Just back from Alaska - excursions

[dateacher]

I wanted to make this separate from my HAL review for anyone looking for excursions.

 

Tracy Arm - our ship HAL Volendam had an excursion that left from the mouth of Tracy Arm. A catamaran pulls up to the ship, we got on and the Volendam went on to Juneau. We took the catamaran all the way up into Tracy Arm. A fabulous excursion and it got us as close as you can possibly get to Tracy Arm and the glaciers. This excursion was through our ship. They provide coffee and hot chocolate and light sandwiches and you can purchase other food and drinks.

 

The only problem with this excursion is you don't get to Juneau until about 3:30 so it limits what you can do after that. I guess we will have to take the helicopter landing on a glacier on our next cruise to Alaska. We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around Juneau. Happened upon First Friday at the Alaska Brewing Company where they had samples of beer and wonderful souvenirs and then visited a few other stores. It turns out that a jeweler I use at home has a store in Juneau so we stopped in to see what he has there. Got a souvenir and 40th anniversary present while there. :)

 

Skagway - we wanted to do the train and bus combo but after reading some reviews and looking at the cost, we decided to rent a car. The car was $125 for the day while the excursion was $195 per person. It was very easy to book online from Avis and just walk to the office in town. We had met two brothers on the ship who ended up going with us so Avis upgraded our car for a larger one at no cost.

 

We had downloaded Murray's Guide which was terrific. It gave us all the best places to stop. We were able to go farther than the bus/train excursion and we could stop where and when we wanted. We drove past Emerald Lake and had lunch in Carcross and then came back to the ship. A great way to see the area.

 

Ketchikan - since we had missed a helicopter trip we opted for a float plane in Ketchikan. It was a no-brainer going with Island Wings based on the reviews. What a wonderful company and wonderful pilot/owner. We booked online easily and they picked us up right by the ship. Incredible day and wonderful people to meet and work with.

 

As a final note, we had incredible weather. Everywhere we went, the locals said we must have brought the sunshine and warm weather. The only time I needed layers was on the Tracy Arm excursion and while we were sailing through Glacier Bay. In the cities, I had a light sweater but really didn't need it. The only rain we saw was for about 30 minutes at the end of the day in Ketchikan. I didn't mind because it gave me an excuse to wear the rain jacket I brought.

[hyperdrive]

Sounds like you had a great time! I planned on going the train ride in Skagway but your post is making me think about renting a car. My only worry is getting lost or car trouble and not making it back to the ship. Do the roads have a decent amount of traffic?

 

I am leaving on a cruise the 21st. Fingers crossed that they weather is as good as your cruise!

[dateacher]

The roads are very easy to navigate and although winding in some places, we never felt like they were a problem. There was other traffic but not much and a few bicycle riders.

 

You should definitely download Murray's Guide. It is $5.00 and I highlighted the places I wanted to stop. I'm sure if you google it you can find it. You can get food in a few places but we ate at the Bistro in Carcross. There is also a nice building/restaurant/rest stop along the way. Not sure where it was but it could be where the bus/train stops. It is a contemporary, light wood building. They have food and bathrooms. Nice place to stop.

Edited August 11, 2014 by dateacher

[Hard-habit-to-break]

Thanks for this information!

 

We cruise on HAL Volendam on 3rd September and have also booked the Tracy Arm tour direct from the ship. Really appreciate your thoughts on this tour as it was expensive and we were unsure.

[chiefy_mom]

your post is making me think about renting a car.

 

Make sure to act fast if you do want to rent a car! We go next week and Avis and Green Jeep Rentals were both sold out and we could never get a response from Sourdough.

[Keith1010]

It is always nice when people take the time to post their review and thoughts from their cruises and experiences in Alaska. Looks like you did some very interesting tours. So much to see in Alaska and never enough time. Of course that is why we love returning because each time you can revisit any place you want to and/or see new places that you have not been to.

 

Thanks again.

 

Keith

[dateacher]

Thanks Keith, I am a huge researcher and couldn't imagine going up there without some awesome excursions. I think Alaska is one of those places that it is worth springing/saving for the excursions. There were not many of the budget suggestions that really excited me and just walking around Juneau/Ketchikan/Skagway were not an option although I know a lot of people do that.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!