lovescruisingbc

You will love Skagway! So much to see and do.. if you have booked the tour through the cruiseline you will be picked up and dropped off at the dock. All tours we have taken have given us the option of dropping us off in Skagway, so if your tour leaves at 9:00 ish you should have lots of time to explore Skagway and get back to the ship at least 30 minutes prior to departure. Be sure to visit the Red Onion Saloon!!

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http://www.experienceketchikan.com/support-files/jnu_2017.pdf is the update for 2017

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I believe the tram starts running at 8 am, and you would want about an hour to get to the top, see the views and get down again, depending on crowds and line-ups.

That being said - Juneau has several docking berths and one that involves tendering, so depending on your cruise line and how many ships are in port that day, you may not be next to the tramway itself, and you may have to wait in line for the tender. We have always been lucky with HAL and always docked close to the tramway!

When will you be in Juneau - there is a website that gives the cruise ship schedule so you which ships will be docked the day you are there.. if there are only 2 or three you should be close to the tram.

It is well worth the ride as the views are terrific!

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I can't speak for when you're going, but we were at Tracy Arm on August 1 on a small boat and saw five bears on the shore and a couple of whales shortly after leaving Tracy Arm on the way back to Juneau. But even if we hadn't, this is a pretty special place, and not just because of the glaciers. It's like sailing through the land that time forgot.

Hear! Hear! Its one of my favourite spots along the Inside Passage...

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We did the small boat tour a few years back. It was well worth it as we were really close to the Sawyer Glacier - one of the prettiest glaciers in Alaska. Since gas prices have skyrocketed in recent years, the cost of this tour has increased.. I believe it is in the region of US$250 per person and is around 5 and a half hours. We arrived in Juneau about 2pm, just a little after the ship docked, and I believe we had to go back to the ship before leaving again for afternoon tours. We didnt see any whales on that tour - in fact, we have not seen whales in Tracy Arm on any of our Alaska cruises (we have taken 6!) There are some good Whale watching tours out of Juneau that guarantee sightings!

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Hi, Rambler ..

I have not stayed at the Hampton, but do know it has a good reputation .. We live in Richmond, but often spend a weekend downtown just to be away, and this hotel is on our shortlist of places to stay.. It is very close to BC Place and other sports or entertainment venues. Lots of places to eat from pubs to fancy! The hop on hop off trolley and buses stops very close by at the Sandman Hotel (about a block away .. Easily walkable). To the best of my knowledge there is no free shuttle to,the CruiseShip centre, but there is a shuttle bus that stops at the Hampton - not sure of the cost but informs at ... https://www.vancouvershuttle.ca/cruise-ship-transfers. Hope this helps! Enjoy Vancouver -it's a great city!

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We no longer even go into any of the "recommended" shops! Being from Canada we have a limited amount we can bring back duty free, yet the sales people pounce as we enter the shop, and keep pushing us to buy something we can't afford for at least 3 or 4 times our limit, claiming it was a such great deal!! They were pushy! We have found great deals from the smaller (friendly) vendors away from the main drag and will continue to support them! And the items they sell are generally genuine Alaskan!

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So much has been covered here already .. We live in Vancouver so the only transportation we need is a cab to the Cruse-ship Centre -although I must admit we generally stay at the Days Inn, downtown the night before the cruise - its not too expensive, allows us to have a pre-cruise dinner with friends, and is walking distance to the ship! Nothing like getting up.at 6am and watching your ship come in! It never ceases to excite me! With respect to the cruise I agree wholeheartedly with "xlxo" "middle aged mom" and those who go there because they love it! Next May will be our seventh cruise there-always the Inside Passage round trip, but on different ships. May will be a little different as we cruise out of Vancouver and arrive back in Seattle -9 days instead of our usual 7! Every trip is different! We try to do different port activities each time so we are getting to know some of the areas really well! Definitely a photographers paradise! Last year we were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights .. That was in August at Skagway! There is just so much to see and do - it really is impossible to get bored, unless you really want to!

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Usually a long dress or skirt and fancy top ... This year on HAL I'll be wearing dressy jump suits with a shawl and evening sandals... And of course some bling to dress them up even more!

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We will be on the Volendam sailing out of Vancouver, August 5-12, 2015. This will be our 6th Alaska Cruise, 4th on Hal and second on the Volendam! We have also cruised with Celebrity (Alaska) and Norwegian (Alaska and Hawaii), in addition to Viking River Cruises (Basel to Amsterdam) and one upcoming Paris-Normandy. No special reason for the cruise except that we LOVE Alaska!

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So glad you are enjoying the Cruise - we have just booked this for next Christmas - leave Paris Dec 21, and return Dec 28. Unless there is a change in the schedule it looks like our Christmas Eve will be in Rouen, with Normandy Beaches on Christmas Day. Even though it is a year away, we are very excited. Have travelled Viking once before and loved it - so much more intimate than the mega-cruise ships!

Looking forward to hearing about your experiences - three questions... 1. Were you able to visit any of the Christmas Markets? 2. Were arrangements made for guests to attend a Christmas Eve service? 2. How was the Christmas Dinner??

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences! The photos are fantastic - as we are taking this cruise early next September, I was truly interested in everything you had to say! We, too are travelling AquaClass - #1133!