Alaska Excursions

[angelmomma530]

Sailing to Skagway, Juneau, Ketchican from Seattle. If you only could choose 1 excursion per port, what would you choose?

 

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[Cookiecookie]

Sailing to Skagway, Juneau, Ketchican from Seattle. If you only could choose 1 excursion per port, what would you choose?

 

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Skagway - White Pass

Juneau - Harv an Marv whale watching

Ketchikan - Island Wings.

These are the 3 we did in August, amazing time.

[dmbehlke]

Sailing to Skagway, Juneau, Ketchican from Seattle. If you only could choose 1 excursion per port, what would you choose?

 

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In Skagway we did the 4x4 all terrain mule vehicles up into the mountain side. We went up 1500 ft. You also have a halibut bake served also. It was a beautiful ride up and down. A little adventurous but a great time. I know everyone likes to take the train ride but we chose this and were not disappointed.

[frugaltravel]

With all due respect, who cares what *I* would do if you have no interest. A strenuous guided hike to Mendenhall Glacier would probably be on my list, but probably not on that of 98% of cruise ship passengers for example.

 

Best is for you to review your ship's excursion list, narrow down to a few in each port, then repost with those options to help us narrow it down for you.

 

Also, more info would help. For example, if you have kids under 13, Harv & Marvs won't be an option for you unless you have enough people and/or funds to pay for the entire boat trip. When your trip is will also help - Island Wings might or might not be a good option depending on when you are going and what you are interested in.

Edited September 29, 2014 by frugaltravel

[angelmomma530]

Dailing Aug 2015. 4 adults, one 7yo girl. No zipline, fishing, hiking. Looking at dog sled, bears, whales...

 

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[angelmomma530]

Thank you! Cant wait to read your report...starting now.:)

[mapleleaves]

We all have different interests and priorities. Perhaps a good place for you to start is your ships excursion list. If you want feedback on specific excursions, or if you want to replicate an excursion using an independent vendor or would prefer to go DIY, post again with your questions.

 

Another resource are Trip Reports listed in the STICKYs near the top of the page. Many of the reports are detailed photo journals. There are several reports from families with children. You didn't indicate which ship you were sailing .... but when looking at the 2013 Reports, start with reply#45 where the reports are sorted by cruiseline/ship.

[travgurl]

Doing the cruise tour next summer on Holland. I have booked excursions for our group of 10 privately with companies after a lot of research.

Juneau--Harv and Marv whale watch, Skagway--Trails of 98 private 7 hour tour up the Klondike highway all the way to Emerald Lake and in Ketchikan we are plan to walk around and explore town on our own. Looking forward to our trip in July, hope this helps.

[Cheryl H]

We did those ports with our young son. I think he was 6 at the time.

 

For Seattle, we stayed at the Pan Pacific. It had a Tutta Bella Pizza place next door that was really good. We printed off online coupons for a free pizza before leaving home. Also there was an elevator just outside the hotel that goes down into a Whole Foods. We went down there and got some gelato for a treat. We took a cab to the aquarium.

 

For Juneau, we wanted something different so we did the goldmine tour. We got to go in the mine and they demonstrated a 100 year old drill and maybe a rock thrower machine. We had to wear hearing protection and hard hats which were provided. Then we panned for gold. The tour dropped us back in town. Then we had a lovely lunch at the Twisted Fish in the Taku building. Then we took the shuttle out to Mendenhall Glacier. We walked the path to Nugget Falls for pictures.

 

For Skagway, we did the Chilkoot train/bus combo. It was the shorter train ride. It was interesting, but I was really glad we picked the short train ride. We had lunch at Skagway Brewery.

 

In Ketchikan, we flew with Seawind Aviation to Misty Fjord. We got to land and get out on dry land for photos. Then we flew back. Took the funicular up to Cape Fox Lodge for lunch. Walked the married man trail back down and did some shopping on Creek Street.

