town and its shops.
> 
> Thanks Kat!



Could you tell me how much this was? And do you think they could accomodate a fold up wheelchair? Thanks!


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## Scoobydoo76

LAWalz23 said:


> Could you tell me how much this was? And do you think they could accomodate a fold up wheelchair? Thanks!



I think that they can probably accomodate a fold up wheelchair. It was a taxi cab/van. Please check out their web site at http://www.ketchikantaxicabtours.com/

We paid $222 for 3 hours for 4 people. Plus the $149 for the Lumber Jack Show. That comes out to be about $92 per person. We couldn't see all the sights with Disney that we saw. There wasn't an excursion that covered all of them let alone pay such a low price.


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## LAWalz23

Scoobydoo76 said:


> I think that they can probably accomodate a fold up wheelchair. It was a taxi cab/van. Please check out their web site at http://www.ketchikantaxicabtours.com/
> 
> We paid $222 for 3 hours for 4 people. Plus the $149 for the Lumber Jack Show. That comes out to be about $92 per person. We couldn't see all the sights with Disney that we saw. There wasn't an excursion that covered all of them let alone pay such a low price.



Thanks for the info! I will definitely check this out!


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## Doingitagain

I should start out by saying that the July 5 cruise stole all the great weather! We did not really have any rain, not in the four days in Vancouver before the cruise or during the seven days of the cruise. Miraculous, I think.

Tracy Arm -- we were spoiled by the great weather.  Spent the day as a family on our verandah (we had a suite, so lots of space).  Ran up to deck 9/10 once in a while to check, but didn't see much different, but got some photos when the ship was facing the glacier directly. The ship turned favoring our side and so we had additional great view. Note that I wasn't expecting that, the prior cruises said it turned the opposite way.  It changes each cruise depending on the ice flows and wildlife.  The captain even angled in VERY close to a waterfall on our way out! Showing off for the new captain coming on board, I think!

Skagway -- We were one of the few to do the Laughton Glacier Hike.  There were seven brave souls from DCL, teamed up with 12 others from Carnival Spirit.  It was a fabulous excursion! We started out by taking the White Pass Railway so got the benefit of that scenery (definitely sit on the left as you face forward, but note that the windows are very large and you can see from both sides).  The guides used a couple of seats, put a board down, and had us make sandwiches for lunch.  We each received a lumbar pack to carry the water they gave us and the sandwiches we made.  The excursion was very active, we walked over eight miles, including a long portion over rock beds and ice.  But we ate lunch at the foot of a glacier!  The scenery was fabulous.  There was not a lot of incline strenuous activity, it was more picking out your footing over the rocks, which was hard on my knees coming back when it was more sloping downward.  I am not in great shape, I am a casual exerciser, and I made it with no problem.  The guides were fantastic, there were three of them for 19 people and offered several times that one could stay back if anyone did not want to continue forward.  They offered to carry any layers we wanted to shed, or to provide additional jackets, hats, mittens, etc. They were Packer Expeditions...look for them at your port stops since they did a fantastic job and had the same customer service attitude that DCL has.  We then took the train back into town and had time to stop for crab and shopping.  DS19, DH and I would do this again, but DD22 said that her idea of an excursion is a lot less exercise.  

Juneau -- we did the adult only departure for Whale Watching, Mendenhall Glacier and Salmon Bake.  
​I could have done without the salmon bake, they moved it to the beginning of the tour and I didn't really feel like a salmon bake and buffet at 11:30 in the morning.  Plus I would have liked to use the time on the other two parts of the excursion, which were great.  

​I don't even know where to begin on the Whale Watching...there were 19 adults and the boats only hold 18, so they split us up onto two boats.  So there were 9 of us with the captain and naturalist on our boat.  We monitored a mother and calf for a while, then took off to join other boats watching a pod of 12 humpbacks.  They were doing "bubble feedimg". We were told that normally whales are solitary feeders, but a limited number (they said 120 in the world) do bubble feeding. It's a learned behavior where the whales blow bubbles in a circle and rise up together, forcing the prey in the middle to go to the surface. Once at the surface, the whales feed.  Even if they exaggerated the uniqueness, it was phenomenal to watch, even the captain seemed excited.

​We then went to Mendenhall Glacier.  Since it was only about 45 minutes, we used the time to hike to Nugget Falls and take some great photos and see the glacier.  It would have been more exciting if it were the first glacier we had seen, but we saw Tracy Arm Sawyer Glacier the day before.

Ketchikan -- we did the boat and float plane.  Most of the time was spent on the boat.  It was OK, but not as exciting as our prior excursions.  There was only about 25 minutes on the float plane, which was a great experience!


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## tink1963

We have booked this excursion for Ketchikan. I know that it is seasonal and we are on the Aug 23rd sailing. I don't know which sailing this is first offered on, so hoping someone from an up coming cruise is doing this and will post a review.


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## poohj80

Doingitagain said:


> Tracy Arm -- we were spoiled by the great weather.  Spent the day as a family on our verandah (we had a suite, so lots of space).  Ran up to deck 9/10 once in a while to check, but didn't see much different, but got some photos when the ship was facing the glacier directly. The ship turned favoring our side and so we had additional great view. Note that I wasn't expecting that, the prior cruises said it turned the opposite way.  It changes each cruise depending on the ice flows and wildlife.  The captain even angled in VERY close to a waterfall on our way out! Showing off for the new captain coming on board, I think!



Was your verandah on the port or starboard side of the ship?

I hadn't heard about a new captain coming aboard.  Did you catch his name?


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## buddywesley

Doingitagain said:


> The captain even angled in VERY close to a waterfall on our way out! Showing off for the new captain coming on board, I think!



The Captain also did this on our june 28th sailing and I believe I read he did it before that too. I dont think it was to show off to anyone  But is was pretty cool.


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## DenverVal

He did it for us on the 6/21 too, though I thought it was the pilot they brought on board rather than the captain.


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## Doingitagain

poohj80 said:


> Was your verandah on the port or starboard side of the ship?
> 
> I hadn't heard about a new captain coming aboard.  Did you catch his name?



They brought on Captain Thor (?).  We were on the side with 80xx numbers.


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## poohj80

Doingitagain said:


> They brought on Captain Thor (?).  We were on the side with 80xx numbers.



Thanks, I think that's port (left).


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## cruisenow01

Liarsville in Skagway was fun for the younger crowd.  My 5 year old loved it.  We all loved Chip, Dale, and Donald, but the gold panning was OK.  They did a great job of giving you area history in a kid friendly way, but if you have children that are older than the early childhood set, then consider skipping.  Summer Camp dog mushing was wonderful for all ages.  We loved it.  In Juneau, the exclusive whale watching was incredible, but we were lucky.  We had a humpback whale surface within feet of our boat.  Auke Bay is beautiful.  We saw many whales just from the Wonder, but nothing this close.  Ketchikan dungeness crabs were incredible!  The process of crabbing was nothing new to us since we are from Louisiana, but dungeness crab eating was fresh and very different tasting from the blue crab that we get from Louisiana.  The day is so short in Ketchikan that you have to weigh doing an excursion versus visiting the town.  I think that we would would have enjoyed just doing the lumber jack show then visiting the town before going back to the ship; however, again, I say that was the best dungeness crab EVER!


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## denise

Captain Thord was on the July 5th cruise but when we were getting off I saw a Captain Leo getting on. Have never seen him before but have only been on the Wonder one other time and Captain Thord was there then too. (the repo cruise LA to Vancouver)


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## Padres19

There are two things that I worried a great deal about before we sailed: The weather and the weight limits on the flying excursions.  Turns out there isn't much need to worry about either.

Tracy Arm: Absolutely spectacular.  While it is true that the ship makes a circular turn before heading out of the glacier end of Tracy Arm, it seemed as if the VAST majority of the time, the starboard side of the boat had a terrific view of the glacier and the port side did not.  Thankfully, we had a starboard side veranda room so we got to see the glorious scenary just fine, which was especially good with DD8 and DD8--as it takes several hours of getting in and getting out of Tracy Arm and their patience would have grown thin up on deck 9 or 10.

Skagway: By far, THE best port as far as the TOWN goes.  Very small, but wonderfully preserved by the National Park Service.  We did the Train/Liarsville excursion.  The fact that you take a bus to the train station (which was about 400 feet away) seemed comical, but was practical in that the bus driver was going to be the same one who would pick us up at the drop spot in B.C. and take us to Liarsville, so it helped to know the bus and the driver.  The train ride is beautiful, but virtually ALL of the views are from the LEFT side of the train (as you face the front).  My wife and I really enjoyed the train ride, but my 8 year old twin daughters were not as moved by the vistas and the history.  They did, however, LOVE panning for gold at Liarsville.  They truly thought they had "found" gold, despite the fact that the microscopic flecks in each persons pan where really difficult to see.  Do NOT expect rock size nuggets....think "grains of sand" instead.  Still, this was a really good excursion and my daughters absolutely LOVED the panning for gold.

Juneau: We did the Dog Sled Adventure by Helicopter.  This was, hands down, one of the BEST things that I have ever done in my entire life.  The helicopter ride was amazing.  None of us had ever been in a helicopter before.  My wife, who doesn't like to fly to start with, had a VERY sleepless night the night before, but my daughters and I were really excited about it.  It was a VERY smooth flight and my wife actually enjoyed it, so there is NO reason at all to worry if you are a first time helicopter flyer.  Our pilot, like most of the workers in the ports, just worked in Alaska for the summer cruise season and he actually lives the rest of the year less than a mile from us in San Diego---So it really IS a Small World After All.  The idea of being on a completed isolated glacier, with nothing in any direction for as far as you could see, except for a dog sledding camp, was absolutely spectacular.  The dogsledding itself was a blast.  The only downside to it was that everyone had so much fun being the "musher" that we all wanted to do it all the time.  Thankfully, our guide showed us how we could double up so that my wife could "mush" with one of our daughters while the guide "mushed" with my other daughter, and I could capture the entire thing on film.  It was an amazing experience all around.  If you are considering doing this excursion, you MUST do it.  It is absolutely the experience of a lifetime.  It IS very costly, but it is also completely worth every penny.

Ketchikan: We did the Classic Misty Fjords Flightseeing.  Fantastic excursion.  It turns out that none of the local companies that offer "Flightseeing tours" was big enough to handle all of the DCL demand, so they contracted with two different companies.  That is why there are different names "Classic" (which flys with Taquan Air), and "Majestic" (which flys with some other company).  It seems as if they are both virtually identical.  This was really a GREAT excursion.  In fact, the only thing that I can say against it is that we had been spoiled by the helicopter ride and dogsledding the day before.  Plus, as my wife will firmly attest to, the floatplanes are not nearly as smooth a ride as the helicopter.  She kissed the dock once we got back.  Still, it was amazing to see this incredible national monument so close up from the air.  We even spotted a bear and some mountain goats.  

A few other comments about the ports: 

Ketchikan: We did NOT go to the lumberjack show, although I heard that it was terrific and those that we spoke who did go to it, really enjoyed it.  We skipped this because we had been told be several familes we know that had seen the show in Ketchikan AND the lumberjack show on Grouse Mountain (in Vancouver) and thought that they was really no differenct between them.  So since we had already seen the Grouse Mountain lumberjack show, we decided to pass on this excursion.  Creek Street is neat, but it is very small.  So coupled with the fact that the salmon were not spawning when we were there, it was somewhat disappointing.

Juneau: On the recommendation of a neighbor who grew up in Juneau, we had lunch at The Hangar.  It was fantastic.  Great food and a terrific view (which is a VERY rare combination).  Lots of choices on the kids menu to keep any picky eaters happy as well.

Weather: We were very fortunate to have almost no rain for the entire trip (July 5th sailing).  I asked both the helicopter operator in Juneau and the flightseeing operator in Ketchikan and they told me that they had only had two days in two months when the weather had forced them to cancel their excursions.  So while I had worried a great deal about these "once in a lifetime" excursions being subject to the whims of the weather, it seems as if this is a "once a month" problem instead of a 50/50 problem as I had feared.

Weight: I had read numerous postings about people stepping on scales before boarding their planes or helicopters on this thread.  Being just under 250, but knowing I would be indulging in "cruise cuisine" for several days before the excursion, I was very worried about exceeding the 250 pound weight limit and having to pay the excess fees.  For our helicopter ride (and there were 6 helicopters, fully loaded with 6 people in each of them) and for our floatplane ride (which was, again, 6 floatplanes, each with 6 people in them) NONE of the passengers was ever weighed.  They do require you to give them an estimate of your weight, but that seems to be to simply balance the weight of the passengers for the flight.  There were several passengers who were well above 250, and I don't know if they had already prepaid for the excess weight or not, so I certainly can't speak to everyone.  But if you are like myself, and worried about "making weight" having to cause you to pass on desert each night, no need to worry.  Go ahead and indulge.

Overall, this was an amazing cruise and I would stronly recommend all three of the excursions that we did.  I envy all of you who are waiting for your cruise, as you are in for the experience of a lifetime.


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## Esevran1

I'm new to this forum and this is our first Disney Cruise.  We are leaving on the Wonder on August 9th and wanted some advice on which excursions to take.  We are two grandparents, very agile, with 2 adult children, a 6 year old grandson and a 1 year old granddaughter.  We are OK with leaving our granddaughter in the nursery for an excursion.  Where do we begin?  Which excursions would be most enjoyable for our 6 year old, while making us happy too.  Truth be told, we want to make him happy first.  HELP PLEASE!


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## siburdue

Esevran1 said:


> I'm new to this forum and this is our first Disney Cruise.  We are leaving on the Wonder on August 9th and wanted some advice on which excursions to take.  We are two grandparents, very agile, with 2 adult children, a 6 year old grandson and a 1 year old granddaughter.  We are OK with leaving our granddaughter in the nursery for an excursion.  Where do we begin?  Which excursions would be most enjoyable for our 6 year old, while making us happy too.  Truth be told, we want to make him happy first.  HELP PLEASE!



You need to take the time to read/skim through this entire thread - there is alot of great information here, so grab  a cup of coffee and enjoy


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## dllocals

Esevran1 said:


> I'm new to this forum and this is our first Disney Cruise.  We are leaving on the Wonder on August 9th and wanted some advice on which excursions to take.  We are two grandparents, very agile, with 2 adult children, a 6 year old grandson and a 1 year old granddaughter.  We are OK with leaving our granddaughter in the nursery for an excursion.  Where do we begin?  Which excursions would be most enjoyable for our 6 year old, while making us happy too.  Truth be told, we want to make him happy first.  HELP PLEASE!



Welcome Esevran1!

Come meet your fellow cruisers On the the August 9th cruise meet thread.


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## poohj80

Esevran1 said:


> I'm new to this forum and this is our first Disney Cruise.  We are leaving on the Wonder on August 9th and wanted some advice on which excursions to take.  We are two grandparents, very agile, with 2 adult children, a 6 year old grandson and a 1 year old granddaughter.  We are OK with leaving our granddaughter in the nursery for an excursion.  Where do we begin?  Which excursions would be most enjoyable for our 6 year old, while making us happy too.  Truth be told, we want to make him happy first.  HELP PLEASE!



Read the descriptions of the excursions on the Disney Cruise web site too and see what your family thinks they are interested in, then look for reviews in this thread.  Only you know what your family likes and doesn't like.  Unfortunately, it may be too late to reserve the more popular excursions.


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## mgibson301

Doingitagain said:


> I should start out by saying that the July 5 cruise stole all the great weather! We did not really have any rain, not in the four days in Vancouver before the cruise or during the seven days of the cruise. Miraculous, I think.
> 
> 
> Skagway -- We were one of the few to do the Laughton Glacier Hike.  There were seven brave souls from DCL, teamed up with 12 others from Carnival Spirit.  It was a fabulous excursion! We started out by taking the White Pass Railway so got the benefit of that scenery (definitely sit on the left as you face forward, but note that the windows are very large and you can see from both sides).  The guides used a couple of seats, put a board down, and had us make sandwiches for lunch.  We each received a lumbar pack to carry the water they gave us and the sandwiches we made.  The excursion was very active, we walked over eight miles, including a long portion over rock beds and ice.  But we ate lunch at the foot of a glacier!  The scenery was fabulous.  There was not a lot of incline strenuous activity, it was more picking out your footing over the rocks, which was hard on my knees coming back when it was more sloping downward.  I am not in great shape, I am a casual exerciser, and I made it with no problem.  The guides were fantastic, there were three of them for 19 people and offered several times that one could stay back if anyone did not want to continue forward.  They offered to carry any layers we wanted to shed, or to provide additional jackets, hats, mittens, etc. They were Packer Expeditions...look for them at your port stops since they did a fantastic job and had the same customer service attitude that DCL has.  We then took the train back into town and had time to stop for crab and shopping.  DS19, DH and I would do this again, but DD22 said that her idea of an excursion is a lot less exercise.



I'm excited you posted on this!  We are also scheduled for this tour.  I thought it looked like a good mix of getting to ride the train plus being active.  Sounds like you enjoyed it!


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## mgibson301

tink1963 said:


> We have booked this excursion for Ketchikan. I know that it is seasonal and we are on the Aug 23rd sailing. I don't know which sailing this is first offered on, so hoping someone from an up coming cruise is doing this and will post a review.



We are too for the August 30th sailing.  I was looking at the floatplane bear watching tours but thought this was a good compromise with price.  I keep looking on the thread to see if anyone has done it.   I did find the website for the area we will be touring if you haven't seen it yet.
http://www.spiritofalaskatours.com/princess/bear-country.htm


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## poohj80

mgibson301 said:


> We are too for the August 30th sailing.  I was looking at the floatplane bear watching tours but thought this was a good compromise with price.  I keep looking on the thread to see if anyone has done it.   I did find the website for the area we will be touring if you haven't seen it yet.
> http://www.spiritofalaskatours.com/princess/bear-country.htm



I wanted to do this excursion during teh Aug 30th sailing, but I got out voted.


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## cyclenut

Esevran1 said:


> I'm new to this forum and this is our first Disney Cruise.  We are leaving on the Wonder on August 9th and wanted some advice on which excursions to take.  We are two grandparents, very agile, with 2 adult children, a 6 year old grandson and a 1 year old granddaughter.  We are OK with leaving our granddaughter in the nursery for an excursion.  Where do we begin?  Which excursions would be most enjoyable for our 6 year old, while making us happy too.  Truth be told, we want to make him happy first.  HELP PLEASE!



While I can't answer the question you asked, I can say that we will be on the same cruise.  Our kids are all older now, with the youngest being 16.  

One thing I will say is that I'm a little surprised you haven't yet booked your excursions.  You might want to check to see which are available before deciding as they could be sold out.


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## mgibson301

poohj80 said:


> I wanted to do this excursion during teh Aug 30th sailing, but I got out voted.



Oh I wish you would have!  What did you all decide on doing instead?  We looked at the floatplane tours too...Misty Fjords and the Bear Watching tour.  BUT with us doing the Dog Mushing in Juneau I just couldn't justify the price.


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## poohj80

mgibson301 said:


> Oh I wish you would have!  What did you all decide on doing instead?  We looked at the floatplane tours too...Misty Fjords and the Bear Watching tour.  BUT with us doing the Dog Mushing in Juneau I just couldn't justify the price.



DH didn't think DD would be interesting in just flying around and sight-seeing and wanted a move active excursion so we are doing the Rainforest Island Adventure excursion.


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## tink1963

mgibson301 said:


> We are too for the August 30th sailing.  I was looking at the floatplane bear watching tours but thought this was a good compromise with price.  I keep looking on the thread to see if anyone has done it.   I did find the website for the area we will be touring if you haven't seen it yet.
> http://www.spiritofalaskatours.com/princess/bear-country.htm



Thank you for sharing this. I am really excite about this excursion. Off now to read about it.


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## Pooh667

Hi,

I have a question about the dogsledding on the glacier in Juneau.  We have booked this but it says no bags, so ok, we all will wear our lanyards, son will put inhaler in pocket but what about our camera? I have a canon rebel 3i and even with the small lense it is big, do i just put it around my neck? 
Thanks.


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## DenverVal

poohj80 said:


> DH didn't think DD would be interesting in just flying around and sight-seeing and wanted a move active excursion so we are doing the Rainforest Island Adventure excursion.


Stick to your guns! This was hands-down my favorite excursion, completely worth the money and the time. The scenery is so varied, nothing like what you'd see from the ground, and you're going where there are NO roads anyway. 

Here is a link to pictures I took: http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2817376810037552939KkRiMB?vhost=travel About halfway down the page on the right side is a link you can click for a slideshow. The scenery was SO beautiful! You need cameras on both sides of the plane! We booked outside of Disney with Alaska Seaplane tours. (We were told us that one of the companies with a pirate themed name hired all the pilots that were let go from all the other companies, so be aware). This was a mere fraction of all the photos we took, not to mention videos.


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## mgibson301

Pooh667 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have a question about the dogsledding on the glacier in Juneau.  We have booked this but it says no bags, so ok, we all will wear our lanyards, son will put inhaler in pocket but what about our camera? I have a canon rebel 3i and even with the small lense it is big, do i just put it around my neck?
> Thanks.



We are doing the dogsledding in Juneau too and I asked the same question.  I was told that no daybags/camera bags are allowed (I have a Sony NEX5 but can use the pancake lens I guess)  We have to have cameras...right??     I booked directly through the company, so had to call when I got the reservations and asked them then.  You can carry it around your neck was their suggestion.


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## poohj80

DenverVal said:


> Stick to your guns! This was hands-down my favorite excursion, completely worth the money and the time. The scenery is so varied, nothing like what you'd see from the ground, and you're going where there are NO roads anyway.



Thanks Val, but even though I know I would love it, not sure a 5 year old would.  We are already ditching her for the glacier helicopter tour in Skagway so trying to only do that once.  

PS  Used to live in Golden so I know what ya mean about Mouse-less


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## tksbaskets

OK, I'm a visual person.  We took this excursion on Friday July 8.

First we rode a luxury bus 5 minutes to the small boat dock in Skagway for a beautiful 40-45 minute boat ride to Haines, AK.  Here is the boat at the dock in Haines.  Many beautiful waterfalls along the way.






We were met and boarded a bus to the place were we got our Kawasaki Mules and were broken into two groups both with guides for our trek up the mountain.






The mules were in excellent condition, well maintained and super comfy!  My DH says a blast to drive too.  Over 19 switchbacks up and down.






Half way up we had warm cookies out of an outdoor smoker oven and were treated to beautiful scenery the entire time.











Half way back down we enjoyed a very yummy lunch which was all you care to eat.

Haines:





DH and I rode back on the top of the ferry so I could get pics and enjoy the scenery.





Coming back into port:





We saw many eagles on this excursion as well.  Haines was in NO way a tourist trap.  Not a jewelry store in sight (thank goodness).

Our family gave it four very big thumbs up.  It was just what was advertised.


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## kgsmith

Beautiful photos! It looks like you had great weather, too.


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## tksbaskets

Juneau Saturday July 9.

Our tour ran with the salmon bake first.  The 19 adults boarded a yellow Salmon Bake bus to the picnic spot (for lack of what else to call it).

Yes a tourist attraction but very good coho salmon grilled over alderwood and a nice atmosphere.  Small walk to a waterfall.  Well run.  In no way did it seem crowded.  We saw more eagles here than just about anywhere while we enjoyed our lunch.











We were picked up by the Dolphin Tour bus that handled the rest of our excursion.  We were broken into two groups (our group had our family and a family of 5) for our whale watching experience.






Our 'ship' Big Red:





Captain Ben and our own naturalist Ali guided us through a magical excursion.  I'm only sharing a few of the 400 pics I took (thanks to sport mode and a picture addiction)
















Our small boat enabled us to maneuver around and it was a nice cozy group.  We were so excited to first see a humpback whale and her calf and then we were amazed by a pod of 12-13 humpack whales bubble feeding.  WOW.  The naturalist was so informative.  We enjoyed a smoked salmon and cracker snack on our way back to port.

WAIT we're not done yet.  Our entire (19 of us) group boarded the same bus and then went to the Mendenhall Glacier for about an hour visit.  This was plenty of time for us.  We didn't walk all the way to the glacier (although you could) but enjoyed picture taking and taking advantage of the information in the visitor's center.






Back to the Wonder in time for dinner.

This was an action packed day.  Eight big thumbs up (because we used both hands!).  

We had absolutely no time to explore Juneau.  No worries it had 35 jewelry stores and 2 bars (running joke for our ports).  We didn't feel at all bad about not being able to shop there.  We did go through town twice on our adventures on the bus...


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## tksbaskets

kgsmith said:


> Beautiful photos! It looks like you had great weather, too.



Beautiful weather all week.  High of around 70 and sunny.  We were very comfortable in layers.  Only took our windbreakers for excursions.


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## tksbaskets

Ketchikan Sunday July 10, 2011

We didn't get into port until about 1:30 in the afternoon as the Carnival ship had to leave so we could dock.  Our excursion left at 3:45 pm so we got off as soon as we could to explore the dock/town.  Guess what, 35 jewelry stores, two bars, and a few really excellent shops.  We started looking for the 'locally owned and operated' signs to shop there and had a delightful couple of hours.

We walked as a group (kind of a large but never seemed overly crowded group) to our ship The Aleutian Ballad.  It was the actual fishing vessel from Season 2 of the deadliest Catch. 






Off we went through beautiful waters to our first fishing stop.  Along the way we saw eagles, seals, and traveled the sovereign waters of a First Nation People who had a deal with our tour operators.  We were also treated to great fishing stories and information that kept adults and kids interested.

OK, I'm sure this isn't what the ship looked like TOTALLY when it was an active fishing boat.  What do you think?










Plenty of time to snap wildlife photos!

Brian hauling in the days' catch.  OK, kind of the magic of Disney as the crab go back in the water....






Everyone kids and adults alike got many photo ops with the crew and catch!





We each received a little snack (granola bar or some goldfish crackers).  We were free to move about the vessel but when the action was happening the crew asked that everyone sit down so all could see.

Great PA and microphone system so it was very easy to hear what was being said.

Our 20 yo sons loved this excursion.  DH and I also enjoyed the stories and information that was given in such a great way you didn't really know you were learning about fishing quotas and the fishing industry.  The crew was very nice and professional.  Although souvenirs were for sale on the ship it was VERY low key.

Hope this helps someone with their own decisions.  We were very happy with all three of our choices!


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## poohmomof5

tksbaskets said:


> Beautiful weather all week.  High of around 70 and sunny.  We were very comfortable in layers.  Only took our windbreakers for excursions.



Great pictures and very helpful to our decision making process! We are still completely undecided...we are on the Aug. 16th cruise and have 4 teenagers and a 6 year old. Just not sure what to do. We have 3 excursions booked, but when I read, I change some of them! 

The one for sure is the Juneau Harv and Marvs whale watching private charter! EXCITING!!! See your pictures makes me even more excited! I am a nature, wildlife, waterfall,  mountain FREAK! We are spending 3 days in Whistler too before the cruise! AND WE HAVE THE ROY!!! 

Can you tell I am getting excited!

Nicole


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## tksbaskets

poohmomof5 said:


> Great pictures and very helpful to our decision making process! We are still completely undecided...we are on the Aug. 16th cruise and have 4 teenagers and a 6 year old. Just not sure what to do. We have 3 excursions booked, but when I read, I change some of them!
> 
> The one for sure is the Juneau Harv and Marvs whale watching private charter! EXCITING!!! See your pictures makes me even more excited! I am a nature, wildlife, waterfall,  mountain FREAK! We are spending 3 days in Whistler too before the cruise! AND WE HAVE THE ROY!!!
> 
> Can you tell I am getting excited!
> 
> Nicole



You will love your Whale Watching in Juneau.  As I understand Harv and Marv are small boats too.  So much better, IMO, than trying to get pics with 100 people around you.  You will be amazed at the number of waterfalls.

I think your entire family would enjoy the 4 x 4 if you haven't anything scheduled yet for Skagway.  The trip to and from Haines was just breathtaking and the little ones sitting in the back seat of the mules seemed to enjoy themselves.

So much to choose from!

TK


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## GrumpyBelle

poohmomof5 said:


> Great pictures and very helpful to our decision making process! We are still completely undecided...we are on the Aug. 16th cruise and have 4 teenagers and a 6 year old. Just not sure what to do. We have 3 excursions booked, but when I read, I change some of them!
> 
> The one for sure is the Juneau Harv and Marvs whale watching private charter! EXCITING!!! See your pictures makes me even more excited! I am a nature, wildlife, waterfall,  mountain FREAK! We are spending 3 days in Whistler too before the cruise! AND WE HAVE THE ROY!!!
> 
> Can you tell I am getting excited!
> 
> Nicole



You sound like me. The only 1 we have for sure is Harv and Marv's in Juneau as well. Planning to do Mendenhall glacier on our own the morning before.

Now we are trying to decide between the train/Yukon suspension bridge combo and the Takshanuk excursion in Skagway. I keep looking at pictures and reading reviews and changing my mind.


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## poohmomof5

GrumpyBelle said:


> You sound like me. The only 1 we have for sure is Harv and Marv's in Juneau as well. Planning to do Mendenhall glacier on our own the morning before.
> 
> Now we are trying to decide between the train/Yukon suspension bridge combo and the Takshanuk excursion in Skagway. I keep looking at pictures and reading reviews and changing my mind.



Just like us! We want the train for sure, but we don't know what else to do with it...like Liarsville or the bridge...

What are you doing in Ketchican?


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## Shanny145

We are doing train and trail camp....can't wait!


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## Pooh667

mgibson301 said:


> We are doing the dogsledding in Juneau too and I asked the same question.  I was told that no daybags/camera bags are allowed (I have a Sony NEX5 but can use the pancake lens I guess)  We have to have cameras...right??     I booked directly through the company, so had to call when I got the reservations and asked them then.  You can carry it around your neck was their suggestion.



Thanks for your response!! I guess I will wear it around my neck.


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## poohj80

GrumpyBelle said:


> Now we are trying to decide between the train/Yukon suspension bridge combo and the Takshanuk excursion in Skagway. I keep looking at pictures and reading reviews and changing my mind.



We are doing the train/suspension bridge excursion as well...for now...also keep waffling, but haven't found many reviews.  What have you read/heard?


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## mvf-m11c

Great photos TK.  All of your photos are very bright and clear. The weather looked very clear during your three day trip. You and your family looked good in the pictures. The Alaskan King Crab that you & your DH looked very nice.


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## tksbaskets

mvf-m11c said:


> Great photos TK.  All of your photos are very bright and clear. The weather looked very clear during your three day trip. You and your family looked good in the pictures. The Alaskan King Crab that you & your DH looked very nice.



Thanks Bret!  I'm think I'll have some time to start my trip report tonight.  It was just spectacular weather and a wonderful trip.


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## GrumpyBelle

poohmomof5 said:


> Just like us! We want the train for sure, but we don't know what else to do with it...like Liarsville or the bridge...
> 
> What are you doing in Ketchican?



Originally I booked the train/trail camp but after discovering it only gets average reviews I started to consider other options. The Takshanuk 4x4 gets excellent reviews and I think would be more interactive with nature but I still think the train will offer better views overall. For now we are booked on the train/suspension bridge as some of the pics I have found (through google) look amazing. Who knows though, I still have 31 days to change my mind. 

In Ketchikan we are doing Totem Bight and Potlatch Park on our own  and the exclusive lumberjack through DCL. However I keep looking at the Misty Fjord & Wilderness explorer (mom said no helicopters so I assume float planes also) or the Rainforest Adventure. I worry after the nature trips in Skagway and Juneau adding another nature adventure may bore the kids. Plus I think it will be interesting to see some of the culture as well as the nature.


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## GrumpyBelle

poohj80 said:


> We are doing the train/suspension bridge excursion as well...for now...also keep waffling, but haven't found many reviews.  What have you read/heard?



I agree that reviews have been hard to find. I think  maybe because it just opened in May. The reviews I have found have been mostly positive. Some say Capilano in Vancouver is better and some say they would just skip it as it is just a bridge with an overlook-- no trails to walk. I want the train with something and initially booked with the trail camp but it only gets average reviews and I wanted the scenery.


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## poohj80

GrumpyBelle said:


> I agree that reviews have been hard to find. I think  maybe because it just opened in May. The reviews I have found have been mostly positive. Some say Capilano in Vancouver is better and some say they would just skip it as it is just a bridge with an overlook-- no trails to walk. I want the train with something and initially booked with the trail camp but it only gets average reviews and I wanted the scenery.



Thanks!  We want the train with something as well, but something open to a 5 yr old as well so our options are limited.


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## Bookworm Belle

tksbaskets said:


> This was an action packed day.  Eight big thumbs up (because we used both hands!).



Thanks for your review of the Salmon Bake, Whale Watching and Glacier Adults only tour.  Dave and I are doing this and your review and pictures are getting us more and more excited!


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## poohj80

For anyone interested in seeing videos from some of the excursions plus the cruise in general, Andi from the Disney Mom's Panel has posted a series of videos from her family's experience:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zSxsfG255U&feature=youtu.be

Please understand, I am assuming they had some private excursions since they were filming and were able to do more excursions in a port than we will be allowed based on schedules, but it is nice to see some footage of the excursions we can book.


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## Padres19

I did the helicopter dogsledding excursion in Juneau.  They want to have you carry everything that you intend to bring "on your person" (which I was told meant around your neck, in your pockets, etc.).  But they will NOT allow you to bring any bags on the helicopter.  There is, however, a very safe and secure place that they will store them at the facility for you.  

One other quick note to help you lighten your load: At the dogsledding camp, they do have gloves for you to wear, and at the company facility, they will fit you for boots to wear over your regular shoes--regardless of whether you are wearing boots already.


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## tksbaskets

Bookworm Belle said:


> Thanks for your review of the Salmon Bake, Whale Watching and Glacier Adults only tour.  Dave and I are doing this and your review and pictures are getting us more and more excited!



I'm glad you enjoyed it!  Hope you and Dave get Captain Ben and naturalist Ali!!


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## denise

Just wanted to tell everyone about something that happened and the outcome.
While in Skagway my DD asked her dad to buy her a sweatshirt while in the Alaska Shirt Company. It's a very large store in town. (There is one in Juneau also)
She loves her Lifeguard hoodie and if it was cold at home now I'm sure she would be living in it.
Well I was going through our receipts and noticed that on it we were charged for two when we paid. DH didn't notice it when he paid because the total price was around what one would be on the ship. 
I called the telephone number on the receipt and got their voice mail. I left a message, thinking yeah right, like they would call me back. Well they did!  She credited my credit card account and sent me a email immediately! I was impressed with their customer service and how easy it was to take care of this problem.
So two thumbs up to Alaska Shirt Company


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## plutojudy

booger73 said:


> Quick review from June 28-July 5th
> 
> 
> 
> Afternoon did Helicopter->Glacier.  This, was amazing.. to actually be walking around on a glacier and seeing all of the things on it.  One warning: If anyone has sensitive ears/sinuses, etc - especially kids - tell pilot.. my youngest did not tolerate the initial changes in altitude (sea level to 3k feet) on the helicopter well, but did fine with the slow descent
> 
> Juneau (also did 2) - we had great weather also
> Tour of Juneau + Mendenhall Glacier:  Did this to spend > 1 hr at MG compared to other tours (had done Deluxe Juneau but changed because didn't think the lunch was anything and wanted smaller whale cruise also).. If I had known, I would have skipped the Salmon Hatchery now - not much to see at all while we were there, but MG was nice



How long were you actually on the glacier?


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## Bullseyebaby

Just got back from our Alaska Cruise (July 12-19).   Here is what we did & what we thought:

Takshanuk Mountain 4x4:  You take a quick ferry ride to Haines, AK... which we loved because we say a few Bald Eagles along the way.  Then jump on a bus and a quick ride to the start of our adventure.  The vehicles are called "mules" and are 4 seaters (might fit 5, but we were only 4 so I didn't look to see if there was another seat belt in the back).  They have a little trunk compartment to put your backpacks & such.  We left in 2 groups each of about 10 vehicles.  It's a single file "follow the leader" kind of thing up the mountain... never reaching any high speeds.  Along the way the scenery was beautiful.  Big trees, a few little waterfalls and a beautiful aerial view of the Alaska & the waterways.  On the way up we stopped at a little cabin & they served us hot cookies & beverage.  On the way down, they provided a nice lunch of halibut & smoked chicken, along with salad & a fruit salad that we loved.  Overall we enjoyed it, but it may sound more "adventurous" than it really is.  Suitable for most everyone.

Juneau:  We did the Mendenhall Glacier Float trip:  We enjoyed our rafting trip.  Few things.... I thought we would be right near the Glacier.  You definitely see it & can take photos, but its at least 1/2 mile to 1 mile from where you begin the rafting.  The first 20 minutes of rafting include a few small, small rapids.... after that it is just that.... a float trip, for 4 to 5 miles.  We loved it (Luke was our guide), but again.... not as "adventurous" as we thought it would be.  They did provide drysuits and at the end gave Disney customers a free picture they took going down one of the rapids (nice little bonus).  

Ketchikan:  We split up here.... I went to the Misty Fjords and the family went ziplining.  The Misty Fjords were beautiful, but for 5 days now we've seen similar scenary (mountains, trees & waterfalls)... so honestly I was bored.  They did have a great narrator & the ferry was comfortable & had clean restrooms.  They gave out snacks and soup... but as far as the excursion, I would have rather done something else, as it was 4 hours of sightseeing by boat.  Great photo opportunities, but we saw no wildlife... just same old scenery (sorry, can you tell I was bored?).  Also, it got back so late that I had to run into town to get a souvenier & I would have rather had an couple hours to walk around & shop.  A very quaint little town.  As for the rest of the family, they loved the Bear Creek Zip Lining.  However, they all went ziplining in Hawaii and they said this wasn't "as good" as that...but fun none the less.

From everyone we talked to.... we didn't hear one "bad" story about a Disney excursion.  So whatever you choose, I think you'll enjoy it.  From our veranda, we saw whales, dolphins, eagles & harbor seals.  We saw more on board than on excursions!  Enjoy your trip.  

One last tidbit..... Vancouver is expensive!  10% tax and food is pricey.... be prepared.


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## booger73

plutojudy said:


> How long were you actually on the glacier?



I took a bunch of pictures so I actually have exact times:

Picture of us inside the helicopter leaving: 7/1/11 6:01pm (EST)
In the air flying - view of the Wonder 6:04pm
Flying towards the glacier - multiple views 6:04-6:19pm
Touchdown on the Glacier 6:19pm
Multiple shots of Glacier - family, water, mountains, etc, etc.. 7:08pm

Helicopter lands to pick us up : 7:09pm
Picture of us landing back in Skagway flying near boat: 7:29pm

So.. approximately 49 minutes on the Glacier
15min-20 min in flight towards/back


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## booger73

And.. if you were asking Mendenhall instead  sorry, didn't think about that:

First picture of Mendenhall : 11:54am (EST)
Last picture 1:09pm (EST)


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## womanredress

tink1963 said:


> We have booked this excursion for Ketchikan. I know that it is seasonal and we are on the Aug 23rd sailing. I don't know which sailing this is first offered on, so hoping someone from an up coming cruise is doing this and will post a review.



I keep hoping that too! I'm on the Aug 23rd sailing as well!    It's nice having a later cruise because we can hear from others first!

We booked the All Aboard Steam Train in Skagway and are doing our own exploration in the other ports. I've heard a lot about the train, but not a lot specifically the All Aboard Steam train one. Just that it broke one week!  I'm up for an adventure though.  I love steam trains so I think we'll manage.


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## PBader

denise said:


> So two thumbs up to Alaska Shirt Company



That's nice to know


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## Buzzster

We did the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari and thought it was AWESOME.

7:15am Bus to the dock
7:30am 1.25 hour ferry ride to GP
8:45am Hike to canoes to glacier
            Canoe trip is fantastic
Noon     Return to ferry for lunch back to Skagway

This excursion was excellent. Our guide, Renee was AWESOME, AMAZING and so knowledgeable.  She really loves her job.  My son of 10 really got a lot out of the experience as well.  DO THIS!!!!!


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## thumpery

Buzzster, thank you so much for posting about this excursion.  I haven't read much about it.  Seems most people are doing the train.  We are doing it on the August 9th cruise!  I have a few questions if you don't mind.

I was wondering what kind of clothes/shoes we should wear on this excursion.  Did you get wet at all?  Did they serve any food?  We are booked for the 9:10 am and don't get back till 3:40 pm.  My boys will need something for lunch.  Also, is there a place to store a backpack?  

I would really appreciate any information you could provide.  Thanks in advance!


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## Buzzster

We wore jeans and tshirts with fleece we could take off. They supply boots and additional layers as needed. In addition, they had sunscreen and bug repellent. Lunch was served on the boat consisting of turkey sandwichchips and cookie.


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## Doingitagain

I thought this was horrible...when we waiting in the Walt Disney Theater for our Boat and Floatplane excursion to Misty Fjords, the tour company came through and asked each of us individually to say our weight.  Yes, in front of my family, the entire excursion, and all the other excursions around us!  I know they need to balance weight on float planes, but you would think they could keep it more private than that.


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## mm126

Just returned from the July 12 Wonder...

Vancouver:  Hop on Hop Off Trolley tour.  Booked with concierge in Fairmont Waterfront.  Informative tour and a great way to cover a lot of territory in a short amount of time. Recommend doing this first thing in the am...the lines get very long mid day.

Vancouver:  Rocky Mountaineer Sea to Sky train to Whistler.  Booked with Landsea Tours.  Train to Whistler and Executive Coach back to Vancouver with stops along the way.  Booked the dome train which I highly recommend -definitely worth the extra money. 

Whistler:  Peak to Peak.  Waited to purchase tickets that day to insure visibility on the mountain.  We lucked out with the weather and were able to enjoy amazing views from the top of Whistler and while crossing (Peak to Peak) to Blackcomb.  Opted for the open chair lift back down the mountain - where we saw 4 bear from the chair lift! Whistler Village has lots of shops and restaurants but we spent the majority of our time on top of the moutain.

Skagway - Yukon Expedition (booked w/ Disney).  This trip was a guided bus tour to the Yukon Territory with stops along the way for pictures and return via Whitepass Railroad.  Loved it!

Juneau - Orca Enterprises (self booked on line).  Highly recommend this company.  Much smaller group than the tour boats we saw.  Captain Larry and crew (Kelly) did a wonderful job.  We had a terrific time and 14 whales and even witnessed bubble feeding.

Ketchikan - Island Wings (self booked on line) Misty Fjord and Glacier tour.  Highly recommend this tour.  We enjoyed our flight (2.5 hours) with Michelle.  Picture perfect day which allowed for us to travel out over the glaciers.  Landing on Walker Lake and walking around added to the experience which included watching a beaver push branch across the lake!

Happy to answer any questions.


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## debc1212

subbing


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## JimmyJackJunior

Went on July 12th and have been camping since with no internet

1) Skagway - went with Skagway Float Tours. Had a tour guide named Nathan. Five stars. We hiked up a little bit of the Chilkoot Trail and then rafted down. If you go request Nathan, he was a great deal of fun and the trip was a blast. The youngest in our group was five years old. Best tour I have ever been on.

2) Juneau - went whale watching and then to mendenhall galcier. Company was Dolphin Jet Tour. The tour got off to a terrible start as they had overbooked and did not have enough space on their boats. Once we got out there the whale watching was absolutely incredible. Must have seen 50 whales and a group of them were bubble feeding. Got out to the Glacier but was shorted on time due to the earlier mix up and then the bus at both the pickup from the boat and the glacier was late. I would recommend the tour but not with alaska tours.com/dolphin jet boats.

3) Ketchikan - Did a bus tour with sourdough tours. The wildlife portion was very boring compared to what we saw on the other two tours and from the Wonder. I would just take a city bus out to the totems.


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## "Got Disney"

glacier walkabout awesome awesome awesome...awe inspiring

Train ride with Liarsville  gold panning lots of fun and views from the train beautiful

Tracy Arm....wow wow wow

sea Berring crab tour lots of fun,funny and inspiring from listening to the stories.

Pictures do not do the scenery justice.


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## "Got Disney"

Doingitagain said:


> I thought this was horrible...when we waiting in the Walt Disney Theater for our Boat and Floatplane excursion to Misty Fjords, the tour company came through and asked each of us individually to say our weight.  Yes, in front of my family, the entire excursion, and all the other excursions around us!  I know they need to balance weight on float planes, but you would think they could keep it more private than that.



For the helicopters they just asked us to write our wt down on the back of our tickets....sorry u had to go through that.


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## LBollengier

We did the White Pass Railroad in Skagway. That was a very good excursion, historical and educational! 8 out of 10 stars

Then that afternoon we went to the Mead Glacier by helicopter - they provided us with glacier boots & vests. It was a 20 minute trip over and past several other glaciers. Then we had 40 minutes to explore the glacier! It was a thrill to walk around and look down  in the crevices or "moulans" Gary and the girls even drank some glacier water! 9 out of 10 stars

In Juneau we went on a small boat looking for whales and we saw about 15, a young calf even jumped out of the water for us twice (breached) They had a knowledgeable young man telling us lots of whale facts and the weather was nice. 8.5 stars

Later in Juneau we went to the Historic Gold Panning and Salmon bake. THe pans were loaded with flecks of gold when we arrived but somehow the ones we dredged ourselves out of the water didn't seem to have any. THen we went to a place to have the Salmon bake and there was a waterfall and salmon swimming upstream but we only had 25 minutes left at this point and we were terribly rushed. THe food was fair at best and seemed quite exposed to the elements and I was a little afraid to eat it. Nobody took us up the path to the stream and waterfall but we went anyway and the salmon were right there trying to swim up the creek. Too bad we felt so rushed. Overall 
this was my least favorite of the excursions although my DD11 was so excited about her little vial of gold that I didn't mention my true feelings to my family! 5 out of 10 stars

In Ketchikan we saved the best for last!! For years we have looked longingly at the Zip line excursions and wanted to do them but had to wait until our youngest was old enough. We did the Rainforest Zipline adventure and went on 8 zip lines and several suspension bridges. We were thrilled and absolutely loved this adventure!!! 10+ out of 10 stars.

We went to the Vancouver Aquarium the day we got back and it was fantastic! I thought the Dallas World Aquarium was the coolest aquarium but now it has fallen to #2!! We were planning to go to Harry Potter that day but it was sold out at the 3d until 10:30PM... So we did that Wednesday instead. We also ate al fresco at this wonderful restaurant called the Italian Kitchen located about halfway walking between the Marriott Pinnacle and the theatre. It was better than any italian place in Dallas I know of. Overall, we loved Vancouver! We loved ALaska! What a great vacation!!

I would definitely like to do this vacation again in July or August in the future! Next time I would definitely go back to Zip-Lining again! I'd like to do a "Disney Exclusive event" too as everyone RAVED about them that I heard. Probably the Dog sledding one. Also I heard great things about the Lubmerjack shows and the gold-panning with characters.


----------



## LBollengier

[QUOTE="Got Disney";42000093]For the helicopters they just asked us to write our wt down on the back of our tickets....sorry u had to go through that.[/QUOTE]

We did the Glacier Discovery by Helicopter in Skagway. They wrote down our weights on a paper with everyone able to see and added 10 lbs to mine and my daughters from what I told them and I was honest about it!! LOL 

THen they called my hubby out in front of everyone and made him get on a scale - He wrote down his actual weight and I felt really bad for him. Kind of put a damper on it - then they took us by weights and tried to put our daughters on a different helicopter - almost got my MOMMY fur up!


----------



## mouseclick1

Just back from the July 19th cruise.  We were a party of 4, with our 20 and 21 year old sons.  Here are the excursions we did:

Takshanuk 4X4 Adventure (Skagway):  We woke up to a beautiful day in Skagway!  We had a 7am meeting time and were off the ship pretty quickly.  Took a shuttle to the near-by ferry.  The ferry to Haines was about 45 minutes, and was a very pretty ride.  At Haines, you board your bus with your tour guides.  We had Ronnie and Angie, who were very funny!  At the mountain, we split into 2 groups with 5-6 vehicles in each group.  The ride up the mountain is beautiful, though I was a little nervous at times.  It probably wouldn't be scary for most people, but I get very nervous along mountain edges!  About half way up we stopped for cookies, hot chocolate and a bathroom break, then back into our vehicles.  We finally reached our destination, and the view was stunning!  We had enough time to walk around, take pictures, and enjoy the view before getting back into our vehicles and heading back down.  We stopped once again at the lodge on the way down and had a delicious meal of halibut, chicken, potatoes, and fruit salad.  After we returned to the base of the mountain, we got back into the bus and had a little tour of Haines.  I think about 90% of the people on the ferry back to Skagway slept the whole way!  We had a fantastic time!

Harv and Marv Whale Watching (Juneau):  We booked this on our own and reserved the boat for our family of four.  This was, without a doubt, the highlight of our entire vacation, and possibly one of the most exciting adventures I have done in my life.  We started out by going to the Mendenhall Glacier on our own, and were picked up by Harv and Marv at 11:15.  The weather was perfect, and we saw so many whales that we couldn't even count them.  We were able to witness bubble feeding and breaching whales.  It was beyond breathtaking.  Our captain was trying hard to keep his distance from the whales, but there were so many they were everywhere, and some were actually coming up pretty close to our boat.  I can't recommend this highly enough - it was as perfect as it could be.

Lighthouse, Totems and Eagles (Ketchikan):  We did not plan to do an excursion today since we were supposed to arrive at 1:30.  The plan was to simply to explore the town of Ketchikan.  We found out that were were going to arrive around 11:00 instead, so I booked this excursion at the last minute once I realized we would have time to do both.  I grabbed the excursion booklet at 9am on the morning of Ketchikan, found this excursion and booked it for the 4 of us without much thought. Our meeting time was 1:45 in the Walt Disney Theater.   By 1:00 I was totally second guessing my actions, expecially since everyone was tired after 2 days of excursions and nobody really seemed excited about going.  We were all very pleasantly surprised and had a lot of fun!  After taking a 20 minute bus ride, we boarded a boat to begin our excursion.  Our boat captain is the owner of the company and his sons(young adults) join him and act as the hosts. Their beautiful dog joined us as well.  They were all so nice, and brought drinks to everyone, put out a nice assortment of cheese, crackers, fruit, and a delicious salmon spread, and even passed out stuffed animals to the children to keep at no extra charge. We saw a ton of eagles and were able to get some really good photos.  Lots of places to move around on the boat for viewing.  The trip was fully narrated, and the captain pointed out a lot of interesting sights along the way.  If you are looking for a low-key excursion that is not overly expensive, this is a nice choice.

We were very pleased with all of our excursion choices and felt they were all worth every penny!


----------



## TENNDVC

For those who booked Misty Fjords with Disney did they make you state your weight out loud in front of others? Also how much time did you have to sit in lounge prior to leaving?


----------



## Inkmahm

TENNDVC said:


> For those who booked Misty Fjords with Disney did they make you state your weight out loud in front of others? Also how much time did you have to sit in lounge prior to leaving?



We're doing the Neets Bear watch tour in Ketchikan.  If they ask me to announce my weight to the world, I will refuse. I will offer to write it down for them instead.

I can't believe any excursion operators hired by Disney could be so insensitive to us Pooh sized people as to ask us to announce our weight.  That alone would get them a poor review from me on the excursion.


----------



## scoutsmom99

TENNDVC said:


> For those who booked Misty Fjords with Disney did they make you state your weight out loud in front of others? Also how much time did you have to sit in lounge prior to leaving?


We did the flight only through Disney (classic Misty Fjords, I think) and we had to tell the tour company (Tanquan Air) our weight on the bus, but it was done discreetly for each family they entered the information into their phones.

We also did a helicopter tour in Juneau and we had to write down our weight on a piece of paper.


----------



## teriyaki

How were the mosquitoes on the most recent cruises?


----------



## Debbru

TENNDVC said:


> For those who booked Misty Fjords with Disney did they make you state your weight out loud in front of others? Also how much time did you have to sit in lounge prior to leaving?



We did the "Magnificent Misty Fjords" thru Disney (the tour company was Promech Air).
We gathered in the Walt Disney Theater in the center rows (our group filled two rows in the center from aisle to aisle).  The woman from Promech was checking people in.  She was standing in the right hand aisle - DH and I were in aisle seats on the left aisle - so were across the theater from her.  She would yell out "Do I have a party of 2" or "Do I have a party of 4" etc. as she was trying to organize & fill the planes.  When she asked for a party of 2, DH & I raised our hands.  From the other side of the theater she YELLED "HOW MUCH DO YOU WEIGH"?  I just glared at her and motioned for her to come to our side of the theater.  She walked down the aisle in front of us - still had to state our weights out loud, those around us could hear, but at least we didn't shout it across the theater!!!!


----------



## M&C

Today we start our trek to the Wonder on August 2nd. We're all so excited! I'll try to post reports of our excursions:
Klondike Rock Climbing and Rappelling(me,DD)
Musher's Camp and Sled Dog Experience(DH,DD)
Mendenhall Glacier Adventure Hike (DH,DD)
Rainforest Canopy and Zipline Adventure (me,DD0
Private Skiff - Touring by Sea (all of us)


----------



## staffieri

LBollengier said:


> We did the White Pass Railroad in Skagway. That was a very good excursion, historical and educational! 8 out of 10 stars
> 
> Then that afternoon we went to the Mead Glacier by helicopter - they provided us with glacier boots & vests. It was a 20 minute trip over and past several other glaciers. Then we had 40 minutes to explore the glacier! It was a thrill to walk around and look down  in the crevices or "moulans" Gary and the girls even drank some glacier water! 9 out of 10 stars
> 
> Who did you use? Sounds wonderful. Was it only your family?
> 
> We went to the Vancouver Aquarium the day we got back and it was fantastic! I thought the Dallas World Aquarium was the coolest aquarium but now it has fallen to #2!!
> 
> Did you buy tickets there? How was the crowds? I am trying to plan this the day we depart from cruise. We have a late flight. OUr flights at 4pm. Any thoughts?


----------



## cyclenut

I've seen very few reviews of the adventures we are taking.

Skagway
DS20, DD22, DDBF27 - Mammoth Waterfalls and Ultra Zipline adventure - 1:15 to 5:15
DW, DD18, DD16 - Yukon Suspension Bridge, City and White Pass Railway - 11:45 to 4:45
Me - Experience Yukon by Bike - 8:45 to 3:45

Juneau
DDBF27, DD22, DD16 - Alaska Whales and Rainforest Trails - 8:30 to 2:00
Me & DS20 - Sled Dog Discovery and Mushers Camp - 8:45 - 12:15
DW & DD18 - Mendenhall Glacier and Rainforest Garden Adventure - 11:45 to 3:45

Ketchikan
DS20, DDBF27 - Mountain Point Snorkeling Adventure - 2:45 to 6:00
DW & DD18 - Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition - 2:15 to 5:15
Me, DD22, DD16 - Back Country Jeep and Canoe Adventure - 2:45 to 7:15


----------



## cyclenut

cyclenut said:


> I've seen very few reviews of the adventures we are taking.
> 
> Skagway
> DS20, DD22, DDBF27 - Mammoth Waterfalls and Ultra Zipline adventure - 1:15 to 5:15
> DW, DD18, DD16 - Yukon Suspension Bridge, City and White Pass Railway - 11:45 to 4:45
> Me - Experience Yukon by Bike - 8:45 to 3:45
> 
> Juneau
> DDBF27, DD22, DD16 - Alaska Whales and Rainforest Trails - 8:30 to 2:00
> Me & DS20 - Sled Dog Discovery and Mushers Camp - 8:45 - 12:15
> DW & DD18 - Mendenhall Glacier and Rainforest Garden Adventure - 11:45 to 3:45
> 
> Ketchikan
> DS20, DDBF27 - Mountain Point Snorkeling Adventure - 2:45 to 6:00
> DW & DD18 - Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition - 2:15 to 5:15
> Me, DD22, DD16 - Back Country Jeep and Canoe Adventure - 2:45 to 7:15



Found some reviews of these excursions on the Holland America web site and after reading about the "Rainforest Garden Adventure" we swapped that one out for the Mendenhall Glacier and Mount Roberts Tramway.  

Check out 
http://reviews.hollandamerica.com/9041/KTN/ketchikan-alaska-us-reviews/category.htm
Pick a port and then look at the title.  I'm assuming if the title matches it's pretty much the same excursion.


----------



## staffieri

Thanks for the review site!!


----------



## TENNDVC

Thank you for this information. I don't mind telling them my weight for safety on the plane but I am sure not going to yell it across the theater. I hope that someone tells Disney is this not conducive to a great start of a tour.  Looking so forward to this trip.


----------



## Anjelica

TENNDVC said:


> Thank you for this information. I don't mind telling them my weight for safety on the plane but I am sure not going to yell it across the theater. I hope that someone tells Disney is this not conducive to a great start of a tour.  Looking so forward to this trip.



I am surprised they did that - for the excursion we booked through Disney (Exclusive Musher for a day) the only people who needed to know our weight was the tour operator.  They asked for this as we boarded the transportation bus and even then just had us right it on a piece of paper.


----------



## Schachteles

TENNDVC said:


> Thank you for this information. I don't mind telling them my weight for safety on the plane but I am sure not going to yell it across the theater. I hope that someone tells Disney is this not conducive to a great start of a tour.  Looking so forward to this trip.





Anjelica said:


> I am surprised they did that - for the excursion we booked through Disney (Exclusive Musher for a day) the only people who needed to know our weight was the tour operator.  They asked for this as we boarded the transportation bus and even then just had us right it on a piece of paper.



We did the helicopter and mushing on the glacier and Disney did not ask our weights either.  They asked for it when we got to the helicopter pad and that was it, luckily our tour didn't have the weight surcharge, they only used it for "balancing".


----------



## RedSox68

disneypoor said:


> Hi!  I just sent you a private message with all of the information!  Hope it all works out for you.  He was great, and of course, we felt like royalty getting hauled around in a stretch limo.  You should have seen the people just watching to see who was getting out.  They were quite disappointed.  I believe someone even asked him who we were when we were at Prospect Point.  Gotta love it!
> 
> Susan



We're not going until next year, but would love to have the info about the limo company!  Thanks.


----------



## ariel39

teriyaki said:


> How were the mosquitoes on the most recent cruises?



Just got off yesterday and there were NONE, NADA, ZILCH absolutely no mosquitoes or any type of flying bugs except for flies!   I think it was too cold for them,


----------



## poohj80

ariel39 said:


> Just got off yesterday and there were NONE, NADA, ZILCH absolutely no mosquitoes or any type of flying bugs except for flies!   I think it was too cold for them,



Wonderful to hear!  Thanks!


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## HiMagicFan

eagerly waiting for more


----------



## poohj80

For any previous cruisers who have gone whale watching in Juneau, just wondering if you had more success seeing whales in the morning or afternoon?

Thanks!


----------



## mouseclick1

poohj80 said:


> For any previous cruisers who have gone whale watching in Juneau, just wondering if you had more success seeing whales in the morning or afternoon?
> 
> Thanks!



We were out on the water from 11:30 - 2:30 and saw a ton of whales.  Our captain said there were plenty out in the morning as well.  Not sure how long it continued after 2:30, but there was lots of activity all morning and afternoon that day.


----------



## poohj80

mouseclick1 said:


> We were out on the water from 11:30 - 2:30 and saw a ton of whales.  Our captain said there were plenty out in the morning as well.  Not sure how long it continued after 2:30, but there was lots of activity all morning and afternoon that day.



Thanks!


----------



## HiMagicFan

PJ was this the one with Harv & Marv or via the ship?  I am having second thoughts about doing a whale watch in hopes of seeing more and up close.

If it is the ship are you doing the early one?


----------



## CruisingSarah

I was wondering if anyone who did the Exclusive Whale Encounter with the ship knows who the operator was please?  Or at least what type of boat they use and how many people onboard?

I like the sound of the Alaska Whales and Rainforest Trails trip which I gather is with Gastineau and I like the look of their boats, but I think the duration of this trip is too long for us.

I just wondered is Gastineau is also contracted for the Exclusive Whale Encounter?

Thanks for any info


----------



## stsomewhere

Thanks to everyone who reviewed Juneau Limo. I booked them for our cruise in a few weeks.


----------



## poohj80

HiMagicFan said:


> PJ was this the one with Harv & Marv or via the ship?  I am having second thoughts about doing a whale watch in hopes of seeing more and up close.
> 
> If it is the ship are you doing the early one?



We booked outside DCL but not with Harv & Marv.  I believe the operator is called Rum Runner Charters.  They are willing to either whale watch first then drop us off at Mendenhall or let us go to Mendenhall first and pick us up there for an afternoon cruise.

Speaking of which, had another question for those who have been already...are there any food options at Mendenhall Glacier?  If we are being picked up there we will need to have some lunch before our whale watching adventure.

Thanks!


----------



## MrsG

poohj80 said:


> We booked outside DCL but not with Harv & Marv.  I believe the operator is called Rum Runner Charters.  They are willing to either whale watch first then drop us off at Mendenhall or let us go to Mendenhall first and pick us up there for an afternoon cruise.
> 
> Speaking of which, had another question for those who have been already...are there any food options at Mendenhall Clacier?  If we are being picked up there we will need to have some lunch before our whale watching adventure.
> 
> Thanks!




There might have been some food in the Visitor's center, but can't recall.  You might want to pack a lunch.  I do recall seeing tables outside so you can sit and eat there.


----------



## smeecanada

poohj80 said:


> Speaking of which, had another question for those who have been already...are there any food options at Mendenhall Glacier?  If we are being picked up there we will need to have some lunch before our whale watching adventure.
> 
> Thanks!



I don't recall any food options when we were there a couple of years ago.  They specifically told us to leave any food we had on the bus due to the bears.  There are rangers wandering around watching out for bears at the glacier.  We seem to always miss seeing the bears.


----------



## sabrecmc

I didn't see any food available at Mendenhall, but on our whale watching tour, they had light snacks and drinks at no additional cost.  Having a child along, I always take snacks though!


----------



## MrsG

smeecanada said:


> I don't recall any food options when we were there a couple of years ago.  They specifically told us to leave any food we had on the bus due to the bears.  There are rangers wandering around watching out for bears at the glacier.  We seem to always miss seeing the bears.



Yes, this poster is absolutely right as I recall.  In fact, while we were there, a bear cub wandered onto the path trying to catch a spawning salmon.  It happened about 5 mins after we left that same spot.  A ranger warned everyone a bear was coming and someone on our tour got pics of the bear and gave us copies.  So obviously the tables around were not for food, my mistake.


----------



## GrumpyBelle

CruisingSarah said:


> I was wondering if anyone who did the Exclusive Whale Encounter with the ship knows who the operator was please?  Or at least what type of boat they use and how many people onboard?
> 
> I like the sound of the Alaska Whales and Rainforest Trails trip which I gather is with Gastineau and I like the look of their boats, but I think the duration of this trip is too long for us.
> 
> I just wondered is Gastineau is also contracted for the Exclusive Whale Encounter?
> 
> Thanks for any info



We are cruising with you so I haven't done this, but I did research these when I booked my excursion. I believe the exclusive Whale Encounter is done through Dolphin Jet Boat tours and their boat holds 36 passengers. The boat used by Gastineau for their Alaska Whales and Rainforest Trails tour is smaller holding only 15 passengers.


----------



## CruisingSarah

GrumpyBelle said:


> We are cruising with you so I haven't done this, but I did research these when I booked my excursion. I believe the exclusive Whale Encounter is done through Dolphin Jet Boat tours and their boat holds 36 passengers. The boat used by Gastineau for their Alaska Whales and Rainforest Trails tour is smaller holding only 15 passengers.



Thank you so much for this  I had worked out the gastineau ones but couldn't work out who did this trip.


----------



## beachbunny

Skagway:  Disney Exclusive Liarsville with Salmon Bake.  3 out of 5 stars.  This excursion included musical entertainment, marshmallow roasting, an old west type of show with singing and story telling, gold panning (3-4 teeny-tiny pieces of gold in each pan), picture taking with Goofy, Donald and Dale, and finally a buffet lunch of chicken and grilled salmon.  The kids had fun but the food was just so-so.

Juneau:  Disney's Exclusive Musher for a Day.  10 out of 5 stars.  This is one of the best land excursion experiences ever and I've been on a half-dozen cruises.  A minivan took us to an airfield.  We were given a safety briefing and then fitted with a life jacket and snow boots.  A helicopter flew us over the Juneau ice fields and landed on a glacier with lots of snow.  We then went dog sledding on the glacier where the scenery was spectacular!   Everyone had an opportunity to be the musher.  About 3/4 of the way through the ride, we stopped and got to unharness (and play with) our dogs and take off their booties.  Lunch was served - sandwiches, pasta salad, chips, cookie, and drinks.  (This lunch was way better than Liarsville.)  We then reharnessed our dogs and rode back to the starting point.  There was a tour of the dog sled camp and we got to visit with a litter of 4 week old sled dogs.  Finally, our helicopter took us back to the air field.  Awesome, awesome, awesome!  Absolutely worth the exhorbitant price!  

Skagway:  Eagles, Totems, and Lighthouses.  This was absolutely fun!  Five out of 5 stars.  A boat takes you past many eagles and nests (with chicks), stopping so you can take pictures.  The boat also passes near the totem park and a light house.  We saw many seals resting on a huge rock and in the water.  We were served awesome hot cocoa with homemade whipped cream, cookies, and crackers with salmon spread.  Each child received a nice sized stuffed animal.  Our kids loved this excursion!


----------



## smeecanada

Has anyone done the Mendenhall Glacier Adventure Hike?  

Good/Bad?  Can it be done with runners?


----------



## DenverVal

smeecanada said:


> Has anyone done the Mendenhall Glacier Adventure Hike?
> 
> Good/Bad?  Can it be done with runners?


This is the only review I've seen on it, earlier in the thread:


Breyean said:


> Hi. We did the glacier hike on the 5/3 cruise.
> 
> As point of reference, I had just run the Vancouver Marathon the Sunday before; my wife had done the 1/2 marathon. Another couple in our group had done a trail 1/2 marathon outside San Francisco on the layover on the repositioning cruise. We all showed up in old running shoes, expecting well maintained trails, which is what I believe the brochure said. None of us were experienced hikers, but there were people in our group who were.
> 
> It starts off very easy. You walk along beautiful trails with big trees, plenty of shade, water rushing in streams in a few places. The guides maintain a brisk pace, stopping now and then to let people catch up while they point out facts about the forest and stuff.
> 
> Soon, however, it became almost like mountain climbing. There was one area where they had steel cables up on the sides to keep you falling off the mountain and to use to haul yourself up. Other areas had to be climbed on all fours, especially for my wife and the other woman runner, since they are short and couldn't get their legs from one rock to another w/o using their hands to crawl up.
> 
> The hardest was at the very top. Now, we did not know this, but maybe we missed it in the literature. The end of the hike is no where near the actual glacier. You end up with a great view of it, but you're not close to it at all. And getting to that point required climbing the rocks on all fours.
> 
> BUT WAIT! There's more!
> 
> Getting down was pretty bad. At the summit, the guides went down first so they could basically catch people as they slid down those rocks we had just climbed up. Remember, these rocks are wet from snow runoff.
> 
> I made it down the first part so well they let me go ahead on my own, as did the other running couple. They were a little ahead of me when the wife fell, rolled into her husband and the both sort of slid down the rocks. His knee was a little banged up but they were basically OK.
> 
> Just then, I saw a nice flat rock to make my next descent, but didn't notice it was wet and slippery. My old running shoes went right out from under me, I went down on my back, cut my shoulder, both elbows and a lot of my right hand as I grabbed for a tree or something, because I wasn't go straight down the "path", I was heading off the side of the mountain.
> 
> Point is, I think you need to be in good shape. I think you need real hiking boots. You have to realize after all this you only get a picture of the glacier from a distance. Funny part was when we finished back at the parking lot, if you look out across the water you can see the glacier just fine.
> 
> Oh, and things were so dicey on that first descent the guides took us back along another trail which is longer, w/o rocks or tow ropes, but which they said isn't always available due to runoff later in the year.
> 
> We had a good time. But I think they sell this adventure as being easier than it really is.


----------



## smeecanada

Thanks, DenverVal.  Based on that review we won't be doing it.  Way more than just a hike.


----------



## DenverVal

There was also a review for the glacier hike in Skagway around the end of June or early July that was very favorable, and I wish I had done it, since it was my first choice. I was outvoted. It was a fairly lengthy review if I remember right.


----------



## debc1212

Has anyone done the Alaska wildlife expedition in Skagway?  DH is looking at doing this to take wildlife photographs. 

Wildlife photography is his hobby & he wants me to ask this question:  of the three ports in Alaska, is there one port or excursion in particular that is best for photography. Yeah, I know it's Alaska & the photo opportunities are probably beyond amazing. He's just wanting to see if one is better than the others. 

TIA for any responses!


----------



## smeecanada

DenverVal said:


> There was also a review for the glacier hike in Skagway around the end of June or early July that was very favorable, and I wish I had done it, since it was my first choice. I was outvoted. It was a fairly lengthy review if I remember right.



I read the review for that one.  It's was tempting - it's a very long excursion.  We're doing the train and bike excursion there.


----------



## smeecanada

Back when you could start booking the Alaska excursions there was a thread with times of the excursions?  Anyone remember this?  I've done a couple of searches but haven't been able to locate it.  

The DCL website leaves much to be desired when it comes to booking excursions.  Very frustrating.  Wish there was a pdf with all the excursions listed and times available.


----------



## poohj80

smeecanada said:


> Back when you could start booking the Alaska excursions there was a thread with times of the excursions?  Anyone remember this?  I've done a couple of searches but haven't been able to locate it.
> 
> The DCL website leaves much to be desired when it comes to booking excursions.  Very frustrating.  Wish there was a pdf with all the excursions listed and times available.



Mileage may vary...

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2666085


----------



## smeecanada

poohj80 said:


> Mileage may vary...
> 
> http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2666085



Thanks, exactly the thread I was looking for.  Not sure, why it didn't come up when I searched for it.


----------



## staffieri

Do you think all avaliability for the tours are given on the Disney site or do they hold some spaces back? I am trying to get the whale tour at 10 and it is only showing the other times.


----------



## cyclenut

I know that some of these are repeats but I'm going to share with you our epxeriences.  First, there were 7 in our party so for each day, we were doing three different excursions.  Those I went on personally I can share better detail, but I have a pretty good idea of each of them from the other members of our family.

Skagway.
1) Experience Yukon by Bike
This was a most excellent adventure.  The operator had plenty of bikes to choose from and even outfitted mine with the pedals I requested to match my bike shoes.  The bikes were loaded up and we headed out and across the border into Canada.  It was raining, more of a drizzle actually, but very wet.  We were given a safety speech and the bikes were explained to everyone.  Then we headed out for 38 miles along a single road into Carcross.  The scenery was spectacular.  We did encounter a coulple of black bears along the road but we were given the rundown on how to approach (or better yet, not approach) the situation.  The weather cleared up about 10 miles into our ride and by the halfway point all but my feet were dry.  There are a few hills to deal with but it was all good.  There were a total of 6 people on this ride, only myself from our party.  We all finished in Carcross ahead of the 4 hour time alottment and we stopped several times to get pictures and take in a quick snack.  This excursion included a small lunch and they provided granola bars for during the ride.  This is not a ride for someone who wants to sit back and enjoy the scenery.  You will get a workout.  My legs were tired by the time I was done.  But it was totally worth it.  We took a rather long ride in the van back where we all visited and learned a bit more about Alaska and the Yukon territory from our guides.  Interestingly we passed the Yukon Suspension Bridge.











The small town of Carcross.  Very neat general store there.  If you go, make sure to stop by.






2) Yukon Suspension Bridge, City and Whitepass Railway:
Three in our party did this excursion and they talked about it all trip.  It wasn't the favorite but it was close.  The rail provided some spectacular views and the guide was helpful and provided some humor.  This excursion took you to Frasier where you boarded a bus to the Yukon Suspension Bridge.  This was spectacular.  It was a very solid bridge that provided some awesome views.  There were bugs here but it was cool so most people didn't have too much exposed skin for it to be a problem.  The bus took everyone back.  So you get a train one way and the bus back, plus the suspension bridge.  The length was about right leaving plenty of time to shop in Skagway.

3)  Mammoth Waterfalls and Ultra Zipline Adventure:
Three in our party did this zipline adventure and they all thought this was the best of all the excursions they took.  Incredible.  A total of 9 different ziplines during the time there.  Great countryside.  You could be as loud as you wanted.  A couple of the ziplines were shorter and one was pretty long.  The operators were very nice and very helpful.  This is apparently their first year in operation, although this particular tour operator (Alaska Excursions) has been doing these types of things for some time.  You had to take a bus to the base of area and then a special vehicle made for hill climbing took everyone to the zipline area.  There is a weight limit for this excursion and guests were reminded of this often.

Juneau.
1) Sled dog discovery and musher's camp.
Myself and my DS20 did this one.  He is a huge fan of Alaska sled dogs, Huskies to be specific.  We took a bus to a place near the ski lodge and then boarded vans where we were taken into the camp.  We were greated by many very excited barking sled dogs all strapped up and ready to go.  We were seated in a wheeled cart for six and taken around the camp for a few minutes.  Then we were let out to pet the dogs and we learned a little bit about these dogs, the lead dogs and other things.  Then we transitioned to another area where we were greated by an Alaskan Husky.  We walked out on a small suspension bridge that was apparently new and took in some great forest area over a creek.  Impressive views.  We then sat down for what amounted to quite a bit of "show and tell".  This is a working mushers camp for the sled dogs.  Here you learn all about the dogs and their gear.  What steps are taken to keep them healthy and happy on the trail and some of the "tricks of the trade".  We then transitioned to another area where we learned all about the Iditarod, the route, the mushers gear and equipment, the sleds, etc.  Finally it was puppy time.  The puppies were taken out of the pens and we got to hold them and pet them.  Cute and adorable as most all puppies are.  Very special.  In all, too much lecture time for us.  Would have preferred more time with the dogs and on the sled.  But it was very informative and we did enjoy it.  Basically, it was as advertised.  It is a working musher's camp and we learned about sled dogs, mushers and the races they run.

2) Mendenhall Glacier Explorer and Mount Roberts Tramway:
Two in our party did this one and they thought it was excellent.  No walking on the glacier itself but plenty of opportunity to explore around it.  They took a hike back to a wonderful waterfall.  Apparently there were several options to choose from depending on the ability of your party and how far they wanted to walk.  Most people seemed to shy away from the waterfall hike but my DW and DD18 loved it.  The tramway was amazing.  You can't miss it and this is definately one you don't need to book through the ship.  There was plenty of time in Juneau to pick this up either before or after an excursion.  It is a 6 minute ride to the top where there spectacular views of the entire area.  This was a great combination.  

3)  Alaska Whales and Rainforest Trails:
I heard conflicting information on this one.  Some really liked the whale watching and one said it was boring and kept falling asleep (could have been the dramamine ... she insisted that the non-drowsy formula didn't work for her).  Definately saw some humpbacks.  The rainforest was excellent.  There were people doing a zipline overhead which was a little distracting.  Interestingly those people were told to be quiet during their zipline so as not to disturb those who were viewing the rainforest from below.  This was a contrast to the zipline exerience in Skagway.  The rainforest tour was basically a nature walk through private land that is basically a natural rainforest due to the several feet of rain (yes feet) that they get each year.  In all a good experience but it was not considered one of the favorites.

A word about Juneau.  We had spectacular weather.  The Wonder was docked a little further away from the town so they had a shuttle.  You could walk it, but it was about 20 minutes or more and it wasn't even nice scenary.  They had several tour brokers out on the street.  Tours were available through them at half the price of what DCL charges and they claimed there was room on virtually every kind of tour you might want.  I am a little leary of choosing that option personally, but it is available.

Ketchikan.
1) Back Country Jeep and Canoe Adventure:
We were picked up by bus and taken to the tour operator.  We filled out paperwork and provided insurance information.  We were reminded several times that a person over the age of 25 was required to drive the jeep.  The jeeps seat four.  We had three in our party and we did get our own jeep.  There was a party of 5 and one of that party road with the guide.  They used CB Radios to keep in contact with each other.  We got in our jeeps and headed out to the lake where we got into a canoe.  The entire group was put into one canoe, but that also meant that we were seated three wide.  The person in the middle had a paddle, but didn't get to use it.  There were a couple of people disappointed with that, but you do have a chance to go out and then back.  We switched it up.  The echo off the lake was amazing and the sceneray around the lack was awesome.  When we reached the dock on the other side, we did a short and informative nature walk.  A very easy walk along a bark-covered trail.  When we returned from the walk we were served clam chowder and smoked salmon.  They also had hot chocolate, bread and crackers.  The chowder was very good as was the smoked salmon.  Better than any I had on board the ship.  We then paddled back across the lake.  This is where I snapped a paddle.  We kept the handle as a souvenier.  I was putting a lot into the rowing as there were many in the canoe that ... well ... were just too young to understand how to do it and on one of the strokes, SNAP.  When we got to the dock we got back in the jeeps and headed out on some logging roads.  It was quite fun.  I was surprised at how rough the roads were and very narrow too.  It really felt like an off-road adventure.  Through mud puddles and over rocks (nothing large).  Up hills and again, spectacular scenery.  After a couple of different roads and a few opportunities to switch up the seating we headed back to be bussed back to the dock.  This was a whole lot of fun!  The guide, Matt, was very friendly and informative and encouraged CB chatter, which the younger kids on the trip really loved.  Matt commented on how he felt like the DCL groups were full of more energy and fun than most of the other tour groups.  He really liked that.











2) Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition:
If you like to see bears, this is the one for you.  DW and DD18 went on this one and watched bears catch and eat salmon.  Perfect timing.  They both commented on how much they were able to see.  Apparently there are more black bears on the island than there are people.  They also saw a few other animals but all they really talked about was how amazing it was to watch the bears.  

3)  Mountain Point Snorkeling Adventure:
The wetsuits worked as advertised.  Nobody was cold and they had an excellent time.  Unfortunately the current was particularly strong so they had to stay closer in than they wanted but the guides brought large starfish and other animals and plants closer to the surface for better viewing when need be.  Both who went talked about how awesome it was but really couldn't point out much in the way of details.

That's about it.  

Generally speaking the Wonder was one of at least three ships in every port.  We even followed the Carnival into Tracey Arm (although they turned around MUCH earlier).  In Ketchikan, there were 5 ships docked, two from Celebrity.  The Carnival ship had to tender guests ashore using their life boats.  Basically, the ports were crowded.


----------



## cyclenut

debc1212 said:


> Has anyone done the Alaska wildlife expedition in Skagway?  DH is looking at doing this to take wildlife photographs.
> 
> Wildlife photography is his hobby & he wants me to ask this question:  of the three ports in Alaska, is there one port or excursion in particular that is best for photography. Yeah, I know it's Alaska & the photo opportunities are probably beyond amazing. He's just wanting to see if one is better than the others.
> 
> TIA for any responses!



Really hard to say but I know that Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition in Ketchikan didn't disappoint my DW and DD18 for wildlife viewing.  But I've also read reviews where people didn't see one bear.  It is wildlife and as such, sometimes you see it and sometimes you don't.  The nice thing about that Ketchikan excursion is that you are on a walking tour which means there is plenty of time to set up and get pictures.  There are other tours where you can see wildlife, but you are in a van or a train or otherwise moving, which makes it hard to get a good shot.  In short, if you choose a walk or hike you are much more likely to find and get good shots at the wildlife.

We were told that in both Ketchikan and Juneau there are basically bears and mountain goats.  Caribou don't really wonder around those areas.  I didn't see any in Skagway but it may be that you'll need to look more closely at what is available in and around Skagway and the Yukon area outside of Skagway if you want variety.


----------



## cyclenut

Word of advice about minor children.  If you don't plan to stay together as a family unit for shore excursions, be preared to fill out some additional paperwork.

We had one case where my DD16 and DD22 were going off the ship together.  Since DD16 is a minor, we needed to fill out a special authorization form for Disney to let her off the ship without a parent.  Good policy but if you don't know about it and fill out the form early, it can delay your disembarkation for a shore excursion.  It didn't happen to us, but we did see it happen to someone.

If your excursion takes you into Canada there must be at least one parent with the minor child.  However, if it is ONLY one of the two parents, the parent who is NOT going with the child must sign a form and provide it to the parent who IS going with the child.  My DW had the form for the Yukon suspension bridge tour and there wasn't any problem.  Someone else on the bus didn't have said form and received the third degree.  The agent did eventually let them go but was very close to pulling them off the bus.  

If you are all staying together, no special forms should be needed.  It wasn't a problem for us, because we had the forms.  They are readily available at the port adventures desk.


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## RedSox68

Sounds like the glacier hikes may be too much for my old legs, but the excursion information is invaluable. Thanks to all who are taking the time to post so much information!


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## poohj80

cyclenut said:


> Word of advice about minor children.  If you don't plan to stay together as a family unit for shore excursions, be preared to fill out some additional paperwork.
> 
> We had one case where my DD16 and DD22 were going off the ship together.  Since DD16 is a minor, we needed to fill out a special authorization form for Disney to let her off the ship without a parent.  Good policy but if you don't know about it and fill out the form early, it can delay your disembarkation for a shore excursion.  It didn't happen to us, but we did see it happen to someone.
> 
> If your excursion takes you into Canada there must be at least one parent with the minor child.  However, if it is ONLY one of the two parents, the parent who is NOT going with the child must sign a form and provide it to the parent who IS going with the child.  My DW had the form for the Yukon suspension bridge tour and there wasn't any problem.  Someone else on the bus didn't have said form and received the third degree.  The agent did eventually let them go but was very close to pulling them off the bus.
> 
> If you are all staying together, no special forms should be needed.  It wasn't a problem for us, because we had the forms.  They are readily available at the port adventures desk.



Thank you SO much for mentioning this.  I have been reading trip reports all summer and this is the first I have heard of this.  In Skagway, we plan to leave DD with grandma while we do a Helicopter Glacier tour so we will get the form filled out early to avoid any delays.


----------



## debc1212

cyclenut said:


> Really hard to say but I know that Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition in Ketchikan didn't disappoint my DW and DD18 for wildlife viewing.  But I've also read reviews where people didn't see one bear.  It is wildlife and as such, sometimes you see it and sometimes you don't.  The nice thing about that Ketchikan excursion is that you are on a walking tour which means there is plenty of time to set up and get pictures.  There are other tours where you can see wildlife, but you are in a van or a train or otherwise moving, which makes it hard to get a good shot.  In short, if you choose a walk or hike you are much more likely to find and get good shots at the wildlife.
> 
> We were told that in both Ketchikan and Juneau there are basically bears and mountain goats.  Caribou don't really wonder around those areas.  I didn't see any in Skagway but it may be that you'll need to look more closely at what is available in and around Skagway and the Yukon area outside of Skagway if you want variety.



Thanks so much for the response. I think DH may look into other excursions other than Disney.  My only concern is the chance of the tour goes long and he gets left behind.   Might put a damper on the trip!

Thanks also for your detailed reviews. There are a couple there that i had not seen reviewed before.


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## Bookworm Belle

debc1212 said:


> Has anyone done the Alaska wildlife expedition in Skagway?  DH is looking at doing this to take wildlife photographs.
> 
> Wildlife photography is his hobby & he wants me to ask this question:  of the three ports in Alaska, is there one port or excursion in particular that is best for photography. Yeah, I know it's Alaska & the photo opportunities are probably beyond amazing. He's just wanting to see if one is better than the others.
> 
> TIA for any responses!



YES!  We did this and we LOVED it!  It was, in fact, our favorite excursion.  We saw bald eagles and SEVEN brown bears (mom with two cubs and then another mom with three cubs).  Highly recommended!


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## HiMagicFan

Bookworm Belle said:


> YES!  We did this and we LOVED it!  It was, in fact, our favorite excursion.  We saw bald eagles and SEVEN brown bears (mom with two cubs and then another mom with three cubs).  Highly recommended!



Ohhh! you went!  was there lots of hiking? if so, can you do it with tennis/running shoes?  what did you wear?  layers?  hiked a lot or rode a lot?  I am so at lost on how to prepare for this one.  Thank you


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## Bookworm Belle

HiMagicFan said:


> Ohhh! you went!  was there lots of hiking? if so, can you do it with tennis/running shoes?  what did you wear?  layers?  hiked a lot or rode a lot?  I am so at lost on how to prepare for this one.  Thank you



No, not a lot of hiking. There is about a half-mile nature walk through the woods.  I wore some good walking shoes (New Balance) and I was fine, but they were leather.  Canvas shoes would have gotten wet.  Dave wore a pair of mid-height Merrell hikers and was fine.  It was drizzly, so we both wore layers. I had on a silk base layer, lightweight fleece top and stretchy activewear pants and then a rain shell and rain pants over that and I was perfectly comfortable.  You take a high speed ferry to Haines, then a bus up the Chilkat River (where we saw the bears)  to Chilkat Lake.  At the lake, you get out and do the nature walk.  Then back to Haines and you have a nice lunch (chicken caesar wrap, chips, grapes, cookie and bottled water) and then head back on the ferry.  Very low impact (Dave walks with a cane and he did it with ease).  It's wonderful!! I hope you enjoy it!


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## Inkmahm

debc1212 said:


> Has anyone done the Alaska wildlife expedition in Skagway?  DH is looking at doing this to take wildlife photographs.
> 
> Wildlife photography is his hobby & he wants me to ask this question:  of the three ports in Alaska, is there one port or excursion in particular that is best for photography. Yeah, I know it's Alaska & the photo opportunities are probably beyond amazing. He's just wanting to see if one is better than the others.
> 
> TIA for any responses!



We just did this excursion yesterday in Skagway- was called the Evening Wildlife Expedition (Seasonal).  It was wonderful!  I have been to Alaska 3 times and I saw the most bears on this excursion as any I have ever taken.  There were two brown bears with their cubs, a total of 7 brown bear feeding on salmon at the river at the same time.  They got very close to us.  The excursion operator told us they were named BMJ and Speedy (the moms).  

We also saw bald eagles and seals.  But the bears were the highlight for me and the reason I took this tour.  Also, it started with a caesar chicken wrap picnic lunch in Haines.  I don't remember lunch being listed when I booked this but there was a lunch at about 2:30 when we got to Haines.

I would give this tour a 10 out of 10.


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## Inkmahm

Bookworm Belle said:


> YES!  We did this and we LOVED it!  It was, in fact, our favorite excursion.  We saw bald eagles and SEVEN brown bears (mom with two cubs and then another mom with three cubs).  Highly recommended!



Yup, the one with 3 cubs is BMJ and the one with two cubs is Speedy.  They are well known in Haines and seen quite often. This is my favorite excursion so far, too.


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## Inkmahm

This excursion out of Skagway was pretty much exactly as I expected.  Previous reviews have been accurate.  Yesterday, we were able to hold puppies that were 20 days old!  SO cute.  There were also puppies that had been born the day before but you could see them but not hold them as they were WAY too small.  The 20 day old puppies seemed pretty small to me to have them held so much, too.  But I guess they want hardy dogs for the teams so being held a lot is a test for them if anything.   

I give this excursion an 8 out of 10.  To get a 10, it would have needed a longer ride with the dogs and MORE PUPPY TIME.


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## Inkmahm

This tour was run by Dolphin Jet boats.  It was exactly that, a jet boat that fit about 35 passengers.  It was raining pretty heavy this morning and I heard some whale watching tours were canceled. This one was not canceled.  It was difficult to see out of the windows due to the rain and the fogging of the windows. That didn't matter much since there were just a couple whales to see anyway. I saw one fluke.

Mendenhall Glacier stop was fine, pretty much what I expected.

I give this excursion a 5 out of 10.  The weather didn't cooperate so that may have affected how many whales we saw (or didn't see).  It was not a great excursion compared to the last time I did whale watching in Juneau with Harv and Marv.  With them, we saw Bald eagles feeding on the shoreline, seals sitting as a group, and many whales.  They were constantly talking to other boats to know where the whales were.  Maybe the captain today was doing the same thing and there just weren't whales out there to see.  But we really only saw one other tour boat out there so the other boats were somewhere and maybe that somewhere was where the whales were.  

I'd give our 2008 whale excursion with Harv and Marv a 10 out of 10.  Rather than book with Disney, I'd suggest a private booking with them.  I didn't do that for this trip only because there were just two of us this time and I wanted to see what Disney would do for the excursion.  Now I've seen it and in the future, I will book with Harv and Marv.


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## lbgraves

staffieri said:


> Do you think all avaliability for the tours are given on the Disney site or do they hold some spaces back? I am trying to get the whale tour at 10 and it is only showing the other times.



All excursion spots are released at 120 days.  Sometimes there are cancellations so times will open up later on.

We did the White Pass Summit train in Skagway on our own due to the kids being 10 & 12 and DCL wanting to charge twice as much.  You end up on the SAME train as the DCL excursion.  The people who book on their own and board at the station sit in the front 3-4 cars, then back up across the street where the cars are seperated to hook up to the cars filled with the DCL excursion.  The station is that close to the pier.   One advantage for us was that there were only 12-14 people in our car, so we could move from side to side as we were going and did not have to worry about switching seats for the trip back down.  Also, the platforms outside the cars were not crowded.  The car in front of ours was filled with a group of 42 people.  Not only was the car full, but there were many people on the platform trying to get pictures.  I was very thankful we didn't have to deal with that.  At the end of the trip, ALL of the train cars go to the dock right by the Wonder. 

We went to Mendenhall Glacier on one of the $16 shuttles.  After reading the reviews about the hike offered, I am glad that we did this on our own.  We hiked to the base of Nugget Falls, which takes you VERY close to the glacier.  We took what looked like the shorter trail, but found out that it required you to walk across narrow streams on loose, wet rocks.  We also had to go through brush on a VERY narrow path...barely enough room to walk through and you would not have been able to pass someone while in the brush.  The trail to the right at the fork in the road where the signs say that both trails lead to Nugget Falls was good enough for a stroller.  That's the one we took to get back to the shuttle stop.


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## Jiminy407

Beautiful day, blue sky (we lucked out), fantastic views from the helo, fun time with the dogs and sleds...BEST EXCURSION EVER!!!

We had one limited mobility member of our group and she had no problem with the snow on the glacier (guides were there to help get her from helo to sled).  She could walk on her own short distances but had trouble with stairs/uneven ground.


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## staffieri

Inkmahm said:


> We just did this excursion yesterday in Skagway- was called the Evening Wildlife Expedition (Seasonal).  It was wonderful!  I have been to Alaska 3 times and I saw the most bears on this excursion as any I have ever taken.  There were two brown bears with their cubs, a total of 7 brown bear feeding on salmon at the river at the same time.  They got very close to us.  The excursion operator told us they were named BMJ and Speedy (the moms).
> 
> We also saw bald eagles and seals.  But the bears were the highlight for me and the reason I took this tour.  Also, it started with a caesar chicken wrap picnic lunch in Haines.  I don't remember lunch being listed when I booked this but there was a lunch at about 2:30 when we got to Haines.
> 
> I would give this tour a 10 out of 10.




Great review!!!  I think this is all booked up now. Did you do this the week of August 8th?



Inkmahm said:


> This tour was run by Dolphin Jet boats.  It was exactly that, a jet boat that fit about 35 passengers.  It was raining pretty heavy this morning and I heard some whale watching tours were canceled. This one was not canceled.  It was difficult to see out of the windows due to the rain and the fogging of the windows. That didn't matter much since there were just a couple whales to see anyway. I saw one fluke.
> 
> Do you think the Whale season is coming to an end. Most of the whales are moving on? Did you take Harv and Marv and a different time of year? When did you take this trip.? Thinking of not doing the whale trip next week. Loved you thoughts on your time. And Harv and Marv are BOOKED.
> 
> Mendenhall Glacier stop was fine, pretty much what I expected.
> 
> 
> 
> Love all the reviews. Keep then coming. We are on the last cruise.  Is the weather getting colder?


----------



## Inkmahm

staffieri said:


> Great review!!!  I think this is all booked up now. Did you do this the week of August 8th?
> 
> 
> 
> Inkmahm said:
> 
> 
> 
> This tour was run by Dolphin Jet boats.  It was exactly that, a jet boat that fit about 35 passengers.  It was raining pretty heavy this morning and I heard some whale watching tours were canceled. This one was not canceled.  It was difficult to see out of the windows due to the rain and the fogging of the windows. That didn't matter much since there were just a couple whales to see anyway. I saw one fluke.
> 
> Do you think the Whale season is coming to an end. Most of the whales are moving on? Did you take Harv and Marv and a different time of year? When did you take this trip.? Thinking of not doing the whale trip next week. Loved you thoughts on your time. And Harv and Marv are BOOKED.
> 
> Mendenhall Glacier stop was fine, pretty much what I expected.
> 
> 
> 
> Love all the reviews. Keep then coming. We are on the last cruise.  Is the weather getting colder?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We are on the 8/16 cruise.  We are pulling into Ketchikan as I type this.
> 
> Skagway wildlife excursion was two days ago.   Whale watching was yesterday morning.  they said the whales leave mid-Sept to go back to Hawaii.  We did Harv and Marv at the very same time of year in August 2008.  Saw LOTS of whales on that trip but the weather was much better that day.  If you've never been whale watching before, I'd probably still do the tour.  I just wouldn't get my hopes up for the chance to see a lot of whales.
Click to expand...


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## staffieri

Inkmahm said:


> staffieri said:
> 
> 
> 
> Great review!!!  I think this is all booked up now. Did you do this the week of August 8th?
> 
> 
> 
> We are on the 8/16 cruise.  We are pulling into Ketchikan as I type this.
> 
> Skagway wildlife excursion was two days ago.   Whale watching was yesterday morning.  they said the whales leave mid-Sept to go back to Hawaii.  We did Harv and Marv at the very same time of year in August 2008.  Saw LOTS of whales on that trip but the weather was much better that day.  If you've never been whale watching before, I'd probably still do the tour.  I just wouldn't get my hopes up for the chance to see a lot of whales.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Inkman!!! I can't believe your on the cruise now. How much is the Wi Fi on the cruise? Can you use it from your cabin?
Click to expand...


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## Pooh667

Hi,

Was on the August 9th cruise. I just have to say that the the Helicopter to the glacier and dog sledding in Juneau was just amazing. My family is still talking about it!! We booked through DCL.


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## jilljill

staffieri said:


> Thanks Inkman!!! I can't believe your on the cruise now. How much is the Wi Fi on the cruise? Can you use it from your cabin?



WiFi pricing/info can be found on DCL's website and in the FAQ sticky at the top of the cruise boards.


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## Inkmahm

staffieri said:


> Inkmahm said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Inkman!!! I can't believe your on the cruise now. How much is the Wi Fi on the cruise? Can you use it from your cabin?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Inkmahm, not inkman.
> 
> I didn't use the ship's wifi.  I have an att connection that I can use when we are within range of ATT cell phone service.
> 
> Now I am in vancouver and using the hotel internet connection for $4.95 per day.  ATT is too expensive for international usage.
Click to expand...


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## Inkmahm

DH and I did this excursion on Sunday in Ketchikan.  It was raining (again).  The float plane was very comfortable- better than commercial planes we nornally take for transportation!  It was quite a hike from the plane to where the bears were but it was worth it.  We saw seals going after the salmon as well as many black bears.  At one point, there were 6 bears in the same area all feeding on salmon.  I think I got some great pictures!

I would highly recommend this excursion.  The timing was perfect late in the day as that is when the bears come to feed.  I give this excursion a 10 out of 10.


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## jilljill

Inkmahm said:


> DH and I did this excursion on Sunday in Ketchikan.  It was raining (again).  The float plane was very comfortable- better than commercial planes we nornally take for transportation!  It was quite a hike from the plane to where the bears were but it was worth it.  We saw seals going after the salmon as well as many black bears.  At one point, there were 6 bears in the same area all feeding on salmon.  I think I got some great pictures!
> 
> I would highly recommend this excursion.  The timing was perfect late in the day as that is when the bears come to feed.  I give this excursion a 10 out of 10.



Did you book this on your own or thru DCL?

Sounds like you have a great time despite the weather.  Did it rain in all 3 ports?


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## Inkmahm

jilljill said:


> Did you book this on your own or thru DCL?
> 
> Sounds like you have a great time despite the weather.  Did it rain in all 3 ports?



$360 each booked through DCL.   We did love everything even though it rained in every port.  The morning in Skagway was clear but it rained in the afternoon.  this is my 3rd trip to Alaska and the first where we really had any rain to speak of.


----------



## staffieri

Inkmahm said:


> DH and I did this excursion on Sunday in Ketchikan.  It was raining (again).  The float plane was very comfortable- better than commercial planes we nornally take for transportation!  It was quite a hike from the plane to where the bears were but it was worth it.  We saw seals going after the salmon as well as many black bears.  At one point, there were 6 bears in the same area all feeding on salmon.  I think I got some great pictures!
> 
> I would highly recommend this excursion.  The timing was perfect late in the day as that is when the bears come to feed.  I give this excursion a 10 out of 10.



What time did you do this?
Which bear trip did you like better? Your Skagway or This one in Ketchican?
How wet was it? Did you feel you needed boots?

Thanks again for answering questions and your reports. Love It!!!


----------



## Inkmahm

staffieri said:


> What time did you do this?
> Which bear trip did you like better? Your Skagway or This one in Ketchican?
> How wet was it? Did you feel you needed boots?
> 
> Thanks again for answering questions and your reports. Love It!!!



DH and I talked about that, which excursion we loved more.  We couldn't pick.  I loved seeing the grizzly bears in Haines (the SKagway excursion) because they are more unusual and we only usually see them in Denali park on our trips to Alaska.  DH thought the Ketchikan excursion which took us to a working fish hatchery was kind of "cheating" since the black  bears are drawn there.  But I didn't care, seeing 6 black bear so close (no bus windows between us and the bears) was great fun.  

It was really wet and I was glad I had my waterproof Merrill hiking boots on.  There was LOTS of mud on the Ketchikan excursion.  A bit less with Skagway's excursion to Haines.   If you have waterproof shoes with good traction,  I'd wear them.


The Ketchikan excursion was 4:15 pm to 7:15 pm but we actually got back at 7:40 pm.  All aboard was 7:30 pm but the ship was held since we were on a DCL excursion.


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## Inkmahm

DH and I have no kids, so take this with a grain of salt.  Our conclusion was that parents really wanted to give their kids a great experience in Alaska. That was very obvious.  BUT... some of the kids on the excursions were too young to care.

For example, on our Ketchikan bear watching excursion to Neets Bay, there were a total of 8 kids at the observation decks.  Only one of them, a boy of about 10, actually was watching the bears. The other 7 kids (especially the ones about 6 to 9) seemed to be having more fun playing in the mud, kicking stones, etc.  They weren't even glancing at the bears.  This wouldn't be horrible except that the parents WERE watching the bears.  Two of the little boys were starting to head out on a walkway that was clearly labeled to be for the bears only, not for humans. In other words, some of the parents weren't watching their kids.  The guides for the trip were paying attention and had to play parent to keep the kids in line.

DH and I concluded it really was a waste of money, in our opinion,  to take kids less than about 10 years old on this excursion.   Same for the excursion in Skagway to Haines.  There were two kids on our bus who had no interest in the bears at all, all they wanted to do was watch a movie on their ipad (with the volume up so those of us in the front of the bus could hear it from the back of the bus.)

On the other hand, the kids on the dog sledding excursion in Skagway LOVED it.  They loved the summer dog sled and loved holding the puppies.  I'd recommend this excursion even for young children.


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## poohj80

Inkmahm said:


> DH and I have no kids, so take this with a grain of salt.  Our conclusion was that parents really wanted to give their kids a great experience in Alaska. That was very obvious.  BUT... some of the kids on the excursions were too young to care.
> 
> For example, on our Ketchikan bear watching excursion to Neets Bay, there were a total of 8 kids at the observation decks.  Only one of them, a boy of about 10, actually was watching the bears. The other 7 kids (especially the ones about 6 to 9) seemed to be having more fun playing in the mud, kicking stones, etc.  They weren't even glancing at the bears.  This wouldn't be horrible except that the parents WERE watching the bears.  Two of the little boys were starting to head out on a walkway that was clearly labeled to be for the bears only, not for humans. In other words, some of the parents weren't watching their kids.  The guides for the trip were paying attention and had to play parent to keep the kids in line.
> 
> DH and I concluded it really was a waste of money, in our opinion,  to take kids less than about 10 years old on this excursion.   Same for the excursion in Skagway to Haines.  There were two kids on our bus who had no interest in the bears at all, all they wanted to do was watch a movie on their ipad (with the volume up so those of us in the front of the bus could hear it from the back of the bus.)
> 
> On the other hand, the kids on the dog sledding excursion in Skagway LOVED it.  They loved the summer dog sled and loved holding the puppies.  I'd recommend this excursion even for young children.



Thanks for sharing your thoughts.  This is exactly why we decided against this excursion this time even though I REALLY wanted to do it!


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## mmouse37

We were on the August 16-23rd cruise and yes, it did rain in all three ports but none of our excursions were cancelled.

In Skagway we did the Best of Skagway tour....we were brought to the bus right off the pier and went to Fraser, B.C. and got on the train there for the ride back down.  It was nice but not a WOW experience....we enjoyed the views we could see (a bit foggy).  We then met up with our bus driver again in Skagway and we brought us to Liarsville.  We had a very nice buffet lunch under a covered structure and walked around a bit and then they had a small show with the players dressed up in gold rush attire.  Then there was panning for gold with some people getting "flakes" of gold.  We were pretty cold and wet by then so we just watched the panning.  Then the bus took us to the Red Onion Saloon for a tour of the brothel (with a comp glass of wine or beer).  We had a very funny young woman gave us the tour (about 10 min.) of the upstairs brothel (with much innuendo) part of the saloon.  We then walked the town a bit and headed back to the warmth and comfort of the ship. 

In Juneau we took the Juneau city tour. . We boarded a bus off the pier and went to a place called Glacier Gardens.  Here we were taken via gold cart up to 600 feet elevation through winding path in the rain forest (it was pouring).  It was very interesting...saw a red deer along the side of the trail.  At the top there was a lookout and small nature walk and on a clear day probably some very nice views.  After that we went into the greenhouse and some gorgeous flower arrangement were all around.  Glacier Gardens was one man's dream and he totally transformed the side of this mountain after a landslide into this beautiful area with tons of flowers.  He took fallen trees, cut off the tops and then turned them upside down and planted them so the wide root system was at the top.  He then filled the top root system with beautiful flowers and hanging vines, etc. to create this really interesting canopy.  DCL had a table set up inside for us with hot cocoa and delicious local Huckleberry cake.  After that we were taken by bus to Mendenhall Glacier which was spectacular.  We toured the visitor center, walked out to the point and took tons of pics and then walked the nature train where we saw a black bear in a tree and a baby porcupine.  It was just amazing to see the areas around the stream where the bears would eat the salmon.  So many area were matted down from where the bears were with salmon carcases all around....really gave you a sense of how many bear feed in that area.  After the glacier the bus took us to the salmon hatchery which was very interested.  We had the regular tour but being on DCL we also had an insider tour where we got to see the behind the scenes workings of the hatchery and we were able to feed the tiny ones.  It was very interesting.  We saw a few eagles throughout the day.  Just want to mention that our friends who were to do the helicopter landing on glacier and dog mushing had their excursion cancelled due to the windy, wet weather.

In Ketchikan (our favorite port) we did the Adventure Karts excursions.  This was a ton of fun, even in the rain or rather because of the rain.  We were taken by bus about 20 minutes outside of town and took a turn off the main road and traveled for about another 10 minutes up with long winding road in the bus which I did not could make it!  It was a one vehicle at a time road so if we encountered another vehicle coming down the road one of them would have to back up the whole way...interesting!  We finally got to a small grouping of buildings and had a safety talk in a large shed.  We then had to don heavy duty rain gear including pants, jackets and helmets with visors and gloves.  I have to admit I was a bit leery of putting on gear that was still damp from the previous guests but the alternative was to get our clothes completely wet and muddy....remember it was raining quite heavily at this point.  After getting past putting on the gear we loaded up into our carts which is what the Israeli army uses in the desert and go about 100 mph even loaded down with machine guns (but we obviously did not have the capability to go that fast or have the machine guns, LOL).  There were two to a cart.  We then followed in a single file the guide who led us up along an old logging trail.  We spaced apart enough that you felt you were by yourself and we had a ball going over all the bumps and hitting all the mud puddles...made us feel like kids again!!  We had a stop for snacks (bottled water and granola bars) and then we had another stop and walked a few yards to see a nice waterfall.  You could switch driver's at this point.  We went 14 miles round trip and was a tons of fun.  Here is a link.

http://www.adventurekarts.com/Tours/Kart-Excursion.html

The other half of our group did the Knudson salmon fishing excursion and LOVED it.  They caught over 25 salmon and even arrange for the shipping of their catch home, to arrive in a few days.  Their group of 5 had the boat to them selves with the Captain and his wife.

I think my all around favorite day was the Tracy Arm day.  We had really good weather (Captain said it was the best all season and he was able to get the closest to the glacier on this trip).

We arrived in Vancouver 4 days early and loved the city. We had perfect weather all 4 days. We took public transport everywhere and had no problems.  We did the Capilano suspension bridge, Cliffwalk, Lonsdale Quay, Granville Island, Gastown, the Lookout, Stanley park, the Aquarium.  We rented bikes and went all around Stanley Park (LOVED THIS!)  I had not been on a bike in a long time.  We did so much.  We purchased the $9 per day per person ticket which gave us access to all the public transporation like Skytrain, buses, Aquabus, etc.  It was great.  We ate lunch at the Steamworks and the Black Frog in Gastown (both really good).  We also ate
dinner at the Keg in downtown which was really good...and I even had a Beavertail in Lonsdale Quay (which hubby was happy about because it was all I was talking about all trip!)

We stayed at the Hilton Metrotown which was outside of town in Burnaby but we took the Skytrain in each day to downtown and it was very easy.  On the day of the cruise we arranged to have 3 taxi vans take us to the port (12 of us).  It cost $45 each cab.  We figured trying to fit luggage for 12 people during rush hour was not a good idea for the train.  We used Ken Lee of Van City limo to take us from the airport to the hotel at the beginning of the trip.  They were great and were waiting for us at 2:00 am in the morning when we finally landed and got through customs.  They provided two stretch limos.  The Hilton was great...very clean and nice rooms with friendly staff.  It was right near the Metrotown mall (nice mall) and the Skytrain was only a few blocks away.  Starbucks was a block away and my girlfriends and I all walked there each day to have our morning oatmeal and latte.  Starbuck's really does have great oatmeal!

Here are some of our pics...I still have to upload the pics from my waterproof camera that has our port pictures on it.

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/580776197RzhqFc

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/580776996EUaYTJ

I felt I packed perfectly.  I had brought a thin fleece, sweatshirt, turtleneck, puffy vest, rain jacket, waterproof sneakers from LL Beach and used them all at various times.  I also had some short sleeved shirts and capri's that I wore around the ship.  The ship interior was actually too warm for my tastes.  I always felt hot, especially waiting for our excursions to start.  I had also purchased a messenger bag (cross body) from LL Bean which I took all over Vancouver on all our excursions and worked perfectly allowing me hands free for my camera.

MJ


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## RedSox68

Again, thanks for all who are taking the time to keep us informed.  Great tips and reviews!


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## stsomewhere

We booked a private tour with Juneau Limousine. It was great! I would definitely recommend it. We booked a 4 hour tour on 6 person limo.

Judy picked us up at 8am. She gave us a city tour, panning for gold, Menenhall glacier, a few scenic stops, and more panning for gold.

The limo was filled with candy and bottled water. The kids thought that it was great.


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## DizDays

Subbing in on this one.  Headed to Alaska in September 2012.  Lots of research to do. Can't wait to read all of this thread and any new posts.  Thanks to everyone for sharing!


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## smeecanada

Thought I'd add my 2 cents worth about the excursions we took.  Hopefully, it will help some people going next year.

Participants:  2 adults, 2 teens (16,15)

All excursions booked through DCL

Skagway:

EAGLE PRESERVE WILDLIFE RIVER ADVENTURE

This excursion is run by River Adventure. 

There were 24 people on our excursion and we left bright and early for Haines aboard a high speed catamaran.   There was a short bus transfer from the ship to the catamaran dock.   There were a few other excursions on the catamaran as well.  There was a fellow narrating a bit as we went between Skagway and Haines.  Very informative.  The catamaran had indoor seating and you could also go outside to take photos.  The ride was approximately 45 minutes and was very smooth.  Once in Haines, we boarded a bus for an approximate 30 minute ride to the jet boat launch.  It was just our excursion on the bus. We had a very nice driver who gave us some history about Haines along the way and slowed the bus down a few times for us to see some of the sites.  Once at the launch site - surprised to find out it was just our tour.  Very nice facilities.  They had rainjackets, ear mufflers, mittens and a blanket for each of us.  We spent about 2 hours on the river, looking for wildlife.  Unforunately, we didn't see much.  Some immature eagles and a few trumpter swans.  The scenery was beautiful and would have been even more spectaular if the day wasn't overcast.  Once back at the launch, we had a weiner roast and then inside for soup, chili, chips, drinks and cookies.  Very nice set up.  Then, we did a repeat of the bus and boat back to Skagway.  We opted to walk back to the ship instead of taking the shuttle and see a bit of downtown Skagway.

