quack2

I would say half-day max.

If you're on a private whale watching trip (Glacier Wind, etc), you might be able to stay in Hoonah and just head to the Hoonah fishing port at the appointed time. If it's a ship excursion, you probably do leave from ISP.

Last I recall, light rail is a long walk from the terminals at Sea-Tac. Not particularly convenient for those with multiple bags.

Duh.

To the detriment of their passengers, IMO.

Very useful tip. Thanks.

I've come across some good buskers playing the Inner Harbor. Nice way to spend an hour or two.

I'll bet these are the same people that "save" seats on Southwest Airlines so their friends don't have to buy Early Bird. Despicable, IMO.

Perhaps it's just me but is NCL's excursions listing on the website a little disorganized? All I want is to be able to see the available excursions sorted by port stop. It would be even better if time and duration were also shown as part of the port by port listing. Other company's websites seem to do a much better job of organizing excursions. In the before times, I even remember receiving a personalized pdf showing available excursions by port.

A guide once told me in Ketchikan that if I really wanted to see a lot of baldies, to head for the town dump.

You will have cell phone service as you approach Skagway.

I get that you're leaving from Vancouver but returning to Seattle. Is the ship really going to go west of Vancouver Island when heading north? Seems a liitle odd but that's what the map shows.

The poor man asks a question about the timing of eating at Tracy's and getting back to his ship on time. One response addresses his question. I'm not an expert but it may depend on where you're docked. Unless it "around the corner" as the furthest pier. I think you should be okay. But don't dilly-dally (technical term).

It depends. I'm not loyal to any one cruise line. Usually, I'm looking for a cruise with: 1. Low single supplement. Unobstructed balcony is a must 2. Good itinerary, including long days in port. Preferably, four port stops. 3, Glacier Bay is certainly a plus, but not a necessity. For first time cruisers, though, I would say a must. 4. A one-way north to south ending in Vancouver, I love the last at sea day heading towards Vancouver and then sunrise the next day coming into Vancouver Harbor. Can be stunning. 5. I like to embark in Seward. That gives the opportunity to take the train down from Anchorage, arriving in time to take 6-hour boat tour of Kenai Fjords. Upon return from the boat trip, I head over to the cruise dock to start my seven days heading to Vancouver. 6. Having Sitka and/or Icy Strait on the itinerary is a plus. You may notice that I haven't mentioned the feature and amenities of the ship itself. It's not that they aren't important, but for me, Alaska is about the scenery and photography opportunities much more than fun on the ship. One thing I do appreciate on the ship is the ability to find a quiet public area to read. Holland's old Explorer's Lounge was a good example. Unfortunately, finding such a spot these days seems to be harder and harder. I don't need to have music blaring everywhere on the ship. As far as food and entertainment, I know that meals will be good to very good no matter what cruise line. I'll drop in on a show once in a while, but they aren't a big part of my cruise experience. I did enjoy Holland America's BBC Earth Concert on last year's cruise. That's about all I can think to regurgitate on my thought process for selecting a cruise line and itinerary. And, of course, YMMV.

Regular user of Murray's Guide. Very valuable resource for anyone wanting to explore outside of Skagway. I am grateful to people like yourself who do the research and writing to produce a guide like your's and to offer it to the public for next to nothing. I wish you good health in 2023.

Skagway is a great place to rent a car/van. Lots of options on where to head on the Klondike Highway. It's my favorite area for spotting black bears on the side of the road (and dumb tourists chasing them on foot).

Booooooooooo!

Thanks for posting your trip updates.

Seriously?

I have never considered Cunard because, at least for me, Alaska is not about dressing up.

Was very happy parking at Canada Place for a week last year while I did Vancouver round trip. Be careful when booking ahead to note your expected arrival time. I didn't, and they charged me a full day even though I arrived at 4 p.m.-ish. The default arrival time was midnight. And yes, Flyover Canada is worth doing, especially if you haven't done a "soaring" type experience before.

Ward Cove sucks.

Amen.

Board the ship when you get back from the 6 hour, 11:30 boat tour of Kenai Fjords that you need to schedule because it's great. That means taking the train from Anchorage at 6:45-ish that arrives at 11:00

Glacier Wind.