NCL Jewel

[jerseymermaid]

Anyone have any good tips for Alaska cruise in August.:)

[Barb Nahoumi]

Bring rain ponchos------we encountered showers.

 

Bring zipper Hoodies----temperatures can vary during the day.

[jerseymermaid]

Thank you!!!:)

[Love my butler]

Bring warm clothes and lots of money. EVERYTHING is expensive. On and off the ship.

[sdmike]

• Forget umbrallas. They're just a pain in the neck
  
• Dress in layers - A fleece and a gore tex rain jacket will serve you well
  
• Take two pairs of shoes. If it's raining, one will get wet
  
• Take binoculars and a camera. Both waterproof if you can swing it
  
• Excursions are expensive. Read the Alaska board for ideas on what to do in port
  
• They had Alaska Brewing beers on board - The oatmeal stout was great
  
• You don't want a room on deck 11 near the front stairs or under the gym
  
• Take a warm hat and gloves. Again, you may encounter cold weather
  

 

I'll post if I think of other good ideas. Check out my review of your trip in my signature area

[repeater]

Anyone have any good tips for Alaska cruise in August.:)

 

 

We rented a car (ahead of time) in Skagway and drove into the Yukon. We plotted our route, drove to the end of it, then meandered slowly back. That way, we missed all the tour busses---had the place to ourselves for hours, and the silence was deafening! One of those life-highlight days.

 

Tongass store in Ketchican is big, but if you're after bargains... the store on the every end of the boardwalk in Skagway on the right side of the road is amazing. You'll find it; Skagway is tiny.

 

Wear layers. We found ourselves peeling off and adding items all day long.

And plan on rain...we heard a passegner loudly griping "It rained in Ketchican! I don't know why the ship even stops in such WET place!!" Ummm...it is a rain forest!

 

Oh, don't miss the Married Men Trail in Ketchican, and the state museum in Juneau is very good.

[sdmike]

We also rented a mini-van through National in Juneau. National/Alamo is right next to where the ship docks in a little shack. Instead of paying $150 per person for a bus trip out to Mendenhall Glacier and the fish hatchery, we put 7 of us in the mini-van for under $100

[repeater]

We also rented a mini-van through National in Juneau. National/Alamo is right next to where the ship docks in a little shack. Instead of paying $150 per person for a bus trip out to Mendenhall Glacier and the fish hatchery, we put 7 of us in the mini-van for under $100

 

 

Wow--$150?! We paid $7 for a bus trip to the glacier, some guy with a sign and a ramshackle bus. He was a local storyteller, and made it fun!

 

Best advice: go read the Alaska board under ports of call , one of the Cruise Critic forums.

[MIPensFan]

• Forget umbrallas. They're just a pain in the neck
  
• Dress in layers - A fleece and a gore tex rain jacket will serve you well
  
• Take two pairs of shoes. If it's raining, one will get wet
  
• Take binoculars and a camera. Both waterproof if you can swing it
  
• Excursions are expensive. Read the Alaska board for ideas on what to do in port
  
• They had Alaska Brewing beers on board - The oatmeal stout was great
  
• You don't want a room on deck 11 near the front stairs or under the gym
  
• Take a warm hat and gloves. Again, you may encounter cold weather
  

I'll post if I think of other good ideas. Check out my review of your trip in my signature area

 

 

 

Great advice from SDMike. I'll add my two cents from my experiences in Alaska.

• #1 Rule for Alaska -Avoid cotton. It will make you colder if the weather is wet and chilly (quite possible). Fleece, polyester and wool will serve you better.
  
• Highly recommend the Eagle Island Kayaking in Ketchikan. Saw a humpback whale from about 200 yards away. I don't think I would want to get any closer in a kayak.
  
• Loved White Pass Railway & Laughton Glacier Hike in Skagway. It is quite pricey, but worth it.