 

Our favorite tour was a whale watch at Icy Strait. If you like whales, you may want to check into a whale tour for Juneau. I did not realize Harv and Marv do not take children. I bet they would be able to refer you to a company that does. At that age, our son was not particularly wowed by the whales, but he was happy riding in the boat and had a great time. My husband and I were amazed with the whales.

 

Have fun planning! I agree with the others. Look at trip reports with photos and decide for yourselves what your not-to-be missed tours might be. Our photos from Alaska are in 2 photo books in the link below. We had such a good time and we are happy to be going back in 2015 and going to choose some different tours from last time. So much to see and do.

[angelmomma530]

Thanks everyone. Ive read SO msny trip reports on here and Disney DIS board. So many choices. Dog sled is for sure and maybe some gold panning.

 

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[karenbeanpole]

Sailing to Skagway, Juneau, Ketchican from Seattle. If you only could choose 1 excursion per port, what would you choose?

 

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We have just booked Seattle to the 3 ports mentioned, on Celebrity Solstice for May 2015. Just been reading up on the ports - so much choice!

 

It is our first Alaskan cruise and I was planning on just enjoying the sailing and the scenery. Not sure how much to do while in port - should we just walk around or would we miss out on the stuff that's out there to see? Some excursions look really pricey, especially the ones that involve flying!

 

Can anyone tell me if it's worth going to Yukon from Skagway....

I thought maybe just stay in Ketchikan and look around the town?

Maybe float plane in Juneau over glaciers...

 

could end up spending a lot of money... on the other hand, are we missing out by not doing anything?:o

[mapleleaves]

We have just booked Seattle to the 3 ports mentioned, on Celebrity Solstice for May 2015. Just been reading up on the ports - so much choice!

 

It is our first Alaskan cruise and I was planning on just enjoying the sailing and the scenery. Not sure how much to do while in port - should we just walk around or would we miss out on the stuff that's out there to see? Some excursions look really pricey, especially the ones that involve flying!

 

Can anyone tell me if it's worth going to Yukon from Skagway....

I thought maybe just stay in Ketchikan and look around the town?

Maybe float plane in Juneau over glaciers...

 

could end up spending a lot of money... on the other hand, are we missing out by not doing anything?:o

 

Only you can decide if 'it's worth it' or if 'you're 'missing out'. Totally depends on YOUR interests, priorities and budget. For some people a heli trip with dog sledding is a must-do experience whereas it holds no interest for me.

Maybe budget for ONE big activity; something that might be unique to Alaska and will provide a lasting memory of the trip.

 

There are many budget friendly options in each port.

In Skagway instead of taking the train, rent a car and drive to the Yukon and stop wherever you please. In May many people see black bears along the roadside munching on dandelions. Or just stay in town ... visit the Goldrush Museum to learn about the impact of the gold rush on Skagway, then walk a mile to the Goldrush Cemetary at the edge of town where some of the characters are buried. (then pick up the trail to Lower Reid Falls, 2 hrs RT)

http://skagway.com/

 

In Ketchikan you can take the town bus for a dollar to Totem Bight park and wander around the totem display and walk along the shore. The town has a very interesting history ... pick up free maps at the visitor centers for a self guided walking tour of the town and end up at Creek Street and the Married Mans trail. Or splurge on a flightseeing trip.

 

Juneau rent a car and drive to Mendenhall glacier, then drive out to the coast and see the Shrine of St Therese, Eagle Beach, and the end of the road ( there are less than 100 miles of road). Or splurge on a whale watching trip with a drop off at the glacier, or heli dog-sledding, or flightseeing.

 

In addition to looking at the Celebrity excursion list, look at some trip reports in the STICKY above. There are some detailed photo journals in that list that may help you with your decision.

Edited November 9, 2014 by mapleleaves

[karenbeanpole]

Thanks so much for your replies - ever so helpful! We have been on many cruises but never have we come across so much choice!!! Now to plough through the stuff and with your helpful hints, it will make our decisions easier.:)

[karenbeanpole]

BTW how did you do transfers in Seattle? We were wondering whether to book $12 each transfer or whether it will work out better by taxi? Need airport to hotel Maxwell in town, hotel to ship, then finally ship to airport.

