Which Alaska port or excursion was your least favorite?

[EngSet]

Hi-

 

Curious for those who have been on a cruise to Alaska, which port and/ or excursion was your least favorite and why?

 

Looking for info on the ports and/or excursions you would not elect to do again.

 

Thanks!

 

EngSet

[donaldsc]

My least favorite excursion in AK and in fact my least favorite excursion on any of the 15 - 20 cruises I have taken was the Alaska Railroad trip from Anchorage to Denali. This was where I discovered that I hated train travel and would never go on one again. I have kept that promise to myself except for taking the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide ever since. We took the Ghan instead of making the 3000 km drive because my wife told me that if I wanted to drive, she was going to fly and let me do it by myself. In hindsight, I should have taken her up on the offer.

 

Why do I hate trains - let me count the ways

 

1) I enjoy sightseeing and I want to be able to stop to enjoy the sights. The train passes interesting spots at whatever speed the railroad allows.

 

2) When you book a train trip, you have committed yourself to leaving at a specific time and disembarking from the train at the end of the trip. I want to be able to leave when I want to if the place I am at is more interesting than I thought. I also want to be able to stop where I want to if I find something interesting along the way. You can't do that non a train.

 

3) I like to be able to stop and take photographs allowing myself the time to properly compose the photograph. I often use a tripod to improve the quality of my photographs. You can't do that on a train. In fact, if you are not holding your camera in your hand when something interesting whizzes by, you will miss the opportunity to photograph it. Also, do you have any idea what the train window which probably has not been washed for weeks does to the quality of your photographs.

 

4) Often when we are traveling by car, we see something interesting or pass a sign for an interesting event, we end up in a place that we did not know existed. For example, that is the way on a trip in England we ended up at a fantastic steam tractor contest. We would never have seen the event if we were traveling by British Rail.

 

Basically, I want my freedom when I travel. When I took the Anchorage to Denali train trip, I almost felt as if I was in a moving jail.

 

DON

[SuperCrewBear]

I didn't care for Icy Strait Point (Hoonah) all that much. It was *okay* but if I had the choice I wouldn't stop there again. I thought Victoria was pretty dull too but the stop there is because they must to stay legal.

[lenquixote66]

My least favorite excursion in AK and in fact my least favorite excursion on any of the 15 - 20 cruises I have taken was the Alaska Railroad trip from Anchorage to Denali. This was where I discovered that I hated train travel and would never go on one again. I have kept that promise to myself except for taking the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide ever since. We took the Ghan instead of making the 3000 km drive because my wife told me that if I wanted to drive, she was going to fly and let me do it by myself. In hindsight, I should have taken her up on the offer.

 

Why do I hate trains - let me count the ways

 

1) I enjoy sightseeing and I want to be able to stop to enjoy the sights. The train passes interesting spots at whatever speed the railroad allows.

 

2) When you book a train trip, you have committed yourself to leaving at a specific time and disembarking from the train at the end of the trip. I want to be able to leave when I want to if the place I am at is more interesting than I thought. I also want to be able to stop where I want to if I find something interesting along the way. You can't do that non a train.

 

3) I like to be able to stop and take photographs allowing myself the time to properly compose the photograph. I often use a tripod to improve the quality of my photographs. You can't do that on a train. In fact, if you are not holding your camera in your hand when something interesting whizzes by, you will miss the opportunity to photograph it. Also, do you have any idea what the train window which probably has not been washed for weeks does to the quality of your photographs.

 

4) Often when we are traveling by car, we see something interesting or pass a sign for an interesting event, we end up in a place that we did not know existed. For example, that is the way on a trip in England we ended up at a fantastic steam tractor contest. We would never have seen the event if we were traveling by British Rail.

 

Basically, I want my freedom when I travel. When I took the Anchorage to Denali train trip, I almost felt as if I was in a moving jail.

 

DON

 

We thought the Alaska railroad was great .

 

The worst for us was Fairbanks.

[oaktreerb]

The Alaska railroad is a great way to transport people to and from Denali. The train from Denali to and from Fairbanks is boring. The train is more comfortable than the bus although some of the busses are very nice. If every group had their own car traffic would be horrible.

 

We went to Haines last year and I am not eager to go there again soon. Icy Strait is ok but not a destination that I would put at the top of my list.

[donaldsc]

We thought the Alaska railroad was great .

 

The worst for us was Fairbanks.

 

I loved Fairbanks and have been there 3 or 4 times. It has a wonderful car museum which I have been to twice, the Univ. of Alaska Museum and is the jumping off spot for the Dalton Highway. If you are there in February - March, there is the Ice Carving Festival. If it is still there, there is also a great blues bar.

 

I guess that the "different strokes for different folks" axiom applies.

 

DON

[Coral]

I love the train from Anchorage to Seward - very scenic.

 

Ketchikan is one of my least favorite ports. It is very scenic in the beginning but I have not been happy with my excursions I have done there (and I have done plenty). The two least favorite is the Lumberjack show and the Duck show. Lighthouses, totem poles and eagles tour is also uneventful (boat ride).

