Getting off the ship in Icy Strait

[h2dcruise]

How difficult is it to be on an early tender out in Icy Strait?

 

Our ship arrives at 7am and we have a whale watching excursion (booked directly) with an 8am pickup. I don't want to have to fight through a big crowd to be on the first tender runs... And isn't there a mile long walk from Icy Strait to the parking lot where they typically pick you up from?

[Italy52]

Which ship are you on? Who is your tour with?

[h2dcruise]

We are on the Millennium. I don't know who the tour is with... I didn't make the reservation; I just know it is at 8am.

[Italy52]

We are on the Millennium. I don't know who the tour is with... I didn't make the reservation; I just know it is at 8am.

 

When the tour is a ship sponsored one you will usually be given a meeting time and place to gather for your tour and you will proceed down to the tender in a group. If you booked independently, I would suggest finding out what deck the tender will depart from and then make your way down to the general area so you can hear the announcement about tender boarding and get on one of the first tenders out.

 

The walk through the parking lot to the independent vendors is very simple and quick --- didn't seem like a mile to me. :)

[Northern Aurora]

The tender rlde from ship to dock is very brief. Double check with your vendor, but I have seen private vendors picking up clients from the lot just outside the ISP complex. The walk from the ISP complex to Hoonah is about a mile.

[April7901]

Having just done this on the NCL Pearl - it was a breeze. They identified 6:30 AM as the time to line up to pick up tender tickets (this was if you weren't on an NCL-sponsored excursion OR in a suite/higher with priority). Make sure you're up and in line, and you should be just fine. The tender trip took all of about five minutes.

 

My private tour picked me up in a small parking lot just outside the main complex - less than a five minute walk from the tender dock.