There were washrooms available on the catamaran, on the Haines boat dock and at the launch site.  

Juneau:

BIKE AND TRAM MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE

Only 6 of us on this excursion.  My family and another couple.  It was overcast and drizzling again this morning but cleared up by the time we reached the top of the mountain.  

We boarded a passenger van at the dock with two guides from Cycle Alaska.  They had all the bikes on a towing trailer behind the van.  Each of them took turns to describing things to us as we made our way over to Douglas Island and up to Eagle Ski Resort.  The Ski Resort was the starting point for our bike trip.  Once at the Resort - there was washroom facilities if you need them.  They provide us with very light weight rain gear, helmets, water bottles and bikes.  You could leave anything in the van that you wanted as it was following us along the way.  The roads although main roads were very quiet with very few cars travelling on them.  We had a bike lane the majority of the trip and the roads were for the most part deserted - especially up by the ski resort.  We stopped several times for informative talks about the marshes, flora/fauna, streams etc.  There was one short uphill bit but for the majority it was downhill or flat terrain.  We saw a few bald eagles and a deer on the way down from the resort.  Once at the bottom we travelled along a fairly flat stretch and stopped at stream to see the salmon spawning.  Then, along a bit further to the coast and a view of Mendenhall Glacier in the distance.  Back on the bikes for a bit more to the end of the trip.  Where Nick had hot chocolate/tea/coffee and snacks for us.  We then got back into the van for the trip back to town (about 25 minutes), to the tram.  Nick gave us the tickets for the tram and then we were on our own.  It was a beautiful clear day by then and the views from the tram were excellent.  We went up and had a nice lunch at the restaurant and then walked around to a few of the viewpoints to take photos.

Ketchikan:

BEAR COUNTRY AND WILDLIFE EXPEDITION

My son and I did this excursion.  It was awesome.  Worth every penny and then some.  There were 11 of us on the excursion.  It was a short bus ride to the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary with a driver giving a informative talk along the way.

We were met by our guide once we arrived and had the opportunity to use port-a-potties if needed.  Once everyone was ready we did a short hike into the rainforest - all flat terrain along well maintained pathways.  We arrived at the first suspension bridge and immediately saw our first sighting of bears and we spent ages watching the bears all coming and going.  There must have been 12 or more at any given time.  Moms with cubs, some older, some younger.  The guide figures we saw upwards of 24 bears.  Felt very safe the whole time.  We were about 14 feet above the bears on the suspension bridges or platforms.  Once, we were finished with the bears, we saw the outside of a fish hatchery and toured an old sawmill.  Also, got to see a bald eagle up close and feed some reindeer.  Plus, saw a fellow working on carving a totem pole.  If you have mobility issues, I won't recommend the excursion as some of the suspension bridges are a bit steep and the anchorings stick up from the platform, causing a potential tripping hazard you need to watch out for.  Plus, you need to be able to move fairly quickly if you come across a bear.  Which thankfully, we didn't.
There is a gift shop at the end and then return bus trip to the ship.

DISNEY EXCLUSIVE: LUMBERJACK SHOW

We met up with the rest of the family for the show.
We had originally booked the non-exclusive lumberjack show, but had to change in order to accomodate the bear excursion.

Really wish we had been able to do the non-exclusive show.  Felt the adding of the Disney bits took away from the actual show.  Far too much talk and not enough doing for us.  We were all disappointed with the show.  Especially after hearing such great reviews about it.
If I had to do it over - I'd definitely book the non-exclusive show.

Hope this helps someone.  Any questions?


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## PRCMickey

We enjoyed all our excursions we went on even in the on/off rain we had some days. (August 23 - 30).
In Skagway we booked theYukon Bus & Rail Excursion with 15-Minute Dogcart Ride through Chilkoot Charters & Tours. This was such a wonderful excursion. The tour company was great. We had a small group of 7 for the day which helped with stopping more places on the bus ride back down to Skagway. The driver (Mike) gave lots of interesting information throughout the ride up to the Yukon as well as down. We had a private car on the train ride up (there were only 15 people in it). We saw a little of Husky puppies that were about 2 months old and the dogcart ride we did was great. My parents have 2 huskies so it was fun to see things they do just like these dogs because of the breed (i.e. the barking that is like they are talking). 
In Juneau we did the Mendenhall Glacier and Rainforest Garden Adventure through Disney. The Rainforest Garden adventure was interesting how this family created a garden in land that had no nurturant soil. We were brought up 600 above sea level and had an amazing view from the bridge at the top. It would have been even better if the clouds had lifted more. The Mendenhall Glacier is amazing and we saw a few bears while we were walking on the paths. I wish we had a little more time at the Visitors Center to walk out further but that was the only down. 
In Ketchikan we did the Bear Creek Zipline through Disney. We really enjoyed this excursion. It was my DH's favorite one we did. We had never been zip-lining before and felt very comfortable with the guides and the instructions they gave us. My favorite part was the long slide at the end. I would definitely go zip-lining again.


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## Aby

In Skagway, my hubby and I took the All Aboard Steam Train excursion. It was a good weather day (according to our train car attendant - it was pretty cloudy at the top) and there was some amazing scenery. I couldn't believe how fast the entire trip went. I spent most of the time on the trip up the mountain out on the platform taking pictures so I didn't hear any of the narration, but the attendant in our car was great. She told stories all the way down and gave us a huge insight into the Skagway community. The only issue we had was a family (well, just the mom really) in front of us who were pissed that the train wasn't going to stop at any point so she could get off to feed her kids - she was huffing and puffing half the time and one of her kids was a monster too. That's not the excursions fault though! I'd rate it 5/5 stars.

Unfortunately almost all the Juneau excursions were cancelled due to poor sea conditions. We had planned to do the Alaska Whales & Rainforest trails but it was cancelled. We signed up for the Alaska Whales & Science Adventure a little later but that didn't run either. I heard that some of the whale watching tours did go, but didn't see much more than a few fins, so I wasn't totally disappointed. 

In Ketchikan we chose to do the Mountain Point Snorkeling Adventure. I thought for sure that we would be the only ones going, but there were 16 of us. It was a really fun trip (minus the very unflattering wet suits). I am a wimpy person when it comes to cold, but I didn't get cold until the last 15 minutes in the water (we were in for about 1 hour 15 minutes). The wetsuits floated very well, so no-one had any problems getting around. They did have weight belts if you wanted them but most people didn't. The guides dove down and brought up interesting sea life to look at. We had quite a bit of freedom to swim in quite a large area, but most people stayed close to the guides to hear what they had to say. It was a cool experience and not one many can say they have done! I'd give it a 4/5.

Hope this helps anyone that is still choosing excursions!

Aby


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## staffieri

Traveling on our cruise was Me 40 Yrs, My mom 65, and DS 13 and DD almost 5. We are a very active group and like to be doing things. This was our second 7 day cruise with Disney.

Skagway: We had poor weather. Lots of rain.  *Disney Liarsville*: This was my first excursion with Disney. I have always booked tours on my own and after this will probably continue to do so. There was NO Disney magic or extra wonderful customer care. I was very surprised to not have the extra great service that you find on the boat. I felt that it was not personnel and we were moved like cattle. We meet in Theater, taken in lines, and put on buses. There was probably 60 people on this tour. Liarsville is cute and my younger one like this place. She loved the characters showing up and there was plenty of time to interact with them. Roasting marshmellow was a hit. The food was good. Panning was horrible. No gold. I did not think this was worth they money. I would book on own and forget the characters. But for younger kids its a nice place to go. For kids under 6.
*Summer Musher Camp*: Booked on our own. The cost was $109 adults and $79 kids. THIS WAS GREAT!!! The kids loved it. We were meet at the boat and took on a small buss. There was 24 people. The bus driver was great. She would talk about the town, stop to point our Eagle or seals. This was about a 40 minute drive. But comfortable seats and lots to see. We got off the bus crossed a small steam with salmon. The board 4x4 vehicles for a climb up the mountain. Over mud and in the forest. Then to the dogs. They put you on a cart with seven people and off you go. We went FAST. the kids were laughing. You go around twice. Due to weather it was muddy. So were good shoes. Still not long enough for me. Wanted more. Then you are introduce to your dogs. They are friendly. Back in 4x4 to base camp where they give a great talk on dog sledding and show the equipment. Then you get plenty of time to play with puppies. They try to give one puppy to each family. But as people left we had 3 puppies to play with. They have cookies and hot coco and a small gift shop. ON the way back in the buss you stop at a beautiful lake for pictures.They also give you an option to go back to the boat or to town. We went to town and could walk back to boat easily. This was a great adventure and wonderful service. I think everyone wants to ride the sled more. I think this trip should be more advertised as Dog mushing with scenery of Skagway. You really get to see the town and the beauty of Skagway. It more then just the dogs and if you know that you will not be in a hurry or disappoint by not getting to the dogs fast enough. I would recommend this tour and booking on your own. It was GREAT!!

We did Liarsville for 8:30 - to 11:30
Summer Musher Camp 12:30 -3:45
Both drop off and pick up at boat dock.


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## RedSox68

smeecanada said:


> Ketchikan:
> 
> BEAR COUNTRY AND WILDLIFE EXPEDITION
> 
> My son and I did this excursion.  It was awesome.  Worth every penny and then some.  There were 11 of us on the excursion.  It was a short bus ride to the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary with a driver giving a informative talk along the way.
> 
> We were met by our guide once we arrived and had the opportunity to use port-a-potties if needed.  Once everyone was ready we did a short hike into the rainforest - all flat terrain along well maintained pathways.  We arrived at the first suspension bridge and immediately saw our first sighting of bears and we spent ages watching the bears all coming and going.  There must have been 12 or more at any given time.  Moms with cubs, some older, some younger.  The guide figures we saw upwards of 24 bears.  Felt very safe the whole time.  We were about 14 feet above the bears on the suspension bridges or platforms.  Once, we were finished with the bears, we saw the outside of a fish hatchery and toured an old sawmill.  Also, got to see a bald eagle up close and feed some reindeer.  Plus, saw a fellow working on carving a totem pole.  If you have mobility issues, I won't recommend the excursion as some of the suspension bridges are a bit steep and the anchorings stick up from the platform, causing a potential tripping hazard you need to watch out for.  Plus, you need to be able to move fairly quickly if you come across a bear.  Which thankfully, we didn't.
> There is a gift shop at the end and then return bus trip to the ship.



Big question about this excursion which is on the top of my list of things to do:  do you actually have to cross the various suspension bridges and how high are they?  I have a terrible fear of heights and this was one of the things making me question whether I could do this.

Also, the excursion you took with the "high speed catamaran" -- is that like one of this hydro boats that slams up and down on the water?  We took one of those from Naples to Capri and it was the worst ride of our lives.


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## godalejunior

We were on the 9/16/11 sailing...

Juneau: Mendenhall Glacier Float trip...booked through shoretrips.com. Really enjoyed it but you are not floating right up to the glacier...apparently they offer a canoe trip that does this. We had a great time and very light rafting trip. 

Skagway: Yukon Expedition booked through Disney. While our guide was great....it was really LONG and kinda boring in all honesty. Sure the train ride was fun and all but there was A LOT of sitting on this excursion and the dog camp they took you too was really quite sad and mud filled. Would not do this one again. 

Ketchikan: Rainforest Bear Viewing....AWESOME, AWESOME. Saw 13 bears, including cubs, young and seasoned eagles....totem pole carving was great, raptor center with eagle and owl up close. Great gift shop. We booked this one directly with the rainforest sanctuary and I only wish I would have added on the ziplining too. 

Please feel free to ask questions... 
__________________


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## smeecanada

RedSox68 said:


> Big question about this excursion which is on the top of my list of things to do:  do you actually have to cross the various suspension bridges and how high are they?  I have a terrible fear of heights and this was one of the things making me question whether I could do this.
> 
> Also, the excursion you took with the "high speed catamaran" -- is that like one of this hydro boats that slams up and down on the water?  We took one of those from Naples to Capri and it was the worst ride of our lives.



Yes, you have to cross the suspension bridges.  The height varies - at most about 14-15 feet is just a rough guess.  The height(depth)  is difficult to see as there is so much vegetation around you.  They swung a little - mostly when several people were on it at once.  I think there about 4 or 5 bridges in total.  I have a few photos - but haven't downloaded them from the camera yet.

The catamaran ride was very smooth.  You are travelling in a very protected fjord channel between Skagway and Haines.  Much smoother ride there than I've taken from Victoria to Seattle on the Victoria Clipper in fairly calm waters.
My DH gets motion sick, and the ride didn't bother him at all.  FYI - he doesn't take any motion sickness medication.


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## WiscBill

We just wanted to add our quick reviews for those who travel next year.

Skagway--Glacier Lake Kayak and White Pass Rail Adventure
This was our favorite of the three excursions.  In our case, we took a bus over to Fraser, Canada, which is the turnaround point for most the White Pass RR trips.  There is a lake right there (Lake Bernard) with some gorgeous views.  The guides (we had three for about 13 people) already have the kayaks ready.  There is a short orientation on how to use the spray skirt, rudder, and basic paddling techniques.  We had brought our own raingear, but they provide that (along with hats) if you don't have it.  The paddling was fairly easy over the lake (we did not have much wind) and lasted about an hour. The lake was beautiful with a couple of streams coming in and some nice coves. They challenged us to stand up in the kayak and the most fun part was watching my 9 year old daughter pull that off. At the end of the paddling, we were offered light snack and warm drinks.   The ride back on the RR was the scenic trip, with the added advantage of being in a private car that the outfitter (Packer Expeditions) had on the train. No rushing for the seats on the "good side" since we had the car to ourselves for most of the trip.  The conductor even opened up the cupola on top so some people could sit up there.


Juneau--Exclusive Whale Encounter and Mendenhall Glacier
This was a very disappointing excursion in just about all aspects.  There was absolutely nothing exclusive about it.  This was a typical cruise excursion. About three dozen of us were loaded on a bus. The bus drove to a harbor about 15 minutes away.  We then boarded a medium size boat (Did I mention there were nearly 40 people on this excursion?) There were two "naturalists" on board who gave "talks" which you couldn't hear while the boat went out from the harbor.  After about a 30 minute ride, we stopped to look at one whale. You could go outside on and stand on the deck fore and aft, but there wasn't much to see. We were there maybe 15 minutes.  We then drove to another location, which had a lot of boats , and more whales. We never got close to the boats or the whales and left after about 10 minutes. Quite honestly, we saw more whales from the Wonder.  After about 30 minutes, we went back to the dock. The description said we were to be offered salmon, chocolate, and fudge along with an assortment of drinks, but all they really had was one brand of soda, smoked salmon, and hot water to make powdered hot chocolate. We reboarded the bus and went to the glacier. Total time at the glacier was only 60 minutes, so there is not enough time to do much except take a few pictures and touch a piece of glacier ice. We did see a bear.  Quite honestly, you need at least 2 hours at the glacier to really do anything.  If we were going to go again,we would do what others did and just take the bus there on our own.  When we got back to the ship, we filled out a comment form expressing our disappointment and DCL refunded 25% of the cost, which was appreciated.

In Ketchikan, we did the Back Country Jeep and Canoe Adventure.  This was reported on by Cyclenut earlier (we had the first red jeep) and was, as my DD kept saying on the jeep's cb radio, "Awesome".  Aside from recommending you not try and break paddles for free souvenirs, the only thing I want to point is that this excursion uses the same canoes and nature trails as the Rain Forest Canoe Adventure and Nature Trail excursion. The differences are that you take a bus to the lake for the other excursion instead of a jeep and you paddle for about an hour instead of the 15-30 minutes you do on the jeep excursion.  The nature trail and camp were fine, with some nice snacks, including a good clam chowder cooked over an open fire.

Overall, our only regret was not trying one of the flight seeing excursions. We had decided not to do those because we did not want to risk cancellations in case of bad weather.  However, on our cruise, that wasn't really an issue.


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## Politzania

We were on the last Disney Wonder cruise of the year  (30 Aug -6 Sep) and booked 1 excursion thru Disney (Best of Skagway) - along with 2 independent excursions. 

The Best of Skagway Tour was probably the lowest rated of the three for me - but it was still worth the trip IMHO.  Despite being booked thru Disney, there were no character appearances or specific Disney touches - however, I think our group was 90% adults, so that may have been a factor. 

We met in Wavebands & were assigned to 1 of two busses - then the CM's led us out onto the dock area,  where we were picked up for our bus tour up to Fraser BC.  Jake B was our tour guide and provided some good commentary - we didn't make any stops along the way, as the weather was damp & cloudy, but he did take us up to a nice spot near the top of the pass that they don't usually stop at and we got out for photo ops.  I do wish I'd dressed a bit more warmly for this segment, as the bus was COLD!  The border crossing went smoothly - a Customs agent boarded the bus - looked at our passports and we were on our way. 

We boarded the White Pass & Yukon Route train at Fraser  - we could choose from 2 different train cars and in retrospect, I wouldn't have chosen the car directly behind the diesel engine.  The views were great, but the exhaust permeated the car by the end of the trip  & was even worse out on the platforms.   The narrator (Cindy?)  provided great info about the Gold Rush and other history of the area and the coal stove in our car warmed me up nicely.  

We boarded the bus again for our trip to Liarsville.  The buffet lunch was quite good - and the salmon was INCREDIBLE!  Most likely wild-caught within 24 hrs and I went back for seconds.  Our driver recommended getting the sweet sauce they serve with the salmon drizzled over the cornbread as well - and boy, was that good!  

The open-air show was on the short side, but entertaining as well. 3 musicians performed beforehand (we only caught their last 2 songs), then the the show itself was a quick history of the area - it's where the press camped & sent back their tall tale stories of the Gold Rush - and then a recital of a poem by Robert Service, with added sound effects.  The performers were enthusiastic and entertaining, even so late in the season. 

The gold panning wasn't much of a much - they "seed" your gravel with a few flakes of gold imported from Dawson City, as there never was any gold found in the Skagway area.  The water was COLD & I lost interest quickly, but my husband found his flakes & we placed them in the ziplock baggie provided.  I wonder whose job it is to sift thru all the gravel at the bottom of the tanks  & recover the gold at the end of the season?  

We wrapped things up by riding the bus back to town for our visit to the Red Onion Saloon - we took the brothel tour upstairs, which was interesting, but a bit quicker than I would have liked  (15 min, just like "back in the day") but the complimentary drinks - beer, wine or root beer - were appreciated.   Since our group was all adults, the double entendres flew thick & fast - not sure if they alter their spiel for groups with kids  (then again - who takes their kids on a brothel tour?) We looked around the downstairs saloon a bit, then spent the rest of the time ashore shopping & looking around town.


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## TDC Nala

> Despite being booked thru Disney, there were no character appearances or specific Disney touches - however, I think our group was 90% adults, so that may have been a factor.



"Booked through Disney" doesn't necessarily mean you are going to get Disney characters. It just means you are booking an excursion with an independent contractor using the cruise line as an intermediary. The biggest thing this gets you is that if your excursion is late returning to the ship, the ship will wait for you. Usually the excursions that include special Disney touches like characters are labeled "Disney exclusive."  There was a Liarsville excursion offered as a "Disney exclusive" which meant it included Disney characters.

I was on this excursion - the same one can be booked through other cruise lines, not just Disney. It was all adults because booking was limited to guests age 16 or over, likely because of the tour of the former bordello.


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## poohj80

Haven't had time to get all pix off the camera yet, but we had a wonderful Whale Watching experience in Juneau.  This was the only excursion we booked outside of DCL and used Rum Runner Charters after reading reviews on Trip Advisor.  Capt. Chris and his First Mate Moon (his dog) were great and teh smaller boat allowed us to get closer to the whales than the larger charters.  Here are a few pix...

We saw a pod of Orcas with at least 2 babies (their bellies were pinkish, not white)















We also found 4 humpbacks playing together (including under our boat)





Head looking at us





Waving





Gotta get the tail shots...


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## plwilliams1049

Thanks for the review of the Liarsville and Dog Musher excursion in Skagway. My DGS and I are sailing to Alaska next June and would like to book these two excusions if they are offerred again.  The Dog Musher sounds much better than I thought, but I'm iffy about the Liarsville.  He will be 11 and has his heart set on panning for gold.  Was there anyone that actually found any gold?


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## TDC Nala

Didn't try panning for gold in Liarsville but they did seed the gold pans (they're not actually finding naturally occurring gold...) so most everyone found some flakes. Our bus driver gave away two chocolate "gold nuggets" and I won one of those...I was much happier with that.


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## sabrecmc

We did the gold panning in Juneau after our morning whale watching/Mendenhall glacier excursion.  I couldn't book it ahead of time b/c there wasn't enough time b/w the excursions, but once we were back on the ship, I went to the excursions desk and booked the gold panning, which was meeting about 30 minutes later.  It was really fun!  You were actually at the creek where they originally found gold and there were even some local folks there panning.  You sat down on the rocky shore and dug in.  Your first pan, given by the tour guide, had gold flakes in it, which delighted the children.  But, people did actually find some flakes on their own.  It was really neat and felt slightly more "authentic."  Plus, the bus then dropped us off in downtown so we could shop!  That whole day was tons of fun.


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## staffieri

plwilliams1049 said:


> Thanks for the review of the Liarsville and Dog Musher excursion in Skagway. My DGS and I are sailing to Alaska next June and would like to book these two excusions if they are offerred again.  The Dog Musher sounds much better than I thought, but I'm iffy about the Liarsville.  He will be 11 and has his heart set on panning for gold.  Was there anyone that actually found any gold?




The Dog Sled in Skagway was booked through alaskaexcursions.com . The cost was $19 adult $89 child. Remember to explain it to your family as a sightseeing of the nature of skagway with dog sledding and puppies.

Liarsville -planning for gold not that great. I would not recommend taking an 11 year old there. It is very young. In Skagway they have a more true experience to pan for gold. Google it. you could add it on. It is just panning for gold.


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## staffieri

Again on trip. Me 40 yrs, Mom 62, DS 13, and DD almost 5yrs. September 4th.

In Ketchikan we booked on our own with Seawind Aviation for a Float plane/bear viewing. Lesley on the phone was great. She has wonderful service. She was able to answer all our questions. The cost of the trip was $314 adult and $279 per child. When looking for a bear trip you need to make sure you are going to the right place for the time your cruise is. Certain places are better. We were going in August. Also, it great if you could go to more of a remote area that only a few pilots have permits to go to. We went to Traitors Cove and our pilot is one of only 4 who have permits to go there. The day we were there it was ONLY our family there. Felt very private.

Lesley meet us at the end of the pier at 2:15. I called her to tell her we were a little late getting off plane. No problem. She picked us up in the Seawind van and took us to their office on the lake. Beautiful. The plane was big clean and everyone out headsets with mic and a window. The float plane ride over was wonderful. Great things to see!!! Only problem was I thought our pilot need to talk more. Landed on the lake and a dock. Before our guide meet us there was a local family there who feed us crab. Then off with our guide. This was wonderful. She showed us salmon and the beauty of the island. We ate wild berries and jumped in moss. When we got to the platform to view bears there was none. But within 10 minutes there were black bears. We saw six. Playing and catching salmon. No need for binoculars. They were very close!!! At the end we saw a mom and cub. It was an amazing time. My family loved it. ON the way back in the plane we got to see 5 whales.


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## jilljill

staffieri said:


> The Dog Sled in Skagway was booked through alaskaexcursions.com . The cost was $19 adult $89 child. Remember to explain it to your family as a sightseeing of the nature of skagway with dog sledding and puppies.
> 
> Liarsville -planning for gold not that great. I would not recommend taking an 11 year old there. It is very young. In Skagway they have a more true experience to pan for gold. Google it. you could add it on. It is just panning for gold.



Are the prices you listed correct?


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## staffieri

jilljill said:


> Are the prices you listed correct?



Sorry for the typeo. Booked through alaskaexcursions.com. Cost was $109 adult and $89 for kids under 12.

Also you can book Liarsville on your own for $29 adult and $17 for kids through Klondike tours. It will include the show, meal, panning for gold. It has everything but the Disney characters and marshmallows. They will pick you up at the port. You can also book the dog sled tour through them. I should have done this. I really thought booking through Disney was going to be such great service. It was not. I was surprised. The characters were great but not worth the price!!!! And Disney charged my 12 year old and adult price.


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## Shanny145

plwilliams1049 said:


> Thanks for the review of the Liarsville and Dog Musher excursion in Skagway. My DGS and I are sailing to Alaska next June and would like to book these two excusions if they are offerred again.  The Dog Musher sounds much better than I thought, but I'm iffy about the Liarsville.  He will be 11 and has his heart set on panning for gold.  Was there anyone that actually found any gold?


We found a couple flakes.....I think everyone finds 2 or 3 in there pre-made pans.  I have an 8 and 10 year old and they were not impressed at all.


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## Shanny145

There is a Rock Shop in Skagway that you can buy bags of "dirt" with either gold or gems in them that people were panning.....looked like a lot of fun without the "cheese" of Liarsville....just an option.  We wish we knew about this before we did Liarsville as our kids had their hearts set on panning for gold.


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## Inkmahm

Panning for gold is much better out of Fairbanks at a real working gold claim. We did that as part of our land tour in 2005 before our Princess cruise.   It was enough for us to see a working gold claim and pan once, we haven't done it on subsequent trips.


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## RedSox68

poohj80 said:


> Haven't had time to get all pix off the camera yet, but we had a wonderful Whale Watching experience in Juneau.  This was the only excursion we booked outside of DCL and used Rum Runner Charters after reading reviews on Trip Advisor.  Capt. Chris and his First Mate Moon (his dog) were great and teh smaller boat allowed us to get closer to the whales than the larger charters.  Here are a few pix...



These pictures are AMAZING.  Two questions:  When did you sail and how big was the boat?


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## poohj80

RedSox68 said:


> These pictures are AMAZING.  Two questions:  When did you sail and how big was the boat?



We had an afternoon charter so Capt Chris picked us up at the dock around 12.  The original plan was to go to Mendenhall Glacier in the morning but members of the family were tired and it was raining and we just saw Sawyer Glacier and did a helicopter ride to a glacier the previous two days so decided to sleep in and do a bit of shopping instead.

We had a private charter (max 6 people) on a small, private boat which was great as we could get closer to the whales than the bigger boats.

I highly recommend Rum Runner Charters!  They also offer fishing charters if you are into that as well.


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## poohj80

A couple more pix I thought you might enjoy (both taken during Glacier Discovery by Helicopter excursion in Skagway)...


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## RedSox68

poohj80 said:


> We had an afternoon charter so Capt Chris picked us up at the dock around 12.  The original plan was to go to Mendenhall Glacier in the morning but members of the family were tired and it was raining and we just saw Sawyer Glacier and did a helicopter ride to a glacier the previous two days so decided to sleep in and do a bit of shopping instead.
> 
> We had a private charter (max 6 people) on a small, private boat which was great as we could get closer to the whales than the bigger boats.
> 
> I highly recommend Rum Runner Charters!  They also offer fishing charters if you are into that as well.



What month did you go?


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## poohj80

RedSox68 said:


> What month did you go?



Just got back from last Wonder Alaskan cruise.


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## Deb in IA

This is great!!

I am just begining to plan for next year, and there is a lot of information here!  

I wonder how the itinerary changes for next summer will affect the availablity of some of these excursions?


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## poohj80

A few more Skagway photos taken during White Pass Railway and Yukon Suspension Bridge Excursion...


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## eandesmom

We were on the 8/23 cruise.  We booked everything through DCL.  The price differences for what we were looking at on our own wasn't significant enough for me to give up the security of knowing that should something get cancelled we'd get our money back if it was through DCL or if the excursion ran late, they'd hold the boat.  

*
Skagway - Adventure Park Ziplines*

We chose this as the kids were dying to zipline and this one had a lower weight restriction which would mean my very skinny kids would be able to go.  It was less expensive than the Ketchikan one, which we looked at as well.  For us, it was perfect.  6 zip lines plus the adventure park and just the right length and level of adventure.  The weather was good enough (drizzle) and our van even dropped us off at the Skagway Brewing Co (huge thumbs up) on the way back, per our request for a fabulous late afternoon snack.  I'm not sure this really showed Skagway per-se but it was a great excursion and outing and we all absolutely loved it.  We were able to walk around town before the excursion so felt at least we "saw" some of the town.  We'd originally wanted to do White Pass RR but the kids vastly preferred the idea of ziplining and for the money, we went with what they wanted to do.  Given the limited visibility that day I do think we made the right choice, though the train would have been cool too.  Really great guides who clearly loved their job, they were a lot of fun!
*
Juneau - Enchanted Taku Lodge Glacier Flight and Feast
*
I cannot say enough great things about this excursion.  Yes it was pricey but it was worth it.  The flight was amazing, the views of the glaciers, narration, everything.  My DH got to fly copilot on the way out, DS12 on the way back.  The feast was incredible and the Taku Lodge just charming.  this was truly a trip highlight.  We debated between this and the Ketchikan Misty Fjords and again, given the weather in Ketchikan the day we were there, compared to Juneau confirmed it was the right choice.  Though more money, you did get a longer excursion plus and incredible meal so on a per hour basis, a better deal.  We had plenty of time to poke around Juneau in the morning before our excursion.  Great guides all around as well.

*Ketchikan - on own*

Didn't do an excursion here.  Looked hard at the rainforest canoe but decided we'd spent enough on the other two so just poked around town.  We'd hoped to do the Deer Mountain Hike but it was pretty rainy in the am and poor visibility so decided not to.  It's a cute town to poke around in but not enough to fill a whole day IMO.  Kids weren't into the idea of the lumberjack show but I kind of wish we'd done it.


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## gkrykewy

We're getting excited about booking excursions for our May 28 cruise next month. Still not sure whether the excursions listed on the DCL site are for the 2011 itineraries out of Vancouver or our 2012 out of Seattle. There are so many attractive choices that it's sort of overwhelming. Definitely interested in the Taku Lodge flight for Juneau.


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## mellers

Skagway:

White Pass Railroad:  We saved $50 for the family ($10 each) because we booked it on our own, and we had the option to take an earlier train if we wanted.  We were told that if we took the noon train, I would have to be separated from all but one member of my family (I am in a wheelchair), because the wheelchair car had limited seating.  However, nobody had booked the wheelchair car for the morning, so not only were we not separated, we had the WHOLE CAR to ourselves!  It was wonderful.  A little narration and some incredible views.

Juneau:

We walked (or, in my case, rolled in the mobility scooter) to the Alaska State Museum.  Excellent!  We really had a good time, and it was raining and windy, so it was a good thing to do on that day.  So often, these museums devote a lot of time to the hunters, this museum also spent a lot of time detailing the women's role in day-to-day survival--how they made waterproof parkas, and things of that nature--it was really interesting.  We had a good time.

Ketchikan:

We did the Ride The Ducks tour--it was a lot of fun.  Somebody had caught a huge salmon, and showed it off to the boat from the fishing area.

I did an "on your own" vs "Disney" comparison of shore excursions for my cruise group last year--here are the posts:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39823570&postcount=195
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39774325&postcount=187
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=39738570&postcount=180


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## rillsung

gkrykewy said:


> We're getting excited about booking excursions for our May 28 cruise next month. Still not sure whether the excursions listed on the DCL site are for the 2011 itineraries out of Vancouver or our 2012 out of Seattle. There are so many attractive choices that it's sort of overwhelming. Definitely interested in the Taku Lodge flight for Juneau.



It looks to me that the excursions are good for 2012 as well.  We did find one that said "This excursion will not run in 2012".  That was the steam train.


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## gkrykewy

rillsung said:


> It looks to me that the excursions are good for 2012 as well.  We did find one that said "This excursion will not run in 2012".  That was the steam train.



Good catch; didn't see that. Thanks.


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## Panfan86

gkrykewy said:


> We're getting excited about booking excursions for our May 28 cruise next month. Still not sure whether the excursions listed on the DCL site are for the 2011 itineraries out of Vancouver or our 2012 out of Seattle. There are so many attractive choices that it's sort of overwhelming. Definitely interested in the Taku Lodge flight for Juneau.



We are also on that same cruise! have you signed up for our facebook group page? We have a list going for Fish Extenders and everything! Its a lot of fun! Here is the link if you are interested: 

https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/224641297565901/

We also have a Disboard Meet thread for our cruise if you would also like to join us on there:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2697988


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## pixie08

mmouse37 said:


> In Ketchikan (our favorite port) we did the Adventure Karts excursions.  This was a ton of fun, even in the rain or rather because of the rain.  We were taken by bus about 20 minutes outside of town and took a turn off the main road and traveled for about another 10 minutes up with long winding road in the bus which I did not could make it!  It was a one vehicle at a time road so if we encountered another vehicle coming down the road one of them would have to back up the whole way...interesting!  We finally got to a small grouping of buildings and had a safety talk in a large shed.  We then had to don heavy duty rain gear including pants, jackets and helmets with visors and gloves.  I have to admit I was a bit leery of putting on gear that was still damp from the previous guests but the alternative was to get our clothes completely wet and muddy....remember it was raining quite heavily at this point.  After getting past putting on the gear we loaded up into our carts which is what the Israeli army uses in the desert and go about 100 mph even loaded down with machine guns (but we obviously did not have the capability to go that fast or have the machine guns, LOL).  There were two to a cart.  We then followed in a single file the guide who led us up along an old logging trail.  We spaced apart enough that you felt you were by yourself and we had a ball going over all the bumps and hitting all the mud puddles...made us feel like kids again!!  We had a stop for snacks (bottled water and granola bars) and then we had another stop and walked a few yards to see a nice waterfall.  You could switch driver's at this point.  We went 14 miles round trip and was a tons of fun.  Here is a link.
> 
> http://www.adventurekarts.com/Tours/Kart-Excursion.html
> 
> 
> 
> MJ



Thanks for posting this! We are probably going to try and book this in Ketchikan but I haven't read too many dis reviews about it. We wanted something fun and a little adventurous and DH had his eye on this.I am not keen on driving but DH loves to, so I think he will do the whole thing but it looks like a blast!


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## pixie08

buddywesley said:


> Train is full of amazing views! We sat in the last car and pretty much stood out the back of the car the whole way up. I would definately reccomend it. Friends we cruised with just did the train up and back and they said they liked it but I felt like we had it better since we could get out of bus twice and take some great pix on the way back. Liarsville IMHO was not really worth it, but my kids seemed to like it ok. Get someone to help you with the gold. We never really found anything and couldn't get it in the little baggies they gave us. (my daughter just put some tiny rocks in hers ) I think there is another excursion that I heard you pan for gold. Maybe in Juneau? People seemed to like that. Up to you. I did see some older kids there.



This is what I am trying to figure out. We are just two adults, so the WPR + Liarsville thing is not for us, but getting off the train seems like a nice option?

Maybe the suspension bridge and WPR tour? Any advice or opinions between doing WPR r/t or doing the suspension bridge and WPR instead?


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## staffieri

Shanny145 said:


> We found a couple flakes.....I think everyone finds 2 or 3 in there pre-made pans.  I have an 8 and 10 year old and they were not impressed at all.


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## staffieri

[/IMG]
Sorry would love two reply deleted. Was trying to figure out how to show a photo.


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## staffieri

We did Liarsville booked through Disney. It was very expensive. The advantage through Disney was the characters would be there and you get to roast marshmallows. If you book this on your own with the meal I think it is a nice add on tour. If I would have booked on my own it would have only cost $29 adult and $17 kids 12 and under. This is a fare price because the Salmon lunch is so good. The place is a little silly but the kids liked it. They do a show and it has a puppet, you pan for gold, shop, and camp life to look at. And a great meal. All Disney adds is the characters and the marshmallows , which were great. You see the character so much on the boat you don't need to pay for it. This is a great tour to add on to the Dog mush camp. Why, because you can go here eat a great meal with a little fun for the kids at a good price.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




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## staffieri

Here a few more to see the place.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




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## pixie08

I didn't see it mentioned here (but I could have missed it). Has anyone tried the Mendenhall Glacier float trip? It's the white water rafting and glacier trip?


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## pixie08

pixie08 said:


> I didn't see it mentioned here (but I could have missed it). Has anyone tried the Mendenhall Glacier float trip? It's the white water rafting and glacier trip?



I just read some reviews on trip advisor and cruise critic which bash this excursion so i think i am going to pass!


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## mrp4352

rillsung said:


> It looks to me that the excursions are good for 2012 as well.  We did find one that said "This excursion will not run in 2012".  That was the steam train.



Thanks for the info!  We had planned on that one!


I may have missed this, but can you take a backpack on the float planes?  I'd like to have something to carry our jackets in if we decide to take them off.

Thanks!


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## mellers

mrp4352 said:


> Thanks for the info!  We had planned on that one!
> 
> 
> I may have missed this, but can you take a backpack on the float planes?  I'd like to have something to carry our jackets in if we decide to take them off.
> 
> Thanks!



Bear in mind--the steam train is different from the regular White Pass train, and you can still do that one.


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## jel0511

mrp4352 said:


> Thanks for the info!  We had planned on that one!
> 
> 
> I may have missed this, but can you take a backpack on the float planes?  I'd like to have something to carry our jackets in if we decide to take them off.
> 
> Thanks!



You can not take a backpack on the floatplane. You will need to leave it in the office and will get it back upon return. Those planes are really tight and there is no where to put it.


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## RedSox68

Anyone do the Best of Juneau which includes the whale watching, Mendenhall Glacier and Otter Point Lodge?


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## quinnc19

I am interested in this also, and wondering how much a 6 year old (who loves nature) would like it.



RedSox68 said:


> Anyone do the Best of Juneau which includes the whale watching, Mendenhall Glacier and Otter Point Lodge?


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## Chilly

I've just read the whole thread and now my head hurts but our booking window is in 2 weeks so must decide if we want to go through Disney or not!

Thanks to everyone who posted reviews.




PRCMickey said:


> We enjoyed all our excursions we went on even in the on/off rain we had some days. (August 23 - 30).
> In Skagway we booked theYukon Bus & Rail Excursion with 15-Minute Dogcart Ride through Chilkoot Charters & Tours. This was such a wonderful excursion. The tour company was great.



Could I ask how much this was?




WiscBill said:


> We just wanted to add our quick reviews for those who travel next year.
> 
> Skagway--Glacier Lake Kayak and White Pass Rail Adventure
> This was our favorite of the three excursions.  In our case, we took a bus over to Fraser, Canada, which is the turnaround point for most the White Pass RR trips.  There is a lake right there (Lake Bernard) with some gorgeous views.  The guides (we had three for about 13 people) already have the kayaks ready.  There is a short orientation on how to use the spray skirt, rudder, and basic paddling techniques.  We had brought our own raingear, but they provide that (along with hats) if you don't have it.  The paddling was fairly easy over the lake (we did not have much wind) and lasted about an hour. The lake was beautiful with a couple of streams coming in and some nice coves. They challenged us to stand up in the kayak and the most fun part was watching my 9 year old daughter pull that off. At the end of the paddling, we were offered light snack and warm drinks.   The ride back on the RR was the scenic trip, with the added advantage of being in a private car that the outfitter (Packer Expeditions) had on the train. No rushing for the seats on the "good side" since we had the car to ourselves for most of the trip.  The conductor even opened up the cupola on top so some people could sit up there.



Packer Expeditions - is that who you booked this through?


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## mrp4352

jel0511 said:


> You can not take a backpack on the floatplane. You will need to leave it in the office and will get it back upon return. Those planes are really tight and there is no where to put it.



Good to know!  So, I need to plan on my camera around my neck while ID and money are on a lanyard and that's about it...  Thanks!


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## Ltl Mermaid

We are going on the 5/28 cruise and are totally indecisive about which excursions to do. We are interested in ALL of the following (though we know we won't be able to do it all): whale watching (Orcas specifically), zip lining, non intense glacier walk, float/rapids trip, dog sledding, and white pass rail.

We cannot decide because so many of the excursions seem awesome! I will say I am not into bugs (last time I went to Skagway I got eaten alive by "no-see-ums"...as they were called by our guide...during our horseback ride and still have a scar near my eye. It was miserable and I would prefer to avoid areas like that lol.

Any and all suggestions based on the above interests would be greatly appreciated!


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## poohj80

Ltl Mermaid said:


> We are going on the 5/28 cruise and are totally indecisive about which excursions to do. We are interested in ALL of the following (though we know we won't be able to do it all): whale watching (Orcas specifically), zip lining, non intense glacier walk, float/rapids trip, dog sledding, and white pass rail.
> 
> We cannot decide because so many of the excursions seem awesome! I will say I am not into bugs (last time I went to Skagway I got eaten alive by "no-see-ums"...as they were called by our guide...during our horseback ride and still have a scar near my eye. It was miserable and I would prefer to avoid areas like that lol.
> 
> Any and all suggestions based on the above interests would be greatly appreciated!



We went whale watching in Juneau and this was the only time we booked excursions outside of DCL and we were SO glad we did.  We booked through Rum Runner Charters (check Trip Advisor for my review and pix).  Captain Chris and his first mate, er dog, Moon has a boat which carries 6 people max but it meant that we were not fighting with 30-100 other people for a spot on the rail to take photos.  His smaller boats could also get closer to the whales than the bigger boats.  We found a pod of Orcas including babies who were young enough that their bellies were still pink and 4 humpback whales.  We were close enough to the humpbacks that we could have reached out and petted one.  We cruised last year in August so it may be a bit early in the season for Orcas, but Chris worked with a group of other Captains to help find the whales.  I highly recommend him and our daughter (5) loved looking for whales with Moon Doggie!


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## jilljill

Ltl Mermaid said:


> We are going on the 5/28 cruise and are totally indecisive about which excursions to do. We are interested in ALL of the following (though we know we won't be able to do it all): whale watching (Orcas specifically), zip lining, non intense glacier walk, float/rapids trip, dog sledding, and white pass rail.
> 
> We cannot decide because so many of the excursions seem awesome! I will say I am not into bugs (last time I went to Skagway I got eaten alive by "no-see-ums"...as they were called by our guide...during our horseback ride and still have a scar near my eye. It was miserable and I would prefer to avoid areas like that lol.
> 
> Any and all suggestions based on the above interests would be greatly appreciated!



If it's in the budget and you are looking at dog sledding on the glacier I say go for that one.  That was the highlight of our cruise.  The helicopter ride was undescribable and mushing was so much fun.

We also did the White Pass Rail and that was pretty interesting.


----------



## Meagan_4

Hi all! Getting ready to book excursions for my upcoming 5-21 cruise. I just read through some great information on this thread (all of it! -WHEW!!!) and I'm not sure if anyone posted on the Exclusive Flight Seeing & Crab Feast in Ketchikan. I'm also looking for any information on the Glacier View Bike & Brew in Juneau and the Yukon Expedition in Skagway. Anything would be helpful! Thanks so much.


----------



## Pooh667

jilljill said:


> If it's in the budget and you are looking at dog sledding on the glacier I say go for that one.  That was the highlight of our cruise.  The helicopter ride was undescribable and mushing was so much fun.
> 
> We also did the White Pass Rail and that was pretty interesting.



I agree. Dog sledding on the glacier was so amazing. The helicopter ride, being on the glacier, riding the dog sled, mushing etc. Just so much fun and what an experience!  We went last August and still talk about it and get that happy feeling when we do.


----------



## TinkTatoo

jilljill said:


> If it's in the budget and you are looking at dog sledding on the glacier I say go for that one.  That was the highlight of our cruise.  The helicopter ride was undescribable and mushing was so much fun.....



This is one we really want to do, does anyone know if it sells out to Platinum / Gold CC members before Silver get a chance to book?


----------



## LeslieG

poohj80 said:


> We went whale watching in Juneau and this was the only time we booked excursions outside of DCL and we were SO glad we did.  We booked through Rum Runner Charters (check Trip Advisor for my review and pix).  Captain Chris and his first mate, er dog, Moon has a boat which carries 6 people max but it meant that we were not fighting with 30-100 other people for a spot on the rail to take photos.  His smaller boats could also get closer to the whales than the bigger boats.  We found a pod of Orcas including babies who were young enough that their bellies were still pink and 4 humpback whales.  We were close enough to the humpbacks that we could have reached out and petted one.  We cruised last year in August so it may be a bit early in the season for Orcas, but Chris worked with a group of other Captains to help find the whales.  I highly recommend him and our daughter (5) loved looking for whales with Moon Doggie!



This is the one we're leaning towards.  Glad to hear you enjoyed it.


----------



## USUKMama

I have been very remiss in posting on this thread.  We were on one of the August cruises last year.  Here's what we did:

Skagway.  We did the White Pass Railroad through Chilkoot instead of Disney.  The weather wasn't so great so this wasn't really a hit.  But I think it would be amazing if the weather cooperated.  In the afternoon we did a helicopter ride to a glacier through Disney.  This was amazing (and DH was very jealous - I got to ride in the front both ways).

When we got back we walked up the stream close to the boat dock and watched the salmon swimming upsteam.  Very cool!

Juneau.  We went to the Mendenhall Glacier in the morning.  We did this by ourselves - just took one of the buses you can get in Juneau.  The hike was gorgeous and the views along the way were well worth it.

We got the bus back to Juneau and had lunch at Tracy's crab shack (fabulous crab legs!)  Then we went back to the boat for our afternoon excursion - gold panning.  This one was a Disney excursion.  I've read a lot of bad things about gold panning in Skagway.  If you want to try gold panning this is the place to do it.  There really is gold in the surrounding hills and there were locals there trying their luck at it too.  They do seed the pans so everyone will find some, but you are panning in a proper river, not barrels of water.  The glorious weather we had didn't hurt either.

In Ketchikan we spent the morning just walking around the tour (you can pick up a walking tour map at the tourist office) and then went to the Disney Lumberjack show in the afternoon (I booked this directly rather than through Disney, but it was the Disney exclusive show).  My daughter was chosen to take part in the show which made it extra special!

It was the most fabulous vacation we have ever been on.  I am so jealous of everyone going this summer - you will have a wonderful time!!

Sophia


----------



## staffieri

mrp4352 said:


> Good to know!  So, I need to plan on my camera around my neck while ID and money are on a lanyard and that's about it...  Thanks!



We too did a float plane in Ketichan. We went to a private place to see bears and nature. Its was great!!! I was allowed to bring my backpack. Our floatplane was huge and lots of room.


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## staffieri

Here our show photos from our Bear/Floatplane adventure with Seawind. We booked this on our own. It was an amazing day. We saw four bears, salmon, eagels. The nature hike was very easy and so beautiful. Our guide was great and wonderful with the kids.


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## pudinhd

Thanks to everyone for all of the fabulous information!  We are super excited about the reservation we made with Harv & Marv thanks for the great reviews!!

I know there have been some reviews about the Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition...  I would love to hear more specifics about the suspension bridges and platforms.  My husband really wants to do this shore excursion, but I have a fear of heights so I'm gathering more information to figure out if I can do it.

Again, thanks so much!!!


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## staffieri

http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i378/staffieri3/Alaska%202011/IMG_3221.jpg


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## staffieri

It was an amazing day. The bears were great to see, but we also loved the walk with the guide. She was great and gave so much info. We picked and ate bears, watched the salmon, explored nature. I just was in awe at how beautiful Alaska is. We also go t to try fresh crab when we landed. Locals on this private dock gave it to us.


----------



## USUKMama

staffieri said:


> It was an amazing day. The bears were great to see, but we also loved the walk with the guide. She was great and gave so much info. We picked and ate bears, watched the salmon, explored nature. I just was in awe at how beautiful Alaska is. We also go t to try fresh crab when we landed. Locals on this private dock gave it to us.



Those pictures are amazing!  My one regret is that we didn't see any bears.  More than made up for by the amazing stuff we did see, but still.  Maybe another trip is in order


----------



## Pooh667

TinkTatoo said:


> This is one we really want to do, does anyone know if it sells out to Platinum / Gold CC members before Silver get a chance to book?



I was a Silver and it was not sold out when I went to book it.  Also it was my cousin's first Disney Cruise and it wasn't sold out when he went to book it too but it was booked up a couple days after that. Good luck!!


----------



## tink1963

pudinhd said:


> Thanks to everyone for all of the fabulous information!  We are super excited about the reservation we made with Harv & Marv thanks for the great reviews!!
> 
> I know there have been some reviews about the Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition...  I would love to hear more specifics about the suspension bridges and platforms.  My husband really wants to do this shore excursion, but I have a fear of heights so I'm gathering more information to figure out if I can do it.
> 
> Again, thanks so much!!!



Hi, we did the Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition. My DH and I both LOVED this excursion. The first part of the hike into the rain forest was on trails. Then the suspension bridges and Platforms. I did not think that they are extremely high. It does put you above the creek where the bears are feeding, but still close enough to be right above the bears. We saw 20+ bears including quite a few cubs)The platforms are large and your group is very small. I think it was 8 people total which included our guide, Matt, who was a really fun guide. Since this is offered only late in the season, we did have rain (we were after all in a rainforest ) so bring a rain jacket. You really wont need much else except your camera and $$ if you shop at the gift shop at the end of the tour. You also get to see a totom pole carver, feed the reindeer visit the Eagle and Owl, and tour the old lumber mill. I really really recommend this tour. We did the one offered at the latest time. 
Oh....And do not bring food with you.  they will make you throw it out before you start your hike.


----------



## Ltl Mermaid

jilljill-I was actually thinking about the dog sledding on the glacier, it sounds so fun. I did have 1 question/concern about it....do they whip the dogs to make them run? I am assuming not but just wanted to make sure!

Has anyone here done the bear creek zipline adventure or the Alaska Coastal Expedition in Ketchikan. I am trying to decide between the 2 and am just stuck! Thanks so much!


----------



## pudinhd

tink1963 said:


> Hi, we did the Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition. My DH and I both LOVED this excursion. The first part of the hike into the rain forest was on trails. Then the suspension bridges and Platforms. I did not think that they are extremely high. It does put you above the creek where the bears are feeding, but still close enough to be right above the bears. We saw 20+ bears including quite a few cubs)The platforms are large and your group is very small. I think it was 8 people total which included our guide, Matt, who was a really fun guide. Since this is offered only late in the season, we did have rain (we were after all in a rainforest ) so bring a rain jacket. You really wont need much else except your camera and $$ if you shop at the gift shop at the end of the tour. You also get to see a totom pole carver, feed the reindeer visit the Eagle and Owl, and tour the old lumber mill. I really really recommend this tour. We did the one offered at the latest time.
> Oh....And do not bring food with you.  they will make you throw it out before you start your hike.



Thank you, thank you!!  Regarding the suspension bridges...  How much did they move?  Did they feel really shaky or more secure?


----------



## jilljill

Ltl Mermaid said:


> jilljill-I was actually thinking about the dog sledding on the glacier, it sounds so fun. I did have 1 question/concern about it....do they whip the dogs to make them run? I am assuming not but just wanted to make sure!
> 
> Has anyone here done the bear creek zipline adventure or the Alaska Coastal Expedition in Ketchikan. I am trying to decide between the 2 and am just stuck! Thanks so much!



Absolutely NOT!  The dogs are ready to run at the drop of a hat.  I would have been horrified had that happened since we owned a husky that was rescued from a dog sled camp in Maine - she had been beaten, thus the reason she was rescued.


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## alaska8

no they dont whip the dogs, in fact these dogs love to run.  You will see them jumping and pulling trying to take off with that sled. They need no encouragement!  Dog sledding is a wonderful experience


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## Ltl Mermaid

Thanks, I figured that was the case but I wanted to double check! Thanks for the quick responses!


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## Stinasmom

Ltl Mermaid said:


> Has anyone here done the bear creek zipline adventure or the Alaska Coastal Expedition in Ketchikan. I am trying to decide... Thanks so much!



Me too!

Any reviews of the zip lining in Ketchikan?

TIA!


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## tink1963

pudinhd said:


> Thank you, thank you!!  Regarding the suspension bridges...  How much did they move?  Did they feel really shaky or more secure?



the bridges do move of course, but they did not feel unsecure, and we really didnt stay on the bridges for viewing, just for crossing mainly. If I recall the guide told us that the bridges and platforms had been redone recently.  Or they just looked new to me. My husband did remind me that one bridge and platform is higher then the rest. Its kinda like each bridge takes you up higher and then starts working back down to ground level. I have looked through some of my pictures and dont find where I took any of the bridges/platforms. Seems all we took were of the bear. 
I will look tonight and see if I have any other pictures.


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## tink1963

pudinhd said:


> Thank you, thank you!!  Regarding the suspension bridges...  How much did they move?  Did they feel really shaky or more secure?



http://www.taquanair.com/Tours/Wildlife-Expedition.html

On the right side of the page is a pic of a bear. click for slide show. this will give you an idea of the tour. Pictures 7,8,14,17 are of the bridges and picture 20 shows one of the platforms.


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## pudinhd

tink1963 said:


> http://www.taquanair.com/Tours/Wildlife-Expedition.html
> 
> On the right side of the page is a pic of a bear. click for slide show. this will give you an idea of the tour. Pictures 7,8,14,17 are of the bridges and picture 20 shows one of the platforms.



Oh, my gosh!  Thank you so much!  That was very helpful!!!


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## poohj80

Just as a heads up to those of you trying to plan ahead, some of the excursions offered are seasonal.  We were on the last Alaskan cruise of 2011 and none of the bear excursions were still being offered.  Also, many of the Disney exclusive excursions with kids were not offered (my guess is since it was after most schools had started, there weren't enough kids on board to make it worthwhile).


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## AquaDame

Is there anyway to see which are not offered EARLY in the season? We are currently booked for 6/3/2013 but I would definately move the date if it meant we could not do a bush pilot flight and dog sled excursions!


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## poohj80

AquaDame said:


> Is there anyway to see which are not offered EARLY in the season? We are currently booked for 6/3/2013 but I would definately move the date if it meant we could not do a bush pilot flight and dog sled excursions!



Only way is to call and ask or wait until online reservations open.


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## sarahgirl

AquaDame said:


> Is there anyway to see which are not offered EARLY in the season? We are currently booked for 6/3/2013 but I would definately move the date if it meant we could not do a bush pilot flight and dog sled excursions!



What excursion are you looking at?  I am gold and going on the cruise right before yours.  I can look it up and see if it is offerred on my cruise.


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## pixie08

AquaDame said:


> Is there anyway to see which are not offered EARLY in the season? We are currently booked for 6/3/2013 but I would definately move the date if it meant we could not do a bush pilot flight and dog sled excursions!



We are on the 6/11 and I know all of the dog sled ones are being offered. It is just the bear excursions not available because it is seasonal so if that is important I would move the cruise to July. Also I guess the kids activities could be an issue that early? Not sure.

You can go to the DCL website under Port Adventures and check the excursion you are interested in. It will say wether or not it is seasonal and when it is offered.


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## scrapbookingpro

We are booked on the May 28th cruise and this thread has been incredibly helpful so far!!!

I have a Skagway question for anyone who took a bus (or shuttle) back down the mountain from Fraser. I have this terrible fear (stupid, I know but can't help it) of taking cliff-like corners at fast speeds. Just thinking about it gives me an ulcer. 
How bad is the drive down the mountain? Are there lots of times when you are driving next to a cliff or drop-off? Do the drivers tend to drive slowly?

Thanks for any help!!


----------



## mkladypink

Ltl Mermaid said:


> We are going on the 5/28 cruise and are totally indecisive about which excursions to do. We are interested in ALL of the following (though we know we won't be able to do it all): whale watching (Orcas specifically), zip lining, non intense glacier walk, float/rapids trip, dog sledding, and white pass rail.
> 
> We cannot decide because so many of the excursions seem awesome! I will say I am not into bugs (last time I went to Skagway I got eaten alive by "no-see-ums"...as they were called by our guide...during our horseback ride and still have a scar near my eye. It was miserable and I would prefer to avoid areas like that lol.
> 
> Any and all suggestions based on the above interests would be greatly appreciated!



Your comment about the horseback ride has made me nervous!  My daughter and I are booked for that same excurstion in late may...what time of year did you get "no-see-umed"?  would bug spray have helped.  If it were not for the bugs was the horseback riding fun?


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## jilljill

Bumping this up to help out this year's AK cruisers.


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## queenbee99

I searched this thread but have not got to read all 39 pages.  Is there a review for the Liarsville Trail with Disney characters and the White Pass with youth activities?  Did anyone do this?  I am looking for experiences with both.  Thank you!


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## queenbee99

See we want to do dog sledding but I am not real crazy about the helicopter ride.  I am a scaredy cat and I think dd would be too.  The only other thing I have found where you don't have to do the helicopter ride isn't dogs in the snow.


jilljill said:


> If it's in the budget and you are looking at dog sledding on the glacier I say go for that one.  That was the highlight of our cruise.  The helicopter ride was undescribable and mushing was so much fun.
> 
> We also did the White Pass Rail and that was pretty interesting.


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## queenbee99

THANK YOU!  i am debating this one as well.  Is Donald the only one there? Is he in that same outfit on the boat?  I am looking for something to do with my dd who is 8.   Could you do this one AND the White Pass railroad thing?  What other excursions did you do?





staffieri said:


> We did Liarsville booked through Disney. It was very expensive. The advantage through Disney was the characters would be there and you get to roast marshmallows. If you book this on your own with the meal I think it is a nice add on tour. If I would have booked on my own it would have only cost $29 adult and $17 kids 12 and under. This is a fare price because the Salmon lunch is so good. The place is a little silly but the kids liked it. They do a show and it has a puppet, you pan for gold, shop, and camp life to look at. And a great meal. All Disney adds is the characters and the marshmallows , which were great. You see the character so much on the boat you don't need to pay for it. This is a great tour to add on to the Dog mush camp. Why, because you can go here eat a great meal with a little fun for the kids at a good price.
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## jilljill

queenbee99 said:


> See we want to do dog sledding but I am not real crazy about the helicopter ride.  I am a scaredy cat and I think dd would be too.  The only other thing I have found where you don't have to do the helicopter ride isn't dogs in the snow.



My DD(17) was afraid to go on the helicopter and had been on one before and she loved it.  We also had another adult in our group that was deathly afraid of the helicopter ride and when the adventure was over he said that was the best experience of his life and would do it all over again.  Even when he got to the terminal he said he wasn't going on the helicopter and decided to just suck it up and get suited up and get on the helicopter, he even took pictures when up in the air.  I had never been in a helicopter and wasn't afraid of going up and really enjoyed the ride to the dog camp on the glacier.  The pilot talked to us the entire time telling us about what we were seeing and put everyone at ease on the flight.  

We all had to put on our glacier boots and a lifejacket before boarding.  You are not allowed to take any bags with you.  Whatever you want to take must fit in your coat pocket.  

Hope this helps a bit.


----------



## nzdisneymom

scrapbookingpro said:


> We are booked on the May 28th cruise and this thread has been incredibly helpful so far!!!
> 
> I have a Skagway question for anyone who took a bus (or shuttle) back down the mountain from Fraser. I have this terrible fear (stupid, I know but can't help it) of taking cliff-like corners at fast speeds. Just thinking about it gives me an ulcer.
> How bad is the drive down the mountain? Are there lots of times when you are driving next to a cliff or drop-off? Do the drivers tend to drive slowly?
> 
> Thanks for any help!!



We took a bus from Fraser back down. Our driver was really good, and because you're going down, you're not on the "cliff" side of the road - that would be if you were going up.  It's a wide road with room to pull over.  We stopped at the Welcome to Alaska sign for a photo op.  We passed several bicyclists who were on their way down, too - honestly, I'd not have wanted to ride a bike on the highway.


----------



## RedSox68

I started another thread about Chilkoot tours in Skagway.  But quick question for those who did the train/bus excursion.  Which is more beneficial -- taking the train up or down -- or is there not much difference?


----------



## sabrecmc

RedSox68 said:


> I started another thread about Chilkoot tours in Skagway.  But quick question for those who did the train/bus excursion.  Which is more beneficial -- taking the train up or down -- or is there not much difference?



We did train up, bus down.  I don't know if one is more beneficial (unless you could predict the weather!).  But, it worked out great for us to do it that way.  I guess one nice perk of doing it that way is that Chilkoot offered to drop us off wherever we wanted to be dropped off once we got back to town. Since we wanted to shop, he dropped us off at the end of the "main" street, while others went back to the port.  Now, Skagway is tiny, so this is not a huge deal!  The train depot is not far at all from the port, so I honestly don't know if one would be better than the other.  I did like that we were able to get some coffee at the train depot that morning for the ride up, and some milk for DD.  We were the first passenger train through that year, so that was actually kind of cool.  Otherwise, I'm not sure why doing it one way or the other would matter.


----------



## poohj80

queenbee99 said:


> I searched this thread but have not got to read all 39 pages.  Is there a review for the Liarsville Trail with Disney characters and the White Pass with youth activities?  Did anyone do this?  I am looking for experiences with both.  Thank you!



We wanted to but the White pass with Youth was not offered on our cruise because there weren't enough kids on-board to justify (we cruised in August after a lot of schools had started back).


----------



## scrapbookingpro

nzdisneymom said:


> We took a bus from Fraser back down. Our driver was really good, and because you're going down, you're not on the "cliff" side of the road - that would be if you were going up.  It's a wide road with room to pull over.  We stopped at the Welcome to Alaska sign for a photo op.  We passed several bicyclists who were on their way down, too - honestly, I'd not have wanted to ride a bike on the highway.



Thank you, that is exactly what I needed to hear


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## RedSox68

sabrecmc said:


> We did train up, bus down.  I don't know if one is more beneficial (unless you could predict the weather!).  But, it worked out great for us to do it that way.  I guess one nice perk of doing it that way is that Chilkoot offered to drop us off wherever we wanted to be dropped off once we got back to town. Since we wanted to shop, he dropped us off at the end of the "main" street, while others went back to the port.  Now, Skagway is tiny, so this is not a huge deal!  The train depot is not far at all from the port, so I honestly don't know if one would be better than the other.  I did like that we were able to get some coffee at the train depot that morning for the ride up, and some milk for DD.  We were the first passenger train through that year, so that was actually kind of cool.  Otherwise, I'm not sure why doing it one way or the other would matter.



What date did you go?  We will be in Skagway on 5/17.


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## RedSox68

scrapbookingpro said:


> Thank you, that is exactly what I needed to hear



I'm with you -- I have a crippling fear of heights (so flying is not my friend either), but coming down a mountain road with no guard rails is terrifying.


----------



## Doingitagain

How many passengers are in a helicopter?  We are looking at the Glacier Trek in Juneau.  Do all the seats have access to a window?  I would hate to be in a back seat and not be able to see the complete views.


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## jilljill

Doingitagain said:


> How many passengers are in a helicopter?  We are looking at the Glacier Trek in Juneau.  Do all the seats have access to a window?  I would hate to be in a back seat and not be able to see the complete views.



The helicopter we were in held 6 passengers and the pilot - 2 rows.  On the way to the glacier my DH and DD sat in the front, I was behind the pilot and a family of 3 was next to me.  On the way back from the glacier the dad and little boy of the other family sat in the front, the mom on the left window, my DH and DD in the middle in the back row and I was still behind the pilot.
Everyone is assigned a seat by your weight so there's no switching seats around.  

I had no problems seeing the sights out the front or side windows.


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## pixie08

Has anyone done the Alaskan Rainforest sanctuary and crab fest excursion? I saw some people did the wilderness explorer boats and it didn't get rave review but I am still iffy about the Ketchikan port. It's just dh and I and I do want to get out into the forest a little on foot.


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## poohj80

pixie08 said:


> Has anyone done the Alaskan Rainforest sanctuary and crab fest excursion? I saw some people did the wilderness explorer boats and it didn't get rave review but I am still iffy about the Ketchikan port. It's just dh and I and I do want to get out into the forest a little on foot.



We did the rainforest excursion which took us in a raft to the island where we hiked around a bit and roasted marshmallows at the end.  It was fun and we saw lots of bald eagles and seals.  We wanted an active excursion that our 5 year old could do but the choices were limited.


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## pixie08

poohj80 said:


> We did the rainforest excursion which took us in a raft to the island where we hiked around a bit and roasted marshmallows at the end.  It was fun and we saw lots of bald eagles and seals.  We wanted an active excursion that our 5 year old could do but the choices were limited.



That sounds fun...I am going to look into that too. Thanks.


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## poohj80

pixie08 said:


> That sounds fun...I am going to look into that too. Thanks.



I can look up the exact name of the excursion if that would help.


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## nyh

Subbing to research the Alaska excursions.   I'll need to make time to sit down and read through this thread (that I'm sure contains many great insights and opinions).


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## pixie08

poohj80 said:


> I can look up the exact name of the excursion if that would help.



We booked "Rainforest Island Adventure"Thanks again


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## Tsunami

Subbing. Booked for summer 2013, but it's never too early to plan.


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## Deb in IA

Booked our excursions at midnight last night!

Anyone have any comments on the following:

Skagway - Yukon Suspension Bridge, City and White Pass Railway
Juneau - Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest
Ketchikan - Saxman Native Village and Exclusive Lumberjack Show


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## RedSox68

Been watching this thread since day one.  Hard to believe we leave 6 weeks from tomorrow and I won't be using it anymore  It has been an invaluable source of information and tips and opinions and I know I am not alone in thanking everyone for their input.   

When I return, I will be sure to post our opinions of the excursions we took.  We are not sailing on Disney, but the excursions are pretty much the same from ship to ship.


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## ThePhantomsGirl

I'm subbing as I just booked the 8/19/13 Vancouver Alaskan cruise today.   Here's the thread meet link.

The helicopter sounds like fun!


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## ame

subbing. We book our excursions next week!!


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## son3disfan

ThePhantomsGirl said:


> I'm subbing as I just booked the 8/19/13 Vancouver Alaskan cruise today.   Here's the thread meet link.
> 
> The helicopter sounds like fun!



We just booked the week after you!
Our cruise meet thread hasn't been started yet.....

This thread has such great planning info!
We are a family of 5, so the excursions are pricey.
Almost as much as the price of the cruise!


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## jilljill

ThePhantomsGirl said:


> I'm subbing as I just booked the 8/19/13 Vancouver Alaskan cruise today.   Here's the thread meet link.
> 
> The helicopter sounds like fun!



Now it's my turn to stalk you.    

If you can do the helicopter to the mush camp.  That was the best experience ever!
If they offer the ABD add-on package that includes the helicopter to the mush camp than I recommend that even more.

Have fun planning your cruise.  You will love AK!


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## staffieri

Doingitagain said:


> How many passengers are in a helicopter?  We are looking at the Glacier Trek in Juneau.  Do all the seats have access to a window?  I would hate to be in a back seat and not be able to see the complete views.



We did the Glacier Trek II booked direct with North Star Trekking. ( this is who Disney uses). If you go book direct with them. Smaller group and you go and see a lot more. We only had a total of five of us and a guide. There is a person who sits in middle and see less then those who have window seat. It was horrible weather, so we didn't see much flying anyways. It is a one time experience and we loved it but for the price I know wish we would have stayed together ( only me and my son went) and did a helicopter glacier landing and whale watching. If you book on your own you can do both.  We could have all done this and it would have only cost $ 75 more for all four. The whale pictures I have seen from our same day out are amazing and the helicopter ride would be the same. Of course just a short time on the glacier but still cool. If you have any more detail questions about the hike, ask. the Disney group look not fun. 15 or more people together and not hiking around as cool stuff as we saw.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




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## staffieri

queenbee99 said:


> I searched this thread but have not got to read all 39 pages.  Is there a review for the Liarsville Trail with Disney characters and the White Pass with youth activities?  Did anyone do this?  I am looking for experiences with both.  Thank you!


I think someone also asked if there are more character then Donald. Yes. Chip and Dale come.  My review a few pages back. Again its a nice place and a little silly. I would not pay these high prices Disney is asking to do this. You get so much time with the characters on the boat that it doesn't make the price worth it. They keep Donal in a place for pictures only and chip and Dale do walk around some. This place is worth booking on your own for a good meal with entertainment. We booked this and then did the dog musher camp. It made skagway great fun for the kids. We did hear a few of our cruise friends saw the train got long and the kids got restless or fell asleep.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




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## staffieri

As we can see I had time to give some response tonight.  The dog musher camp. I think it was a great way to experience dog sledding at an affordable price. Booked on our own through Alsakaexcurisions. It cost $110 adults and $89 kids. I would tell your family that this is a short sight seeing tour of Skagway with dog sledding. You take a great bus that meets you at the docks. They take you for a short trip through town, pointing out stuff then up the mountain. We saw eagles,salmon and other wildlife. Then to Musher camp. You take a four wheel vehicle up to the dogs. They are so excited to see you. It was after the rain so muddy!! And its a fast ride. they dogs go fast. Very exciting. Then back to camp to hear about dog sledding, free drinks and cookies. Then you get to play with the puppies. So fun. On they way back a beautiful stop for one more look at Skagway. They will drop you back off at the ship or in town to shop. My kids loved this!!
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




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## staffieri

Here the puppies
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




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## barbbarnes

We are going on the 8/13/12 cruise and we think we have narrowed down what we would like to do.
Skagway:  Liarsville with Disney 
Juneau:  On our own Mount Roberts tram and the shuttle bus to the glacier
Ketichican:  the disney lumberjack show with the potlach totem poles for the kids.

I don't know if I've seen anyone write about the potlach totem pole experience.  If anyone has information that would be great.  Our cast includes 5 adults and my ds (10), dd (7) and ds (3).  

Also I noticed on one post that she liked what she packed for the weather the different layers and waterproof sneakers.  Does anyone have any feed back on what they liked or wish they had on the trip?  Thanks for the help!
Barb


----------



## ThePhantomsGirl

son3disfan said:


> We just booked the week after you!
> Our cruise meet thread hasn't been started yet.....



Ah, actually it has...it was started today:  http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2903640 

How do I know?  I started it!      I may not be able to do it, and I might be nuts, but I booked it as a B2B.  Will make my mind up later whether or not I can do both.   So come on over and join me!


----------



## ThePhantomsGirl

jilljill said:


> Now it's my turn to stalk you.



You stalk me...I stalk you..., 

I know.  So many decisions.  So many options.  I did go ahead and book a B2B so I wouldn't lose that option as I was able to score the "secret veranda" for that one too.  With an OBB, 10% off, and what I'd already had put down, it made it VERY attractive.    

BUT...I did see the Adventures by Disney that they've done before, and that could be a consideration instead.  My concerns there are that I have slight mobility problems and sometimes use a cane.  (although I may actually get better the more I work at it)  If I did that, then I would DEFIINTELY not be doing the B2B as that costs as much as a cruise.  But....


----------



## jilljill

ThePhantomsGirl said:


> You stalk me...I stalk you...,
> 
> I know.  So many decisions.  So many options.  I did go ahead and book a B2B so I wouldn't lose that option as I was able to score the "secret veranda" for that one too.  With an OBB, 10% off, and what I'd already had put down, it made it VERY attractive.
> 
> BUT...I did see the Adventures by Disney that they've done before, and that could be a consideration instead.  My concerns there are that I have slight mobility problems and sometimes use a cane.  (although I may actually get better the more I work at it)  If I did that, then I would DEFIINTELY not be doing the B2B as that costs as much as a cruise.  But....



One of the ladies on our ABD had slight mobility issues and used a cane and a scooter onboard and had no problems on our tours.  The ABD Guides were great with her and so were the local guides.  She even did the canopy tour in Ketchikan at the rain forest.  She stayed at the back of the group and a couple of us were with her as well, plus we had a local guide and an ABD guide with us bringing up the rear.  She even walked across the suspension bridge and back.  So it's doable and you wouldn't be the first.


----------



## ThePhantomsGirl

jilljill said:


> One of the ladies on our ABD had slight mobility issues and used a cane and a scooter onboard and had no problems on our tours.



Would love to hear more about the ABD add on for the cruise that you did then.  I did a search and read some of the reports that I could find on the ABD Board as it did sound interesting.   Did you do a trip report?  (as I know it's not a simple, oh just tell us about it type of thing)

I know it's very expensive, but the folks that did the cruises in Vancouver said it was well worth it.  Guess they did lower the price for the Seattle cruises, as they'd taken out some excursions.

Oh, decisions, decisions.  Of course they've not even announced it yet, but bet they will do one.


----------



## jilljill

ThePhantomsGirl said:


> Would love to hear more about the ABD add on for the cruise that you did then.  I did a search and read some of the reports that I could find on the ABD Board as it did sound interesting.   Did you do a trip report?  (as I know it's not a simple, oh just tell us about it type of thing)
> 
> I know it's very expensive, but the folks that did the cruises in Vancouver said it was well worth it.  Guess they did lower the price for the Seattle cruises, as they'd taken out some excursions.
> 
> Oh, decisions, decisions.  Of course they've not even announced it yet, but bet they will do one.



No trip report from me.  It was money well spent and we came away with great memories and great friends.
Yes, they did lower the price a bit for this year's cruises only after people started writing to them wondering why they were charging the same price and gettin much less than last year's add-on.
The info was released Dec. 2010 for the 2011 sailings.  I booked it right away knowing I had the same cancellation policy as for the cruise.  We had about 21 in our group.


----------



## ThePhantomsGirl

Okay, thank you!  This will _definitely_ be under consideration for me, especially since I am traveling solo.  

It would be nice to have the people in the group to bond with!  And to be able to get the bookings taken care of as well as the logistics.   I still have plenty of time to decide since it'll likely be awhile before they release the info.


----------



## gojulia

New here.  So many pages of excellent information and still so many questions!  

Can anyone explain to me the difference between the 3 different helicopter/dog sled trips they seem to offer?  They are all different prices and I can't tell if there is a real difference.  Has anyone done this excursion with a 5 year old?  She is a real animal lover and I think this would be the highlight of the trip for her, but I'm trying to decide if it's worth the cost or at that age if one of the summer camps would suffice.  

My 8 year old son really wants to do the seaplane Misty Fjords trip.  Any advice on this one?  And has anyone split up to do different excursions with different kids?  Will we regret this.  Definitely can't afford for the whole family of 4 to do both of these.


----------



## DisneyGirl8

Hi,

Has anyone done the Alaska Coastal Expedition?


----------



## Disnylvr77

Deb and anyone else that's already done check in for their Alaska Cruise:

Do you have to pick a port arrival time like we do at Port Canaveral?

We are on the 8/13/12 cruise and we check in on May 15 but wanted to know what to expect.

Thanks!

Stephanie


----------



## Disnylvr77

Stephanie


----------



## trimix

Stephanie - yes, you have to choose a time slot. But so far nobody has reported any efforts at enforcement at ports other than Port Canaveral, so I doubt they will enforce arrival times in Seattle.


----------



## Toocoolmom

Do you actually get to walk on the Glaciers on any of the DCL Excursions?  We are looking at the whale watching with a trip to the glaciers.


----------



## mkladypink

Has anyone done the horseback riding adventure in Skagway?  My DD (12) and I have that booked during our 5/21 cruise.


----------



## debc1212

mkladypink said:


> Has anyone done the horseback riding adventure in Skagway?  My DD (12) and I have that booked during our 5/21 cruise.



I would love to know the answer to this too.  Two people in our party have booked this during our June 4th cruise.


----------



## gojulia

Still hoping to hear from someone who has done the helicopter/dog sledding excursion.  Does anyone know the difference between doing it in Juneau and in Skagway?


----------



## DizDays

Subscribing.  Can't wait to read all of this.  But I think I need some coffee first...


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## jilljill

gojulia said:


> Still hoping to hear from someone who has done the helicopter/dog sledding excursion.  Does anyone know the difference between doing it in Juneau and in Skagway?



We did this in Juneau last year and had a blast.  We all absolutely loved it and thought it was the best excursion we've ever done.  Everyone that was in our group thought it was well worth it and would have been sad had we missed it.  We even had one member of our group that was deathly afraid of heights and absolutely loved the helicopter ride and the sledding.  

I believe there are a couple of reviews of this excursion buried somewhere in this thread.


----------



## poohj80

Toocoolmom said:


> Do you actually get to walk on the Glaciers on any of the DCL Excursions?  We are looking at the whale watching with a trip to the glaciers.



Yes!  We did the Glacier Discovery tour in Skagway and we took a helicopter to the glacier, walked around for over an hour then flew back.  We were the last tour so it was great to be the only ones on the glacier and no one pushing us to be done.


----------



## WTVC

Hi i'll be sailing on 4 june. Disney has 2 excursions on heli tour/dog sledding, to Norris & Mendenhall glacier, operated by different companies I believe. I'm wondering if there is much difference between them. I've read reveiws on dog sledding but many don't state which glacier they were on. 

To those who've gone on these tours, Can you share your experience/views eg on the tour co, time on flight sightseeing, dog mushing etc? Thanks any info is appreciated.

And thanks also to the folks who bumped up this thread, it's been invaluable!


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## LdyMags

Doing this on our May 28th cruise... has anyone done it before? My dad gets slightly seasick - how rocky is the boat? Is there an outdoor observation area?


----------



## CaliforniaGirl09

WTVC said:


> Hi i'll be sailing on 4 june. Disney has 2 excursions on heli tour/dog sledding, to Norris & Mendenhall glacier, operated by different companies I believe. I'm wondering if there is much difference between them. I've read reveiws on dog sledding but many don't state which glacier they were on.
> 
> To those who've gone on these tours, Can you share your experience/views eg on the tour co, time on flight sightseeing, dog mushing etc? Thanks any info is appreciated.


I'd love to know this, too. I'm on August 6th and trying to figure out which one to do.


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## Ltl Mermaid

Hi! I am on the 5/28 Alaska cruise and have signed up for the helicopter ride/dog sledding on Mendenhall Glacier. What tpe of attire should I/do I need to wear (in terms of shoes, pants, outerwear, long underwear, etc).

I am also ziplining in Ketchikan and have sort of the same question. I have never been ziplining and am not sure if there are requirments for clothing...
Thanks!!


----------



## Tikifamily

I can't wait to hear from the cruisers this year! We sail in July!

We have Taku lodge and Eagle point booked. We are hoping to add liarsville.


----------



## Crecia27

DenverVal said:


> I am wondering if anyone has done the kayaking in Juneau?



We did, many moons ago  and it's still one of my favorite memories!!


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## pamama

Has anyone taken younger children (6 yrs) on any of the helicopter trips?  Or can you even do that?


----------



## poohj80

pamama said:


> Has anyone taken younger children (6 yrs) on any of the helicopter trips?  Or can you even do that?



I believe there are some trips open to younger kids, but we didn't take ours as we didn't think she would get as much out of it for the price.


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## son3disfan

How about the river rafting in Juneau?
Near the glacier?
Has anyone taken it that can give a review?

I understand that it is quite mild( that's ok for us) but I am having trouble finding reviews...even on cruise critic.

It is offered by Disney, but it is cheaper to do privately.
Would love to hear what it was like....


----------



## mmmears

son3disfan said:


> How about the river rafting in Juneau?
> Near the glacier?
> Has anyone taken it that can give a review?
> 
> I understand that it is quite mild( that's ok for us) but I am having trouble finding reviews...even on cruise critic.
> 
> It is offered by Disney, but it is cheaper to do privately.
> Would love to hear what it was like....



I believe that I found some reviews on TripAdvisor for this one when I was researching Juneau last year.  You might want to check on there.  From what I remember, I was interested until I read the reviews.   Then we booked a kayak trip in front of Mendenhall instead (through a private co.) and that was absolutely amazing.


----------



## pixie08

son3disfan said:


> How about the river rafting in Juneau?
> Near the glacier?
> Has anyone taken it that can give a review?
> 
> I understand that it is quite mild( that's ok for us) but I am having trouble finding reviews...even on cruise critic.
> 
> It is offered by Disney, but it is cheaper to do privately.
> Would love to hear what it was like....



I was looking into this, but I read some pretty negative reviews on this thread and on trip advisor. They said you do not see much, you go through what looked like a residential area- not scenic? Not sure. Seemed like there were a lot of better options in Juneau


----------



## stitch_mama

pamama said:


> Has anyone taken younger children (6 yrs) on any of the helicopter trips?  Or can you even do that?



We are taking our DS5 and DD8 on the Glacier Adventure by Helicopter next week in Juneau.  They are super excited!  I booked it directly through Era Helicopters, and there was no mention that it wouldn't be okay for the little guy.  I guess I can let you know in 2 weeks how it went!


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## son3disfan

pixie08 said:


> I was looking into this, but I read some pretty negative reviews on this thread and on trip advisor. They said you do not see much, you go through what looked like a residential area- not scenic? Not sure. Seemed like there were a lot of better options in Juneau



Thanks for the responses...I could not find any reviews on here.. I did do a search. Would love to read them... 
I will keep searching. We are trying to decide between the float trip or canoe.

ETA: I originally googled "rafting trip, this time was "float trip." and I did find one review.
Only 2 replies. One not so good, one ok .
For anyone else interested:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...denhall_Glacier_Float_Trip-Juneau_Alaska.html


----------



## Disjanny

This is my first Alaska cruise and I'm confused about a shore excursion.  I hoping someone can help. 

Does anyone know what the difference is between the Classic Misty Fjords float plane excursion and the Magnificent Misty Fjords float plane excursion?   Other than a $1.00 difference in cost of course!


----------



## Skylarr29

Disjanny said:


> This is my first Alaska cruise and I'm confused about a shore excursion.  I hoping someone can help.
> 
> Does anyone know what the difference is between the Classic Misty Fjords float plane excursion and the Magnificent Misty Fjords float plane excursion?   Other than a $1.00 difference in cost of course!



It appears it's the same tour just offered by two different companies, one is Taquan and I'm not sure of the other.


----------



## Disjanny

Skylarr29 said:


> It appears it's the same tour just offered by two different companies, one is Taquan and I'm not sure of the other.



Thanks!

Has anyone ever done this excursion?   Any recommendations on which one to book?   This is my last excursion decision and I just can't seem to tell the difference between them to pick one over the other.


----------



## Skylarr29

Disjanny said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Has anyone ever done this excursion?   Any recommendations on which one to book?   This is my last excursion decision and I just can't seem to tell the difference between them to pick one over the other.



I've done this tour and its very good. Last time I booked independently with island wings air and I am booked with them again for our upcoming trip in August. In Alaska you can feel very safe booking outside excursions if you want. We are only paying $239 a person. I'm sure both are great it's just that the demand is probably too high for one company to handle it.


----------



## twinstars

There will be four kids in our group, 3 yr old, 4 yr old, 6 yr old and 8 yr old.  We are thinking of doing the Yukon Suspension Bridge, City and White Pass Rail in Skaway.  For Juneau, my husband is thinking of doing the whale watching.  Will the water be rough?  He says it won't, but all I can remember is whale watching many years ago in Boston and I was sick as a dog.....I am usually fine on cruise ships, but nervous about going on a smaller boat.....
Any other suggestions on excursions?  We will probably skip excursions in Ketchikan and Victoria given the very short port times.
Thanks!
Twinstars


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## Skylarr29

twinstars said:


> There will be four kids in our group, 3 yr old, 4 yr old, 6 yr old and 8 yr old.  We are thinking of doing the Yukon Suspension Bridge, City and White Pass Rail in Skaway.  For Juneau, my husband is thinking of doing the whale watching.  Will the water be rough?  He says it won't, but all I can remember is whale watching many years ago in Boston and I was sick as a dog.....I am usually fine on cruise ships, but nervous about going on a smaller boat.....
> Any other suggestions on excursions?  We will probably skip excursions in Ketchikan and Victoria given the very short port times.
> Thanks!
> Twinstars



In Juneau whale watching is in Auke Bay so you're not out in the open ocean. I don't recall it being rough at all. Would it be possible for your group to split up? It'd be a shame to be sick and not enjoy your day. You could also research and book your whale watching tours on your own so you know exactly which boat/size group/etc. that you are getting. Last time I went out with Captain Larry at Orca Enterprises and this time we are booked for Harv and Marv's which has a smaller boat that only holds 6 people so you get a very personalized experience. Have you been over to cruisecritic.com? There Alaska board is a wealth of knowledge.


----------



## poohj80

twinstars said:


> There will be four kids in our group, 3 yr old, 4 yr old, 6 yr old and 8 yr old.  We are thinking of doing the Yukon Suspension Bridge, City and White Pass Rail in Skaway.  For Juneau, my husband is thinking of doing the whale watching.  Will the water be rough?  He says it won't, but all I can remember is whale watching many years ago in Boston and I was sick as a dog.....I am usually fine on cruise ships, but nervous about going on a smaller boat.....
> Any other suggestions on excursions?  We will probably skip excursions in Ketchikan and Victoria given the very short port times.
> Thanks!
> Twinstars



We did the rail and suspension bridge with 5 year old last summer and she LOVED the bridge but fell asleep on the train.  The bridge was a bit disappointing to us as we thought there would be more than one, but the scenery was beautiful.

The only excursion we booked outside of DCL was whale watching in Juneau.  The water was pretty flat except when racing to get us back to shore since we stayed out a bit longer than we should because we found a pod of orcas.  I highly recommend Captain Chris and Rumm Runner Charters (you can read my review and see pix on Trip Advisor).  Booking a smaller boat than the larger excursions offered through DCL allowed us to get closer to the whales and we didn't have to camp out for rail space to get good pix.

In Ketchikan, we did the raft/hike tour of the forest and DD LOVED this.  She still talks about teaching the DCL crew members how to roast marshmallows (she couldn't believe they had never done it before even though they were from another country).  We saw seals and lots of bald eagles along the way.


----------



## Disjanny

Skylarr29 said:


> I've done this tour and its very good. Last time I booked independently with island wings air and I am booked with them again for our upcoming trip in August. In Alaska you can feel very safe booking outside excursions if you want. We are only paying $239 a person. I'm sure both are great it's just that the demand is probably too high for one company to handle it.




Thanks for the information, the recommendation and the review.   I really appreciate it.


----------



## son3disfan

Skylarr29 said:


> I've done this tour and its very good. Last time I booked independently with island wings air and I am booked with them again for our upcoming trip in August. In Alaska you can feel very safe booking outside excursions if you want. We are only paying $239 a person. I'm sure both are great it's just that the demand is probably too high for one company to handle it.



We are looking at Island wings as well for next year, Aug. as well.
Would love to hear how it was, weather wise too.


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## Skylarr29

Disjanny said:


> Thanks for the information, the recommendation and the review.   I really appreciate it.



You're welcome! 



son3disfan said:


> We are looking at Island wings as well for next year, Aug. as well.
> Would love to hear how it was, weather wise too.



Last time I was there it was July and the weather was very foggy. We had booked the flight with the glacier fly over. When we got there, Michelle told us that while we could still do the glacier part, she thought the weather wasn't good enough and visibility would not be the best, so she issued us a refund for that part. 

One of the nice things about her trip is that there is an approx. 30 minute stop where she lands on the water by an island and you get out and walk around right in the middle of the fjords. She offers to take your photo in front of the plane etc. Even with the foggy weather we enjoyed it a lot and the price is better than the ships. I'll do a review of all of my excursions here when we return. If you have any questions just ask.


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## son3disfan

Skylarr29 said:


> You're welcome!
> 
> 
> 
> Last time I was there it was July and the weather was very foggy. We had booked the flight with the glacier fly over. When we got there, Michelle told us that while we could still do the glacier part, she thought the weather wasn't good enough and visibility would not be the best, so she issued us a refund for that part.
> 
> One of the nice things about her trip is that there is an approx. 30 minute stop where she lands on the water by an island and you get out and walk around right in the middle of the fjords. She offers to take your photo in front of the plane etc. Even with the foggy weather we enjoyed it a lot and the price is better than the ships. I'll do a review of all of my excursions here when we return. If you have any questions just ask.



Thank you!
The stop over on land was a big part of wanting to book with her.
We are a family of 5, so this is a pricey excursion for us...(as they all seem to be for Alaska) but would be an amazing experience for my boys. Landing on water, in a little bush plane, in the middle of the fjords! I have goosebumps just thinking about it!
On Michelle's website, it says the weather can look awful at port, but might not be bad through the fjords, and that she will fly when ships have cancelled their excursions.....makes me a little nervous to be honest.


----------



## Skylarr29

son3disfan said:


> Thank you!
> The stop over on land was a big part of wanting to book with her.
> We are a family of 5, so this is a pricey excursion for us...(as they all seem to be for Alaska) but would be an amazing experience for my boys. Landing on water, in a little bush plane, in the middle of the fjords! I have goosebumps just thinking about it!
> On Michelle's website, it says the weather can look awful at port, but might not be bad through the fjords, and that she will fly when ships have cancelled their excursions.....makes me a little nervous to be honest.



You're welcome. How old are your boys? It says on her website one child under 5 flies free with 2 paying adults, not sure if that will help you or not with costs. I'm hoping the weather will be better this time but it was still an amazing experience even with all the mist ;-) It's very exciting. Have you looked at trip advisor? There are lots of photos and reviews there. 

Alaska is one place you can rest assured booking outside vendors so that can save you money especially if you have a 10-12/13 year old since Disney says a 10 year old is an adult but a lot of other vendors have a higher age limit. Also Disney marks up the excursions to make a profit. You have plenty of time to research though. We booked all of our excursions independently (Whale watching in Juneau, zip lining in Skagway, and Misty Fjords in Ketchikan).


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## sarahgirl

Living social has a 2 for 1 deal for whale watching.  

http://www.livingsocial.com/deals/318206?ref=email-xm4f&rpi=60814758


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## son3disfan

Skylarr29 said:


> You're welcome. How old are your boys? It says on her website one child under 5 flies free with 2 paying adults, not sure if that will help you or not with costs. I'm hoping the weather will be better this time but it was still an amazing experience even with all the mist ;-) It's very exciting. Have you looked at trip advisor? There are lots of photos and reviews there.
> 
> Alaska is one place you can rest assured booking outside vendors so that can save you money especially if you have a 10-12/13 year old since Disney says a 10 year old is an adult but a lot of other vendors have a higher age limit. Also Disney marks up the excursions to make a profit. You have plenty of time to research though. We booked all of our excursions independently (Whale watching in Juneau, zip lining in Skagway, and Misty Fjords in Ketchikan).


Yes, I have an 11 year old, and a very small 13 year old ( my 15 year old is over 6 feet!) 
Island wings offered a price of $179 for the 11 year old.
I do have $750 in stateroom credit that we will use for one excursion, maybe in Skagway.....we want to do the train to summit point and maybe include the suspension bridge. So will book one through the Cruiseline.
Still unsure about Juneu, as the rafting trip was our first choice.
Maybe we can just get on a bus to see the glacier..from the visitors center.


----------



## STLDisney_Freak

Anyone has experiences on these excursions?

I've read some reviews that say the White pass railway is boring as well as the Bear Country and expedition is not worth the money which has me kinda concerned. 

Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest 
Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition 
Yukon Suspension Bridge, City and White Pass Railway
Grouse Mountain & Capilano Suspension Bridge


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## queenbee99

Just curious, how do you GET that big of a credit?  Inquiring minds and all!


son3disfan said:


> Yes, I have an 11 year old, and a very small 13 year old ( my 15 year old is over 6 feet!)
> Island wings offered a price of $179 for the 11 year old.
> I do have $750 in stateroom credit that we will use for one excursion, maybe in Skagway.....we want to do the train to summit point and maybe include the suspension bridge. So will book one through the Cruiseline.
> Still unsure about Juneu, as the rafting trip was our first choice.
> Maybe we can just get on a bus to see the glacier..from the visitors center.


----------



## queenbee99

REALLY?  I have always heard nice things about the railway...we booked the one with the youth excursion so I hope that is not the case.





STLDisney_Freak said:


> Anyone has experiences on these excursions?
> 
> I've read some reviews that say the White pass railway is boring as well as the Bear Country and expedition is not worth the money which has me kinda concerned.
> 
> Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest
> Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition
> Yukon Suspension Bridge, City and White Pass Railway
> Grouse Mountain & Capilano Suspension Bridge


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## son3disfan

queenbee99 said:


> Just curious, how do you GET that big of a credit?  Inquiring minds and all!



We have $275 stateroom credit  for each stateroom from Disney for rebooking on board (we are gold). 
We have 2 rooms. So that's $550.

Then, we transferred to DU for an additional $100 for each room. That's $200
( oh and BTW, I was $6.00 short from receiving $125 for each room...)
For a total of $750 stateroom credit!


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## queenbee99

ok I didn't know you could do that....we are rebooking onboard for another next week.  So you just contact them after you get back with your info?

The only drawback is don't they have to make all changes to the reservation?  What about booking excursions and stuff?





son3disfan said:


> We have $275 stateroom credit  for each stateroom from Disney for rebooking on board (we are gold).
> We have 2 rooms. So that's $550.
> 
> Then, we transferred to DU for an additional $100 for each room. That's $200
> ( oh and BTW, I was $6.00 short from receiving $125 for each room...)
> For a total of $750 stateroom credit!


----------



## son3disfan

queenbee99 said:


> ok I didn't know you could do that....we are rebooking onboard for another next week.  So you just contact them after you get back with your info?
> 
> The only drawback is don't they have to make all changes to the reservation?  What about booking excursions and stuff?



When ( if) you book onboard, you now need to NAME your travel agency in order to recieve this stateroom credit.
So when I booked onboard, I told the Disney booking agent that Dreams Unlimited is the agency I will be using, and that was it. I have booked 5 cruises that way now. I recieved confirmation from Disney, and when I came home, the booking was then with Dreams and I recieved all the info from them. 
Yes, you do need to email your travel agency for changes or questions to your reservations but all excursions / dining reservations etc. are done on Disney online.
I have always recieved great service from DU up to this point.


----------



## STLDisney_Freak

queenbee99 said:


> REALLY? I have always heard nice things about the railway...we booked the one with the youth excursion so I hope that is not the case.


 
I googled it and on some of the sites I was on said it was boring. I don't know. I've never been on it and for my sake hope it isn't.


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## Disney Hot Mama

STLDisney_Freak said:


> I googled it and on some of the sites I was on said it was boring. I don't know. I've never been on it and for my sake hope it isn't.



We did this two years ago and my then 12 year old daughter fell asleep on the train.  The scenery is beautiful but there is only so much one can see over and over.  She was probably tired from getting up early and then the motion of the train put her to sleep.  In our specific case it was a waste of money for her but my husband and I loved it.


----------



## poohj80

STLDisney_Freak said:


> Anyone has experiences on these excursions?
> 
> I've read some reviews that say the White pass railway is boring as well as the Bear Country and expedition is not worth the money which has me kinda concerned.
> 
> Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest
> Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition
> Yukon Suspension Bridge, City and White Pass Railway
> Grouse Mountain & Capilano Suspension Bridge



We did the White Pass Railway and Suspension Bridge tour.  The railway ride is very scenic and we enjoyed seeing parts of Alaska and Canada we wouldn't have seen any other way.  The Yukon Suspension bridge was a bit disappointing as it was just one bridge over a big gorge, but it was beautiful!  Our 5 year old loved the bridge but slept on the train ride.  We were limited to excursions we could do with her.


----------



## pixarmom

We just booked our excursions last night (at midnight EST, thanks to DISboards advice!)  After reading through this entire thread over many months, we booked the following for our family of five (three boys ages 5, 11 and 12):

*Skagway:*  Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4
*Juneau:*  Juneau City Tour and Mendenhall Glacier
*Ketchikan:*  Rainforest Canoe Adventure and Nature Trail

I'd love to hear additional reviews and advice regarding any of these!


----------



## tink1963

STLDisney_Freak said:


> Anyone has experiences on these excursions?
> 
> I've read some reviews that say the White pass railway is boring as well as the Bear Country and expedition is not worth the money which has me kinda concerned.
> 
> Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest
> *Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition *
> Yukon Suspension Bridge, City and White Pass Railway
> Grouse Mountain & Capilano Suspension Bridge



If this is the Wildlife Expedition in Ketchikan then to me it was anything but boring. My DH and I loved it so much we plan on going again in 2013 when we sail again. 

Our group was very small, eight people including the guide. We had Matt and he was great. We saw 20++ bears, most of them mothers with cubs. The rainforest you go through is amazing. We went in August and had the last tour of the day, which I think helped with how many bears we saw. They were all feeding in the creek below the bridges and platforms we were on. I did hear that the tour before ours did run into a bear on the trail. I can give you a more detailed experience and some photos if you would like.


----------



## maggie blossom

The one that includes lunch and husky puppy camp? 
Trying to decide if this is worth the extra time, and money.

Many thanks!


----------



## jilljill

maggie blossom said:


> The one that includes lunch and husky puppy camp?
> Trying to decide if this is worth the extra time, and money.
> 
> Many thanks!



Post #71 of this thread has a review.  I did a search on this thread and found that post along with others for the review.


----------



## jenf22

tink1963 said:


> If this is the Wildlife Expedition in Ketchikan then to me it was anything but boring. My DH and I loved it so much we plan on going again in 2013 when we sail again.
> 
> Our group was very small, eight people including the guide. We had Matt and he was great. We saw 20++ bears, most of them mothers with cubs. The rainforest you go through is amazing. We went in August and had the last tour of the day, which I think helped with how many bears we saw. They were all feeding in the creek below the bridges and platforms we were on. I did hear that the tour before ours did run into a bear on the trail. I can give you a more detailed experience and some photos if you would like.



I'm glad to hear you guys enjoyed that.  After reading the previous posts, I looked it up on Trip Advisor and it's very poorly reviewed.  I can book excursions next week and I'm still so torn as to what to book for Ketchican.  We have a 5 year old with us, so we're not sure we want to spend the big bucks to do a bear excursion.  Can you see bears just doing the preserve part, without the special guided hike?  That excursion is half the price.  Thanks much!


----------



## poohj80

jenf22 said:


> I'm glad to hear you guys enjoyed that.  After reading the previous posts, I looked it up on Trip Advisor and it's very poorly reviewed.  I can book excursions next week and I'm still so torn as to what to book for Ketchican.  We have a 5 year old with us, so we're not sure we want to spend the big bucks to do a bear excursion.  Can you see bears just doing the preserve part, without the special guided hike?  That excursion is half the price.  Thanks much!



We did the Rain Forest Island Adventure excursion with our 5 year old and she loved it!  We were limited in options with her, but this was great for the whole family.  We saw seals and tons of bald eagles.  DD enjoyed the campfire at the end of the hike most as she liked roasting marshmallows.

The bear excursions were not offered during our cruise I assume because we were too late in the year so they were not an option for us.


----------



## Disneygal19

tink1963 said:


> If this is the Wildlife Expedition in Ketchikan then to me it was anything but boring. My DH and I loved it so much we plan on going again in 2013 when we sail again.
> 
> Our group was very small, eight people including the guide. We had Matt and he was great. We saw 20++ bears, most of them mothers with cubs. The rainforest you go through is amazing. We went in August and had the last tour of the day, which I think helped with how many bears we saw. They were all feeding in the creek below the bridges and platforms we were on. I did hear that the tour before ours did run into a bear on the trail. I can give you a more detailed experience and some photos if you would like.



I am doing this excursion in August and am so excited. It was nice to read a positive review on it!! We knew we wanted it the second I heard about it but after negative reviews we were thinking of canceling but you got me excited again thanks!!


----------



## tksbaskets

pixarmom said:


> We just booked our excursions last night (at midnight EST, thanks to DISboards advice!)  After reading through this entire thread over many months, we booked the following for our family of five (three boys ages 5, 11 and 12):
> 
> *Skagway:*  Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4
> *Juneau:*  Juneau City Tour and Mendenhall Glacier
> *Ketchikan:*  Rainforest Canoe Adventure and Nature Trail
> 
> I'd love to hear additional reviews and advice regarding any of these!



Hi, We did the Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4 and really enjoyed it!  Most children the age of your boys seemed to have a good time too.

First we took a ferry to Haines, Alaska





Haines:





Next we boarded a bus to our base camp





Onto our very nicely maintained 4x4s





Beautiful sites await you from the trail 





Plenty of time that we stopped and had photo ops!

Coming back to Skagway.  About a 40 min ferry ride.  So many beautiful waterfals/eagles/scenery.











The food was yummy too.  We had freshly baked cookies on our way up and lunch on the way down.


----------



## tink1963

Disneygal19 said:


> I am doing this excursion in August and am so excited. It was nice to read a positive review on it!! We knew we wanted it the second I heard about it but after negative reviews we were thinking of canceling but you got me excited again thanks!!



http://www.alaskarainforest.com/Tours/Wildlife-Expedition.html

this is the website for the tour we did. we did book through the ship. 

and wow I just went and read the review you have been mentioning. Maybe we got very lucky. Our guide was Great. year round resident and grew up in ketchikan. Here are a few photos from our excursion.

the Starting point. As you can see the group is very small. 


























And just to share my experience in Juneau. If you plan on visiting Mendenhall Glacier, go on your own. There is a Blue Bus that will take you up and back at your leisure. We saw a bear fishing in the creek and so many of the people that were watching with us had to leave to catch their bus back, and we got to say as long as we wanted. We did a DCL whale watching in the morning and then went to the Glacier on our own. 

this is the bear we saw there.





and an eagle that was in a tree near by





And granted everyones experience is different, and I just wanted to share ours.


----------



## STLDisney_Freak

tink1963 said:


> If this is the Wildlife Expedition in Ketchikan then to me it was anything but boring. My DH and I loved it so much we plan on going again in 2013 when we sail again.
> 
> Our group was very small, eight people including the guide. We had Matt and he was great. We saw 20++ bears, most of them mothers with cubs. The rainforest you go through is amazing. We went in August and had the last tour of the day, which I think helped with how many bears we saw. They were all feeding in the creek below the bridges and platforms we were on. I did hear that the tour before ours did run into a bear on the trail. I can give you a more detailed experience and some photos if you would like.


 
I'm happy to hear it has a positive review. I'd love to see your photos.

EDIT: I see you posted them up above. Awesome photos!


----------



## mrp4352

We're back!  We had a fantastic trip!  We (my mom, 61, and me, 40) took two excursions on the cruise.

*Skagway* - We did the Yukon Expedition.  The views were absolutely spectacular from the bus!  We had a fantastic tour guide (Yea, Bethany of bus 1212!) who was funny, knowledgeable and very intererested in making sure we had a great time.  We had some 'scenery' stops where we could get off the bus and take pictures for about 5 minutes.  Long enough to stretch your legs.

Lunch was at a little tourist trap called Caribou Crossing.  That said, we had a pleasant 90 minute stop and the food was fantastic - bbq chicken, coleslaw, amazing yeast rolls and cookies!  Hot tea and coffee are included, but soft drinks, beer and wine were available for purchase ($4.25 for a beer).  But when we got off the bus and there were fake mountain goats on the hillside... and a goat petting pen off to the right.  Well, it just gave a tourist trap first impression.

This place is also a sled dog training camp.  For an additional fee, you can ride the cart they use for summer training on a 1-mile trip. ($30/per person)  It was fun to watch the dogs - they were calm and collected until the owners came to hitch them up, then they went absolutely crazy!  Tails wagging, loud barking and jumping straight up in to the air!  You could tell they were very happy and loved their job.  There was also a section where you could pet the dogs and puppies, but they were really only interested in the people that had purchased the dog treats.  When they sniffed my hand and realized I didn't have any treats, they would walk away from me...

After lunch, we boarded the bus and went to Carcross, a nearby town.  We had a 30-minute stop, again, long enough to walk and wander and to visit the shops. We drove back into BC and at Frasier we boarded the White Pass railroad for the trip back into Skagway.

The train ride was about an hour long - and that was just about right.  The scenary, to us, was not as pretty as what we saw on the bus - but it was very cool being on the train!  All in all - this is a fun excursion.  We thought that my neices would probably have been bored during most of the bus ride and maybe the last half of the train ride (they are 5,6 and 8).

Oh, I had hoped to do my Juneau excursion review, too, but I'm out of time right now.  So be patient!  I'll be back!  Also, for those interested, once I get my pictures sorted and "purtied up", I'll do a trip report...

Thanks!!


----------



## pixarmom

*tksbaskets*, THANK YOU for the report and the wonderful photos of the Takshanuk 4x4 port adventure!!!  They are both beautiful and helpful - I really appreciate you taking the time to post them!!!


----------



## Diana Lyn

tink1963 said:


> And just to share my experience in Juneau. If you plan on visiting Mendenhall Glacier, go on your own. There is a Blue Bus that will take you up and back at your leisure. We saw a bear fishing in the creek and so many of the people that were watching with us had to leave to catch their bus back, and we got to say as long as we wanted. We did a DCL whale watching in the morning and then went to the Glacier on our own.



Which whale watching did you do and do you feel it was worth it?


----------



## poohj80

Diana Lyn said:


> Which whale watching did you do and do you feel it was worth it?



When we whale watched in Juneau, we booked outside DCL (the only excursion we booked outside DCL) and were so glad we did!  We had a much smaller boat which allowed us to get closer to the whales than the larger excursion boats.  It was also nice to duck inside when it was misting instead of feeling like we had to stake a claim on rail space for good pix.  We researched providers and went with Rum Runner Charters (see our review on Trip Advisor).  Captain Chris will also either take you to Mendenhall Glacier afterward (after a morning whale watching) or pick you up there (for an afternoon excursion) so you only have to pay for the blue bus one way.


----------



## tink1963

Diana Lyn said:


> Which whale watching did you do and do you feel it was worth it?



I dont see the one we did being offered anymore. It was just the whale watching, no other side trips.  We did have a small boat, about 16-18 people at the most. I know I did a lot of research bofore hand so that we would not end up on one of the large boats. I did think it was worth the price we paid for the amount of whales we saw. i don't remember exactly what we paid, but I think it was about $79 pp. 

Even though we saw many whales, the tour itself was not good, but through no fault of the tour operator. To sum up there was a family on board that kind of spoiled the trip for the rest of the passangers. But I guess that can happen on any excursion. 

Next time I think I might do what poohj80 suggests, and book outside DCL, and make sure you do get the smaller boat. Like poohj80 said, it was nice to be able to go back inside and not feel like you will lose your spot to 50+ other people.


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## wilderness_gal

My travel party and I did the White Pass Railway and Yukon Suspension Bridge in Skagway, the Disney Exclusive Dog Musher for a Day in Juneau and the Misty Fjords Flightseeing in Ketchikan. Would be happy to answer any questions about those excursions if you drop me a line.


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## Disney Hot Mama

Have not done it yet but based on reviews from online boards and review sites I have booked Harv and Marv's for whale watching in Jeunau.  We can't wait.  The boat only holds 6 paying customers and no one under 13 as well.   We are a party of 3 so we make up 1/2 the trip!.  2 1/2 hours on the water I think and then a side trip at no cost to the glacier.


----------



## tksbaskets

pixarmom said:


> *tksbaskets*, THANK YOU for the report and the wonderful photos of the Takshanuk 4x4 port adventure!!!  They are both beautiful and helpful - I really appreciate you taking the time to post them!!!



You are welcome!  It brought back happy memories.  My idea of an excellent mountain climb


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## mrp4352

hi all!!

Another lunch hour, another excursion review.  

In Juneau, we did the Enchanted Taku Lodge and Floatplane excursion.  Let me preface this by saying because of the price tag, Mom and I both nearly backed out several times - however, it was absolutely the highlight of our trip and it will be the first excursion booked next time we cruise Alaska. 

When we met in Wavebands, we were asked to put our weight on the small tear-off portion of the excursion ticket.  Then, we boarded a bus that drove us to the dock the float planes leave from.  Our guide asked for families of four or more to identify themselves, then split them out into seperate areas. She then added people to each group until they all had 9 people in them.  Every effort was made to keep parties together.  Then, she did a little mixing and matching (I'm assuming to get weights more equally distributed.)  She then collected all the tickets for each group and went inside to the office.  A few minutes later, she came out and assigned each group an animal name (we were in the Moose group).  That was how we would be called to board the floatplanes both in Juneau and at the Lodge.  Mom and I are both Pooh-sized and at no time were we ever uncomfortable!

When we boarded the planes, there was a netted compartment in the back for backpacks and loose items. The windows curve outward, so you can get your camera into some really good angles.  We ended up in the last two seats and really like being further back from the wings.  The flight itself is spectacular!  From the super smooth liftoff and landings to the amazing views and the interesting narration, we were disappointed that the flight was over so quickly!

We flew over at least two glaciers (sadly, my notebook was in the storage compartment) and glided in to the most beautiful setting ever.  The Taku Lodge sits on an inlet with a glacier just across the river.  We were greeted like old friends and brought into the lodge to drop whatever we wanted to drop and to get coffee, Russian tea (OMG!  Wonderful hot orangey, spiced tea.) or to purchase sodas/beer/wine.  We were allowed to wander for about 30 minutes before lunch.

During that time, I visited with the grillmaster (he's from Southlake, about 20 minutes from where I live - small world!) and we had two bear sightings.  They would come right into the clearing.  At the first call of bear, the "bear bouncer" would grab this long, thick stick and come running to stand between us and the bears.  We never felt threatened by the bears and I was glad to see that they were trying to not have to do more than scare the bears away.

Lunch was the grilled salmon (a chicken option was available), the world's best baked beans, stewed apples, to die for herbed biscuits, yeast rolls and molasses cookies.  We chose to wash ours down with an Alaskan Amber.  I will be honest - I don't like fish, but it just felt wrong not to try it on this excursion.  It was WONDERFUL!!  No fishy taste and a smokey, sweet crust from the glaze.

While we were eating, the manager came out and told us the history of the lodge.  He was engaging, funny and told a great story!  Also, the bears came to eat the sludge under the grill (created from the sand and fish oils - they were very careful to not leave any actual food outside). After we were done, we had another 30 minutes or so to enjoy the grounds.

