alaskapartyof24

I have been recently elected to plan the shore excursions for our family alaska trip. There are 24 of us!! We range in age from 3-68. I am just overwhelmed with the number of options. I know for sure we would like to do a whale watching trip and a bear (or chance of bear)trip, We are cruising through ketchikan, juneau, and skagway. I was planning on just booking through princess to make things easier but they only allow reservations up to 20!!! HELP!!I need suggestions, ANY POINTERS for group planning would be appreciated!!



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maryann

I would be amazed if all 24 would want to go on every excursion that you pick.
Check with each one and see what they want-then you might have under 20 for some and several for others, etc.

Then when you know the exact #, you will know better how to proceed.

When we went to AK, I did not want to make any res. as the weather might be bad and the tour would go but I didn't want to.

If Princess won't work with 24 (even as a party of 20 and a party of 4 ) contact the tour cos. directly. Check CruiseCritic.com/port of call board for companies. Budget Queen will have advise, too.
Have fun

triathlete

You might try www.portpromotions.com for direct booking options. However, Maryann is right--it it best to start with the port-related discussion boards.

Playing "cruise director" for 24 people takes a huge amount of effort. While I'm sure it will be appreciated, it won't be appreciated ENOUGH for all you'll be doing for them. They're lucky to have you.

jcasale

Good luck planning a trip for this many. I thought it would drive me crazy planning a trip for 10! While there may be ones that not everyone wants to do, there may also be ones where all 24 want to do the same thing. Can you have each "family group" or cabin book their own on Pricess's website once you have all decided on what you want to do? I would recommend booking ahead of time since some of the tours were already filed up by the time we got on our Princess cruise (fortunately we had booked ahead). In Skagway, I personally recommend the Yukon Adventure and White Pass railroad all-day excursion. It's a bus ride up and into the Yukon, lots of stops for pictures, lunch, and then riding the White Pass Railroad back down. Fabulous day! In Juneau we splurged and did the 4 glacier helicopter flight. What a wonderful experience (but I wouldn't take a 3 year old on it). A fun excursion there was also the salmon hatchery and Mendenhall Glacier. In Ketchinkan we did the 4 wheel drive adventure (also included a canoe ride). I would recommend NOT doing this one. The canoe ride was really short and annoying to someone who knows how to canoe and the jeep trip was bumpy and dusty. All in all, enjoy your trip!

BudgetQueen

I responded on the Alaska board-


I too would say- don't plan for everyone. ALL adults NEED to review a shore excursion list and narrow down THEIR interests. Have them choose their top 5 choices in each port. There is NO WAY you are going to get agreement with 24 people, especially when you are talking about costly tours, like the whale watch being over $100pp. WHEN are you going??? Bear tours on the Inside Passage require fly ins out of Ketchikan or Juneau- again very costly and I'm sure everyone won't be interested. If you want to book through Princess, just have everyone book them selves. IF You do have to go together- WHAT are you looking at? besides the above? Book with Orca Enterprises perhaps for whale watching? There is no aircraft that will take 24 bear watching so you are split up there.

My opinion only- especially in Alaska - this is the place to do tours of interest. They are too costly to drag someone along who has no interest and too excellent to miss if someone does.

BudgetQueen

And rethinking this- especially since you have no experience traveling there, you are setting yourself up for trouble. I again would say, have the adults take responsibility for their own choices. If the desires are the same- THEN book together.