Which Alaska port or excursion was your least favorite?

[CM1984]

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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We will be going to Sitka, I think for about 7-8 hours, what would you suggest we do while there? Just walk around or an excursion?

[Sallyandtex]

Very interesting comments, we are visiting in May and also have been trying to figure out what suits us.I suppose it depends on your character and likes and mobility.

I hate shopping, fake shows and being stuck on transport too long, but love nature so we steered clear of long tain trips and lumberjack show and the like.

[Keith1010]

Have had some I like better then others but in general glad I have tried them all.

 

Keith

[Coral]

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.

 

I felt like it was geared towards young children. As someone who really doesn't watch children's programming on TV, I wasn't entertained and couldn't wait for it to be over. If you have kids and are used to watching kids shows, it may appeal to you.

 

I have been to these ports multiple times so I took a chance on an excursion I have not been to. I won't do it again.

[JT1962]

We will be going to Sitka, I think for about 7-8 hours, what would you suggest we do while there? Just walk around or an excursion?

 

 

 

We went to Fortress of the Bear and enjoyed it. There was a shuttle that left from the visitor center. It dropped us off, we spent about 45 min there and caught the next shuttle back. They also stop at the Raptor Center on the way back. From there you can walk back to town through a park that has totem poles (this was the only day we had rain, so we did not do this).

 

After returning to town, we walked around town and saw the Bishop’s House, Russian Orthodox Church and other sites.

 

 

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[DarkJedi]

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.

 

Pretty much sums up the entire issue - know what you want and do your research. If the cruise ship doesn't offer something you want, look for alternatives. If you find a company but things don't mesh, see if they will do something special for you. If that doesn't work, rent a car and go see the non-tourist areas.

[Traveler1524]

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.

 

 

 

I’m also considering doing this. How long are you estimating the drive and what points of interest, besides the scenery and mountain, do you plan to visit? I’m always nervous about making it back to the ship on time.

 

 

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[JT1962]

I’m also considering doing this. How long are you estimating the drive and what points of interest, besides the scenery and mountain, do you plan to visit? I’m always nervous about making it back to the ship on time.

 

 

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Are you trying to do this while in port on a cruise or before / after your cruise? It is over 250 miles from Anchorage to Denali. Depending on traffic and road construction, it can be 4-6 hours each way.

 

 

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[Traveler1524]

Are you trying to do this while in port on a cruise or before / after your cruise? It is over 250 miles from Anchorage to Denali. Depending on traffic and road construction, it can be 4-6 hours each way.

 

 

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Okay, thank you.

 

 

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[cherryharley]

I’m also considering doing this. How long are you estimating the drive and what points of interest, besides the scenery and mountain, do you plan to visit? I’m always nervous about making it back to the ship on time.

 

 

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We are taking a full day to drive from Anchorage to Healy so we can stop anywhere along the way that catches our eye. We will spend 2 full days riding the shuttle bus into Denali and then take the better part of the fourth day driving back to Anchorage.