Alaska cruises & Skagway (?)

[Shippy]

  Going on an Alaska cruise the end of May. We love Skagway but have heard about that port being cancelled on other cruises.

Continuing problems with rock slides...

We have made our final payment & checked on the internet & it still shows as a stop.

 Any guesses if we will go there ? when do you think they will let us know ?

thanks

[Sea Hag]

17 minutes ago, Shippy said:

  Going on an Alaska cruise the end of May. We love Skagway but have heard about that port being cancelled on other cruises.

Continuing problems with rock slides...

We have made our final payment & checked on the internet & it still shows as a stop.

 Any guesses if we will go there ? when do you think they will let us know ?

thanks

Hard to say. Skagway is on our schedule for September of this year, but I wouldn't be too surprised if they sub in Icy Straight Point for it. That's what they did on our August sailing last year, and we really liked Icy Straight Point. I'd be happy to go back there again.

[Guest ldtr]

Depending upon what exactly is going on.  The city has indicated that both RRF and RRA docks will be in service this year (though the ship at RRF will offload via tender, even while parked at the dock).  A decision to cancel or change the itinerary could happen as late as a day or so before the stop.  Last year some got notice some did not.

[auger69]

58 minutes ago, Shippy said:

  Going on an Alaska cruise the end of May. We love Skagway but have heard about that port being cancelled on other cruises.

Continuing problems with rock slides...

We have made our final payment & checked on the internet & it still shows as a stop.

 Any guesses if we will go there ? when do you think they will let us know ?

thanks

Saw this a week ago Alaska Port Rockslide Work to Be Done by Cruise Season (cruisehive.com)

[Cabunit]

Of possible interest:

 

https://skagwaynews.com/2023/02/10/landslide-mitigation-tests-anticipated-by-april/

[CLM0928]

I sure hope its ready for our August trip.  We are really looking forward to the train excursion!

 

 

 

[memoak]

18 minutes ago, CLM0928 said:

I sure hope its ready for our August trip.  We are really looking forward to the train excursion!

 

 

 

The slide just put the one dock out of commission the others are in use. If you dock in Skagway the will tender you to the train

[cruisingrob21]

There are a few threads about this on the Alaska ports of call forum on here.  The overall sentiment is that Skagway feels they have a workable solution (bussing passengers from the south railroad dock, and tendering passengers from the north railroad dock).  I think a few weeks of their "solution" will have at least 1 large ship looking at alternative ports when there are 2 large ships scheduled.  Just know that ISP only has 2 docks, and I believe one is exclusively for NCL.  Haines is another alternative port closeby but probably can't handle the largest ships, and only 1 at that.  Sitka is another diversion port and can handle 2 large ships, but requires a 15 minute bus ride into town, and is much further away than ISP or Haines.

 

I'm guessing, like last year, if Skagway is substituted on a particular voyage, passengers won't find out about it until about 2 weeks before, and will not always be the same alternative ports.

[memoak]

1 minute ago, cruisingrob21 said:

There are a few threads about this on the Alaska ports of call forum on here.  The overall sentiment is that Skagway feels they have a workable solution (bussing passengers from the south railroad dock, and tendering passengers from the north railroad dock).  I think a few weeks of their "solution" will have at least 1 large ship looking at alternative ports when there are 2 large ships scheduled.  Just know that ISP only has 2 docks, and I believe one is exclusively for NCL.  Haines is another alternative port closeby but probably can't handle the largest ships, and only 1 at that.  Sitka is another diversion port and can handle 2 large ships, but requires a 15 minute bus ride into town, and is much further away than ISP or Haines.

 

I'm guessing, like last year, if Skagway is substituted on a particular voyage, passengers won't find out about it until about 2 weeks before, and will not always be the same alternative ports.

Haines can handle at least one large ship. We docked there on the Royal last August 

[cruisingrob21]

56 minutes ago, memoak said:

Haines can handle at least one large ship. We docked there on the Royal last August 

Thanks for clarifying - I knew the Crown went there, but wasnt sure if the Royal Class could go there.

 

Best thing for folks to do is to review the information here: https://claalaska.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/All-Alaska-Ports-All-Vessels-2023.pdf

 

Go to the day your voyage will be in Skagway, and look down the chart for "SKG".  According to Skagways current plan, if your ship is listed at RRA, you'll be bused through the slide area.  If your ship is listed at RRF, your ship will be docked, and you'll take a tender from the otherside of the ship on a short ride to a dock.

 

This is also where you can look and see if there availability at other common ports like Haines (HNS), Icy Straight Point (ISP), or Sitka (SIT).

 

[donaldsc]

1 hour ago, cruisingrob21 said:

There are a few threads about this on the Alaska ports of call forum on here.  The overall sentiment is that Skagway feels they have a workable solution (bussing passengers from the south railroad dock, and tendering passengers from the north railroad dock).  I think a few weeks of their "solution" will have at least 1 large ship looking at alternative ports when there are 2 large ships scheduled.  Just know that ISP only has 2 docks, and I believe one is exclusively for NCL.  Haines is another alternative port closeby but probably can't handle the largest ships, and only 1 at that.  Sitka is another diversion port and can handle 2 large ships, but requires a 15 minute bus ride into town, and is much further away than ISP or Haines.

 

I'm guessing, like last year, if Skagway is substituted on a particular voyage, passengers won't find out about it until about 2 weeks before, and will not always be the same alternative ports.

 

Just my opinion but I think that Haines and Icy Strait Point are better stops than Skagway anyway.  Most cruises give you an 8 to 10 hour stop in Skagway.  Take away the railroad and there is nothing much else to do in Skagway.  Another point is that although Skagway used to be a real town it died up a long time ago until it was taken over by cruise lines.  If the cruise ships stopped coming the town would dry up and blow away.  It is really the most fake town on the AK cruise circuit.  Both Hoonah and Haines are real towns where real people live.  They are not dependent on the cruise lines.  If the cruise ships stopped coming the towns would continue to exist.

 

DON

[Potstech]

But other than excursions this is little to do in Haines.

[Cali Viajera]

When we were unable to debark in Skagway last summer, the Majestic tendered in Haines. Quaint Alaskan town. We did the Steve Kroschel wildlife preserve. Interacted with wildlife, a highlight of our cruise!

[donaldsc]

12 minutes ago, Potstech said:

But other than excursions this is little to do in Haines.

 

I have been there 3 times - twice off ships and once for nearly a week in late October doing an eagle photography trip. Obviously if you travel and visit places people have different thoughts on the places they visit.  

 

It helps if you read this book before you visit the place - If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska.  https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/107633.

 

Even if you don't ever visit Haines this is a great read.

 

DON

[Potstech]

Was just there late last year.  The tour guides stated several times there is not a lot of what cruisers might look for in town.  When we toured the town at the end of the excursion we agreed with them.  Eagle photography and sighting is one of the positives for Haines as it has the largest eagle population of any city in Alaska.  I guess it comes down to what each cruiser is expecting and looking for.

[Guest ldtr]

4 minutes ago, Potstech said:

Was just there late last year.  The tour guides stated several times there is not a lot of what cruisers might look for in town.  When we toured the town at the end of the excursion we agreed with them.  Eagle photography and sighting is one of the positives for Haines as it has the largest eagle population of any city in Alaska.  I guess it comes down to what each cruiser is expecting and looking for.

As in trinket shops, diamonds international and similar cruise ship following stores no they are not there.  Not enough ships for them to take over the town like they have in Skagway and many other Alaska ports.