[JT1962]

I have been to the most common Alaskan cruise ports with the exception of Homer, Kodiak, Prince Rupert and Victoria. I can honestly say that I enjoyed all of them and would happily return to any of them. The scenery is beautiful in Alaska and, with a little research, there there is something of interest to be found in every port.

 

While many will probably mention Sitka, Icy Strait Point and Haines as being boring, we found them very interesting. There is less commercialization and and a more authentic feel.

 

 

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[kennicott]

The O.P. asked for opinion on "Excursions" and "Ports". I would agree that to rent a car opens opportunity for visiting some of the best in Alaska, though not all, however, considering cruise line offered "shore excursions" or even independent visits by auto, my opinion is that the least desirable is the Worthington Glacier near Thompson Pass--close to Valdez. A close second would be the Exit Glacier near Seward. These two probably enjoy popularity since they are so close to those communities and easy to access. If you like them, wait until you see a real glacier in calving action. As far as the best in Alaska, scenic and otherwise, its a train ride, by far. My vote goes to the White Pass Yukon Railroad, excursion(s). Built by "Iron Mike Heney"--"Give me enough snoose and dynamite and I'll build a railroad to hell." in 1898.

[Budget Queen]

I happen to enjoy Alaska, and don't have any area that I won't repeat. Frankly, what I do find with the "won't go again, boring" mentions is that they didn't EXPERIENCE it. Some will simply, walk off the ship, down a few blocks and say "enough" and make those comments.

 

 

the above mentions of Hoonah and Fairbanks- I'd want more information on what they did? How much did they invest in "touring"? Were options well researched, did they know about multiple, various opportunities?

 

It's an advantage to know what you want out of your trip and what touring you want to include.

[Keith1010]

I have sailed Alaska numerous times and love it all.

 

I can't think of any port I would not return to.

 

They all are great but you have to do the homework ahead of time.

 

Also weather can change things up so visiting different times of the year and experiencing different weather makes each visit unique.

 

Yes some excursions might have been more interesting then others but as they say you never know until you do them and what I might like someone else might not like as much and the reverse is true.

 

Keith

[donaldsc]

I loved Fairbanks and have been there 3 or 4 times. It has a wonderful car museum which I have been to twice, the Univ. of Alaska Museum and is the jumping off spot for the Dalton Highway. If you are there in February - March, there is the Ice Carving Festival. If it is still there, there is also a great blues bar.

 

I guess that the "different strokes for different folks" axiom applies.

 

DON

 

http://www.howlingdogsaloonak.com/

 

DON

[poolwife]

Personal opinion only - Neither my husband or I enjoyed the "Bear Watching" excursion out of Icy Strait point. Too much driving over bumpy roads looking and looking for the bears and only saw one in the distance. I know they are wild and they do their own thing. Wasn't any better than seeing the bears in the Wildlife Refuge Center out of Anchorage.

 

Just wasn't our thing...

Edited January 2, 2018 by poolwife
misspelled a word

[EngSet]

Thank you all for your replies-they are greatly appreciated. My apology that it took so long to respond- life just got a bit hectic since I posted my question.

 

I am big on researching our vacations and really enjoy learning about what others did, and did not, enjoy.

 

When asking others which places or activities they would skip the 2nd time around, I often learn facts I might have missed otherwise.

 

Again, many thanks. :)

[tkself]

My least favorite excursion in AK and in fact my least favorite excursion on any of the 15 - 20 cruises I have taken was the Alaska Railroad trip from Anchorage to Denali. This was where I discovered that I hated train travel and would never go on one again. I have kept that promise to myself except for taking the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide ever since. We took the Ghan instead of making the 3000 km drive because my wife told me that if I wanted to drive, she was going to fly and let me do it by myself. In hindsight, I should have taken her up on the offer.

 

Why do I hate trains - let me count the ways

 

1) I enjoy sightseeing and I want to be able to stop to enjoy the sights. The train passes interesting spots at whatever speed the railroad allows.

 

2) When you book a train trip, you have committed yourself to leaving at a specific time and disembarking from the train at the end of the trip. I want to be able to leave when I want to if the place I am at is more interesting than I thought. I also want to be able to stop where I want to if I find something interesting along the way. You can't do that non a train.

 

3) I like to be able to stop and take photographs allowing myself the time to properly compose the photograph. I often use a tripod to improve the quality of my photographs. You can't do that on a train. In fact, if you are not holding your camera in your hand when something interesting whizzes by, you will miss the opportunity to photograph it. Also, do you have any idea what the train window which probably has not been washed for weeks does to the quality of your photographs.

 

4) Often when we are traveling by car, we see something interesting or pass a sign for an interesting event, we end up in a place that we did not know existed. For example, that is the way on a trip in England we ended up at a fantastic steam tractor contest. We would never have seen the event if we were traveling by British Rail.

