Just Booked First Alaska Cruise on Encore for first week in July; What MUST I do before embarkation?

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, erisajd said:

Why?  Because if you travel anywhere internationally, including Canada on a closed loop cruise leaving the US, you need a passport.  
 

a DL and BC don’t work anymore.  
 

only exception are SENTRI, NEXUS, or if you live in a stat that has an enhanced DL. 

Where did you get that misinformation from? You are 100% wrong.

 

US citizens sailing on closed loop cruises to most destinations in North and Central America including Canada, as well as most of the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Bermuda are permitted to cruise with an official birth certificate and government-issued photo ID such as a driver's license. This has been the case for many years and has not changed .

Edited April 15 by njhorseman

[zqvol]

3 hours ago, erisajd said:

Why?  Because if you travel anywhere internationally, including Canada on a closed loop cruise leaving the US, you need a passport.  
 

a DL and BC don’t work anymore.  
 

only exception are SENTRI, NEXUS, or if you live in a stat that has an enhanced DL. 

You need to do some research, you are incorrect. 

[Panhandle Couple]

Find a Columbia outlet store.

They will be placing winter items on discount now, so you can pickup light raincoats and some long sleeve sun shirts, along with hats, etc.

We have cruised AK 3 times in September, and never really been cold, but expect at least one day of misty rain and fog.

Over July 4th, will be the busiest time of year, so patience is needed. The ship will be over capacity, and every port will have 2 or 3 other ships at the same time.

A good DSLR camera will provide the best pictures for wildlife. Glacier Bay is great, but your phone camera can't zoom in enough for great pictures. (Others may disagree)

 

[jjesq99]

1 hour ago, Panhandle Couple said:

Find a Columbia outlet store.

They will be placing winter items on discount now, so you can pickup light raincoats and some long sleeve sun shirts, along with hats, etc.

We have cruised AK 3 times in September, and never really been cold, but expect at least one day of misty rain and fog.

Over July 4th, will be the busiest time of year, so patience is needed. The ship will be over capacity, and every port will have 2 or 3 other ships at the same time.

A good DSLR camera will provide the best pictures for wildlife. Glacier Bay is great, but your phone camera can't zoom in enough for great pictures. (Others may disagree)

 

TY PHC!!!

We are from CFLA if you are the FL Panhandle, so happy to hear you weren't cold.

 

We are prepping for rain and bugs (and expecting the latter to be bigger than our local variety 🙂 )

[BirdTravels]

17 hours ago, erisajd said:

Why?  Because if you travel anywhere internationally, including Canada on a closed loop cruise leaving the US, you need a passport. A DL and BC don’t work anymore. Only exception are SENTRI, NEXUS, or if you live in a stat that has an enhanced DL. 

Totally inaccurate. Sorry. 

 

  

US  Citizens

For Cruises Leaving From a U.S. Port to the Caribbean, Bahamas & Florida, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Canada & New England, Pacific Coastal On cruises that begin and end in the same US port and do not sail through the Panama Canal or to any South American ports, you are required to carry one of the below documents: A Valid Passport OR Proof of Citizenship (see below) AND Government-issued photo ID (Baptismal paper, hospital certificates of birth, and Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to 7/1/10 are not acceptable.) State certified U.S. birth certificate Original certificate of U.S. naturalization Original certificate of U.S. citizenship U.S. Consular report of your birth abroad Enhanced Driver’s License (enhanced driver’s licenses are only issued in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington) A valid passport card

[BirdTravels]

18 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

One person's waste of money is another person's ace in the hole.  My wife and I each had careers which sometimes called on us, especially her, to drop what we were doing at work, jet off to a client's office, and take care of business.  That frequently meant overseas travel at the drop  of a hat.  Maintaining a current passport was essential.  We frequently were able to take a few vacation days either before or after the work assignment to travel in foreign countries and receive the benefits of having someone else (our employers) pay for our travel.  Frequently when one of us had a work assignment in a foreign country, the other one of us could tag along.  The "plus one" had to pay for their own airfare and some meals, but the hotel was covered.  We were fortunate to have flexible schedules to permit this.  Sometimes we even booked a last minute cruise after the work assignment.  The cost of a passport works out to just over one dollar per month, so for us, and for maybe many others, the flexibility of having a current passport is well worth its minimal expense.  Naturally, the one time that I did not renew my passport in time to keep it current was the time my wife traveled to Japan on short notice and I wasn't able to join her.  Lesson learned.

Hah? The Op is not jetting off on business. They are taking a closed loop cruise that stops in Canada from 8:00 pm - midnight where most people don't even get off the ship. 