Sadly, our chariots came back and we had to sail back through the sky to Juneau.  But oh, my what a wonderful day!!


----------



## Mackie Mouse

wilderness_gal said:


> My travel party and I did the White Pass Railway and Yukon Suspension Bridge in Skagway, the Disney Exclusive Dog Musher for a Day in Juneau and the Misty Fjords Flightseeing in Ketchikan. Would be happy to answer any questions about those excursions if you drop me a line.



Tell me all about the WPRR and Suspension bridge, and the Misty Fjords!  Those are definitely towards the to of my list right now.  Did you book both through Disney?  How crowded were the excursions?  Would you have had time to check out Liarsville and/or the Red Onion saloon after the Skagway excursion?


----------



## wilderness_gal

Mackie Mouse said:


> Tell me all about the WPRR and Suspension bridge, and the Misty Fjords!  Those are definitely towards the to of my list right now.  Did you book both through Disney?  How crowded were the excursions?  Would you have had time to check out Liarsville and/or the Red Onion saloon after the Skagway excursion?


Yes, we booked all our excursions through Disney. We had about 20 people for the White Pass railway and Yukon Suspension Bridge and the driver said we were really lucky as only 40 people on the entire ship got to see the bridge and it is a sight to behold, just as impressive if not more so than the Capilano suspension bridge in Vancouver. After taking the train up, you got on a bus and then had 1 hour at the suspension bridge and visitor's center with gift shop, refreshment stand and exhibits. Then you went back into the US by bus after taking your picture by the iconic Welcome to Alaska sign. The route back is where we saw two bears. I felt the excursion was the perfect balance of transportation and sights. 

We had about 9 people for the misty fjords excursion, and they put 4 of us on one plane and 5 on the other. I believe the morning excursion was busier but we wanted to give ourselves time to shop as well as to let some of the fog clear so we did a 1 p.m slot. It was a nice long ride in the air followed by a water landing and ability to get out and take some awesome shots before you start back. When you get back to the office, they have a certificate with your name on it and a picture free of charge as a momento! I bought a book from a local photographer of the sights, which is referred to as the Yosemite of Alaska, as I felt my pictures would not do it justice. For those of you like me with motion sickness, you do feel more in a floatplane than in a helicopter but not enough to keep me away a second time. Our table mates seemed very impressed by the misty fjords scenery, many of them just went shopping all day, but I recommend trying to squeeze in both. Especially if you are lucky like us and arrive in port early. We had time to explore the immediate downtown area, shop and get back on the ship and have lunch before the excursion. And when we got back, we had 45 minutes left in port for us to make a final decision on items we were debating. 

I will try to post some pictures this week while I recuperate from surgery.


----------



## mellers

Mackie Mouse said:


> Tell me all about the WPRR and Suspension bridge, and the Misty Fjords!



We didn't do the suspension bridge, but we did the WPRR.  We booked it through the railway--saved about $50 on the 5 on the us.  We booked a later train, in case the ship was late, but if you book through the White Pass, they let you change to an earlier train for no additional charge if seats are available.

It turned out, the noon wheelchair car was full-up, but there was nobody in the wheelchair car for the first train--and, after we changed our tickets, nobody in the wheelchair car but myself and my family   We had our own private car.


----------



## rillsung

We just got off the boat in Seattle on May 28.  We did the WPRR and really enjoyed it!  We did the one with the bus that stopped at Liarsville on the way back.  The kids loved gold panning...  

In Juneau we did the Juneau City and Mendenhall Glacier tour.  Our one big disappointment was the hatchery.  There really is nothing to see there until the Salmon come back in mid-to late July.


----------



## pixarmom

rillsung said:


> We just got off the boat in Seattle on May 28.  We did the WPRR and really enjoyed it!  We did the one with the bus that stopped at Liarsville on the way back.  The kids loved gold panning...
> 
> In Juneau we did the Juneau City and Mendenhall Glacier tour.  Our one big disappointment was the hatchery.  There really is nothing to see there until the Salmon come back in mid-to late July.



Thanks for the report!  Funny you mention the hatchery.  We just changed our Juneau excursion from the Juneau City and Mendenhall Glacier tour to the Sled Dog Discovery and Musher Camp.  Our kids were lobbying for the sled dogs and we didn't want to give up Takshanuk 4x4 in Skagway or Rainforest Canoe in Ketchikan.  Even though the salmon will be back in August, I think our boys will enjoy the sled dogs more!


----------



## Mackie Mouse

mellers said:


> We didn't do the suspension bridge, but we did the WPRR.  We booked it through the railway--saved about $50 on the 5 on the us.  We booked a later train, in case the ship was late, but if you book through the White Pass, they let you change to an earlier train for no additional charge if seats are available.
> 
> It turned out, the noon wheelchair car was full-up, but there was nobody in the wheelchair car for the first train--and, after we changed our tickets, nobody in the wheelchair car but myself and my family   We had our own private car.



Good to know! After chatting with some close friends this weekend who have cruised Alaska twice - once with DCL last summer, I think we're decided pretty well on excursions for next year: 

Juneau: Whale Watching/Mendenhall Glacier/Salmon bake (adult-only departure) 

Ketchikan: Misty Fjords Floatplane (still debating on booking this directly through Disney or saving money by booking ourselves, likely with Island Wings...please weigh in!) 

Skagway: Probably booking WPRR on our own -  if we can book the late train and switch the the early one should the ship arrive on time - and taking time to walk about town and check out the Red Onion saloon and perhaps Liarsville on our own. 

Would loooove to book a couple's villa treatment on our Tracy Arm Day.  

Let us know if this sounds good or if there's anything we need to rethink!


----------



## GrumpyBelle

poohj80 said:


> When we whale watched in Juneau, we booked outside DCL (the only excursion we booked outside DCL) and were so glad we did!  We had a much smaller boat which allowed us to get closer to the whales than the larger excursion boats.  It was also nice to duck inside when it was misting instead of feeling like we had to stake a claim on rail space for good pix.  We researched providers and went with Rum Runner Charters (see our review on Trip Advisor).  Captain Chris will also either take you to Mendenhall Glacier afterward (after a morning whale watching) or pick you up there (for an afternoon excursion) so you only have to pay for the blue bus one way.



We also booked our whale watching outside of DCL. We used Harv and Marv. We had a small boat (capacity of 12--for only 6 of us) to ourselves. We were able to get closer to the whales and captains only had to tend to us so were great at explaining various things, answering questions, and going out of their way to be sure we had a great experience. They do offer a quick courtesy stop at Mendenhall Glacier, but it was only long enough to take a few quick pics. The kids picked this as their favorite excursion--well worth the price.


----------



## GrumpyBelle

pixarmom said:


> We just booked our excursions last night (at midnight EST, thanks to DISboards advice!)  After reading through this entire thread over many months, we booked the following for our family of five (three boys ages 5, 11 and 12):
> 
> *Skagway:*  Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4
> *Juneau:*  Juneau City Tour and Mendenhall Glacier
> *Ketchikan:*  Rainforest Canoe Adventure and Nature Trail
> 
> I'd love to hear additional reviews and advice regarding any of these!



We also did the Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4 last August. We all had a great time--everyone from my DD who was 10 through my DM. The ride was fun, the sites were beautiful and the cookies on the way up and lunch on the way back were fabulous. The guides were great. I would highly recommend this to anyone.


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## RedSox68

twinstars said:


> There will be four kids in our group, 3 yr old, 4 yr old, 6 yr old and 8 yr old.  We are thinking of doing the Yukon Suspension Bridge, City and White Pass Rail in Skaway.  For Juneau, my husband is thinking of doing the whale watching.  Will the water be rough?  He says it won't, but all I can remember is whale watching many years ago in Boston and I was sick as a dog.....I am usually fine on cruise ships, but nervous about going on a smaller boat.....
> Any other suggestions on excursions?  We will probably skip excursions in Ketchikan and Victoria given the very short port times.
> Thanks!
> Twinstars



We all took Bonine (even though we don't normally get seasick) as a precaution.  It was a huge boat -- in fact much larger than we had expected.  I think they said it can hold 400 or so.  There are two levels.  We were very comfortable and there are lots of windows to look out.  You find yourself not staying seated much   We were extraordinarily lucky to come across two pods of Orcas because the captain said they don't migrate that far usually until late June (we were there last month).  And we saw lots of humpback, seals and sea lions and come very cute sea otters.  And at Skull Island it was full of eagles -- I've never seen that many eagles in one place.

We booked through the ship (HAL) and the Orca Lodge lunch was terrific.  We were out on the boat at least six hours because the captain stopped for every sighting and was wonderfully generous with the time.  The boat we were on was well equipped with bathrooms and included a snack bar.

I do have some reviews of the Kenai Fjords excursion if anyone is interested.  That one is much rougher as it does cross out into the ocean.  But we had a blast!  

Can't recommend Chilkoot tours enough in Skagway.  We did the 8-hour excursion with the train and bus trip and it was so personal as there were only 20 people on our tour.  And cheaper than the ship's excursion but we got all the same stuff.  I put a full report of our experiences for excursions and hotels on the Vancouver thread.


----------



## RedSox68

STLDisney_Freak said:


> Anyone has experiences on these excursions?
> 
> I've read some reviews that say the White pass railway is boring as well as the Bear Country and expedition is not worth the money which has me kinda concerned.
> 
> Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest
> Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition
> Yukon Suspension Bridge, City and White Pass Railway
> Grouse Mountain & Capilano Suspension Bridge



Boring?  I wouldn't say that and wouldn't choose my excursion based on those type of reviews.  We were far from bored.  We never stopped looking out the window or going out onto the platforms.  We thought the time went by too fast.  

The views are indescribable.  You really don't realize how high you are going until you get to the point where the engineer points out the level way up at the top of the next mountain is where you will be going.  My husband said it was one of his very favorite excursions.  Plus the cars are such cool replicas of old time train travel.  My daughter enjoyed it too.  However, I can certainly see how easy it would be to doze off though.  It's a lovely peaceful rocking motion and very relaxing  

You must, of course, pick the excursions you will be most happy with.  My family loves riding trains, so that may be why we liked it so much


----------



## poohj80

RedSox68 said:


> Boring?  I wouldn't say that and wouldn't choose my excursion based on those type of reviews.  We were far from bored.  We never stopped looking out the window or going out onto the platforms.  We thought the time went by too fast.
> 
> The views are indescribable.



I whole-heartedly agree!  Here are a couple pix from our anything but boring White Pass Railway excursion...











And at the suspension bridge...











Looking back at the Wonder before we departed...


----------



## RedSox68

Tink1963 -- your pictures are fantastic.  What month did you go in?


----------



## tink1963

RedSox68 said:


> Tink1963 -- your pictures are fantastic.  What month did you go in?


Thank you. We went later part of August. Our sail date was the 23rd.


----------



## Chilly

We did 2 tours through Disney.

In Skagway the Yukon Suspension Bridge & White Pass Railway then in Juneau the Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier. We enjoyed both days, I only wish we'd had longer at the Glacier.

Some also asked about Grouse Mountain & Capilano Suspension Bridge we went to both of these and really enjoyed them as well.

Any questions ask away.


----------



## poohj80

tink1963 said:


> Thank you. We went later part of August. Our sail date was the 23rd.



We sailed directly after you!


----------



## ag73

Has someone has done Stories and Legends Whale Watch?
Any comments or reviews about it?  Thanks


----------



## Deb in IA

Chilly said:


> We did 2 tours through Disney.
> 
> In Skagway the Yukon Suspension Bridge & White Pass Railway then in Juneau the Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier. We enjoyed both days, I only wish we'd had longer at the Glacier.
> 
> Some also asked about Grouse Mountain & Capilano Suspension Bridge we went to both of these and really enjoyed them as well.
> 
> Any questions ask away.



We are signed up for both of those excursions.  

Did you need any special hiking shoes for the glacier?


----------



## poohj80

Deb in IA said:


> We are signed up for both of those excursions.
> 
> Did you need any special hiking shoes for the glacier?



You don't need special shoes because they give you boots to put over your shoes, but I definitely recommend at least tennis shoes if not hiking boots.  One lady on our tour wore open toe high heels which did not fit inside the pullover boots the provided very well.  Someone in the shop loaned her a pair of tennis shoes.


----------



## pixie08

We just got back! Just a warning for people booking Misty Fjord float planes in early June of next year. None of the early AM ones went out on our ship and people were left with no tours because our ship was full. We had AMZING weather all cruise but of course it was raining in Ketchikan (rainiest place in North America) so you can expect it will most likely rain. If you book that I would book a departure after 9am as those seem to go out after the fog cleared a little. Just my observation as I wasn't booked on one but they were making the cancellation announcements all morning and i talked to a few people who had to do the duck tour because that was that was available


----------



## Skylarr29

ag73 said:


> Has someone has done Stories and Legends Whale Watch?
> Any comments or reviews about it?  Thanks



This company gets terrible reviews and from what I read on cruise critic MANY people were never picked up for their excursion/the excursion didn't run. I'm not sure if it's even legit from what I have read. 

There are many other reputable vendors such as Orca Enterprises, Weather permitting, Harv and Marv's etc.


----------



## kendzee94

pixie08 said:


> We just got back! Just a warning for people booking Misty Fjord float planes in early June of next year. None of the early AM ones went out on our ship and people were left with no tours because our ship was full. We had AMZING weather all cruise but of course it was raining in Ketchikan (rainiest place in North America) so you can expect it will most likely rain. If you book that I would book a departure after 9am as those seem to go out after the fog cleared a little. Just my observation as I wasn't booked on one but they were making the cancellation announcements all morning and i talked to a few people who had to do the duck tour because that was that was available



We ran into the same issue on our August 23, 2011 cruise.  We were able to get on a later flight, but our return time would have been too close to dinner (pirate night).  It was super foggy all day, and even if we took that later flight, it appeared that the visibility still didn't clear up.  I would recommend a non-flight tour that day, as our boat/flightseeing tour was also canceled due to the choppy waves/poor visibility.


----------



## Maleficent59

Mackie Mouse said:


> Ketchikan: Misty Fjords Floatplane (still debating on booking this directly through Disney or saving money by booking ourselves, likely with Island Wings...please weigh in!)
> 
> Would loooove to book a couple's villa treatment on our Tracy Arm Day.
> 
> Let us know if this sounds good or if there's anything we need to rethink!




Tracy Arm: if you plan to book Palo or a spa, book it in the morning. You will want to be outside on your verandah or on deck when the ship gets close to the glacier. It is incredible! 

Ketchikan: either should be fine. We booked a private floatplane tour through Taquan Air. Our original flight time was 7:30 and they had us check back in with them 3 additional times to try to get us in the air - but eventually, our flight was canceled due to poor visibility. They did a superb job of trying to accomodate us. It wouldn't have been possible for DCL to reschedule so many tours so I think we had more flexibility than the folks who booked through Disney. I did not hear of any floatplane tours that actually took place Saturday. [I should add that the refund for the excursion was processed first thing Monday morning without any prompting from me and Taquan Air sent me an email confirmation before we left Seattle.]


----------



## Maleficent59

RedSox68 said:


> Can't recommend Chilkoot tours enough in Skagway.  We did the 8-hour excursion with the train and bus trip and it was so personal as there were only 20 people on our tour.  And cheaper than the ship's excursion but we got all the same stuff.



Completely agree with the recommendation to use Chilkoot Charters! We only had 11 people on our excursion and our driver stopped whenever we asked, took photos with our cameras so all of us could have family photos (at almost every stop), optimized our stops at the most visited places (he would stop at scenic sights that would have been on the way down when we were going up if he saw that there were no tour groups there at that time) and he was highly entertaining!! We did the tour with the dogcart ride and had so much fun! Our musher completed the Iditarod race 3x and we had a very nice conversation with her on the too short, but fun ride. And the husky puppies were sooooo cute!!


----------



## Travel60

We just got off Wonder yesterday and are staying a few days in Seattle.  I will post fuller report when home but wanted to respond to snorkeling question.  Dd talked me into it - I was concerned because cold bothers me more now than when I was younger.  I loved it and definitely recommend it.  It was rainy, windy and cold in Ketchikan but the snorkeling was fun. The wetsuits do not keep you "toasty warm" but after an initial chill, they do keep you at a neutral temp as long as you stay in the water.  We saw lots of neat sea creatures, similar but different from more tropical locations.  And undersea plants. The hardest part of the event is putting on the wetsuit - I was sweating when that was done!  You do get wet so take a change of clothes and plan for wet hair.  The guides are very knowledgeable and helpful.  I give it a 5 out of 5.


----------



## Deb in IA

poohj80 said:


> You don't need special shoes because they give you boots to put over your shoes, but I definitely recommend at least tennis shoes if not hiking boots.  One lady on our tour wore open toe high heels which did not fit inside the pullover boots the provided very well.  Someone in the shop loaned her a pair of tennis shoes.



Why in the world would someone wear open toe high heels to walk on a GLACIER????


Anyway, thanks for the info.  We have good sturdy running shoes, so I think we should be OK.


----------



## Mackie Mouse

Maleficent59 said:


> Tracy Arm: if you plan to book Palo or a spa, book it in the morning. You will want to be outside on your verandah or on deck when the ship gets close to the glacier. It is incredible!
> 
> Ketchikan: either should be fine. We booked a private floatplane tour through Taquan Air. Our original flight time was 7:30 and they had us check back in with them 3 additional times to try to get us in the air - but eventually, our flight was canceled due to poor visibility. They did a superb job of trying to accomodate us. It wouldn't have been possible for DCL to reschedule so many tours so I think we had more flexibility than the folks who booked through Disney. I did not hear of any floatplane tours that actually took place Saturday. [I should add that the refund for the excursion was processed first thing Monday morning without any prompting from me and Taquan Air sent me an email confirmation before we left Seattle.]



Great advice - thanks!  Would not have thought about an independent company being more willing to schedule than Disney, but it makes sense.  Were you able to do any alternate excursions?


----------



## Maleficent59

We were offered a refund after the first flight was canceled and several alternate excursions were suggested to us. We decided to try to get a floatplane tour, but alas, the weather did not cooperate. We opted to walk around town before looking for eagles from our verandah. DD got a few great photos of eagles in flight in Ketchikan!


----------



## CruisingGoddess

I didn't got on a DCL Alaska cruise but I wanted to share my trip report since many of the ports are the same.

http://moonprincess.com/travel/category/cruises/alaska-2010/

Skagway – White Pass & Yukon Railroad
Juneau – Mendenhall Glacier Dog Sledding
Ketchikan – Anan Creek Bear Viewing
2 nights in Denali National Park


----------



## poohj80

Deb in IA said:


> Why in the world would someone wear open toe high heels to walk on a GLACIER????



We were asking the SAME THING (while shaking our heads  ).


----------



## Travel60

DH and I traveling with DS 24, DD 26, DSIL 28:

*SKAGWAY:*
DH & I did Yukon Suspension Bridge and White Pass Railway - took the Railway out and into Canada and the bus back.  Very picturesque, breathtaking.  Guides did a great job telling us about the area and what was coming up.  Recommend for anyone who wants a less adventuresome excursion.
DS, DD, and DSIL did the Adventure Park Zip Line and loved it.  None had zip-lined before but said it was fun and guides were very good.

*JUNEAU:*
DH and DS did the 5-Glacier Floatplane excursion and loved it.  The plane has one seat on each side of a center aisle so everyone has a great view.  They said the water landing was smother than on a runway.
DD and DSIL did the Biking and Tramway excursion and enjoyed it a lot.  DD was worried about the downhill ride but said it was fine.  
I did the Best of Juneau and loved it.  The catamaran was only about half full so there was plenty of room (and an upper deck) to whale watch and sightsee.  We got into a pod of orca and the captain cut the engine and dropped a microphone.  The orca swam up to, around and under the boat - very exciting.  We also saw a few humpbacks but from a further distance and some seals.  The salmon bake was delicious and a neat gift shop.  The Mendenhall Glacier was awesome.  We had less than an hour there - I wish it had been longer!  Highly recommend!

*KETCHIKAN *- this was the only day we had significant rain on the entire cruise.  It is the rainiest city in the US, so to be expected!  
DD and I did the Snorkling adventure and loved it.  HIGHLY RECOMMEND!  I was concerned because I chill easily but the wetsuits really do keep you warm (after an initial, brief chill when getting in).  With a storm coming in, the water was quite choppy and current strong but our guides were very experienced, helpful and concerned for our safety.  The sea life is similar to but different from more tropical seas.  You do get wet so bring a change of clothing and plan for wet hair.
DS AND DSIL did the Adventure Karts and loved, loved, loved it.  They took turns driving (one out, one back in) and just couldn't stop grinning at dinner.  HIGHLY RECOMMEND for an adventure.
DH did a Misty Fjords boat ride.  With the rain they couldn't see as well as sometimes but he enjoyed it.
NOTE:  several of the Misty Fjords flights were canceled due to weather.  If flying is important to you, consider booking in Juneau or Skagway where rain chances are a bit less.

Final comment - parents of children younger than 13 should really, really think twice before subjecting their children to longer excursions (> 2 hours) that are mainly geared toward learning and seeing rather than geared toward "doing".  We had several bored, tired, and whiny children on excursions where they should not have been.


----------



## Travel60

I wanted to add that we did not do an excursion in Victoria because we attended Catholic Mass at St. Andrew Cathedral.  Someone else from the cruise had contacted the pastor who agreed to have a Mass for the cruisers.  The boat docked later than planned and different people took taxis and shuttles so we arrived at different times.  However, the pastor waited until around 20 people were there (we sat in the choir loft) and we had a very nice service with an organist and cantor.  My DD and DS read.  

I don't know if this is something the church has agreed to do on a weekly basis or not.  We only knew about this service because someone posted about it on Disboards.  The ship was requested to put in in the daily navigator but declined because it was off-ship.  Perhaps it could be arranged as a $0 excursion so people could know about it and a shuttle bus could be used to get everyone there at the same time???


----------



## cujochurch

Shanny145 said:


> There is a Rock Shop in Skagway that you can buy bags of "dirt" with either gold or gems in them that people were panning.....looked like a lot of fun without the "cheese" of Liarsville....just an option.  We wish we knew about this before we did Liarsville as our kids had their hearts set on panning for gold.



ANyone know if this is still offered? and where the rock shop is? Sounds like just the thing for us to add on to our day.


----------



## WeAreGoofyforDisney

White Pass Railway in Skagway was pretty, but the train rocked us all to sleep for at least 20 min.  Great nap!  We had been up early for a sled dog trip...not on the glacier, but nearby and on wheels.  Affordable and great fun.  (Skagway Brewery, btw had best onion rings I've ever eaten, great burgers and salads.)

Lumberjack show in Ketchikan was fun for the kids.  

Bicycling in Juneau would have been more fun had it not rained.  Also, our 10 year old was on a kids bike and had a harder time time keeping up with the adults.  We stayed with her of course, but the heavy bike and rain took some of the fun out of it for her.


----------



## DrChuck23

Skagway- Yukon & Whitepass railway- we had a lot of overcast days (June 2012) so the scenery was frankly underwhelming.  Although "Yukon" is in the railroad company's name (which is a historical name), this trip barely goes into British Columbia, let alone the actual Yukon.  It stops at the Canadian Custom's  bldg, you get off the train then get on a bus and drive back.
We then did Liarsville which also was underwhelming- it's basically a handful of "actors" trying to recreate what the settlement looked like in the days of the Klondike goldrush. Goldpanning in their water troughs involves sifting out a few gold flakes that they have mixed with sand/stone- fun for about 5 minutes.
Others in our group did a biking tour which they loved.

The biggest disappointment at all ports (but especially Skagway) is how much they've turned into shopping districts that look like Caribbean ports of call.  The boat even has their "shopping expert" who will try to convince you that buying jewelry in Alaska of all places is a good deal.  

Juneau- was pleasantly surprised by the fish hatchery tour, as was everyone in our large group.  Mendenhall Glacier- definitely worth spending enough time to walk the trail down to the water falls (very close to the glacier).  Others in our group did a kayak excursion which was their favorite activity of the entire trip although they don't go nearly as close to the glacier (in fact I could not see them at all from the glacier).

Ketchikan- has a more tolerable shopping area; we attended the lumberjack show which is right next to the port; it was especially fun for the kids.  This is the "rainiest place in North America" so keep this in mind when looking at tours as several things had to be canceled while we were there due to whether (like helicopter tours).

Victoria- our ship was only docked for a few hours and we did not book a tour.  Once at port however, you have the option of a free shuttle that will take you downtown or hiring your own car/van.  We opted to hire a limo as there was 8 of us and took a 2h drive around the city. It was fantastic, cost $140+ tip. Our driver even took us to a private marina where harbor seals frequent and the marina provides feed so we had a great time (and great pictures) feeding the seals right off the dock.


----------



## DL1957

DSIS and DBIL are leaving on the cruise next week.  BIL is signed up for the Salmon fishing trip.  Looking at 2011 reports is does not look like a trip for a true fisherman.  He has his own boat and fishes weekly. Has anyone gone this year and what were your experiences.  If you don't get your own pole he is thinking about changing.  He is aware of trolling and what that entails but still wants to have a pole assigned to him.
Thanks for your help.


----------



## COASTIEandMATE

DL1957 said:


> DSIS and DBIL are leaving on the cruise next week.  BIL is signed up for the Salmon fishing trip.  Looking at 2011 reports is does not look like a trip for a true fisherman.  He has his own boat and fishes weekly. Has anyone gone this year and what were your experiences.  If you don't get your own pole he is thinking about changing.  He is aware of trolling and what that entails but still wants to have a pole assigned to him.
> Thanks for your help.



Hi Sue! We are the Giants fans from the Inaugural Alaska cruise! Ron went on this fishing trip and enjoyed it. Yes you get your own pole but May was a little early in the season so did not catch very many fish! We had so much fun that we are going again in 2013, and plan on doing the salmon fishing trip again too! Have you been to any Giants games? We think of you often,please keep in touch, ALOHA, Karen and Ron


----------



## 2PrincesseInTow

Has anyone done the Rainforest Canoe Adventure and Nature Hike in Ketchikan?  We leave in a week and I'm looking for reviews.  TIA


----------



## DL1957

COASTIEandMATE said:


> Hi Sue! We are the Giants fans from the Inaugural Alaska cruise! Ron went on this fishing trip and enjoyed it. Yes you get your own pole but May was a little early in the season so did not catch very many fish! We had so much fun that we are going again in 2013, and plan on doing the salmon fishing trip again too! Have you been to any Giants games? We think of you often,please keep in touch, ALOHA, Karen and Ron


Thanks for the information.  I was out for opening week in April. Going to the game on July4th in DC.  So far no other plans. Wasn't Matty's perfect game awesome!  I will pm to you my home e-mail address.  Great to hear from you. Sue


----------



## ucancallmetink

My family was on the May 28th sailing from Seattle.  I've been hard at work on writing review posts (including tons of photos) on my blog.  Here's what I've written so far:

An overview of various aspects of the ship and the cruise as a whole.

A pictorial review of our day in Skagway.  We did the 4x4 Takshanuk Mountain Trail.

A pictorial review of our day in Juneau.  We used ERA helicopters for flightseeing and a dog mushing camp.

The final installment (floatplane into Misty Fjords Natl. Monument) is forthcoming and should be posted later this week.

I hope those reviews help other guests!


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## pixarmom

ucancallmetink said:


> A pictorial review of our day in Skagway.  We did the 4x4 Takshanuk Mountain Trail.



Thanks so much!  We booked the Takshunuk Mountain Trail excursion for our August 27 cruise and we're really looking forward to it!  Still not sure what we'll do for dinner that night, since we have main dining and the excursion is scheduled to return at 5:45pm (sounds like you were back even a little later.)  Did you have main dining and if so, did you do something else for dinner?  Or were you not ready for dinner after the late lunch?  Thanks again!


----------



## lilbug13

We are just off the June 18th sailing and did the Whale Watching and Wildlife Quest in Juneau. It was FANTASTIC. Great crew, smooth ride, and amazing viewing. We saw many humpbacks, bald eagles, seals, and yes, ORCA!  Here's a few pics from my iphone...


----------



## ucancallmetink

pixarmom said:


> Thanks so much!  We booked the Takshunuk Mountain Trail excursion for our August 27 cruise and we're really looking forward to it!  Still not sure what we'll do for dinner that night, since we have main dining and the excursion is scheduled to return at 5:45pm (sounds like you were back even a little later.)  Did you have main dining and if so, did you do something else for dinner?  Or were you not ready for dinner after the late lunch?  Thanks again!



You're welcome!  As for dinner, we had main dining, too, and the late return time did cause some problems.  We were scheduled to return at 5:45 but it was a little after six by the time we returned.  We debated back and forth but ended up just going straight to the dining room in our jeans  Our serving team had just one table besides ours, and they didn't show up that night so our servers were actually at the door of Parrot Cay, waiting to greet us.  They didn't seem to mind that we showed up late and we did apologize profusely.  We debated because we weren't terribly hungry, but on the other hand, we don't do fast food AT ALL and we knew that if we didn't eat in the dining room we'd be hard pressed to find something edible later.  

What we learned later was that if you know ahead of time that you are going to be returning late from an excursion, you can request a one-time seating during late dining.  You probably won't get your regular serving team, but it is an option.


----------



## jenf22

I posted this on the main board and didn't get what I was looking for, so I thought I'd try here.  We're off to Alaska in September. I desperately want to see bears, but am torn between these two excursions:

Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary, Raptor Center and Totems
or
Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition

So here's the dilemma... The first one talks of the possibility of seeing bears and is $209 for the three of us. The second one is EXACTLY the same as the first one except for an extra 30 minutes in the rainforest and access to 5 suspension bridges and 7 platforms for bear viewing. Oh yeah, and it's $513 for the three of us. Is that extra 30 minutes plus platforms worth the $300 difference?  I've read the couple of reviews in this thread about the Bear Country one.  Some Dis people seemed to really like it, but it has pretty bad reviews on other sites.  *Has anyone done the first excursion? * The cheaper one?  Yes, I know there are better excursions for bear viewing... but they are all float planes and ~$400 per person (so close to $1200 for the three of us - not an option right now with a 5 year old.  Maybe when he's older).

Thanks all!


----------



## Skylarr29

jenf22 said:


> I posted this on the main board and didn't get what I was looking for, so I thought I'd try here.  We're off to Alaska in September. I desperately want to see bears, but am torn between these two excursions:
> 
> Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary, Raptor Center and Totems
> or
> Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition
> 
> So here's the dilemma... The first one talks of the possibility of seeing bears and is $209 for the three of us. The second one is EXACTLY the same as the first one except for an extra 30 minutes in the rainforest and access to 5 suspension bridges and 7 platforms for bear viewing. Oh yeah, and it's $513 for the three of us. Is that extra 30 minutes plus platforms worth the $300 difference?  I've read the couple of reviews in this thread about the Bear Country one.  Some Dis people seemed to really like it, but it has pretty bad reviews on other sites.  *Has anyone done the first excursion? * The cheaper one?  Yes, I know there are better excursions for bear viewing... but they are all float planes and ~$400 per person (so close to $1200 for the three of us - not an option right now with a 5 year old.  Maybe when he's older).
> 
> Thanks all!



http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...ka_Rainforest_Sanctuary-Ketchikan_Alaska.html


----------



## pixarmom

ucancallmetink said:


> You're welcome!  As for dinner, we had main dining, too, and the late return time did cause some problems.  We were scheduled to return at 5:45 but it was a little after six by the time we returned.  We debated back and forth but ended up just going straight to the dining room in our jeans  Our serving team had just one table besides ours, and they didn't show up that night so our servers were actually at the door of Parrot Cay, waiting to greet us.  They didn't seem to mind that we showed up late and we did apologize profusely.  We debated because we weren't terribly hungry, but on the other hand, we don't do fast food AT ALL and we knew that if we didn't eat in the dining room we'd be hard pressed to find something edible later.
> 
> What we learned later was that if you know ahead of time that you are going to be returning late from an excursion, you can request a one-time seating during late dining.  You probably won't get your regular serving team, but it is an option.



This is really helpful information, particularly because we feel the same way regarding fast food/counter service.  We might consider requesting late dining for just that night.  Thanks again!!!


----------



## jenf22

Skylarr29 said:


> http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...ka_Rainforest_Sanctuary-Ketchikan_Alaska.html



Yeah, I actually searched the web before posting here.  I always do.  If you actually read the Trip Advisor reviews, they are for every excursion in the Rainforest Sanctuary.  The good reviews are for the zip lining, the bad reviews for the Bear Country.  Then there are some reviews regarding a Zodiac, which is not mentioned in any of the Disney excursions.  These reviews are very mixed and hard to tell what excursion the reviewer booked.  I was just looking for someone who could review them recently from a Disney ship.


----------



## Skylarr29

jenf22 said:


> Yeah, I actually searched the web before posting here.  I always do.  If you actually read the Trip Advisor reviews, they are for every excursion in the Rainforest Sanctuary.  The good reviews are for the zip lining, the bad reviews for the Bear Country.  Then there are some reviews regarding a Zodiac, which is not mentioned in any of the Disney excursions.  These reviews are very mixed and hard to tell what excursion the reviewer booked.  I was just looking for someone who could review them recently from a Disney ship.



Have you tried cruise critic Alaska section? I would search and ask there as it is specifically for Alaska. I don't recall having read any recent reviews of it. I think I have read one from someone on DCL but I don't think it was good either.


----------



## comet1

Has anybody done the White Pass Scenic Railway Featuring Exclusive Youth Activity? Thoughts?


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## bbagnall

We had a fabulous time!  I'll go through the excursions by day

Skagway
1)  Helicopter and dog sledding.  This was the most fabulous experience of my life.  We did an 8am tour and the weather was gray and cloudy but we were able to go anyway, I was so nervous about them canceling our tour, but on we went!  The helicopter gets you amazingly close to the glaciers, our pilot was really knowledgeable about the area.  The best part was the dog sledding.  Your helicopter lands and all you hear is dogs barking ready to go.  Our guide pretty much just let us ask questions and then we did the riding.  We took turns driving the sled and riding, they take pictures of you while on the sled.  When it was all finished you get to hold super cute 3 week old puppies!  I know I'm not describing it right, this is a once in a lifetime experience.  It was pricey, but worth it.  Those dogs are amazing, all they want to do is pull that sled!  We were there for a good hour.  By the way for people worried about their weight, they ask you in your group and if you are close to the 250 mark they make you weigh at the headquarters, you are by yourself.  

2)  White Pass Railway and Suspension Bridge.  What can top dogsledding?  Probably nothing, but the train was a completely different experience.  A tour bus takes you from the ship to the train depot then you get on a specific car number (its based on your cruise line).  You travel through the most beautiful scenery and hear the story about the gold rush.  Normally I'm not one for history and stories and all that stuff, but it was very fascinating.  It was amazing to see how far these men had travelled and what they went through.  The train stopped at the border and we got off (we hurried up and got our passports stamped) then you get back on the tour bus.  The bus continues the story and takes you up into Canada to the suspension bridge.  We stopped and got off and took a look around, there was some historical stuff about the gold rush, a makeshift cabin, some pictures, a map.  Crossing the suspension bridge was neat, you look down and see those rapids and it puts your world in perspective.  There were snacks and a giftshop so you could purchase cookies (yum!) and souvenirs.  Then we got back on the bus to head back to the ship, we actually saw a bear off the side of the road and our driver stopped so we could take pictures.  

Juneau 
It was a very short day in Juneau, back on the boat by 2pm.  We decided to do whale watching with Harv and Marv.  There were so many good reviews online and we had the best experience.  They pick you up right at the dock and take you to the boat.  Your 4 hour tour starts when you get on the boat, not at the dock.  We had Captain Liz and she was great, very friendly and knew where to see the whales!  We saw so many whales mostly moms and calves.  We also saw Bald Eagles and fur seals.  They are supposed to maintain a certain distance from the whales, but we had one come up right by the boat, I could have touched it!  After your tour they drop you off at Mendenhall Glacier for 15 minutes.  I could have used more time, but guess I'll have to Alaska again.  

Ketchikan
Even shorter day at Ketchikan, back on the boat by 12:30pm.  We did a fishing tour with Ken from Northern Lights fishing charters.  He picked us up at the dock then went to the boat.  The boat was enclosed with a restroom and it had all the down riggers and things.  While we were heading to our fishing spot we filled out the fishing license paperwork.  There were some strong winds and rain, but we still caught fish, a King Salmon!  We sent it to be processed and it was shipped back home (you can select your day and if you want it to be smoked or not).  We all said we would go fishing again, had a great time.  

Any questions, ask away!


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## jenf22

Skylarr29 said:


> Have you tried cruise critic Alaska section? I would search and ask there as it is specifically for Alaska. I don't recall having read any recent reviews of it. I think I have read one from someone on DCL but I don't think it was good either.



I feel like I've searched everywhere!   But I've only asked here.  I'm trying to not get too obsessed with this cruise.  So far, it's not working   I'm honestly thinking of working some overtime to cover the difference in price, and just going for it.  I figure if it's overtime, it's "bonus" money and doesn't count


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## DK542

jenf22 said:


> I posted this on the main board and didn't get what I was looking for, so I thought I'd try here.  We're off to Alaska in September. I desperately want to see bears, but am torn between these two excursions:
> 
> Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary, Raptor Center and Totems
> or
> Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition
> 
> So here's the dilemma... The first one talks of the possibility of seeing bears and is $209 for the three of us. The second one is EXACTLY the same as the first one except for an extra 30 minutes in the rainforest and access to 5 suspension bridges and 7 platforms for bear viewing. Oh yeah, and it's $513 for the three of us. Is that extra 30 minutes plus platforms worth the $300 difference?  I've read the couple of reviews in this thread about the Bear Country one.  Some Dis people seemed to really like it, but it has pretty bad reviews on other sites.  *Has anyone done the first excursion? * The cheaper one?  Yes, I know there are better excursions for bear viewing... but they are all float planes and ~$400 per person (so close to $1200 for the three of us - not an option right now with a 5 year old.  Maybe when he's older).
> 
> Thanks all!


Just returned from June 18 sailing.  We did the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary, Raptor Center and Totems.  It was a little lame except that we DID SEE BEARS.  We were very close to a mama and her two cubs.  We sat there watching them eat grass from a raised boardwalk for a good 15 minutes with plenty of photo taking opportunities.  But the groups ahead of us and behind us probably did not get the same experience.  The suspension bridges were there but not yet opened.  We saw lots of real bear skat on our walk through the rain forest.
Several of our excursions seemed "new".  I'm not sure if they are being created just for the Disney cruises since they are low adventure for families with small kids who can't or don't want to do expensive high adventure excursions.
That's quite a price difference for the added suspension bridges but i would guess it would give you more chances to see bears since most of our walk was on flat ground and they are not going to just walk right up to you.  When we saw them was when we were on a raised boardwalk.
Let me know if you have any more questions.


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## jenf22

DK542 said:


> Just returned from June 18 sailing.  We did the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary, Raptor Center and Totems.  It was a little lame except that we DID SEE BEARS.  We were very close to a mama and her two cubs.  We sat there watching them eat grass from a raised boardwalk for a good 15 minutes with plenty of photo taking opportunities.  But the groups ahead of us and behind us probably did not get the same experience.  The suspension bridges were there but not yet opened.  We saw lots of real bear skat on our walk through the rain forest.
> Several of our excursions seemed "new".  I'm not sure if they are being created just for the Disney cruises since they are low adventure for families with small kids who can't or don't want to do expensive high adventure excursions.
> That's quite a price difference for the added suspension bridges but i would guess it would give you more chances to see bears since most of our walk was on flat ground and they are not going to just walk right up to you.  When we saw them was when we were on a raised boardwalk.
> Let me know if you have any more questions.



Thanks so much!  I figured someone had to have done this!  We're going in September and I've heard the salmon run is almost over then.  Maybe that means fewer bears?  I'm ok with a little lame if the price is right   My husband thinks the $300 price difference is insane.  I'm on the fence.  If the $300 is the difference between seeing bears and not, then I'd be more than happy to pay it.

What other excursions did you do?  Did you guys have a good time?


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## 2PrincesseInTow

bbagnall said:


> Skagway
> 1)  Helicopter and dog sledding.  This was the most fabulous experience of my life.  We did an 8am tour and the weather was gray and cloudy but we were able to go anyway, I was so nervous about them canceling our tour, but on we went!  The helicopter gets you amazingly close to the glaciers, our pilot was really knowledgeable about the area.  The best part was the dog sledding.  Your helicopter lands and all you hear is dogs barking ready to go.  Our guide pretty much just let us ask questions and then we did the riding.  We took turns driving the sled and riding, they take pictures of you while on the sled.  When it was all finished you get to hold super cute 3 week old puppies!  I know I'm not describing it right, this is a once in a lifetime experience.  It was pricey, but worth it.  Those dogs are amazing, all they want to do is pull that sled!  We were there for a good hour.  By the way for people worried about their weight, they ask you in your group and if you are close to the 250 mark they make you weigh at the headquarters, you are by yourself.
> 
> Any questions, ask away!



Sounds amazing!  What company did you go with?


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## Skylarr29

jenf22 said:


> I feel like I've searched everywhere!   But I've only asked here.  I'm trying to not get too obsessed with this cruise.  So far, it's not working   I'm honestly thinking of working some overtime to cover the difference in price, and just going for it.  *I figure if it's overtime, it's "bonus" money and doesn't count*



That's my logic as well!


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## DK542

jenf22 said:


> Thanks so much!  I figured someone had to have done this!  We're going in September and I've heard the salmon run is almost over then.  Maybe that means fewer bears?  I'm ok with a little lame if the price is right   My husband thinks the $300 price difference is insane.  I'm on the fence.  If the $300 is the difference between seeing bears and not, then I'd be more than happy to pay it.
> 
> What other excursions did you do?  Did you guys have a good time?


We also did the *Yukon Suspension Bridge & Klondike Explorer in Skagway*.  It was good.  We rode in a coach bus for about 40 minutes to get to the Suspension Bridge.  Again, this attraction was brand new.  Our bus driver was pretty good, had lots of good info.  He was young and funny.  The scenery on the drive was amazing.  I felt like I was in prehistoric times because it was just so vast and desolate.  We did see a bear on the side of the road but no other wildlife.  The bridge and visitor's center was fine.  There was a gift shop and a snack shop where you could buy drinks and a few snacks.  They gave out samples of some yummy maple cookies that we ended up buying.

We were scheduled for an afternoon *Glacier Discovery by Helicopter* but due to 50 mph winds on the glacier, it was cancelled.  We were terribly disappointed but at the same time I did NOT want to fly in that wind.  It was crazy...people could hardly walk in it.

In Juneau we did the *Sled Dog Discovery & Musher's Camp*.  Again, they indicated that this was only their 2nd year in operation.  Our entire group of 9 loved it.  We had 2 sets of grandparents, plus my dh and I, and our kids ages 10.5, 8, and 4.  You do need to love dogs though.  If you are indifferent about dogs, you might not get as much out of it.

See above for my description of the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary, Raptor Center, & Totems in Ketchikan.

Feel free to ask me any questions about more details.


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## AZMermaid

bbagnall said:


> We had a fabulous time!  I'll go through the excursions by day
> 
> 
> Juneau
> It was a very short day in Juneau, back on the boat by 2pm.  We decided to do whale watching with Harv and Marv.  There were so many good reviews online and we had the best experience.  They pick you up right at the dock and take you to the boat.  Your 4 hour tour starts when you get on the boat, not at the dock.  We had Captain Liz and she was great, very friendly and knew where to see the whales!  We saw so many whales mostly moms and calves.  We also saw Bald Eagles and fur seals.  They are supposed to maintain a certain distance from the whales, but we had one come up right by the boat, I could have touched it!  After your tour they drop you off at Mendenhall Glacier for 15 minutes.  I could have used more time, but guess I'll have to Alaska again.
> 
> 
> Any questions, ask away!



We are hoping to do Harv and Marv next year! On their website there are all those disclaimers about stairs. We are traveling with my FIL who is mostly fine on stairs, but not super quick or agile. Will this be an issue? He goes salmon fishing off of Ketchikan every year, so if it is just to get in and out of the boat, he should be fine.


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## Disney Hot Mama

AZMermaid said:


> We are hoping to do Harv and Marv next year! On their website there are all those disclaimers about stairs. We are traveling with my FIL who is mostly fine on stairs, but not super quick or agile. Will this be an issue? He goes salmon fishing off of Ketchikan every year, so if it is just to get in and out of the boat, he should be fine.



There are really not that many stairs. You need to be able to take a step up into the van first.  They have a stool.  Then at the dock depending on the tide (low vs high) the ramp to the dock may be steep.  Ours was a fairly steep walk down and then back up.  If the tide is in the walk won't be as steep.  After that the boat can be docked in multiple places so that may or may not involve walking.  Our boat was directly in front of the walkway so we got lucky.  The step into the boat was again a bit high but not horrible.  So if your FIL is used to getting into and out of a boat he should be fine.. Enjoy Harv and Marv.  We did!


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## AZMermaid

Great thanks, I am sure he can handle that!


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## ag73

We are going to sail the Wonder this coming July 2, it's me and my 6 year old daughter. I'm scared of doing this by myself bringing her along but I wanted to visit Alaska for so long and I felt it was the year to do it. I booked the cruise only like a month ago and still haven't made any excursion reservations. I will love if you can tell me about your excursions and how was the weather and everything else I may need to take in consideration. Thank you for anything that you may be able to share.


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## Disney Hot Mama

ag73 said:


> We are going to sail the Wonder this coming July 2, it's me and my 6 year old daughter. I'm scared of doing this by myself bringing her along but I wanted to visit Alaska for so long and I felt it was the year to do it. I booked the cruise only like a month ago and still haven't made any excursion reservations. I will love if you can tell me about your excursions and how was the weather and everything else I may need to take in consideration. Thank you for anything that you may be able to share.



Good for you taking this cruise!!!  I am sure you will have an amazing time.  There is a ton of stuff for adults only if your daughter is comfortable in the kids club.  Unfortunately I can't help you much with excursions as my daughter is 14 but I can tell you what we heard from others on our cruise last week with similar age children.  

On the ship have your camera at all times.  Characters just walk around outside of their 'normal' meet and greet times.  In Tracy Arm there were several characters on the open decks with great photo ops.  

I heard the whale watch with science experiments was great.  Without knowing your budget for excursions it is hard to make suggestions.  There is on the ship a Princess Tea held twice.  If your daughter is into princesses go straight to guest services when you board to sign up.  Very limited seating for this.  

Weather for our cruise was amazing!!!  We were not the norm though.  We has=d a day in Ketichkan where it was over 80!  Most days outside it was comfortable in a long sleeve shirt.  At night a light jacket if you were outside was fine.  Inside the ship is kept comfortable so a short sleeve shirt works too.  I wore flip flops walking around the ship.  The pools are heated - at least the adult ones are.  A very comfortable 90 for the pool and the jaccuzi was about 101.

Hope this helps a bit


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## jenf22

Well, I talked myself into the Bear Country excursion in Ketchikan.  It's just money, right?? 

Anyway, couple quick questions - I booked it for a 1:15pm departure.  We're in port at 11:15am.  If we get off right away and walk around the town, do we have to get back on the ship to meet up for the excursion?  I would assume so.  Is Ketchikan small enough to wander through some shops in 1-1.5 hours?  We've got main dining, so we'll want to be back on the ship by 5:15pm.  There is a 2:15pm excursion that lists the end time as 5:15pm.  Should I do that one instead?  Thanks everyone!  So excited for Alaska!!!


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## nickol0117

We recently returned from the June 18th Alaska trip.  What a wonderful experience and how lucky we were to experience out of the norm weather!

We enjoyed each of the excursions we took.  Happy with our choices.  It was my wife, myself, and our three boys, ages 17, 15, and 11. We did the following:

Skagway - Grizzly Falls Ziplining.  Awesome experience.  Beautiful scenery on trip up to the ziplines.  You begin in a small motor coach and then once at camp you switch to a special vehicle that takes you further up into the mountains.  Our ziplining guides were fun and so very nice.  We had "Danger Dave" and Brendon.  So very patient with us, showed us tricks, and encouraged us all the way.  We were in a group of six (five of us and one other person) and our two guides.  The one guide said my wife did not stop smiling the entire time.  A truly great afternoon.  Upon our return to the ship we still had sufficient time to go and shop and see more of Skagway.

Juneau - Did the Best of Juneau tour.  Catamaran was comfortable and spacious and allowed easy viewing of wildlife.  Saw A LOT of whales as well as bald eagles, seals, etc.  Also saw a brown bear!  Orca Point Lodge was beautiful and the food very good.  Felt we had sufficient time at Mendenhall Glacier and enjoyed that portion of the tour as well.  The tour did take the entire time in port so we were not able to go and explore anything else.  

Ketchikan - Bering Sea Crab Fisherman Tour.  This tour we booked on our own and not through Disney Port Adventures.  We saved a good amount of money this way.  Also, because we didn't need to remain on the ship with the Port Adventures group signed up for this same tour, we left the ship around 7:15 and had time to shop and look around Ketchikan before heading to our tour on our own at 8:30 (very easy walk from ship).  Can't say enough about this tour!  Fantastic from start to finish.  Crew of the Aleutian Ballad are all so very nice and friendly and their stories were heartfelt.  You are free to walk about the ship and get close up with all the wonderful sea life they brought on board.  When we boarded the vessel they mentioned that we would be feeding bald eagles..little did we realize just how many that would be...that was the most amazing part of the trip....we neared the area where the bald eagles would be and as soon as the Aleutian neared the bald eagles began to arrive from all over and then when they began tossing out fish for the eagles to eat I bet there were well over 50 eagles all next to us...just amazing to see.  

Victoria - We did not book any excursions for Victoria.  We stayed onboard and had our 5:45 dinner.  After dinner we exited the ship and there were free complimentary motor coaches that drove you into Victoria and left you off.  We had a good 90 minutes to look around Victoria and shop and then return via the same motor coach and got back to the ship in plenty of time.


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## jenf22

nickol0117 said:


> Juneau - Did the Best of Juneau tour.  Catamaran was comfortable and spacious and allowed easy viewing of wildlife.  Saw A LOT of whales as well as bald eagles, seals, etc.  Also saw a brown bear!  Orca Point Lodge was beautiful and the food very good.  Felt we had sufficient time at Mendenhall Glacier and enjoyed that portion of the tour as well.  The tour did take the entire time in port so we were not able to go and explore anything else.



Thanks so much for the review!  We're doing this one in September!


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## Skylarr29

jenf22 said:


> Well, I talked myself into the Bear Country excursion in Ketchikan.  It's just money, right??
> 
> Anyway, couple quick questions - I booked it for a 1:15pm departure.  We're in port at 11:15am.  If we get off right away and walk around the town, do we have to get back on the ship to meet up for the excursion?  I would assume so.  Is Ketchikan small enough to wander through some shops in 1-1.5 hours?  We've got main dining, so we'll want to be back on the ship by 5:15pm.  There is a 2:15pm excursion that lists the end time as 5:15pm.  Should I do that one instead?  Thanks everyone!  So excited for Alaska!!!



Yep, you will need to get back on the ship and go to the meeting place listed on your excursion ticket. Jealous of your port times!


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## Disney Hot Mama

nickol0117 said:


> We recently returned from the June 18th Alaska trip.  What a wonderful experience and how lucky we were to experience out of the norm weather!
> 
> Ketchikan - Bering Sea Crab Fisherman Tour.  This tour we booked on our own and not through Disney Port Adventures.  We saved a good amount of money this way.  Also, because we didn't need to remain on the ship with the Port Adventures group signed up for this same tour, we left the ship around 7:15 and had time to shop and look around Ketchikan before heading to our tour on our own at 8:30 (very easy walk from ship).  Can't say enough about this tour!  Fantastic from start to finish.  Crew of the Aleutian Ballad are all so very nice and friendly and their stories were heartfelt.  You are free to walk about the ship and get close up with all the wonderful sea life they brought on board.  When we boarded the vessel they mentioned that we would be feeding bald eagles..little did we realize just how many that would be...that was the most amazing part of the trip....we neared the area where the bald eagles would be and as soon as the Aleutian neared the bald eagles began to arrive from all over and then when they began tossing out fish for the eagles to eat I bet there were well over 50 eagles all next to us...just amazing to see.



We too were on a June 18th sailing to Alaska on the Disney Wonder.  Had the best ever weather, it was even over 80 in Ketichkan and we were swealtering!  

We did the Bearing Sea tour two years ago and have to say it was one of the best ever we have done.  I agree with everything you said above. From the crew to experiencing new things and then the eagles... amazing!!  We also booked on our own and it was a simple walk to their boat.


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## Calfan

nickol0117 said:


> Ketchikan - Bering Sea Crab Fisherman Tour.  This tour we booked on our own and not through Disney Port Adventures.  We saved a good amount of money this way.  Also, because we didn't need to remain on the ship with the Port Adventures group signed up for this same tour, we left the ship around 7:15 and had time to shop and look around Ketchikan before heading to our tour on our own at 8:30 (very easy walk from ship).  Can't say enough about this tour!  Fantastic from start to finish.  Crew of the Aleutian Ballad are all so very nice and friendly and their stories were heartfelt.  You are free to walk about the ship and get close up with all the wonderful sea life they brought on board.  When we boarded the vessel they mentioned that we would be feeding bald eagles..little did we realize just how many that would be...that was the most amazing part of the trip....we neared the area where the bald eagles would be and as soon as the Aleutian neared the bald eagles began to arrive from all over and then when they began tossing out fish for the eagles to eat I bet there were well over 50 eagles all next to us...just amazing to see.



We will be doing this tour on our Aug. 6 sailing.  We also booked direct.  So glad to read your positive comments.  I had no idea about the bald eagles!  Did you find many shops open in Ketchikan when you left the ship around 7:15 a.m.?  I would like a little time to poke around Ketichikan, and given the short port time there, it seems before the tour is the only option.


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## nickol0117

We found ALL the shops to be open as soon as we were off the ship...I remember walking in the ship to breakfast and looking out the porthole and seeing "open" flags hanging from the shops already at 7 AM.  I believe we ate breakfast and were off by 7:15 AM and figured we'd have a good hour to look around and shop before our Sea Crab Fisherman Tour at 8:30.


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## RedSox68

I had posted a longer version of this on the Vancouver thread, but realize that some of the info might also be helpful here:

Returned from a 20-day CruiseTour with Holland America (7-day cruise and 12 days on land up into the Yukon) on June 7th.  [I know Disney does not offer this, but I cannot recommend this type of trip highly enough. You will go places you could not go on your own (or would want to drive on your own I should say) and see things that are phenomenal.]

Anyway, here's a synopsis of what we did and learned. Loved going in May -- lots of ice and snow still left and we did not experience any temps above mid-70's in any city or port and very little rain!  

AMTRAK: We flew into Seattle for one night and took Amtrak the next morning to Vancouver. I cannot say enough about this terrific ride. We did not buy business class, but were in line at the station by 6:30 a.m. for our 7:40 departure and got three seats together on the recommended left side (water views) with no problem. I will definitely say get there early though. We arrived at 6 a.m. when baggage check in opened and there was a line. As soon as we got our bags checked, we got in line at the booth that assigns seats, which opened a little before 7 a.m.

In Ketchikan we had opted to do a day on our own, but when we departed the ship (another non-rainy day for us), we saw an opportunity for a shuttle tour that was discounted by $10/pp and we were glad we took it. We were taken out to the totem poles, to a village and along the waterways where we stopped to watch harbor seals. It was a 4-hour tour and we had a great time with our local driver Justin.  This town has some of my favorite shops.  But we were told by our tour guide (a local resident) that all the shops along the waterfront are owned by the cruise lines and they give nothing back to the town in revenue.  ALL the help is outside seasonal workers and they do not hire the local towns folk.  So we shopped only at stores that were locally owned.  

Favorite port: Skagway. We did the full day excursion with Chilkoot Tours that started with the incredible/extraordinary/phenomenal ride on the White Pass Yukon Express (http://www.chilkootcharters.com/yukonrail.htm). We had the most beautiful day and could see for miles. The train ride is just so relaxing and full of views of wildlife, rivers, lakes, snowcapped mountains, etc. When we arrived at the end of the line, our bus driver met us (Terrell from Texas -- you were the best) and we continued on to Caribou Crossing Trading Post for our lunch and a visit with husky puppies! Now granted, the place looks like a western front for a movie, but it was fun and the food was delicious: BBQ chicken, baked potato, rolls, cole slaw and homemade donuts. Sodas were extra, but iced tea, coffee and tea included. We stayed there about 90 minutes because they also have a wildlife museum and a petting zoo (all included). Then we went on to Emerald Lake and Carcross and Lake Bennett. I loved this choice vs. the ship's excursion because Terrell would stop anywhere you wanted, pull over for pictures or animal sightings, and was so personable and knowledgeable. There were only about 18 of us and it was great fun. We left at 8 a.m. and returned at about 4 p.m. He made several stops dropped people off wherever they wanted in town, or taking them back to the ship. Worth every single penny.  With this type of excursion, you do go up into the Yukon by bus.  The train no longer goes that far.  

Upon return we bought tickets ($5/pp) at the Red Onion Saloon for a tour and it was great fun -- lots of original wallpaper, dresses, etc. Then we walked back to the ship (a truly nice walk along a paved pathway) while Eagles flew overhead.

Juneau: Only excursion we booked through the ship (for the cruise portion) was Best of Juneau. What a terrific excursion. I must start out by saying that I have read voluminous reviews of this excursion with a lot of people complaining about there not being enough time at Mendenhall Glacier. I couldn't understand that statement as we felt an hour was more than enough time. Granted, we knew we were not going to walk to the waterfall, but there was an incredible waterfall fully visible from the land's edge next to the glacier! We spent about 40 minutes out at the glacier, walking around the viewing platforms and on the beach. We had 15 minutes to shop inside which was more than enough time. We felt very satisfied.

Then we went on the whale watching vessel which was a surprise to all of us as we didn't expect it to be so big and comfy. It sets more than 400 and has huge windows on both floors and we were very satisfied even sitting in the middle row because you are constantly getting up and down. We spent a good 3 hours onboard plus another hour at the Orca Lodge for lunch. Now let me tell you, this lunch was awesome. It was a beautiful pavilion with views all around of the water and the beach. They had chicken skewers, salmon, rice, potato salad, rolls and brownies. Lemonade, ice and hot tea and coffee were included. Sodas and alcohol were extra.

Vancouver: We stayed at the Pan Pacific Vancouver for our pre-cruise nights. We had opted for the harbor/mountain view and it was so so worth it. We watched seaplanes taking off and landing and our room was literally right above where the ships dock. So we could look down onto the pool decks of the ships as they docked and got ready for their next departure. The hotel is gorgeous, the rooms were large and very well decorated. We did not eat in any of their restaurants as they were pricey, but there is a food mall underneath the hotel that can be reached by inside escalator.

What was so convenient about this hotel is that the entrance to the cruise terminal is a ride down in their elevator to the basement! We called a porter to come and get our luggage and he told us you will see it in your stateroom. We then took the elevator and got off and there it was -- no having to go outside or call a cab or anything. They had reps all along the way directing us to the HAL check in.

While in Vancouver we bought the Big Pink Bus tickets (they are merged with the Big Red Bus). The station stop was right outside the Pan Pacific main door! We always tried to get the pink bus though as they had a live narrator whereas the red buses were pre-recorded narrations that never seemed to be on the right area when we passed. The combo ticket for two days was so reasonable. The first day we just rode the bus the full route, and then got off at Granville Island. We then got back on and took it to Chinatown where we did the gardens and then had dinner at Hon's on the recommendation of our driver. The next day we took it to Stanley Park and then inside the park took the (included) park tour on a different bus. Very convenient. When done, they dropped us off at the bus stop and we waited for the red or pink bus. On the way back to town, we jumped off at Gastown and did a little touring there and watched the steam clock, then went up into the tower there (similar to the Seattle Needle type of thing). There were some terrific restaurants across the plaza from the hotel that we ate in (one Italian, one Irish) and they were very good and reasonable. 

I can also highly recommend the Fairmont Airport Vancouver Hotel. We were put up there by HAL on the last night of our land tour. What a gorgeous hotel. Our room had a view of the mountains and runway. Totally sound proof (never heard one plane coming in or taking off). And the hotel entrance goes right down into the airport with a short distance to the food court. We really liked that the food court at this airport was BEFORE security. We had lunch (chinese) and dinner (burgers) there. If we ever fly into Vancouver, I would definitely stay here again.

In Seattle we stayed at the Inn at the Market pre-cruise -- literally at the top of the hill of the Pike Place Market. It was a townhouse (all they had available for three) and was beautiful. The beds were comfortable and the views of the city and Pike Place were great. Very convenient for the area and we were able to finish the market that day before leaving the next morning. The people there were very helpful and kind. No complaints about this place either.

Post-cruise in Seattle we stayed at the Silver Cloud Inn at Lake Union. We found this hotel to be one of our top favorites for all that was included with such a reasonable per night price. Our room was a lake view and on the top floor so that you could see the seaplanes taking off and the boats and yachts coming and going. They also provide a free extensive continental breakfast that includes hot items like scrambled eggs, sausage, waffles and ham, plus toast, bagels, cereals, yogurts, etc. They also provide a free (although we tipped the driver each time) shuttle to and from three drop off points in town -- the Needle, Pioneer Square and Pike Place. All you had to do was call them when you were ready to be picked up. They ran from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. We were also within walking distance of the boat harbor and ate at Duke's on the water for lunch one day. 

They also have an indoor pool and jacuzzi, and a business center where you can go on the computers to print out documents and boarding passes -- also free. And FREE INTERNET. That was a huge plus for us.  Of all the hotels we stayed at, this would be a no-brainer one if we go back to Seattle. The thoughtful layout, convenience, decor, ambiance and outgoing staff were wonderful. 

Can't think of anything else, but please feel free to ask questions or pick my brain!


----------



## bbagnall

2PrincesseInTow said:


> Sounds amazing!  What company did you go with?



We did it through the cruise ship, but the company was Temsco.  You can book through them direct.


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## kmegibow

tink1963 said:


> And just to share my experience in Juneau. If you plan on visiting Mendenhall Glacier, go on your own. There is a Blue Bus that will take you up and back at your leisure. We saw a bear fishing in the creek and so many of the people that were watching with us had to leave to catch their bus back, and we got to say as long as we wanted. We did a DCL whale watching in the morning and then went to the Glacier on our own.



Hi!  We are doing the Mendenhall Glacier Explorer next week and am wondering if you can explain more why we should visit there on our own?  Is it mainly the time limit?  DH and I are bringing an 18 mo old, 5 yr old, 8 yr old, 19 yr old and my parents.  My Dad just had a knee replaced last month.  I'm torn between wanting to have enough time and also not wanting to be out too long.  Does the bus offer more options - such as being able to leave earlier for example if it's a super cold/rainy day?  That might be a good reason to take a bus or a cab?  Thanks!


----------



## kmegibow

Hi again - I searched the thread and haven't seen any reviews of "The Klondike Experience" in Skagway.  Anyone done this one?  

Note, my husband and I are brining our 18 mo, 5 yr, 8 yr olds as well as my parents and 19 yr old sister.  I've had to choose my excursions pretty carefully!  I'd love to know what this activity is really like.  Thanks!


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## LindaBabe

RedSox68 said:


> I had posted a longer version of this on the Vancouver thread, but realize that some of the info might also be helpful here:
> 
> Returned from a 20-day CruiseTour with Holland America (7-day cruise and 12 days on land up into the Yukon) on June 7th.  [I know Disney does not offer this, but I cannot recommend this type of trip highly enough. You will go places you could not go on your own (or would want to drive on your own I should say) and see things that are phenomenal.]
> 
> Anyway, here's a synopsis of what we did and learned. Loved going in May -- lots of ice and snow still left and we did not experience any temps above mid-70's in any city or port and very little rain!
> 
> AMTRAK: We flew into Seattle for one night and took Amtrak the next morning to Vancouver. I cannot say enough about this terrific ride. We did not buy business class, but were in line at the station by 6:30 a.m. for our 7:40 departure and got three seats together on the recommended left side (water views) with no problem. I will definitely say get there early though. We arrived at 6 a.m. when baggage check in opened and there was a line. As soon as we got our bags checked, we got in line at the booth that assigns seats, which opened a little before 7 a.m.
> 
> In Ketchikan we had opted to do a day on our own, but when we departed the ship (another non-rainy day for us), we saw an opportunity for a shuttle tour that was discounted by $10/pp and we were glad we took it. We were taken out to the totem poles, to a village and along the waterways where we stopped to watch harbor seals. It was a 4-hour tour and we had a great time with our local driver Justin.  This town has some of my favorite shops.  But we were told by our tour guide (a local resident) that all the shops along the waterfront are owned by the cruise lines and they give nothing back to the town in revenue.  ALL the help is outside seasonal workers and they do not hire the local towns folk.  So we shopped only at stores that were locally owned.
> 
> Favorite port: Skagway. We did the full day excursion with Chilkoot Tours that started with the incredible/extraordinary/phenomenal ride on the White Pass Yukon Express (http://www.chilkootcharters.com/yukonrail.htm). We had the most beautiful day and could see for miles. The train ride is just so relaxing and full of views of wildlife, rivers, lakes, snowcapped mountains, etc. When we arrived at the end of the line, our bus driver met us (Terrell from Texas -- you were the best) and we continued on to Caribou Crossing Trading Post for our lunch and a visit with husky puppies! Now granted, the place looks like a western front for a movie, but it was fun and the food was delicious: BBQ chicken, baked potato, rolls, cole slaw and homemade donuts. Sodas were extra, but iced tea, coffee and tea included. We stayed there about 90 minutes because they also have a wildlife museum and a petting zoo (all included). Then we went on to Emerald Lake and Carcross and Lake Bennett. I loved this choice vs. the ship's excursion because Terrell would stop anywhere you wanted, pull over for pictures or animal sightings, and was so personable and knowledgeable. There were only about 18 of us and it was great fun. We left at 8 a.m. and returned at about 4 p.m. He made several stops dropped people off wherever they wanted in town, or taking them back to the ship. Worth every single penny.  With this type of excursion, you do go up into the Yukon by bus.  The train no longer goes that far.
> 
> Upon return we bought tickets ($5/pp) at the Red Onion Saloon for a tour and it was great fun -- lots of original wallpaper, dresses, etc. Then we walked back to the ship (a truly nice walk along a paved pathway) while Eagles flew overhead.
> 
> Juneau: Only excursion we booked through the ship (for the cruise portion) was Best of Juneau. What a terrific excursion. I must start out by saying that I have read voluminous reviews of this excursion with a lot of people complaining about there not being enough time at Mendenhall Glacier. I couldn't understand that statement as we felt an hour was more than enough time. Granted, we knew we were not going to walk to the waterfall, but there was an incredible waterfall fully visible from the land's edge next to the glacier! We spent about 40 minutes out at the glacier, walking around the viewing platforms and on the beach. We had 15 minutes to shop inside which was more than enough time. We felt very satisfied.
> 
> Then we went on the whale watching vessel which was a surprise to all of us as we didn't expect it to be so big and comfy. It sets more than 400 and has huge windows on both floors and we were very satisfied even sitting in the middle row because you are constantly getting up and down. We spent a good 3 hours onboard plus another hour at the Orca Lodge for lunch. Now let me tell you, this lunch was awesome. It was a beautiful pavilion with views all around of the water and the beach. They had chicken skewers, salmon, rice, potato salad, rolls and brownies. Lemonade, ice and hot tea and coffee were included. Sodas and alcohol were extra.
> 
> Vancouver: We stayed at the Pan Pacific Vancouver for our pre-cruise nights. We had opted for the harbor/mountain view and it was so so worth it. We watched seaplanes taking off and landing and our room was literally right above where the ships dock. So we could look down onto the pool decks of the ships as they docked and got ready for their next departure. The hotel is gorgeous, the rooms were large and very well decorated. We did not eat in any of their restaurants as they were pricey, but there is a food mall underneath the hotel that can be reached by inside escalator.
> 
> What was so convenient about this hotel is that the entrance to the cruise terminal is a ride down in their elevator to the basement! We called a porter to come and get our luggage and he told us you will see it in your stateroom. We then took the elevator and got off and there it was -- no having to go outside or call a cab or anything. They had reps all along the way directing us to the HAL check in.
> 
> While in Vancouver we bought the Big Pink Bus tickets (they are merged with the Big Red Bus). The station stop was right outside the Pan Pacific main door! We always tried to get the pink bus though as they had a live narrator whereas the red buses were pre-recorded narrations that never seemed to be on the right area when we passed. The combo ticket for two days was so reasonable. The first day we just rode the bus the full route, and then got off at Granville Island. We then got back on and took it to Chinatown where we did the gardens and then had dinner at Hon's on the recommendation of our driver. The next day we took it to Stanley Park and then inside the park took the (included) park tour on a different bus. Very convenient. When done, they dropped us off at the bus stop and we waited for the red or pink bus. On the way back to town, we jumped off at Gastown and did a little touring there and watched the steam clock, then went up into the tower there (similar to the Seattle Needle type of thing). There were some terrific restaurants across the plaza from the hotel that we ate in (one Italian, one Irish) and they were very good and reasonable.
> 
> I can also highly recommend the Fairmont Airport Vancouver Hotel. We were put up there by HAL on the last night of our land tour. What a gorgeous hotel. Our room had a view of the mountains and runway. Totally sound proof (never heard one plane coming in or taking off). And the hotel entrance goes right down into the airport with a short distance to the food court. We really liked that the food court at this airport was BEFORE security. We had lunch (chinese) and dinner (burgers) there. If we ever fly into Vancouver, I would definitely stay here again.
> 
> In Seattle we stayed at the Inn at the Market pre-cruise -- literally at the top of the hill of the Pike Place Market. It was a townhouse (all they had available for three) and was beautiful. The beds were comfortable and the views of the city and Pike Place were great. Very convenient for the area and we were able to finish the market that day before leaving the next morning. The people there were very helpful and kind. No complaints about this place either.
> 
> Post-cruise in Seattle we stayed at the Silver Cloud Inn at Lake Union. We found this hotel to be one of our top favorites for all that was included with such a reasonable per night price. Our room was a lake view and on the top floor so that you could see the seaplanes taking off and the boats and yachts coming and going. They also provide a free extensive continental breakfast that includes hot items like scrambled eggs, sausage, waffles and ham, plus toast, bagels, cereals, yogurts, etc. They also provide a free (although we tipped the driver each time) shuttle to and from three drop off points in town -- the Needle, Pioneer Square and Pike Place. All you had to do was call them when you were ready to be picked up. They ran from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. We were also within walking distance of the boat harbor and ate at Duke's on the water for lunch one day.
> 
> They also have an indoor pool and jacuzzi, and a business center where you can go on the computers to print out documents and boarding passes -- also free. And FREE INTERNET. That was a huge plus for us.  Of all the hotels we stayed at, this would be a no-brainer one if we go back to Seattle. The thoughtful layout, convenience, decor, ambiance and outgoing staff were wonderful.
> 
> Can't think of anything else, but please feel free to ask questions or pick my brain!



THANK YOU!  You are a font of wisdom and I really appreciate that you took the time to post.


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## tink1963

kmegibow said:


> Hi!  We are doing the Mendenhall Glacier Explorer next week and am wondering if you can explain more why we should visit there on our own?  Is it mainly the time limit?  DH and I are bringing an 18 mo old, 5 yr old, 8 yr old, 19 yr old and my parents.  My Dad just had a knee replaced last month.  I'm torn between wanting to have enough time and also not wanting to be out too long.  Does the bus offer more options - such as being able to leave earlier for example if it's a super cold/rainy day?  That might be a good reason to take a bus or a cab?  Thanks!



Hi, Yes I would say mainly for the time limit. The Blue Bus runs approx. every 30 min. They pick you up at the cruise port and drop you off at the parking lot for the visitor center. I liked the freedom to be able to stay as long or as little as I wanted. And if part of your group wants to leave and say, your DH and the older kids want to stay, they know that they can catch a later bus if you went back with the little ones and your parents. And when you first board they will tell you when the last bus back will be. The driver was very helpful and knowledgeable.

We were just heading to catch the bus back when we spotted the bear by the creek/walking trails and were able to stay as long as we wanted, with no worries about missing "our" bus. I did hear so many people that were watching the bear with us saying how they wished they could stay longer but that it was time to catch "their" tour bus. 

This is a video of the bear we saw. He/She was fishing in the creek and finally caught a meal. (click on pic and it will take you to video)




And a couple of pictures


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## tink1963

and a quick add, I have heard that if you take the "city" bus service, you don't get dropped off as close as if you take the "Blue Bus"


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## AquaDame

What time of year were you there to see the bears? Endlessly torn between keeping my June cruise next year or paying extra to move it back some...


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## tink1963

AquaDame said:


> What time of year were you there to see the bears? Endlessly torn between keeping my June cruise next year or paying extra to move it back some...



We sailed Aug 23rd.


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## jenf22

tink1963 said:


> We sailed Aug 23rd.



  That's great to hear!  We're going the first week in September.  I imagine the bears will still be there!


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## tink1963

jenf22 said:


> That's great to hear!  We're going the first week in September.  I imagine the bears will still be there!



I have heard that the wildlife is more active in the end of summer months, I guess getting fattened up for the upcoming winter. We did a wildlife bear vewing in ketchican and saw 20+ bear on that excursion.

We had a long list on our wildlife wish list and I think we saw everything plus some we didn't even expect to see, except the Sea Otter, which was at the very top of my list.


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## RedSox68

We originally had July booked and moved it back to May this year.  As noted above, we saw tons of wildlife (including grizzly and black bear and orcas) and enjoyed the cooler temps and no mosquitoes.  I am a winter girl at heart, so I absolutely loved the ice and snow. 

We are thinking of booking another cruise (only) next year (not a cruisetour) and are thinking of going in September. (This one goes to Sitka and Victoria). From everything I've read here, sounds like there's a chance we'll see even more bear and possibly the salmon running (?).  

BTW, just another shout out to all who take time in their day to keep these informative threads so up-to-date.  Our first trip to Alaska was made TONS easier because of all the info I gathered here.


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## DizDays

RedSox68 said:


> We are thinking of booking another cruise (only) next year (not a cruisetour) and are thinking of going in September. (This one goes to Sitka and Victoria). From everything I've read here, sounds like there's a chance we'll see even more bear and possibly the salmon running (?).



DH and I are going on the September 3rd cruise this year.  I'll give a shout out afterward to let you know if that is the case for us.



RedSox68 said:


> BTW, just another shout out to all who take time in their day to keep these informative threads so up-to-date.  Our first trip to Alaska was made TONS easier because of all the info I gathered here.



ITA!  This has been the BEST resource bar none.  Where else can you get firsthand knowledge shared with you and custom answers to your questions?  This board ROCKS!


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## Deb in IA

Just got back from the June 25 - July 2 Wonder cruise to Alaska.
Had a GREAT time, but if I could change one thing, it would be longer port times, especially for Victoria and Ketchikan.  Also, because the ship leaves so early, many of the excursions met at 7:30 am!  

Tracy Arm: Although Disney says they have photographers on Decks 4, 9 and 10, we only saw them on Deck 10. We were waiting around all day on Deck 9, and only caught one when he was coming down from Deck 10.
We entered Tracy Arm around 1 pm, arrived at the Sawyer Glacier around 3 pm, and turned around and left around 4:30 pm.  

Skagway: If you go to the City Tour, White Pass Railroad and Yukon Suspension Bridge tour, BRING MOSQUITO REPELLANT!!! The suspension bridge stop was thick with them and they are deadly! DS got bit so badly his entire hand was swollen for a couple of days. 
The City Tour is a bit of a mismoner, since the "city" is only about 4 blocks.  The bus then takes you up into Fraser, BC, making a few stops for scenic views and to build a tower of rocks that guided the native people (I forgot the name of this).  Then it stops at the Suspension Bridge, where the gift shop has great maple syrup cream cookies!!!  We took the White Pass Railroad train back into Skagway - it was beautiful, but we were so tired from getting up so early, DD fell asleep on the train!  
Our main gripe is that the train drops you off in town, and the directions back to the ship are not very clear.  We ended up on the other side of the harbor, and had to backtrack to get back.  

Juneau: We did the Whale Quest and Mendenhall Glacier tour. They provide binoculars on the boat for the whale quest, and we saw lots of humpbacks and seals and bald eagles.  They give out homemade donut holes and samples of smoked salmon, and you can buy other consessions.  The boat was comfortable and covered, since it rained all day on us.  As for the glacie, you don't really walk out onto the glacier; you really only have time to go to the visitors center there. 

Ketchikan: We did the Saxman Native Village and Lumberjack Show. Both are excellent. Learned a lot about the Tlingit culture and totem poles.  The show was entertaining. Just wished we had longer in port - had to leave by 12:30.


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## RedSox68

Deb in IA said:


> Skagway: If you go to the City Tour, White Pass Railroad and Yukon Suspension Bridge tour, BRING MOSQUITO REPELLANT!!! The suspension bridge stop was thick with them and they are deadly! DS got bit so badly his entire hand was swollen for a couple of days.



Another reason why I REALLY liked going in May


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## 2PrincesseInTow

Just back from the July 2-9 cruise.  We are DW, DH, DD 10 and DD6.  Here's my review:

*Skagway*-We did the *zipline* in the the morning.  DD6 stayed on the ship as she is not heavy enough (must be 60lbs).  Took a shuttle for about a 30 minute ride, then transferred to the Unimog to go up the hill.  They have restrooms (real, not outhouses) where the shuttle drops you.  The area is really beautiful and you zip over streams and beautiful scenery.  We all had a great time.

In the afternoon the whole family did the *Temsco Helicopter and Dog Sled Adventure*.  I booked this directly with Temsco and their location couldn't have been more convenient.  It's right where the Wonder docks in Skagaway, it's literally across the parking lot.  Temsco provides boots or boots to go over your tennis shoes.  They weigh you when you check in (they don't broadcast it) and assign you a seat in the helicopter based on weight.  The helicopter ride was amazing.  What a great way to see Alaska.  We landed at the dog camp where they offered hats, gloves and sunglasses to use while on the glacier.  We met our team and musher.  We all had a chance to drive (even the 6 year old) and had a wonderful time.  It all went by too quickly.  I think this was our favorite adventure of our whole trip.  

*Juneau*- *Enchanted Taku Lodge by Float Plane*  This was another wonderful adventure.  We boarded a shuttle at the ship and drove about 5 minutes to the end of the pier to board out plane.  They ask for your weight and write it on your ticket.  Planes hold 10 people and they try to keep families together.  I don't think they had to split up families on our trip but we had 50 people (the maximum) on the excursion so it may have happened.  Great ice field and glacier viewing on the ride to the Lodge, recorded narration during the flight.  My DD 10 was in the copilot seat and loved it.  When you land you're right across the lake from the Hole in the Wall glacier so any glacier photos you missed at Tracy Arm you can take on this trip.  We had a while to look around before lunch.  Lunch was great, great salmon, baked apples, baked beans, cole slaw, bread and really good biscuits, iced tea and lemonade.  If you don't like salmon they have chicken and mac & cheese also.  They use glacier ice in their drinks.  You can purchase wine and beer.  My DD 10 was not thrilled with the animal heads and pelts in the lodge.  There was a roaring fire which was nice. They also have a gift shop.  After lunch we went on a guided walk through the forest which was beautiful.  Mesquitos were thick and hungry.  They had bug spray there for you but we still were bitten quite a bit.  When you arrived back at the lodge there were two bears cleaning up the BBQ and we watched them for awhile.  Then we headed back to Juneau.  Another wonderful day.

*Ketchikan* - *Rainforest Canoe Trip and Nature Walk*  We had pouring rain in Ketchikan and it poured most of the time we were on our adventure.  We boarded a bus at the port and went for about a 30 minute drive to the lake.  We were provided with ponchos which we put over our raincoats to help keep our pants dry.  The canoe holds about 20 people.  It was so incredibly beautiful on the lake.  The different shades of green were amazing.  Our guide was very nice and knowledgeable.  We paddled around the lake and then landed at a camp.  We went on the very short nature walk and saw more amazing forest (it was somewhat different from what we'd seen the day before).  We went back to the camp and had hot chocolate, coffee, smoked salmon, really good clam chowder, gold fish and rolls with raspberry jam.... really just a snack and warm up for us.  Then we paddled back to where we started and took the bus back to the port.  We arrived back at about 11:30 so we had an hour to hit a souvenir shop before heading back to the Wonder.

*Victoria* - We got off the ship and took the shuttle to the downtown area.  Walked around a bit.  I wish we'd gone to the Butchart Gardens but we were worried that DD 6 would have a melt down that late at night.

It was a great trip!  I think the short port times are really okay with younger children.  It was enough off the ship time for them.


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## lucky1

We were on the same cruise as 2PrincesseInTow!   Here is our excrusion experiences.   I think I can echo that I wish we had more time in port.

*Skagway*.  We did the *White Pass Railway and Liarsville*.  I booked one of the early adventures, so that we would have time to spend exploring afterwards.   We met in the morning on the ship and then were transported by bus to the White Pass Railway which is probably just a 15 minute walk from the ship.   We were assigned a railway car.   One tip if you are riding up to Canada, sit on the left side (face the direct of the train will be traveling and sit on the left).   The views were great and the nariation was good.  DH and DMIL spend majority of the time riding the rails outside on the platform between cars.  







I believe the trip took about 1 1/2 hour up to the border with Canada.  You will need passports for this trip and will be inspected at the border.  Then you are met back at the border, by your bus driver, who drives you back down to Skagway with several stops along the way to get out and take pictures.   The nariation on the bus was also very good.   Prior to getting to Skagway we stopped at Liarsville, which was an old camp that has been set up to be like it was during the gold rush.  You are escorted into a small area and given cider and cookies (store bought as we saw them opening the box of them).  Then they put on a small little show that gives a bit of history and some corney jokes.  Then you are given some information on how to pan for gold and then set loose to pan for gold.  You are guarenteed to get some flakes because they purchased them ahead of time.  Honestly our family could have done without the Liarsville stop and we all thought it was hokey.  DD10 was excited to pan for gold, but really wasn't interested in their little skit they did.  After about an hour, you reboard the bus and head back to Skagway.  You can be dropped back at the ship or in town.    Weather was great this whole trip

*Juneau*  We also did the  *Enchanted Taku Lodge by Float Plane * and probably during the same time as 2PrincesseInTow, as her desription was pretty similar, though I don't remember seeing them. I will include pictures.  They had 2 meet times, early and then ours was at 9:45.  I wish we could have been on the earlier one as the Adventures by Disney team was on that one and they had more time aftewards to explore Junaeu. Another idea might be to meet your excursion in town, so you have time to explore a bit of Juneau.
This excursion the highlight of our trip.  Just fantastic and I would want to do it again and will recommend this exerience.  The hosts at Taku Lodge really know how to treat the guests.  Also the weather was fantastic!  
Views from the flight over to Taku









Taku Lodge




Hole in the wall Glacier which you can see from the Lodge:




One of the bears that enjoyed the BBQ 




Our 10 seater float plane






*Ketichan* It was pouring and we had scheduled the early show of the Disney Enhanced Great Alaskan Lumberjack show.   8am show.  You are seated under cover and heated grandstands so no worries about getting wet during the show.   I know a lot of folks like this, but we honestly didn't enjoy it as much.  I think they really trying to add a lot of humor to this and engaged the kids in the audience and we really wanted to see more of the action between the lumberjacks.  It lasted about an hour we were happy when it was over.   
Some of the action that we were hoping for more of:




We had 3 hours to explore Ketichan, which like most ports now is full of Jewelry stores (I don't get it??)

*Victoria*  We took the Short City Tour and Butchart Garden tour.  Really there isn't much to do, but we felt you could not go to Victoria and not explore the garden.   Our bus driver was very interesting, Bob pointed out all the building that had recently been coverted into condos and then talked about the political climate in Victoria.  He did state at the beginning of the tour, that this was going to be his verison of the City tour.   We arrived at Butchart Garden before 7:45pm and had until 9:45pm to explore.  It was a rush with 2 master garderners in our group,  they really wanted to spend more time and have better light.   By about 9:30 it started to get dark and made it difficult to see the gardens so we got back on the bus.   We got back to the ship right at 10:30pm   It was such a rushed night, because we had to have our luggage out before 10:30, so we packed before and had everything out before we left on the excruision.


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## staxia

2PrincesseInTow said:


> Just back from the July 2-9 cruise.  We are DW, DH, DD 10 and DD6.  Here's my review:
> 
> *Skagway*-
> 
> In the afternoon the whole family did the *Temsco Helicopter and Dog Sled Adventure*.  I booked this directly with Temsco and their location couldn't have been more convenient.  It's right where the Wonder docks in Skagaway, it's literally across the parking lot.  Temsco provides boots or boots to go over your tennis shoes.  They weigh you when you check in (they don't broadcast it) and assign you a seat in the helicopter based on weight.  The helicopter ride was amazing.  What a great way to see Alaska.  We landed at the dog camp where they offered hats, gloves and sunglasses to use while on the glacier.  We met our team and musher.  We all had a chance to drive (even the 6 year old) and had a wonderful time.  It all went by too quickly.  I think this was our favorite adventure of our whole trip.



I was there the week before, on the June 25th sailing. We also booked independently through Temsco in Skagway, too.. HOWEVER... Don't count on being at the dock that shares a parking lot with Temsco.. We thought it might, but when we got there, we were in for a big surprise!! lol.  The Wonder docked all the way on the furthest away dock, by the rock wall with the graffiti..  Super close to the White Pass Railroad, but definitely NOT close to Temsco!  We walked over there (20 minutes) but they had a shuttle to bring us back.  They would have picked us up too, but I didn't notice the offer until the night before, and by then it was too late. LOL..   Worst case scenario is the walk we had, which was like walking from the front of Epcot, to the back of World Showcase and back around to the front again. 

That being said.. don't let that walking distance keep you from flying with them. It was EXCEPTIONAL!! We loved our musher and the ride.. She gave us TONS of information about the dogs, the culture, the races.. everything.. both from when we first got there, and then she talked the entire way around... it was awesome, b/c I was videoing and so in addition to the awesome views, there's narration about it, too.. which is cool!!

If you book a helicopter/dogsled excursion there, through the ship, it's with Temsco, too... But it's cheaper if you do it on your own..   Plus, you get more options on times, and like we did, book the dogsled for the AM and then the White Pass and Yukon railroad for the afternoon. The view from the office is even pretty gosh darn amazing.. The staff at Temsco had nothing but great things to say about Disney as well.. even if we didn't book through the ship, they appreciate how organized Disney is about everything.


----------



## OregonMom

We are also just back from the July 2-9 cruise.  We are DW, DH, DD 11. About the mosquitos, I brought the OFF! Deep Woods Towelettes with DEET and kept them with me. Less muss and fuss than sprays. Most of the guides only offer the non-DEET versions, and they just dont work as well. So if you have no philosophical problems with it, I advise just keeping a few DEET towelettes on you at all times when youre off the boat, so youre prepared. 

*Skagway*-My DD and I did the *Alaska Nature and Wildlife Expedition. *Likes: great guides Don and Judy, Don is a retired ranger, and Judy is a biologist who has published guides on plant life in Alaska. Knowledgeable, nice, and very informed! They worked hard with the spotting scopes to help everyone see the wildlife, including mountain goats on the faraway ridges, and baby eagles in their nests. Hike was very easy, just a few roots that might make it hard for those with mobility issues to navigate. We were mainly on the bus. Got to see a lot of great habitat and animals, lake, estuary, river, temperate forest, etc. Nice history lessons on the area as well, including the fort to keep the Canadians from invading the new territory of Alaska as they crept across the line trying to force the border further north and gain territory. Dislikes: the description said we would go upriver in catamarans, so I imagined small open boats where we would be close to the water. Instead, they were just small ferry boats, like buses, indoors with bench seating. This one is probably just my misunderstanding. Another dislike, though, is that they say you will "Watch a fish technician count and sample the run", but the guides just slowed down and pointed them out to us as they bus drove on by. Not exactly what I would call "watching". And the relaxing lunch while we talked to the guides became a grab your lunch and eat it on the ferry, although to be fair, it was so our party could watch the bears feeding in the estuary area for as long as possible. Overall, though, we really enjoyed it. Some people combined this with helicopter flights or other excursions in the afternoon, but we just enjoyed this one and went back to the boat.

*Juneau*- *Enchanted Taku Lodge by Float Plane* 
PrincesseInTow, we were on the same 9:45 Taku Lodge trip, and I agree with everything you had to say. Flying over the glaciers and eating right below one was AMAZING! My DD 11 was also not happy with the many hanging pelts and animal heads. I loved her hearing the story of the intrepid Mary who put the lodge on the map and made the 1,000 mile trip by dog sled to Fairbanks. We bought the cookbook to find out how to make that wonderful biscuit, it was delicious. Our favorite excursion by far! 3 big thumbs up.

*Ketchikan* - *Knutson Cove Salmon Fishing*  DH and DD11 went on this one while I had a massage (Ahhhh!) It was raining like crazy, but they had a fantastic time. They paired them up with a couple of kids her age fishing with their young uncle, and they all talked and chatted the whole time. Guide was great with them all, and very easy going and knowledgeable. They landed one salmon (the other party, DDs jumped off the hook). DH said he recommends them, and he has done a lot of salmon fishing here at home.

*Victoria* -  We just stayed on the boat here and relaxed, so no report for Victoria.

We really enjoyed it all! It was wonderful.


----------



## steves100

*Skagway*- Rented a Jeep from Green Jeep.  Excellent service, they picked up at the dock.   Drove to the Yukon and back, much better than riding the train in my opinion.

*Juneau*- Helicopter and Dog sledding on Glacier.   THE BEST PART OF THE WHOLE TRIP!!!!    Yes it is expensive but well worth it.   My wife said she would do it again in a heart beat and she is cheap.

*Ketichikan*Got lucky and sea plane was cancelled.   After doing the helicopter wanted to cancel excursion but was told we could not.   Weather cancelled it for us!!

*Victoria*- Butcharts Gardens and Butterflys.   The gardens are a must see.  The butterflys not so much.



Steve


----------



## busybethie

HI.  Anyone here done zipline on the Alaska cruise?  If yes, which port has the best zipline adventure for the money?  What did you like and no like about any of these?

Thanks.

Beth


----------



## AquaDame

OregonMom said:


> *Juneau*- *Enchanted Taku Lodge by Float Plane*
> My DD 11 was also not happy with the many hanging pelts and animal heads.



 Welp, definitely won't be doing that one!


----------



## AquaDame

RedSox68 said:


> We originally had July booked and moved it back to May this year.  As noted above, we saw tons of wildlife (including grizzly and black bear and orcas) and enjoyed the cooler temps and no mosquitoes.  I am a winter girl at heart, so I absolutely loved the ice and snow.



My husband is Canadian, so he is a winter boy at heart too!  Was there a particular excursion you had to go on to see the bears/orcas? I am comforted knowing you saw them in May that it is really just going to be up to chance!  I have seen a lot of black bears/seals/bald eagles in my time (I live in Oregon) so its a grizzly and wild Orca I'm after!


----------



## lucky1

AquaDame said:


> Welp, definitely won't be doing that one!




Ahh.. don't let that detract you from the Enchanted Taku Lodge.  It was only inside the lodge, we spent majority of our time outside.  It was so wonderful.   



AquaDame said:


> My husband is Canadian, so he is a winter boy at heart too!  Was there a particular excursion you had to go on to see the bears/orcas? I am comforted knowing you saw them in May that it is really just going to be up to chance!  I have seen a lot of black bears/seals/bald eagles in my time (I live in Oregon) so its a grizzly and wild Orca I'm after!



DH and DD saw whales and dolphins off the Ship.   I also heard from those who were on the Whale watching excursions that they saw lots of Whales  During our July 2 cruise.


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## LynneyPooh

busybethie said:


> HI.  Anyone here done zipline on the Alaska cruise?  If yes, which port has the best zipline adventure for the money?  What did you like and no like about any of these?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Beth



we did the zip line excursion in scagway.   I think it's grizzly falls- it had 11 lines and was absolutely WONDERFUL!  the zip guides were great,  and professional.  safety was of up most importance.  you could tell, without them beating the rules over and over, very subtle.  the # of people was kept low,  then broke down into smaller groups.  in our immediate group had 7 guests and 2 guides.  two families - ours with 3,  and another with 4 people. 

 they handle the kids great ( our DD10) was almost to light , and didn't make it to the end of the longest zip.  not a problem,  they made it an adventure pulling her in- she thought it was awesome!   

in addition, the scenery was indescribable- on private property. Zipping over the waterfalls was great.  the zip lines were all different lengths.  if I'm remembering correctly they've only been in business 2 years-this being their 2nd year.    the ride up the mountain was fun too.  we booked through Disney due to the fact there were nothing but late times left directly through them.  

in addition,  another guide we had earlier in the day for our train/bus ride told us he had done both zip lines in scagway,  and this one was the better of the two. He wasn't soliciting business- as we were finishing the bus ride it was general conversation, as in what are you doing the rest of the day,  where can I drop you off?  when we stated we wanted lunch then had to meet our zip line tour, he asked if I remembered the name and when I told him he said good that was the better of the 2.

 I thought  this was a pricey excursion for us.  there were no "frills". or perks like medals, certificates or pictures included. A snack was provided @ the end of bottle water and granola bars. Our guide did take a family photo of us on one of the suspension bridges with our camera,  and this was offered to everyone.
I do think I need to disclose that this excursion it is the only one we booked thru Disney and we had to pay adult prices for DD 10.

We were in scagway on June 21.  the only negative was a few Mosquitos.  By now I'd make sure I had bug repellent with me. DH said he did encounter a couple of the black flies...


After saying all this:  we'd do it again and again, even with the price we paid.  We all agree this was one of our favorite things we did!!!!!


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## parkinfamily

Just back from the Wonder July 2-9.  What an awe-inspiring set of destinations!  Here is a quick recap of our adventures.

Skagway:  Liarsville Gold Rush Trail Camp and Salmon Bake.  Like previous people, we thought it was a bit corny, but it was fun for DD9 and because it was a Disney excursion,  Chip&Dale and Donald joined us for gold panning, which made it even more fun.  The food was delicious and the glaze they had for the salmon was amazing!  Definitely beautiful surroundings and recommended for people with young kids.

Skagway:  Mushers Camp and Sled Dog Experience.  This was a great adventure.  We could not afford the dog sledding on the glacier, and our daughter is fascinated with Sled Dogging.  This was the perfect excursion.  We took a bus to the camp, then rode a unimog up to where the dogs were.  They were barking, yipping, and ready to go as we arrived.  We got into wheeled sleds and off we went!  So amazing to feel the power of those dogs.  Then unimog back to camp for a talk about equipment, supplies, etc.  Many of the dogs and mushers at this camp are actual Iditarod racers so my daughter got to ask many questions,  which were answered patiently and completely.  Hot cocoa and coffee was available.  The highlight:  holding the puppies!  Amazing.  Lifetime memories for sure!

Juneau:  Juneau City & Mendenhall Glacier Tour.  Absolutely my favorite excursion.  This is one of the few excursions that allows you a full 90 minutes at the glacier.  Be absolutely certain to take the Nugget Falls trail (says its 45 min trail, but more like 30-round trip-for able-bodied people) plan for 10-15 minutes at the falls to take in the beauty of your surroundings and process exactly what you ate experiencing.  Visitors center is good for kids and adults.  Gift shop in the visitor center.  Be sure to walk down to the edge of the lake...you might get lucky and have an iceberg close enough to touch, or in our case, close enough to wade out to...brrrrrrr!  Great narration on the bus through Juneau and fabulous eagle sightings.  This excursion included a tour of Macaulay Salmon Hatchery.  A neat stop and good info.  Kids like it bc of touch tanks and live animals.  We liked it because it gave us our best bald eagle sighting opportunities.  Still had plenty of time for shopping afterwards.  DH bought me a "piece of the glacier" as a souvenir of our trip--a blue topaz solitaire pendant.  <3

Ketchikan:  Expect rain.  They get 160" of rain per year!  Accept it as part of the experience...don't let it scare you.  BRING RAIN PONCHOS.  We did City Highlights, Totems, and Creek Street by Trolley.  Probably another one of my faves, but I like to learn about the people and history of the areas I visit.  Fabulous Ketchikan native for narrator.  Lots of great tidbits!   Saxman Village Totem Pole Park was amazing!  Lots of history and we even got to watch a master carver actually carving in the carving shed!  Such an honor. Trolley took us back to Creek Street and we could either ride back to the ship or stay at Creek Street and walk.back.  We walked back because we wanted to sightsee some more.  5 block walk through town back to the ship.  Easy.  Make sure you visit Creek Street, even if its just for a photo stop.

Victoria:  Free Shuttle to downtown.  Just wandered and took photos.  Locals told us that Buschardt Gardens was a 5 hour trip to do it well, and we just didn't have the time.  We may do it someday.  Didn't feel like we missed out.

Such an amazing trip!  Lifetime memories for DH, DD9, and certainly for me!  Lots of bucket list items checked off on this trip!

Hope this helps.  Let me know if you have other questions.


----------



## diznefan76

We have this excursion booked for our Aug 6th cruise & I am curious if anyone has done this and what your thoughts were.


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## disnanny

we did this excursion last year on our cruise and really enjoyed it. The staff were very friendly and helpful, the crab was great. Enjoy your cruise


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## mgmcpa

After reading all 52 pages, I still have a coupld questions about Juneau options:

In Juneau I see lots of talk about the city bus shuttle that takes you out to the glacier for $16 round trip.  Does anyone know if you can buy this ticket just one way, $8?


Reason I ask is that we are interested in taking the normal, slower, city bus back to port so that we can get off at the Hospital stop, which is the location of the Salmon Hatchery.  

Has anyone done this?   Anything we should be aware of?

We really only want to see the glacier and the hatchery, and I just can't fork over big bucks to book a tour when the city bus runs by here for $1.50 one way.


----------



## diznefan76

disnanny said:
			
		

> we did this excursion last year on our cruise and really enjoyed it. The staff were very friendly and helpful, the crab was great. Enjoy your cruise



Thanks Disnanny! Good to know that it was enjoyable and that the crab was good! I'm so looking forward to this excursion!!!


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## RedSox68

Those that went in end of June and early July -- did you notice any mosquito problems?


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## lucky1

RedSox68 said:


> Those that went in end of June and early July -- did you notice any mosquito problems?



We went early July... (first week).. the only place we noticed Mosquito's was at the Taku Lodge (Juneau).   The mosquito's were big and thick.  The lodge provide some 30% deet spray and that seem to work.

Ketichan it was raining and skagway we never saw any, but that might be because we were on a moving train or in the middle of town.   I don't remember seeing them at Liarsville, which is heavely wooded area.


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## staxia

We sailed June 25- July 2.  The only place we ran into any mosquitoes was on the train in Skagway.  Not while we were moving, but when we went up to the top and stopped, the mosquitoes swarmed.  Because you could go inside and out, the doors were open and the mosquitoes came in the train cars.


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## RedSox68

staxia said:


> We sailed June 25- July 2.  The only place we ran into any mosquitoes was on the train in Skagway.  Not while we were moving, but when we went up to the top and stopped, the mosquitoes swarmed.  Because you could go inside and out, the doors were open and the mosquitoes came in the train cars.



Yikes, I itch just thinking about it (I have an allergy to them)     I'm curious as to when their "season" ends.  Are they still around in September?


----------



## Deb in IA

RedSox68 said:


> Those that went in end of June and early July -- did you notice any mosquito problems?



We were on the same cruise as staxia, June 25 - July 2, and like her, we only had problems in Skagway.

We did the City, Suspension Bridge and White Pass Railway tour.  

We called the Suspension Bridge stop the "mosquito-feeding stop".  They were all over the place, thick and persistent.  

There were also quite a few IN the railway cars.  

And they were especially deadly.  DS, who normally isn't too bothered by them, had a huge bite on his left hand, which swelled up so badly, his knuckles were completely gone!


----------



## Skylarr29

mgmcpa said:


> After reading all 52 pages, I still have a coupld questions about Juneau options:
> 
> In Juneau I see lots of talk about the city bus shuttle that takes you out to the glacier for $16 round trip.  *Does anyone know if you can buy this ticket just one way, $8*?
> 
> 
> Reason I ask is that we are interested in taking the normal, slower, city bus back to port so that we can get off at the Hospital stop, which is the location of the Salmon Hatchery.
> 
> Has anyone done this?   Anything we should be aware of?
> 
> We really only want to see the glacier and the hatchery, and I just can't fork over big bucks to book a tour when the city bus runs by here for $1.50 one way.



yes, you can do this.


----------



## scrapbooker79

busybethie said:


> HI.  Anyone here done zipline on the Alaska cruise?  If yes, which port has the best zipline adventure for the money?  What did you like and no like about any of these?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Beth



We did Grizzly Falls Ziplining in Skagway. Super fun. Never done it before. No complaints. I loved our guides, Brendan and Melissa. And my BIL left his jacket at camp and they even came back to the ship terminal that day and dropped it off for us!


----------



## mgmcpa

Re:  City bus to hatchery 

I emailed the hatchery and asked about it and they emailed me a one page PDF map of the bus stops, etc and confirmed that the city bus does stop about a quarter mile from the hatchery.


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## girlpenguin

We were on the July 9 sailing. We had an awesome time with great weather! Here's a quick synopsis of the excursions we took.

Skagway: Yukon Bus Excursion (with 15-minute dog cart ride) and railway:
We booked this privately through Chilkoot tours. I highly reccomend this trip. We opted to take the bus up and the train down. Our driver met us at the pier. Our shuttle bus held approximatley 25 people. The driver headed up the highway into the moutains, making frequent stops along the way at various scenic places. We then headed into the Yukon territory of Canada, where we stopped at the world's smallest dessert in Carcross, Emerald Lake (simply stunning), and then had lunch at Caribou Crossing, a cheesy little tourst town. But this is where we did the 15-minute dog cart ride, which was awesome! My daughter then got to pet the husky puppies and see some of the various other animals they had. We headed back to the train station and then took the White Pass Railway down the mountain back to Skagway. This was beautiful. The whole thing lasted about 7 hours and we saw so many spectacular things! The kids did get a little antsy the last 45 minutes or so of the train ride, but it had been a long day so I don't blame them. 

Juneau: Whale Watching with Harv & Marv: Juneau was the only day it rained on our whole cruise. And rain it did! But, that did not stop us from whale watching! Many of the flight-based excursions were cancelled this day so I was glad we had not booked those. Our driver took us by bus (about a 30 minute ride through Juneau) and then we arrived at the pier where our boat was waiting for us. We were a family of 6 and the boat fit us comfortably. We stayed in the inside section and we headed out right away and saw a pod of Orcas right off the bat, which is apparently unusual (they said they only see orcas once every 6 or 7 days). We also found humpbacks, and saw sea lions, eagles, salmon, a porpose, etc. It was very neat. My daughter loved it (she is 6). My 20-month-old fell asleep on the boat, but when she was awake she was excited too. We were out on the water about 3 hours, then the driver took us to Mendenhall Glacier. We were there about 30 minutes, then he picked us back up and took us into town. We wanted to eat at Tracy's Crab Shack, so we got dropped off in town and walked over to Tracy's (yum!!!!) then took a ship shuttle back to the boat. It was an awesome excursion!

Ketchikan: Rain Forest hike, wildlife and raptor center: This was a walk through the rain forest. It was sunny in Ketchikan, which was very unusual! The bus ride took about 20 minutes, then we broke up into small groups and our guide took us out into the rain forest. This was advertised on the Disney site as a stroller-friendly trail and was open to small children. Well, unfortunately, my 20-month-old decided to have a meltdown in the middle of the tour, which was mortifying....and the guide did not make it better by telling me she was going to have to ask us to leave the tour since my daughter was "disturbing the rain forest." I was so stressed out trying to calm her down that I couldn't enjoy the tour. She did calm down shortly after that and we then headed to the raptor center where we saw an owl, bald eagle, and a totem pole carver, before the bus took us back to town. We got back more like 12:45 instead of 12:30, but they told us the ship wasn't actually going to leave until 1 p.m. so all was fine. 

Victoria: Butterfly House and Butchart Gardens: The bus ride took us through town on its way to the butterfly house. Took about 45 minutes to get there. The butterfly house is nice and we spent 45 minutes there, but I wish we could have just skipped it and gone straight to the gardens. We could have seen the whole butterfly house in 20 minutes so it seemed stupid to waste so much time there when the light was fading. We had about 1:15 minutes in the garden. It was simply amazing. Tip - head to the sunken gardens first, while there is still light. It was beautiful. Light started to fade pretty fast around 9:15, and it was pitch black by 10 p.m. when we left, but the gardens were lit up and it was pretty. It was a rush to get through them and I know we didn't see everything, but what we did see was so spectacular that I felt it was worth it. I'd rather be there for 1:15 vs. not get to see it at all, ya know?


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## pudinhd

Many thanks to everyone for sharing their reviews!  We have gathered a lot of helpful information!

Right now we are planning on the Ocean Raft Nature Adventure in Skagway.  I am wondering if anyone has done this excursion or another similar boating trip.  We weren't planning on bringing our camera due to the type of excursion, but it says they will stop for picture taking.  I am just wondering if anyone has any recommendations on whether or not to take the camera and how to keep it dry.  Thank you!!!

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/c...s/skagway-alaska/ocean-raft-nature-adventure/


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## CruznLexi

Has anyone done the Deadliest Catch tour? Going to Alaska next year. Would love to do it.i am Abigail fan of the show.


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## jilljill

CruznLexi said:


> Has anyone done the Deadliest Catch tour? Going to Alaska next year. Would love to do it.i am Abigail fan of the show.



Post #386 on this thread has a review.


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## LynneyPooh

pudinhd said:


> Many thanks to everyone for sharing their reviews!  We have gathered a lot of helpful information!
> 
> Right now we are planning on the Ocean Raft Nature Adventure in Skagway.  I am wondering if anyone has done this excursion or another similar boating trip.  We weren't planning on bringing our camera due to the type of excursion, but it says they will stop for picture taking.  I am just wondering if anyone has any recommendations on whether or not to take the camera and how to keep it dry.  Thank you!!!
> http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/c...s/skagway-alaska/ocean-raft-nature-adventure/



Haven't done this excursion- but maybe I can help with some advice for your camera:  

Depending on the type of camera you have you may be able to buy a waterproof case. (Google your camera type and waterproof case).  I have a canon powershot and have the best waterproof/underwater case for it.  It was a great investment (and I personally thought the case we bought was a tad expensive;  but now I have snorkled with it, carried it on the beach,  by the pool in a resort, and anywhere water is/could be)-  we've already more than got our money's worth...

Also you can now buy waterproof digital camera's for around $100 or so if that's in your budget.  If not then pick up a couple of the waterproof film camera's.

Think of it this way,  if you need help justifying a purchase:   you're heading to a very rainy region,  you're sure to get rained on,  so it'll also help with that also.  Also it's not really for a one time excursion; you'll have it for future vacations, pool days, beach, river days etc.    Just a thought


----------



## TweedleDee/Dum

steves100 said:
			
		

> Skagway- Rented a Jeep from Green Jeep.  Excellent service, they picked up at the dock.   Drove to the Yukon and back, much better than riding the train in my opinion.
> 
> Juneau- Helicopter and Dog sledding on Glacier.   THE BEST PART OF THE WHOLE TRIP!!!!    Yes it is expensive but well worth it.   My wife said she would do it again in a heart beat and she is cheap.
> 
> KetichikanGot lucky and sea plane was cancelled.   After doing the helicopter wanted to cancel excursion but was told we could not.   Weather cancelled it for us!!
> 
> Victoria- Butcharts Gardens and Butterflys.   The gardens are a must see.  The butterflys not so much.
> 
> Steve



So glad to here that your family enjoyed the helicopter/dog sledding adventure in Juneau!!! We are leaving for our cruise on the 23rd and I have been feeling guilty for spending this much money on an excursion.  Thank you for your post.  I have a question... What did you wear?  How cold were you?


----------



## staxia

TweedleDee/Dum said:


> So glad to here that your family enjoyed the helicopter/dog sledding adventure in Juneau!!! We are leaving for our cruise on the 23rd and I have been feeling guilty for spending this much money on an excursion.  Thank you for your post.  I have a question... What did you wear?  How cold were you?



We did dogsledding/glacier out of Skagway, but either way it was WONDERFUL.  It was the most awesome thing I've ever done.  Actually, I probably would have been content with just the helicopter to the glacier, but the dogsledding was bonus!! 

My parents had gone 5 years ago on their 40th anniversary, so my brother and I HAD to go, too.. Never for a minute questioned the cost when we saw their videos.  SO SO SO glad we did. DO NOT feel guilty in the LEAST!!

We layered our clothes.  I just wore jeans and sneakers, then a long sleeve t shirt, zip up hoodie and weather proof outer layer (the outside part of a 3 in 1).  Then the give you a vest to wear, similar to the floatation device you'd use in an emergency on an airplane.  I also had a beanie knit hat and gloves.  AND SUNGLASSES!! you MUST have sunglasses. The place we went offered them if you forgot.  The glacier is completely white and the sun bounces off the snow and blinds you!!  All that to say, we ended up being overdressed... BUT-- that was only because the sun was out that day... It was almost warmer at the glacier than it was down at the office b/c the sun was reflecting and making things warmer!  Most of the time that's not the case, however.  They say the temp can be 15-20 degrees cooler up top.. It really sort of depends on the day,  I guess.  I totally could have been fine in a long sleeved shirt and a jacket to cut the wind and jeans.\

I hope you have an absolute BLAST!!


