Alaska Excursions

We are taking the July 1 cruise south from Seward to Vancouver. We stop at 3 ports on the way, Haines, Juneau and Ketchikan. We are looking forward to making the most of the time we have ashore to see as much of the nature and wildlife as possible. Do any of you have any tips, suggestions etc. for which are the best for someone who has never been before, and which are not worth our time. Thank you

A very good resource here on Cruise Critic is the Alaska ports of call forum:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

Just to get you started:

We have used the following vendor in Haines (booked this excursion through Holland America):

http://www.alaska.org/detail/rainbow-glacier-adventures-photography-wildlife-tours

In Juneau, we have done multiple types of excursions. Whale watching is one. You can book through the cruise line or independently. The cruise lines use Allan Marine, who offer tours in most of the major Alaska cruise ports:

http://allenmarinetours.com/

One independent option is Harv and Marv's in Juneau:

https://www.harvandmarvs-alaska-whale-watching.com/

In Ketchikan, we have used the following vendor:

http://www.wildwolftours.com/

I can recommend all the companies I have listed above. But there are other options, too. I would also recommend Alaska tour books such as those published by Frommer's and Fodor's.

Landing on a glacier by helicopter is great! If you can, use Coastal Helicopters in Juneau.

Landing on a glacier by helicopter is great! If you can, use Coastal Helicopters in Juneau.

Best excursion I think I ever did! But I did it out of Skagway, bought it at the pier, almost same price as the cruise ships but I didn't have to worry about cancelling. But it was only for one so it didn't break the bank.

DH did the eagle float out of Skagway, really Haines so they took the ferry. He loved it for the photography.

What do you like? How many people and budget? Lots of options. m--

The Bering Sea Fisherman's Tour in Ketchikan ought not to be missed if one is so interested.

In Juneau, the 5 Glacier Flightseeing Taku Lodge excursion is worth every penny in my opinion.

A Misty Fjord flightseeing tour where the plane lands on a lake in the Park and guests can get out of the plane, stand on its floats, and absorb the natural beauty and the silence of the area is truly memorable.

A couple of independent shores we enjoyed (though it has been some years now):

1) in Juneau, Above and Beyond hike to and ON Mendenhall. Just make sure you have enough time. We made it back with 90 seconds to spare:o:eek: To be absolutely sure you get back on time, you might want to book a private guide.

2) Island Wings float plane to Misty Fiords with Michelle. She lands for about 30 minutes on a body of water and you can go onto the remote land. We landed in Rudyerd Bay.

Best excursion I think I ever did! But I did it out of Skagway, bought it at the pier, almost same price as the cruise ships but I didn't have to worry about cancelling. But it was only for one so it didn't break the bank.

DH did the eagle float out of Skagway, really Haines so they took the ferry. He loved it for the photography.

 

What do you like? How many people and budget? Lots of options. m--

We'd like to see the animal life, glaciers and such. There are two of us. Budget is flexible but more $$$ does not always guarantee a better value. I think I'd prefer to see whales on a ship rather than from a helicopter for example.

We'd like to see the animal life, glaciers and such. There are two of us. Budget is flexible but more $$$ does not always guarantee a better value. I think I'd prefer to see whales on a ship rather than from a helicopter for example.

Out of all the excursions I've taken in Ketchikan, the very best for the money is The Bering Sea Fisherman's Tour.

You may see whales (if the season is right). You WILL see Eagles all gathered in one area. When I say You WILL see Eagles, I am saying up to 100 or so gathered and swooping so near to you that you feel as if you can feel the breeze as they swoop down to feed near the F/V Aleutian Ballad which was on Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch Season 2. It is the one used by Discovery to help promote the show because it was the one that rolled over onto its side due to a rogue wave. IF you go, ask the Captain, or any of the crew about the history:)

One photo is here:

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/gallery/eagles/P5050044.jpg

You can see more photos taken of the eagles here

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty/wildlife/eagles/ Only the ones with the trees and rocks are from the Aleutian Ballad (99.99% of the eagle photos:) )

Which ever excursion(s) you choose in Alaska, for a 1st timer, you will be amazed and from my own experience, happy:)

Joanie

We'd like to see the animal life, glaciers and such. There are two of us. Budget is flexible but more $$$ does not always guarantee a better value. I think I'd prefer to see whales on a ship rather than from a helicopter for example.

Some schedules give you only the afternoon and evening in Juneau, so it's hard to know what the ship will offer. If HAL offers "Discover Alaska's Whales," take that tour. They say you take part in research. That's a stretch, but this company does identify and log all the whales they see. (Each humpback has a unique color pattern on the underside of the tail) They even have a "mug shot" book of tail patterns so guests can try to identify the whales. You get a lot of ecology info, and the best thing is that the boat takes a small group, so you aren't jostling with others for a position to see. We did this last fall, and I'd do it again.

