Taking dad on a Alaska cruise

[unclebilly]

So my dad turns 80 at the end of May. His health is declining as is his mental condition. He’s been wanting to go on a holiday with me for the past 2 years but Covid concerns and his declining health have prevented this.

I got thinking about this and Baz’s thread about taking his 99 year old mom got me thinking.

I estimate that dad has at most 3 years left of independent living where he can do a trip. Think about that, it’s less than 1000 days, maybe 500 or less. I won’t fly with him again after the Bangkok rescue we had to make 4 or 5 years ago… he lives on Vancouver Island so I booked a week long Alaska cruise that starts and ends in Vancouver so no flying is required.

An Alaska cruise wasn’t on my top 10 list - I’ve been to Skagway before when I did the Chilcoot Trail 15 or so years ago. I’ve travelled through most of these waters back in my commercial fishing days but I have always wanted to see Glacier Bay.

I think this may be my dad’s last vacation and I think it was a good choice as it allows him to sleep in, stick to his poop schedule, and still get away. Im not worried about him getting lost or whatever. A coworker said it well, the advantage of a cruise is that you take your hotel room with you. We ponied up for all of the extras so it’s truely all inclusive.

I’m looking forward to this and so is my dad. I think it will be a good get away and we can enjoy ourselves.

[Evans, Marv]

What a great idea. I turn 80 a bit later this year and the physical and mental health issues don't sound good to me. My sister & I gave our parents that cruise in 1987 for their 50th anniversary. They loved it. I think it's a great opportunity for you & your dad to spend some quality time together.

[LWJ]

Awesome

All our clocks are ticking. Ticking. Ticking.

Nice reminder to live.

[look 171]

Do it and enjoy every minute of it.

My dad is a stage 3 lung cancer survive of 20 years. Aspiration pneumonia took him for us. AFter surgery, he recovered very well but had to use oxygen at times in the upper elevations but functioned normally otherwise ( going to Brice Canyon and the helicopter ride over Mauna Loa did kick his ass a bit). As soon as we got the OK with his doc and surgeon, I couldn't book tickets fast enough. That was our big trip after surgery. I made sure my two kids, 2 and 4 then, spend plenty of time with my parents. What better way to do this then to pack us all up in our van and drive up to Seattle, get aboard a cruise ship. Kids have plenty to do, no one gets lost and we can just hang out all day with plenty of excursions. We had gone on many more trips until my father wasn't fit to travel anymore in his last two years. We drove up to Calgary the Winter before Covid with my family bringing my 83 old mom with us. We stop along the way and she did fine. it was a bit cold for her but she had a fine time.

All I can say is do it before its too late. Thinking back, those memories are worth all the time, effort and money well spent. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Steve Carlton]

Fantastic plan! I wish I could have done that with my dad. He had Alzheimer's, but a fast moving cancer proved merciful.

[aigel]

I could't see myself ever going on a cruise - until I read your post! You are picking a great time - the CV should be down even further if nothing new crops up and the remaining risk will be worth it IMHO. Enjoy your time - 80 is a good run so far. Unfortunately not everyone can be 99 - count your blessings - 20% of men don't even make 70!

[Bill Douglas]

Wow.

Great plan!

[look 171]

Originally Posted by aigel

I could't see myself ever going on a cruise - until I read your post! You are picking a great time - the CV should be down even further if nothing new crops up and the remaining risk will be worth it IMHO. Enjoy your time - 80 is a good run so far. Unfortunately not everyone can be 99 - count your blessings - 20% of men don't even make 70!

I am with you on this one, George.

Other then family, I was bored out of my mine. The excursions were the high light of the day especially the old train ride. Since I don't gamble, drink or dance and live under a rock, it wasn't too fun. I should have started long ago maybe I would have been addicted to one of those and made me more fun.

[Jims5543]

A few years ago my wife went on a cruise with a girlfriend. The room was a concierge level room, it was the 3rd most expensive room on the ship. IIRC it was a Norwegian ship.

Prior to that we had only been on one 3 day cruise and decided cruises were not for us.

She said that experience was on a different level, no crowds, smaller private restaurant and bar on their level that was only accessible to people staying on the concierge level. 24-7 butler semi private pool (Caribbean cruise) everything was on a luxurious level.

No lines getting on or off, separate entrance for the concierge level.

If I were ever to agree to a cruise in my lifetime, that would be the only way I would do it.

[PorscheGAL]

After single-handedly caring for my grandmother in her 10 years battling Alzheimers, my grandfather decided to spend his widowhood "spending the grandkids' inheritance" (his words that make me smile even while typing this). He always said his Alaska cruise was the best trip he ever took.

I hope you have a wonderful trip with your dad!

[oldE]

Great plan, unclebilly. Get out there and make some memories.

Best
Les

[Seahawk]

After my Mother passed away, my Father remarried a few years later.

I can state without reservation that he had exactly zero interest in going on a cruise, any cruise. Nor, frankly, did my Mother. I have only cruised on little grey boats with numbers on the side

His wife convinced him to go on an Alaskan cruise and everything changed. He loved it.

After the initial cruise, they went on a number of different cruises, Wind Jammer, the Viking River cruise, etc. What he liked about them was "unpack once" and the shore excursions.

Jims5543's post is spot on, btw.

Enjoy, Uncle B, great stuff!

[ckelly78z]

No flying is a great idea, my wife and I just spent 24 hours in Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) airport being jostled around from gate to gate, and enduring delay, after delay (STRESS) that I wouldn't want your elderly father to have to deal with. It messed up both of our sleep, pill regimine, and poop schedules for a couple days afterwards.

An Alaska cruise is on my list, but we won't be flying anywhere until all restrictions are lifted,

[flatbutt]

Billy, you have just confirmed your reservation in heaven.

[GH85Carrera]

20 years ago or so we took a two week vacation to Alaska. The first week was inland, We started in Anchorage., spent two nights on the Keni peninsula, then the scenic train on to Fairbanks, and then to Denali. Fly back to Anchorage, and get on the boat. That first week was a week of get up at 5:00 AM, go, go, go until 11 PM. The second week was the cruise, and relaxed and enjoy. We really loved it. On the 4th of July we were in Ketchikan, Alaska and I had to buy a sweat shirt as it was 55 degrees. Back home in OKC that day it was 110.

It was a wonderful trip.

[911 Rod]

I wish I'd thought the same 22 years ago.
Enjoy your time together!

[upsscott]

Sounds like an amazing trip on many levels. As someone who lost their mother last year and had very limited visits due to Covid, I think your trip with your dad will be the best thing you can do.

[vash]

GREAT IDEA!

i'm not a fan of cruises. i get so fat and bored.

but it truly is the best vacation for my mom. she is 88. i think i will bring this up with the siblings and see if it is in the cards.

[ben parrish]

Oh man…I wish I could take my dad on another trip…one of my favorite memories is our last Alaska fishing trip, watching him reel in a large salmon knowing it would probably never happen again.
I miss him every day.

[unclebilly]

We got back on Wednesday. Thanks to everyone who pitched in with ideas to get him a walker in Juneau.

We had a wonderful time. Everything went really well and I would highly recommend a cruise to anyone who has elderly parents or loved ones that can’t easily travel.

Dad smiled every day and had a great time. The weather was close to perfect - we had a couple hours of light rain in Ketchikan otherwise we had bright sunny bluebird days for the rest of the trip.