What was your favorite excursion in Alaska?

[Mel2421]

I will be on the Radiance of the sea. Thanks

[Gadget 1004]

Go whale watching in Icy Strait Point. We did a private tour with F.I.S.H.E.S. and his boat will carry 6 passengers. It is a very safe boat and he and his wife provided an excellent tour. The boat has a cabin and all 6 people can get inside if the weather is bad. You can walk all around the boat while taking pictures of whales. There were many whales that were right next to the boat. They will pick you up at the pier and it is about a 4 hour tour. It is about a 45 minute boat ride to the area where the whales are feeding. Enjoy.

[subtchr]

I can't say what are my favorites, since I have not taken our Alaska cruise yet, but I'll be able to report in about 3 weeks!!

 

I just want to say that you might get more responses by posting your question on the very active Alaska Port of Call Forum.

 

Have fun planning, I know we have!

[galavant3]

If offered, the Tracy Arm excursion was our favorite! Alaska was hands down our favorite destination. Enjoy!

[kyriecat]

We did a combination hike/whitewater rafting in Skagway that was awesome! I don't remember the name of the tour or if it's still offered. We took a van to the trailhead, which was a few miles outside Skagway. The hike wasn't long - a couple miles with a fews up and downs through some pretty countryside with small mammels, birds, and a few deer. We saw bear scat on the trail but no actual bears. Rafts were waiting for us at the end of the hike. The rafting was the best part. That's where we saw the actual bears. Many were fishing along the banks as we past by. Really cool but got a bit wet. The rafts had waterproof lockers for cameras.

 

Second best excursion was helicopter ride with a glacier landing in Juneau. Scenery was fabulous. Too bad (for me & fellow passengers) I discovered that helicopters make me air sick. :o

[tulsacubfan]

It was a toss up between the helicopter/glacier walk (Temsco in Juneau) and sea kayaking (Southeast Sea Kayaks in Ketchikan). Very different experiences but both were incredible.

[fleckle]

Loved the boat excursion up into the Kenai Fjords out of Seward.

Greatest variety of wildlife sightings + scenery.

 

For Icy Strait Point, a number of private vendors offer similar whale watching tours with little 6 passenger boats. Not much difference between them and I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

 

If you like totem poles, the best deal in Ketchikan is riding the city bus for a dollar out to Totem Bight and Potlatch Park, right next door to each other with free admission.

 

If you have not already done it, it is worth taking a helicopter or fixed wing airplane ride over Glacier Bay from any of the nearby ports. You get to see so much more of Glacier Bay from the air than what you can see from a cruise ship.

When your cruise ship goes to Hubbard Glacier or Tracy Arm, it gives you the opportunity to see Glacier Bay on the same cruise as well.

[Alamogirl]

I will be able to answer this in July. Going on a 10 day cruise tour June 28 on the Radiance and then staying a few extra days. I've been told that the enclosed jet boat ride it the best and not to be missed, it's out of Talkeetna if I remember correctly.

[whit53]

My best experiences with excursions were.

 

Ketichan , Seawind seaplane..incredible

 

Icy Strait, did the whale watching with Capt Colleen. Hated it. I don't like bring in a small almost 6 seat boat. We were closer to the whales on the ship than we were on the tour.

 

Skagway, the train and tour to the Yukon Territory..awesome

 

Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier great. Salmon Bake...ok

 

Hubbards Glacier, not an excursion but beyond words for the majesty of it.

 

Seward, Major Marine. We saw every form if wild life there was to see and the best lunch of salmon and prime rib!

 

After my cruise to Alaska I now know why I was told everyone should go to Alaska once in a lifetime.

 

Enjoy!

[whit53]

Sorry duplicate post

[luvscruising2007]

My favorite was a flight -seeing to Taku Glacier from our stop in Juneau.

We had a short flight to the lodge in a float plane, a salmon lunch and a hike into the woods behind the lodge. When we returned there was bear up a tree and like fools we all stood around and tried to take pictures.

[Alan13]

Skagway--Train through White Horse Pass to Summit. You can go to the back of each car and stand outside and get amazing photos! You could take a coach tour on the way back. I did the roundtrip on the train. Instead of turning the train around, they reverse the seats so everyone gets views from both sides!

 

Alan

[voyager70]

Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Watching cruise in Juneau was awesome.

[Buccaneergirl]

We have been to AK twice and my all time favorite is the helicopter to the glacier with the dog sledding. I think it was in Skagway that we did that one.

 

2nd favorite was the helicopter to the glacier and we just walked around on the glacier and that was in Juneau.

 

3rd favorite was the floatplane where we landed on a lake up in the mountains, we got out and stood on the float part of the plane and a sea otter popped his head out of the water a few feet away from us and just stared. It was great.

 

To get to see AK from the air gives you a whole different perspective and it is gorgeous. I know they are pricey excursions, but you really should do one. You won't be sorry!

[NorbertsNiece]

Skagway : Becky from Beyond Skagway Tours. Hands down the most information filled excursion. Loved F.I.S.H.E.S as mentioned above. Pre- cruise the Kenai Fjords wildlife boat trip.

 

Actually. I love Alaska and it was all awesome!

[LisaDee]

My favorite was a flight -seeing to Taku Glacier from our stop in Juneau.

We had a short flight to the lodge in a float plane, a salmon lunch and a hike into the woods behind the lodge. When we returned there was bear up a tree and like fools we all stood around and tried to take pictures.