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## preedymtnwest

pudinhd said:


> Many thanks to everyone for sharing their reviews!  We have gathered a lot of helpful information!
> 
> Right now we are planning on the Ocean Raft Nature Adventure in Skagway.  I am wondering if anyone has done this excursion or another similar boating trip.  We weren't planning on bringing our camera due to the type of excursion, but it says they will stop for picture taking.  I am just wondering if anyone has any recommendations on whether or not to take the camera and how to keep it dry.  Thank you!!!
> 
> http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/c...s/skagway-alaska/ocean-raft-nature-adventure/



I agree with LynneyPooh about the camera case, but will add this option.

We've purchased dive-worthy cases for our last two Canon point-and-shoots and have gotten amazing pictures and videos in Hawaii and even at Great Wolf Lodge.  However, they're pretty spendy and bulky to pack.  

So, for our recent Adventures by Disney trip, where we were going to be kayaking on the Potomac River, we purchased a waterproof camera bag at REI instead - it ran about $35 (I think) and was MUCH easier to pack!    It worked great during the kayaking trip.  The clear bag is kind of "sticky" inside, which does help the camera stay put and not slide around, but we did have to play with it to come up with the best way to open the lens (if there wasn't enough air space in front of the camera, the lens would meet resistance and not open).  We were glad we had it, just to protect the camera from splashes, and there were splashes!   

I also bought a small version for my iPhone and used it on the kayak trip; the phone touch pad works great through the plastic and I was able to take some photos and post them soon after on Facebook.  Both bags came with a lanyard and/or other attachment method so you can secure the camera and not worry about it getting away (although I think the camera bag promised floating if filled with enough air).

Just another option; it really gave us peace of mind to not worry about getting the camera (and phone) wet!


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## tksbaskets

About 5 years ago I decided I was tired of spending big bucks for cruises and then taking a disposable camera on water/rough excursions.  I purchased an Olympus waterproof/shockproof camera and have been very pleased with it for it's intended purpose.

I have a Cannon Rebel T3i digital camera that I use for my primary picture taking.  I've found no acceptable substitute for the shutter speed and picture quality of a SLR camera.

The Olympus had the slow shutter responsiveness of any point and shoot camera but you can stuff it in your back pocket and go horseback riding, attach it to your life vest and go white water rafting, or take it to the beach and swim and have pretty darned decent digital photos and not worry about your 'expensive camera'.

Here is a link to the newer version on Amazon.  BTW it's half the price I paid.
http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-TG-320-Series-Optical-Blue/dp/B006ZAHNHC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1343140470&sr=8-2&keywords=olympus+waterproof+camera

This one while pricier has excellent reviews.  This is about what I paid 5 years ago for a lot less camera:
http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-TG-1iHS-Waterproof-Digital-Optical/dp/B00803WNOK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1343140470&sr=8-3&keywords=olympus+waterproof+camera

_As an aside - we were on an Adventures by Disney trip in 2009 and my Canon (older digital rebel) died  - completely died - as we were about to hike in the Grand Tetons.  Thank goodness for my little Olympus (that I brought for the rafting/horseback riding parts of the adventure) that became my ONLY camera for most of the trip.  I now ALWAYS travel with both cameras.  I would have been sick to have only disposable camera pics of such a wonderful trip._

Hope this helps,
TK


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## lilpooh108

mgmcpa said:


> After reading all 52 pages, I still have a coupld questions about Juneau options:
> 
> In Juneau I see lots of talk about the city bus shuttle that takes you out to the glacier for $16 round trip.  Does anyone know if you can buy this ticket just one way, $8?



Just wanted to add that there are several companies running buses (not just the MGT blue bus company). 

We walked up to the booths and asked which bus was leaving soon (i.e., already waiting).  We still waited about 20 minutes for other riders, but I did not see the MGT bus the entire time while we were waiting.  We took the "Glacier Shuttle," a white bus.  

The booth people also tried to sell roundtrip tickets and kept avoiding our question, which was whether you can pay $8 to the driver on the way back.  The answer is YES.  They don't take cash on the way there and will redirect you to the booths, but they will take cash on the way back.

We did not buy roundtrip since we wanted to take whichever bus was available on the way back rather than waiting around for "our" bus had we purchased roundtrip tix.

Hope this helps.


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## algae

lilpooh108 said:


> We walked up to the booths and asked which bus was leaving soon (i.e., already waiting).



Speaking of booths, here's a picture we snapped of the line of tour booths near the tram station. I think that's a HAL ship in the background.


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## twopeasonepod

Must say that the Inn at the Market is a WONDERFUL place to stay pre- or post-cruise!  We did the townhouse suite (upstairs master bedroom with bath).  Was fabulous.  Only complaint is that the bathroom is upstairs, but that was fine.  Staff is super nice -- let us check in very early (before noon), check out late (our airport pick-up was 1:30 -- I bet they would've even let us stay later).  You MUST go to the French restaurant at Pike Place (Maximilien).

As for tours, we did the "3-Port for Families" package:

Skagway -- WPRR with exclusive Disney activity.  Totally awesome views.  On the way back, our host (Brent) refilled our champagne (or Martinelli's) multiple times (and I even fell asleep haha) as the super cute and enthusiastic kid hosts took the kids to another car.  P.S. Your kids will get pretty nice binoculars to keep, plus some other stuff.  Big shopping opportunities for Tanzanite, apparently.  My mom went to the talk on the ship, and Whitney recommended it.  My mom bought earrings, which look great but yowza I couldn't pay that much!

Juneau -- Best of Juneau (Mendenhall Glacier, Whale Watch, Salmon Bake).  Glacier is great.  Do the hike if you can.  We did not, because it was raining/drizzling pretty steadily.  But we did go to the photo point.  And the movie is excellent.  Whale Watch was my fave excursion.  I love orcas, and we did see them.  Apparently that is rare.  Lots of humpbacks.  And the food at the salmon bake was great.  Fish caught in their waters.  Very different from what we are used to.  Store is cute with some good stuff to buy as souvenirs.  

Ketchikan -- Lumberjack Show and Potlatch Totem Park.  Show was super cute.  My son got to be in the first part and got a free axe.  The guys are very friendly and super good with the kids.  Potlatch Totems was amazing.  So cool to see how they carve and to hear from the guy (well...kid -- I could be his mother haha) about how he learned from his grandfather.  He also showed us around the museum with mostly his grandfather's stuff inside.  Super awesome.  The kids go and do an activity (painting a wooden feather) and they get a free mini totem (which is really nice btw).  The stores are good, too.  Shopping in Ketchikan was excellent IMO.  Bought stuff at Cariloha, the Christmas store, and other little shops.


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## twopeasonepod

Oh, also, we found A&P Towncar Service and got a limo on limos.com for $129.  Great price.  And we tried to book DCL ground transport too late so we were happy with this alternative.  They were really really nice.  And even tried to pick us up early since they were tracking our flight.  Unfortunately, I typed in my number wrong and they were calling someone else in Hawaii at 4am haha.


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## Calfan

twopeasonepod said:


> Must say that the Inn at the Market is a WONDERFUL place to stay pre- or post-cruise!  We did the townhouse suite (upstairs master bedroom with bath).  Was fabulous.  Only complaint is that the bathroom is upstairs, but that was fine.  Staff is super nice -- let us check in very early (before noon), check out late (our airport pick-up was 1:30 -- I bet they would've even let us stay later).  You MUST go to the French restaurant at Pike Place (Maximilien).



We are staying at the Inn at the Market for 3 nights before our upcoming cruise (in one of the townhouse suites).  So glad to read your positive comments.


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## ktalina

Than you for reviewing and providing info on so many things!! We will be traveling next summer and we are deciding which excursions to take. So far we are sold on the glacier (although I'm terrified of heights) and the whale watching 

Will continue reading!


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## brandysmommy

Just back and wanted to share what we did as these boards gave a lot of insight for me.  It is fragmented and brief but I wanted to get something out there while it was still fresh.



Tracy Arm Day - claim a lounge chair on deck 10 by 10am.  Try for one between the two funnels that way you can also see the other side without.  They grill out in the seating area of Beach Blanket for lunch but don't overly advertise - very good food - access through Beach Blanket.  Wear sunscreen - it was 55-60 and sunny - those without sunscreen were burned.

Skagway - we rented a car from Avis - right in town, grabbed water from the grocery store and headed to the Yukon.  We purchased Murray's Guide http://www.murraysguide.com/ for $5 - great investment.  Did the Yukon Suspension bridge as well as Caribou Crossing.  Drove to Emerald Lake and returned.  Ate at Spirit Lake Lodge - ok food - terribly expensive $17 for a burger.  Not many other options - might consider taking picnic food.

Juneau - we did the Mendenhall Glacier Dog Sled.  Phenomenal experience.  After, the bus driver dropped us into town.  We did the Mount Roberts Tramway and hiked a bit at the top.  

Ketchikan - we hired http://www.ketchikantaxicabtours.com/  Dave took us around - we saw everything (but couldn't find any bears) - eagles (so many), water falls, totem poles, totem carving, native village, forged for native berries which were so good, drove wooden streets and learned so much about the area.  He dropped us off at the end at the Lumberjack show.  We had purchased tickets on-line in advance and they were waiting for us.  After the show, we headed back to the ship.  

Victoria - we stayed on the ship - if your kids want to do the ship game in the lab - this is the time to do it - no one was there - my kids did it for hours.

The weather was great - only rained after we left Juneau - never needed more than a sweatshirt other than on the glacier - then added a 2nd sweatshirt, hat and gloves.  I think we were lucky in the weather department though.  Animators Palate was always freezing - as they have the doors that open to the deck and lifeboats.  Other interior areas very comfortable with summerish clothes.  

Any questions feel free to ask - need to get some unpacking and laundry done!


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## RedSox68

twopeasonepod said:


> Must say that the Inn at the Market is a WONDERFUL place to stay pre- or post-cruise!  We did the townhouse suite (upstairs master bedroom with bath).  Was fabulous.  Only complaint is that the bathroom is upstairs, but that was fine.  Staff is super nice -- let us check in very early (before noon), check out late (our airport pick-up was 1:30 -- I bet they would've even let us stay later).  You MUST go to the French restaurant at Pike Place (Maximilien).



We stayed one night at the Inn at the Market before we headed to Vancouver for the cruise in May.  I wish we could have stayed more.  The townhouse suite was amazing and we had a view of Puget sound and the Market Place.  PLUS they have a lounge area on the roof with wonderful shares and terrific views.  Very romantic at night time!  Terrific staff, too, and loved the courtyard.   BTW, Hard Rock Cafe is one block over on Pike Street and we really had a terrific meal there!  Also, Elliott's on the waterfront had wonderful seafood.  (Be aware, the walk DOWN to the waterfront is great, but then you have to come back up all those steps )


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## mgmcpa

See the Salmon Run
If you are lucky enough to visit in July/Aug when the salmon are running, visit the hatchery in Juneau. It's a $12 cab ride each way from the port, admission is $4 a person. INCREDIBLE and CHEAP.    You can also take the city bus out there (we did this one way for $1.50 per person), but it's about a third of a mile walk from the bus stop to the hatchery.

You can buy to include this in other tours and will pay a lot more for it, but the extended tour just shows you indoor things that aren't half as exciting than the salmons running the ladder out front!


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## Doingitagain

I am a bit late getting to this post, sorry, just very busy after we got back!  We were on the July 2, 2012 cruise.

Juneau -- Helicopter Glacier Walkabout.  This was a short helicopter sightseeing followed by walking on a glacier.  Great sightseeing, and interesting to be on the glacier.  They provided gear to go over our clothing.

Ketchikan -- Private Boat -- Touring by Sea (through DCL).  When you added up the cost of other tours, the price was reasonable.  Plus we got to tell them what we wanted for our itinerary.  We dropped crab pots, went salmon fishing, and viewed wildlife.  Saw porpoises!  We paid to have the two salmon we caught fileted and shipped home (expensive, but hey, how often do we go salmon fishing).  Would definitely do this again.

Skagway -- Skagway Triple Adventure.  Great excursion.  We did biking, rafting, and hiking.  Only issue was mosquitos.  If you are going end of July, beginning of August, definitely do this because you go by the water where salmon are running.

Note that we had been to Alaska the year before, and did the Mendenhall Glacier, floatplane, long hike to a glacier and whale watching, so we looked for something different this year.


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## Caewings

kmegibow said:


> Hi again - I searched the thread and haven't seen any reviews of "The Klondike Experience" in Skagway.  Anyone done this one?
> 
> Note, my husband and I are bringing our 18 mo, 5 yr, 8 yr olds as well as my parents and 19 yr old sister.  I've had to choose my excursions pretty carefully!  I'd love to know what this activity is really like.  Thanks!



I am going in 2 weeks w/ very similar ages. 18mo,5 yo,8yo plus my MIL so I have had similar trouble choosing stuff


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## worldfamous

subbing


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## Doingitagain

A quick note, not sure if I posted this here yet or not.

We booked a private boat excursion through DCL.  We paid for it up front.

I saw the charge come through on our stateroom bill, but really didn't think about it until I got home and reviewed everything more thoroughly that they didn't credit us for the upfront payment.  Thus we were double charged.  DCL corrected it when I contacted them, but it took a week for the refund to show up on our credit card.

Just a heads up so you check if you have an excursion like this!


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## pudinhd

Our cruise just ended today...  

We booked a 6-passenger boat to whale watch with Harv & Marv in Juneau.  It was excellent!  So many whales and Captain Liz was fabulous!

We also did the Bear Country & Wildlife Expedition through DCL in Ketchikan.  Wow!!  Lots of bears including cubs!  At one point we were about 5 feet from a mama bear and her 2 cubs.  The guide was great and very specific about what we were to do while remaining calm!!

So sad to be going home!  Many thanks to everyone for their helpful posts!


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## mmgrdg

This is great info...still trying to decide if this would be a good cruise for my kids (13&14)... So it's helpful to see what people did and liked/disliked.


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## gojulia

Here's what we did:

Skagway:  Liarsville Disney Character Experience thing
Grizzly Falls Ziplining (my favorite thing about the whole trip- you must go!!!)

Juneau:  Best of Juneau

Ketchikan:  Float Plane trip

Victoria:  just took the bus into town and walked around after dinner.  It was lovely and so glad we got off the ship!


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## tink1963

pudinhd said:


> Our cruise just ended today...
> 
> We booked a 6-passenger boat to whale watch with Harv & Marv in Juneau.  It was excellent!  So many whales and Captain Liz was fabulous!
> 
> We also did the Bear Country & Wildlife Expedition through DCL in Ketchikan.  Wow!!  Lots of bears including cubs!  At one point we were about 5 feet from a mama bear and her 2 cubs.  The guide was great and very specific about what we were to do while remaining calm!!
> 
> So sad to be going home!  Many thanks to everyone for their helpful posts!



Oh I'm so glad to hear you had a great expierence with the Bear Country & Wildlife Expedition. We did this last year and OMG so loved it. Who was your guide? We had Matt and he was great. Funny and knowledgable.  Do they still do small groups?


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## Jefferson1964

We are big Disney Fans and have been to WDW at least 25 times and DW 1 time. Just returned from the Aug. 13-20 Alaskan Cruise.  This was our families first cruise and done with a 9 month old and 9 year old and had a great time, Disney is wonderful, its like putting WDW in a ship.  With the 9mo we were limited to what excursions we could attend as a family and booked them all through Disney easy as could be.  I will say being mid August we did not have any mesquito issues and the salmon run was wonderful as was the weather with no rain and mild temperatures for being in Alaska.  

In Skagway we did the White Pass Rail up/back and it was so beautiful and took around 3 hours for the entire trip. NO PASSPORT needed, we had them just in case but the train attendant said no passport was needed since we were not getting off the train in Canada.  We came back walked around town and went to the National Park building in the center of town and my 9yo became a junior ranger and recieved a badge, really cool and free.  Afterward we did the Mushers Camp.  I had my doubts after reading a post from the beginning of this thread but they have made big changes from what I read and what I experienced.  We drove up Lynn Canal which was beautiful and saw at least 4 eagles on the way.  Walked to base camp across a creek which was full of Salmon, I mean FULL it was fun to watch.  Then went to the UniMog and rode up the mountain, met our Musher, had picture time with the sled dog team, rode around the track several times and a very good pace. Rode back down for a talk on the equipment and puppy time, my 9 year old boy luved it and I was even given a puppy, loades of fun even if your not a dog person and the staff was nice.

Juneau--we did the whale watching excursion and mendenhall glacier tour.  The boat held some 150 people but is large enough that I never felt crowded and they had great smoked salmon and crackers, hot chocolate for everyone.  We rode out and were sitting there when several pods of whales came around the boat we counted some 20 whales total.  This boat was fast and the driver took us back towards Skagway several miles and saw Eagle Glacier and many many towering mountains, then onto an Island Filled with Sea Lions then to another island with Seal, it was a great trip and narrated the entire time, the driver stopped along the way as we saw 2 eagles at the waters edge.  Then onto Mendenhal Glacier, very beautiful and worth the visit.

Ketchikan--we did the Axe Man show and Native Village.  Both were great, the axe man show had me laughing and my son participated and won a wooden axe.  The native village with the totem poles was very informative, as my wife is part cherokee she participated in the dance and had a great time.

We would have luved to do some different excursions but again were limited by our 9mo but were very happy and satifisfied in what we did experience.  You might want to check your excursion times expecially in Juneau and Ketchikan as afterward we felt extremely rushed.  We never got to go into town to visit the shops in Juneau as when the excursions were over it was all aboard time and ketchikan the driver was nice enough to drop us a couple blocks from the ship so we could walk back and stop in a store or two before boarding but again only had 30 minutes or so.  I wished disney had of taken some time from skagway as we were there 12 hours and put it towards Juneau and Ketchikan.  Also get up early on port days to see the sunrise and get some great photos pulling into dock.  I saw people with 10K lenses at Tracy Arm but it was only me and another guy taking early morning shots going into ports with our pocket cameras and I have some excellent photos.  Well have fun Disney does it right and the staff is friendly.  Hope this helps.


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## pudinhd

tink1963 said:


> Oh I'm so glad to hear you had a great expierence with the Bear Country & Wildlife Expedition. We did this last year and OMG so loved it. Who was your guide? We had Matt and he was great. Funny and knowledgable.  Do they still do small groups?



Our guide was Jon H.  He has only been with the company since May, but he was fabulous!    Our group was 12 people and everyone was nice!  We would definitely do this again!


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## CaliforniaGirl09

twopeasonepod said:


> Must say that the Inn at the Market is a WONDERFUL place to stay pre- or post-cruise!  We did the townhouse suite (upstairs master bedroom with bath).  Was fabulous.  Only complaint is that the bathroom is upstairs, but that was fine.





RedSox68 said:


> We stayed one night at the Inn at the Market before we headed to Vancouver for the cruise in May.  I wish we could have stayed more.  The townhouse suite was amazing and we had a view of Puget sound and the Market Place.  PLUS they have a lounge area on the roof with wonderful shares and terrific views.



Another recommendation for the INN AT THE MARKET from us. I'd stayed there before in a regular room, but the suites were fabulous for our family of four. We had an amazing view and wish we had more than one night as well. It's literally half a block from the market and couldn't be in a better location. I do agree about the second bathroom--would have made it perfect. But we managed 

We were on the August 6-13th cruise and had a fabulous time. We also didn't have any problem with bugs. Our weather was patchy, but nothing horrible. The coldest/wettest was Tracy Arm, but that somehow seemed appropriate and didn't bother us. The rain was more of on occasional drizzle. 

Skagway: A little drizzly in the am as I recall, but clear later. We did a Disney Excursion: Yukon Jeep Klondike Adventure. Very fun, and it was great being in our own jeep, but there was quite a bit of driving involved. We went to Carcross, making a number of stops along the way, including my favorite at the tourist center and a local coffee shop (which was fabulous). We then took a dirt road and did some very fun off-roading before stopping by a lake to have a snack of pepper jack cheese, crackers, and reindeer sausage. The latter was very good, even when DH told our DD12 that she was eating Rudolph (funny guy, LOL). Beautiful scenery. 7 our of 10. 

Juneau: Cloudy but dry. We did another Disney Excursion: Dog Sledding on the Mendenhall Glacier by Helicopter. As just about everyone else has said about these port adventures, this was the highlight of the trip. I was very nervous (up all night nervous) about the helicopter, but it turned out to be my favorite part of the experience. You can't understand until you are in there how amazing it feels to fly above the glacier, and then, on the way back, over the mountains. Definite once in a lifetime experience. The dog sledding camp was amazing as well. We had plenty of time meeting the dogs, taking our sled ride, and then playing with the puppies. 10 out of 10.

ASIDE: Before we signed up for this excursion we tried to find out what the difference was between this one and the other one that is priced about the same--other than they go to different glaciers. My friend and her family did the other one on the same day, and they didn't have puppies. Not sure if this is always true, but it was for us.

Ketchikan: Cloudy and may have had moments of drizzle but nothing significant. We did the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman Tour on our own. Note that as others have said this is exactly the same excursion done by Disney, but costs much less on your own (especially if you have a tween). I'm usually boat-leaving-without-me paranoid and stick to Disney adventures, but this is literally the same boat (there is only one) that everyone else is on. If they hold it for the Disney folks, they will hold it for you. It's also easily walked from the ship. We had a great time on this excursion, and as fans of the show, it couldn't be missed. One of the coolest parts was when they take you to the island to feed the bald eagles. 8 out of 10.

Victoria: Clear weather. We did the Ale and Brewery Tour through Disney and left the kids on the boat. Had a fabulous time. Loved this excursion & the adult time. We stopped at three bars for about an hour and sampled three mini pints of beer at each, as well as different bar food. I can't remember the names of all the bars, but I think the last one (and most memorable) was Spinikers. It was, I believe, the first microbrew in Victoria. On the way back to the ship we drove through town and got to see the parliament building and the Empress hotel--bonus! 8 out of 10.


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## tink1963

pudinhd said:
			
		

> Our guide was Jon H.  He has only been with the company since May, but he was fabulous!    Our group was 12 people and everyone was nice!  We would definitely do this again!



Awesome!  We are sailing this time next year and plan on doing it again. Our group was 10 total, including our guide.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


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## Calfan

We were on the 8/6/12 sailing, and since I used this thread heavily as a resource prior to our cruise, I wanted to circle back and post about our excursions.

First, just want to echo the positive comments about the Inn at the Market for folks still trying to figure out where to stay in Seattle (maybe no one at this point, but the info might still be helpful for future reference).  We also stayed in one of the one bedroom townhouses and really enjoyed our stay. We were there for 3 nights pre-cruise.  Loved the location, and the staff were very friendly and helpful.  I do agree that having a second bathroom downstairs would have been nice, but I just made sure that I got to sleep upstairs!

Also a couple of Seattle "excursion" reviews.  Based on information I read in a trip report ("No Orcas, No Bears, No Fly, But Why," which I highly recommend), we bought combo tickets to the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit and the Space Needle.  The exhibit is right at Seattle center.  We LOVED this exhibit.  The glasswork was so amazing and colorful and large-scale!  The tickets include free re-admission at night, so we went back in the evening and it was equally spectacular at night, especially with the Space Needle lit up in the background.  (The glass chandeliers in the Wonder and Magic atriums are Chihuly glass.)  We also rode the Ducks in Seattle which was fun.  Our driver was really into it, which added greatly to the experience.

Now, on to Alaska.  

In Skagway, we did the Yukon Expedition.  This involved a bus ride from the port through the town of Skagway and up into the Yukon Territory.  The bus ride was about two hours, but it did not feel nearly that long, and we stopped several times for photo ops.  We arrived at Caribou Crossing a little early, so our driver took us beyond Caribou Crossing so we could see Emerald Lake.  I was amazed at how many lakes and rivers there are in the Yukon territory, and so many of them are that pretty milky green glacier water color that we became familiar with on Tracy Arm day.  Caribou Crossing is definitely a town constructed for tourists, but oddly fun.  We were served a BBQ chicken lunch there that was better than decent.  They also had homemade donuts that were tasty (and I am not a donut lover).  After lunch, we had time to check out the wildlife museum, which is a small museum full of taxidermied animals.  Again, my reaction is that this was strangely fun.  They have a woolly mammoth and polar and grizzly bears.  Also a bison, and I was amazed at how huge it was.  We also had the opportunity to visit some husky puppies in Caribou Crossing.  From there we made a short stop in Carcross which is a less touristy Yukon town.  Then it was down to Fraser, BC to catch the White Pass Railway back down to Skagway.  I highly recommend the White Pass Railway.  We saw stunning views, and the narration was interesting and informative.  All of the DISers who advise to sit on the right side of the train if you are taking it down are spot-on.  So glad we followed their advice.  Overall, I would give this excursion an 8.5 out of 10.  I think taking the train both directions might have gotten a little long.

Juneau:  We did the Dog Sled Adventure by Helicopter.  This was a fabulous excursion.  The helicopter ride up to the Norris glacier was stunning.  My DS 8 absolutely loved the helicopter.  So did my DH who was not at all convinced he wanted to go on this excursion.  The scenery is just breathtaking. We flew over the Wonder which looked like a toy down below and then over the Norris and Taku glaciers (and one more whose name I can't remember).  Then we landed on the Norris glacier and were off on the dog sled.  So much fun.  I only got to drive once because my kids loved driving so much, but I got such a kick out of just sitting in the sled as it got pulled along.  The driving was definitely fun too!  As CaliforniaGirl09 mentioned in her post, this excursion did not offer the opportunity to visit with puppies, which would have been fun.  However, this excursion is the only one of the 3 dog-sledding excursions that DCL offers in Juneau that has a child's rate, for which both DD and DS qualified.  That ended up saving us around $400, so I didn't mind not getting to meet the puppies!  Plus we had gotten to see puppies the day before in Caribou Crossing.  I give this excursion a 10 out of 10.  

Ketchikan:  We did the Bering Sea Crab tour on our own to save a little money because, to echo CaliforniaGirl09, it is the exact same boat the DCL excursion uses.  This was a really fun excursion, with the opportunity to hold crabs and other creatures and interact with the crew from The Deadliest Catch.  They also brought up an octopus, which was really neat.  They take the boat into native Alaskan territory, where they are allowed to toss fish to the bald eagles.  It was awesome to see the eagles come swooping in to dive for the fish.  I give this excursion a 7 out of 10.  I do recommend it, but I think it would be ideal to combine with another excursion in Ketchikan for anyone doing the cruises out of Vancouver in 2013 who might have more time in port.  I would have loved to combine this with the Great American Lumberjack show or the totem park or some bear viewing.  I just felt like we didn't get to see much of Ketchikan with the short port day and this excursion that used up all of our port time.

In Victoria, we did the Butchart Gardens and Short City Drive.  I also give this one a 7 out of 10, but only because 2/3 of the time in the gardens was when it was pretty dark.  Luckily, we got to the Sunken Garden while it was still pretty light outside and got do that part pretty thoroughly before we really lost the light.  The gardens are very beautiful and impressive.  I just expected them to be a little more lit up at night.  On the bus ride to the gardens, we drove through Victoria and past the Empress Hotel.  On the way back, we got to see the parliament building all lit up with something like 30,000 bulbs.  Almost like Small World in Disneyland!  My DD wants to go back to Victoria because she thinks it looks like a place with lots of things to see.

Happy to answer any questions about our excursions.


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## cujochurch

THought I would check in with my experiences.

Skagway- we Did the helicopter/dog sledding excursion. We booked independently with Temesco because Disney was sold out. The confirmation email they sent us came with a map to walk to their office from the pier. They said it would be a 20 minute walk. However when we got off the ship we saw we were docked RIGHT next door. We only had to walk 5 minutes! This was an expensive excursion and I only agreed to do it cuz it was the only thing DH picked to do. I am so glad I did it. It was wonderful. I was a lil scared of helicopter ride but it was fine. I was already taking Bonine for sea sickness so I didnt get air sick at all and I get sick in cars, airplanes, etc. but this whole trip I did fine. We took about a 20 minute helicopter ride up to the glacier. We flew in and out of trees, valleys and over the glacier. It was a clear perfect day. Actually the whole week including 2 days in Seattle we had NO rain. I say it was thanks to me cuz I went out and bought a rain coat, rain hat and new umbrella just for this trip, lol. Anyway we landed right on glacier a lil south of the dog camp. They said we need to travel rest of way in the snow cat due to fog up higher. We traveled about 10 minutes and then you could hear the barking. The dogs were obviously so excited and all wanted to be picked to be harnessed to the sled. One dog didnt get picked and started barking and growling and then turned his dog house over in protest, lol. We split into groups of four. The sleds were actually 2 sleds hooked together. I was the the first driver on the last sled. DH sat in front of me with the other couple in front sled with a guide as their driver. I needed to lean to steer and use the brake when told and of course hold on, but the guide issued commands and leaded the dogs they way she wanted them to go. Then we stopped and changed drivers. We did this so that everyone could drive. DH went last cuz guide said that was most challenging part. We turned a sharp corner and got going really fast. I am glad to say DH did a great job!! He says the whole thing was life changing for him. I dont think it was quite that  for me but it was worth the money that I had worried about and I would do it again. After we all drove we got to spend a lil time with the puppies. They were so cute, but these were not house pets, all these dogs smelled really bad, lol. But they were all healthy looking and very happy and excited to see people and run. I was a little worried about the conditions we would see but they all had there own lil house and a lil area all to themselves. Anyway then we boarded the snow cat back down glacier to helicopter for a 15 minute flight back to office. The took a picture of us while we were mushing. It was $20. We bought it and it cant wait to get it matted and hung up to display.

Juneau- Mendenhall Glacier and Whale watching though Disney. I really wanted to book Harv and Marv so we would have a smaller boat with just out group of 8 but the rest of my group was to nervous to book independently so we went with Disney excursion. as I will explain is was wonderful. We went on bus to Mendenhall Glacier first. We first went on hike to the waterfall. We took some pictures there and walked all around falls and back up to visitor center. We then had about 20 minutes in visitor center. Enough time for a guick look and a little souvenir shopping. They offered a film but we didnt have time. I dont think you would be able to hike to falls and see movie. You would need to pick which one you wanted. Then we boarded bus for pier. Our boat was a two deck boat. About 200 people I would say. Our weather was beautiful. Again sunshine and warm weather. There is a covered cabin with seats that you can sit in, however we stayed on upper outer deck by rail so we would have a good spot once we stopped. The ride was winding and lil cold. Had coat and gloves on during ride but could remove once we stopped. We came upon a group of about 4 boats and we stopped. There were about 6 humpback whales all around us. And I noticed the little boat of harv and marv immediately and they were indeed close to the whales. We stayed there anchored for 30 minutes. During that time two whales swam right up to beside our boat and were very close. We say many whales surfice and blow air. And saw many tails. You could hear them when they blew air out of blow hole and dh took film with camera and you can hear it on there as well. It was really cool. This was the highlight of my trip and what  had been looking forward to!!  After whales we rode around to where there were sea lions and then harbor seals. We say many bald eagles. I have to mention during Tracey Arm day from the deck of wonder we saw 2 Orca. I saw them surface all the way, stick nose in air and then dive. We never say a whale breech which we knew was rare, however I hear the whale trip before us say one. We left about 9am. So maybe earlier is better? But it was absolutely magical and I loved seeing all the wildlife. I was worried about being on a bigger ship but we had to problem. Many people staid inside the whole time so there was not problem on the top deck. We stood by rail and when the whales were on other side we were able to cross to that side and were on 2nd row of people and could see well. If I did it again I would take a smaller independent trip. They seemed to be able to follow the whales closer and stay closer. We got lucky with a whale coming to us but they could actually go to them.

Ketchikan- Bear Creek Zipline. Ok here is my disclaimer. I am scared of heights! I had been zip lining with a friend in St Lucia. DH really wanted to try it and guilted me into doing it. "If you can go with your friend, you can go with me!" So I agreed to do it. We were traveling with a group of 8. We were the only two that were going to zipline until the 16 year old we were with found out we were going and she changed her excursion to go with us. We took bus ride out to course. It was a course of 7 ziplines of ever increasing length and speed. A suspension bridge, a 40 foot repel and 250 ft slide. Alright I gave you my disclaimer. I hated iT!!! Yes the whole thing. However DH and 16 year old and everyone else loved it. The guides found out I was scared and teased me mercifully. Jumping on bridge, telling me one of the lanyards was the ejection lanyard so whatever I do dont touch it, etc. ha ha ha. It was all in good fun though. Two of the ziplines I stopped short. You then have to grab line, turn around and hand over hand pull your self  to platform. Thank god it was only about 5 feet short cuz that was hard work. Of course I am the only one that did that. They said it was because I wasnt leaning back enough and curling my legs up enough. I tried but never got it just right. I was just glad I wasnt plummeting to my death, lol. The suspension bridge was in middle of zipping. It took me a lil longer to cross then others. Cuz like I said when they decided to tease me and shake bridge I just held on closed my eyes and didnt move (or breath) until they were done. The last line was really long and fast!! Then was the repel. Everyone before just jumped off and did it. I told myself that I could do and I would whimp out. But when It was my turn and It was time for me to jump of edge I couldnt do it. The guides were really sweet. They suggested I just sit on edge and the scoot off edge. That is what i had to do. At first I felt silly and not brave but then I decided I knew I was going to hate it,but I did it all anyway so I was a lil proud when I thought of it that way. Then came  the 250 foot slide. You sit in a burlap sack and slide down. You were gloves and there is a rail that you can run your hands across or push down on to slow yourself down. Well that is what they said anyway. I was not able to slow myself down at all and you went really fast. I admit a squealed a lil bit but that was the only time I screamed all day!! SO yeah for me, lol.

Before we left I was concerned what clothes I should be wearing. I get really cold all the time so I was worried. On whale watching I had on long sleeve tee, fleece, coat, mittens, hat scarf. When we were actually stopped I took off my coat and mittens. Ziplining I wore long johns, pants, tee shirt coat. This was a really warm day so I left coat in office and and perfectly warm. Actually the times I got a lil scared I was too warm, lol. For the dog sledding. I wore long johns, tee shirt, fleece, coat, gloves, hat, ear warmer, scarf, 2 pairs of socks and boots then the outer glacier boots they gave you. Kept it all one and was just right. DH removed his coat as he got to warm. But like I said we had no rain and sunshine all week. Everyone kept saying how unusual that was and how lucky we got. Any other questions I can answer I will be glad to.


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## STLDisney_Freak

Does anyone know if you can get the bear country and wildlife expedition and Menenhall Glacier and Whale Quest excurisions independantly from Disney? I was wanting to see if I could find them cheaper somewhere else.


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## mellers

STLDisney_Freak said:


> Does anyone know if you can get the bear country and wildlife expedition and Menenhall Glacier and Whale Quest excurisions independantly from Disney? I was wanting to see if I could find them cheaper somewhere else.



This was my post from last year, but it may help:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=43653480&postcount=23


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## Bradleyv1714

I am going on an alaskan cruise on septermber 16th (in 8 days!!!) on Celebrity cruis lines.

The excursions that I have planned are:

Sitka: I wanted to go see the Raptor center but I was not willing to pay $44/person to the cruise line as I found out I could basically walk there and it was free to see the raptor center. the other thing I want to do is Hike the Herring cove trail, for this I would take a taxi there and hike it as the cruise charges $97/person to do this excursion with a guide. I would much rather pay a local to take me there, I hike it and then get back again. My ship will be at port from 8-5 which is a long time.

Skagway: I wanted to do the White pass trail as I was recommended this by everyone I have spoken to. I have wanted to do some kind of biking activity so I joined them together and got a white pass train and klondike boat tour. plus doing some walking around town.

Juneau: I already have 2 things planned with a possible of a 3rd; which are Alaskan Canopy expedition at 11:30am and a tour of the alaskan Brewery and bottling company at 3:40pm. I also wanted to go see the mendenhall glacier but not sure if I will be able to go see it and be back in time for the 11:30am zipline adventure. Anyone have any advice? I have heard of many ways to get to the glacier but they all will take some time. I know my ship docks at 7am but the glacier area itself does not open until 8am so I think if I take a taxi there I can do some hiking around and then back to the pier for the zipline expedition.

Icy strait point: I read online that this is THE BEST place to do whale watching, I booked this with a local guide that runs a 27ft catamaran and was $150/person instead of the $274/person that the cruise line was charging for whale watching.

Ketchikan: I will be sea kayaking tatoosh island.

I used tripadvisor to help choose all of the excursions I am doing. 

does anyone have any recommendations on going to see the mendenhall glacier early in the morning hiking around a bit and making it back to the pier in time before 11:30am to do my zipline adventure? or should I just miss out on seeing the mendenhall galcier?


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## Clotho

Just got back from our week on the Wonder, and we did two excursions:

Skagway - Grizzly Falls Ziplining with Alaska Excursions

We met at 9:45am in the Walt Disney Theater and were lead to a comfy small tour bus. Our driver was Keeley, and she gave us a little tour of Skagway (it's not a long tour  ) including driving past the back-alley warehouse where she and some of the other seasonal guides live (what a life!), the community health center (they have no doctors), and other local lore and info.  

At base camp, which is also the base camp for one of the musher's camp excursions, we got suited up with our harnesses. This is a photo of some of the family of 5 that was on the same tour with us:




This was when I was pretty sure I was going to throw up with stress. As someone who is afraid of heights, this excursion was a bucket-list line item I wanted to knock out, and I was soooo nervous. Here at base camp is the last restrooms you will see, and simultaneously having a nervous stomach and nausea, I was trying to breathe and relax and try not to freak out. Once you are locked into your harness, you can't exactly make a hasty retreat to the little girl's room--something I was keenly aware of...

Luckily, we were soon ushered off to the Unimog, which is a growling powerhouse of a hill climber, with twice as many gears as a regular vehicle.  The roads are steep gravely pathways carved through the mountainside.





There are 11 ziplines, 2 of which are "practice lines"--lower to the ground, not too fast--and two suspension bridges.  We started on the second line with a father and his 13 year old daughter, and the family of 5 began on the first line, effectively pacing our group one after the other so we wouldn't hold each other up but would end not too far apart at the end.

Our guides were Jay and Matt and they were great. Fun-loving guys in their late 20's/early 30's with a great sense of humor. The company has names for each of the lines, with a little story about why the name was chosen. For instance, "This one is called the Big Kahuna. It's the longest and fastest--you will get about 30 seconds of line time."

To add even further interest, they would issue little challenges on each line. "For this one, try to turn yourself upside down," or, "This one is the trust fall--throw your arms wide and fall backward off the platform without grabbing the harness. You get higher points for falling from the top rung of the platform ladder." They would give us tips on how to succeed at each challenge, then Matt would demonstrate the challenge and then wait on the other platform to play catcher. Jay stayed behind with us to lock us in and help us launch, then follow behind. They had the system down smooth, quick, and made us feel very safe.

I stepped up to go first on the very first line, to pull off the bandage as quickly as possible. Sick to my stomach, I stepped off the platform. Those first few lines I was gripping for dear life and not wanting to look down. By the trust fall challenge, I was falling from the top rung full out; and by the time we got to the toughest challenge, I was launching into a graceful front flip off a very high platform!  

Here are some pics:


























My hubby and I are not small people, though we were within the required weight range. The harnesses fit comfortably and we felt safe and supported throughout. 






We felt exhilarated and accomplished at the end, and enjoyed a bottled water and a granola bar in the sunshine next to a firepit (not necessary on the very sunny and warm day we had, but surely welcome for those on more typical cold, rainy days). We hung out for about 20 minutes chatting and taking photos while we waited for the family behind us to finish up, then we loaded into the 'Mog for the ride back down.

We were running ahead of schedule and the road is one-lane in most places. So while waiting for another Unimog to head up the hill, our driver took us to a platform overlooking the valley. He told us more local lore, pointing out interested details of the landscape, and taking photos.





Back at camp we had a short period of time to look in their shop (all dog musher merchandise, none for the zipliners!), and they let us visit the puppy pens for a little while, too, even though we hadn't paid for any dog musher camp stuff.










Keeley drove us back down to town, dropping off those of us who wanted to stay in town near a recommended restaurant and drove the rest of the people back to the dock.  We had plenty of time left in the day, so we grabbed lunch and soaked up the rare sun (we even got a little burned!)





We would highly recommend this excursion to anyone. Don't let fear hold you back!  All ages and fitness levels participated in it and had a grand time. The guides are friendly and skilled, and we had a great time. We agreed this was the favorite thing we did our entire trip.


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## pixarmom

We returned from our amazing Disney Wonder to Alaska vacation last Monday, and I'm ready to post about our incredible excursions.  First, I have to say that the Wonder is in excellent condition, the cast members are outstanding, we love the smaller size of the ship and this was just the most incredible vacation.  I hesitated to spend this much on both the cruise itself (family of five, category 4A, midship with a wonderful verandah) and the Disney excursions, but it was worth literally every penny.  I should also mention that it was sunny in every single port and the temperatures were always comfortable, so I know that's not always the case and we felt extremely fortunate.

We have three boys, ages 5, 12 and 13.  So we were looking for port adventures that were active, would allow my husband and I to see a variety of new and interesting sights, and accomodate our youngest.  We also wanted to keep costs reasonable, and aren't crazy about anything having to do with small planes or helicopters.  I couldn't be happier with our choices - turns out they were perfect for us.

*Skagway* *- Takshanuk 4x4 Adventure.*  Wow - so fun and amazingly beautiful.  We had plenty of time to walk around Skagway in the morning before our port adventure, and that was really enjoyable for about an hour or so.  Stopped in a few shops and a little museum that was set up like an 1800s bar (boys loved that!)  It was uncrowded, the weather was beautiful and the walk along the wooden planks in Skagway was really pleasant.

On to the excursion:  After meeting in the Walt Disney Theater at 11:15am, we boarded a bus that took us around the harbor in Skagway to the catamaran.  Our catamaran took three different port adventure groups over to the town of Haines. It was an amazingly beautiful ride over to Haines and our guide on the catamaran (Steve, I think) was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic - we learned a lot.  

When we arrived in Haines, I could not believe the amazing scene behind us - mountains, water, just incredible.  We boarded another bus to the base camp.  This is where we met Ronnie.  Now Ronnie has a certain kind of charm and he's entertaining - he's definitely working hard to make sure we all have a great time!  At the bottom of the mountain, we board our Kawasaki Mule 4x4 vehicles.  My husband and I took turns driving and our three boys rode in the elevated seat above.  We started up the mountain and it was steep!  Not fast, but bumpy, very fun and incredibly scenic.  Stopped at the lodge for cookies, hot chocolate, lemonade and hot cider.  The cookies were really good - I wasn't expecting much and was very surprised.  The view from the lodge is just beautiful.  We continued up the mountain, making one stop on the way and one stop at the top.  Again, it's difficult to describe the amazing views of mountains, water, trees, etc.  And on a sunny day - just wow.  

The way back down the mountain was even more fun.  Some of the 4x4s let the one ahead get a little farther so that they could speed up a bit. (OK, my husband was one of those - our boys loved it.)  The meal at the lodge is every bit as good as others say.  We loved the halibut and the chicken - difficult to decide which was better.  And the lodge itself was very clean, and the staff was friendly and well-organized.  

Then we headed back down the rest of the way, hopped in the bus, took a short tour of Haines (thanks, Ronnie!) and boarded our catamaran back to Skagway.  We could either walk back to the ship or take the bus - we usually walk, but were a little tired after seven hours, so we opted for the bus!

We returned to the ship around 6:15 or so, and we had previously arranged to switch to late seating in the MDR for just that night.  I'm so glad we did that, and many thanks to tips on the Dis!  We were not hungry after the full meal at the lodge anyway, and the 8:15 dining time was ideal after this excursion.  We also had the chance to relax on our verandah with some snacks that we retrieved from Cove Cafe and a couple glasses of wine while our boys watched a movie (pixar, of course) in the room - perfect!

*Juneau* *- Sled Dog Discovery and Musher Camp.*  There are a number of different sled dog port adventures, and we were very happy with this one - it was a good value and very fun for our boys!  It was an early start at 7:30am, but we were happy with our early start.  After meeting in the Walt Disney Theater, we boarded a bus to the musher camp.  The drive was only 30 minutes or so and we passed through Juneau on the way.  When we arrived, as promised, the sleds were ready and the dogs were very excited to see us!  We boarded the sleds and took a quick lap or two around the rainforest trail.  Very fun and bit chilly (so important to bundle up - we did!)  The musher took photos of the dogs and of us in the sled.  At the end of the ride (we knew it would be short, so we were not disappointed by the length) we met each of the dogs.  

The rest of the tour was wonderfully low key. It was just our family and one other family (our youngest son became a big fan of their oldest and they sat together on the bus back to the ship!)  We met another musher and Froto, a dog who had run over 5,000 miles the previous summer (or year, can't remember which.)  We learned about the gear the mushers used, walked over the suspension bridge, got hot chocolate (or cider) back on the other side and went into a covered (still outdoor) area to learn more about mushing.  Now, I'm not a fan of animals or dogs and I thought this was really interesting.  I know others have reported that it was too much information, but we were so interested in our guide (Emily) and her stories that we asked tons of questions.  I don't think she was able to complete her whole spiel because we were asking so many questions.  Then we met the puppies - fun for everyone.  They don't have names yet, so the kids can invent names for them.  

On the way back, the bus driver stopped at an overlook so that we could see the Mendenhall Glacier.  Glad we got to see it, and glad we did not spend our entire time in Juneau there.  We had a wonderful time on our Tracy Arm day, but I think our boys were good with the glaciers by that time and ready for a different kind of adventure. The driver offered to drop us off in Juneau, which meant we would need to catch the shuttle back to the ship.  We walked around a bit, stopped in a toy store, book store and candy store, and then headed back to the ship.  I didn't expect to have time to look around in Juneau and I know we didn't see much, but I appreciated that 45 minutes or so.

*Ketchikan* *- Rainforest Canoe and Nature Trail.*  This was definitely my favorite port adventure.  We met in the Walt Disney Theater at 7:45am - so another early morning.  Again, I'm so glad we booked early excursions because that gave us time to see the towns quickly before our departure.  We boarded a bus and our very lively and talkative tour guide gave us tons of information about Ketchikan history (her nickname was tick tock, I think.)  She had quite a lot to say, but we found her interesting and entertaining.  The bus took us out to Lake Harriet Hunt, and it's just incredible.  Just a trailer with canoe equipment, some portable bathrooms (VERY clean for portable bathrooms) and our guides.  Our guide, Ben, was the best guide of the entire cruise.  We got our paddles and life jackets and headed out to the canoes.  I think there were 13 or 14 people per canoe - we could paddle or not paddle, but our family (including our 5-year-old) opted to paddle the entire time.  Ben taught us a ton about the area while we paddled and took questions throughout.  Our kids loved the part where we all yelled in unison to see how it would echo.  And it did - we were the only ones on the lake - never saw anyone else!  I think we paddled for about an hour, and then stopped at the camp, where we left the canoe for a short nature walk.  Again, really interesting and absolutely beautiful.  I had read complaints regarding the snack at the end of the walk, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  It's a snack, just as advertised.  It included something for everyone in a clean, beautiful setting, and we really enjoyed it.  The bread was yummy with the raspberry jam, our youngest loved the goldfish crackers, the clam chowder was tasty (and I don't even like clams) and the hot chocolate was quite good.  We paddled back to our starting point, boarded the bus back to Ketchikan and had time to tour Ketchikan quickly before getting back on the ship.  Another wonderful day.

*Victoria - On Our Own.*  We had early dining, and got off the ship around 7pm.  We boarded the Disney-provided complimentary bus to downtown Victoria.  We really enjoyed our walk around downtown Victoria, strolled through a festival of some sort and watched a very entertaining street performer.  We stopped in a few shops and made our way back to the shuttle around 9:20pm or so.  There was a bit of a wait for the shuttle, but no problem.  I know many complained about the itinerary and the timing of this stop, but we loved it.  It was just the right amount of time for our boys.  (In fact, we felt that way about all the port times - perfect amount of time in port for us, and then nice for our boys to get back to the ship for either a swim or other activities.)  On our last day, we enjoyed our time on the ship, _and_ we were able to get out and see something new in the evening.  It was a good distraction from the "final farewells" and "see ya real soons" for everyone!  And I packed up nearly everything in the afternoon, so no rush when we returned to our room.  

In the final analysis, our boys ranked the dog sled #1, the rainforest canoe #2 and the Takshanuk 4x4 #3, but they wanted to be clear that they absolutely loved them all and it was nearly impossible to rank them.  So they felt like giving the 4x4 a #3 doesn't really reflect how much they enjoyed it.  My husband and I ranked the rainforest canoe #1, Takshanuk 4x4 #2 and dog sled #3 - all with the same disclaimer that our boys give!

I'm really glad we booked everything through Disney.  I know we could have saved money by booking independently, but I loved how all the port adventures were so well-organized, and I didn't have to worry about getting back to the ship on time.

I hope that helps - thanks to all who have contributed to this thread and helped us to make our decisions!


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## Clotho

pixarmom said:


> I'm really glad we booked everything through Disney.  I know we could have saved money by booking independently, but I loved how all the port adventures were so well-organized, and I didn't have to worry about getting back to the ship on time.
> 
> I hope that helps - thanks to all who have contributed to this thread and helped us to make our decisions!



Great reviews! Really enjoyed reading.  Man, there were so many great excursions, it was hard to choose. I could see doing Alaska again to get to try some other stuff and see even more of the beautiful area. Though the weather we had was so incomparable, I fear a return trip would disappoint!

Oh and not directed at you, but in general for other people reading: from what I heard from our excursion operators, most of the excursions are not actually cheaper if you book straight through them. Looks like they set their rates and then the cruise lines take their cut of it, rather than tacking on an extra fee. We tried to save some money by booking ahead with the tour companies, and the price was the same so we just went through Disney. With short port times, it is a safer bet anyway, so the boat won't leave withoutcha!


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## EeyoreIsMyName

I'm wondering if anyone has gone on the Bear Country & Wildlife Expedition lately?  We are interested in reviews of this port adventure for our Alaska trip next year.  TIA!


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## VowRenewal13

Diannah said:


> Great thread! Subbing because we set sail Tuesday and are doing two excursions I haven't seen anyone post about: The Liarsville Salmon Bake with Gold Panning and the one and only snorkeling adventure. If anyone did those, would love to hear about them. Otherwise I'll be posting when we get back.



We did the Best of Skagway, which included the Liarsville Salmon bake and gold panning.  It was OK.  It was raining and cold.  We ate outside.  The food was good, the show was nice.  We did not pan for gold because we were running late and had another stop before going back to the boat.  On our next cruise to Alaska in 2014, we will not do the "Best of" and just pick one thing that we really want to see.


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## tink1963

EeyoreIsMyName said:
			
		

> I'm wondering if anyone has gone on the Bear Country & Wildlife Expedition lately?  We are interested in reviews of this port adventure for our Alaska trip next year.  TIA!



Not done recently, did it last year. I also would Iike to get some reviews from this year as we are going back next August and plan to do this excursion again.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


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## monicainindy

Oh 2014... I hope they come back to Alaska.  We have a placeholder for Alaska next year, but really want to go in 2014 instead so I can still do my girl's trip to Europe next year to celebrate my 40th bday!!!


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## jenf22

EeyoreIsMyName said:


> I'm wondering if anyone has gone on the Bear Country & Wildlife Expedition lately?  We are interested in reviews of this port adventure for our Alaska trip next year.  TIA!



We did this excursion a couple of weeks ago (we were on the September 3-10 sailing).  We thought it was a great excursion!  We saw 7 black bears total, including some cubs, all fishing in the stream.  Our 5-year old thought the suspension bridges were great and loved feeding the reindeer after watching the bears.  

To address something we read in reviews prior to going - someone's review (I think on Tripadvisor, not here) said there were dead fish all over and they thought people had put them there for the bears to eat.  We saw plenty of live fish swimming in the stream.  True, there were a lot of dead fish also.  We learned the bears prefer female salmon and sometimes just eat the eggs, leaving the rest of the fish.  I don't think the fish were put there by people.

I think the "greatness" of the excursion may depend on time of year.  Since we went late in the season, the bears were out in force trying to fatten themselves up for the winter.

Let me know if you have any questions.  I have about a million pictures of the bears, but I'm still going though the pictures from the trip.


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## EeyoreIsMyName

jenf22 said:


> We did this excursion a couple of weeks ago (we were on the September 3-10 sailing).  We thought it was a great excursion!  We saw 7 black bears total, including some cubs, all fishing in the stream.  Our 5-year old thought the suspension bridges were great and loved feeding the reindeer after watching the bears.
> 
> To address something we read in reviews prior to going - someone's review (I think on Tripadvisor, not here) said there were dead fish all over and they thought people had put them there for the bears to eat.  We saw plenty of live fish swimming in the stream.  True, there were a lot of dead fish also.  We learned the bears prefer female salmon and sometimes just eat the eggs, leaving the rest of the fish.  I don't think the fish were put there by people.
> 
> I think the "greatness" of the excursion may depend on time of year.  Since we went late in the season, the bears were out in force trying to fatten themselves up for the winter.
> 
> Let me know if you have any questions.  I have about a million pictures of the bears, but I'm still going though the pictures from the trip.





Thanks for the review.  I'm hoping that I can do this excursion but it would be earlier in the season.  I'm hoping I will still see bears.  I'd love to see some of your pictures if you could post them.


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## tajz90

I think there's a great chance to see bears for free. We saw them in 2 diff ports, 3 diff times. One was fishing in salmon stream, one was just walking the hill in front of ship and then a mom and two cubs playing / eating near the water near the zip lining area.


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## meajuly5

Lovin this thread!


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## chickamu

Hello 
Anyone done the horseback excursion in Alaska?  My daughter are booked for the July 22 cruise and both into animals and have horses.  Is it worth the money?
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks


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## jonesm117

We are headed for Alaska in August 2013 on the Wonder - YEAH.  WOndering if it's worth it to do the adventures by disney or just book the port excursions on my own.  Anyone done it?  
Thanks,
Monica


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## mellers

jonesm117 said:


> We are headed for Alaska in August 2013 on the Wonder - YEAH.  WOndering if it's worth it to do the adventures by disney or just book the port excursions on my own.  Anyone done it?
> Thanks,
> Monica



I did it on my own.  It's almost always cheaper and very safe to book your excursions on your own.


----------



## meajuly5

Any particular companies you used and can recommend?


----------



## mellers

meajuly5 said:


> Any particular companies you used and can recommend?



Skagway:

http://www.wpyr.com/ (If you book through them, you'll pay less, and the only difference is that you walk to the station at the front of the train, rather than board from the caboose.  We saved $50 for our party this way, and we were on the exact same train.)

It's worth noting, if you have wheelchair users in your party (I am one), that it's better to book the second train run on your own.  If you arrive early enough to catch the first train, they will change your tickets at no charge and, while there are a great many wheelies on the second train, when we went, we had the whole wheelchair compartment to ourselves.

They do not book the railroad songs/I spy game one, but I can make up some goodies myself for a lot less for kids.

There is a wheelchair accessible shuttle that will take you from the station to the gardens and glassworks--you don't have to pay for the big Disney tour--however, I don't know if you can pay separately to blow a glass ornament.  Our daughter was too young to participate, but she loves glassworks (took stained glass in HS) so we went out there and just watched.  The whole cost was considerably less than Disney.

Ketchikan:

We did the lumberjack show in Ketchikan, and we were all a bit disappointed.  What we liked best (and was VERY inexpensive--about $5) was the incredible Alaska museum across from the lumberjack show.  This is a particularly good option if it's raining or very cold.

We also did the Ride The Ducks tour, and we enjoyed that quite a bit, but it's not something you really need to set up in advance.

Juneau:

The Mount Roberts Tramway is about 6 of 1, a dozen of another, but I wouldn't book through Disney if you like to keep your options open.

The Alaska State Museum is also a lot of fun, and a great choice if the day is rainy and windy.

If you want to do the major excursions (floatplanes, etc.), there are a lot of people who've made recommendations on this board.  Overall, you'll do better if you book those on your own.  I also posted a general overview a while back, but it's been two years, and I would go for the more recent recommendations now.


----------



## RedSox68

meajuly5 said:


> Any particular companies you used and can recommend?



In Skagway we booked Chilkoot Tours ahead -- saved us a couple of hundred dollars over the ship's exact version of the same excursion.

In Ketchikan we got off the ship and booked a shuttle tour with one of the companies on the dock -- the one offering the best deal, and we had a great time.


----------



## sabrecmc

I second the rec for Chilikoot tours for Skagway.  Great excursion!  We had 60+ year olds and my 5 year old along and everyone had a blast.  My review is somewhere early in this thread, but it was definitely a highlight.

We did DCL tours in Juneau and Ketchikan, though I booked the Lumberjack show via their website b/c it was cheaper than DCL for the same thing.  For Juneau, I'd probably book whale watching on my own if I were to do it again, though we had a great time on our trip.  I heard that later DCL groups were on much larger vessels, which makes it a bit difficult.  Ours was a smaller boat, so everyone could see just fine.  Mendenhall Glacier was great!  Wouldn't have minded more time there to explore.  I think that is the nice part of booking on your own.


----------



## dvhtu

This thread has been very helpful. It seems that most people are taking the train in Skagway. Has anyone tried doing the bus only tour in Skagway? I am looking into either Discover The Yukon Adventure by Chilkoot Charters & Tours OR Yukon Discovery by Frontier Excursions & Adventures. Has anyone tried either one of these two excursions? Reviews will be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you.


----------



## LeslieG

We rented a car in Skagway and drove up to Emerald Lake.   Probably my favorite thing we did.   The lake is spectacular.   And we saw bears on the drive up and back on four different occasions along the road!   This was in late May last year.


----------



## AquaDame

Can someone recommend dog sledding that you can book on your own? When we booked this cruise we were in a different financial place but now with all the money spent buying our first house and all the extas of setting it up we will be on a tighter budget (but dont want to cancel in case Disney doesn't come back!) Any info on good companies for an early June run would be appreciated ^^


----------



## AZMermaid

lmb80129 said:


> Anyone do the Wilderness Exploration & Crab Feast in Ketchikan?



I tried to use the search function  to search this thread for the answer to this- but it didn't work! Anyone do this? How do you think a 17 month old and almost 3 year old would like this?


----------



## lilpooh108

dvhtu said:


> This thread has been very helpful. It seems that most people are taking the train in Skagway. Has anyone tried doing the bus only tour in Skagway? I am looking into either Discover The Yukon Adventure by Chilkoot Charters & Tours OR Yukon Discovery by Frontier Excursions & Adventures. Has anyone tried either one of these two excursions? Reviews will be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thank you.



We did the short 3 hour tour with Frontier Excursions and really liked it.  I know people that went on the train and thought it was boring since the scenery is the same going up and down and the train was not climate controlled so it was super hot.

Frontier was affordable, but we didnt do the Yukon one you're looking at.


----------



## chiburple

This is a great thread! I haven't read every page so my appologies if these questions have already been answered. I saw that there are now two Disney excursions for the Yukon Train thing. One goes up and turns around and comes back down (which I've read that the way down is a bit boring) and the other lets passengers off in Fraiser to take the bus down. For those that have taken the train, how much of the view will we miss if we get off in Fraiser? Is it more of the same or is there more to see by staying on the train all the way to the summit? 

Also a question about tipping: Should we tip on all excursions and how much? Do we tip someone on the train for example and, if so, who and when? 

What about Harv and Marv's whale watching? 
(After reading this thread I went ahead and booked that for Juneau so Thank you so much to those that made that recommendation!)


----------



## dvhtu

lilpooh108 said:
			
		

> We did the short 3 hour tour with Frontier Excursions and really liked it.  I know people that went on the train and thought it was boring since the scenery is the same going up and down and the train was not climate controlled so it was super hot.
> 
> Frontier was affordable, but we didnt do the Yukon one you're looking at.




Thank you for your reply.


----------



## ucancallmetink

Just thought I'd take a minute to share our Alaska cruise excursions for the benefit of this season's cruisers.

In Skagway, we did the 4x4 Takshanuk Mountain Trail through Disney.  It was worth every penny.  I detailed the experience with plenty of photos in my Disney Cruise Line Skagway Review

In Juneau, we booked on our own with ERA for a helicopter/dog sledding adventure.  Also worth every penny.  Read more on my Disney Cruise Line Juneau review.  

I'm happy to answer any questions as well!


----------



## cleophus12

We booked the Yukon and white pass thru chilkioot on our own. Train up and bus back. We got some great pics on the bus ride down. Just gives you a different perspective to shoot from. Driver was very nice. Stopped a couple of times for photos. So easy to do too. Train is right at the dock and chilkoot sends a rep to greet you.


----------



## cleophus12

cleophus12 said:
			
		

> We booked the Yukon and white pass thru chilkioot on our own. Train up and bus back. We got some great pics on the bus ride down. Just gives you a different perspective to shoot from. Driver was very nice. Stopped a couple of times for photos. So easy to do too. Train is right at the dock and chilkoot sends a rep to greet you.


Oh and we had plenty of time to explore Skagway afterwards.


----------



## Scoobydoo76

AquaDame said:


> Can someone recommend dog sledding that you can book on your own? When we booked this cruise we were in a different financial place but now with all the money spent buying our first house and all the extas of setting it up we will be on a tighter budget (but dont want to cancel in case Disney doesn't come back!) Any info on good companies for an early June run would be appreciated ^^



In Juneau for Medenhall Glacier 2011 we used Alaska Icefield Expeditions. Their web site is http://www.akdogtour.com/reservations/. They did an excellent job and I highly recommend them. The excursion is still expensive but a little less than the Disney price.

You can pm me is you have any questions.


----------



## mickeyhereicome

I have never been on a cruise and do not really know how smoothly excursions go. My family would like to do the Helicopter and dog sled tour and a whale tour. On Disney's website it says 2.5-3 hours for helicopter tour and 4-4.5 hours for whale tour.  How accurate are the times? Online says ashore at 6:15, but my family would be closer to 8 and on board at 4:30. Is the onboard time when the boat is leaving or we could get there at 4:15 and walk on? Will we have enough time or no?


----------



## MCO mama

We went to Alaska on another cruiseline, and I don't know if DCL offers this or not...but one of the greatest memories I have was of an excursion where we canoed up to a glacier. Well, not a 2 person canoe, but like a 6 or 8 person canoe-type boat (not sure what it is called, can you tell?). You could feel it getting colder and colder the closer you got...really amazing.


----------



## Tikifamily

Lots of people have written about the train trip and how great it is.  But, I have not read many posts about what we did - no excursion.  I know, crazy right!

We got off the ship and walked into town with our 9 year old.  We went to the park board office and participated in the junior ranger patch program. It is a free program put out by the national parks.  We ran through fields of wildflowers, found a playground, listened to a local talk about her childhood at a local book store and climbed the mountain to the right of town.  We played games in the office and around town.  Best of all, at the end when you turn in your paperwork, your child takes the oath to protect nature and preserve history and earns a patch or pin.  

The junior ranger program is available in all national parks.  In some places you can download the paperwork before you go.  I highly recommend this "excursion"



I heard if you go on the eagle tour in Haines, you drive by Parker's house from the Gold Rush show .


----------



## Silly Little Pixie

MCO mama said:


> We went to Alaska on another cruiseline, and I don't know if DCL offers this or not...but one of the greatest memories I have was of an excursion where we canoed up to a glacier. Well, not a 2 person canoe, but like a 6 or 8 person canoe-type boat (not sure what it is called, can you tell?). You could feel it getting colder and colder the closer you got...really amazing.



My kids really really want to do that one! DH is less than enthusiastic, though...


----------



## topsy

We are booked on the September 2nd cruise and are booking the following tours (none are with DCL):

Skagway 
Chilkoot Charters: Yukon Bus & Rail Excursion With Lunch / Husky Puppy Camp / Emerald Lake

Juneau
Harv & Marv's Whale Watching Tour
(We'll get dropped off at Mendenhall Glacier and return to town on the $8 shuttle bus)

Ketchikan
Misty Fjords floatplane flight - not sure who with yet. Any suggestions would be welcome!


----------



## jdb in AZ

topsy said:


> We are booked on the September 2nd cruise and are booking the following tours (none are with DCL):
> 
> Skagway
> Chilkoot Charters: Yukon Bus & Rail Excursion With Lunch / Husky Puppy Camp / Emerald Lake
> 
> Juneau
> Harv & Marv's Whale Watching Tour
> (We'll get dropped off at Mendenhall Glacier and return to town on the $8 shuttle bus)
> 
> *Ketchikan
> Misty Fjords floatplane flight - not sure who with yet. Any suggestions would be welcome!*




We didn't want to pay the ship's excursion rate, so when we got to Ketchikan we just looked around (you'll see advertisement signage) chose a local pilot.  No advance reservation necessary.  Absolutely loved the trip.  Gorgeous scenery.  The pilot showed us mountain sheep, and we landed on a glacier lake.


----------



## Mackie Mouse

topsy said:


> We are booked on the September 2nd cruise and are booking the following tours (none are with DCL):
> 
> Skagway
> Chilkoot Charters: Yukon Bus & Rail Excursion With Lunch / Husky Puppy Camp / Emerald Lake
> 
> Juneau
> Harv & Marv's Whale Watching Tour
> (We'll get dropped off at Mendenhall Glacier and return to town on the $8 shuttle bus)
> 
> Ketchikan
> Misty Fjords floatplane flight - not sure who with yet. Any suggestions would be welcome!



We booked with Island Wings per recommendations here for this summer!  Very pleased with their customer service so far.  

We are doing Chilkoot Charters in Skagway, too...would have also loved to do whale watching with Harv and Marv, but DH wasn't too enthused...so instead we have a day of our own fun planned out in Juneau


----------



## EllinK

We also booked the Temsco helicopter/glacer/dog sled excursion in Skagway.  It was steps away from where the Wonder docked.  Phenomenal!  If we return to Alaska, we will do this again even though it is $$$.  Don't miss it.

In Ketchikan we did the canoe trip because I wanted to get away from crowds and figured my son would be itching to do something physical.  Another incredible success -- you take a van to a state park that is remote and breathtaking.  Being out on the water and experiencing the calm and the quiet was a perfect way to spend the afternoon.

You won't be disappointed with either of these tours.


----------



## topsy

Brilliant, that's exactly what we're hoping to do! Thanks.


----------



## AZMermaid

topsy said:


> We are booked on the September 2nd cruise and are booking the following tours (none are with DCL):
> 
> Skagway
> Chilkoot Charters: Yukon Bus & Rail Excursion With Lunch / Husky Puppy Camp / Emerald Lake
> 
> Juneau
> Harv & Marv's Whale Watching Tour
> (We'll get dropped off at Mendenhall Glacier and return to town on the $8 shuttle bus)
> 
> Ketchikan
> Misty Fjords floatplane flight - not sure who with yet. Any suggestions would be welcome!



We are booked for Harv and Marv for the July 15 cruise and also looking at Chilkoot Charters- just for the bus and rail though. Not sure my kids can hang in for anything more than a 4 hour excursion. In Ketchikan we are debating between the Deadliest Catch tour and Wilderness/Crab fest one. We will be booking that through DCL since we will leave the kids in the nursery for sure if it is the Deadliest Catch one and maybe for the other one. I have an email into the company asking if it is appropriate for kids under 3 but no response yet.


----------



## Broncobait

What was the cost of the Harv and Marv excursion? I was considering this one also. I had been planning on booking our excursions in early March.  Y'all are getting the jump on us.


----------



## AZMermaid

http://www.harvandmarvs.com/

We have 6, and 2 under 13 (you have to do a private tour if you have kids under 13 though them) and it was $870 plus tax. Works out to $145 a person- the whale tour through Disney is $147 a person (less for kids though) but a 150 person boat, so we felt like Harv and Marv was a good value.


----------



## jadedjojo

Skagway- We did White Pass and Yukon round-trip (the long one!).  It was AWESOME!  I loved hearing the stories about the gold rush, and the sights were incredible.  You can go outside of the cars and take photos and get some fresh air.  You also board the train literally steps from the ship, so it's convenient if you have kids or have a disability (although be forewarned, the kids I did see on the train were sleeping after half an hour... a huge waste of $$$ if you have kids that would rather be playing with your iphone than seeing mountains and waterfalls). It was a great time (for adults  ), and I definitely give it a 5/5.  We walked through Skagway on our own after the train, and got a cone from Kone Kompany (best bubblegum ice cream EVER!)  We found a historical area that had a nice little park and ate our ice cream there.  We also visited a park near the White Pass' photo op with the trains area, that had a stream and nice shots for photos.  

Juneau- We did Mendenhall Glacier on our own.  Took the blue bus (much, much cheaper than the DCL excursion) and rode to the Glacier.  It wasn't a long ride, and we saw a lot of interesting things on the way.  We hiked as many of the trails as we could, took the trail to Nugget Falls (incredible!), and took a lot of photos.  We didn't see any bears (although the signs were everywhere warning of bears, and someone said we missed a bear by five minutes in the parking lot), but we saw a lot of salmon in the streams and bald eagles.  I will rate our own excursion of Mendenhall as 5/5 .  Of all of the ports, Juneau had SO much to do, and I was very disappointed we didn't have more time.  We only went to Mendenhall and briefly visited the downtown area, and barely made it back to the ship on time!  We look forward to visiting again in the future and doing more. 

Ketchikan- We did the Lumberjack show.  This was a fun show, especially for anyone with kids.  The kids in the audience seemed to be having a great time (as did my hubby, who cheered so loudly I had a headache).  It's a little on the corny side at times, so if you are one of those stuck-up cruisers you may not want to go .  Overall, a really great time.  I'll give this one a 4.5/5, just because I was hoping for a tad more action (I'll take the corny  ).  Besides that, we wandered all over Ketchikan after the show.  We visited a ton of parks on our own with totem poles (I really wanted to see the totem poles and was bummed I didn't have enough time to do both the Lumberjack Show and Totem Bight Park).  The locals were friendly and pointed us towards the locations of all of the totems.  For shoppers, the deals were best here.  We aren't big shoppers, but we got a ton of stuff for free!  Make sure you collect those coupon books when you board (they have them in the towns as well).  DH and I had one each, and we got hats and bags, jewelry, train whistle, mugs, etc., all free, or free with any purchase... seriously, you could buy a postcard and get a hat for free!  Good deals besides the free stuff too.  We also got to see Creek Street, where we found out we had again just missed a bear.  It was a gorgeous place, but about this time hubby pointed out we only had one hour left until the boat would leave us, so we had to head back again.  Looking forward to visiting here again in the future as well and finding the one totem in town that I missed!


----------



## meajuly5

Inkmahm said:
			
		

> We are doing Alaska with DCL in August, but DH and I have previously done land/cruise tours with Princess in 2005 and 2008.  That is affecting the excursions we have booked for this 2011 trip.
> 
> Skagway:  2005 we did the Whitepass railway and trip into Yukon.  Up on a bus, lunch at Carribou Crossing, over to see Emerald Lake, back on the train.  Loved the trip!  The versions they have now have the added meeting with dog sledding puppies which would be a great addition.
> 
> 2008 we did the 9 hour tour on our own with taking the train to the end of the line and eating lunch in Bennet. My DH is a big Gold Rush fan and I have to admit, it was very cool to see the area left as it was when the miners were there.  Again, it was a bus ride back with lots of stops for pictures.  I don't know that this trip is available because the train  tracks had washed away awhile ago but if it has been rebuilt, I'd highly recommend booking this through Chilkoot tours.
> 
> 2011 with DCL:  Highly tempted to do the steam train  version of the White Pass as it is rarely available.  But the chance to see brown bear on the evening Wilderness excursion has won our first pick, especially since we can do the summer dog sled camp with it.  If anyone is debating though and this is your one trip to Alaska, definitely don't miss the White Pass railway.
> 
> Juneau:  2005 we did the Pilot's Choice helicopter trip.  For everyone that can afford it, flying over the glaciers is really something to see.  Standing on a glacier is amazing.  I agree 100% that the walking on the glacier was much scarier than the helicopter ride to get there and I am normally afraid of heights.  The sense of distance is SO messed up on both the helicopter and the glacier.  It really is a once in a lifetime excursion.  We also did the Fish Hatchery and Mendenhall glacier tour.
> 
> 2008 we tried to do the dogsledding on a glacier tour but it was canceled due to weather.  This is THE most canceled excursion in all of Alaska.  Anyone doing a helicopter flight out of Juneau, especially one with dog sledding, needs to have backup plans ready in case of cancellation.  Our day was not a loss because we did whale watching with Harv and Marv in the morning.   They use a 6 person boat and you get VERY close to the whales.  While the boats must stay a certain distance away from the whales, they can shut their engines off and let the whales come close to the boat on their own.  We had one whale that made me jump because it surfaced SO close to us.  I thought it was going to treat our boat as a toy!  We went back to Mendenhall Glacier to see how far it had receded since 2005.
> 
> 2011  We are doing whale watching and the Mendenhall Glacier again, but going with Disney.  We are on the smaller boat though (less than 36 passengers).  It sounds like the glacier has receded very far from where it was originally.  We want to see how far that is.
> 
> Ketchikan:   2005 we did a jet boat trip out of a fishing camp and loved it.  It was May, so it was way too early to see bears and salmon.  We did the Lumberjack show and thought it was okay, but wouldn't do it again.  Kids would love it though.
> 
> 2008 we flew with Island Wings to Traitor's Cove in late August to watch black bears fishing for salmon.  We flew to see Misty Fjords on the way back.  I highly recommend any float plane trip to Traitor's Cove.  The bears are fun to watch and you are quite close to them.  The salmon swimming upstream are also very interesting.
> 
> 2011 we are doing the float plane tour to Neets Bay to see the bears fishing again.  Since we've already been to Traitor's Cove, we picked the Disney excursion to Neets Bay.



Which bear watching would you recommend? We are trying for traitors cove with misty fjords but interested to hear what you thought of meets bay!


----------



## meajuly5

EllinK said:
			
		

> We also booked the Temsco helicopter/glacer/dog sled excursion in Skagway.  It was steps away from where the Wonder docked.  Phenomenal!  If we return to Alaska, we will do this again even though it is $$$.  Don't miss it.
> 
> In Ketchikan we did the canoe trip because I wanted to get away from crowds and figured my son would be itching to do something physical.  Another incredible success -- you take a van to a state park that is remote and breathtaking.  Being out on the water and experiencing the calm and the quiet was a perfect way to spend the afternoon.
> 
> You won't be disappointed with either of these tours.



Considering the temsco tour in Skagway. If we go first thing in am, would there be time to do the train in the afternoon?


----------



## meajuly5

jlwhitney said:
			
		

> We booked all of excursions independently and are so glad that we did!!!
> 
> Here is what we did:
> 
> Skagway: Chillkoot Charters, Yukon Rail and Bus. It was fantastic, we took a van up the white pass and into Carcross yukon. We stoped at the welcome to alsaka and welcome to yukon signs, as well as the carcross desert and emerald lake. We had lunch at caribou crossings which was yummy but the place was kind of cheesy to us (defiantly touristy). After that we drove back to the Fraser station and took the train down.
> 
> Juneau: Coastal Helicopter, we did the dog sledding on a glacier. It saved us a hundred bucks a person to book through them versus through Disney. It was amazing, I can't say enough great things about the company and the experience. Truly once in a lifetime!!!
> 
> Ketchikan: Bearing Sea Crab tour. Do not book through Disney, book it on your own, it will save you 20 bucks a person and its a five minute walk to the ship (even on the same pier) it is so easy.
> 
> We also did in Whistler ziplining at Ziptrek (5 stars) and Monkido Course through Wildplay (5 stars again)/
> 
> In vancouver we did stanley park/aquarium and the capilano suspension. I would recommend all of them.
> 
> Feel free to ask me questions on what we did and the companies we used.



We just booked coastal. Glad to hear you were happy!  Can you tell me about the glacier? Should I be disappointed its not mendenhall or will I not know the difference?


----------



## meajuly5

How was this company and tour???


----------



## meajuly5

Thumbs up


----------



## wachnicki

topsy said:


> We are booked on the September 2nd cruise and are booking the following tours (none are with DCL):
> 
> Skagway
> Chilkoot Charters: Yukon Bus & Rail Excursion With Lunch / Husky Puppy Camp / Emerald Lake
> 
> Juneau
> Harv & Marv's Whale Watching Tour
> (We'll get dropped off at Mendenhall Glacier and return to town on the $8 shuttle bus)
> 
> Ketchikan
> Misty Fjords floatplane flight - not sure who with yet. Any suggestions would be welcome!



Can you tell me the cost of the chilkoot charter excursion?


----------



## Mackie Mouse

wachnicki said:


> Can you tell me the cost of the chilkoot charter excursion?



There are a few choices, but here is what I was quoted via e-mail this year for the Bus and Rail excursion with a stop at Caribou Crossing (their most popular tour and the one PP posted about): 

"Yukon Bus & Rail Excursion (lunch included)
Duration: 7.5 Hours
Departure: 7:30AM (Depart Skagway by train)
Departure: 8:30AM (Depart Skagway by bus)
Cost: $176.00 Adult      $116.00 Child (12 & Under)
Lunch Included: BBQ chicken, baked potato, coleslaw, dinner roll, cake doughnuts, coffee, tea, water
Admission to the Yukon Wildlife Museum and Husky Puppy Camp also included
Itinerary: Skagway/White Pass Summit/Fraser by train  1 ¾ hours on train to Fraser, Fraser to Carcross & Emerald Lake and return to Skagway by bus"

To clarify, although both itineraries include a trip on the train and one on the bus, depending on what time you choose to depart, you will either go up to the Yukon by bus, or go up on the train.  We chose the 8:30 departure that goes up by bus and takes the train back down.


----------



## topsy

There are just too many tours, we keep changing our minds! It's such a shame that Juneau appears to have the largest selection of things to do yet the port time is the shortest 

As mentioned previously, we hope to go with Harv & Marv for whale watching - does anyone know what time(s) their tours run? 

We've now also seen the Taku Lodge/Float Plane tour which we would love to do but we don't want to give up whale watching. Will we have time to do both? We don't mind getting up early and being off the ship as soon as possible. 

What time do the Taku Lodge tours run? 

Thanks!


----------



## AZMermaid

Our Harv and Marv is super early- I can't remember exactly- but 7:15/7:30 sounds right. They had another pick up time, but I can't remember it- maybe 10?


----------



## Spart02

Are there any good places for whale watching besides Juneau?  We are wanting to do the 5 Glacier Seaplane Discovery at Taku Glacier Lodge, but I also would really like to do a whale watching tour somewhere.  Or, do you see enough whales on the ship that you really don't feel the need to do a separate whale watching tour?  Thanks in advance!


----------



## zandlmom

We are trying to decide whether to spend the $$$ on a plane/glacier/dog sled excursion with DD's 6 and 8. Everyone who went says it was amazing. I'm wondering if folks who skipped it wished they had done it. Thanks in advance!!


----------



## jilljill

zandlmom said:


> We are trying to decide whether to spend the $$$ on a plane/glacier/dog sled excursion with DD's 6 and 8. Everyone who went says it was amazing. I'm wondering if folks who skipped it wished they had done it. Thanks in advance!!



After doing that excursion, if we had missed it and heard someone talking about I would have been very upset to not have done it.  It's a pricey excursion, but one that the memories will last a lifetime and you will have a blast.

eta - our's was by helicopter not plane


----------



## luv2sleep

jilljill said:
			
		

> After doing that excursion, if we had missed it and heard someone talking about I would have been very upset to not have done it.  It's a pricey excursion, but one that the memories will last a lifetime and you will have a blast.
> 
> eta - our's was by helicopter not plane



How much is this excursion per person?


----------



## jilljill

luv2sleep said:


> How much is this excursion per person?



It was part of our ABD add-on, but you can find the pricing on DCL's website.


----------



## luv2sleep

jilljill said:
			
		

> It was part of our ABD add-on, but you can find the pricing on DCL's website.



Oh I was wondering if people had done this outside of Disney and if it was cheaper. Thank though!


----------



## jilljill

luv2sleep said:


> Oh I was wondering if people had done this outside of Disney and if it was cheaper. Thank though!



I believe this is the company that our tour was booked thru:  http://www.alaskahelimush.com/


Here's a pic from our adventure:


----------



## Ware Bears

topsy said:


> As mentioned previously, we hope to go with Harv & Marv for whale watching - does anyone know what time(s) their tours run?



We're going with Harv and Marv and were given the choice of 7 something or 10 something.


----------



## meajuly5

Ware Bears said:
			
		

> We're going with Harv and Marv and were given the choice of 7 something or 10 something.



It do ends on you day, size of party and what they have available. If you email them, hey are quite quick in responding


----------



## meajuly5

luv2sleep said:
			
		

> Oh I was wondering if people had done this outside of Disney and if it was cheaper. Thank though!



About 480 per person on average


----------



## luv2sleep

jilljill said:
			
		

> I believe this is the company that our tour was booked thru:  http://www.alaskahelimush.com/
> 
> Here's a pic from our adventure:



Just for the flight and dog experience it's $504/pp right now. Thanks for the link!


----------



## zandlmom

jilljill said:
			
		

> After doing that excursion, if we had missed it and heard someone talking about I would have been very upset to not have done it.  It's a pricey excursion, but one that the memories will last a lifetime and you will have a blast.
> 
> eta - our's was by helicopter not plane



Thanks for the advice...that's what I figured!


----------



## Tikifamily

We did the taku lodge float plane tour.  It was well worth the money and we had a wonderful time.  Take lots of mosquito spray and believe the proprietor about where the bears are sighted.  We went on a bear hunt the minute we were finished with lunch, only to find the bears in the front yard of the lodge 40 minutes later.  You don't get to walk on the glacier, but the view over is incredible.  I even got to be the copilot!

On the topic of whales-we saw dahls porpoise (look like mini orcas) and orcas from the ship several times.  We did not see humpbacks, but it was not quite humpback season either.  I don't know if anyone on our trip saw them.


----------



## Spart02

Tikifamily said:


> We did the taku lodge float plane tour.  It was well worth the money and we had a wonderful time.  Take lots of mosquito spray and believe the proprietor about where the bears are sighted.  We went on a bear hunt the minute we were finished with lunch, only to find the bears in the front yard of the lodge 40 minutes later.  You don't get to walk on the glacier, but the view over is incredible.  I even got to be the copilot!
> 
> On the topic of whales-we saw dahls porpoise (look like mini orcas) and orcas from the ship several times.  We did not see humpbacks, but it was not quite humpback season either.  I don't know if anyone on our trip saw them.




Thank you!  That is helpful!


----------



## Silly Little Pixie

Ok I finally read through this thread last night. Oh my it's long! 

I am wanting to book the Alaska Whales and Science Adventure in Juneau. It is through DCL but run by Gastineau Guiding. Has anyone done this? My kids will be 13 and 16 and they love marine sciences. Is it too kiddish? The boat looks like a small one which is perfect. How long is the stop at the glacier? Is there any hiking near it, or is it just in the distance? 

Thanks!


----------



## COASTIEandMATE

jilljill said:


> I believe this is the company that our tour was booked thru:  http://www.alaskahelimush.com/
> 
> 
> Here's a pic from our adventure:



Love this picture, what a memory to keep!!! Karen and Ron


----------



## mickeyhereicome

If anyone is interested, we just booked a tour with Beyond Skagway Tours.  They have great reviews on tripadvisor. It is $120/hr for the whole car. The have minivans, and SUV and a 10 passenger van. Will post a review upon are return from our May cruise.


----------



## Silly Little Pixie

Has anyone done flight seeing out of Skagway over Glacier Bay? Mountain Flying Service does it at a reasonable price, and has excellent recommendations on trip advisor. Looks like that might be a way to see Glacier Bay...


----------



## Spart02

From what I'm reading, there is really only one helicopter company who operates out of Skagway - Temsco.  Is this correct?  For those of you that have used them, what was your experience with them?  Do you recommend booking directly through Disney or trying to book separately on our own?  If separately, was it hard to find where to meet for the tour?  I have a 10 year old, a 5 year old and myself that are considering doing this.  We would like to do a helicopter ride and land on a glacier for a little bit, then back.  We have other excursions planned for Juneau and Ketchican, so it really needs to be done in Skagway.
Thanks in advance!


----------



## CruznLexi

As an agent try Shore excursion group. Type in the ship and sail date.


----------



## Spart02

CruznLexi said:


> As an agent try Shore excursion group. Type in the ship and sail date.



This is cheaper than what is offered through Disney as far as adult rates go, but they don't have child rates listed, so that won't work for me.  When I try to put in our info, it quotes me for all adults.


----------



## dahuffy




----------



## goeva

jilljill said:


> I believe this is the company that our tour was booked thru:  http://www.alaskahelimush.com/
> 
> 
> Here's a pic from our adventure:



Beautiful. 
Thanks for sharing.


----------



## meajuly5

Perdita&Pongo said:


> We are also booked with Family Air Tours for our Ketchikan excursion!  We booked the Anan Creek Bear Observatory tour with the Misty Fjords add-on http://familyairtours.com/page2_Anan.html.  They also have a glacier add on, but we are doing a glacier in Juneau so we opted for Misty Fjords.
> 
> We are so excited to see the bears up close and personal!!  I like, too, that they use a 4 passenger floatplane, so our family of 4 will have a private air tour.  Combine that with the fact that there are a limited number of permits the Forest Service issues per day for the Bear Observatory.  I'm glad we were able to get in on our Ketchikan port day.
> 
> Has anyone who has already cruised been to *Anan Creek Bear
> 
> 
> 
> Observatory*?  Any reviews/advice on the excursion?




How was this tour! We have the same one booked!


----------



## jackieinJuneau

Spart02 said:


> From what I'm reading, there is really only one helicopter company who operates out of Skagway - Temsco.  Is this correct?  For those of you that have used them, what was your experience with them?  Do you recommend booking directly through Disney or trying to book separately on our own?  If separately, was it hard to find where to meet for the tour?  I have a 10 year old, a 5 year old and myself that are considering doing this.  We would like to do a helicopter ride and land on a glacier for a little bit, then back.  We have other excursions planned for Juneau and Ketchican, so it really needs to be done in Skagway.
> Thanks in advance!



If a helicopter tour is a must do for you I would book it early in the trip.  Almost every port has a helicopter tour that goes over glaciers and honestly its beautiful but one glacier from above looks a lot like the next so which tour you take doesn't matter.  I recommend booking early in your trip because it is not uncommon for the helicopters to not be able to fly if the cloud cover is to low or the winds to high.  Winds we don't have an issue with in the summer so much but low clouds cancel a lot of tours.  If you book at the front of the trip and get weathered out, you get your money back and can try calling to the next port and booking again.   I volunteer in the information booths here in Juneau in the summer and we would help people do this when the weather was bad.   All the fight tour companies are tightly regulated and I have flown with most of them and had nothing but good flights.


----------



## jenna7394

Has anyone done the Hunting for Halibut excursion in Ketchikan?  My husband would love for us to do this one but I have yet to find any outside information on it.  Also, we would be willing to book outside of DCL if that would be recommended.  I can find information on salmon fishing but not a lot on halibut.  We are cruising June 3, 2013 and I would love to confirm what excursions we will be doing soon!  Any input would be helpful!  Thanks!


----------



## schmity

sunshine state kim said:


> We're doing dogsledding & -glacier-flightseeing in Skagway.
> Whale watching with harv & marv in Juneau
> Kayaking (some of us kayak fishing) in Ketchikan.
> I have an embarrassing question about the helicopter excursions.  Do they weigh you?  Is it private or a big ole scale in front of everyone? All of us are well under the 250# limit, but still don't need the stress!
> Also, how cold was it dogsledding?  We're on the June 14th cruise.  Looks like the temperatures keep creeping up in the ports.  Don't know about on the glaciers though.



How was the kayaking in Ketchikan.  We just signed up for it.  What time of year did you go?  

TIA


----------



## meajuly5

jenna7394 said:
			
		

> Has anyone done the Hunting for Halibut excursion in Ketchikan?  My husband would love for us to do this one but I have yet to find any outside information on it.  Also, we would be willing to book outside of DCL if that would be recommended.  I can find information on salmon fishing but not a lot on halibut.  We are cruising June 3, 2013 and I would love to confirm what excursions we will be doing soon!  Any input would be helpful!  Thanks!



I think I saw an excursion like this on shore trips or shore excursions. Com


----------



## Hanover

Did anyone do 2 DCL excursions in one day? We did 2 DCL excursions  in one day on the Baltic cruise a couple of times, and it worked out because there was a decent amount of time between them. We are looking at doing 2 in Skagway (gold panning/salmon bake and White Pass Railway/Suspension Bridge) and according to times I've seen on another thread, we'd only have between 15 and 45 minutes between  the 2 different combinations of the excursions offered. I know times can change between now and when we go in 2014, I was just trying to figure out if it's doable.


----------



## schmity

Anjelica said:


> *Ketchikan* ~ I had prebooked the Orca's Cove Kayaking trip with *"Southeast Sea Kayaks"* for everyone in my family/brother EXCEPT my son.  We didn't feel he was mature enough to go on this excursion.
> 
> After disembarking we located the "Southeast Sea Kayaks" White van and we were on our way to the excursion location (it was less than a 5 minute drive - we probably could have walked it but it was nice that they picked you up).  After getting outfitted with our Kayaking gear minus kayak and paddle we hopped onboard a little scuttle boat.  After a 20 minute trip out to the cove we transferred to the bigger boat which had the guides aboard and kayak's attached.
> 
> My brother and the guide ended up in one kayak and DH, DD and I ended up in another kayak.  The guide took us to the various inlets of the cove and we saw an abudance of undersea creatures - tons of starfish, jellyfish, etc.  At one point, in a cove that during low tide has no water but during the high tide were were there (was 15 feet of water) a seal popped his head up a few times.
> 
> After our several hour kayak adventure we ended up back a the larger boat for a snack.  They had salmon, crackers, cheese, fruit and water.  We got to snack for about 20 minutes before the little transfer boat came back for us.  After another 20 minute ride back to the kayaking location back near the dock, and another transfer by van, we were back at the dock.
> 
> This was a pretty neat excursion that we all enjoyed.  You could go at an agressive pace if you wanted to our a leisurely pace.  The tour guide was AWESOME!!!
> 
> 
> 
> If anyone has any questions let me know.



Thank you for posting!  We will be going with this company in May.  Although i think it may be a different route.  

Thanks again.


----------



## FREEZIN

meajuly5 said:


> about 480 per person on average




ouch!!!! X4


----------



## meajuly5

FREEZIN said:
			
		

> ouch!!!! X4



 No kidding!


----------



## zandlmom

Hi - I am looking for some advice on whale watching. I want our girls, 6 and 8, to come away with memories of seeing whales. But now that its crunch time with excursions, I'm not sure spending hours on a boat would be interesting to them after the first, say, 30 minutes. For those who have been, is it one of those things that is more interesting to adults who have the patience to wait for the next moment?  And for those who didn't whale watch, were you able to see some from the ship to get that "I've seen a whale" feeling?  Thanks in advance!


----------



## Aby

Sadly almost all the excursions in Juneau were cancelled on our cruise due to high winds and rough waters, so I missed the one excursion I really wanted to do - whale watching. We did "see" a pod of orcas way off the aft of the ship on our last day, and while it was cool to see, I just didn't get that great feeling I know I'll have when I really get to see one on a tour. I know some other people saw more whales then us, but most of them were pretty far off from the ship and to me that's just not the same. 

I can't comment too much on whether or not it would be entertaining enough for the kids, but I think it would depend on the child. I was totally into nature when I was young (still am!), and I would sit for more than an hour in the tree in my backyard with my hands held out full of seeds hoping one would land, so I was very patient! If your kids are really into seeing some wildlife, I think the excitement each time they even catch a glimpse will keep them going 

We are going back to Alaska this summer with Disney and really, really hope that we get to do the whale watching this time. In fact, it's the only excursion we plan to do this time, so I hope the weather cooperates!

Aby


----------



## cleophus12

Our whale watching experience was amazing. Humpbacks were in abundance and we saw one breach every minute or so. No one would have been bored on that trip. However we weren't on dcl so we were in a different port from where you will be. Whale watching is as unpredictable as the whales themselves so its impossible to know if your children will see any or not. They might enjoy the boat ride though especially if you are on a smaller excursion. We only saw a whale once from the ship so if you were in the wrong place you missed it.


----------



## buddywesley

zandlmom said:
			
		

> Hi - I am looking for some advice on whale watching. I want our girls, 6 and 8, to come away with memories of seeing whales. But now that its crunch time with excursions, I'm not sure spending hours on a boat would be interesting to them after the first, say, 30 minutes. For those who have been, is it one of those things that is more interesting to adults who have the patience to wait for the next moment?  And for those who didn't whale watch, were you able to see some from the ship to get that "I've seen a whale" feeling?  Thanks in advance!



Sorry! My phone app made this post twice! I guess the excursion is twice the fun


----------



## buddywesley

zandlmom said:
			
		

> Hi - I am looking for some advice on whale watching. I want our girls, 6 and 8, to come away with memories of seeing whales. But now that its crunch time with excursions, I'm not sure spending hours on a boat would be interesting to them after the first, say, 30 minutes. For those who have been, is it one of those things that is more interesting to adults who have the patience to wait for the next moment?  And for those who didn't whale watch, were you able to see some from the ship to get that "I've seen a whale" feeling?  Thanks in advance!



We did the whale watching with DCL with our kids DD 4.5 and DS almost 9 at the time. We went end of June/ beg of July and saw a mom and baby humpback and a school of whales. We sat there for quite a while to watch (i think we took 100+ pix) and my son was into it the whole time. My DD wasnt but they had coloring pages for the kids and she made a friend and they colored the whole time LOL! I think you will all have fun! We also saw eagles and sea lions...


----------



## CruznLexi

The last time we went we had my 6 yr old cousin with us and we did not do it through DCL we did it through an Orca Enterprises who is like the Jack Hanna of whales . Much smaller boat only takes 25.  We had whales breach, lots of whales and seals. The tried to keep the kids interactive. The one that we did in another port was lousy big huge catamaran. I have done one more in Mexico and same thing the one in Juneau is amazing.


----------



## schmity

Bradleyv1714 said:


> Ketchikan: I will be sea kayaking tatoosh island.



How did this go?  We are signed up to do the same I believe.


----------



## Fellzie

Wow! So many reviews! This has been very helpful to me in choosing what I will participate in


----------



## zandlmom

Thanks everyone for the whale watching advice. We need about 3 days in each port! It sounds like its not to be missed. Thanks so much for the expertise.


----------



## jenna7394

Thank you for the suggestion of Shore Trips.  I found a couple leads on one of those sites for fishing excursions!


----------



## jenna7394

Has anyone used Alaska Anglers Adventures & Outfitters for fishing excursions?


----------



## OrcaPotter

For folks who did their own thing in Ketchikan, where are the cool things to see/do that are cheap and/or locally owned?  I want to support the local shops, not cruise line owned ones.


----------



## jenna7394

We just booked a special helicopter tour through Coastal Helicopters for the Juneau stop on 6/7. This tour is a 3-1/2 tour that consists of a helicopter ride to have an hour long dogsled experience AND a 20 minute landing on an icefield. Normally, companies only offer one or the other. In order for us to be guaranteed the icefield landing, all riders in the helicopter have to agree. There are only 4 in our family (my DH and I plus our 2 very well behaved boys, 12 & 14) and the helicopter seats 6. The total cost per person would be $545. If you or someone you know would be interested in joining our family for this tour, please PM me and I can give you more information. We would love to know we are guaranteed both landings!  Without finding others on our own we are only guaranteed to do the dogsled.


----------



## TwingleMomFl

jenna7394 said:


> We just booked a special helicopter tour through Coastal Helicopters for the Juneau stop on 6/7. This tour is a 3-1/2 tour that consists of a helicopter ride to have an hour long dogsled experience AND a 20 minute landing on an icefield. Normally, companies only offer one or the other. In order for us to be guaranteed the icefield landing, all riders in the helicopter have to agree. There are only 4 in our family (my DH and I plus our 2 very well behaved boys, 12 & 14) and the helicopter seats 6. The total cost per person would be $545. If you or someone you know would be interested in joining our family for this tour, please PM me and I can give you more information. We would love to know we are guaranteed both landings!  Without finding others on our own we are only guaranteed to do the dogsled.



We also booked with them and are doing the same tour. If you get a group of 12 together they will give you a discount. Luckily,we have enough to get the discount and a private tour!


----------



## jenna7394

Thanks for the info. I would love to get 12 together for a discount but at this point I am just hoping for 2 more to fill the helicopter!  Maybe we will see you up there!


----------



## TwingleMomFl

jenna7394 said:


> Thanks for the info. I would love to get 12 together for a discount but at this point I am just hoping for 2 more to fill the helicopter!  Maybe we will see you up there!



Let me know how it is when you come back! We go in July. I can't wait to hear your review!


----------



## jenna7394

I will definitely let you know!


----------



## Silly Little Pixie

OrcaPotter said:


> For folks who did their own thing in Ketchikan, where are the cool things to see/do that are cheap and/or locally owned?  I want to support the local shops, not cruise line owned ones.



Definitely! We are planning to just do our own thing in Ketchikan so I would love to hear ideas. I like the hole in the wall type places.


----------



## Plucker001

We will be on the Wonder in August and my Dad really wants to go fishing. I assume it would be salmon fishing? If so, does anyone have any recommendations? Particular ports or excursions?

TIA!


----------



## jenna7394

Plucker001 said:


> We will be on the Wonder in August and my Dad really wants to go fishing. I assume it would be salmon fishing? If so, does anyone have any recommendations? Particular ports or excursions?
> 
> TIA!



We booked the Salmon fishing through DCL. We looked into booking on our own but the company I had seen good reviews on actually does the tour for DCL.  We are doing this in Ketichan at the beginning of June.  I can let you know how it went when we get back if you would like.


----------



## Meghanabc

Hi.... We just booked our Skagway excursion with Chilkoot and we are looking at the heli/mush tours for Juneau. No ideas for Ketchikan yet though. We will have my parents with us on that day so we are looking to do some fun excursions but nothing too over the top!  They dont want to do any sort of sea plane/helicopter tour.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks


----------



## Plucker001

jenna7394 said:


> We booked the Salmon fishing through DCL. We looked into booking on our own but the company I had seen good reviews on actually does the tour for DCL.  We are doing this in Ketichan at the beginning of June.  I can let you know how it went when we get back if you would like.



That would be great if you happen to remember! DIS'ers are the best!


----------



## AZMermaid

Meghanabc said:


> Hi.... We just booked our Skagway excursion with Chilkoot and we are looking at the heli/mush tours for Juneau. No ideas for Ketchikan yet though. We will have my parents with us on that day so we are looking to do some fun excursions but nothing too over the top!  They dont want to do any sort of sea plane/helicopter tour.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks



We are doing the Winlderness Exploration and Crab Feast. It is on the DCL site, the last one down. It gets pretty good reviews on Trip Advisor but I haven't read too many people from here who have done it.


----------



## katiefried

Sorry if I've missed this in a previous post, but does anyone know if its possible to do a flight seeing tour over Glacier Bay National Park, maybe from Juneau? I've been searching online and keep seeing references to that but nothing specific. I think DCL is going to be our best bet since our son will have just turned 3 when we hope to go (5/2014), but I'm a little disappointed they don't sail through the National Park. On that note any good stories about Tracy Arm would be appreciated too


----------



## meajuly5

katiefried said:
			
		

> Sorry if I've missed this in a previous post, but does anyone know if its possible to do a flight seeing tour over Glacier Bay National Park, maybe from Juneau? I've been searching online and keep seeing references to that but nothing specific. I think DCL is going to be our best bet since our son will have just turned 3 when we hope to go (5/2014), but I'm a little disappointed they don't sail through the National Park. On that note any good stories about Tracy Arm would be appreciated too



I know I have seen these offered from Skagway. I can't recall the company but if you do a search I am positive that there are some independents who fly there


----------



## katiefried

Thank you meajuly5! I guess I was just looking at the wrong town, oops! You are right, when I switched my google search from Juneau to Skagway Glacier Bay flights I found several! Definitely going to keep this in mind! Would love to hear from anyone who's done a flight over GBNP!


----------



## scrapycruiser

Gathering info for our Alaska cruise 2014 !
Thanks everyone !


----------



## Ntrain

For those of you that are booking with tour companies, how far in advance did you book? from what I'm reading people are booking like two months in advance.
Did you do it because the preferred excursions were already full via DCL or is it more cost effective? 

I think turning into an obsessive planner but already doing research for my August 2014 cruise.


----------



## peachygreen

Ntrain said:


> For those of you that are booking with tour companies, how far in advance did you book? from what I'm reading people are booking like two months in advance.
> Did you do it because the preferred excursions were already full via DCL or is it more cost effective?
> 
> I think turning into an obsessive planner but already doing research for my August 2014 cruise.



I plan to book on my own because I like the details of the offerings with some of the tour companies better than what Disney offers at a slightly better price in general.  

For example in Juneau from the research I have done I can get a smaller whale watching excursion for about the same price as the one on Disney but have 6-16 people on my boat instead of 50-150.  I can also do 2 tours in one day which is very hard to do with Disney because they require that you have 2 hours between their proposed return time and your scheduled meet time to be able to book them.  

I haven't figured out the exact timing for when to book yet.  I know that several of the companies require payment in full up front so I imagine that would be a reason to wait if you know it won't sell out in advance.


----------



## AZMermaid

We booked with Harv and Marv in Juneau about 6 months in advance. We booked with them because of the good reviews. It is the same cost for a private boat with the 6 of us as it would be for us to do the DCL excursion in the 150 person boat.


----------



## OrcaPotter

I booked my rail/bus excursion in Skagway directly with Chilkoot Charters & Tours back in December for my June 3rd cruise.  It would appear that most people have excellent experiences booking directly with companies in Alaska, with more to offer for the cost--sometimes slightly cheaper, too.  I'm doing the tour that offers the train up to the town, lunch, a 15 minute sled cart dog ride, and the bus return--$208 PP for adults.  I notice that DCL does not offer this excursion.

For Juneau, I booked directly with Rum Runner Charters based on recommendations here on the DIS for our whale watching excursion.  We're getting our own private tour (3 adults) for a total of $543.  The DCL excursions offer whale watching along with stops at the glacier or with lunch for a bit more, but your time is limited at these places and your boat holds 100 or more people.  Larger vessels cannot get that close to the whales, while smaller ones can.  Rum Runner will be private, and the captain will even drop us off at the glacier when we're finished--where we can tour at our own pace.  Public transport back to the pier, I've read, is no more than $8 per person.  I booked this last month.

I would say that you may be OK waiting until your cruise to choose an excursion through DCL, although popular excursions I'm sure would sell out.  My cruise leaves June 3rd and it would seem almost all the excursions are still available.  I wanted these private tours, so I booked way in advance to ensure them.


----------



## Ntrain

Thanks for the responses. I'm still reading this thread and I found a couple of reviews saying the same thing that private is with less people. We definitely want to do de helicopter/dogsled excursion. Anyways we still have a lot of time but at least I can plan on the budget now.


----------



## CruznLexi

I booked the Deadliest Catch tour last month I saved $20 per person.


----------



## scrapycruiser

Is there a list somewhere of the tour companies that you can book on your own ?


----------



## katiefried

I have a question about time zones and I apologize if I've missed this on another post. Maybe I'm wrong, but is Vancouver on pacific time, and is all of Alaska one hour behind that? So when you see times for activities, dining, etc on the boat is that going by Vancouver or Alaska time? Assuming when you're looking at excursion times they would be on Alaska time? 

Also any tips to help kids (specifically 3 year olds!) adjust to the time change (coming from east coast time, yikes!) are appreciated! We do plan on spending a few days prior in Vancouver to help. Thanks!


----------



## Aby

On Day 2 (at sea), we had to put our clocks BACK one hour when we went to bed to get on to Alaska time. So for Day 3 and forward, we were on Alaska time and all times posted in the Navigators & the excursion times were based on this. On Day 6 (Ketchikan), we had to put our clocks FORWARD one hour when we went to bed to get back on to Vancouver time. So only Day 1 and Day 7 were on Vancouver time. 

As for adjusting to the time change, coming in a few days early to Vancouver will help. Excitement also helps for both kids and adults to adjust as you are more likely to want to stay up late since you're having so much fun  . After 1-2 nights of this and getting up at a regular time the next day, you get switched over pretty easily. 

I hope this helps!

Aby


----------



## katiefried

Thank you so much for clearing that up for me Aby!!


----------



## NicoleKristal

We aren't sure what excursion to pick in Ketchikan. Do you recommend the float plane, bering sea crab tour, or snorkeling? What have you done? How would you rate it/compare them?


----------



## mouselike-harrier

Just want to thank everyone for their reviews and posting about all the excursions.  The information was really invaluable to me.  I booked my port adventures today and would have never known about the snorkeling if I hadn't read about it here. I also booked one outside Disney. Can't wait for our trip!


----------



## gojulia

We did a float plane trip in Ketchikan and it was amazing.  Definitely an unforgettable experience!


----------



## jilljill

scrapycruiser said:


> Is there a list somewhere of the tour companies that you can book on your own ?



I looked up each town's website and got tour operator info from there.

http://www.traveljuneau.com/index.php

http://skagway.com/business-category/activities/



I don't have a link for Ketchikan, but you can google it or possibly find a link from one of the other websites.


----------



## mouselike-harrier

jilljill said:


> I looked up each town's website and got tour operator info from there.
> 
> http://www.traveljuneau.com/index.php
> 
> http://skagway.com/business-category/activities/
> 
> 
> 
> I don't have a link for Ketchikan, but you can google it or possibly find a link from one of the other websites.



Thanks for the links.  Looks like I'm going to delete one of my excursions and book outside Disney.  Much cheaper!


----------



## jilljill

mouselike-harrier said:


> Thanks for the links.  Looks like I'm going to delete one of my excursions and book outside Disney.  Much cheaper!



You are welcome.  We were going to book the Jeep tour in Skagway thru Disney, but found we could book a Jeep on our own for the entire day for not much more than the cost of 1 of us thru DCL.


----------



## Jillscabanastories

We absolutely loved our Disney Alaska cruise last year.  

In Skagway we did White pass Scenic Railway and Liarsville.  Loved the railway, Liarsville was just O.K.

In Ketchikan we did the Duck Tour-  interesting but probably not again.  Also the Thinglit villiage and totems, loved that, learned alot.

In Juneau we did whale watching in Auke Bay.  That was absolutely breathtaking and beautiful  I would do that again.... Highlight of the cruise.


----------



## love280mickey

thanks everyone, just reading up and dreaming!

yup, editing because I added the ticker, went ahead and moved our dummy booking to Alaska Wonder 8/4/14!


----------



## bates1960

First post!

We are going on the Wonder to Alaska on 6/3 and was wondering if anyone has any reviews for the excursions we picked:

Skagway - White Pass Railway and Trail Camp

Juneau - Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest

Ketchikan - Saxman Native Village and Exclusive Lumberjack Show

Also, I saw another thread that mentioned people who were still waiting for their room assignments. Ours is still listed as GTY for an Oceanview Stateroom. Anyone going on this cruise still waiting for their assignments as well?

Thanks everyone!


----------



## gotomu212

This was my favorite cruise!

Skagway- we actually booked privately with Chillokot tours. Started with the white pass railroad to the Canadian border (same train as DCL just a different car). Then you get off the train and a small shuttle picked us up for a great drive through the Yukon and back to the ship. Cannot say enough how great this was. 

Juneau- enchanted taku lodge.  This was also FANTASTIC and worth the price. You take a float plane to the lodge right by a glacier, eat ANAZING salmon, maybe see some bears up close, then fly back over five different glaciers. A few folks booked it o their own and they had to pay to get to the flight place (maybe $5 cab ride) but the rest of their tour was right with the DCL tour. 

Ketchikan- I did the bear encounter which was great. You walk on bridges above a stream where bears are fishing for salmon. It was a little intense being that close to the bears and the reason we didn't bring my 5 year old. Son and husband did the lumberjack show. They said it was fun but a little cheesy.


----------



## mom2twokids

bates1960 said:


> First post!
> 
> We are going on the Wonder to Alaska on 6/3 and was wondering if anyone has any reviews for the excursions we picked:
> 
> Skagway - White Pass Railway and Trail Camp
> 
> Juneau - Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest
> 
> Ketchikan - Saxman Native Village and Exclusive Lumberjack Show
> 
> Also, I saw another thread that mentioned people who were still waiting for their room assignments. Ours is still listed as GTY for an Oceanview Stateroom. Anyone going on this cruise still waiting for their assignments as well?
> 
> Thanks everyone!



Hi! We are one the same cruise as you and we are still waiting for GTY assignment as well. I check every day. We are getting closer...so hopefully soon!!

You should come join our cruise meet. 

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=43859473


----------



## sambycat

looking forward to perusing this thread in planning for our first alaskan next may.... i’ve lent out my most recent passporter guide and don’t have anything in the house that lists (past) itineraries! i do best planning initially with an actual paper book to start off with! 

i’m not “worried” exactly because just the cruise will be gorgeous, but i’m afraid of doing anything with a helicopter, don’t want to mush dogs (at least till i read up that his is truly a cruelty free endeavor? i’m unconvinced!), don’t want to roll a log with a lumber jack or kill any fish! haha! and of course, these are pricey excursions all as well! i was surprised to hear both my DH and DSS (who is really afraid of heights) would both go on a helicopter tour! at least they can go out do it!


