Skagway shore excursion - Glacier Point Wilderness Safari?

[TAMU Dad]

Considering NCL's shore excursion Glacier Point Wilderness Safari which I believe is offered by all cruise lines visiting Skagway. This envolves self rowing of canoes up close and personal to Davidson Glacier, anyone out there wish to share their experiences on this excursion. Thanks in advance.

[kb996]

We did this a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it.

 

The first leg is a high speed boat, I believe it was about a 40 minute ride (we stopped in Haines to pick up other folks). The boat stops at a beach where you board a bus for a 5 minute ride through the forest. BRING BUG REPELLENT! They take you to their outfitting center where they will give you warm coats, boots, rain coats and life jackets. There is an outhouse there for the women to use and trees for the men.

 

Then you walk through the forest for about 5 - 10 minutes to the lake. There you get in 10 person canoes. They have an outboard motor which the guides said sometimes didn't work but they were all working the day were were there.

 

The glacier is incredible, you get within 50 yards of it. The guides are all in their 20s and seem very knowledgeable about the glacier, forest, plants, animals etc. We did not see any bears but they said they are out there. The guides also live out there all summer, fish, crab, and have a garden for food.

 

On the return boat ride to Skagway we were given box lunches that had a sandwich, sun chips, cookie, carrots and water.

 

A trip worth taking. Did I say BRING BUG REPELLET ?!!

[TAMU Dad]

Thanks so much for your report, looks like to best way to get up close and personal with a glacier with out spending the big bucks on helicopter landing tours.

Must not be one of those glaciers that "calve"(break-off and fall into lake), which would make it too dangerous to get that close in only a canoe.

Look like were on for the tour, thanks again.

[OnlyMe]

TAMU Dad,

You won't regret your decision to do this excursion! We did it back in September 2005 and it was THE highlight of our trip (and on that trip we also did a Glacier Landing). We had absolutely no problems with mosquitoes thankfully and the outboard motors were working too.:)

[KristaMB]

Just wanted to give a third thumbs up for this tour! We were there last week and had a great time. In addition to seeing the glacier, the wild strawberry patches near the beach are just starting to ripen. We had fun scouting out a few to taste. There is bug repellent available at the pavillion where the rain gear is, but we needed it as soon as we hit the bus on the beach. (The mosquitos get in the bus and hang out.) If you bring your own repellent, you'll be happier.

 

We asked our guide about the glacier calving, and he said that he's been going to the glacier on and off since 1998 and has only heard it calve once. (His back was turned, so he didn't see it.) Even if it calved while you were there in the canoe, I don't think you'd be in extreme danger. You don't come that close to it, and it's not that thick of a glacier.

[CassCruise]

Friends did it last September and thought it was the highlight of the trip - the day was so perfect they actually were allowed on it (seen the pics to prove!!!) apparently it was one of the rare times their guides had ever seen that happen....

[TAMU Dad]

Thanks all for the good reports!