 

Same with us! We did this about 8 years ago and we still talk about it!

[dreamer976]

Go whale watching in Icy Strait Point. We did a private tour with F.I.S.H.E.S. and his boat will carry 6 passengers. It is a very safe boat and he and his wife provided an excellent tour. The boat has a cabin and all 6 people can get inside if the weather is bad. You can walk all around the boat while taking pictures of whales. There were many whales that were right next to the boat. They will pick you up at the pier and it is about a 4 hour tour. It is about a 45 minute boat ride to the area where the whales are feeding. Enjoy.

 

Totally agree, Gadget. If it's not too late, try to book w/FISHES. The owner, Floyd is a hoot, and has a great boat for whale watching. We were on the early morning tour and it was one of the most beautiful mornings we had ever spent in Alaska (one cruise, one cruise tour). The whale watching gets my vote!

 

We also did Flightseeing out of Juneau over the glacial ice fields. Breathtaking.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[DCL4ME]

My favorite was a flight -seeing to Taku Glacier from our stop in Juneau.

We had a short flight to the lodge in a float plane, a salmon lunch and a hike into the woods behind the lodge. When we returned there was bear up a tree and like fools we all stood around and tried to take pictures.

 

This was my absolute favorite excursion! The views over the Juneau Icefields on the way to the lodge were incredible. The people at the lodge were so friendly and the lunch can't be beat. It's a pricey excursion, but it is so worth it.

[PH8]

We have been to AK twice and my all time favorite is the helicopter to the glacier with the dog sledding. I think it was in Skagway that we did that one.

 

!

That was my fav too.......of all excursions EVER! Loved it....did it in Skagway too,

 

My least fav?? Floatplane in Ketchikan.......I don't do well in small planes that tend to bounce around.:(..

[Ashland]

Just returned a week ago and loved the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour in Ketchikan. If you're a fan of the show "Deadliest Catch" an extra treat was that Derek was onboard, the captain that took over the Cornelia Marie after Phil died. He had some great stories and was such a nice guy.

 

We also loved our White Pass railroad trip with Chilkoot.

 

And also fun was our tour of the Alaskan Brewery :p

 

Also as far as whale watching in Icy Strait Point...wasn't necessary they were swimming around the tenders from ROS

[Truluv]

Have done two Alaskan cruises, and they were extraordinary. On our cruise in May, we took a float plane to Misty Fyords. The pilot landed on a tiny island in the middle of a small river. The quiet was astounding. We wandered around a bit, he fished at one end (offered fishing to our kids), and we saw a bear wandering on the hillside across the water.

 

In September, we rented a car in Ketchikan and drove ourselves to the Yukon. We saw Emerald Lake, the tiny town of Carcross, the Desert (smallest desert...) and basically were parallel to the railway which we had done on a prior trip. When we got to the Yukon, we were able to tour a gold mining ship with the Canadian park service and had ice cream at a little local store next to the park. I got a great picture of the family in front of a "Welcome to the Yukon" sign when we entered Canada. A wonderful trip, and the cost was less for 5 than any of the ship's excursions.

 

In Ketchikan on the September cruise we split up. Spouse and sons took a helicopter to a glacier, and I went whale watching with D. It was rainy and cold (we even had sleet), but we had a National Geographic moment on the whale watching trip...we got to see whales bubble net feeding, rising over and over again in a perfect circle as they fed and the gulls dive-bombed for leftovers. It was amazing.

 

Our May cruise was on a different cruise line that also stopped at Sitka. It's a shame more ships don't go there, although the bay doesn't appear to be deep enough for the big ships. The bay was beautiful, with islands jutting out of the water. Most importantly, we had made arrangements to renew our vows at the Russian Orthodox church in the center of town. The Chamber of Commerce helped us arrange for a local photographer before the cruise, who met us at the church and then was kind enough to get the entire roll of pictures developed for us while we walked to the Eagle Sanctuary. The Priest's wife sang the responses for us, and our children were our witnesses. My father and his wife had surprised us and booked the cruise to be with us for our vow renewal ceremony. I look forward to returning to Sitka someday - wonderful people and a beautiful little town. Since my spouse and father are both deceased now, the memories are priceless.

[Italy52]

Some of our favorites are:

 

Icy Strait: Whale watching with F.I.S.H.E.S. and Glacier Wind (small boat excursions run by wonderful people)

 

Juneau: Adventure Bound Tracy Arm Excursion

 

Ketchikan: Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour

 

Seward: Kenai Fjords National Park Tour, Exit Glacier Ranger Led Walk, Sea Life Aquarium

 

Whittier: Major Marine Prince William Sound Glacier Tour

[DougH]

I've done the all day trip to Tracy Arm with Adventure Bound a couple of times and love it.

The train/bus trip into the Yukon from Skagway is great, so is whale watching with Capt Larry in Juneau and the flight to Misty Fjords with Island Wings in Ketchican

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have had so many wonderful excursions in Alaska -- whale watching, float planes, helicopters, train rides.

Each one is different and wonderful.

Just watching glaciers calve is wonderful.

[lmtrn2001]

If offered, the Tracy Arm excursion was our favorite! Alaska was hands down our favorite destination. Enjoy!

 

We were diverted to Endicott Arm due to too much Ice in Tracy Arm but it was by far our favorite excursion!!! Amazing!!