Alaska excursions for large family group?

[Luckymommatoo]

We are going on a 7-night Alasakan cruise next July with extended family. There will be 14 of us total, ranging in ages from 4 to 73. This same group did four nights on the Dream a couple years ago, and it went really well.

Wondering if there are any excursions that you think are worthwhile and would work for all ages. (No, we definitely will NOT do all excursions together, but it would be nice to get a couple.)

thanks for any input,
-e

 

[ajo]

We had a group of 15 with a similar age range on our cruise to Alaska earlier this summer. We did two excursions together as a group:
1. In Juneau, we all did the Mendenhall Glacier tour through DCL. It was a great walk along the trail to Nugget Falls and the glacier. The visitor center also had some fun exhibits. Overall it worked out great for the group.
2. In Ketchikan, we all went to the Lumberjack show. We didn't buy tickets in advance. We just got off the ship and walked over for the first show (at 11:00 or 11:30 IIRC). The kids absolutely loved the show and it was a lot of fun for the whole group.

 

[jdb in AZ]

We had an extended-family cruise of 30+ relatives, ranging in ages 15 mos to 80+ that took the train in Skagway. All of us were in the same rail car, and that added to the fun.

 

[katellynne]

There were 10 of us this May in Alaska, ages 7 to 70. We all did the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman for a Day in Ketchikan and loved it, I was surprised how enjoyable it is for all ages but they have stadium style seating so everyone is comfy. We also all did the Eagle Preserve Wilderness River Adventure in Skagway and enjoyed it but it may not be as fun for much younger kids my 7 year old was right on the edge of getting bored and my inlaw loved it but they live on the water and are familiar with boats etc. Ya'll have fun! It was the trip of a lifetime we loved it

 

[dcassetta]

Another vote for Bering Sea Crab, all ages had a great time, and its not too active if anyone has mobility issues.

 

[Luckymommatoo]

Many thanks for the replies -- this is a really useful starting point!

 

[Huron66]

We were a group of 12 ranging in age from 4-78 that just got back from Alaska a couple of weeks ago.

In Skagway we booked an independent excursion and went with Beyond Skagway. They had a 12 passenger vehicle and we indicated what we wanted to see. We had a private guide/driver and he took us to Carcross, Yukon with many stops both on the way there and on the way back. Some of them included a stop to go on a sled dog run and meet the puppies (a big hit with our two girls), Carcross Dessert, scenic overlooks, a picnic lunch in Carcross and a scavenger hunt for the kids with hidden treasures at the various stops. The kids loved the scavenger hunt and especially the Carcross dessert. Our driver Tom also gave us lots of information about the gold rush and the area. It was a 7 1/2 hour day but it went by quickly and didn't seem to be too longer for either the older or the younger members of our group. Tom is also a fabulous photographer and is able to give tips about wildlife photography for anyone who is interested.

In Juneau we also booked a private whale watching trip with Harv and Marv. We had the boat to ourselves, a captain and a naturalist. She was great with the kids and had whale figures to show the different types of whales they have in the area and explained what we would be seeing. It was our lucky day as we had the opportunity to see humpback whales bubble net feeding! One of the most amazing sights that I have ever seen.

We broke into two groups for Ketchikan with 6 people going deep sea salmon fishing privately and the other 6 taking the Disney Neets Bay Bear Watching trip.

Alaska is amazing and it makes me want to go back and do some of the more nature oriented excursions that we weren't able to do this time around with the physical limitations from our youngest and oldest - next time!

 

[JenMarie82]

We did a sled-dog excursion through Alaska Excursions in Skagway and think all ages would enjoy it. Minimal walking, and a chance to cuddle and play with cute puppies. We let the kids pick that one with minimal expectations and all 4 of us ended up really enjoying it. Saw others of all ages there.

 

[Luckymommatoo]

Really great to hear that there are actually quality choices! I was concerned that we would really be stuck with the boring excursions.