[jjesq99]

OP has passports and that won't be an issue...🙂.

 

Back to the cruise questions 😇:

 

How long do I need to budget getting to (and from) each of Sagway, Ketchikan and Juneau excursion meeting points and the ship?

 

I believe I have read that the Encore's docking space at one of them is 45 minutes from excursion meeting point(s)?  Is that accurate and which is that?  how are the others...?

 

All of your responses have been phenomenal, with a special shout out obviously to those from the roost 🙂.  Appreciate it all!

[The Traveling Man]

2 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Hah? The Op is not jetting off on business. They are taking a closed loop cruise that stops in Canada from 8:00 pm - midnight where most people don't even get off the ship. 

Yes, today.  Who knows what their plans are for next week, next month, or next year.  What do they do if the unthinkable occurs and they find themselves in a hospital in Canada, needing to make other travel arrangements to get back home.  A passport may not be an essential requirement, but at a cost of just over $1.00 per month, I think it is a wise investment in an "insurance policy."  YMMV, but I won't leave home without mine.

[jjesq99]

11 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

Yes, today.  Who knows what their plans are for next week, next month, or next year.  What do they do if the unthinkable occurs and they find themselves in a hospital in Canada, needing to make other travel arrangements to get back home.  A passport may not be an essential requirement, but at a cost of just over $1.00 per month, I think it is a wise investment in an "insurance policy."  YMMV, but I won't leave home without mine.

 

Please no more passport posts further hijacking this thread ☮️😁

[The Traveling Man]

2 hours ago, jjesq99 said:

OP has passports and that won't be an issue...🙂.

 

Back to the cruise questions 😇:

 

How long do I need to budget getting to (and from) each of Sagway, Ketchikan and Juneau excursion meeting points and the ship?

 

I believe I have read that the Encore's docking space at one of them is 45 minutes from excursion meeting point(s)?  Is that accurate and which is that?  how are the others...?

 

All of your responses have been phenomenal, with a special shout out obviously to those from the roost 🙂.  Appreciate it all!

We have sailed to Alaska on four different NCL ships including the Encore.  As I recall, the meeting place for most tours was either in the auditorium or on the pier just outside the ship.  I think the farthest we had to go for any of them was once in Skagway when we walked about a quarter-mile along the pier, from the Joy past the Bliss, to board the WP&Y Railroad.  In Juneau the meeting spot sometimes is in town at the base of the tramway.  There usually is a shuttle bus to take you from the ship to that meeting point.  In Ketchikan, since NCL shifted their docking location to Ward's Cove, the meeting point for some tours is inside the converted warehouse which NCL uses as a cruise terminal.  It's a five minute walk from the ship to your meeting point, then a 15 to 20 minute bus ride into the city center.  In Icy Strait, there is a tramway to take you from the pier into the main area of interest.  It's about 100 yards or so along the pier from the ship to the cable car station.

[Panhandle Couple]

2 hours ago, jjesq99 said:

OP has passports and that won't be an issue...🙂.

 

Back to the cruise questions 😇:

 

How long do I need to budget getting to (and from) each of Sagway, Ketchikan and Juneau excursion meeting points and the ship?

 

I believe I have read that the Encore's docking space at one of them is 45 minutes from excursion meeting point(s)?  Is that accurate and which is that?  how are the others...?

 

All of your responses have been phenomenal, with a special shout out obviously to those from the roost 🙂.  Appreciate it all!

All NCL excursions will be near or at the dock.  Skagway will likely be at the end of the dock due to landslide restrictions. I haven't seen any comments from the first sailings this year on Skagway status.

[jjesq99]

9 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

We have sailed to Alaska on four different NCL ships including the Encore.  As I recall, the meeting place for most tours was either in the auditorium or on the pier just outside the ship.  I think the farthest we had to go for any of them was once in Skagway when we walked about a quarter-mile along the pier, from the Joy past the Bliss, to board the WP&Y Railroad.  In Juneau the meeting spot sometimes is in town at the base of the tramway.  There usually is a shuttle bus to take you from the ship to that meeting point.  In Ketchikan, since NCL shifted their docking location to Ward's Cove, the meeting point for some tours is inside the converted warehouse which NCL uses as a cruise terminal.  It's a five minute walk from the ship to your meeting point, then a 15 to 20 minute bus ride into the city center.  In Icy Strait, there is a tramway to take you from the pier into the main area of interest.  It's about 100 yards or so along the pier from the ship to the cable car station.

