Alaska Questions

[niborHS]

I know there is a Ports of Call board, but I am not getting the information I want from that. We have a credit that we will use towards excursions because our beverage package and internet is included. We will be in Icy Straight Point, Juneau and Ketchican. I don't want something that has a helicopter ride, zip-lining, or kayaking, and not a strenuous 3 hour hike. Any thoughts on what would be good. I did get recommendations for outside tour companies, however some I checked are already booked. 

    Also, we've been on many cruises, so if you have rented a car in any of these ports, and have found it easy to navigate around, that could work for us too. Also, if you have found drivers who will take you around once you get off the ship, any advice on that would be great too. It's just me and my husband travelling, so we won't be with a large group. 

[Cruise Raider]

It's super easy to find a small van to take you around to the sites in Juneau.  There will be stands set up where you can purchase such a tour.  We were with a group of four once and book the entire van and were taken to out of the way places.  There is something about going into the visitor's center at the Mendenhall Glacier, though.  Not sure if it's an extra charge or if private vehicles aren't allowed or what the deal is.  We'd been there before so we went to view it from a different angle, so all worked out well for us.  

Icy Strait Point is the place where you will have your best chance of seeing whales, even grizzlies, if that is of interest to you.  There is also a small area of forest with hiking trails (easy) and you can make it through in less than a half an hour.  It is right off the dock and not strenuous in the very least.  They also have a rather unique museum area right there at the port ... free to all visitors.  Ketchikan is pretty small and easily navigated by foot and the ship docks pretty much right there in town.  There is the Lumberjack show which might seem a bit hoaky but it is truly fun for all.  It is within walking distance of where the ship docks.  Even if you purchase the tour on the ship, they walk you over there so save yourself a few bucks and just buy the ticket there in town.  There is also the gondola that takes you to the top of the hill (there is a hotel and a small totem pole display at the top) for some beautiful sites.  You can hike up there along Married Man's Trail but it has many steep and sometimes slippery stairs to get there and back.  It is not for those that have mobility challenges but a 15-20 min hike at best.  You start out at the river and can also view the fish on the ladder at certain times of the year.  We are actually going to head out to the fish hatchery next time there by just following the signs once you pass the fish ladder.  The Creek Street boardwalk is the home to many shops and restaurants as well as Dolly's Place.  They have a rather interesting tour there ... again, some may find it hoaky ... we thought it was worth the small fee and the tour is less than an hour.  A little piece of history.  

If you like craft beer, both Juneau and Icy Strait Point have breweries in town.  The one at Icy Strait Point (and there may be more than one) is on the road to Hoonah.  We walked down there and even though it was a bit of a walk, the scenery was stunning.  There is a bus that takes you into town and it is probably closer to hit it from that end.  

The one in Juneau is set up with a tour and we found that well worth our while.  Just go to the Alaskan Brewing Company store right across from the Red Dog Saloon in town and sign up for a tour at the front desk.  It is not expensive and includes a ride to the brewery, the tour and a tasting of 6 different beers.  You will meet up with locals that go there for a cold one ... take honey mustard preztels to share and you will be the hit of the party.  They have some really interesting beers to try.  

We've gone to Alaska many times and having done many of the ship's organized tours, these are the things we like to do now ... usually just do our own touring.  If it is a one and done for you, my recommendations in summary are to do the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, the fish hatchery and Red Dog Saloon.  In Ketchikan, I like Creek Street, up Married Man's Trail, the fish ladder and the Lumberjack show.  In Icy Strait Point, whale watching and bear watching tours ... they are pricey but well worth every penny.  And, follow up with the museums and easy hike in the wooded area.  

[mhbtravel]

If you are stopping in Skagway, I would recommend renting a car and driving to the Yukon Territory and back.  Good road and beautiful scenery.  We rented from Avis in advance.

 

[alcpa1]

Ditto what others have said.

Just be aware since you did not post your cruise date, car rentals are not always available at the very beginning and end of the cruise season.

If you head to Carcross, or anywhere else in Canada you do need to take your passport.