----------



## jenf22

gotomu212 said:


> This was my favorite cruise!
> 
> Skagway- we actually booked privately with Chillokot tours. Started with the white pass railroad to the Canadian border (same train as DCL just a different car). Then you get off the train and a small shuttle picked us up for a great drive through the Yukon and back to the ship. Cannot say enough how great this was.
> 
> Ketchikan- I did the bear encounter which was great. You walk on bridges above a stream where bears are fishing for salmon. It was a little intense being that close to the bears and the reason we didn't bring my 5 year old. Son and husband did the lumberjack show. They said it was fun but a little cheesy.



Ditto to the above!  Except we took our 5-year old with us to see the bears and he loved it!  He really enjoyed feeding the reindeer after we saw the bears.  In addition to the above excursions, we did Best of Juneau too.  All of our excursions were awesome!  We didn't have second thoughts about any of them!  Best vacation ever (and I say that from a hotel room in Hawaii!!)


----------



## chickamu

We booked a heicopter dog sled and some were sold out already for july..


----------



## Never to old

chickamu said:


> We booked a heicopter dog sled and some were sold out already for july..



Did you book with Disney or through someone else?  When are you sailing?  We sail at the end of July


----------



## egesicki

scrapycruiser said:


> Is there a list somewhere of the tour companies that you can book on your own ?



alaska.org also seems to have pretty good lists of things to do and places to visit


----------



## emilyann415

Trying to decide between the Misty Fjords float plane or the floatplane that takes you to the bear viewing in Ketchikan?  We have a 3 and 7 year old.


----------



## Mackie Mouse

emilyann415 said:


> Trying to decide between the Misty Fjords float plane or the floatplane that takes you to the bear viewing?



Haven't done either yet, but we have friends who cruised a year or so ago and did the bear viewing.  They really liked it, but said that if they had the cruise to do over again they would have picked Misty Fjord based on what fellow cruisers said.  

FWIW, we have Misty Fjord booked!


----------



## jilljill

gotomu212 said:


> This was my favorite cruise!
> 
> Juneau- enchanted taku lodge.  This was also FANTASTIC and worth the price. You take a float plane to the lodge right by a glacier, eat ANAZING salmon, maybe see some bears up close, then fly back over five different glaciers. A few folks booked it o their own and they had to pay to get to the flight place (maybe $5 cab ride) but the rest of their tour was right with the DCL tour.



Thanks for this info.  We are doing this next month and really looking forward to it.  I was going to book it on our own, but we would only save about $30 total for the 3 of us which wasn't enough of a savings to outweigh any risks.

Did you see any bears or other wildlife at the Lodge?


----------



## Never to old

jilljill said:


> Thanks for this info.  We are doing this next month and really looking forward to it.  I was going to book it on our own, but we would only save about $30 total for the 3 of us which wasn't enough of a savings to outweigh any risks.
> 
> Did you see any bears or other wildlife at the Lodge?



Yes yes yes, I want to do this one!  I am so hoping it doesn't sell out.  I also looked into booking outside of Disney, it only saved 24.00 for 2 people.  I agree that the savings aren't worth it. Now if I can't book with Disney then I might see if I can get it with someone else.  I am wondering if we will have enough time for 2 excursions.  I would like to do a whale one.


----------



## jilljill

Never to old said:


> Yes yes yes, I want to do this one!  I am so hoping it doesn't sell out.  I also looked into booking outside of Disney, it only saved 24.00 for 2 people.  I agree that the savings aren't worth it. Now if I can't book with Disney then I might see if I can get it with someone else.  I am wondering if we will have enough time for 2 excursions.  I would like to do a whale one.



I just booked this thru DCL a couple weeks ago and we sail 5/27.  
If booking 2 excursions thru DCL there has to be 2 hours between the end of the first and the start of the 2nd.


----------



## Never to old

jilljill said:


> I just booked this thru DCL a couple weeks ago and we sail 5/27.
> If booking 2 excursions thru DCL there has to be 2 hours between the end of the first and the start of the 2nd.



Thanks for the info.  You don't happen to recall the times for the Taku lodge one?  I am getting anxious because I still have 7 days til our booking window opens up.


----------



## mouselike-harrier

The times for the Taku Lodge and seaplane is 8:15 and 12:30.  I booked outside Disney and got 9am, which is way better for us.  Even though it did not save a lot of money, I booked it far in advance and got a better time.  My son really wanted to do this trip.  Also, I booked our Skagway Hike and Float trip for a total savings of $120, outside Disney.  Can't wait for our trip!


----------



## Never to old

mouselike-harrier said:


> The times for the Taku Lodge and seaplane is 8:15 and 12:30.  I booked outside Disney and got 9am, which is way better for us.  Even though it did not save a lot of money, I booked it far in advance and got a better time.  My son really wanted to do this trip.  Also, I booked our Skagway Hike and Float trip for a total savings of $120, outside Disney.  Can't wait for our trip!



Thanks for the info.  8:15 would work for us.  We are early risers. But isn't that a little early for lunch?


----------



## beffiefox

mouselike-harrier said:


> The times for the Taku Lodge and seaplane is 8:15 and 12:30.  I booked outside Disney and got 9am, which is way better for us.  Even though it did not save a lot of money, I booked it far in advance and got a better time.  My son really wanted to do this trip.  Also, I booked our Skagway Hike and Float trip for a total savings of $120, outside Disney.  Can't wait for our trip!



Who'd you book the Skagway Hike and Float trip through?


----------



## mouselike-harrier

beffiefox said:


> Who'd you book the Skagway Hike and Float trip through?



Skagway Float tours.  Very nice, very professional, and high ratings from Trip Advisor.  They pick you up right at the dock.


----------



## KashasMom

All of our excursions were booked on our own and ALL were fantastic!

In Juneau we've twice gone with http://www.orcaenterprises.com/ - lots of whales and a great time!

In Juneau we did the pilots choice glacier landing with http://www.temscoair.com/pilots_choice.php.

In Skagway we did dog sledding with http://www.temscoair.com/dog_sled_tour_skagway.php.

In Skagway we rented a car and drove out to Emerald Lake with stops along the way (amazing time!) using http://www.murraysguide.com/.

In Ketchikan we did Anan Creek with http://www.islandwings.com/bear-viewing-tours (awesome bears!!).

In Ketchikan we did Misty Fjords with http://www.islandwings.com/misty-fjords-glaciers-flightseeing-tours.  

Alaska is amazing and one thing I'd recommend is to see if from the air - whether a helicopter or seaplane.  You get a totally different perspective and realize how huge and beautiful it is!


----------



## Never to old

KashasMom said:


> All of our excursions were booked on our own and ALL were fantastic!
> 
> In Juneau we've twice gone with http://www.orcaenterprises.com/ - lots of whales and a great time!
> 
> In Juneau we did the pilots choice glacier landing with http://www.temscoair.com/pilots_choice.php.
> 
> In Skagway we did dog sledding with http://www.temscoair.com/dog_sled_tour_skagway.php.
> 
> In Skagway we rented a car and drove out to Emerald Lake with stops along the way (amazing time!) using http://www.murraysguide.com/.
> 
> In Ketchikan we did Anan Creek with http://www.islandwings.com/bear-viewing-tours (awesome bears!!).
> 
> In Ketchikan we did Misty Fjords with http://www.islandwings.com/misty-fjords-glaciers-flightseeing-tours.
> 
> Alaska is amazing and one thing I'd recommend is to see if from the air - whether a helicopter or seaplane.  You get a totally different perspective and realize how huge and beautiful it is!



Can you please tell me more about your tour at Anan Creek?  How long were you there?  Was there different places that you walked to or did you just stay in 1 spot?


----------



## jilljill

mouselike-harrier said:


> The times for the Taku Lodge and seaplane is 8:15 and 12:30.  I booked outside Disney and got 9am, which is way better for us.  Even though it did not save a lot of money, I booked it far in advance and got a better time.  My son really wanted to do this trip.  Also, I booked our Skagway Hike and Float trip for a total savings of $120, outside Disney.  Can't wait for our trip!





Never to old said:


> Thanks for the info.  8:15 would work for us.  We are early risers. But isn't that a little early for lunch?



When this is booked thru DCL or thru the company directly the actual flight time will be the same.  DCL has you meet up on the ship at 8:15 and then they will transfer you to the plane.  

I looked that the company's website and it said they only offer the 2 tour times.  

I chose to do the later flight since I thought the early flight would be way too early for their salmon lunch, especially when we have late seating for dinner.


----------



## Never to old

jilljill said:


> When this is booked thru DCL or thru the company directly the actual flight time will be the same.  DCL has you meet up on the ship at 8:15 and then they will transfer you to the plane.
> 
> I looked that the company's website and it said they only offer the 2 tour times.
> 
> I chose to do the later flight since I thought the early flight would be way too early for their salmon lunch, especially when we have late seating for dinner.



I am kinda torn now.  I agree that the early flight is not great for the lunch.  Since we are in port for a short time and don't think there will be enough time for a second excursion I am leaning towards the later one.  But then I didn't know if it would be better to do the tram in the afternoon instead of the morning.  Decisions decisions


----------



## KashasMom

Never to old said:


> Can you please tell me more about your tour at Anan Creek?  How long were you there?  Was there different places that you walked to or did you just stay in 1 spot?



My son and I are were flown in by ourselves on the seaplane.  We were dropped off, met by a ranger for a briefing, and sent off on our own.  I don't know if this was common and if it is still the same way.  I admit I was quite nervous but it was fine as long as you know what to do should you run into a bear.    The trail was about 1/2 mile long before we reached the bear viewing platform.  You can spend some time there and in the photo blind, which is literally just across the creek from the bears.  It was definitely worth it - given the limited choices to see bears at the time of year we were there (2nd week of August).  From what we saw I would say that you are pretty much guaranteed to see bears.


----------



## Never to old

KashasMom said:


> My son and I are were flown in by ourselves on the seaplane.  We were dropped off, met by a ranger for a briefing, and sent off on our own.  I don't know if this was common and if it is still the same way.  I admit I was quite nervous but it was fine as long as you know what to do should you run into a bear.    The trail was about 1/2 mile long before we reached the bear viewing platform.  You can spend some time there and in the photo blind, which is literally just across the creek from the bears.  It was definitely worth it - given the limited choices to see bears at the time of year we were there (2nd week of August).  From what we saw I would say that you are pretty much guaranteed to see bears.



Thank you!  I have a request in and I am waiting to hear back.  I have my fingers crossed that they will have a opening for us.


----------



## meajuly5

KashasMom said:
			
		

> All of our excursions were booked on our own and ALL were fantastic!
> 
> In Juneau we've twice gone with http://www.orcaenterprises.com/ - lots of whales and a great time!
> 
> In Juneau we did the pilots choice glacier landing with http://www.temscoair.com/pilots_choice.php.
> 
> In Skagway we did dog sledding with http://www.temscoair.com/dog_sled_tour_skagway.php.
> 
> In Skagway we rented a car and drove out to Emerald Lake with stops along the way (amazing time!) using http://www.murraysguide.com/.
> 
> In Ketchikan we did Anan Creek with http://www.islandwings.com/bear-viewing-tours (awesome bears!!).
> 
> In Ketchikan we did Misty Fjords with http://www.islandwings.com/misty-fjords-glaciers-flightseeing-tours.
> 
> Alaska is amazing and one thing I'd recommend is to see if from the air - whether a helicopter or seaplane.  You get a totally different perspective and realize how huge and beautiful it is!



Did you bring children to anan? We are booked to go in July. How would you rank that v. Dog sledding? And v. Misty fjords? We are doing a misty fjord add on to the anan trip but it will be quick


----------



## Vegam060

I really want to take my honeymoon to Alaska and I know that disney is the rigth way to go. My fiance loves horses though and I was wondering what the horseback riding was like in Skagway. I figured it would be cool for her to say she went horseback riding in alaska. So please just let me know the pros and cons of the trips. ( sry if this has already been posted)


----------



## katiefried

Sorry if this has already been asked and I missed it! Does anyone know if the DCL Yukon tour goes to Emerald Lake? This is the tour that does the train one way and the bus another. I've been looking into Chilkoot tours but it looks like they leave at 7:30am and for our cruise (May 2014) we are supposed to be in port at 7:15am so I'm not sure if we would be able to make it. For those of you who've done the Chilkoot tours did you get into port earlier? Not sure if this is the time DCL usually gets into Skagway? 

Also, I saw that Chilkoot offers the Bennett Scenic Journey has anyone done this tour? Thanks!


----------



## emilyann415

Just curious, which Ketchikan excursion from Island Wings you liked best.  We decided to do the Misty Fjords excursion instead of the bear viewing.  Hope we made the right choice!





KashasMom said:


> All of our excursions were booked on our own and ALL were fantastic!
> 
> In Juneau we've twice gone with http://www.orcaenterprises.com/ - lots of whales and a great time!
> 
> In Juneau we did the pilots choice glacier landing with http://www.temscoair.com/pilots_choice.php.
> 
> In Skagway we did dog sledding with http://www.temscoair.com/dog_sled_tour_skagway.php.
> 
> In Skagway we rented a car and drove out to Emerald Lake with stops along the way (amazing time!) using http://www.murraysguide.com/.
> 
> In Ketchikan we did Anan Creek with http://www.islandwings.com/bear-viewing-tours (awesome bears!!).
> 
> In Ketchikan we did Misty Fjords with http://www.islandwings.com/misty-fjords-glaciers-flightseeing-tours.
> 
> Alaska is amazing and one thing I'd recommend is to see if from the air - whether a helicopter or seaplane.  You get a totally different perspective and realize how huge and beautiful it is!


----------



## Mackie Mouse

katiefried said:


> Sorry if this has already been asked and I missed it! Does anyone know if the DCL Yukon tour goes to Emerald Lake? This is the tour that does the train one way and the bus another. I've been looking into Chilkoot tours but it looks like they leave at 7:30am and for our cruise (May 2014) we are supposed to be in port at 7:15am so I'm not sure if we would be able to make it. For those of you who've done the Chilkoot tours did you get into port earlier? Not sure if this is the time DCL usually gets into Skagway?
> 
> Also, I saw that Chilkoot offers the Bennett Scenic Journey has anyone done this tour? Thanks!



We chose a Chilkoot Charters tour that took the bus up and the train back and leaves at 8:30, since we will enjoy that extra hour of sleep and didn't want to worry about the timing.  

I didn't find any excursions through DCL that offered the same experience as what Chilkoot had.


----------



## katiefried

Mackie Mouse said:


> We chose a Chilkoot Charters tour that took the bus up and the train back and leaves at 8:30, since we will enjoy that extra hour of sleep and didn't want to worry about the timing.
> 
> I didn't find any excursions through DCL that offered the same experience as what Chilkoot had.



Thanks! Yeah I finally figured that out, they do leave a little later if you take the bus up first! And yes the DCL excursion doesn't seem quite the same. The description is very vague and says they drive by "lakes" so I don't want to take my chances assuming they mean Emerald Lake. It looks like maybe that's a little north of Carcross? So it wouldn't necessarily be on the way. 

Did you enjoy the Chilkoot tour? Or maybe you haven't gone yet?


----------



## Mackie Mouse

katiefried said:


> Thanks! Yeah I finally figured that out, they do leave a little later if you take the bus up first! And yes the DCL excursion doesn't seem quite the same. The description is very vague and says they drive by "lakes" so I don't want to take my chances assuming they mean Emerald Lake. It looks like maybe that's a little north of Carcross? So it wouldn't necessarily be on the way.
> 
> Did you enjoy the Chilkoot tour? Or maybe you haven't gone yet?



We go during the July 1 cruise this year.  Happy to report back here once our cruise is finished!  We booked the excursion based on excellent reviews here.


----------



## Debbru

katiefried said:


> Thanks! Yeah I finally figured that out, they do leave a little later if you take the bus up first! And yes the DCL excursion doesn't seem quite the same. The description is very vague and says they drive by "lakes" so I don't want to take my chances assuming they mean Emerald Lake. It looks like maybe that's a little north of Carcross? So it wouldn't necessarily be on the way.
> 
> Did you enjoy the Chilkoot tour? Or maybe you haven't gone yet?



We did this Chilkoot tour (bus up, train down) on our June 2011 cruise - it was the best excursion we did in any of the ports (including the float plane in Ketchikan).  The driver/guide was extremely entertaiing & accommadating - he stopped for all the "regular" photo ops & anytime someone asked.  Driving up the Klondike Highway, one of the kids in our mini bus called out "bear" - the driver turned the bus around as soon as he could & brought us back to observe (from inside the bus) the Grizzly sitting just off the road munching on flowers!


----------



## katiefried

Debbru said:


> We did this Chilkoot tour (bus up, train down) on our June 2011 cruise - it was the best excursion we did in any of the ports (including the float plane in Ketchikan).  The driver/guide was extremely entertaiing & accommadating - he stopped for all the "regular" photo ops & anytime someone asked.  Driving up the Klondike Highway, one of the kids in our mini bus called out "bear" - the driver turned the bus around as soon as he could & brought us back to observe (from inside the bus) the Grizzly sitting just off the road munching on flowers!



That sounds amazing, thank you so much for the feedback! 

Mackie Mouse, enjoy your trip!


----------



## pixie08

Not sure if this would help anyone but I finally got arlund to doing my excursion review/tr on my blog. This is what we did:

Whitepass
Whales,Mendenhall, cold creek salmon bake
Rain forest adventure

http://www.disneytravelrecord.com/p/trip-reports.html

If so hth!


----------



## wachnicki

Do the prices on the Disney excursions include tax?


----------



## wallawallakids

pixie08 said:


> Not sure if this would help anyone but I finally got arlund to doing my excursion review/tr on my blog. This is what we did:
> 
> Whitepass
> Whales,Mendenhall, cold creek salmon bake
> Rain forest adventure
> 
> http://www.disneytravelrecord.com/p/trip-reports.html
> 
> If so hth!



Thank you for the link to your blog.  It is great and very helpful.  Thanks again!


----------



## pixie08

wallawallakids said:


> Thank you for the link to your blog.  It is great and very helpful.  Thanks again!



Thanks, I hope it helps anyone looking for info. I know the Alaska cruises tend to be harder to find TR's.


----------



## chickamu

We booked chilkoot tours
Era helicopters in juneau with dog sled
Misty fjords floatplane

The boards really helped..
Booked all on our own..so cheaper and paid for already


----------



## pixie08

wachnicki said:


> Do the prices on the Disney excursions include tax?



If I remember correctly they do.


----------



## wachnicki

pixie08 said:


> If I remember correctly they do.



Thank you!


----------



## jrobin22

I have a 2 year old, and booked this excursion for him as well.  Will he do ok on this or is he too small?  I noticed a lot of the other excursions they did not allow 2 year olds and on this one they do which made me think it would be ok, I would just like to verify that with someone who has been.  Thanks in advance.


----------



## IFAM5

KashasMom said:


> All of our excursions were booked on our own and ALL were fantastic!
> 
> In Juneau we've twice gone with http://www.orcaenterprises.com/ - lots of whales and a great time!
> 
> In Juneau we did the pilots choice glacier landing with http://www.temscoair.com/pilots_choice.php.
> 
> In Skagway we did dog sledding with http://www.temscoair.com/dog_sled_tour_skagway.php.
> 
> In Skagway we rented a car and drove out to Emerald Lake with stops along the way (amazing time!) using http://www.murraysguide.com/.
> 
> In Ketchikan we did Anan Creek with http://www.islandwings.com/bear-viewing-tours (awesome bears!!).
> 
> In Ketchikan we did Misty Fjords with http://www.islandwings.com/misty-fjords-glaciers-flightseeing-tours.
> 
> Alaska is amazing and one thing I'd recommend is to see if from the air - whether a helicopter or seaplane.  You get a totally different perspective and realize how huge and beautiful it is!



Thanks to everyone for all of their tips!  Wow, this disboard link is CHOCK full of great information!  We are going on the Alaska cruise in August and I have booked the Chilkoot Tours for Skagway and the Orca Enterprises Whale Watching/Mendenhall Glacier tour for Juneau (Thank you, KashasMom, for the tips and links!).

For those of you considering the Chilkoot Tours in Skagway, my friend recommended the tour group and it was so great to hear similar positive feedback on this disboard thread.  We are doing the Yukon Rail tour with the Dog Cart Ride and Bus Tour.  We opted for the 8:30 a.m. departure which starts off on the bus tour and ends with the train ride.  I figure my kids will have more energy on the front end to get on/get off the bus and then they can rest on the train ride on the back end (plus the extra hour in the morning will be a big help since the "train ride first option" leaves at 7:30 a.m.).

I booked Orca Enterprises' whale watching/glacier combo rather than Harv & Marv's because my parents are traveling with us and I didn't think my mom would like such a small boat.  I noticed for our party of 7 (4 adults, 3 kids), the price on DCL was the about the same as Harv & Marv's and I know many on this thread commented that it was worth it because of the smaller boat.  Plus, for our family, we would have to have a private boat on Harv & Marv's since we have kids under 13.  For those of you looking for something "in between," Orca Enterprises' boat holds 72 but they limit seating to 40 people.  So I think the boat size is in between Harv & Marv's and DCL's catamaran option if that helps at all.  The price for Orca Enterprises' was several hundreds cheaper for our party so I opted to go this route.  Just wanted to provide this info in case it's helpful to anyone.

Thanks again to all on this thread!  Now I need to figure out what to do in Ketchikan...


----------



## disneydentist

gotomu212 said:


> This was my favorite cruise!
> 
> Skagway- we actually booked privately with Chillokot tours. Started with the white pass railroad to the Canadian border (same train as DCL just a different car). Then you get off the train and a small shuttle picked us up for a great drive through the Yukon and back to the ship. Cannot say enough how great this was.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> Which one of their tours did you book?  We're having a hard time choosing.  TIA


----------



## OrcaPotter

disneydentist said:


> Which one of their tours did you book?  We're having a hard time choosing.  TIA



It sounds just like this one, which is what I booked for myself for this June: http://www.chilkootcharters.com/yukonraildog.htm

We're doing train up, bus down, with the dog kart ride added.


----------



## meajuly5

Has anyone done this with a 10 and 7 y old! Too long of a day? I booked the whitepass one but wooly led rally like to see more. Worried about whether the kids will be bored.


----------



## jilljill

meajuly5 said:


> Has anyone done this with a 10 and 7 y old! Too long of a day? I booked the whitepass one but wooly led rally like to see more. Worried about whether the kids will be bored.



Lots of info in this thread that I merged with your thread/question.


----------



## gerryspeirs

This is what I've booked so far for excursions- any opinions are appreciated 

Historical City Tour and Salmon Bake- Skagway

Enchanted Taku Glacier Lodge Flight & 5-Glacier Seaplane Discovery- Juneau

Wilderness Exploration and Crab Feast- Ketchikan

Thanks!

Gerry


----------



## AZMermaid

gerryspeirs said:


> Wilderness Exploration and Crab Feast- Ketchikan



We are booked on this one, I found a lot of good reviews on Trip Advisor, but not too many reviews here. When do you sail? I would be interested to hear how it goes- we sail July 15.


----------



## meajuly5

OrcaPotter said:


> It sounds just like this one, which is what I booked for myself for this June: http://www.chilkootcharters.com/yukonraildog.htm
> 
> We're doing train up, bus down, with the dog kart ride added.



Please let us know what you think when you get back! I had booked the shorter one but the views of emerald lake are selling me on the longer one!


----------



## RedSox68

We only booked one excursion through the ship (HAL) -- the whale watching in Juneau -- which was excellent (included lunch at a lodge).  We saw dozens of humpback whales, harbor seals, otters, eagles and puffins.  The lunch was great and they gave us a little time to explore the beach.  

In Skagway we booked through Chilkoot Tours --which was the best decision we made.  Saved about $60 off what the ship was charging for the exact same tour and we had the most awesome tour guide (from Texas).  Their shuttles are small -- only 20 people, so it is very personal and they stop wherever you want to take pictures.  We did the train up and he was waiting for us and we went to Caribou Crossing, Emerald Lake, and lunch was included also.

In Ketchikan we just walked off the ship and booked one of the tour companies on the dock.  We got a great savings and got a great 3-hour tour.  We got back into town with enough time to eat lunch at Annabelle's and explore the town.


----------



## meajuly5

RedSox68 said:


> We only booked one excursion through the ship (HAL) -- the whale watching in Juneau -- which was excellent (included lunch at a lodge).  We saw dozens of humpback whales, harbor seals, otters, eagles and puffins.  The lunch was great and they gave us a little time to explore the beach.
> 
> In Skagway we booked through Chilkoot Tours --which was the best decision we made.  Saved about $60 off what the ship was charging for the exact same tour and we had the most awesome tour guide (from Texas).  Their shuttles are small -- only 20 people, so it is very personal and they stop wherever you want to take pictures.  We did the train up and he was waiting for us and we went to Caribou Crossing, Emerald Lake, and lunch was included also.
> 
> In Ketchikan we just walked off the ship and booked one of the tour companies on the dock.  We got a great savings and got a great 3-hour tour.  We got back into town with enough time to eat lunch at Annabelle's and explore the town.



Do you recall how much time you were at emerald lake? Did you take many scenic stops or photos? I booked the same trip with the same company. Any kids on your tour?


----------



## RedSox68

meajuly5 said:


> Do you recall how much time you were at emerald lake? Did you take many scenic stops or photos? I booked the same trip with the same company. Any kids on your tour?



There were no kids on our tour, but we did see children at the various stops that were on other shuttles.  The place where we had lunch had a petting zoo, husky puppies and an ice cream shop and gift shops.  It was in the middle of nowhere and the sites were beautiful.  

We spent enough time at Emerald Lake to get out and take pictures and enjoy the view.  He stopped on the way up and on the way back so that we got different views.  We went to quite a few photo stops.  This excursion was one of our favorites and I would do it again.  We went in May and there was about 12 feet of snow up there from a storm in April.  It was amazing.


----------



## meajuly5

RedSox68 said:


> There were no kids on our tour, but we did see children at the various stops that were on other shuttles.  The place where we had lunch had a petting zoo, husky puppies and an ice cream shop and gift shops.  It was in the middle of nowhere and the sites were beautiful.
> 
> We spent enough time at Emerald Lake to get out and take pictures and enjoy the view.  He stopped on the way up and on the way back so that we got different views.  We went to quite a few photo stops.  This excursion was one of our favorites and I would do it again.  We went in May and there was about 12 feet of snow up there from a storm in April.  It was amazing.



Thanks so much. I had booked the shorter one but couldn't resist the additionAl sites. Too close to not see it for myself. Did you do the train combo? I appreciate the info!


----------



## RedSox68

meajuly5 said:


> Thanks so much. I had booked the shorter one but couldn't resist the additionAl sites. Too close to not see it for myself. Did you do the train combo? I appreciate the info!



Yes -- the combo that included lunch.  We did the longest tour that included everything that the ship's excursion included.  We had a gorgeous day, the train was amazing (I think it was a 3-hour ride).  You go up along mountain passes and you will see gorges, etc.  My husband spent a lot of time out on the platforms.  The train cars are all wood and look like original cars.  There is a bathroom in each one and a water station.  I know there is the reverse tour also that starts on the bus and ends with the train ride down, but I had read that the train ride up was better.  

We, unfortunately, had a woman on our excursion who was very high maintenance and caused us some problems with constant stops and complaining, but our tour guide had a tremendous amount of patience.  We did manage to see everything and I didn't feel slighted.  They then drop you off into town to shop on your own.  I just loved how easy it was to walk back to the ship.  We also did the Red Onion tour once we got back in town.  It was like $5.00/pp.


----------



## meajuly5

RedSox68 said:


> Yes -- the combo that included lunch.  We did the longest tour that included everything that the ship's excursion included.  We had a gorgeous day, the train was amazing (I think it was a 3-hour ride).  You go up along mountain passes and you will see gorges, etc.  My husband spent a lot of time out on the platforms.  The train cars are all wood and look like original cars.  There is a bathroom in each one and a water station.  I know there is the reverse tour also that starts on the bus and ends with the train ride down, but I had read that the train ride up was better.
> 
> We, unfortunately, had a woman on our excursion who was very high maintenance and caused us some problems with constant stops and complaining, but our tour guide had a tremendous amount of patience.  We did manage to see everything and I didn't feel slighted.  They then drop you off into town to shop on your own.  I just loved how easy it was to walk back to the ship.  We also did the Red Onion tour once we got back in town.  It was like $5.00/pp.



Oh boy! Hopefully we won't be those people! Looking forward to it


----------



## RedSox68

meajuly5 said:


> Oh boy! Hopefully we won't be those people! Looking forward to it



No no -- we were all under the consensus that she should not have been on that excursion alone.  She was very high strung about time and not making it to certain spots by a certain time.  There were other unfortunate issues with her also that are left better unsaid  

But like I said, our tour guide as AMAZING and took very good care of all of us and we have nothing but good memories all around.


----------



## Donna3271

pixie08 said:


> If I remember correctly they do.



Thats great! I was figuring out if I should book separately, or through Disney. The price difference was $30... but if the Disney prices include tax, then it is virtually the same.


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## Jillscabanastories

In Skagway, we rode the White Pass railroad and saw the Lionsville trail camp.

In Juneau we saw Mendenhall and Glacier Gardens on one trip, on another we did the Whale watching in Auke Bay,  absolutely fantastic

In Sitka, we did the sea Otter quest, and saw the Russian Orthodox church.

In Ketchikan we went to the Tlingit village,  very unique.  

Alaska is an absolutely wonderful trip.


----------



## Everlymouse

Hi --
So based on a lot of the reviews I booked the helicopter / dog sledding excursion. People have raved about it and my son really wants to do it too. I have to admit -- I'm afraid of the helicopter ride. Can anyone tell me what it's like (no detail too small). Any tips?  I'm hoping the more I know about it, the better I can mentally prepare. 

Thanks so much!!!


----------



## topsy

Harv & Marv's Whale Watching -

We are booked on to the 9.50am whale watching excursion and would like to see a little bit of Juneau before getting back on the ship. However, All Aboard is at 4.30pm and by the sounds of it our excursion (including a short stop at the Mendenhall Glacier) should finish around 2.30/2.45pm. 

Does anyone have experience of this excursion and the timings? How much time does it take to get back to the ship if dropped off in town? Did you have enough time to see a bit of Juneau?

Thanks!


----------



## peachygreen

Does anyone have any experience or review of the Whales and Science Adventure?  Disney offers it though their port adventures but I would consider trying to book it privately as my youngest daughter would be shy of the required age per Disney.  My oldest daughter would love the science details part of the excursion and my youngest would enjoy just watching the animals.  

http://www.stepintoalaska.com/tour_shore_excursion_details.cfm?tourid=researchexploration


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## peachygreen

Never mind - I just realized I have to book it through Disney and since my youngest it too young it won't work.


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## Magic3forme

we just got back from the May 27th Alaska sailing...

We did Harv & Marvs.  Captain Steve was awesome!  We were picked up at the dock at 7 and taken to their docks.  Right in the bay was a whale.  

it was a great day to see wildlife... we saw 7   (12+ sightings and a bunch of the tales.)  We also saw a few bald eagles and a bunch of sea lions.

We highly recommend this tour!!  it was worth every penny for us!!

at the end we were dropped off in town and had lunch at Tracys Crab shack.  we saw a bunch of the cruise staff there too.


----------



## Never to old

Magic3forme said:


> we just got back from the May 27th Alaska sailing...
> 
> We did Harv & Marvs.  Captain Steve was awesome!  We were picked up at the dock at 7 and taken to their docks.  Right in the bay was a whale.
> 
> it was a great day to see wildlife... we saw 7   (12+ sightings and a bunch of the tales.)  We also saw a few bald eagles and a bunch of sea lions.
> 
> We highly recommend this tour!!  it was worth every penny for us!!
> 
> at the end we were dropped off in town and had lunch at Tracys Crab shack.  we saw a bunch of the cruise staff there too.



Any other tips you want to share?  We sail July 29.


----------



## OrcaPotter

Have to return the love to this thread; everything I booked was result from recommendations here.

Skagway: Chillkoot Charters & Tours Bus & Rail Excursion with 15 minute Dog Kart Ride
We took the train up and the bus down.  Our pick-up time was 7:30 AM and a driver promptly scooped us up and took us to the train depot.  From there, we met our guide for the day (Mike) who secured the back car for us.  We were the only Disney folks; everyone else was from the Holland America or Princess ships, so it was adults only!  Not that it was an adult-only excursion, it just worked out that way.  The train rolled out at 8 AM and almost immediately the views were spectacular.  Sit on the left side of the car for the most views!  We could also pop out to the back platform; it was pretty darn cold as we climbed further up into the mountains, though, so I did not stay out there very long.  Some guys with impressive cameras camped out there, though.  It was about a 1.5 hour trip to the Canadian border, where they checked our passports and waved us on to the buses.  Unlike the major cruise excursions that use the huge charter buses, we had a smaller 20 or so passenger bus (each seat was full).  From there, Mike took us up into the Yukon, stopping at a few places for photos.
Note: Your guide takes cues off of you.  Our fellow passengers liked to just pop out, snap some photos, then pop back on the bus.  By the time we would climb off the bus, people were ready to get back on.  My parents and I wanted to take in the sights (being from Florida, it was a truly amazing experience) so we felt a little rushed when we would be the last people standing and our guide waiting on the bus with everyone else.  Folks would give us _looks_ by the time we got back on.  You're on vacation, folks!  Enjoy it!​Every moment was filled with amazing cinematic vistas you only seem to see in movies.  However, by the time we made it to the little (tourist) stop (Caribou Crossing) for lunch, we were starved--so make sure you pack yourselves snacks.  Caribou Crossing is a cute little tourist trap with a good lunch.  Only, because we booked the 15 minute dog kart ride, we only had 30 minutes to eat before we had to be out there for our ride.  (The donuts are amazing, BTW.)  The karts are not sleds, but look like go-karts with giant wheels that sit about 4 people comfortably.  The dogs were excited!  Once hitched, we were off!  It was truly an adventure I was glad I booked.  I took photos and video, then put the camera away to save battery life.  Well, I wish I hadn't, because on the stretch back to camp, a *baby bear ran across the track!*  We were filled with both awe and terror because the dogs began to go after it!  But the dog musher had some amazing control and managed to convince them not to.  After the ride, we said hello to all the adorable puppies, the new baby donkey, some pigs and goats, briefly walked through a neat little taxidermy museum---only to rush back to the bus promptly at 1:05 when we were told to return.  Well, no surprise, our group was sitting there glaring at us as if we had just caused the cruise ships to leave early.  The people you're with, of course, is under no control of the tour company, so don't let my comments about our fellow passengers sway you one way or another.  The bus ride back to Skagway included many stops and 2 wildlife sightings (a coyote and eagle), and we were back in town by 3:30.  All-aboard was 7:30, so we had plenty of time to explore the little shops before heading back to the ship in time for main seating.  There was a bus service for $2/person to take you from town back to the port.

I highly recommend this company and this excursion!

Juneau: Rum Runner Charters 2.5 Whale Watching Excursion
I originally booked this excursion with Captain Chris for 7 AM, however, he called me before I left home to ask if it were possible to move it to 11 AM.  All-aboard is 4:30 in Juneau, so we still had time, but it did not leave much room at all to do much of anything after.  We appreciated having more time in the morning, though, to grab breakfast in Triton's.  The bus service Capt. Chris uses was unfortunately at the wrong dock, so we waited about 10 minutes before that was corrected.  It was only the 3 of us on this tour, so we had the bus all to ourselves and the driver explained many of the landmarks on the way to Auke Bay.  Capt. Chris and his admiral, Moon Dog (a yellow lab), greeted us at the pier.  He escorted us down to his boat where we met his skipper and given the lo-down on the boat and such.  From there, we were off, and almost right away Capt. Chris spotted a whale.  However, this whale kept moving all over the bay, so after a while we headed off to another hot spot.  Well!  We joined 2 or 3 other whale watching vessels filled with people to see a mother and baby humpback!  And the baby kept breaching (jumping) out of the water!  It was AMAZING!  Moon Dog kept barking, which made the baby curious and he kept leaping out of the water to get a good look at the dog.  Which meant the whales were super close to us!  After about 20 minutes of amazing, we headed off down to a buoy to see a ton of Stellar Sea Lions, then finally to an island to see an entire flock of Bald Eagles as Captain Chris tossed out pieces of fish to get them to come close and swarm the boat!  I got some amazing photos as result.  Once back at the dock, we were escorted back to our bus.  We could have stopped at Mendenhal Glacier, but since we were short on time, we just went back to the city center and had a quick bite at the Red Dog Saloon (try the clam chowder!) before poking into a shop or two and grabbing one of the last free shuttle back to the port.

I would highly recommend Rum Runner!  Totally private charter for less money than Harv & Marv.


----------



## Disneynut64

WoW!!!! So much info   has anyone done a salmon fishing trip?? looking for info.  Also anyone that recently took any of the trips recommended for some update info would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## jenna7394

Disneynut64 said:


> WoW!!!! So much info   has anyone done a salmon fishing trip?? looking for info.  Also anyone that recently took any of the trips recommended for some update info would be greatly appreciated.



We did the salmon fishing and we ended up having a good time. I have to admit that it wasn't my favorite excursion (we zip lined in Skagway and did the helicopter to the dog sled and ice field in Juneau) but it was good. It was rainy and cold but our captain, Kyle, was very nice and tried to get us some fish. We ended up catching 3 but could only keep 2 due to the size requirement on King salmon. I now have several packages of frozen salmon in my freezer that we caught!  Yay!  We have 2 boys that are 12 and 14 and they seemed to enjoy the excursion as they had never really fished before. The things that would have made the trip better are:  warmer weather and no rain (I know we have no control over that, especially in Ketchikan!), and going later in the season when the salmon are more plentiful. There were 38 people on our tour that went out on about 8 boats and only 2 boats caught any salmon. I really think we would have had more luck later in the summer.  We did see a whale bubble feeding and saw a lot of eagles. The scenery is beautiful out there!

I hope you have a wonderful time!  Let us know what you decide on and how it went!

Jenna


----------



## Disneynut64

jenna7394 said:


> We did the salmon fishing and we ended up having a good time. I have to admit that it wasn't my favorite excursion (we zip lined in Skagway and did the helicopter to the dog sled and ice field in Juneau) but it was good. It was rainy and cold but our captain, Kyle, was very nice and tried to get us some fish. We ended up catching 3 but could only keep 2 due to the size requirement on King salmon. I now have several packages of frozen salmon in my freezer that we caught!  Yay!  We have 2 boys that are 12 and 14 and they seemed to enjoy the excursion as they had never really fished before. The things that would have made the trip better are:  warmer weather and no rain (I know we have no control over that, especially in Ketchikan!), and going later in the season when the salmon are more plentiful. There were 38 people on our tour that went out on about 8 boats and only 2 boats caught any salmon. I really think we would have had more luck later in the summer.  We did see a whale bubble feeding and saw a lot of eagles. The scenery is beautiful out there!
> 
> I hope you have a wonderful time!  Let us know what you decide on and how it went!
> 
> Jenna



What company did you use for salmon fishing did you go through DCL? Also who did you use for other excursions??


----------



## tink too

OrcaPotter - thanks for the reviews.   We're doing the same tours in Skagway and Juneau - my DD can't wait to meet Moon Dog!

Jenna7394 - Also interested in who you booked your salmon fishing trip with as my DH wants to do that in Ketchikan (he's currently booked with DCL for the Knudson Cove excursion).


----------



## Vegam060

Whats the price of the chillkoot charter bus and rail with dog kart ride excursion


----------



## tink too

Vegam060 said:


> Whats the price of the chillkoot charter bus and rail with dog kart ride excursion



$208 for adults and $148 for children.


----------



## Shelebeen

Magic3forme said:


> we just got back from the May 27th Alaska sailing...
> 
> We did Harv & Marvs.  Captain Steve was awesome!  We were picked up at the dock at 7 and taken to their docks.  Right in the bay was a whale.
> 
> it was a great day to see wildlife... we saw 7   (12+ sightings and a bunch of the tales.)  We also saw a few bald eagles and a bunch of sea lions.
> 
> We highly recommend this tour!!  it was worth every penny for us!!
> 
> at the end we were dropped off in town and had lunch at Tracys Crab shack.  we saw a bunch of the cruise staff there too.




What town is Tracys Crab shack in? somewhere I want to go!


----------



## tink too

Shelebeen said:


> What town is Tracys Crab shack in? somewhere I want to go!



Tracy's is in Juneau.  We haven't been (yet) so can't comment personally, but all reviews I've read have been great.


----------



## Disneynut64

Jillscabanastories said:


> In Skagway, we rode the White Pass railroad and saw the Lionsville trail camp.
> 
> In Juneau we saw Mendenhall and Glacier Gardens on one trip, on another we did the Whale watching in Auke Bay,  absolutely fantastic
> 
> In Sitka, we did the sea Otter quest, and saw the Russian Orthodox church.
> 
> In Ketchikan we went to the Tlingit village,  very unique.
> 
> Alaska is an absolutely wonderful trip.



In Juneau did you do both excursions in the same day ??


----------



## noahdove

I have to sub to this as I am trying to plan a cruise to Alaska....


----------



## jenna7394

tink said:


> OrcaPotter - thanks for the reviews.   We're doing the same tours in Skagway and Juneau - my DD can't wait to meet Moon Dog!
> 
> Jenna7394 - Also interested in who you booked your salmon fishing trip with as my DH wants to do that in Ketchikan (he's currently booked with DCL for the Knudson Cove excursion).



We booked through DCL and also did the Knudson Cove excursion.  We tried to book privately but I had a hard time finding someone who wasn't already booked or contracted through DCL.  I think we could have done it cheaper, but I have no complaints booking through DCL.  I hope he has a great time!


----------



## jenna7394

tink said:


> Tracy's is in Juneau.  We haven't been (yet) so can't comment personally, but all reviews I've read have been great.



We went to Tracy's and I wish we could have gone back!  I will definitely try and get back there someday.  It was the best crab we have ever had.  We had the sampler (not sure what it was really called) and it was a good size lunch for 2 of us.  We had early dining and lunch was late.  I could have eaten more (like ordered another king crab leg) but we didn't want to be too full for dinner!  Totally worth the money and hassle trying to find a table.


----------



## jenna7394

TwingleMomFl said:


> Let me know how it is when you come back! We go in July. I can't wait to hear your review!



You are all going to have so much fun!  It was the highlight of our trip.  The dogs and musher were great and the ice field landing was beautiful.  Never would I have guessed we would have had so much fun!  I am so excited for you to experience this excursion and am wishing we could join you!  We would love to do it again!


----------



## tink too

jenna7394 said:


> We booked through DCL and also did the Knudson Cove excursion.



Thank you - I couldn't book my DH on a private tour as they all had minimum booking requirements - usually 4 persons.


----------



## Spart02

Just returned from our cruise and I thought I would share our thoughts on our excursions!

Skagway:  Husband and 13 year old son did the Hike and Raft Excursion.  Booked through Shipmate.  They had a great experience!  Guide took as much or as little time as the group needed.  Hike was fairly strenuous and best for those in good physical shape.  Float was enjoyable.  Mosquitoes were present, but not persistent.  Would recommend this!

Myself, son age 10 and daughter age 5 did the helicopter ride to the glacier.  Booked directly through TEMSCO.  This was AMAZING!  Lots of freedom to explore the glacier.  I felt like we weren't rushed.  Guides were great in taking us to a few highlight areas.  Helicopter ride was smooth and enjoyable.  Company ran things well.  At the berth that we were at, we exited the ship and you could see their building and helicopters from the gangway.  Very easy process to get there, get prepped to go, take-off and landings, etc.  Warning:  you are not allowed to take any bags with you, including small camera bags.  Everything that you take has to fit in your pockets.  I would HIGHLY recommend this excursion and it was the highlight of our trip! 

Juneau - Our entire group of 7 did the Taku Lodge and Float Plane Adventure.  We booked directly through them to save some money.  Very easy to find; no issues with that process.  Float plane ride was enjoyable.  Narration was fine (not done by the pilot, but pre-recorded). Landing was smooth.  Once we arrived, we noticed all of the people standing on the shore were swatting at bugs.  When we got off the plane, we were greeted by an overwhelming amount of mosquitoes.  I have never in my life seen so many!  They were swarming around our faces like CRAZY!  Fortunately, they weren't really biting.  We did have really really strong bug spray on, so maybe that is why we weren't bitten; just bothered.   

After checking out the lodge, we tried to go for a hike.  The mosquitoes were actually even worse in the woods.  We got about 100 yards and had to turn back.  They were in our eyes, you couldn't open your mouth, etc.  It was just not tolerable!  So, we ended up going to the restrooms, gift shop, and sitting in the lodge waiting for the meal.  

The meal was very good.  Very tasty!  It was a serve yourself kind of deal and then they brought around the cookies afterwards.  Plenty of food!

After the meal, we hung out indoors for the most part due to the mosquito problem.  Then we boarded the float planes again and were off back to the docks.  Overall, it was an okay adventure.  The scenery was beautiful and the planes were fun.  The meal was great.   We did not see bears, but we hit it on a very warm day and they said the bears stick to the shade when it's hot.  

Ketchikan - We did the Deadliest Catch excursion and booked directly through the company.  This was fabulous!  Everyone in our party enjoyed it from the grandparents to the youngest (age 5).  The people who worked on the ship were outstanding.  It was very interactive and the time went very fast.  They threw fish to the bald eagles and there were so many eagles that it was absolutely amazing!  Swooping down right in front of the boat to get the fish out of the water.  Very cool!  They pulled up crabs, an octopus, and several other interesting creatures.  The tanks on the boat are cool for the kids to get an up-close look.  We were able to hold the crabs and take pictures with the crew.  I would definitely recommend this one as well!

Let me know if you have any specific questions to the excursions we did!  We got a lot of information from this thread and want to pass it on!

-Kelly


----------



## MickeyMomTo2

Thanks so much for sharing!  We have the Deadliest Catch and Temsco helicopter tours planned also, so I am glad to hear they were good!  Question: I thought I read you could take your camera with you on the helicopter. Is this correct?  I have a DSLR, so it won't fit in my pocket. I thought you could wear them around your neck. Do you know?

Thanks!


----------



## waudio1

Yes you can wear your camera around your neck.  Just has to be out of the camera bag.  We had a very large Nikon and it wasn't a problem.  You absolutely need a camera - I brought back some amazing pictures.  Temsco helicopter and dog sledding was the highlight of our trip.  It was a beautiful day.  Bright sunlight up on the glacier and the mushers were in t-shirts.  When you ask my teenage girls their favorite part of the whole cruise they will say holding the puppies at the dog camp (even though they only got to hold them for a few minutes).  It was truly the experience of a lifetime up there on the mountain mushing with the dogs.


----------



## MickeyMomTo2

waudio1 said:


> Yes you can wear your camera around your neck.  Just has to be out of the camera bag.  We had a very large Nikon and it wasn't a problem.  You absolutely need a camera - I brought back some amazing pictures.  Temsco helicopter and dog sledding was the highlight of our trip.  It was a beautiful day.  Bright sunlight up on the glacier and the mushers were in t-shirts.  When you ask my teenage girls their favorite part of the whole cruise they will say holding the puppies at the dog camp (even though they only got to hold them for a few minutes).  It was truly the experience of a lifetime up there on the mountain mushing with the dogs.



Thanks!


----------



## ScottFamily2005

Our two excursion highlights:

Skagway- Dog Musher's Summer Camp. You see some beautiful scenery way off the beaten path and learn about the Iditarod. We got to hold four week old pups! The kids absolutely loved it. 

Ketchikan - big surprise for us was the Lumberjack show. Everyone had a great time, especially the kids. It's cheap, only an hour and close to the ship. I had lunch at the Alaska Fish House next door - smoked salmon chowder and salad, about twelve bucks. They also had halibut, cod, and salmon fish and chips (but I had had my fill by this point). As others have said, Ketchikan was my favorite port for shopping.  We also wanted to see totem poles, but didn't have the budget for a big excursion, so we took a ten dollar cab ride to Saxman Native Village. We couldn't get into the clan house or the carving shed, but DD took pictures of the totem poles and that was enough for her. LOL

We had a long/rough day whale watching in Juneau. We did see a few tails, but it was hot and the boat was enclosed without a/c. They moved semi-formal night to Juneau AND we had the MU premear and Pixar party, so it was just one of those loaded vacation days in general.

Overall, we loved Alaska and will probably go again in a few years.


----------



## JSMT

We loved our June 3 Alaska cruise.  I booked all our excursions through Disney.  Two adults and two four year old boys on everything.

Skagway -- Yukon suspension bridge, city, and white pass railway.  We book a narrated bus ride into the Yukon first.  Beautiful views and lots of picture stops.  The driver/guide was very willing to take group photos.  Then a 45 min or so stop at the suspension bridge.  This was fun but more "tourist trap" type experience then I expected.  We bought drinks and snacks, checked out the gift shop, walked across the bridge and that's about it.  Some nice gold rush displays to read.  Nice view of the river.  Finally we took the white pass trip back down.  The train itself has been well reviewed elsewhere.  My kids especially liked being out on the platform.

Juneau -- Taku Lodge by float plane.  We love love loved this excursion; definitely the highlight of our trip.  No issues with bugs unlike previous poster.  The two float plane trips (before and after) were just the right length for Mommy to get the experience and little boys not to get bored.  Breathtaking glacier views (our weather was very good).  Lodge was quiet and peaceful.  The kids played in the grass, made friends with the dogs, watched the salmon grilling.  We went on a private nature walk for a closer glacier view.  Had our own table just for the four of us at lunch.  Food was amazing, especially the biscuits and ginger cookies.  My kids even ate some salmon.  After lunch, there was a guided nature walk to "sometimes a waterfall".  More playing in the grass, quick stop in the gift shop, then floatplane back to civilization.  The only down side was we didn't see bears.  We would absolutely do this again when we someday, hopefully, go to Alaska again.
We also separately did the Mt Roberts Tram, or "flying bus" as my kids called it.  Walked up to the ticket counter and got right now.  Nice view of the harbor, captive bald eagle, interesting film on native culture.

Ketchikan -- Annette Island Native Discovery.  I picked this, which seems to be a new excursion this year, because I wasn't really sure what I wanted to to do but was disappointed there wasn't time for whale watching in Juneau and wanted a "small boat" excursion.  It turned out to be a lot of fun.  It was pouring rain in Ketchikan and as soon as the catamaran was out on the bay everything cleared up.  Nice views of the coastline, knowledgeable captain and naturalist.    30 min or so boat trip to Annette Island.  Brief bus tour of the town led by two young women who grew up there.  Then they took us to the cultural center where the kids were led through drawing a native design on the top of a "drum."  Then a fun dancing and drumming demonstration that the kids were invited to join.  The leader of the group spent 15 min or so with the kids at the end answering questions and letting them try out his real drums.  Then there were native crafts to purchase.  Finally, catamaran trip back to Ketchikan.  We saw some eagles on the way back.  Binoculars were provided on the boat.  Overall very nice day.


----------



## Silly Little Pixie

We did both our excursions through Disney and loved them. I'll review them separately though since I'll be adding pictures, and had seen very little in the way of reviews on either. 

Skagway- Glacier Point Wilderness Safari
Our family group of 6 all chose this one. We were myself and DH, my parents (60's) and my 13 and 16 year olds. This one was THE highlight of the cruise for us all! This excursion takes you by boat past the town of Haines to near Davidson Glacier. From there you do some hiking and then canoe up to the glacier. But it's so much more than that!

First, if you do this excursion, you don't need to book a whale watching excursion in Juneau.  I think our group (all DCL) was about 24 people. The boat was enclosed, with windows that we raised when we stopped to whale watch. The boat trip to the base camp was about an hour. We saw LOTS of whales, and the captain would stop and go towards them just like on a whale watching excursion. Our guide on the boat, Lee, was great and very knowledgeable.

Once we arrived at the base camp, we had a short hike through a meadow, and then we immediately had lunch- turkey sandwich, apple, fruit bar, water. 





Then we rode via school bus to the base camp, where we were outfitted with boots, extra jackets, life vests. It was probably in the 50's but got much colder when we got closer to the glacier. After all getting geared up, we took a short hike through the forest to the canoes and got a closer view of the glacier. 


Then we paddled up to the glacier (but after the first part, the guide turned the little motor on for us!)



My family ready to go!





Still about a mile from the glacier, can you believe it?


We were able to beach the canoes (I guess they can't always) and spent some time exploring around the base. Phenomenal. 









I have so many more amazing pictures but this gives you the gist. 

After that, we canoed back, then returned to our boat for the return to Skagway. We saw even more whales on the return trip! It was definitely a full day adventure, I think it was 6.5 hours. We were hungry when we got back for sure! The guides were fantastic- they live out at the base camp, no running water or electricity. They are some amazing young people! Just genuinely in love with Alaska and eager to share their knowledge with you. 

In short, my family thanked me over and over for selecting this excursion. Best one we've EVER taken (and we've done a lot over the years!).


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## Silly Little Pixie

Our second excursion was also through DCL, Alaska Whales and Science Adventure in Juneau. This was through Gastineau Guiding. This excursion was just myself and my 2 teenagers. The basic premise is that you get to participate in some ongoing research on humpback whales, and the changing Alaska ecosystem. This is their website: http://www.stepintoalaska.com/tour_shore_excursion_details.cfm?tourid=researchexploration

They were terrific. The first part of our day was the whale watch. We were in a small boat, and only 9 total guests and 3 guides! We were 3 family groups of 3. One other family had a 10 yo girl, and another family had their college aged daughter. The guide said that DCL specified that this tour be kept very small, in order to provide a more exclusive experience than other cruise lines offer. 

We saw plenty of whales, and Stellar sea lions as well. My son got to be the photographer and use their VERY high end camera to photograph the whales so that their tail flukes can be cataloged. Researchers are looking to see if the same whales return to the same places every year, how often does that whale have a calf, etc. All the pictures are mine- with a Canon XTi that is dying.  Needless to say I'm sure the ones my son took on their camera are a lot better...










After this, he taps the camera, turns to me and says, "THIS is what I need..."

The kids got to: pull up a trap that had lots of different sea life in it (crabs, fish, etc), learn how to pull up sea water from 50 feet down and measure its temperature and ph level,  and pulled up phytoplankton that humpbacks feed on as well. It was great. 





The second part was a hike at the Mendenhall Glacier. There, they checked off plants and the stage of development they were in (first bloom, etc). This purpose was to monitor how the environment around the glacier is changing as the glacier retreats. The guides were very good in explaining how and where the research would be used. 









I'd highly recommend this excursion as well, especially for it's small size. It was terrific! The guides were great with kids young and not so young.They did provide snacks but you would want to eat a big breakfast, we definitely got hungry. We got back to "town" in Juneau in time to meet up with DH and have a great lunch at Twisted Fish.


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## MickeyRocksInPA

These are great pics.  Thanks for sharing.
I wonder if anyone has some newish navigators to share???


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## topsy

jadedjojo said:


> Juneau- We did Mendenhall Glacier on our own.  Took the blue bus (much, much cheaper than the DCL excursion) and rode to the Glacier.  It wasn't a long ride, and we saw a lot of interesting things on the way.  We hiked as many of the trails as we could, took the trail to Nugget Falls (incredible!), and took a lot of photos.  We didn't see any bears (although the signs were everywhere warning of bears, and someone said we missed a bear by five minutes in the parking lot), but we saw a lot of salmon in the streams and bald eagles.  I will rate our own excursion of Mendenhall as 5/5 .  Of all of the ports, Juneau had SO much to do, and I was very disappointed we didn't have more time.  We only went to Mendenhall and briefly visited the downtown area, and barely made it back to the ship on time!  We look forward to visiting again in the future and doing more.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We would like to get this bus when we're in port in September. Do you remember where you should board, do you pay for tickets on the bus or in advance, is there a bus at 8.00am?
> 
> Our whale watching excursion picks us up from the glacier at 10.15am so we want to be there by 8.30am.
Click to expand...


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## peachygreen

MickeyRocksInPA said:
			
		

> These are great pics.  Thanks for sharing.
> I wonder if anyone has some newish navigators to share???



The navigators from the first cruise of the season can be found at 

disneycruiselineblog.com/personal-navigators


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## Jimbob22

Skagway: White Pass trainride and trail camp. The first part is about 90 minutes, the views from the left side (per someone else's post) are incredible.  The camp is 'liarsville' and is kind of hokey.  It was cold, wet, and drizzling a bit, we were not that crazy about this part.

Juneau: Mendenhall, whale watching.  Mendenhall is good, we had around 50-60 minutes there, but not quite enough time to comfortably go on some of the longer hikes (3-4 miles).

Not impressed with the whale watching.  The boat is not allowed to get close to the whales, so it just goes out, parks a while, and you see a whale or two from very far away. The boat does get hot and stuffy, so I went out on top for a bit.

Ketchican: Ketchican by land and sea.  Took bus ride to the totems (Saxman).  Driver dropped us off and we had 15 minutes to observe them.  We were the only group without a guide to give us good explanations of them. Then we got back on bus and went to tour of non-working cannery (Libby cannery, closed in 1957).  This was actually kind of interesting. Scintillating? Not sure, but kind of interesting to see a historical cannery.  The Native American guide was eloquent and interesting. Then a boat ride back to port, it stopped here and there to point things out, but I didn't find it all that scintillating.

We spent around a grand on excursions, overall I didn't feel all that overwhelmed (these were all booked thru Disney).  I'd advise against any whale watching or boat rides.  If you have good waterproof shoes, I'd look into some self guided hikes and save a lot of money.

The White Pass rr, Mendenhall glacier, and the Libby cannery are all of potential interest, but there are likely cheaper ways to get to them.


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## mamahemingway

What port would you recommend for helicopter?
I was thinking of doing Mendenhall glacier on our own to save money in
Juneau and helicopter in Skagway, thoughts ?

Only other idea was Rum Runner in Juneau. That is more money and not sure enlightened time to see glacier too.

Ketchikan we have Island Air float plane booked 

Thank you!!!

Ps -I can't seem to find how to book helicopter on own? They said book with DCL?


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## Spart02

mamahemingway said:


> What port would you recommend for helicopter?
> I was thinking of doing Mendenhall glacier on our own to save money in
> Juneau and helicopter in Skagway, thoughts ?
> 
> Only other idea was Rum Runner in Juneau. That is more money and not sure enlightened time to see glacier too.
> 
> Ketchikan we have Island Air float plane booked
> 
> Thank you!!!
> 
> Ps -I can't seem to find how to book helicopter on own? They said book with DCL?



We loved our helicopter adventure in Skagway!  Here's who we booked through:

TEMSCO Helicopters, Inc.
P. O. Box 434
Skagway, AK. 99840
907-983-2900
866-683-2900 toll free
907-983-2981 Fax
skg_staff@temscoair.com

Let me know if you have any questions about TEMSCO in Skagway.


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## rwhistler92

I can't wait subscribing to this thread.


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## mjp526

Subbing. Thank you for all the great info!


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## Hedd4DW

Another good recommendation for TEMSCO.  We were booked in Skagway, but it was cancelled due to the weather.  We were able to re-book for the next day in Juneau.  It was awesome and so glad we didn't miss it.  

We did whale watching early on the Juneau day with Harv and Marv's and really enjoyed that as well.  We didn't have enough time after the helicopter to see much of Juneau.  I would have liked to explore Mendenhall and hike to the waterfall.  Please note - take the Disney shuttle bus from the dropoff in Juneau to the ship.  It is a LONG walk, but we did not know about the shuttle.

We did the White Pass Railway in Skagway and enjoyed it, despite the fog and rain.  I would recommend some type of excursion in Ketchikan; we tried to see it on our own and the kids got bored fast.


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## DisneyDream2B

Thanks for the tip about the Disney shuttle in Juneau.  Where do we find it?

Thanks!


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## meajuly5

DisneyDream2B said:


> Thanks for the tip about the Disney shuttle in Juneau.  Where do we find it?
> 
> Thanks!



Yes. Curious to know running times as well


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## Hedd4DW

The Disney shuttle to the ship in Juneau was in the circle drop off right at the bottom of the Mt Roberts Tramway.  That is where our excursion dropped us off - wish I had known to get on the Disney shuttle to get back to the ship! They were big tour buses with the Disney shuttle sign in the front window and ran frequently.  We saw several pass us as we walked.


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## Never to old

Hedd4DW said:


> The Disney shuttle to the ship in Juneau was in the circle drop off right at the bottom of the Mt Roberts Tramway.  That is where our excursion dropped us off - wish I had known to get on the Disney shuttle to get back to the ship! They were big tour buses with the Disney shuttle sign in the front window and ran frequently.  We saw several pass us as we walked.



Is this a free shuttle?


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## mamahemingway

What time did you go?  Do you think the time matters ?  I was going to book 9:45 am 
so that we have time after.


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## mamahemingway

Hedd4DW thank you for your response.

We are going to book helicopter for Skagway.
You have me thinking that maybe we should skip the Rum Runner Whale Watch so that in case we have to rebook the helicopter for Juneau we have more flexibility.  Do you think your Harv and Marv tour was the highlight of your trip and we should not miss the whale watching in Juneau even if it means that we don't get to the Mendenhall glacier?  I am worried about the drive to the glacier ( I know it is not that far, but I hear the shuttles only run once an hour from the Mendenhall glacier vistor center back to the ship) and we have a pretty short day in Juneau.

In Ketchikan we are doing a float plane at 3pm and was hoping to see the Saxam Totem pole before that.

Thank you!!


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## ghoulishgirl

Jimbob22 said:


> Not impressed with the whale watching.  The boat is not allowed to get close to the whales, so it just goes out, parks a while, and you see a whale or two from very far away. The boat does get hot and stuffy, so I went out on top for a bit.



Did you take Disney's excursion for the whale watching or did you book your own trip privately?


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## sqektoy

We booked a whale watching excursion in Juneau with Orca Adventures. Everyone from Carol in the office to Kelly(?) the naturalist on board and Captain Larry were fantastic.  It is a smaller excursion than booking with DCL. Max of 24 on the boats and we had 13ppl on ours.  Open viewing on top as well as at the rear of the boat and indoor seating if weather is poor or passengers want to sit to view. We saw tons of whales and Capt Larry has an innate sense of knowing where the whales are and where they're going.  You can't approach them but they can come to you and we had one humpback go right under the boat.  Also saw eagles, seals, sea lions as well.  We rebooked the cruise for next year and will rebook with Orca again.  Highly recommend.


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## sqektoy

sqektoy said:


> We booked a whale watching excursion in Juneau with Orca Adventures. Everyone from Carol in the office to Kelly(?) the naturalist on board and Captain Larry were fantastic.  It is a smaller excursion than booking with DCL. Max of 24 on the boats and we had 13ppl on ours.  Open viewing on top as well as at the rear of the boat and indoor seating if weather is poor or passengers want to sit to view. We saw tons of whales and Capt Larry has an innate sense of knowing where the whales are and where they're going.  You can't approach them but they can come to you and we had one humpback go right under the boat.  Also saw eagles, seals, sea lions as well.  We rebooked the cruise for next year and will rebook with Orca again.  Highly recommend.



It's Orca Enterprises.  Ugh. Sorry.  That's what I get posting while also watching TV....


----------



## Jimbob22

ghoulishgirl said:


> Did you take Disney's excursion for the whale watching or did you book your own trip privately?



We booked through Disney, each excursion seemed to combine 2 or 3 activities (trainride+trail camp, Mendenhall+whalewatching, cannery+saxman+boat ride).  It was all professionally done (with exception of the short drop-off at Saxman totem park in Ketchican), but the boating company clearly said that they're not allowed to go within a hundred yards of the whales.  Not sure if it has to do with the size of the boat (which might scare them off it it went any closer), or if it's just for the good of the whales.

The boats themselves were nice (comfy seating, restrooms, basic drinks, binoculars provided, the naturalists that narrate are good), but it was all just a bit too far away and non-action-based for me (but I'm not an avid photographer, a few others were into photography, those that are really into photography tend to like the whale-watching quite a bit).

But that's just my take.  Keep your eyes open from the Wonder and you can spot the same whales.  We booked through Disney b/c we knew that the ship won't leave without you, but I think that you could safely find some specific things you want to do and be back at the ship in time.

Since coming home, I've read about a 'Deer Mountain trail' in Ketchican that would have made for a nice hike.  But it was kind of wet and slightly drizzly out, not sure if my running shoes would have been good for this.


----------



## Hedd4DW

mamahemingway said:


> Hedd4DW thank you for your response.
> 
> We are going to book helicopter for Skagway.
> You have me thinking that maybe we should skip the Rum Runner Whale Watch so that in case we have to rebook the helicopter for Juneau we have more flexibility.  Do you think your Harv and Marv tour was the highlight of your trip and we should not miss the whale watching in Juneau even if it means that we don't get to the Mendenhall glacier?  I am worried about the drive to the glacier ( I know it is not that far, but I hear the shuttles only run once an hour from the Mendenhall glacier vistor center back to the ship) and we have a pretty short day in Juneau.
> 
> In Ketchikan we are doing a float plane at 3pm and was hoping to see the Saxam Totem pole before that.
> 
> Thank you!!



That's a hard one, but I would not have given up the whale watching to go to Mendenhall glacier visitor center.  No matter which glacier you see on the helicopter or float plane, you still got to see a glacier from a great view point, probably closer and better than you would see from Mendenhall visitor center.  We saw a couple of whales from the ship, but they were far off and we got much better info from the whale watching tour.


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## hiclarke

Just got off the 7/1 - 7/8 trip and here's what we did all booked through DCL.

Skagway - Musher's camp - We had several elementary and middle school girls and parents/grandparents and all enjoyed the trip.  The "mushers" were great answered all the questions, introduced us to the dogs and took pictures of us with the dogs.  The puppies at the end were adorable and melted everyone's hearts.  Big thumbs up from everyone who was on this excursion.  One warning, there is a small bus ride which is curvy and bumpy, several kids were slightly car sick by the time it was over, so be prepared!

Juneau - Rainforest Trail and Whale watching.  This started with a morning hike of the rainforest which was nice but not spectacular.  The whale watching however was phenomenal.   We got very close to humpback whales (mom and baby), sea lions and orcas (highly unusual).  The guides were very informative and friendly.  Everyone loved this trip as well and I got some outstanding shots of the whales.

Ketchikan - Potlatch Totem Park and Lumberjack show.  This one was  big thumbs down from all of us.  I felt like we were really taken advantage of on this one.  Potlatch Park was nothing but a few totem poles and a couple of quick stories until we were ushered into the gift shop.  Very disappointed in this.  The lumberjack show was amusing, but once again, not spectacular.  

If there are any question - just ask!


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## sorceressk

hiclarke said:


> Just got off the 7/1 - 7/8 trip and here's what we did all booked through DCL.
> 
> Skagway - Musher's camp - We had several elementary and middle school girls and parents/grandparents and all enjoyed the trip.  The "mushers" were great answered all the questions, introduced us to the dogs and took pictures of us with the dogs.  The puppies at the end were adorable and melted everyone's hearts.  Big thumbs up from everyone who was on this excursion.  One warning, there is a small bus ride which is curvy and bumpy, several kids were slightly car sick by the time it was over, so be prepared!
> 
> Juneau - Rainforest Trail and Whale watching.  This started with a morning hike of the rainforest which was nice but not spectacular.  The whale watching however was phenomenal.   We got very close to humpback whales (mom and baby), sea lions and orcas (highly unusual).  The guides were very informative and friendly.  Everyone loved this trip as well and I got some outstanding shots of the whales.
> 
> Ketchikan - Potlatch Totem Park and Lumberjack show.  This one was  big thumbs down from all of us.  I felt like we were really taken advantage of on this one.  Potlatch Park was nothing but a few totem poles and a couple of quick stories until we were ushered into the gift shop.  Very disappointed in this.  The lumberjack show was amusing, but once again, not spectacular.
> 
> If there are any question - just ask!



Do u have navigators? I'm curious abt 4th of July


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## hiclarke

sorceressk said:


> Do u have navigators? I'm curious abt 4th of July



I don't have any handy.  However, there really wasn't much going on for the 4th on the ship.  They had a very brief presentation with the characters in the atrium between dinners and a special menu which primarily consisted of ribs and fried chicken, and that was pretty much it.


----------



## sorceressk

hiclarke said:


> I don't have any handy.  However, there really wasn't much going on for the 4th on the ship.  They had a very brief presentation with the characters in the atrium between dinners and a special menu which primarily consisted of ribs and fried chicken, and that was pretty much it.



Aha. Ok thank u!


----------



## Mackie Mouse

I was also on the July 1-8 trip.  

The 4th of July on the ship was cute.  As the PP said, there wasn't a ton happening, but there was a celebration with the characters in Patriotic outfits and a special menu in the dining room.  We sang the national anthem along with one of the Walt Disney Theater performers. (There are fruity red, white, and blue drinks in addition to the "American Comfort food" themed menu at dinner, too.  You could also choose any items from the regular dining room menu that night if you preferred those items.)  

Additionally, we spent this day in Skagway, and the town contacted the ship with a list of activities it had going on for the 4th.  We of course missed their fireworks celebration (funny, how the town can have fireworks but DCL can't!  because it happened after we left port, but they did have a parade, a rubber ducky race down the creek, a railway spike-diving competition, and a few other things.  We were provided with a schedule in our stateroom.

Here's what we did excursion-wise.  We booked everything on our own and were thrilled with all of it.  

*Skagway - Yukon Bus and Rail Tour with Chilkoot Chaters*: Definitely a good choice, although this was a long day.  The entire excursion took 8 hours (so we missed most of the 4th of July festivities), and included many, many stops - more than what was advertised when we booked the tour.  Our driver had lots of information to give us and was a bit of an odd duck, but got us where we needed to go on time and was happy to take photos.  The scenery on the way up was just gorgeous - highlights included Bridal Veil falls near Skagway, the Alaska/Canada border, Carcross Desert, and a number of lakes, including Emerald Lake.  The stop at Caribou Crossing for lunch was more than adequate, and I felt like we had plenty of time to check everything out.  Yes, it's a bit of a tourist trap...but basically every excursion that went anywhere near that area stops there.  It is what it is, and the food was certainly decent.  The White Pass Railway on the way back was also just stunning.  Overall, this excursion was worth every cent. 
*
Juneau - Did a day "on our own": *
-Started by taking the "blue bus" shuttle to the Mendenhall Glacier for $8 pp each way.  There are a dozen vendors right at the Mt. Roberts Tramway (where the shuttle form the port drops you off downtown) selling tickets.  Go with whoever sounds friendliest.  We spent about two hours at the glacier, strolling around at our leisure. DO NOT MISS the walk to Nugget Falls - it is just beautiful.  We didn't find it necessary to pay the $3 fee to enter the Visitor Center, as we were able to get a map of all the surrounding trails just inside the door.  Pro Tip: Since we left early in the morning and were ready to return to town around 10:00 AM, we asked the first shuttle driver we saw if she would take us (she was not with the "blue bus" company).  Since her shuttle back wasn't full, she very kindly obliged.  We tipped her a couple of bucks, and would definitely recommend going this route to save a bit of time.  

-Strolled around downtown for a bit.  Saw the Red Dog Saloon, walked into a few ships, found the Governor's Mansion, and visited the Alaska State Museum for about an hour.  All worthwhile and inexpensive. 

-Splurged on lunch at Tracy's King Crab Shack - probably the best meal of our whole trip.  We got the combo meal, which consists of a cup of crab bisque, four small crabcakes, and one HUGE king crab leg, and then we added a 1/2 dungeoness crab to that.  This was more than enough food for my husband and I.  Well, WELL worth the cost - just trust me. We left around 12:30 and the line weaved its way pretty much back out to the street.  Just go; you won't be sorry. 

-Finished up the afternoon with a tour and tasting at the Alaskan Brewing Company, also a terrific value.  $15 will buy you a shuttle to and from the brewery from their retail store downtown, plus a tour and tasting.  The tasting is a super value - you start with samples of their four most popular beers, and from there it's ALL YOU CAN DRINK until it's time for the shuttle to leave.  Needless to say, the shuttle ride back tot he port was considerably livelier than the shuttle ride up, and everyone was really happy about it.   We wound up purchasing a six-pack of the Alaskan White for consumption back on the ship, which was very tasty.  (Pro Tip: DCL is selling Alaskan Amber, White, and Summer beers on the ship - they have all three in bottles, and Alaskan Summer on tap.  Six-packs in the ports are readily available and cheaper if you decide you really like this beer and want to drink a lot of it  )

Finished up the port day with a message and mini-facial back on the ship, as it was my birthday and I love me a good port day special at the spa. 

*Ketchikan - Misty Fjords Floatplane with Island Wings: *
The absolute highlight of the trip...and we had a blast in all three ports.  We spent the morning strolling about town and visiting the Totem Heritage Center (worth the couple of bucks for admission - I saw totem poles everywhere in Vancouver and Alaska, but learned the most about them here).  Creek Street is quite nice and very picturesque, and KetchiCandies (located right behind the big "Welcome to Ketchikan" sign) had some yummy sweets.  We returned to the ship for a quick lunch, and then went back out to meet our excursion at 2:15. 

We were shuttled only a mile or two down the road to Island Wings' dock.  Michelle, the pilot, and Shona (who runs the shuttle and does the accounting) were very friendly.  The rest of this excursion is mostly indescribable, and to even attempt to give you a sense for how beautiful the scenery was would be an insult to how amazing this trip is.  The whole thing lasts about 2 1/2 hours, including a 45-minute stop on a lake within the fjords.  Michelle is an able pilot, and the entire experience was so surreal that I found myself tearing up towards the end of it.  Just go.  Do this.  You will not regret it.  Best money we spent on the entire vacation.  I am happy to share photos from Facebook...but they do not do the experience justice  

Happy to answer questions if anyone has 'em!


----------



## Never to old

Mackie Mouse said:


> I was also on the July 1-8 trip.
> 
> The 4th of July on the ship was cute.  As the PP said, there wasn't a ton happening, but there was a celebration with the characters in Patriotic outfits and a special menu in the dining room.  We sang the national anthem along with one of the Walt Disney Theater performers. (There are fruity red, white, and blue drinks in addition to the "American Comfort food" themed menu at dinner, too.  You could also choose any items from the regular dining room menu that night if you preferred those items.)
> 
> Additionally, we spent this day in Skagway, and the town contacted the ship with a list of activities it had going on for the 4th.  We of course missed their fireworks celebration (funny, how the town can have fireworks but DCL can't!  because it happened after we left port, but they did have a parade, a rubber ducky race down the creek, a railway spike-diving competition, and a few other things.  We were provided with a schedule in our stateroom.
> 
> Here's what we did excursion-wise.  We booked everything on our own and were thrilled with all of it.
> 
> Skagway - Yukon Bus and Rail Tour with Chilkoot Chaters: Definitely a good choice, although this was a long day.  The entire excursion took 8 hours (so we missed most of the 4th of July festivities), and included many, many stops - more than what was advertised when we booked the tour.  Our driver had lots of information to give us and was a bit of an odd duck, but got us where we needed to go on time and was happy to take photos.  The scenery on the way up was just gorgeous - highlights included Bridal Veil falls near Skagway, the Alaska/Canada border, Carcross Desert, and a number of lakes, including Emerald Lake.  The stop at Caribou Crossing for lunch was more than adequate, and I felt like we had plenty of time to check everything out.  Yes, it's a bit of a tourist trap...but basically every excursion that went anywhere near that area stops there.  It is what it is, and the food was certainly decent.  The White Pass Railway on the way back was also just stunning.  Overall, this excursion was worth every cent.
> 
> Juneau - Did a day "on our own":
> -Started by taking the "blue bus" shuttle to the Mendenhall Glacier for $8 pp each way.  There are a dozen vendors right at the Mt. Roberts Tramway (where the shuttle form the port drops you off downtown) selling tickets.  Go with whoever sounds friendliest.  We spent about two hours at the glacier, strolling around at our leisure. DO NOT MISS the walk to Nugget Falls - it is just beautiful.  We didn't find it necessary to pay the $3 fee to enter the Visitor Center, as we were able to get a map of all the surrounding trails just inside the door.  Pro Tip: Since we left early in the morning and were ready to return to town around 10:00 AM, we asked the first shuttle driver we saw if she would take us (she was not with the "blue bus" company).  Since her shuttle back wasn't full, she very kindly obliged.  We tipped her a couple of bucks, and would definitely recommend going this route to save a bit of time.
> 
> -Strolled around downtown for a bit.  Saw the Red Dog Saloon, walked into a few ships, found the Governor's Mansion, and visited the Alaska State Museum for about an hour.  All worthwhile and inexpensive.
> 
> -Splurged on lunch at Tracy's King Crab Shack - probably the best meal of our whole trip.  We got the combo meal, which consists of a cup of crab bisque, four small crabcakes, and one HUGE king crab leg, and then we added a 1/2 dungeoness crab to that.  This was more than enough food for my husband and I.  Well, WELL worth the cost - just trust me. We left around 12:30 and the line weaved its way pretty much back out to the street.  Just go; you won't be sorry.
> 
> -Finished up the afternoon with a tour and tasting at the Alaskan Brewing Company, also a terrific value.  $15 will buy you a shuttle to and from the brewery from their retail store downtown, plus a tour and tasting.  The tasting is a super value - you start with samples of their four most popular beers, and from there it's ALL YOU CAN DRINK until it's time for the shuttle to leave.  Needless to say, the shuttle ride back tot he port was considerably livelier than the shuttle ride up, and everyone was really happy about it.   We wound up purchasing a six-pack of the Alaskan White for consumption back on the ship, which was very tasty.  (Pro Tip: DCL is selling Alaskan Amber, White, and Summer beers on the ship - they have all three in bottles, and Alaskan Summer on tap.  Six-packs in the ports are readily available and cheaper if you decide you really like this beer and want to drink a lot of it  )
> 
> Finished up the port day with a message and mini-facial back on the ship, as it was my birthday and I love me a good port day special at the spa.
> 
> Ketchikan - Misty Fjords Floatplane with Island Wings:
> The absolute highlight of the trip...and we had a blast in all three ports.  We spent the morning strolling about town and visiting the Totem Heritage Center (worth the couple of bucks for admission - I saw totem poles everywhere in Vancouver and Alaska, but learned the most about them here).  Creek Street is quite nice and very picturesque, and KetchiCandies (located right behind the big "Welcome to Ketchikan" sign) had some yummy sweets.  We returned to the ship for a quick lunch, and then went back out to meet our excursion at 2:15.
> 
> We were shuttled only a mile or two down the road to Island Wings' dock.  Michelle, the pilot, and Shona (who runs the shuttle and does the accounting) were very friendly.  The rest of this excursion is mostly indescribable, and to even attempt to give you a sense for how beautiful the scenery was would be an insult to how amazing this trip is.  The whole thing lasts about 2 1/2 hours, including a 45-minute stop on a lake within the fjords.  Michelle is an able pilot, and the entire experience was so surreal that I found myself tearing up towards the end of it.  Just go.  Do this.  You will not regret it.  Best money we spent on the entire vacation.  I am happy to share photos from Facebook...but they do not do the experience justice
> 
> Happy to answer questions if anyone has 'em!



I have a strange question-  we are also doing Island Wings to Misty Fjords.  Can I get away with wearing sneakers on this excursion?  I am trying to pack smart.  We are doing the best of Skagway that includes White Pass.  We are also doing Enchanted Taku lodge.   Then just planning on walking around the ports on our own during down time.  I don't think I will need boots for these things. I would like a second opinion.  Thanks Vicki


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## Mackie Mouse

Never to old said:


> I have a strange question-  we are also doing Island Wings to Misty Fjords.  Can I get away with wearing sneakers on this excursion?  I am trying to pack smart.  We are doing the best of Skagway that includes White Pass.  We are also doing Enchanted Taku lodge.   Then just planning on walking around the ports on our own during down time.  I don't think I will need boots for these things. I would like a second opinion.  Thanks Vicki



Not a strange question at all!  We were worried about the same thing, and it sounds like we have similar things planned in terms of activity level.  DH and I didn't feel like investing in hiking shoes just for this trip, so we only brought sneakers, which were more than adequate.  (In fact, I really should have just worn comfy sandals or Toms for just walking around Juneau ). I did buy some waterproof shoe spray (this stuff: http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/sh...and-Leather-Proof_10019319_10208_10000001_-1_) and it worked like a dream.  

You are going to LOVE your excursion with Michelle.  Make sure your camera battery is fully charged and has tons of memory left on the card, because I took about 150 photos during that two hours.  Happy to share photos (they're uploaded to Facebook) through a PM if you want a preview


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## dclwonderprincess

Mackie Mouse said:


> Not a strange question at all!  We were worried about the same thing, and it sounds like we have similar things planned in terms of activity level.  DH and I didn't feel like investing in hiking shoes just for this trip, so we only brought sneakers, which were more than adequate.  (In fact, I really should have just worn comfy sandals or Toms for just walking around Juneau ). I did buy some waterproof shoe spray (this stuff: http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/shop/product_Nikwax-Fabric-and-Leather-Proof_10019319_10208_10000001_-1_) and it worked like a dream.
> 
> You are going to LOVE your excursion with Michelle.  Make sure your camera battery is fully charged and has tons of memory left on the card, because I took about 150 photos during that two hours.  Happy to share photos (they're uploaded to Facebook) through a PM if you want a preview



Does the fabric spray work on Toms? They're all I generally wear and packing shoes is going to be an issue.


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## Mackie Mouse

dclwonderprincess said:


> Does the fabric spray work on Toms? They're all I generally wear and packing shoes is going to be an issue.



I have no idea!  I only used it on my sneakers because TOMS are the least weather-resistant shoes I can imagine and I've learned not to wear them if there's any chance of them getting wet or muddy.  Even if the waterproofing spray works decently well on them, they will get extremely muddy and be pretty much destroyed on your average hiking trail.  I totally mutilated a pair by wearing them in a corn maze around Halloween once.  TOMS are the most comfortable shoes I own, and they are great for city walking, but I'd definitely at least bring a pair of sneakers if you have them.


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## Never to old

Mackie Mouse said:


> Not a strange question at all!  We were worried about the same thing, and it sounds like we have similar things planned in terms of activity level.  DH and I didn't feel like investing in hiking shoes just for this trip, so we only brought sneakers, which were more than adequate.  (In fact, I really should have just worn comfy sandals or Toms for just walking around Juneau ). I did buy some waterproof shoe spray (this stuff: http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/shop/product_Nikwax-Fabric-and-Leather-Proof_10019319_10208_10000001_-1_) and it worked like a dream.
> 
> You are going to LOVE your excursion with Michelle.  Make sure your camera battery is fully charged and has tons of memory left on the card, because I took about 150 photos during that two hours.  Happy to share photos (they're uploaded to Facebook) through a PM if you want a preview



Thanks
I might take old sneaks and just toss them at the end.  It might give me room for a souvenir.  I am looking forward to our excursion.  Michelle was actually booked for that day.  Island wings booked us with their friend Randy.  I am sure it will be just as good.  Michelle has her reputation to uphold.  I am not worried at all.


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## KelseyLaPerle

Questions about Taku Lodge Float Plane Adventure.....


I've read that they restrict what we can bring with us  -  no hats, camera must be around neck, etc. 

Are we allowed to bring a backpack? Can we take pictures from inside the plane? Our cruise leaves next week - would anyone guess as to what the weather may be like both in the plane and outside at the lodge? If we're not allowed a backpack, I don't want to overdress and be too hot/cold having no place to store extra layers. Is there a safe spot for us to leave things we want to bring off the ship but are not allowed on the excursion?

Thanks a million!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards


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## momto2redheadgirls

Just got off the ship on Monday and we did the following:

Skagway -- We booked directly thru Chilkoot Tours for the White Pass and Yukon Rail and Bus excursion.  They picked us up about 50 feet from the gangway and delivered us to the train station where the driver (Mike???? - drawing a blank right now on his name, he was good though) got us the last train car.  That car was just for Chilkoot people and we had about 15-18 people in our car and Disney had the next car up and it was PACKED.  Once the train gets going you can go out on the platforms to stand and get pics.  We got some absolutely awesome shots from the back platform that I am not sure the Disney people got.  Once in Frazier, BC we transferred to the small bus and made our way back stopping and getting out to get pics.  Our driver was awesome and told us stories and lore all the way back.  Definately would recommend this one!

Juneau -- We did the Disney Alpine Zipline and Mendenhall Glacier Tour.  It was good also.  Lots of time in the van.  We went to the Glacier park first and it was about 20 minutes to make it to the Glacier and then we had about an hour there.  There is a Visitor Center that has great views of everything and explains all about the forming of glaciers and other neat things.  There is also a small store with books and stuffed animals and other things.  There is a point that you can walk out to and get some wonderful pics of the glacier and waterfall.  There was a Park Ranger stationed at the point and he was great for answering questions and all.  There is also a path to get to the base of the waterfalls, we did not go because it was a mile there and another mile back and we would have had to practically run to make it back by the time we saw everything else.  It would have been neat, but cutting it close to do it all in an hour -- or maybe we are just slow .  After we left there it took about 40 minutes to get to the zipline course.  Once we got to Alaska Zipline Adventures, we met our guides - Sarah and Greg.  They walked us thru getting geared up (they provided jackets because of the tree sap and possibility of rain and helmets)and info on how to do it, then it was time to hit the course.  It consisted of 7 lines and a suspension bridge.  It was great!  There were 8 of us on our excursion, from about 10 yrs old to about 50 yrs old and everyone had a blast.  We even learned some botany along the way.  They told us about the trees, climate, and different interesting things about the plants along the way.  Once finished with the lines, we got to try our hand at ax throwing.  That was interesting, and WAY harder than it looked!  Then we got to de-robe from the gear and make some smores and watch a video of the pics they took along the way.  We took our own camera with us and got some good pics.  We were offered water and granola bars in the lodge to snack on and then there was coke products for purchase as well as a zipdrive with all the pics on it the guides took for $29.99.  A little steep in my opinion, but some in our party took advantage of that since they didn't have their own cameras with them.  It was an amazing adventure and I would do it again.  Looking forward to doing another cruise in the future in the Carribean so my daughter can go and do ziplining because I know she would love it too!

In Ketchikan, we just walked around, did some shopping and got back on the ship.   I hope this helps anyone!


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## MickeyMomTo2

We also returned Monday and had a wonderful time.  I chose most of my excursions after reading reviews here, so I wanted to return the favor.

We had two excursions in Skagway:

1)Glacier Adventure by Helicopter: This was amazing.  I chose to do this in Skagway because I knew that excursions in the air are the most likely to be cancelled.  I wanted to plan it for the first port day so we could reschedule for Juneau if the weather didn't cooperate.  I know that some of the flightseeing excursions in Juneau were cancelled the day we were there (Taku Lodge specifically), so I am glad I did it this way.  Also, the views from the helicopter in Skagway were unbelievable and were a major highlight of our cruise.  My husband and I felt that the helicopter ride was better than the glacier walk, but the kids really enjoyed that part.  All in all, this excursion was one of the most memorable parts of our cruise.  We booked this independently through M&M Tours in Skagway for $299 each.  This is the child price with Disney, so we saved $210.  M&M met us at the end of the gangway and walked us over to the helicopter pads (we really didn't need a guide--we were docked right next to the helicopters).  You can also book directly with Temsco.  I couldn't find their phone number when I was trying to book, but I noticed last week that they now have it on their website.

2) Sled Dog and Musher's Camp: We booked this directly with Alaska Excursions to save money.  They also met us at the end of the gangway.  This is the same company that Disney uses, so it's the same tour for less.  This was my daughter's favorite excursion.  My husband, son, and I enjoyed it, but not as much as some of the others.  A guide picks you up and drives you 20-25 minutes to Dyea.  Our guide was great and gave us lots of info about Skagway during the ride.  We arrived at the base camp and boarded a unimog vehicle that took us up the mountain.  The dogs heard us coming and went crazy.  They were ready to run!  Our family of four was in our own vehicle with a musher.  Almost all the dogs had been in the Iditarod.  The ones that hadn't were working towards that.  We got to make two laps around a track, which was quite fun.  I wish this part could have been longer.  On the way back down the mountain, we stopped at a scenic overlook, and then went back to base camp.  We got to listen to a musher talk about training the dogs and the Iditarod, and then we had time to play with the puppies.  All in all, it was an enjoyable experience--we learned and had fun!

We also had two separate adventures in Juneau:

1) Whale Watching: We wanted to book this with Harv and Marv, but because we had two kids under thirteen, we went with Alaska Galore (recommended by Harv and Marv and share shuttle buses with them).  There were two families of four on our boat, as well as an employee that was there with some friends (off the clock).  We also had a captain and a guide.  Snacks and drinks were offered, and we headed into Auke Bay.  Our captain warned us that they hadn't been seeing the number of whales normal for this time of year.  We ended up seeing 2 moms and their 2 babies (humpbacks), and one of the babies breached and swam VERY close to our boat.  Even though we didn't see a large number, our experience was very good, and this was our second favorite excursion overall.  (Interesting note: I heard today that there are more whales than normal in Glacier Bay--perhaps they have gone further north because of the higher than normal temps in Alaska this summer???)

2)  Mendenhall Glacier: We bought tickets for the blue bus shuttle at one of the wooden kiosks in Juneau.  (There are two shuttle services--a blue bus and a white bus.)  We paid for a round trip on the blue bus, but we would not do this next time.  Pay for one way at the kiosk.  For the way back, you can hop on the first bus to come, rather than waiting for a specific bus.  However, you MUST pay cash for the return trip ($8 per person).  We hiked to Nugget Falls and on one other trail.  We were hoping to see bears, but we did not.  The salmon had not started running, but it was almost time.  I am sure those who go in the next week or so will have more luck with this.  We enjoyed a couple of hours at the glacier, but didn't consider this a must-do after seeing Tracy Arm and walking on the glacier in Skagway.  (If we hadn't had the other experiences, this would have ranked higher.)

Ketchikan:

Bearing Sea Crab Fisherman Tour:  I read about this on Trip Advisor, but it was sold out through the company's website and through Disney.  However, I was able to get tickets through ShoreTrips.  We printed our own vouchers and walked ourselves to the boat (it is at the same dock as the Wonder).  The boat has been outfitted for tourists to come along.  Thankfully, they had heaters and coats because it was much colder out on the water than I expected!!!  I also recommend sitting on the lower deck because there are walls that block some of the wind.  We watched them catch crabs, prawn, and many other sea creatures, and we were able to touch them all.  We also watched them feed many eagles--this was amazing!  The fishermen shared lots of stories.  My daughter could have done without some of the stories (she fell asleep on the way back to Ketchikan), but the rest of us thought it was all very interesting, and I was very glad we did this excursion.  It was completely different from our other experiences, but gave us a taste for a lifestyle that is completely foreign to our own.

I am planning to share many more details and pictures in my trip report.  I just started it today, so feel free to read along if you are interested in these excursions!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3142621


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## stefanie0409

Skagway- Dog Mushers Camp- loved it! My favorite excursion of the trip. I went alone as the rest of my group aren't dog people, and still had a fantastic time. Wish it was longer though, felt a little rushed. Had great weather, which was a huge plus!

Juneau- Best of... had a great time also. Saw lots of whales, sea lions, porpoises and seals. Had a great salmon lunch at Orca Point Lodge and got to walk the beach and see the 'touch tank' with lots of sea creatures. Staff could not have been nicer and we had a fantastic nature guide. Also got to spend an hour at the Mendenhall Glacier which was amazing. Not rushed at all and we got to walk the beach there as well. Also had an awesome bus driver.

Ketchikan- Misty Fjords and Wilderness Explorer. DO NOT GO ON THIS. It was a total waste of money!!! It was a two hour boat ride out to the fjords on a speed boat in ROUGH waters. We couldn't even stand up during 3/4 of the ride in. There was no looking for whales, etc. We finally got out there and saw some waterfalls (we saw better ones in Tracy Arm) and some volcano rock thing that we sat at for two minutes. Then saw an Eagles nest and some Eagles. We were stopped in the fjords for about 30 minutes, then back for the two hour drive back. Again, it was speeding through rough waters. Got some soup (it wasn't enough to be a lunch, it was maybe a half cup, but it was great). The staff was great, but the trip was a waste of money. Plus it got back an hour after the schedule said, so we didn't have much time in Ketchikan before we had to get back for dinner. We complained to DCL, but they didn't seem to care much, just said they will pass our comments along.


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## mouselike-harrier

Was on the July 8th cruise.

*Skagway* Ocean Raft Adventure

This was a great excursion and greatly undersold by Disney.  It is especially good if you have teens and tweens.  They pick you up at the dock and drive 5 minutes to a place (visitor's center?) for those that need to use the bathroom.  Then you are driven for 2 minutes to the dock area.  You get off the van and into an old bus.  There are bins to stow all your gear, except for cameras, and they hand you the "gumby" suits.  Think Deadliest Catch overall.  Gloves, goggles, and a head mask hat are all given to you on the boat, so there is no need to bring anything.  The boat is outfitted in true Navy fashion; you sit on padded horses with a bar to hold onto, which is quite comfortable believe it or not!  The guides are wonderful and when not narrating and showing you the Canal, the boat is able to go 40 mph and they do circles and wide turns for the kids.  We saw eagles, harbor seals, seal otters, and whales.  We actually saw three adolescent whales swimming and finning together.  Would highly recommend.

*Juneau* Juneau City and Mendenhall Glacier tour

This is a budget friendly excursion that I would recommend.  We were picked up by a motor coach, there was only 17 of us because we had the first tour?, and driven through the city with a narration.  Our driver was excellent.  Once at the Mendenhall Glacier park, we were given almost 1 hour and 15 minutes to walk the trails and visit the center.  We were able to comfortably walk the gold nugget trail which takes you to a waterfall that is very close to the glacier.  Lots of picture opportunities and excellent visitor center.  Once we were picken up, the guide took us to the Macauley salmon hatchery.  I have a thing about live fish up close and personal and did not expect to enjoy this, but to tell you the truth it was fascinating and educational.  They also have a small aquarium and gift shop.  After this, all of us elected to be dropped off in town rather than the boat.  We ate at the Red Dog Saloon, walked and shopped, and took the free shuttle back to the boat.  My kids also said they were dreading this excursion, but they ended up enjoying themselves.

*Ketchikan*
Due to budget constraints, we did not do an excursion but walked around town.  It was kind of a relief not to have to be somewhere and do what we want.  We also enjoyed the nearly empty ship.


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## erk711

mouselike-harrier said:


> We ate at the Red Dog Saloon, walked and shopped, and took the free shuttle back to the boat.



Is the free shuttle for all guests? Where is the pickup and drop off? I think I read somewhere else it is quite a long walk back to the ship?


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## MickeyMomTo2

erk711 said:


> Is the free shuttle for all guests? Where is the pickup and drop off? I think I read somewhere else it is quite a long walk back to the ship?



Yes, it's free. Pick up and drop off are at the end of the gangway and right at the entrance to Juneau from the dock. Can't miss it. Just ask someone which bus. They are large charter buses.


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## mouselike-harrier

The bus drops you off by the roberts tramway in the middle of town.


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## Meekins

Just back from the July 15th cruise - here are our excursions and thoughts:

*Skagway:* White Pass Rail & Bus Excursion to Carcross,Yukon through Chillkoot Charters

DH who loves photography loved the White Pass rail ride up to Fraser, BC.  DD and I stayed in the coach and listened to the commentary.  The scenery is amazing, almost unbelievably beautiful.  Once on the bus we stopped at a few scenic places for more photos, lunch and dog cart rides for those who had booked them (we did not) and then back to Skagway on the bus.  This was a LONG day for our 7 year old DD...she slept the whole way back on the bus and was not very impressed with the scenery.  We suspected this booking it, but were hoping for more wildlife.  Due to the warm weather in Alaska, the guide said that wildlife was scarce since it has moved farther back into the forest to stay cool.  Would do the train again...but maybe only for 1/2 a day with a child in tow.


*Juneau:* Whales and Glacier Photo Safari via DCL (but run by Gastineau Guiding)
This was absolutely amazing - loved it and very family friendly.  Short, easy hike through the rainforest to a few glacier viewpoints (not close to the glacier, but still beautiful) then back on the bus for a quick snack and to the harbour for whale watching.  We were out in the boat for around 2 - 2.5 hours - saw seals, whales (humpbacks) and sea lions and eagles.  The guide was great and so the was the captain.  Since the excursion was about photography the guide also spent some time explaining how to take a good photograph and helping people with their digital camera learn how to use some new settings vs. having it continuously on AUTO.  The total time was 5 hours - DD loved it all.

*Ketchikan:*  we just walked the town and have a chowder lunch at Annabelle's as recommended by our server in Palo.  Lunch was great and it was nice to have a quiet day (plus the pool and hot tub on the boat was deserted so DD enjoyedf having the Goofy pool to herself for almost an hour).


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## Aby

Meekins said:


> Just back from the July 15th cruise - here are our excursions and thoughts:
> 
> *Skagway:* White Pass Rail & Bus Excursion to Carcross,Yukon through Chillkoot Charters
> 
> DH who loves photography loved the White Pass rail ride up to Fraser, BC.  DD and I stayed in the coach and listened to the commentary.  The scenery is amazing, almost unbelievably beautiful.  Once on the bus we stopped at a few scenic places for more photos, lunch and dog cart rides for those who had booked them (we did not) and then back to Skagway on the bus.  This was a LONG day for our 7 year old DD...she slept the whole way back on the bus and was not very impressed with the scenery.  We suspected this booking it, but were hoping for more wildlife.  Due to the warm weather in Alaska, the guide said that wildlife was scarce since it has moved farther back into the forest to stay cool.  Would do the train again...but maybe only for 1/2 a day with a child in tow.
> 
> 
> *Juneau:* Whales and Glacier Photo Safari via DCL (but run by Gastineau Guiding)
> This was absolutely amazing - loved it and very family friendly.  Short, easy hike through the rainforest to a few glacier viewpoints (not close to the glacier, but still beautiful) then back on the bus for a quick snack and to the harbour for whale watching.  We were out in the boat for around 2 - 2.5 hours - saw seals, whales (humpbacks) and sea lions and eagles.  The guide was great and so the was the captain.  Since the excursion was about photography the guide also spent some time explaining how to take a good photograph and helping people with their digital camera learn how to use some new settings vs. having it continuously on AUTO.  The total time was 5 hours - DD loved it all.
> 
> *Ketchikan:*  we just walked the town and have a chowder lunch at Annabelle's as recommended by our server in Palo.  Lunch was great and it was nice to have a quiet day (plus the pool and hot tub on the boat was deserted so DD enjoyedf having the Goofy pool to herself for almost an hour).



Thank you so much for your review of the Whales and Glacier Photo Safari Meekins! We are signed up to do this excursion - I love photography and although I'm not a beginner I'm sure I can still learn a few things. My hubby isn't a photographer though - but I'm sure he'll still enjoy the views. 

I also picked this excursion over some of the other whale watching tours with Gastineau Guiding because of the extra small tour size - how many people were on your tour? Did you have lots of room and was it easy to see the whales and wildlife without crowding? Do you think the tour was good even for those with no interest in photography? 

Thanks again!

Aby


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## jetskigrl

MickeyMomTo2 said:


> We also had two separate adventures in Juneau:
> 
> 1) Whale Watching: We wanted to book this with Harv and Marv, but because we had two kids under thirteen, we went with Alaska Galore (recommended by Harv and Marv and share shuttle buses with them).  There were two families of four on our boat, as well as an employee that was there with some friends (off the clock).  We also had a captain and a guide.  Snacks and drinks were offered, and we headed into Auke Bay.  Our captain warned us that they hadn't been seeing the number of whales normal for this time of year.  We ended up seeing 2 moms and their 2 babies (humpbacks), and one of the babies breached and swam VERY close to our boat.  Even though we didn't see a large number, our experience was very good, and this was our second favorite excursion overall.  (Interesting note: I heard today that there are more whales than normal in Glacier Bay--perhaps they have gone further north because of the higher than normal temps in Alaska this summer???)
> 
> 2)  Mendenhall Glacier: We bought tickets for the blue bus shuttle at one of the wooden kiosks in Juneau.  (There are two shuttle services--a blue bus and a white bus.)  We paid for a round trip on the blue bus, but we would not do this next time.  Pay for one way at the kiosk.  For the way back, you can hop on the first bus to come, rather than waiting for a specific bus.  However, you MUST pay cash for the return trip ($8 per person).  We hiked to Nugget Falls and on one other trail.  We were hoping to see bears, but we did not.  The salmon had not started running, but it was almost time.  I am sure those who go in the next week or so will have more luck with this.  We enjoyed a couple of hours at the glacier, but didn't consider this a must-do after seeing Tracy Arm and walking on the glacier in Skagway.  (If we hadn't had the other experiences, this would have ranked higher.)



How did the timing work on this?   We also want to do both of these things in Juneau but we want a little more time at the glacier than the DCL excursion provide (we want to do the walk to the waterfall, etc).

I have read a few reports that say the independant companies will drop you off at the glacier after the whale watching.  That is what we are hoping to do and then just take one of the buses back.

But I'm worried about time.   How early can we book a whale watching trip?  What time do you get to the glacier, etc?

So I would love to hear some accounts from those that have done both and how much time you had for each.  Thanks


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## Tiggrou

Hi there! 
Did you ever booked with this compagny?
http://www.discoverskagway.com/our_tours.php?tour_id=1
Thank you so much!


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## Meekins

Aby said:


> Thank you so much for your review of the Whales and Glacier Photo Safari Meekins! We are signed up to do this excursion - I love photography and although I'm not a beginner I'm sure I can still learn a few things. My hubby isn't a photographer though - but I'm sure he'll still enjoy the views.
> 
> I also picked this excursion over some of the other whale watching tours with Gastineau Guiding because of the extra small tour size - how many people were on your tour? Did you have lots of room and was it easy to see the whales and wildlife without crowding? Do you think the tour was good even for those with no interest in photography?
> 
> Thanks again!
> 
> Aby



Hi Aby,

Our tour had 14 in it and based on the size of the bus and the boat I would guess that this tour accomodates no more than 15 - 17.  It was very easy to see the whales/seals/sea lions from the boat.  The boat has a small upfront open air area that maybe 4 or 5 people can fit into at one time, but better than this, all of the big glass windows on the sides of the boat open completely up (latch into the ceiling)...so that you have unobstructed views from both sides of the boat.  With our group, I did not ever find that people were wrestling for a better position.  My husband who is a photography nut sat in the front of the boat for the entire whale watching portion, but most of us were happy to kneel in our seats and watch out the open windows.  Most people went up to the front section at various times...you just walked up when it did not look full.  

I found the photography part of the tour not extensive...I really picked it because (a) it promised a small group size (b) the reviews on Gastineau Guiding on TripAdvisor were all good and (c) I figured in the tour was photography based they would take us to places with good photo ops   I think anyone would like this tour - the rainforest was great to see and hike through, the glacier (even from a distance) is amazing and then you really can't top the whale/sea life part.  I hope you enjoy it and that your whale watching experience is a great as ours was.  Our tour guide was Brian and I think he does all the photography tours - super nice guy.  I lost our daughter's camera while on this tour and Brian emailed a couple of days ago to say that he had found it and was mailing it to us   Enjoy your cruise!! 

Heather


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## Aby

Thank you Meekins! I'm sooooo excited 

Aby


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## AZMermaid

We were on the July 15 sailing with my FIL and two toddlers and did- 

Skagway- White Pass Railway with Street Car Tour, we got in the street car and took a 20 minute tour around Skagway. This was interesting and quick. My 2 year old loved the "school bus" although it wasn't really. But, it is yellow! Then we boarded a passenger bus for about an hour or so ride up the mountain. We stopped a few times at scenic points. The guide was really knowledgable without being too in your face. He was good! I won't say much about the scenery, it's been covered already- but great stuff! We got a car with the 28 people on the tour (more than half being a large family, we were on two busses and streetcars earlier, it never felt crowded). We filled about 2/3 of the train car which was nice to have some extra room. This was a fun tour and good for our group. Both kids slept at some point! I was worried that I was unable to buy a seat for my almost 3 year old, (I called and tried as well). It would have been a nightmare if he had to be on my lap, but there was plenty of room for him to sit, so this was fine!

Juneau- Whale watching with Harv and Marv- just as good as everyone says! The highlight was we found a group of 5-6 whales including a mother and calf. We were the first boat there and they swam really close to us. The calf played on the surface for a good 5 minutes. Our captain (Russell) said it was pretty rare to see that many whales together. We also saw sea lions, seals (briefly) and a few eagles. 

Ketchikan- Wilderness Explorer and Crab Feast. We really wanted to do the Deadliest Catch tour but my kids were too young and I didn't feel right leaving them on the boat (which, after the AMAZING time they had in the nursery, I would have had no qualms leaving them, but hard to know that beforehand!) We took a bus to George Inlet Lodge and got on a boat which took us to a spt where they had dropped a few crab pots. We were expecting big pots like on TV, but they were more like personal pots. They picked a few kids to pull up the pots. The guide pulled out the crab, talked about them with us and passed the crab around for everyone to hold and see. Those suckers are strong!! We then went back (stopped a few times for notable sights) and had a great crab dinner. My kids were pretty antsy at dinner and didn't really eat the crab, but we enjoyed it. The best part was on the way back, we saw a Mama bear and her cub in a creek! This was a decent tour, but probably our least favorite- mostly due to trying to keep the kids contained at dinner. I would recommend it, but not if you have kids under 5ish. 

I hope that helps someone!


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## CruznLexi

This was my 3rd time to Alaska and my first Alaskan cruise on DCL. The cruise was awesome and any one on the fence about going should do it! Having been to the the ports before I only did 1 shore excursion and that was in Ketchikan. In Skagway you can walk right to town or take the shuttle which is $2 each way or $5 all day it is not that far but for those with mobility issues it is a great idea. Skagway and every port have the Tanzanite and Diamonds International store but Skagway has the most uniquely Alaskan gifts. There is a wonderful Christmas store towards the end of the street. There are only 2 streets. Lots of hand made items I collect the stacking dolls and bought one here. I had wanted to do horse back riding with the cruise line but I did not pre book it and waited too late. I really did not want to go riding in the rain. It was beautiful that day. I asked on the ship and it was sold out before getting on the ship and they only take 10 riders. At the beginning of the street there was the Alaskan t shirt store. Think Walmart and dollar store. Great prices though. If you buy an Ulu knife you will get it back when you get to Vancouver. Juneau we had our own shuttle for the cruise line that was free. It drops close to Mt Roberts Tramway. The Tram cost $29 for all day. I had wanted to do it but did not. We just shipped here and had some cokes at the Red Dog. Ketchikan we shopped    In the morning. We dock late so make sure you have breakfast if you have a late tour. Again lots of jewelry stores. The Christmas shop here has a real Santa for picture but most of the things were made in China and Taiwan. No offense to them but I want made in Alaska. I did buy a crab for my Camilla bracelet which was very reasonable.   As you walk towards the back go towards Creek street and you have more unique store with some hand made items. We ran back to the ship before the Bearing Sea Fisherman tour. I booked this thorough the company which saved me $30 per person the Disney cost I rink was $189. If you are a fan of Deadliest Catch do the tour. The ship was the Aleutian Ballad which was featured on season 2. It is currently on Netflix now. They talk about the ship and the TV show at times. It was colder than I thought it would be they do have heaters but I would suggest wearing warm clothes. They do have big jackets for you to wear if you are cold. They do a great job for those that are in wheel chairs or are handicapped. You will get to see lots of eagles, crabs, star fish and even a octopus and a shark. Great photo ops to with you holding a crab too. The best tour.


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## pequele

Meekins said:


> Just back from the July 15th cruise - here are our excursions and thoughts:
> 
> *Juneau:* Whales and Glacier Photo Safari via DCL (but run by Gastineau Guiding)
> This was absolutely amazing - loved it and very family friendly.  Short, easy hike through the rainforest to a few glacier viewpoints (not close to the glacier, but still beautiful) then back on the bus for a quick snack and to the harbour for whale watching.  We were out in the boat for around 2 - 2.5 hours - saw seals, whales (humpbacks) and sea lions and eagles.  The guide was great and so the was the captain.  Since the excursion was about photography the guide also spent some time explaining how to take a good photograph and helping people with their digital camera learn how to use some new settings vs. having it continuously on AUTO.  The total time was 5 hours - DD loved it all.



I am so excited to hear about this tour. My 5 yo has picked this out for our trip next year so I hope they offer it...yup he picked taking pictures over sled dogs! He is excited about "getting a camera!". I have a feeling we will have a camera full of pics of the floor before we even leave the dock!


I saw someone else post about the Annette Island tour and was glad to see that as well. My son also picked out this one instead of lumberjacks because he gets to make a drum! Anyone else go on this trip? I hope they offer it again next year. I am not very adventursome when it comes to booking something not with DCL, it makes me too nervous! It worries me more that it will only be myself and my 5 yo on the trip!

BTW I saw an old post for excursion times back in 2011 or something like that. Does anyone have info on times for these above 2 trips and also Liarsville for this year? I figure 2013 will be closer to 2014 info than 2011 haha.