 

6 minutes ago, Panhandle Couple said:

All NCL excursions will be near or at the dock.  Skagway will likely be at the end of the dock due to landslide restrictions. I haven't seen any comments from the first sailings this year on Skagway status.

 

I should have clarified that I'm trying to book all the excursions (not thru NCL but) directly through the tour operators...

[Panhandle Couple]

5 hours ago, jjesq99 said:

TY PHC!!!

We are from CFLA if you are the FL Panhandle, so happy to hear you weren't cold.

 

We are prepping for rain and bugs (and expecting the latter to be bigger than our local variety 🙂 )

I grew up much further north, so maybe more immune to cold than avg Floridian.

At that time of year, you will have 16 hrs or more of daylight. Sun will set at 10-ish.

Most people bring flannel shirts and wear jeans during the day.

 

For embarking, carry on a set of clothes (we use backpacks) for everyone. If the kids want to swim, it will probably be warmest before you leave port.

Day 6 (sea day) on way back to Seattle will be very choppy, bring meds if you think it might effect the family.

[bonvoyagie]

When we were in Skagway last year they had shuttle busses that took us from the ship to the end of the pier and back. All of the excursions met at the end of the pier. In Skagway I would book a tour with Chilkoot Tours, they provide better White Pass RR tours to Carcross and bus return than the cruise line. Glacier Bay is amazing and most of the action occurs on the left or Port side of the ship, the rangers provide a guided tour on the way in and a history lecture on the way out. With NCL docking at Ward Cove in Ketchikan, plan on needing extra time for shuttle busses to town, however they also have a good store there in addition to what you can find in town. This is also a port to learn about native culture - in addition to the lumberjack show and Creek Street.

 

I highly suggest that you sit down as a family and review the tour choices and chose ones that interest the entire family. That said, you may also decide to split up if you can't come to an agreement.

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, jjesq99 said:

I should have clarified that I'm trying to book all the excursions (not thru NCL but) directly through the tour operators...

That's wherever the tour operator says your pickup point is. 

 

Ketchikan - Most tour operators pick up at the dock. Do not book a tour that picks up in town. You would have to allow a lot of time (hour+) to wait in line and catch the bus to town. 

 

Juneau - Most tour operators pick up at the dock. If you book a tour picking up downtown, you need to allow a lot of time to wait for a bus or a lot of time to walk to town on your own. 

 

Skagway - Most tour operators pick up at the end of the dock. Last season, you had to catch the tiny shuttles from the ship, through the landslide zone, to the end of the dock. That's 4500 people on 25 person vans. Allow a lot of time. 

 

Victoria - Tour operators pick up at the dock. 

 

All NCL excursions pick up at the dock. 

[jjesq99]

12 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

That's wherever the tour operator says your pickup point is. 

 

Ketchikan - Most tour operators pick up at the dock. Do not book a tour that picks up in town. You would have to allow a lot of time (hour+) to wait in line and catch the bus to town. 

 

Juneau - Most tour operators pick up at the dock. If you book a tour picking up downtown, you need to allow a lot of time to wait for a bus or a lot of time to walk to town on your own. 

 

Skagway - Most tour operators pick up at the end of the dock. Last season, you had to catch the tiny shuttles from the ship, through the landslide zone, to the end of the dock. That's 4500 people on 25 person vans. Allow a lot of time. 

 

Victoria - Tour operators pick up at the dock. 

 

All NCL excursions pick up at the dock. 

You are the pro 😉: is it worth it to spend the extra money and book through NCL just to be safe? Or with decent planning, can I make other tours?

 

Juneau appears to be the biggest issue given the lack of time in Port. We would love to hit the mendenhall glacier...

 

TIA!

[jjesq99]

16 hours ago, bonvoyagie said:

When we were in Skagway last year they had shuttle busses that took us from the ship to the end of the pier and back. All of the excursions met at the end of the pier. In Skagway I would book a tour with Chilkoot Tours, they provide better White Pass RR tours to Carcross and bus return than the cruise line. Glacier Bay is amazing and most of the action occurs on the left or Port side of the ship, the rangers provide a guided tour on the way in and a history lecture on the way out. With NCL docking at Ward Cove in Ketchikan, plan on needing extra time for shuttle busses to town, however they also have a good store there in addition to what you can find in town. This is also a port to learn about native culture - in addition to the lumberjack show and Creek Street.

 

I highly suggest that you sit down as a family and review the tour choices and chose ones that interest the entire family. That said, you may also decide to split up if you can't come to an agreement.

Skagway we are looking to do the WP RR, and in Ketchikan we may try and do a float plane ride, though it is expensive 😕 

 

I will check out chilkoot towards this morning, thank you!

