My mother is turning 70 next year and has always wanted to go on a cruise to Alaska. She is in good health and would be able to do day excursions. This is her dream trip so I want to make is as good for her as possible. It looks like Holland America has the best prices/itineraries and that it is less expensive to fly to Vancouver (from Nashville) and start the cruise there than from Seattle. Any advice/tips/must see/must do advice will be helpful. We are most interested in seeing the wildlife and natural beauty. Any tips on itineraries, cruise lines, etc... will be appreciated. Thank you!

I think you've made the right decision with Holland America. They have been in the Alaska cruise business longer than anyone else.

The only advice I can give is that you can save a lot of money by doing most shore excursions by yourself. Buy a good guidebook, such as our Alaska or Alaska Ports of Call book and see what options there are in each port. In order to get the most out of a cruise like this you really need to do some advance planning. Not everything has to be booked in advance, though, and you can often get a good deal on certain excursions by just seeing who is at the pier upon your disembarkation in each port.

Syclark
You and your mom will have a great cruise! We also took Holland out of Vancouver spending a few days in Vacouver before the cruise and a few days in Victoria after the cruise. If that is possible, you would enjoy it.

The highlight of our trip was a helecopter ride in Juneau with glacier landing! The beauty is just awesome. Another favorite was a Misty Fjord tour with lake landing. Alaska is just beautiful,Have a great time!

I second the recommendation for the helicopter trip that lands on the glacier. Also the small plane tours are a beautiful way to see the majestic scenery that can only be seen by air. I also loved the kayak tour where you paddle through the small icebergs and right up to the glacier.

Thanks for the info!

We also did the helicopter glacier thing - there was in our group an 80 year old woman who greatly enjoyed the trip to the glacier. They give you special boots - I have balance problems and was able to get around just fine, after I recovered from the terror of the helcopter flight.

Hi syclark,
When you are in Juneau consider a whale watching trip on a small boat with Harv and Marv. If you decide to go with them you have to make arrangements asap. This company gets get reviews and is fully booked up well in advance.

Flightseeing tour to Misty Fjord National Monument with lake landing was #6 or #7 on my list.

In Ketchikan the Totem Bight is a magnificent history lesson.

If you want to hike I can give you some ideas. For me the best way to see natural beauty is to get on a trail without crowds. There are hiking trails in every port and all free. I didn't cruise but visited some of the places you'll be stopping in.
I'm with cd on this one, you and your mom will have a great cruise

NewPlaces - What is the name of the company for whale watching that you recommend? Is Harv and Marv the company name or the name of the tour operators? And yes, I would love some hiking ideas. I would need easier trails. My mom is in good shape but couldnt do a lot of uphill climbing. Thanks for the info!

syclark,I'll get back with some easier hiking ideas. What ports are you visiting on your cruise besides Ketchikan and Juneau and how long are you staying in each? Yes, this is the name of the company,
harvandmarvs.com If you want read reviews on tripadvisor.com. Harv and Marv not only deliver fantastic tours but I also like their cancellation policy. They changed their payment policy and now you need to pay I think two months in advance but if you have to cancel then anytime is acceptable. It seems not many people cancel those trips. I booked our trip mid-December and they already had lots of bookings. I hope there are seats available when you are in Juneau but try to book soon. They take only 6 people. Marv and Harv's van will pick you up and maybe can drop you off at the Mendenhall Glacier on the way back.