Ketchikan Wilderness Exploration Cruise and Crab Feast

[blazerjan]

Would love to hear from anyone who has done this excursion. We are considering this on our upcoming cruise. Would appreciate any other suggestions for something to do during our Ketchikan stop. We are not into outdoor sports or strenuous adventures. Thanks!!!

[mapleleaves]

If you don't get many responses, use SEARCH THIS FORUM above. Do the search on 'crab feast" and it will bring up all past threads with those words.

 

Or look thru trip reports and you'll find this photojournal which includes the crab feast:

http://lclavette1.blogspot.com/search/label/KETCHIKAN

 

Other suggestions will depend on how long you are in port. Do a self guided tour and visit Creek Street , or take the public bus to Totem Bight to see the totem displays and beautiful waterfront setting, or visit the Discovery Center, or do a taxi tour. Check out the info on this web site:

http://www.experienceketchikan.com/alaska-tours.html

[world_traveler_et]

Would love to hear from anyone who has done this excursion. We are considering this on our upcoming cruise. Would appreciate any other suggestions for something to do during our Ketchikan stop. We are not into outdoor sports or strenuous adventures. Thanks!!!

 

Blazerjan,

I did the Wilderness exploration and crab feast last year during the month of July last year. This was the only excursion I booked through Princess. The rest of my excursions were booked privately. I have been to Alaska twice once on the Coral Princess in 2013 and once on the Star Princess in 2015.

 

Some tours go on the boat ride first and some start by eating first.

 

When you arrive at the George Inlet Lodge their is a long wooden staircase to descend. Don't worry if you don't want to walk down (or up the stairs) they have a van that will take you down a very steep drive to the base of the lodge.

 

We enjoyed the excursion. I would say that the highlight of the tour is the crab feast. It includes one drink(pop, beer or wine), a salad, potato, all you can eat Dungeness crab(for a certain time period) and slice of blue berry cheesecake. Don't worry if you have never eaten crab before--the wait staff will show you how to eat the dungeness crab. As you are eating there is a crab shell stacking contest to see which table has the largest stack.

 

The boat tour goes around a scenic area of the George Inlet. The scenery was nice. The guide will also educate you on the Dungeness crab. One lucky person will get to pull up a crab pot. If you want there will be an opportunity for you to take a picture with your camera of someone in your party holding up the crab.

 

We enjoyed the tour. The day that we were in Ketchikan it was pouring rain. We wore our waterproof jackets with hoods and even our rain paints. Never needed the rain gear for our 2013 trip to Alaska but we are glad we had it packed and it came in handy and kept us dry for getting to the bus and walking around town.

 

The boat is fully enclosed so once you are on the boat and inside you won't be exposed to the elements. The boat does have large windows for you to look outside.

 

There was still time to walk around the port after the tour.

 

Make sure you have back up plans for any of your tours in case of rain cancellations. Have back up plans set up before you leave for your trip.

 

You asked for other suggestions. I am not sure I would consider this strenuous or not but we enjoyed doing a float plane ride to the Misty Fjords in 2013. We booked this independently through Island Wings. If of interest you can put Island Wings in the search field and read what others had to say about the tour. We were able to fly around the Misty Fjords and see some beautiful scenery from the air. Our pilot landed the plane in a lake. The plane floated to a shoreline and we were able to get out and walk along the shore and take pictures. After the tour we were still able to walk around the town of Ketchikan.

 

If you go to the top of the Alaska message board and look at the red "stickies" there are some really good reviews with pictures from the various years. I used the reviews with pictures to help narrow down what I though would be of interest to me.

 

You can also go to tripadvisor (sister site to cruise critic) and enter George Inlet lodge or the Wilderness exploration and crab feast. You can read about the reviews and look at the pictures that people submitted.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to do both excursions again if in Ketchikan.

 

Have fun sailing on the Star Princess and enjoy your cruise to Alaska!

[Alaskanb]

We will be doing this same excursion and really looking forward to it.

[blazerjan]

A great big THANK YOU to World Traveler ET and Maple Leaves for the responses. So much good information.

[Crew News]

I have taken this excursion several times, both via boat and plane. A few tips:

 

• Don't fill up on the provided appetizers but rather save room for "all you can eat crab".
  
• I was told that the record was 12 crab halves in the allocated one hour of gluttony. I could manage only 5.
  
• Don't be afraid to create a mess. I watched a very proper couple consume only one half-crab.
  
• Don't wait until you finish to ask for another serving. The short delay will reduce the amount of crab you are able to consume.
  
• This is a "feast" and not "dining".
  

While waiting on the dock for the boat to arrive for the exploration phase, a small black bear cub appeared at the edge of the trees much to the delight of all.

 

 

My photographs of steps and a stack:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More images for the Crab Feast to include the plane version:

 

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/place/alaska-2/ketchikan/ketchikan-crab-feasting/

[Alaskanb]

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g31030-d3206695-Reviews-George_Inlet_Crab_Feast-Ketchikan_Alaska.html