Thanks


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## MickeyMomTo2

jetskigrl said:


> How did the timing work on this?   We also want to do both of these things in Juneau but we want a little more time at the glacier than the DCL excursion provide (we want to do the walk to the waterfall, etc).
> 
> I have read a few reports that say the independant companies will drop you off at the glacier after the whale watching.  That is what we are hoping to do and then just take one of the buses back.
> 
> But I'm worried about time.   How early can we book a whale watching trip?  What time do you get to the glacier, etc?
> 
> So I would love to hear some accounts from those that have done both and how much time you had for each.  Thanks



Sorry for the delayed response!  I was out-of-town yesterday and not able to respond.  Our excursion time was 8:00.  We met our guide at 7:50 at the end of the gangway.  We were back to the ship about 11:30, ate lunch and went to catch a bus to the glacier.  We took a 1:00 bus and were at the glacier from 1:30 to 3:30.  We felt this was more than enough time.  You can easily walk to Nugget Falls and back in an hour, with time to enjoy the view at the end of the trail.

If we had been dropped off by our whale watching guide, we would have been at the glacier by 11:30ish, which would have allowed loads of time.  We didn't do this because we knew our kids would need to eat lunch (or we wouldn't have enjoyed the glacier much!).  I would recommend packing some granola bars or something if you plan to go straight to the glacier.  Even if your excursion didn't start until 9, if they take you to the glacier, you will still have plenty of time.

Remember you need cash to ride one of the buses back--$8 per person.  They pick up on the hour and half hour.

Hope this helps.  Let me know if you have other questions or I need to clarify.

P.S.  There is a path next to the parking lot with raised platforms for bear viewing.  No bears when we were there, but it was a nice path to explore.  We did the Nugget Fails trail and this path in less than an hour and a half.  We did not see the exhibits or film in the visitor's center.  Also, you can find highly recommended whale watching excursions on trip advisor. Several great companies to choose from.


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## MKRuns 26

Great thread! Thanks everyone for their reviews of the port adventures, they have helped me plan for my 9/2 sailing. 

One question that I havent found much info on, has anyone been on one of the bike cycling excursions? I am an avid cyclist and would love to ride in Alaska at one of the POC.


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## SeattleSuz

Skagway has a really nice hike not too far away from the downtown area, as does Juneau.  Does DCL go into Haines or is that dock too small??

I used to work for a small ship cruiseline where the core product was Alaska, so I am somewhat familiar with some of these ports, and things to do there, other than shop or go on super expensive excursions...


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## jetskigrl

MickeyMomTo2 said:


> Sorry for the delayed response!  I was out-of-town yesterday and not able to respond.  Our excursion time was 8:00.  We met our guide at 7:50 at the end of the gangway.  We were back to the ship about 11:30, ate lunch and went to catch a bus to the glacier.  We took a 1:00 bus and were at the glacier from 1:30 to 3:30.  We felt this was more than enough time.  You can easily walk to Nugget Falls and back in an hour, with time to enjoy the view at the end of the trail.
> 
> If we had been dropped off by our whale watching guide, we would have been at the glacier by 11:30ish, which would have allowed loads of time.  We didn't do this because we knew our kids would need to eat lunch (or we wouldn't have enjoyed the glacier much!).  I would recommend packing some granola bars or something if you plan to go straight to the glacier.  Even if your excursion didn't start until 9, if they take you to the glacier, you will still have plenty of time.
> 
> Remember you need cash to ride one of the buses back--$8 per person.  They pick up on the hour and half hour.
> 
> Hope this helps.  Let me know if you have other questions or I need to clarify.
> 
> P.S.  There is a path next to the parking lot with raised platforms for bear viewing.  No bears when we were there, but it was a nice path to explore.  We did the Nugget Fails trail and this path in less than an hour and a half.  We did not see the exhibits or film in the visitor's center.  Also, you can find highly recommended whale watching excursions on trip advisor. Several great companies to choose from.



Thank you so much!!!    That was exactly what I was wondering about.   My Mom will be with us and while she would have no problem walking the distance to Nugget Falls, I didn't want to have to hurry her.  Sounds like we will have no problem doing both things  

I had read that there was no food allowed at the glacier so we will be sure to keep that in mind and have some prepackaged snacks for us to eat before we get there.

Oh, I did think of one question.  Was there a lot of people waiting for the buses for the ride back around that time (3:30)?    One thing I am worried about is being able to catch a bus back when we need to.  

Thank you again


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## lynnemcb

Hi we were on the 1july Alaska cruise and did various excursions. In Skagway did Chilkoot tours excursion with dog sledding and Yukon railway. We had bus up to the yukon. Stopped at Carcross a small village and then went to the dog sledding and had lunch. On the way back took the train down to Skagway.  Tour was about 7 1/2 hours. Was great and tour guide was very interesting. Kids loved petting the puppies and the 15 minute dog sled.

In Juneau went on whale watching tour with Alaska Galore because again we have kids. Very informative shuttle driver and then on small boat -4 of us and 2 others. Was excellent. Spent a good bit of the watching a mother and baby whale breaching. So close up. Then we got shuttle to drop us at Medenhall Glacier for 5 dollars each and spent some time in visitor centre. After being so close to swayer glacier in Tracey arm this was a short visit. We caught a taxi back for 35 dollars and as shuttle back would have been 8 dollars each this was great.

In Ketchikan we took the only disney excursion. Eh and DD went snorkelling -they both felt this was the best excursion they were on. Had really warm wetsuits. Me and DS went on dune buggy excursion up the mountains. This was very good also. Would recommend both excursions and not any cheaper to book direct than through disney.

In Alaska saw whales, seals, sea lions, eagles and two bears -mother and baby on Skagway day.  All in all a great cruise and I think whatever excursion you pick will be good.  However some of the helicopter tours were cancelled last minute and we know that by time this happened in some cases there was no other excursions with spaces left. That would be my only concern if you were planning on the helicopter rides


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## MickeyMomTo2

jetskigrl said:


> Thank you so much!!!    That was exactly what I was wondering about.   My Mom will be with us and while she would have no problem walking the distance to Nugget Falls, I didn't want to have to hurry her.  Sounds like we will have no problem doing both things
> 
> I had read that there was no food allowed at the glacier so we will be sure to keep that in mind and have some prepackaged snacks for us to eat before we get there.
> 
> Oh, I did think of one question.  Was there a lot of people waiting for the buses for the ride back around that time (3:30)?    One thing I am worried about is being able to catch a bus back when we need to.
> 
> Thank you again



We took the 3:30 bus, and there was no problem.  There were two buses at 3:30 (white and blue), so there was plenty of room.  The 3:30 bus gets you back in plenty of time, but I would have preferred the 3:00 bus just to be on the safe side and because we were ready to return by 3:00.  The problem for us was that we bought round-trip tickets for the blue bus.  The blue bus took people to the glacier at the top of the hour and took people back to Juneau at the half hour.  There must have been two white buses because they picked up in both places on the hour and half hour.  You won't have this problem because you are paying cash for one way, so you can just get on the first bus that comes when you are ready to head back.  If you do decide on the 3:30 bus, there should be plenty of room.  (The driver did tell us that the buses are more full on the days when other excursions--like flightseeing--are cancelled due to weather.  If that happens to be the case when you are there, you might plan to try for an earlier bus, but he said they can cram a lot of people on those buses!)


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## Meekins

pequele said:


> I am so excited to hear about this tour. My 5 yo has picked this out for our trip next year so I hope they offer it...yup he picked taking pictures over sled dogs! He is excited about "getting a camera!". I have a feeling we will have a camera full of pics of the floor before we even leave the dock!
> 
> 
> I saw someone else post about the Annette Island tour and was glad to see that as well. My son also picked out this one instead of lumberjacks because he gets to make a drum! Anyone else go on this trip? I hope they offer it again next year. I am not very adventursome when it comes to booking something not with DCL, it makes me too nervous! It worries me more that it will only be myself and my 5 yo on the trip!
> 
> BTW I saw an old post for excursion times back in 2011 or something like that. Does anyone have info on times for these above 2 trips and also Liarsville for this year? I figure 2013 will be closer to 2014 info than 2011 haha.
> 
> Thanks



I can only comment on the timing for the Whales and Glaciers Photo Safari - which was from ~ 10:30 (or we had to be in the lounge at 10:30 and then led down to the bus) and we were back to the boat slightly before 4pm.  I thought the timing was good with the exception of the fact that because Juneau is such a short time in port and the stores I wanted did not open until 10am.  We took the free shuttle into Juneau just before 8 and walked around for an hour - anything touristy was open of course, but I wanted glacier silt soap (did not open until 10am) and of course crab for lunch (but it was too early for them to be open and ready to serve lunch).    Overall though - seeing the glacier and the whales/wildlife made up for the lack of time to tour Juneau for shopping...there is always next trip


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## jetskigrl

MickeyMomTo2 said:


> We took the 3:30 bus, and there was no problem.  There were two buses at 3:30 (white and blue), so there was plenty of room.  The 3:30 bus gets you back in plenty of time, but I would have preferred the 3:00 bus just to be on the safe side and because we were ready to return by 3:00.  The problem for us was that we bought round-trip tickets for the blue bus.  The blue bus took people to the glacier at the top of the hour and took people back to Juneau at the half hour.  There must have been two white buses because they picked up in both places on the hour and half hour.  You won't have this problem because you are paying cash for one way, so you can just get on the first bus that comes when you are ready to head back.  If you do decide on the 3:30 bus, there should be plenty of room.  (The driver did tell us that the buses are more full on the days when other excursions--like flightseeing--are cancelled due to weather.  If that happens to be the case when you are there, you might plan to try for an earlier bus, but he said they can cram a lot of people on those buses!)



Oh good - that sets my mind at ease.  Sounds like they plan for the amount of people that will need to get back at that time.  

I have been following along on your trip report also.  It is all making me so excited for Alaska next year.  I'm not sure I'm going to be able to make it through the next year of waiting to go


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## MickeyMomTo2

jetskigrl said:


> Oh good - that sets my mind at ease.  Sounds like they plan for the amount of people that will need to get back at that time.
> 
> I have been following along on your trip report also.  It is all making me so excited for Alaska next year.  I'm not sure I'm going to be able to make it through the next year of waiting to go



Thanks for reading my TR.  One of the nice things about booking last minute was I didn't have to wait!

Also, keep in mind that not all the ships leave at the same time, so not everyone utilizing the bus service from the glacier is a Disney passenger, and they don't have to have the 3:30 bus.


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## chris31997

lynnemcb said:


> Hi we were on the 1july Alaska cruise and did various excursions. In Skagway did Chilkoot tours excursion with dog sledding and Yukon railway. We had bus up to the yukon. Stopped at Carcross a small village and then went to the dog sledding and had lunch. On the way back took the train down to Skagway.  Tour was about 7 1/2 hours. Was great and tour guide was very interesting. Kids loved petting the puppies and the 15 minute dog sled.
> 
> In Juneau went on whale watching tour with Alaska Galore because again we have kids. Very informative shuttle driver and then on small boat -4 of us and 2 others. Was excellent. Spent a good bit of the watching a mother and baby whale breaching. So close up. Then we got shuttle to drop us at Medenhall Glacier for 5 dollars each and spent some time in visitor centre. After being so close to swayer glacier in Tracey arm this was a short visit. We caught a taxi back for 35 dollars and as shuttle back would have been 8 dollars each this was great.
> 
> In Ketchikan we took the only disney excursion. Eh and DD went snorkelling -they both felt this was the best excursion they were on. Had really warm wetsuits. Me and DS went on dune buggy excursion up the mountains. This was very good also. Would recommend both excursions and not any cheaper to book direct than through disney.
> 
> In Alaska saw whales, seals, sea lions, eagles and two bears -mother and baby on Skagway day.  All in all a great cruise and I think whatever excursion you pick will be good.  However some of the helicopter tours were cancelled last minute and we know that by time this happened in some cases there was no other excursions with spaces left. That would be my only concern if you were planning on the helicopter rides




What did they like about the snorkeling excursion?  Got some fish who just might enjoy it.


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## EeyoreIsMyName

*2013 PORT ADVENTURES
SKAGWAY-MUSHER'S CAMP & SLED DOG EXPERIENCE 
We had the 10:45 am MUSHER'S CAMP & SLED DOG EXPERIENCE port adventure. We met in Studio Sea and were escorted to the van. Our driver was Jerry and he did a great job of explaining the local history of Skagway and pointing out buildings and businesses of interest. Unfortunately, his microphone was not operable which made it difficult for anyone not sitting in the first couple of seats to hear anything he said on the journey. Once we arrived at the camp, we crossed the stream full of spawning pink salmon to the modern bathrooms that were installed fairly recently (no more porta potties). We were loaded into a Unimog for the ride up the mountain. This road is full of switchbacks and some bumps, but suprisingly the ride was pretty comfortable. Christine met us and we were taken to the summer dog sled vehicle which looks a lot like a converted golf cart. The dogs were barking and jumping and basically ready to go if we would only get on so they could run!!!!! The sleds hold 6 individuals so we were paired with another family of 3 for the ride. I was able to take some pictures from the dog sled before we started off. We stopped about halfway around the mile track and Christine took pictures of us in the vehicle and from the front of the vehicle so you could see all the dogs. She also took one from her vantage point behind the vehicle where she stands when the sled is running. When we arrived back at the starting point, we were given time to pet and interact with the dogs and take pictures. We were loaded back into the Unimog and went part way down the mountain to a scenic overlook. I took some pictures here (the Disney Wonder was in the background--way in the bakground!) but you could see the mountains and water as well. We arrived back at base camp where the dog musher delivers his talk. We were told we could use the bathrooms, which we did, but when we came back out the musher had disappeared and by the time we located him, he was most of the way through his talk. I did think they could definitely do a better job of keeping groups together when we passed from Jerry to the musher at this point. Since we got to hold older and then 2 week old puppies right after this, I just brushed off the fact that I had missed this portion of the experience. The puppies were adorable and we got lots of pictures with each of us holding the puppies. The experience was well worth the price and we were all very pleased with this port adventure.  Jerry dropped us off in town (note that this excursion does not return you to the ship dock). We stopped at a couple of shops in town and then returned to the ship.


KETCHIKAN-RAINFOREST WILDLIFE SANCTUARY, RAPTOR CENTER & TOTEMS
We had scheduled the 11:15 am Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary, Raptor Center & Totems port adventure. We met in the Walt Disney Theatre and were escorted to the buses. The guide took us through Ketchikan to the Rainforest Sanctuary. We unloaded and were offered ponchos in case of rain and instructed to leave all edible food products (including gum and breath mints) in the bins. These items would be returned to us at the end of the excursion. Our guide was Adam. He was the youngest guide at the sanctuary and he wants to work in the Forest Service when he finishes college. We began our hour rainforest hike. Adam stopped multiple times along the way to show us trees, plants, flowers and berries. He also asked many times if anyone had any questions which was nice. He answered any questions that were asked and he was very professional and knowledgeable. This was a nicely paced walk that was accommodating to any individuals with disabilities or handicaps (as long as you are ambulatory and can walk without assistance). We saw Sitka spruce, red cedar, blueberries, salmonberries, recent bear tracks, bear trails, bear scat (look it up if you dont know what it is), former bear caves in tree roots, and a muskeg. 

When we completed the rainforest walk, we came out on a covered walkway along the stream and estuary. An eagle flew in and landed on the railing of the walkway and we could see pink salmon running in the stream. Adam heard a mention on his radio that a bear had been spotted in the rainforest near the estuary. I saw the black bear emerge from the rainforest. It was a young cub of about 1 ½-2 years old. He bounded across the stream and headed into the undergrowth of the wall on the far side of the stream. I kept a lookout in that vicinity and in about 6-8 minutes he came out of the undergrowth again. 

Since everyone had a picture, we proceeded to the former sawmill on the property. They had much of the original equipment still there as the sawmill closed in 1999 (I believe). You could see large samples of Sitka spruce, yellow cedar and red cedar cross cuts. They have estimated that the Sitka spruce sample was about 500 years old. 

We went into the Raptor Center next where a guide had a Great Horned Owl to show us. I was able to get close up pictures of the owl with no eyes open, one eye open and both eyes open. They also have a bald eagle there so I took pictures of her as well. Both birds had wing injuries and cannot be released into the wild so they take care of them at the sanctuary.

Our next stop was to visit the 5 caribou. These reindeer were rescued from a sausage factory in Russia (yes, folks, if you see reindeer sausage on the menu, it is not a euphemism for something else&it IS reindeer sausage!-yuck!). We were given lettuce to feed to them and the guide there told us about them and answered questions.

The last stop on the tour was the carving shed of Wayne Newsom master totem pole carver. He was working on a large salmon sculpture that will be displayed along the walkway by the stream/estuary. Wayne said he will make a carving of all 5 types of salmon in his spare time between carving totem poles. He has carved all of the totem poles in front of the sanctuary. I took some time to photograph them. Wayne said his tallest totem pole is 43 high! His totem poles are all over the country. When he finishes carving one, his wife paints them. Wayne is a Tsimpshian from a Native community in Metlakatla on Annette Island.

After the tour is completed, you can sample some snacks in the gift shop and get a drink (included with your tour), use the bathrooms or shop. I was able to locate a stuffed husky dog here and took some pictures of the large taxidermy bear in their display case. We all felt this port excursion was well worth the price as we got to see a lot of things we were interested in..and a bear! We were taken by a different guide by bus back to the ship dock. 

We walked across the street to Christmas in Ketchikan. We had visited this store two years ago and wanted to pick up a hand painted Alaska Christmas ornament. We found one with the glacier reflected in the water and the Northern Lights in the sky we absolutely LOVED. I also found another stuffed husky dog that needed to go home with us (if I keep this up, Ill have a sled dog team!).


2011 PORT ADVENTURES-
SKAGWAY-KLONDIKE GOLD DREDGE & WHITE PASS RAILWAY
We did the Klondike Gold Dredge and White Pass Railway. You ride the train up and a van back down on this trip. You will need your passport since the train disembarks at Fraser, British Columbia. My parents listened to the narration inside the train car while I stood outside on the apron taking pictures. Dont miss the shots of the train going over the trestle bridge or into the tunnel. My tip is to get into a car near the back so you get better shots of the train (a longer line of train cars) as it curves around these bends. I did feel a little like I had missed out by not hearing the narration, but the photos were worth it. Another tip is to sit on the left side of the train car for best viewing.

The van driver stopped at the Welcome to Alaska sign on the way back down and took pictures of us in front of it. He did a great job of narration on the way down also. We stopped at the Klondike Gold Dredge where we watched a gold panning exhibition and heard historical facts from a "colorful character" of the Gold Rush time period. then, we were taken to the gold panning area. They give you a pan loaded with dirt. Every pan is guaranteed to have gold in it. When we finished, our gold was placed into film canisters. We took it into the Gold Shack where they weighed it. You can also have it made into a necklace. They have gold nuggets and lots of gold jewelry for sale here. You return to town to shop (and then make your own way to the pier) or return directly to the pier. 

We recommend this excursion and would do it again. We did do some shopping in Skagway at William & Anthony, the Skaguay News, and Tanzanite International. William & Anthony is a clothing store mostly, but we found some cute moose & bear neck pillows (for airplane usuage) and Dad got a heavy Alaska sweatshirt. It is his favorite sweatshirt to this day.

JUNEAU-MENDENHALL GLACIER EXPLORER
Our port excursion was to Mendenhall Glacier. It was late leaving the ship which cut out time short at the glacier. This is the only time that has ever happened to us with DCL excursions. We had a nice narrated bus ride to the glacier. It was mid-July so we passed some rivers with salmon spawning. The visitors center has a good movie about glaciers and how they are formed-very interesting and wonderful photography. The rangers usually have a piece of glacial ice in the visitors center that you can touch and photograph. We talked to one ranger for awhile. I walked down a trail to Lake Mendenhall and took pictures. A large chunk of glacial ice was on the bank of the lake so I touched it and photographed it also. The salmon viewing platform was a good location to photograph salmon and bears. The bears were there fishing.

Again, we would recommend this port adventure and we would do it again. We did some shopping in Juneau at Tanzanite International and Caribou Crossings.

KETCHIKAN-GREAT ALASKAN LUMBERJACK SHOW
We had tickets for the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show port adventure. I dont remember meeting up on ship for this excursion. I remember shopping in Ketchikan and then just walking into the Lumberjack Show. They divide the audience into two sections. Our section was the Dawson Creek side. You get to see a variety of lumberjack events-chain saw, carving little chairs from chain saw, axe throwing, two person crosscut saw, underhand chop, pole climb, log roll, boom run, springboard chop). You can get some excellent photographs here as well (as long as the child in front of you stays in their seat!). We enjoyed this port adventure and would do it again if the opportunity arose.

We did some shopping in Ketchikan at Tongass Trading, Tongass Trading's Inside Passage, Christmas in Alaska, the Salmon Landing Market (lots of stores are in here), and the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Store gift shop.

You can read my full trip report here http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3150787







*


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## erk711

momto2redheadgirls said:


> Juneau -- We did the Disney Alpine Zipline and Mendenhall Glacier Tour.  It was good also.  Lots of time in the van.  We went to the Glacier park first and it was about 20 minutes to make it to the Glacier and then we had about an hour there.  There is a Visitor Center that has great views of everything and explains all about the forming of glaciers and other neat things.  There is also a small store with books and stuffed animals and other things.  There is a point that you can walk out to and get some wonderful pics of the glacier and waterfall.  There was a Park Ranger stationed at the point and he was great for answering questions and all.  There is also a path to get to the base of the waterfalls, we did not go because it was a mile there and another mile back and we would have had to practically run to make it back by the time we saw everything else.  It would have been neat, but cutting it close to do it all in an hour -- or maybe we are just slow .  After we left there it took about 40 minutes to get to the zipline course.  Once we got to Alaska Zipline Adventures, we met our guides - Sarah and Greg.  They walked us thru getting geared up (they provided jackets because of the tree sap and possibility of rain and helmets)and info on how to do it, then it was time to hit the course.  It consisted of 7 lines and a suspension bridge.  It was great!  There were 8 of us on our excursion, from about 10 yrs old to about 50 yrs old and everyone had a blast.  We even learned some botany along the way.  They told us about the trees, climate, and different interesting things about the plants along the way.  Once finished with the lines, we got to try our hand at ax throwing.  That was interesting, and WAY harder than it looked!  Then we got to de-robe from the gear and make some smores and watch a video of the pics they took along the way.  We took our own camera with us and got some good pics.  We were offered water and granola bars in the lodge to snack on and then there was coke products for purchase as well as a zipdrive with all the pics on it the guides took for $29.99.  A little steep in my opinion, but some in our party took advantage of that since they didn't have their own cameras with them.  It was an amazing adventure and I would do it again.



I just booked this one and have a couple of questions. The current description has the Zipline first and then the glacier. Is it possible this changed? Also, is there room for me to have a bigger camera on the Zipline or should I stick with a point & shot or my iPhone?


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## momto2redheadgirls

erk711 said:


> I just booked this one and have a couple of questions. The current description has the Zipline first and then the glacier. Is it possible this changed? Also, is there room for me to have a bigger camera on the Zipline or should I stick with a point & shot or my iPhone?



Our guide informed us once we got in the van that we were doing it in reverse order from what the description onboard stated.  I really don't know why unless it was the amount of people at the zipline place???  We had a Canon Rebel DSLR camera with a neck strap and had no problem with it.  We just made sure we always had the strap around our neck.  They are ok with whatever you have, they just give the disclaimer that you need to hold on to it or zip it in the pocket.  Hope that helps!


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## Never to old

I wanted to post about our excursions.  Prior to sailing we spent 3 days in Vancouver.

1st day we did Capilano Suspension bridge and Grouse mountain.  Both were wonderful.  We caught the lumber jack show at Grouse mountain as it was included in our admission and skipped the one in Alaska.  We spoke to people who did the one in Alaska and it seemed simiar to the one we did.  My tip is take the first bus out in the am to Capilano.  Then go to their guest services to get exact change for bus fare to Grouse mountain.  Currently 2.75 per person.  Bus stop is just a few feet up the road from Capilano.  Make sure you take sunscreen for Grouse mountain.  If you will be up there at dusk, take bug spray.  Last free bus back to Canada place is 5:30.  Don't wait til the end, it is first come first serve.  The 5:00 bus was filled and we had to wait for the last one.

2n day-  Stanley park- this is a wonderful park.  It has a minature train, aquarium, 3 beaches, and a large swimming pool.  There is additonal fees for these things.  I don't think that they charged for the beach.  We spent the entire day at the park.  There is also food places within the park and a lovely sea wall to walk around.  You can also rent bikes and ride around the park.  I think you rent them elsewhere.

3rd day-  We walked around the city of Vancouver and also went to the Fly over Canada attraction.  That was really good.

If you are staying at the Pan Pacific or Waterfront Fairmont there is a food court underneath.  Highly recommed eating breakfast at the Pita Express.  He uses fresh eggs and no microwave.  You get omlet, hashbrown, toast, fruit and juice.  Cost for 2 people was 22.98 this included tax.  Cost for breakfast at the Pan is 30.00 per person.

Alaska

Skagway-  We did the best of Skagway tour-  The white pass train was great.  If you start at the top and go down the summit sit on the right side of the train. If you are going up the summit on the train, sit on the left side.  There was 32 people on our bus.  We were assigned 2 train cars.  There was only 12 people on our car.  Most everyone went to the second car.  So you might want to hang back and see where everyone goes before jumping on one.  I was able to move from side to side and go out on the platforms without difficulty.  There are 2 platforms one at the front and one at the end of the car.  Most everyone went on the front one.  Complmentary water in the back of the train car.  After the train we were taken to Liarsville.  We were served lunch, which was okay.  The show was hokey, we found 5 flecks of gold.  I do mean flecks.  Lots of bugs there including flies.  Next we went to the Red Onion salon.  We were offered complimentary beer, wine, lemonade and water.  It is a very small museum.  It was okay.  The only part of this excursion that I recommend is the White Pass train.

Juneau-  Enchanted Taku lodge-  I give this excursion 10 stars.  We took a floatplane to the lodge.  Flight was cool.  You have time to walk around the grounds before and after the meal.  We saw bears.  The food was great.  They provided a short hike with a guide after lunch.  They also provided bug spray if you wanted it.  It was buggy there, but we didn't use it.  I missed the story about the lodge.  There were 2 bears licking the salmon oil off of the sand, i went to watch them.  My husband said the story was very good.  

Forgot to mention that before this tour we did the Mount Robert tram on our own.  Just aheads up the tickets cost 2.00 more at the place than on the ship.  I didn't buy them on the ship because I didn't know what we were going to do.  I didn't feel like taking the bus back to the ship to buy tickets.  Disney did provide a complimentary bus from the dock to the town and back to the ship.

Ketichan- We walked around the city ourselves.  We saw creek street and the fish trying to swim up stream.  Noted it would be a very easy walk from the ship to the lumberjack show.  Our excursion this day was with a private company called Island wings of Ketichan.  We took a float plane to Misty Fjords.  There was a public dock there that we were able to get out and spend about 15 minutes on it before other planes arrived.  This trip was good unfortunately after our Taku lodge experience, it just didn't blow me away.  The company is very good and easy to work with.  I would fly with them again.  However, I would want to go on there bear trip instead of the Misty Fjords.


Just an observation-  I think the characters stuck to deck 4 during Tracy Arms.  We did not see any on deck 10.  Also people were reserving viewing spots early.  We were able to get a spot along the rail, but we did not have a great back drop for pictures.  There was this pole or part of the ship in it.  Just keep that in mind if you were hoping for good pictures.  On our trip the left side of the ship saw the glacier first, then the ship was turned and the right side saw the glacier next.

I hope that you find this information helpful.  Let me know if you have any questions.


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## erk711

momto2redheadgirls said:


> Our guide informed us once we got in the van that we were doing it in reverse order from what the description onboard stated.  I really don't know why unless it was the amount of people at the zipline place???  We had a Canon Rebel DSLR camera with a neck strap and had no problem with it.  We just made sure we always had the strap around our neck.  They are ok with whatever you have, they just give the disclaimer that you need to hold on to it or zip it in the pocket.  Hope that helps!



Sure does. Thanks for the info!


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## wachnicki

This thread was a huge help to me so I wanted to share our experiences.

Skagway: we did the Train ride up/bus ride down with the 15 minute dogcart ride. Booked through Chilikoot and saved some money. The train ride was amazing! I spent most of the ride out on the platform and the views were incredible!! Only thing is you cannot hear the narration out there so we had to rely on someone to come out and tell us what was coming up. The food for lunch was yummy and our guide for the bus tour down was very informative. He was more than willing to take family pictures for us. He also met us at the dogcart ride to take a group picture. The dogcart ride was very dusty but fun. We simply couldn't afford to ride the dogcart on a glacier so this was a nice alternative

Juneau: We had the the Taku lodge via flotplane booked independently to save some money and they called as we were getting off the ship to say it was cancelled due to the fog. . DH and DD17 were scheduled to take a helicopter and hike on a glacier thru Disney a little later in the day and they loaded up, drove out to the airfield, got all decked out in their garb..........and then their excursion was cancelled as well.  I did think that Juneau was the prettiest port. We did some shopping instead. If we had known the helicopter was going to be cancelled we would have all gone out to Mendehall glacier, but my younger DD wanted to swim so I took her back to the ship. We did run into a couple who took the bus out there and they saw bears....said it was the best $16 they spent on the cruise!

Ketchikan: Originally we were going to just wander around on our own, but since our Juneau excursions were cancelled we managed to book the Bear Creek Ziplining excursion last minute. Tons of fun!!! Our guides were great, and I felt like it was very safe. Only time I let out a squeal was when were had to rappel down at the end. 

On our Tracy Arm day the captain was unable to turn the ship around due to all the sea lions, so he had to back out. Because of that the front of the ship was PACKED with all the people squeezing their way in to get a picture of the sea lions......I just wanted the glacier picture! Crazy. That the the only bad part of the day. We hung out on deck 10 and saw Chip and Dale and Koda. Although we followed the chipmunks for a few minutes we weren't able to get a picture with them. Later we saw Goofy on the way to dinner out on deck 4 in his flight suit and although he didn't have a photographer with him I was able to get a great shot of him and DD.


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## MooseRiver

Hi all, I got a lot of our excursion plans from this board, and so much of our experience is covered in earlier threads - thanks for the help - but I wanted to add a few thoughts:

*Skagway - Yukon Experience booked directly through Chilkoot Charters- Overall 7.5* - Finding Chilkoot and transferring to the train was as easy as could be. The train ride up was a "9.5". The views were terrific and the guide narration was very good.  We didn't like that they walked through looking for tips toward the end. During the transfer to the Chilkoot bus (about 20 of us) at Frasier, I looked out and said to my wife, "Hey, that looks like Bill O'Reilly over there", two buses over. She dismissed it, but when our driver got back on, he said "did everyone see Bill O'Reilly over there"?

The bus ride up to the Yukon was very nice, probably a little boring for kids. We stopped at Caribou Crossing, and found it to be a tourist trap, basically. The chicken meal was good. But other than that, there was a gift shop, museum of taxidermy, ice cream shop, "petting zoo" with goats, pigs, etc. and the sled dogs. 

This is where we had some problems.  There was no one watching the 10 day old puppies being held by children.  A younger dog wandered into the mom's pen, and got beat up pretty bad by the mom, yelping for some time.  It was clear in the aftermath that the employees didn't know what they were supposed to be doing. The other younger dogs that were not tied down were running around the pen. I tried to pet one young dog, and he "attacked" my gift shop bag (there was no food in it). I had to pull it out of his mouth. Overall, the treatment and oversight of the dogs was questionable. My wife does rescue volunteer work, and she was appalled. I downplayed it as how sled dogs are cared for up North, but I have to agree that Caribou Crossing could have done better. PS - the goats up on the side of the mountain are fake.  

Our bus driver, an Irish gentleman, told great stories and was very knowledgeable. The stories were just that though, stories. Hard to believe that his same best friend from Arizona comes in on a cruise "the following week to visit". But his stories were very interesting and well told and he earned his post-tour tip.  

*Juneau - Taku Glacier Lodge - Overall - 10* We booked direct, and we would do this one again in a heartbeat. Everything was terrific, and really very enjoyable. My wife was very hesitant about small plane flying, and she really enjoyed the flight and the time at the lodge. We happened to sit with the mother of the lodge owner, and so we got a little more history on the lodge and the family who owns and runs the place. All in all, the best excursion of the trip, and the weather was perfect. 

We spent the rest of our time in Juneau shopping and having a drink at the Red Dog.  A very nice little city.  We had some time at the end and did decide to walk back to the ship, based on the signs that pointed along the water back to the other piers. Mistake - half way back, the walkway was gated, and we had to swing way out back to the road. Turned out to be a long walk, and we should have taken the shuttle as we did on the way into town. 

*Ketchikan* We did the *Adventure Carts* here, through Disney.  *Overall Rating - 6*. It was fun, and the young guides were nice and knowledgeable. But it was expensive ($209 per person). It didn't feel like something we needed to go to Alaska to do. Could have done it at home.  Very dusty and dirty, so if you are doing other things after, save time to go back to the ship to clean up, or bring a change of clothes with you. 

After the carts, we walked around Ketchikan.  Our waiter recommended the Fish and Chips at Alaska Fish House (right near the ship next to the lumberjack show) and he was right - best we've ever had, and the Salmon Chowder was excellent too.  Saw Creek Street and the fish ladder, with tons of Salmon, then went to meet our guide for Island Wings *Misty Fjords Flight Plane Adventure*. We booked this directly (5-7 with a 7:30 ship departure, but they assured us they've never missed a ship).  *Overall - 9*. Michelle, the pilot was terrific, and the flight was great. Just a little bit of a let down after the Taku Lodge flight the day before.  The flight was longer though, and Michelle went out of her way to find mountain goats and show us everything.  We spent about 20 minutes on shore at remote Manzoni Lake. 

Overall, a great cruise this week. The weather was nearly perfect, including our Tracy Arm day. Doug, the naturalist, was giddy about how good the weather was and how close we were able to get to the glacier. Very much looking forward to another Alaska cruise in a couple of years. The excursions were expensive, but much different than a Caribbean cruise, and well worth it.


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## doriemg

Our cruise was awesome.  We had such a good time that we're already planning our next cruise although it probably won't be until 2015.  We ended up getting an extra excursion that we didn't have to pay for.  I think it was the evening that we were sailing away from Juneau.  Right at dusk, there was about 13 whales off the side of the boat and we were able to watch them surfacing and blowing water out their blow holes and then diving back under.  It was incredibly beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing. And we didn't even have to book a whale watching excursion to see this.  

*Skagway* We booked the Bennett Scenic Journey through Chillkoot Charters.  It was fantastic.  The weather was perfect and the guide kept telling us how lucky we were and that normally the weather wasn't this good.  The train trip up was full of unbelieveably beautiful scenery and they did a great job of narrating all the important details along the way.  We stopped in Bennett for lunch which consisted of stew, coleslaw, bread, and pie plus coffee, tea, and water.  The stew and the bread was delicious.  The coleslaw was just so-so.  Pie was also delicious.  Bennett is so pretty.  Lake Bennett is the most unusual color of milky aqua green.  Even though its a ghost town, there's still one resident there.  Edna.  She runs a little store around the back of the old church and sells her handmade goods.  Got back on the train and continued on to Carcross and met our guide, Tim, up there for the bus ride back down to Skagway.  Tim was born and bred Alaskan and did a great job of telling us all about the different stops and threw in his own stories about the different areas.  

Once we got back to Skagway we did a little shopping in town and then walked back to the ship.  Not sure if it's always this way or not but it was so incredibly windy when we were walking back to the ship.  It was almost as if they were trying to push us back to town to do more shopping.  

*Juneau* We had booked the Pilots Choice Helicopter tour and glacier landing for the morning.  It was cancelled due to the weather.  That didn't deter us though.  We took the shuttle into town and was able to book the ERA Glacier adventure by Helicopter for 1:40pm.  It was the highlight of our trip.  Unbelievable.  Everyone at ERA was just wonderful.  We were picked up at the dock and driven to ERA's facility just outside of town.  There we were given life vests and boots and loaded into our helicopter.  Our pilot Reiner (sorry if I misspelled your name) was great and very knowledgeable about the area.  We took a ride over the Juneau Icefield and then landed on Taku Glacier.  That was one of the most incredible things I've ever done.  The glacier is incredibly beautiful and gives you the feeling of the being the only people on earth.  You're surrounded by unreal landscape.  The ice reminded me of being on the moon.  The crevasses were spectacular and the blue ice  and blue pools of water were beyond belief.  Ironically, one of the great things about our trip was when it came time to take off again, the helicopter had a mechanical problem.  Reiner called the base and they dispatched another helicopter to pick us up and we ended up getting another 15 minutes on that spectacular glacier.  We all agreed that the helicopter issue was actually a great thing and so unique.  Just another story about to tell about our glacier landing.  Our pictures came out great and really do it justice. All in all, this was the absolute highlight of our trip and the excursion of a lifetime.   ERA was great and next time we're in town we're going back to them again.  We just hope we can request the Glacier Adventure by Helicopter with Helicopter Mechanical Issue. 

Once we got back to town we took the Mt. Robert Tramway up to the top and looked around.  It was well worth the trip.  We got some incredible views and got to see a bear.  Also saw a bald eagle up there who was unfortunately shot through the beak and as a result crashed and shattered it's wing.  It can never be released back into the wild but they take good care of her up there.  Be warned, she doesn't like flash photography so be sure to turn off your flash on your camera before you take a picture of her.

*Ketchikan* It rained and rained and rained some more and just when we thought we couldn't take it any more...it rained again.  Luckily, Disney was giving out free ponchos as you left the ship.  Our floatplane tour with Island Wings was cancelled due to weather but once again, we weren't going to let that deter us.  We walked over to the Ketchikan Visitors Bureau and were able to book a floatplane tour with Misty Fjords Air.  The flight was great and the scenery was incredible.  We landed on a dock in a remote area and were able to get out of the plane for about 10 minutes and walk around.  We'd do it again in a heartbeat and we all loved the trip but it wasn't enough to outshine our glacier adventure in Juneau.  

When we got back to Ketchikan we did some shopping...in the rain.  I picked up my Ulu knives.  I was actually a little disappointed in some of the shops in all 3 ports.  They were actually selling Ulu knives that were made in China.  I refused to buy those and made sure the knife sets I bought were actually made in Alaska.  So if that's important to you, be sure to check and make sure it says "Made in Alaska".  

So other than Skagway, our excursions were not exactly as planned but in retrospect, we wouldn't have had it any other way.  It all worked out so well in the end.  Alaska is a spectacular place and has to be seen to be believed.  I honestly don't think you can go wrong with any excursion you take in this awesome, wonderful, beautiful land.  To all who have a cruise coming up - Relax and enjoy!


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## seattle-swarm

What a goldmine of information here!  Thanks everyone!


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## erk711

Just got back today and also wanted to share our experience 'to pay it forward' for all the great advice. 

In Juneau we went on the Alpine Glacier and Zipline Adventure through Disney. We had about 45 minutes at the park to look at the glacier, walk to the falls, or look for bears down at the stream. It was a bit rushed and we couldn't do all three but still very enjoyable. The Zipline was the main attraction for us though. The staff were excellent and a lot of fun. We thoroughly enjoyed this adventure. 

In Ketchikan we went to the Mountain Point Snorkeling Adventure through Disney. Yes, we snorkeled in the waters of Alaska! The staff were all super and just as promised, they made it informative, showed us lots of great wildlife and kept us warm!!  We would HIGHLY recommend this excursion!!


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## Julesag25

I was randomly reading through several of the posts and wanted to know about appropriate age of children.  We have a 6 and 3 year old so is there enough for the 3 year old to enjoy himself?  This is a Make-A-wish trip for him and we want him to have a blast.

Thanks!


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## Ellester

Julesag25 said:


> I was randomly reading through several of the posts and wanted to know about appropriate age of children.  We have a 6 and 3 year old so is there enough for the 3 year old to enjoy himself?  This is a Make-A-wish trip for him and we want him to have a blast.
> 
> Thanks!



We did the trolley tour/White Pass railroad in Skagway and a whale watching trip with Orca Enterprises in Juneau with a 4 1/2 year old (along with our 9, 12, & 15 yo's) and she loved it all. The trolley ride was short and in a retrofitted trolley car. We took a small bus for about an hour up the mountain, stopping several time for pictures. She loved the novelty of the bus and the scenery kept her occupied as well. She also loved the train. It wasn't crowded on our car so she was able to move around quite a bit without disturbing anyone else. I took her out on the platform several times which she loved. I did hold on to her pretty tightly though! In Juneau, it was about a 20 minute bus ride to the harbour. The boat trip was about 3 hours but she loved it all! Again, there was room to move around and she loved being out on the back of the boat searching for whales (we saw a ton!). They served hot chocolate, Capri Suns, cheese and crackers on the way back. (Smoked salmon too, but she didn't like that) I don't think she had seen a juice pouch in a week so I think the Capri Suns were the biggest hit!  We then took the Orca bus to the Mendenhall glacier where she was able to run around some before the 20 minute ride back to Juneau. We also did a bus tour in Ketchikan that my mom booked that day at the visitors' center. We all felt that was somewhat of a bust as the clerk made a big deal about the possibility of seeing bears (he quoted a 80-90% chance) but the driver admitted the chances were pretty slim since it was high tide. If we had known that, we would have most likely skipped the tour. My mom really wanted to do it more than the kids did. We did see tons of salmon, a few eagles, and the Saxman totem poles. But the tour itself wasn't all that great and our 4yo fell asleep half way through. After the tour we walked through Creek Street and up to the salmon ladder, which all the kids thought was really cool. We were on the last cruise of the season and the salmon were in full run so it might not be as interesting earlier in the summer.

I did notice that many of the excursions/tours weren't available to the under 5 set so that did impact our choices. Overall, I was happy with our choices and all the kids agreed that it was a fabulous trip! I'm sure you will all have a blast no matter what you end up doing!!!


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## rwhistler92

Thanks for the post Ellester.

I am noticing the under 5 age on a lot of things my older kids want to do. My DD will be 4.5 when we go next year.


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## Ellester

rwhistler92 said:


> Thanks for the post Ellester.
> 
> I am noticing the under 5 age on a lot of things my older kids want to do. My DD will be 4.5 when we go next year.



I am sure your dd will have fun no matter what you end up doing. I am working on my trip report which will detail all we did but some highlights for her were the Princess Tea which we did on Tracy Arm day and the Princess gathering on the last sea day. Every day she would announce at some part of the day "This is the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!". It was SO darn cute! I won't lie, there were a few tears here and there. But over all, it was a wonderful vacation for all our kids from 4 1/2 up to 15!


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## Ellester

rwhistler92 said:


> Thanks for the post Ellester.
> 
> I am noticing the under 5 age on a lot of things my older kids want to do. My DD will be 4.5 when we go next year.



How old are your older kids? We contemplated splitting up on excursions but then decided we just didn't want to do that on a family vacation. There really was so much for all ages. A trip of a lifetime!


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## bridgetmck

Subscribing because we are considering this trip for next August. Our boys will be 6.5 and 4. I know that Disney offers things for all ages and I have been loving this thread because I want to know more!


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## Jrsy Boy

erk711 said:


> In Ketchikan we went to the Mountain Point Snorkeling Adventure through Disney. Yes, we snorkeled in the waters of Alaska! The staff were all super and just as promised, they made it informative, showed us lots of great wildlife and kept us warm!!  *We would HIGHLY recommend this excursion!!*


I enthusiastically second this!  The sea life we saw was amazing and, right when we arrived at the "beach" there were two bald eagles on a rock just off shore.  And we had a close encounter with the dreaded Lions Mane jellyfish, which resulted in a fun story to share.


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## rwhistler92

Ellester said:


> How old are your older kids? We contemplated splitting up on excursions but then decided we just didn't want to do that on a family vacation. There really was so much for all ages. A trip of a lifetime!



My kids will be 14, 13, 10 and 4. There wil be a lot of compromise, but I know we will have a blast.


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## bridgetmck

Would you all say that in Juneau there is enough to do with the Glacier, Nugget Falls and the Mt. Robert Tramway for a good part of the day? Is an excursion necessary? Keep in mind, we will have a 6.5YO and a 4YO in tow. I know that both boys will want to explore the glacier and falls.
thanks!


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## Jrsy Boy

bridgetmck said:


> Would you all say that in Juneau there is enough to do with the Glacier, Nugget Falls and the Mt. Robert Tramway for a good part of the day? Is an excursion necessary? Keep in mind, we will have a 6.5YO and a 4YO in tow. I know that both boys will want to explore the glacier and falls.
> thanks!


My 2 cents:  there are a lot of trails at Mendenhall Glacier as well as a visitors' center, so you could spend a lot of time there.  The "hike" to Nugget Falls is more of a leisurely stroll, so should be just fine for your kids.  Mt. Roberts Tramway was running when we were there but the top of Mt Roberts was engulfed in clouds, so we didn't bother heading up.  We just figured there wouldn't be much of a view.  That all being said, we went to Mendenhall, then walked around downtown and, by the time we did all that, we were ready to head back to the ship and relax for a bit.


----------



## misseulalie

If we book a DCL dog sled excursion and it gets cancelled (as I hear it is the most cancelled activity)  What are our options?  I do not want to "waste" a day on the ship.  Are there typically spots on other excursions? Does DCL help you book other activities?  I would be ok with a whale watching activity.


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## doriemg

Misseulalie,

Take it from someone who had 2 excursions cancelled due to weather, there are always other options.  We had a morning helicopter tour cancelled in Juneau due to the weather.  We went to Disney but they didn't have any free slots in the afternoon excursions so we just went into town and booked through another company.  There are booths in Juneau where the shuttle bus drops you off.  

We also had a float plane tour cancelled in Ketchikan due to rain, rain, and more rain.  We went to the Ketchikan visitors building which is a short walk from where you get off the ship and there were all kinds of booths in there booking tours.   

Our helicopter tour in Juneau was the absolute highlight of our trip and the best part is, they were much cheaper than Disney for the same excursion.  So don't give up if the weather is bad.  Just go book an excursion on your own.  Enjoy your cruise!


----------



## misseulalie

doriemg said:


> Misseulalie,
> 
> Take it from someone who had 2 excursions cancelled due to weather, there are always other options.  We had a morning helicopter tour cancelled in Juneau due to the weather.  We went to Disney but they didn't have any free slots in the afternoon excursions so we just went into town and booked through another company.  There are booths in Juneau where the shuttle bus drops you off.
> 
> We also had a float plane tour cancelled in Ketchikan due to rain, rain, and more rain.  We went to the Ketchikan visitors building which is a short walk from where you get off the ship and there were all kinds of booths in there booking tours.
> 
> Our helicopter tour in Juneau was the absolute highlight of our trip and the best part is, they were much cheaper than Disney for the same excursion.  So don't give up if the weather is bad.  Just go book an excursion on your own.  Enjoy your cruise!



Thanks, It would worry me that we would go from excursion of a life-time to a sad walk around the city if it was cancelled.

Last question- how many helicopters are there per excursion?  My husband is a bit worried about leaving the baby on board and the both of us on a helicopter.  He would feel better if we split our group and go on separate helicopters.


----------



## misseulalie

Another question:  When will we find out the timings of the excursions?  I am thinking of doing the Bear Line Zip line and lumberjack show on the same day in Ketchikan.

If two of us are zip lining, what can the other people in our party do doing that time?


----------



## Ellester

bridgetmck said:


> Would you all say that in Juneau there is enough to do with the Glacier, Nugget Falls and the Mt. Robert Tramway for a good part of the day? Is an excursion necessary? Keep in mind, we will have a 6.5YO and a 4YO in tow. I know that both boys will want to explore the glacier and falls. thanks!



With young kids, all that could easily fill up your day. We only spent about an hour at Mendenhall due to having to catch a scheduled bus back but we easily could have spent much longer. There were things to do and see in the visitors' center that we just kind of breezed by and we didn't have time to hike all the way to the falls. It was an easy walk, but we just didn't have the time. I think you would be fine without an excursion. The tramway is right there in the middle of town where the shuttle dropped us off. If it is really foggy, you could just skip it until later in the day or altogether.


----------



## TwingleMomFl

misseulalie said:


> If we book a DCL dog sled excursion and it gets cancelled (as I hear it is the most cancelled activity)  What are our options?  I do not want to "waste" a day on the ship.  Are there typically spots on other excursions? Does DCL help you book other activities?  I would be ok with a whale watching activity.



I am still so bummed that our dog sledding your was cancelled. Especially since we had prearranged for a private tour with another family. 

When I looked outside the window that morning go in Juneau , and saw the fog/clouds down to the water I knew it wasn't good. They tried to postpone it to later but all the people on town said, if you can not see the top of the tram, chances are the helicopters will not be taking off. 
We booked a whale/watching tour with mendenhal glacier in town. We could have used more time there but were really trying to get on the helicopter if possible. Because of that we didn't leave Juneau for the whale watching until almost noon. . If was very nice , but of course we were all crushed about not going in the helicopter. I have a great picture of my daughter pouting on the bus to the boat.  And to add to our pain the whale watching boat went by the mountain and we could see part of the glacier we were supposed to go on. 

I'm still so sad we missed out on it, but I guess we will have to go back again one day and try again.


----------



## doriemg

misseulalie said:


> Thanks, It would worry me that we would go from excursion of a life-time to a sad walk around the city if it was cancelled.
> 
> Last question- how many helicopters are there per excursion?  My husband is a bit worried about leaving the baby on board and the both of us on a helicopter.  He would feel better if we split our group and go on separate helicopters.



We went with ERA and they had a lot of helicopters at base but I think they were all going to different locations.  We landed on the Taku glacier but we were the only helicopter there.  Not sure if you and your husband would be able to split up between 2 helicopters and still land in the same location.  Have you considered taking the baby with you?  If your baby is under 2 years I think they're free.  The only thing I can tell you is I felt very safe in our helicopter and was never worried that something might happen.


----------



## bridgetmck

Ellester said:


> With young kids, all that could easily fill up your day. We only spent about an hour at Mendenhall due to having to catch a scheduled bus back but we easily could have spent much longer. There were things to do and see in the visitors' center that we just kind of breezed by and we didn't have time to hike all the way to the falls. It was an easy walk, but we just didn't have the time. I think you would be fine without an excursion. The tramway is right there in the middle of town where the shuttle dropped us off. If it is really foggy, you could just skip it until later in the day or altogether.


Thank you for the advice!


----------



## misseulalie

doriemg said:


> We went with ERA and they had a lot of helicopters at base but I think they were all going to different locations.  We landed on the Taku glacier but we were the only helicopter there.  Not sure if you and your husband would be able to split up between 2 helicopters and still land in the same location.  Have you considered taking the baby with you?  If your baby is under 2 years I think they're free.  The only thing I can tell you is I felt very safe in our helicopter and was never worried that something might happen.



Take my 2 year old devil-child on a 5 hour, $700 a person dog sled excursion??


----------



## disneyfaninaz

misseulalie said:


> Another question:  When will we find out the timings of the excursions?  I am thinking of doing the Bear Line Zip line and lumberjack show on the same day in Ketchikan.
> 
> If two of us are zip lining, what can the other people in our party do doing that time?



If you book DCL excursions, you will see the times available when you are able to book online for your cruise.


----------



## Mackie Mouse

bridgetmck said:


> Would you all say that in Juneau there is enough to do with the Glacier, Nugget Falls and the Mt. Robert Tramway for a good part of the day? Is an excursion necessary? Keep in mind, we will have a 6.5YO and a 4YO in tow. I know that both boys will want to explore the glacier and falls.
> thanks!



Here was our (pretty sweet) day in Juneau.  We had nothing booked when we walked off the boat. Adjust as necessary, since we don't have kids: 
-Take the Blue Bus shuttle ($8 each way) to Mendenhall around 8:30 AM.  
-Spent a few hours wandering around the Mendenhall glacier's trails and the visitor center
-Got back to Juneau a little before noon, in time to beat the lunch rush at Tracy's King Crab Shack (you MUST eat there!)
-Strolled around downtown Juneau a bit, browsed in a few shops, and poked around the Alaska State Museum for an hour, which had some cool exhibits and native art
-Took an afternoon tour/tasting at the Alaskan Brewing company - their shuttle from downtown costs a few bucks, but the tour/tasting is free...and you can carry beer back on board the ship!  (Maybe not ideal with the kids, but man, we had fun.)


----------



## misseulalie

To those who already sailed- do you recommend main or late dining?  We typically chose main. But for the Med we were glad we chose late dining because of not rushing to get back for dinner.  

Also, can someone remind me what time is late dining?  It's been so long, I forgot!


----------



## MickeyMomTo2

misseulalie said:


> To those who already sailed- do you recommend main or late dining?  We typically chose main. But for the Med we were glad we chose late dining because of not rushing to get back for dinner.  Also, can someone remind me what time is late dining?  It's been so long, I forgot!


  I would consider how the time change affects you. We had late dining at first because we booked last minute. My kids fell asleep during dinner the first night because they don't adjust to time changes well. We were able to switch to early, so that really helped. I think Skagway and Ketchikan are the only two days that you would have to be sure to be back on board in time, and we didn't feel we were shortchanged in those ports because of dinner.  Oh, late dinner is 8:15. This is pacific time for part of the trip, but you fall back another hour mid-cruise.


----------



## Ellester

MickeyMomTo2 said:


> I would consider how the time change affects you. We had late dining at first because we booked last minute. My kids fell asleep during dinner the first night because they don't adjust to time changes well. We were able to switch to early, so that really helped. I think Skagway and Ketchikan are the only two days that you would have to be sure to be back on board in time, and we didn't feel we were shortchanged in those ports because of dinner.  Oh, late dinner is 8:15. This is pacific time for part of the trip, but you fall back another hour mid-cruise.



Agreed. We had a hard time with the time change. We live on the east coast and in Alaska it was a four hour change so even main dining was like past 9pm for us. Late dining would have felt like 12:15am! It was really only an issue in Ketchikan when my girls wanted to shop a bit more but we really didn't want to miss the "Taste of Alaska" menu.


----------



## bridgetmck

Ellester said:


> Agreed. We had a hard time with the time change. We live on the east coast and in Alaska it was a four hour change so even main dining was like past 9pm for us. Late dining would have felt like 12:15am! It was really only an issue in Ketchikan when my girls wanted to shop a bit more but we really didn't want to miss the "Taste of Alaska" menu.


We are east coasters as well. Didn't even think about how it effects dining! Good point everyone! I contacted our agent today and found that we had late dining! Yikes! Thankfully, since we are so far out, we were able to move it no problem! Late dining with 2 very tired little guys would have been an issue. 
Thanks!


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## misseulalie

What time is late dining- 7:30?


----------



## bridgetmck

misseulalie said:


> What time is late dining- 7:30?


I read somewhere that it was 8:15. Early is 5:45, I think. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.


----------



## IBelieveInTheMagic

bridgetmck said:


> We are east coasters as well. Didn't even think about how it effects dining! Good point everyone! I contacted our agent today and found that we had late dining! Yikes! Thankfully, since we are so far out, we were able to move it no problem! Late dining with 2 very tired little guys would have been an issue.
> Thanks!



We are also east coasters and we usually eat around 5:45pm so we knew for sure we wanted the Main dining, especially when you throw in the time difference. I do agree, there were times we felt a little more rushed but it's just a compromise since we knew we wouldn't be able to make it to Late dining.  We were also wait-listed for the Main dining for awhile and I wasn't sure you were aware but they assign dining the week before the cruise like in the 7 days before you sail.  There are plenty of times people are moved ahead of time so just keep checking online or you might get an email letting you know (we have never received an email but others report they do).  We've been moved three times from Late to Main usually due to our last minute bookings or moving one up.  It all works out and even if not you can do when you board the ship.  

Have a great time!

Heather


----------



## dizneekrazee

Hi guys, I've just started reading this thread. There are a lot of pages to catch up on, and I am beginning to feel lost in them lol.

I have a few questions about excursions we are considering:

Skagway: Is there a combo tour offered that I am missing that includes dog sledding and the White Pass RR?

Juneau: Should we dog sled here? Or, in Skagway? (Not interested in any of the ones that include a helicopter ride).

If we do dog sledding in Skagway, and our whale watching in Vancouver, what would you recommend for a family of 5 in Juneau? 

Thanks a mil!!


----------



## Ellester

dizneekrazee said:


> Hi guys, I've just started reading this thread. There are a lot of pages to catch up on, and I am beginning to feel lost in them lol.  I have a few questions about excursions we are considering:  Skagway: Is there a combo tour offered that I am missing that includes dog sledding and the White Pass RR?  Juneau: Should we dog sled here? Or, in Skagway? (Not interested in any of the ones that include a helicopter ride).  If we do dog sledding in Skagway, and our whale watching in Vancouver, what would you recommend for a family of 5 in Juneau?  Thanks a mil!!



We didn't do any dog sledding so I can't really answer those questions (my oldest two dd's volunteer with a local animal rescue and get their fill of puppies there!). But in Juneau, I would definitely recommend going to the Mendenhall glacier. We only spent an hour or so there, but we could have stayed much longer. The Mt. Roberts tramway also seems to be very popular. Again, we didn't do it because it was very overcast the day we were there so the top of the mountain had poor visibility.


----------



## bridgetmck

dizneekrazee said:


> Hi guys, I've just started reading this thread. There are a lot of pages to catch up on, and I am beginning to feel lost in them lol.  I have a few questions about excursions we are considering:  Skagway: Is there a combo tour offered that I am missing that includes dog sledding and the White Pass RR?  Juneau: Should we dog sled here? Or, in Skagway? (Not interested in any of the ones that include a helicopter ride).  If we do dog sledding in Skagway, and our whale watching in Vancouver, what would you recommend for a family of 5 in Juneau?  Thanks a mil!!


So I cannot speak from experience, but I can tell you what I have found and what we are planning. I have been price comparing excursions--booking through the company vs through DCL and I have found that if you book through the company it is usually cheaper. 
In Skagway, there are no actual dog sleds. I have only found the dog carts. It seems that there are sleds in Juneau because they have the glacier there. If you are interested in the dog cart & railroad tour look at 
www.Chilkootcharters.com
It is available there.
We will be doing the dog cart  adventure through Alaska Excursions
Since there is a lot to see in Juneau without booking an excursion (it gets expensive!). Look into the Mendenhall Glacier ($8 blue bus from town). Then also the Mt Roberts Tram. For lunch that day we plan to go to Tracy's Crab Shack. I think between those two, there is enough to see & do in Juneau. 
How old are your kids?


----------



## dizneekrazee

bridgetmck said:


> So I cannot speak from experience, but I can tell you what I have found and what we are planning. I have been price comparing excursions--booking through the company vs through DCL and I have found that if you book through the company it is usually cheaper. In Skagway, there are no actual dog sleds. I have only found the dog carts. It seems that there are sleds in Juneau because they have the glacier there. If you are interested in the dog cart & railroad tour look at www.Chilkootcharters.com It is available there. We will be doing the dog cart  adventure through Alaska Excursions Since there is a lot to see in Juneau without booking an excursion (it gets expensive!). Look into the Mendenhall Glacier ($8 blue bus from town). Then also the Mt Roberts Tram. For lunch that day we plan to go to Tracy's Crab Shack. I think between those two, there is enough to see & do in Juneau. How old are your kids?



Thank you!! We have 3 boys, who will be 15, 10, and 8 at time of sailing. I have looked at a few directly through tour companies to compare prices, I don't especially like paying adult price for my 10 year old. 

What exactly is a dog cart? 

The sledding on the glacier in Juneau looks amazing, but we are not doing any helicopters lol. So maybe dog carts are our only option?? 

We might do our whale watching in Juneau with a private company. Then just spend the rest of our time in town on our own. 

I am going to check out those links in just a moment.


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## bridgetmck

Our boys will be 6.5 and 4.5! And yeah, paying full price for a 10 YO is not nice.
Just a thought for you, in Ketchikan, there is a Bering Sea fisherman's tour. We are going on this one! It looks awesome--especially for my boys. Maybe consider that instead of a boat tour in Juneau, that way you could fit everything in.


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## Ellester

bridgetmck said:


> Our boys will be 6.5 and 4.5! And yeah, paying full price for a 10 YO is not nice. Just a thought for you, in Ketchikan, there is a Bering Sea fisherman's tour. We are going on this one! It looks awesome--especially for my boys. Maybe consider that instead of a boat tour in Juneau, that way you could fit everything in.



I was interested in this one, but the minimum age was 5 when I checked.


----------



## dizneekrazee

bridgetmck said:


> Our boys will be 6.5 and 4.5! And yeah, paying full price for a 10 YO is not nice.
> Just a thought for you, in Ketchikan, there is a Bering Sea fisherman's tour. We are going on this one! It looks awesome--especially for my boys. Maybe consider that instead of a boat tour in Juneau, that way you could fit everything in.



When is your Alaskan cruise? 

Whale watching is our priority excursion, so I cannot cut that out. The only way around it is to spend extra time in Vancouver and do it before sailing. Whale watching in Vancouver is more affordable, but then, we have to pay for extra nights and extra meals.

We have already decided in Ketchikan, we are going to use that day at our leisure. Possibly hit up a few shops, then spend the rest of the time on the (hopefully more deserted) ship. I may use this day for a spa treatment for myself.


----------



## bridgetmck

Ellester said:


> I was interested in this one, but the minimum age was 5 when I checked.


Yes, you are correct. However, I contacted the company directly and inquired. Basically, they do not enforce the age minimum and do not check passports. I cannot book through DCL due to the age minimum. I have to book directly through the charter. I have emailed, at length, about what the tour consists of and there is no rough water or anything that would inhibit him from being able or not able to do something. So we will do it.


----------



## bridgetmck

dizneekrazee said:


> When is your Alaskan cruise?  Whale watching is our priority excursion, so I cannot cut that out. The only way around it is to spend extra time in Vancouver and do it before sailing. Whale watching in Vancouver is more affordable, but then, we have to pay for extra nights and extra meals.  We have already decided in Ketchikan, we are going to use that day at our leisure. Possibly hit up a few shops, then spend the rest of the time on the (hopefully more deserted) ship. I may use this day for a spa treatment for myself.


We are sailing Aug 25. We will be in Vancouver for 2 days prior to setting sail. Chinatown and Stanley Park top our sightseeing list there.

And if whale watching is what you want to do, do it! Juneau looks like the place to be for that! Our day of leisure (so to speak) will Juneau. No real plans. A few things on our list. And if those don't work out, we'll head back to the ship. I think the one MUST DO for us is the Bering Sea tour. I do not want to miss it!


----------



## dizneekrazee

bridgetmck said:


> We are sailing Aug 25. We will be in Vancouver for 2 days prior to setting sail. Chinatown and Stanley Park top our sightseeing list there.
> 
> And if whale watching is what you want to do, do it! Juneau looks like the place to be for that! Our day of leisure (so to speak) will Juneau. No real plans. A few things on our list. And if those don't work out, we'll head back to the ship. I think the one MUST DO for us is the Bering Sea tour. I do not want to miss it!



We haven't decided on if we would be flying in day of cruise, or earlier, yet. It is only a 2 hour flight for us. We would be on the June 2 sailing. My co-worker took the June 3 sailing this year, and they were able to get a great rate by waiting it out, so that is our plan.


----------



## chickamu

In July of this year we did the Chilkoot charter tour with dog kart.  My daughter we was 8 loved the dog kart ride but is wasn't very long.  We were also signed up for the helicopter dog sled ride in Juneau.  We got all the way dressed and in the helicopter.   When we got close to the glacier the weather turned bad so we had to turn back.  The company was really nice and they said it happened often.  They gave us a full refund and we got a helicopter ride..


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## twindaddy

A few questions:

Can someone who is better at the search feature than me find the list of Alaska excursion times from last summer? I know I saw it somewhere, sometime...

Is the "Exclusive Disney" lumberjack show really anything exclusive or Disney, or is it pretty much the same as all the lumberjack shows?

Has anyone done the duck excursion in Ketchikan, that bus thing that drives on streets and in the water?

Thanks!!!


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

twindaddy said:


> A few questions:
> 
> Can someone who is better at the search feature than me find the list of Alaska excursion times from last summer? I know I saw it somewhere, sometime...
> 
> Is the "Exclusive Disney" lumberjack show really anything exclusive or Disney, or is it pretty much the same as all the lumberjack shows?
> 
> Has anyone done the duck excursion in Ketchikan, that bus thing that drives on streets and in the water?
> 
> Thanks!!!



Lumberjack shows are exclusive to DCL but very corny.

Duck tour was very good we booked direct in advance to get the time we want they are corny but very funny, what works well on the duck tour doesn't on the lumberjack show.

We did private tours in all ports selecting our own times, to try to avoid morning fog book flights planes and helicopters mid to late morning, see more in my trip report.


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## donaldjessie

I have some questions
If I go to Alaska on Jun 9,can I see the bear and whale?
If I want to take plane to watch the glaciers, Skagway or Juneau, which is better?
Thank you


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

donaldjessie said:


> I have some questions
> If I go to Alaska on Jun 9,can I see the bear and whale?
> If I want to take plane to watch the glaciers, Skagway or Juneau, which is better?
> Thank you



We took a plane to see Glaciers in Skagway and a helicopter in Juneau, both were wonderful, both were different, both very interesting we landed on one in Juneau so both are a good choice. We went Lester this  you we saw whales and salmon not much bears unless in captivity.


Example Skagway





Holiday 2013 1668 by Andrew D Porter, on Flickr

Example Juneau.





Holiday 2013 1940 by Andrew D Porter, on Flickr


Tip:- book late morning as we had morning fog and it had to burn off flights were cancelled.


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## luvmy2kids

Dizneekrazee... We will be on the same sailing.  June 2, 2014


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## Never to old

twindaddy said:


> A few questions:  Can someone who is better at the search feature than me find the list of Alaska excursion times from last summer? I know I saw it somewhere, sometime...  Is the "Exclusive Disney" lumberjack show really anything exclusive or Disney, or is it pretty much the same as all the lumberjack shows?  Has anyone done the duck excursion in Ketchikan, that bus thing that drives on streets and in the water?  Thanks!!!



Not sure if you are spending anytime in Vancouver, we did the lumberjack show there.  It was included in the admission to Grouse mountain.  So we skipped the Disney one.  When we compared ours to people we met on the ship that went to the Disney one, there wasn't a lot of difference.


----------



## Debbie

doriemg said:


> Misseulalie,
> 
> Take it from someone who had 2 excursions cancelled due to weather, there are always other options.  We had a morning helicopter tour cancelled in Juneau due to the weather.  We went to Disney but they didn't have any free slots in the afternoon excursions so we just went into town and booked through another company.  There are booths in Juneau where the shuttle bus drops you off.
> 
> We also had a float plane tour cancelled in Ketchikan due to rain, rain, and more rain.  We went to the Ketchikan visitors building which is a short walk from where you get off the ship and there were all kinds of booths in there booking tours.
> 
> Our helicopter tour in Juneau was the absolute highlight of our trip and the best part is, they were much cheaper than Disney for the same excursion.  So don't give up if the weather is bad.  Just go book an excursion on your own.  Enjoy your cruise!


  This is good information for whether one is 'cancelled' or just hasn't booked anything.  Thanks for that!


----------



## SG101

So this is what we're planning:

Skagway - Hubby will do helicopter ride.  Question - what's the difference between TEMSCO and M&M Tours?  Was there a major price difference?  Do people like one over the other?  I think M&M is $299/pp.

Also, what is there to do in Skagway with a 10 & 7 year old while daddy is on his excursion?  I didn't want to book anything because I want to be able to afford the seaplane in Juneau for all 4 of us.

Thanks so much for all of the reviews and helpful tips.  Planning the excursions on this trip has been made a whole lot easier.


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## misseulalie

Going through the excursions... if you did "Alaska Coastal Expedition" in Ketchikan, why is it considered "active"? It seems all one does is drive a boat. It even says people in poor physical condition should not participate.

It looks pretty fun, but wondering what exactly it entails.


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## MickeyMomTo2

SG101 said:


> So this is what we're planning:
> 
> Skagway - Hubby will do helicopter ride.  Question - what's the difference between TEMSCO and M&M Tours?  Was there a major price difference?  Do people like one over the other?  I think M&M is $299/pp.
> 
> Also, what is there to do in Skagway with a 10 & 7 year old while daddy is on his excursion?  I didn't want to book anything because I want to be able to afford the seaplane in Juneau for all 4 of us.
> 
> Thanks so much for all of the reviews and helpful tips.  Planning the excursions on this trip has been made a whole lot easier.



TEMSCO is the company that operates the helicopters.  You will be with TEMSCO whether you book directly with them, through M&M, or through Disney.  I would just go with the best price.  We used M&M for the $299 rate last summer.  They met us at the bottom of the gangway and walked us to the TEMSCO office.  This was kind of funny since the ship was parked right next to the office, so we really didn't need help finding it.

Skagway is VERY small.  You can walk around in the town with your kids for a little while and shop for souvenirs--it is very quaint.  If you don't plan to book an excursion with them in Skagway, you can enjoy the ship--it will be empty!  The pools are heated, so as crazy as it sounds, my kids swam and enjoyed it.  I have pictures of them in their bathing suits with a glacier in the background.  I wouldn't have done it, but they loved it!

Hope you have a great trip!


----------



## piglet33

Has anyone done the Dog Sled Summer Camp or Sled Dog Discovery & Musher's Camp in Juneau?  There isn't much of a price difference but I was wondering which one is better to do?  Any opinions?

Thanks!


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## cbmeadors

We did a number of excursion but I think our favorite thing was a hike in the woods we did on our own while in Skagway.  We stopped by the rangers office to get a map and then head to the woods before heading back and going to the Skagway brewery for some Spruce Tip Ale and the best Scotch Ale I have ever tasted.


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## luvmy2kids

MickeyMomTo2 said:


> TEMSCO is the company that operates the helicopters.  You will be with TEMSCO whether you book directly with them, through M&M, or through Disney.  I would just go with the best price.  We used M&M for the $299 rate last summer.  They met us at the bottom of the gangway and walked us to the TEMSCO office.  This was kind of funny since the ship was parked right next to the office, so we really didn't need help finding it.
> 
> Skagway is VERY small.  You can walk around in the town with your kids for a little while and shop for souvenirs--it is very quaint.  If you don't plan to book an excursion with them in Skagway, you can enjoy the ship--it will be empty!  The pools are heated, so as crazy as it sounds, my kids swam and enjoyed it.  I have pictures of them in their bathing suits with a glacier in the background.  I wouldn't have done it, but they loved it!
> 
> Hope you have a great trip!




MickeyMomTo2...Do you mind if I ask you a question?  We are considering using M&M tours and I spoke with them yesterday on the phone.  Would you have any reservations about giving them your credit card information for tours that are several months away? He said they charge once you are there just wondered if you would trust them as a reputable company. Thank you for your help regarding this.  One can't be too trusting these days


----------



## Bethann1959

This was an EXCELLENTwhale watching adventure in Juneau!!!  They are 2 friends, not their real names.  We (family of 5) we're the only ones on board.  I think 6 or 8 are max.  I cannot say enough good things. They have option of someone to take photographs for you so you can enjoy without being behind a lens!


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

luvmy2kids said:


> MickeyMomTo2...Do you mind if I ask you a question?  We are considering using M&M tours and I spoke with them yesterday on the phone.  Would you have any reservations about giving them your credit card information for tours that are several months away? He said they charge once you are there just wondered if you would trust them as a reputable company. Thank you for your help regarding this.  One can't be too trusting these days



We used M&M Tours in August 2013 they had my credit card details, no issues at all, they had a booth where the ship docks in Skagway on the pier. 

No charge before that, it was run through an IPad charge there.

Referring to an earlier post our flight wasn't with Temsco.


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## MickeyMomTo2

luvmy2kids said:


> MickeyMomTo2...Do you mind if I ask you a question?  We are considering using M&M tours and I spoke with them yesterday on the phone.  Would you have any reservations about giving them your credit card information for tours that are several months away? He said they charge once you are there just wondered if you would trust them as a reputable company. Thank you for your help regarding this.  One can't be too trusting these days



I did give them mine and had no problems.


----------



## luvmy2kids

Thanks for the info. on M&M tours.  I feel better now.


----------



## Apsychmommy

This thread has a ton of awesome info--thank you everyone!  We are going on this cruise in late July and I will have a 3 and 5 year old with me so I'm trying to find excursions that are age appropriate.  We are also on a somewhat tighter budget so I'm hoping to book many of the excursions independently.


----------



## SZ2016

Has anyone done the more expensive dog sled excursion where you fly up the glacier and there's no go-cart type thing involved. I don't remember the name but I know it's about $500 a person. I really want to do this but want to make sure it's worth the $2,000 it will cost my family.TIA.


----------



## 98slowbra

I know we did the Bering Sea crab fishermens tour in Ketchikan and Pilots Choice in Juneau and love them both, best sites we have every seen.  Here are some pics from both.  Best I have been on as of yet, I would give these 2 excursions A+++ just for the pics I got.
Bering Sea pics
















Helicopter ride pics


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## piglet33

Beautiful pictures 98slowbra!


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## DISNEY FANTASY

piglet33 said:


> Beautiful pictures 98slowbra!



Agree!


----------



## 98slowbra

piglet33 said:


> Beautiful pictures 98slowbra!



Thank you so much, I am no pro for sure but I try my best, I could post a ton more but do not want to take over the thread with pics of the best place to see for us so far.  The excursions were unreal in Alaska and it is hands down the best trip we have been on so far.  I can post more if the OP wants me to but this is not my thread.


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

98slowbra said:


> Thank you so much, I am no pro for sure but I try my best, I could post a ton more but do not want to take over the thread with pics of the best place to see for us so far.  The excursions were unreal in Alaska and it is hands down the best trip we have been on so far.  I can post more if the OP wants me to but this is not my thread.



I am sure people want yo see them, I put mine on a trip report thread. Also a blog.


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## misseulalie

Tell me what you think about these excursions.  We are down to these at each port:
Juneau-Mendenhall Float trip and Mendenhall Glacier an Whale Quest. 

Ketchikan-This gets confusing... Hubby and older daughter will do Bear Creek Zipline and younger daughter and I will do Annette Island Cultural Celebration. Then we will all do the lumberjack show.

 Skagway- Glacier Lake Kayak and White Pass Rail.


----------



## 98slowbra

DISNEY FANTASY said:


> I am sure people want yo see them, I put mine on a trip report thread. Also a blog.



I put them in the trip report if you would like to see more of them.  Thanks bud.


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

98slowbra said:


> I put them in the trip report if you would like to see more of them.  Thanks bud.





Yes, go for it.


----------



## piglet33

98slowbra said:


> I put them in the trip report if you would like to see more of them.  Thanks bud.



Wow!  They are amazing.  Thank you so much for posting the others.  I can't wait for our cruise now.


----------



## 98slowbra

piglet33 said:


> Wow!  They are amazing.  Thank you so much for posting the others.  I can't wait for our cruise now.



I replied to your post in that thread and thanks.


----------



## tbower54

98slowbra said:


> I know we did the Bering Sea crab fishermens tour in Ketchikan and Pilots Choice in Juneau and love them both, best sites we have every seen.  Here are some pics from both.  Best I have been on as of yet, I would give these 2 excursions A+++ just for the pics I got.
> Bering Sea pics



These pics are amazing!  What kind of camera did you use for these?


----------



## Silly Little Pixie

misseulalie said:


> Tell me what you think about these excursions.  We are down to these at each port:
> Juneau-Mendenhall Float trip and Mendenhall Glacier an Whale Quest.
> 
> Ketchikan-This gets confusing... Hubby and older daughter will do Bear Creek Zipline and younger daughter and I will do Annette Island Cultural Celebration. Then we will all do the lumberjack show.
> 
> Skagway- Glacier Lake Kayak and White Pass Rail.



Check out TripAdvisor- I was initially considering the Mendenhall Float Trip, and if I recall correctly, the reviews weren't that good. But this was a year ago, so things may have changed.


----------



## momtomattclare

Wonderful thread!! Thanks for all the great info!!


----------



## pequele

I did a search and couldn't find anything but has anyone done the Alaskan Fish Camp and Wilderness Dinner in Ketchican? thanks


----------



## AZMermaid

We did one called wilderness explorer and crab feast, is that the same one? This was solid, not amazing but not bad. The crabs they pulled up were in a small pot, not deadliest catch like we expected. But we all got to hold a crab which was cool. The scenery was gorgeous and the crab dinner was yummy!


----------



## pequele

No this is one that you go out fishing for a few hours then go to a camp for the meal.

Sent from Stephie's iPhone using DISBoards


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## dismiss

Bumping!!!


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## DisneySisters

We did the sled dog camp.   I was just talking about it this morning, saying it was the highlight of our trip, especially the puppies!


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## KashasMom

On two trips we've done:

Juneau - Orca Enterprises twice (http://www.orcaenterprises.com/), Pilot's Choice - 2 Glacier Landings (http://www.temscoair.com/juneau_tours.php),  Mt. Roberts Tramway(on our own)

Skagway - Dog Sledding (http://www.temscoair.com/skagway.php), rented a car from Avis and drove to Emerald Lake using Murray's Guide to the South Klondike Highway (http://www.murraysguide.com/)

Ketchikan - Misty Fjords Flightseeing and Anan Creek Bear Viewing (both with http://www.islandwings.com/)

Sitka - all on our own - Alaska Rator Center (http://www.alaskaraptor.org/SITE/index.html), Totem Poles National Park (http://www.alaskaraptor.org/SITE/index.html), St. Michael Russian Church (http://oca.org/parishes/oca-ak-sitsmk), and amazing crab lunch (just can't remember where!)

LOVED everything we did!


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## EllinK

This was an amazing trip!  With my husband and 7 year old.

Skagway - booked the helicopter/glacier/dog sled excursion on our own.  I wanted to do it early in the trip since this is the most often cancelled excursion (due to weather) but the one that would be most meaningful to us all.  The place we had to go was literally next to the ship.  Walked over -- took 2 minutes.  Got all the gear and within minutes was in a helicopter.  Aside from my wedding, this was the best experience of my life!  We had an amazing time.  Not the least of which was that except for the people training the dogs, it's just you and the 3 other people who were on your helicopter.  You are virtually alone on a glacier in the middle of nowhere.  Awesome!  The dogs were amazing. Each group goes on a sled -- just your family.  My son led the team the entire time.  In addition to it being a singularly amazing experience, we have fab pictures of us with the puppies!

Juneau - we didn't plan anything (in case we needed to reschedule the helicopter/dog sled) and took the tram.  Great views.  But when I have spent days with thousands of people, when we dock I want to get off and be far from crowds.

Ketchikan - thru Disney, we did a canoeing trip.  My only complaint about DCL excursions are that there are more people than I'd like, but this was a fabulous excursion.  We were in the middle of nowhere, in a state or national park, canoeing through the pristine water.  Really, really beautiful.  Another favorite experience.

Have fun!


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## mirladisney

Thanks so much for all your ideas.. I will be going in 2015 and wanted to know more about port adventures....
Please please keep posting !!!
thanks


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## mirladisney

EllinK said:


> This was an amazing trip!  With my husband and 7 year old.
> 
> Skagway - booked the helicopter/glacier/dog sled excursion on our own.  I wanted to do it early in the trip since this is the most often cancelled excursion (due to weather) but the one that would be most meaningful to us all.  The place we had to go was literally next to the ship.  Walked over -- took 2 minutes.  Got all the gear and within minutes was in a helicopter.  Aside from my wedding, this was the best experience of my life!  We had an amazing time.  Not the least of which was that except for the people training the dogs, it's just you and the 3 other people who were on your helicopter.  You are virtually alone on a glacier in the middle of nowhere.  Awesome!  The dogs were amazing. Each group goes on a sled -- just your family.  My son led the team the entire time.  In addition to it being a singularly amazing experience, we have fab pictures of us with the puppies!
> 
> Juneau - we didn't plan anything (in case we needed to reschedule the helicopter/dog sled) and took the tram.  Great views.  But when I have spent days with thousands of people, when we dock I want to get off and be far from crowds.
> 
> Ketchikan - thru Disney, we did a canoeing trip.  My only complaint about DCL excursions are that there are more people than I'd like, but this was a fabulous excursion.  We were in the middle of nowhere, in a state or national park, canoeing through the pristine water.  Really, really beautiful.  Another favorite experience.
> 
> Have fun!



Hi,
Can i ask you if you remember the company name for the helicopter and dog sled?
Do I have to make a reservation or is walking?
Also how long time do you have to go around Skagway? 
Do you know if DCL offers this type of adventures?
Thanks so much for your help


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## EllinK

yes, Disney definitely did offer it and I think it was the same price.  Name of company was Temsco.  I was concerned that it would fill up before we got a chance to book so I looked to do it independently.  Now, I book independently because I realize the experience is different because there are so many more people when you do an excursion thru Disney.


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## *Flower*

I've read every page, and and am now subscribing- we're planning to catch the last AK cruise this year!


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## calypso726

Subbing and looking forward to reviews. We are going 8/4/14.


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## DISNEY FANTASY

We went DIY in each port, and not DCL trips.

Skagway

Flight to Glacier bay over east and west arm from the local airport next to the port, you can walk it.

Then we went with Chilkoot Charters, bus up to Fraser and White pass train back, whilst a charter we had the bus to ourselves.

Juneau, we went up Mount Roberts the cruise shuttle takes you to it, 

then Mid morning Coastal copters a walk on a glacier

Then up Mount Roberts again, the weather changes different views and one ticket covers all day.

Ketichan Private charter to Misty Fjords with Seawind aviation, cheaper than DCL, and also booked the Duck tour direct.

More details and August scanned Navigators in the link below.


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## nicbic97

DISNEY FANTASY: What did you wear for the coastal helicopters glacier tour? We booked with them and was looking for advice on what to wear? Gloves, hat, scarf and heavy jacket needed? Or is it not that cold? thanks!


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## RhiannonCarter

subbing


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## ksloane

Just booked for August 10, 2015. Can't wait to read this thread.


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## skypixy

Subbing. Just booked for 6/29/15 Alaska even though the excursions gave us sticker shock.


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## Comcam

I have booked all our excursions though the excursion company themselves.  Look into that and save some money!


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## sunryzez

Even though I am going in a year ( 6/15/15) I am already looking at excursions I want so I can save. Since we are a family of 5 and the sticker shock is there but it is a trip of a lifetime so I just want to be prepared. Here is what we are considering. ANY advice or opinions of people who did these excursions would be very appreciated =)

Mendenhall Glacier and whale quest in Juneau

Liarsville goldrush w/disney character in Skagway

lumberjack show
city highlights and creek street
(2 excursions if time allows in Ketichikan)

I have 3 children at the time of cruise will be 7,8,13. Also, all of these excursions are through Disney.

Also I want to somehow fit in a dog sledding experience ( NOTHING with flying, I am terrified of heights) so any recomendations?
Thank you!!


----------



## luvmy2kids

sunryzez said:


> Even though I am going in a year ( 6/15/15) I am already looking at excursions I want so I can save. Since we are a family of 5 and the sticker shock is there but it is a trip of a lifetime so I just want to be prepared. Here is what we are considering. ANY advice or opinions of people who did these excursions would be very appreciated =)
> 
> Mendenhall Glacier and whale quest in Juneau
> 
> Liarsville goldrush w/disney character in Skagway
> 
> lumberjack show
> city highlights and creek street
> (2 excursions if time allows in Ketichikan)
> 
> I have 3 children at the time of cruise will be 7,8,13. Also, all of these excursions are through Disney.
> 
> Also I want to somehow fit in a dog sledding experience ( NOTHING with flying, I am terrified of heights) so any recomendations?
> Thank you!!



Just an FYI--If you plan on spending any time in Vancouver they have a Lumberjack show at Grouse Mtn. that is included in the admission price.  We are skipping the lumberjack show in Ketchikan and doing the Grouse Mtn. one this year.


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## Mndisneygirl

sunryzez said:


> Even though I am going in a year ( 6/15/15) I am already looking at excursions I want so I can save. Since we are a family of 5 and the sticker shock is there but it is a trip of a lifetime so I just want to be prepared. Here is what we are considering. ANY advice or opinions of people who did these excursions would be very appreciated =)
> 
> Mendenhall Glacier and whale quest in Juneau
> We did this and thought it was great - saw tons of humpback and sea lions too.  Not enough time at the Glacier - but still really nice.
> Liarsville goldrush w/disney character in Skagway
> We did this too.  Our kids were 10 and 12, and it was a little cheesy, but fun.  Lunch was good and the characters are chip, dale and donald - no real waiting for some good interaction.
> lumberjack show
> Did this in Ketchikan - pretty fun but I wouldn't do it again. Once was enough. We also just walked around town and creek street a bit by ourselves.
> city highlights and creek street
> (2 excursions if time allows in Ketichikan)
> 
> I have 3 children at the time of cruise will be 7,8,13. Also, all of these excursions are through Disney.
> 
> Also I want to somehow fit in a dog sledding experience ( NOTHING with flying, I am terrified of heights) so any recomendations?
> Thank you!!



We also did a musher's summer camp dog sled = that was cool! My hubby isn't into flying or helicopters either.  We took this cool vehicle (a Unimog I think it's called) up the mountain to the summer camp and then we got a ride in a "sled" - but not on snow/glacier with the sled dogs pulling us.  We met and listened to a real musher (he's raced the iditarod!) and then we got to hold tiny puppies - like a week old!  That was the highlight for my animal-loving daughter!


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## iamadisneynut

Mndisneygirl said:


> We also did a musher's summer camp dog sled = that was cool! My hubby isn't into flying or helicopters either.  We took this cool vehicle (a Unimog I think it's called) up the mountain to the summer camp and then we got a ride in a "sled" - but not on snow/glacier with the sled dogs pulling us.  We met and listened to a real musher (he's raced the iditarod!) and then we got to hold tiny puppies - like a week old!  That was the highlight for my animal-loving daughter!



We want to do this out of Skagway next year, where did you do it through and would you share the price?
Thanks!


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## Mndisneygirl

iamadisneynut said:


> We want to do this out of Skagway next year, where did you do it through and would you share the price?
> Thanks!



We booked through DCL and it was $132 per adult.  Our kids are "adults", so I don't know if there was a child price.

The actual ride seemed a little short, but it was a lot of fun.


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## sunryzez

Mndisneygirl said:


> We also did a musher's summer camp dog sled = that was cool! My hubby isn't into flying or helicopters either.  We took this cool vehicle (a Unimog I think it's called) up the mountain to the summer camp and then we got a ride in a "sled" - but not on snow/glacier with the sled dogs pulling us.  We met and listened to a real musher (he's raced the iditarod!) and then we got to hold tiny puppies - like a week old!  That was the highlight for my animal-loving daughter!



Thanks for the info. Where did you do the dogsledding? It seems like you did all the excursions I want to do as well so thanks for the advice!


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## Mndisneygirl

sunryzez said:


> Thanks for the info. Where did you do the dogsledding? It seems like you did all the excursions I want to do as well so thanks for the advice!



That was in Skagway. We did the liarsville panning for gold thing in the morning (it included lunch) and then did the musher camp in the afternoon.


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## shanhop

People on our 6/2014 cruise were reporting that Liarsville sold out before they could book it, so I'd have a second choice ready to go. 

Since you are a family of 5, I'd consider booking the whale watching tour with Harv and Marv. You'd have your own private boat rather than being with a bunch of other people.


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## Disneybridewifemama

How far in advance can you book excursions. We're sailing 7/2015. When should I look into booking (independently from DCL)


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## dunnhorn

We just booked June 1, 2015 so I am really interested in this thread!  Thanks!


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## sunryzez

shanhop said:


> People on our 6/2014 cruise were reporting that Liarsville sold out before they could book it, so I'd have a second choice ready to go.
> 
> Since you are a family of 5, I'd consider booking the whale watching tour with Harv and Marv. You'd have your own private boat rather than being with a bunch of other people.



Do you know if these were first time cruisers reporting this sold out or was it silver members or higher? That makes me nervous. My kids want to do that most of all, i'm not going until 2015.....but still curious to know =)


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## GoofyLovingFamily

I will post when our excursions become available for us. We are silver and going on the 9/1 Alaska.


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## ErikdaRed

I can say that for day one silver registration the Liarsville excursion was available for 7/7/2014 sailing.


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## shanhop

sunryzez said:


> Do you know if these were first time cruisers reporting this sold out or was it silver members or higher? That makes me nervous. My kids want to do that most of all, i'm not going until 2015.....but still curious to know =)



They were first timers, so I don't know when exactly it was sold out.


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## twindaddy

sunryzez said:


> Do you know if these were first time cruisers reporting this sold out or was it silver members or higher? That makes me nervous. My kids want to do that most of all, i'm not going until 2015.....but still curious to know =)



It is still available for my July 7th cruise, but I am not a first timer, I am at the 90 day window. 

I will check at 75 if you would like. I think the early June cruises have the more experienced cruisers, because they are cheaper, so I would be they know to book earlier.


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## DISNEY FANTASY

Just another reminder to consider booking your own tours with local operators not DCL, 

We did and we saved a lot of money, example in Kectihcan  we booked the floatplane to misty fjords your ourselves and for four was far cheaper than DCL with others joining you, we did two port ad enters in each port, our own helicopter ride in Juneau at the time we wanted personal transport to and from the airport with personal guide, tea coffee, and no one else on the glacier where we landed, in Skagway we had a flight yo Glacier  bay and a bus up to Fraser on our own, with white pass rail back down.


So get the times you want, get to go on your own and save lots of money!

Details in links below.


----------



## SophiaMax

Thanks for all the great tips!   We are cruising in late June and can't wait!!
I have a question about Tracy Arm for those of you who have done an Alaskan cruise before. We are thinking of doing a 10:30 brunch at Palo that morning but don't want to miss out on anything.  Does anyone know if the views are good from there?  What part of the day do you cruise the glaciers or is it an all day affair?


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

SophiaMax said:


> Thanks for all the great tips!   We are cruising in late June and can't wait!!
> I have a question about Tracy Arm for those of you who have done an Alaskan cruise before. We are thinking of doing a 10:30 brunch at Palo that morning but don't want to miss out on anything.  Does anyone know if the views are good from there?  What part of the day do you cruise the glaciers or is it an all day affair?



We had brunch at 10am on Tracy Arm dsy we were coming up to the channel then but didn't enter Tracy Arm until 1pm.

The sights were good, we saw whales from Palo a few times, even the servers watched and stopped for a while.

There are great sights each day.

We were at the top of Tracy Arm about 2.45 3pm and then turned back, so Brunch would have ended by then.


----------



## jbthrone

This thread is wonderful!  Thanks to all that have contributed.  We will be sailing July 21st and are very excited.   I'm trying to figure out the excursion for Ketchikan...  I heard the Eagles and Totems excursion is good, but I'm thinking that we probably will have seen Eagles by then and it sounds like most of that excursion is in a boat,  The family is interested in totem poles (which I assume is better visited on land).    Is is easy enough to tour the totem poles ourselves, or should we book some kind of tour?  We will see the lumberjack show in Vancouver, so that isn't necessary in Ketchikan.  I'm traveling with my DDs, both 15, and my youngest DD 13, along with DH and sets of grandparents.  The one tour that included Eagles and a totem guy looked like there was some walking - fine for us, but a little problematic for my MiL.


----------



## Made Up Name

jbthrone said:


> This thread is wonderful!  Thanks to all that have contributed.  We will be sailing July 21st and are very excited.   I'm trying to figure out the excursion for Ketchikan...  I heard the Eagles and Totems excursion is good, but I'm thinking that we probably will have seen Eagles by then and it sounds like most of that excursion is in a boat,  The family is interested in totem poles (which I assume is better visited on land).    Is is easy enough to tour the totem poles ourselves, or should we book some kind of tour?  We will see the lumberjack show in Vancouver, so that isn't necessary in Ketchikan.  I'm traveling with my DDs, both 15, and my youngest DD 13, along with DH and sets of grandparents.  The one tour that included Eagles and a totem guy looked like there was some walking - fine for us, but a little problematic for my MiL.



I understand there are plenty of totem poles you can view in Ketchikan for free.


----------



## leshunlenese

sailing on June 1, 2015 and I am already looking. I know I want to do the railway for my train obsessed son and gold panning. I am traveling alone with my DS who will be 5. Planning on one more excursion but I have time to pick


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

leshunlenese said:


> sailing on June 1, 2015 and I am already looking. I know I want to do the railway for my train obsessed son and gold panning. I am traveling alone with my DS who will be 5. Planning on one more excursion but I have time to pick



Do look online for Chilkoot charters they do some great alternatives to DCL tours on the White Pass railway.


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

Made Up Name said:


> I understand there are plenty of totem poles you can view in Ketchikan for free.



Yes and everywhere, including Stanley Park Vancouver.


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## calypso726

We are sailing August 4th. Due to the feedback on this thread, we are booked for the Disney Exclusive Helicopter Glacier dog sledding, the Disney Exclusive Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's tour and the Grizzly Falls Zip-line excursion. I will be sure to report back on our experiences after our cruise. Thank you!


----------



## tweis

We are _thinking_ of booking Alaska while onboard the Magic in a few weeks. DCL excursion prices are pretty expensive and I am finding that a lot of the charter companies being suggested here do not show prices. Do you all that have booked on your own mind sharing prices? I will contact the charter companies but I would like to have an idea of prices before hand if possible. Thanks.


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

tweis said:


> We are _thinking_ of booking Alaska while onboard the Magic in a few weeks. DCL excursion prices are pretty expensive and I am finding that a lot of the charter companies being suggested here do not show prices. Do you all that have booked on your own mind sharing prices? I will contact the charter companies but I would like to have an idea of prices before hand if possible. Thanks.



I cant recall exact prices but things like

Kechikan We went with seawing aviation and for a family of four we were cheaper than DCL tour, we chartered a flight and got 10% off for booking early. Think below $900.

We booked the duck tour direct and saved a few $$ per person and got a time DCL wouldnt offer. 

Juneau we went with Coastal Copters on a 90 min flight and was far cheaper than DCL helicopter flights. They will email a price to you.

Skagway we used Chilkoot Charters for Bus up to Fraser and train back and it was the same price as rail up and down as DCL, but you do more.

We also had a flight over Glacier Bay with it booked by MM tours and that for four was under $900.


----------



## tweis

DISNEY FANTASY said:


> I cant recall exact prices but things like
> 
> Kechikan We went with seawing aviation and for a family of four we were cheaper than DCL tour, we chartered a flight and got 10% off for booking early. Think below $900.
> 
> We booked the duck tour direct and saved a few $$ per person and got a time DCL wouldnt offer.
> 
> Juneau we went with Coastal Copters on a 90 min flight and was far cheaper than DCL helicopter flights. They will email a price to you.
> 
> Skagway we used Chilkoot Charters for Bus up to Fraser and train back and it was the same price as rail up and down as DCL, but you do more.
> 
> We also had a flight over Glacier Bay with it booked by MM tours and that for four was under $900.



Thank you. That information is very helpful.


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

tweis said:


> Thank you. That information is very helpful.



I would email them all they all were most helpful and offered discounts, I think prices are not quoted so you can barter a bit there are booths in each port, where you may get deals but not the best times.

There are advantages and disadvantages in using these. At least you know the weather when your there rather than hope it will be good, but the best slots can go, I planned two Private trips in each port so my timing was important for all. 

Booths are on the pier at Skagway and Ketichan but in Juneau more limited as the dock is out of the town. The big tourist building in Ketichan is good its on the dock opposite the shops in a newish building.


----------



## jtkboston

For us. We saved a bunch because one child (age 11) was considered adult prices through DCL, but child prices when booking direct.  E.g. Ketchikan duck boat, and Skagway Mushers camp


----------



## tweis

DISNEY FANTASY said:


> I would email them all they all were most helpful and offered discounts, I think prices are not quoted so you can barter a bit there are booths in each port, where you may get deals but not the best times.
> 
> There are advantages and disadvantages in using these. At least you know the weather when your there rather than hope it will be good, but the best slots can go, I planned two Private trips in each port so my timing was important for all.
> 
> Booths are on the pier at Skagway and Ketichan but in Juneau more limited as the dock is out of the town. The big tourist building in Ketichan is good its on the dock opposite the shops in a newish building.



After we get back from the Magic, I will definitely start emailing to see if I can figure out prices so that I can get a budget in order. I may bother you with a few questions if you don't mind.


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

tweis said:


> After we get back from the Magic, I will definitely start emailing to see if I can figure out prices so that I can get a budget in order. I may bother you with a few questions if you don't mind.



Pleased to help.


----------



## CruznLexi

Having done Alaska 3 times with the last cruise being last year on the Wonder I can tell you what I have done and kept it fairly cheap as can be. Fly into Seattle and take the train up and shuttle back. Was $100 total for r/t. If I was doing Alaska again I would take train up same day and go from Train station to pier. The day at the glacier if you have late seating you can get the best views by going up to the top deck after 4pm. Skagway. I have done the train one time and then rented a jeep the second time. The jeep was less than $100. I wanted to do the horseback tour this last time but waited too long. The excursion through Disney takes just 10 riders. I could have gone through someone else but it was fun to just walk around town. Juneau. I have done Whale Watching with Orca Enterprises twice. Both great times. We even saw a whale jump out of the water. Mendenhall glacier is just a bus ride out there $15 r/t. I would have liked to have done the cable car but it was cloudy the day were there so did not do it. Ketchikan I did the Bearing Sea Fisherman's tour. Thus was by far my favorite tour. I booked thus indep with them. The price  difference for 2 people was close to $30. It is the same tour that Disney offers. The only difference is that you walk with the sign from the ship with Disney escorts. Fabulous tour for all ages. You do not go into open ocean. You will go on a carb boat that was used in the sexism season of Deadliest Catch called the Aleutian Ballad that was changed to be a tour boat. They will go out to a remote area to feed Eagles. There were literally hundreds of them. You will then learn about the different crabs and pull up some grab pots. There they will have several crabs in their that they will pass around for you to hold. I can not say enough good things about the tour.Alaska is a fantastic cruise and the shore excursions are great at least the ones that we have done in the past.


----------



## beeadude

I just booked the 7:20 am tour. Simple question should we eat breakfast first? Or will we feel queezy if we do? Thanks


----------



## Ware Bears

We had an early time like you, we couldn't face a proper breakfast so what we did was order room service and had a couple of pastries with a pot of tea.  

We didn't feel queasy (H&M don't go out on the open ocean so I think it's unusual to feel seasick) but it also meant we didn't have any hunger pangs either although if I remember correctly the boat did carry snacks if we wanted them.


----------



## SG101

I called each of the companies directly or booked via internet/email:

I booked directly w/Duck Tours @ Ketchikan for $40/adult and $25/child (my 10 year old is considered on adult if I booked thru Disney). - prepaid via paypal

Booked directly with M&M Tours @ Skagway - Glacier Discovery by Helicopter $299/per person (adult price --- I think this was the same price for a child) ($313.95 w/taxes) - this was $60 less than Disney (I think) - hold w/credit card

Booked directly with Wings Airways @ Juneau - Taku Lodge Feast & 5 Glacier Seaplane Discovery $297/adult $250/child (once again my 10 year old is a child; via Disney - they consider him an adult price). - prepaid via credit card


----------



## beeadude

Ware Bears said:


> We had an early time like you, we couldn't face a proper breakfast so what we did was order room service and had a couple of pastries with a pot of tea.
> 
> We didn't feel queasy (H&M don't go out on the open ocean so I think it's unusual to feel seasick) but it also meant we didn't have any hunger pangs either although if I remember correctly the boat did carry snacks if we wanted them.



Thank you so much. Great idea. Now wait till I tell my husband we have a 7:20 am tour. Lol


----------



## MickeyMomTo2

beeadude said:


> Thank you so much. Great idea. Now wait till I tell my husband we have a 7:20 am tour. Lol



That's 7:20 Alaskan time. I don't know where you are, but for people on central or eastern time, it's difficult sleeping in anyway. Alaska time is three hours later than central.


----------



## jetskigrl

jbthrone said:


> This thread is wonderful!  Thanks to all that have contributed.  We will be sailing July 21st and are very excited.   I'm trying to figure out the excursion for Ketchikan...  I heard the Eagles and Totems excursion is good, but I'm thinking that we probably will have seen Eagles by then and it sounds like most of that excursion is in a boat,  The family is interested in totem poles (which I assume is better visited on land).    Is is easy enough to tour the totem poles ourselves, or should we book some kind of tour?  We will see the lumberjack show in Vancouver, so that isn't necessary in Ketchikan.  I'm traveling with my DDs, both 15, and my youngest DD 13, along with DH and sets of grandparents.  The one tour that included Eagles and a totem guy looked like there was some walking - fine for us, but a little problematic for my MiL.



You may be interested in http://www.ketchikantaxicabtours.com/

We have this booked for August so I can't give you a personal review yet, but the reviews that I have read have all been really good.   This is a very inexpensive way to tour Ketchikan without all the walking.


----------



## jetskigrl

tweis said:


> We are _thinking_ of booking Alaska while onboard the Magic in a few weeks. DCL excursion prices are pretty expensive and I am finding that a lot of the charter companies being suggested here do not show prices. Do you all that have booked on your own mind sharing prices? I will contact the charter companies but I would like to have an idea of prices before hand if possible. Thanks.



For our upcoming trip we have the following booked (I can break the prices down further if you need).  They are a total of 4 people; me, my Mom, DD (who qualifies as a adult) and DS who will be 11 so still gets child rates when booking privately.

Skagway - Chilkoot tour, bus up and train down (with dogsleding for the kids)
$720

Juneau - Whale Watching with Alaska Galore (with dropoff at Mendenhall Glacier) for 2 adults, 1 child (my Mom doesn't want to do this one).
$422

Ketchikan - http://www.ketchikantaxicabtours.com/   $74 per hour for up to 6 people per van.


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

jetskigrl said:


> You may be interested in http://www.ketchikantaxicabtours.com/
> 
> We have this booked for August so I can't give you a personal review yet, but the reviews that I have read have all been really good.   This is a very inexpensive way to tour Ketchikan without all the walking.



Most things in Ketchikan are very walk-able no need for a taxi, as a good and funny alternative, the duck tour is fun and goes further as it goes into the sea channel.


----------



## bridgetmck

Thank you CruznLexi. Your post was very helpful!

Is the train from Seattle an Amtrak train? And the shuttle? Just wanted more info so I can look into it for next year. How long is the trip from Seattle to Vancouver?
Thanks!


----------



## jetskigrl

DISNEY FANTASY said:


> Most things in Ketchikan are very walk-able no need for a taxi, as a good and funny alternative, the duck tour is fun and goes further as it goes into the sea channel.



The person that I quoted indicated they had a MIL that might have issues with walking.   My Mom is also traveling with me so I chose a tour company to get us from place to place rather than walking (easier for her).


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

jetskigrl said:


> The person that I quoted indicated they had a MIL that might have issues with walking.   My Mom is also traveling with me so I chose a tour company to get us from place to place rather than walking (easier for her).



Understand.


----------



## MouseMomx2

We loved the Eagles, Totems and Lighthouses excursion in Ketchikan.  We saw many eagles nests both from afar and fairly close.  They provided binoculars and snacks for everyone as well.


----------



## tweis

SG101 said:


> I called each of the companies directly or booked via internet/email:
> 
> I booked directly w/Duck Tours @ Ketchikan for $40/adult and $25/child (my 10 year old is considered on adult if I booked thru Disney). - prepaid via paypal
> 
> Booked directly with M&M Tours @ Skagway - Glacier Discovery by Helicopter $299/per person (adult price --- I think this was the same price for a child) ($313.95 w/taxes) - this was $60 less than Disney (I think) - hold w/credit card
> 
> Booked directly with Wings Airways @ Juneau - Taku Lodge Feast & 5 Glacier Seaplane Discovery $297/adult $250/child (once again my 10 year old is a child; via Disney - they consider him an adult price). - prepaid via credit card





jetskigrl said:


> For our upcoming trip we have the following booked (I can break the prices down further if you need).  They are a total of 4 people; me, my Mom, DD (who qualifies as a adult) and DS who will be 11 so still gets child rates when booking privately.
> 
> Skagway - Chilkoot tour, bus up and train down (with dogsleding for the kids)
> $720
> 
> Juneau - Whale Watching with Alaska Galore (with dropoff at Mendenhall Glacier) for 2 adults, 1 child (my Mom doesn't want to do this one).
> $422
> 
> Ketchikan - http://www.ketchikantaxicabtours.com/   $74 per hour for up to 6 people per van.



Thank you both. This was very helpful!


----------



## jbthrone

jetskigrl said:


> We have this booked for August so I can't give you a personal review yet, but the reviews that I have read have all been really good.   This is a very inexpensive way to tour Ketchikan without all the walking.



Thanks for the link.  I will look into it.  Have a great cruise!


----------



## Never to old

SG101 said:


> I called each of the companies directly or booked via internet/email:  I booked directly w/Duck Tours @ Ketchikan for $40/adult and $25/child (my 10 year old is considered on adult if I booked thru Disney). - prepaid via paypal  Booked directly with M&M Tours @ Skagway - Glacier Discovery by Helicopter $299/per person (adult price --- I think this was the same price for a child) ($313.95 w/taxes) - this was $60 less than Disney (I think) - hold w/credit card  Booked directly with Wings Airways @ Juneau - Taku Lodge Feast & 5 Glacier Seaplane Discovery $297/adult $250/child (once again my 10 year old is a child; via Disney - they consider him an adult price). - prepaid via credit card



Taku lodge was my favorite excursion.  We still talk about this one and would love to do it again!


----------



## hygienist999

We are going on the May 24th Sailing of The Wonder to Alaska and I was wondering if anyone has done the excursion on a Float Plane, stopping in the Fjords, then flying back.  Just wondered if we picked a good excursion to go on.


----------



## Mackie Mouse

hygienist999 said:


> We are going on the May 24th Sailing of The Wonder to Alaska and I was wondering if anyone has done the excursion on a Float Plane, stopping in the Fjords, then flying back.  Just wondered if we picked a good excursion to go on.



We booked this excursion last summer and it was our absolute favorite excursion of the entire trip.  I got teary-eyed as we flew through the absolutely beautiful and surreal landscape around Misty Fjord.  

We booked our excursion independently through Island Wings, and I cannot say enough good things about them!  The excursion was a splurge and worth every single penny.


----------



## blossomz

Is there much of a risk of cancellation due to weather?  I was concerned about booking a floatplane only to have it be cancelled and then not have anything booked...  We are going mid July.


----------



## Mackie Mouse

blossomz said:


> Is there much of a risk of cancellation due to weather?  I was concerned about booking a floatplane only to have it be cancelled and then not have anything booked...  We are going mid July.



This is a risk you run with many excursions in Alaska.  The nice thing about going to Misty Fjord is that even though Ketchikan is extremely rainy, the weather in the fjord may prove very different.  To be honest, if there's an excursion you want to do...I would just book it, especially if you are OK with booking on your own.  The company we booked with would have refunded our money if our excursion was cancelled due to weather, and it's not hard to find or come up with backup excursions or activities if need be.  The trip on our floatplane also only took about 2 hours, so had it been cancelled, our day wouldn't have been ruined.  

Here is an FAQ right from Island Wings: http://www.islandwings.com/frequently-asked-questions#FAQ_Q80

If you scroll up a bit, you'll see their cancellation policy.  

For what it's worth, although it rains about 50% of the time in Ketchikan...we had a GORGEOUS, 65-degree, SUNNY day when we visited!  Your mileage may vary, but the word about town is that Disney did a great job of bringing the sunshine


----------



## blossomz

Thanks for the advice!


----------



## swooshbear

Last May, we had great weather in Ketchikan and did the Misty Fjord floatplane. It was really cool to land on the water and step out onto the pontoon for photos. 

We had a dog sledding via helicopter trip planned in Juneau but the weather was so bad that day, no flights were able to take off and our trip was cancelled. We ended up walking around the town and eating one of those monster crab legs at Tracy's Crab Shack. We'll be back in August so hopefully the weather cooperates this time.


----------



## hygienist999

Thanks for the info on the float plane excursion.  I hope it doesn't get rained out.

We are planning to do the hike at Mendenhall Glacier.  I hope we will get some great photo's.


----------



## Sorcerer Mom

Does anyone have any reviews on the Klondike Bicycle Tour?  It says you need to be comfortable with hand brakes and going downhill 15-25 mph, which I think I'd be okay with.  I'm a casual bike rider and just want to be sure I wouldn't be getting in over my head here.  Thanks in advance for any feedback!


----------



## love280mickey

Looking for reviews on Best of Juneau - how many people are on the whale watching catamaran?

Also anyone do the Back Country Canoe and Jeep adventure in Ketchikan?


----------



## LJC1861

I am glad I found this thread!  We are going to Alaska on the Wonder on the 6/22/15 sailing.  I am so excited, and can't wait to begin planning excursions.  I think we are going to try to do as many as we can independently so all the tips on this thread are going to be so helpful.  Thanks everyone!


----------



## buffalorun

LJC1861 said:


> I am glad I found this thread!  We are going to Alaska on the Wonder on the 6/22/15 sailing.  I am so excited, and can't wait to begin planning excursions.  I think we are going to try to do as many as we can independently so all the tips on this thread are going to be so helpful.  Thanks everyone!



