SightCRR

Ketch: Crab boat tour. Sitka: Bird refuge. Juneau: glacier helo (pricy but worth it) or whale watch. Victoria: Likely quick stop so don't bother with tour. Notes: wont see bears unless in mid-late Sept or in zoo like settings. Look for tours on youtube. Someone has done a video on just about every tour that there is. sightcrr

Depends on where the ship docks. If at Ward Cove then Totem Bight. If downtown likely time for both.

Try to figure out timing to make the most of what you have. I was surprised to learn that the train ride from ANC to Denail park was 8.5 hours.

Here is a list of hiking trails in Ketch. 2023 Best 10 Trails and Hikes in Ketchikan | AllTrails We have only been on one from a ship tour that was nice but not much of a hike but more like nice walk in the forest. Might look into Herring Cove area as the black bears show up after salmon in the streams towards end of season. Ward Lake /Ward Creek if on NCL at W/C.

If the buses are still running do them both days to improve your chances of seeing wildlife. Plus the dog sled kennels. Try to figure out which Princess lodge you are staying at as one is miles closer to the park than the other one.

Thank you very much for your review and thoughts. Not sure why but your review is about the first one I have read on the tour part of the cruise tour. Great photos of G/B. Take care. sightcrr.

You can read the faa reports on the companies if that will make you feel better. Likely to be safer than driving to cruise ship but that may not help. Often canceled due not be able to fly in current conditions. Just about everyone who gets to fly will have photos very similar to Crew News's above.

It is only about a 10 min city bus ride from W/C. Bus runs once per hour each way. Silver line. Get a list of totems and meanings on line before you go. We did it from downtown not from w/c. Hardest part may be to get up to road from pier. I seem to remember a museum next door and nice water view. We enjoyed our short time there. Going away from town we got off at the stop and bus continues away from town and turns around and heads back. We got the same bus headed back. Just towards town in the same turn off is gravel road. Go down that road for more to see. (you can see it on street view of goggle map). Several years ago. Totem Bight State Historical Park (alaska.gov)

Spend the first sea day scouting spots with a deck plan and look for spots other people might miss. Any with warm air vent would get a big circle on deck plan unless it was a kitchen vent with all kinds of food smells. sightcrr.

Several Ketch webcams. here is screen shot of one:

That is good news. Valdez tower cam 6/1/23

Not sure what I was thinking but Northern Aurora is correct that with normal traffic downtown piers to airport is less than 45 min and closer to 20-30 min. sightcrr.

May want to explore Juneau if you haven't seen it already. Helo to glacier from airport is one idea. sightcrr.

Almost no cruises that I know of end in Juneau. Airport is 30-45 min drive from piers unless docking at Auke Bay. Maybe Alaska ferry. sightcrr.

I'd say skip Mendenhall if you get to see Dawes up close. You can get bus ride to Mendenhall in port on day of if the other one gets cancelled. The thing about the trams is the main attraction is what you see when you to the top. Tram in Juneau also able to book as walk up but may close early (6:00 pm). Here are webcams that show both the views from the top. TheSnowCloud Juneau area Webcams Also check youtube for tours of just about every tour available but look at the personal ones and not the ad ones. sightcrr

Maybe watch some youtube videos to make sure you understand what the helo is like and that you aren't afraid of something that is not part of the ride. I understand that many people don't want to fly in helo for all kinds of reasons.

Juneau & Skagway best chance of helo from ship & only for one but close to sailing might be down side.

We have no idea when or budget but here goes. ANC train to ship, H/G small boat from cruise ship if available ISP, zip line or whale watch. Juneau, More whales, glacier helo, walk town or mine tour, Skagway Train or Helo Ketch, crab boat tour,

faa weather cam Skagway. 5/30/23

Several years ago we went to Brook Falls from ANC with Rusts around 1 July and was a great trip. I wonder if 19 June is to early for them so check with guides about that. Don't have any info about your choices of locations.

I would say don't cancel. Wear some water proof (not water resistant) rain gear and try to get there as soon as you can to get seat under cover. We sat on top deck during the pouring rain and enjoyed it but we are from Seattle area and wouldn't do anything if we canceled because of rain. Take precautions on camera gear and get practice on the camera sports settings for when they feed the eagles. Sit towards front or up top if not raining. 30% chance of sun seems pretty good and likely wrong. sightcrr.

One good thing about rrf to dock is that it is only about 100 yds or less to pier. Not sure how many tenders they will have in the water or how many people are on your ship but travel time should be considerably less than most tender rides. Often in the past we were able to show up at the tender for one of the first ones and get on. Won't work for later ones.

Here are some easy and not so easy trails. NPS also has gold rush museum and may have some walking tours. Not sure where your hotel is but not a big town. Looks a little cloudly on the faa camera but if the clouds lift it will be gorgeous. Yakutania Point and Smugglers Cove: 183 Reviews, Map - Alaska | AllTrails sightcrr

Make sure you are ready for shore trips also if they include food or buy your own at restaurants. We found very few had options that we were comfortable with. Take you own prepackaged snacks. Don't go outside your cabin without EpiPen.

fyi from the Alaska port board searched on Valdez. The HAL site has a nice review on Valdez w/ photos. Live Explorer would be the search. Live from Nieuw Amsterdam 14-Day Alaska Explorer - Page 7 - Holland America Line - Cruise Critic Community Page 4-7.