 

Basically, I want my freedom when I travel. When I took the Anchorage to Denali train trip, I almost felt as if I was in uncomfortable and

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Just jumping on here to learn more! Alaska excursions are expensive, so I want to choose wisely and/or plan my own days in port.

[vacationlover_mn]

Following :). Want to make sure I didn’t pick a bad excursion for our June trip on Radiance!

 

 

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[donaldsc]

Following :). Want to make sure I didn’t pick a bad excursion for our June trip on Radiance!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

There are no or at least almost no bad excursions on any cruise ship - there are just bad excursions for you.

 

DON

[cherryharley]

Hi-

 

Curious for those who have been on a cruise to Alaska, which port and/ or excursion was your least favorite and why?

 

Looking for info on the ports and/or excursions you would not elect to do again.

 

Thanks!

 

EngSet

 

Thank you for this! What a great way to find out what others would skip.

[cherryharley]

My least favorite excursion in AK and in fact my least favorite excursion on any of the 15 - 20 cruises I have taken was the Alaska Railroad trip from Anchorage to Denali. This was where I discovered that I hated train travel and would never go on one again. I have kept that promise to myself except for taking the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide ever since. We took the Ghan instead of making the 3000 km drive because my wife told me that if I wanted to drive, she was going to fly and let me do it by myself. In hindsight, I should have taken her up on the offer.

 

Why do I hate trains - let me count the ways

 

1) I enjoy sightseeing and I want to be able to stop to enjoy the sights. The train passes interesting spots at whatever speed the railroad allows.

 

2) When you book a train trip, you have committed yourself to leaving at a specific time and disembarking from the train at the end of the trip. I want to be able to leave when I want to if the place I am at is more interesting than I thought. I also want to be able to stop where I want to if I find something interesting along the way. You can't do that non a train.

 

3) I like to be able to stop and take photographs allowing myself the time to properly compose the photograph. I often use a tripod to improve the quality of my photographs. You can't do that on a train. In fact, if you are not holding your camera in your hand when something interesting whizzes by, you will miss the opportunity to photograph it. Also, do you have any idea what the train window which probably has not been washed for weeks does to the quality of your photographs.

 

4) Often when we are traveling by car, we see something interesting or pass a sign for an interesting event, we end up in a place that we did not know existed. For example, that is the way on a trip in England we ended up at a fantastic steam tractor contest. We would never have seen the event if we were traveling by British Rail.

 

Basically, I want my freedom when I travel. When I took the Anchorage to Denali train trip, I almost felt as if I was in a moving jail.

 

DON

 

We are renting a car in Anchorage and driving to Denali and back (for the same reasons you state). Thank you for affirming that we made the right decision.

[donaldsc]

We are renting a car in Anchorage and driving to Denali and back (for the same reasons you state). Thank you for affirming that we made the right decision.

 

You made the right decision.

 

DON

[PictureNana]

I love the train from Anchorage to Seward - very scenic.

 

Ketchikan is one of my least favorite ports. It is very scenic in the beginning but I have not been happy with my excursions I have done there (and I have done plenty). The two least favorite is the Lumberjack show and the Duck show. Lighthouses, totem poles and eagles tour is also uneventful (boat ride).

 

 

We have the lumberjack show booked for our trip in July. Looks fun and gets great reviews. What didn't you like about it? I hear it can be a little cheesy, but the guys can do some pretty cool stuff. Just curious what your problem was with it. Thanks.

[gambit57]

I did some bus trip out to the Yukon? I remember stopping at the border of Alaska and Canada and taking pics of the sign. It was boring. There's really nothing to see out there. Any animals were waaaayyy in the distance and the scenery was really blah for being in the mountains. Walked on snow but it was kinda dirty so not very pretty.

[gambit57]

We have the lumberjack show booked for our trip in July. Looks fun and gets great reviews. What didn't you like about it? I hear it can be a little cheesy, but the guys can do some pretty cool stuff. Just curious what your problem was with it. Thanks.

 

I didn't like it. I like watching those lumberjack competitions on TV. The show felt like an extremely short and not exciting version of those shows. Wasn't really a competition. Felt like a couple of friends goaded into competing against each other by family. Very casual.

[peety3]

We universally found the Haines Wilderness River Adventure (SGY-700 on Princess) our least favorite. It felt like "planes, trains, automobiles" to get there (walk off the ship, find the guy with the SGY-700 clipboard, check in and get a wristband, stand around waiting. Get on board a ferry for 45 minutes to Haines. Get on board a school bus for 20-minute ride to excursion site. When done, get on the bus, 20-minute ride to ferry terminal, ferry 45 minutes back to Haines.), and the tour itself was spent almost jammed four-abreast into a relatively small boat where the only thing you could do was stay seated and look around, all while a boat captain who was way too proud of his captainly skills was telling us how hard it was to drive the boat that day and why he couldn't give us a view of the eagle, or the moose, or whatever. We got back to base a few minutes late, so we had to hurriedly inhale our free lunch lest we miss the bus and therefore the ferry and be stuck in Haines for days if not weeks.