We found that many, many of the excursions ran over their time. On more than one occasion we were dashing for the ship, with them hastily pulling out as soon as possible.  But, they held the ship for us because we were on a Disney run excursion.  Otherwise, we would have very possibly missed the ship and had to get ourselves to the next port.  Due to that experience we usually choose to book with the Disney excursions, depending on the location and time of excursion. Thatis our thoughts on the matter, for what it is worth.  Enjoy!


----------



## LJC1861

buffalorun said:


> We found that many, many of the excursions ran over their time. On more than one occasion we were dashing for the ship, with them hastily pulling out as soon as possible.  But, they held the ship for us because we were on a Disney run excursion.  Otherwise, we would have very possibly missed the ship and had to get ourselves to the next port.  Due to that experience we will choose to always book with the Disney excursions.  That our thoughts on the matter, for what it is worth.  Enjoy!




Thanks for the input, I will take it into consideration.  I would hate to be left behind.  

Linda


----------



## dclwonderprincess

buffalorun said:


> We found that many, many of the excursions ran over their time. On more than one occasion we were dashing for the ship, with them hastily pulling out as soon as possible.  But, they held the ship for us because we were on a Disney run excursion.  Otherwise, we would have very possibly missed the ship and had to get ourselves to the next port.  Due to that experience we will choose to always book with the Disney excursions.


I book all of our excursions independently, most companies will guarantee to get you back to the port or they will pay to get you to the next port. Just ask them when you're thinking about booking.


----------



## noahdove

I wouldn't like to be left behind for any reason!!! I will be booking thru Disney for sure...


----------



## MouseMomx2

noahdove said:


> I wouldn't like to be left behind for any reason!!! I will be booking thru Disney for sure...



We rarely book through Disney and have never come close to being left behind.  The independent tour operators are used to working with ship passengers and their tours are usually scheduled to get you back in plenty of time.  Plus, booking independently can save you a lot of money.


----------



## jetskigrl

MouseMomx2 said:


> We rarely book through Disney and have never come close to being left behind.  The independent tour operators are used to working with ship passengers and their tours are usually scheduled to get you back in plenty of time.  Plus, booking independently can save you a lot of money.



Yep, the cruise ships are their livelihood and they aren't going to chance having their reputations ruined by causing people to miss their ships.  Especially in Alaska I have noticed that most independent companies advertise they will guarantee that you will be back in time or they will pay to get you back to the ship (to the next port).

Disney will run later excursions because they know where their groups are and can keep an eye on those running late.  Example, in Cabo, we were heading back to the ship about 1 and 1/2 hours before departure time and we passed a DCL excursion heading over to the Dolphin facility.  If you booked independently, you would never do an excursion that late.   As it was, that group ended up being over 1/2 hour late and of course they held the ship for them since they know they were on their way back.

If you want to go with an independent tour company, just make sure the end-time of the excursion leaves you plenty of wiggle-room. I have independent tours booked at all three ports for our upcoming Alaska cruise, and all of them end 3-4 hours before departure time.


----------



## buffalorun

In agreement with all the posts.  There are times and reasons when to and when not to book independently.  We take excursions that tend to be affected by weather more than others.  For instance, if you fly Misty Fjords with a boat trip back - the building weather or seas can make for a very long trip back as the boat pounds the chop.  Been there, done that.  Other times it is a dreamy trip.  Not being the last trip of the day minimizes those considerations.  The most important thing we do is to enjoy the adventure and breathe in the scenery and experience.    ENJOY!


----------



## Cibahwewah

Skagway: Booking through Disney, we did the White Pass railway to the Canadian Border (very pretty), bus back (meh) to Yukon Gold Rush dredge and panning experience (tourist trap!) and walked around the town a bit for some shopping and had lunch in town.

Juneau: booked independently through Alaska Galore tours and did the Whales, Bears and Glaciers tour.  It was awesome and the highlight of the entire trip.  Highly highly recommended.  We were the first off the ship and were back an hour before departure time.  Had a personal tour guide with us all day. First went in small plane to Chicagof Island to meet a native tour guide and go see bears.  DisneyNature had just wrapped up filming "Bears" and we recognized a couple of sites. Back in plane to fly over 5 glaciers, narrated by pilot with headphones. She really got down in some valleys then swooped up and over.  It was literally awesome! Then went on small boat for whale watching.  About 12 people total.  Up close and personal. Lots of humpbacks putting on a show.  Felt sorry for folks on the large boats.  Some dolphins raced the boat back across the bay.  It was a lot of fun.

Ketchikan: walked around in the morning, up Creek St to the salmon ladder, took the funicular to the lodge, saw Totem center and hatchery.  Booked independently with Southeast Sea Kayaks.  Met guide at the visitor center and walked to pier.  They took us to Orca Cove where we met our kayaking guide who took us (family of 4) on a 2 hour paddle.  Saw sea stars and eagles but no orcas.  It was quiet and beautiful, very peaceful.  Delicious smoked salmon lunch afterwards.  Back to ship in plenty of time.  They knew the ship schedules better than we did, so no worries.  

Don't worry about booking independently of Disney.  I felt we had better, more personalized service, much smaller group, well, it was just us most of the time, and we were well taken care of.  It was nice to meet locals, not just summer hires for the cruise line.


----------



## tink too

We also found that the independent tour companies made sure you were back to the dock in plenty of time before all aboard times.

We got dropped off in town after one of our excursions for a bit of shopping and were still back on the ship with 2 hours to go before sailing away.

The only tours that seemed to return later on our sailing were the Disney operated ones but I don't think any of them were late enough to hold the ship up.


----------



## Freesia123

We booked for the Liarsville character experience with salmon bake. Then I realized it was from 8:45-11:45. Do they eat at like 10:30? I'm a bit confused.


----------



## Made Up Name

buffalorun said:


> We found that many, many of the excursions ran over their time. On more than one occasion we were dashing for the ship, with them hastily pulling out as soon as possible.  But, they held the ship for us because we were on a Disney run excursion.  Otherwise, we would have very possibly missed the ship and had to get ourselves to the next port.  Due to that experience we usually choose to book with the Disney excursions, depending on the location and time of excursion. Thatis our thoughts on the matter, for what it is worth.  Enjoy!



No offense, but, I'm not sure I believe you.  I doubt excursion operators want to deal with the problem of having their customers miss the ship.


----------



## jetskigrl

Made Up Name said:


> No offense, but, I'm not sure I believe you.  I doubt excursion operators want to deal with the problem of having their customers miss the ship.



In buffalorun's case, it was indicated that they were DCL excursions.   DCL will run excursions that end very close to departure time.  They can do it because they have a CM with the group and/or a primary contact person from the tour company.  So they can stay in contact to ensure that the group makes it back in time (or they will hold the ship for a little bit if they are on the way back).

But with independent tour companies that guarantee to get you back in time, you are right.  They will not let you book something that has a chance of getting back late (because DCL won't hold the ship in that case and they don't want to be responsible for you missing the ship).

I found that the independent companies in Alaska all know more about the Wonder's schedule than I do.   They told me what time we would be docking, and in one case, at what berth, LOL.


----------



## iheartglaciers

If you like hiking, I went on a wonderful independent excursion through Wild Wolf Tours in Ketchikan.  We hiked in the Tongass National Rainforest (amazingly lush with waterfalls), did some geocaching there, and went to a totem park.  She dropped us off in the town so we could walk around before getting back on the ship.

It was very well organized and there were 9-10 of us on the trip.  

In Juneau I did a dog sledding on a glacier your run by Coastal Helicopters which was expensive but amazing!  

Both got me back to the ship with plenty of time to spare.  As others have noted, the tour operators in Alaska know the cruise schedule inside out!


----------



## noahdove

For those booking non Disney tours, what and who do you book with? Thank you


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

A full list of all the people we used when we went last year.





Vancouver Airport

http://www.yvr.ca/en/default.aspx

Legacy Limousine Service
http://www.legacylimousine.ca/


Landsea Tours & Adventures

Landsea Tours & Adventures
http://www.vancouvertours.com/

Canada Line.
http://thecanadaline.com/

Pan Pacific Hotel

http://www2.panpacific.com/en/Vancouver/Overview.html


Pourhouse Restaurant

http://www.pourhousevancouver.com/


Fly Over Canada

http://www.flyovercanada.com/index.html


Bellaggio Cafe


http://www.bellaggiocafe.com/convention/con-index.html


De Dutch


http://www.dedutch.com/


M+M Tours

http://www.skagwayadventures.com/glacier_bay_flightseeing.asp



Whitepass Railway


http://wpyr.com/index.html


Chilkoot charters


http://www.chilkootcharters.com/summitrail.htm



Coastal Helicopters


http://coastalhelicopters.com/



SeaWind Aviation



http://www.seawindaviation.com/misty.html



Ketchikan Duck Tour!



http://www.akduck.com/



Vancouver Shuttle



http://www.vancouvershuttle.ca/cruise-transfers.html


----------



## jetskigrl

noahdove said:


> For those booking non Disney tours, what and who do you book with? Thank you



The ones that we considered/booked are:
Chilkoot Tours in Skagway (for the train/bus tour)

Harv and Marv, Alaska Galore, Rum Runners, Orca Enterprises for Whale Watching in Juneau (booked Alaska Galore)

Ketchikan Taxi Tours (booked a 3-hour city tour).

We have not been yet though so I cannot give you personal experience.  These were all companies that I found recommended here on the DIS


----------



## MouseMomx2

Coastal Helicopters was great.  We also booked directly through the White Pass & Yukon Railroad for our Skagway train trip.


----------



## AquaDame

noahdove said:


> For those booking non Disney tours, what and who do you book with? Thank you



We booked Misty Fjords floatplane though Island Wings - the rest we booked via DCL because they were either not available privately or not that much difference.


----------



## bradbamford

Is it possible to bring a DSLR on the heli port adventures?

I've read some people say you can only bring what you can fit in your pockets (DSLR camera does not). However, I've also read that they give you a small fanny pack and you can bring whatever you can fit in there (DSLR may fit).

To spend that much money and for those amazing views, I would like to capture it with the best camera I have.

I would love to hear from anyone who has been on any of those tours, your thoughts, and which tour you where on. 

Thanks!


----------



## MickeyMomTo2

bradbamford said:


> Is it possible to bring a DSLR on the heli port adventures?  I've read some people say you can only bring what you can fit in your pockets (DSLR camera does not). However, I've also read that they give you a small fanny pack and you can bring whatever you can fit in there (DSLR may fit).  To spend that much money and for those amazing views, I would like to capture it with the best camera I have.  I would love to hear from anyone who has been on any of those tours, your thoughts, and which tour you where on.  Thanks!



I took mine. You can't have it in a case. They don't allow any bags.


----------



## poohmomof5

bridgetmck said:


> Thank you CruznLexi. Your post was very helpful!
> 
> Is the train from Seattle an Amtrak train? And the shuttle? Just wanted more info so I can look into it for next year. How long is the trip from Seattle to Vancouver?
> Thanks!



Hi, last time we went on the Alaska cruise we flew into Seattle and took the train to Vancouver, and we are doing it again this summer! It is Amtrak, and it is a lovely trip (I saw some Eagles last time). Very relaxing and comfortable. 

It is a 4 hour trip.


----------



## poohmomof5

DISNEY FANTASY said:


> A full list of all the people we used when we went last year.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Vancouver Airport
> 
> http://www.yvr.ca/en/default.aspx
> 
> Legacy Limousine Service
> http://www.legacylimousine.ca/
> 
> 
> Landsea Tours & Adventures
> 
> Landsea Tours & Adventures
> http://www.vancouvertours.com/
> 
> Canada Line.
> http://thecanadaline.com/
> 
> Pan Pacific Hotel
> 
> http://www2.panpacific.com/en/Vancouver/Overview.html
> 
> 
> Pourhouse Restaurant
> 
> http://www.pourhousevancouver.com/
> 
> 
> Fly Over Canada
> 
> http://www.flyovercanada.com/index.html
> 
> 
> Bellaggio Cafe
> 
> 
> http://www.bellaggiocafe.com/convention/con-index.html
> 
> 
> De Dutch
> 
> 
> http://www.dedutch.com/
> 
> 
> M+M Tours
> 
> http://www.skagwayadventures.com/glacier_bay_flightseeing.asp
> 
> 
> 
> Whitepass Railway
> 
> 
> http://wpyr.com/index.html
> 
> 
> Chilkoot charters
> 
> 
> http://www.chilkootcharters.com/summitrail.htm
> 
> 
> 
> Coastal Helicopters
> 
> 
> http://coastalhelicopters.com/
> 
> 
> 
> SeaWind Aviation
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.seawindaviation.com/misty.html
> 
> 
> 
> Ketchikan Duck Tour!
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.akduck.com/
> 
> 
> 
> Vancouver Shuttle
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.vancouvershuttle.ca/cruise-transfers.html



Very helpful! The Bellagio Cafe looks awesome and is close to our hotel. Was it good? Outside seating? We have a 9 year old and 16 year old, will they enjoy it?


----------



## sunryzez

Has anyone done the Disney excursion in Ketchikan Totems, Exclusive Lumberjack Show and Potlatch Park Featuring Exclusive Youth Activity???

I think this will be the best excursion for our family. I want to see the lumber jack show and my husband wants to see the totem poles and Native American culture. And, my kids love arts and crafts so I feell ike it is the happy medium for everyone. However, it is very pricey for our family of 5 and want to make sure it is worth it.( about 600 dollars) 

I saw Disney also has a Saxman Village excursion/lumberjack that is similar and a bit cheaper but reviews on Tripadvisor do not look so good for them....

Anyone advice would be appreciated =)


----------



## mrp4352

Just got home yesterday from another fabulous DCL cruise to Alaska!!  For our excursions this year:

Sitka - 2-hour Marine Wildlife Tour booked privately with Sitka Wildlife Tours. Fantastic excursion!  The ship only holds 6 passengers, so we were able to get really close to the otters.  Our guide was knowledgable and interesting. 

Skagway - the Yukon Expedition through Disney. We enjoyed this excursion, although not as much as our previous cruise 2 years ago.  The tour guide was very new and not as talkative as our previous guide and the mosquitos were VERY, VERY bad at Carcross.  (part of our issues with this excursion were fellow guests - not anything to be done about that, I'm afraid)

Juneau - the Enchanted Taku Lodge and 5-glacier Floatplane through Disney.  Again, an amazing trip!  Wings Airways is super professional and the staff at Taku Lodge are friendly and really good cooks!  (and the bears are fun, too!!)

Ketchikan - we just wandered around town, so no excursion to report on here, I'm afraid.


----------



## paperboy

Booked Coastal Helicopters in Juneau independently for the dog sled tour on the Herbert Glacier.

On our way out of the ship to get to the excursion, a couple was coming back in, having just found out that their dog sled tour had been canceled, so it got us worried.

Not to fear, Coastal was there to greet us, and the conditions were favorable for our tour. There were only two other people on our particular launch, and they were a lovely couple. The entire experience was truly top notch! I'm not sure what Menenhall Glacier is like, but on Herbert, it felt like we owned the glacier because it was only the four of us and the dog camp there. We mushed the sled the entire time, whereas I've read that others on similar excursions only get a few minutes of mushing due to having to switch off constantly. If we have one complaint, it's that we didn't have more time to play with the puppies, but it was minor in the overall scheme of things. 

They have my 100% recommendation!


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

poohmomof5 said:


> Very helpful! The Bellagio Cafe looks awesome and is close to our hotel. Was it good? Outside seating? We have a 9 year old and 16 year old, will they enjoy it?



Yes very good for dinner and breakfast there is outside seating and potions huge.


----------



## JAMWDW

Great thread - so much wonderful information shared! Maybe I didn't look back far enough, but I am looking for feedback from anyone who has done either of the following excursions.  We will have our 13 year old son with us who likes adventure.

Skagway: Ocean Raft Nature Adventure

Juneau: Alpine Zipline & Glacier Adventure.  Think the zipline part will be fine, but worrying that we may not have enough time at Mendenhall (50 mins).


----------



## tink too

sunryzez said:


> Has anyone done the Disney excursion in Ketchikan Totems, Exclusive Lumberjack Show and Potlatch Park Featuring Exclusive Youth Activity???



My DD really wanted to do this but my DH wanted to go fishing, so we split up last year and us girls went on this tour.

The children (various ages) on the tour seemed to enjoy talking to the totem carver and then went off to do their craft activity.  The adults were given a bit of history and a tour, then we were told some native stories.  We had a bit of time to shop as well.

Short bus ride to the Lumberjack show, which I personally enjoyed.  I know some reviews say the show is corny, but it also shows the skills of these guys and is fun and was something we couldn't see at home, so to us it was worth it.

As the show is near the dock, we took our time when leaving so DD could get her photo taken with the guys and then shopped and little in their store.

I'm not sure it's the kind of tour I want to repeat on a future visit, but I am really glad we did it as we both had a great time.


----------



## twindaddy

mrp4352 said:


> Just got home yesterday from another fabulous DCL cruise to Alaska!!  For our excursions this year:
> 
> 
> 
> Skagway - the Yukon Expedition through Disney. We enjoyed this excursion, although not as much as our previous cruise 2 years ago.  The tour guide was very new and not as talkative as our previous guide and the mosquitos were VERY, VERY bad at Carcross.  (part of our issues with this excursion were fellow guests - not anything to be done about that, I'm afraid)



We are doing the same tour, but through Chilkoot tours. Might be kind of different actually, but sorta similar. What was the issue with fellow guests?


----------



## sunryzez

tink said:


> My DD really wanted to do this but my DH wanted to go fishing, so we split up last year and us girls went on this tour.
> 
> The children (various ages) on the tour seemed to enjoy talking to the totem carver and then went off to do their craft activity.  The adults were given a bit of history and a tour, then we were told some native stories.  We had a bit of time to shop as well.
> 
> Short bus ride to the Lumberjack show, which I personally enjoyed.  I know some reviews say the show is corny, but it also shows the skills of these guys and is fun and was something we couldn't see at home, so to us it was worth it.
> 
> As the show is near the dock, we took our time when leaving so DD could get her photo taken with the guys and then shopped and little in their store.
> 
> I'm not sure it's the kind of tour I want to repeat on a future visit, but I am really glad we did it as we both had a great time.



Thanks for the quick reply. I think it is something we would enjoy. I have two last questions about this excursion
1) When you say the kids went off to do their activity, does that mean in a seperate area away from the parents. My lil guy is very shy and I dont know how keen he would be if he needs to be seperated from me in a place he is not familiar in.

2) Did it show alot of history? My husband is really into history of cultures. And, I heard Potlatch Park has an antique car muesum. Was there time to view that?

Thanks again =)


----------



## ImprovGal

mrp4352 said:


> Skagway - the Yukon Expedition through Disney. We enjoyed this excursion, although not as much as our previous cruise 2 years ago.  The tour guide was very new and not as talkative as our previous guide and the mosquitos were VERY, VERY bad at Carcross.  (part of our issues with this excursion were fellow guests - not anything to be done about that, I'm afraid)



There must have been more than one departure group for this tour, as my guide talked the entire bus ride up and was very informative.  I agree that the mosquitoes were horrendous at Carcross.  I still can't figure out how I escaped without a single bite when I didn't have any repellant on me.


----------



## ShelsGoingToDisney

paperboy said:


> Booked Coastal Helicopters in Juneau independently for the dog sled tour on the Herbert Glacier.
> 
> On our way out of the ship to get to the excursion, a couple was coming back in, having just found out that their dog sled tour had been canceled, so it got us worried.
> 
> Not to fear, Coastal was there to greet us, and the conditions were favorable for our tour. There were only two other people on our particular launch, and they were a lovely couple. The entire experience was truly top notch! I'm not sure what Menenhall Glacier is like, but on Herbert, it felt like we owned the glacier because it was only the four of us and the dog camp there. We mushed the sled the entire time, whereas I've read that others on similar excursions only get a few minutes of mushing due to having to switch off constantly. If we have one complaint, it's that we didn't have more time to play with the puppies, but it was minor in the overall scheme of things.
> 
> They have my 100% recommendation!



Were you on the 5/24-6/2 cruise? We had the helicopter/Mendenhall dog sled excursion booked and were really, really sad that it was canceled.  From the sounds of it all the DCL scheduled helicopter/dog sled excursions were canceled in Juneau that day. We did switch over to the *5-Glacier Floatplane Exploration* excursion. It was cool to see the glaciers from the air and to be on a floatplane but I don't think I would recommend this excursion. It was pricey for what you got. It was a very structured flight. The pilot did not talk, you listened to a pre-recorded narration. You followed a very structured flight plan that did not veer off course at all so you didn't see anything up close or any wildlife or anything. The flight was only about 30-35 minutes long.

In *Sitka* we did our own excursion with Paul Davis from Gallant Adventures. You can find him on trip advisor. He took us out in his boat, just our family, and we saw tons of eagles, sea otters, starfish, humpback whales, sea lions, seals, puffins, and the best was the gray whales. There was a pair of gray whales that just hung around our boat for awhile. At one point we could nearly reach out and touch them! Unbelievable! He also took us around the volcanic islands and took the boat into a sea cave that was really cool!

In *Skagway* we did the *Klondike Gold Dredge and White Pass Railway* The train ride was cool. The gold panning was fun, but a little cheesy and really quick (only about 5-10 minutes of panning). Wish we would have paired the White Pass with some type of dog sledding excursion instead since our helicopter/dog sled was canceled in Juneau. We are really disappointed to be home from Alaska without even seeing a Husky!

In *Ketchikan* we did the *Disney Exclusive: Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour and Dinner with the Crew*. We all really enjoyed this excursion and I would recommend it. There is a part where they throw out fish and eagles come in that is just amazing. We had at least 40-50 eagles swooping around the boat. It was really a once in a lifetime experience. The dinner was fine and the stories were interesting. Before the dinner and after the rest of the tour group leaves they take you on a long tour of the boat (from the Deadliest Catch show) and you can sit in the captain's chair etc.


----------



## ImprovGal

ShelsGoingToDisney said:


> In *Ketchikan* we did the *Disney Exclusive: Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour and Dinner with the Crew*. We all really enjoyed this excursion and I would recommend it. There is a part where they throw out fish and eagles come in that is just amazing. We had at least 40-50 eagles swooping around the boat. It was really a once in a lifetime experience. The dinner was fine and the stories were interesting. Before the dinner and after the rest of the tour group leaves they take you on a long tour of the boat (from the Deadliest Catch show) and you can sit in the captain's chair etc.



I was on that excursion with you and also really enjoyed it.  The time with the eagles was amazing, albeit a bit Hitchcockian.  The dinner itself was good, although I would have preferred to have been seated around a table rather than have the tray tables brought to the auditorium-style seating.


----------



## disneyfaninaz

We too were on the 5/24 sailing.

In *Sitka* we booked a tour with *Sitka Sound Tours * with Jim Seeland.  He was awesome.  We shared our 6 pack with another 3 person family from the ship and saw lots of eagles, otters, humpbacks, seals, sea lions and the grey whales.  We were having so much fun watching the grey whales that we didn't go out to the island to see the puffins. Highly recommend Jim.

In *Skagway* we booked the *White Pass Train and Highway Combo Tour* through *Frontier Excursions and Adventures*.  This was the most amazing tour.  Our group had a personal train car on the way up.  My friend and I had the entire train balcony all to ourselves.  Once we got to the Yukon, we had a private tour bus and the sun came out for a beautiful day.  We saw both Dahl sheep and Mountain goats.  The lakes were the most incredible color of blue.  Except for Emerald Lake, which was a magnificent green.  Our guide was the absolutely the best ever!

In *Juneau*, we booked a private whale watching tour for 11 people with *Weather Permitting.*  This was an amazing experience.  Captain Harry and Captain John were awesome.  We were so lucky to have found a pod of orcas to follow.  We could have watched them all day.  My DH even saw a huge male jump, but of course, I was looking elsewhere.

In *Ketchikan*, DH took the *Sea Bearing Fisherman's *excursion and thought it was amazing.  DD and I did the *Bear Creek Ziplining* and had a wonderful time flying amongst the trees.  It was an absolutely beautiful sunny day.


----------



## nunami

We are on the August 11 cruise and I have a question about bathrooms on the tours.

*Skagway - Klondike Gold Dredge and White Pass Railway.*
Are there bathrooms in the Gold Dredge area and the Coach Bus returning to the ship?  (I know there are bathrooms on the train)​
*Juneau - Dog Sledding on Mendenhall Glacier by Helicopter.*
Are there bathrooms up on the Glacier?​
*Ketchikan - Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour*
Are there bathrooms on the boat?​
Thanks!  My mom has to use the bathroom quite often so I want to make sure she will have access to one for these port adventures.


----------



## RweTHEREyet

nunami said:


> We are on the August 11 cruise and I have a question about bathrooms on the tours.
> 
> *Skagway - Klondike Gold Dredge and White Pass Railway.*
> Are there bathrooms in the Gold Dredge area and the Coach Bus returning to the ship?  (I know there are bathrooms on the train)​
> *Juneau - Dog Sledding on Mendenhall Glacier by Helicopter.*
> Are there bathrooms up on the Glacier?​
> *Ketchikan - Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour*
> Are there bathrooms on the boat?​
> Thanks!  My mom has to use the bathroom quite often so I want to make sure she will have access to one for these port adventures.



I am sure there are bathrooms on the Mendenhall glacier dog-sledding as there are people that live up there with the dogs thru the summer, but we never requested to use one and I can only imagine how cold it would be.  Our excursion was not cancelled, but we booked directly with ERA, not thru DCL.  We not only got to ride in the dog sled, but we got to take turns standing/driving the second sled that was attached.  This was the most amazing excursion, and I highly recommend ERA.


----------



## mrp4352

twindaddy said:


> We are doing the same tour, but through Chilkoot tours. Might be kind of different actually, but sorta similar. What was the issue with fellow guests?



We had some rather outspoken, pushy people on our bus that made sure everyone knew when things weren't to their liking.  Additionally, we didn't get to sit together on the train portion of the tour (although we were within a couple of rows of each other in the same car), but this was because a couple of families chose to spread out - and then spend most of the ride on the platforms.



ImprovGal said:


> There must have been more than one departure group for this tour, as my guide talked the entire bus ride up and was very informative.  I agree that the mosquitoes were horrendous at Carcross.  I still can't figure out how I escaped without a single bite when I didn't have any repellant on me.



There were two busses for this excursion.  

We really did enjoy the excursion, but we had such a good time on this excursion previously, we may have held the measuring stick too high.  We had a good time, there were just several small annoyances that all kind of added up, you know?  Again - they were all external to the excursion itself!


----------



## nunami

RweTHEREyet said:


> I am sure there are bathrooms on the Mendenhall glacier dog-sledding as there are people that live up there with the dogs thru the summer, but we never requested to use one and I can only imagine how cold it would be.  Our excursion was not cancelled, but we booked directly with ERA, not thru DCL.  We not only got to ride in the dog sled, but we got to take turns standing/driving the second sled that was attached.  This was the most amazing excursion, and I highly recommend ERA.



What was the weather like - my parents are in Texas so I am worried about it being too cold for them and want to make sure they pack properly. Thanks!!!!


----------



## bellanapoli

ShelsGoingToDisney said:


> We had the helicopter/Mendenhall dog sled excursion booked and were really, really sad that it was canceled.  From the sounds of it all the DCL scheduled helicopter/dog sled excursions were canceled in Juneau that day.



What kind of notice did you get from DCL about the cancellation?  We have this excursion booked through DCL for our August cruise and that's my concern.

We have the latest possible one booked in hopes that helps with the weather.  I'm just curious how much notice they give as I imagine it will be a scramble to try to make alternative plans.

Thanks!


----------



## RweTHEREyet

nunami said:


> What was the weather like - my parents are in Texas so I am worried about it being too cold for them and want to make sure they pack properly. Thanks!!!!



It was cold (as you would expect it to be standing on a glacier).  I wore two layers of Cuddle Duds tops, a lightweight sweatshirt, a fleece lined hoodie and an all-weather jacket on top of that.  I also had on some Smartwool socks, a pair of Cuddle Duds base layer pants, jeans and waterproof shoes.  (They give you overboots for your shoes, which worked great).  I also had on a wool headband and 180's earmuffs and gloves with hand warmers inside.  I never got too warm and never got too terribly cold.  My legs got a little chilly when I was riding in the dog sled -  a blanket would have been nice.  

I am from North Carolina, so I am not used to the severe cold either.

Back to add, it was not windy on the glacier, but it was very breezy where we boarded the helicopter at their base/hanger.


----------



## tink too

sunryzez said:


> Thanks for the quick reply. I think it is something we would enjoy. I have two last questions about this excursion
> 1) When you say the kids went off to do their activity, does that mean in a seperate area away from the parents. My lil guy is very shy and I dont know how keen he would be if he needs to be seperated from me in a place he is not familiar in.



Yes, the kids go to a special building with the counsellors and the wood carver.  I didn't see anyone on our tour refuse to go or get antsy when they left their parents.  We got to watch them enter and even peep in the window for a second, before setting off to tour with the guides.  It's not a huge place, so you are never that far away from the children but are out of sight for a while (maybe 20 minutes).



sunryzez said:


> 2) Did it show alot of history? My husband is really into history of cultures. And, I heard Potlatch Park has an antique car muesum. Was there time to view that?



There was some history and native stories which I found interesting. Although I'm sure there were some cars, I didn't pay much attention to them.  We did spend a while in the shop and took some time to look around the antique gun museum and visit the restroom!


----------



## TheChanClan

Love this thread, thanks for all the good information!

For those of you who have done the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour in Ketchickan, would it be suitable for our 14month old?  TIA!


----------



## ShelsGoingToDisney

nunami said:


> We are on the August 11 cruise and I have a question about bathrooms on the tours.
> 
> *Skagway - Klondike Gold Dredge and White Pass Railway.*
> Are there bathrooms in the Gold Dredge area and the Coach Bus returning to the ship?  (I know there are bathrooms on the train)​
> *Juneau - Dog Sledding on Mendenhall Glacier by Helicopter.*
> Are there bathrooms up on the Glacier?​
> *Ketchikan - Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour*
> Are there bathrooms on the boat?​
> Thanks!  My mom has to use the bathroom quite often so I want to make sure she will have access to one for these port adventures.



I can answer that there are bathrooms to use in all of the places you asked about except the dog sledding on Mendenhall Glacier. I can't answer that because our excursion there was canceled. 



bellanapoli said:


> What kind of notice did you get from DCL about the cancellation?  We have this excursion booked through DCL for our August cruise and that's my concern.
> 
> We have the latest possible one booked in hopes that helps with the weather.  I'm just curious how much notice they give as I imagine it will be a scramble to try to make alternative plans.
> 
> Thanks!



We did book the latest one with the same hopes as you. We had heard the morning excursions were all canceled as well. We did not get any notice. We showed up in the Wavebands lounge at 12:10 for our 12:15 assigned time. When DH went to sign in they asked him to sit down and someone would be over to talk to him. That is when they came over and told us. They said they wait until the last possible minute to cancel because conditions can change. Another family we met on the cruise had the same experience with an earlier scheduled heli/dog sled excursion.

The CM then gave us the booklet and showed us the 3 excursions that still had openings, Salmon Bake, Dog Camp Carting, and a Floatplane 5-Glacier. We took the last 5 openings of the floatplane excursion. It was okay, but overpriced for what you got.

After reading this I am kicking myself because I had debated back and forth with booking on my own with ERA or going through DCL and figured DCL would be safer only to find out the ERA people went up.


----------



## MickeyMomTo2

TheChanClan said:


> Love this thread, thanks for all the good information!  For those of you who have done the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour in Ketchickan, would it be suitable for our 14month old?  TIA!



We loved this excursion, but a lot of it is like a show. You sit in stadium style seating and watch/listen. For us, it was also very cold once we got out into the ocean.  I would think this might be challenging for most 14 month olds, but that depends on your child's personality.  Again, we loved it, but my kids were 8 and 11.


----------



## Arizona Rita

Hi!

We always book DCL excursions. So far we have had only one cancellation and that was in the Mediterranean and due to ocean currents and weather.
DH feels more comfortable booking through them and although I might take the chance of using someone like Harv and Marv for now we're happy.

Sitka~3 Stars~ Jet-Cat Wildlife Quest and Beach Exploration~
We went on a catamaran out to a beach and walked through the forrest for about an hour and spent about a half hour on the water coming and going.
We saw some otters and birds going to the beach. The tour director, Mary was nice as was the captain. She had baggies for us in case we wanted to take any shells back and DD found a piece of ocean glass and some shells. Unlike Hawaii, you are allowed to take what you find home.
They probably had the best hot chocolate of the entire cruise.
They provided local themed snacks, hc, tea and coffee.
On the way back we were able to view a young gray whale "playing" for about 20 minutes. He kept surfacing and diving like he was putting on a show  like a kid.
You cant guarantee that you are going to see wildlife. We knew this going into this.
I would only give this 3 stars. Overall it wasnt that great and probably not worth the money spent.

Skagway~ 4 Stars~ Ocean Raft nature Adventure~
Rib boat through the Lynn Canal. This was fun!
Just DD and I did this as there was a weight limit and DH wasnt interested.
You are in an open boat with about 20 people and crew. You sit on a backwards saddle/Schwinn bicycle banana seat with the little metal bar to hold on to. Since the boat is small they are able to take you right up to the cliffs and waterfalls.
We saw lots of eagles! otters and Lauren, who looked just in time, saw a young bear on a shore line.
The captains name was Captain CJ and I did not get the naturalists name, but she was very good, knowledgable and enthusiastic!
Of course it was thrilling when the captain would speed up and do 360s1
Two young boys sitting up in the front were thrilled and shouted out 
"That was awesome!"
Speed, wind whipping through your hair, nature up close, get to wear those awesome Deadliest Catch wet suite (required!).
Definitely do over, worth the money!
The only reason it gets 4 stars and not 5 is because the whole family didnt do it.

Juneau~ 4Stars~ Alaska's Whales and Glaciers Photo Safari
We chose this because DD thinks she will end up with a minor in photography.
I think she may end up with a major in it.
The gentleman, Dave, who was our guide has been a professional photography since college, used to do portraits, showed us some of his work as we were driving out to Mendenhall. Yes, he's good, knowledgeable and kept things at a very good pace. I think Lauren wsa able to get some pointers from him.
We went on a hike through the forrest to Mendenhall, not just a lets cross the street type of tour. Showed us the receding markers, spoke of the history of the local flora and fauna. We spent some time at the glacier and he offered to take our "Christmas card" photos. We took him up on the offer.
We reboarded the buses and went to the docks and boarded our boat.
On the ride there they gave us avery nice snack bag with at least 4 different things in it. Nice. And water bottles.
DH doesnt do well with small boats when he can feel the waves hitting and rocking. He does great on cruises.
There were times I was very concerned about him. That may be something you might want to keep in mind.
We starting seeing whales and then we would see these little black spots and they told us they were seals! They were playing and so cute!
And then... There was an Orca!! A young male. That made the day!
It was just amazing.
The weather was freezing and raining. the weather we were expecting in Ketchikan we had in Juneau.
On our ride back we were given dvds of what we saw and photography pointers and other things on it. It wasnt our specific trip but I think it was a really nice and I think DD will be able to use it.
Do over! and worth the money.

Ketchikan~ 5! Stars!~ Adventure Cart Expedition~
Cruises can be hard for the older kids when they dont fall into the adult category and they are too old for the clubs. We had our son pick out something that he wanted to do and this is what he chose. There is a weight limit but DH contacted the company directly and they told us that our son should be fine. 
We could not have asked for more perfect weather! Ketchikan was dry. Not one drop of rain while we were there.
This is off road carting. They want you to hit the potholes. You cant avoid them to be honest. We had great views of the water and forrest. We learned about logging and deforestation before the National Forestry took over.
Our guide looked like Shaggy with Rastafarian hair. He was cool.
DH and I got to be the lead cart and our group was small with only 7 of us. 4 of us and one other family.
Yes, this one is expensive. Was it worth it? Yes. Would we have done it if we didnt have our son with us? No.  But he was thrilled and after going along with everything else we felt he deserved to do something he wanted to do.
The memories are worth it.

well there you go, my long winded but honest review.
Hope this helps deciding what you will be doing.
Enjoy your cruise and happy sailing!


----------



## cedricandsophie

We did Alaska cruise a few years ago. Did the train in Sitka I think. It was great. And the kids liked the gold they found and were able to keep. Got off in Ketchikan and found our own guide. He was great. Saw a lot of wildlife for 100 for 6 of us. In Juneau we just walked around and had lunch. We tried for helicopter to glacier but that was cancelled. We were a little disappointed but it saved us over $1000 so we got over it quickly. Saw orcas right off the ship


----------



## islandsnoopy

I've searched this thread but haven't seen any recent reviews of the Mendenhall Glacier Adventure Hike in Juneau.  Is it necessary to wear hiking shoes? The activity is listed as Active but curious as to how strenuous it is and if it's appropriate for 8 yr old.  Appreciate any info in this excursion.  Thank you!


----------



## Arizona Rita

islandsnoopy said:


> I've searched this thread but haven't seen any recent reviews of the Mendenhall Glacier Adventure Hike in Juneau.  Is it necessary to wear hiking shoes? The activity is listed as Active but curious as to how strenuous it is and if it's appropriate for 8 yr old.  Appreciate any info in this excursion.  Thank you!



if its any thing like the one we did, no you done need hiking shoes, just good closed toed or tennis shoes. Three of us wear New Balance and DD was in Converse.


----------



## DVC4US

Arizona Rita said:


> Hi!
> 
> ...Ketchikan~ 5! Stars!~ Adventure Cart Expedition~
> Cruises can be hard for the older kids when they dont fall into the adult category and they are too old for the clubs. We had our son pick out something that he wanted to do and this is what he chose. There is a weight limit but DH contacted the company directly and they told us that our son should be fine.
> We could not have asked for more perfect weather! Ketchikan was dry. Not one drop of rain while we were there.
> This is off road carting. They want you to hit the potholes. You cant avoid them to be honest. We had great views of the water and forrest. We learned about logging and deforestation before the National Forestry took over.
> Our guide looked like Shaggy with Rastafarian hair. He was cool.
> DH and I got to be the lead cart and our group was small with only 7 of us. 4 of us and one other family.
> Yes, this one is expensive. Was it worth it? Yes. Would we have done it if we didnt have our son with us? No.  But he was thrilled and after going along with everything else we felt he deserved to do something he wanted to do.
> The memories are worth it.
> 
> well there you go, my long winded but honest review.
> Hope this helps deciding what you will be doing.
> Enjoy your cruise and happy sailing!



Part of our group is doing this tour and my DD is curious about how dirty you get.(she's trying to figure out what clothes to wear lol)  I know it can be different if it is a rainy day but that one she can figure out.  Thanks!


----------



## Arizona Rita

If its dry you get really dusty and it is advised not to bring your camera.
The company provides you with outer clothing and helmets. You can buy, which we are glad we did, bandanas for five dollars. 
We wore our "dirty" clothes since our carting was 2 days before we went home.


----------



## CruznLexi

We did the bearing see fisherman tour. I can not say enough good things about it! It was awesome.sokething for everyone! Lots of eagles. Hold a crab! Hot chocolate!


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## OttawaMumTo2

I realize this isn't about Alaska, but it is related to the Alaska cruise - Has anyone done the Flyover Canada attraction at Canada Place, in Vancouver? I am thinking of buying tickets, but want feedback first if possible. I also don't know if it makes a difference, but I am Canadian. Thank you!


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

OttawaMumTo2 said:


> I realize this isn't about Alaska, but it is related to the Alaska cruise - Has anyone done the Flyover Canada attraction at Canada Place, in Vancouver? I am thinking of buying tickets, but want feedback first if possible. I also don't know if it makes a difference, but I am Canadian. Thank you!



Yes did it last Summer on the roof of the per and next yo pan pacific I think it's actually better than soarin in WDW

Long queues last year book online for a time slot and a discount,


----------



## OttawaMumTo2

DISNEY FANTASY said:


> Yes did it last Summer on the roof of the per and next yo pan pacific I think it's actually better than soarin in WDW
> 
> Long queues last year book online for a time slot and a discount,



Thank you - I loved Soarin! Will pay a little extra for the timeslot booking.


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

OttawaMumTo2 said:


> Thank you - I loved Soarin! Will pay a little extra for the timeslot booking.



We booked a time slot and sailed through the long line.


----------



## islandsnoopy

Arizona Rita said:


> if its any thing like the one we did, no you done need hiking shoes, just good closed toed or tennis shoes. Three of us wear New Balance and DD was in Converse.



Thanks for the info!


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## DVC4US

Arizona Rita said:


> If its dry you get really dusty and it is advised not to bring your camera.
> The company provides you with outer clothing and helmets. You can buy, which we are glad we did, bandanas for five dollars.
> We wore our "dirty" clothes since our carting was 2 days before we went home.



Thanks so much, I will pass along the information.


----------



## bradbamford

OttawaMumTo2 said:


> I realize this isn't about Alaska, but it is related to the Alaska cruise - Has anyone done the Flyover Canada attraction at Canada Place, in Vancouver? I am thinking of buying tickets, but want feedback first if possible. I also don't know if it makes a difference, but I am Canadian. Thank you!



It was good. The flyover part seem to last longer than Soarin in Disneyland and WDW. In total it's 30mins, but most of that is a lame video you watch while standing in a holding room. The flyover ride is about 8mins long. I thought it was better than Soarin over California, but that could be just because it was longer and different. I wouldn't pay for it again, but I wouldn't pass is it up if you're only in Vancouver once.


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## AquaDame

We really liked flying over canada though it is overpriced. The movements are a little more extreme which is nice (nothing scary just more lifelike!) you also get sprayed with mist a couple times which we liked. The scenes felt like a bit of a rip off of soaring to me and the movie is silly/ doesn't add much. It's called uplift. For a mere $10 you can go through again the same day... Lol we did not.


----------



## OttawaMumTo2

Thank you for the Flyover information. I think I will bite the bullet and try it out - sounds like fun! We are going to go there the morning of embarkation.


----------



## bellanapoli

ShelsGoingToDisney said:


> We did book the latest one with the same hopes as you. We had heard the morning excursions were all canceled as well. We did not get any notice. We showed up in the Wavebands lounge at 12:10 for our 12:15 assigned time. When DH went to sign in they asked him to sit down and someone would be over to talk to him. That is when they came over and told us. They said they wait until the last possible minute to cancel because conditions can change. Another family we met on the cruise had the same experience with an earlier scheduled heli/dog sled excursion.
> 
> The CM then gave us the booklet and showed us the 3 excursions that still had openings, Salmon Bake, Dog Camp Carting, and a Floatplane 5-Glacier. We took the last 5 openings of the floatplane excursion. It was okay, but overpriced for what you got.
> 
> After reading this I am kicking myself because I had debated back and forth with booking on my own with ERA or going through DCL and figured DCL would be safer only to find out the ERA people went up.




Thanks for the follow up.  We're just going to roll the dice and still stick with the Disney excursion.  It will be a bummer if it's cancelled but I know that weather is unpredictable.


----------



## sunryzez

Any new excursion reviews from the new Alaska groups yet?


----------



## podsnel

bellanapoli said:


> Thanks for the follow up.  We're just going to roll the dice and still stick with the Disney excursion.  It will be a bummer if it's cancelled but I know that weather is unpredictable.



This happened to a friend of mine- they were booked throughDisney in the morning and it was cancelled- they got off the ship and asked one of the vendors about it there and they sold them the tour for the afternoon (for less)- so in the end they did get to go after all. Something to keep in mind if a morning one gets cancelled.


----------



## AquaDame

Skagway: White Pass Railway - 
We booked this through Disney - in retrospect I wish we hadn't. I had heard reports that they provide water and a guide as well as board you in a different space but in reality once we were off the ship we were told to just hop on one of the back three cars where some people were already loaded and we did not go to the station for anyone else. We had the same piped in voice and they also had access to the water so I am not sure what the point of the Disney excursion is.  We chose the back so we could go out and take pictures but the platform was crowded the entire time making it difficult (everyone had the same idea). You can't cross cars so if your platforms are full they are full. You also can't hear the narration from outside, though it is very little narration anyway. They also provide a map that shows where points of interest are along the way so you know if something is coming up. Once you reach the top everyone is told to stay in their seats while they move the engine from the front to the back, and then you move your backrest from one side to the other so everyone can stay on their bench on the way back down too. That way you see one side on the way up and the other on the way down. Since we had been in the back we were now in the very front car and there were quite a few fumes from the engine on the way down. The scenery was, of course, breathtaking. We did not see any wildlife at all, even goats (I had my binoculars out the whole time). 

Juneau - Extended Helicopter Trek
We REALLY lucked out with the weather in Juneau on this trip - wonderful visibility and very warm. Disney used North Star Trekking for this one and they did a wonderful job. We were led to their van to the airport where they passed out appropriate clothes for the venture. They also gave us a fanny pack with a bottle of water and granola bar with a pack of tissues. We had three guides to nine people in our group - since we were the first group of the day the guides went up with us - we filled every seat in two helicopters. After brief sightseeing (we could look down on the dog camps and saw them mushing away on this day) we touched down on the glacier and they put on our crampons and passed out axes. Much of the time was spent showing us how to move around with the crampons then we just romped around through the ice with the guides choosing our way and making sure no one got stuck. We stopped a few times to listen to them speak about the glacier and to dump our bottled water in favor of glacier water. At one point they took pics for anyone who wanted by a waterfall. This was really fun and in our opinion worth the cost. 

Ketchikan - Misty Fjords booked through Island Wings
Our main disappointment of the trip was that our good luck flipped and it started pouring before we docked. We met the van just before noon as we were told but alas, it had been cancelled. They gave us a brochure and a DVD of what we MIGHT have seen (I haven't watched it yet) and said they had already refunded our money. Since we paid with a check we still haven't gotten our refund in the mail even though that was 10 days ago... still waiting on that. She offered to book us on the Bering Crab Tour since her husband works on it, but we declined and went into the visitors center to figure out what we wanted to do. There were a lot of people clamoring for business and a few other outfits told me they could get us out which is the hard part and then it would be fine, but we decided there must be a reason Island Wings cancelled and to just give up on it. Other people said their later flights were also cancelled so I am not sure if we would have been able to get up after all. We went with a van tour of the city that was very disappointing.... the guide did not take us everywhere they were supposed to because our van mates wanted to watch bald eagles instead. We ended up rather disappointed and a bit drenched. In the future I would try to get on a larger bus that wasn't tied to the whims of individuals and could stay on schedule.


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## anissadanley

Taku Lodge/ Float Plane out of Juneau was a lot of fun! You get a narrated view of the City, hear about its history and then see the Glacier itself. At the lodge you get a great view of the only advancing glacier in the Juneau area. There's enough time to go on both the 20 minute walks, as well as visit the gift shop (though it's not that spectacular) and they feed you a nice Salmon Bake (or chicken alternative) meal. The history of the place is quite nice, and even though it was not salmon spawning season when we went (June 14), another group from The Wonder saw bears on that day. We saw evidence of bears, but unfortunately didn't see them in person.


----------



## anissadanley

We heard from many of our fellow sailing mates after Skagway, and most were disappointed. The Liarsville Excursion was a complete disappointment to anyone over the age of 10 (and they liked it because of the character experience, but there is plenty of opportunities to see them onboard). Most people found the Disney Port adventures here to be underwhelming. The only positive ones we heard of were some of the dog sledding excursions.

Personally, we bought/downloaded to an iPad the Murray's driving tour from Skagway to Emerald Lake (in the Yukon territory). We rented a car from the local AVIS, and took this self guided tour through the Klondike Highway. We saw a lot of wonderful sites, learned some of the history, drank from some natural spring falls... all in all a really nice time. Long, but nice. If you don't mind a long drive through the area, consider this option.


----------



## GoofyLovingFamily

anissadanley said:


> We heard from many of our fellow sailing mates after Skagway, and most were disappointed. The Liarsville Excursion was a complete disappointment to anyone over the age of 10 (and they liked it because of the character experience, but there is plenty of opportunities to see them onboard). Most people found the Disney Port adventures here to be underwhelming. The only positive ones we heard of were some of the dog sledding excursions.
> 
> Personally, we bought/downloaded to an iPad the Murray's driving tour from Skagway to Emerald Lake (in the Yukon territory). We rented a car from the local AVIS, and took this self guided tour through the Klondike Highway. We saw a lot of wonderful sites, learned some of the history, drank from some natural spring falls... all in all a really nice time. Long, but nice. If you don't mind a long drive through the area, consider this option.



Thank you for recommending this. We have a car reserved in Skagway and plan to follow the Murray guide. Glad to hear a positive review of that.


----------



## pequele

We were on the 9 nighter so I will skip Sitka. It was myself and my 5 yo DS.

Vancouver: We did Flyover Canada as we stayed at the Pan Pacific both before and after. I enjoyed it, but it is an overpriced Soarin'. Still we didn't do much that day anyways so the total cost for the day wasn't bad overall.

Skagway: We did the Liarsville excursion with Disney in the am. I booked privately with Chilkoot Charters in the afternoon to take the bus ride up and train ride down. My son enjoyed "getting gold" and seeing the characters. If we were all adult, would we have chosen this excursion, no. But with my 5 yo I was able to enjoy our time there because he enjoyed his time there. The Chilkoot trip was AMAZING! They picked my son and I up at the end of the Disney ramp from the ship and drove us over to some of the other ships (we were the only ones from Disney on the trip). There was maybe 10 people on the excursion, not crowded at all. Our guide was great, his name is escaping me at the moment. Taking the bus up gave us time to get off in places and take pics which I very much enjoyed. My son passed out on the train ride down, missed the bear right by the track, too! I stood out on the platform the entire ride taking pics, AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING views! Our train car was our group and another small Chilkoot group. We were on the 2nd car, the 3rd car was PACKED! Not sure if it was a ship group or not but I loved the uncrowded sight seeing especially with the 5 yo because he was (when awake!) able to see things with ease.

Juneau: Whales and Glaciers Photo Safari. Wow Wow Wow!!! We had a group of us from Disney, only about 7 people I think it was. Our guide was a photographer and he explained some settings on the cameras. We also got a CD about some tips etc. I think it said kids would get a free disposable camera on the trip, we did not but my son has a Canon camera that is pretty intricate and he does very well with it. First we went out on a boat that was what I would call a fishing boat, we sat inside the cabin until we would cut the engines and "watch". On this trip we saw, otters, seals, eagles, humpback, orca (did I mention ORCA!), I know I am missing something! Oh bears! Yeh, pretty much EVERYTHING! We got exceptionally lucky and actually spent a lot more time on the water than we were supposed to which made the glacier portion a little more rushed but I was perfectly ok with that haha. My son LOVED this trip! Upon returning from this excursion we went up Mt Roberts Tramway to venture up there on our own. GREAT views.

Ketchikan: Here we did the Fish Camp and Wilderness Dinner. My son (who does not eat fish) was so excited to go fishing! We got suited up in fishing gear after meeting our captain. We were on a boat with another mother and daughter (I think she was about 10?). The parties are very small which was awesome. I caught the first "fish". Ok it was a star fish, but hey, fish! Got thrown back. My son then caught one as well a little later. Not long after that he got a bite and pulled up (he will tell you "I did it all on my own") with the help of the captain a HUGE halibut that was as long as his armpit is high (and my son is a tall 5 yo at 51 inches tall). It was ugly but quite impressive. After fishing we all headed to the camp (there are several boats with small parties that all meet up with their catches) and there they prepare your fish and a meal with the fish you caught. It was delicious, my son of course didn't eat it! It was a full on meal, the excursion is long and we had early dinner. We got done about 45 minutes/1 hr prior to needing to be back on board for dinner. Just enough time to run (fast) around the pier shops to shop and take pics. We got on the ship and went right to dinner a few minutes late. I was full but still managed to eat something as it was taste of Alaska night (though I was NOT impressed, I thought the lunch buffet the next day actually had more options with it!). My son really loved this excursion as well! 

For us, we enjoyed what we did. I myself am just excited to be in Alaska (or wherever I would go) and just want to see something even if it is hoakey. You are in port for just HOURS, you will NOT get a chance to see/do everything possible. We don't have high expectations for doing these things, we KNOW they are designed to move people (sometimes large groups especially if done through Disney) through fast. Was everything perfect, no not at all, but we enjoyed it all and have no complaints with what we chose. If you want 5 star elegance, take a Viking cruise. If you want to have an experience, go with an open mind and just enjoy yourselves!


----------



## She Taz

Hi. My DH, DD (8 yrs) and I are on the Jun 30 sailing. Only 11more days and we will be boarding the Wonder to head north to Alaska. We have the following excursions planned:

Skagway - renting a car and heading towards Emerald Lake. Planning on stopping in Caribou Crossing to see the sled dogs and maybe do a dog cart ride and pan for gold. Figure we should have plenty of time when we get back to Skagway to wander the town. 

Juneau - whale watching booked with Adventures in Alaska. I picked this company because of their rave reviews on TripAdvisor and the cost. Plus they have a 100% money back guarantee if you don't see any whales or if you get seasick. They are picking us up from the ship at 0800, 30 minute shuttle to their boat and then a 3 and a half hour tour. They are dropping us off at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Centre. Figure we will wander there for a bit before heading back to the ship.

Ketchikan - doing the DCL Exclusive Flight Seeing and Crab Feast. Hoping we get good weather this day as this excursion is a total surprise for the DD. The last time we were in Vancouver she loved watching the floatplanes take off and land by Canada Place.

Will post reviews and hopefully pictures,if I can figure out my camera by then, when we get back.


----------



## piglet33

She Taz said:


> Hi. My DH, DD (8 yrs) and I are on the Jun 30 sailing. Only 11more days and we will be boarding the Wonder to head north to Alaska. We have the following excursions planned:
> 
> Skagway - renting a car and heading towards Emerald Lake. Planning on stopping in Caribou Crossing to see the sled dogs and maybe do a dog cart ride and pan for gold. Figure we should have plenty of time when we get back to Skagway to wander the town.
> 
> Juneau - whale watching booked with Adventures in Alaska. I picked this company because of their rave reviews on TripAdvisor and the cost. Plus they have a 100% money back guarantee if you don't see any whales or if you get seasick. They are picking us up from the ship at 0800, 30 minute shuttle to their boat and then a 3 and a half hour tour. They are dropping us off at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Centre. Figure we will wander there for a bit before heading back to the ship.
> 
> Ketchikan - doing the DCL Exclusive Flight Seeing and Crab Feast. Hoping we get good weather this day as this excursion is a total surprise for the DD. The last time we were in Vancouver she loved watching the floatplanes take off and land by Canada Place.
> 
> Will post reviews and hopefully pictures,if I can figure out my camera by then, when we get back.



We have the same excursion booked in Juneau for our cruise in August.  I heard a lot of good things about Captains Jack and Alan.  Please post a report when you get back.  Thanks and have a great trip.


----------



## DisneyHelen

Our excursions June 2, 2014
Skagway Streetcar and White pass railway: The streetcar ride was short but helped us see where the stores were for checking out later. Then we had a bus up to the border to board the railway. There were 13 of us in 1 car which was very roomy. We saw a black bear and it was very scenic on the way back to Skagway. I liked this tour and we were back by lunch time and went to Alaska Brewing Company for lunch, fish and chips.

Juneau Mendehall Glacier, Whalewatching and Salmon Bake: The Glacier was very scenic and we took some nice pictures. Our stop was short but long enough. The whalewatch tour was okay. We only saw 2 whales in 2 hours. There were lots of eagles. We also saw a sea lion. The salmon bake was good and we were hungry. The salmon was excellent. They told us it was sockeye. After a short visit they took you back to the ship or dropped you off in town.

Ketchikan Salmon fishing Knudson Cove: My husband loved this. We got some king salmon that were too small. We were lucky to get 1 to keep and be smoked and sent to us. We saw eagles and 1 whale. The tour left at 11:15 am and the only complaint was we were really hungry by 4:15. They need to give you a lunch! On the tour description it says they provide you with snacks, but our captain didn't offer us anything!


----------



## twindaddy

She Taz said:


> Hi. My DH, DD (8 yrs) and I are on the Jun 30 sailing. Only 11more days and we will be boarding the Wonder to head north to Alaska. We have the following excursions planned:
> 
> Juneau - whale watching booked with Adventures in Alaska. I picked this company because of their rave reviews on TripAdvisor and the cost. Plus they have a 100% money back guarantee if you don't see any whales or if you get seasick. They are picking us up from the ship at 0800, 30 minute shuttle to their boat and then a 3 and a half hour tour. They are dropping us off at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Centre. Figure we will wander there for a bit before heading back to the ship.
> 
> Will post reviews and hopefully pictures,if I can figure out my camera by then, when we get back.



I will be on the cruise right after you, I will be the one you are grimacing at when you are getting off (atleast that is what I do)

We also booked Adventures in Alaska with Capt Alan and Jack, I love that they have a small boat, dont ban kids like Harv and Marv, and have the choice of inside, back deck, or top deck, plus people rave about them on Trip advisor. Tell them I will see them soon when you board!



piglet33 said:


> We have the same excursion booked in Juneau for our cruise in August.  I heard a lot of good things about Captains Jack and Alan.  Please post a report when you get back.  Thanks and have a great trip.



I will post a trip report when I get back and let you know how it goes, but I have yet to see one bad review of them! They do not get the worship around here that Harv and Marv get, but they also take kids.


----------



## Made Up Name

Our excursions on the June 9, 2014 cruise:
Skagway:  In Skagway, we booked a private trip with Howard Mallory who takes you on a drive on the Klondike Highway up to Carcross, YT and Emerald Lake.  You also make several other stops along the way and have plenty of time to take pictures.  Howard has lived in Skagway for a long time and his daughter also runs a b&b in town.  He was a great guide and was a wealth of information.  The scenery was fantastic and we even saw a moose with 2 calves near a lake. http://www.alcanexcursions.com/.

Juneau:  We rode the Mount Roberts tramway and hiked along a trail near the top. Our kids like the free wifi at the Mount Roberts visitor center.  After that we rode a "Glacier Express" bus to Mendenhall Glacier.  The glacier is beautiful and we made the hike to the waterfall, hoping to not encounter bears or wolverines along the way!  However, we did see a momma bear and 3 cubs near the visitor center. 

Ketchikan:  We booked a floatplane trip with Sea Wind Aviation.  We loved it. I read that many of the floatplane trips were cancelled the week before because of rain.  We had a few sprinkles, but nothing of any significance. I had never been on a small plane before, but the flight was smooth and our pilot was great.  I think Ketchikan has several good floatplane operators.


----------



## piglet33

twindaddy said:


> I will be on the cruise right after you, I will be the one you are grimacing at when you are getting off (atleast that is what I do)
> 
> We also booked Adventures in Alaska with Capt Alan and Jack, I love that they have a small boat, dont ban kids like Harv and Marv, and have the choice of inside, back deck, or top deck, plus people rave about them on Trip advisor. Tell them I will see them soon when you board!
> 
> 
> 
> I will post a trip report when I get back and let you know how it goes, but I have yet to see one bad review of them! They do not get the worship around here that Harv and Marv get, but they also take kids.



Yep, didn't like that about Harv and Marv.  I have had very good communication with both Capt. Alan and Jack, and am really looking forward to meeting them.  They both seem very nice and are really helpful.  I can't wait to read your report.  Have a great time.  I still have two months to go for my cruise.


----------



## allbets

pequele said:


> We were on the 9 nighter so I will skip Sitka. It was myself and my 5 yo DS.  Vancouver: We did Flyover Canada as we stayed at the Pan Pacific both before and after. I enjoyed it, but it is an overpriced Soarin'. Still we didn't do much that day anyways so the total cost for the day wasn't bad overall.  Skagway: We did the Liarsville excursion with Disney in the am. I booked privately with Chilkoot Charters in the afternoon to take the bus ride up and train ride down. My son enjoyed "getting gold" and seeing the characters. If we were all adult, would we have chosen this excursion, no. But with my 5 yo I was able to enjoy our time there because he enjoyed his time there. The Chilkoot trip was AMAZING! They picked my son and I up at the end of the Disney ramp from the ship and drove us over to some of the other ships (we were the only ones from Disney on the trip). There was maybe 10 people on the excursion, not crowded at all. Our guide was great, his name is escaping me at the moment. Taking the bus up gave us time to get off in places and take pics which I very much enjoyed. My son passed out on the train ride down, missed the bear right by the track, too! I stood out on the platform the entire ride taking pics, AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING views! Our train car was our group and another small Chilkoot group. We were on the 2nd car, the 3rd car was PACKED! Not sure if it was a ship group or not but I loved the uncrowded sight seeing especially with the 5 yo because he was (when awake!) able to see things with ease.  Juneau: Whales and Glaciers Photo Safari. Wow Wow Wow!!! We had a group of us from Disney, only about 7 people I think it was. Our guide was a photographer and he explained some settings on the cameras. We also got a CD about some tips etc. I think it said kids would get a free disposable camera on the trip, we did not but my son has a Canon camera that is pretty intricate and he does very well with it. First we went out on a boat that was what I would call a fishing boat, we sat inside the cabin until we would cut the engines and "watch". On this trip we saw, otters, seals, eagles, humpback, orca (did I mention ORCA!), I know I am missing something! Oh bears! Yeh, pretty much EVERYTHING! We got exceptionally lucky and actually spent a lot more time on the water than we were supposed to which made the glacier portion a little more rushed but I was perfectly ok with that haha. My son LOVED this trip! Upon returning from this excursion we went up Mt Roberts Tramway to venture up there on our own. GREAT views.  Ketchikan: Here we did the Fish Camp and Wilderness Dinner. My son (who does not eat fish) was so excited to go fishing! We got suited up in fishing gear after meeting our captain. We were on a boat with another mother and daughter (I think she was about 10?). The parties are very small which was awesome. I caught the first "fish". Ok it was a star fish, but hey, fish! Got thrown back. My son then caught one as well a little later. Not long after that he got a bite and pulled up (he will tell you "I did it all on my own") with the help of the captain a HUGE halibut that was as long as his armpit is high (and my son is a tall 5 yo at 51 inches tall). It was ugly but quite impressive. After fishing we all headed to the camp (there are several boats with small parties that all meet up with their catches) and there they prepare your fish and a meal with the fish you caught. It was delicious, my son of course didn't eat it! It was a full on meal, the excursion is long and we had early dinner. We got done about 45 minutes/1 hr prior to needing to be back on board for dinner. Just enough time to run (fast) around the pier shops to shop and take pics. We got on the ship and went right to dinner a few minutes late. I was full but still managed to eat something as it was taste of Alaska night (though I was NOT impressed, I thought the lunch buffet the next day actually had more options with it!). My son really loved this excursion as well!  For us, we enjoyed what we did. I myself am just excited to be in Alaska (or wherever I would go) and just want to see something even if it is hoakey. You are in port for just HOURS, you will NOT get a chance to see/do everything possible. We don't have high expectations for doing these things, we KNOW they are designed to move people (sometimes large groups especially if done through Disney) through fast. Was everything perfect, no not at all, but we enjoyed it all and have no complaints with what we chose. If you want 5 star elegance, take a Viking cruise. If you want to have an experience, go with an open mind and just enjoy yourselves!





Thank you sooooo much!! Most of your reviews are what we're doing so it was great to read them!!!


----------



## dclwonderprincess

Has anyone booked with Ketchikan Helicopter before? If so, was this a good excursion?


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## Imedley200

We were on the 9 night Wonder Alaska 5/24 - 6/2. We were a party of 4 adults - DH, myself (20wks pregnant) & my parents. Here's what we did (all booked independently):

Skagway - we rented a car from Avis and drove the South Klondike Highway. I downloaded "Murray's Guide to the South Klondike Highway" on our iPad & brought it along (worth the $5!). Our plan was to drive up with limited stops to beat the traffic and that worked well. Crossing the border was no problem, maybe waited 5 minutes. We stopped at Carcross for a potty break, got coffee & stamped our passports at the General Store. We continued on to the Carcross desert & Emerald Lake. If you have time (20mins up/10 down) & able bodied, definitely hike up the dunes at the desert - gorgeous views! There's also a steep little rock path across the street at the Emerald Lake parking that's worth the climb too! We stopped back in Carcross and ate at the Sourdough Bakery -yum!! Then we headed back south. They are doing road construction so that was a 10-15min delay each way, depending how you hit it. Of course we stopped at the Yukon sign & Alaska signs. We made some other beautiful scenery stops too. No wait at the US border. Before returning to town, we took Dyea Rd up to the scenic view of town. Back in town we topped off the tank and returned the car. We walked around the shops and had a delicious cupcake at Sugar Mamas (pink building on 5th Ave). 

Juneau - I booked a 7:20am whale watching trip with Harv & Marv after a friend's recommendation. We had Captain Steve and loved the whole trip! We saw tons of humpbacks, Dall's porpoises, harbor seals and eagles. Tide was low so Steve asked if we wanted to go north to see the endangered Stellar sea lions. We agreed and glad we did, they were pretty cool - huge loud males just stacked on a beach. Then on our way back, we got the call - Orcas in the channel! We rushed back and had the sight of a lifetime! Great pod of orcas, big and small. Some of the calves were playing & breached a couple times. Big male was in charge of the pod and came very close to our little boat. It was simply amazing!! After our tour, the shuttle bus made a 15 min stop at the Mendenhall Glacier visitors center. We wanted to stay longer & just told the driver. We walked around and then took the trail down to the falls. When we were finished, we waited for the blue shuttle back to town. It picks up right at the parking lot & is $10pp. We got off at the first stop, right at the Visitors booth across from the saloon. We ate at Tracy's king crab shack which was very yummy! Hubby and I shared the crab roll & some crab cakes. It wasn't too busy & we found seats no problem. It had started to drizzle so it was a little chilly. We walked some shops and headed back to ship.

Ketchikan - booked the Misty Fjords Seaplane trip with Island Wings. This was the highlight of our entire trip!! We are a "flight" family so it's right up our alley. We had the first tour time (11:50-12ish) so we found Shona in the visitors center and she directed us to the van. Short drive to the dock and we watched them ready the plane. Michelle, the founder/owner, was the pilot. We were blessed with beautiful weather! We were able to go up one way, make our lake stop (amazing!) and come back a different way. The whole trip was spectacular! After our trip, we ate at Annabelle's which was pretty good. We then took the walking tour around the city which was good exercise but not that exciting. It would be better if the salmon were running. We shopped and got back on the ship.

Sitka - we walked to the Totem National Park (took a free guided tour by Ranger John & watched the film inside), Raptor Center (worth the walk), then back to town to Castle Hill and the Main Street. We ate at Subway, just like any other subway just more expensive.

Seattle - we flew in/out of SeaTac and rented a car. We went to the Museum of Flight (great place!), Pike Place Market, Future of Flight & Boeing Tour in Everett (pretty cool to see) and a local park in Renton. 
We used the Quick Shuttle from SeaTac to Vancouver. After bad customer service on the phone when we booked (which made us nervous because it's non-refundable), the shuttle was as advertised and a pleasant ride. 

Have fun in Alaska! We had an amazing trip and would absolutely use both Island Wings and Harv & Marv in a heart beat again!


----------



## Mickdeb

Looking to book a whale watch in Juneau.  I have been on trip advisor and did a search on this thread.  I think I would prefer a medium sized boat.  I don't want the small excursion like H&M, but I don't want a boat with 100 people either.  So many choices, I see some help.

Has anyone done the DCL Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest recently?  Who is the tour operator and how big is the boat? How many people were on your tour?  How much time at the glacier, was it long enough to hike out to the glacier?

Any recommendations are appreciated, we will book privately or with Disney, it doesn't mattter.

Thank you.


----------



## mjackson

We did the DCL Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest last week.  Can't remember the name of the operator however it was very well done.  Even though there was several people on the boat it did not seem crowded.  There are two indoor levels, and outdoor level on deck 2, and an outdoor on deck 3.  They also provide binoculars.  Very clean, great service, and snack bar with free hot chocolate and salmon crackers.  Saw lots of wild life.

I was disappointed in the Glacier tour as it was too short.  We had what seemed less than a hour there.  After taking a few pictures, watching the movie, and looking around the museum it was time to go.  We never got to walk some of the trails and get closer to the waterfall or glacier.   Definitely needed more time.


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

dclwonderprincess said:


> Has anyone booked with Ketchikan Helicopter before? If so, was this a good excursion?



The sea planes are better for the take off and landing on the water that's fun, and there all central.


----------



## LindaBabe

Imedley200 said:


> We were on the 9 night Wonder Alaska 5/24 - 6/2. We were a party of 4 adults - DH, myself (20wks pregnant) & my parents. Here's what we did (all booked independently):
> 
> Skagway - we rented a car from Avis and drove the South Klondike Highway. I downloaded "Murray's Guide to the South Klondike Highway" on our iPad & brought it along (worth the $5!). Our plan was to drive up with limited stops to beat the traffic and that worked well. Crossing the border was no problem, maybe waited 5 minutes. We stopped at Carcross for a potty break, got coffee & stamped our passports at the General Store. We continued on to the Carcross desert & Emerald Lake. If you have time (20mins up/10 down) & able bodied, definitely hike up the dunes at the desert - gorgeous views! There's also a steep little rock path across the street at the Emerald Lake parking that's worth the climb too! We stopped back in Carcross and ate at the Sourdough Bakery -yum!! Then we headed back south. They are doing road construction so that was a 10-15min delay each way, depending how you hit it. Of course we stopped at the Yukon sign & Alaska signs. We made some other beautiful scenery stops too. No wait at the US border. Before returning to town, we took Dyea Rd up to the scenic view of town. Back in town we topped off the tank and returned the car. We walked around the shops and had a delicious cupcake at Sugar Mamas (pink building on 5th Ave).
> 
> Juneau - I booked a 7:20am whale watching trip with Harv & Marv after a friend's recommendation. We had Captain Steve and loved the whole trip! We saw tons of humpbacks, Dall's porpoises, harbor seals and eagles. Tide was low so Steve asked if we wanted to go north to see the endangered Stellar sea lions. We agreed and glad we did, they were pretty cool - huge loud males just stacked on a beach. Then on our way back, we got the call - Orcas in the channel! We rushed back and had the sight of a lifetime! Great pod of orcas, big and small. Some of the calves were playing & breached a couple times. Big male was in charge of the pod and came very close to our little boat. It was simply amazing!! After our tour, the shuttle bus made a 15 min stop at the Mendenhall Glacier visitors center. We wanted to stay longer & just told the driver. We walked around and then took the trail down to the falls. When we were finished, we waited for the blue shuttle back to town. It picks up right at the parking lot & is $10pp. We got off at the first stop, right at the Visitors booth across from the saloon. We ate at Tracy's king crab shack which was very yummy! Hubby and I shared the crab roll & some crab cakes. It wasn't too busy & we found seats no problem. It had started to drizzle so it was a little chilly. We walked some shops and headed back to ship.
> 
> Ketchikan - booked the Misty Fjords Seaplane trip with Island Wings. This was the highlight of our entire trip!! We are a "flight" family so it's right up our alley. We had the first tour time (11:50-12ish) so we found Shona in the visitors center and she directed us to the van. Short drive to the dock and we watched them ready the plane. Michelle, the founder/owner, was the pilot. We were blessed with beautiful weather! We were able to go up one way, make our lake stop (amazing!) and come back a different way. The whole trip was spectacular! After our trip, we ate at Annabelle's which was pretty good. We then took the walking tour around the city which was good exercise but not that exciting. It would be better if the salmon were running. We shopped and got back on the ship.
> 
> Sitka - we walked to the Totem National Park (took a free guided tour by Ranger John & watched the film inside), Raptor Center (worth the walk), then back to town to Castle Hill and the Main Street. We ate at Subway, just like any other subway just more expensive.
> 
> Seattle - we flew in/out of SeaTac and rented a car. We went to the Museum of Flight (great place!), Pike Place Market, Future of Flight & Boeing Tour in Everett (pretty cool to see) and a local park in Renton.
> We used the Quick Shuttle from SeaTac to Vancouver. After bad customer service on the phone when we booked (which made us nervous because it's non-refundable), the shuttle was as advertised and a pleasant ride.
> 
> Have fun in Alaska! We had an amazing trip and would absolutely use both Island Wings and Harv & Marv in a heart beat again!





Made Up Name said:


> Our excursions on the June 9, 2014 cruise:
> Skagway:  In Skagway, we booked a private trip with Howard Mallory who takes you on a drive on the Klondike Highway up to Carcross, YT and Emerald Lake.  You also make several other stops along the way and have plenty of time to take pictures.  Howard has lived in Skagway for a long time and his daughter also runs a b&b in town.  He was a great guide and was a wealth of information.  The scenery was fantastic and we even saw a moose with 2 calves near a lake. http://www.alcanexcursions.com/.
> 
> Juneau:  We rode the Mount Roberts tramway and hiked along a trail near the top. Our kids like the free wifi at the Mount Roberts visitor center.  After that we rode a "Glacier Express" bus to Mendenhall Glacier.  The glacier is beautiful and we made the hike to the waterfall, hoping to not encounter bears or wolverines along the way!  However, we did see a momma bear and 3 cubs near the visitor center.
> 
> Ketchikan:  We booked a floatplane trip with Sea Wind Aviation.  We loved it. I read that many of the floatplane trips were cancelled the week before because of rain.  We had a few sprinkles, but nothing of any significance. I had never been on a small plane before, but the flight was smooth and our pilot was great.  I think Ketchikan has several good floatplane operators.





AquaDame said:


> Skagway: White Pass Railway -
> We booked this through Disney - in retrospect I wish we hadn't. I had heard reports that they provide water and a guide as well as board you in a different space but in reality once we were off the ship we were told to just hop on one of the back three cars where some people were already loaded and we did not go to the station for anyone else. We had the same piped in voice and they also had access to the water so I am not sure what the point of the Disney excursion is.  We chose the back so we could go out and take pictures but the platform was crowded the entire time making it difficult (everyone had the same idea). You can't cross cars so if your platforms are full they are full. You also can't hear the narration from outside, though it is very little narration anyway. They also provide a map that shows where points of interest are along the way so you know if something is coming up. Once you reach the top everyone is told to stay in their seats while they move the engine from the front to the back, and then you move your backrest from one side to the other so everyone can stay on their bench on the way back down too. That way you see one side on the way up and the other on the way down. Since we had been in the back we were now in the very front car and there were quite a few fumes from the engine on the way down. The scenery was, of course, breathtaking. We did not see any wildlife at all, even goats (I had my binoculars out the whole time).
> 
> Juneau - Extended Helicopter Trek
> We REALLY lucked out with the weather in Juneau on this trip - wonderful visibility and very warm. Disney used North Star Trekking for this one and they did a wonderful job. We were led to their van to the airport where they passed out appropriate clothes for the venture. They also gave us a fanny pack with a bottle of water and granola bar with a pack of tissues. We had three guides to nine people in our group - since we were the first group of the day the guides went up with us - we filled every seat in two helicopters. After brief sightseeing (we could look down on the dog camps and saw them mushing away on this day) we touched down on the glacier and they put on our crampons and passed out axes. Much of the time was spent showing us how to move around with the crampons then we just romped around through the ice with the guides choosing our way and making sure no one got stuck. We stopped a few times to listen to them speak about the glacier and to dump our bottled water in favor of glacier water. At one point they took pics for anyone who wanted by a waterfall. This was really fun and in our opinion worth the cost.
> 
> Ketchikan - Misty Fjords booked through Island Wings
> Our main disappointment of the trip was that our good luck flipped and it started pouring before we docked. We met the van just before noon as we were told but alas, it had been cancelled. They gave us a brochure and a DVD of what we MIGHT have seen (I haven't watched it yet) and said they had already refunded our money. Since we paid with a check we still haven't gotten our refund in the mail even though that was 10 days ago... still waiting on that. She offered to book us on the Bering Crab Tour since her husband works on it, but we declined and went into the visitors center to figure out what we wanted to do. There were a lot of people clamoring for business and a few other outfits told me they could get us out which is the hard part and then it would be fine, but we decided there must be a reason Island Wings cancelled and to just give up on it. Other people said their later flights were also cancelled so I am not sure if we would have been able to get up after all. We went with a van tour of the city that was very disappointing.... the guide did not take us everywhere they were supposed to because our van mates wanted to watch bald eagles instead. We ended up rather disappointed and a bit drenched. In the future I would try to get on a larger bus that wasn't tied to the whims of individuals and could stay on schedule.





pequele said:


> We were on the 9 nighter so I will skip Sitka. It was myself and my 5 yo DS.
> 
> Vancouver: We did Flyover Canada as we stayed at the Pan Pacific both before and after. I enjoyed it, but it is an overpriced Soarin'. Still we didn't do much that day anyways so the total cost for the day wasn't bad overall.
> 
> Skagway: We did the Liarsville excursion with Disney in the am. I booked privately with Chilkoot Charters in the afternoon to take the bus ride up and train ride down. My son enjoyed "getting gold" and seeing the characters. If we were all adult, would we have chosen this excursion, no. But with my 5 yo I was able to enjoy our time there because he enjoyed his time there. The Chilkoot trip was AMAZING! They picked my son and I up at the end of the Disney ramp from the ship and drove us over to some of the other ships (we were the only ones from Disney on the trip). There was maybe 10 people on the excursion, not crowded at all. Our guide was great, his name is escaping me at the moment. Taking the bus up gave us time to get off in places and take pics which I very much enjoyed. My son passed out on the train ride down, missed the bear right by the track, too! I stood out on the platform the entire ride taking pics, AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING views! Our train car was our group and another small Chilkoot group. We were on the 2nd car, the 3rd car was PACKED! Not sure if it was a ship group or not but I loved the uncrowded sight seeing especially with the 5 yo because he was (when awake!) able to see things with ease.
> 
> Juneau: Whales and Glaciers Photo Safari. Wow Wow Wow!!! We had a group of us from Disney, only about 7 people I think it was. Our guide was a photographer and he explained some settings on the cameras. We also got a CD about some tips etc. I think it said kids would get a free disposable camera on the trip, we did not but my son has a Canon camera that is pretty intricate and he does very well with it. First we went out on a boat that was what I would call a fishing boat, we sat inside the cabin until we would cut the engines and "watch". On this trip we saw, otters, seals, eagles, humpback, orca (did I mention ORCA!), I know I am missing something! Oh bears! Yeh, pretty much EVERYTHING! We got exceptionally lucky and actually spent a lot more time on the water than we were supposed to which made the glacier portion a little more rushed but I was perfectly ok with that haha. My son LOVED this trip! Upon returning from this excursion we went up Mt Roberts Tramway to venture up there on our own. GREAT views.
> 
> Ketchikan: Here we did the Fish Camp and Wilderness Dinner. My son (who does not eat fish) was so excited to go fishing! We got suited up in fishing gear after meeting our captain. We were on a boat with another mother and daughter (I think she was about 10?). The parties are very small which was awesome. I caught the first "fish". Ok it was a star fish, but hey, fish! Got thrown back. My son then caught one as well a little later. Not long after that he got a bite and pulled up (he will tell you "I did it all on my own") with the help of the captain a HUGE halibut that was as long as his armpit is high (and my son is a tall 5 yo at 51 inches tall). It was ugly but quite impressive. After fishing we all headed to the camp (there are several boats with small parties that all meet up with their catches) and there they prepare your fish and a meal with the fish you caught. It was delicious, my son of course didn't eat it! It was a full on meal, the excursion is long and we had early dinner. We got done about 45 minutes/1 hr prior to needing to be back on board for dinner. Just enough time to run (fast) around the pier shops to shop and take pics. We got on the ship and went right to dinner a few minutes late. I was full but still managed to eat something as it was taste of Alaska night (though I was NOT impressed, I thought the lunch buffet the next day actually had more options with it!). My son really loved this excursion as well!
> 
> For us, we enjoyed what we did. I myself am just excited to be in Alaska (or wherever I would go) and just want to see something even if it is hoakey. You are in port for just HOURS, you will NOT get a chance to see/do everything possible. We don't have high expectations for doing these things, we KNOW they are designed to move people (sometimes large groups especially if done through Disney) through fast. Was everything perfect, no not at all, but we enjoyed it all and have no complaints with what we chose. If you want 5 star elegance, take a Viking cruise. If you want to have an experience, go with an open mind and just enjoy yourselves!





She Taz said:


> Hi. My DH, DD (8 yrs) and I are on the Jun 30 sailing. Only 11more days and we will be boarding the Wonder to head north to Alaska. We have the following excursions planned:
> 
> Skagway - renting a car and heading towards Emerald Lake. Planning on stopping in Caribou Crossing to see the sled dogs and maybe do a dog cart ride and pan for gold. Figure we should have plenty of time when we get back to Skagway to wander the town.
> 
> Juneau - whale watching booked with Adventures in Alaska. I picked this company because of their rave reviews on TripAdvisor and the cost. Plus they have a 100% money back guarantee if you don't see any whales or if you get seasick. They are picking us up from the ship at 0800, 30 minute shuttle to their boat and then a 3 and a half hour tour. They are dropping us off at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Centre. Figure we will wander there for a bit before heading back to the ship.
> 
> Ketchikan - doing the DCL Exclusive Flight Seeing and Crab Feast. Hoping we get good weather this day as this excursion is a total surprise for the DD. The last time we were in Vancouver she loved watching the floatplanes take off and land by Canada Place.
> 
> Will post reviews and hopefully pictures,if I can figure out my camera by then, when we get back.





DisneyHelen said:


> Our excursions June 2, 2014
> Skagway Streetcar and White pass railway: The streetcar ride was short but helped us see where the stores were for checking out later. Then we had a bus up to the border to board the railway. There were 13 of us in 1 car which was very roomy. We saw a black bear and it was very scenic on the way back to Skagway. I liked this tour and we were back by lunch time and went to Alaska Brewing Company for lunch, fish and chips.
> 
> Juneau Mendehall Glacier, Whalewatching and Salmon Bake: The Glacier was very scenic and we took some nice pictures. Our stop was short but long enough. The whalewatch tour was okay. We only saw 2 whales in 2 hours. There were lots of eagles. We also saw a sea lion. The salmon bake was good and we were hungry. The salmon was excellent. They told us it was sockeye. After a short visit they took you back to the ship or dropped you off in town.
> 
> Ketchikan Salmon fishing Knudson Cove: My husband loved this. We got some king salmon that were too small. We were lucky to get 1 to keep and be smoked and sent to us. We saw eagles and 1 whale. The tour left at 11:15 am and the only complaint was we were really hungry by 4:15. They need to give you a lunch! On the tour description it says they provide you with snacks, but our captain didn't offer us anything!



Thank you all for the fabulously detailed reviews!  We're booking Alaska for next year.


----------



## Mickdeb

mjackson said:


> We did the DCL Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest last week.  Can't remember the name of the operator however it was very well done.  Even though there was several people on the boat it did not seem crowded.  There are two indoor levels, and outdoor level on deck 2, and an outdoor on deck 3.  They also provide binoculars.  Very clean, great service, and snack bar with free hot chocolate and salmon crackers.  Saw lots of wild life.  I was disappointed in the Glacier tour as it was too short.  We had what seemed less than a hour there.  After taking a few pictures, watching the movie, and looking around the museum it was time to go.  We never got to walk some of the trails and get closer to the waterfall or glacier.   Definitely needed more time.



Thanks for your review, you mention " several" people on the cruise.....are we talking several hundred?  Sorry just trying to get a feel for the size of the boats and potential crowds.  At the glacier we plan to skip the visitors center and just walk the trails.  Hopefully, we will have enough time to get out to the glacier and back.


----------



## peachygreen

She Taz said:


> Hi. My DH, DD (8 yrs) and I are on the Jun 30 sailing. Only 11more days and we will be boarding the Wonder to head north to Alaska. We have the following excursions planned:
> 
> Skagway - renting a car and heading towards Emerald Lake. Planning on stopping in Caribou Crossing to see the sled dogs and maybe do a dog cart ride and pan for gold. Figure we should have plenty of time when we get back to Skagway to wander the town.
> 
> Juneau - whale watching booked with Adventures in Alaska. I picked this company because of their rave reviews on TripAdvisor and the cost. Plus they have a 100% money back guarantee if you don't see any whales or if you get seasick. They are picking us up from the ship at 0800, 30 minute shuttle to their boat and then a 3 and a half hour tour. They are dropping us off at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Centre. Figure we will wander there for a bit before heading back to the ship.
> 
> Ketchikan - doing the DCL Exclusive Flight Seeing and Crab Feast. Hoping we get good weather this day as this excursion is a total surprise for the DD. The last time we were in Vancouver she loved watching the floatplanes take off and land by Canada Place.
> 
> Will post reviews and hopefully pictures,if I can figure out my camera by then, when we get back.



We just got back.  We used Adventures in Alaska and they were wonderful!  we had a great time with Captain Alan.  My oldest daughter is now addicted to Reindeer Sausage.  Captain Alan did a great job finding whales and explaining all about their behavior.  I would definitely sail on the Scania again with Adventures in Alaska.


----------



## peachygreen

Just back from the June 9th sailing.  We had a wonderful time. 

Vancouver - We did the HOHO with the Big Bus and went to the Vancouver Aquarium.  I loved the Aquarium and learned a lot on the HOHO bus.  I would have liked more time in Vancouver.  I had a great run around Stanley Park.  I wish I had more time to explore the park.

Skagway - In the morning we did the Disney White Pass Railway and Trail Camp Excursion where we took the train up, the bus down and stopped at Liarsville.  It was a lot of fun.  I loved the train ride.  I will admit my youngest age 4 slept pretty much the entire ride.  My oldest age 8 enjoyed it for the first half and then the motion of the train put her to sleep too.  We had a great bus driver and learned a lot from him on the ride back down.  Liarsville was Cheesy but fun.  the girls had a blast and enjoyed the show.

In the afternoon we did a Hike and Float with http://skagwayfloat.com/tours/chilkoot-trail-hike-and-float/ 
Disney does the same excursion but we booked independently since my daughter was too young via Disney.  It was awesome.  All 4 of us really enjoyed it.  The hike was challenging at places so you need to be in good shape, but my 4 year old managed it with a little help.  The girls did amazing.  The float was relaxing and beautiful.  We saw several Eagles along the way.  I would definately book with them again if we went back to Alaska.

In Juneau we did Whale Watching with http://www.whale-watch.biz/ Adventures in Alaska on the MV Scania.  Captain Alan was great and both Captain Alan and Captain Jack were a joy to work with both before the cruise and during the adventure.  Captain Alan did a great job find the whales and explaining their behavior to us.  We all had a great time.  The girls liked looking for the Whales.  After our whale excursion we were dropped off at Mendenhall Glacier.  We hiked out to Nugget Falls and when we came back we were able to see a mama bear and her 2 cubs.  It was a little challenging figuring out where to go to catch the shuttle back to the pier but not to difficult.  I recommend Adventures in Alaska and would use them again.  there were 8 of us on the boat.  

In Ketchikan we went to the Lumberjack show.  This was a pleasant surprise. I really wasn't expecting much but we all had so much fun and laughed so hard.  The girls really got into the show.  After the Lumberjack show we walked around town visiting the Southeast Discovery Museum, the Tongass Historical Museum and the Totem Heritage Center.  The museums were great and inexpensive (and indoors).  It rained a little in Ketchikan but never rained on us. 

I want to go back to Alaska again.  There is so much I would love to do and see.


----------



## sunryzez

Anyone do any private tours in Ketickan to Potlatch park? I am very interested in going there but the only Disney tour is very pricey and I dont think my kids will like leaving us during the tour to do the totem activity. Any good tour companies that you used specifically? Thanks =)


----------



## misseulalie

Worst excursion EVER!!!!

In Ketchikan, we did the Annette Island cultural celebration.  It is supposed to be a Disney exclusive. It was just awful.  I complained to the shore excursion manager and he gave back 25% of our cost.  $225 was way too much for this.  Don't go!!!!

Here is the description and I will write in red what actually happened:

Upon arrival at Annette Island, your Native guide will give you an intimate and rare glimpse of a working village as you discover the heritage of the Tsimshian people.  It is not a "village", it is reservation land.  It looks like any small town in the U.S. But, it is run down, condemned buildings, old junk cars on lawns and bars on the windows.

Search the village with your native guide for various totem poles, standing throughout the community where they were originally raised. We drove past 2 totem poles that we could barely see out of the van window.

One of the many ways native people teach their children about the lives and language of their ancestors is through song, dance and drums beat in loud rhythm. Learn northwest coast art and traditions, and construct your own drum. In the longhouse, the entire family is invited to dance and drum with the native dancers in the cultural traditions. The art activity took way too long and everyone was sitting around checking their cell phones.  It is a basic coloring on fabric with regular Crayola markers (that bleed on fabric).  Really bad.
Ceremonial dress is worn for naming and adoption ceremonies, potlatches, totem pole raisings, memorials and other special occasions. In the longhouse, discover the significance of each clan's regalia, masks, hats and unique crests used in a potlatch (celebration) ceremony. There was not one mention of the clothes or what they represent.  In fact, most of the "villagers" who were dancing wore street clothes under their costumes.  Some didn't even bother putting on costumes/ceremonial dress.

Keep the spirit of native culture alive and learn to speak Smalgyax (Sha MALL ee yah) the language of the Tsimshian people. The few words you take home from Alaska will help preserve the tradition. 
Browse the Artist's Village and visit with artisans as they create unique native crafts. They dropped us in front of the gift shop in an old warehouse and left us there for 15 minutes.  No artisans to watch and the shop was filled with touristy crap.


----------



## twindaddy

peachygreen said:


> Just back from the June 9th sailing.  We had a wonderful time.
> 
> Vancouver - We did the HOHO with the Big Bus and went to the Vancouver Aquarium.  I loved the Aquarium and learned a lot on the HOHO bus.  I would have liked more time in Vancouver.  I had a great run around Stanley Park.  I wish I had more time to explore the park.
> 
> Skagway - In the morning we did the Disney White Pass Railway and Trail Camp Excursion where we took the train up, the bus down and stopped at Liarsville.  It was a lot of fun.  I loved the train ride.  I will admit my youngest age 4 slept pretty much the entire ride.  My oldest age 8 enjoyed it for the first half and then the motion of the train put her to sleep too.  We had a great bus driver and learned a lot from him on the ride back down.  Liarsville was Cheesy but fun.  the girls had a blast and enjoyed the show.
> 
> In the afternoon we did a Hike and Float with http://skagwayfloat.com/tours/chilkoot-trail-hike-and-float/
> Disney does the same excursion but we booked independently since my daughter was too young via Disney.  It was awesome.  All 4 of us really enjoyed it.  The hike was challenging at places so you need to be in good shape, but my 4 year old managed it with a little help.  The girls did amazing.  The float was relaxing and beautiful.  We saw several Eagles along the way.  I would definately book with them again if we went back to Alaska.
> 
> In Juneau we did Whale Watching with http://www.whale-watch.biz/ Adventures in Alaska on the MV Scania.  Captain Alan was great and both Captain Alan and Captain Jack were a joy to work with both before the cruise and during the adventure.  Captain Alan did a great job find the whales and explaining their behavior to us.  We all had a great time.  The girls liked looking for the Whales.  After our whale excursion we were dropped off at Mendenhall Glacier.  We hiked out to Nugget Falls and when we came back we were able to see a mama bear and her 2 cubs.  It was a little challenging figuring out where to go to catch the shuttle back to the pier but not to difficult.  I recommend Adventures in Alaska and would use them again.  there were 8 of us on the boat.
> 
> In Ketchikan we went to the Lumberjack show.  This was a pleasant surprise. I really wasn't expecting much but we all had so much fun and laughed so hard.  The girls really got into the show.  After the Lumberjack show we walked around town visiting the Southeast Discovery Museum, the Tongass Historical Museum and the Totem Heritage Center.  The museums were great and inexpensive (and indoors).  It rained a little in Ketchikan but never rained on us.
> 
> I want to go back to Alaska again.  There is so much I would love to do and see.



Thanks, I will be on the Scania one week from tomorrow!

Question, did you tip them? I am not sure the protocol. I paid a pretty penny to sail on the boat, and they obviously make a good wage unlike some of the third world areas cruise ships go...I am torn.

Thoughts?


----------



## peachygreen

twindaddy said:


> Thanks, I will be on the Scania one week from tomorrow!
> 
> Question, did you tip them? I am not sure the protocol. I paid a pretty penny to sail on the boat, and they obviously make a good wage unlike some of the third world areas cruise ships go...I am torn.
> 
> Thoughts?



I did give a tip.  I want to say I tipped about $30 (I really don't remember).  I paid for 6 of us to sail so it was a very pretty penny and the tip was minimal in comparison to the cost of the excursion  I felt it just showed my appreciation for a great day on the water.


----------



## ILovePixieDust

peachygreen said:


> Just back from the June 9th sailing.  We had a wonderful time.
> 
> In Juneau we did Whale Watching with http://www.whale-watch.biz/ Adventures in Alaska on the MV Scania.  Captain Alan was great and both Captain Alan and Captain Jack were a joy to work with both before the cruise and during the adventure.  Captain Alan did a great job find the whales and explaining their behavior to us.  We all had a great time.  The girls liked looking for the Whales.  After our whale excursion we were dropped off at Mendenhall Glacier.  We hiked out to Nugget Falls and when we came back we were able to see a mama bear and her 2 cubs.  It was a little challenging figuring out where to go to catch the shuttle back to the pier but not to difficult.  I recommend Adventures in Alaska and would use them again.  there were 8 of us on the boat.
> 
> I want to go back to Alaska again.  There is so much I would love to do and see.



Hi peachygreen! i've got a couple of questions for you. I've just booked with Captain Jack for August 2015. 

Where do you go to take the shuttle back to the pier? Did you have to prebook this? 

Where/When did you have lunch?

Thanks!


----------



## mwmom

We just returned tonight from the trip of a lifetime! I wanted to add my reviews from our excursions. Since I read that many of the helicopter excursions are cancelled due to fog, I booked one in Skagway that was just glaciers and one in Juneau that was for dogsledding. We had the best weather so far this year, so we actually did both! They were two totally different experiences. I'll describe them below.

Skagway: Took the morning White Pass Railroad up and back. It was beautiful scenery and I took lots of pictures from the outside of the car. My DD9 liked it, but she did get a little tired of it by the end. It was 3 hours up and back. We returned to the ship for lunch and to grab our coats for the first helicopter ride. We booked this through Disney and it was the Glacier Discovery tour to Meade glacier with Temsco Air. I was nervous about going in a helicopter, but I am SO glad I conquered the fear. Once up in the air, the nerves were settled as I focused on the beauty of the land. Words and pictures cannot describe the sheer beauty of Alaska. We landed on the Meade glacier and it was icy with "rivers" of blue water. They had ice poles there for us to use just to ensure we didn't fall. I never felt unsafe walking on the glacier, but was glad I had my pole. The guide warned us not to step backwards when we were taking pictures as a guy the day before fell in water up to his waist. I will never forget this experience and wouldn't think twice about doing it again. Just some tips: I had no idea what to wear. I had taken tennis shoes with me and they were fine for this. I wore 3 layers (light weight shirt, hoodie and my fleece Northface jacket). I was worried I would be too cold. Well, I was anything but cold. I was burning up! When they say it is 15 degrees colder than the port city, believe them. It was warm in Skagway that day and I did not need all my layers. About the Meade Glacier: It is 1200 feet of ice and melting at 50 feet per year.

Juneau: I booked the dogsledding tour through Disney. This was the short one, not the long one. Again, it was an AMAZING experience and, interestingly, very different than the day before.  This glacier had 5 feet of snow on top of the ice, so my DD got to make snowballs. It was much more like being in Colorado in the winter as far as the "glacier" experience goes. As you descend on the glacier, you can see the dog camp. We greatly enjoyed learning how to brake and taking a ride on the sled. They let us stand on the back, my DD in front of me, and we got to brake when it was time to stop. Other than that, it was like standing on skis. We switched 1/2 way through with our friends and DD and I sat while they stood on the back. For this excursion, I was smart and wore a short sleeved shirt and my Northface fleece jacket. I ended up taking off the jacket and just had my short sleeved shirt on and was very comfortable (looks kind of funny in pictures, but hey, it was comfortable). Keep in mind that it was hot at the heliport, so I felt secure in my decision not to take warmer clothes that I had in my backpack. They do make you leave your backpacks at the heliport (they lock them up), so it was easy to leave my warmer clothes there. 

Ketchikan: We had our first, and only, rainy morning here. We rented a little electric car for $40/hour and took it for a spin around town. We found them just a block from the cruise ship. We drove to the salmon hatchery, which turned out to be closed, and to the totem museum. Then we drove around just to see the little town. It was nice being covered and not getting wet and cold. The rain cleared and we went back to the ship to meet up for our afternoon excursion, the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Excursion. Keep in mind that it was me, DD, friend and her DD. We all loved this excursion. I didn't have really high hopes for this one, but it turned out great. The guys tell entertaining stories, do a great job of talking for a little while and then providing an experience for a little while. We first got to see sea lions perched up on rocks. They stopped long enough for us all to see and take pictures. Then they took us close to an island where they threw out fish to attract the eagles and gave us the best eagle show we could have seen. I got hundreds of pictures here. Next was pulling up the crab baskets and the kids got to hold and touch them. We moved a little further down and they pulled up the octopus barrel. We really got a little of everything. 

Every one of our excursions met or exceeded my expectations. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone. If I have time tomorrow, I will give you the highlights of what we did in Vancouver.


----------



## piglet33

peachygreen said:


> Just back from the June 9th sailing.  We had a wonderful time.
> 
> In Juneau we did Whale Watching with http://www.whale-watch.biz/ Adventures in Alaska on the MV Scania.  Captain Alan was great and both Captain Alan and Captain Jack were a joy to work with both before the cruise and during the adventure.  Captain Alan did a great job find the whales and explaining their behavior to us.  We all had a great time.  The girls liked looking for the Whales.  After our whale excursion we were dropped off at Mendenhall Glacier.  We hiked out to Nugget Falls and when we came back we were able to see a mama bear and her 2 cubs.  It was a little challenging figuring out where to go to catch the shuttle back to the pier but not to difficult.  I recommend Adventures in Alaska and would use them again.  there were 8 of us on the boat.



Thanks for the review of Adventures in Alaska.  We're also booked with them for our August cruise and also added the dropoff to Mendenhall Glacier. You're right about both Captain Alan and Captain Jack being a pleasure to deal with before the cruise.  I really can't wait.


----------



## Rambler5678

peachygreen said:


> I did give a tip.  I want to say I tipped about $30 (I really don't remember).  I paid for 6 of us to sail so it was a very pretty penny and the tip was minimal in comparison to the cost of the excursion  I felt it just showed my appreciation for a great day on the water.



Was there other people on the trip beside your party of 6? Did the price include RT transportation from the pier? Were there any other extra cost beside the crew tip? What refreshments were included?

Thanks,


----------



## peachygreen

Rambler5678 said:
			
		

> Was there other people on the trip beside your party of 6? Did the price include RT transportation from the pier? Were there any other extra cost beside the crew tip? What refreshments were included?
> 
> Thanks,



There were 2 other people.   8 is the max number of passengers they will take.   It did include RT transportation to the pier.  We choose to add a drop at Mendenhall so we did have to get our own transportation from Mendenhall to the pier.  They had Reindeer Sausage and crackers along with soda and water.   My girls loved the reindeer sausage.  I'm going to have to order some from Alaska for them.   They are begging for more.


----------



## DISNEY FANTASY

This is Tracy arm.



http://youtu.be/kAIUmlbKofg

http://youtu.be/6h9x_0ZGNlg


http://youtu.be/uB6wDGLVzlM


----------



## sunryzez

Anyone that privately booked their tours ever used alaska coach tours? reviews? Thanks =)


----------



## Korkyjohnson

AquaDame said:


> Skagway: White Pass Railway -
> We booked this through Disney - in retrospect I wish we hadn't. I had heard reports that they provide water and a guide as well as board you in a different space but in reality once we were off the ship we were told to just hop on one of the back three cars where some people were already loaded and we did not go to the station for anyone else. We had the same piped in voice and they also had access to the water so I am not sure what the point of the Disney excursion is.  We chose the back so we could go out and take pictures but the platform was crowded the entire time making it difficult (everyone had the same idea). You can't cross cars so if your platforms are full they are full. You also can't hear the narration from outside, though it is very little narration anyway. They also provide a map that shows where points of interest are along the way so you know if something is coming up. Once you reach the top everyone is told to stay in their seats while they move the engine from the front to the back, and then you move your backrest from one side to the other so everyone can stay on their bench on the way back down too. That way you see one side on the way up and the other on the way down. Since we had been in the back we were now in the very front car and there were quite a few fumes from the engine on the way down. The scenery was, of course, breathtaking. We did not see any wildlife at all, even goats (I had my binoculars out the whole time).
> 
> Juneau - Extended Helicopter Trek
> We REALLY lucked out with the weather in Juneau on this trip - wonderful visibility and very warm. Disney used North Star Trekking for this one and they did a wonderful job. We were led to their van to the airport where they passed out appropriate clothes for the venture. They also gave us a fanny pack with a bottle of water and granola bar with a pack of tissues. We had three guides to nine people in our group - since we were the first group of the day the guides went up with us - we filled every seat in two helicopters. After brief sightseeing (we could look down on the dog camps and saw them mushing away on this day) we touched down on the glacier and they put on our crampons and passed out axes. Much of the time was spent showing us how to move around with the crampons then we just romped around through the ice with the guides choosing our way and making sure no one got stuck. We stopped a few times to listen to them speak about the glacier and to dump our bottled water in favor of glacier water. At one point they took pics for anyone who wanted by a waterfall. This was really fun and in our opinion worth the cost.



I plan on taking these two excursions as well.  I'm sorry to hear that the WPR wasn't that great for you.  I hope it is for us .  Thanks again for your reviews.


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## DISNEY FANTASY

I used these for a helicopter landing and trek whilst I booked for four and they could add two go become six it was just us four on the copter, we landed on the glacier and walked around, photos in the link in my signature line and Aldo the DCL Picture of the day thread recently.

It was fantastic and far cheaper than DCL.

For White pass we did more than DCL and at a price less than DCL with these, again we had a van go ourselves.

Full details, here


----------



## Korkyjohnson

Morning Disney Fantasy,

Do you happen to remember the cost for the White Pass Rail Summit excursion?  They don't have it on their site (that I can see).

Any help is appreciated and thank you for the info!


----------



## piglet33

Korkyjohnson said:


> Morning Disney Fantasy,
> 
> Do you happen to remember the cost for the White Pass Rail Summit excursion?  They don't have it on their site (that I can see).
> 
> Any help is appreciated and thank you for the info!



We booked our Whitepass excursion through Chilkoot http://www.chilkootcharters.com/.  We're doing this one that has more than DCL's, and we have a train car and van just for who booked through Chilkoot.



> Yukon Rail & Bus Excursion With 15 Minute Dogcart Ride (lunch included)
> Duration: 7.5 Hours
> Departure: 7:30AM (Depart Skagway by train)
> Departure: 8:30AM (Depart Skagway by bus)
> Cost: $211.00 Adult      $151.00 Child (12 & Under)
> Lunch Included: BBQ chicken, baked potato, coleslaw, dinner roll, cake doughnuts, coffee, tea, water
> Admission to the Yukon Wildlife Museum, Husky Puppy Camp and the 15-minute dogcart ride also included
> Itinerary: Skagway/White Pass Summit/Fraser by train  1 ¾ hours on train to Fraser, Fraser to Carcross & Emerald Lake and return to Skagway by bus
> 
> Chilkoot Charters & Tours offers a full service package with all of its excursions.  This means that all of the applicable components of the excursion are included in the already discounted excursion price as well as U.S. and Canadian sales taxes.  Our passengers also enjoy the convenience of courtesy transportation to and from all cruise ship docks in Skagway.  Lunch accommodations for the 7.5 hour excursions, train tickets and ground transportation have been pre-arranged for you so there is no waiting in line to purchase anything once you arrive in Skagway.  Just meet us at the dock and we are ready to go!



Definitely look into booking with Chilkoot.  They have great reviews.


----------



## m&m's mom

Just got back yesterday so I wanted to post while fresh in my mind:

Skagway- Chilkoot for White Pass train trip. 
When we were on Alaska several years ago we used them and took train up and bus back.  This time we took bus up and train back.
We had a native, Mike, for the drive up who was very nice, knowledgeable and funny. We were a group of 30 and he lined us up for pictures at the Alaska sign using all our cameras perfectly. Very good sport about it too.
If you take the train down, be sure and sit on the right side of the train for best views.  Since I had been there I did not stress about it and sat on the left. I was rewarded by numerous waterfalls; they were everywhere. Just beautiful!  If anyone has fear of height issues- definitely sit on the left going down.

Juneau- Orca Enterprises for whale watching. 
We were a big group again and I am very glad we arranged to have the whole boat to ourselves. 
Orca sent a bus to get us because the DCL ship docks not right in town like the other ships and there were 24 of us.
We had Capt Larry (What a hoot of a character). They gave us extensive knowledge about whales and their behavior on our way to the whales.  They mentioned how they find the whales but in our case we turned a corner and there were 5 boats floating and parked so he decided to check it out. 
For the next 45 mins we watched about 13 whales doing bubble net feeding where they work in unison to crowd together and the whales all rush to the surface together. Absolutely amazing!!  Truly a once in a lifetime experience. YMMV. 
On the way back to the shore we saw bald eagles, harbour seals, and sea lions.

Ketchikan- Island Wings with Michelle for Misty Fjord Floatplane Tour.
It was incredible. Most beautiful views through the fjords and the lake landing was amazing. 


Overall- Loved all 3 excursions; booked independently; had zero issues with any of them and all everything more than I had even hoped for.


----------



## Rather Be At WDW

islandsnoopy said:


> I've searched this thread but haven't seen any recent reviews of the Mendenhall Glacier Adventure Hike in Juneau.  Is it necessary to wear hiking shoes? The activity is listed as Active but curious as to how strenuous it is and if it's appropriate for 8 yr old.  Appreciate any info in this excursion.  Thank you!



I think it depends on the route they take!  We did this hike last month and the guide mumbled something  (to his associate, not to us) about good weather and taking the west route instead.  While this is billed as a "fun wilderness hike for the entire family", I would not classify the hike we were taken on as such.  I would have been uncomfortable without my hiking boots.  I considered it fairly strenuous and it was apparent that there were a few of us on the hike who were expecting more of a "family" adventure.

But again, the "normal" route may be quite different than what we experienced.


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## jtkboston

We did the Skagway Sled Dog and Musher's Camp.
We booked this direct with the excursion operator, Alaska Excursions.  (Saved us $$ since DD #1 is 11 years old and Disney would charge us adult prices for her.)

This excursion was EXCELLENT.  We had a small group (since our time was not one of the ones offered by the cruise lines) and that meant more interaction with the driver/tour guide.  We drove about 1/2 hour to the camp, near Dyea, AK (now-abandoned former settlement).  The shuttle ride is on dirt roads for about 2/3 of the trip, so it's bumpy.

We arrived at the base camp where we got into mountain-road capable big trucks with comfortable guest seats behind the cab.  (They call them Unimogs.)  We drove up a mountain road, past the dogs' living quarters, to a loop road where the dog teams were lined up ready to run.  Guests get onto a cart (6 guests per cart, plus musher).  The musher explains about the summer and winter training, and is available for questions before/after the ride.  The ride is two loops around the road, plus a stop in the middle for the dogs to rest briefly.  Afterwards, you can meet the dogs and ask more questions.

Part two: ride down the mountain in the Unimog, stopping at a scenic overlook, and then at the camp.  Another musher shows some of the sled equipment, with Q&A, and finally a chance to visit the puppies!  There were some older puppies (several months) that we looked at, some newborns (5 days old, eyes shut) that we looked at, and some about 2 months old that we could hold and cuddle.  We got some great pictures of our girls interacting with the puppies, the sled dogs, and at the scenic overlook.

Finally, back to the shuttle van and back to port, right on the schedule listed by the excursion operator.


----------



## jtkboston

The excursion was to Mendenhall Glacier, a salmon hatchery, and a salmon bake.  We took the morning departure for this.

We started with a bus ride to the glacier.  We saw lots of bald eagles in the river beds, on light posts, etc.  Almost so many to make you stop noticing them as special?

We had 90 minutes at the glacier--just the right length of time for our girls.  There are some easy walking trails near the water level of the lake, and a visitor center atop a hill.  An elevator is available if needed, or you can walk up a serpentine ramp.  We got some nice photos of our family near the glacier, and some excellent photos of blooming flowers along the Steep Creek trail.

The hatchery had plenty of returning fish: chum salmon were just starting their run. We could see fish swimming up the fish ladder from the harbor, and lots of fish crowding the harbor working toward the stream's outlet.  In the hatchery, there were fish trying to jump out of their pen.  We learned about the hatchery's operations.

The salmon bake for lunch was at Gold Creek Salmon Bake.  The food was tasty, but the salmont was not so much to our girls' liking (some tiny bones in the salmon pieces, to which they are unaccustomed).  However, there was marshmallow roasting, a big hit among the children.  There is an easy forested walk to a waterfall and nice places for photographs there.


----------



## lindaso

I will add ours...we had 3 amazing excursions.  My kids are 16, 14 and 12 and they loved this cruise to Alaska.  I wasn't sure if they would be bored but they weren't.  They even loved the sightseeing.  We got them binoculars for Christmas and they used them a lot.

