Encore to Alaska questions

[cb2367]

I'm seeing a lot reports about long lines for shuttles in the ports. In skagway, I've got two excursions booked; one is at around noon and the other is around 4.

 

Trying to figure out if there's going to be time to do both excursions and what the overall experience is going to be like at each port visit. I know there's the usual rush to disembark right after the announcement is made that gangway is open. 

[ggTexasGal]

5 minutes ago, cb2367 said:

I'm seeing a lot reports about long lines for shuttles in the ports. In Skagway, I've got two excursions booked; one is at around noon and the other is around 4.

 

Trying to figure out if there's going to be time to do both excursions and what the overall experience is going to be like at each port visit. I know there's the usual rush to disembark right after the announcement is made that gangway is open. 

Did you book on your own, or book through NCL?  NCL won't let you book their excursions without a reasonable time gap between them. Just be sure you are following the ship's time!

[Lupush]

We were on the Encore in Alaska last year.  The only port that had a really long line for a shuttle was Ketchikan.  Icy Strait Point and Juneau you pretty much get off the ship and can walk to the area where your excursion will be.  Skagway was cancelled on my voyage, can't comment on that one.

[MCMC100]

We were on Encore last year. No issues with lines for us. Juneau is walking distance from port to town or you grab your excursion at the pier. Ketchikan requires a bus trip from port to town but they were running constantly. We walked off ship, thru the gift shop/port building and directly to a bus. If I recall correctly you meet your excursion at the bus drop in town. There were dozens of tour operators in the area. Skagway was a pier that you walk off and into the village. That may have changed because of rock slides last year that were impacting the pier. Perhaps now a tender port or they dock elsewhere.  But if you still dock at the town pier you simply walk off. 
 

Never had an issue with  lines anywhere. CC is filled with doom and gloomers who complain about nonexistent problems all the time. You can always find people complaining about unbearable long lines for excursions, drinks at the bar or seats at a show. Never encountered any of these problems on any cruise…

[SoloAlaska]

It gets real windy in Skagway on the pier so hold on to your hat. There’s a shuttle but it’s not essential, you can walk to town.

[bonvoyagie]

with the rockslide situation in Skagway you must take a shuttle bus from the end of the pier to a meeting spot onshore, this is where all the excursions are meeting. It is also where the tenders land if you are docked at the forward spot. The ship docks quite early and leaves quite late as Skagway is a very busy port with lots of ships as well as things to do. 

[cb2367]

Excursions are booked through NCL. I was hoping that I wouldn't be spending a lot of time at each port waiting for shuttles and possibly end up missing an excursion. It sounds like for the most part, this won't be an issue.

[quack2]

On 8/23/2023 at 6:10 AM, Lupush said:

We were on the Encore in Alaska last year.  The only port that had a really long line for a shuttle was Ketchikan.  Icy Strait Point and Juneau you pretty much get off the ship and can walk to the area where your excursion will be.  Skagway was cancelled on my voyage, can't comment on that one.

Ward Cove sucks.

[BirdTravels]

12 hours ago, cb2367 said:

Excursions are booked through NCL. I was hoping that I wouldn't be spending a lot of time at each port waiting for shuttles and possibly end up missing an excursion. It sounds like for the most part, this won't be an issue.

With the exception of Skagway, you will walk from the ship to your tour bus at Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria. There will be no shuttles. That does not mean that you don't have to be at your meeting point on time (i.e., if you are not meeting in the Theater, you need to make your way off the ship on your own). Since NCL has their own dock in Ketchikan (Wards Cove) there is no longer the potential for having to tender if all of the berths are taken.

 

Skagway may require you to shuttle from the ship to the parking lot due to the danger of rock slides. 

 

Edited August 24, 2023 by BirdTravels