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What's closed or unavailable in May?


new_cruiser
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I'm booked on Windstar Star Legend Seward to Vancouver for May 17. The itinerary includes pretty much all the usual ports (Haines instead of Skagway) plus some uncommon ones.

 

May 17 Seward 7 AM to 8 PM (arriving in Seward on the repositioning cruise from Japan)

May 20 Icy Straight Point (Hoonah) 8 AM to 8 PM

May 21 Haines 6 AM to 8 PM

May 23 Juneau 7 AM to 3 PM

May 24 Sitka 10 AM to 6 PM

May 25 Wrangell 9 AM to 5 PM

May 27 Ketchican 8 AM to 8 PM

May 28 Metlakatla 8 AM to 5 PM

May 29 Prince Rupert 6 AM to 2 PM

 

So the question is, which excursions and sights aren't available that early in the season?

I already know some of that for Seward: the road to Exit Glacier is likely to still be closed, also the National Parks visitor's center in Seward (last year it was only open on weekends that early in May). The boat excursions are limited - Major Marine and Kenai Fjords tours run their 6-hour Kenai Fjords and 4-hour whale watch tours.

 

I'm thinking of a whale watch trip for Hoonah. We did Dyea Dave up to Emerald Lake with the train back from Carcross last August. I'm considering touring around Haines or taking the ferry to Skagway and possibly going up to Emerald Lake again to see the scenery in a different season.

 

Any issues with Mendenhall Glacier that early? I had a very short visit there in August and would like to hike the trail to Nugget Falls this time.

 

The ship has 7 hours cruising Kenai Fjords, 12 hours cruising Endicott Arm/Tracy Arm and 12 hours cruising Misty Fjords (It's a lot smaller than the mainstream line ships though bigger than the ones used by Uncruise and Alaska Dream.) So other than Icy Straight and possibly the Major Marine Orca Watch out of Seward, I'm more interested in excursions on land.

 

Any other seasonal limitations I should be aware of?

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Fishing excursions out of Ketchikan will run but I don't think they are that successful. Salmon running and bear excursions are also non-existent at this time. Though - this doesn't mean that you can't see bears - they just won't be going after salmon. I have seen bears in May on every trip I have been on, just not when I was expecting.

 

Nugget Falls should be fine.

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