Yukon Rail and Bus Excursion with Chilkoot Charters...this is the trip to Emerald Lake without the dog sledding.  It was amazing.  We sat in the caboose of the train and we got so many amazing pictures and videos from the outside back of the train.  The train was full but most people were polite about coming and going from the outside of the train.  There were about 20-25 people on our little bus and we had James as a tour guide.  He told us a lot of great stories about the locals and about his life.  We saw 3 different sets of bears and stayed on the side of the road for a long time just snapping picture after picture.  Lunch was decent and just the right amount of time.  The puppies were a little disappointing as they were napping and we weren't allowed to touch them.  Oh well, it wasn't that big of a deal.  Emerald Lake was stunning and I highly recommend taking the extra drive to see it.

Whale watching with Harv and Marv...I can't say enough about this excursion.  It was better than I could have ever imagined.  We were 13 people and had the boat to ourselves.  We had a driver and a naturalist (college student who gave narratives and answered all of our questions).  We saw so many whales, we learned what bubble netting was, we have so many awesome pictures and videos.  I really can't say enough about this trip.  Highly recommend!!!

Bear Creek Ziplining...only 3 of us did this one as the less adventurous did the Lumberjack show and had a good time.  The zip lining was soooo much fun.  They made sure we were all geared up correctly and made sure we knew how to stop and they have a little practice line so you can test it out.  We had a blast!  We had 2 guys helping us and there were 7 people in the group.  The views were beautiful and the zip lines were challenging but not overwhelming.  There was a slide at the end which was surprisingly scary but fun.

DCL Alaska was an amazing vacation.  While it was expensive and a pain to get our family to Vancouver, it was completely worth it.


----------



## blossomz

We did the adult only whale watch, salmon bake and Mendenhall Glacier.  Same as the hatchery trip, but the whale watch instead.  We were on a small boat of about 16.  IT WAS AMAZING!

We also did the Ocean Raft adventure.  It was SO much fun!!  Saw lots of wildlife and got to ride the raft which is powered by 2 engines.  


We did the flight plane to Misty Fiords.  That was also amazing.  The beauty and landing right in the fiord where there was only a waterfall and silent beauty.  

Loved all of our excursions!  Wish we would have had more time to have done more!


----------



## jofo

lindaso said:


> The puppies were a little disappointing as they were napping and we weren't allowed to touch them.



Were you not allowed to touch them because they were napping or because they were too little?  Or do they never let you touch the puppies there?


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## islandsnoopy

Thanks for the reply. We were on the 30 June sailing. There was a light rain that day in Juneau and while I had running trail shoes, a pair of waterproof hiking shoes would've been better. The rocks were a bit slippery in areas. The whole family had a great time!


----------



## lindaso

jofo said:


> Were you not allowed to touch them because they were napping or because they were too little?  Or do they never let you touch the puppies there?



They weren't too little, I think it was just their nap time.  We got there a little late bc we stayed on the side of the road watching a bear for a good 20 minutes.  It was also really hot that day so I think the puppies were just on a break.  It certainly didn't ruin the day, there were plenty of older dogs there to pet and play with.


----------



## islandsnoopy

*Ketchikan: Bering Sea Crab Fisherman Tour and Dinner, 1:15 - 6:45pm*

Short walk from the ship to the Aleutian Ballad (boat from 2nd season of Deadliest Catch).  I had only watched Deadliest Catch once or twice so I was not familiar with the boat. 

The crew talked about the ship and equipment used in deep sea fishing as they made stops to haul in lines and bait new lines.  They hauled in the huge king crab pots which had snow crab, king crab and an octopus. They also hauled in crab and prawns.  We got to hold the crabs, prawns with plenty of photo opportunities. 

We learned much about deep sea fishing, but the highlight of the trip was seeing the bald eagles. They threw out halibut and the eagles swarmed the ship. Absolutely beautiful to see so many eagles at one time.  

We stayed on the boat for the tour of the ship and afterwards we were served dinner which was delicious. It included: King crab and Dungeness crab, garlic bread, coleslaw, dessert, and beverages. I would definitely recommend this tour!


----------



## LindaBabe

islandsnoopy said:


> *Ketchikan: Bering Sea Crab Fisherman Tour and Dinner, 1:15 - 6:45pm*
> 
> Short walk from the ship to the Aleutian Ballad (boat from 2nd season of Deadliest Catch).  I had only watched Deadliest Catch once or twice so I was not familiar with the boat.
> 
> The crew talked about the ship and equipment used in deep sea fishing as they made stops to haul in lines and bait new lines.  They hauled in the huge king crab pots which had snow crab, king crab and an octopus. They also hauled in crab and prawns.  We got to hold the crabs, prawns with plenty of photo opportunities.
> 
> We learned much about deep sea fishing, but the highlight of the trip was seeing the bald eagles. They threw out halibut and the eagles swarmed the ship. Absolutely beautiful to see so many eagles at one time.
> 
> We stayed on the boat for the tour of the ship and afterwards we were served dinner which was delicious. It included: King crab and Dungeness crab, garlic bread, coleslaw, dessert, and beverages. I would definitely recommend this tour!



Sounds good!  What did you wear on the boat?  Was it cold?  Did you get wet?


----------



## islandsnoopy

We went on the tour the first week in July so it wasn't too cold.  We all wore long-sleeve shirts with rain jackets.  If you needed a rain jacket, they were available on the boat. 

The seating areas are covered, so you won't get wet on this tour other than the rain. ;-) There was a light rain that day but nothing to hamper the tour.


----------



## islandsnoopy

LindaBabe said:


> Sounds good!  What did you wear on the boat?  Was it cold?  Did you get wet?



We went on the tour the first week in July so it wasn't too cold. We all wore long-sleeve shirts with rain jackets. If you needed a rain jacket, they were available on the boat.

The seating areas are covered, so you won't get wet on this tour other than the rain. ;-) There was a light rain that day but nothing to hamper the tour.


----------



## MickeyMomTo2

LindaBabe said:


> Sounds good!  What did you wear on the boat?  Was it cold?  Did you get wet?



We did this the first week of July in 2013, and it was in the low 50's. But, once we got out into the open water, I was FREEZING. They do have heavy coats and heaters, so that helps, but if you are cold-natured, you may want to take some heavy layers.


----------



## Munkamamacallie

We were on the July 28th Alaska trip.  In Skagway we started by going on the White Pass Railway.  It was beautiful!  Don't forget your passport, you will cross the border.  We did the one where you took a bus back down.  Our driver was great.  He stopped in a couple of places to show us the sights.  We then stopped at Liarsville.  I thought this was super-hokey, but my daughter loved panning for gold.  After that we went on the Grizzly Falls Ziplining excursion.  We booked this on our own because Disney will not let you book an 8 year old, but the company did.  My daughter was soooo excited and loved every minute.  Our guide, Jennie, was super.  Everyone that I spoke to in Skagway who had done both said this was by far the best one.  In Juneau we splurged and did the dog sledding excursion through Coastal Helicopters.  We did the extended tour that landed on another glacier and let you explore around.  I was wary because it was costly but SO WORTH EVERY PENNY!  Our pilot was great and our guide was wonderful.  We got to mush the dogs.  It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.  Afterwards we took the bus to Mendenhall Glacier.  After having been almost by ourselves on a glacier seeing one from a distance wasn't that interesting.  We did see a bear, but in hindsight I wouldn't do it again.  It was $10/person each way - $60 for the 3 of us.  I wasn't in love with any of the excursions in Skagway and we ended up just taking the Duck tour.  It too was pretty cheesy, but gave us a tour of the town and harbor.  Ketchican was a great town to just walk around.  We went to see some totem poles, saw some old brothels, saw the salmon ladder, and picked up some souvenirs.


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## Keyser

I wrote all this out once previously and lost it before posting, so I hope this time is better:

*Vancouver:*  We did two things here. First, we went to *Grouse Mountain*.  We got there mid-afternoon, and stayed until around 8.  It was fun, and a nice way to spend the day.  Saw the grizzly bears, the lumberjack show, and the bird show.  All of these were good.  We took the chair lift to the peak, which was also fun (though my wife was stressed out worried about our youngest daughter.  Overall, we would give it a positive review.  The other thing we did was *Fly Over Canada*.  This was fun  its basically just Soarin, but with Canadian scenery instead of California (theres another short show before it, also).  In fact, the pre-ride video was obviously made to copy the one at Disney  the whole thing was the same, but with Canadian stuff rather than Disney stuff.  It was kind of expensive for what you get, but was fun.  If you have ridden Soarin, you will know exactly what youre getting.

*Skagway: * We did the *Chilkoot Charters Yukon Rail/Bus/Dogcart ride*.  We were lucky enough to be the only ones on this itinerary, and had the van/driver to ourselves!  This day was probably the highlight of all our excursions.  The bus tour part was great  we stopped many times, and got lots of great stories, as well as learned a lot about Alaska  both the gold rush times, and the current day.  We eventually stopped at Caribou Crossing, which is a little town set up where you get lunch (BBQ chicken), can pet/feed goats and ponies, can visit the sled dog puppies, can tour a (really very good) taxidermy display, and get to go on the sled dog pull.  The pull is over a dirt track on a wheeled sled, but was still lots of fun.  Interestingly, I learned that the dogs are no longer Huskies, but have been crossbred with greyhounds!  Theres a stop in Carcross, both at the desert (surprising!), and the small town.  We then drove back to the train and took it the rest of the way  that ride was also incredible, and gives you a different view of things than you get on the bus tour part.  We were the last ones on our train car, though, so all the seats on the right hand side were taken.  We still had a good trip.  Overall, Id recommend this tour with no hesitation at all.

*Juneau: *We did the *Alaska Galore tour: Whole Lotta Whale*.  Again, we were the only ones on our tour, and had a boat to ourselves.  We did indeed see a whole lot of whales.  It was pretty standard stuff  swimming, seeing their tails and such.  We werent lucky enough to see some of the more rare behaviors (bubble netting, or breaching) and didnt see any Orcas, but thats not the captains fault.  We saw sea lions, both in the water and at the buoy where they can always be found.  I noticed that lots of other boats were also in the area, and the captains tend to cooperate in finding the whales.  In fact, our boat seemed to be from Harv and Marvs, so I get the impression that there is a lot more overlap between the different whale watching tours than it might seem.  We enjoyed our trip, and Id do it again, but wouldnt worry about necessarily going with Alaska Galore (nothing against them, just that there didnt seem to be a big differentiation.  After the boat ride, we took the option (for $5 per person), to be dropped off at the Mendenhall glacier.  We ended up spending a couple of hours there, which is more than a lot of tours give you.  We went to the visitor center and saw the movie and displays, did the hike to the waterfall (I would recommend this!), and saw the salmon running in the bear viewing area (no bears, though).  At the end, we found a taxi in the parking area that we took back to port ($37).  Note: our ship was not at the main dock, and if we had been dropped off in the city (e.g. the shuttle bus), it would have been a real hike to get back to the ship.  I was very glad to have the cab drop us off right at the Wonder.  We briefly saw a bear from the cab as we were leaving.  Note: there is no food here, and they dont let you eat except in one small area of the visitor center near the bathrooms, so watch your timing.  We had some energy bars that we brought and ate there, but if you arrive (like us) near lunchtime, you are going to be waiting a while to eat  Overall, this was a good combo trip and we were very happy with the day.

*Ketchikan:* We were there on what a local said was expected to be the rainiest day of the summer!   There was a ton of rain, and our reservation with Island Wings to see Misty Fjords was cancelled.  This was disappointing, since this was the thing that my family was most looking forward to on the whole trip, but I certainly understood why it was cancelled.  We ended up bundling up (Disney provided some good ponchos for everyone for free) and walking out to the visitors center to see what there might be to do.  We ended up getting sold a *Northern Tours *tour that I think they called their Saxman Deluxe Combo Tour.  Yet again, we were the only ones on the tour.  It was supposed to be 2 hours, but ran close to 3, which we appreciated (the extra time was mainly spent at the bear viewing area, and thanks to the wait, we eventually saw a brief view of the bears).  Our driver was interesting.  Probably not the best choice for our family tour (his discussions of marijuana use in Alaska, how brothels operated and continue to operate in town, and the legal battles with his ex-wife over his daughter were interesting, but maybe not appropriate for our 6 and 12 year old daughters).  We stopped at the totem pole village (not quite sure what to think about this, but glad we saw it), drove through the city and saw the salmon ladder (the heavy rain meant the creek was so violent that we couldnt actually see fish in most places).  We drove by some bald eagle nests but so fast that we couldnt even get a good look at them.  Theres a place he said they normally see sea lions, but they werent out that day  it was OK since we saw several the day before.  We eventually stopped at the bear viewing area and though it took a while, eventually we saw a couple of bears, briefly, in the distance.   In looking at their tripadvisor review, it seems that our so-so experience is not uncommon.  When going to Ketchikan, Id recommend having some backup plan in place (rather than wandering to the tourist center like us) in case weather cancels your original plans.

*General comment:* We gave tips to the driver on each of our tours, but I honestly dont know if we tipped too little or too much on each one.  I would have loved to have known some guidelines for tipping, going in.


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## brookmey

We were on the August 4th sailing and had an amazing time.

In Skagway, we did the Musher's Camp and Sled Dog tour, booked through Disney.  We loved it!  It was my mom and I and my 2 kids, DS7 and DD10.  The bus ride up unto the mountains was a little long, but our guide was very informative and talked almost the whole time, so we learned a lot.  We did get to see a brown bear on the way up.  

When we reached the camp, we were then transferred to Unimogs, some kind of army vehicle that took us farther up to where the sled dogs were waiting for us.  My kids got to sit in the cab with the driver and they loved it.  It was a bumpy ride, but a lot of fun.  The weather was really nice that day so even though it was an open air vehicle, we didn't really get cold.

We were then assigned a musher and his team of 16 dogs.  We were lucky to get Wade, who finished 16th in the 2014 Iditarod.  We rode with the dogs for about a mile and it was so much fun!  They are fast, especially around curves.  Our team caught up to the team in front of us and kept trying to pass.  It was so funny seeing the dogs antsy and anxious to move faster.

After the ride, we got to meet the dogs, which was a highlight for my kids.  The dogs were friendly and affectionate, very we'll trained.  Wade was great about answering our questions and you could tell he really loves his dogs.  We then climbed back into the Unimogs and went back down to the camp, which is where we got to cuddle with the puppies.  They were 24 days old, but were so cute and soft.  We also heard a short presentation about sled dog training and we got to watch a group of 4 month old puppies playing around in their training area.

I've read reviews of this excursion where people complained about the noise, the smell and feeling rushed.  Yes, it was loud around the dogs with all their barking, but they are DOGS!  Dogs bark.  And it did smell, but again, you're around wet dogs who do smell when they get wet!  And we never felt rushed.  We spent about 10 minutes with the teams, which was enough for us.  My kids were starting to lose interest, so we were ready when it was time to go.  DD probably held the little puppy for about 20 minutes, but most other kids gave the puppies back after just a few.  The pacing of the experience was very relaxed.

This excursion is definitely one I would recommend to people who are comfortable around dogs.  Those who are skittish around dogs may not enjoy it as much.  Also, the ride in the Unimogs was very bumpy, so those with back issues might want to reconsider.  It was an amazing experience and one I definitely recommend!

In Juneau we used Harv and Marv for whale watching.  We had a private boat for just the 6 of us and it was perfect.  We saw quite a few whales.  Our captain was Harv's or Marv's (I can't remember which one) 21 year old daughter.  She was fun and energetic and really knew her stuff.  I was impressed.  She even took us to a small island filled with sea lions that are only there for 2 weeks every year as they move from the inlet waters to the coastline.  After the whale watching our guide took us for a quick stop at Mendenhall Glacier.  Our driver was wonderful.  He knows so much about Juneau and we could tell that he really loves where he lives.  He was funny and informative and very nice.

In Kechikan my mom and DD were supposed to go kayaking, but it was canceled due to the weather.  It rained nonstop while we were there.  DH and DS went salmon fishing and had a great time.  We now have 18 lbs of salmon in our freezer!  

My dad is in the early stages of Parkinson's, so he and I did the Ketchikan Duckboat Tour, which I did not like at all.  I thought it would be a nice excursion for him with no walking and where he could sit and relax.  I didn't realize we would have to climb a small ladder into the vehicle, which was a problem for my dad.  The driver, though, was very helpful getting my dad up the ladder.  The seats were too close together and we had very little leg room.  I'm only 5'5" and I was having a hard time feeling crammed in.  The tour itself was cheesy and drawn out.  I did not enjoy it at all.  I liked getting to see Ketchikan and learning of its history, but that took up only about 30 minutes of the 2 hour tour. Maybe I would feel differently if I hadn't felt like we were crammed in like sardines.  It was pretty awful overall and not worth the money.

Tipping was accepted for each excursion, but we had no idea how much to give.  The general attitude I got from the tours was any amount is welcome, give what you can.


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## Rambler5678

How much you tip on your private whale tour? Was it just the boat captain or did they have a naturalist onboard as well?


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## piglet33

Rambler5678 said:


> How much you tip on your private whale tour? Was it just the boat captain or did they have a naturalist onboard as well?



We're planning on tipping 20% of the total cost of the excursion.


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## jetskigrl

lindaso said:


> Yukon Rail and Bus Excursion with Chilkoot Charters...this is the trip to Emerald Lake without the dog sledding.  It was amazing.  We sat in the caboose of the train and we got so many amazing pictures and videos from the outside back of the train.  The train was full but most people were polite about coming and going from the outside of the train.  There were about 20-25 people on our little bus and we had James as a tour guide.  He told us a lot of great stories about the locals and about his life.  We saw 3 different sets of bears and stayed on the side of the road for a long time just snapping picture after picture.  Lunch was decent and just the right amount of time.  The puppies were a little disappointing as they were napping and we weren't allowed to touch them.  Oh well, it wasn't that big of a deal.  Emerald Lake was stunning and I highly recommend taking the extra drive to see it.
> 
> Whale watching with Harv and Marv...I can't say enough about this excursion.  It was better than I could have ever imagined.  We were 13 people and had the boat to ourselves.  We had a driver and a naturalist (college student who gave narratives and answered all of our questions).  We saw so many whales, we learned what bubble netting was, we have so many awesome pictures and videos.  I really can't say enough about this trip.  Highly recommend!!!



I was just coming to post my experiences but I can just C&P these ones  

We did the same excursion in Skagway with Chilkoot Charters (even had James as our guide) but my kids did do the dogcart ride, which they loved.   They were also a little disappointed by the sleeping puppies because it was very warm out and most were sleeping under a box in the shade.  But they did get to pet a couple.   We were also at the back of the train and I had a hard time keeping my DS inside while other people were taking pictures from the back platform.  As soon as he saw an open space, he wanted to be back out there 

We thought we would be doing whale watching with another group but we ended up with a private Harv and Marv whale watch instead.  It was just the three of us with the guide.  What an amazing experience.  We started out just following two whales for a while but then heard about some other activity and found ourselves in the middle of about 15 whales.  They were all around the boat and some even came right up next to us.  Just awesome!  After the whale watching, they dropped us off at Mendenhall Glacier (we got our own transportation back).  That gave us plenty of time to walk the Nugget Falls trail.  Unfortunately, right as we arrived at the falls, the rain came pouring down so it was a soggy trip back to the visitor center.  Definitely be prepared with good rain shells and waterproof shoes.   That saved the excursions for us (both whale watching with light rain and the glacier viewing).

In Ketchikan, we booked with Ketchikan Taxi Cab Tours and found this to be a great way to see Ketchikan.  We were blessed with a sunny and beautiful day so picture taking was great.   Dave (co-owner) took us all over Ketchikan.  We tried to see bears but it was too warm for them (but we were still amazed by the number of salmon jumping upstream).  We found multiple eagle's nests and got some amazing pictures.  Plus we arrived at the totem pole museum/Potlach park before the cruise excursions so we had the place to ourselves.   Dave got us back to the ship with plenty of time to go back on board for a snack before heading back out for shopping.


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## jtba

jetskigrl said:


> We thought we would be doing whale watching with another group but we ended up with a private Harv and Marv whale watch instead.  It was just the three of us with the guide.  What an amazing experience.  We started out just following two whales for a while but then heard about some other activity and found ourselves in the middle of about 15 whales.  They were all around the boat and some even came right up next to us.  Just awesome!  After the whale watching, they dropped us off at Mendenhall Glacier (we got our own transportation back).  That gave us plenty of time to walk the Nugget Falls trail.  Unfortunately, right as we arrived at the falls, the rain came pouring down so it was a soggy trip back to the visitor center.  Definitely be prepared with good rain shells and waterproof shoes.   That saved the excursions for us (both whale watching with light rain and the glacier viewing).



jetskigrl, this is such perfect timing because we're considering a private tour with Harv & Marv as well! Thank you for the write-up.


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## ohil

Just got back from the 8/25 Alaska cruise and it was amazing!  We did the helipcopter dogsled in Skagway, which was one of the coolest things we've ever done!  I used my gopro to film it, you can go to YouTube and search "Gopro Hero 3- Helicopter Ride and Dog Sledding in Skagway Alaska" to see our trip to the glacier to dogsled.  Highly recommend that when you go.  Have fun!


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## ohil

Heres a link to my gopro dogsled helipcopter video, easier to just click! Some decent aerial shots of the Wonder in there too.   Let me know what you think!  http://youtu.be/Kuh5sZC9A1w


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## AngelDisney

ohil said:


> Just got back from the 8/25 Alaska cruise and it was amazing!  We did the helipcopter dogsled in Skagway, which was one of the coolest things we've ever done!  I used my gopro to film it, you can go to YouTube and search "Gopro Hero 3- Helicopter Ride and Dog Sledding in Skagway Alaska" to see our trip to the glacier to dogsled.  Highly recommend that when you go.  Have fun!



Thanks for sharing your dogsledding experience in Alaska. Did you go with Disney or arrange your own? I am interested in the dogsledding excursion but not sure whether I should go with Disney or Non-Disney. We are two adults only. Any advise is appreciated!


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## ohil

We did it in Skagway, and we went directly through Temsco they have a pretty informative website. Experiences are exactly the same, you pay about $100 less a head going through them. The place you take off from is literally 100 feet off the boat too, so no need for a bus from Disney or anything. It was absolutely amazing, one of the coolest things we've ever done. Well worth it.


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## saintstickets

ohil said:


> We did it in Skagway, and we went directly through Temsco they have a pretty informative website. Experiences are exactly the same, you pay about $100 less a head going through them. The place you take off from is literally 100 feet off the boat too, so no need for a bus from Disney or anything. It was absolutely amazing, one of the coolest things we've ever done. Well worth it.


Thanks for the info and the GREAT goPro video!!  That is exactly what we were looking for on our trip August, 2015!


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## linetbo

jenf22 said:


> Ditto to the above!  Except we took our 5-year old with us to see the bears and he loved it!  He really enjoyed feeding the reindeer after we saw the bears.  In addition to the above excursions, we did Best of Juneau too.  All of our excursions were awesome!  We didn't have second thoughts about any of them!  Best vacation ever (and I say that from a hotel room in Hawaii!!)



Wich excursion was that with the bears, I want to see bears, we are going july 20,2015


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## WDW Princess 71

linetbo said:


> Wich excursion was that with the bears, I want to see bears, we are going july 20,2015



I would also like to know which excursion this is. We are going July 13, 2015 and wonder if this excursion is offered then and if so how many bears you saw.


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## linetbo

Yukon Expedition with Disney, its on the train all the time or just one way.


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## jenf22

linetbo said:


> Wich excursion was that with the bears, I want to see bears, we are going july 20,2015



It was Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition.  We saw lots of bears and it was a great day!  You're going to love Alaska!


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## linetbo

jenf22 said:


> It was Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition.  We saw lots of bears and it was a great day!  You're going to love Alaska!



Thanks, I want to do it. We are going in July 20.


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## WDW Princess 71

jenf22 said:


> It was Bear Country and Wildlife Expedition.  We saw lots of bears and it was a great day!  You're going to love Alaska!


Thanks! Has anyone done this excursion in mid July and if so what was your review? Did you see a lot of bears? I ask because the dcl site says this excursion doesn't start until mid July which I'm guessing if at all would be my cruise which is 7/13/15. I think it is seasonal because the bears don't become active until the salmon running begins. I love the idea of seeing bears on this trip but I don't think I could stomach spending $200 each and not seeing any. Would love to hear from more people who did this in mid July to hear what your experience was like early in the season.


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## gretchenk

Has anyone gone on the horseback riding excursion?


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## Mickdeb

gretchenk said:


> Has anyone gone on the horseback riding excursion?



We did the horseback riding excursion in Skagway.  We booked directly and saved around $30.00 per person.  We did the afternoon ride and enjoyed it very much. The guides were great and we had a wonderful dinner when we returned, which we didn't expect. I thought we were only going to have snacks.  But they served us, grilled salmon with dill, roasted garlic potatoes and caesar salad with rolls.  Every thing was delicious!  And I typically don't eat salmon.


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## sassysocks

Does anyone know if there is a gold panning area in Juneau that is close to the port?


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## DCLGraces

Has anyone done the Skagway alpine snow shoe and white pass rail adventure excursion? If so when did you cruise and how was it? 

Thanks in advance!


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## 3Adevas

I will start off by sharing that we are an adventurous family and have experienced each port on our own. Cruised on the Wonder 9/1/14 and I am happy to share info about our Alaskan excursions with my DH and 5 year old DS.

Skagway:
Rented a 4 door green Jeep from Alaska Green Jeeps Southeast Tours company and adventured from Skagway over the Klondike Highway into the Yukon!  The rental process and the people at Alaska Green Jeeps were great. I arranged everything online including a booster car seat provided for free.  Easy walk from the cruise terminal into Skagway to the rental office inside the popcorn store.  They provided us a cooler with water and snacks for the day along with very friendly tour information, safety tips, and narrated CD to listen to on the drive. The guy who set us up in our jeep was so helpful and encouraged us to drive all the way up to Carcross and Emerald Lake without stops, which got us way ahead of all of the big tour busses going on organized tours for the day   We were glad for the advice, it worked out perfect, and we had plenty of time to stop on the drive back and take in breathtaking views and get in tons of picture stops!  At Carcross, we stopped at Carcross Desert then on to our next and most exciting adventure....Dog Cart Sledding at Caribou Crossing!! Booked everything online and expectations were exceeded here.  We were the first of many travelers to arrive at the little village where we got to meet Michelle and her Iditarod racing dogs.  They dogs were super excited and jumping and barking to be picked to drive our cart.  We were carted through a nice scenic trail on a 30 min ride and Michelle shared so much information it was awesome to learn about the Iditarod and their training.  After our dog cart ride we played with the husky puppies, gave them snacks and cuddled them, looked around the museum and headed to the BBQ lunch.  By this time, the large tour buses had just started to arrive so we were perfect in our timing being the 1st family to enjoy the dog cart ride in the morning and eat a delicious BBQ chicken lunch before the crowds.  After lunch, we headed on up the Klondike Hwy up to Emerald and Spirit Lakes- gorgeous and breathtaking is all I can say! Driving back to Skagway we turned off and took part of the drive on Dyea Road-nice scenic view to pull off where we saw our ship docked down below.  Once we refueled and turned in our jeep in Skagway, we still had ample time to walk around some of the shops and walk back to the ship.  

Juneau-
We took a free shuttle from cruise dock to where we grabbed a blue bus to Mendenhall Glacier.  The bus driver was great told us about some local history on the way and gave us specific instructions on how to get back.  We were dropped off right at the visitors center and walked the trail to Nugget Falls.  Never seen anything like the Mendenhall Glacier area and loved having the freedom to take our time and explore the area at our own pace! Got on the blue bus back to downtown Juneau where we walked to Alaska Fish Company for a late lunch- great food and beer! The back porch of the place had a great view of our Disney Wonder at dock.  Walked from lunch to Mount Roberts tramway and wandered around for a bit up top. The fog was rolling in and out so it was tricky weather wise but overall glad we experienced the tram ride and what views we did get to enjoy.  We saw several bald eagles in Juneau.  We ended up walking along the seawall from downtown back to the ship, it was a long walk but DS took a nap in his stroller along the way.  

Ketchikan:
We walked a few blocks from ship dock to the Alaska Discovery Center grabbed a FREE shuttle white van to Walmart which was about 4 miles/10 min ride away.  We grabbed a city bus at the Walmart stop and rode to Totem Bight State Park about 15 min away.  At the totem park it was like we had the place to ourselves! We explored and learned about the totems and walked along the rocky water shore for a couple of hours and hopped on the city bus back to Walmart.  The FREE shuttle white van from Walmart back to the cruise terminal area was less than a perfect situation----by this time of the afternoon all the cruise ship workers who had gone to get supplies at Walmart while in port for the day were piling up in line with loads of stuff and we had to wait thru 3 shuttles to get our family of 3 a seat on the shuttle.  The shuttle was packed like sardines but it worked out ok and we got back in plenty of time to walk around town a little bit before heading back to the ship.   

We had some very fun adventures on our own in Alaska and I am happy to share any advice or information if you have any ?'s or interest in our experience cruising with a 5 year old


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## seelyt2

In Juneau - has anyone done either the Dog Sled Summer Camp or the Sled Dog Discovery & Musher Camp?  They both sound comparable in price ($154 vs. $149 pp) and experience (lap in a cart and cuddling).  Just wondering if anyone could suggest one over the other as we will likely do one of these.  Thanks in advance!


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## seelyt2

3Adevas said:


> Skagway:
> Rented a 4 door green Jeep from Alaska Green Jeeps Southeast Tours company and adventured from Skagway over the Klondike Highway into the Yukon! The rental process and the people at Alaska Green Jeeps were great. I arranged everything online including a booster car seat provided for free. Easy walk from the cruise terminal into Skagway to the rental office inside the popcorn store. They provided us a cooler with water and snacks for the day along with very friendly tour information, safety tips, and narrated CD to listen to on the drive. The guy who set us up in our jeep was so helpful and encouraged us to drive all the way up to Carcross and Emerald Lake without stops, which got us way ahead of all of the big tour busses going on organized tours for the day  We were glad for the advice, it worked out perfect, and we had plenty of time to stop on the drive back and take in breathtaking views and get in tons of picture stops! At Carcross, we stopped at Carcross Desert then on to our next and most exciting adventure....Dog Cart Sledding at Caribou Crossing!! Booked everything online and expectations were exceeded here. We were the first of many travelers to arrive at the little village where we got to meet Michelle and her Iditarod racing dogs. They dogs were super excited and jumping and barking to be picked to drive our cart. We were carted through a nice scenic trail on a 30 min ride and Michelle shared so much information it was awesome to learn about the Iditarod and their training. After our dog cart ride we played with the husky puppies, gave them snacks and cuddled them, looked around the museum and headed to the BBQ lunch. By this time, the large tour buses had just started to arrive so we were perfect in our timing being the 1st family to enjoy the dog cart ride in the morning and eat a delicious BBQ chicken lunch before the crowds. After lunch, we headed on up the Klondike Hwy up to Emerald and Spirit Lakes- gorgeous and breathtaking is all I can say! Driving back to Skagway we turned off and took part of the drive on Dyea Road-nice scenic view to pull off where we saw our ship docked down below. Once we refueled and turned in our jeep in Skagway, we still had ample time to walk around some of the shops and walk back to the ship.



Hi Adevas: This sounds AMAZING! We're thinking of doing the Yukon Jeep Klondike Adventure which is very similar to this.  Question for you...when you stopped at the Dog Cart Sledding at Caribou Crossing, did you make reservations in advance for that?


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## 3Adevas

seelyt2 said:


> Hi Adevas: This sounds AMAZING! We're thinking of doing the Yukon Jeep Klondike Adventure which is very similar to this.  Question for you...when you stopped at the Dog Cart Sledding at Caribou Crossing, did you make reservations in advance for that?


Hi there! Yes, Alaska was amazing and Skagway day and jeep rental + dog sleds was hands down our favorite day! We did reserve the Caribou Crossing 30 minute dog cart ride in advance online thru their website and easy breezy.  Just something to keep in mind....there was a time zone change that we were not exactly planning for- time zone was different at Caribou Crossing I think I remember we were an hour behind Skagway- double check this aspect based on your travel dates.  It ended up working out well for us anyway, as we beat all the big tour buses up and were actually earlier than our booked time and we were 1st visitors out on carts w/the dogs that day


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## jtkboston

seelyt2 said:


> In Juneau - has anyone done either the Dog Sled Summer Camp or the Sled Dog Discovery & Musher Camp?  They both sound comparable in price ($154 vs. $149 pp) and experience (lap in a cart and cuddling).  Just wondering if anyone could suggest one over the other as we will likely do one of these.  Thanks in advance!


See my family's review of the  Skagway Sled Dog and Musher's Camp, see trip report above (click the arrow next to "jtkboston said"):


jtkboston said:


> We booked this direct with the excursion operator, Alaska Excursions.  (Saved us $$ since DD #1 is 11 years old and Disney would charge us adult prices for her.) ...


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## noahdove

I am anxious to read other excursion reviews. Just last night I cleaned up my Alaska folder and now
I can add more info in the correct space


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## eeyorefanuk

Very interested in this thread


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## grimgrinnin

3Adevas said:


> Skagway:
> Rented a 4 door green Jeep from Alaska Green Jeeps Southeast Tours company and adventured from Skagway over the Klondike Highway into the Yukon!  The rental process and the people at Alaska Green Jeeps were great. I arranged everything online including a booster car seat provided for free.  Easy walk from the cruise terminal into Skagway to the rental office inside the popcorn store.  They provided us a cooler with water and snacks for the day along with very friendly tour information, safety tips, and narrated CD to listen to on the drive. The guy who set us up in our jeep was so helpful and encouraged us to drive all the way up to Carcross and Emerald Lake without stops, which got us way ahead of all of the big tour busses going on organized tours for the day   We were glad for the advice, it worked out perfect, and we had plenty of time to stop on the drive back and take in breathtaking views and get in tons of picture stops!  At Carcross, we stopped at Carcross Desert then on to our next and most exciting adventure....Dog Cart Sledding at Caribou Crossing!! Booked everything online and expectations were exceeded here.  We were the first of many travelers to arrive at the little village where we got to meet Michelle and her Iditarod racing dogs.  They dogs were super excited and jumping and barking to be picked to drive our cart.  We were carted through a nice scenic trail on a 30 min ride and Michelle shared so much information it was awesome to learn about the Iditarod and their training.  After our dog cart ride we played with the husky puppies, gave them snacks and cuddled them, looked around the museum and headed to the BBQ lunch.  By this time, the large tour buses had just started to arrive so we were perfect in our timing being the 1st family to enjoy the dog cart ride in the morning and eat a delicious BBQ chicken lunch before the crowds.  After lunch, we headed on up the Klondike Hwy up to Emerald and Spirit Lakes- gorgeous and breathtaking is all I can say! Driving back to Skagway we turned off and took part of the drive on Dyea Road-nice scenic view to pull off where we saw our ship docked down below.  Once we refueled and turned in our jeep in Skagway, we still had ample time to walk around some of the shops and walk back to the ship.



This sounds awesome - how long is the drive from Skagway to Carcross?


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## 3Adevas

grimgrinnin said:


> This sounds awesome - how long is the drive from Skagway to Carcross?



Mileage wise about 65 miles, drive time on the Klondike Highway with the fog and mist and border crossing was right at 2 hours.


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## Jcal2021

We have loved reading all of the advice and recommendations on this thread!  We are booked on the 6/29/15 sailing and have so far booked the captain's choice whale watching tour with Rum Runners on advice we've seen here and on trip advisor.  We'd like to plan a helicopter/dog sled excursion in Skagway and aren't sure if we should seek out an independent company or just wait until our booking window opens at the end of this month and book through Disney.  We're the lowest Castaway Club tier (silver, I think) and aren't sure if it would still be available.  Any thoughts from experienced Disney Alaska cruisers would be appreciated!  We're a family of three who wants to make the most of our experience without going the "touristy" route to the extent possible.


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## Disneybridewifemama

I was wondering the same thing we are also on the july 13th 2015 cruise. Do you think thats too soon to see bears?


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## RKKUNK

We also did whale watching with Rum Runners. We loved it! We did the helicopter/glacier dog-sledding in Skagway. We booked it on our own. It was with the company that was right in the parking lot where the cruise ship docked.(Temesco?) It was a surprise for our son. We had done the bus/railway tour earlier in the morning, so our son thought that was all we were doing. We acted like we were just taking a walk to check out the helicopters that were taking off and landing and then we told him we were going on the helicopter to ride a dog sled on the glacier! He was so surprised and loved it so much! We all did! It was expensive, but we just chalked it up to a once in a life-time experience. Have a great time!!


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## RKKUNK

We had spent a lot of money on some great excursions before we got to Ketchikan, so we just did the Lumberjack Show and then rode a city bus out to Totem Bight State Park. We caught the bus right downtown and it was super cheap. I think we might have paid $5.00 round trip for the 3 of us. The park is really pretty! Right on the water. We also got to see some of Ketchikan we wouldn't have seen if we had just stayed in the area by the ship. It was also interesting to get the feel of the locals as I think we were the only "tourists" on the bus.


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## loricfam

Has anyone ever used Juneau Adventures for whale watching? We're cruising to Alaska this July. I thoroughly read these boards and called about 7 tour companies that were mentioned repeatedly with rave reviews to book a private whale watching for my family of 4, but every one of them was already completely booked with no openings! One of the tour companies suggested I call Juneau Adventures, which is a tour company I had not seen mentioned on these boards. 

So, now I'm booked with Juneau Adventures for a private whale watching. I'm very glad I found him and quite excited. But, I'm a little concerned that there is no naturalist on board, so we're going to be missing the great narration and explanation about the whales. How was your experience? Was it on time? Fun? Informative? Comfortable boat? Friendly captain and deck hand? Did you see lots of whales? Other wild life? Was there any narration about the whales at all? Thanks for your help!


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## Kimberly1

Yea!  Loving reading through this. We are cruising in August and it's time for us to decide what we want to do.


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## saintstickets

RKKUNK said:


> We did the helicopter/glacier dog-sledding in Skagway. We booked it on our own. It was with the company that was right in the parking lot where the cruise ship docked.(Temsco?)


This is the excursion DW and I want to do the most.  When you try to book direct from Temsco, they tell you on their website that if you're on a cruise ship that you need to book through the cruise line.  Is this something new or were you able to book direct anyway?  TIA


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## grimgrinnin

saintstickets said:


> This is the excursion DW and I want to do the most.  When you try to book direct from Temsco, they tell you on their website that if you're on a cruise ship that you need to book through the cruise line.  Is this something new or were you able to book direct anyway?  TIA



You can book through a 3rd party like Alaska Icefield Expeditions.  I saved about $175 for 2 people going through them.


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## saintstickets

grimgrinnin said:


> You can book through a 3rd party like Alaska Icefield Expeditions.  I saved about $175 for 2 people going through them.


Thanks for the response.  I previously sent this company an email on 2 separate occasions with no response.  Maybe the third time will be a charm? ;-)


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## loricfam

saintstickets said:


> This is the excursion DW and I want to do the most.  When you try to book direct from Temsco, they tell you on their website that if you're on a cruise ship that you need to book through the cruise line.  Is this something new or were you able to book direct anyway?  TIA



I called the Temsco in Skagway directly using the number from their website. They answered right away and booked my helicopter/dog-sledding right over the phone, then emailed me a receipt. I even told them I was on the Disney cruise and they didn't say anything about not being able to book directly. I'd say to give them a call instead of emailing them.


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## saintstickets

loricfam said:


> I called the Temsco in Skagway directly using the number from their website. They answered right away and booked my helicopter/dog-sledding right over the phone, then emailed me a receipt. I even told them I was on the Disney cruise and they didn't say anything about not being able to book directly. I'd say to give them a call instead of emailing them.


Thanks...will do!


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## RKKUNK

saintstickets, sorry I didn't answer your question sooner, we just happened to be at Disneyland! My husband booked the excursion. We went in 2013. He said he doesn't remember anything on the website about booking thru the cruise ship. This might be something new. Wouldn't you think most of the people doing the excursion would be off of a cruise ship? It just seems strange to me that they would want you to book thru the ship. A lot of people will just because it's easier, but I wonder why they would discourage a person from doing it on their own? Just saw the other reply! Haha! My husband also called them directly when he booked.


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## Jcal2021

I called the Temsco Skagway office yesterday and booked directly with no problems.  They were very friendly and even looked up the exact location where the Wonder would be docking so they could give us accurate directions. The only difference between booking directly throught the company vs through the cruise line seems to be that you have to get yourself to the airfield.  They sent us a map and it looks like about a 10-15 minute walk, so not a big deal.

Thanks so much for all the great advice on this board!


----------



## Donald & Daisy Duck

We just booked the dog sledding glacier excursion directly thru temsco with no issues.  We were debating between the glacier trek and the dog sledding.  Hope we made the right choice, but figured we couldn't go wrong with the dog sledding.  Anyone ever do just the glacier trek?  Is it just walking around on the ice glacier and getting information from the guides or is there a lot of I trees ting glacier crevices and caves to see?


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## labdogs42

I will have to dig through this thread to find all the info I'm looking for.  I know I want to do a dogsled tour of some kind and I'd love to see bears.  We just booked for August 2016, so I have a little time!


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## AngelDisney

Donald & Daisy Duck said:


> Anyone ever do just the glacier trek?  Is it just walking around on the ice glacier and getting information from the guides or is there a lot of I trees ting glacier crevices and caves to see?



Here is a trip report on trekking on a glacier (click here). I am not sure how similar it is to what you are interested in doing. It looks like fun and good   as a back up plan for dogsledding.

Have fun planning!


----------



## Donald & Daisy Duck

AngelDisney said:


> Here is a trip report on trekking on a glacier (click here). I am not sure how similar it is to what you are interested in doing. It looks like fun and good   as a back up plan for dogsledding.
> 
> Have fun planning!



Thank yu so much for posting this!  It was exactly what I needed to see!  This will be a perfect option if we cannot dogsled!


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## Mrs Green

labdogs42 said:


> I will have to dig through this thread to find all the info I'm looking for.  I know I want to do a dogsled tour of some kind and I'd love to see bears.  We just booked for August 2016, so I have a little time!



Same here, we are booked for 8/8/16 and I am just ecstatic!


----------



## becca1976

My dh and I sailed the wonder Sept. 1, 2014 to Alaska. Amazing trip! All my excursions were booked independently.

In Skagway we booked a tour with Dyea Dave. I found him on cruise critic by accident and he has wonderful reviews. I didn't want to pay the expense for the train ride, so at first we considered renting a car. I was a little nervous about that and was thrilled when I came across dyea dave's site. He is an honest business man...local. He doesn't even require payment until the trip is over. We payed $79 per person and we were picked up at the dock in a mini bus. It had large windows for viewing everything and Jeanine was a very informative driver giving us a wonderful history of Skagway. She stopped numerous times for pictures and the trip up and back was scenic and leisurely. The bus follows the same route as the train. We could actually see it at points along our journey. If you are looking for cheap options to save some money, you won't regret this excursion.

In Juneau we did a whale watching tour with Harv and Marv. This was, hands down, the best excursion of our trip. We had an amazing whale watching experience with a lot of activity. I know this can vary depending on the whales, but we got really lucky. 



The benefit of Harv and Marv is a smaller vessel with fewer people. We had an unobstructed view of the whale activity 100% of the time. I spoke to another passenger that booked a different tour through Disney Cruise Line and it was a large, double decker boat that was full of people. She mentioned her frustration of not even being able to get her camera in front of the wall of people to get any good photos. With only 10 people on board our little boat, we were up close and personal with the whale activity. It was the best day of the entire week. 

In Ketchikan we booked a tour on the Aleutian Ballad. They take you out into open water and bring up traps upon traps filled with all sorts of unique sea creatures. You can hold star fish, prawns and box crabs. You can get your pictures taken with the crew holding the giant Alaskan King Crabs. You can view other sea creatures like an octopus, etc. The crew did an amazing job of keeping us entertained with real-life fishing stories. Let me tell you...fishing is not for wimps. These men have some near death experiences to share. It is pretty incredible to just listen to them. This is an awesome and educational excursion that elementary age kids would love. 

I really wanted to see bear while in Alaska. One of our table mates booked a bear watching excursion and they didn't see one bear. I know there is always that risk. I'm thankful that our excursions worked out as beautifully as they did. We had an amazing time!


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## saintstickets

Has anyone used Viator for any of their Alaska excursions?  We are looking at the Misty Fjord seaplane excursion in Ketchikan.


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## labdogs42

Mrs Green said:


> Same here, we are booked for 8/8/16 and I am just ecstatic!



We sail right after you!  We are on the 8/15/16 sailing!


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## librarianamy

Our August 2016 Alaska cruise will be our first, so forgive a newbie question...

I see that our ashore time in Juneau is 6:45 am... and it looks that way for the 2015 cruises as well.  For those of you who have booked the "early" trip with Harv & Marv, from what I can tell it boards at 7 am.  Is that 15 minute gap enough time?  I assume that they're professionals and are familiar with all of the cruise lines coming into port, so if the ship were late that would be one thing - as long as we booked it off the ship to meet with them?  (I'd love to do their 7:00 trip, it would leave plenty of time to still explore on our own afterwards.)


----------



## Mrs Green

librarianamy said:


> Our August 2016 Alaska cruise will be our first, so forgive a newbie question...
> 
> I see that our ashore time in Juneau is 6:45 am... and it looks that way for the 2015 cruises as well.  For those of you who have booked the "early" trip with Harv & Marv, from what I can tell it boards at 7 am.  Is that 15 minute gap enough time?  I assume that they're professionals and are familiar with all of the cruise lines coming into port, so if the ship were late that would be one thing - as long as we booked it off the ship to meet with them?  (I'd love to do their 7:00 trip, it would leave plenty of time to still explore on our own afterwards.)



That's a good question.  I don't know since Alaska August 2016 is our first cruise too.  Which sailing are you on?  We are 8/8/16!


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## sharksfinatic17

We are doing first trip out with Harv and Marv in June. I am sure that they are on top of this. In all the reviews I read, no one mentioned this as a problem.


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## WaylaLady

Hi all,

Does anyone have any experience with Disney's "Rain Forest Island Adventure" in Ketchikan?
http://goo.gl/8sW6of

I haven't seen any reviews, and am curious because I'd really like a rainforest experience that isn't at the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary. Although the Sanctuary tour is less expensive, I've read several reviews that say it's not as good since they added the zipline, due to the screaming from the folks riding it, lol!

Anyone have any experience with this?


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## silverangel879

To the ones that did the dog sledding through Temsco, can you tell me the prices? I am checking which one is better...we know for sure we want to d this but looking for the best combo of good/not super pricy


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## silverangel879

EllinK said:


> This was an amazing trip!  With my husband and 7 year old.
> 
> Skagway - booked the helicopter/glacier/dog sled excursion on our own.  I wanted to do it early in the trip since this is the most often cancelled excursion (due to weather) but the one that would be most meaningful to us all.  The place we had to go was literally next to the ship.  Walked over -- took 2 minutes.  Got all the gear and within minutes was in a helicopter.  Aside from my wedding, this was the best experience of my life!  We had an amazing time.  Not the least of which was that except for the people training the dogs, it's just you and the 3 other people who were on your helicopter.  You are virtually alone on a glacier in the middle of nowhere.  Awesome!  The dogs were amazing. Each group goes on a sled -- just your family.  My son led the team the entire time.  In addition to it being a singularly amazing experience, we have fab pictures of us with the puppies!
> 
> Juneau - we didn't plan anything (in case we needed to reschedule the helicopter/dog sled) and took the tram.  Great views.  But when I have spent days with thousands of people, when we dock I want to get off and be far from crowds.
> 
> Ketchikan - thru Disney, we did a canoeing trip.  My only complaint about DCL excursions are that there are more people than I'd like, but this was a fabulous excursion.  We were in the middle of nowhere, in a state or national park, canoeing through the pristine water.  Really, really beautiful.  Another favorite experience.
> 
> Have fun!


I don't know if I missed this answer, but which company you used for the Skagway excursion?


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## EllinK

silverangel879 said:


> I don't know if I missed this answer, but which company you used for the Skagway excursion?



Temsco


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## scm

Temsco charges $509 p.p.for all ages


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## silverangel879

I've heard they would not let book if you are on a Disney Cruise (apparently they are the ones who are running the Disney ones). Did you called them directly?


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## saintstickets

silverangel879 said:


> I've heard they would not let book if you are on a Disney Cruise (apparently they are the ones who are running the Disney ones). Did you called them directly?


I called TEMSCO and had no problems booking our excursion during our Disney cruise.  Their website seems to indicate you need to go through the cruise line but we were able to book the helicopter/dog sled excursion in Skagway for 27Aug2015.  Our date to book excursions through DCL is not until 5/26/15.


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## Kimberly1

I think deciding on your excursions is the most daunting part of Alaska trip planning. There are so many awesome choices.  How do you decide?


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## silverangel879

saintstickets said:


> I called TEMSCO and had no problems booking our excursion during our Disney cruise.  Their website seems to indicate you need to go through the cruise line but we were able to book the helicopter/dog sled excursion in Skagway for 27Aug2015.  Our date to book excursions through DCL is not until 5/26/15.


Awesome! I'll call them! we will be in Skagway on Sept 3rd!

Thanks a lot for the info


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## scm

Saintstickets~ did you have any personal guideline for how you chose the time of day to pick when you booked Temsco? I realize that no one can control the weather but I hate to think we could be cancelled for that.


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## saintstickets

scm said:


> Saintstickets~ did you have any personal guideline for how you chose the time of day to pick when you booked Temsco? I realize that no one can control the weather but I hate to think we could be cancelled for that.


No guidelines.  We chose the morning option in case it was canceled so that we'd at least possibly have a chance to rebook in the afternoon.


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## marisol72

We have a large onboard credit and were planning to use it ziplining in Ketchikan with Disney cruise . Our problem is our youngest is 8 and Disney won't allow us to book him for bear creek ziplining which is the one we wanted to do. Do you know if we can book him directly with the ziplining company and the others with Disney?


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## scm

saintstickets said:


> No guidelines.  We chose the morning option in case it was canceled so that we'd at least possibly have a chance to rebook in the afternoon.


We booked the afternoon on that day hoping sun would clear weather by then- hope we both are lucky!


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## noahdove

denise, the sweatshirt you purchased, does it have Skagway, AK on it, or some other
great design? Thank you..


----------



## Psychomom3168

WaylaLady said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Does anyone have any experience with Disney's "Rain Forest Island Adventure" in Ketchikan?
> http://goo.gl/8sW6of
> 
> I haven't seen any reviews, and am curious because I'd really like a rainforest experience that isn't at the Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary. Although the Sanctuary tour is less expensive, I've read several reviews that say it's not as good since they added the zipline, due to the screaming from the folks riding it, lol!
> 
> Anyone have any experience with this?


We just did the Wildlife Sanctuary Saturday.  It was awesome!  They apparently ask the zip liners not to scream so they don't frighten wildlife.  Unfortunatle, we didn't see any bears, but our guide was knowledgeable, and we did see a few salmon wimping to the hatchery to spawn, bald eagles, and my personal favorite on this excursion, reindeer! We were also able to visit with a man carving a totem pole.  As this was our first time doing shore excursions, we booked them all through Disney, which relieved a bit of stress because they were doing the thinking and planning for us.


----------



## WaylaLady

Psychomom3168 said:


> We just did the Wildlife Sanctuary Saturday.  It was awesome!  They apparently ask the zip liners not to scream so they don't frighten wildlife.  Unfortunatle, we didn't see any bears, but our guide was knowledgeable, and we did see a few salmon wimping to the hatchery to spawn, bald eagles, and my personal favorite on this excursion, reindeer! We were also able to visit with a man carving a totem pole.  As this was our first time doing shore excursions, we booked them all through Disney, which relieved a bit of stress because they were doing the thinking and planning for us.



Haha, we just did the Rain Forest Island Adventure on Saturday! It was fantastic. Glad to hear that the Sanctuary was good, it sounded like it could be, I was just scared off by some of the reviews. Glad it's nice!


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## GatorMomInNC

Thanks to all the previous posters for reviews and info.  I have really gotten a LOT  of useful info on this thread!  

We are DCL gold, but ended up booking Alaska with Celebrity as they had an 11-night cruise in September for the same or less $$.   But there is a very definite anti-kid vibe on Celebrity forums, and since we are on a late season cruise I think my kids may be one of a very few on the ship -quite a change for them from DCL!  

Anyway I just booked Harv and Marv for Juneau whale watching, in part based on all the glowing reviews here.  I considered Gastineau, which I could only due through the cruise line, and felt it would be a better experience going private with H&M.


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## marisol72

We want to do  a glacier walkabout. Is it the same doing it from skagway or Juneau?


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## chipscinderelly

We are signed up to do the Klondike Family Challenge in Skagway and I would LOVE to see a review of this excursion given it is new this year.


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## Donald & Daisy Duck

We are going to Alaska in August and are trying to decide between two excursions in Ketchikan...Alaskan Rainforest Sanctuary & crab feast or Wilderness exploration and crab feast.  Has anyone done these?  Do they go to the same place just by different means (bus vs boat)


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## sharksfinatic17

I read close to 40 Alaska specific threads before going on our cruise last week, so my information is no means new (since our excursions were ones mentioned over and over), but it is current.

Skagway - We went with Chilkoot Tours. Our guide was Stanley, and she was fantastic.  We trained up and bussed back.  We add lunch at Carcross and the Dog Cart. We were in a van with 17 people total (we were a group of 10 to begin with).  It was a bit of wait for Stanley because she was picking up a few people at the other dock, but nothing unbearable.  We had our bug spray handy luckily. The dock was the worst for mosquitoes. Once we were all in the van, we headed to the train.  We had to wait for all of the busses to get their passengers delivered and then we were off.  As soon as the train rain was over, Stanley was ready for us.  We started heading down the road and had a bear sighting.  We quickly turned around, and after much searching found the bear.  There were two coach busses behind us that according to Stanley were very happy we stopped because the big busses aren't allowed to stop on the road. There were many stops along the road where we got out of the shuttle, and took pictures and walked around.  A great day!

Juneau - We went with Harv and Marv. We were on the Alaskan (which they call the Mercedes), and it was super comfortable.  As mentioned before, we were a group of 10 so had our own boat.  There was a naturalist as well as the captain on board.  We were picked up at the dock, driven to where we would find the boat (with a nice talk about what we were seeing), and then off on our adventure.  This was a rainy morning, but not too cold.  As we were heading out to find whiles, ALL the boats headed to the right...but us.  We went to the left and were completely alone until we found about 10 whales hanging out together.  Once our captain radioed the other boats, we were no longer alone. We saw breaching, bubble netting, and everything else imaginable.  There was even a calf who was having the best time playing in the water.  What a successful trip! Then it was back to the van to visit Mendenhall Glacier. It was raining pretty good at this point, but our driver gave us some extra time to get pictures.  He was supposed give us 15 minutes, but extended it to 30. Which was perfect due to the rain.  If it was a nice day, I would have paid the extra money and taken the shuttle back to town and spent more time exploring, but alas that wasn't the case.

Ketchikan - We went with Island Wings. Again another great choice.  We used two float planes - Michelle the owner of Island Wings contracted with another plane because she can only handle six for sight seeing. We were with her for two hours of beautiful flying. We landed on a lake, got out of the float plane and walked around, and then after about 15 minutes got back in the plane to fly back.  What beautiful country!!! She narrated and answered questions the majority of the time. Simply awesome!!

Let me know if you have any questions!


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## MommyMeNDisney

Following...cruising Alaska next year.


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## Jcal2021

We so appreciated all of the information on this site as we were planning our trip and wanted to pay it forward!

We were on the 6/29/15 sailing and had an amazing trip!  Here are our excursions:

Skagway:
AM- Chilkoot Charters White Pass Summit bus/rail combo
This was a great excursion and well worth booking independently.  We were a party of 3 and there were maybe 10-12 other people on the tour.  Our guide on the way up was really entertaining and we made several stops for pictures.  When we transferred from the the bus to the train for the ride down, our group had its own train car, meaning that it was less than half full and anyone who wanted to sit on the right side for the best view could do so.  We saw some of the other cars that looked packed like sardines and we were really glad we'd gone this route.

PM- we had helicopter/dog sledding booked with Temsco, but it was cancelled due to weather.  They were super friendly over the cancellation and while we were disappointed to miss the excursion, we weren't sad to have $1500 credited back to our card. Alaska is not a cheap trip!!

Juneau:
Rum Runners Captain's Choice Whale Watching
Captain Chris and Emma (naturalist) were awesome.  Of all of our excursions, this is the one we'd repeat in a heartbeat.  The captain made every effort to ensure we had the chance to see any and all wildlife and he didn't disappoint.  Plenty of whales, a pod of dall's porpoises, seals, sea lions, Eagles.  He spotted an orca from what seemed like an impossible distance and motored straight to it.  Eventually he called in to the other sight seeing boats to let them know, but we got some great unobstructed views first! After the trip he said he'd take us wherever we wanted to go.  It was lunchtime and we asked for a recommendation, so he took us to Twisted Fish- great local seafood!  Even though the day was cloudy and chilly, it was an awesome excursion.

Ketchikan:
Southeast Sea Kayaks- Orca's Cove
This was another great way to get away from the masses.  We were in a 3 person kayak with our 6 year old daughter  in the middle.  There was one other family of 3 plus a guide on the tour.  Beautiful day and beautiful scenery, but by the end of the trip both dad and daughter were really ready to get out of the Kayak.  Our guide was great and the highlights for my daughter were holding a starfish and seeing salmon jumping right beside us.  I'd recommend this trip, but would probably try something different if/ when we get to Ketchikan again.  After kayaking we checked out creek street and rode the funicular up to the lodge.  Again- great way to avoid the crowds!  We had local seafood chowder and smoked salmon spread while enjoying great views of the town.

All in all a great trip and we hope to go back again soon!!


----------



## MommyMeNDisney

Jcal2021 said:


> We so appreciated all of the information on this site as we were planning our trip and wanted to pay it forward!
> 
> We were on the 6/29/15 sailing and had an amazing trip!  Here are our excursions:
> 
> Skagway:
> AM- Chilkoot Charters White Pass Summit bus/rail combo
> This was a great excursion and well worth booking independently.  We were a party of 3 and there were maybe 10-12 other people on the tour.  Our guide on the way up was really entertaining and we made several stops for pictures.  When we transferred from the the bus to the train for the ride down, our group had its own train car, meaning that it was less than half full and anyone who wanted to sit on the right side for the best view



Does this private company have a max number of people they will allow in one group?  Are the people in your group the only ones allowed in your train car?

I'm trying to determine how to have the same experience of a less crowded train car. TIA


----------



## Jcal2021

MommyMeNDisney said:


> Does this private company have a max number of people they will allow in one group?  Are the people in your group the only ones allowed in your train car?
> 
> I'm trying to determine how to have the same experience of a less crowded train car. TIA



I can't say for sure, but it seemed like they controlled which group went to which car pretty tightly. They definitely emphasized that you were not supposed to walk between cars during the ride.  I don't know if they have a max group size, since we were only 3, but I can say for sure that only the people that were on our ride up were in our train car down.  Definitely recommend them!


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## KristiMc

We were on the 6/8 cruise and had a great time.  

In Skagway we did the Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4.  This was a great tour.  We started out taking a short bus ride to the dock to catch the Skagway-Haines Fast Ferry.  The ferry ride was about 40 minutes long and was narrated.  There were bathrooms onboard as well as complimentary coffee/tea.  Once we arrived in Haines we got on another bus that took us to the trail.  Once at the trail we all boarded our Kawasaki Mules for our trip up the mountain.  About half way up we stopped at the lodge for warm cookies, coffee and lemonade.  

View from the lodge




After cookies we got back in our mules to continue up the mountain




View from the top




We headed back down and stopped at the lodge again for lunch.  We had fresh fried halibut and chicken and they were both amazing.

After our lunch we went back down and hopped on the bus to take us back to the ferry.  Our driver gave us a little tour of Haines on the way back.  

In Juneau we did the Alpine Zipline and Glacier Adventure
Started out going to Mendenhall Glacier where we had about 50 minutes to explore the area and visitor center




We then headed to the ski resort for our ziplining.  Our bus had 16 people on it so they split us into 2 groups.  We were given jackets to put on so that we would not get sap on our clothing.  We then traveled by van to the top of the course.  They geared us up and then we were off.  Our guides David and Cassidy were great.











After the course we got to try out hand at axe throwing and enjoyed a smore before heading back to the ship.  

Both excursions were great!


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## glk2009

We were on the June 22nd sailing and booked all of our excursions on our own. 

Skagway:
Temsco for the helicopter/dog sledding excursion. It was awesome. The only downside to booking direct is that they won't pick you up at the ship. But it was only a 15 minute walk and they did provide a shuttle back to the ship.  

Frontier Excursions for the White Pass train with gold panning added on for a group of  10 people. We were on the train that had issues and it took an extra hour. But our driver for the trip down and to the gold panning was great and worked with us to make sure we stopped for enough pictures and still had enough time to do gold panning and get back to the ship on time. 

Juneau:
Whale watching with Advenures in Alaska (Captain Jack and Captain Alan). We picked them over Harv and Marv because we had a 7 yr old and 3 yr old. I had read that Harv and Marv have an age restriction. It was so awesome. There were 4 of us and a total of 8 on the boat, plus Capt Alan and Naomi. It was the best. My 7 yr old LOVED it! So many whales!

And they also let me add on a drop off at Mendenhall Glacier. 

Ketchikan:
Duck tour! We booked direct because we had a group of 12+ people. Very good tour. Nice way to catch the highlights.


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## bjakmom

I was on the 6/29 sailing with my DGrD11 and DNiece 14

Skagway we took Chilkoot Charters Bus up/ Train back excursion. We added the BBQ lunch and dog sledding/ puppy holding.  Our guide was Stanley and she was very informative and really kept my girls' attention. We had a black bear cub sighting by the side the road and made several stops for pictures and sight seeing. It was a dismal day so the vista views were limited but still beautiful what we could see.  The BBQ chicken lunch was good and then the highlight for my girls was the dog mushing run and of course holding the 3 week old puppies and playing with the older pups and dogs. I had to drag them out of there. Lol The dog mush run was very well run in our opinion by Iditarod mushers Michelle Phillips and Ed Hopkins. I thought it was a brilliant way for them to support and train their teams and for us to experience a tiny taste of the thrill of mushing. 
We then drove to the small town of Carcross and Stanley gave us a little tour of the town and pointed out the historic cabins. We stopped at the local general store and to stamp our passports for Carcross (unofficially). 
Then we drove back down to the train. We had our own car but it was the first car not the last. Still very uncrowded. It was so foggy there was very little to see in the distance but it was still a great and interesting ride. Stanley met us at the station and made a stop in town for those who wanted to see it and walk the little bit back to the boat. We got off at the tee shirt shop. Interesting little town and great day for us! 
Oh I forgot that on the way up Stanley stopped by a waterfall where we could get close enough to drink the glacial water.  I loved that.


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## sharksfinatic17

bjakmom said:


> I was on the 6/29 sailing with my DGrD11 and DNiece 14
> 
> Skagway we took Chilkoot Charters Bus up/ Train back excursion. We added the BBQ lunch and dog sledding/ puppy holding.  Our guide was Stanley and she was very informative and really kept my girls' attention. We had a black bear cub sighting by the side the road and made several stops for pictures and sight seeing. It was a dismal day so the vista views were limited but still beautiful what we could see.  The BBQ chicken lunch was good and then the highlight for my girls was the dog mushing run and of course holding the 3 week old puppies and playing with the older pups and dogs. I had to drag them out of there. Lol The dog mush run was very well run in our opinion by Iditarod mushers Michelle Phillips and Ed Hopkins. I thought it was a brilliant way for them to support and train their teams and for us to experience a tiny taste of the thrill of mushing.
> We then drove to the small town of Carcross and Stanley gave us a little tour of the town and pointed out the historic cabins. We stopped at the local general store and to stamp our passports for Carcross (unofficially).
> Then we drove back down to the train. We had our own car but it was the first car not the last. Still very uncrowded. It was so foggy there was very little to see in the distance but it was still a great and interesting ride. Stanley met us at the station and made a stop in town for those who wanted to see it and walk the little bit back to the boat. We got off at the tee shirt shop. Interesting little town and great day for us!
> Oh I forgot that on the way up Stanley stopped by a waterfall where we could get close enough to drink the glacial water.  I loved that.


We had Stanley the week before.  Loved her!


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## caramello

Deleted because I failed at reading comprehension


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## MommyMeNDisney

Jcal2021 said:


> I can't say for sure, but it seemed like they controlled which group went to which car pretty tightly. They definitely emphasized that you were not supposed to walk between cars during the ride.  I don't know if they have a max group size, since we were only 3, but I can say for sure that only the people that were on our ride up were in our train car down.  Definitely recommend them!



Oh ok, thanks.


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## bjakmom

Our 2nd Excursion: June 29th sailing with DGrD11 and DNiece14: Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest booked through DCL

I specifically decided on taking the larger boat since I felt the girls would be more comfortable with plenty of room to move around on a 3 hour boat trip.  For us it was a great choice - the boat seating was extremely comfortable and offered easy access between the levels with great viewing from either level on a drizzly day.  At first I felt disappointed as they boarded us into 2 large buses and announced that we would do the whale quest first and then move on to Mendenhall (opposite of what was described).  My sister had told me she would have chosen Mendenhall first on her trip because they were so wet and cold after the whale watch that they did not enjoy their hike out to Mendenhall as much.  But it ended up not being an issue for us, the rain ended as we boarded our boat, so we were not wet or cold at Mendenhall - a little damp maybe, but it was a foggy, misty day.

Our bus driver drove us through Juneau and pointed out the buildings and gave a good narrative about the area and what we were seeing, the roads,  waterways, etc. on our way to Allen Marine.  As I saw the large number of fellow DCL cruisers exiting the buses and filling the boat, I second guessed my choice, thinking this boat was going to be crowded.  But again, no worries, once we were all on the boat there was plenty of room to move around between levels and find a spot from which to see and photograph the whales.  I stayed outside, up on the top deck for most of the cruise - I only had 3 hours in that amazingly beautiful environment, I didn't want to miss one second of it.  My girls, however, were very happy to snack on the free donut holes and enjoy hot chocolate and sit comfortably and talk, enjoying the beautiful scenery through the windows. They came out onto the deck whenever the Captain slowed the boat and pointed out the whales.  The Captain did a great job pointing out what was coming up - and asked everyone to call out to him if they saw any whales spouting.  Don't miss the smoked salmon on crackers that they serve - it was delicious.

We saw eagles, a few seals, and many humpbacks.  We saw 2 groups of mothers and calves, one of them traveling with a 3rd escort whale.  I was able to get pics of 2 whales' flukes as they dove - they had a large chart of whale fluke pics from known Juneau whales on the lower level on which you could identify what whale you saw.  I never knew their tails (flukes) were so individually marked.  At the very end of our cruise our Captain announced he wanted to leave an active group of whales to try and get us to something 'very special'.  And he did!!  A large male Orca!!  By the time we got to him, he was rather elusive, but we got a good sighting of his fin pretty close, and then could see him surface at a further distance.  Still thrilling to see an Orca! 

Then on to Mendenhall Glacier.   We were dropped off  at 12:25, right at the visitors building and the beginning of the Nugget Falls Trail and told to be back at the bus by 1:30.   If you can, definitely walk the trail up to the falls and glacier - it was a beautiful perspective from ground level of the height and expanse of a glacier.  And the falls were gorgeous - many little side spots from which to take amazing pics with both the glacier and the falls in them.  Families were gladly trading cameras and taking pics of each other.  It took us about 15/20 mins to walk out to the falls, stopping for a few pics along the way.  We hung there for about 15 mins and got back to the bus with just enough time to use the rest room located right by our pick up point.  Loaded up onto the bus and pulled away.  The bus driver offered a stop in town (right by the Mt Roberts tram) for anyone who wanted to get off and take the shuttle back to the ship later.  My girls were anxious to get back on the ship and meet up with their friends for lunch, so we stayed on the bus and were back on the Wonder a little after 2.  After all of our excursions we were greeted onboard by the DCL staff with cookies and hot chocolate

Another amazing adventure in Alaska!!!

FYI: On all 3 of our excursion days, we filled out and placed a room service card on our door before we went to bed.  Bfast was always delivered on time - the fruit plates were beautiful and we always ordered hot tea and croissants - it was an easy way to start our early days - eating while we got ready.


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## The Grays

Has anyone done the Disney exclusive dog musher? Is that worth the extra cost?

Thanks


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## poison ivy

The Grays said:


> Has anyone done the Disney exclusive dog musher? Is that worth the extra cost?
> 
> Thanks



In Skagway, we did the helicopter/dog sled adventure thru Disney.  It was fantastic. I answered questions and posted pictures about it in these two links.
Hope it helps

*Part I: **http://www.disboards.com/threads/anyone-back-from-alaska-yet.3414870/page-3#post-53820112*
*Part II: **http://www.disboards.com/threads/anyone-back-from-alaska-yet.3414870/page-5#post-53829461*


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## Seamama

Just have to say that that last pic you included here is AWESOME!  Such a cool shot, right through the carabiner(?) like that!  Also, you're family is awesomely adventurous- the best I could do was get mine to agree to the Ketchican Duck Tour last summer, LOL.



KristiMc said:


> We were on the 6/8 cruise and had a great time.
> 
> In Skagway we did the Takshanuk Mountain Trail 4x4.  This was a great tour.  We started out taking a short bus ride to the dock to catch the Skagway-Haines Fast Ferry.  The ferry ride was about 40 minutes long and was narrated.  There were bathrooms onboard as well as complimentary coffee/tea.  Once we arrived in Haines we got on another bus that took us to the trail.  Once at the trail we all boarded our Kawasaki Mules for our trip up the mountain.  About half way up we stopped at the lodge for warm cookies, coffee and lemonade.
> 
> View from the lodge
> 
> 
> 
> 
> After cookies we got back in our mules to continue up the mountain
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View from the top
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We headed back down and stopped at the lodge again for lunch.  We had fresh fried halibut and chicken and they were both amazing.
> 
> After our lunch we went back down and hopped on the bus to take us back to the ferry.  Our driver gave us a little tour of Haines on the way back.
> 
> In Juneau we did the Alpine Zipline and Glacier Adventure
> Started out going to Mendenhall Glacier where we had about 50 minutes to explore the area and visitor center
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We then headed to the ski resort for our ziplining.  Our bus had 16 people on it so they split us into 2 groups.  We were given jackets to put on so that we would not get sap on our clothing.  We then traveled by van to the top of the course.  They geared us up and then we were off.  Our guides David and Cassidy were great.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> After the course we got to try out hand at axe throwing and enjoyed a smore before heading back to the ship.
> 
> Both excursions were great!


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## The Grays

Has anyone ever used M&M tours out of Skagway?


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## thinkoflaura

glk2009 said:


> Juneau:
> Whale watching with Advenures in Alaska (Captain Jack and Captain Alan). We picked them over Harv and Marv because we had a 7 yr old and 3 yr old. I had read that Harv and Marv have an age restriction. It was so awesome. There were 4 of us and a total of 8 on the boat, plus Capt Alan and Naomi. It was the best. My 7 yr old LOVED it! So many whales!



We are going this coming June and booked with Captain Jack as well.  He seems awesome!  My parents are disabled, and he seems very understanding and ready to make sure they have a safe and wonderful experience!  Can't wait!!


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## saintstickets

The Grays said:


> Has anyone done the Disney exclusive dog musher? Is that worth the extra cost?
> 
> Thanks


We did the Disney helicopter/dog sled out of Juneau this past August and it was worth every cent!  Pics (LOTS of pics) and our TR at the link below.


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## cruisehopeful

The Grays said:


> Has anyone ever used M&M tours out of Skagway?


I used them. I actually didn't prebook anything. We walked up when we got off the ship and asked what tours they had open that day. We took a van/small bus tour of the Klondike. It was excellent. It was a fully narrated trip into Canada with a few stops. I think it was around 4 hours. 
They had lots of other tours available.


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## VWISHFUL

Does anyone know if there is a Skagway tour that allows you to do the White pass Summit railway and the Trail Camp WITH Salmon bake? The only option I can find so far is the Disney exclusive Liarsville with Characters OR the Summit Railway with Trail Camp (no salmon bake). For those who did the Disney exclusive Liarsville tour, what time did you have to assemble in the atrium? Wondering if there is time to do a White pass rail tour independently beforehand.


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## RedSox68

VWISHFUL said:


> Does anyone know if there is a Skagway tour that allows you to do the White pass Summit railway and the Trail Camp WITH Salmon bake? The only option I can find so far is the Disney exclusive Liarsville with Characters OR the Summit Railway with Trail Camp (no salmon bake). For those who did the Disney exclusive Liarsville tour, what time did you have to assemble in the atrium? Wondering if there is time to do a White pass rail tour independently beforehand.



We did the White Pass Rail tour first thing in the morning with Chilkoot Tours, which included pick up at the port to the train station, the train ride up, pick up by a shuttle at the top, a trip to Carcross and lunch.  It was a good 5 hours if I remember right.  We were back in time to visit the Red Onion Saloon and walk around town a bit, but there would not have been enough time to do another excursion.  They do have other of bus first to the top, then train down, or vice versa -- which would only be the train ride and transportation back to the ship.  I think that is 3.5 hours totals.  If Disney isn't offering you the option to fit both excursions in one day, then it may not be possible on your own.


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## poison ivy

We did a white pass rail tour booked directly thru Chilkoot Tours with pick up at the port.  We were among the earliest off the ship and booked the very first train ride up w/shuttle back.  This tour omitted lunch and took about 4 hrs.  We had plenty of time to walk around and grab a bite in Skagway plus head back to the ship to do a dog sledding excursion that afternoon booked thru DCL.


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## Snowwhyt

This is wonderful thank you for all you've given. There is so much here I didn't know and I'm only on page 3!


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## Jaxasaurous

I'm not sure where to post this and I know it's a somewhat old thread but has anyone done the Alpine snowshoe and White Pass Rail Adventure excursion in Skagway? I'm not sure what kind of shoes/boots I need to pack for this, I don't want to pack my winter boots if we are supplied them.


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## minniebeth

Bumping this thread up to see if anyone who has cruised Alaska in the 2016 season might be interested in posting their excursion reviews/thoughts....


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## colbybug

The following is just a copy from a quickie trip report I did upon returning August 1st 2016. Maybe it will be useful to someone else researching possible excursions. I know I gathered a lot of great information from the DISboards!

So for the excursions...we booked the smaller boat excursion from the ship that went to Endicott Arm at noon. We thought the "Tracy Arm BBQ" was quite bleh and nothing special. It was kind of misty so they just threw everything into the regular Beach Blanket Buffet. The excursion itself was totally worth the money. We were so close that we could hear all the popping and creaking sounds the glacier was making right before it would calve. It was quite active and several large portions fell off as we watched!!

In Skagway we took a helicopter tour with Temsco to the glacier and did the dog mushing/sledding. Simply amazing! Felt really lucky as our guides said that they had not flown for the past 10 days due to the weather and in fact had cancelled all of our days flight up until 12:30 pm (ours was at 2:30). They said that they have about 250 dogs at the camp. We got to play with three puppies that were about 10 weeks old and super cute! It all went by too fast!

In Juneau, we went with Harv & Marv's to find the whales...which we did! Humpbacks as large as a school bus! Saw two that breeched for us a few times even! Then we took the blue bus to Mendenhall Glacier. It was spectacular! The only disappointment was that the trail to Nugget Falls was closed that day due to flooding. Darn it!

In Ketchikan, we were lucky enough to score permits with Carlin Air and go see the bears at Anan Creek in the Tongass National Park. The scenery was out of this world!!! We were picked up at the port by Carlin Air and then flew in a float plane about 1/2 an hour to where the bears are. They only allow 60 permits a day so it isn't overrun with tourists. Apparently they are sold out a year or more in advance but we were lucky because someone cancelled and we were able to take their reservation. There were probably about 12-15 black bears, some baby cubs too, all trying to catch the salmon that were running! There were lots of salmon too! They have a blind set up as well as a viewing deck and I swear I could've reached over and patted one of them on the head - they were that close!!! One of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. We could have stayed there all day!


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## ArmyWife7

I was on the July 25, 2016 Cruise.

Tracy Arm Excursion
I know I'm in the minority with my opinion, but I did not feel it was worth the price.  It was myself, husband, and two daughters (ages 7 & 9).  We did the noon excursion.  First, I felt like I could not enjoy the activities on the ship.  The BBQ started at 11:30 (had to be moved inside due to weather) and it would be over by time we got back on the ship.  Then Minnie Mouse outside in her Alaska gear began at 11:45.  This was the only time Minnie would be outside that day.  Even though Minnie appears inside several times in her Alaska gear, it was important to me to get a picture with her outside with the view.  I chose Minnie over the BBQ and hate that I had to choose.  Once I got our picture with Minnie, I had to RUSH to our meeting place for the excursion.  It was raining and cold (cold to me as I'm from the South).  We'd go inside the catamaran for a while to stay dry then go outside when we felt there was a good picture worth braving the drizzling rain.  When we got back on ship and went up to deck 10, the view was pretty much the same as the catamaran.  I saw it calf a few times from both the catamaran and the ship and it wasn't much difference to me - at least not a $700 difference.  My girls didn't get bored on the excursion, but they had a friend from the ship with them and the 3 of them played together during the excursion.  I don't feel they appreciated what they were seeing.  Overall, it was a nice excursion and would be worth it if the ship can't get as close as the catamaran.  But for our cruise, I would have been just as happy to have stayed on the ship and had more activities available to me and the girls.  The last night when we met the Captain of the ship, he asked my girls what they had enjoyed the most.  One of the girls said seeing the glacier.  He said, "I was so excited to get so close to it this week.  I can't normally get that close."  I wanted to tell him, "Yeah, you shouldn't get that close because there were people who paid extra to get closer."  LOL

Skagway
This was my biggest disappointment of the cruise.  I had booked the helicopter/dog sledding excursion and was most looking forward to it.  Well, as the previous poster said, the weather was foggy/raining that morning and all morning excursions were cancelled and the afternoon excursions were all full.  We found ourselves aimlessly walking around Skagway.  We stayed busy for about an hour going into the visitor's center and shops, but quickly figured out that it wouldn't keep us busy for the entire day.  We walked back to M&M Tours (right on edge of town as you are entering from the ship) and asked for their advice.  They recommended Dolly's Wildlife Adventure.  It was regular $55 per person and was on special for $45 per person.  We took the last 4 seats on the bus and were glad we did.  She is quite the entertainer.  She took us to Dyea, which was a major town during the Gold Rush and is now a ghost town.  We also stopped by the Chilkoot Trail, which was one of two trails taken by the miners.  She made several picture stops along the way and gave a lot of historical information about the gold rush and current everyday life in Skagway.

Juneau
We booked a private whale watching tour with Harv & Marv with some others on our cruise.  This was an excellent excursion that I highly recommend.  We saw lots of whales bubble net feeding and breeching.  They also took us to see some seals.  The captain was very friendly and answered lots of questions about everyday life in Alaska.  The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the animals in Alaska.  We went on an early excursion and had time to go to Mendenhall Glacier afterwards.  

Ketchikan
We booked privately the Deadliest Catch Crab Fisherman's Tour.  The guys were extremely entertaining!  They also took us to see seals.  Then took us to see bald eagles.  They threw fish out in the water for the bald eagles so they would get close to the boat.  We probably had about 10 of them swarming us to catch the fish.  It was amazing!  Then they demonstrated how they catch crabs and discussed the show a little bit.  They gave us a lot of picture opportunities with both themselves and the fish/crabs/prawns/octopus they brought onto the boat.


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## VWISHFUL

Keep meaning to add a trip review, but in the last month, we sold a house, bought a house and went on the cruise. We were signing papers all the way up to the moment we set off to the airport!

Day 1: The night before we boarded I realized that in all the chaos with the house sale/purchase I had totally forgotten to bring the Disney docs and tags that were sent to the house and they were still back in LA. When I went to print them at the hotel printer, I found that the link to the docs had been removed from the site - presumably to stop people from changing things last minute. So thats something to note - print online docs earlier! After spending a night fretting I got up early and went down to the terminal to talk to the Disney folks about my options, but they were really chill and told me that everything would be sorted out when it was time to check in and to just let the baggage handlers know that I didn't have the tags and they'd print me new ones there and then. In the end, the family members in adjoining cabins had spares, so we just used theres and picked our bags up from their rooms. Still, it was nice to go down to the seawall alone so early in the morning and see the ship. The ship horn even blew a little song which really got my excitement levels up!

Checkin seems efficient enough, but does take long enough to make the kids grouchy - by the time we got to the photo area, the kids weren't feeling all too co-operative. We found this area to be pretty chaotic too and a bit of a bottleneck with all the shots that the photographers took. I think I'd be tempted to skip this part on future cruises. 

The ship was way nicer than I expected. Reading previous reviews had me thinking that the Wonder would be a creaky rust bucket but it was just lovely -  very elegant and luxurious. As a disclaimer - it was my first time on a cruise ship - so maybe that had something to do with it, but the quality of all the materials was much nicer than any hotel I've ever been in. And so clean! I was amazed at how pristine the entire ship was.

We headed immediately to Parrot Cay for lunch which also became our breakfast spot for the trip. We did try a couple of meals at Beach Blanket, but we found the arrangement at PC to be much more comfortable. One of the favorite options in our group for lunch/snack actually turned out to be the chicken strips/tenders up on the deck - I think they were from Pluto's Dog House - but they were surprisingly very good.

I'm not really into dance parties, so the sail away party wasn't my cup of tea and unfortunately perhaps influenced me into not seeing some of the night shows - which was probably a shame, since the one I did see was amazing. My kid did take advantage of the hot Vancouver weather to try out the water slide, which he loved!

Dinner that night was at Tritons and we got to meet our excellent servers for the cruise. My body was trying to decide if it was going to be seasick so I'm not sure I remember what I ate, but it was good - as were all the meals we had at Tritons - it was probably my fave dinner rotation and luckily we got it 3 times. The kids were tired so we all retired early. We were in Room 7014, quite close to the forwards elevators. It was usually quiet, though the housekeeper had a tendency to vacuum the corridors a little around 9-9;30 which was a bit late for our kids, but then everything was quiet after 10pm. 

Rooms were lovely and more spacious than I was expecting. Bed was very comfy. Split bathrooms are very convenient. I spent a bit of a fitful night though, getting used to the the motion of the ship. I didn't ever end up getting seasick through the trip - neither did my husband, who has been on a cruise in the past (not disney) and had a miserable time of it, so he was also pleasantly suprised.

The only other things I can remember from this day, other than exploring the ship and checking out the shops, was going to see the gym and spa and trying to get the raffle. In the end, we didn't win anything, though I was very impressed with the facilities and did plan to come back to maybe walk on the treadmill, but in the end we found we were quite lazy all trip and mostly just stuffed our faces and walked around deck 4 occasionally to counter the bloat!


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## VWISHFUL

Day 2-3: Not sure I remember too much about these days. I think it was more of eating, lounging, exploring the ship and probably more eating. It was lovely to be out on deck and see the sights these days. It could get quite cold at time - especially when we got to see Endicott Glacier (too much ice at Tracey Arm). We also saw some whales and I think dolphins and even some seals - though they could be pretty hard to spot. 

On day 2 we did the Palo brunch which was delicious. They had this amazing truffle pasta. which was probably the table favorite and countless other goodies. I think we must have eaten 1/2 the ships caviar! Our server was amazing there and since we had dinner reservations too for the following night he also served us then which was a treat.

The kids spent brunch time at the kids club. My kid is 8 so we gave him checkin/out privileges which he loved having the freedom to switch clubs when he wanted or head back to the room for a rest. We never had any trouble finding him and if in the club - the staff could locate his exact position with the wrist bands (these only work inside the club/lab - not throughout the whole ship). He did seem to really like the club, though I was a bit disappointed that I'd usually find him on the computer, or watching a movie when we picked him up. I wish he would have participated more in the activities, because they looked like a whole load of fun.

I believe that night might have been formal night, or the captains welcome or both. The officers came out and stood around the lobby and it was really nice to get to talk to them and learn more about the ship and its crew and get some syrupy cocktails on the house! (I was already running up quite a tab on the ship!). I learned that we would not be going to Tracy Arm, but that Endicott was also really lovely, with nice waterfalls. Dinner was at Animators Palate, which was cool with wall features, but we preferred the food at Tritons.

The weather at Endicott was rather cold, especially at the front of the ship. We camped out first at BBB and had the salmon bbq, which was nice - though again, we didn't find BBB to be all that comfortable. We did view the glacier for quite a while and drink hot chocolate.:  The ship turned a little to the left and to the right so both sides got a look, though the back did not get a view until we turned to leave. This was the only day I think we really needed our winter jacket (fleece and shell and beanie). We had surprisingly warm/hot weather for our trip. That night we had dinner at Palo and it was so good we managed to somehow get another reservation later in the cruise for dinner there. The scallops were the favorite of the group that night - just sublime! And their truffle and tarragon pasta was also really amazing.

Day 4: Skagway! First port of call. We had an early breakfast and headed to the Walt Disney Theater where were were seated to wait for our tour. We did the Disney Exclusive Liarsville and Salmon bake. Once off the ship, we were herded into buses and taken to the camp. The lady driver was very nice and funny and gave us lots of info about living in Skagway. Once at the camp, there was a cute puppet show and then a quick scavenger hunt and then we got to pan for gold. I've done this once before, so although we didn't get too much gold in the pan, I found that by scraping the pan agains the bottom of the trough I could scoop up the pay dirt that other tourists had ditched and was able to get a few more flakes. After this we went to the Salmon bake, which was quite nice, though the amount of flies made it a little unappetizing. Overall, it was fun and the kids liked the little giftshop.

After, the group split and the others went back to the ship while my hubby and kid toured Skagway downtown. We had some lovely huckleberry ice-cream and did a little shopping and then took a tour at the Red Onion Saloon. I was a bit nervous that they wouldn't let my 8 year old tour, but they had no problem with it. The jokes were corny and suggestive, but it all went over my kids head and even though its a quick tour, the building its quite tiny - I thought it was a load of fun! I do recommend this stop for anyone going to Skagway.


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## VWISHFUL

Day 5: Juneau - This was the day I was most nervous about things falling into place. Knowing that, as first time Dis cruisers, we'd never have a shot at booking the Disney Exclusive Musher Camp, we booked something early that sounded quite similar through Shore Excursions which is Costco's tour operator (our Disney cruise was booked through Costco). This was a surprise for my son - I hadn't wanted to tell him in case the weather didn't co-operate, as I'd heard this was frequently cancelled) and plus, who doesn't love surprises?!

The weather looked great - I think there was just the tiniest amount of spotting in the very early morning. We dragged DS off the ship early and DH got it into his head that he absolutely had to eat crab at Tracy'sCrab Shack. I was freaking out because we only had 10 mins before meeting the Era van at the tramway carpark and the curable, that was supposed to only take 5 mins to come out was taking quite a bit longer. I ended up rushing to the meeting spot with DS while DH waited for his crab leg. But that was the most stressful part of the day. When the van arrived, it turned out she was only picking us up as the rest of the group were coming by Disney bus (which was a relief to hear, since it was likely most people on the trip were from our ship and we'd be more likely to make it back to the ship if there were any delays). I was a bit nervous that we'd booked too long an excursion for the amount of time we had before all-aboard, but the lady assured me that they checked all their bookings and they wouldn't have let me book if the timing didn't work, so that was a relief. DH finally shoed up and the nice van lady let him eat it on the way out to the heliport.

DS was excited to see the helicopters but it took me pointing to one of the picture inside their officers for him to realize that we were going dogsledding. Right before our vacation I had bought him the latest Magic treehouse book that just happened to be a story about dogsledding and the Iditarod, so he was super stoked! I highly recommend getting this book if you have kids (5-9) and are doing any of the dogsledding excursions.

Once we had geared up we were assigned our helicopters and then we were off! The views were magnificent and the ride was so smooth - I was a bit nervous about it being bumpy - but it was like floating on a feather! Our pilot was great too!

We landed on the Norris glacier and we were greeted by the camp director, before being allocated to our dog team. Our dog team was awesome and our guide was really nice too. He let us feed the dogs, and explained how he trained for the races and what life was like as a dogsledder. DS was able to put sunscreen on their noses and booties on their paws and we even put eyedrops to soothe the dogs eyes. Then we got to take off for a ride in the snow! Our guide stopped several times to let the dogs cool off (again - even though it was cold at first on the glacier - the sun came out and it was unusually hot - in fact they were planning on moving the camp the next day due to melting snow). This gave us chance to switch places so that we all got a chance to man the brake, however, once it was DS's turn, he wouldn't relinquish that spot for the remainder of the ride! He LOVED it!

After the ride we got to meet the husky puppies and then we had a really nice lunch in one of the tents. The food was actually pretty good (wraps, brownies, hummus & veggies...) and the staff was really nice and answered all our questions. Waiting for helicopters to come back and pick us up, you realize just how isolated you are up on the glacier. The flight back was a little shorter but just as breathtaking. The whole excursion is simply a once-in-a-lifetime experience - truly amazing. We made it back to the ship with about an hour to spare and found the rest of our party, so they could rest easy, knowing we'd made it back on board!

Can't remember what else happened that day, probably involved lots more eating. Oh, and the crab leg my husband insisted on getting.... it was amazingly good - worth the stress!


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## VWISHFUL

Day 6 - Ketchikan. After all the adventure of the previous day we didn't have anything planned for Ketchikan. Ketchikan, however is probably the nicer of the 3 ports and the ship docks closer to the town than the other two, so its a nice easy walk off the ship. Here we did a little exploring and a little shopping (its probably the nicer shopping destination on the trip too). Had a nice fish lunch at somewhere pretty close to the ship (though I forget the name). We walked over to the quaint area of Creek Street and watched a seal chasing salmon in the creek for a while, which the kids enjoyed a lot. Every so often we'd also spot little jellyfish. We checked out some of the stores there and DS was able to buy some interesting rocks in the mineral/gem store.

We did find that a lot of the souvenirs are repeated in each port and that some of the stuff is not only available in Alaska but in Vancouver too so we bought very little in the end. Also, if you missed anything, Treasure Ketch on the ship was not too egregiously priced as we'd expected.

That reminds me - when you first get on the ship in Vancouver there is a guy selling binoculars in the check-in line. He'll tell you that on the cruise ship the prices are sky high. We bought some binoculars from him that were perfectly fine, but we also found the prices on Wonder to be not that bad either - sure there's less choice, but we got a perfectly good pair made by Nikkon for about the same price that we paid for Orcas at the vendor in Vancouver - so don't let him push you into a sale if you are not sure. I think we paid somewhere around $120. Of course I'm sure you can pick up much better deals before your trip but we weren't so prepared.

Day 7. Last day was at sea. It was a bit rougher due to the speed. I had booked the Exotic Rasul as a surprise for DH and he seemed to enjoy it - though he found the steam room a bit hot at times. I had to book this by phone as I didn't ever see it available online and there was only one spot left by the time booked. We had lots of fun slathering on all the products and our skin was so soft after - it was a nice relaxing treat.

I played Bingo at Wavebands this day, which was fun, but quite pricey. Didn't win anything though, but was one number away at one point - and that was very thrilling. Also, that night we went to see the Dreams show. It was just Amazing and made me wish that we had gone to see some of the other shows. I did hear though, that this one is the best show, so maybe that was it. It had me a little misty eyed as they worked through all my favorite disney songs! And the effects were wonderful. I really recommend this show.

Next day, getting off the ship was efficient but sad. We had an amazing time and thats without really checking out most of the activities on the ship (with kids its a little harder to do things in the evening unless they are fine sleeping alone for a few hours). Somehow we managed to put a deposit down on a future DCL cruise at their desk, so the family is already getting a little exciting and making plans for our next trip!

Good luck to everyone preparing for their upcoming cruise. You'll have tons of fun and I'm quite jealous!


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## lovemycatkellar

OK, I have read EVERY one of the 74 pages on this thread.  THANK YOU!  I have come up with my own 23 page of Ketchikan reviews so far.  We are doing the 5 (FIVE) night Aug 2nd 2017 cruise. YES, there is only one! Wishing we had known it only has one stop...Ketchikan!  Even 4 nights to Bahamas has 2 stops!  But dont get me started...

Got a few questions:
1. On port adventures some say (seasonal), what does this mean?  Are they not all seasonal, lol.
2. what time does ship arrive in Ketchikan?  I have seen stuff all the way from 7:30am to 1:30pm!
3. life jacket sizes...do they have them to fit big chested me?  My hubs is 6'5" and is very broad shouldered plus the cake gut.  Love him!  We have been to other excursions where they didnt have life jackets to fit.  But then read things about not over 350lbs and he is only 280lbs so maybe they keep big man life jackets.
4. what are the differences between all the misty fjord excursions besides price?  EXCLUDING the two over $1500, which to pick?
5. what are the differences between all the rainforest excursions besides price?  which to pick?
6.If our one day of excursion gets rained/fogged out we came to Alaska for a cruise.  I am not going for the cruise, we cruise yearly anyway.  Is this cruise going to be fun woth out Ketchikan if it is not what we choose? (we are not into characters, we pick DCL bc it is the best)
7. Is neets Bay bear watch worth it?  Floatplane apparently jacks the price up but we wanna see more than bears.

I will research more on the other stuff but those all sounded the same so wanted opinions from some folks who maybe have done several in several trips and can truly compare.  Really want to hear the negatives.  Feel like we got one shot so gotta get it pretty good!

Thanks!  Melody


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## Geomom

lovemycatkellar said:


> OK, I have read EVERY one of the 74 pages on this thread.  THANK YOU!  I have come up with my own 23 page of Ketchikan reviews so far.  We are doing the 5 (FIVE) night Aug 2nd 2017 cruise. YES, there is only one! Wishing we had known it only has one stop...Ketchikan!  Even 4 nights to Bahamas has 2 stops!  But dont get me started...
> 
> Got a few questions:
> 1. On port adventures some say (seasonal), what does this mean?  Are they not all seasonal, lol.
> 2. what time does ship arrive in Ketchikan?  I have seen stuff all the way from 7:30am to 1:30pm!
> 3. life jacket sizes...do they have them to fit big chested me?  My hubs is 6'5" and is very broad shouldered plus the cake gut.  Love him!  We have been to other excursions where they didnt have life jackets to fit.  But then read things about not over 350lbs and he is only 280lbs so maybe they keep big man life jackets.
> 4. what are the differences between all the misty fjord excursions besides price?  EXCLUDING the two over $1500, which to pick?
> 5. what are the differences between all the rainforest excursions besides price?  which to pick?
> 6.If our one day of excursion gets rained/fogged out we came to Alaska for a cruise.  I am not going for the cruise, we cruise yearly anyway.  Is this cruise going to be fun woth out Ketchikan if it is not what we choose? (we are not into characters, we pick DCL bc it is the best)
> 7. Is neets Bay bear watch worth it?  Floatplane apparently jacks the price up but we wanna see more than bears.
> 
> I will research more on the other stuff but those all sounded the same so wanted opinions from some folks who maybe have done several in several trips and can truly compare.  Really want to hear the negatives.  Feel like we got one shot so gotta get it pretty good!
> 
> Thanks!  Melody


I can answer the first couple of questions:

1. Seasonal--depending on the excursion--if it's snow related, seasonal would be before the snow melts; if it's bear related, it's likely to be later in the season--July/August when the salmon are running.

2. I just looked up your cruise.  Ketchikan--9AM-7:45PM.  The 7 night cruises have an 11:15AM arrival time as they're coming from farther away.

6. Ketchikan is VERY rainy--they average 13 feet of rain a year, so you may want to look at some non-plane excursions as those will still go in rain/fog.  I think a 7 nt cruise is better as it has 2 more ports, but you DO still have the 1 day of cruising to a glacier and that day was fantastic--even being misty for us, and going down Endicott Arm to see Dawes glacier. Ketchikan also has all the shops right off the boat--and historic Creek street is in walking distance as well.  On the ship, they had a naturalist, and I enjoyed going to the talks--I went to one called 'Blubber is beautiful' about marine mammals and one called 'Growlers and Sliders' which was all about glaciers.  The naturalist also talked over the loudspeakers as we were heading in/out of the arm--but not at the glacier as there are noise regulations near the glacier.


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## anricat

lovemycatkellar said:


> 2. what time does ship arrive in Ketchikan? I have seen stuff all the way from 7:30am to 1:30pm!



I just looked up your cruise on the DCL website and it indicates that you are in Ketchikan from 9:00 AM to 7:45 PM. This information should also be included in the email you received from DCL when booking your cruise. It should have a subject of "Reservation Confirmation for..." and then your confirmation number. Scroll down towards the bottom of the email and you can see your port times. Here's a screenshot of one for my upcoming cruise next year.


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## Huron66

I have to say that Neets Bay Bear Watch was such a fabulous excursion for our family. We went on the August 15th cruise (2016).  Our son (nearly 5) has always been interested in bears and with a family cottage on a lake in Ontario he has grown up watching float planes but never actually seen them up close.   We had the afternoon excursion which was a good thing since the morning excursions were cancelled due to fog.  We took a tour bus to the Taquan Air float plane dock (this bus ride takes longer than expected since the streets are narrow and it can't make a bunch of turns so it needs to take a roundabout route to get there.  Our float plane held 10 passengers and the pilot and we were all given headphones.  The flight there is about 25 minutes and after the plane gets up in the air, the pilot told us about the area.  When you arrive at Neets Bay you need to stay together with the guide, especially at the time of year when we visited because it is prime black bear season.  The salmon were really running well.  It is just a short walk to the viewing area and nothing separates you from the bears except a metal grate on the ground.  We had great luck that day as we saw Ronan an older male bear that comes every year.  The bears are completely focused on getting salmon and pretty much ignored us.  The best treat for us was when a sow came with her two cubs that were born in May (so only about 3 months old). That was the first time she had come to the creek with her cubs.  We were able to watch them for about ten minutes and then some other male bears came along and she took off fairly quickly with her cubs.  Altogether we saw about 8-10 bears in an hour.  It was totally amazing to see.  We also had a quick explanation about the salmon hatchery and then a walk back to the dock (a different route past a few bear dens).  The plane trip back was a different route and we were able to see mountain goats in the hills and we did a fly-by of the Wonder (we got some great pictures).  The hour we spent watching bears at Neets Bay was one of the fastest hours of my life!  So, yes, it is an expensive excursion, but watching those two little bear cubs grabbing the first fish of their life, waiting to see if a couple of big males were actually going to fight over a salmon, seeing up to 4 wild bears at once fishing on a wild stream in Alaska - that's what memories are made of!  As a side note, we walked back from the Taquan Air docks instead of taking the bus and made it back to the Wonder before the bus and even were convinced by our servers to join them for the early seating even though it was 6:15  (they saw us walking by the restaurant). So even with a not even five year old, it was faster to walk back than to wait for the bus.


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## lovemycatkellar

anricat said:


> I just looked up your cruise on the DCL website and it indicates that you are in Ketchikan from 9:00 AM to 7:45 PM. This information should also be included in the email you received from DCL when booking your cruise. It should have a subject of "Reservation Confirmation for..." and then your confirmation number. Scroll down towards the bottom of the email and you can see your port times. Here's a screenshot of one for my upcoming cruise next year.
> 
> View attachment 201566



I saw that but figured that was padded.  Good time to do other stuff!  Thanks


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## lovemycatkellar

Huron66 said:


> I have to say that Neets Bay Bear Watch was such a fabulous excursion for our family. We went on the August 15th cruise (2016).  Our son (nearly 5) has always been interested in bears and with a family cottage on a lake in Ontario he has grown up watching float planes but never actually seen them up close.   We had the afternoon excursion which was a good thing since the morning excursions were cancelled due to fog.  We took a tour bus to the Taquan Air float plane dock (this bus ride takes longer than expected since the streets are narrow and it can't make a bunch of turns so it needs to take a roundabout route to get there.  Our float plane held 10 passengers and the pilot and we were all given headphones.  The flight there is about 25 minutes and after the plane gets up in the air, the pilot told us about the area.  When you arrive at Neets Bay you need to stay together with the guide, especially at the time of year when we visited because it is prime black bear season.  The salmon were really running well.  It is just a short walk to the viewing area and nothing separates you from the bears except a metal grate on the ground.  We had great luck that day as we saw Ronan an older male bear that comes every year.  The bears are completely focused on getting salmon and pretty much ignored us.  The best treat for us was when a sow came with her two cubs that were born in May (so only about 3 months old). That was the first time she had come to the creek with her cubs.  We were able to watch them for about ten minutes and then some other male bears came along and she took off fairly quickly with her cubs.  Altogether we saw about 8-10 bears in an hour.  It was totally amazing to see.  We also had a quick explanation about the salmon hatchery and then a walk back to the dock (a different route past a few bear dens).  The plane trip back was a different route and we were able to see mountain goats in the hills and we did a fly-by of the Wonder (we got some great pictures).  The hour we spent watching bears at Neets Bay was one of the fastest hours of my life!  So, yes, it is an expensive excursion, but watching those two little bear cubs grabbing the first fish of their life, waiting to see if a couple of big males were actually going to fight over a salmon, seeing up to 4 wild bears at once fishing on a wild stream in Alaska - that's what memories are made of!  As a side note, we walked back from the Taquan Air docks instead of taking the bus and made it back to the Wonder before the bus and even were convinced by our servers to join them for the early seating even though it was 6:15  (they saw us walking by the restaurant). So even with a not even five year old, it was faster to walk back than to wait for the bus.


That is a wonderful description, Thankyou so much.  Many others will love that review too.


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## anricat

lovemycatkellar said:


> I saw that but figured that was padded.  Good time to do other stuff!  Thanks



Often, you arrive a little bit before. You'll definitely be able to get off the ship at the time they say, possibly 10-15 minutes earlier. The all aboard time is firm.


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## monkeybird

I am planning for my very first cruise -sailing on the Wonder on August 14- and wanted to thank everyone who has posted so much helpful information here. I'll be sure to do the same when I return. Can't wait!


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## PURTYPAT1

disneypoor said:


> We just got back late Tuesday night, and I thought I should share what we did since this thread helped me out so much before we left for our cruise.
> 
> We got to spend a day in Vancouver before we got on the Wonder, so I'm including what we did there as well.
> 
> *Vancouver:*  We found a stretch limo driver that was FABULOUS!  He charged us $75 per hour, and we could use his service for as many hours as we wanted.  We decided to limit our tour to two hours, and we were so happy we did this!  For $150, we got to customize what we wanted to do, and our limo driver was a native to Vancouver and provided us with so much information on the city.  We chose to have him take us to Grouse Mountain so we could do the tram ride to the top.  We then went to the fish hatchery and got to view some salmon jumping upstream.  This was cool and probably not something I would have chosen if our limo driver hadn't suggested it to us.  He drove us thru Stanley Park, to a beautiful place called Prospect Point, to the famous Steam Clock downtown, and then just took us around the city showing us beautiful homes (and they are GORGEOUS) and telling us the history of Vancouver.  I cannot say enough good things about Vancouver.  I'd definitely vacation there again, and I highly recommend the limo driver we had.  I have his info if anyone is interested.
> 
> *Skagway:*  We did the White Pass Railway, City, and Yukon Suspension Bridge tour.  This was also a great excursion!  We took the train to Fraser, British Columbia, and the sites along the way were beyond beautiful!  It was about a 90 minute to two hour ride on the train, and then we boarded a bus that took us to the suspension bridge and then drove us back to Skagway.  It was neat to take the bus back because it all looked different from the point of view you get on the bus compared to the views from the train.  Plus, our driver was wonderful and provided lots of information as we drove back.  I'd also recommend this tour.
> 
> *Juneau:*  We did the Alpine Zipline and Glacier tour.  This tour was amazing!  We had ziplined in Hawaii on a previous trip, and the ziplining in Alaska was WAY better than what we did in Hawaii.  Our ziplining guides were wonderful, and it included 7 ziplines and a suspension bridge.  When we got back to the lodge, they had blueberry tea for us, and we could make s'mores over a fire if we wanted to.  Very cool excursion and one we would highly recommend.  The glacier was cool too!  We thought it was better than Tracy Arm because we could actually get quite close to the glacier here.  It's quite a hike to make it close to the glacier and to the huge waterfall that is near the glacier, but it's worth it!  We only had a limited amount of time at Mendenhall Glacier, but we were able to make the trek up to the glacier and waterfall with time to spare when we got back to meet the bus.
> 
> *Ketchikan:*  This is by far the highlight excursion of our trip.  My kids are already begging us to let them do this again some day!  At the last minute (and thanks to a fellow DISer on this thread), we booked a float plane adventure to Misty Fjords thru a place called Island Views.  Michelle is the pilot, and I cannot say enough good things about this excursion!  Michelle is very knowledgeable and has been flying for many, many years.  The sites are breathtaking!  We got to land on a lake in the fjords and walk around on the side of one of the mountains.  I cannot wait to get our pictures back from this one!  We even saw a mini avalanche while we were there (but nothing to worry about).  Island Views is a small company that goes above and beyond to make sure you have the experience of a lifetime.  The ship was scheduled to leave port at 8:00 that night, and we didn't have our excursion with Island Views until 5:00.  We booked the two hour tour so we could have some time on the mountain when we landed at the lake.  The price was far more affordable than booking something similar thru Disney, and we will definitely book thru this company again if we ever go back.  SUPER GREAT EXCURSION!
> 
> Hope this helps someone out there!  Let me know if you have any questions or want the contact info for the limo driver we had.  I told him I'd be recommended him on the DIS!
> 
> Susan


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## PURTYPAT1

Hi do you have the Limos name & #


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## Pooh's Pixie

Good tips!  Would love the Limo Info as well.  Sounds like an interesting option.


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## Pooh's Pixie

Anyone think its possible to do the following in Skagway:  Dog sledding and glacier flightseeing, and then splitting up to have one group do horseback riding and another do a train ride?  Frustrating not knowing the times of stuff!


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## xlxo

fyi... right next to the Vancouver airport taxi queue is the Limo dispatch.  If you don't see a cab or want a larger vehicle.... check out this link...
http://aerocar.ca/rates/flat-rates/

Otherwise, I like getting two cabs for savings.


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## minniebeth

Bumping! Lots of people are starting to plan for this season's Alaskan cruise excursions. When I planned our trip two years ago, this thread was my most valuable tool! It would be great if it could be updated to help our fellow cruisers! Feel free to post about your favorite excursions.
(Excursions are always being changed/updated, but it always helps as a guideline.)


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## disorgan

How do I know if an excursion is morning or afternoon or all day? Or what time they return?

Trying to plan my excursions, booking some of them independently, and having a tough time coordinating!


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## anjuan

Hi, we were on the Alaska cruise the last week in May and it was by far my favorite cruise. I recommend looking at booking excursions privately. A lot of the excursions are pretty expensive on this cruise so shopping around can really pay off. Here's what we did. We were really happy with all of our excursions.

Juneau- We did a small boat whale watching tour booked privately through Jayleen's Alaska. There were only 6 of us on the boat with our guide, who was wonderful. We had an amazing time and was able to see a lot of activity of a humpback with their baby. I've included a picture from the excursion below.

Skagway- White mountain pass railway and dogcart tour booked through Chillchoot Charters. I know others have mentioned this one on this thread so I would just say that it was a lot of fun. I would definitely add the dogcart tour up front because it was completely sold out when we got to the site.

Ketchikan- The only tour we went through DCL for was the Bearing Crab Sea Fisherman's Tour because it wasn't available privately that day.     The fishermen pulled in crabs and shrimp that we were able to hold and even an octopus at the end (that we didn't hold). Also, at one point they were throwing out food and a whole bunch of bald eagles were flying around the boat that were really beautiful!


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## natebenma

Great suggestion to bump this thread! I wrote a trip report with detailed reviews of our excursions, but never posted here.  We sailed on Carnival, not Disney, although the offerings for excursions are probably fairly similar.  We booked the Mendenhall Glacier/Whale Watch trip independently based on web reviews.

I'll post the links to the reviews here:

*Thursday August 17, 2017  At Sea/Juneau
Any Port in a Storm- Juneau: Do You Know What the Rainiest City in North America Is?
Mendenhall Glacier/Whale Watch Combo Tour through Juneau Whale Watch*

Mendenhall Glacier

The Whales Don't Care, They're Already Wet



*Friday August 18, 2017  Skagway
What Would You Do-oo-oo for a Klondike Tour?
Yukon Scenic Tour (Offered through Carnival Cruiselines)*

Yukon Scenic Tour, Part 1

Yukon Scenic Tour, Part 2

Town of Skagway


*Sunday August 20, 2017 Ketchikan
Alaska Bear Adventure*

Ketchikan

Alaska Bear Adventure

Bears and Bears and Bears, Oh My!


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## natebenma

anjuan said:


> Juneau- We did a small boat whale watching tour booked privately through Jayleen's Alaska. There were only 6 of us on the boat with our guide, who was wonderful. We had an amazing time and was able to see a lot of activity of a humpback with their baby. I've included a picture from the excursion below.
> 
> 
> View attachment 454636



What an awesome picture!!!


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