[quack2]

If you rent a car in Juneau, I would recommend a visit to the National Shrine of St. Therese.  The highway ends not too far north of the Shrine and is a nice drive.  I might throw in a visit to the ruins of the Treadwell gold mine on Douglas Island as well. 

 

Whatever you do, minimize your time in downtown. 

 

Edited March 25, 2019 by quack2

[niborHS]

Thanks for the great advice. We are boarding the ship in Vancouver. I presume they are the same as other countries, the passport has to be good for 6 months after your stay, so I have to renew mine. We will be in Icy Staight Point, Juneau, Ketchikan and Hubbard Glacier. They say cruising that, but do people get off the ship there for excursions? I know that sounds like a stupid question. We will probably only do Alaska this once. My husband never wanted to do it at all, but the offer from Molly Dooker Wines came up and he decided to take it. We are not beer people, so the brewery isn't particularly appealing. I will look into the Icy Straight Point excursion perhaps to view wildlife. Any more suggestions, keep them coming.

[Northern Aurora]

Just a few random comments:

 

You're  do not get off of the ship at Hubbard Glacier.  Hubbard is located at the top af a long bay and is an incredibly large tidewater glacier.  The ship will slowly approach as close as possible (there will be ice in the bay), and then do a full rotation.  The ship's naturalist will provide narration.  

 

I have been to ISP/Hoonah several times, and am not aware of any car rental agencies.  You may be able to rent a vehicle from a garage/service station.  ISP is known for whale watching.

 

In Juneau there is a tramway to the top of Mt. Roberts.  In addition to a restaurant there are walking trails at the top.  There is no need to purchase a ticket in advance -- if the weather is good and you choose to take the tram just purchase when you are there.  In Juneau you will also find our state museum in Juneau.

 

Ketchikan is known for its totem poles.  The Totem Heritage Center houses a collection of old totems inside a building.  It is also easy to navigate the town's bus system to visit Saxman or Totem Bight parks (they have totem collections).

[fleckle]

7 hours ago, Robinsilver said:

........ We will probably only do Alaska this once....

 

That was what we thought too, before our first Alaska cruise.

We just keep going back, again and again.

 

For Juneau, if you plan out what you want to see and do, a rental car is your best bet for efficiently utilizing your time there.

You can hit all the sites you want to see at your own pace (such as Mendenhall Glacier), and even include a whale watching tour, without wasting time backtracking or waiting around to be picked up from each location.

 

For those on a budget who want to see totem poles in Ketchikan,   for $1 you can catch the city bus up to Potlatch Park and Totem Bight,  which have free admission (or at least the admission to both totem pole parks was still free the last time we were up there).

They are right next door to each other, only steps apart.

 

   Native American Totem Poles at Totem Bight State Historical Park

 

  Native American Totem Poles at Potlatch Park in Ketchikan Alaska

 

Then you can hit the Ketchikan Walmart stop on the bus ride back, and when you are ready to leave, catch the free Walmart shuttle back to your ship, along with all the ship's crew members who shop there.

 

[Cruise Raider]

39 minutes ago, fleckle said:

 

That was what we thought too, before our first Alaska cruise.

We just keep going back, again and again.

 

For Juneau, if you plan out what you want to see and do, a rental car is your best bet for efficiently utilizing your time there.

You can hit all the sites you want to see at your own pace (such as Mendenhall Glacier), and even include a whale watching tour, without wasting time backtracking or waiting around to be picked up from each location.

 

For those on a budget who want to see totem poles in Ketchikan,   for $1 you can catch the city bus up to Potlatch Park and Totem Bight,  which have free admission (or at least the admission to both totem pole parks was still free the last time we were up there).

They are right next door to each other, only steps apart.

 

   Native American Totem Poles at Totem Bight State Historical Park

 

  Native American Totem Poles at Potlatch Park in Ketchikan Alaska

 

 

Yes, I agree with any Totem Pole tour ...one with explanation on what they mean.  

And also yes to the claims it will be a one and done.  My DH didn't want to book Alaska either .. was more interested in warm weather sailings.  Well, we just completed our 12th cruise up in the great white north and it isn't our last time there!  It's our absolute favorite itinerary and now we plan it for at least once every other year.  

