Alaska Excursions for someone with motion sickness?

[shan1211]

Hello,

We will be taking the Wonder from Vancouver in August and I am wondering which excursions would be the safest bet for me. I have some health problems (dysautonomia - POTS and neurally mediated hypotension) that have exacerbated a tendency towards motion sickness. We took a double-decker catamaran on our honeymoon and it was misery, and that was before my issues. Now simply driving around any kind of mountains makes me ill, though I don't actually vomit or anything.

I'm looking at the cruise excursions and everything seems to involve catamarans, skiffs, ATVs, helicopters, etc. I don't want my family (two kids ages 5 and 7) to miss out on seeing the amazing landscape but I also don't want to sign myself up for misery. I'm sure my husband would be fine taking the kids on one or two excursions without me, but are there any that aren't likely to make me sick? And for one or two trips without me, which would be the most memorable?

Thanks so much.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Stay away from all the float planes, helicopters and small boats. There are still tons of excursions and things to do at the ports. You can even book excursions when you arrive at the ports directly from the vendors very easily. That makes it easy for you to explain your issues to the vendor and they can suggest excursions that will work for you.

Can you ride in a school bus? If you can, you can take one (blue bus or white bus) in Juneau to the Mendenhall Glacier. It's a good place to walk around and plenty to do there to keep busy.

 

[Geomom]

There are plenty of excursions that don't involve planes/helicopters/ATV's/boats, etc.. Also, if you're taking medicine for seasickness for the boat, I would think that would help during your excursions as well?

My family had no desire to get on a small plane/helicopter, or to go on a boat for a port adventure--we're getting off a boat to be on LAND! We do have the luxury of having whale watches within an hour of our home, so we can do it whenever we want vs. it being a 1 time thing. A lot of those excursions you listed are also pricey and more than we wanted to spend. We booked with Chilkoot Charters for Skagway--Yukon bus up/train down. There are lots of stops with the small bus to get out, take pics, walk around a little, and 1 long stop at Caribou Crossing Trading post. For the train (White Pass Scenic Railway), you can also go outside on the tiny platform if you needed fresh air. For Juneau we took the glacier shuttle bus to Mendenhall glacier (25 minute ride) and walked around the trails and visitor center. For Ketchikan we did DCL's Saxman Native Village and Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. It was a 15 minute bus ride to the village, walk around, have a tour, watch native dancing, etc. Then a bus ride back to the port, be given our tickets and have time to walk around town before the show. The Lumberjack show is only a block away from Disney's berth in port--so it is something you could just walk to if you just wanted to do that.

 

[shan1211]

Thank you so much.

So is advance-booking not required for most things?

 

[Geomom]

Thank you so much.

So is advance-booking not required for most things?

It depends on what you want to do. For Chilkoot Charters, I would book in advance; and for any longer ones in Skagway as the 7-8 hr excursions start at 7:30-8:30AM. For any DCL excursions you really want to do, I'd book in advance. For private tours in Juneau--you can book the day of. Disney has a shuttle bus that takes you from the port area to the start of town--and that drop off spot is where all the tour companies have booths. The Mt. Roberts Tramway also is right in that area--that is definitely a decide on that day thing as if it is rainy/foggy you won't be able to see anything at the top. Ketchikan--you can definitely buy tix to the lumberjack show on that day.

 

[xlxo]

Are trains and buses OK? Mendenhall and White Pass are highlights.

 

[saxmangeoff]

Agreed with the others, there are plenty of good choices that should work for you.

 

[shan1211]

I should be OK with trains and busses. Flying cross country to get to Vancouver may put down a few notches, but it would hopefully be a tolerable level of motion sickness. I don't want to miss out on everything! But I am definitely not getting on any catamarans, skiffs, helicopters, bumpy ATV rides, small planes, etc.