 

 

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, jjesq99 said:

You are the pro 😉: is it worth it to spend the extra money and book through NCL just to be safe? Or with decent planning, can I make other tours?

 

Juneau: Focus on the meeting point for your tour. If the tour operator picks up at the ship (almost always the AJ dock), you're golden. If not, try to get off the ship and onto a shuttle bus as quick as you can (assuming that the pick-up is at the base of the Mount Roberts Tramway / Goldbelt Tramway). That means being the the pushing-and-shoving crowd trying to get down to the gangway (get in line early).  Then there will be a line outside for the bus to town. It is a 1 mile walk to town - we have walked it before, but normally just wait in line for the bus. The photo below is last year in Juneau. 

 

Skagway: Focus on the pick-up point for your WP RR trip. Cruise ship rides will pick up right on the dock. Some independent trips pick up in town which is a 15 minute walk from the end of the dock. Or catch a paid shuttle to town. Hopefully, the port has set up a way for you to walk from the ship to the end of the dock. In 2022, there were multiple landslides onto the dock and I guess that the port thinks that being in a bus provides more protection than walking through the shipping containers to protect you from falling rocks. The photo below is from last year and the shuttles the port was running on the dock

 

Ketchikan: Hopefully the tour provider will pick you up from the dock. Float plane rides are great fun. But sometimes get cancelled if the weather is bad. We flew out of Ketchikan to go bear watching pre-pandemic. 

Edited April 16 by BirdTravels

[SpanishForker]

The Cruise Ship Schedule for Skagway has the Encore docking at the Ore dock this year after mid-May. I don't know how that might change things with regards to meeting tours.

 

https://claalaska.com/?page_id=1551

[jjesq99]

59 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

 

Juneau: Focus on the meeting point for your tour. If the tour operator picks up at the ship (almost always the AJ dock), you're golden. If not, try to get off the ship and onto a shuttle bus as quick as you can (assuming that the pick-up is at the base of the Mount Roberts Tramway / Goldbelt Tramway). That means being the the pushing-and-shoving crowd trying to get down to the gangway (get in line early).  Then there will be a line outside for the bus to town. It is a 1 mile walk to town - we have walked it before, but normally just wait in line for the bus. The photo below is last year in Juneau. 

 

Skagway: Focus on the pick-up point for your WP RR trip. Cruise ship rides will pick up right on the dock. Some independent trips pick up in town which is a 15 minute walk from the end of the dock. Or catch a paid shuttle to town. Hopefully, the port has set up a way for you to walk from the ship to the end of the dock. In 2022, there were multiple landslides onto the dock and I guess that the port thinks that being in a bus provides more protection than walking through the shipping containers to protect you from falling rocks. The photo below is from last year and the shuttles the port was running on the dock

 

Ketchikan: Hopefully the tour provider will pick you up from the dock. Float plane rides are great fun. But sometimes get cancelled if the weather is bad. We flew out of Ketchikan to go bear watching pre-pandemic. 

What was the name of the float plane tour company?  Did you book thru NCL or direct? The one we were looking at was going to Misty Fjords.

Edited April 16 by jjesq99

[BirdTravels]

2 minutes ago, jjesq99 said:

What was the name of the float plane tour company?  Did you book thru NCL or direct? The one we were looking at was going to Misty Fjords.

The actual flight was done by Taquan Air. It was a NCL shore ex. 

[BirdTravels]

49 minutes ago, SpanishForker said:

The Cruise Ship Schedule for Skagway has the Encore docking at the Ore dock this year after mid-May. I don't know how that might change things with regards to meeting tours.

 

https://claalaska.com/?page_id=1551

For @jjesq99, again, focus on the pick up point for your WP RR tour. They will have shuttles to town or over to the railway dock. Walking to town from the ore dock seems to be a bit further, but it has been years since we did that walk from the NCL Jewel. 

[erisajd]

19 hours ago, jjesq99 said:

 

 

I should have clarified that I'm trying to book all the excursions (not thru NCL but) directly through the tour operators...

how much are you saving???  Because if your excursion misses the return you're on your own for getting to the next port! 

 

[bonvoyagie]

1 hour ago, erisajd said:

how much are you saving???  Because if your excursion misses the return you're on your own for getting to the next port! 

 

This is true, however it has been my experience that in both Canada and Alaska the tour operators who survived the pandemic have solid reputations and policies that guarantee you back to the ship or getting you the to the next port.  

[zqvol]

2 hours ago, erisajd said:

how much are you saving???  Because if your excursion misses the return you're on your own for getting to the next port! 

 

Not a big deal in AK.