Not sure where the OP is from, but Alaska is easy for us being in one of the embarkation ports that offers Alaska ... they make it too easy and the scenery keeps us going back and again and again.  

BTW, there are sailings where we never put a jacket on once but used an entire tube of sunblock.  Our last sailing up there (we usually go the first week in Sept), we wore shorts and tshirts more of the days than we didn't.  It was in the mid seventies ... ahhhhh... fabulous!!  

 

[popcan]

22 hours ago, mhbtravel said:

If you are stopping in Skagway, I would recommend renting a car and driving to the Yukon Territory and back.  Good road and beautiful scenery.  We rented from Avis in advance.

 

 

 

Ditto this... we reserved a car and drove as far as Carcross.  Probably could have made it to Whitehorse no problem, but I chickened out because I wanted to make sure we made it back to the ship in plenty of time.  Fantastic scenery and some wildlife along the way.

[TLCOhio]

22 hours ago, mhbtravel said:

If you are stopping in Skagway, I would recommend renting a car and driving to the Yukon Territory and back.  Good road and beautiful scenery.  We rented from Avis in advance.

 

Appreciate ALL of these great tips, ideas, comments and follow-up related to the key ports mentioned in Alaska.  Very helpful!!    Planning on renting a car and driving to the Yukon Territory.  Sounds like fun.  In July, for our first time, we will be seeing Jasper/Banff, doing the Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, having three days in Vancouver, then sailing up to Alaska, doing a post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc.  Will check back on this thread for other secrets and potentials to consider. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

For the latest live/blog, see “the Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East.  Check it at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

[mek]

What ever you do, do not prebook anything in Juneau.  There is an abundance of kiosks selling all tours and excursions right on the dock, generally at a much better price than anything you would book in advance or through the cruise line.  Last time we were there we hit the jackpot with a whale watching excursion.  I love to have lunch at the Twisted Fish and king crab at Tracy's.

[jkgourmet]

Are you going to Skagway?  https://alaskashoreexcursions.com/skagway/white-pass-railroad-summit-excursion-tour

[kathynorth]

On 3/24/2019 at 8:40 PM, Robinsilver said:

I know there is a Ports of Call board, but I am not getting the information I want from that. We have a credit that we will use towards excursions because our beverage package and internet is included. We will be in Icy Straight Point, Juneau and Ketchican. I don't want something that has a helicopter ride, zip-lining, or kayaking, and not a strenuous 3 hour hike. Any thoughts on what would be good. I did get recommendations for outside tour companies, however some I checked are already booked. 

    Also, we've been on many cruises, so if you have rented a car in any of these ports, and have found it easy to navigate around, that could work for us too. Also, if you have found drivers who will take you around once you get off the ship, any advice on that would be great too. It's just me and my husband travelling, so we won't be with a large group. 

 

Your post suggests that you have OBC. Is this correct? Any Celebrity issued OBC needs to be spent either onboard or on a Celebrity sponsored excursion or you will lose whatever is remaining on the last day of your cruise. If the OBC is from your TA then you will get whatever is left over as a credit on your credit card.

 

The itinerary for your Alaskan cruise is one of my favorites of all our cruises. We found Alaska to be very easy to negotiate. We booked all of our excursions independently, but the ship offers pretty much the same types of tours at a slightly higher rate. The benefit to the private excursions is they tend to be a smaller group and longer tour. Although we didn't rent a car, we met lots of fellow cruisers who rented cars and said they had a nice time due to personal flexibility. 

 

If you decide to do any sort of bear watching tour, be sure the salmon are running in the area you are visiting. If there's no salmon then there is way less of a chance to see bears. These excursions tend to be very expensive, so a big disappointment if you don't see any bears.

 

Ketchikan- I highly recommend the Bering Sea Fisherman's Tour. It was lots of fun, low impact, you see tons of bald eagles. If you book on your own it's about 1 mile walk to the pier or a short cab ride.  We had enough time to do this, then took a cab to the totem park, then walked around the shops.