In Juneau, we rented a car and went to Mendenhall, the Shrine of Saint Therese, and a whale watching tour with Harv and Marv. Going to Mendenhall is a no-brainer if you haven't seen it before, but I cannot stress enough how great the Harv and Marv tour was. The man leading our tour was probably THE BEST guide I've ever had, for any tour. And whatever waterway they take you to is absolutely beautiful. The water was completely still, with beautiful mountains in the background. Even if we hadn't seen 2-3 humpback whales, I don't think I would have complained!

Hope you have 3 or more extra days at your bonus port Vancouver. Lots to do there.

TAKU LODGE Floatplane fly-in tour from Juneau. You fly over Glaciers then land at Rustic Taku Lodge to feast on grilled salmon and homemade bread pudding with a huge glacier before your eyes. Crazy nice. 5-stars.

Out of all the excursions I've taken in Ketchikan, the very best for the money is The Bering Sea Fisherman's Tour.

 

You may see whales (if the season is right). You WILL see Eagles all gathered in one area. When I say You WILL see Eagles, I am saying up to 100 or so gathered and swooping so near to you that you feel as if you can feel the breeze as they swoop down to feed near the F/V Aleutian Ballad which was on Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch Season 2. It is the one used by Discovery to help promote the show because it was the one that rolled over onto its side due to a rogue wave. IF you go, ask the Captain, or any of the crew about the history:)

 

One photo is here:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/gallery/eagles/P5050044.jpg

You can see more photos taken of the eagles here

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty/wildlife/eagles/ Only the ones with the trees and rocks are from the Aleutian Ballad (99.99% of the eagle photos:) )

 

Which ever excursion(s) you choose in Alaska, for a 1st timer, you will be amazed and from my own experience, happy:)

 

Joanie

You make a lot of sense, perhaps I should not overthink it and just enjoy whatever it is we get to see

You make a lot of sense, perhaps I should not overthink it and just enjoy whatever it is we get to see

This is a good piece of advice to yourself:D:D:D:D. It's all beautiful. If you bring a camera, you'll find yourself taking hundreds of photos!

We'd like to see the animal life, glaciers and such. There are two of us. Budget is flexible but more $$$ does not always guarantee a better value. I think I'd prefer to see whales on a ship rather than from a helicopter for example.

I understand. Helicopter is more for the experience of landing and walking around on a glacier. For me being able to walk on a glacier, slippery as it was, see the dark blue water holes, hear the crunching underneath and feel like I really was on a frozen river, that was such a thrill! They give you proper boots and clothes for the trip.

For wildlife, go see the eagles, whales and I think there is a bear feeding tour that goes to where the bears are catching salmon, not sure when the salmon run is. I'm sure you will find the beauty and wild county experiences compelling. Happy planning, m--

On the HAL website there are two excursions for whale watching and the mendenhall glacier. It looks like the tours are the same and the only difference is one includes lunch at the Orca Point Lodge. Have any of you done this tour? Is the lunch worth it or are there other options nearby?

You might want to go earlier in the season rather at the tail end. We saw ONE eagle in September, and for me, I was hoping to see more. That one solitary eagle was in Juneau and at least a mile away.

Also, you get more light so you can see what’s between ports in the earlier part of the season.

You might want to go earlier in the season rather at the tail end. We saw ONE eagle in September, and for me, I was hoping to see more. That one solitary eagle was in Juneau and at least a mile away.

 

Also, you get more light so you can see what’s between ports in the earlier part of the season.

Our cruise is July 1 to July 8

If you're into nature and wild life, you've chosen the right cruise :)

Go Whale Watching from Juneau! We've used Harv and Marv before, had a great experience, and I can't warn you off of them. Just be sure you make note of the boat size before you book. Either way, go whale watching!

If you are willing to spend, use Island Wings in Ketichikan! We did float plane to bear watching, and enjoyed every bit of that trip (plane ride, scenery, bears, etc.). We also planned to fly into Misty Fjords with them, but we were fogged in and had to cancel... Anyhow, Island Wings is expensive, but awesome.

Floating through the eagle preserve in Haines was nice and fun. If you want to see eagles and get some nature, it's a good trip. But, I grew up with tons of eagles so it didn't blow me away like the other two mentioned above.

I suggest the Haines fast ferry to Skagway. Ph 888 7662103.

They offer a rail/sail package for the White Pass train that is much cheaper than the ship tour.

Book early as they tend to sell out .

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