[grammyprf]

Thanks for the pictures and review of your cruise! We are going August 7 2015 on the Solstice....We arrive in Victoria at 6:00PM. Is that ok for the Gardens and butterflies?:)

 

 

 

 

We did our first Alaskan cruise on Celebrity Solstice this past September. We have a full review of the ship and this amazing adventure on our blog.

 

 

 

We also have a complete photo gallery and detailed shore excursion reviews. We did an excursion at every port

 

We highly recommend doing a helicopter trip to the Mendenhall Glacier. We originally had one planned that included a dog sled, but due to the time of year, that portion of our trip was cancelled. You get some amazing photos while flying over the glacier.

 

 

 

In Seattle we did a few different things including the Space Needle, Chihuly Gardens, and EMP museum. While we did not buy the city pass, we should have, as for the same price you would have also gotten access to the Aquarium and a 45 minute harbor tour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a great trip! We can't wait to go back to Alaska in a few years.

 

 

 

[mapleleaves]

BTW how did you do transfers in Seattle? We were wondering whether to book $12 each transfer or whether it will work out better by taxi? Need airport to hotel Maxwell in town, hotel to ship, then finally ship to airport.

 

Seattle is a good 30 minute drive from the airport. A cab from the taxi line will cost about $45. Or reserve with http://www.eastsideforhire.com for about $35.

 

A cab from the hotel to either pier will be about $15-$20.

 

Seattle Express shuttle from either pier to Seatac is $12 (2014 price).

[annecolorgreen]

all very helpful info--thank you!!

[mapleleaves]

Thanks for the pictures and review of your cruise! We are going August 7 2015 on the Solstice....We arrive in Victoria at 6:00PM. Is that ok for the Gardens and butterflies?:)

 

You're visiting Victoria a month earlier than eatsleepcruise, so you will have a full hour more of daylight than they experienced in mid Sept. The sunrise/sunset calendar shows:

Sunset: 8:32pm

Twi: 9:06pm

 

http://www.sunrisesunset.com/calendar.asp

 

I'd skip the Butterfly exhibit and just concentrate on Butchart.

 

Another thought .... if you want to spend more time at the Gardens, disembark the ship in Victoria. You can stay for the fireworks display, overnight at a hotel then take Pacific Coach to Vancouver the next day.

Don't know if it fits the rest of your itinerary but it's an option.

Edited November 11, 2014 by mapleleaves

[grammyprf]

Thanks for the info...which means we have a few hours at the Butchart Gardens.....then maybe tour around the city...looking at Victoria London Taxi?.....home port Seattle so extra night is out for us.

 

 

 

You're visiting Victoria a month earlier than eatsleepcruise, so you will have a full hour more of daylight than they experienced in mid Sept. The sunrise/sunset calendar shows:

Sunset: 8:32pm

Twi: 9:06pm

 

http://www.sunrisesunset.com/calendar.asp

 

I'd skip the Butterfly exhibit and just concentrate on Butchart.

 

Another thought .... if you want to spend more time at the Gardens, disembark the ship in Victoria. You can stay for the fireworks display, overnight at a hotel then take Pacific Coach to Vancouver the next day.

Don't know if it fits the rest of your itinerary but it's an option.

[mapleleaves]

.....home port Seattle so extra night is out for us.

 

Actually that makes it easier. If it's something you're interested in .... take the Clipper from Victoria Harbor to the Seattle waterfront.

 

http://www.clippervacations.com/clipper-ferry/

[rcnut21]

In Ketchikan you really need to go salmon fishing, or take the Misty Fjords plan ride.

 

If you go fishing we used Oasis Alaska Charters, they did such a great job. Our friends took the Misty Fjords plan ride and they really enjoyed it, but the weather needs to be good or you can't see mush of anything.

 

Juneau it needs to be the Mendenhall Glacier.