 

Juneau- Consider booking a whale watch and Mendenhall combo tour.  You can book this through the cruiseline, via the internet or wait until you arrive in port and book with one of the many vendors who greet you as you disembark. 

 

Skagway- an interesting town. We took a bus up to the White Pass summit, then train back down so we'd have  more time in Skagway. Beautiful scenery and hard to imagine the miners climbing with heavy packs!

 

Icy Strait Point- I highly recommend trying to book a private whale watch on a small boat that will bring you to Point Adolphus. PA is the feeding grounds for the humpbacks. When we visited here we saw dozens of very active whales and calves. It was a unique experience. 

 

 

[niborHS]

Thanks again. We are coming from NY, so it's not like we are close by to hop on more Alaska cruises. My husband knows a lawyer from Juneau, so we can get advice from them about that area. Our OBC is through Celebrity, so we might book something, and I have heard that the Crab Fisherman excursion was a good one. The biggest problem that I can see with Icy Straight Point is that our time there is something live arriving at 3:30 and departing at 10:00, so some of the longer excursions booked privately could be a problem. If you book through the cruise line, they wait for you. However, the idea of being on a large bus as part of a tour group is not particularly appealing.

     For anyone who noticed what I mentioned about my Passport, according to Celebrity, Canada does not look at it the same way, as long as my Passport is valid I am OK.

[waterbug123]

18 hours ago, Robinsilver said:

 The biggest problem that I can see with Icy Straight Point is that our time there is something live arriving at 3:30 and departing at 10:00, so some of the longer excursions booked privately could be a problem. If you book through the cruise line, they wait for you. However, the idea of being on a large bus as part of a tour group is not particularly appealing.

    

 

Icy Strait Point is different from Juneau and Ketchikan.  The dock where the ship will be is just a tiny little area developed by the cruiselines.  You can walk or take a shuttle to the nearby village of Hoonah but it is really small as well.  Point being, you aren't going to find the portside vendors hawking assorted excursions on the dock the way you do in some of the other ports.  Mostly what's available will be available through the cruise line, so you don't have to worry about the length of tours.

[Guindalf]

We are on this cruise on August 25th.

 

We plan to do a whale watching tour at ISP and have nothing planned for Juneau yet. In Ketchican, we are signed up for the King Crab fishing tour (we're Deadliest Catch fans!). If you keep an eye on the price, it seems to be varying. The 'full' price from the tour website is $199, but I caught it the other day at $151.20!

 

Ketchican is small and if we weren't doing this, we would sign up for the lumberjack show which, we've been informed is highly entertaining. We have a total of $725 in OBC and already have gratuities, wifi and premium drinks package included. We'll use some of it on a dining package.

 

Surprisingly, I'm finding better prices booking through the ship that going direct. The tour above is a good example, as is a whale watching tour in ISP, which is $219 direct, but $184 through X!

 

This will be our second Alaska cruise, the first being 10 years ago.

[kathynorth]

37 minutes ago, Guindalf said:

We are on this cruise on August 25th.

 

We plan to do a whale watching tour at ISP and have nothing planned for Juneau yet. In Ketchican, we are signed up for the King Crab fishing tour (we're Deadliest Catch fans!). If you keep an eye on the price, it seems to be varying. The 'full' price from the tour website is $199, but I caught it the other day at $151.20!

 

Ketchican is small and if we weren't doing this, we would sign up for the lumberjack show which, we've been informed is highly entertaining. We have a total of $725 in OBC and already have gratuities, wifi and premium drinks package included. We'll use some of it on a dining package.

 

Surprisingly, I'm finding better prices booking through the ship that going direct. The tour above is a good example, as is a whale watching tour in ISP, which is $219 direct, but $184 through X!

 

This will be our second Alaska cruise, the first being 10 years ago.

 

The difference in the whale watch tour prices, ship vs private, are likely due to the length of time viewing whales, as well as # of people on the boat the tour uses. The ship tour will likely have lots more people for a shorter amount of time. 

[Guindalf]

No, it is exactly the same tour as advertised on the tour provider's website in both cases quoted above.

 

I do, however, agree that it's something to check before you book!