Alaska ship tours

[april47]

In the brochure of the Amsterdam cruise ship tours for Alaska, all the ship tours for Anchorage say "in transit". What does that mean? Also, does anyone have any opinions on any of the Hal Alaska tours that are on the cheaper side. No planes, kayaks, fishing, cannery tours or extremeley physical.

[Krazy Kruizers]

That "Intransit" thing for Anchorage means nothing -- ignore it. HAL has done that for 3 years now. People have called about it -- and HAL never corrects it.

[TheCalicoCat]

In the brochure of the Amsterdam cruise ship tours for Alaska, all the ship tours for Anchorage say "in transit". What does that mean? Also, does anyone have any opinions on any of the Hal Alaska tours that are on the cheaper side. No planes, kayaks, fishing, cannery tours or extremeley physical.

 

What ports?

Skagway - the train or car tour? (We are doing a private car tour - not cheap - this is our splurge port.)

Juneau - whale watching/Mt. Roberts Tram? (We are going to hike at Mendenhall Glacier - cheap but active & the tram is the weather is nice enough.)

Ketchikan - (we are taking the city bus to look at totem poles & tide pools.)

[smilealot1882]

What ports?

Skagway - the train or car tour? (We are doing a private car tour - not cheap - this is our splurge port.)

Juneau - whale watching/Mt. Roberts Tram? (We are going to hike at Mendenhall Glacier - cheap but active & the tram is the weather is nice enough.)

Ketchikan - (we are taking the city bus to look at totem poles & tide pools.)

 

CalicoCat, what are the tide pools? Just wondering because we are planning on doing the city bus to see the totem poles too and if the tide pools are on the way, we may look at that to.

[Himself]

Those of us who did B-2-B on the NA last winter were considered in transit when we docked at FLL at the end of our first week.

[TiogaCruiser]

In the brochure of the Amsterdam cruise ship tours for Alaska, all the ship tours for Anchorage say "in transit". What does that mean? Also, does anyone have any opinions on any of the Hal Alaska tours that are on the cheaper side. No planes, kayaks, fishing, cannery tours or extremeley physical.

 

Can I assume you are on the 14 day itinerary for AK? If so, when you get to Anchorage, you are intransit and will be picked up in the port of Anchorage and returned to the ship afterward. You cannot walk from the port.

 

We did the 14 day AK trip in 2010. HAL originally posted only the Anchorage tours that were for those LEAVING the ship in Seward or BOARDING in Seward. They had to re-post the tours for us who were "Intransit" guests.

 

As far as suggestions, for Ketchikan, if you want to see totem poles, you can get on the public bus and go north to Totem Bight. The total cost is under $2.50 per person and you can spend as much time at the park as you desire.

~TC

[CowPrincess]

Nothing in Alaska is cheap, unfortunately. High cost of doing business there, and a limited season. However, you don't HAVE to spend a ton to see some interesting stuff.

 

Juneau -- Mount Roberts tram on your own, not thru HAL -- wait till you get there to see if you have good weather or not. If it is cloudy or foggy you won't see much so save your money and take the bus to Mendenhall.

 

Do you go to Skagway? If so, the National Parks Service offers a free tour several times a day, and they also have walking/hiking maps. We did a very level walk to the Gold Rush Cemetery in Skagway, about 4 miles RT, IIRC. It was free, and gave us a great chance to see some of the "real' parts of town.

 

Ketchikan -- take a free shuttle to "downtown" :) and then walk to the Totem Heritage Center (admission was $5 /person last time I was there) or the Deer Street Hatchery (fish hatchery again $5/person)or the Raptor Center. If you can manage a downhill walk, walk back toward the ship along Deermount Ave and along Stedman Street and view some of the privately-owned totem poles in peoples' yards.

 

Sitka -- St. Michael's Cathedral, New Archangel Dancers, the HoHo bus out to the State Park, or the Raptor Center. All of these are doable on your own.

 

Do you go to Haines? (IIRC you do)..... there's a place there called the Bamboo Room that supposedly does WICKEDLY GOOD eggs benedict, and is a local hang-out.

http://bamboopioneer.net/food.html

 

I so envy you going on this 14 day itinerary.... sigh.... :)

[TheCalicoCat]

CalicoCat, what are the tide pools? Just wondering because we are planning on doing the city bus to see the totem poles too and if the tide pools are on the way, we may look at that to.

 

During low tide portions of the sea bed that had been under water are exposed - starfish, etc. can get trapped in the remaining pool - until high tide again.

You can take the City Bus to Totem Bight and also out to Bugge Beach (Rotary Beach) near Saxman.

This is time for the low tide when we are in Ketchikan: low at about 1:00 P.M. June 11th