Mount St Helens excursion

[RealDeal5]

I booked the Mount St Helens excursion for end of Sept. Has anyone done it? Thoughts?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Sequim88]

This is probably a pretty specific question for a cruise related site unless booked through the cruise line - in which case asking in a forum related to that line might get more responses. Most of the people using this forum are either locals helping others (in which case they don't need excursions) and cruisers departing from West Coast ports. You might get a lot more responses posting on TripAdvisor.com and being specific about the cruise line and tour operator in the question. A search there could also turn up reviews for the operator.

[RealDeal5]

Ok thank you. I've never used any of these sites and did not realize. I appreciate your advice.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[RealDeal5]

Oh and yes I booked through Royal Caribbean excursions.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[PNW Traveler]

We are locals and have a favorite camping spot near Mt. St. Helens, and enjoy the area. At the end of September you will have a good chance of cloudy weather and rain, obscuring views of the mountain. If viewing the mountain is not so important, then the drive through the forest and displays at the visitor center may be worth the price of the excursion. The blast zone is not as dramatic as it once was because the forest has regenerated and much of the downed timber has been removed. Spirit Lake still shows effects of the eruption. This excursion is a long bus ride, approx. 2 1/2 hours to get to the mountain.

It is still an amazing place to visit. I hope this information is useful.

[RealDeal5]

Thank you so much!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[robbie21]

Let me be more blunt - unless you have a special interest in Volcanos this excursion is probably not the best use of your time in our region in late September. To see Mt. St. Helens from Seattle you will spend 2 hours or so each way on interstate 5. The drive is not that interesting. After you turn off the highway it does get more scenic and the visitor centers are good. The main attraction, of course, is the view into the crater which is 50 miles from the highway. On a clear day the view from the Johnson Ridge Observatory is spectacular. On a cloudy day all you see is, well, cloud. At that altitude you are literally in the middle of a cloud. Odds for clouds and rain in late Sept is about 80%.

 

There are ample photos on the web to show you what you might see :D if you get lucky. Don't know what other options are on offer but, if I were you, I would take a hard look at them.

 

Enjoy whatever you choose,

 

Robbie

[martincath]

I'd be inclined to either book another excursion (as mentioned, you'll spend more than half of the time in transit on I5) or, if you really want to see it consider booking a rental car instead. I'd be stunned if you could not save serious coin compared to a cruiseline excursion going DIY, and it's impossible to get lost unless you enjoy driving with your eyes closed!

[robbie21]

Good idea! Renting a car gives you the option to do something else if the weather is awful. Also bound to be cheaper and gives you lots more flexibility.

 

Alternatives with a car (depending on time available) is to take the ferry to Bremerton and drive to Port Townsend, take another ferry from there to Whidbey Island, drive the length of the island and yet another ferry back to the mainland. This is pretty even if it is raining :) but is does take some time. There are other ferry options that are shorter trips. Look at Poulsbo. And, of course, you can simply stay in Seattle. You could also drive to Paradise on Mount Rainier. That would be a bit shorter drive but a chance of snow there in late Sept.

 

Suggest you search on this forum and on tripadvisor. There are a world of options.

[xlxo]

Is this the RCL excursion?

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?ProductCode=AO02

 

Thoughts....

• I love volcanos and seeing the blast zone where trees fell was a sobering sight.
  
• it's 90 minutes from Astoria to Castle Rock visitor center, but it's an hour further to Johnston Ridge Observatory. Does the tour reach Johnston Ridge?
  
• Yes, the 2.5 hour one way drive is a long winding road.
  

[RabbitB]

If you are coming from Astoria rather than Seattle I might say consider it since you won't be stuck on I-5 for two hours, and you will likely get to see some interesting scenery...unless you have been to the Pacific northwest before. End of September you have a 50/50 chance of rainy, overcast weather. If it's like that you won't see anything at Johnston Ridge. Can you book on the ship beforehand...like a day before...if the weather forecast is good? If so, then do it. Otherwise, I have better suggestions, depending on the port you are in...Seattle or Astoria. And don't assume the weather is the same in your port as it is at Mt. St. Helens. Either get their weather forecast, or Castle Rock's or Longview's weather if you can. They are the closest communities to the mountain, and the weather can be very different between either port and the mountain. I live in the same county as the volcano, and even I can have sunny weather when it's overcast at St. Helens!

Edited June 2, 2017 by RabbitB
Mistake

[martincath]

^Good point - OP did not specify which port the excursion is leaving from. I'd agree that the scenery would be nicer on the way from Astoria, so the transit part would be more pleasant but still a comparable length. Car rental might be a bit pricier with less competition than Seattle - and riskier if non-refundable, since Astoria is a port that seems to be skipped at least once or twice a season due to weather - but I'd still recommend it over a bus tour, whether you stuck to visiting the volcano, drove along the coast, hit Fort Clatsop etc. Astoria has plenty of attractions to kill a half-day without leaving town at all either.

[Splinter]

I visited there last summer when I was on a (non-cruise) vacation. Had a rental car and drove up there and back from the Portland area and then onto the Columbia Gorge in a very long day, but saw some very interesting and beautiful country. It would be a LONG drive on a bus with the disadvantage as well they you cannot stop when and where you want to take pictures, etc. as you can with a rental car. My $0.02 worth.

[RealDeal5]

I'm sorry I didn't say which port. The excursion leaves from Astoria. I am taking my Mom who will be 72. She wouldn't be comfortable w me renting a car I know. So whatever we do will have to be with a group from the cruise. I appreciate all the wonderful feedback!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Sequim88]

I haven't done the excursion but have done the drive. Hwy 30 is a very pretty rural drive and although it follows the river it is far enough away you can't see more than little glimpses here and there. Much of the drive to Longview is what I describe as a "green tunnel". Then there is a stretch of I-5 to Castle Rock. If you were in a car I would recommend Papa Pete's Pizza there by the freeway but that's for a different trip. The visitor center near Seaquest State Park is good and might double as a "comfort stop" - see if it is on the itinerary. Then the long twisty road to the National Monument Visitor Center. I can't recall if they require an admission there but if your Mom has a National Parks Sr. Access Pass it would work there. It's a very good visitor center for describing the events surrounding May 18, 1980. The drive is roughly 95 miles each way and some fairly slow so figure at least two hours "drive time" in addition to "visit time". Nothing wrong with a nap on the way back. ;)